Month: September 2012

Review: Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

| Tasha

liar and spy

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

In the first book following her award-winning When You Reach Me, Stead again writes a clever book that slowly reveals its truths to the reader.  It is the story of Georges, named after Georges Seurat, whose family is forced to sell their home after his father loses his job.  Because of this, his mother is away all the time, picking up double shifts at the hospital to make ends meet.  It is at the new apartment that Georges meets Safer.  They first meet at a meeting of the Spy Club after Georges’ dad responds to a note in the laundry room.  As the boys become better and better friends, their spy games escalate too.  Soon the question becomes what it takes to be friends with a liar, and who that liar is.

Stead writes such layered books that they become almost more about exploring the layers than about the underlying story.  Here the story is Georges and his friendship, but it is also about denial, coping and fear.  Stead uses the pointillism of Seurat as a symbol that runs through the book.  Does one focus on one specific thing or on the larger picture or both at the same time.  Stead’s writing is careful and beautifully crafted.  Everything serves a purpose in the story, making it a delight to read.

Georges is a fascinating character.  Towards the beginning of the book, readers will understand that something else is happening with his mother other than double shifts.  Georges, though, is unwilling or unable to face whatever it is.  This gives the book a layer of doubt and even sadness that makes for an uncommon read.  This is magnified by his father’s absence as well and by the bullying he receives at school. 

A virtuoso novel for middle graders, this book is elegantly crafted, exceptionally written, and unforgettable.  Appropriate for ages 10-12.

Reviewed from digital galley received from NetGalley.

Review: One Year in Coal Harbor by Polly Horvath

| Tasha

one year in coal harbor

One Year in Coal Harbor by Polly Horvath

Return to the world of Horvath’s Newbery Honor winning Everything on a Waffle in this follow up.  Primrose Squarp is back living with her parents in Coal Harbor and everything should be just fine, but there’s more trouble brewing in town.  Primrose just knows that if people would listen to her, it would all work out fine.  Like Uncle Jack and Kate Bowzer: Primrose knows they are in love, but they just won’t admit it.  Then there’s the lack of a best friend, though the new foster kid might just be the right person.  And finally, there’s logging happening outside of town that’s bringing in protesters and developers, making for all sorts of excitement.  Horvath lives up to the first book here, giving readers another chance to spend time in Coal Harbor.

Horvath has created a beautiful setting for her book that is so much a part of the story that it could not have happened anywhere else.  She has then taken that setting and populated it with amazing characters.  There are snotty girls, loving friends, intriguing strangers, and at the heart an extended family that provides support through everything.  While the characters may be wild at times, there is such a network of community in the book that it all makes merry sense.

Though there is a sense of community and family throughout, Horvath also deals with some darker issues here.  There is the question of development of wilderness and the death of a pet.  While this darkness is there, it is not all encompassing.  The town continues to function and life goes on. 

Horvath’s writing is also exquisite.  I particularly enjoy the parts where Primrose (who is wise and interesting and exactly the sort of person any reader would want as a best friend) is thinking about life.  Here is one of my favorite passages from page 148:

…but it was as if he and I and the hills were all part of one thing, separate from other things on Earth. Just as my mother and father and I were part of one thing, separate from all else. And these small subsets within the universe, I decided, are maybe what people love best. Whether it is you and the ocean or you and your sisters or you and your B and B, your husband and children.

Fans of the first book should definitely read the second, and truly, who in could ever pass it up!  I envy new readers of the pair of books who can read them back to back and spend an extended time in Coal Harbor.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from digital galley from NetGalley.

Children and Teen Reading Rates Falling

| Tasha

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The National Literacy Trust conducted a survey of 21,000 children and teens in the UK about their reading habits.  In 2005, four out of ten children read daily.  That has fallen to three in ten. 

What I find most troubling about the survey results is that one in five children said that they rarely or never read in their own time.  17% of the children even said they would be embarrassed to be seen reading by their friends.  Scary that! 

Even genres you might think would be continuing in their popularity are falling.  Magazine reading fell by 20% since 2005 with only 57% of children reading magazines.  Even more surprising is the comic reading dropping to 50% from the 64% in 2005.

Jonathan Douglas, director of the National Literacy Trust, gives the following statement:

We believe we need to inspire a new generation to read in the same way that the Olympics is inspiring a new generation to take part in sport.

We need to make reading irresistible. We want to call on families and professionals working with children and young people to make ten minutes in their day for reading.

This is about carving out reading time yes, but it is also about getting the right books into the hands of children.  It’s about allowing them to read about their own interests, taking them to the library to explore those interests, and getting out of the way.  We have to let go of what books are best for them and just get them turning pages.  Quality will follow.  I promise.

The same is true of adults, who need to read what they love (even if that is children’s and teen books) so that they can model reading for the children in their lives.  If reading is good for youth, it’s just as good for us!

Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/slightlyeverything/

This Week’s Tweets

| Tasha

Here are the links I shared on my Twitter account that you might find interesting:

2012 Fall Preview for Children and Teens | Kirkus Book Reviews http://buff.ly/Nd92pc

Andy Mulligan’s top 10 school stories | Children’s books | http://guardian.co.uk http://buff.ly/NeZp9A #kidlit

The Artist Who Inspired Maurice Sendak Finally Gets His Due – Steven Heller – The Atlantic http://buff.ly/NaDT5O

Blue Balliett on Writing for Kids, and Everyone Else – Gapers Block Book Club | Chicago http://buff.ly/PMnu4z

Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss redrew the world of kid literature – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette http://buff.ly/NcyMlx #kidlit

Emma Thompson? It’s Peter Rabbit here… – Telegraph http://buff.ly/PLdzfF #kidlit

Graphic Novel Removed from Connecticut School District’s Summer Reading List http://buff.ly/PMHQuE

Judy Blume, Author Of Young Adult Fiction Books, Reveals Struggle With Breast Cancer – International Business Times http://buff.ly/PMnCkM

The Naked Truth: Librarians Stood By Maurice Sendak, No Stranger to Controversy | School Library Journal http://buff.ly/NaTBOa

Review: Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert by Gary D. Schmidt

| Tasha

martin de porres

Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert by Gary D. Schmidt, illustrated by David Diaz

Martin de Porres was born to a former slave and a Spanish nobleman in Lima, Peru.  He lived in severe poverty in the barrios until his father took him back to Ecuador with him.  As Martin grew older, he returned to Lima and started learning to tend to the ill.  His healing power revealed itself while he was there.  Thanked for his healing, he was given the seeds of a lemon tree as a gift.  After planting the seeds, a tree grew overnight and had ripe fruit.  Word began to spread about this amazing boy.  Still, his mixed race prohibited him from becoming a priest, so he joined the Dominican Order as a servant.  He continued to heal others, eventually proving his ability and worth and becoming a priest after all.  Other stories of miracles surrounded him and he was finally canonized as a saint.  Through vivid writing and rich illustrations, the story of the childhood of this saint is told.

Schmidt’s writing warmly celebrates the wonders and miracles of Martin de Porres.  It is a story that starts with a boy who is the poorest of the poor, rejected by the priesthood and eventually ends with sainthood and life led in service to others.  In a world divided just as much between rich and poor, this story will resonate with modern young readers.

Diaz’s illustrations are filled with colors that are saturated and deep.  The deep hues of Martin de Porres’ skin are celebrated in the pages here.  Other parts of the illustrations have a feel of stained glass with sun pouring through.  The images are beautiful and celebratory.

A shining example of a picture book biography of a saint, this book will speak to modern readers as well as celebrate an amazing person.  Appropriate for ages 7-9.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Every Day by David Levithan

| Tasha

every day

Every Day by David Levithan

A wakes up as a different person every morning.  All A knows is that it is going to be someone different and somewhat nearby the last person.  After living life this way for 16 years, A has gotten used to it and doesn’t know any other way of life.  A can jump into either a girl or a boy, straight or gay, abused or adored, each day is completely different and each life and family exists for just a day.  There is freedom in this life but also loneliness.  A has rules, trying not to do any damage to the person whose life is being borrowed, trying to pass tests and live a normal day.  But then A meets Rhiannon as A spends a day in her boyfriend’s body.  The two of them spend an amazing day together at the beach, skipping class.  A is in love for the very first time, but how can a person who moves from body to body even go on a first date? 

This beautifully written book is told in the first person from A’s point of view.  The concept of the book is immensely strong and makes for a read that is so strong and vibrant that it lingers with you and you think about it afterwards.  A is an amazing character whose life is wildly different from our own and yet it’s a life that also sheds light on what we should be celebrating as we live our more stable lives.  A manages to show how truly broad human experience can be.  Moving from body to body, there are no longer judgments about straight and gay, race or religion.  It is all about being immensely and breathtakingly human.

Levithan also examines many facets of being human, from family ties and relationships to being different in profound ways to self acceptance.  His writing is a gorgeous mix of fast-paced storytelling and lingering thoughts.  It is in those moments where he puts words to love, life and being human that his writing is transcendent. 

A strikingly bold concept, a vibrant main character who is impossible to define and amazing writing make this one of the best teen novels of the year.  Appropriate for ages 15-18.

Reviewed from digital review copy received from NetGalley.

Review: Big Mean Mike by Michelle Knudsen

| Tasha

big mean mike

Big Mean Mike by Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by Scott Magoon

Mike was the toughest and biggest dog in the neighborhood.  He prided himself on his spiked collar and his combat boots but best of all was his big mean car.  Just after getting a new pair of boots, Mike got a big surprise.  There in his car trunk was a little white fuzzy bunny rabbit.  Mike just knew that he couldn’t be seen with such a cute little creature because it would damage his reputation, so he set the bunny down and headed off in his car.  But things weren’t that simple to solve.  The next day he found two little white bunnies in his glove compartment.  The next day there were three bunnies on his hood.  Mike stopped driving his car until he needed to use it to get to the Monster Truck Show.  He checked everywhere for the bunnies and thought he was safe.  What is a big tough dog going to do with FOUR bunnies at a Monster Truck Show?  You will have to read it to see!

I really enjoyed this picture book about reputation and appearance.  Children will be drawn in with the flashy car and the big dog on the cover.  Happily though, this picture book has more depth than expected.  While it satisfies with cars, trucks and tough characters, it is also about appearances not really matching what’s inside.  Instead of being a mean dog, Mike is actually soft hearted.  He is always gentle with the bunnies and continuously notices how very cute they are.  He has a very soft side that is revealed gradually and delightfully.

Magoon’s illustrations add to the delight here with their cartoon toughness.  He uses clean lines, a very cool car design, and lots of spikes to display Mike’s toughness.  When the bunnies enter the story, they are pure fluff.  They bring a nice contrast to the rest of the illustrations.

A soft heart is on display once you turn that tough cover in this picture book about image and unlikely friendships.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: The Best Bike Ride Ever by James Proimos

| Tasha

best bike ride ever

The Best Bike Ride Ever by James Proimos and Johanna Wright

All Bonnie has said for seven days is “I want a bike” so when she finally gets a bike on the eighth day, she just can’t wait to try it out.  She can’t even wait to be shown how to use a bike, instead she just hops aboard and pedals off.  There’s only one problem – she doesn’t know how to stop.  She rode her bike over bridges and on top of elephants, between giraffe legs, to the top of the Statue of Liberty and the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  Unfortunately though, she did stop in the end, by falling over.  Happily, her parents were there not to scold her but to show her how to use her bike.  In fact, Bonnie had the adventure of a lifetime right in her own backyard as sharp eyed children will figure out.

This book is entirely playful from the over-the-top begging for a bike to the wild ride through the entire world to the final twist at the end.  Readers will experience their own adventurous ride as they read this book, never knowing quite where Bonnie and the book are heading next.  It’s a lot of fun to read! 

The illustrations are quirky and bright.  Filled with details but never fussy, they have a life to them that adds to the spunk of the book.  They are also filled with motion and movement, which makes them all the more enjoyable.

Great fun, this wild ride of a book will have children wishing for their own bike.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books for Young Readers.

Review: Drama by Raina Telgemeier

| Tasha

drama

Drama by Raina Telgemeier

The author of the award-winning Smile returns with another graphic novel that captures the turmoil and thrill of being a teen.  Here the focus is on high school theater.  Callie loves theater, but not being an actress, instead her passion is set design and working behind the scenes.  This year she gets her big chance with the production of Moon over Mississippi as the main set designer.  She has a big vision, the question is whether she can pull it all off.  In particular, the cannon scene proves very challenging, but Callie knows she just has to have the cannon really fire on stage.  In the meantime, Callie is getting to know two handsome twins who are also interested in theater, enjoying her friendship with the other stage crew members, and dealing with lots of drama onstage and off. 

Telgemeier has created a graphic novel that both actors and those behind the scenes will love.  It is great to see a book focus on the efforts that it takes to really get a show running, rather than just who gets to be in the spotlight.  The story is welcoming and inclusive, just like any great theater crew.  There are gay characters, crushes on both the right and wrong people, mistakes on stage, and much more to love.  She has captured high school without being fanciful at all.

As with her previous book, Telgemeier’s art has a combination of empathy and humor.  She laughs along with her characters and never at them.  It’s a crucial difference that makes her books all the more laudable and readable. 

Highly recommended, this is one for the Glee fans and also for all of those teens who work behind the scenes rather than dreaming of time on stage.  Appropriate for ages 13-16.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.