Martin Scorsese has started casting his fim version of The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
Adult stars may include Ben Kingsley and Sacha Baron Cohen.
The two child leads have also been cast:
Asa Butterfield as Hugo and Chloe Moretz
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My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete, illustrated by Shane W. Evans
Callie and Charlie have always been together because they are twins. They have a lot in common: music, football, loving their dog, and their curly hair. But they are also very different. Charlie often seemed distant and never returned affection. Mommy was worried and took Charlie to a doctor who diagnosed him with autism. Callie wished that she could join Charlie in his mental world, that he would play more with her. Sometimes he is right there with her and enjoying it, but often he isn’t. Callie began to understand that her brother sees things differently. He may find it hard to tell you how he feels, but when it matters most he does find the words. And best of all, Charlie loves you for who you are inside.
This very personal book reflects the lives of the mother and daughter authors who are both activists and educators about autism. The book is far from being another of those celebrity books that misses the mark. Instead this book really educates children about autism and about differences. It explains autism simply and frankly but with great love and understanding as well.
Evans’ illustrations add a warmth and appeal to the book with their mixed media. The thick brush strokes and fine lines are visually appealing as are the deep colors. The art adds to the appeal of the title.
Highly recommended for library collections, this book will offer information and hope for families dealing with autism. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
Reviewed from copy received from Scholastic.
The Easter Egg by Jan Brett
Jan Brett turns her prodigious talents to an Easter story!
Hoppi the rabbit is now old enough to participate in the egg decorating competition. Each year the rabbits decorate Easter eggs and the winning bunny got to help the Easter Rabbit hide the eggs. But Hoppi needs a great idea for his egg, so he hops around to visit the other rabbits. Each bunny is doing something unique and interesting and inspires Hoppi to try their technique. As he visits, each rabbit offers him a scrap of material or a tool as well as ideas. Hoppi tries to come up with the perfect idea, but is distracted by the distressed calls of some robins. One of Mother Robin’s eggs fell out of the nest on onto the forest floor. Hoppi knew just what he had to do and sat gently down on the egg with his warm fur. Hoppi sat and sat and sat on the egg, unable to create an egg of his own for the Easter Rabbit. But the Easter Rabbit knows just what makes the perfect egg for Easter!
Done in her signature style with one main image on a two-page spread and two smaller images on each side, this book celebrates Easter, spring, art and creativity. It is also about self-sacrifice and giving to the community. Brett has created a book that never becomes overly sweet. A large part of this is her attention to minute details that make the rabbits realistic, the forest come alive, and the individual eggs masterpieces. I also appreciate her use of wild plants and flowers as the framing for the illustrations. Brett’s use of repetition as Hoppi travels the village of rabbits allows for a real surprise when Hoppi discovers Mother Robin and the egg.
This book will work well with a group, though the tiny details are worth lingering over and discussing within a family or very small group of children. Appropriate for ages 3-7.
Reviewed from copy received from Penguin.
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
Melody is eleven years old and has never said a single word. She also has a photographic memory so she remembers being a baby, remembers every show she has ever seen on TV, remembers the commercials too, remembers songs, factoids, everything. All those words are trapped in her head, unable to be released. Her parents know she is bright, but how could anyone know just how smart Melody actually is with her cerebral palsy being all that they can see? At school she is in the classroom for those with special needs where the quality of instruction varies from year to year. One year she was subjected to the alphabet over and over again along with a CD of nursery rhymes. Pure torture! So when Melody realizes that she needs a computer to help her talk, everyone had better be ready to hear what she has to say!
This in-depth character study is beautifully done. Melody is a character with charisma, brilliance and a sassy attitude that is integral to her personality. Despite being unable to speak, Melody will speak deeply to any reader who takes the time to meet her. Draper does not sugarcoat Melody’s disability. She does not make the people around Melody too perfect and good. Instead everyone is human, especially Melody.
Draper brought me to tears several times in the novel. From spectacular moments of Melody speaking to the cruelty of other children, this book offers such highs and lows. And through it all, living it all, we have Melody, a true heroine, an amazing person, and someone we all should get to know.
The cover is wonderful with its fish out of water theme and a direct tie to the storyline. I love the contrast of the pale blue and bright orange, because Melody is such a flash of bright color in the novel.
This will make a brilliant read aloud for a classroom of 5th or 6th graders. It will also be adored by single readers who will find Melody a person worth spending time with. Appropriate for ages 9-13, this book is a real winner.
Reviewed from library copy.
IBBY (The International Board on Books for Young People) has announced their 2010 Shortlist. Five authors and five illustrators have been selected from a field of 55 nominees from 32 nations.
AUTHORS
Ahmad Reza Ahmadi from Iran
David Almond from the United Kingdom
Bartolomeu Campos de Queiros from Brazil
Lennart Hellsing from Sweden
Louis Jensen from Denmark
ILLUSTRATORS
Jutta Bauer from Germany
Carll Cneut from Belgium
Etienne Delessert from Switzerland
Svjetlan Junakovic from Croatia
Roger Mello from Brazil
I Love Bugs by Emma Dodd
This brightly colored book is a cheerful exploration of the world of insects that is less about scientific accuracy and more about an adoration of our six-legged friends. The book moves quickly from bug to bug, from “jumpy leapy bugs” to “slimy crawly creepy bugs.” All are appreciated for their differences until the end when a spider appears! It is a great twist that children are sure to enjoy.
Dodd’s art is what really takes this book beyond a run-of-the-mill insect book. Filled with bright colors, an eager child to guide us, and plenty of bug-eyed insects, young readers will feel right at home. Her illustrations are thick lined and beautifully patterned, bringing the essence of grass, dirt and bugs directly to the reader.
Dodd’s language here is bouncy and pure fun. She offers rhymes that have a real spring about them. Since she doesn’t name the insects, children will be eager to name them themselves from caterpillars to ladybugs to grasshoppers.
Add this to a toddler story time and then set out on a bug hunt together. It could just be cut outs around the children’s room. This would pair wonderfully with nonfiction picture books about specific insects that will offer enticing details. Appropriate for ages 1-4.
Reviewed from library copy.
13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison
After being tormented by fairies and waking her mother in the middle of the night, Tanya is sent to stay with her grandmother in her dilapidated manor house. Tanya sees fairies at her grandmother’s house too: they fill the grandfather clock and make mischief in the kitchen. But fairies are nothing compared to the dangers of the woods that surround her grandmother’s house. As Tanya struggles to come to terms with her second sight, she is helped by several unlikely allies, including the local witch woman, the annoying son of the manor’s caretaker, and a girl has had far worse luck with the fairies. Will Tanya be able to solve the mystery that surrounds her with their help?
Harrison excels at creating an immersive world that truly is brought to life through her writing. Her attention to small details and willingness to truly describe settings have helped make a world that is tangible. Exploring the manor house, one can almost smell the dust of neglect, see the encroaching ivy. The fairies are offered with just enough detail to make sure readers remember that they are not friendly, sweet butterfly-like creatures.
Harrison also has a good ear for dialogue, which helps complete her world building. Tanya is a tough but also friendly girl who is trapped in a nightmare no one else can see. The tense relationship between her and her grandmother is written in actions rather than explanations. There are plenty of tense moments, strange events, and bizarre happenings to keep the pages moving briskly. For me though it was a book to savor, a world I longed to linger a bit more in.
There is plenty to love here. It is a book of evil fairies that works for children who are not ready for Holly Black and Melissa Marr yet. Beautiful writing and incredible world building. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
Reviewed from ARC received from Little Brown.
Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Josee Masse
This is a book of reversible verse. Poems that read both up and down. Doing so tells both sides of a fairy tale. Little Red Riding Hood’s poem becomes that of the wolf when reversed. Sleeping Beauty and the Prince both envy the other. Beauty and the Beast find true love from two different directions. And many more.
Singer’s verse reads effortlessly but she offers such incredible skill that it is awe inspiring. After reading the first poem aloud to my son, we proceeded to read the book to my older son and my husband. All of us were amazed by the ability to write a poem that reads forwards and backwards and demonstrates another side of the story. I think that is the most vital piece of the poems, that they don’t just work forward and back but that they illuminate the other side as well. They are truly reversible verses.
She also injects a lot of humor in the poems, a wry attitude, a sly grin, making them a delight to read. Masse’s art has a traditional feel, done on wood, that really suits the fairy tale subjects. Her art too offers humor and deftly demonstrates both sides of the verse.
Use this with older students to get them trying their own reversible poems. It will also be a welcome addition to any poetry unit, fairy tale reading, or just simple for fun. An awesome display of skill and humor, this book is simply amazing. Appropriate for ages 5-12.
Reviewed from copy received from Dutton.
Also reviewed by 7 Imp.
Selected by the National Science Teachers Association and the Children’s Book Council, the books cover grades K-12. You can visit their website for the books published in 2010 that they consider the best science trade books of the year.
I was pleased to see some of my favorites on the list:
Life in the Boreal Forest by Brenda Z. Guiberson, illustrated by Gennady Spirin (my review)
Redwoods by Jason Chin (my review)
Under the Snow by Melissa Stewart (my review)
Thanks to Chicken Spaghetti for the link!
Waking Brain Cells 