More Books That Should Win Awards

Eleven-year-old Polly loves everything about her family farm: the rhubarb that tastes like chocolate, the lake where nothing bad ever happens, and the fact that it rains every Monday at exactly 1:00 p.m.  But then the weekly showers suddenly stop, and her brother becomes mysteriously ill.  Can Polly, with the help of some unusual friends, act in time to help help her brother and return things to the way they were?  This story is as magical as the delights that abound on the Peabody Farm.

Armie is half Shawnee and half Armenian, but that’s not why he didn’t have friends while he was growing up.  Other kids have always thought of him as a little weird, since he is able to “feel” things most people can’t.  In addition, Armie is a big, hulking boy.  So by the time our hero is a teenager and attending boarding school while his socially-conscious lawyer parents ply their trade, he is a loner.  The mountain setting of the school suits Armie fine: it gives him plenty of opportunities to wander its paths and enjoy the natural world.  But his “gift” tells him there is something out there, it’s not friendly, and it is calling him…

Four children.  Each has their own reasons for entering the candy-making contest.  As the entrants tour the factory where they will create their confections, we learn their secrets–and observe them through the eyes of the other participants.  But when we think we begin to know Logan, Miles, Daisy, and Philip, events take a turn that makes us realize that there is more to each of these fascinating young people than we imagined.  Wendy Mass has done it again.

Yuki is excited.  Her mother has told her that she is big enough to ride her bike home from Grandma’s house at the end of the day.  But first, there is much to do: feeding the koi in the pond, making origami animals, eating a dinner of Yuki’s favorite soup, watching the sun set over the lake, and listening to the “night music.”  This beautiful story is matched by spectacular illustrations.  It begs to be read aloud again and again.

You can learn about more gems at
http://bookandagarden.com
.

Get ready for March 2!

Award Winners–and Books That Should Be

If anyone has drifted over to
http://bookandagarden.com
  lately, you’ve read my review of Margi Preus’ blockbuster Heart of a Samurai, a 2011 Newbery Honor Book.  I’m not sure why it took me a year to read this book.  All I can say it was definitely worth the wait. (Check out my review and then read the book to find out for yourself.)

However, there are a lot of books out there that do not have a sticker on their covers that, in my humble opinion, are well deserving of one. Some have already appeared on these virtual pages.  Here’s a sample.

Author Laura Amy Schlitz already has a Newbery Award to her credit (deservedly so for Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!), but this gem is worthy of a spot on the podium.  The heartwarming, inspiring, can’t-put-it-down story of Flora the night fairy dazzles.  This one has the makings of a classic.

A little boy drifts off to sleep, soothed by all the sounds of the house around him: the “purr, thump, purr, thump” of two cats and a dog, accompanied by the “sleepy song” of the pipes, floors, and faucets.  Joining the indoor night noises are those of the natural world outside.  The dreamy mood is perfect for sleepytime reading.

More Books That Deserve Awards in a future post.  In the meantime, visit
http://bookandagarden.com
for reading treasures old and new.

All’s Well That Ends Better

Today was a perfect example of J.R.R. Tolkien’s words of wisdom.

I awoke this morning feeling rather out of sorts, and would have loved nothing better than to crawl back into bed.  However, duty called, and I had the niggling feeling a class might have reserved the first library time slot of the day without the requested week’s notice.  (Or, less likely, the teacher signed in, but I neglected to make a note of it.)  So, dedicated librarian or creature of habit or glutton for punishment or whatever else I may be, I made a supreme effort to drag myself out of the house, to the subway station, and on to work.

The niggling feeling had not deceived me.  A fourth grade class was indeed coming in five minutes.  And, as if that were not enough, I had indicated I was beginning to teach students library skills, offered the teachers their choice with which to begin the unit–and, naturally, this particular educator selected the proficiency that required advanced preparation!  Fortunately, a quick conference with an understanding teacher resulted in a change of topic.  And so, unknown to her or her students, this librarian (amid groans that I wasn’t going to read a story but teach) gave a 100% impromptu introduction to the Dewey Decimal System entitled, “Dewey or Don’t We? Dewey!”  The kids were impressed that such cool books that could be found in the nonfiction section, and that simply by knowing a bunch of numbers, they could walk into a library anywhere and find a book about global warming or leopards.  The teacher was impressed enough that she’s making time in her tightly-packed schedule to bring the students back next week for a continuation of the lesson.  This could be the start of something beautiful…

And the day only got better.  From the compliments on my hastily-made Library Lover’s Month crown, to “happening” to meet the right person to troubleshoot problems with a temperamental computer, to finding a group of eighth-graders ripe for a pep talk on reading more before the schoolwide Book Blitz ends in two and a half weeks, this is yet another day I’m happy I made the effort to go to work.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be even better!

Happy New Year, Trees!

This may seem like a continuation of my previous posts, but it is more.  Wednesday marks the Jewish holiday of Tu Bishvat, otherwise known as the New Year for the Trees.  This day marks the commencement of the season when early fruit-bearing trees begin their annual cycle in the Land of Israel.  The commemoration is one in which we express appreciation for the everyday miracles in the natural world that surround us.  Yes, it’s nothing short of miraculous when the quince tree in our yard begins to blossom on an unseasonally warm day in January–and the half-opened buds wait patiently for the real arrival of spring.  And there are the tulips that began peeking out of the ground around February 1.  They didn’t even wait for the groundhog to make his pronouncement.  Even though we may be impatient for them to bloom, when they finally do six to eight weeks down the road, we rejoice in the miracle like it’s the first time.

When you next walk past a tree, stop a moment and observe the buds that have been waiting for their grand opening since last autumn’s leaves fell.  What a miracle that is.

Postscript to I Speak for the Books

  

I was floored this afternoon.  There I was, in a radiology lab, waiting my turn for a diagnostic test.  A commercial about a new movie appeared on the TV screen.  The film was about a girl who wanted to see a tree.  The name of the movie?  The Lorax.

Perhaps I am a bit behind the times with regards to the latest flicks being produced, but at the time I wrote last night’s blog I was unaware of a new remake of Dr. Seuss’ magnificent story.  I only hope the filmmakers’ effort is a fitting tribute to the original.  However, from what I gleaned from the commercial and an online trailer, the movie is only very loosely based on the classic.  An entertaining and worthwhile family film it may be, but in my humble opinion (admittedly not having yet seen it), it does not–cannot–improve on the original.  But let’s go see the movie anyway.  There’s a whole new generation who needs to learn the importance of preserving our beautiful planet and all the wonderful plants and animals for whom it is home.

“I am the Lorax, and I’ll yell and I’ll shout for the fine things on earth that are on their way out!”  But they don’t need to be, if we do our job right.

I Speak for the Books

I’m flattered.  It appears that a number of people who read this humble blog like what they see.  The result is that I have a fair contingent of subscribers, including some professional writers and others who know a thing or two about what makes good writing good.  Hence the flattered feeling.  Thank you to all of those who have liked and subscribed to my blog.  It is my hope that you will continue to enjoy what you see in these virtual pages.

Yet, it is not for personal gratification that I write.  There are so many treasures out there that are meant to be enjoyed and shared, I take pleasure in telling others about them.  And with the advent of e-books, the traditional variety faces some real competition.  So, to paraphrase the venerable Dr. Seuss in The Lorax, I speak for the books.  (Lest you think I am hopelessly old-fashioned, I have and use a Nook.)

This literary form that has existed for centuries upon centuries has no equal.  The delight in reading I Took My Frog to the Library by Eric A. Kimmel to a class of enthusiastic first-graders is incomparable.  As the students in the third-grade class enter my domain, I can feel their anticipation as they await the next chapter of Katherine Paterson’s The King’s Equal.   Even “sophisticated” middle-schoolers are enthralled by gems like Catherine Gilbert Murdock’s Princess Ben, Schooled by Gordon Korman, and Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel.  (And nobody is too old for Dr. Seuss.)

And since, like the Lorax, I am one of those who care “a whole awful lot,” if I can do even a little to attract more readers to the wonderful medium that is a book, I am satisfied.  Happy reading.

   

Happy Library Lovers’ Month

In case you were thinking after November’s observance of Picture Book Month and Book Blitz Month in January that there would be a hiatus before the next bibliophilic (is that a word?) commemoration, rest assured that February is not to be outdone.  This shortest month of the year has the distinction of being devoted to the promotion and recognition of the one place where books (and more) of all kinds can be found and enjoyed for free: the library, whether public, academic, school, or any other type.

So take a moment during this month to show your appreciation for all that these magnificent institutions do for us every day, and spread the word–to family, friends, neighbors, your children’s school administrators, and elected officials.  Future generations will thank you.

“Keeping libraries open, giving access to all children to all books is vital to our nation’s sovereignty.” –Karen Slaughter, Author

If you’d like ideas for quality reading for the young people in your life, visit
http://bookandagarden.com
.