The Real Boy

The Real Boy
Anne Ursu
Walden Pond Press, 2013

I haven't had the privilege of reading Ursu's highly regarded Breadcrumbs, but I'm going to make sure I track that one down soon! The Real Boy was a delight to read, pure and simple. I went into it one idea and one only: a particular legendary children's story, the title of which shouldn't be hard to figure out if you ponder the title of this book long. I also knew folks liked this book; in addition to appearing on mock Newberys (like that on Heavy Medal), it also made the National Book Award long list.

Ursu's writing itself is sheer pleasure to read. I'm a words girl, and I love to read well crafted sentences and the like. Nerdy, huh? I enjoy a well plotted novel, good characters endear themselves to me like real life friends, and musing over a deep theme with a good (real life) friend--lovely. But the words themselves are first and foremost what I notice. I'd wager that it's folks like me who enjoy the likes of Hokey Pokey and other titles that play with language. One of my favorite lines in The Real Boy reads, "And the people were the same way: gilded with plenty, unsullied by suffering." Ursu packs a punch with a succinct prose that will be just as easily read and relished by her target audience (middle grades) as it is by the likes of me. It's not perfect throughout, but there are moments of brilliance.

Thankfully, though, Ursu's prose isn't the only great thing about this novel. I hesitate to write too much about the characters and the plot because so much of the pleasure of reading this book is in the discovery of all that lies beneath the surface. Ursu gives us a wonderful character in Oscar, the real boy, and his friend Callie. I love their growing relationship, the ways they learn to read each other like any two people who are growing closer. Ursu does a great job of showing us this process, not telling. And she does a great job of showing us, not telling us, some of the quirks that any person has--but which Oscar seems to possess in greater abundance. There's no need to label him (finally!) because so many of us have strange little quirks. I'd bet there are lots of (unlabeled) kids who find elements of Oscar's character resonate within their own selves, even if they aren't as extreme in any given area. Callie is a born nurturer, but she's never saccharine about it. I love that. One important note: because the book is told from Oscar's perspective (although in 3rd person), there is lots that the reader must infer. I think this worked well although not everyone agrees with me.

The plot: it's well paced for the most part. Solid world building in the background informs lots of key decisions and moments, and it all hangs together. But the best part: the open ending! Enough is resolved for readers to close the book happily, but there are enough what ifs that we will spend the rest of the day (week) thinking on and musing over them.

Go get a copy and read it for yourself! Do NOT read my questions below unless you have read the book or don't care if you find out "stuff" before reading....

[SPOILER ALERT]
This book brings up great thematic material which would be worth discussing. The biggest issue is greed--and not just greed for more money or material goods. The parents in the Shining City want perfect children because they don't want to see their children suffer. Interesting, isn't it? Sort of a twisted desire to make everything in life perfect--so perfect for your children that, though they look and feel and sound real, they're actually artificial in an attempt to protect them. And don't we want that, too? Don't we go to great lengths to avoid suffering? Aren't we greedy for an easy life, an untroubled one, one that's "unsullied by suffering"?

My biggest question from this book, though: I totally thought the trees being cut down were the reason the children made from them were suddenly failing. I guess I get the idea of a "hole" in the world where Magic used to bind it together, but to me it made more sense to directly connect each particular tree with the children who were made from its wood. Anyone else?


Book from local library; cover image from publisher's site

Salt by Helen Frost

Salt: A Story of Friendship in a Time of War
Helen Frost
Frances Foster Books (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux)
2013

Salt is a historical fiction verse novel--it's written in poetic form, but it is remarkably easy to read. Set at the beginning of the War of 1812, Salt chronicles the friendship of two boys: James, a white settler's son, and Anikwa, a Miami Native American's son. The two families have been friends for generations, but the white family lives just outside the American fort. When tensions rise between the French and the Americans, and the Indians are forced to choose sides, the two boys are caught in the middle.

Frost enjoys writing poetry in distinctive forms. Diamond Willow was written in diamond-shaped poems with one word in each line typed in bold to form a different message. In Salt, Frost uses a two-pronged approach to reinforce the differences in the two boys and in their cultures. James speaks in unrhymed couplets that look like stripes across the page. They are, in fact, supposed to look like stripes: the stripes in the American flag. Anikwa speaks in poetry shaped liked the weaving patterns from his culture's blankets.

The two boys struggle to understand each other in the midst of the turmoil surrounding their families. Misunderstandings are inevitable, and the two families must figure out how to continue to be friends--or if it's worth continuing to trust one another. The characters are nuanced, the many issues surrounding war time are present without taking over the boy's friendship, and the ending is perfect. If you've never read a novel-in-verse, this is a good one to try!

Frost includes good end notes on the history of the time period in question as well as cultural notes for Anikwa's people and how she came up with her characters' names. 

Recommended for middle grades and up.

Book from my local library; cover image from publisher's website

Sky Jumpers

Sky Jumpers
Peggy Eddleman
Random House, 2013

Hot off the press, this debut novel plunges us into a technology-challenged post-WWIII landscape which includes the deadly "Bomb's Breath," a ring of pressurized air that will kill anything that breathes it in.

Hope, her friends Brock and Aaren, and Aaren's little sister Brenna are part of a fairly isolated community known as White Rock. White Rock is located in a crater that was formed by one of the deadly bombs of WWIII. Hope, Aaren, and Brock have figured out how to "sky jump" off a cliff through the Bomb's Breath (holding their breath) and land on the ground below the toxic air. While this would truly horrify their parents (all of whom have known people who died in the Bomb's Breath), it becomes the way these children will save their community with danger strikes.


Every year, White Rock sends a troop of volunteer guards down the road to the next settlement (Browning) because it's fairly protected by the snow and Bomb's Breath during winter. Bandits roam freely and often attack these small communities, and sometimes the volunteer guards don't return. This year, however, bandits figure out how to enter White Rock in the winter. They attack, hold the entire town hostage, and are demanding the town's full supply of their only antibiotic. Hope, Aaren, Brock, and little Brenna manage to escape the large community center and flee to Browning. They must jump through the Bomb's Breath and struggle against deadly cold, but they do make it. Are they in time to rouse the guards at Browning? The guards can't go back through the Bomb's Breath, so how will they rescue White Rock's citizens? Will Hope's father, whom the bandits shot, die before she returns?

This is a fun debut and is satisfyingly one novel rather than a giant series. Perhaps there will be more, but it doesn't need a sequel. Lots of action and bravery will hook young readers. Hope, Brock, Aaren, and Brenna are fairly stock character types for middle grade fiction, but they are unique in their sky jumping. The plot wraps up pretty neatly in the end, but the escaped bandit makes for a nice unresolved element. Tiny sparks of romance will please some middle grade readers, but there is not enough to turn away those who don't want romance. All in all, Sky Jumpers is a fun read and one I recommend!

Book in ARC form via netgalley and thanks to publisher; cover image from publisher's website

The Adventures of a South Pole Pig: A Novel of Snow and Courage

The Adventures of a South Pole Pig: 
A Novel of Snow and Courage
Chris Kurtz, author
Jennifer Black Reinhardt, illustrator
HMH Books for Young Readers
2013
288 pages

This book came out on my birthday this year (January 8) along with titles such as Hokey Pokey, Navigating Early, and The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brockett. Despite the "potential Newbery buzz" for books like Hokey Pokey and Navigating Early (both were on the early "to read" list at Heavy Medal, for instance), my favorite of this group is The Adventures of a South Pole Pig: A Novel of Snow and Courage.

So, why do I like this little chapter book so much? A longheld love affair with Charlotte's Web making me predisposed to like any pig chapter book? A general fondness for talking animal stories? A son who loves all things "pig"? Those are all reasons that helped me pick up this title off the "new" shelf at the library earlier this year. But those are not the reasons that make me like this book better than others I've read this year.

The Adventures of a South Pole Pig: A Novel of Snow and Courage is well written. Pure and simple. Characterization is top notch. We first meet Flora as a piglet who dreams of life beyond the pigpen, befriending the barnyard cat (Luna) in hopes of finding out "stuff." One day: escape! And Flora meets Oscar, a lead sled dog. Henceforward, after being returned to the pigpen, Flora dreams not just of exploration but of joining the sled dog team. After all, she has courage, pluck, strength, a stout heart. What more could you ask for in a sled dog team member?

One day, Flora is taken, along with Oscar and a number of other dogs, on board a ship bound for an Antarctic expedition. The reader will pick up on clues that go over Flora's head: her destiny is clearly for the crew's plates. She and her newest cat friend, Sophia, team up in the ship's hold to conquer the myriad rats, and Flora works hard to build up her strength in preparation for her anticipated sled dog/pig role.

Catastrophe strikes the ship, Flora's stout heart and strong legs help save the day, and she becomes essential to the team's survival. Flora forms an unlikely team with old Oscar, prickly Sophia, and the boy Aleric to help save the day in a heartwarming ending that is not at all saccharine.

The best chapter books for the third-fifth grade crowd feature great friendships, often between unlikely characters. You will find that in spades in this delightful book. Flora seeks adventure and finds it beyond her wildest dreams. Her courage is tremendous. Sophia's begrudging acceptance of the role of team player is well done. The scary and tense situations are just the right level for the target age group. As bizarre as the plot line is, it somehow works: we're rooting for a pig and a cat in the Antarctic and we know they will make it.

This book works on so many levels: plot, characterization, "issues" (survival, friendship, teamwork, etc.), setting (from the farm to the boat to the Antarctic). Illustrations are quirky and effective. But it also works on a sentence level: the text is excellent. A well constructed text can be read aloud easily and to great effect; Kurtz gives us that here. In fact, while this book will delight strong third and fourth grade readers (and younger), I think it's real gift will be as a read aloud so that a group can cheer on Flora together. She would like that; she's a friendly type and a real team player.

Recommended as a read aloud to first grade and up; independent read as third-fifth grade.

Book from my local library; cover image from HMH Books.
 

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
Chris Granbenstein
Random House, 2013

Even before Willy Wonka is mentioned, readers will note the similarities between Mr. Lemoncello and Wonka: both are as quirky and eccentric as they come, and both enjoy creating a mysterious "playground" of sorts for children to explore. The nice ones survive and move ahead; the mean kids are out of luck.

In Mr. Lemoncello's case, it's a new library for a town that's been without for twelve years. Mr. Lemoncello is a famous game maker--both board and video--who's now a billionaire and decides to create the ultimate library + game for this small town that gave him his own beginnings in puzzle making and solving. In true eccentric fashion, his library will open with twelve twelve year olds playing an elaborate game of "escape from the library" in one 24-hour period. Kyle Keeley, game player extraordinaire but NOT a reader, is one of the twelve lucky participants, and he can hardly wait. His other eleven companions are the types of characters that enable the reader to immediately guess who's going to win and who's going to lose. After all, jerks and wimps are pretty easy to recognize, but team players nearly always get ahead--at least in books!

The game makes this book: it's elaborate, full of tricks like holographic former librarians, and is all being supervised by the actively involved Mr. Lemoncello (albeit from a distance through video cams).

What doesn't make this book are the very things that are probably supposed to make the book: the myriad references to libraries and books. Oh, the books which are referenced! Favorites of this reader, to be sure--grown-up books, kids' books, old books, new books. I had a great time noting the references, some of which are quite obscure. And there's the problem: what twelve year old who really has read enough to get all those references is going to pick this book to read next? And, if you're a gamer like Kyle who doesn't like to read, will you get any of the references? Will you really want to go read all those books?

No, I'm afraid Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, although it's getting lots of praise from professional reviews, is not going to be the crowd pleaser people seem to think it will be. It's a fun read, but it's hard to figure out who the audience will be who really gets into this: grown-up librarians or the type of kids it's about?

I rarely say this, but I think this book--ironically enough--would make a better movie than book. It's high adventure and would beg for terrific special effects. But a good read? Hmm...

Age recommendation: 9-12/middle grades
Book cover from publisher

Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things

Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things (Mister Max, Book 1)
Cynthia Voigt
Iacopo Bruno, illustrator
Knopf, 2013

Voigt is a well known author, to be sure (especially for her Tillerman books--Dicey's Song was a Newbery winner from back in the day). She also won the Margaret A. Edwards award in 1995 (for lifetime achievement). And yet, we haven't heard much from her in recent years.

There's no question that Voigt can write, and write well at that. On the surface, her latest book seemed tailor made for me: I love a good mystery. I enjoy historic time periods and settings. I relish a good, open ending. Quirky characters, a dog, some art, the life of the theater--what's not to like?

When the book opens, Max's parents--both actors and owners of the Starling Theater Company--are planning a monumental trip to India. Max gets to go along. Until the day his parents board the boat and the boat leaves...without him. But, because Max is a quick thinker, he soon finds out that the boat they were supposed to board didn't exist. Therefore, did the whole trip exist? Are his parents in trouble? Did they know about this ahead of time? Is this an elaborate game or some nefarious plot? The reader doesn't know either, and we spend the next several hundred pages working on this mystery along with Max.

Thankfully, Max's grandmother lives close by, so he's not completely alone at the tender age of 12. He also has his painting instructor, a new tutor, and a new spunky girl to help him make sense of life and survive. And survive he does through his newly created "Mister Max" business: he solves minor mysteries for hire. Each time Max shows up for a new job, he's crafted a new disguise using his parents' many costumes. Thus, no one knows it's really a twelve year old boy underneath.

By the end of the book, we've learned a lot about Max and his parents (including where they are, although not how/why they got there), and Max has helped long lost lovers reunite, his painting instructor discover a new technique, and made some good friends. We're nicely set up, too, for the next book in the series.

And yet... Frankly, this book was too long. I finished it several weeks ago and am still mulling over just what didn't work. I enjoyed the characterization both of Max and the supporting cast. I enjoyed the overall dramatic framework of the book ("Act I"). But the length of the book draws out the mystery surrounding the parents' disappearance a little too long. We're bored with where his parents might be by the end and are much more invested in the here and now with Max and his new friends.

Age recommendation: 9-12/middle grades
Cover image from publisher
Thanks to publisher via netgalley for ARC!

10 Plants that Shook the World

10 Plants that Shook the World
Gillian Richardson, author
Kim Rosen, illus
Annick Press, 2013

It's easy to overlook the significance of all the plant life around us. Sure, we eat plants every day...but do you think about the plants you might be wearing, walking on, or even using as medicine? 10 Plants that Shook the World introduces us to ten plants that helped bring about world changes. They were intensely valuable for their properties, be they spice, textiles, medicine, or food. Their value drove world exploration and colonization, trade routes, economic situations--even causing dramatic changes in population growth.

Can you guess the 10 plants which might have made the list for this book? Most of them are incredibly ordinary...so ordinary, you might forget you're eating or using a plant form. And Richardson does a great job at helping the reader to see all the facets behind each of the plants' histories she writes: the good, the bad, the ugly. She walks a careful line between fact and judging, and I think she does it well.

In addition to the history of each plant's discovery, cultivation, and impact on world events, she offers a short grouping of basic plant facts for each plant, maps to highlight where plants were discovered, a fictional account of how a given plant might be being used or cultivated or worked on by young people in various cultures, and a terrific bibliography and "further reading" list. The illustrations aren't particularly my style, but they aren't offensive and I think kids will appreciate them.

Look for this book soon in libraries! You might also consider adding this to a school or public library if you're in the position to make those decisions. This is a great resource and interesting nonfiction. Recommended for upper elementary and middle grades.

If you like plants and gardening, be sure to check out my "Librarian's List" of 10 books on gardening today  on Redeemed Reader!

Novel in Verse: Odette's Secrets

I've come to really enjoy reading novels in verse in recent years. They're remarkably easy to read, despite their poetic form, and at least one--Inside Out and Back Again--has gained Newbery notoriety. They are especially appealing to certain groups of middle school and teen readers and often tackle deeply emotional or poignant issues without feeling overly dramatic or "cheesy."

Odette's Secrets
Maryann MacDonald
Bloomsbury, 2013


Odette's Secrets sounded like it was right up my ally: novel in verse, WWII time period, little explored subject within its time frame. And I did enjoy it. Little Jewish Odette lives in Paris as WWII looms large, and Hitler begins his "cleansing" of Europe. Her father goes to fight for France, and he is soon captured and taken as a prisoner of war. As Paris heats up, her mother hatches a daring plan with other resistance fighters: to send their children to willing strangers in the countryside to keep them safe. The time comes to put this plan into action, and Odette, along with three other girls she's never met before, travel by train to a family they've never met before. They are instructed in all the good Catholic ways, go to a Catholic school, attend a Catholic church, and in general passed off as "good Christians."

A series of events follows this, some heart warming, some heart wrenching. Yet, Odette's Secrets is based on the memories of the real Odette, so we know she survives. And she does.

The story in this short novel in verse is a rich one and worth reading, especially for those who enjoy WWII stories. My one complaint is the format. Although I really enjoy novels in verse, for some reason the format just didn't work for me in this one. I kept realizing I was reading a novel in verse; a really great one will suck you in and the form doesn't keep intruding on your consciousness in such a way as to jerk you back out of the story.

Look for this in bookstores or, hopefully soon, in libraries.


Thanks to netgalley for the ARC and goodreads for cover image

Don't forget that Megan and I are now contributing to Redeemed Reader! My first post there will come later this week.

Mirage (Above World #2)

Mirage
Jenn Reese
Candlewick, 2013


Wow. This is one of those second-book-in-a-series that assumes you have read the first-in-the-series and can keep up! With very little preamble, we are immediately plunged back into the world of Aluna and her best friend Hoku, both Kampii, and their friends Calli (who has wings) and Dash, an Equian. If those descriptions means nothing to you, read no further. Just go read Above World quickly so you can catch up!

The four friends attempt again to thwart the nefarious Karl Strand and one of his clones in this fast-paced book. Trying desperately to arrive at Mirage (an aptly named desert city in the middle of Equian country), the friends find their plans constantly shifting and changing--much like the terrain they are crossing. As the book progresses with rapidly advancing plot, they meet new friends and form new alliances. We meet the Serpenti--a race of people adapted to live as snakes do. We understand more of Dash's personal history as well as that of another "failed" Equian, Tal. We watch Aluna struggle to admit her need for and dependence on her friends, and we watch a gripping showdown in which the ending is brilliantly done. I love it when an author doesn't give us the expected ending! Aluna "grows up" a bit in this book as she suffers the side effects of the pill she swallowed at the end of the last book--the pill the Kampii swallow to generate their trademark tale.

I'll confess that I didn't find the writing style as distinguished in this book as in Above World. Still, for fans of Above World, this is a fun sequel to be sure. Similar thought-provoking discussions will result, as well: what makes us human? When is too much tech, well, too much? What assumptions do we make about others based simply on appearances or quickly formed judgements from one action? When does our pride get in the way of a true friendship (either with people we already know or with those we've pre-maturely judged)? When is tradition important and when should it alter to fit the new times we're living in?

Clearly we are headed for more in this series; Karl Strand is still out there, and Aluna and her band are stronger than ever!

Recommended for middle grades, especially those who enjoy fantasy/sci-fi! Look for Mirage in book stores this week, and hopefully on library shelves soon, too!

Cover image from netgalley; ARC of book thanks to netgalley as well!

Finding Zasha: another great boy + dog story

Finding Zasha
Randi Barrow
Scholastic, 2013

Finding Zasha is a prequel to the popular Saving Zasha. I never read Saving Zasha, so I read Finding Zasha "cold" with no pre-existing ideas. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for good boy + dog stories, and in this case, it's boy + 2 dogs + Russia during WWII.

When the story opens, 12-year-old Ivan is living with his mother in an apartment in Leningrad as the famous siege of Leningrad begins. Ivan and his older neighbor (an "aunt") flee the city on a dangerous journey which involved crossing a iced-over river, catching a ride with a stranger, and showing up unannounced at a distant relative's house. Once they arrive in their new rural town, Ivan quickly makes friends with the local resistance fighters and joins them--none too soon, it turns out, because the Germans are moving in quickly. Ivan ends up getting chosen by the brutal commander of this particular German force--Axel--to play music for him and to train Axel's two adorable German Shepherd puppies.

I won't give away the rest of the book. Suffice it to say that Ivan forms a tremendous bond with his two canine charges, hatches a daring escape plan for them and him both (and other resistance fighters), endures another harrowing journey across unforgiving winter Russia, and... you'll just have to read it! Those who enjoyed the first Zasha book will enjoy this one. This one ends on a cliff hanger--which makes sense if you've read the first book, but which I had to do a little research about since I haven't read the first book.

Zasha is a bit too long for my tastes and will challenge some early middle school students. Still it's a good fit for the middle grades age group.

Truth and Story: This is a very engaging story, but the Truth aspects were a little off to me. From what I understand of Russia, the time period, and any group of people in wartime, I though it noteworthy that there was scant mention of religion of any sort. It doesn't "ruin" the story, but I noticed. Still, it provides a good picture of a boy hero, a brave group standing together at great risk, and what wartime can do to people.

Finding Zasha should be on shelves in bookstores now and will no doubt follow soon to library shelves.

ARC from netgalley; cover image from goodreads

Honest Abe

President's Day celebrates, in part, the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. There have been loads of books for kids published about Abraham Lincoln, in particular, so in honor of his recent birthday and today's President's Day, here are some solid reads about Honest Abe. I've given the first title more description since it's just out this spring and won't be as well known. (For a couple of other Lincoln books, see Emily's post at Redeemed Reader.)

Lincoln's Grave Robbers
Steve Sheinkin
Scholastic, 2013

Hitting store shelves this spring is Sheinkin's latest fascinating peak into history (Sheinkin is author of the recent heavily-awarded Bomb). True to Sheinkin's reputation, Lincoln's Grave Robbers is fast-paced and reveals some little remembered historical facts along with a fantastic attempt by some men to actually steal Lincoln's bones! Crazy.

The story opens with an examination of the widespread counterfeit operations going on during the second half of the 19th century (it's amazing how much money in circulation was fake!!). Did you know the Secret Service was started for the specific purpose of tracking down counterfeit money folks (from the engravers to those passing it in the street). When a highly skilled engraver gets put behind bars, the folks who depended on his next-to-impossible-to-detect counterfeit bills panic. What can they do to get him back? I know! Steal Lincoln's bones! That will teach that mean government who's boss. They don't put it in those words, but that's the sentiment behind this desperate plot to steal Lincoln's bones and essentially demand the engraver in return for the bones. Thanks to a "rover" (a "mole" in today's parlance), their plot is hindered--but the Secret Service men fail to capture the bad guys! A series of small things-gone-wrong drags the story out, but justice is finally served.

Kids will enjoy this peak into a part of history often left out of the history books. Sheinkin's gift for narration keeps the story moving, and he continues his usual well-balanced musings (wondering who's "fault" some things are, for instance). He also does an excellent job of sprinkling in historical slang without making the book obscure. All in all, a fun and informative read. Recommended for 4th grade and up (this one is not as complex as Bomb).

Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: the Story Behind an American Friendship
Russell Freedman
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012

Thoughtfully reviewed by Janie over at Redeemed Reader, this book is essentially a dual biography from a well known and awarded author. Freedman is no stranger to Lincoln, and his name will come up in this list again! Worth checking out for those middle grades students.

Lincoln: a Photobiography
Russell Freedman
Sandpiper, 1989 (originally published 1987)
Newbery Medal

Freedman's earlier biography of Lincoln was a landmark book in children's publishing. His blend of photography with text was remarkable, and it's one of the few nonfiction titles to ever win a Newbery Medal (this year, 2013, Sheinkin's Bomb garnered an honor). Comprehensive, well documented, this book is a standard among biographies for the middle grades set.

Abraham Lincoln
Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire
Doubleday, 1939
Caldecott Medal

Another noteworthy book about Lincoln that also was a landmark book in terms of awards--one of the first Caldecott winners and in color! The D'Aulaires are standards in the field for children's biographies and their adaptations of things like the Greek Myths for children. This biography is accessible to elementary school children, does a nice job of bringing Lincoln's character (including his funny side) to life, and gives a thorough look at Lincoln's childhood and young adulthood.


Thanks to my local library for all books save Lincoln's Grave Robbers which I received via netgalley; cover images from goodreads.

Fun February Reads

If you've ever been a classroom teacher, you know that the month of February is the "longest shortest month" of the year. It's true. Those 28 days seem to D--R--A--G on, the weather is yucky, and spring break seems like forever away!

Even if you're at home, February can be a dull month; everyone is sick, no one wants to visit because of germs, and, again, the weather....

It's time to lighten it up, folks! Try one of the books/series below this February for a quick reprieve from heavy duty school work and more intense reading. Are these books destined to be ones you'll reread? Probably not. Are they modern classics? Probably not.

BUT, will they be fun? Yes. Perhaps even laugh out loud funny? Yes. Will your youngsters enjoy the sheer delight of reading a good book on the couch while it's cold and yucky outside? Absolutely. Will this be more fun if Mom makes a cup of chai to enjoy simultaneously? Of course. And, will your kids enjoy watching YOU enjoy some light reading? Most definitely. Try one of the book/series below for some quality time with your kids--if discussion topics arise, great. If not, take note of any issues/character traits/events which might provide good fodder in future discussions (i.e. "Aren't you acting a bit like ... here?").

The Odd Squad: Bully Bait
Michael Fry
Hyperion, 2013 (comes out THIS month!)

Hilarious in a very middle school way, The Odd Squad is the latest comic/illustrated novel (a la Wimpy Kid or Dork Diaries) to hit shelves; I must say, it's a heap site better than those other two in my opinion. In fact, this is sort of Lunch Lady meets Wimpy Kid: a motley and unlikely collection of 3 misfits learns how to beat the bully with some behind the scenes help from the school janitor (there's more to the janitor than meets the eye!). But it's more than just a lesson in standing up for yourself. Along the way, the three learn how to be friends, how to look past someone's outer exterior to what might be going on inside, and how to be themselves--quirks and all. And there are definitely some quirks. The main character, Nick, reminds me of the main dude in Wimpy Kid, but I like Nick SO much better. He's a jerk at times, but he learns from it and recovers. This will have your 5th, 6th, and 7th graders laughing and nodding along, especially if they're in a school big enough to have lockers! I viewed the ARC, so the artwork wasn't final--but what I saw added to the text tremendously and was well done.

Babymouse
Jennifer and Matthew Holm (brother and sister!)
Random House


I have a confirmed Babymouse addict in the house in the form of one 7-year-old little girl. And I gotta say, folks, that I'd take Babymouse over Angelina Ballerina or Olivia ANY day. Is there snark? Sure. Does Babymouse have an attitude? Yep. But the Babymouse Christmas won me over: when Babymouse gets the handheld gaming gadget of choice for Christmas, she actually puts it down and goes over to play with her younger sibling and the new doll house. And, more to the point, since this is a graphic novel, the pictures were worth more than a thousand preachy words. In the Puppy Love installment pictured here, Babymouse is dying for a puppy, but she learns a lot about how hard pets are to take care of--especially when you're a bit absent-minded. When she finally does figure it out...well...  (Recommended for middle elementary--early middle)

Lunch Lady
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Knopf

Another graphic novel series, this one is for those among you who go to school and/or appreciate some great schooltime humor. Solving "crimes," the Lunch Lady and her kid cronies are ka-powing, blam-ming, and karate-chopping away (only the Lunch Lady does this with fantastic kitchen-implements-turned-secret-agent-weapons). Funny, quirky, and a terrific break from heavy reading for the 3rd-7th grade crowd (although my K5-1st grade crowd enjoy them, too).

TinTin
Herge
Little, Brown

There's some serious vocabulary in these original TinTin books!! And while the movie might be fun, the comics are so much... more. More plot, more action, more TinTin! TinTin travels the world in his various adventures, solving crimes and having daring adventures. Middle grades.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Jeff Kinney

I'm not a huge fan of the Wimpy Kid series, but Janie Cheaney over at Redeemed Reader makes some worthwhile points in favor of this (admittedly hilarious) series.

Capture the Flag
Kate Messner
Scholastic, 2012

4 kids. 4 ethnicities. 1 President-Hopeful. 1 poodle. 1 missing Star Spangled Banner (yes, THE Star Spangled Banner). 1 Secret Society. 1 airport full of people stuck during a 24-hour snowstorm and subsequent grounding of all planes. And LOTS of Tootsie Rolls, crazy baggage carousel rides, and action. The only true chapter book in this lineup, Capture the Flag is a terrific adventure read for a snowy winter day or two....Middle grades (4th-7th perhaps)

All cover images from goodreads; all books save The Odd Squad from my local library; ARC for Odd Squad thanks to Hyperion via netgalley

Hattie Ever After

Hattie Ever After
Kirby Larson
Delacorte Press, 2013

Truly noteworthy books aren't judged just as a successor to the previous book; they're judged on their "stand alone" merits. As in, could this book be a great book without its predecessor (Hattie Big Sky, a 2007 Newbery Honor). In Hattie's case, most definitely yes!

How do I know this? I read Hattie Ever After "cold" from netgalley in ARC form.  By "cold," I mean that I haven't read Hattie Big Sky. Now, however, Hattie Big Sky has just moved much higher in the TBR pile!

Hattie's character and voice are so genuine and warm; she's the kind of book character you are drawn to and feel sort of nostalgic on behalf of. Many people have this same sort of artificial nostalgia for Laura Ingalls and her time period. Hattie Ever After brings us to the early 20th century when women are struggling with the return to the domestic homefront after helping out professionally with the war effort. This tension is dealt with well in Hattie Ever After. The importance of human relationships--especially marriage--comes through alongside the understandable interest, for young women like Hattie, in pursuing a career dream (in her case, newspaper reporting).

I really enjoyed the setting, the characters, the pacing, the plot in this little gem. I really, really liked the ending--a very appropriate balance of authenticity for the time period with Hattie's career aspirations. Historical details were thrown in naturally (such as Hattie gazing up the at the "large" 10-story newspaper building), worked into letters, and communicated effortlessly in conversations. The ending was a bit predictable, but that didn't spoil the book for me. All in all, a great read and a sweet love story just in time for Valentine's Day!

Recommended for middle grades and up; look for this book in local bookstores in mid-February and in libraries shortly thereafter! (you can always request your local library to purchase a book!)

Cover image from goodreads; ARC/book thanks to Delacorte via netgalley

Rudyard Kipling's Just So Comics: Tales of the World's Wildest Beasts

Rudyard Kipling's Just So Comics: Tales of the World's Wildest Beasts
Rudyard Kipling
Pedro Rodriguez, illustrator
Capstone, 2013

I've tried valiantly to read a few more comic/cartoon/graphic novels recently because I know so many kids who enjoy them, and I still feel like I'm in unfamiliar territory. So I jumped at the chance to read this ARC since I'm a big fan of Kipling's Just So Stories. Phrases like the "great, gray green greasy Limpopo" jog along in my head, "o best beloved," whenever I think of them.

Some classics have been translated into graphic novel form quite successfully; this is not one of those instances. These are fun to read/look at, but the tone is all wrong--a bit more snarky and "hip" than Kipling's original voice. In addition, so many of those deliciously perfect read aloud phrases, such as the ones mentioned above, have been removed in order to make the text more sparse, no doubt. The art is fun and engaging, the stories chosen are good ones ("The Elephant's Child," "How the Leopard Got His Spots," "How the Camel Got His Hump," and "Why the Rhino Has Wrinkled Skin"). [those might not be the exact wording of the titles, but you'll recognize which ones they are if you've read the originals] There are some nice extras in terms of nonfiction information on the various animals, and the book is a quick read.

All in all, this is definitely no substitute for the original tales. It might work as a suitable introduction for children who are really into graphic novels and lead them then to the originals. It might also be a fun exercise for students to read these after having read one of the originals and then try their hand at creating a comic from one of their favorite stories.

Suitable for all ages; scheduled to be in stores this month!

Cover image from goodreads; thanks to Capstone via netgalley for the ARC

Three Recent Informational Book Faves

(Updated 1/29/13 to reflect recent awards!)
 

Informational books (aka “nonfiction”) are getting lots of buzz these days. Why? The new Common Core State Standards for public schools stipulate that children read more informational text across the curriculum (50% in kindergarten, up to 55% in middle school, and up to 70% by graduation). That doesn’t mean literature classes are tossing poetry, novels, and short stories; it does mean, however, that more reading in more informational sources than a basic textbook are now highly encouraged throughout the school day--in all subjects.

Charlotte Mason would be delighted. Not a fan of textbooks, she urged her followers to use living books to teach concepts and history. Now, that’s more within reach than ever! Publishers and authors have been producing some remarkable information works in recent years; with the new CCSS, this trend is likely to continue. 

Here are three titles published this past year (2012) that are fascinating reads, quite educational, well written, and which encourage the reader to think critically about the material at hand. That’s a winning formula in my book! And, since the ALA Youth Media Awards (think: Newbery, Caldecott, etc.) get announced tomorrow, I'm hoping to see at least one of these win something!!

Bomb: the Race to Build—and Steal--the World’s Most Powerful Weapon

Steve Sheinkin

Roaring Book Press, 2012.
2013 Newbery Honor, Sibert Medal Winner, and YALSA Best Nonfiction title

Bomb chronicles the race to build (and steal) the first atomic bomb. Giving us insight into the US’s fears of Germany’s progression in their own atomic weapons program, the drive for scientists like Robert Oppenheimer to get that bomb up and running FAST, the KGB’s ruthless insistence that their spies unearth the US’s bomb secrets, and the entire WWII stage—Bomb is a gripping read. For those who enjoy political thrillers, scientific history and information, and a terrific peak inside a time fraught with uncertainty and tough decisions, Bomb is the book for you. Readers will come away with a better understanding of the time period in question, the behind-the-scenes events and decisions at play, and a recognition that all decisions, especially in wartime, carry significant weight; even when someone thinks he or she is making the “right” decision, that doesn’t mean the decision is easy or will have good consequences.  I also found myself thinking repeatedly: I am so NOT brave compared to these guys. Man. Recommended for 5^th grade and up.

The Invincible Microbe: Tuberculosis and the Never-Ending Search for a Cure

Jim Murphy, Alison Bank

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012

Who would have thought a book about tuberculosis would be good--even riveting? Not me. But I could not put this book down, and when I closed the book… I was looking around for a face mask. TB is still out there…lurking…and defying our latest scientific cures. Thank goodness, our latest scientific cures are in the realm of antibiotics instead of collapsed lungs and enforced trips to sanatoriums located far away from family and friends. Filled with photographs, startling statistics and historic “cures,” and bringing us right up into the present day, The Invincible Microbe is a great read, especially for those who enjoy medical history, science, or just plain weird stuff. Recommended for 5^th grade and up.

A Black Hole is Not a Hole

Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano, author

Michael Carroll, illustrator

Charlesbridge Publishing, 2012
2013 Orbis Pictus NCTE Recommended Book

Most of us have some vague idea of what a black hole is, right? No matter what you think you know, this book will fascinate you. Space is just, so, well, ... huge. There's so much we don't know, and the author is quick to point out that many of what she is telling us is the latest scientific conjecture. Photographs, artistic renderings, great charts/graphs showing comparisons to readily knowable facts (so many space-related measurements are too mind boggling for us to grasp), A Black Hole is Not a Hole is readily accessible to anyone with a modicum of basic earth science background. Explanations are student-friendly, and, while there are references to billions of years, there is remarkably little overt reference to things “evolving.” My conservative readers will still enjoy this read. Recommended for 4^th grade and up.

Hokey Pokey

Hokey Pokey
Jerry Spinelli
Knopf (Random House)
2013

You put your right foot in
You put your right out out
You put your right foot in
And you shake it all about
You do the hokey pokey
And you turn yourself about
That's what it's all about...

And that sums up Hokey Pokey, Newbery Medalist (Maniac Magee) Spinelli's latest middle grades offering. It sums it up brilliantly, in fact.

For the second time this week, I'm reviewing a work by an author whose former work I wasn't so keen on. Although people really seemed to love Maniac Magee, I wasn't wowed. Maybe I need to give it another chance and read some of Spinelli's other works as well because I really enjoyed Hokey Pokey. And for the second time this week, I'm reviewing a book about a boy named Jack that involves a bit of magical realism. Funny how those things seem to be cyclical.

And yet Hokey Pokey is nothing like Navigating Early, despite their main character's names. Hokey Pokey takes us back to the world of childhood and shows us what the seemingly overnight transition to adulthood is like. And it does indeed happen overnight.

Spinelli's world of Hokey Pokey was terrific. I loved his new compound words ("bestfriendship," "dropflopping," "shadowblur"). I loved his place names ("Tantrums," "Thousand Puddles"). I loved the feel of Hokey Pokey: an iconic place of childhood activity where children drink Hokey Pokeys when the Hokey Pokey man comes (like the ice cream truck), play on the playground, and bike everywhere on their two-wheeled steeds. The only electronic device in the picture was the giant cartoons screen where the youngest children liked to gather. Even when we hit our present, real world at the end of the book, we still only read about one TV.

Jack's coming-of-age in this book is not because of some great event he lives through or some momentous decision he must make. Instead, it is simply time to grow up and involves much  more prosaic decisions like changing out his childish wallpaper to something more grown-up...or does it? Spinelli gives us a work in which the monumental shift from childhood to adulthood is seen for its significance, even if it's evidenced by a small decision to not leave dirty socks on the floor.

This is one of those books that is hard for me to peg in terms of its young audience. I wonder, in fact, if it's a book that grownups will enjoy more. Will a middle school student recognize the transformation as quickly? Will it resonate with him or her like it does for those of us who navigated the shift years ago? Will younger readers feel as nostalgic about such cartoons as Bugs Bunny and such games as jacks or simply riding bikes? I don't know. It's certainly worth finding out because Spinelli's Hokey Pokey is fantastic.

Things to Note/Discuss

• What does growing up mean? How do we help our children navigate that transition? 
• What does "faith like a child" mean? 
• Is there a true sense in which we need to grow up? How does our world encourage children to grow up in ways that aren't as positive?

Cover image from goodreads; ARC from netgalley

The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brockett

The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brockett
John Boyne, author
Oliver Jeffers, illustrator
Random House (Alfred A. Knopf BFYR)
2012

I was drawn to this book because I like quirky stories, and I'm a huge fan of Oliver Jeffers (the illustrator). And, this book comes out on my birthday! (at least in the U.S.)

This book started out great! Poor Barnaby Brockett, born to terrible parents, sibling to two very ordinary kids, and master to one devoted dog. The book reads much as a classic Roald Dahl book might (complete with TERRIBLE parents!), and Jeffers's illustrations add a similar touch as Quentin Blake's might.

Navigating Early

Navigating Early
Clare Vanderpool
Random House
2013

My birthday (Jan 8) this year is a popular release date for the first batch of middle grade novels--if the three I've read are any indication! And not just any ol' bunch of middle grade novels... these are by big time folks. Vanderpool's name might not mean much to our Literaritea readers, but her first middle grade novel won that little Newbery award a couple of years back (Moon Over Manifest). Yes, indeed. And any time a former Newbery winner releases another book, you better believe we jump on it. So I did. And Random House kindly let me read it in ARC form (thanks RH!).

When I read an Advanced Reader Copy, I frequently jump into the book "cold." That is, I know little to nothing of the plot, see no other praise/comments such as might appear on the book cover, and frequently don't see a cover (or a poor image of one). Thus, I enter the reading experience with no preconceptions except those based on my previous reading of the same author's works. Definitely true in the case of Navigating Early. I didn't even know how long it was because I was too lazy to scan the small font on the first ARC page that would have told me that info.

I wasn't wowed by Moon Over Manifest, I'll be honest. Navigating Early is a much stronger work in my opinion. Another historical fiction work, this time set just at the end of WWII in a boys' boarding school in Maine, Navigating Early follows one boy's journey to come to grips with his mother's death and his father's seeming unconcern for him. In the process, he meets the unique Early Auden, goes on a fantastical voyage that weaves in and out of the mythic story of Pi (including the discovery of further numbers), and helps bring closure to more than one person in Early's famous family.

If Early Auden were living today, we would diagnose him somewhere on the autism spectrum--probably Asberger's. I really like that he is NOT diagnosed in this book (he wouldn't have been labeled in the WWII time period either). I think this adds to his character significantly. We want to label people in so many ways; isn't it better to befriend them and learn from them regardless of what label they might carry? Jack learns that Early is a true friend. And Jack learns how to be a friend back.

Early teaches Jack many things on their voyage to find the giant bear, to follow Pi's journey, and to complete their quest. What Jack doesn't know is that Early's absolute conviction of his brother's survival from war (against ALL official evidence), his knowledge of the mathematical intricacies involved in the number Pi, and his childlike faith in the details he notices are all true--even though the casual observer would never believe it. Early notices myriad details that others miss, perhaps because he's not so caught up in the social issues that bog most folks down. Part magical realism, part quest, and all friendship, this story works for me better than Moon Over Manifest. It's a touch too long and struggles a bit with the voice--sounds more like an adult narrating than Jack many times. Still, it's worth reading, and I think many sensitive young readers will enjoy this one.

What Came From the Stars

What Came From the Stars
Gary D. Schmidt
Clarion
2012


I'm a huge fan of the books of Gary Schmidt's I've read to date (Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, Okay for Now, and The Wednesday Wars). So I was thrilled to win a goodreads "first reads" giveaway. I got an ARC for this book in the mail the week the hardcover hit bookstore shelves in September. I must confess that the first chapter really threw me--I knew this was a fantasy (a deviation from Schmidt's award-winning historical fiction novels), but it still threw me.

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

Lizzie  Bright and the Buckminster Boy
Gary D. Schmidt
Clarion
2004
Newbery Honor; Printz Honor

This is an excellent book! As you might surmise from those award stickers on the cover, I'm not the only one who thinks so. Historical fiction is Schmidt's strong suit; this particular book takes place in Maine in 1912 and centers on the white Buckminster Boy (Turner) and the black Lizzie Bright. Turner and Lizzie also represent town and country (island in this case), establishment and fringe, the way-it's-always-been and the way-it-should-and-could-be. All of this potential conflict set in a small town that's slowly dying as it faces the end of the industry that's kept it alive.

Turner grows up in this book. He makes hard decisions, stands up for what he believes is right, and watches those "right" decisions still not end happily all the time. A pitch perfect book for the 12-14 crowd, this is a book that raises great questions. Schmidt's biblical allusions are an added treat for those steeped in biblical literacy; his characterization is especially well done in this novel.

Things to Note/Discuss

• When is it okay to stand up to a parent?
• Are there decisions that Turner made that you feel are particularly noteworthy? Were there any you disagreed with or thought foolish?
• What do you think Turner's father should have done in regards to the island (Malaga) and its people?
• Any thoughts on looking a whale in its eye?

Book from my local library; cover image from goodread; drinking Private Selection peppermint tea