Archive for September, 2011
September 29, 2011 · Filed under Fiction, Multicultural, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Social Studies · Tagged books for elementary school, Giles Laroche, Houghton Mifflin, Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw, John Parra, Kelly Cunnane, Macmillan, monica brown, Multicultural books, picture books, Random House
Growing up in a semi-rural city in central Wisconsin, the extent of my multicultural education didn’t extend far beyond selling skull lollipops for the Day of the Dead celebration in my Spanish class. Likewise, my reading tended to center around my environment. Now there is so much more to offer children to introduce them to different cultures, different people, and different environments. Multicultural picture books are a great way to expose children to a different way of life. Whether it’s through a story of pen pals from across the world, a girl trying to help on her African farm while another girl eagerly awaits the traveling library in Colombia, or a comparison of homes across both time and the world, children learn that there are many different ways to live.
Same, Same but Different by Jenny Sue Koestecki-Shaw
Two boys communicate across the world and compare their worlds through pictures. Elliot draws his life living in a big city with his parents, sister and dog, while Kailash draws pictures of his life in India with his very large family and all their animals. They find out that they do many of the same things, only a little differently. Elliot rides a bus to school, and so does Kailash although the buses differ. Elliot has an alphabet and so does Kailash, only different. Through these pictures, the boys learn that even though they live in different worlds, they aren’t so different from each other after all. A great look into comparing cultures.
ChirChir is Singing by Kelly Cunnane. Illustrated by Jude Daly.
In lyrical prose, Cunnane tells the story of Chirchir, who wants to help her family work on their farm in Africa. Chirchir tries to help different members of the family complete their tasks, but each time she tries, she ends up causing them more work. But she keeps singing and soon finds her perfect place–taking care of the baby and singing him to sleep. Children will learn how their lives differ from children in Kenya with this beautiful story.
Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown. Illustrated by John Parra.
When her teacher moves away, Ana is left with one book that she reads over and over again. There isn’t much opportunity to get more in rural Colombia until the biblioburro arrives with his trusty burros, Alfa and Beto. He gives Ana more books to read and encourages her to create her own using her imagination. When he returns weeks later, Ana returns his books and adds one of her stories to his collection. She goes to bed excited that children from the other villages will read her story. This is a great story to show children the importance of books and to inspire them to create their own stories.
I
f You Lived Here: Houses of the World by Giles Laroche.
Immerse yourself in different house structures around the world and throughout history with this multicultural gem. Laroche’s unique “paper relief” style includes collage and drawing to give his illustrations added depth. Children will love to look at all the different styles of homes people live in. Some will be hard to believe, like the modern cave dwellings in Spain or the floating houses in the Netherlands. Great for social studies units on human geography.
Bibliography:
ChirChir is Singing by Kelly Cunnane. Illustrated by Jude Daly. 2011.
If You Lived Here: Houses of the World by Giles Laroche. 2011.
Same, Same but Different by Jenny Sue Koestecki-Shaw. 2011.
Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown. Illustrated by John Parra. 2011.
Lindsey L.
September 26, 2011 · Filed under Fiction, High School, Novels, Realistic · Tagged chris lynch, daisy whitney, date rape, jenny downham, kimberly marcus, Little Brown, Macmillan, rachel dewoskin, Random House, Simon & Schuster, teen fiction
Chris Lynch raised some important and provocative questions in his 2005 novel Inexcusable, in which a high school senior is accused of date rape. This book certainly wasn’t the first time that rape has come up in teen fiction, but it was among the most talked about for its raw look at personal responsibility through the eyes of the accused rapist. Since 2005, the issue of date/acquaintance rape has become more common both in the news and in teen fiction.
Exposed by Kimberly Marcus provides yet another perspective on the subject: the sister of the accused, the best friend of the victim. The accusation changes everything. Liz struggles through feelings of guilt and grief as she tries to come to terms with the reality of the accusation. The verse narration is straightforward and honest. Teens will be drawn in by the provocative subject and swept up in the fast-moving emotional story.
Jenny Downham’s upcoming novel You Against Me takes a similar angle on the subject as the narration flips back and forth between Mikey (brother of the victim) and Ellie (sister of the accused). Loyalties are stretched thin as Ellie and Mikey are drawn together in a complex romance.
Daisy Whitney deftly explores issues of consent in Mockingbirds as a woman who has been there. An author’s note explains that she was date raped as a freshman in college. Like Alex in Mockingbirds, Whitney pressed charges through a student-run disciplinary council. Unlike in Mockingbirds, the council had the authority from the university to hear the case. The experience left Whitney with a strong belief in speaking up about date rape and other traumatic experiences as a way of protecting each other. She writes a compelling and complex story in Mockingbirds.
I generally try to avoid spoilers in my blog posts, but what if just including a particular book in a post is a spoiler? I’ve decided to include it. If you don’t want to know anything, you are duly warned of spoiler content ahead.
Judy Lohden begins telling her story as she hides out in a seedy hotel. Slowly (very slowly) readers are let in on why she is hiding. It isn’t until nearly the end of Big Girl Small that we finally get to the source of Judy’s humiliation. This novel, published for adults, explores issues of privacy, teen drinking, teen sex, and consent. It is published for adults, but the high school setting and the relevant subject matter will draw in mature teen readers.
It may not be easy to delve into these complex issues, but we live in a world where teens need to be aware of them. If your high school conducts a seminar or holds a discussion on date rape, you will want to have these titles available to add to the discussion.
Bibliography:
Big Girl Small by Rachel DeWoskin. 2011.
Exposed by Kimberly Marcus. 2011.
Inexcusable by Chris Lynch. 2005.
Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney. 2010.
You Against Me by Jenny Downham. 2011.
Blogger: Mindy R.
September 22, 2011 · Filed under Fiction, Historical, Intermediate (3-5), Mackin Picks, Middle School (6-8), Reviews · Tagged Brian Selznick, deaf culture, museums, orphans, Scholastic
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. 2011. (advance copy)
So much has already been written and said about Brian Selznick’s Wonderstruck that I hardly know what I can add to it. The story is sweetly mysterious and the delivery unique. As in his Caldecott-winning The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Selznick’s newest book is told in text and illustrations. But in Wonderstruck he tells two separate but intertwined stories.
Ben Wilson’s story starts in Gunflint Lake, Minnesota, in June 1977. His mother has recently died in a car accident, and Ben is living with relatives. He does not know who his father is, but one night he finds some clues in his mother’s bedroom—clues that take him to New York City where he ends up at the American Museum of Natural History.
Rose’s story takes place in October 1927, in Hoboken, New Jersey. Completely deaf, Rose is quite literally a prisoner in her own home. After getting in trouble for sneaking out of the house, she packs a suitcase and runs away to New York City—where she also ends up at the American Museum of Natural History.
What makes this book unique is that, while Ben’s story is told in words, Rose’s story is told completely in pictures. Their stories, though 50 years apart, twine through each other until a bookmark brings the two together.
I am completely enamored with Wonderstruck. I’ve read it twice, and though it is quite a hefty book (over 600 pages), it can be read quite quickly. The first time through, I finished it in one sitting, but the second time I paused longer over the pictures and was amazed at how much Selznick packed into them.
By itself, the written story was told well, and the intricate pictures themselves are truly worth a thousand words each, but the way Selznick weaves the two stories together, briefly touching now and again, is what makes the book remarkable.
P.S. Check out the trailer of Hugo, which comes out in theaters on November 23!
Blogger : Tracey L
September 19, 2011 · Filed under Fiction, High School, Middle School (6-8), Novels, Realistic · Tagged j.j. johnson, kristin tracy, lara zielin, Peachtree, Penguin, Random House, school, teen fiction
I hope Books in Bloom readers are settling into the new school year nicely. Here in our office, the new school year means we are busy with collection development requests from schools across the country. The teens in these books have their hands full as the school year brings issues they weren’t expecting.
Bessica is deemed a “bad influence” on her best friend just before they were set to start at the same middle school. Now she’ll be starting middle school all alone while her former best friend attends a different school—all because of a bad haircut. She doesn’t see the big deal. Bessica endures typical middle school problems–like forgetting her locker combination and figuring out where to sit in the lunchroom when you don’t know anyone. She makes mistakes and isn’t always likable, but somehow I still rooted for her. I think middle school readers will appreciate Bessica’s authentic take on life as a preteen.
High school is a foreign world to Evie, who has been home-schooled all her life. Now it’s her senior year, and she wants to see what high school is like, despite the objections from her new-agey, hippie mom who assures Evie that the conditions in public schools are unacceptable. Evie has never been one to back down from a fight, and when she does see the injustices her mother warned her about, she takes action. While some of the issues raised in the novel may seem a little over the top, J.J. Johnson manages to explore important issues with wit and nuance.
Aggie hates high school, and it’s made even worse by the fact that her mother is the principal. Aggie and her best friend Sylvia are outsiders who keep to themselves and have a bad reputation. Things start to change, though, when Sylvia finds herself pregnant and gets elected prom queen (or has she?). Aggie has her suspicions about how Sylvia got elected, but everything spins out of control when Aggie’s mom is accused of burning the prom ballots to avoid having a pregnant prom queen and drops the bomb that she has cancer. There is a lot going on in this novel, but the strong, complex characters will keep readers hooked to the end.
With any luck you will get through your new school year without a bad haircut, an anonymous blog chronicling social injustices, or a moral scandal regarding your prom queen, but you probably don’t want to get through your school year without reading one of these books.
Bibliography:
The Implosion of Aggie Winchester by Lara Zielin. August 2011.
The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter by Kristin Tracy. January 2011.
This Girl is Different by J.J. Johnson. April 2011.
Blogger: Mindy R.
September 15, 2011 · Filed under Dystopia, Fiction, High School, Middle School (6-8), Reviews, Science Fiction · Tagged dystopian fiction, High school fiction, James Dashner, Maze Runner Trilogy, Random House, teen fiction
I don’t know about you, but I think one of the worst feelings in the world is finishing an incredible book, and then realizing you have to wait an entire year for the next one to come out. Oh the agony! So I thought I would post on an amazing trilogy whose last book is coming out next month. For those of you who have not read James Dashner’s, The Maze Runner Trilogy, there’s plenty of time to read the first two books before the third one comes out, and all the action will be fresh in your mind. For those of you who have read the first two and are anxiously awaiting The Death Cure, I feel your pain, but don’t worry because the final installment makes all that agonizing waiting worth it.
Light on romance and heavy on edge-of-your-seat action, this series is perfect for upper middle school and high school boys. I would also recommend it to fans of The Hunger Games. Here’s a quick synopsis of the three books and I will try my very hardest not to include any spoilers for those of you who haven’t read this crazy awesome series yet, and I apologize in advance if any slip out. Unfortunately, that means that my descriptions might be pretty vague as the books go on.
The Maze Runner (2009) – When a group of boys pull Thomas out of a metal box, the only thing he can remember is his name. The boys and Thomas are stuck in the Glade which is surrounded by four giant stone walls with doors that close each night to protect the boys from vicious creatures called Grievers. Outside the walls is the maze, and runners go out each day to map the changes made to the maze each day. As Thomas struggles to adjust to this bizarre life, something unprecedented happens. A girl is sent to the maze uttering the words “The end is near” before falling into a comatose state. The boys discover that an organization called WICKED is behind all the madness. WICKED is testing the boys, and as conditions in the glade start to deteriorate, Thomas, Teresa, and the rest of the gladers must work together to solve the maze and escape with their lives.
The Scorch Trials (2010) – Here’s where I start getting vague. Thomas and some of the gladers have escaped the maze only to be told that they have to cross the hottest climate on earth, named The Scorch, in two weeks or they will die of a virus. Facing decapitating molten steel balls, electrical lightning, Cranks (people driven insane by the virus), and bitter betrayals, Thomas and his friends must beat the odds to survive.
The 
Death Cure (Coming out October 11th, 2011) – Rejoin Thomas on his quest to prove once and for all that the WICKED organization who has made his life a living hell is still lying to all of them. They’ve survived the horrors of the maze and the brutal heat and violence of the scorch. Now Thomas and his friends are bringing the fight to WICKED itself. Will they be able to stop them? Or was WICKED right all along? James Dashner does an incredible job of wrapping up the series, and I for one wanted to go back and re-read the entire series when I finished.
So if you’re looking for some heart pounding, non-stop action, put this series on your list!
Lindsey L.
September 12, 2011 · Filed under Fiction, High School, Intermediate (3-5), Middle School (6-8), Novels, Picture Books, Primary (K-2) · Tagged birds, Charlesbridge, fiction, Gill Lewis, Katharine Crawford Robey, Kristen Chandler, Penguin, Science, Simon & Schuster
Not so much for the birds, I suppose, as about them. These books aren’t just for bird-lovers. Give them a chance even if you wouldn’t know a meadowlark from and oriole. I think you’ll like what you find.
My first book is one for your primary readers. Where’s the Party? By Katharine Crawford Robey follows a young girl as she imagines the birds are talking to her with their songs. She explores the forest near her home until she finds a duck family with newly hatched ducklings. The end notes, which give more information about each of the birds, round out this cute picture book with an educational twist to a unique story. It will have kids listening for bird songs and thinking creatively about what they might be saying.
Wild Wings by Gill Lewis is a middle grades novel about a boy who discovers endangered birds on his family’s farm in Scotland. He and his friend Iona watch the birds and their chicks through the summer, and they find a way to track the progress of the birds’ migration to Africa through the help of a naturalist and the computer. Callum finds the world is much bigger than his small town as he learns about the countries along the path of the birds. When the tracking program loses the bird’s signal, he doesn’t let that be the end of the story. This story is full of hope, and it is sure to inspire young readers. (Bonus for educators: Gill Lewis will be launching a website where kids can follow osprey migration like Callum did in the book. This would make a great class activity!)
My bird-related pick for teens takes us to the Galapagos Islands. Well, almost. Girls Don’t Fly is actually about Myra, a very practical teen who decides (after getting dumped) that maybe she doesn’t want such a practical life after all. Suddenly she’s quitting her job and competing (against her ex) for a scholarship to spend the summer studying birds in the Galapogos. She didn’t know she had it in her, but the more she learns about birds, the more she realizes how much the birds she wants to study really suit her. This realistic novel will appeal to middle and high school girls who like Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti, or who just like a story about a girl learning to fly on her own.
Read these books now or save them for a National Bird Day (May 4th) display in your library. Either way, you will want to share them with the right readers.
Bibliography:
Girls Don’t Fly by Kristen Chandler. October 2011.
Where’s the Party by Katharine Crawford Robey. 2011.
Wild Wings by Gill Lewis. 2011.
Blogger: Mindy R.
September 8, 2011 · Filed under Fiction, Intermediate (3-5), Nonfiction, Picture Books, Poetry, Primary (K-2) · Tagged Betsy Franco, Bobbie Pyron, Dogs, Harper Collins, Random House, Ree Drummond
My dog Daise is my most needy fur-child. My other fur-children are cats (Sadie and Sophie), and they are much more independent than their Labrador sister. I enjoy taking Daise to doggy day-care and the dog-park, and as most of my co-workers know.. I spoil her all the time. In honor of Daise and dogs everywhere, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight National Dog Week, which actually happens the last week in September. I hope you enjoy these books focusing on a man’s (or woman’s) best friend!
A Dog’s Way Home by Bobbie Pyron. 2011.
Dog and animal lovers alike will enjoy A Dog’s Way Home for its heartwarming tale about Tam, a champion sheltie. On his way home from a competition, Tam is separated from “his girl” by a horrible accident. In order to locate Abby, Tam must learn new survival skills in order to endure his 400 mile journey. Kids will enjoy reading Abby and Tam’s perspectives in order to become more involved in this suspenseful story.
A Dazzling Display of Dogs by Betsy Franco. 2011.
Thirty-four dazzling poems chronicling the true nature of dogs will delight kids, adults and possibly even their canine companions! Laugh-out-loud poems intertwine with dynamic illustrations in order to capture the joyful spirit of dogs. One of my favorites involves one of the difficulties of car rides with furry companions:“The very worst part / without a doubt / is when Cassandra / makes a fart.” A wonderful read-aloud that is perfect for family sharing!
Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond. 2011.
Have you ever wondered what life is like for a ranch dog? In this charming story, Charlie describes an average day at the ranch, accompanied by his furry friend Suzie. Children will enjoy the clever text with illustrations that depict Charlie gardening and helping his family out on the range. As an added bonus, make sure to find the chipmunk that is hidden on each page!
Blogger: Kristin J.
September 5, 2011 · Filed under Fiction, High School, Novels, Realistic, Reviews · Tagged dance, Hachette, sophie flack, teen fiction
Bunheads. By Sophie Flack. October 2011. (Advance copy)
One of the first posts on this blog, back in February, was Tracey’s round-up of ballet picture books. Those six titles for preschoolers and primary graders showed that anyone can be a dancer, but Bunheads by Sophie Flack takes on the world of dance from an even closer viewpoint.
It begins,
“My name is Hannah Ward. Don’t call me a ballerina.
Ballerinas are the stars of the company. They dance center stage under the spotlight, and they get their own curtain calls. Their head shots are printed in the program, with their names in large print. Me, I’m a dancer in the corps de ballet, just one of the dozens of girls who dance in graceful unison each night.”
Through Hannah’s first-person narration, Flack takes readers into a world most of us have never seen. A world where nineteen-year-old Hannah trains and diets with dedication. Dance is all she knows, and it is all she wants. That’s what she has always thought, anyway. Things start to change when she meets a guy. He’s a musician and a college student, and Hannah can’t help but compare her highly competitive, structured life to his, which seems so free and simple. She has to ask herself what she really wants and if it is worth what she is giving up.
Flack writes from experience. According to her Wikipedia page, she began training as a dancer at age 7, and she eventually danced with the New York City Ballet. This authenticity really shows. The book is at its strongest when describing Hannah’s world from costumes to performances to complicated backstage relationships. Teen girls who want a peek into a dancer’s life would do well with this book.
Librarians may want to be aware that there is some underage drinking and a (not graphic) sexual encounter that makes this book more appropriate for a high school collection than for a middle school. Middle schoolers interested in an insider’s look at a professional creative career may want to try Four Seasons by Jane Breskin Zalben, which follows a talented young pianist who is under as much pressure in the music world as Hannah is in dance.
Recommended for teen collections. Be sure to put include this book in a face-out display. The dramatic cover is sure to catch the eyes of teen girls, whether or not they have a personal interest in pursuing dance.
Blogger: Mindy R.
September 1, 2011 · Filed under Fantasy, Fiction, High School, Mackin Picks, Magic, Reviews, Romance · Tagged Adult fiction for teens, Book Review, Erin Morgenstern, fiction, magic, Random House, The Night Circus
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. September 13, 2011. (ARC Copy)
“The Circus arrives without warning.”
This intriguing sentence starts off a tale of magic, romance, and wonderment in debut author Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus. Long time rivals Hector Bowen (aka Prospero the Entertainer) and Alexander (aka the man in the gray suit) decide to have a competition. Can Hector’s daughter, Celia, who has natural magical talent, beat Marco, a boy who Alexander plucks out of an orphanage and has no natural ability but is a fast learner? Once the two are grown, the stage is set; The Night Circus. Each competitor creates tent after fantastic tent. A garden completely made of ice, a room full of clouds, a carousel so real you can see the animals breathing, and so forth. But as Celia and Marco compete, they fall in love with each other and want nothing more than for the game to end. What neither of them knows is that the game will only end when one of them dies.
I absolutely love books that can grab my attention from the first sentence, and this book is no exception. From the very beginning, I was drawn into the world created by Morgenstern. She possesses the ability to invoke all the senses and make you feel as though you are in the story. You can feel the icy blossoms in your hand from the ice garden, you glide alongside Bailey as he discovers the cloud maze for the first time, and you can smell the caramel popcorn wafting through the circus grounds. The book spans 30 years, and you have to pay close attention to what year you’re in, because the author jumps back and forth, but she weaves it all together in the end to create a memorable conclusion. This is marketed as an adult book, but I think upper high school students will love it as well.
With book rights sold in 22 countries and a film deal with Summit Entertainment, this book needs to go on your to-read list.
I only wish the Les Cirque des Reves would come to St. Paul, MN.
Lindsey L.
Lindsey L.
Lori C.
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