Archive for October, 2012

Tweaking Fairy Tales in Picture Books

October 29, 2012 · Filed under Fantasy, Picture Books, Primary (K-2) · Tagged , , , , ,

Kids will get a kick out of the twists to three familiar fairy tales in these new picture books.

The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas by Tony Wilson (ill. by Sue DeGennaro). 2012. 9781561456352. Gr PK-2.

Prince Henrik wants to fall in love and get married, so he asks his older brother Hans for advice.  Prince Hans found his wife, Eva, the old-fashioned way—with a single pea under a stack of mattresses.  Princess Eva is a real princess, beautiful and sensitive.  But Henrik just wants a wife with a nice smile, a wife that likes camping and hockey, so he decides to tweak his brother’s method.  Instead of twenty mattresses, he uses one thin camping mattress. And instead of one small pea, he decides to use…a whole packet of frozen peas.  But what kind of princess will pass this test?

Jack and the Baked Beanstalk by Colin Stimpson. 2012. 9780763655631. Gr K-3.

Jack and his mother live in an old broken-down burger truck, which doubles as their café.  The place is clean, the food is great, and they used to have a lot of customers.  But that was before the new overpass was built, and the road past the café was closed.  With just a few pennies left, Jack’s mother sends him to the store for some milk and coffee beans.  And of course, Jack is stopped by a man selling magic beans—a can of magic baked beans.  You know the rest of the story—Jack climbs a magic beanstalk to find an egg-laying bird, a talking music maker, and a huge giant with lots of gold who wants to cook… lunch for Jack?  This twisted fairy tale contains all of the ingredients of the original tale, but with a much tastier conclusion for all.

Goldilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson. 2012. 9780763661724. Gr K-3.

One day, while walking through his familiar woods, a bear finds himself lost in the middle of a big city.  Instead of owls hooting, he hears honking and beeping.  Scared, he ducks into the nearest building, where he rides the elevator to the top and steps into a lovely apartment.  By now he is hungry, so he tries out the porridge—say, does this sound familiar?  Hodgkinson’s take on a popular fairy tale is hilarious, and she adds a sweet reunion at the end.

Blogger:  Tracey L.

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Beach Reads for Winter

October 25, 2012 · Filed under Fiction, High School, Humor, Middle School (6-8), Novels, Realistic, Romance, Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Just because the temperature has dropped, and you wouldn’t be caught dead outside in a swimsuit doesn’t mean you can’t still  enjoy some nice, fluffy, chick-litty reads!  So if you’ve just finished re-reading some Austen or Dickens by the fireplace, take a break and try one of these titles.

A Girl Named Digit by Annabel Monaghan.  June, 2012.  9780547668529.  Gr. 7-12.

Seventeen-year-old Farrah is a math genius, a trait that earned her the humiliating nickname Digit in middle school and a fact that she hides now that she’s in high school. When Farrah uncovers a terrorist plot encoded in a popular TV show, she can no longer hide who she really is. On the run from terrorists trying to kill her, Digit embraces her gift in order to help the FBI uncover the truth. And the fact that her FBI handler John is young and attractive? That’s just a bonus. Girls will love this thin, fast-paced novel, and will root for Digit throughout.

Surviving High School by M. Doty.  September, 2012.  9780316220156.  Gr. 7-12.

Freshman Emily Kessler has one goal; to live up to her sister’s legacy.  After a tragic accident takes the life of her sister, Emily feels the pressure to be everything Sara was:  perfect.  Perfect grades, and an Olympic-bound record-breaking swimmer.  There’s just one problem in the form of Ben Kale, Branches High’s heart throb and bad boy.  The closer Emily gets to Ben, the more she realizes that she wants more than perfect grades and a swim record.  But can she convince her father/coach to back down?  And what is the real story behind Sara’s accident?  Readers will root for Emily as she comes to understand what she truly wants.

The List by Siobhan Vivian.  April, 2012.  9780545169172.  Gr. 9-12.

Every year at Mount Washington High School, The List is posted a week before Homecoming, naming the prettiest and ugliest girl in each grade.  Vivian shows how it affects each of the eight girls named on the list.  For sophomore Sarah, being named the ugliest sends her into a protest, refusing to shower or change her clothes to prove just how ugly she can get.  Another girl struggles to balance her new-found popularity with homework, and being named the prettiest junior sends another girl back to her anorexic habits.  While bullying, mean girls and popularity aren’t new topics, Vivian manages to take a fresh look at them through her very realistically portrayed characters.

This will also be my last post for awhile as I am on maternity leave!  I’m taking care of my beautiful little Annabelle, but you may see me on here from time to time!

Lindsey L.

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Exploring Australia

October 22, 2012 · Filed under Intermediate (3-5), Nonfiction, Picture Books, Primary (K-2), Science · Tagged , , , , , , ,

Australia has long been on my list of places I’d love to visit.  It is a wonderfully diverse place—particularly in its animal life.  I was surprised to learn recently that Australia is home to some of the most dangerous snakes in the world and the greatest number of reptiles of any country.  Eek! Maybe it’s all right that I don’t have any immediate plans for world travel.  I’ll just explore Australia from the safety of my library.

Survival at 120 Above by Debbie S. Miller and Jon Van Zyle (ill.) July 2012. 9780802798145. Gr. 2-4.

In the heart of Australia’s Simpson Desert the temperature reaches 120 degrees or more in the middle of the day.  This picture book introduction to an extreme environment features several unusual animals and how they stay cool and find food.  The author traveled from her home in Alaska to Australia to explore the desert with a team of scientists.  She describes her trip in an author’s note revealing that she saw all of the animals she describes in the book with her own eyes.  Frankly, I am more than happy to stick with the book for this particular destination. :)

Kangaroo and Crocodile: My Big Book of Australian Animals  by Bronwyn Bancroft. September 2012. 9781921714252. Gr. PS-1

Australian artist Bronwyn Bancroft has published several books that introduce young readers to her country, and her latest is an excellent addition to her body of work.  Her bold illustrations that use techniques from her Aboriginal background feature Australian animals and landscapes with large text that will grow well to groups.  There is more information about the animals in the end notes for the kids who want to know more.  This is a great choice to introduce a unit on Australia since it highlights the plants and animals of the region as well as traditional art.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting Joeys: A Guide for Marsupial Parents (and Curious Kids) by Bridget Heos and Stephane Jorisch (ill.) January 2012. 9780761358596. Gr. 3-5.

Kangaroo and Crocodile is just the beginning when it comes to marsupials. This humorous question and answer guide will cover everything your students may want to know about kangaroos, koalas, and more.  It is full of interesting information and anthropomorphic illustrations that will have kids laughing.  Teachers may want to pair it with Nic Bishop’s Marsupials for a fun lesson on these unusual animals that combines humor with facts.

Blogger: Mindy R.

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Bullying Prevention Month

October 18, 2012 · Filed under Memoir, Nonfiction · Tagged , , , , ,

Vicious: True Stories by Teens About Bullying, edited by Hope Vanderberg. 2012. 9781575424132. Gr 7-12.

Continuing our theme of highlighting titles about bullying to emphasize National Bullying Prevention Month, I would like to feature Vicious: True Stories by Teens About Bullying.  This is one title in the Real Teen Voices series, which delves into the issues of Rage, Pressure, and Bullying, and features stories written by teens themselves.

In Vicious, we hear about different forms of bullying in a variety of settings.  We hear about the emotional and physical side of bullying, as well as the modern phenomenon of cyberbullying.  Teens recount stories in their own words about how they have harmed and been harmed, and the results are often heartbreaking.  There is a sense of hope that shines through as well, as you get the feeling that most of the authors are in the process of working through the psychological damage that they have experienced or inflicted.  There are also tips for adults about how they can help, as it is all too common that the bullying is ignored or minimized by adults that could be of great help if they would only intervene.

The book’s summary states that “the reactions of the writers are sometimes cringe-worthy, often admirable, and always believable.” This is definitely true; as I read the book, I cringed at some of the decisions that teens made while trying to handle their bullying.  But, for me, that only added to the book’s authenticity, and let’s face it, we often can learn a lot from what we do wrong in situations.

It is obvious that Vicious is written by teens and for teens.  At times the writing is uneven, but it is admirable that the editor and people who coaxed and guided these tales along the way put such an emphasis on authenticity and didn’t refine the stories until they were overly polished.  That would have devalued the whole project.  And there are stories that are full of imagery, symbolism, and astounding insight.  Take this passage from the story “Feeling Different”, by Isiah Van Brackle, where he discusses how writing poetry has been therapeutic for him:

I’ve found that writing poetry is the only way to truly express myself without any barriers. The moon is a focal point in many of my poems. Whenever it’s mentioned, I’m talking about myself. I compare myself to the moon because it’s separate from the world, floating in a void of nothingness.

And while the moon may sometimes seem insignificant, it has the power to affect the nature of the world. That’s the way I’ve always felt I was viewed—a child worth nothing, deemed emotionless, yet capable of so much more.

Vicious would be a great book to discuss in a small group. I can see it generating good discussions between students during National Bullying Prevention Month, or any time of the year.

Blogger: Ryan H.

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Series Review : Benny Imura

October 15, 2012 · Filed under Fiction, High School, Horror, Novels, Reviews · Tagged , , , , ,

I like reading books with monsters in them, and vampires had always been my monster of choice.  But when my older son Alex, then about 16, read The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks, he recommended it to me.  I loved it because it was so serious about preparing for the zombie apocalypse, not tongue-in-cheek like I was expecting.   And then, of course, we read World War Z, also by Brooks, which is a compilation of interviews with survivors of the Zombie War.  Both books are excellent, and I’ve even recommended them to non-readers—who have loved them.

Several of us in our department are zombie lovers, so this post is to celebrate the third season opener of AMC’s The Walking Dead and the recent release of the third book in Jonathan Maberry’s Benny Imura series.

Rot & Ruin starts 14 years after First Night, when the zombie plague began.  Benny’s earliest memory is of his mother handing his toddler self to his older half-brother, Tom, who ran away with him while his infected father attacked his mother.  Now they live in a small fenced-in community in California, and since Benny is 15, he must find a job or his food rations will be cut.  After trying and losing several jobs, he agrees to learn the “Family Business” from Tom.  Tom is a zombie killer.  And though Benny considers Tom a coward for abandoning his mother, he travels with Tom out into the Rot & Ruin (the world outside the fences).  He discovers that there is more than one kind of zombie killer…and learns that maybe his perception of Tom needs a little tweaking.

While Benny and Tom were out in the Ruin in the first book, they saw something (no spoilers here!) that made them think that there might be more advanced civilization out east.  So, in Dust & Decay, Benny and some of his friends leave their safe community and head east—and they know they will not be returning.  And in the third book, Flesh & Bone, their search continues.

As you would expect from these great covers, Mayberry’s zombies act like you would expect, with the usual shambling and moaning and gnashing of teeth.  People are afraid of the “zoms” and think they are monsters.  But the real enemies are the people who use the zombies to further their own ends.  For example, some of the zombie killers kidnap teens and throw them in the pit with zombies—and the spectators bet on the outcome.

I love a good horror story, and the books in this series provide all the gore and enthusiastic mayhem that I expect in a well-written zombie novel.  You’ll find lots action, zombie attacks, and sword play.  But I was surprised to find a lot of sensitivity in it as well—in Benny’s changing relationship with his brother and in Tom’s belief that zombies were all once people and should be “quieted” with respect.  Mayberry’s novels are not merely great monster novels, but they are good human stories as well.

Bibliography:

The Benny Imura series by Jonathan Maberry. Gr 8-12.

  • Rot & Ruin. 9781442402324. 2010.
  • Dust & Decay. 9781442402355. 2011.
  • Flesh & Bone. 9781442439894. 2012.

World War Z : An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks. 9780307346605. 2006. Gr 10-Adult.

The Zombie Survival Guide : Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks. 9781400049622. 2003. Gr 9-Adult.

Blogger:  Tracey L.

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Anti-Bullying Awareness Month

October 11, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Bullying seems to be running rampant in our schools today.  Not only are kids verbally and physically abused, but media and social networking has made it possible to humiliate someone on a national level.  According the The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, kids who are bullied suffer from low self-esteem and depression in adulthood and are more likely to drop out of school.  They also found that kids who are identified as bullies by the age of 8 are six times more likely to have a criminal conviction by adulthood.  Clearly bullying is bad on either side of the equation.  I’m a big believer of connecting with books, so here are a few titles that have come out in the last couple months that I think would make great discussion on the ramifications of bullying.

Keep Holding On by Susan Colasanti.  June, 2012.  9780670012251.  Gr. 9-12.

All 16 year-old Noelle wants to do is keep her head down and make it to the end of the school year without being noticed, but it’s hard to do when you’re the target of bullies everyday. Forced to face ridicule during school and a neglectful mother at night, Noelle doesn’t know what to do when her crush Julian Porter starts paying attention to her. Should she take a chance and risk breaking her heart or play it safe the same as always? But when a tragedy strikes at school, Noelle learns the importance of standing up for yourself.

This is a great title to discuss bullying and the affects it has on its victims.  I think many readers will see a little of themselves in Noelle even if they’re not in her same situation.  Colasanti also does a fantastic job of character development and showing how much Noelle grows throughout the novel thanks to supportive friends and an internal desire to make her life better.  I liked the added element of the neglectful mother because it shows how kids aren’t always just bullied at school, but in their homes as well, and that there are measures kids can take to stop both kinds of bullying.

October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Leslea Newman.  September, 2012.  9780763658076.  Gr. 9-12.

Leslea Newman was scheduled to speak at the University of Wyoming’s Gay Awareness Week five days after Matthew Shepard’s brutal attack. These poems reflect her desire to replace hate with compassion and understanding. Each moving poem reflects the feelings or events surrounding Matthew’s attack. From the fence that held him through the night to the the people who held protestors back from his funeral, readers will never forget these powerful poems.

This is one of those books that when you finish reading it, you can’t do anything else but think about it for a while.  The poems are so powerful and I loved the way Newman told them from multiple perspectives such as the fence Matthew was tied to, the deer that stayed with him throughout the night, even the moon watching the horror unfold from above.  I think this book will bring out good discussion with students and may lead them to write poems about their experiences as well.

Lindsey L.

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Perspectives on Bullying

October 8, 2012 · Filed under Fiction, Intermediate (3-5), Picture Books, Primary (K-2), Realistic · Tagged , ,

The bully, the victim, and the bystander.  The Weird series explores all three perspectives in a simple, straightforward way that will encourage kids to think about their peers in a new way.  We aren’t “good people” or “bad people.”  We are complex individuals with motivations that you can’t always see at first glance.

In Weird, Luisa is teased for her clothes and her family.  She wants so much to be herself, but in the face of the teasing, she withdraws.  Her colorful clothes go in the garbage, and she finds herself embarrassed of her father’s speaking Spanish.  Eventually she receives support from a peer and a teacher to be herself.

In Dare, Jayla recalls her feelings of being bullied and explains that when she sees Luisa being bullied, she was just happy it wasn’t her.  She even bows to pressure to join in with the bullying before she realizes that she can do something to stop it.  The girls learn that as friends they can accomplish more than they can keeping to themselves.

That isn’t where this story ends, though.  In Tough, we see things from the bully’s perspective. We see her home life, and we read her thoughts about having a thick skin.  Kids are likely to understand and relate to Sam’s feelings, and her point of view gives readers a chance to think about the reasons we act the way they do.  It doesn’t excuse the bully’s behavior, but it highlights the need for empathy from each girl.

Teachers, counselors, or other discussion leaders can use the back matter to get kids to talk more about the story, the perspectives, and their own experiences in each of these roles.  While I acknowledge that the series probably has more appeal to girls than boys, the message is valuable to all young readers.  Each book opens with these words to readers:

“For all children,

young and old,

who have been bullied,

Don’t lose sight of who you are

Know yourself

Be yourself.”

Blogger:  Mindy R.

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Series Review: Floors

October 4, 2012 · Filed under Fiction, Humor, Intermediate (3-5), Magic, Middle School (6-8), Mystery, Novels, Reviews · Tagged ,

Floors by Patrick Carman. 2011. 9780545255196. Gr 4-7.

It can sometimes be overwhelming trying to pick books to highlight here on the Books in Bloom blog.  There are so many good titles out there that are just waiting to be showcased!  I have been on a bit of a middle-school fiction kick lately, and I decided to tap into my built-in “focus group” to help me decide which title to feature here.  My “focus group” is comprised of my two grade-school sons, and it is always fun to see what they are picking up off the shelves and listening to their reviews of books.

I remembered a few months back that my younger son, Lucas, was really into the book Floors by Patrick Carman.  I remember watching him sitting and reading on the couch, smiling and laughing out loud, totally engrossed.  Afterward, he gave it an enthusiastic five-star rating and periodically reminded me, “Dad, you should read that book!”

So, when I saw that the second book in the series was released recently, I figured I should see if the series lived up to the hype.

The protagonist of Floors is Leo Fillmore, son of the Whippet Hotel’s maintenance man.  As part of their employment, they live in the basement of the hotel, which may sound dull, but in reality it is a child’s dream.  The Whippet Hotel is no ordinary hotel.  Built by the eccentric Merganzer D. Whippet, it features rollercoasters, a life-sized pinball machine room, hidden passageways, robots, holograms, and so much more.  It is truly imaginative, inventive, and unique.  The problem is that it appears that greedy real estate developers want to acquire the property it is built on, and they are sabotaging the workings of the hotel in an effort to drive down the price and buy it.  Things are mysteriously breaking down, chaos reigns, and many of the guests of the hotel are getting upset.  On top of all of this, Mr. Whippet has mysteriously disappeared, leaving much of the responsibility of fixing things to Leo and his dad.  Leo finds a mysterious box left to him by Mr. Whippet that sends him and his bellboy friend, Remi, on a quest that leads them throughout the marvelous hotel.

There is a lot going on here: mystery and intrigue, villains and good guys, Willy Wonka-style contraptions and inventions, and loads of adventure.  While Leo is the main character, the Whippet Hotel is the star of the book.  Carman has succeeded in creating a world within the hotel that really stimulates the imagination.

3 Below by Patrick Carman. September 2012. 9780545255202. Gr. 4-7.

In the follow up to Floors, titled 3 Below, we find that there is even more to the Whippet Hotel than was revealed in the first book.  The bossy former manager, Mrs. Sparks, is back with revenge on her mind, and she knows that the preoccupied Mr. Whippet has not paid his taxes, and now owes $700,000.  She enlists the help of the detestable Mr. Carp and a hotel guest to again try and wrest the hotel away from Leo and Mr. Whippet.   Leo and Remi are sent on another quest to save the hotel, where they encounter a new cast of characters and plenty of surprises.

This series features a lot of pure, innocent fun.  I think they are great books to get in the hands of boys, as the robots, contraptions, and adventure should prove irresistible to them.  But I also think this is a fun read for anyone…who doesn’t like magical, mysterious, funny stories?  This book would be a great read-aloud book for a classroom or reading group as well.

It appears that my “focus group” was correct on this one!  I am sure you all take note of what the children in your lives are reading…I encourage you to leave a comment after this post with any books your own personal “focus groups” have been telling YOU to read!


Blogger:  Ryan H.

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October is National Bullying Prevention Month

October 1, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged ,

Bullying is a hot topic in schools nowadays.

I’m not just talking about students bullying other students.   Students bully teachers and other adults in authority—remember the YouTube video of the middle-schoolers in New York who badgered a 68-year-old bus monitor until she cried?  And the opposite is also true, in cases where teachers and other adults go beyond discipline and become bullies themselves.  And adults, whether in schools or in other workplaces, can also be guilty of bullying their subordinates, coworkers, or supervisors.

We often have a certain picture of bullies—big and mean and scary.  But bullies can also be the popular kids or the jocks or any other clique who gains their power by belittling others.  When my older son, Alex, was in middle school, I remember how upset he got when a group of nice, smart, popular kids on his bus picked on the boy with Tourette’s syndrome until he lost control.  The boy was suspended from riding the bus.  This happened several times, and one day Alex decided not to be a bystander.  He told the bus driver what was happening, and that the bullies should be thrown off the bus instead.  The bus driver’s response:  Shut up or I’ll kick you off the bus, too.  I’m still ashamed that, when Alex told me what happened, I decided to be a bystander myself.

Today is the beginning of National Bullying Prevention Month, founded by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center in 2006. You can buy the T-shirt above at their website.  PACER also has a site geared for kids and teens. And to observe this month, Mackin Books in Bloom will be using several of our posts to highlight literature that can help your students and children learn about how bullying hurts others and what they can do to prevent it.

We’ve created some lists of books that can be used in discussing bullying.  Bullying, Teasing, & Harassment includes titles meant for kids, including easy, fiction, and nonfiction, while professional titles are on Professional Bullying Prevention.  And continue to check back the rest of the month for reviews on specific titles that we recommend.

Blogger : Tracey L.

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