Month: May 2010

Two Little Pirates

| Tasha

Two Little Pirates by Ruth Paul

I must preface this review by saying that this is a book from New Zealand, so it’s not available in the US.  I received it from the author and publisher, Scholastic New Zealand.  Ruth Paul’s books are available in Canada as well as Australia and New Zealand.

In rhyming couplets, this book follows two little pirates who attack the King and the Queen.  They are actually two little boys who pounce on their sleeping parents dressed as pirates.  After a brief battle, the parents prevail and the two pirates are hung over the edge of the ship to become shark bait.  When they beg to be released, the King and Queen agree on one condition: that they tidy up the mess they made.  When that is accomplished, they have a nice snack in bed and then everyone cuddles up and dozes as the bed sails off.

Paul keeps a wonderful balance between imaginary play and reality in this title.  At all times, the ship which is the bed is surrounded by water, until the children have finally given up their pirate roles and become children again.  Additionally, the parents respond with great delight to their young pirates and the attack.  The battle is merrily fought, the capture and punishment is doled out in character, and the snack and cuddles conclude.  What a great way to spend a lazy morning together!

Paul’s art is bright and friendly.  She revels in the play along with the family, enjoying the different angles that the bed can be viewed in throughout.  Done in watercolor and colored pencil, the art has a great clarity of line and depth of color.

This is one pirate bed that is definitely worth sailing on.  Children will revel in the story though parents should be braced for a morning invasion after reading it.  Parents should also be open to snacks in bed, crumbs and all.  But who could resist if it ends with cuddles and a snooze?  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

A Blue So Dark

| Tasha

A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

Aura has a secret that is getting harder and harder to keep.  Her mother is suffering from schizophrenia and has become Aura’s sole responsibility now that her father has remarried and started a new family.  Aura must make sure her mother goes to job as an art teacher and tries to monitor her through the window.  But her mother is slipping further and further away, into her own world of delusions, fear and suspicion.  As if that isn’t complicated enough, Aura has other personal issues.  Her best friend just had a baby and can’t be as supportive as she once was.  She has fallen for a skateboarding boy but can’t seem to put two words together around him.  To top it all off, she has started to work for her grandmother, who doesn’t know who Aura is.  As Aura tries to save and protect everyone around her, who is saving her?

This book is an honest and brutal portrayal of mental illness and the toll it takes upon the caregiver, in this case a teen who just wants to be normal.  A large piece of the tension here is the relationship between mother and daughter, which teeters, tips and overturns.  There is such a sense of betrayal and loss in their relationship, powerfully combined with dread and fear.  Aura sees herself in her mother’s illness, certain that she too will eventually succumb to schizophrenia.  She believes it is tied to the artistic talent that both she and her mother have, so she tries to turn her back on art.

Aura is a well-drawn protagonist trying to cope with an impossible situation and fighting to keep up the pretense that nothing is wrong.  She is by turns in denial about the situation and drowning in it.  She is a strong, amazing character who is resilient and refuses to stop fighting for her mother and herself. 

Highly recommended, this book is dark, deep and haunting.  It speaks from the heart about matters that are too often hidden or whispered about.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from copy received from Flux.

Holly Schindler has done several blog interviews: Cynsations, Bildungsroman and Bart’s Bookshelf.

Cosmic Blasts Off to the Movies!

| Tasha

Frank Cottrell Boyce’s teen book Cosmic will be turned into a film by Walden Media.  In great news, Cottrell Boyce will be adapting the book into a screenplay himself.  As well as being a successful author for youth, he is a veteran screenwriter.

Here’s to a great book being made into a great film!

Thanks to Cinematical for the news.

Born Yesterday

| Tasha

  

Born Yesterday: The Diary of a Young Journalist by James Solheim, illustrated by Simon James

This funny book is told from the perspective of a brand new baby who just happens to be a journalist. He frets about being born naked, is amazed by everything his older sister can do, and tries to reach his mobile.  He looks forward to being talented enough to go to Kindergarten like his sister, enjoys his first lick of popsicle, throws food, bites his foot.  He spends his days like most babies, but he documents it all.  That’s why he is worried when his sister reads his diary and alarmed when she laughs at it.  Perhaps he needs to find a different family to live with?

The tone of this book is what sets it apart from many other baby books.  The diary format is cleverly done and combined with the baby’s voice, it is pure fun to read.  His voice is clever, rather adult, and often concerned with the impression he is making as a baby.  The juxtaposition of this tone with a baby’s life and activities works very well and adds to the humor of the book.

James’ art is right at home here as he does full page images along with smaller pictures in the midst of the text.  His art has a friendliness and gentle humor of its own and matches the text well.  The baby is nearly irresistible as he tries new things, even as he throws food or howls about biting his own foot.

A clever perspective on babies that many different readers will enjoy.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Penguin.

Check out this video about the book with author James Solheim.  It gives a great sense of the humor of the book:

Please Take Me for a Walk

| Tasha

Please Take Me for a Walk by Susan Gal

One look into the begging eyes of this white and black puppy, and you will eagerly agree to take him for a walk.  The puppy explains throughout the book why he needs to go for a walk.  There are cats to chase, birds to bark at, squirrels to keep in the trees.  There are people to greet, games to watch, and games to play.  Best of all, there are other dogs to meet too!

This is a simple book with a simple premise, which is a large part of its appeal.  Gal uses only a handful of words per page, stretching sentences over the course of several pages to show just what the dog has in mind for his walk.  This means lots of pictures for the number of words, making it very toddler friendly. 

It is Gal’s art that really elevates the title.  As you can see from the cover art, the dog is a winning character with shining eyes, plenty of energy, and lots of friends.  Done in charcoal on paper and digital collage, Gal’s art ranges from simple close-ups of the dog on a plain background to busy city streets with dogs and people coming and going. 

Get ready to go on a merry walk with this dog tale, which will fit easily into a toddler storytime about pets or dogs.  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House.

Also reviewed by Young Readers.

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The Inside Tree

| Tasha

The Inside Tree by Linda Smith, illustrated by David Parkins

Mr. Potter’s life was just right.  His house was just the right size for him and his teapot.  His yard had a single tree where birds swooped and under which his dog slept.  But then he looked out his window and noticed that the dog would be more comfortable inside by the fire.  So he brought the dog in.  However, now the tree was alone outside in the dark.  There was only one thing to do: bring the tree inside!  So Mr. Potter dug up the tree, wrestled it inside, and dug a hole through his floorboards for the tree roots.  All was fine until the tree needed more room.  Mr. Potter cut a hole in the ceiling and in came birds and the rain.  His home was very little cozy inside and mostly outside.  So Mr. Potter moved to the barn with his teapot, fireplace and dog.  That is, until he saw a lonely cow outside in the dark…

For all of us who fill our homes with plants, this book takes it to the extreme.  Smith’s writing offers the lilt of a storyteller, filled with just the right amount of rhythm.  She enjoys breaking sentences over a page turn, increasing the tension just that tiny bit.  It works very well in this humorous tale.  Parkins’ art is filled with great contrasts.  We have the perfect image of the small house in an idyllic setting.  Then there is the yellow and orange warmth of Mr. Potter’s clothing next to the fireside contrasted against the cool evening colors of the lonely dog and tree outside the window.  His use of small details adds to the warm feel of the home. This is used again in the barn where Mr. Potter eventually moves.

A unique book about trees and people, this is ideal for Arbor Day and Earth Day and will lend a hearty laugh to any collection of tree stories.  This is one to bark about, make sure not to leaf it too long.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Word After Word After Word

| Tasha

Word After Word After Word by Patricia MacLachlan

Fourth grade was dull until the author-in-residence arrived.  Ms. Mirabel brings a love of words and writing as well as her ready laugh to the class.  Through the course of several months, she inspires five fourth graders to write, express themselves, and by doing that change their lives.  The five characters are many for a book this slim, but through their writing they become very distinct.  One of the greatest pleasures in the book is the poetry included throughout, giving us a clear understanding of each character and what they are dealing with in their lives.  A charming book that will inspire us all to carry pen and paper and write to change our lives.

MacLachlan has created a book that is very accessible to young readers with its large font and small size.  She has also managed to portray five characters who go to the same school but are individuals and clearly so.  The character of Ms. Mirabel captures the wonder and inspiration children find in a visiting writer.  It also shows what an impact such a free-thinking and open teacher can have.  But most importantly, this book teaches children what writing can mean to a person, how it can impact their lives, and how important it is. 

Slim and short, this book packs so much in a small wrapper.  Pair it with Spilling Ink: A Young Writer’s Handbook by Ellen Potter and Anne Mazer for a winning combination that will truly inspire young writers to create.  Appropriate for ages 8-12.

Reviewed from library copy.

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Instructions

| Tasha

Instructions by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Charles Vess

Making this poem into a picture book was pure genius, especially with illustrations by Vess.  Gaiman takes one fairy tale and folk tale image after another and offers them up as instructions for your journey (in life, reading and magic).  The book follows the journey of a cat-like creature who travels through a door into a strange world of myth and whimsy.  Readers, young and old, will be charmed by beloved motifs, surprised by familiar yet strange moments, and ultimately completely satisfied as the journey comes full circle.

Gaiman’s poem reveals why he is such a beloved storyteller as he weaves together giants, dragons, wolves, toads and gems into a book that is about story, myth and our lives as well.  Vess’s art adds greatly to the child-appeal of the poem, offering a vintage, classic fairy tale feel. 

Highly recommended, this book will be best appreciated by readers who know about story and tales, because page after page they will be visiting beloved moments from books and stories.  Get this into the hands of middle school kids who love to read, they will understand it, appreciate it, and let it guide them forward. 

Appropriate for a very wide range of ages.

Check out this online version of the book read by Neil Gaiman from HarperKids:

Reviewed from library copy.

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The Cardturner

| Tasha

The Cardturner: A Novel about a King, a Queen, and a Joker by Louis Sachar

Bridge, the card game, in a book for teens?  Yes indeed, and done so well that you will wonder why more teen novels don’t center on chess and bridge.

Alton is looking forward to a bleak summer.  His girlfriend dumped him for his best friend.  He doesn’t have any money, so he will have to get a crummy job.  And now his aging blind uncle has asked him to be his cardturner in bridge.  With pressure from his parents, who are focused on the potential inheritance from his uncle, Alton takes the job.  As he spends summer days in a strip mall, turning cards for his uncle, Alton learns the logic and drama of bridge.  He meets his uncle’s former cardturner, the beautiful Toni, who helps him learn the game, even though his uncle believes it is best that he doesn’t know anything about it other than the names and suits of the cards.  In the middle of the bridge and his dull summer, Alton discovers a romance filled with secrets that is finally satisfactorily resolved.

Sachar has such an ear for dialogue that it is as if you are listening to real conversations.  There is never a stilted moment to pull you out of the novel.  He also creates unique and fascinating characters.  In this novel, the uncle, Trapp, is a great character.  He is very complex and multifaceted, one of the best and most human elderly characters I have read in YA literature. 

At the same time, Sachar is dealing with making bridge understandable and not dull for the layperson.  He does this with a device of a whale, warning readers that a section filled with game details is coming.  Readers can skip down to the boxed summary if they don’t wish to get all of the details.  Me?  I loved each and every detail of the game, even though I don’t play at all.  The Appendix filled with even more details of bridge, though, was a bit too deep for me.

This unlikely teen novel makes bridge interesting, offers great adult characters, and has a fresh teen voice.  Give it to fans of the author who will love the details and karma of the book.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from library copy.