Archive for April, 2011

Book Review: Entwined

April 28, 2011 · Filed under Fantasy, Fiction, High School, Reviews, Romance · Tagged , , , , ,

Like most girls, I grew up on fairy tales. I watched all the Disney movies and read as many fairy tale books as I could get my hands on. Whether it was Ariel and Prince Eric defeating the evil sea witch, Belle and Beast overcoming Gaston, or Prince Phillip awakening Aurora with a kiss, I watched with bated breath for their happily ever after.

I still love reading or watching stories that end with a happily ever after, and that’s why I love reading fairy tale retellings. So when I saw Heather Dixon’s retelling of the “Twelve Dancing Princesses,” I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.  And I was not disappointed.

The story starts out with the tragic death of Azalea’s mother. If the pain of losing their mother wasn’t enough, their father, the King, forbids Azalea and her eleven sisters to dance or go outdoors for a year in mourning. Desperate for the joy that dancing brings, Azalea and her sisters discover a secret passageway to an underground dancing pavilion overseen by a mysterious Mr. Keeper. Delighted by their ability to dance undetected, the sisters spend each night there dancing the hours away. But when personal items from the girls go missing, and Azalea learns of Mr. Keeper’s desire for freedom, their dancing paradise becomes their worst nightmare.

I thought this book was fantastic. I couldn’t stop reading it until the wee hours of the morning and I was finished with it. This book is filled with romance, adventure, tragedy, and magic. There’s so many things I want to tell you about this book, but I don’t want to spoil the joy of uncovering it for yourself. There are a few things I want to talk about though. I love how Dixon goes into family dynamics. This isn’t just a story of twelve sisters losing their mother; it’s a story about how they try to reconnect with their father after he seemingly abandons them. It isn’t a story with just one romance, but multiple romances. And the best part of all, in my opinion, is that this story is absolutely clean! Dixon manages to weave a romantic and dramatic story without any controversial scenes or language. I volunteer with the young women in my church, and there are times I struggle to recommend not only good books, but clean as well. I love that I can recommend this book to any of them without hesitation.

So if you’re looking for a great variation on a fairy tale classic, try Entwined by Heather Dixon.

And once you’ve finished it and loved it (like I know you will), also try Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George.

Lindsey L.

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Book Review: To Timbuktu

April 25, 2011 · Filed under High School, Memoir, Nonfiction, Reviews · Tagged , , , , , , ,

To Timbuktu: Nine Countries, Two People, One True Story. Casey Scieszka and Steven Weinberg (illustrator). 2011.

Casey and Steven have three plans for their post-college life: Be together. Be creative. Be somewhere else. Specifically, they want to get out of the country, have time to write (Casey) and draw (Steven), and see where their new relationship is going to go. In To Timbuktu, we are able to follow them on their journey from China to Mali and all sorts of places in between.

Casey and Steven make a great team as they recount their travels in words and pictures. (Incidentally, they are also the digital team behind Jon Scieszka’s Spaceheadz series.) Casey’s narrative focuses on the people they meet and the practical details, but she sprinkles in bits of humor, like the profiles in which she interviews personified versions of the Asian countries as a way of introducing their brief stays in Laos, Vietnam, and others. Steven’s crayon and charcoal drawings fill out the setting and complete the story.

There is a lot of appeal in this book. I would recommend it to teens and adults who are interested in travel, particularly for an inside look at the Asian or African countries featured. It is a must-read for young people thinking about teaching English in a foreign country. But it isn’t just about travel. It is also about the people, relationships, and deciding what to do with your life. This would be a great high school or college graduation gift for young people who dream big.

Blogger:  Mindy R

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Book Review: Raggin’ Jazzin’ Rockin’ : A History of American Musical Instrument Makers

April 21, 2011 · Filed under History, Middle School (6-8), Nonfiction, Reviews · Tagged , , , , ,

Raggin' Jazzin' Rockin'Raggin’ Jazzin’ Rockin’ : A History of American Musical Instrument Makers by Susan VanHecke. Boyds Mills Press. 2011.

Fender probably isn’t a household name for most people, but if you happen to be married to a “guitar geek” (as I am), the name not only rings a bell but you can also tell the difference between a Telecaster and a Jazzmaster. Thanks to Raggin’ Jazzin’ Rockin’: A History of American Musical Instrument Makers, I can tell the difference and tell you the names of the various versions that the Fender Telecaster went through before becoming the Tele we know today. Perfect for impressing my husband and our musician friends!

Leo Fender is just one of many instrument makers profiled in this book. Others were familiar to me, like Ludwig (drums) and Zildjian (cymbals), and others I vaguely recognized but didn’t know much about, like Steinway (pianos), Conn (brass instruments), and Hammond (organs). The stories behind the companies are stories of craft or invention. Leo Fender was not a guitar player; he was an inventor with an interest in electronics. Avedis Zildjian was a craftsman who passed the secret formula for his cymbals down to his sons for generations.

They are also stories of history and economics. These companies had to change a lot through the years to make it through wars, the Great Depression, or family changes. There were mergers, buy-outs, and even buy-backs. It’s a lot of ground to cover in such a small book (especially considering the copious sidebars about the musicians who played the instruments under discussion), but veteran music writer VanHecke (Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldier with Dean Ellis Kohler) keeps the narrative focused with interesting stories and irresistible trivia.

Give this book to the musicians all of ages in your life, but don’t stop there. History buffs, inventors, and others are also likely to find this book fascinating.

Blogger:  Mindy R

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April is National Garden Month

April 18, 2011 · Filed under Fiction, Intermediate (3-5), Nonfiction, Picture Books, Poetry, Primary (K-2) · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April supposedly brings ‘showers’ (in Minnesota, more like snow showers), which in turn will bring ‘May flowers.’ In order to get those beautiful May flowers, you need to start gardening now since April is National Garden Month! Spring has been a long time coming and I am so excited to share these fresh new garden books with you!

All Kinds of Gardens is a fantastic introduction to gardens for children. This title includes information about creepy-crawlies, tools and compost as well as how to start your own garden. Kids will enjoy the colorful photography as well as the straightforward text. They will also find a new confidence in reading with the introduction of new words on each page. A fantastic edition to any gardening collection for ‘lil newbies!

Blue Roses is a moving tale about a very special bond between a Native American girl and her grandfather. Her ‘Papa’ teaches her about gardens and life as they tend the garden together. When Rosalie is 10, her grandfather passes away unexpectedly. She comforts herself by knowing that she dreamed of him in a superb garden with blue roses. Lo and behold, the next time she visits her grandfather’s grave, his headstone is covered in blue roses. This book would be perfect to share with a child who has recently lost a loved one or shares a special relationship with a grandparent or older adult.

Grow: A Novel in Verse is about a neighborhood garden in Minneapolis that once was a vacant lot. Twelve-year-old Kate narrates this free-verse story about how she finds comfort in being involved in her neighborhood garden. She is stressed about being overweight and her family life, and is blessed to find support from Big Berneetha while helping in the garden. The garden flourishes as more and more people begin to work there, which brings a wonderful message of community. Fanciful line drawings will enhance the text and make this story even more heartwarming to whoever reads it.

Josias, Hold the Book is a magnificent story about Josias, a Haitian boy that does not attend school. His responsibility is to tend the garden, which in turn will help support his family. The only problem is that the beans in Josias’ garden will not grow. Frustrated, he asks one of his friends that ‘holds the book’ (goes to school) if the answer might be in a book. A schoolteacher helps him find the answer, which in turn motivates Josias to ask permission to go to school. Children will see a new perspective on a different culture in which schooling is considered a privilege. The author’s note gives more information on why typical Haitians do not normally attend school and what a typical primary school day is like.

Bibliography:

All Kinds of Gardens. Mari Schuh. 2011.

Blue Roses. Linda Boyden. 2011.

Grow. Juanita Havill. 2008.

Josias, Hold the Book. Jennifer Elvgren. 2011.

Blogger: Kristin J.

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150th Anniversary of the Civil War

April 14, 2011 · Filed under History, Intermediate (3-5), Nonfiction, Picture Books, Primary (K-2) · Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

America’s bloodiest war began 150 years ago Tuesday when Confederate forces attacked the U.S. militia at Fort Sumter in South Carolina.  Ending with the abolishment of slavery and a death toll that exceeds every war since put together, you could say that the Civil War changed the course of American history in more ways than one.  What better way to teach elementary school kids about this pivotal war than with some great picture books!

Michael and Derrick are outraged when their Grandmother forbids them from taking their iPods and cells phone with them on their trip to Washington D.C. They sullenly walk around a museum in Harpers Ferry in West Virginia looking at Civil War memorabilia. However, their excitement rises when they get to try on Union uniforms and the curator lets them play a very special “game.” Suddenly they’re transported back to 1862, two days after the Battle of Antietam. The boys quickly realize that this is no game as they’re faced with the horrors of battle and get to meet Abraham Lincoln. Will they be able to return to their time, or will they be stuck in the past forever? Along with Pink and Say and January’s Sparrow, this new work by Polacco is the perfect addition to her Civil War trilogy.

We all know that Abraham Lincoln was honest, but did you know that he was funny? Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer cleverly portray how Lincoln used his love of words and laughter to win over a nation and inspire great change. From an early age, Lincoln loved learning and reading aloud. Knowing his looks were homely, Lincoln wasn’t afraid of making fun of himself; “Common-looking people are the best in the world; that is the reason the Lord makes so many of them.” But the authors aren’t afraid of showing the darker periods of Lincoln’s life, including the death of his son and the strain of the war. This book is perfect to show kids a new side of one of America’s favorite presidents.

Patricia Bauer and her husband David Geister give a lyrical and artistic account of the the Civil War in B is for Battle Cry: A Civil War Alphabet. The aspect I love about this series from Sleeping Bear Press is that there is a short poem for each letter that can be read aloud, or children can read the side bar to learn more in-depth information. I was able to attend a presentation by this husband-wife team and loved it! They dressed in Civil War garb and discussed how the book came about, from how the poems are set to the tune of “Hard Times Come Again No More” to David using Patricia’s students for his artwork. To hear Patricia’s musical rendition of the book, click here.

To check out more great titles from our Civil War hot topics list, click here.

Bibliography:

B is for Battle Cry:  A Civil War Alphabet. Patricia Bauer and David Geister.  2009.

Just in Time, Abraham Lincoln. Patricia Polacco.  2011.

Lincoln Tells a Joke:  How Laughter Saved the President (And the Country). Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer.  2010.

Lindsey L.

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The Immigrant Experience in Fiction

April 11, 2011 · Filed under Fiction, Middle School (6-8), Novels, Realistic · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

People come to this country for many different reasons, and they face different challenges once they get here.

Life, AfterIn the Sydney Taylor Honor book Life, After, Dani lives with her family in Argentina in the early 2000′s. Her family led a comfortable middle-class life there, until the economic crisis hit the family business and her aunt was killed in a terrorist bombing. Now the family is struggling. Many of Dani’s friends have already left the country, and her family soon follows. But it turns out that New York is nowhere near Miami (where Dani’s boyfriend now lives), English isn’t easy, and America isn’t the answer to all of the family’s problems.

Tell Us We're HomeJaya, Maria, and Lola are outsiders in their upscale New Jersey community in Tell Us We’re Home. All three girls are immigrants. Their mothers work for their classmates’ families, which makes fitting in particularly difficult. The story alternates perspectives between the girls as they navigate a world that seems full of prejudice and injustice. This middle school novel delves heart first into social commentary and manages to be a hopeful story that is likely to change your students’ perspectives or open a discussion on immigrant and class issues.

Shooting KabulShooting Kabul is loosely based on the story of author N.H. Senzai’s husband, who left Afghanistan as a child in the late 1970′s. His family fled Soviet forces in the middle of the night, much like Fadi’s family flees the Taliban in the fictional Shooting Kabul. But Fadi’s family does not make it intact: his 6-year-old is left behind. This is a powerful story that will bring recent history to life and perhaps promote understanding of Muslim immigrants.

All three titles are due out in paperback in spring and summer 2011.

Bibliography:

Life, After. Sarah Littman. 2010.

Shooting Kabul. N.H. Senzai. 2010.

Tell Us We’re Home. Marina Budhos. 2010.

Blogger:  Mindy R

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99th Anniversary of the Titanic disaster

April 7, 2011 · Filed under Fiction, High School, Historical, History, Intermediate (3-5), Middle School (6-8), Nonfiction, Novels · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 April 15, 2011 marks the 99th anniversary of the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic. Why are we still so fascinated by this ship and its passengers? For me, it’s because of the unknowns and what could have been. I wish that someone from our time would have been able to talk some sense into Captain Smith and have him turn the ship around, among other things. I must admit I am a little bit of a Titanic fanatic, and I cannot seem to get enough information on the topic. I have even visited the Branson Titanic Museum, and was amazed to see all of the artifacts that were saved from the sinking. And yes, I am still a big fan of James Cameron’s movie…but what can I say? The Titanic is something that will always captivate people. Keep your eyes peeled for more titles coming soon, but in the meantime, please enjoy the titles that I have highlighted!

Alfie, Paddy, Sophie and Juliana are four teenagers with very different lives. Alfie is a young steward who wanted to work on the Titanic so badly that he lied about his age in order to be hired. Paddy is a thief from Belfast who accidentally hid among some of the ship’s cargo to avoid gangsters. Juliana and Sophie are two girls who are traveling in first class. Each one is embarrassed to be accompanied by their parents for many reasons. While these four young passengers do not have much in common at first, they are soon thrown together by the events that happen onboard the ship. Titanic, Book One: Unsinkable is the first book in the newest adventure trilogy by Gordon Korman. Korman is known for his many series books, but the Titanic series is his first to take place in a historical setting. Collision Course is anticipated to be available in May 2011!

George Calder and his sister Phoebe are the luckiest children alive. They get to travel back to New York on the greatest ship of all, the Titanic! George is a prankster and cannot keep out of trouble for long, especially when he learns that a mummy might be on board. While in the storage area looking for this artifact, he hears strange noises and then a deep silence. Frightened, George runs up the steps and learns that the ship has hit an iceberg! At first there is no sense of panic, because everyone is throwing ice balls at each other. Soon it is evident that the ship is sinking, and there is nothing that anyone can do. On top of everything, George’s sister Phoebe is missing. Will he and his aunt find Phoebe in time? I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 is one of several books in the I Survived series, and the next one, titled I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005, is available now!

In this fantastic work of nonfiction, Don Brown gives a brief description of the types of passengers on the Titanic before providing a more intricate portrayal of the events leading up to the sinking. He also includes first-person testimony in this narrative, which ends with the rescue of some of the survivors.  Along with his text that could stand alone, the illustrations are what will enhance the story for readers. His watercolor illustrations are action-packed, but suitably solemn. All Stations! Distress! April 15, 1912: The Day the Titanic Sank is a prime example of how a multifaceted topic can be made available and appealing to children.

Five years ago, Margaret Ann Brady’s brother left her at an orphanage and went to America, where he is saving money to send for her. Margaret gets the opportunity to be a companion for a wealthy American woman named Mrs. Carstairs on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. She is pleased with how simple the job sounds and excited that she will soon see her brother! In Voyage on the Great Titanic (Dear America) the reader moves through Margaret’s fascination with delectable treats and an attractive steward named Robert. She is an engaging character and since she has known poverty, Margaret is responsible and bright for her age. That doesn’t mean that she won’t try a prank or two though! When tragedy strikes the Titanic, will Margaret Ann survive? The voyage and its result will haunt the reader even after reading the last page.

Louise Lambert loves vintage clothes way more than your average 7th grader. Her life has been pretty ordinary thus far until she receives an invitation to a vintage fashion sale. She of course attends the sale in order to find the perfect dress for the upcoming 7th grade dance. Louise finds a beautiful pink dress that strangely smells of seawater, but she tries it on anyway. In the middle of trying on the beautiful dress, she is transported to a 1912 lavish ship and is thought to be Alice Baxter, the silent film star. Just as she is starting to enjoy Baxter’s extensive closet of vintage gowns, she realizes she is on the Titanic. Will she be able to change history and save herself? This novel is a delight to read for fashionistas or people just interested in a good story involving the unsinkable ship. The artwork is also noteworthy because it focuses on the vintage clothing that Louise is obsessed with. I cannot wait to see the final drawings, since I was only able to get my hands on the ARC copy. If you can’t get enough of Louise after you read The Time Traveling Fashionista, you are in luck! She will be traveling to the French Revolution in the next book in this series!

Bibliography:

All Stations! Distress! April 15, 1912: The Day the Titanic Sank by Don Brown. 2010.

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis. 2010.

The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky. 2011. (Advanced copy)

Unsinkable (Titanic, Book 1) by Gordon Korman. 2011.

Voyage on the Great Titanic (Dear America) by Ellen Emerson White. 2011.

Blogger: Kristin J.

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Book Review: Okay For Now

April 4, 2011 · Filed under Fiction, Historical, Mackin Picks, Middle School (6-8), Novels, Reviews · Tagged , , , , ,

Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt. 2011.

Gary Schmidt’s newest stand-alone novel, Okay For Now, is a companion to his Newbery Honor winner, The Wednesday Wars, and the protagonist in the new book was one of the secondary characters in the former.

So before I get to Okay For Now, I would just like to say:  If you haven’t yet read The Wednesday Wars, go out and do it right now.  If you start reading it now, skip dinner, and stay up really late, you might be able to get it done by the time Okay For Now comes out on April 5 (yes, I know that’s tomorrow).  I love Holling in The Wednesday Wars, a bright seventh-grader with a wry sense of humor and a teacher that hates him “with heat whiter than the sun,” because he is the only student in her class that does not leave Wednesday afternoons for religion class. So she makes him study Shakespeare. The book is funny and touching, and I challenge you—even if you hate (or think you hate) Shakespeare—to keep from laughing when Holling tries out some of the curses from The Tempest.

So when I received my advance reader’s copy of Okay For Now, I was excited to see which of Holling’s friends would be the star. This excitement lasted until the fourth sentence.

Doug Swietek.  The class bully—and the youngest of three brothers in a family of bullies.  An unlikeable character if you ever saw one, Doug is obnoxious and belligerent, with a chip on his shoulder the size of Quasimodo’s hump.  The only brother still at home regularly beats him up, and his sarcastic comments often get him in trouble with his father’s “quick hands.” As the book opens, he tells us that his father, no slouch in the belligerent department himself, has just picked a fight with his boss and been fired.  His dad’s old drinking buddy has found him a new job in the small town of Marysville, and three days later, the family moves.  Doug hates their new house and the small town.

On his first day in town, he wanders through the town library.  Upstairs is a large room, empty except for a large table covered with a glass case.  And under the glass is the most amazing thing he has ever seen.  An open book, a huge book with pages longer than a baseball bat, and the page is open to a painting of a bird: a lonely bird with one terrified eye, falling out of the sky toward the ocean, trying in vain to break its fall, a falling bird all alone…”and there wasn’t a single thing in the world that cared at all.”

I didn’t realize then that Doug was describing himself.

The book under glass is one of the volumes drawn by Audubon himself.  Mr. Powell, a librarian, notices Doug’s interest, recognizing a passionate, budding artist under the surly exterior.  He brings art supplies and starts to explain the principles of art in Audubon’s Arctic Tern.  And as Doug learns more about drawing and perspective and proportion and composition, he begins to understand his feelings and the people he meets.

Okay For Now is every bit as funny as its companion, but it is also darker and sadder.  Both Doug and I were appalled to find out that some of the plates from Audubon’s book were disappearing because the town fathers were selling them off to collectors.   I almost cried when, after Doug refused to be on the Skins’ team in basketball, his “So-Called Gym Teacher” grabbed his shirt and tore it off—revealing to everyone what Doug’s father had done to him under that shirt.  I was disgusted when, after picking up Doug’s oldest brother who was returning from Vietnam a bit “dinged up,” Doug and his family ended up in the middle of a Stop the War protest.  And I was furious when the school principal told Doug something that no school principal should ever tell a student.

But Okay For Now, taking place as it does in the year before man’s first moon landing, is ultimately a hopeful book.  It ends with hope for Audubon’s book, hope for Doug’s brother, hope even for that So-Called Gym Teacher.  But most of all, there is hope for Doug.  About six pages from the end, Doug describes the Arctic Tern one more time.  Make sure you compare it with his first description of the bird, and then give a cheer and/or wipe a tear.

Give this book to kids who like historical fiction, art, and a good story.  Give this book to teachers who need a good read-aloud, and to English teachers who need a book to teach good metaphors, strong characterization, and higher level thinking skills.  Actually, just give this book to everybody.

Blogger: Tracey L

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