Month: December 2011

Review: No Ordinary Day by Deborah Ellis

| Tasha

no ordinary day

No Ordinary Day by Deborah Ellis

Valli picks up coal every day at her home town of Jharia, India.  But when she discovers that the family she is staying with is not her real family, she is free to leave their abuse and fend for herself.  She hops aboard a coal truck and ends up in Kolkata on the streets.  There she “borrows” items that she needs, giving them to others who need them more when she is finished with them.  She eats by begging for food and money or doesn’t eat much at all.  Valli has one super power, she has feet that feel no pain.  So she can stand on hot coals, run across glass, and never feel the wounds.  But this is not a real super power, it is leprosy.  A kind doctor discovers Valli and offers treatment, though it is some time before Valli is able to trust her.  This powerful read speaks to the horrors of poverty, the brutality of life on the streets, and one remarkable young girl who survives it all.

Ellis is known for her powerful writing and this book definitely has that.  The book could have become dark and depressing in less skilled hands, but Ellis through the spunky Valli keeps the book moving forward and keeps the viewpoint optimistic.  Yet Ellis does not shy away from harsh realities of life on the streets and being an unwanted child in a family.  It is Valli who makes this book work so well, her vitality shines on every page.

Ellis handles the subject of leprosy with a delicacy and honesty that is heartwarming.  Valli responds to the lepers she meets as “monsters,” but she and the reader learn that there is nothing to fear.  Valli sees the people behind their deformities and the reader will too. 

A powerful and outstanding book, this tough subject is written at a level that will invite young readers into a world they had never realized existed.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by:

Review: Americus by MK Reed

| Tasha

americus

Americus by MK Reed, illustrated by Jonathan Hill

Neal, a high school freshman, who finds himself in the middle of a fight to keep a popular series in the public library.  Danny, Neal’s best friend, gets into trouble with his mother when she discovers he is reading The Adventures of Apathea Ravenchilde.  His mother believes that books with witches corrupt young minds and she goes on a crusade to not just have her children not read them, but remove them from the library as well.  Danny is sent to military school, leaving Neal behind.  But Neal slowly comes out of his quiet shell in high school, finding new friends and discovering new interests like punk rock.  The book challenge plays itself out in front of the library board and inside families in town.  Neal starts working at the library and is asked to speak for the teens who love the series and how important it is to him.  This look at censorship and small town politics rings true, especially for those of us who live near West Bend, Wisconsin.

Reed’s text is a refreshing mix of teen angst and lightness.  There is plenty of humor to move the story along, though this is more of a dramatic graphic novel than a funny one.  Neal is a character who shows real growth through the book, just slow and steady enough to read as real.  He is not a hero, but a young man who breaks through his shyness to speak out for something that is important for him. 

Reed also has other characters who are complexly drawn.  The two girls in shop class alone break stereotypes.  The kindness of the rock and roll boyfriend, who is also desperate to escape a table full of girls and their gossip, is a moment that is just lovely.  Neal is exposed to new music in that scene in a way that is engagingly written.

Hill’s art is done entirely in black and white.  The scenes from The Adventures of Apathea Ravenchilde are done in a different style with more shadows and a darker palette of gray.  The contrast is striking and well done.  I appreciated the fact that the books are more realistic than the real world of the graphic novel.  As a reader, that really speaks to how vivid books can be.

A great pick for high school graphic novel fans, this book belongs in all public library collections.  It is engaging as well as empowering.  Appropriate for ages 13-15.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by:

Review: Tom’s Tweet by Jill Esbaum

| Tasha

toms tweet

Tom’s Tweet by Jill Esbaum, illustrated by Dan Santat

Tom the cat is on the hunt after a storm when he spots a baby bird on the ground.  But the Tweet is so little and scrawny that it won’t amount to much, so Tom turns away.  But the little bird looks so helpless and alone, that Tom decides to help despite his misgivings.  Tom heads up the tree to return the Tweet to its nest, carrying it in his mouth.  But then the mother bird sees him and she attacks!  Tom has to flee with the Tweet.  After that, he has to figure out how to give it a home.  And (gulp) feed it too.  Tom finally finds a way to get the Tweet back to its nest, but he can’t get it out of his head.   What is a cat to do when he misses a bird?!

Esbaum’s rhymes romp along, and they work well for the most part.  The rhythm is even better, galloping along and creating a brisk pace for the story.  The infectious rhythm makes reading the book aloud great fun.  In fact, I think it reads aloud better than it reads silently.  The story is filled with humor, from Tom’s expressions of “tarnation” and “dadburn it” to the scene where he feeds the little Tweet.

Santat’s illustrations are what take this book to another level.  While the story is funny on its own, it becomes wildly silly with his art.  With its computer smooth feel, it looks as if it was taken right off of a Pixar movie screen.  Children will respond naturally to the style and then enjoy it even more thanks to the humor embedded in it.

Very funny, this picture book will be enjoyed by children looking for a silly read with plenty of heart.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Alfred A. Knopf.

SLJ Best Books of 2011

| Tasha

slj

Another best books list has arrived and it’s from one of my favorite review journals, School Library Journal.  Their list is full of great reads, many matching my own favorites of the year.  To see more than the picture books, just click on the links under In This Article to find the Fiction, Nonfiction and Adult Books 4 Teens.

Enjoy!

Review: Lighthouse Christmas by Toni Buzzeo

| Tasha

lighthouse christmas

Lighthouse Christmas by Toni Buzzeo, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

Frances and her little brother live with their father on the remote island lighthouse of Ledge Light.  Christmas is coming and neither of them are sure that Santa is going to find them there.  So when the children get offered a boat to the mainland to spend Christmas with their relatives there, they have to think about it.  It does mean a Christmas filled with family and holiday spirit.  But on the other hand, they have to leave their father behind to man the lighthouse.  When a nor’easter blows in though, all of their plans have to be set aside.  The storm blows in a stranger also trapped by the weather.  Now the small family have to create their own Christmas together, with a little help from a plane overhead.

This book is based on the true story of the Flying Santa Service, which still continues today to serve the isolated islands in Maine’s Penobscot Bay.   The story has a wonderful, warm feeling of home.  It touches on Christmases spent after losing a loved one as well as Christmases in new homes.  The story also moves from the quiet of the family life to the drama of the storm and then the clearing after the storm passes.  It makes for a pleasing story arc. 

Carpenter’s illustrations help create the warmth of the book.  Done in a traditional style, they work well to also emphasize the story arc.  The story is obviously set in the earlier part of the 20th century, thanks to the clothing and the furniture.  Delicate lines and color washes add to the vintage feel of the illustrations.

An old-fashioned Christmas story, this is a great pick for those looking for an emphasis on family and reality rather than Santa and elves.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books for Young Readers.

Graveyard Book–The Movie

| Tasha

The LA Times has a juicy article about Neil Gaiman and the 15th anniversary collection of Neverwhere for American audiences.  Hidden in there is a tidbit that teases about the Graveyard Book the movie:

“I don’t know if I’m allowed to say much because huge, cool, strange, interesting things have been happening in the background with ‘The Graveyard Book’ movie, but I do not believe I’m allowed to tell you any of them until official announcements, actual press releases, come out …. Suffice to say, interesting things are happening,” Gaiman said.

I am so glad that things are looking up after the last Graveyard Book film plans fell apart.  The book is so cinematic that it plays like a film in your head already.  It’s one of those books that begs to be a great film.

Kirkus Best Teen Books of 2011

| Tasha

Kirkus has a list of their top picks for teen books this year.  Let me just say that this is not a list that mirrors my own picks.  Yes, there are several of my favorites on the list, but others were books that I didn’t finish and still others are ones that I have on my lists but have not yet read.

   

I am happy to see Chime, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Beauty Queens, and White Crow on the list.  Those would be my favorites of the Kirkus selections.

Do you see your favorites on the list?  Let me know what they are, so I can try them out!