Fiction Wednesday - A review of Liar and Spy

There are times when all of us are tempted to ignore or avoid our problems rather than face them. No one wants to suffer the pain that comes with confronting problems. In today's fiction title we meet some young people who take this avoidance strategy to a whole new level, and who thus create a situation that has its own set of problems. 

Liar and Spy

Rebecca Stead

Fiction

For ages 9 to 12

Random House, 2012, 978-0385737432

Not long ago Georges’ father lost his job and Georges and his family had to move out of the house and into an apartment. It was hard for Georges to leave behind his custom bed and the house that was filled with so many good memories, and his father is relieved with Georges starts spending time with a boy called Safer, who lives in the same apartment building.

   Safer claims to be a spy who is keeping tabs on the mysterious Mr. X who lives in an apartment upstairs. Safer is convinced that Mr. X is up to no good, that perhaps he is murdering people and cutting their bodies into pieces in his bathtub. Safer uses the intercom system in the building to spy on people, especially Mr. X, and Georges is appalled when Safer even takes Mr. X’s laundry out of the washing machine so that he can look through all the pockets in the clothes.

   As time goes by, Safer’s demands become more and more bizarre, and Georges starts to feel uncomfortable about Safer’s activities. What makes things even worse is that Georges’ school life is miserable. A boy called Dallas is going out of his way to pick on Georges, making fun of his name and everything else that he can think of. Georges feels so very alone in school, and so very alone at home as well. His mother is working extra shifts at the hospital and his father is so busy that he does not realize that Georges is struggling.

   Then Georges make a discovery about Safer, and his world come crashing down around him. Suddenly what seemed to be real is nothing but an illusion, and Georges has no idea where lies and deceptions end and the truth begins.

   Trying to adjust to big and unexpected changes can be very hard for a young person, especially if he or she has no support system in place. This remarkable book explores the lives of several children who try to deal with their fears by pretending they don’t exist. Their loves converge and the most unexpected thing happens.

   Though there is pain in this story, there is also hope and humor. Readers will be amazed to see how Georges, the boy who keeps his head down and tries to ignore his problems, finally finds himself confronting them.

Picture Book Monday - A review of A House in the Woods

Most of us have things or people whom we turn to when we are feeling glum.When I am down in the dumps I tend to seek hugs from my husband and daughter, snuggles from my pets, and I pull out my copies of Wind in the Willows, Pooh, or Pride and Prejudice. These three book titles are my comfort titles, my bookish equivalent of hot chocolate, mac and cheese, or toasted cheese sandwiches.

Today's picture book is a perfect title to read when you need a pick-me-up. The story is heartwarming, the characters are charming, and the art is softly gorgeous. 

A house in the woods

Inga Moore

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Candlewick Press, 2011, 978-0-7636-5277-7

Two pigs set up house in the woods, one living in a den, and one living in a hut made out of sticks. The pigs go for a walk together one day, and when they get home they find that Bear has moved into the den, and Moose has moved into the hut. The pigs don’t mind this at all, as they are very fond of Bear and Moose, but unfortunately the two large animals are so big that it isn’t long before both the den and the hut are destroyed. Now the two pigs and their large friends are homeless. They are, to be sure, in quite “a pickle.”

   Then Moose suggests that they all work together to build a house that they can share, a proper house with windows, doors, and all the other modern conveniences. There is a problem though. Building such a house takes skill, and Moose and his friends are going to need some help. There is only one thing to do in such a situation: Moose calls the Beavers to help. After all, when it comes to building things, the Beavers know a thing or two.

   In this wonderful picture book, Inga Moore pairs her truly gorgeous illustrations with a story that is brimming with warmth and goodwill. The book is just the thing to read on a not-so-good-day when one is feeling glum and out of sorts.  

Poetry Friday - A review of Forget-me-nots

When I was in school, we children spent a lot of time memorizing quotes, facts, figures, and rules. It was tedious, and to be honest most of the time we memorized things for tests and then promptly forgot them. The exception to this rule were the poems. Even now, many years later, I can still remember the Jabberwocky, the Walrus and the Carpenter, some of Robert Frost's poems, Ozymandias, and others. Learning these poems helped me understand them better, and it also showed me how beautiful and powerful language can be.

Today's poetry title contains a selection of poems that are perfect for learning by heart.

Forget-me-nots: Poems to learn by heart

Selected by Mary Ann Hoberman

Illustrated by Michael Emberley

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 12

Little Brown, 2012, 978-0-316-12947-3

Some people are of the opinion that learning poems by heart is a tedious and dull thing to do. What is the point, they ask. Well, learning a poem by heart helps you to better understand why the poet fashioned the poem the way he or she did. One comes to appreciate how images and ideas are fashioned using words, and how certain sounds, rhythms and rhymes conjure up thoughts and feelings in us when we hear them.

   For this book, Mary Ann Hoberman has selected poems that are suitable for beginner readers and for more advanced readers. Some are short, while others are longer. Some are goofy and funny, while others have a more serious tone. The one thing that all the poems have in common is that they are “memorable.” In other words the poems are both “easy to remember” and “worth remembering.”

   The book opens with a word from Ann Hoberman and then she gives us a poem, telling us that we are about to go on “an adventure.” She tells us that we are going to “invite” the poems to live in a house in our heads that is called “Memory.” The beauty of using this house is that it gets bigger the more you use it, and the more you give it, “The more it will give.” Perhaps best of all, once the poems are in your memory house, they will be there “As long as you live.”

   The poems that we first meet are very short. These special little gems will go into that memory house easily. They include verses by Emily Dickinson, Edward Lear, and Robert Lewis Stevenson. Then there are poems about people, people of all kinds. Robert Frost’s poem A time to Talk reminds us that one should always take time to have a “friendly visit” with a friend who is passing by. In his poem Love That Boy, Walter Dean Myers shows us how much a father loves his little son who walks “like his grandpa / grins like his uncle Ben.” The father in the poem knows in his heart that one day his son will be “a good man before he done.”

   Next there is a section of poems featuring animals. How could there not be. Children and animals fit together as perfectly and peanut butter and jelly. There are poems about a cat, a rooster, a dog, a pig, a bat, and even a yak. Some are deliciously funny, while others have a more contemplative feel.

   This animal-centric collection is followed by poems about “Delicious Dishes,” time, happiness, “Weather and Seasons,” sad feelings, “Strange and Mysterious” things, and “Poems from storybooks.” Finally, there are a few poems that are longer and more challenging to memorize. The author concludes by offering her readers some tips on how to learn poetry by heart.

   

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Following Grandfather

Trying to come to terms with the death of a loved one is never easy. I lost my grandmother when I was sixteen, and I found it very hard to pull myself out of my grief. For young children, coming to terms with such a loss is even harder because it does not seem to make any sense.

Today's fiction title by Rosemary Wells beautifully shows how one little mouse comes to terms with a death in the family. It is warming and reassuring, and it explores a difficult topic with great sensitivity and sweetness. 

Following Grandfather

Rosemary Wells

Illustrated by Christopher Denise

Fiction

For ages 7 to 9

Candlewick Press, 2012, 978-0-7636-5609-8

   Jenny is a young mouse who has a very close relationship with her grandfather. Grandfather came to America as a stowaway in a ship, and he made a home, and then a business, for himself in Salvadore’s Spaghetti House. Grandfather’s restaurant was a great success, and now it is being run by Jenny’s parents, and Grandfather has taken over the job of taking care of Jenny. Together the two mice walk explore Boston and go to the seaside, and when Jenny is a “young lady,” Grandfather takes her to buy frock. He also teaches her to hold her head high, even when the Cabot Lodges and the other wealthy mice look down on her. Jenny may be “the child of humble cooks,” but she must always have whiskers that are as “straight as arrows.”

   Jenny’s beloved grandfather teaches Jenny all kinds of valuable lessons and tells her wonderful stories. Then, out of the blue, Grandfather is gone. Mice from all over Boston attend Grandfather’s funeral, even the Cabot Lodges. Poor Jenny is so grief stricken that she cannot be comforted, much to her parents’ distress. She cannot imagine how she is supposed to go on without her grandfather.

   Losing someone you love is always painful, but for the young such a loss can be devastating and incomprehensible. In this beautifully written and illustrated story, we come to appreciate how special Jenny’s grandfather is, and we see how the little mouse struggles to come to terms with her grief.

Picture Book Monday - A review of Rocket Writes a Story

For many people, the idea of being a writer is very attractive. They see themselves sitting in front of an old-fashioned type writer, banging away on the keys at great speed, the words flowing from their imagination with ease. In reality writing is hard work. It can be boring, frustrating, and it is very rarely an easy process. Stories and characters refuse to appear on command, and then after they do condescend to arrive on the scene, they refuse to cooperate.

Today's picture book is about a little dog, Rocket, who writes his first story, and I plan on keeping this book on hand so that I can turn to it when I get frustrated with my own writing. 

Rocket Writes a Story

Tad Hills

Picture book

For ages 4 to 7

Random House, 2012, 978-0-375-87086-6

Rocket the dog loves to read. His friend the little yellow bird taught him this valuable skill, and now Rocket eagerly reads books of all kinds. Like many people who love to read, Rocket loves  words, and encouraged by the little yellow bird, he goes off to look for new ones when he can. He brings his words back and shares them with his teacher, who helps Rocket to write the words down on small pieces of paper making sure that they are spelled correctly. Then the two friends place the pieces of paper on their word tree.

   It isn’t long before the word tree is covered with scraps of paper. What should Rocket do with them all? Rocket gets a marvelous idea. He decides that he is going to write a story using the words that he has collected. Rocket gets very excited about the project, and he eagerly tells everyone about it. Then he encounters a problem, a very serious problem. Rocket has no idea what to write.

   Writing a story for the first time, or even for the hundredth time, can be very challenging. The idea of writing a story is wonderful, and then one is faced with a blank page and an empty mind. Where do story ideas come from?

   In this delightful book, Tad Hills brings back Rocket, the little dog who learned how to read. We see how Rocket figures out what to write about, and are charmed by the surprising gift that he gets when his first writing project is complete.

   With loveable characters, sweet minimal illustrations, and a meaningful story, this is a book that will appeal to writers of all ages.

Poetry Friday - A review of The Emily Sonnets

When I was still quite young, a friend gave me a book of poems that I must confess I struggled with. The poems, written by a woman called Emily Dickinson, were not what I was used to. They did not rhyme and flow easily off the tongue, and they had strange punctuation. It was only many years later, when I was a teen, that I learned about Emily's life and came to appreciate her poetry. 

The poems in today's poetry book tell the story of Emily Dickinson's extraordinary life, and I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy poetry and who are drawn to stories about remarkable people.

The Emily Sonnets: The life of Emily Dickinson

Jane Yolen

Illustrated by Gary Kelley

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 8 and up

Creative Editions, 2012, 978-1-56846-215-8

   Poet Jane Yolen has long loved the poems written by Emily Dickinson. and she feels a closeness to Emily even though they live “two towns and slightly more than fifty years apart.” In this unique book, Jane Yolen tells Emily’s story from six points of view. We hear the ‘voices’ of Emily, her sister Vinnie, her niece Mattie, her friend Thomas, an unknown critic, and Jane Yolen herself.

  The tale begins with Emily telling us how “cold as winter’s core” her mother was and how close Emily was to her older brother and her younger sister. Both her brother, who “stove so hard my life to save / From drowning in that icy wave,” and her sister seemed to recognize Emily’s sensitive personality.

   From Vinnie we hear about how Emily scribbles poetry on “chance slips” of paper. In these poems, “Her perceptions all drawn line by line,” Emily reveals little parts of herself, but she does not choose to share them with the world.

   To Emily’s niece Mattie, Emily is “Like Queen Mab who endless reigns, / Upon the hillside.” She is a magical being who is neither an adult nor a child. Emily is the one who spends time with Mattie and the other children, who gives them treats and takes their side.

   Vinnie is the one who, when Emily is gone, finds Emily’s poems and decides that they must be saved and “published for the ages.”

   Adults and children alike will be moved by the power and beauty in these poems. Jane Yolen captures how Emily felt about her own life, and how others felt about her and her incredible gift. We see how Emily chose to live a quiet life without a husband or children, and how much she was loved and admired by those who knew her. We also appreciate why, to so many, her words are a gift, “a fine embrace.”

   At the back of the book Jane Yolen provides her readers with further information about Emily Dickinson’s life, her work, and her legacy.

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Bink and Gollie: Two for one

Most of us, at some point, want to win something, or do something that earns us other people's admiration. We want to show the world how good we are at dancing, singing, playing a sport, or winning a contest. Unfortunately, all too often, our efforts backfire. In today's picture book we meet two children who discover that winning is overrated. Other things matter much more.

Bink and Gollie: Two for One

Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee

Illustrated by Tony Fucile

Fiction

For ages 6 to 8

Candlewick Press, 2012, 978-0-7636-3361-5

Today the State Fair is open, and Bink and Gollie decide to go to the event. Bink quickly decides that she wants to try hitting a rubber duck with a ball at the Wack-a-Duck booth so that she can win the “world’s largest doughnut.” Unfortunately, Bink has very little skill when it comes to throwing baseballs at rubber ducks, and she ends up hitting the Wack-a-Duck man. In fact, she hits the poor fellow with each of her three baseball throws.

  After the Wack-a-Duck fiasco, the friends move on, and Gollie sees that there is going to be an amateur talent show. Gollie would love to be in a talent show, and she is sure that she can do her talent on a stage in front of an audience. The problem is that saying you can perform, and being about to actually do it, are two very different things. Poor Gollie discovers just how paralyzing stage fright can be.

   In this delightful second book featuring Bink and Gollie, the two friends go to the State Fair, and things don’t go quite as anticipated. The good news is that there is one thing the friends can count on, even when they cannot hit a rubber duck or when they get stage fright.

   With amusing illustrations and three chapters, this title is full of clever touches of humor and we are reminded that there are more important things in life than winning prizes or being in the spotlight.

Picture Book Monday - A review of Sky Color

When I was a school girl, my art teachers were very insistent that we children should paint and draw in a certain way. Grass had to be green, houses had to be square, and the sea had to be blue. I got into trouble once for insisting the the sea sometimes looked green or grey. Thankfully, art teachers these days are more open to the idea that young artists should be encouraged to try new things, and to explore new ways of looking at things.

Peter Reynolds is an author and illustrator who has created several books about the artistic process. I consider his books The Dot and Ish to be inspirational, and today I have a review of his newest book. 

Sky Color

Peter H. Reynolds

Picture book

For ages 6 and up

Candlewick Press, 2012, 978-0-7636-2345-6

   Marisol loves to draw and paint. She also loves to share her drawings and paintings with others, and uses her art to convey ideas that she cares about. Being an artist “through and through,” Marisol is thrilled when her teacher announces that they are going to paint a mural that will hang in the library.

   Eagerly the children get to work on a large piece of paper. Marisol volunteers to “paint the sky,” but then she encounters a problem; there is no blue paint. The little girl cannot imagine how she is going to paint the sky if she doesn’t have any blue paint. It is a very troubling problem.

   Being an artist not only requires that you have a love for creating art, but it is also important that you dare to think outside of the box. Of course you could paint, draw or sculpt like everyone else, but what would it be like if you tried to do something new, something different?

  In this splendid book, Peter H. Reynolds once again explores the creative process. This time he challenges his readers to see things in a new way, to experiment with their craft to create a work of art that is uniquely theirs. 

Poetry Friday: A review of A strange place to call home.

I studied zoology when I went to university, and one of the things that attracted me to this subject was learning about the many amazing ways in which animals adapt to their environment. Having an interest in animal adaptations meant that I was naturally drawn today's poetry title. In the book, poet Marilyn Singer finds a novel way to tell her readers about a few of the strange and wonderful animals that live on our planet.

A strange place to call home

Marilyn Singer

Illustrated by Ed Young

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 10

Chronicle Books, 2012, 978-1-4521-0120-0

Choosing to live in a place that has a temperate climate without extremes is a strategy that many animals have adopted. After all, who wants to deal with extreme temperatures (either hot or cold) and a lack of water and food. The problem with living in temperate places is that so many animals do it, and competition for resources and living space is often fierce. For this reason, some animals have chosen to live in, and adapt to, environments that have “challenging conditions.” Deserts, polar ice caps, steep mountainsides, and salt lakes do present challenges, but at least one does not have to compete with many other animals for food and space.

   This remarkable book looks at just a few of the species that have chosen to call extreme environments home. For example, Japanese snow monkeys live in a part of the world where the winters can be very cold and snowy. The monkeys have, over time, adopted a very strange habit; they sit in the hot spring pools to keep warm. It is a remarkable adaptation, one that we still do not fully understand. What gave the monkeys the idea that sitting in hot springs would keep them from freezing to death?

   Just like those snowy Japanese mountainsides, the zone where the sea meets the land is a very inhospitable place. Here “waves are prone / to be forceful” and animals that choose this place to set up house have to find a way to prevent the waves from washing them away. This the limpet has done with great success. Using “suction,” the limpet is able “to cling” to rocks and thus avoid being washed away by the waves.

   Whereas the limpet has to deal with too much water action, Spadefoot toads live in deserts where “dryness is the norm.” How can these amphibians procreate in such a place where there is no water? Their solution is simple. They wait until rain arrives and then, in a short period of time, they breed, lay eggs, and their young develop.

   In this fascinating book, Marilyn Singer’s memorable poems show us how fourteen very different animal species survive in harsh environments. Using a variety of poetry forms, including free verse, a haiku, and a sonnet, the author presents words pictures of creatures that are truly fascinating.

   At the back of the book, the author provides readers with further information about the animals mentioned in the book, and she also talks about the poetry forms that she used.

   

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Ghost Knight

Most of the ghosts that I have met in books have, at worst, been scary or even terrifying. They look and sound awful, but they cannot really do anything to you. The ghosts I met in today's book are altogether different. They belong in a category of their own, and I sincerely hope that they and their kind only exist within the pages of a book.

Ghost Knight

Cornelia Funke

Illustrated by Andrea Offermann

Translated by Oliver Latsch

Fiction

For ages 9 to 12

Little Brown, 2012, 978-0-316-05614-4

When Jon’s mother tells him that he is going to be sent to a boarding school, Jon feels angry, upset, and betrayed. He blames his mother’s new boyfriend, “The Beard,” for coming up with the plan, and when he arrives at his new school in Salisbury, he is determined to be as miserable as possible. This Jon manages to do with great success until something happens that quite takes his mind of being sent to a boarding school.

   On his sixth night at the school, Jon looks out of his bedroom window and sees three malevolent looking ghosts staring up at him. They are astride horses, and their horrible appearance quite terrifies Jon. The next day, as he is walking back to the school’s boardinghouse, he is pursued by four ghosts riding ghostly horses. In terror, Jon runs from them, and when he explains his extraordinary behavior to his teacher, everyone treats him as if he has gone mad.

  Jon knows that no one believes his story, so he pretends that he was just making it up. Only one person doesn’t fall for this ploy. Ella, a very pretty girl who goes to Jon’s school, believes that he has indeed seen four ghosts. Ella’s grandmother, who fancies herself an expert on ghosts, does not believe that Jon is in danger until she hears that his mother is a Hartgill. Apparently, two of Jon’s ancestors, a father and son, were murdered by a man called Lord Stourton. The lord was executed for his part in the murder, and ever since then male Hartgill descendants have had nasty habit of dying unexpectedly.

   Ella’s grandmother suggests that Jon should go to another school, but Ella thinks that he should ask for some help. In her opinion, Jon’s only hope is to ask the ghost of William Longspee, the illegitimate half-brother of Richard the Lionheart, for his help. Apparently the knight swore an oath that he would “protect the innocent from the cruel, and the weak from the strong.” It is said that he made this oath so that he could make up for the “sinful deeds” that he did when he was alive.

   Not knowing what else to do, Jon asks William Longspee for his help, and to his amazement the ghostly knight appears and promises to help Jon if he is threatened by Lord Stourton and his four minions. Not long after this encounter with the knight, Lord Stourton, his four servants, and two terrible hell hounds appear and attack Jon and Ella. Jon calls for Longspee who comes to the boy’s aid and dispenses with the dogs, the four ghostly servants, and their malevolent master.

   Jon is delighted with Longspee’s success, and is so grateful and that he decides to do what he can to free the knightly ghost from his oath so that he can finally have some peace. Jon and Ella never imagine that their problems with Lord Stourton are only just beginning.

   Full of thrilling adventure, terrifying ghostly doings, and surprising plot changes, this exceptional book will thrill readers who have a fondness for ghost stories. It is not a tale for the faint hearted, and throughout the story the author cleverly weaves fact and fiction together to give readers a thoroughly captivating tale.