Get Caught Reading!

If it’s May, it can mean only one thing: Get Caught Reading Month!  (Actually, every month should fit this description.)  In years past, I’ve lurked the hallways with camera in hand, catching students (and a teacher or two) in the act.  Even though my work situation has changed, readers should be on the alert: the Booktographer is coming!  (Another reason to be on the lookout? It’s National Photograph Month.)

People are catching me reading a plethora of awesome books.  Among them are:

Mostly Monty: First Grader by Johanna Hurwitz

Monty is a kid who is like any other, with a few differences.  Two notable ones: he doesn’t have a pet because he does have asthma.   However, this does not stop the new first grader from making the most of the good things he has.  The first in a marvelous beginning-chapter-book series by a veteran author.

Robbie Forester and the Outlaws of Sherwood Street by Peter Abrahams

When a homeless woman drops a bracelet as she is being loaded into an ambulance after collapsing on the street, seventh-grader Robbie picks it up.  However, the doors close before she can return it, so the seventh-grader slips the bracelet on her wrist.  This casual act sets in motion a chain of events that defy explanation, and changes the lives of Robbie and those around her.

Back to the books…

A Delightful Romp Through Fantasyland

I began looking through a box of newly-arrived books, and grabbed a few to take home and read.  One of them, the first in a series, is a must-read for any kid who loves fantasies heavily spiced with humor.  I haven’t even finished it yet, but it’s too good to postpone sharing until I turn the last page.

Sarah Mlynowski’s rib-tickler joins the ranks of fractured fairy tales by Cornelia Funke, Eva Ibbotson, and other masters of the genre.    Check out the review on http://bookandagarden.com/book-reviews/whatever-after-fairest-of-all-by-sarah-mlynowski/ and enjoy!

My favorite quote of the day: “Babies are born with the instinct to speak, the way spiders are born with the instinct to spin webs. You don’t need to train babies to speak; they just do. But reading is different.”— Steven Pinker

Fantastic Fantasies

Today I finished reading a novel that I think is so magnificent, I can’t wait until I write a complete review to share it with my readers.

This debut by the talented team of Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is a refreshingly clean–no objectionable language or sex–young adult novel that is a fantasy-supernatural-Gothic mix.  Ethan Wate is a 16-year-old living in Gatlin, South Carolina, a town that prides itself on its Southern heritage.  The teen is counting the days until he can leave this backward place.  Then he meets the girl of his (literal) dreams–a 15-year-old named Lena who has been appearing in his nocturnal visions and recently moved in with her recluse uncle.  Why is she so apprehensive about her sixteenth birthday?  As Ethan grows closer to Lena, questions arise: what is really going on here, and what can he do to help her–and protect her from the close-minded community members (and fellow students) who oppose her presence among them?  The excitement doesn’t stop here–there are three more novels in this series and a movie being released this coming winter.  (My favorite character?  The town librarian!)

I’m breaking one of my rules again: talking about a book that I have not yet finished reading!  This novel is that good.

Liesl has been confined to an attic room by her stepmother (for her own protection, she says) since her father passed away.  However, a visit from a ghost named Po (and his pet, Bundle) begins to open the girl’s eyes to reality–and makes her realize there is a very important duty she must perform.  So, with the help of her new friends, Liesl escapes from the attic.  Their adventurous trek brings them into contact with a number of fascinating people, each with their own tale.  How their stories intertwine make this a can’t-put-it-down book kids will enjoy.

Eva Ibbotson Fans, Celebrate!

I learned some very welcome news that happily renders something I said in my previous post slightly inaccurate. Eva Ibbotson’s absolutely marvelous novel, The Ogre of Oglesfort, is not her second-to-the-last. The Abominables, also a fantasy, is scheduled to be published in England this July! (Another book, One Dog and His Boy, is awaiting my rapt attention.)  I’m eagerly anticipating this new literary gem’s appearance this side of the pond.

Check out my review of The Ogle of Oglesfort on http://bookandagarden.com. While you’re there, you might want to look at a few others…

More Gems Out of the Box

As I pulled more new arrivals from their shipping containers, a few immediately claimed a spot on my list of WOW books. Here are some that simply will not wait to be read:

I have not even finished this novel, but cannot resist writing about it. Sylvia is a bright 15-year-old who has much going for her: loving if strict parents, good friends…So why would she want to disrupt things by becoming one of the first Black students to integrate the Little Rock, Arkansas, Central High School? The situation for her people is difficult and degrading, but would one girl’s action make a difference, and be worth the sacrifice–and the risk?

J.J. Tully is a former search-and-rescue dog.  All he wants to do is enjoy his retirement.  However, a frantic hen shows up at his doghouse one day begging him to find her missing children.  With the promise of a food reward, J.J. begins searching for the chicks; but things and people (or is it animals?) are not always what they seem.  Readers will keep turning the pages of this fast-paced and humorous mystery until the delightful concusion.  As the first in a new series, there are more J.J. adventures to come.  Ages 8-10

When teenager Miriam wakes up in the hospital, her face is in agony–and she cannot remember what happened to put her there.  However, as the days pass, she recalls the event that caused the severe burns.  But the ordeal is only beginning.  How can Miriam face the world with disfiguring scarring at an age when appearance means so much?  An uplifting story of fortunate happenings, faith, and hope.

Eva Ibbotson’s second-to-the-last novel is as magnificent as any in her vast repertoire.  When three individuals with special abilities (and an ordinary boy who insists on accompanying them) receive the task to rescue a princess from an ogre, they reluctantly set out for the distant castle. Upon their arrival, the group discovers that things are definitely not as they have been led to believe. With characteristic Ibbotson humor and charm, this story is a tribute to a master. Nothing more need be said. Perfect for ages 10-12

The Books Are Coming!

The books I so painstakingly selected and ordered this past winter have been making their appearance in recent weeks, and they are still coming!  Even though so many duties await my attention, I am unable to resist open the boxes to take a peek at the treasures within.  (It’s a thinly veiled reason that all arrivals must be inspected for defects and damage.  We know better.)

The books I have feasted my eyes upon thus far have not disappointed.  Here are a few I would like to share with you:

Callie introduces us to her twin brother Charlie, who has autism.  She describes not only the difficulties he encounters, but all the areas where he excels.  Just in time for Autism Awareness Month, this book is sure to open the eyes of young readers and listeners to this disorder.

Katherine Paterson, teaming up with her husband John, has done it again.  Rewriting a story originally penned in 1910 by Eden Phillpott, the duo has created a fantasy masterpiece.

I am not normally a big fan of wordless books, but I am making an exception here: not only because this particular one is this year’s winner of the Caldecott Medal, but because it is a beauty.  Words are not necessary to share Daisy the dog’s every emotion.  Check out this book and see for yourself.

Back to the books!

It’s Completed!

After months of searching, evaluating, picking other librarians’ and educators’ brains, painful eliminating, and setting some aside “for future consideration,” they are complete–or as complete as they ever will be.  My annual book orders are now in the hands of the book vendor.  It only remains to be seen how this intense experience will bear fruit.

(An aside: I discovered what an efficient book vendor it is–within two weeks of sending off my first list, I arrived at work to discover several boxes with my name on them.  The timing could not have been more perfect, as their arrival coincided with the last day of school before vacation.  The second order, mailed on the final day before the break, might be waiting when I return.)

There are some gems that I am particularly excited about reading.

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu: a contemporary fantasy that should have kids enthralled.

The Busy Life of Ernestine Buckmeister by Linda Ravin Lodding: a little girl whose life is overfull of activities would like some time to be a kid–and play.  Another winner from Flashlight Press.

Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein: family members of the beloved poet, who passed away in 1999, put together this collection of his poems and drawings.

Fire from the Rock by Sharon M. Draper: this novel powerfully describes the experiences and feelings of one of the first Black students to integrate Little Rock’s Central High School in 1957.

The Ogre of Oglefort by Eva Ibbotson: another delightfully unconventional fairy tale by a master, all the more wonderful since it’s one of Eva Ibbotson’s last.

Sugar Changed the World by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos: the story of our fascination with sugar, and how human craving for the sweet stuff has changed lives and societies from early history to the present day.

Those Rebels, John & Tom by Barbara Kerley: a lively biography of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two men who were very different, but who had some very important things in common: their concern for the American colonies and their belief that they should be independent from England.

A joyous and meaningful Passover to all!

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.

The End

I finally finished it.  In the midst of all the other books I’ve been reading, last night I turned the last page of Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance–the final volume in the series that began with the publication of Eragon in 2003.  After nearly nine years, it almost feels like the end of an era.  One can imagine that it may have seemed so to the young author, who began penning this fantasy series when he was only fifteen years old.

Many things have been said about the Inheritance cycle.  Some have likened it to a mixture of The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars.  This is not necessarily criticism; many great works contain elements of other great works.  (An aside: I am not one to put movies on my outstanding literature list.  There are only a relative few that I believe hold a candle to the books on which they are based, in the case of those made from literary works.)  Most readers and reviewers have been mesmerized by the descriptive language, the fascinating characters, and Paolini’s extraordinary imagination.  There are, of course, those who were disappointed, their displeasure often stemming from what they believed to be the repetitiveness of the novels’ plots and themes (it’s not the first time such events have occurred in fantasy fiction).

My take on these novels?  From the early pages, I began to like and empathize with young Eragon.  Paolini did an admirable job developing his character and that of his dragon Saphira, as well as those of the other personalities–human, dwarf, elf, dragon, werecat, Urgal, even Ra’zac.  As Eragon and Saphira grow and metamorphose, they remain refreshingly “normal,” with the fears, foibles, desires, and dislikes that are common to us ordinary people.  If some of their experiences have appeared in literature before, this is not a drawback: for the particulars of the plot are unique to these novels, and everything is woven together as the story arrives at its conclusion.  They are a bit wordy, yes; but the descriptive phrases are literary gems, and the action does not falter.

After having bidden farewell to Eragon and all the characters populating the novels, I happened to read part of the beginning of Eragon, and had to smile at the passage introducing the teen and relating the story of his discovery of Saphira’s egg.  If only Eragon knew what was in store…