diane recommends: A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty

Well, it has been a long time since I have posted. With the end of the school year coming, and all the general craziness that comes with it, my life has been too busy to pick up a good book. However, that said, once I started this book, I knew that my projects and tests were going to have to wait.

This book has two plot lines running through it, so, instead of trying to intermingle my summary of the two lives, I will just separate them, but, you should be aware that they are intermingled.

Madeleine Tully is a fourteen year old girl living in England. She, once upon a time, had money, but that time has passed. And, now she finds herself in a new place, which she finds very "grey", and ordinary. One day, she finds a note slipped in a sidewalk crack by a parking meter. It reads, "Help, I am being held against my will." She thinks this is a little strange and starts writing notes back. She is not quite sure what to think when the person who responds claims that he is from a kingdom called Cello. The entire time she is writing notes back and forth with this mysterious person, her mother appears to be getting crazier. She is not quite sure what to do with her now up-side-down life, and has to find ways to cope.

Elliot Baranski is a fifteen year old boy from the kingdom of Cello. He is an everyday adventurous boy who goes out to find his missing dad. In this kingdom, magical things happen all the time. They have all of the fairy tale creatures that you dreamed up as a kid, and more. The kingdom of Cello appears to be in a dome of some sort, keeping it separate from the world. But, on occasion, this dome is known to have cracks in which you can communicate with the world. One day, while cleaning out his father's old workplace, he finds a note in a broken TV. When he reads it, he finds a most confusing note that mentions a girl who is "also being held against her will". He starts to write back to her, and realizes that she is from the world, only she doesn't think that he is telling the truth. She does not seem to not know about the kingdom of Cello, and keeps pretending that he is making up his own little world in his head. With this turn of events, he learns who he is, and who he can really trust.

This book is really voicey. And, it really is a "hoot" to read out loud.

"Writing now from the Emerald Carriage, Ko and I (for it is I, Princess Jupiter, who writes this passage)--are thrown back and forth, our glasses of bubbling teakwater spilling so--ah! there goes a drip smudging the paper!--can you see it?! [Editor's note: For obvious reasons, you cannot.] . . . WHO WILL BE NEXT?! Only one more person to choose! Could it be somebody we are going to meet this very day? . . . Or could it be you, sweet reader?! (Assuming you are young. I suppose older people read this paper too. Yes. They would.)"

With all of the voice, and the mystery of the book, with a few facts mixed in, this book keeps you wary of what might happen next. I especially like how trendy this book is. So, if you were looking for a classic, this is far from one, but, it is a really good book. A lot of people reviewing the book are saying that it is for younger YA, but it is not. I would give it to a 6th grader, and expect them to enjoy it. So, for grade designation, I would put it at 5th-7th grade. Any older than that, and they probably won't appreciate the quirkiness of the book.

I just want to put in a little "hooray!" for the cover. Madeleine looks just like she should look. Her outfit is word for word correct, except the omitted head band, and the age is just a little bit old, but close enough. This is the best cover I have seen all year! But, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

A Corner of White

by Jaclyn Moriarty

published by Arthur A. Levine Books

April 2013

Recommended for ages 10-13

danyelle recommends: If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano

Have you seen the new book by Julie Fogliano and Erin Stead?  If you want to see a truly beautiful book, you should pick this one up.

As the title suggests, this book offers advice for what to do and what not to do if you want to see a whale.  For instance:

if you want to see a whale

you will need a window

and an ocean

and time for waiting

but

there’s no time to watch a pelican

who may or may not be smiling

By instructing readers “not to notice” clouds or roses or small things, the narrator is actually opening our eyes to the wonders of watchful waiting as we travel with a boy, a bird, and a dog on a journey that includes a pirate ship, clouds, and “things that are smaller than most small things.”  At the journey’s end, patient waiting “with both eyes open” pays off for readers who have been hoping to see the whale.  (My preschooler was so excited when the whale appeared that she jumped off my lap: "There's the whale! It's the whale!")

Lyrical prose captures the elegance of nature with pauses and restrained rhythms that never feel forced.  Alliteration and repetition make word combinations like “possible pirates” and “because sleeping eyes can’t watch for whales/and whales won’t wait for watching” a joy to read aloud.  Seriously, read that again out loud.  Doesn't it trip off your tongue in a way that makes you want to repeat it?

Erin Stead’s quiet illustrations in muted colors reinforce the mood of the text.  Uncluttered pictures with ample white space invite readers to stop and look and watch.  The barefoot boy, wearing a folded-newspaper hat, and his animal friends observe nature in artwork that has a timeless quality.

A small, unassuming trim size works perfectly for the story and the imprint of the whale on the book’s front cover is the kind of detail that helps make this book memorable.

If You Want to See a Whale

by Julie Fogliano

illustrated by Erin Stead

published by Roaring Brook Press

May 2013

tara recommends: Penny and Her Marble by Kevin Henkes

So often we look for something new, something unique, something we've never seen before.  It is exciting to be surprised by a punchline or a new style, but there is something even more thrilling in the surprise of new things that feel familiar.  Kevin Henkes uses his unique style to tell a nuanced story in his Penny books.  In some ways, the plot lines feel very simple (typical of any beginning reader) - but, when you really look at them, you see how cleverly he has introduced his characters and their personalities.  They are reminiscent of the classic Francis or Frog and Toad stories - books that tell real stories with relatively complex characters.  

Penny and Her Marble is another excellent addition to the series.  The third Penny book (and also the longest) follows Penny as she finds a "shiny, blue marble" in her neighbor's yard . . . and takes it home.  The marble was smooth and fast and pretty - but, Penny starts to worry that it really belongs to someone else.  Her internal struggle is masterfully handled as Penny tries to figure out what to do with this marble.

It seems unbelievable that Kevin Henkes didn't win the Geisel award last year with his first two Penny books, but hopefully he can nab it this year with Penny and Her Marble.  It may not be the most flashy or loud beginning reader, but it certainly is my favorite of the year so far.

This quiet story is one that will stay with you and is also completely relatable.  I would think most children have, at one time or another, taken something (or found something) that didn't belong to them.  We can only hope they would have a similar pang of conscience and learn from Penny.

Even though these books are clearly marketed to girls (I love the flowery covers), even boys should appreciate the well-told stories and fun pictures.

Penny and Her Marble
by Kevin Henkes
Published by Greenwillow Books
March 2013

Three Cheers: Memorable Nonfiction

I've been trying to think of at least one nonfiction picture book from my childhood, but I haven't been able to come up with one.  That doesn't mean they didn't exist, of course, but I can't name a single title.  Perhaps the books from my youth were just forgettable, but that is not the case now.  With books like Me . . . Jane by Patrick McDonnell, The Day-Glo Brothers by Chris Barton and Tony Persiani,  Nic Bishop's animal books, and others, we are seeing nonfiction picture books published that are engaging, visually captivating, and certainly, memorable.  Where once they may have been used primarily by teachers as classroom assignments, nonfiction picture books today are read and re-read by children who are fascinated by the stories they tell and the worlds they explore.  Here's a look at three recently-published, terrific picture books.

Perfect for preschoolers is Lucky Ducklings: A True Rescue Story by Eva Moore.  (While it may be classified as fiction, this book is based on an actual event, so I have taken the liberty of including it in a nonfiction post.)  When Mama Duck takes her five ducklings for a walk, the ducklings fall into a storm drain in their path.  People in the town come to the rescue and work together to get Mama Duck and her ducklings safely home.

Moore's rhythmic text repeats the ducklings' names, "Pippin, Bippin, Tippin, Dippin . . . and last of all, Little Joe," and Mama Duck's forceful, "Whack! Whack!" which makes the story a delight to read aloud.  Moore sets up suspense before the page turns and pulls listeners along with, "that could have been the end of the story.  But it wasn't because . . ."

Beautiful illustrations by Nancy Carpenter convey the ducks' personalities in a realistic fashion and are reminiscent of Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings.  I read this book to my kindergartner and then immediately, read it again.

Next up is a book for slightly older kids about an invention that most of them have probably never thought of as being invented--basketball.  Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball by John Coy is a spirited story that demonstrates creative problem solving at its best.

With an economy of words, Coy tells of James Naismith's attempts in 1871 to teach a rowdy gym class that no one else wanted.  Since it was winter, he tried playing games indoors--first, football, then soccer, and finally, lacrosse--but the resulting injuries led him to abandon each.  What he needed was a new game, and so, he invented one: basketball.  Played with a soccer ball and peach baskets, the first game was so successful that when "Naismith blew the whistle to end the game, nobody wanted to leave."  The story includes interesting detail, sometimes in the pictures like the attempted calisthenic and gymnastic training of the first two teachers who quit before Naismith took the class, and sometimes in the text which includes the name of the player who scored the only point in the first game.

Illustrations by Joe Morse--done in a palette of maroon, blue, gray, and brown--have a distinctly 19th-century feeling.  Angular, contorted figures convey the energy of the boys and the physicality of the games in full-page pictures.  As an added bonus, the original typewritten rules are reproduced on the end papers.

Last up is Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel, the story of one woman courageously standing up, speaking out, and influencing thousands.

When Clara Lemlich immigrates to America, she finds a job as a garment worker.  Conditions are unreasonable, and the details Markel provides emphasize that: half a day's wages lost for being late, locked doors, unsanitary conditions, and more.  Clara's meager pay helps buy food and contributes to the rent for her family, but Clara wants something better.  At night she studies in the library, and during the day she urges the girls who work with her to "fight for their rights" by striking.  She is beaten, jailed, and fired, but she perseveres.  Finally, at a union meeting, she calls for a general strike saying, "I have no further patience for talk" and starts "the largest walkout of women workers in U.S. history."  Again, details underscore the determination of the girls, some as young as twelve, to improve their conditions.

Melissa Sweet's illustrations incorporate stitching and fabric swatches, reflecting the garment workers' jobs.  She does a remarkable job representing the power of the companies and the insignificance of the girls with a dramatic overhead view showing rows of tiny girls at their machines and another picture of the large Triangle Waist Company building, which gives even more weight to Clara's efforts.  The opening picture of people looking toward the Statue of Liberty from the ship arriving in New York harbor is echoed in the final picture of Clara looking from the shore toward the same statue, bringing the story of a hopeful girl who finds out America can be unfair, full circle as she regains faith in her new country.

History brought to life with an engaging text and captivating illustrations--this is memorable.

diane recommends: Nobody's Secret by Michaela MacColl

Nobody's Secret is a fiction book about Emily Dickinson as a young fifteen year old. Although I liked the plot, the character was not what I was expecting. When I hear Emily Dickinson, I see the little old lady who only wore white dresses and never left her house. So, as a teenager, I would imagine her to be a little more restrained than this Emily is. This Emily is a very daredevilish, headstrong teenager. So, not quite what I was expecting, but, once I got over my preconceptions, this book was amazing.

As a teenager, Emily's adventuresome attitude on life is believable, and very relatable.  MacColl manages to catch the voice of a rebellious teenager perfectly.

"'Miss, I'm sorry for making such a spectacle of myself.' 'So you should be, silly girl,' Emily said, not unkindly. 'Here, sit down and churn the butter; that will calm your nerves.' Under her breath she said, 'It always deadens mine.' Gulping, Mary Katherine nodded."

Emily doesn't want to do the tedious jobs of a housekeeper forever, so, she keeps slipping out of the house to dawdle and smell the flowers. While out, she meets a stranger, who also happens to be really cute, and then her life starts to become more problematic as she discovers secrets she can't trust anyone else to know.

This book is full of mystery, and suspense. You never can guess what strange thing she will discover next, or who might be the problem. I enjoyed this book, but if you read this expecting Emily Dickinson, you might be a little surprised to find that Emily is not the reserved person you thought she would be.

So, I would definitely recommend this book. It was well written, and it captures the attitude of any defiant teenager as they try to do what they want, and not what others think they should do.

Nobody's Secret
by Michaela MacColl
Published by Chronicle Books
March 2013
Recommended for ages 11-16

Looking Ahead to Genius

With the first quarter of the year nearly over, and my to-read stack considerably shorter than it was in February, I am looking forward to several books that will be released in the next few months.  Here are a half dozen:

• Again! by Emily Gravett has already released in the UK, but the US version is set to release in April.  This story about a dragon who wants his bedtime story read again and again ends with a fiery surprise.

• On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein is a picture book written by Jennifer Berne and illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky.  Robin Smith over at Calling Caldecott said, "I think this is one to watch."  Watch it I shall.

• Deborah Heiligman and LeUyen Pham teamed up to create a nonfiction picture book that releases in June: The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos.  I've had this one on my list for months, but I have not seen it yet.  I guess I'll just have to wait until June.

• The Story of Fish & Snail by Deborah Freedman, she of Blue Chicken fame, also comes out in June, and judging only from the cover (and the brief description provided by the publisher) it looks like it's worth finding a copy to read.

• Bink & Gollie: Best Friends Forever by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, illustrated by the marvelous Tony Fucile should be on shelves in April.  I don't think I can tell you how much we love Bink and Gollie at our house.

• Zebra Forest by Adina Rishe Gewirtz is a book I'm looking forward to rereading and recommending  when it goes on sale next month.  You should read it. 

So, as the weather warms up and the school year winds down, what books are you looking forward to reading?

Read It Again!

Preschoolers often hear the same shelfful of books read again and again.  In fact, they will ask for their favorites to be reread until they have them memorized well enough to "read" them on their own.  It turns out, familiarity with a few books at a time may be just what their brains need to learn, according to a study by Dr. Jessica Horst from Sussex University.

But what happens when children enter school?  When I was in first grade our teacher rewarded us with a paper circle each time we read a new book.  We glued those circles onto paper to create caterpillar bodies which we hung on the wall.  When we finished one, we moved to the next level, which just meant starting over with a different colored sheet of paper.  I was highly motivated to read new books, but I didn't feel like I could reread the ones I liked.  In subsequent years, my teachers assigned weekly book reports, always with the stipulation that we report on books we had not previously read.  The message was clear:  rereading a book is cheating.  As a child, I felt that, if my teachers didn't necessarily disapprove of rereading, they certainly did nothing to encourage it.

Although I was in elementary school many years ago, I wonder if that attitude has changed.  Programs like Accelerated Reader and RAZ Kids reward students for reading new books.  At my children's school, the PTA sponsors a home reading program in which students bring home a book each afternoon that they are expected to read and exchange for a new book the next day.

While I understand the value of reading different books, I'd like to make a case for rereading.  Even older readers learn vocabulary with repeated reading--the meaning of a previously skipped-over, unfamiliar word becoming clear when they understand the context.  Repetition aids in understanding plot intricacies, character motivation, and nuances in a story that a reader may not have picked up on the first time around.  Rereading builds confidence in reading.  A child knows where the story is headed, and in that familiar territory he feels more comfortable reading.  And there is emotional value in revisiting a story that feels like an old friend. When my then 19-year-old son was waiting for surgery, he reread From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler for the sixth or seventh time to help him stay calm.  I laughed at the time, but I have a  worn copy of Pride and Prejudice that has seen the inside of the hospital a time or two.

C. S. Lewis wrote, "The sure mark of an unliterary man is that he considers 'I've read it already' to be a conclusive argument against reading a work." (An Experiment in Criticism, p.2)  For my part, I'm going to encourage my kids to reread, especially when they are reading for pleasure.  And I think I'll reread The Queen's Thief books by Megan Whalen Turner over spring break.