One Beetle Too Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin by Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by Matthew Trueman

One Beetle Too Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin by Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by Matthew Trueman

Reviewed by Laura Koenig (Bib-Laura-graphy)


Kathryn Lasky and Matthew Trueman's
One Beetle Too Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin takes the reader along on Darwin's journey. The book begins in his youth, and as the text details his academic struggles in childhood and his contentious relationship with his father, children can see the young Darwin's curiosity and love of nature shining through on every page. Darwin's future as a naturalist is visible from the first illustration, where a young Charles trips across a room kicking up dirt and plants and drawings of beetles, surrounded by specimens and snails whose alien-like eyes peek out at him. And when kids read the accompanying text and learn the reason that his cheek is so bulged out - he's got a beetle inside his mouth for safekeeping - curious kids will be hooked.

The bulk of the book takes place during Darwin's voyage on the Beagle and his travels in South America. The narrative voice of the story lets young readers make discoveries and ask questions along with Darwin, with an explanation of each separate step that eventually leads to his theory of evolution. This technique keeps a tough concept clear and engaging for young audiences. The tension between Darwin's new theory and the established creationist theory is also cleverly framed to make it accessible for children. Lasky uses Fitzroy, the Captain of the Beagle, as a foil for Darwin. Their arguments serve both to move Darwin's discoveries forward, and also to give a concrete example of how his work would be received by the general population.

The text is full of small details that will grab the attention of young readers. In my personal favorite episode, Darwin discovers that the delicious meal he has been eating is in fact a rare example of a nearly extinct ostrich. He runs back to the kitchen to save the bones from the cook, and is able to put together a specimen that is instrumental to his work. And this is not the last time that Darwin accidentally eats an important specimen!

While Lasky's text is excellent, it is Matthew Trueman's art that makes this book a standout. The illustrations are densely layered and full of texture, with a level of detail that is extraordinary. The textures and layers use a large number of mediums, and as a read, I found myself wondering how exactly he had created his complicated scenes. In case anyone else is curious about the process, according to the artist, "the illustrations in this book started out as drawings created with acrylic inks, watercolor, and graphite pencil. I moved up the food chain to add gouache and colored pencil. After sealing the pictures with acrylic medium, I did my thicker acrylic painting, then fooled around a little more with graphite and colored pencil. Finally, I added the collage elements, including paper, string, and weeds and wildflowers from my yard and nearby ditches and fields." Trueman uses his mixed mediums to great effect, and the addition of pressed flowers and plants to his already delightful paintings is especially effective. The very real leaves and branches draw attention to the world of nature that was a focus of Darwin's work, especially in scenes that show his notebooks and workspaces. They also serve to make the cartoonish people and animals pop off the page. Trueman's people are constantly in motion, especially Darwin himself, and their action draws the eye immediately. Darwin ages over the course of the book, and I was delighted by the changes to his hair on almost every page.

This book is a treat for curious young scientists, or for anyone who wonders about the world around them.



More info:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (January 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076361436X
• ISBN-13: 978-0763614362
• Source: F&G from publisher
  

Little Panda by Renata Liwska

Little Panda by Renata Liwska
Reviewed by Sheila Jones (Greenridge Chronicles)


Renata Liwska's Little Panda is the sort of book you should buy for your friend who has just had a baby. It's beautiful, it's charmingly illustrated, it involves a lovingly tender parent/child relationship, and it's the sort of book a besotted new parent will love to read over and over again to their little one. When my children were small I always looked for stories like these, illustrated with sparse pencil lines and muted colours, that convey a lot without being too busy or too dramatic.

The author has also illustrated the story, and it is perhaps these illustrations that I liked best, because the story itself, while very sweet, is also very short. But the illustrations are wonderful: Pandas playing; Pandas stripping bamboo leaves; Pandas climbing; Pandas sleeping; Pandas sitting in boats, even. These pandas aren't particularly realistic, but that is perhaps where most of their charm lies: they have elongated necks and backs, they sit up in boats, they wear little Chinese hats, they lean on their elbows, watching, and they smile at each other.

Grandfather Panda starts off, telling a story about a panda and a tiger that flies to his little grandson. Grandson scoffs at this, and Grandfather responds, with the sort of Every Parent remark I love:

"How do you know if you haven't heard the story yet?"

In what I thought was a clever twist, the book starts off in one type, the plain and very modern Avenir, as we are introduced to Grandfather and Grandson, but when Grandfather's story takes over, the type changes to Humanist, with all those calligraphy-like serifs that make it look like an old Chinese story. For the story IS an old one: How Little Panda learns to cope on his own (inadvertently), while Mother Panda is away foraging. Little Panda confronts danger, but emerges victorious, all by himself.

I won't give away the ending, except to say that it resonates in Grandson's present-day world in a way that will make you smile. Oh, and check out the author's website and blog if you'd like to see more of her artwork. It's fabulous.


More Info:

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (October 27, 2008)
• ISBN-10: 0618966277
• ISBN-13: 978-0618966271
• Source: Review copy from publisher
• Author website: http://www.renataliwska.com
• Author blog: http://renataliwska.blogspot.com

Who's getting a Kindle 2?

I don't own a Kindle, but one of my friends has one, and it's super cool. Amazon announced that they're accepting pre-orders for the Kindle 2 starting today, and I want one in the worst way. Do any of you have a Kindle or planning to get the Kindle 2?

10 Things I Can Do to Help My World: Fun and Easy Eco Tips by Melanie Walsh

10 Things I Can Do to Help My World: Fun and Easy Eco-Tips by Melanie Walsh

Reviewed by Callista at SMS Book Reviews.

This is a picture book for ages 3 and up that is designed to teach your child some "fun and easy eco-tips."

"I use... both sides of the paper. If everybody did this, it would greatly reduce the number of trees we use to make paper."

The book is a little bit unusual in that the pages aren't all the same size and square. First of all in the 0 of the 10 on the front cover is an upside down light bulb cut right out of the cover. Also the page that shows exhaust from a car, you turn the exhaust to see the rest of the picture. One page shows garbage and recyclables and compost and bins on the opposite page with their openings cut out. So when you turn the page, the proper items are in each container (compost, cans, glass, paper, plastic.)

The book is really neat and has great ideas. I'm only not sure about one of them. It says to remind your parents to unplug the tv when we are not watching it. First of all if the child decides to unplug it themselves they could hurt themselves. Second of all, who really does that?? I don't know about you but I'd waste more personal energy pulling the entertainment stand out each time to plug and unplug the tv than I would electical energy by leaving it plugged in.


To top it all off, the book is made from 100% recycled material.
I plan to use this book to help teach my children about helping the environment and recommend that you do too.

Visit Charlotte's Library for more Nonfiction Monday selections.


More info:

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (August 26, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763641448
• ISBN-13: 978-0763641443
• Source: Review copy from publisher
  

Wake by Lisa McMann

Wake by Lisa McMann

Ever since Janie was a young girl, she has involuntarily been drawn into the dreams of those sleeping around her and has witnessed their thoughts, fears, fantasies, and nightmares. This is completely out of her control and is getting more and more difficult to hide. When it happens, she goes into a seizure-like state, and the scarier the dream is, the worse the reaction. She needs to learn how to control her reactions, but can she actually control what happens in the dreams themselves? In fact, can she actually HELP people or even help solve crimes using her unique talent?

First off, this book was captivating. I read it from cover-to-cover in one sitting and absolutely loved the unique and intriguing premise. Janie is a likable character, a strong teen who has had to fend for herself for most of her life because her mother is an alcoholic. The plot is fast-paced and divided into short segments labeled with the date and time. Even though it's told in person, you only see inside Janie's mind, her dreams, what she's feeling and thinking.

My ONLY criticism of the book is that in some places, in some sections, the chemistry and emotion between Cable and Janie was a little off, and McMann does more telling than showing. There was one point near the end where they were arguing, and Janie mentions that Cable was "bawling." For me, during extremely emotional parts in book, I'd like more sensory details, and I'd like to be able to feel the emotion. I just didn't experience that in this part, which was probably supposed to be the most emotional part of the book.

When I think of writers who have given me that experience and were dead on with chemistry, Maggie Stiefvater and Sara Zarr are at the top of my list. Read Maggie's Lament: The Faiere Queen's Deception, and Sara's Sweethearts, to see what I'm talking about. Speaking of Maggie Stiefvater and chemistry, you totally have to check out the post on her blog, "Thoughts on Nookie and People Completing Other People," where she talks about how she creates romantic chemistry in her writing. Not only is she hilarious, but she offers some great writing tips.

That aside, I really did love Wake and think a lot of teens will love it, too. I would really only recommend it to older teens because of its strong language in some parts. Fade, the second book is available on Amazon now even though the official publication date isn't until 2/10.

What Other Bloggers Are Saying:
Jen Robinson's Book Page: "I read at rapid pace, mostly because I wanted to know whether or not Janie was going to be ok." (read more...)


Glenview Book Blogger: "The way things connect together, with the love and power intertwined is really something. The way the book turns and comes to an end is very unexpecting but will put the biggest smile on your face." (read more...)

Maw Books Blog: "Wake is written in short episode like chunks and makes for the perfect quick read to curl up on the couch with. I thought it was fun and I think it definitly has teen appeal." (read more...)

More Info:

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (December 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416974474
• ISBN-13: 978-1416974475

Pelican's Catch by Janet Halfmann

Pelican's Catch by Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Bob Dacey and Debra Bandelin

Review by Erica Moore

A brown pelican is 11 weeks old and has just learned to fly. Now she must learn to fish and feed herself. She joins a flock of pelicans flying out to sea to fish.

This title is a nice introduction to science books for younger children. The pelican is not given a name or internal dialogue as if it were talking to itself. This helps to set the book apart from children's fiction which often uses animals for main characters who act and think like people. Brown Pelican's behaviors are described in a story format which is approachable and interesting to read. It takes many tries for the pelican to catch a fish and keep it from hungry gulls, who like to steal the catch by standing on a pelican's head when it comes up for air. (Seagulls are so bad).

The illustrations are beautiful and clear. The pelican is prominently featured in the pages as she goes about learning to fish. She is also quite large on the page which speaks to the actual large size of the bird. There is a lot of movement as you travel with the flock of pelicans through the sky and into the waves and sea. The text and illustrations reflect each other very well which is key in nonfiction for young children, meaning the text matches the action in the illustrations.

I liked this book a lot, and there is more information in a note at the end for parents, caregivers and teachers about brown pelicans. I learned a little about brown pelicans, and I also cared about what happened to the pelican in the story which makes for a good book.

This title is timely, too as California is seeing adult pelicans dying and dead on its coastlines this new year.
(Don't worry this title has a happy ending.)

More Info:

• Ages: 3-6 years
• Publisher : Soundprints in association with the Smithsonian Institute, Smithsonian Oceanic Institute
• ISBN 1-59249-287-8 hardcover
• ISBN 1-59249-286-x micro hardback
• Review source: publisher

Tin Angel by Shannon Cowan

Tin Angel by Shannon Cowan

Reviewed by Mighty Mom (The Adventures of Mighty Mom)



Fourteen-year old Ronnie Page was content with her life at Raven's, a remote mountain lodge in Western Canada that had been owned and operated by her family for generations. When she wasn't bent over a book, Ronnie spent her time exploring the landscape or hanging out with lodge's young guests. But when her father dies suddenly, everything she has come to know and love is stripped away. Ronnie's mother is forced to sell Raven's to Louis Moss, a family friend, and move Ronnie and her sister to nearby Shelter Bay, setting in motion events leading to Ronnie's ultimate arrest. The charge: murder.


Tin Angel is exceptionally well written. Cowan's ability to evoke a sense of place and time (1969) is extraordinary. The story itself, however, is slow paced which may limit its general appeal. The language is also quite sophisticated for a 19-year-old narrator which frequently challenged my suspension of disbelief. Regardless, Tin Angel is a well crafted tale with lots of twists and points of discussion. Innocent or guilty— you decide.

More Info:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Lobster Press (October 31, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1897073682
• ISBN-13: 978-1897073681

Footprints in the Snow by Mei Matsuoka

Footprints in the Snow by Mei Matsuoka
Review by: Lisa Stanger

Wolf is sick of reading books about mean wolves. He doesn’t want to chase anybody, or eat any cute little animals. He decides to rectify the problem by writing a book about a NICE wolf, like him. So begins the story within a story that is at the heart of this book. Wolf meets a variety of terrified animals during his walk through his fictional world as he attempts to track down the owner of a footprint trail so he can “make a new friend.”

This book would make a good read aloud, although with text snaking around the page and even appearing upside down at some points, you would want to make sure you are familiar with the text before attempting it. It would also make a good “Reader’s Theatre” piece without too much rejigging.

I like this picture book. The text and illustrations fit snugly together, the colours used are deep and inviting, and the character of Wolf is virtuous while still being believable. His interactions with other animals in his imaginary world add humour and personality to the book. The animals question his motives, the squirrel and rabbit call him a liar and the frog is downright rude, but by the end of the book we know how Wolf really views his small animal ‘friends’ and can decide if their initial reactions were correct.

I would recommend this book to teachers, librarians and pre-schoolers, while the metafiction element would make it useful to use in a younger classroom where story writing or narrative were being discussed.

More Info:

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (October 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805087923
• ISBN-13: 978-0805087925

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

While all of you football fans were watching the Super Bowl, I was finishing Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games. If you haven't read it yet, let me give you a short synopsis.

What was once North America is now called Panem. The Capitol, a violent dictatorship, strictly controls Panems's 12 districts. Each year, the Capitol holds the violent televised Hunger Games, where two teenagers, a boy and a girl, from each district are randomly chosen to fight to the death. The sole victor becomes a hero, and his/her district is showered with rewards.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen lives in District 12, in the area of the United States that used to be called the Appalachians. Since her father died in a land-mine explosion years before, she's provided her mother and sister with food by hunting in the nearby forbidden forest. When her sister's name is called in the lottery, Katniss volunteers to take her place. The baker's son, Peeta is the District 12 boy whose name is chosen. What follows is a violent battle among the participants, Katniss's struggle for survival, and an interesting love triangle between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale, Katniss's hunky hunting partner back home.

First let me tell you that I've read so many glowing reviews of the book, but the premise threw me off a bit. Teenagers killing teenagers? Really? Not being into gore and violence, I wasn't sure what to think, but as soon as I started reading I was drawn into Katniss's story. Don't get me wrong, there is death and violence in this book, but Suzanne Collins's writing and storytelling were absolutely brilliant. Her sensory details, suspenseful writing, and grasp of Katniss's character made me feel as if I was right in the middle of the Hunger Games. I could visualize everything Katniss saw, felt my heart start racing when she was in danger, and found myself cheering for her and Peeta during the final gruesome battle of the book. Exceptional writing, an interesting premise, and gripping storytelling make this a book you don't want to miss.

I can't believe I have to wait until September to read the sequel, Catching Fire.

More Info:

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press (September 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439023483
• ISBN-13: 978-0439023481

Kidlit Happenings

I'm way behind on my blog reading after a few very busy days, but I'm catching up today and wanted to share some quick links for you to check out.

First, the January Carnival of Children's Literature is up at Lisa Chellman's blog, Under the Covers. There are links to lots of great book reviews, author interviews, book lists, and more.

Over at Jen Robinson's Book Page, in a post titled, "How Can We Encourage Reading Aloud," Jen talks about the importance of reading with kids and proposes the idea of starting an international campaign to encourage adults to read aloud with kids.

Jen says,

"I truly believe that if more adults spent time reading aloud to kids, both individuals and society as a whole would reap tremendous long-term benefits. More kids would grow up to love books. Those kids would do better in school than they would have otherwise, and have enhanced opportunities. Some of those kids would make major contributions to society - solving medical mysteries, inventing alternative energy sources, whatever - contributions that they would not have been able to make if they didn't have those educational opportunities."

I wholeheartedly agree with Jen and all of her points. Read the entire post here and the excellent conversation going on in the comments section.


Finally, MotherReader and a slew of fabulous kidlit bloggers have launched KidLitosphere Central. From the homepage of the site, " KidLitosphere Central strives to provide an avenue to good books and useful literary resources; to support authors and publishers by connecting them with readers and book reviewers; and to continue the growth of the society of bloggers in children's and young adult literature." Thanks MotherReader and everyone who worked to set up this fantastic resource!

The Big Reveal

I still have a few more little things to do on my blog, but you totally have to check out the new, simplified and streamlined look.

Don't you just love the new header? Guess who did it? Sarah Stevenson, aka a.fortis, co-founder of Finding Wonderland and Readers' Rants, deputy editor of the Cybils blog, and all around rock star. I gave her a vague vision of what I wanted, and she completely read my mind. If you have any design projects you need completed, hire her because she is so easy and fun to work with. And she has super scary mind reading powers. :)

For a long time, I'd been hating the look of the blog and thought there was too much information in the side bars. You can still access reviews, contributor bios, author interviews, and more by clicking on the links on the right-hand side.

Enjoy!

Under Construction

I'm holding off on posts for the next few days and embarking on a major blog redesign and restructure. If you visit the blog, you can still view old posts, but my apologies if things look a bit messy for a while. :)

ALA Awards Announced

I'm probably the last person to announce this, but it's been a super long day. Anyway, the ALA announced its 2009 awards this morning.


Newbery Medal

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, HarperCollins Children's Books

Newbery Honor Books
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by David Small, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle, Henry Holt and Company, LLC

Savvy by Ingrid Law, Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group in partnership with Walden Media, LLC

After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson, G.P. Putnam's Sons, a division of Penguin Books for Young Readers


Caldecott Medal

The House in the Night illustrated by Beth Krommes and written by Susan Marie Swanson, Houghton Mifflin Co.

Caldecott Honor Books

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee, Harcourt, Inc.

How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz, Farrar Straus Giroux

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams illustrated by Melissa Sweet and written by Jen Bryant, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Congratulations to all of the winners.

Read the rest here...

Toddler Picks

I haven't done an installment of what my daughter is reading for quite a while, so I thought I'd give you a peek into what my soon to be two-year old is currently enjoying. Because she doesn't quite understand stories just yet, she's really into interactive, lift-the-flap books. If you're looking for a gift for a toddler, these three make good choices.

First up is ZOO! A Big Fold Out Counting Book: A Fold-Out Book About Counting by Readers Digest Children's Books.

Five different animals are featured in this book with huge fold outs of each one. Children learn a little about each animal and are asked to count the animals and other objects on the page. This a great book to practice counting and naming colors, animals, and other objects like flowers and trees. The fold-outs really keep my daughter engaged.




The Silly Book of Shapes by Todd Parr

This is an older lift-the-flap book, part of the ToddWorld series, that my daughter chose at the library. It's a large board book that has about fifty flaps with different colors and shapes underneath. It's a great way to introduce colors, shapes, and other vocabulary words. My daughter literally spends 20-30 minutes at a time lifting flaps, and I think I'm going to have to add this and a couple others from the series to her permanent library.


First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

I bought this book when it won Caldecott and Geisel honor medals last year. Unfortunately, my not-so-gentle daughter ripped a couple of pages, so I stored it away and recently brought it back out now that she is more careful with books. To give you an idea of how much she loves this book, we read it five times just this evening before bedtime. The book presents the first/then pattern through a number of different scenarios, chicken/egg, tadpole/frog, seed/flower, etc. What makes it unique though are the die-cuts on every other page. For example, in the initial spread, the word "First" sits alone on a golden background. On the opposite page, you see the words, "the Egg" on a red background with an egg shaped die-cut in the middle showing a splash of white. When you turn the page, the die-cut now shows the yellow from the first page and becomes the body of a young chick hatching out of the egg. The white from the egg on the first page is a full-grown mother hen. I highly recommend it.

The Squad Series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Squad Series:
Perfect Cover and Killer Spirit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Review by: Erica Moore

Two, four, six, eight who do we appreciate? Have you ever suspected your high school cheerleaders might be more that just cheerleaders? Well of course not, and that’s why they are the perfect cover.

Toby Klein a sophomore is invited to join the varsity cheer squad at Bayport High. At first she thinks the written invitations are a joke, but with a closer look, she notices they are encoded with hidden messages. Toby is not cheerleader material at first glance. She is a black belt in karate, wears combat boots and has computer hacking as her hobby. She does not sparkle with glitter (yet). But she has exactly what they want.

Bayport’s varsity cheer squad is a cover for a group of teen government operatives. They are hot and deadly and they take their cheer responsibilities as seriously as their spy missions--5:30 am cheer practice.

There is adventure and mystery intermixed with high school politics, fashion and a little romance. The books don’t take themselves too seriously, although I wish they were more on the campy side since the cheerleaders are spies and the cover art has a Charlie’s Angels theme to it. The girls rule the school of course as the “God Squad” and it’s impossible for them to get into trouble at school. There is a lot of humor in transforming Toby into a cheerleader and uber popular girl with perfect, clothes, hair, makeup and glitter. Who could want for a more perfect life?

Teens who want more will like Ally Carter’s I’d Tell You I love You But Then I’d Have to Kill You.

What Other Bloggers Are Saying:

The YA YA YA's: "...these books were just plain fun. They’re entertaining, kept me reading, and I had a good time reading them. " (read more...)

Abby (the) Librarian: "It's hilarious and smart and fun. Jennifer Lynn Barnes takes an outlandish scenario and makes it seem plausible. It's Alias meets Bring It On. It had me laughing out loud and I didn't want to put it down. " (read more...)

Jen Robinson's Book Page: "What makes both of these books work is the inherent conflict between Toby's rebellious, loner nature and her immersion into a group of hyper-popular, perfectly groomed cheerleaders. She fights back, but also finds herself seduced by the power, and the satisfaction of being part of a team." (read more...)



More info:
Perfect Cover:

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (February 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385734549
• ISBN-13: 978-0385734547
• Source: Review copy from publisher
  

Killer Spirit:

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (February 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385734557
• ISBN-13: 978-0385734554
• Source: Review copy from publisher

Double-Click for Trouble by Chris Woodworth

Double-Click for Trouble by Chris Woodworth

Review by Barbara Shoup


Thirteen-year-old Eddie McCall lives in a cramped Chicago apartment with his mom, who works at a hotel coffee bar and spends her evenings taking college courses online—but, nonetheless, manages to keep a tight rein on him. Eddie doesn’t know his dad is, and his mom won’t talk to him about it. He envies his best friend, Whip, who lives with his dad. But his mom disapproves of the relationship because, in her view, Whip’s dad is too permissive and doesn’t monitor his activities enough. So when she discovers that Whip and Eddie have logged on to her computer and looked at a porn site, Eddie suddenly finds himself on his way to summer break with his eccentric, bachelor Great-Uncle Peavy in Sheldon, Indiana.

Peavy’s made occasional visits to Chicago over the years, and he’s always been generous to Eddie and his mom; but Eddie doesn’t really know him. He’s shocked to find that Peavy lives in the decrepit little house he grew up in, a house so poorly furnished that Eddie observes, “Aunt Bea has newer stuff on the reruns of “The Andy Griffith Show.” He chews tobacco, which grosses Eddie out; he doesn’t wash the dishes, just rinses them and puts them back on the shelf; he lays newspapers down on the kitchen floor so he doesn’t have to clean it. Peavy sleeps in the bunk bed he slept in as a child, and when he assigns his dead parent’s bedroom to Eddie, it never occurs to him that Eddie might just be a little freaked out about sleeping there. Not to mention mortified when he assumes Eddie will be helping out with the tractor repair business he runs out of the barn and his helper, Ronnie—a girl—makes fun of Eddie because he doesn’t even know what a lug nut is.

Thank heavens for Ordella Mae, a woman about Peavy’s age, who appears regularly with leftovers from the meals she cooks at the nursing home where she works—and eventually gets him at least a little up to speed in terms of how to take care of a growing boy. Also, Eddie’s instant crush on Erin, the beautiful sixteen-year old clerk at the nearby convenience store (and Ronnie’s sister), helps make his time in Sheldon more bearable.

Chris Woodworth remembers what it’s like to be thirteen, curious but still clueless about sexuality. She knows that everyone’s life is complex and mysterious, regardless of his or her age. She knows about longing. And, dang! She’s a mean plotter! Double-Click for Trouble is beautifully constructed. New threads of plot are deftly introduced, developed and resolved. The twist at the end creates the wonderful blend of surprise and inevitability that readers experience in every really good novel.

Woodworth loves her characters and the small town they live in—but it’s a complicated love, one that reflects her deep understanding about the human condition and an appreciation of its many paradoxes. Over the course of Double-Click for Trouble, Eddie McCall takes his first real steps toward manhood by way of his relationship with his great-uncle, his friendship with Ronnie, and a series of events that makes him understand his mother’s occasionally overzealous efforts to protect him. Woodworth tells Eddie’s story honestly, with respect for the intelligence of her young readers. My guess is that “tweens” will love this book—and I’d highly recommend it to their parents, as well. Reading it, they’ll be thirteen again themselves for a while—which is guaranteed to bring insight to the needs of their own budding teens.

More info:

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (May 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374309876
• ISBN-13: 978-0374309879

The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas

The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas is the story of Conn, a young thief living in the Twilight, a rundown and dangerous section of the magical city of Wellmet. When he steals the powerful magician Nevery's locus magicalicus, the stone that all magicians use to perform magic, and doesn't die, Nevery is both surprised and interested. He takes the boy on as his servant and soon agrees to make him his apprentice. The only catch is that Conn must find his own locus magicalicus within 30 days. But that's not the only problem Conn has. The city of Wellmet is dependent upon magic to survive, and the level of magic in the city is disappearing at an alarming rate. As Conn tries to figure out who or what is draining the city's power, his time to find the stone is quickly diminishing.

The characters are very well-developed and believable. Conn's feelings seem real as he struggles for acceptance. This is a fast-paced and engrossing classical story of good vs. evil, the story of an impoverished child whose newly discovered magical skills give him a better chance in life. What is new at least to me is that this story presents an interesting concept I've never seen before: Conn believes that magic is a living being, and Sarah Prineas leaves it wide open to be explored further in the sequel, The Magic Thief: Lost.

More Info:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006137587X
• ISBN-13: 978-006137587
• Source of book: Public library
  

The Magic Thief is a finalist in the Cybils' Fantasy & Science Fiction category.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Review by Laura Koenig

Being able to hear everyone else's thoughts sounds like it could be a pretty good deal. You'd hear the answer to every question your teacher asked, and you'd know exactly what to buy your mother for her birthday. The downside is that everybody else can hear your thoughts, but even that has it's positives. You would never have to get up the guts to tell your boss that you deserved a raise, and your mom would already know how much you wanted a pony for Christmas.

A virus has been released in Prentisstown that makes men's thoughts audible. And since every resident of Prentisstown is a man, everyone knows what every other resident thinks. It is called the Noise, and it is definitely not a good thing.

"There ain’t nothing but Noise in this world, nothing but the constant thoughts of men and things coming at you and at you and at you, ever since the Spacks released the Noise germ during the war, the germ that killed half the men and every single woman, my ma not excepted, the germ that drove the rest of the men mad, the germ that spelled the end for all Spackle once men’s madness picked up a gun." (page 13)

Todd Hewitt goes through his life hearing the nastiest, most salacious thoughts of his neighbors. Todd is the last boy in the town, and as he approaches his manhood it becomes clear that the men have been keeping a secret from him. While Todd hunts for apples in the swamp outside of town, he discovers something that shouldn't exist: a patch of silence in the Noise. The silence leads him to a girl - something else that doesn't exist in Prentisstown. And the girl leads him to constant revelations. The things he had believed to be true in his life are unraveled one by one. After his discovery of Viola in the swamp, Todd's world “keeps getting bigger” (page 100) as he runs from the lies of Prentisstown and from the violent and controlling men whoperpetuate those lies.

This book was excellent enough for me to overlook the fact that it features no less than three of my personal literature pet-peeves: phonetic spelling, a cliffhanger ending that doesn't complete the story arc, and the death of a beloved pet. That's right, this is a book where the dog dies. Despite that, the story's constant action make it difficult to put this book down. The reader makes every new discovery about Prentisstown's past along with Todd, and each new piece of information adds to the urgency of Todd's escape.

The language of Noise in The Knife of Never Letting Go are worth an in-depth look - both Todd's voice and the constant overwhelming voices of the Noise surrounding him. The way Ness illustrates the Noise, with fonts and text sizes changing and overlapping, paints a vivid picture of the chaos of words that has surrounded Todd his whole life. It is easy to accept other people's noise as the truth, but as Todd learns over the course of the book, the truth can be covered up and twisted even in men's Noise. Todd notes that Noise is not truth, but “what men want to be true, and there’s a difference twixt those things so big that it could ruddy well kill you if you don’t watch out” (page 23).

Voices of animals are used creatively and often humorously, and even some plants get in on the action. The most effective use of the animals voices is Todd's dog, Manchee. At first Manchee's voice is comic relief - as Todd notes in the book's wonderful opening sentence, "the first thing you find out when your dog learns to talk is that dogs don't got nothing much to say" (page 1). But both Todd and the reader change their opinion of the dog, and he becomes a moral center for the book. While Todd's connection to Manchee grows stronger because of his Noise, the connection between Todd and Viola is made difficult because of her lack of noise - Todd feels cut off from her because she is not constantly telegraphing her thoughts and emotions. At first he doubts that she can be thinking or feeling at all. The effect of the Noise, even on those who do not have it, is profound.

Though stylistically they are very different, this might be a good recommendation for readers who loved The Hunger Games. Both feature young characters growing close while trying to escape a violent dystopian society, and both have constant action that keeps readers engaged.

What Other Bloggers Are Saying:
Jen Robinson's Book Page: "Throughout the book, I experienced Todd's inner monologue close up. When bad things happened, I felt like I was the one who got stabbed or punched. There was one scene in particular that I found almost unbearable. (If you've read the book, it's the scene getting onto the boat.) A book that could make me feel that way is clearly brilliant. But that doesn't mean that I enjoyed it, exactly." (read more...)

Wands and Worlds: "I kept wanting to slow down so that I could better appreciate the excellent writing, but the story was so exciting that it drove me along at a fast pace. I told myself that I'd go back and reread it when I finished, to savor the writing. But - when I finished the book I was so angry that I didn't feel like going back to reread it anymore." (read more...)

Presenting Lenore: "The narrative is dark, but the ending is even darker and though it works on an intellectual level, it’s an emotional sucker punch – a cliffhanger that makes you think the book must be missing some pages." (read more...)


More info:

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (September 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763639311
• ISBN-13: 978-0763639310
• Source: Review copy from publisher
  

Sydney Taylor Awards Blog Tour: Interview with Rich Michelson

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

Today, I am honored to be part of the Sydney Taylor Awards Blog Tour and share my interview with Richard Michelson. Rich's book, As Good as Anybody: Martin Luther King and Abraham Joshua Heschel's Amazing March Toward Freedom, won the Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Young Readers Category, and his book, A is for Abraham: A Jewish Family Alphabet was an Honor book in the same category.



Jill Tullo (JT): Why did you decide to write a children's book about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Joshua Heschel?

Rich Michelson (RM): A number of my previous books have dealt with racial issues, most recently Across the Alley, (a 2006 National Jewish Book Award finalist and PJ Library selection), which is about two boys, one Jewish and one black, who are not allowed to play together, but whose bedroom windows face each other's. At night, when nobody is watching, they become secret best friends. It was while writing this story, that I remembered the friendship of King and Heschel, and I decided to examine another facet of a situation where social convention tries to keep people apart, but individuals attempt to overcome their differences.

On a personal level, when I was born, East New York, Brooklyn, was 90-percent Jewish. A short 12 years later, less than 10 percent of those living in the area were Jews. In my adult poetry book, Battles and Lullabies, I have written at length about my childhood, the neighborhood, and my father's death during a robbery attempt ( a recent essay on the subject for JBooks called "Jews and Blacks: Obama, King and Heschel" can be read on the homepage of my site www.RichardMichelson.com); and much of my work is an attempt to both heal society’s racial wounds, and those within myself.


(JT): Did you know from the very beginning that you wanted to show the parallels between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Joshua Heschel's lives, or did the concept come to you during your research?

(RM): When I began writing, I didn’t know enough about either man to know how I would structure the book. I’d read of their historic friendship during the Selma to Montgomery march, and that is where I began. I worked my way backwards, knowing we needed to see both men as children in order to understand what made them who they became. And just as importantly, I wanted to portray them as children because kids like to read about kids. I am always aware that, regardless of how serious the subject, if the book isn’t fun to read, no child will turn past the first page. As I researched, I was struck by the parallels between Heschel’s and King’s childhoods, and I decided to structure the book to emphasize these similarities.


(JT): As Good As Anybody is a powerfully inspirational book. What message do you hope your readers take away after reading it?

(RM): That each and every one of us has the power to change the world for the better, and that it is our duty to try to do so. No excuses accepted. That means you! As King says, “The way things are is not the way they always have to be.” And as Heschel says (all writers, me included, take heed) “Words must be followed by deeds.”

Since the book came out I have been doing many workshops with school groups. We read together, and role-play, and talk about prejudice and standing up to bullies, and how to effect change. I am always amazed at how much kids “get it.” They instinctively know what is right and what is wrong, but they feel, and often are, powerless. Hopefully As Good As Anybody will help jump-start family and classroom discussions.


(JT): A is for Abraham is designed for the entire family to enjoy. Can you talk about why you decided to write that book?



(RM): Although I am culturally Jewish, I did not grow up with a religious education of any kind. But I married a Methodist who felt strongly that children should be raised with a religious foundation. Jennifer converted to Judaism (going into labor while in the mikvah, but that is a different story), and it was her questioning me about Jewish traditions that made me realize how little I knew about my own history. I wanted to write a book that would have been both helpful to me at that time, and later to my children. I think it is important and empowering to teach kids (and adults) the long history and the reasons behind much of what they are learning about their heritage.

I also tried to make the book welcoming to interfaith families, Jews of different denominations, and non-Jews. The Sleeping Bear format, with its color coded sidebars, is wonderful. It allowed me to write two different books in one: a simple fun poetry book for young children and a more sophisticated prose book for older kids and adults.



(JT): What can we expect to see from you next?

(RM): I am as busy as ever. My follow up Knopf book will be out in 2010. It is called Busing Brewster and it is about a black child bused to an all white school in the 1970’s. Brewster wants to grow up to be the first black president of the United States – and this manuscript was written in 2003, very pre-Obama.

My next book for Sleeping Bear Press, is also scheduled for 2010 and tentatively titled Lipman Pike: First Professional Baseball Player and Jewish Home Run King. And that tells you exactly who and what it is about.


(JT):Anything else?

(RM): Lastly, before this “blog tour” ends, let me mention how much Raul Colon and Ron Mazellan added to As Good As Anybody and A is for Abraham, respectively. I have been blessed with top notch illustrators who helped bring my words to life. And finally (for real this time), let me say that if I showed you the first draft of either of these books (I won’t), it would be obvious how much Michelle Frey at Knopf, and Aimee Jackson at Sleeping Bear, helped shape my manuscripts. Which is why I won’t ever show you my drafts; I prefer to perpetuate the myth that I have earned these AJL medals on my own.


(JT): Thanks so much, Rich, for taking the time to talk about your books and share your inspiration behind them.



Be sure to visit Tales from the Rushmore Kid for an interview with Ron Mazellan, illustrator of A is for Abraham.

Click here for the rest of the tour schedule!

Librarian's Roundtable: What is your favorite story time book?

Okay, librarians! This week I want to hear from you. With all of the wonderful books at your fingertips, what is your most favorite story time book of all time? Help parents, teachers, and other librarians find the perfect book to read at story time!!!!

Leave your comments below, and I'll post the roundup next week!