April Is Coming!

As March winds down, we look forward to the (hopefully) springlike month of April.  Our winter-weary eyes feast on the explosion of colorful blossoms everywhere, the reappearance of leaves on the trees, and the long-anticipated return of migrating birds.

But April is also known for other things.  It is National Poetry Month, and April 2 is Autism Awareness Day.  This occasion brings to mind two powerful fiction titles that are highly recommended for anyone who likes their novels unforgettable.

What happens when your cousin goes for a ride on the London Eye and, when his pod returns to the bottom, he is not on it?  Ted, whose brain is “wired differently” than that of most people (he has Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism), and his sister Kat attempt to solve the mystery that has their parents, their aunt, and even the police perplexed.

Jason, a sixth grader, is a talented writer.  He has also been diagnosed with an “alphabet soup” of disorders, most notably autism.  Because of his difficulty with social interactions and his writing gift, Jason enjoys spending time on the Storyboard web site, where he makes the “acquaintance” of Rebecca, another contributor.  Jason’s happiness at making his first real friend turns to terror when his parents suggest he attend the next Storyboard conference–and he faces the prospect of meeting Rebecca face to face.

Next time: some not-to-be-missed poetry books.

http://bookandagarden.com is the place to go for more great reading ideas!

 

 

 

 

Award-Winning Books by First-Timers

This year’s Newbery and Caldecot Medal winners have something noteworthy in common: they are the creations of a first-time author and artist!

The year is 1936.  Abilene is twelve years old.  She is used to drifting around the countryside with her dad, but now she finds herself alone–and her father is the one sending her away.   Arriving in Manifest, Kansas, a nondescript little town where her dad once lived, Abilene is determined to find out more about him–and uncovers more than one mystery surrounding the community and its inhabitants.

Amos McGee lovingly cares for the animals in the zoo where he works.  He knows what each one needs and wants, and makes time to visit them all.  However, one day, Amos wakes up with a bad cold, and can’t go to work.  His animal friends, learning that he is sick, decide to return the care that Amos has given them over the years and visit him at home.  Erin E. Stead’s woodcuts, in muted tones with an occasional splash of red, complement her husband’s gentle story of a beautiful friendship.  This first-time illustrator is an artist to watch, and the Steads’ book has all the makings of a classic.

Winter Should Be Over…

After the delightful taste of spring we had for several days, we are receiving a reminder that anything can happen weather-wise this time of year: it is snowing today in Brooklyn, and some parts of the country are receiving lots of the white stuff, while others have been under the threat of tornadoes. 

This brings me to mind, naturally, of a book I love to quote from whenever the atmosphere becomes decidedly un-springlike when winter has officially ended.

“Red fox running,

Running through the snow,

White sky above

And white earth below.

Winter should be over,

But it didn’t go away.

Hunger runs beside you

On this cold and frozen day.”

With these words, we join a fox as he hunts for food to feed himself and his hungry family.  Accompanied by full-page paintings by Wendell Minor that portray the vastness of the fox’s winter world, Eve Bunting’s rhyming text succinctly yet dramatically tells the story of his search.  Readers and listeners will feel like they are hunting along with the fox, and will share his joy when at last food is found.

Not for Purim Only!

With the Jewish holiday of Purim coming up, I’m thinking about an amazing book that is an inspirational read for everyone.  Originally published in 1991, it was reissued in 2010 in a more reader-friendly version with new illustrations.

The original

The new version

Hershel has been blind since an illness took away his eyesight when he was small.  However, his disability does not stop him from attending school, catching frogs, making tunnels and caves in the mud at the riverbank, and helping his widowed mother.  As the joyous holiday of Purim approaches, Hershel wants to do more than his everyday chores, but his mother, while loving, does not see how he can.  On Purim night, an angel comes to the boy in a dream and tells him what he is able to do.  Inspired, Hershel spends the rest of the night creating something that amazes his mother and changes the course of his life.  Always an excellent choice for a read-aloud, Barbara Goldin’s heartwarming story is appropriate for any season of the year, and the new edition’s text is more attractive to young listeners.  The illustrations in both versions are beautiful.  Ages 5-9

A happy Purim to all!

Winter Melting Into Spring

Spring is really right around the corner now.  The brave tulips that are showing their greenery in our front yard, swollen buds on trees, and the appearance of early flowers all indicate that this intense winter might actually be nearing its end.  (I’m trying not to think about the significant April snowfalls we’ve had in the past.)

Naturally, this puts me in mind of some perfect springtime reading.  Here are a few treasures kids will enjoy.

The changes each season brings are reflected on a calf’s back in this ingenious picture book.  Watch as the snow melts and gives way to grass and flowers, crops grow and are harvested, then everything is coated in white again when winter returns–to be followed by another spring, at which time we see that the calf is noticeably bigger.  Sparse text and bright illustrations make this book perfect for the youngest listeners.

A simple story of a girl’s encounter with a deer one night becomes an enchanting experience, thanks to the eloquent text and exquisite art work.

This book is so much more than an explanation of how photosynthesis works: it is a demonstration of how sunlight affects every living thing on Earth.  With readable text and marvelous illustrations, Living Sunlight is a treasure that kids of all ages will enjoy.

Go out and enjoy the sunshine–and bring a book along for company!

Springing into New Books

It’s that time of year again–when my libraries’ new books begin arriving in droves.  After making the agonizing decision of which one to read first, I began Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith–and was mesmerized.

Ida Mae Jones loves to fly–but being Black and a woman in the South in 1941 mean that she might never be able to be more than a dustcropper.  (She cannot even obtain a pilot’s license in Louisiana because of her color.)  However, things change–Pearl Harbor is bombed, the country is thrust into war, and Ida Mae wants to do more than collect silk stockings to be made into parachutes and save cooking fat.  Realizing her dream means she will have to turn her back on those she loves.  Does Ida Mae have the ability to live and succeed in the white world, and can she make it as a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, while remaining true to herself and who she is?

Eva Ibbotson’s passing on October 20, 2010, makes this novel, like all her books, that much more special.  Theresa-Maria of Pfaffenstein may be a princess, but she has nothing but a dilapidated castle to show for it.  However, being penniless is not a drawback to Theresa-Maria, for her situation allows her to devote herself to pursuing her love of music.  The magic pen of this incredible author once again has produced a delightful tale with a strong and lovable heroine.

Visit http://bookandagarden.com for reviews of Dr. Seuss books throughout the month of March.

Be a night owl: read when the sun goes down!

World Read Aloud Day

A little tweet told me that today, March 9, is World Read Aloud Day, an event sponsored by WorldLit, an organization with the lofty goal of worldwide literacy.  Check them out at www.litworld.org and read to someone today!

Here are some outstanding suggestions for books kids will want to hear again and again (and read themselves as well!).

Seven Hungry Babies by Candace Fleming

No Such Thing by Jackie French Koller

Good Night, Good Knight by Shelley Moore Thomas

Down Girl and Sit series by Lucy Nolan

The King's Equal by Katherine Paterson

A Mouse Called Wolf by Dick King-Smith

In my world, every day is read aloud day.

Seussemania!

Yes, the lovely lady in the hat in none other than your friendly local librarian!  The second graders are obviously eager to hear One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.  The giggles started as soon as I opened the book.

These first graders are earning stickers by demonstrating their ability to rhyme words.  Who knows, perhaps a future Dr. Seuss is in the making!

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…” (from Oh, the Places You’ll Go)

March into a Great Book

March is finally here!  It’s the birthday month of some phenomenal authors, in addition to the incomparable Theodore Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, whose life and work we are celebrating this month.  Check these out:

Patricia MacLachlan, March 3

She’s the author of such unforgettable books as Arthur for the Very First Time, Cassie Binegar, Three Names, and Word After Word After Word.

Jackie French Koller, March 8

Picture books Baby for Sale and No Such Thing and novels including The Keepers series and Someday demonstrate Jackie French Koller’s versatility as an author.

Sid Fleischman, March 16

Sid Fleischman’s passing last year makes his delightful books even more special.  Some treasures are The Dream Stealer, The Midnight Horse, the classic The Whipping Boy, and his autobiography The Abracadabra Kid: a Writer’s Life.

Kate DiCamillo, March 25

In addition to the beloved The Tale of Despereaux and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, she has penned such gems as Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken and Bink & Golly.

Doreen Cronin, March 28

Kids will find themselves learning about creepy-crawlies from the author’s very funny Diary of a Fly, Diary of a Spider, and Diary of a Worm.  Young readers (and grownups too) have a blast with the barnyard antics that abound in Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type and its sequels.

Visit http://booklovinggrandma.wordpress.com for reviews of books you won’t want to miss!

No matter what weather March may bring, it’s always perfect for curling up with a book.