Fiction Wednesday - A review of The Sixty-Eight Rooms

When I was a little girl, I got a doll's house for Christmas that I loved. I spent countless hours making up stories for the people who lived in the house, moving the furniture around, and making little accessories for the rooms. Ever since then I had been fascinated by miniatures, and even made a miniature greenhouse once with plants, a paved patio, little tools, and even a little cat sunning itself in the sun. 

I suppose it should not surprise anyone that I loved today's book. It is, after all, about sixty-eight rooms of miniatures that are on display in the Chicago Institute of Art. These Thorne Miniature Rooms are now on my things-I-have-to-do-one-day list. The splendid story is touched with history, magic and so much more. Enjoy.

The Sixty-Eight Rooms

Marianne Malone

Illustrated by Greg Call

Fiction

For ages 9 to 12

Random House, 2010, 978-0-375-85710-2

Ruthie’s life is very ordinary, and sometimes she wishes something “cool” would happen to her. Her best friend Jack is the kind of boy who has adventures; he has the kind of personality that can make “interesting and unusual things happen.” One would think that these two very different kids would have nothing in common, but Ruthie’s cautious and careful ways compliment Jack’s more unconventional thoughts, ideas, and actions.

   When Ruthie’s class goes to the Chicago Art Institute for a school trip on a cold winter’s day, she and her classmates look at some of the African art, and then, after lunch, they go to visit the Thorne Rooms. The Thorne Rooms are sixty-eight little rooms faced with glass that contain miniature house interiors. Ruthie looks into rooms from medieval castles, French chateaus, and American colonial homes. Every piece of furniture and every object in the rooms is perfectly to scale and beautifully made, and Ruthie immediately develops a fascination for the rooms.

   Jack’s mother, who is an artist and who is helping to chaperone the group, introduces Jack and Ruthie to Mr. Bell, who works at the museum. He lets the two kids look into an access corridor that runs behind the rooms. While Jack is looking around, he finds a little ornate key on the floor and he picks it up and puts it into his pocket. Of course, being curious kids, Jack and Ruthie want to know what the key is for.

   The next day, the kids go back to the Art Institute on their own and they are able to sneak into the access corridor behind the little rooms because the door was not closed properly. As they explore the corridor, Jack gives Ruthie the key to hold and then the strangest thing happens. Ruthie starts to shrink. The children discover that the key only shrinks Ruthie, and that when she lets go of the key, the shrinking stops and reverses. Ruthie shrinks herself and has Jack lift her up so that she can enter one of the rooms, and she is thrilled to be able to do this. The rooms are so perfect and Ruthie even finds a tiny violin, which she plays.  

   Now that they have discovered the secret of the little key, Ruthie and Jack cannot help wanting to find out more about the magic and the Thorne Rooms. They copy Mr. Bell’s key to the access corridor, and then put together a plan so that they can spend a night in the museum and explore the rooms. Ruthie tells her family that she is going to have a sleepover at Jack’s house, and Jack tells his mother that he will be at Ruthie’s house. The children are able to get into the corridor without being seen, and there they hide there until the museum closes for the day. Ruthie holds the key, shrinks, and starts to explore room E24, which is a French room from 1780. Ruthie is sitting at a desk when she feels a breeze blowing on her, and hears the sound of birds singing. When she steps out onto the balcony, she finds out that the painted backdrop that visitors can see through the doors and windows is now real. She is looking at a real private garden and there are real birds singing and real clouds in the sky.

   Ruthie dashes to tell Jack about her extraordinary discovery, and then Jack makes a suggestion. When Ruthie shrinks, her clothes shrink with her. What would happen if she holds Jack’s hand and then shrinks herself? The children try this ,and to Jack’s delight, he shrinks along with Ruthie. Now they can both explore the Thorne Rooms and try to find out their secrets. The children never suspect that what they are going to find out will change their lives forever.

   After visiting the real Thorne Rooms in the Chicago Institute of Art many times, the author was inspired to create this story, which takes readers on a fascinating and exciting journey. The story will appeal to readers of all kinds because there is magic, history, a mystery or two, and time travel. And, of course, there are the descriptions of the gorgeous miniatures; perfect little replicas that tell a story about a time long ago.

Picture Book Monday - A review of A storm called Katrina

On Monday August 29th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Louisiana cost. Hurricane Katrina was the deadliest and most destructive Atlantic hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall. 

In today's book will will find out what it was like to be in New Orleans when the hurricane hit as seen through the eyes of a young boy.

A storm called Katrina

Myron Uhlberg

Illustrated by Colin Bootman

Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Peachtree Publishers, 2011, 978-1-56145-591-1

   One night, Louis Daniel’s mother tells him that a hurricane is coming, and when Louis Daniel wakes up in the morning, he sees how much damage has been done during the night. The big tree in the yard has been knocked down, and Mama’s plants have been flattened. Louis Daniel’s mother tells him not to worry, but this is very hard to do when the wind is making your house shake, and when raindrops “bigger than quarters” are falling against the windows.

   Soon after the rain stops, the water starts to rise. When Louis Daniel and his parents go outside they hear that the levee has broken and they and their neighbors have to move to higher ground as fast as they can. Louis Daniel’s’ father put his son and his wife on a piece of porch and he pushes and paddles them all to safety. Along the way, Louis Daniel sees how devastated the city is, and he sees a black and white dog standing on some boards. It breaks Louis Daniel’s heart that they cannot do anything to help the poor dog.

   The little family finally ends up seeking shelter at the Superdome, but they are not there long before it becomes clear that the situation there is pretty terrible. There is little to eat and drink, the heat is oppressive, and no one knows when help will come. The only thing Louis Daniel has with him is his cornet, which he refused to leave behind.

   Based on true stories as told by people who experienced Hurricane Katrina first hand, this title will give young readers a picture of what it was like to be in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck. Children will appreciate how helpless Louis Daniel feels, and understand how much he lost.

   An author’s note at the back of the book provides readers with further information about what happened during and after Hurricane Katrina’s arrival in New Orleans.

Poetry Friday - A review of Dog Poems

When I was a child I often heard people say "I don't know what I would do if I didn't have my dog." I knew that what they were saying was that their dog were important to them, but I didn't fully appreciate the meaning behind the words until I was an adult with dogs of my own.

I spend many hours working at home alone, or at least without other humans around. My cats, being the independent beings that they are, go off to do their own thing, but my dogs lie on beds under my desk, preferring to keep me company. Their companionship is priceless, as are their smiles, their silly games, and their demands for affection.

Today's poetry title takes a look at the world of dogs, and it is a title that dog lovers of all ages will appreciate. The author, Dave Crawley, has also created another collection of poems called Cat Poems, which I greatly enjoyed reading.

Dog Poems

Dave Crawley

Illustrated by Tamara Petrosino

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 10

Boyds Mills Press, 2007, 978-1-59078-454-9

Dogs come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. There are poodles with their pompoms who “strut in the park” looking very chic, and then there are “saggy baggy” Basset hounds with their “mournful eyes and wrinkled skin.” Some dogs, like the “shaggy” sheepdog work for a living, while others are pets who have their owners wrapped around their paws.

   It does not matter if a dog is a tiny feisty Chihuahua, an enormous gentle Great Dane, or some other breed; it can be depended on to be a good friend, a companion to take on walks, and someone to “snuggle wuggle” with.

   Some dogs are active, like the Labrador who loves to play in bodies of water. Others, like “Lazy old Mazy” are active only in their dreams. In real life lazy Mazy dozes and snoozes for hours on end. Many dogs are smart hounds who know how to stay out of trouble. They know, for example, that porcupines and skunks are best left alone. Others are not so savvy, and they end up with quills in their noses or, thinking that a skunk is a “kitty,” end up paying dearly for their mistake.

   In this wonderful collection of poems, Dave Crawley celebrates dogs and their doings in a unique way. He introduces us to some popular breeds, and he also tells us the stories of certain dogs. Then there are more general poems that look at certain aspects of dog behavior. For example in “In Telling a Tail,” we learn how to ‘read’ dog tails, and in “Slobberkiss” we see why dogs are so fond of giving the human they love a big wet lick.

   With humor and an obvious love for dogs, Dave Crawley celebrates dogs in all their furry, barky, smelly, and slobbery glory.

  

An Interview with Dee Shulman and Polly Price

Yesterday I reviewed Polly Price's Totally Secret Diary: Reality TV Nightmare, the second Polly Price title. Today I have an interview for you that I did with the author of the book, Dee Shulman, and with Polly Price. I thought it was only fair to make sure that Polly herself got to say a few words. After all, she is the person whose story is being told.

TTLG: Dee, where did the idea for this series come from? 
Dee: You could say I have been both Polly and Arabella... As a kid, I used to find my own (adorable) mother acutely embarrassing whenever she laughed ... she was just too loud and way too enthusiastic for a mother! And then – weirdly - I turned into Arabella myself. My daughter used to hide on the floor of the car if she spotted one of her friends out of the window. I was guilty of dressing wrong, talking wrong, running in public ... my list of crimes was endless! 

So it was a great theme to play with – I just needed to tweak it a teeny bit – convert embarrassing to excruciating -  and Arabella was born!

TTLG: Dee, how did you get inside Polly's head to understand how she might feel or react? 

Dee: I think it would be more accurate to say that Polly got inside my head. Once her handwriting appeared on the page she really took over. 

TTLG: Polly, it is clear that having an actress for a mother can be very trying at times. What are the things that you like the least about your mother's work and lifestyle?
Polly: I have made a list and given them marks out of 10. 10 is the worst!

Mum’s work

·         A normal parent goes to work during the day which means she DOESN’T come and pick you up from school. Unfortunately an actress is often bored during the day. A bored actress is not something anybody wants turning up at school at 3.45. You can hear my mother approach  approximately 4 minutes before the classroom door gets flung open. The only plus side is that 4 minutes gives you just enough time to hide behind the boxes in the stationary cupboard. (10)

·         Unfortunately, Mum doesn’t have anyone she can dump an 11 year old daughter on.  Believe me – she would if she could. So if I’m not in school, wherever she goes I go. I CANNOT WAIT until I am legally allowed to leave home. (10)

·         Tragically the places my mum goes to work are FILLED with other actors. Need I say more?* (10)

Mum’s Lifestyle 
Actors along the lines of my mother are always getting STRANGE CRUSHES on things. My mother has had many...

·         She chants*  (very annoying) (8)     

·         She gets food fads. Life was garstly when she turned vegan  (We had slimy black mushroom stew nearly every day) (10) *

·         Vanilla was a PARTICULARLY dangerous crush. By the way - Vanilla is a human being (almost) not a kind of ice-cream (unfortunately) (10+) **

·         Men. Especially younger ones. Especially younger French ones. Especially one younger French one in particular. See the new book, Mum in Love, for further details
*See On Stage in America for further information
**See Reality TV Nightmare for further details

TTLG: Polly, there must be some things that you like about having an actress for a parent. Tell me about some of the good stuff.
Polly: Yes – SOMETIMES (occasionally) I get to meet the good  kind of actor... 
NB: These are rare. They talk to you as though you are a member of the human race. Very occasionally they are VERY nice. Naming no names  I do encounter some good kinds in my diaries.  W.G in On Stage in America  and C.D in Reality TV Nightmare.

If your mother goes on tour you do sometimes get to go to exciting places – like America. See On Stage in America for further details.
If your mother gets a crush on a younger French boyfriend – you may get to go to France. *See Mum in Love for further details

I can’t think of many other good points – but I will let you know.

TTLG: Polly and Dee, what is it like to work together? Do you argue about the stories and how the artwork is going to look?
Dee: Hmm Polly would you say we work well together?
Polly: Put it like this... I write a TOTALLY secret diary that NOBODY is supposed to be looking at and then Dee Shulman comes along and the next thing I know it’s on the shelves in Waterstones and my mother is taking out lawsuits.

TTLG: Polly, do you think Dee understands your problems.
Polly: NO. (see above)  

TTLG: Is it hard working with a grownup? 
Polly: YES. Not to be recommended at all. 

TTLG: Is there a project that you two really want to work on together in the future? Tell us about it...please!
Dee: Between you and me (Polly doesn’t know this yet) there is talk of a trip to Australia...to meet someone VERY important. 
Polly: No there is definitely not a project that we want to work on together.

TTLG: Thank you both so much for agreeing to being interviewed.

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Polly Price's Total Secret Diary: Reality TV Nightmare

Every so often I come across a book that really captures my fancy in a special way. My Totally Secret Diary: On Stage in America by Dee Schulman is just such a book. In the diary, we meet Polly Price, a tween whose mother is an actress. One would think having an actress for a mother would be great, but in Polly's case, her mother is a trial. Truly, she is a trial.

Not long ago I was sent the second book in the series and I was delighted to read and review it. I thought Polly's mother was difficult in the first book, but it would appear that the woman is able to take being insufferable to new heights. My review of this book is below, and tomorrow I have a special treat for you, an interview with the author, Dee Shulman, and with Polly Price, the girl whose life becomes a nightmare.

Polly Price’s Totally Secret Diary: Reality TV Nightmare

Dee Shulman

Fiction

For ages 9 to 12

Red Fox, 2010, 9781862304246

Polly Price is afflicted with a mother who is a high maintenance individual. More than anything, Polly wishes she could have a normal mother who provides edible dinners, lets Polly have friends over, and is only mildly irritating and embarrassing. Instead, Polly’s mother is a highly-strung actress who isn’t happy unless she is the center of attention.

   Life in Polly’s home is never easy, but now it worse than ever because her mother, Arabella Diamonte, has been invited to be a guest on Celebrity Home Watch, a reality TV program. Everyone watches Celebrity Home Watch, which means that everyone will get to peek into the nightmare that is Polly’s home life. So far Polly has managed to keep her mother’s identity a secret, but now the whole world will know the dreadful truth.

   One would think that this dreadful development would be more than enough for one eager-not-to-be-noticed girl, but alas Polly’s life gets worse when her mother hires a life coach to help her get ready for her reality TV debut. The life coach, Vanilla, is a large overbearing woman who turns the house upside down, and who uses runes and tarot cards to make decisions, including determining which days are auspicious for Polly to go to school.

   One would think that with Vanilla to help her, Arabella would be able to manage to make a good impression when the reality TV people come over to shoot their show. Unfortunately, the whole thing turns into a ginormous nightmare for everyone concerned, especially Polly.

   Readers will be hard put not to laugh out loud as they read this second Polly Price diary. They will see that having a celebrity in the family can make life very complicated. Could it be that having a boring ordinary life might not be so bad after all?

   Presented in a diary format, complete with doddles, spelling mistakes, taped in photos and other items, this is a book that truly gets inside a young girl’s mind and heart. Readers will feel Polly’s pain, and celebrate when she somehow manages to come out of the ordeal in one piece. 

Picture Book Monday - A review of Larf

I have always had a soft spot for those reclusive creatures who are called either yeti, abominable snowmen, Sasquatch, or Big Foot, depending on where they come from. I can't blame them for being reclusive, and enjoy reading stories about them. The first one I read about was in Tintin in Tibet. In this Tintin story, the yeti is a rather pitiful fellow who is gentle and lonely. Today's book in about a sasquatch who likes his life of solitude. 

Larf

Ashley Spires

Picture book

For ages 5 to 8

Kids Can Press, 2012, 978-1-55453-701-3

Larf is a tall hairy sasquatch who lives in a wood cabin the woods with his bunny, Eric. Larf likes living on his own, and is happy that people have no idea that he exists. Luckily for him people “rarely believe in anything new and strange,” so even when he is accidently seen, no one really believes that they are looking at an honest to goodness sasquatch.

   Larf is convinced that he is the only one of his kind left until the day when he reads an article in the newspaper that announces that a sasquatch is going to “make an appearance” in a nearby town that day. Larf does not like change, but he cannot help thinking that maybe, just maybe, it might be nice to have another sasquatch around. So, Larf puts on what he thinks is a great disguise and he goes to town. Larf is both disappointed and pleased when he finds out that the so-called sasquatch is a fake. He is ready to go back to his solitary life in the woods when he has a most unusual encounter.

   For some people change is frightening, and they are happiest when nothing out of the ordinary happens. In this charming and sweetly funny picture book, we meet a character who dares to do something that makes him uncomfortable and who discovers that some changes are rather nice.

   With a delightful main character, wonderful illustrations, and a heartwarming ending, this is a picture book that will appeal to readers both young and not so young. 

Poetry Friday - A review of Pigmares

I could never watch scary movies when I was a child, because they always gave me nightmares. Many of my friends loved them though, and would talk at length about seeing movies where vampires sucked people's blood, and monsters lurked in nasty dark places.

In today's poetry title, Doug Cushman pays tribute to some of the most famous scary movies of all time, and he does so in a unique and very humorous way.

Pigmares: Porcine Poems of the silver Screen

Doug Cushman

Poetry

For ages 7 to 9

Charlesbridge, 2012, 978-1-58089-401-2

It is nighttime, and a young pig is sitting up in bed watching monster movies on his little TV. After seeing “Dead zombies crawl out from foul-smelling places,” and “Vampire pigs fly from castles at night,” the young pig begins to realize that he should “never watch monsters on film before bed.”

   The monsters he is talking about include Frankenswine, a creature that is made up of “pieces and parts.” Feared by others because of his horrific appearance, Frankenswine runs away until he ends up alone and friendless on an Arctic ice floe.

   Then there is The Porker from the Black Lagoon, a terrible creature “with scaly claws and slimy snout.” This monster has disgusting habits, and it is terribly crabby to boot. Of course, one does have to consider that “it is hard to grin when every day / there’s water in your shorts.” Perhaps this monster is entitled to spells of bad temper.

   The Porker from the Black Lagoon is not the only monster that has to deal with dreadful living conditions. The Abominable Snow Pig lives in a place of perpetual cold, a frozen mountain in Tibet. His food is always cold, as are his hands and feet. Even the logs in his fireplace “are giant ice blocks.”

   In this deliciously clever collection of poems, Doug Cushman pays tribute to some of the most famous horror movies of all time, and he does so in a very humorous way. All the monsters in these poems are porcine in nature, and their stories, and the situations they get into, are deliciously funny and silly.

   At the back of the book the author gives his readers a little information about the real horror movies that inspired the poems.

   

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Little Rat Makes Music

My daughter came into this world with a natural affinity for music. Learning how to play the piano when she was five was easy for her, but practicing was something she avoided as much as possible. I cannot tell you how many times we had the "you need to practice or you will never move forward" conversation. 

Today's book will resonate with every young artist, musician, and athlete who hates to practice, and with every adult who has tried to find ways to encourage their child to practice regularly.  

Little Rat Makes Music

Monika Bang-Campbell

Illustrated by Molly Bang

Fiction

For ages 6 to 9

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007, 978-0-15-205305-5

Little Rat comes from a music-loving family. Her father is a gifted musician who can play four instruments, and her mother loves to sing. Her mother takes Little Rat to folk-music concerts, and her father takes her to listen to orchestral performances. Little Rat particularly enjoys watching the violinists, who “played all sorts of notes” and thus create a variety of musical moods.

   One day Little Rat and her mama are walking past the Community Hall when they heard the sound of music. When they go inside, they see a group of young animals playing violins. Little Rat is charmed by the sounds she hears, and so her mother arranges for her to have violin lessons.

   At her first lesson, Little Rat and the other beginner students learn how to hold their bows and violins. They don’t learn how to play a single note, let alone a little tune. How boring it all is. At the next lesson, Little Rat is finally asked to play a note, and what a note it is too. Little Rat’s note sounds like “an angry seagull.”

   Over time, Little Rat’s playing gets better, but one thing Little Rat hates to do is to practice. It is boring and frustrating. Why does learning how to play the violin have to be so hard?

   Acquiring a new skill is rarely easy, and often the early learning phases are very hard to deal with. The only way to get better is to practice, but practicing is dull because you do the same thing over and over again, and what you produce is often not that good. In this wonderful chapter book, we see how a young rat comes to accept that practicing is necessary, and that it takes work to become good at doing something. With touches of humor and great sensitivity, Monika Bang tells a story that will resonate with young people who are experiencing their own practicing issues. Artists, musicians, and athletes all have to make the same journey that Little Rat makes.

Picture Book Monday - A review of Billy Twitters and his blue whale problem

Children all over the world are used to being threatened with dire consequences if they don't do their chores, eat their dinner, brush their teeth, or go to bed on time. They are told that they will be grounded, will not get any dessert, or will not get their allowance that week. The boy in today's picture book story is threatened with something so outrageous that he does not take the threat seriously, which is a BIG mistake.

Billy Twitters and his blue whale problem

Mac Barnett

Illustrated by Adam Rex

Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Hyperion, 2009, 978-078684958-1

When Billy Twitters’ mom gets fed up with his behavior, she threatens that she will buy him a blue whale. When he doesn’t clean his room, eat his dinner, or brush his teeth she always makes the same threat. Billy is not worried though because he knows that blue whales are enormous, and that his parents can’t just pick up the phone and order a blue whale.

   Then one morning Billy wakes up and finds out that a blue whale is blocking the front door. Apparently blue whales can be ordered and delivered after all. Bill’s mother tells him that the whale is his responsibility and that he, Billy, has to take the whale wherever he goes, including to school.

   Billy very quickly figures out that having a pet whale is a nuisance, a really really big nuisance. Billy’s classmates don’t appreciate the whale’s presence, he gets uninvited from a birthday party, and taking care of the whale is not at all easy. In fact, it is back breaking work. It would seem that Billy has got himself into a real situation.

   Readers will laugh out loud when they see Billy struggling to take care of his huge pet. Clearly having a pet blue whale is not a good idea. Nothing good comes of it. Just when we think that the story is over, we are given an ending that is a huge surprise. What a clever way to end a cautionary tale!

   

Poetry Friday - A review of Last Laughs

I wasn't at all sure that I was going to like today's poetry title. It sounded a little odd, but interesting at the same time. Since the book was also written by two of my favorite poets, I took the plunge, and I am so glad that I did. I had a grand time reading animal epitaphs, laughing (and groaning) at the clever word play, and at the images that the poems brought to mind.

Last Laughs

J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen

Illustrated by Jeffrey Stewart Timmins

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 9

Charlesbridge, 2012, 978-1-58089-260-5

Here we are at Amen Creature Corners, a cemetery where animals, not humans, are buried. It is true that “beasties” come here to cry over the graves of their friends and loved ones, but they are also here to have “one last laugh” courtesy of the dearly department. In this cemetery “it’s not / all gloom and doom / that’s written / once upon a tomb.”

   Actually, many of the words on the gravestones are funny, in a rather irreverent way. We read about how Rowdy Rooster made the mistake of being so “cocky” that he dared to head-butt a car. He is one of many animals who seemed to have lacked a sense of self preservation. There is the moth who “lived by the fire / and died by the flame,” and the woodpecker who pecked a tree limb one to many times with disastrous results.

   Then were those who were just too sure of themselves. There was a swordfish who fought a shark, and lost the battle, and a piranha who found out too late that it had the “second-sharpest / teeth in the river.”

   Full of clever word play and often decidedly macabre humor, these poetical animal epitaphs will tickle the fancy of readers who like their poetry served up dark.