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

The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt

The Spider and the Fly
Mary Howitt (based on her cautionary tale)
Tony DiTerlizzi, illustrator
Simon and Shuster, 2002
Caldecott Honor (and multiple others!)

"Will you come into my parlor," said the spider to the fly.... This famous poem was first published in 1829. Tony DiTerlizzi takes it and makes it into a deliciously creepy cautionary tale. One of my favorite reads this summer (and I read 300 picture books!), it's a perfect picture book to explore a little during October.

Palette: This book is completely done in black and white. This adds, of course, to its ghostly, haunted-house feel. There are ghost bugs that glow ominously in their transparent bodies. And DiTerlizzi fills many pages with details that would be overkill in color, but which add tremendously to the subtle background. For instance, in one early spread, we almost don't notice that the wallpaper is patterned with flies, the lamp on the wall is a fly, the footstool is a lady bug (with "dead x" eyes), and the cookbook on the side table is titled The Joy of Cooking Bugs. These are the sorts of details that reward a close reading of the book, but because the palette is black and white, they don't jump out and overwhelm the picture.

Details: Since I mentioned the details, let me elaborate a touch. There is so much to see in this book! A fun accompaniment to a bug unit, there are buggy details everywhere. Each room has different bugs on the wallpaper. The table is laid with a variety of buggy delights. A large horned beetle is mounted over the fireplace. If the poor fly would just look around! The audience wants to warn her to stay away from this spiderly gentleman. He's not what he seems!

Silent Film: The presence of several pages that are completely black save for the text in the center and a spider web in the background add to the silent black-and-white film feel nicely. The whole book thus feels like an old horror film whose melodrama is almost funny to our modern eyes.

Characterization: I don't usually discuss this much in a picture book, but this book presents such clear characters. DiTerlizzi even includes a letter from the spiderly gentleman at the end that essentially asks readers, "what did you expect? I'm a spider after all." Since the bugs along the way are silently warning the fly, and since she's presented as quite the gullible female, and since she seems totally immune to any and all signs of danger, the reader feels like the end is unavoidable. In fact, the spider himself is more the character we focus on. He's so charismatic and charming, we all fall under his spell.


Book from local library (although it's available in many local bookstores for this season!); cover image from publisher's website

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.

Fun Friday: Write (and read) some poetry!

Need something to jazz up your writing life? Are you a closet poet? Does one of your children have a poetic bent?

National Poetry Month is the month of April and, to get ready, the NYPL (New York Public Library) is launching a poetry contest on TWITTER! So, think short and sweet. For details, see The Digital Shift's write up.

You might consider writing about your faith (and the Bible--it's literary!) and take the Twitter world by storm!

If you or your children need some inspiration, check out one of the following poetry anthologies at your local library (my apologies for the lack of cover images for these):

Sunflakes compiled by Lillian Moore (great for younger children through early elementary)

Any of Shel Silverstein's various children's collections (school age children especially)

My America compiled by Lee Bennet Hopkins (great for elementary school children and a little educational!)

Bury me in the Library by J. Patrick Lewis (charming poetry for childlike bibliophiles--perfect inspiration for the Twitter contest mentioned above!)

The Random House Book of Poetry for Children illustrated by Arnold Lobel

Sing a Song of Popcorn compiled by Beatrice Shenk de Regniers

You can also just head to the Juvenile 811 Dewey section of your local library and browse!!

Weekly Roundup: It's a Bug's Life

Within the past week, my family has:

• seen beautiful butterflies in the Smokies
• tracked water striders along a mountain stream
• befriended and "nurtured" two caterpillars (named "Spiky" and, um, "Spiky")
• identified and, um, killed a black widow spider on our porch
• dug up and fished with big earthworms
• obliterated a fire ant hill
• been beaten by mosquitoes....

Clearly, the time's are a'changin.' Or, at least, the seasons. Warm weather is fast approaching, and the bug world is coming out in force.

But that's okay to a young child. For some reason, the insect kingdom offers no small fascination for the younger population. Maybe it's because they're not rushing through life, too busy to notice the ladybug on the maple, the inchworm laboriously crossing the sidewalk, or the roly polies under the big rock they just turned over. The bug world is a marvel of God's creation--a microcosm of intricacy, special function, and beauty.

You could, of course, celebrate the bug world with some screen action: It's a Bug's Life or Bee Movie. But what fun is THAT? Or, you could make haste to pick up some of our favorite titles below from your local library and head out for a backyard picnic/story time to observe these little guys close up (don't forget the bug spray!).

Step Gently Out
Rick Lieder and Helen Frost
Candlewick
2012

This book is gorgeous, but I'll say no more. I am waiting on it from my local library, but I did get to peruse it this weekend when I was visiting with Janie Chaney (yes, shamelessly name dropping here☺). She's going to do it more justice on Redeemed Reader soon, so hop on over there and check them out.

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
Paul Fleischman
Eric Beddows, illustrator
HarperCollins
1988, Newbery Medal

One of my all-time favorites!! These antiphonal poems are meant to be heard, preferably by two readers. If you don't have readers in your home yet, check out the superb audio version. The poems are all about bugs.

Insectlopedia
Douglas Florian
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
1998

20+ buggy poems and marvelous mixed-media style paintings await your perusal here. Poems are perfect for early elementary kids to pour over and read.

Diary of a Worm, Diary of a Spider, and Diary of a Fly
Doreen Cronin, author
Harry Bliss, illustrator
HarperCollins
2000's

Did you know that worms keep diaries? Flies and spiders, too? Funny text and pictures engage young readers. (Usually in picture book section). These are silly and have journal/collage style illustrations; they'll work best with the kindergarten-second grade crowd, but probably aren't good read alouds to a crowd because some pictures are quite small.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Eric Carle
Puffin Books
1994 (orig. 1969)

A classic that needs no description! A perennial favorite. Check out Carle's The Very Busy Spider, The Very Quiet Cricket, The Very Lonely Firefly, The Grouchy Ladybug,....

Ten Little Ladybugs
Melanie Gerth
Laura Huliska-Beith, illustrator
Piggy Toes Press, 2003

A simple, rhyming counting book with bright illustrations that young children love.

Inch by Inch
Leo Leonni
HarperCollins
1995, originally 1995

Another "retro" favorite, Leonni is the author of Swimmy and other favorites, too. This one is about a little inchworm.

Hi! Fly Guy
Tedd Arnold
Cartwheel Books
2006, Geisel Honor Book

Megan and I have some young boys who are big Fly Guy fans!! A very fun easy reader series worth checking out.

Crickwing
Janell Canon
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
2005

Only the author of Stellaluna could make a cockroach and an ant colony so beautiful. A sweet story followed by some nonfiction pages on cockroaches and ants. Longer text makes this a good school age read aloud or to younger experienced listeners.

Sam and the Firefly
P. D. Eastman
Random House
2010 (originally 1958)

This is an old favorite for the easy reader crowd, and it's a nice addition to a bugs books lineup!

Charlotte's Web
E. B. White
Garth Williams, illustrator
HarperCollins
2001 (originally 1952)

Of course! How can we not include this classic in a bugs books lineup! Charlotte is the world's best spider character, bar none.




All cover images from goodreads

Be sure to check out the 595 section of the juvenile nonfiction books for some fact books, too!

What are YOUR buggy favorites? Let us know in the comments, and we'll check them out!

B is for Bethlehem

B is for Bethlehem
Isabel Wilner, author
Elisa Kleven, illustrator
1995--paperback
2004--board book

It's a little late to let everyone know about this charming Christmas book, but I'm afraid I'll forget next year! I've had this book for years, and my children have grown to love it as well. The illustrations are sparkly collage style and provide a wonderful twist near the end--you realize a group of children has been acting out the Christmas story. The text is simple couplets that walk the reader/listener through the Christmas story--including a wonderful reminder at the end that Jesus came for everyone! Amazingly, the author created this in ABC order and still keeps the order of the Christmas story. She begins with Augustus and ends with Zanzibar.

I like that this book is different from the usual Christmas story fare; it's a nice counterpoint both in illustrative style and in text format while still reinforcing the biblical story of Christmas. The board book edition makes a wonderful gift for toddlers.

Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes

Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes
Sally Mavor, illustrator
2010
Boston Globe-Hornbook Winner

Back in graduate school--well, the first time around--my fellow blogger, Megan, and I created lavish spreads for the story of Cinderella. We enlisted the help of some young grade school students and together crafted the scenes from found objects. It took quite a bit of work for an even remotely presentable final product.

Since those days, Megan and I both have worked on various sewing projects and the like for our homes and children. And we know how much time and effort goes into those endeavors as well.

That is why I am amazed at this book, truly amazed. Mavor has taken well known nursery rhymes and illustrated them by sewing/creating scenes out of fabric and small objects; the scenes are photographs of her creations. This is a book to pour over, to examine closely. The illustration for "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" is one of my favorites because there are actual little bells sewn into the "picture." Both boys and girls will enjoy this one; the "illustrations" are not girly. They celebrate the beauty that textiles bring to our lives and also to the beauty one can create when creativity goes hand in hand with skill. The characters for each nursery rhyme are small dolls that are begging to be picked up and played with--facial expressions are painted on and each one has an appropriate costume.

Inside Out and Back Again

Inside Out and Back Again
Thanha Lai
2011
National Book Award Winner*
Newbery Honor*

I'm fully expecting to update this in a few months when more awards are announced.... (I've had to update Chime  to reflect its recent Boston Globe-Hornbook Honor status--announced in June). Inside Out and Back Again is beautiful.  *Yep... I'm editing as we hear awards announced!!

I've read a few novels in verse this year and have been pleasantly surprised at how effortless they are to read; don't let the verse format put you off. One of the authors of this format has described it as "intentional line breaks" more than "poetry"  (wish I could give credit for that--but I can't remember!).

The Random House Book of Poetry for Children

The Random House Book of Poetry for Children
compiled by Jack Prelutsky
illustrated by Arnold Lobel
1983
sorry the picture is blurry!

This is an outstanding anthology of poetry for children. Jack Prelutsky is famous for his influence on and advocacy for poetry for children; he's the source of the marvelous poetry book The Bold Umbrellaphant. Arnold Lobel is beloved for his Frog and Toad books and has written and illustrated many others.

If you are looking for a solid poetry anthology for children and/or want to add to an existing collection, this is a perfect place to start. The poems range in size and age appropriateness; contents are arranged according to general theme (animals, food, etc.) and several indexes help locate favorites.

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices

Paul Fleischman has created a truly unique offering for children in his Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices. A collection of antiphonal poetry, the poems in this charming volume are all about bugs. Antiphonal poetry involves two people reading each poem; the lines of the poem are arranged in two columns so that each narrator can figure out his or her lines. In JN, the readers will sometimes be speaking alone, sometimes in unison, and sometimes overlapping--each with a unique line.

Fleischman's little book is organized by the seasons in that the first poems deal with the insects we first encounter in the spring (grasshoppers); the final poems end with winter and what that means for the world of creepy-crawlies. Most poem are in first person--from an insect point of view. The language changes for each insect, gaining speed in the "Whirly-gig Beetle" offering, moving rythmically in the "Waterboatmen" version, chirping away in "House Crickets."

This is one of those books that you simply must experience in audio format. It is less than half an hour long--it would make a nice preschool or kindergarten offering in the midst of longer, "older" books during a long car ride. It fits in well if you're simply running errands, too, since each poem is quite short. The narrators are top notch (I listed to the Recorded Books, Inc. version--those are often found in libraries), and poetry should always be heard, rather than merely read. I think the collection will most resonate with preschool-kindergarten-aged children, but anyone who enjoys bugs and the insect world will appreciate the subtle humor, the variety of language, and the intricacies of hive life that Fleischman includes in his charming poetry collection.

For other audio book recommendations (for those summer trips!), check out the audiobooks category in the right-hand column.