Shifty

A Book Review



Author: Lynn E. Hazen
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 188 pages
Publisher: Tricycle Press (September 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1582462577
ISBN-13: 978-1582462578

Shifty is a heart warming story about a couple of hard to place kids in foster care and the precarious situations they have to deal with every day. However, Lynn Hazen melds reality, love, trust and an uncaring social service system that is over burdened and buried in red tape, with compassion.

Fifteen year old Shifty (a nick name he got when in juvie) has finally landed in a home that he can feel good in. His foster mother, Martha, foster sister, Sissy and crack addicted baby, Thaddeus (aka Chance ), are not a typical family but deep down where it counts love shines through. This is the first time Shifty has felt like he could belong and maybe he wouldn’t have to move again until he was too old to be a foster kid. Shifty has been on the move all of his life that he can remember and many of his previous foster parents were in trouble with the law one way or the other, which is why he landed in juvie in the first place, but you will have to read the book to find out what happened. Also, he desired to find out about his biological parents but no one would ever tell him. He didn’t know if he ever had parents.

Shifty is a resourceful kid who looks older than his fifteen years and maybe that is why he gets away with driving Martha’s van all the time with an expired permit in some one else’s name. Besides he is a good driver. But that doesn’t keep Shifty from getting a $275 parking ticket for parking in a bus zone when he stops to buy a burrito.

When the regular social worker leaves to have a baby she is replaced with a worker who is inexperienced, unknowledgeable and treats all foster homes and kids like they are nothing but a case number. Shifty spends some time trying to outsmart her and the results are remarkable. Between befriending a homeless lady and trying to keep himself and Martha out of trouble creates many dilemmas for this inventive teenager. However, it also creates page-turning excitement for the reader.

Hazen depicts the grim circumstances of this foster family on the edge of disaster with hope and humor. I was laughing a lot as I read about various predicaments Shifty managed to escape from with no dire consequences for him or his foster family. Hazen introduces the right amount of suspense to keep you sitting on the edge wondering if Shifty’s luck will fail this time.

The story is not depressing but it is realistic about foster care in the sense that kids in foster care are totally at the mercy of other people. Some who care about them and some do not. When they finally make a good match it only takes one person who can make it all go away. Hazen has created an original fast paced plot that flows smoothly to the end. There are many surprises and many aha’s! I highly recommend this book for adults as well as young children.


About the Author
LYNN E. HAZEN earned her M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College. She is the author of several picture books and a middle-grade novel called Mermaid Mary Margaret that was hailed "a winner" by Kirkus Reviews. Also Kirkus Reviews praised Shifty as a "realistic story that resonates. Smart writing and an engaging narrative...." She lives with her family in San Francisco, California.



Look for an interview Friday May 29 right here at Carma’s Window with Lynn E. Hazen.

Write it down,
Carma

The Magic Rabbit: A Book Review

The Magic Rabbit
Author/Illustrator: Annette LeBlanc Cate

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Candlewick (August 28, 2007)
ISBN-10: 0763626724
ISBN-13: 978-0763626723



Ray is a street performing magician and his best friend is a rabbit. They live together. They do everything together. Ray and his best friend Bunny eat popcorn and watch TV. Bunny even sleeps in the magic hat on Ray’s bed. There couldn’t be any closer friends than Ray and Bunny.

Well you guessed it. Bunny is the rabbit that Ray pulls out of his top hat during their Saturday magic show downtown. One Saturday just as Ray was to say the magic word and wave his magic wand, Bunny was supposed to jump out in a spray of golden stars. A juggler crashed into Ray sending Bunny flying on the sidewalk when a pug dog spots him and begins to chase Bunny down the sidewalk into the busy street. Bunny makes it safely to the other side but now he is lost. Everywhere Bunny goes people walk along together and when evening comes everyone is going home to dinner. Bunny feels sad because no one seems to notice that he is lost.

I like the way LeBlanc Cate illustrated Bunny’s harrowing trip across the street. It is similar to a comic strip frame with captions under each picture. The black and white illustrations capture a cosmopolitan feel about city life and performing on the street. Tiny glittering gold stars are the only color in LeBlanc Cate’s black and white story. Gold stars and popcorn play a significant role uniting Ray and Bunny before the night is over with a touching reunion in the subway station. Friendship is serious business in LeBlanc Cate’s story and it may even suggest it to be a little magical.

This is a wonderful story between unlikely friends and business partners who cannot live happily ever after with out each other. When Bunny follows a popcorn trail he finds in the alley the reader is not told who or what put it there. The little bit of magic through the glittering stars hint that the reunion was not due to Bunny’s keen sense of direction. I guess it really doesn’t matter because Ray is a magician, after all.

Annette LeBlanc Cate studied at the Art Institute of Boston and was the art director for the animated television series DR. KATZ, PROFESSIONAL THERAPIST. She lives in Pepperell, Massachusetts.

Write it down,
Carma

Scritch Scratch - Book Review

Title: Scritch Scratch

Author: Miriam Moss
Illustrator: Delphine Durand
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Orchard Books (July 25, 2002)
ISBN-10: 1841211125
ISBN-13: 978-1841211121


The parent of every elementary school child has had to deal with infestation of lice at one time or another. Scritch Scratch examines the lice dilemma in a humorous way yet does not treat the subject carelessly. However, an irritable situation soon becomes bearable and funny.

The illustrations of cartoon looking classroom and students draw attention to various shades of hair color, short or long hair, and braids that attract this tiny little louse that no one notices until it is too late. All through the book, classroom antics are revealed in rich detail with kids pulling hair and throwing paper airplanes. The louse that is the star of the story has a sunny disposition. “The little louse closed her eyes, held her breath and dove through the air. It didn’t matter where she landed. Any head would be the perfect home.”

After she lands on Ms. Calypso’s long red curly hair, she sings a happy tune as she sticks her eggs to each hair on Ms. Calypso’s head.

“Oh…No one knows from where I came,
A nit, a nibbler with no name,
But watch the teacher scritch and scratch,
When my creepy, crawly babies hatch.”


I even laughed out loud to this tune. After the baby lice hatched and climbed on Ms. Calypso’s cascading curls, they began to hop on to new heads when she goes Scritch Scratch while helping a student. Before long all the little lice had perfect homes of their own.

An infestation of lice at school calls for action from Mr. Trout the principal. He sends letters home to the parents telling them to treat the children’s hair. However, the lice come back because Ms. Calypso lives alone and didn’t have anyone to help her treat her own hair. Mr. Trout offers to help and they end up falling in love. But that is not the end of the potato-looking louse. You will have to read the end of the story to find out what happens.

About the author: Miriam is an award winning author of 70 children's books. She originally published 40 information books, but for the last 12 years she has written fiction. This has included picture books, novelty books and poetry, and recently short stories for the adult market. Her fiction has been translated into 21 languages.

Miriam has had wide experience of working creatively with children, as well as speaking in schools, libraries, at festivals. She offers lively, innovative large group performances, talks, interactive storytelling sessions, readings, seminars, creative writing and poetry workshops.

She was born in England but also grew up in Africa, The Middle East and China. After university she taught English for eight years in the UK and Kenya before becoming a writer. She now lives in East Sussex.

Write it down,
Carma

The Tale of Despereaux: Book Review

Title: The Tale of Despereaux
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator: Timothy Basil Ering
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Candlewick (April 11, 2006)
ISBN-10: 0763625299
ISBN-13: 978-0763625290


Newbery Medal winner for 2004 is The Tale of Despereaux, being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread. It is also a story of love, hope and forgiveness. However, as clever as it is there is some sadness and violence with some seedy characters and some without any morals at all. Despereaux has the odds stacked against him. I think this is why so many children will love this story. Who can resist a lovable underdog?

The new baby mouse, Despereaux is born with his eyes open and extra large ears. He does not fit in with the rest of the mice. Despereaux is the knight in shining armor of the story and a romantic who can also hear sounds his fellow mice cannot. He follows the sound of beautiful music to find Princess Pea who he falls madly in love with. This causes his father to turn him in to the Mouse Council for falling in love with a human. His brother helps to carry out the life prison term in the rat filled dungeon which is a sure death sentence. Despereaux is rejected by his family and fellow mice because he is different.

Enter rejected, Mig Sow, whose father sells her for a handful of cigarettes, a hen and a red table cloth. No one cares what Mig wants. She is hit upside the head daily until she is almost deaf when a quirk of fate frees her and sends her to the castle as a paid servant. The rat, Roscuro, short for Chiaroscuro, an artistic word, which means the arrangement of light and dark together accidentally becomes attracted to light. Rats are not supposed to like light. His brief exposure causes him to set out on a quest to bring light to the depths of his dungeon home. Roscuro successfully finds a source of light but sees himself for the first time as a rat. An ugly rat that no one likes.

“Rat.” He had never before been aware what an ugly word it was. “Rat.” In the middle of all the beauty, it immediately became clear that it was an extremely distasteful syllable. “Rat.”….It was then Roscuro realized he didn’t like being a rat.

The twist of the story’s ups and downs of Despereaux is never dull.

About the Author: Kate DiCamillo is also the author of Because of Winn-Dixie and Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. If you want to be a writer, write a little bit every day. Pay attention to the world around you. Stories are hiding, waiting everywhere. You just have to open your eyes and your heart.

I also discovered how much time and work goes into creating stories. In college, teachers often complimented me on my writing, and I made the mistake of believing I had a talent for it. I finally realized that talent really doesn't have anything to do with it, but working does. So five days a week, I get up, drink a cup of coffee, and then go to the computer and write. Two pages a day are what I ask of myself. I never want to write, but I'm always glad that I have done it. It takes me about a year to finish a book.


Write it down,
Carma

A Single Shard: YA Novel Book Review

Title: A Single Shard

Author: Linda Sue Park

Publisher: Clarion books (April 23 2001)

Hardcover: 152 pages

Age Group: 9 to 12

ISBN: 10-0395978270

ISBN: 13-978-0395978276

Historical fiction novel, A Single Shard, is the 2002 Newbery Medal award winner. Sometimes you can get a hint of a story by the title. At first glance the title threw me off because it did not sound like the type of book a ten or 12-year old would read. Linda Sue Park gives readers insight to an unfamiliar period of twelfth-century Korea which chronicles the life of an orphan, a homeless man and a talented potter.

Tree-ear was named for a “mushroom that grows without benefit of parents” by Crane Man who was so called because of his one shriveled leg. No one knows where Tree-ear came from. Rumor had it that his parents were killed in an accident.

In order to survive Tree-ear rummages through garbage dumps and scavenges for food every day and if he is lucky he is able to pick up some left over rice that no one wants. Crain-man, who is a straw weaver, tries to do his part but because of his disability he is only able to manage some scavenging near the rivers edge where they live. Crane-man is the only family Tree-ear has ever known.

Tree-ear made a habit of stopping at potter Min’s outdoor studio to watch him create delicate celadon pottery. One day Tree-ear accidentally breaks a pot. In order to pay for damages, Tree-ear goes into servitude for nine days and ends up working full time for the potter. Naturally Tree-ear hopes Min will teach him the pottery trade but Min has no intention of training a boy who is not related to him. Min and Tree-ear begin a precarious relationship. This is a well-developed account of triumph of a boy who shouldn't have overcome the odds but did.

This story is well worth reading. The passages describing how this beautiful celadon pottery was made over 700 years ago will intrigue any reader. Park’s dialogue and prose are a prime example of the adage for writers. “Show don’t tell.”

About the Author: Linda Sue Park

Linda Sue Park was born and raised in Illinois. The daughter of Korean immigrants, she has been writing poems and stories since she was 4 years old, and her favorite thing to do as a child was read.

Park was first published when she was 9 years old. She was paid one whole dollar for a haiku that ran in a children's magazine. Her father still has the one-dollar check in a frame above his desk.

Write it down,

Carma

Skellig: A Book Review

Title: Skellig
Author: David Almond
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 182 pages
Publisher: Laurel Leaf (September 11, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0440229081
ISBN-13: 978-0440229087

Skellig has a distinctive British feel to it but it is not confusing to American readers. Author, David Almond, never defines who Skellig really is other than in the context of a fantasy character. The short chapters make the story move smoothly forward and entice the reader to want more.

Michael, his baby sister and his parents move into what the real estate agent calls a fixer upper but Michael sees it for what it is. A horrible dump where the floor is full of cracks and holes. The old rickety abandoned shed out in the yard is another eyesore and Michael is warned to stay out. Of course as soon as you tell a teenager don’t go in there, what do you think he or she will do? Michael never imagines he will see anything other than junk and a mouse or two. When he steps into the dusty structure his first look at Skellig is astonishing. Michael thinks he may never see him again or if he is even real.

“He was lying there in the darkness behind the tea chests, in the dust and dirt. It was as if he’d been there forever. He was filthy and pale and dried out and I thought he was dead. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’d soon begin to see the truth about him, that there’d never been another creature like him in the world.”

Skellig is neither pure fantasy nor realistic fiction but rather a blend of both. Michael soon meets his home-schooled neighbor, Mina who has a passion for William Blake’s poetry, a vast knowledge of birds and a low opinion of public schools. Mina and Michael become close friends and Michael shares his secret about Skellig with her. Together they mend Skellig’s weakening body and move him to a secret hiding place away from danger of being discovered. During the move Michael brushes his hands across Skellig’s back and feels what appears to be a pair of wings.

The mysterious connection between Skellig, Michael, his sister and Mina is expertly woven by Almond’s magical and poignant prose. The story line hovers between life and death for Michael’s sister and Skellig’s own failing health. Everything about Skellig is up to interpretation by the reader. However, there is a tension of magnetism about Skellig that draws the reader into the individual qualities of nature versus nurture. Michael’s father and mother nurture their critically ill daughter, Michael nurtures Skellig and Mina nurtures the little birds and owls in the empty house her grandfather left her.

The book is written for an audience of eight to twelve year olds but I believe many adults will enjoy this story because it shows the value of friendship, family unity, trust and love.

Write it down,

Carma

Book Review: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!

It is Children's Book Review week at The National Writing for Children Center this week. My review of Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! is the first review of the week. Surf on over to read and leave a comment.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! is the Newbery Medal winner for 2008. One thing strikes me in this medieval historical fiction of individual monologues and that is the characters do not speak of their poverty with any resentment. Like many children they are cheerful and show moments of daring acts. Each character attribute is written in a matter-of-fact-that-is-just-the-way-it-is manner. Kids are just trying to figure out what their position is within the Lord’s Manor.

Write it down,

Carma

Book Review: Holes

Title: Holes
Author: Louis Sachar
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 233 pages
Publisher: Dell Yearling (May 2000)
An imprint of Random House Children’s Books
ISBN: 0-440-41480-6

Holes is the 1999 Newbery Medal winner and joins the ranks of classic children’s literature. I have been reviewing Newbery Medal winner's for the past couple of months now and am hoping to instill a renewal of love for these incredible classics.

To read the rest of this review visit Suzanne Lieurance's The National Writing for Children Center

I highly recommend this book for parents and children from eight on up.

About the Author: Louis Sachar was born on 20 March 1954, in East Meadow, New York. In 1976, he went to the University of California, where he studied economics. While at university he became a teacher's aide to gain extra credit; it turned out to be his favorite class and inspired him to write children's books. After graduation he worked in a sweater warehouse in Connecticut and wrote at night. After he was fired from that job he moved on to law school. In his first week of study, Sideways Stories from Wayside was published. After completing his studies in 1980 he became a part-time lawyer but was compelled to concentrate on his writing full-time.

Write it down,

Carma

Book Review: A Year Down Yonder

Title: A Year Down Yonder
Author: Richard Peck
Reading level: Ages 10-14
Hardcover: 130 pages
Publisher: Dial books for Young Readers
a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.
Jacket cover by Steve Cieslawski
Publication: 2000
ISBN-0-8037-2518-3

I loved this book. Humor, sorrow and triumph span the range of emotions. The year was 1937 and fifteen year old Mary Alice was sent from the big city of Chicago to rural Illinois to live for one year with her Grandma Dowdel. Mary Alice was no stranger to rural Illinois because she and her brother Joey would visit there every summer with Grandma Dowdel. But this was to be for a whole year. Mary Alice would have to attend the one room school house and be the outsider and “rich girl” from Chicago in spite of her worn coat.

Grandma Dowdel was a very intimidating woman according to Mary Alice’s description of her. “As the train pulled out behind me, there came Grandma up the platform steps. My goodness, she was a big woman. I’d forgotten. And taller still with her spidery old umbrella held up to keep off the sun of high noon. A fan of white hair escaped the big bun on the back of her head. She drew nearer till she blotted out the day.”

However, the tough exterior of Grandma Dowdel is softened as the reader discovers her warm heart and gentleness which is hidden from everyone except Mary Alice. Grandma Dowdel is full of surprises. When she agrees to make cherry tarts for Mrs. Weidenbach’s DAR celebration of George Washington’s birthday, no one could have known the surprise guest Grandma had in store. Not to mention the special ingredient of Old Turkey Bourbon for the punch. By the end of the party an impostor was exposed and long lost sisters were united and you are left rolling on the floor with laughter.

About the Author.
Richard Peck captured the voice of a teenage girl flawlessly. His immersion into the teen age mind and heart was excellent. Richard Peck has produced over twenty-five acclaimed novels. A Long Way from Chicago was named the 1999 Newbery Honor Book, a National Book Award finalist, and an ALA Best Book for young Adults. From these pages Mary Alice and Grandma Dowdel made their debut in A Year Down Yonder the 2001 Newbery Award winner.

Write it down,

Carma

Book Review: Mrs. Marlowe's Mice

Title: Mrs. Marlowe’s Mice
Author: Frank Asch
Ages: 5 to 8 years
Hard Cover: 32 pages
Illustrator: Devin Asch
Publisher: Kids Can Press
ISBN: 978-1-55453-022-9
Publication: 2007

Mrs. Eleanor Marlowe leads a double life. During the day she works at the Purrington Street Library as a respected feline librarian. By night she harbors a family of mice. Every day she has to sneak by her nosy neighbor Mrs. Godfrey who suspects Mrs. Marlowe of hiding something.

Mrs. Marlowe’s mice keep the apartment spic and span while she works and she keeps her mice well fed with lots of cheese. Some of the mice wonder if Mrs. Marlowe is trying to fatten them up for the kill.

“Oh, what a horrid thing to say Albert!” squeaked Aunt Gerty. “You know perfectly well that Mrs. Marlowe invited us to come live with her out of the kindness of her heart.”

“And at great risk to her own welfare, I might add!” said Grandpa Paul.

Mrs. Marlowe lives in Catland and cats that shelter mice are severely punished. The Department of Catland Security keeps a close watch for mice and those cats who would harbor them. One day two security cats; Lieutenant Manx and Sergeant Baxter, come pounding on Marlowe’s door demanding to search the premises.

Can Mrs. Marlowe out wit her accusers? Everything is going fine until little Billy falls from his hiding place. No one could have predicted what happened next. Is Mrs. Marlowe a mouse sympathizer or not? There is just enough suspense to the story to give a child’s imagination a lot of imagining room. No one knows for sure whose side Mrs. Marlowe is really on until the end of the book.

Adding to the suspense are outstanding computer generated graphics. The pictures complement the book's overall tone and theme and look a little like tinted photographs. The composition and sequence of the pictures give the book a movie picture quality. The Computer illustrations show a mixture of realism and surrealism that go along with the book’s creative use of pure fantasy. Toddlers and young elementary students will enjoy this book about good cats versus bad cats.

About the author: Frank Asch and Devin Asch are a father and son team. Frank Asch has been writing and illustrating children’s books for over 40 years. Devin Asch is an accomplished photographer and illustrator. Mrs. Marlowe’s Mice is the second major collaboration between this talented father and son team. Their previous book together, Mr. Maxwell’s Mouse, has garnered many honors and starred reviews.

The graphics in Mrs. Marlowe’s Mice is what first caught my eye on the library shelf. Adults may read other perspective views into the plot and this is what makes the book so original. The moral of the story? If cats and mice can find a way to get along, then anything is possible.

Write it down,

Carma

Book Review - The Candy Shop War - Brandon Mull

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull is a fantastic novel. Go over to The National Writing for Children Center to read my review. Then pick up a copy of The Candy Shop War for yourself and read it.

Also, Brandon Mull is the New York Times bestselling author of Fablehaven. Book three is due out this summer. Check out the Fablehaven website here.

Book Review: The Higher Power of Lucky/ Newbery Medal Winner 2007

Title: The Higher Power of Lucky

Author: Susan Patron

Hardcover: 134 pages

Ages: 8 to 12 years

Illustrated by: Matt Phelan

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

An Imprint of Simon & Schuster

ISBN: 13: 978-1-4169-0194-5

ISBN: 10: 1-4169-01949-9

Lucky Trimble is ten years old and lives in the desert town of Hard Pan. CA (pop 43) with her dog, HMS Beagle and her French guardian, Brigitte. Lucky spends her spare time eavesdropping on twelve-step programs like Alcoholic Anonymous and smokers anonymous where she learns about a higher power that helps people when they hit rock-bottom.

Lucky yearns to find her own higher power that will help her stop Brigitte from going back to France and putting her into an orphanage. At least that is the conclusion Lucky has jumped too. Lucky is tenacious and vulnerable and has a tendency to jump to conclusions. But first she needs to find her higher power because she knows her rock-bottom will be here soon.

Lucky is suspicious that Brigitte is tired of taking care of her and wants to leave Hard Pan and go back to France. Lucky begins to pile up evidence that Brigitte will leave any day now. This gives Lucky a sense of urgency to hurry and run away before Brigitte has a chance to leave. Even the warnings of an approaching dust storm will not deter Lucky from her destiny with her higher power.

This is a complex story with a lot of back story but Patron makes her characters charming. The young characters seem to be older but they are all dealing with unusual conditions forcing them to accept the harshness of life earlier than most. Lucky’s best friend Lincoln Clinton Carter Kennedy has a knot tying fetish and five year old Miles who lives down the street is an orphan addicted to cookies and Lucky has not yet come to terms with the death of her mother or abandonment by her father.

About the Author:Susan Patron is also the author of Maybe Yes, Maybe No, Maybe Maybe (an ALA Notable Book, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 1993 Parent’s Choice Award and a New York Public Library Children's Book List selection) and four picture books. She has spent most of her life at the Los Angeles Public Library, both as a child and an adult. She is currently their Juvenile Materials Collection Development Manager.

Write it down,

Carma

Walk Two Moons: Newbery Medal Winner Book Review

Title: Walk Two Moons

Author: Sharon Creech

Hardcover: 280 pages

Ages: 9 to 12

Publisher: Harper Collins

ISBN: 0-06-023334-6

ISBN: 0-06-023337-0

Walk Two Moons is the tale of thirteen year old Salamanca (Sal) Tree Hiddle and her trek from Euclid, Ohio to Lewiston, Idaho with her zany grandparents. Through humor, wit and poignancy Walk Two Moons addresses dying, loving and grieving. I loved this story. The plot twists, satire and charming characters come alive on every page. Another great facet about Walk Two Moons is how the main character, narrates a parallel story of grief and love while she sorts out her own heartaches.

Sal’s mother leaves home without warning and Sal experiences a feeling of abandonment even with all the post cards her mother sends to her. When Sal’s father announces her mother will not be coming home, Sal is devastated. Still, she and her father move to Euclid, Ohio against Sal’s desire.

Sal’s grandparents, Grams and Gramps Hiddle are determined to help Sal get to Lewiston, Idaho before her mother’s birthday. However instead of following a direct route they follow the scenic tour bus route.

In order to pass the time and keep her mind off of her Gramps crazy driving, Sal narrates the story of her friend Phoebe’s mother who also left home. Phoebe is adamant her mother did not leave home on her own accord rather Phoebe believes her mother has been kidnapped by a lunatic who delivers notes with strange messages like “Don’t judge a man until you’ve walked two moons in his moccasins.”

Additionally, Walk Two Moons provides a glimpse of how families can react differently to similar circumstances and still hold on to a solid foundation of love and warmth. As you begin to learn about Sal’s grandparents and the deep love they share you also learn about Sal’s friend Mary Lou and her family who are openly rambunctious and affectionate with each other in comparison to Phoebe’s family who are uncomfortable with outward signs of affection.

Creech’s talent to write two story lines simultaneously is the essence of Walk Two Moons. There are so many things to admire about this book that a mere few lines of plot description will not do it justice. However, just when you think you know where the plot is headed, Creech drops a few surprises on you and a curve ball is thrown right between the pages. Walk Two Moons speaks on a level that all middle grade students can relate too. The plot unfolds nicely and yet the end is still a surprise. Don’t be surprised if a small tear trickles down your cheek too.


Author Sharon Creech was awarded the 1994 Newbery Medal award for Walk Two Moons and Newbery Honor Book for The Wanderer. She is also the first American to win the Carnegie medal for her book Ruby Holler. For nine months of the year she lives in England and teaches American and British literature. You can visit her website at http://www.sharoncreech.co.uk/

Write it down,

Carma

The Locket, Surviving the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Book Review

Title: The Locket, Surviving the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

Author: Suzanne Lieurance

Hardcover: 160 pages

Illustration credits: Library of Congress

Locket: Joan Loitz, Shutterstock.com

Cover Illustration: Original Painting by Corey Wolfe

Ages 9 - 12

Publisher: Enslow Publishers, Inc.

ISBN 13: 978-0-7660-2928-6

ISBN-10: 0-7660-2928-X

The Locket Surviving the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire is a historical novel written for ages 9 to 12. It tells the story of Galena, an eleven year old Russian-Jewish immigrant who lives in New York City in 1911 with her family and works at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory with her older sister Anya. The factory pays low wages, has horrendous working conditions and employs under age children like Galena.

In the early 1900’s joining the union is a dangerous thing to do but Anya longs to improve working conditions for abused workers. Soon a horrible fire erupts and destroys the Triangle Shirt Factory and shatters a young girls dream.

Author, Suzanne Lieurance weaves together the fictional and non-fictional aspects of this historical story with ease. By blending dramatic factual accounts of a historical event using realistic fictional characters, Lieurance brings the reader inside the ill-fated factory. Lieurance’s account is truly a step back in time to understand how a young Jewish immigrant girl uses the support of her Jewish traditions, family and friends for inspiration to fight for workers rights.

The Locket also has an educator's guide available for teachers and parents. Go to Enslow Publishing and click on "what's new". Scroll down to Historical Fiction Adventures and click on The Locket. Next click on “Free educator’s guide." This guide is a fantastic supplement with additional reading suggestions, discussion questions and other activities.

I will be interviewing children’s author Suzanne Lieurance later in this week so be sure to check back often. You don’t want to miss hearing what this motivating author has planned next for her readers.

Write it down,

Carma

Out of the Dust Bowl: Book Review

Title: Out of the Dust
Author: Karen Hesse
Hardcover: 227 pages
Ages: 9 and older
Publisher: Scholastic Press
ISBN:0-590-36080-9
First Edition: October 1997




Out of the Dust is a riveting, evocative and mournful story of depression. Karen Hesse’s novel narrows the focus of the catastrophic Dust Bowl in the Southwest during the 1930’s to a single family living in Oklahoma. Through a series of free verse poems the forlorn voice of fourteen-year-old Billie Jo Kelby takes the reader through grim domestic realities and constant dust storms. However Billie Jo still has dreams of a future.

On the Road with Arley

Here’s the way I figure it.
My place in the world is at the piano.
I’m earning a little money playing,
thanks to Arley Wanderdale.
……And every little crowd
is grateful to hear a rag or two played
on the piano
by a long-legged, red-haired girl,
even when the piano has a few keys soured by dust.

The starkness of Billie Jo’s circumstances immerses the reader deep into a first hand account of the Depression. On each page you will find yourself completely absorbed in the daily struggle for survival. Hesse's voice espouses realism on every page and you can almost taste the grit and dust in your own teeth.

Rules of Dining

We shake out our napkins,
spread them on our laps,
and flip over our glasses and plates,
exposing neat circles,
round comments
on what life would be without dust.

This book does not provide background or history on any of the characters or events like straight prose might require. Therefore some middle grade children may have trouble understanding the depth and meaning of some of the verses. However, Hesse’s words are so powerful that you can see and feel the history and in some cases desperation in words like;

“As summer wheat came ripe,
so did I,
born on the kitchen floor. Ma crouched,
barefoot, bare bottomed
over the swept boards
because that is where daddy said it’d be best.”

You meet families migrating to California only to find things are just as bad there. Not enough jobs. The amount of dust that Billie Jo and her family endure on a daily basis is overwhelming and mind boggling. Dust clogs the tractor motor, ruins the wheat crop, creeps into the bed sheets and ruins Billie Jo’s precious piano. It rings true that Billie Joe and her family eats sleeps and drinks dust.

Blankets of Black

We watched as the storm swallowed the light.
The sky turned from blue
to black,
night descended in an instant
and the dust was on us

I was moved emotionally by Hesse’s free standing verse. Each poem is a work of art giving the people of Billie Jo's small Oklahoma town depth and purpose.

Karen Hesse won the 1998 Newbery Award for this elegantly crafted and powerfully effective novel. She is also the Newbery Medal winning author of ten books for children. Among them is The Music of Dolphins, which was named a Best Book of 1996.


Write it down,

Carma

Book Review: Strawberry Girl

Title: Strawberry Girl
Author: Lois Lenski
Illustrator: Lois Lenski
Hard Cover: 194 pages
Ages: 8 to 12
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0-397-30109-X
0-397-30110-3

Strawberry Girl is the first book in my book review series of Newbery Medal winners. Over the coming weeks I will review three additional Newbery Medal winners based on historical fiction and regional stories describing American life during a particular time period.

Lois Lenski was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1946 for Strawberry Girl. This is one of many books Lenski wrote with an emphasis on regional stories allowing young readers to get a taste of how American children lived during the early part of the twentieth century.

Strawberry Girl is an interesting read. At first glance the title and the cover picture of a young girl carrying a fruit basket can mislead the reader to expect a cute little story of a young girl who loves strawberries. Conversely, the story is more about clashes and tribulations between farmers and cattlemen along with how they resolved violent conflict than it is picking strawberries.

Strawberry Girl depicts two families, the Boyer’s and the Slater’s. The Boyer’s move from North Carolina to Florida to raise strawberries, sweet potatoes and harvest oranges. The Slater’s are cattle people and have lived in central Florida for a long time. They do not believe in putting up fences and they let their cattle roam all over the county even if it means destroying their neighbor’s crops. The two families argue through out the entire book. The Slater family thinks the Boyer’s are “uppidity” because of the Boyer’s successful farming enterprises. The Slater’s routine is to sit back and do nothing to improve their way of life.

This way of thinking creates hostile actions and feelings between the two families. Violence and drunkenness escalate through out the story. This book may cross the line with many adults when the neighbors begin to kill each others animals in addition to the school teacher getting beat up by the Slater boys. This incident forced the school to close for weeks. Certainly a little discussion with young children may be desired to explain why these incidents happened.

Additionally, Lenski writes in a Florida backwoods dialect typical of the time period which might be too challenging for third and fourth graders to read. I think this story should be read aloud to get the full effect of what the southern dialogue sounded like. For example, talk like

“Ha, ha! Hain’t no dog! Hit’s a coon.” and “ will git you yet, jest you wait.”

However, I don’t believe this book won the Newbery Award for its depiction of aggression. Times were hard in the early 1900’s and resolution of conflicts back then is not typical of today. Strawberry Girl explains the day to day activities of the Boyer family. A young reader can learn exactly how to grind sugar cane and pull it for fun afterwards. Also the book explains the details of Florida weather in the spring and summer. Additionally it goes into detail on how to raise strawberries in sandy soil. Part of the charm of "Strawberry Girl" is in describing how the old Florida pioneers did it.

Strawberry Girl is a sharply written novel about harsh times. It accurately describes a true to life pioneer adventure.

Write it down,

Carma

Voices from The Newbery Medal Past

In case you haven’t heard the news yet, Laura Amy Schlitzs’ work for Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! has been awarded the 2008 Newbery Medal for children’s literature. Click here to read the full article in The Baltimore Sun.

According to Candlewick editor, Mary Lee Donovan, Schlitz’s book Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! was the most exciting submission she has had in her 23-year career. Congratulations to Laura Amy Schlitz!

Take note: It was an editorial assistant who plucked Laura Schlitz’s manuscript from the dreaded slush pile, (which is the first stop for All manuscripts.) This is encouraging, to me at least, because it means hope is alive for every writer who sends a piece of their soul to unknown hands.

Newbery Medal winners are selected for their distinguished contribution to American Literature for children. I have selected four past Newbery Medal winners to read and will be posting book reviews on them in the coming weeks. The subject matter of each book is timeless because they deal with a specific period of time in our history.

Past Newbery winners are: Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (ages 12 to 14, awarded 1998)

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George (ages 10 and up, awarded 1973)

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (ages 8 – 12, awarded 1994)

Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski (mid-grade, awarded 1946) .

Stay Tuned.

Carma

Book Review - The Magic Kerchief

Title: The Magic Kerchief

Author: Kirby Larson

Illustrator: Rosanne Litzinger

Hard Cover: 32 pages

Ages: 4 to 8

Publisher: Holiday House - First edition (September 2000)

ISBN-10: 0823414736

ISBN-13: 978-0823414734

Kirby Larson has written a captivating original folktale with a message everyone can relate to. The story may be set in the past but is all too timely for today. The protagonist, Griselda, the town "grouch", reluctantly offers a stranger a place to stay after she mysteriously appears at Griselda’s door. In fact, Griselda was quite snappy with the visitor and was ready to have her sleep on the floor by the fire but the visitor fell asleep in Griselda’s bed. The next morning, the kind visitor insisted on repaying for Griselda’s kindness with a magical scarf, promising it held great riches.

Crabby Griselda did not believe, but the scarf was nevertheless charming so Griselda tied it on and went to market. The phenomenon that happened at market was truly miraculous. Griselda lost the sting of her tongue when she shopped at the bakery and when she passed by the Lord Mayor. The only words she usually muttered to the Lord Mayor were “Paah, a donkey on two legs is still a donkey.” Instead, wearing the special kerchief, she greeted the Lord Mayor with “My aches and pains vanish when I greet an old friend.” No one was used to Griselda saying nice words. Everyone was surprised. Griselda learned through the kindness of a stranger that to have a friend you must be a friend.

The charming folk-art illustrations are done in soothing pastels and all the characters are rounded like stuffed pillows, which lends to the humorous flavor of Larson’s words. The art dominates each page and depicts an original scene with bright back ground color. This book is worth owning yourself and for gift giving.

About the author: Kirby Larson is the acclaimed author of the 2007 Newberry Honor Book, Hattie Big Sky, a young adult novel she wrote inspired by her great-grandmother, Hattie Inez Brooks Wright, who homesteaded by herself in eastern Montana as a young woman. In addition, Kirby has written three books for children, including the award-winning picture book, The Magic Kerchief. A frequent speaker, Kirby has presented at more than 200 schools, workshops, and seminars.

Write it down,

Carma

American Diaries: Book Review

Title: American Diaries: Janey G. Blue: Pearl Harbor, 1941

Author: Kathleen Duey

Ages: 10 - 12

Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks

ISBN: 0-689-84404-2

Publication: May 2001

American Diaries are books written in a similar fashion as a series except the characters do not repeat. Also, American Diaries books are about 140 pages in length. American Diaries are written through the eyes of a twelve year old within a twenty-four hour period portraying a true historical event or period. The characters are fictional.

For instance I just read Janey G. Blue, Pearl Harbor 1941. Janey is a 12 year old girl who has recently moved from Kansas to Hawaii with her family. Her father is a civil service worker at Hickam Field in Pearl Harbor. Her experiences and impressions of December 7, 1941 take place from Sunday, December 7, 1941 at 7 a.m. to Monday December 8, 1941 at 7 a.m.

Janey loves the trees, fresh fruit and all the people on Oahu but she misses Kansas and her best friend Tilly even more. Besides, all the talk of impending war makes Janey nervous and scared. The evening before December 7, 1941 Janey writes in her diary.

“Last night after the Christmas concert the grown-ups got going about the war again. Holy Golly, I am sick of hearing it. Its bad enough we have to listen to the planes from Hickam Field drill all the time. Some pilots pretend to be invading and the others practice defending the harbor and the airfields and they all pretend to fight. It’s so noisy that Pokey (dog) hides under the bed.”

Kathleen Duey captures helplessness, fear and anxiety many people must have felt that fateful day; December 7, 1941. Kathleen Duey is an award winning author who has written more than 50 books for children, YA and adults. Thirty-three of these books have been historical and adventure fiction. She also novelized the DreamWorks movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

Write it down,

Carma

Three Book Choices for Middle School Boys

It is important to introduce young people to quality writing and good story telling. I have reprinted the following article Three Book Choices for Middle School Boys by Rebekah Kogelschatz. Good stories encourage children to read. As a children’s writer, promoting reading is what I desire to achieve. Enjoy the article.

As a middle school teacher of students in advanced academics programs, I had the opportunity to read a selection of books for middle grade readers that were published in 2007. The books were selected because of their potential to be Newberry contenders. Although none of them were awarded the highest honor, they are well worth the time for your middle school student to read. These three selections may be of particular interest to boys, but also would be great for any girls to read also.

Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson (Random House): Leepike Ridge is an exciting adventure of Tom and his quest to survive. After hearing the potential wedding plans of his mother and her boyfriend, Tom leaves his home to escape the thought of the marriage. He chooses to float down the nearby stream to clear his head. After a brief sleep, he finds himself slipping into an underground cavern in complete darkness. The story continues with Tom's determination to get out of the cavern alive and the many obstacles he encounters along the way. This story is a page turner with one exciting event after another.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt (Clarion Books): The Wednesday Wars was a Newberry Honor book for 2007. Based in 60's, a 7th grade boy, Holling Hoodhood, is sentenced to Wednesday afternoons with his teacher while the other students attend religious training. At first, what seems like a curse of a unlikable teacher turns into a loving friendship and a great amount of learning about life and education. Holling's antics and situations will make any child laugh. With talk of baseball greats and rats running rampant through the school, any boy is certain to enjoy this story.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Carson Ellis (Little, Brown, and Company): The Mysterious Benedict Society is a longer book, but well worth reading all the way to the end. It follows a group of extremely gifted students that are hand selected to save the world from an evil man trying to control the minds of everyone in the world. The children have to go undercover in a boarding school to discover and foil the plans of Mr. Curtain with the assistance of Mr. Benedict. While trying to be selected to the coveted Messenger position, Kate, Constance, Stickie, and Reynie discover the world is not as easy to figure out even with the highest of intelligence. There are many plot changes and surprises throughout the book that makes the ending even better.

Encouraging boys to read is easy with a great book. Try one of these with your middle school boy or girl and be prepared for some excitement about reading.

Rebekah Kogelschatz is a gifted education teacher. She has taught all grades from pre-school to 8th grade in all subject areas. She is a co-founder of the site http://www.smartmoms-smartbusiness.com/ and the founder of a preschool resource site http://www.preschool-activities-everyday.com/ You can learn more about Rebekah by visiting her blog, http://the-day-of-a-mom.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebekah_Kogelschatz

Write it down,

Carma