Women's History Month - The story of Libba Cotten

More than twenty years after the death of folk guitar legend Elizabeth Cotten, her music is still heard everywhere. Cotten, who began her public career at the age of 68, became a key figure in the folk revival of the 60's and a National Heritage Fellow. In 1985, at the age of 93, Cotten won a Grammy for Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording for her album Elizabeth Cotten — Live! 

Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten 

Laura Veirs

Illustrated by Tatyana Fazlalizadeh 

Nonfiction Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Chronicle Books, 2018, 978-1452148571

Libba Cotton has music running all the way through her. Everywhere she goes she hears music. Even the sound of the freight trains clattering down the tracks near her house is musical to her ears.

   Libba’s brother has a guitar, which she is not allowed to play. However, when he goes to work Libba sneaks into his room and plays the guitar, even though she has to play it “upside down” and “backwards” because she is left-handed. This is certainly a strange way to play a guitar, but Libba does not care. Somehow this unusual way of playing works for her and she is able to create music.

   After Libba’s brother leaves home, taking his guitar with him, Libba starts to save up to buy a guitar of her own. Earning seventy-five cents a month Libba saves and saves until she has enough to buy a Stella guitar. How Libba plays that guitar! It becomes an extension of her arm and she still plays it backwards and upside down because she is left-handed and the guitar was built for a right handed player. When she is only thirteen Libba writes her first song. It is called Freight Train.

   Then life gets busy and Libba stops playing the guitar because there are too many other things that need to be done. Libba never guesses that one day, when she is a grandmother, music will come back into her life and it will change her future in the most wonderful ways.

   In this beautifully written and very moving book, Laura Veirs, who is herself an accomplished guitar player, performer, and songwriter, tells the story of an extraordinary woman who was a self-taught and very gifted musician. Libba’s song Freight Train is known by musicians and music lovers all over the world, and it was a firm favorite in Laura’s childhood home.

   In addition to the main story, Laura provides her readers with further information about Libba at the back of the book in an author’s note. She also tells us how she became get interested in Libba’s remarkable story.

Times of hardship with a review of Ida B... and her plans to Maximize fun, avoid disaster and (Possibly) save the world

There is no doubt that all of us have been touched by this wretched pandemic. Some of us have been sick, some have lost loved ones, and we have all lived with this appalling cloud of fear, worry, and even anger hanging over us. How on earth do we cope with something like this? How do our children cope with all these changes, and losses, and uncertainty?

   Today I bring you a book in which you will meet a girl whose perfect, happy life very suddenly becomes miserably imperfect. The story is touching and inspiring. It will make you laugh and cry. Though this is a book for children, I think that adults will enjoy it as well. Read it to a child, read it for yourself. Just read it. 

Ida B... and her plans to Maximize fun, avoid disaster and (Possibly) save the world 

Katherine Hannigan
Fiction
For ages 9 and up
HarperCollins, 2011, 978-0060730260
Ida B is an extremely happy nine-year-old. Her parents have the good sense not to send her to a school which she hates. Instead, she is homeschooled and she loves it. She loves living on the farm with her Mama and her Daddy, and she loves her conversations with the apple trees in the orchard, and her talks with the burbling stream. She loves the games that she plays with herself, and the walks that she takes with Daddy in the evenings. Everything is "righter than right."
   Then one day the apple trees warn her that hard times are coming. Ida does not want to believe them. What could possibly go wrong with her perfect life? What happens is that Mama gets cancer and everything changes. First of all Mama is sick all the time and so she cannot give Ida B the attention she is used to having. Then Daddy has to sell some of their land to pay for Mama's medical bills. Ida B is appalled. How can Daddy sell some of their beloved orchard and let strangers cut down some of her trees? Then, to top it off, Daddy tells her that she has to go to school, neither he nor Mama are in a position to homeschool her. Ida B feels completely betrayed and  she decides there and then that she is never going to allow herself to trust or to love anyone again.

   So Ida B goes to school and she goes through the motions of living, but she doesn't let anyone, not even her parents, get close to her. She also begins a campaign against the family who bought the land her father sold. Perhaps if she is as unwelcoming as possible they will go away and give the land back.

   This book has a decidedly magical quality that is hard to resist. Ida B's struggles with her own feelings are so true to life that readers will start to feel that they know her, that perhaps that they have always known her. They will recognize her anger and then later, they will recognize her struggles as she tries to stay angry even when her heart wants to give in.

Men on the Moon - Forty years ago

Forty years ago today, human beings walked on the moon for the first time. As millions of people watched, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon and took those first incredible steps. In honor of this anniversary, many publishers have put out new books for children about this extraordinary event. I have been lucky enough to review some of these books over the last few weeks, and now you can see my reviews on the Through the Looking Glass Book Review website in the Man goes to the Moon feature. There are some wonderful titles in this collection, and I hope you find a title or two that you would like add to your library.

Here is a video of that famous landing. Enjoy!

A Visit from an old friend bearing gifts

Last week I had a very special visitor, my pen pal of thirty years came to stay with me here in Oregon. Ute and I began writing to each other in 1980 when we ten and eleven years old. She lived in Germany, and her parents wanted her to improve her English. A mutual friend introduced us, and soon letters were flying between the the two of us. A few years after our correspondence began, I went to visit Ute in Germany. The next summer she came to visit me on the island of Cyprus. We helped each other through our college years, and when Ute became a doctor I was incredibly proud.

When she arrived on my doorstep last Wednesday, I was thrilled to see my tall, blond friend again. This time she brought her boyfriend Oliver with her, and I soon grew to like him a great deal. She also brought a small fluffy friend in her suitcase for me. Some years ago I discovered the Felix books. In these delightful stories, a stuffed toy rabbit goes on wonderful adventures, and he writes letters to his little girl to tell her what he is up to. The books are enormously popular in Europe and I have reviewed all of them for Through the Looking Glass Book Review. I was delighted to recieve my own personal Felix, and he will join Dogmatix, Olivia, and the numerous stuffed dragons who live in my office.

I hope you get the opportunity to read at least one of the Felix books. You can read my reviews of these charming books here, and I know you can buy them in bookstores and online.

The Stanley the dog books

For the June issue of Through the Looking Glass I reviewed the Stanley the dog books by Linda Bailey and Bill Slavin. As a dog lover, I think the books perfectly portray doggy behavior. One of my dogs frequently looks at me with an expression that clearly says "what are you doing and why are you doing it? You are a very strange animal." The Stanley books capture the confusion that dogs must surely feel about the odd things we humans do. They love us, but they certainly do not understand what we are about. The stories also remind us that simple things are often very precious. We should remember to enjoy good smells, snacks, friends, and the people we love best. Here are my reviews of the books:

Stanley’s Wild Ride
Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Picture Book (Series)
Ages 3 to 7
Kids Can Press, 2006, 1-55337-960-8
Stanley the dog has a very boring existence, and he is heartily fed up with having to look at the same old things repeatedly as he lies inside the fence day after day. One night though, Stanley discovers that there is a little hole under the fence, and in pretty short order he makes the hole just big enough to accommodate a dog. Soon Stanley is out on the loose and having the time of his life. His best friends Alice, Nutsy, Elwood, and Gassy Jack also manage to break out of their respective yards and homes, and the five dogs have a wonderful time running up and down streets, sniffing whatever they like and doing all those things that dogs like to do.
Then, at the top of a hill, Stanley discovers a skateboard, and from that moment on, the dog’s night of revelry turns into something quite out of the ordinary.
This deliciously funny picture book will give dog lovers of all ages a wonderful laugh. Highly textured acrylic artwork captures the excitement of the night and the sheer feeling of joie de vivre that the dogs experience as they enjoy their elicit freedom.

Stanley at Sea
Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Picture Book (Series)
Ages 4 to 8
Kids Can Press, 2008, 1554531934
Stanley the dog knows that he is not supposed to beg but he just can’t help himself. His people are having a fantastic picnic feast, and they aren’t giving him anything to nibble on. Eventually Stanley is told to “Get!” and so he goes down to the river where his friends are hanging out. All the dogs are hungry, so they are delighted when they find a trash can full of delicacies . Then, out of the blue a big truck arrives and it empties the trash can. Alas for Stanley and his friends, their feast is gone.
Next, the hungry dogs chase another food trail to ground, and this time the food is in a little boat. In seconds, Gassy Jack eats the leftover sandwich that they find in the boat. It is only when they turn around to get out of the boat that the dogs realize that the boat they are in is afloat.
In no time at all Stanley and his chums are swept out to sea in their little boat. Where are they going to end up?
In this delightful Stanley title, Linda Bailey and Bill Slavin once again collaborate to give their readers a deliciously funny picture book. Presented from the point of view of the dogs, the story is perfectly paced, and readers will find it hard not to chuckle when they see where the dogs end up.

Stanley’s Beauty Contest
Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Picture Book (Series)
Ages 4 to 8
Kids Can Press, 2009, 978-1-55453-318-3
Stanley’s day is not going well. He hasn’t been fed his breakfast, and his people have given him a bath, which Stanley - being the sensible dog that he is - hates. Who wants to be washed and dried? Who wants be smell sweet? Not Stanley.
After the bath is all over, Stanley’s people take him to the park where Stanley is going to participate in a dog contest. Stanley and his friends think the whole thing is very strange, until they smell the prizes – three delectable hot-from-the-oven dog biscuits. Will Stanley be able to run the fastest, or do the best trick, or be the most beautiful so that he can have one of the dog biscuits?
Written from the point of view of Stanley and his friends, this wonderfully funny picture book perfectly captures doggy joys and woes. Not only will children have a good laugh when they see what Stanley gets up to, but they will also be reminded of the fact that sometimes the best things in life are the simple things that we tend to take for granted.

Stanley’s Party
Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Picture Book (Series)
Ages 4 to 8
Kids Can Press, 2003, 1553373820
One night Stanley decides to try lying on the couch. Of course, he knows that he is not supposed to do this, but his people are away and they won’t be back until midnight. What’s the harm? So Stanley gets up on the couch and enjoys its comforts, making sure that he leaves everything neat and tidy before his people get home.
Next Stanley tries listening to some music, which he knows is what his people do when they sit on the couch. He then gets himself a snack from the fridge. This is the life! As long as he is careful, he can have a wonderful time while his people are away.
Eventually the day comes when Stanley starts to feel that there is something missing from his life of comfort. He needs some company.
In this hilarious Stanley story, we get to meet a very doggy dog who knows what he wants. Told from Stanley’s point of view, the story will have readers in giggles in no time. Do you know what your dog does when you are not home?

Thank you Linda and Bill for these delightful books.

Book Book Tour with Jeanne DuPrau

For the next three days I will be featuring a Blog Book Tour for Jeanne du Prau's new book The Diamond of Darkhold. Today you can read my review of the book.

The Diamond of Darkhold
Jeanne DuPrau

Fiction (Series)
Ages 12 and up
Random House, 2008, 978-0-375-85571-9
Nine months have passed since the people who once lived in the underground city of Ember made their way to the surface. The refugees from Ember are now will settled in the town of Sparks but life is far from easy. Winter is approaching and food is scarce. The Emberites are not used to cold temperatures, to thunder and rain, and to the dangers of ‘normal’ life. Sometimes a few of them even think of their life in Ember with nostalgia. One of these people is Lina. Surely her life was easier when she was living in Ember than it is now?
One day a roamer comes to Sparks and Lina buys an old book from the woman for her friend Doon. Though most of the pages in the book are now missing, Doon quickly realizes that the book was left for the people of Ember to find. He is sure that the book contained instructions or directions of some kind so that the people of Ember would be equipped to deal with the world above ground when it was time for them to emerge. Doon cannot tell what the “Instructions for Use” are for, because so little information remains in the book, but he is determined to find out. Doon thinks that the instructions describe how some kind of “machine” or tool should be used, and he believes the machine - whatever it is - could very well make life in the town of Sparks a lot easier.
There is only one thing that Doon can do – he has to go back to Ember to try to find more information about the book or the special tool that was left for the Emberites to use. He askes Lina to go with him, and though she is afraid of what they will find and of the journey that they have to make, Lina agrees to go with her friend.
In this fourth and final title in the Books of Ember series Jeanne DuPrau takes her readers on a fascinating and exciting journey back underground to the city of Ember. All kinds of surprising events take place, and connections with the past that have been lost over the course of time are reestablished. Lina and Doon, who worked together to lead their people out of the city of Ember, have new challenges to face, and readers will be intrigued to see how these two young people face their fears and overcome the trials that they encounter.
Through this book, and indeed the entire series, Jeanne DuPrau encourages her readers to think about their world and their place in it. What would it be like if there was a global nuclear war? What would we need to do to survive? If we change our outlook and behavior could be prevent such a terrible thing from happening?

The other books in this series are The city of Ember, The People of Sparks, and The Prophet of Yonwood. You can find my reviews of these books on the Books of Ember page on the Through the Looking Glass Book Review website.

Please visit the other blogs that are participating in this tour. They are:

01 Charger, the 160acrewoods, A Childhood of Dreams, A Christian Worldview of Fiction, All About Children’s Books, And Another Book Read, Becky’s Book Reviews, Book Review Maniac, Cafe of Dreams, Comox Valley Kids, Dolce Bellezza, Fireside Musings, Homeschool Buzz, Hyperbole, Never Jam Today

Summertime - a glorious time to read

For many of us June is the first real month of summer. Schools are closed, pools are open, and vacations begin. We pull out our summer clothes and put away shoes in favor of flip-flops and sandals. This is also a time when many of us, especially children, do a lot of reading. Children go to the library and sign up for summer reading challenges. They go to the bookstore and spend a wonderful time figuring out what to read next. Just to get you in the summer mood Through the Looking Glass Book Review has a summer books feature. On this page you will find a list of book titles all of which explore summer days in some way or another.

You will find that Eloise is going on a vacation, and there is the story of two little boys who go on a summer trip which is "the best week ever." You will find a book which explores the sounds of summer - Summer Beat - and in Mayfly you will go on a summer vacation with a family that spends wonderful days staying in a cottage by a lake.

For readers who like something a little more fantastical there is Summer Story by Jill Barklem. In this book readers will get to see a summer wedding between two very charming little country mice. The illustrations in this book are wonderfully detailed and utterly delightful.

I hope you enjoy this feature and do let me know if you have a favorite summer book.