The Blue Stone - A Journey Through Life by Jimmy Liao, translated by Sarah Thompson

Today, I'm presenting Mighty Mom's first review at The Well-Read Child.

The Blue Stone: A Journey Through Life by Jimmy Liao, translated by Sarah Thompson

An enormous blue stone lies peacefully in the forest until the day it is discovered by people. The people split the stone in two, leaving one half undisturbed while taking the other to a sculptor's workshop to be carved. There, the artist turns the stone into a massive grey elephant. The people delight in sculptor's creation, but the stone is not happy. It mourns for its forest home and crumbles. The largest remaining piece is delivered to a new artist. This time it is shaped into bird for an old lady's garden. The lady is quite happy with her bird, but the stone is not. Again, it falls to pieces. And so the pattern continues: the stone, transformed repeatedly by humans, crumbles each time it remembers its true home. Only when it finally turns to dust can a breath of wind bring it back to where it belongs. There, in the forest, the stone finds peace.

When I first read The Blue Stone to myself, I found it incredibly sad. Author-Illustrator Jimmy Liao and translator, Sarah L. Thomson create in both word and image a sense of inconsolable longing for a place remembered. Later, I read the book a second time with my children, ages 5 and 7. It was clear they appreciated a more positive, uplifting layer to the story. They were excited to see the stone reinvented again and again. The question, "What's it going to be next?" propelled them to the book's conclusion despite it's heavy-hearted narrative.

Living where we do, in Switzerland, most English-speaking children live quite far from the their cultural home, much like the blue stone during the bulk of this story. On the one hand, The Blue Stone might provoke interesting discussion on homesickness; on the other, the suggestion that such feelings can only be resolved by returning to one's place of origin is an unfortunate conclusion. That said, I would be unlikely to read this story in a classroom setting, particularly here. It would be better shared on an individual basis, ideally to initiate discussion with a child going through a painful transition. In truth, I would prefer a book that offered a balanced outlook change. Unfortunately, The Blue Stone – A Journey Through Life isn't it.

What Other Bloggers are Saying:

Mayra's Secret Bookcase: "The Blue Stone is a beautiful story book about hope and rebirth. The illustrations are evocative and mysterious, perfectly matching the eerie resonance of the prose. This is also a story about time and the effect it has on things. This unusual book will make a lovely gift for any child." (read more...)

Bloomabilities: "This is a story of the different possibilities of life, and finding home again." (read more...)

Pinot and Prose: "It really isn’t for the picture book crowd, though some kids may enjoy browsing the illustrations. It’s really ideal for older kids, and it’ll be a good graduation gift..." (read more...)


More info:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316113832
• ISBN-13: 978-0316113830
• Source: Review copy from publisher
  

Crocs! by David T. Greenberg , illustrated by Lynn Munsinger

For today's Poetry Friday selection, I'm offering up Crocs!, a rhyming picture book by "the emerging poet of gross," David T. Greenberg. Told in second person, which is unique in itself, a boy leaves the city for what promises to be a quiet vacation away from "Roaches in your omelets/ pigeons dropping bomblets/ wild poodles stalking you in gangs." At first he's having a nice time relaxing, but is soon surrounded by tons of crocodiles intent on disturbing his peaceful vacation. They soon invade his life, and the boy soon starts getting the urge to act like a crocodile. The surprise ending is cute and satisfying even though it is a bit cheesy.

So, you know, it's very difficult to tell a story in rhyme. Children's book authors often try it and often fail because it's hard to make the rhymes work. While Crocs! is not a failure, there are moments when the rhymes really work like in the beginning of the book, "Isn't it a pity/ That you had to leave the city/ Because of the all the horrifying critters/ Giant tabby cats/ And defiant scabby rats/ Large enough to swallow baby-sitters."

And then there are times when the rhythm is off a bit: "Crocodiles growling/ Crocodiles Howling/ At the very tops of their lungs/ Crocodiles thrashing/ Wildly smashing/ Crocs with studs in their tongues."

However, Lynn Munsinger's illustrations are very funny and had me laughing out loud in places. Goofy-looking crocodiles are in all types of funny situations. You see a long-lashed crocodile putting on lipstick, another painting her nails bright pink, a couple of crocodiles unsuccessfully trying to floss their teeth, a crocodile chef with a wok, noodles in its mouth and all over the place, and many many more. Because of this, I can forgive some of the weak poetry in the book even though I really do wish it was just a tad bit better.

I think many kids will enjoy the absurdity of the situations depicted in the book and will reach for it again and again.

Visit the Poetry Friday roundup at author amok.



What Other Bloggers are Saying:

Charlotte's Library: "...this book is fun to read aloud, and fun to look at, and kind of strange. Definitely one for the child who appreciates more than a bit of surreality with their playful, rollicking verse." (read more...)

A Patchwork of Books: "The illustrations are a perfect match to the story and your little ones will be giggling at the silliness of the crocs and the great faces on the boy." (read more...)


More info:

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316073067
• ISBN-13: 978-0316073066
• Source: Review copy from publisher
  

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

I've been avoiding writing about Breaking Dawn because I was REALLY REALLY trying to think of something nice to say. Well, I don't have anything nice to say. Icky Icky Poo Poo.

Luckily, Elizabeth Hand is more mature than me and summed up the series, along with a review of Breaking Dawn in The Washington Post. Warning...it contains spoilers, so don't read her review if you want to suffer through the torture of reading Breaking Dawn on your own. I wholeheartedly agree with her, especially when she says, "The most devoted readers will no doubt try to make excuses for this botched novel, but Meyer has put a stake through the heart of her own beloved creation."

Alright, devoted readers. What's your excuse?

Sergio Makes a Splash by Edel Rodriguez

Sergio Makes a Splash by Edel Rodriguez
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (May 1, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0316066168
ISBN-13: 978-0316066167
Source of book: Review copy from publisher



In this adorable picture book, the title character, Sergio, a young penguin has a serious dilemma. He LOVES water--ice, baths, rain, puddles--but he doesn't love the "very deep kind." Why? Because he can't swim. Yep, that's right. Sergio is a penguin who can't swim. When his class goes on a field trip to the ocean, he is naturally frightened. But can a little encouragement from his teacher and classmates plus arm floaties, a snorkel, and life preserver give him the courage to jump in?

Edel Rodriguez's oil-based woodblock ink and digital media illustrations are fun and charming, and children will be drawn in by the bright aqua blue of the ocean that is the background throughout the book. And seriously...who can resist a penguin with arm and ankle floaties, a snorkle, and a polka-dotted life preserver?

This is a very fun book that could help give kids the courage to try something they may be afraid of, including taking that first plunge into the pool.

Graphic Novel Review: In the Small by Michael Hague

In the Small by Michael Hague
Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (May 1, 2008)
Amazon Price: $14.99 (usd)
ISBN-10: 0316013234
ISBN-13: 978-0316013239
Source of Book: ARC from publisher



A longtime fan of Michael Hague's illustrations (Peter Pan , The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and more), I was eager to get my hands on his newest endeavor.

In the Small is a graphic novel with a very intriguing premise. A flash of blue light strikes the Earth, killing many humans. The ones who survive are shrunk to six inches tall, and snakes, spiders, cats, birds, rats, and more now prey upon them. Teenage siblings, Mouse and Beat, set upon a mission to lead survivors back to their home where there is a greenhouse, water, and most importantly, safety. But are they really safe and for how long?

Michael Hague does not disappoint with the illustrations, and any fan of graphic novels will be impressed with his detailed, action-packed, life-like art. The story itself will intrigue many sci-fi and fantasy fans. However, I felt it was a little sparse. I yearned for more details and more character development. People get killed in the story, but as I was reading, I honestly hadn't had the opportunity to get to know them enough to really feel anything except, "well, that's unfortunate that the bird got her." The story also only focuses on Mouse and Beat's story, and I wondered what was going on in the rest of the world. Aside from this, I do think that many kids who are into graphic novels will like this, especially since the cliffhanger ending leaves us wanting more.

Sweethearts Blog Tour: Interview with Sara Zarr

I recently had the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader copy of Sweethearts and interview the author, Sara Zarr. Her first novel, Story of a Girl , was a 2007 National Book Award Finalist, and I predict her second novel, Sweethearts, will win even more. It's truly amazing...See my review here.

A special thanks to Sara for so thoughtfully answering my questions:
The Well-Read Child (TWRC): In Story of a Girl, Deanna is an outcast at school, and in Sweethearts, Jenna and Cameron were both school outcasts when they were younger, all for different reasons. Why have you chosen to make your main characters unpopular kids who've faced some very tough situations in life? Are you basing these characters on people you've known in your own life?

Sara Zarr (SZ): The older I get and the more conversations I have with people about the experience of adolescence, the more I realize that virtually everyone feels like an outcast at some point in their childhood or teen years---even the kids we look at from the outside and identify as popular or as fitting in. I definitely felt that way, even though I didn’t personally experience any prolonged or extreme ostracizing. That feeling, whether or not it’s based in reality, seems so universal…almost biologically innate. I’m interested in exploring that feeling, so my stories tend to externalize it to make it more concrete. From the concrete I can delve into the more abstract and emotional parts of it. So to answer the latter part of your question: yes and no. I based those feelings of isolation on my own experience and what I’ve observed in others, but neither Jenna/Jennifer nor Deanna were based on anyone real.

TWRC: How did the idea for Sweethearts come to you?
SZ: I did have a little boyfriend in grade school---Mark---who left a ring and note in my lunch bag one day. Years later, when I was an adult, he found me online and we got back in touch via email. Considering how young we were when we knew each other, I found (and find) it strange and mysterious that we still share a meaningful connection. It got me thinking about that inexplicable kind of bonding that can happen between some children, and I wondered if Mark and I had gone to the same junior high and high school if that bond would have held---if we still would have been friends, if we would have dated, and just how strong that loyalty would really be in the face of the normal changes friendships go through between childhood and adolescence, but we never had because we lost touch between second grade and age thirty. So the book started by exploring that “what if” and going from there.

TWRC: As I was reading Sweethearts, I felt that I was peering into Jenna's soul and actually feeling what she was feeling. I felt a lump in the pit of my stomach as she relived that terrifying day at Cameron's house, and I could actually feel her anger and confusion and heartache when Cameron came back. As you were writing the book, how did you manage to so successfully convey her thoughts and feelings?

SZ: First of all, thanks, because that’s a great compliment! Every writer hopes to draw readers into the character’s world and let them experience the emotions, too. Second, I have no idea how I did it. It’s just something that happened in the process of rewriting and rewriting, and my editor kept pushing, saying that for the bond to be believable the reader really, really had to feel it with Jenna or else the whole story wouldn’t work. So there was a lot at stake if I didn’t get it right!

TWRC: What is your favorite scene in Sweethearts?
SZ: I have a few, but the one that jumps to mind (maybe because it’s cold and snowy right now) is the scene with Jenna and Cameron on the porch in the early morning hours after a snowfall. I grew up in San Francisco where there was no snow, and even though I’ve lived in Utah seven years now I still think those first few snowfalls of the season are so magical and romantic. I wanted to set the book during the transition from fall to winter just so I could have a snow scene!

TWRC: Do you identify with any of the characters in the book?
SZ: Oh, definitely. There’s a lot of me in Jenna. I used food throughout my childhood and young adulthood the way she does, and I’ve always wanted to explore that in a story without making it a story about an eating disorder. And I’ve been the fat kid, and have lost weight, and experienced that dissonance of carrying around the fat emotions in a different body. Having grown up in a household with alcoholism, I also identify with her feelings of needing to be in control and feeling like something bad could happen at any second.

TWRC: What do you hope your readers get out of Sweethearts?
SZ: The most important thing is that they have a great and hopefully satisfying reading experience.

TWRC: Why do you write young adult books? Have you ever thought about writing for other age groups?
SZ: I don’t know, really. When ideas for stories come into my head, they’re always about teenagers. Even when an idea for a story with adults comes to mind, I immediately start thinking how to tell it with teen characters. It’s kind of a mystery. I do hope to have a long career during which I can try a lot of different things, so we’ll see.

TWRC: Where do you write?
SZ: Wherever…the couch, at a desktop computer, home, my office. I don’t tend to need a particular setting as long as I’m comfortable and clear-headed.

TWRC: What other books or authors have influenced you the most?
SZ: My favorite authors when I got into YA were Robert Cormier, Madeleine L’Engle, M.E. Kerr, Brock Cole, Han Nolan. I also love Anne Tyler and Jonathan Franzen and Nathanael West. I’d love to write a novel someday that is as heartbreaking and funny as something of Anne Tyler’s. I think I have heartbreaking down, but I’d like to be able to have more of that kind of “aren’t we humans stupidly funny?” humor that Tyler does so well, because that’s more true to my core personality. My books might leave people with the impression that I am carrying around a big old load of angst all the time, but the truth is I love to laugh and am fairly easy going.

TWRC: What can we look forward to seeing from you next?
SZ: I’ve got an essay in an anthology on body image coming out this fall. It’s called Does This Book Make Me Look Fat? and in my essay I explore some of the stuff I mentioned about my relationship with food and body. And I’m working on a third book for Little, Brown but it’s too soon to talk about that yet---don’t want to jinx myself!

Thanks so much Sara for taking the time to talk about Sweethearts.

Other stops on the tour:
(I'll be updating throughout the week, so let me know if I've missed you!)
January 28: Kate Messner
February 1: Shelf Elf
February 4th: The Well-Read Child
February 5th: Big A little a
February 6th: Interactive Reader



Other blog reviews:
A Patchwork of Books
Big A little a
Bildungsroman
Booktopia
Bookami
Bookshop Girl
Charlotte's Library
Jen Robinson’s Book Page
Kate Messner
Kids Lit
Teen book review
The Page Flipper
Young Adult (&Kids) Book Central
Shelf Elf

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

Young Adult Pick of the Week:

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (February 1, 2008)
• Language: English

Nine year olds Jennifer and Cameron are the outcasts at their school. Jennifer is overweight, shy, and withdrawn, and Cameron, who comes from an abusive home is just well—different. Both are endlessly teased, and they somehow find each other and form a deep connection. Until one day Cameron doesn’t show up at school, and the teacher says he moved. To say Jennifer is hurt because he didn’t say goodbye is an understatement. She’s crushed and just doesn't understand. Then one day the bullies at recess tell her that Cameron died. When her own mother doesn’t tell her differently, Jennifer is devastated and decides that the only way she can survive is to bury the person she is with him.

Eight years later, Jennifer is now Jenna, and she’s completely reinvented herself. She’s in great shape, goes to a different school, and has lots of friends, including a boyfriend Ethan, the handsomest boy in school. Externally, she seems happy and seems to have the perfect life. Internally, she struggles to keep “Jennifer” inside and is haunted by a terrifying experience that occurred at Cameron’s house on her ninth birthday. On her seventeenth birthday, she discovers that Cameron did not die and that he’s in her town. Memories and suppressed feelings come flooding back as she struggles to cope with this news.

Has their connection remained strong after all these years? Why didn’t he try to contact her before? Why didn’t her mother tell her the truth? What exactly happened at Cameron’s house so many years ago? Do Jenna and Cameron still have such a strong connection after all these years? Will Jenna leave Ethan for Cameron? Can she keep Jennifer inside? Sara Zarr’s second novel Sweethearts answers all these questions through a profound and gut-wrenching story.

Zarr does an exceptional job of drawing you in and make you FEEL Jenna’s emotions. As I was reading, I felt a lump in the pitt of my stomach as Jenna relived the horrifying day at Cameron’s house. I felt anger, confusion, heartache, and fear as Jenna struggles with Cameron’s return and all of the emotions that come flooding in with it.

From the very first chapter I was hooked as I read the following passage:

“Other memories stick, no matter how much you wish they wouldn’t. They’re like a song you hate but can’t ever get completely out of your head, and this song becomes the background noise of your entire life, snippets of lyrics, and lines of music floating up and then receding, a crazy kind of tide that never stops.” (p. 5, Advanced Reader Copy).

In addition to resounding passages like this one, Zarr is careful not to make Jenna “too adult.” She expertly reminds us that Jenna is seventeen through carefully crafted scenarios that take us inside the head of a teenager. Jenna grapples with friendships, her weight and self-image, boyfriends, the pressure to have sex, the pressure to drink—things that many young adults can identify with.

It’s evident that Sara Zarr poured her heart and soul into this book, and I can’t even remember the last time I read a book that resonated with me as much as Sweethearts did. If you liked Story of a Girl,you will love Sweethearts.

Note: Sweethearts goes on sale February 1, 2008. I got the exciting opportunity to interview Sara Zarr about this book, so look for this interview on February 4^th as I take part in the Sweethearts blog tour.

Sara Zarr is also going on a mini-tour to promote Sweethearts. If you live near San Francisco, Salt Lake City, or Phoenix/Tempe, visit her blog for dates and locations!