Blog entries for readalot

A Year of Reading...March/April

readalot — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:16:37 GMT

With winter hanging on and spring just barely poking its head above ground, I spent time at our wonderful central library perusing some of the newest books for middle school readers. There are plenty of sequels to popular series, as well as a variety of titles by familiar authors, but I was interested in the new and quirkier books that might be just right for this transitional time of year

First on the list is "The Puzzling World of Winston Breen" by Eric Berlin, a perfect book for those kids who like solving their way through a good story. This had all the fun of a detective story, as each chapter kept you guessing right to the very end. The author often creates puzzles for The New York Times and school events, so he wastes no time in getting the reader into the mood of the story with mindbenders (and their answers at the end of the book). Of course, having one of the characters be the town librarian was enough to get me interested, but I think once you start reading about Winston and the mysterious box he discovers holds the key to a long-lost treasure, you too will want to read it to the very exciting and surprising end. Readers of "The Westing Game" and "Chasing Vermeer" will want to add this to their list of good mysteries to solve.

"Firegirl" by Tony Abbott deals with a more serious topic, but a rather unusual one. In this book we meet Tom, a seventh-grader who lives more in his imagination than the real world, dreaming that he'll someday be called upon to rescue the class's popularity queen in one of his super-hero disguises. But instead, he will become a real hero and rescue from loneliness and isolation the one girl nobody wants to talk too...Jessica, the firegirl. Jessica has just enrolled at Tom's school while undergoing another round of treatments she needs to overcome the scars left from a tragic fire...a fire that has disfigured her face and her life. As with anyone who is deemed different, it takes guts to be the one to reach out to Jessica in the face of fear, misinformation, and awkwardness that is part of junior high life. Reading this story will give the reader insight into the tough choices we are asked to make in a world we don't always understand.

On a lighter note, my final suggestion is "The Chicken Dance" by Jacques Couvillon. This debut novel reads like Napoleon Dynamite meets "The Desparate Housewives..." in which Don (who's really Stanley) discovers his talent as a chicken judge while trying to figure out why his parents continue to pine for his long lost (dead?) sister Dawn, a baton-twirling dancing diva. Each corner that Don turns opens up more doors, but with more confusing answers to unravel. It takes a teacher, a bully, his dysfunctional family, and his own curiosity to bring all the secrets out into the light of day, making for a hilarious but poignant year in the life of one amazing chicken dancer!

Happy Reading!

A Year of Reading...February

readalot — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 23:05:06 GMT

In 1954 I attended a nursery school in the basement of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. I remember very little about it except the building seemed huge and overwhelming. This was just 3 years before the African American community tried to integrate their schools as mandated by the landmark case of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Brown vs. The Board of Education of 1954.

At the time my father was an associate professor in the medical school of the University of Arkansas, but he could see that the fight ahead was going to be challenging and being the only Jewish family in the area, he thought it was time to head north...Milwaukee to be exact. As we celebrate Black History month, it is important to take a look at some of the new literature being written by and about the experiences of the black community both historically and in the world we live in today. All of the books I will be sharing with you are written by award-winning authors who still have something to say to all of us.

Christopher Paul Curtis has already endeared himself to many middle school readers with such books as “The Watson's Go To Birmingham-1963” (a recent play adaptation was presented at First Stage recently) and “Bud, Not Buddy”. His latest book, “Elijah of Buxton”, just won the 2008 Coretta Scott King award and deals with a small Canadian settlement made up of freed slaves. You may think you've read all you need to know about this historic period, but Curtis with his humor, unique characters, and believable dialogue creates a story you will be unable to put down. Elijah was the first child born free in this community, thus holding a special place in everyone's heart. But he seems to struggle with his role, being of a “sensitive” nature. It doesn't take long for him to see the importance of keeping a promise, even in the face of deadly slave catchers and thievin' con artists. You will never feel the same about what it means to be free after you read this wonderful tale, based on a real place and time.

Moving forward in time to the 1950's ,when the Civil Right's Movement was in full swing, two new books help to bring these events alive for the reader, both dealing with the first-person narratives of junior high students about to take a fateful, yet dangerous step towards integration. Sharon M. Draper, in her new book “Fire From the Rock” takes us to the summer prior to the Little Rock Nine's entrance into Central High, breaking the color barrier despite all efforts to stop them, including those of Governor Faubus of Arkansas. In this story, Sylvia finds herself being nominated by her revered teacher to be on the list of potential students that will participate in the upcoming fall enrollment at Central High. Though it is really her more politically active older brother that yearns to be on this list, his quick temper is seen as a hinderance to the backers of integration. The summer is long and hot as the community splits apart, and Sylvia waivers back and forth about whether she has the strength to carry out this mission. To add to the mix, one of her best friends is a feisty, independent-thinking Jewish girl who tries to support Sylvia in the biggest decision of her life. [You can see why I was attracted to this powerful story!] The other book dealing with integration comes from Patricia McKissack called, “A Friendship For Today”. Once again we witness the bravery of Rosemary as she enters an all-white school alone. Her closest friend who planned to be with her has been struck down by the scourge of the 50's, polio, and is fighting a very different battle. This leaves Rosemary dealing with all the usual problems of junior high...who to eat lunch with, who to be science partners with...as well as realizing that her parents seem to be drifting apart. It's not long before an unlikely friendship is formed between our brave protagonist and the other most outcast student in school, a white child named Grace Hamilton. How Grace, oldest of five dirt-poor kids ruled by a racist father and well-meaning but powerless mother, and Rosemary combine forces to make it through the year will keep you engaged in this heartwarming story right to the powerful climax and conclusion.

On a more contemporary note, check out these last two books, both by Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King award winners. Angela Johnson has given us another gem of a book simply called “Bird”. Each chapter is told from the view point of the three main characters: Bird, the 13-year old runaway trying to find and convince her step father to come home; Ethan, a boy who lives a quiet sheltered life due to a heart condition and whose elusive Uncle Cecil plays a pivotal part in Bird's life; and Jay, whose brother's unexpected death has given Ethan a new heart, and maybe a new desire to eat peanut butter on anything! How these young people interact through a long, hot summer, finding friendship and acceptance to the twists and turns of life make this a beautiful book to contemplate on a snowy weekend in February. The last book I want to share with you is by Jacqueline Woodson called “Feather”. This has just received a 2008 Newbery Honor award, not unlike several of her past books. You often hear the phrase, “looks are deceiving” or “don't judge a book by its cover”... in “Feather” we get a first hand look into the world of junior high in the 1970's where these two idioms often play major roles in how friendships are made or broken. Frannie tries to do a balancing act between her god-fearing friend, Samantha and the class bully, Trevor. Throw in one new boy in school who is struggling to keep his cool while trying to understand how he ended up in a school on the wrong side of the tracks, and whose pale looks and long hair gets him labeled as the “Jesus Boy” and you have the makings of a thought-provoking book. And then there's all the complexity of family life, including a beloved deaf older brother and the loss of a baby sister still haunting her mother to add depth to this story. Frannie spends this crucial year seeking normality, or as the poem by Emily Dickinson states...”Hope is the thing with feathers...” Will her desire to find the truth bring her the lightness of that hopeful feather?

Happy Reading!

A Year of Reading...January

readalot — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 23:07:53 GMT

Like a hot cup of cocoa on a cold winter's day, I thought this would be the perfect time to write about books for kids from the hot, spicy lands of Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean. A recent visit to Las Cruces, New Mexico gave me the opportunity to meet the creator of Cinco Puntos Press, a publishing firm that specializes in books by and for Hispanic children. The authors and books they have developed reflect the need for authentic stories and experiences for all ages. Some of the topics range from folktales to current immigration issues and often blend Spanish dialogue and phrases in with the English to give the reader a feel for the bilingual lives of many children today.

Some of the fine authors of the books I recommend include Benjamin Alire Saenz, Francisco Jimenez, Rene Saldana, Jr., Juan Felipe Herrera, Joe Hayes, Gary Soto, Pat Mora, Alex Dorros, Lulu Delacre, Julia Alvarez, and Pam Munoz Ryan to name only a few. The titles I will expand on here represent only a small portion of the books available in our libraries and bookstores, so don't hesitate to look them up and find more good reading.

To begin with, I'd like to recommend checking out a few picture books for those of you who feel you've outgrown picture books. Often, a picture book can take an important story and condense it to a more readable form. For instance, Eve Bunting's “Going Home” follows a Mexican-American family as they travel over the border to their former home for Christmas. The ardous journey, the change of lifestyle, and the love all people have for their originating home comes through in this strong story. A moving story that illustrates the importance of grandparents in our lives is found in the book called “A Gift From Papa Diego” by B. A. Saenz. The small boy in the story imagines how he might be able to see his grandfather more often, including wishing for a superman cape so he can fly over the border to his papa's Mexican home. The book delicately deals with the emotions immigrant families feel when they move here for a better life, leaving loved ones behind. Another picture book, “Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can” tells of a factual event, the janitor's strike that took place in Los Angeles in 2000. Much like any minority worker group struggling for their rights, the book tells about one woman's experience as she organizes and helps lead the protest as seen through the eyes of her young son. Picture books can often help us see the complexities of an event more clearly through the use of simple, straight-forward language and colorful illustrations. Another genre that the picture book serves well are the retelling of folktales. Joe Hayes is the recognized master of this genre, with many titles to his name. Try a New Mexico version of the Cinderella story”Estrellita de oro: Little Gold Star”, or read of the magical green parrot who becomes a handsome prince by night until a one-eyed child reveals his secrets in “Pajaro verde: The Green Bird”.

Many of you may have already read “Esperanza Rising” by Pam Munoz Ryan. Her follow-up book (though not a sequel), called “Becoming Naomi Leon” is a contemporary story dealing with Naomi and her young brother whose mother has abandoned them in the care of their grandmother and their subsequent search for their father in Mexico. The reintroduction of these children to their family's roots is universal to all of us who might feel lost in this complex world.

“How Tia Lola Came to Visit /Stay” by Julia Alvarez is a delightful story of culture clash. To help her children in the transition from marriage to divorce, including a move from New York City to a small town in Vermont, mom has enlisted the help of her Aunt Lola from the Dominican Republic. As if it wasn't hard enough to fit in, now the children's aunt brings the tropics with her, turning life into a whirlwind of song, food, and love. How the whole family benefited from Tia Lola is a story worth reading.

Two books that must be read back to back are the heartwrenching memoirs of the author, Francisco Jimenez, as he tells the story of his life as a migrant family in the 1940's. “The Circuit” and “Breaking Through” follow his parents and their growing family as they illegally enter the United States in order to have a better life than the one they left behind in Mexico. The sacrifice and determination that his books provide will leave the reader with a much better understanding of what it is like to move from dirt-floored hut to tin-roofed shack in pursuit of the back-breaking work of picking fruit crops and cotton.

Lastly, for a short, but entertaining overview of the many cultures that make up the Spanish speaking world, I'd like to recommend reading “Salsa Stories” by Lulu Delacre. Carmen Teresa's home is the gathering of her extended family for the holidays. She has just received a special gift, a blank book, that she wonders what to fill it with. Each member of the family tries to help by telling a story from their childhood that she can write in her new book. But as Carmen listens to tales of pinatas, miracles, parades, and celebrations from places as far away as Peru, Guatemala, Cuba, and Mexico, she comes up with a much better idea for her book. Be sure to read all the stories so you can enjoy the surprise ending. I'll give you a hint: you'll need an apron and a spoon for stirring!

Happy Reading!

A Year of Reading...December

readalot — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 02:29:55 GMT

Whenever the holidays rolled around, I was usually bombarded by a number of my school parents asking for recommendations for a book for their child. Even though I am now retired, I still can't resist looking over the many books out there for the middle school reader and find a few gems among the hundreds of titles that have the girl/boy appeal that will keep them reading. I hope you too will be inspired to take a look at one or two of these books, some by award-winning authors and a couple by first time novelists.

First on my list is actually my favorite new read. "First Light" by Rebecca Stead is a multi-genre debut novel that mixes science fiction, mystery and adventure in a non-stop story. The plot involves two worlds, one founded years ago by a shunned society who seek refuge in Greenland, beneath the ice, and a second contemporary world where global warming is affecting the glaciers of Greenland. Thea belongs to the strange ice world that is running out of space and resources (think "The City of Ember") and Peter accompanies his family as his father studies the climate changes in Greenland. It isn't long before the two stories collide and Thea and Peter discover the truth behind both their worlds.

Another book I found captivating is "Wind Rider" by Susan Williams. This should appeal to horse lovers and all those children that like to imagine what it was like to live during prehistoric times. Fern belongs to a tribe who follow the traditional hunter/gatherer societies of the past, but with a new twist as a young girl befriends and eventually tames a wild pony that she rescues from a bog. Instead of her pony becoming the main course, she convinces the tribe to see the value of using a horse to help them hunt for other game and to be a pack animal as they move from place to place. Though the specifics may not be exactly the way man domesticated a horse, the author has created an authentic world of the past and a cast of characters that drive the action forward. There is enough description of hunting, gaming, survival and a climatic kidnapping to interest both boys and girls.

For your older middle school reader entering jr. high, I'd like to recommend two new titles, "If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period" by the Newbery Honor winner Gennifer Choldenko and "A Crooked Kind of Perfect" by first-timer Linda Urban. Both authors are really keyed in to today's techno-savy kids, while keeping the lessons learned meaningful without being too obvious. The first book echoes the author's experience of being the only white kid in a predominately black school, except this story reverses this fact, making "Walker" the only black child attending a posh, private school. The chapters alternate between "Walk", as he prefers to be called, with Kirsten, whose best friend has deserted her for the attentions of the popular crowd while she struggles with her new ballooning weight gain. The families in this story will become intertwined in an unexpected climax that surprises both the characters and the reader. As issues of bullying, lying, racism and obesity flow through the story, it's the lives of Walk and Kirsten that will matter most to your reader. The second book is a delightful, but quirky story of 11-year old Zoe who desperately wants to be a child progidy, despite the fact that she has never played a musical instrument in her life! This book reminds me of a more innocent version of the movie"Little Miss Sunshine" as Zoe deals with a budget conscious mother and a totally lovable but dysfunctional father. She manages to persue her dream on a "Perfectone D-60" organ rather than the baby grand she wishes for, playing hit tunes of the 60's & 70's instead of Mozart and Bach. The book is written in a prose-style which makes for fast-paced reading...some chapters are barely a 1/2 page long...guaranteeing that this book won't be closed til the very end.

One last title I think might appeal to those who love time travel and a good series is "The Book of Time" by French author Guillame Prevost. I predict the reader of this first book in a planned trilogy will be impatiently waiting for Book 2 to come out. Sam's father is missing again, but instead of the usual 2-3 day hiatus it has been 10 days and everyone is getting worried. Sam and his cousin take matters into their own hands, leading Sam to discover a time travel machine and his cousin to decipher the clues that Sam brings back. After harrowing adventures with Vikings, WWI soldiers, and ancient Egyptians, Sam is ready to take on Dracula, who just might have his father imprisoned in a faraway castle, 6 centruies in the past. To be continued....

As always, there are far too many books than time to booktalk them. Thus, I will leave you with a few more titles that might be just right for your reader:

"The Treasures of Weatherby" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

"The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World" by E>L> Konigsburg

""Zen and the Art of Faking It" by Jordan Sonnenblick

"The Very Ordered Existence of MerileeMarvelous" by Suzanne Crowley

"Billy Creekmore" by Tracey Porter

"Swordbird" by Nancy Yi Fan (An Al Roker Book Club selection written by a

12-year-old girl)

"Alcatraz versus The Evil Librarians" by Brandon Sanderson

All of the titles in this blog are all available at our Milwaukee Public Library, so stop in and check one (or five) out. Happy Reading!!

A Year of Reading...November

readalot — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 14:30:32 GMT

November is Native American Month, and what better author to focus on than Joseph Bruchac. After a long personal search for his own Indian identity, he has become the supreme storyteller for middle schoolers. His books range from scary, ghost stories based on Native American tales to modern day reality novels of young indians dealing with the real world. He's even contributed to the highly popular "Dear America" series, writing a diary-style narrative of the Trail of Tears experience. I've read and recommended most of his books to my students over the years and have found very few disappointed readers. His newest book out is "Bearwalker," a fast-paced adventure/survival/monster-like story. It mixes contemporary school problems (bullying) with Indian legends, allowing the 8th grade boy in the story to use all his wits to overcome both a mythical beast and the very real land developers trying to ruin a section of wilderness in the Adirondak Mountains. Two other authors I have found to be compelling and authentic writers in this genre are Michael Dorris and Louise Erdrich. Both authors began writing for adults and young adults, but each found their way to the younger crowd with successful books. "The Birchbark House" by L. Erdrich is one of my favorites, not only for the story it tells, but because it forms a perfect compliment to the "Little House on the Prairie" stories many of us grew up on. In "Birchbark..." the narrator is a young Indian girl who recreates her life in detail as her family transitions from pre-white contact to dealing with the ravages of smallpox. Louise is in the process of creating a series of stories, so I'll be looking forward to her future additions. Dorris is probably familiar to many of you for his classic book "Yellow Raft in Blue Water". He also wrote two books for the younger set, "Sees Behind Trees" and "Morning Girl". The first is a haunting story of a young Indian who helps an elder tribesman, who is going blind, deal with the end of his life, while the second book takes a look at the arrival of Christopher Columbus through the eyes of the first Native Americans to encounter him. As you can see, there are plenty of books and authors to try while your waiting for that turkey dinner and football game this November. Happy Reading!