Bestselling author, Barbara Park has died at age 66 from a long battle with ovarian cancer. She is the author of the beloved Junie B. Jones series that has sold over 55 million copies. She has published more than fifty books over the years.
Month: November 2013
Review: Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher
Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher
Zoe stays up late at night and writes to her pen pal, a Texas death row prisoner who murdered his wife. He is the only one with whom she can share her dark secret: she too killed someone. Zoe slowly reveals her story, including her own role in a boy’s death and living with the aftermath of having done it. Zoe’s story is one of being drawn to two boys, using one against the other, and the startling result of her betrayal. It is a story of love that is beyond the expected, first romance that is tortured but desperately real, and the wounds left behind that are impossible to heal.
Pitcher, author of My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, has returned with a beautifully written second novel. She lays bare Zoe as a character, giving her the space to reveal herself in all of her remorse and conflict. Here is one of my favorite passages in the book:
I’d do anything to forget. Anything. Eat the spider or stand naked on top of the shed or do math homework every day for the rest of my life. Whatever it took to wipe my brain clean like you can with computers, pressing a button to delete the images and the words and the lies.
But perhaps what Pitches does best in this novel is to build tension and doubt. Throughout the book until the final reveal, readers do not know which of the boys died. Pitcher writes in a way that lets readers fall for both of them for different reasons, so that either one’s death is a grand tragedy and something to destroy lives.
This is a book that is burning and compelling. It is a book that is beautifully honest, vibrantly written. This is Zoe’s heart on a page in all of its wounds and glory. Appropriate for ages 14-17.
Reviewed from digital copy received from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss.
Review: Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Susan L. Roth
Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore
This exceptional nonfiction picture book tells the story of the Puerto Rican parrot. It is a bird that has flown over Puerto Rico for millions of years but almost became extinct in the 1960s. The book tells of the changes that came to Puerto Rico and its environment thanks to settlers, wars, hunting, and foreign invasive species. Forests began to disappear too, so the parrots were limited to living in just one place. By 1967, only 24 parrots lived in Puerto Rico. With them almost extinct, people started trying to save the parrots. The book tells the story of rescued parrots, storms and the dedicated scientists who figured out how to save this species from disappearing entirely.
Roth and Trumbore tell this story deftly. They focus on what was almost lost, a sky crowded with these blue and green birds. The book explores the history of Puerto Rico, tying it closely and innately into the story of the parrots themselves. The entire book is fascinating and becomes even more compelling when the story turns to the rescue efforts. Small victories such as saving a young parrot’s wings are celebrated, while the larger effort is also looked at in detail.
Roth’s collages are exquisite. She captures the beauty of the birds, as you can see from the cover image above, but also the beauty of Puerto Rico itself with all of its lush greens. The book is beautifully designed as well.
A dazzling nonfiction book that will be welcome in classroom discussions and units about conservation and environment. Appropriate for ages 7-9.
Reviewed from digital copy received from Lee & Low and Edelweiss.
This Week’s Tweets and Pins
Here are the links I shared on my Twitter and Pinterest accounts this week that I hope you find interesting:
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
15 Kids Books That Are Better Than the Movie http://buff.ly/1bdIIW3 #kidlit
Book Trade Announcements – Little Rebels Award For Radical Children’s Fiction Returns http://buff.ly/17Uht4r #kidlit
Books for the whole family – The Horn Book http://buff.ly/1bdOhDL #kidlit
Boys to men – The Horn Book http://buff.ly/1iS1Ycj #kidlit
Harry Potter and the 15 Secret Pieces of Trivia| http://studentbeans.com http://buff.ly/1hIihNA #kidlit
If the weather outside is frightful – The Horn Book http://buff.ly/1iS22Jf #kidlit – great books for non-Christmas holiday reads
‘Pinkwashing’: why you’d be crazy not to censor your children’s books – Telegraph http://buff.ly/1hFYIpe #kidlit #reading
The United States Postal Service Has Designed 20 ‘Harry Potter’ Stamps – GalleyCat http://buff.ly/1eMGAId #kidlit
Why Picture Books Are Important by Daniel Kirk http://buff.ly/1iRYGWo #kidlit
Ylvis Lands Deal for ‘What Does the Fox Say?’ Picture Book – GalleyCat http://buff.ly/1hBtH5R #kidlit
LIBRARIES
11 Amazing Librarian Tattoos | Mental Floss http://buff.ly/HOpDii #librarians #libraries #tattoos
31 Free Live Webinars for Librarians in November http://buff.ly/1ewCILj #libraries
Thousands to play games on all seven continents on Nov. 16 for International Games Day @ your library http://buff.ly/1hFYoqo
Top 10 Knowledge Centers and Libraries That Were Tragically Destroyed http://buff.ly/1ewA200 #libraries
Will Google Helpouts Disrupt Libraries? | Eduhacker http://buff.ly/1blyLSW #libraries #google
READING
A Case for Letting Kids Read Books on Digital Devices | The Stir http://buff.ly/1hGT6ef #ebooks #reading
New Statistical Report Avail From #Bowker: “Self Publishing in the United States 2007-2012″ http://buff.ly/1eIF89H via @infoDOCKET
Technology aids children’s reading comprehension – study http://buff.ly/17Uhs0b #reading
Why I’m an unapologetic book-quitter – The Globe and Mail http://buff.ly/1hwOE1L #books #reading
TECHNOLOGY
RT @KateGardiner: Teenagers say goodbye to Facebook and hello to messenger apps (@theguardian) http://buff.ly/1aR6pFs
TEEN READS
Gaiman explains reason for ‘unprofessional’ delay in rest of that Sandman prequel | Blastr http://buff.ly/18pca7c
Read-alikes: Calling All Gender Identities, by Ann Kelley | Booklist Online http://buff.ly/1bdN9Af #yalit
RT @Scholastic: Cast of The #HungerGames #CatchingFire shares their favorite YA books of all time: http://buff.ly/1hFXOJp #YAlit #yalitchat
Sometimes The ‘Tough Teen’ Is Quietly Writing Stories : Code Switch : NPR http://buff.ly/1blyJe0 #yalit
Stacked: Contemporary YA Books Featuring Humor http://buff.ly/1apFy0g #yalit
Publisher’s Weekly Best Children’s Books of 2013
Publisher’s Weekly has selected their picks for the top 50 books for children and teens this year. Here are the books that made that list:
PICTURE BOOKS
Battle Bunny by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett, illustrated by Matthew Myers
Bluebird by Bob Staake
Fog Island by Tomi Ungerer
The Dark by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen
If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown
Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner
Rosie’s Magic Horse by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Quentin Blake
This Is the Rope by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by James Ransome
The Tortoise and the Hare by Jerry Pinkney
The Year of the Jungle by Suzanne Collins, illustrated by James Proimos
FICTION
Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle
Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang
The Case of Team Spirit by John Allison
Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant by Tony Cliff
Doll Bones by Holly Black
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Far Far Away by Tom McNeal
Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by KG Campbell
Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
From Norvelt to Nowhere by Jack Gantos
Ghost Hawk by Susan Cooper
The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky
Hostage Three by Nick Lake
How to Catch a Bogle by Catherine Jinks, illustrated by Sarah Watts
Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal
The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr
Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner
Midwinter Blood by Marcus Sedgwick
P.S. Be Eleven by Rita Williams-Garcia
Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff
Reality Boy by AS King
Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
Sex and Violence by Carrie Mesrobian
The Thing about Luck by Cynthia Kadohata, illustrated by Julia Kuo
The Truth of Me by Patricia MacLachlan
The War Within These Walls by Aline Sax
Whistle in the Dark by Susan Hill Long
Winger by Andrew Smith
NONFICTION
Courage Has No Color by Tanya Lee Stone
Lincoln’s Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin
Locomotive by Brian Floca
My Brother’s Book by Maurice Sendak
Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson
Parrots over Puerto Rico by Susan L. Roth and Cathy Trumbore
Poems to Learn by Heart edited by Caroline Kennedy
The President Has Been Shot! by James L. Swanson
Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley
Stardines Swim High across the Sky and Other Poems by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Carin Berger
Review: Snowcial by Chelsea Prince
Snowcial: An Antarctic Social Network Story by Chelsea Prince, photography by Keoki Flagg and Robert Pittman
This nonfiction book follows the journey of a family to visit the Antarctic Peninsula. They travel aboard an icebreaker ship that has an ice breaking hull but sails only in warmer temperatures. Along the way, the children in the family, Anna and Rory explore the ship. They watch the different birds that follow the ship and find out information on their habitat and how they survive out at sea. Soon they are seeing icebergs, glaciers and lots of snow and ice. They also get to visit places where penguins and seals live. They even spot some killer whales hunting in the ocean. A mix of science and exploration, this book invites readers along on a journey to an icy world that is full of life.
Price sets just the right tone with her book. She writes with a merry voice, one that invites children reading the book to learn right alongside her and her characters. Throughout the book there is a sense of adventure and a strong tie to information and science. This is a book that teaches in an easy and welcoming way.
While Price sets the tone, the incredible photography from Flagg and Pittman truly capture the setting. Their close ups of wounded penguins, hunted seals, and the activity of a penguin colony truly allow readers to see Antarctica up close. Their photography is visually beautiful but also a way to learn more about this incredible place.
Brilliant science nonfiction, join the journey to Antarctica with this gorgeous book. Appropriate for ages 7-9.
Reviewed from copy received from Chelsea Print and Publishing.
Review: Freakboy by Kristin Elizabeth Clark
Freakboy by Kristin Elizabeth Clark
On the surface, Brendan has it all together. He has a hot girlfriend, he wrestles on the high school team, and he has a great younger sister who adores him. It is under the surface that Brendan struggles, because he feels like a boy inside sometimes and other times like his entire body is wrong and that he is a girl. As Brendan’s life spirals, he meets Angel, a transgendered teen who now lives as a girl. The two bond over video game playing, carefully stepping around the larger issues for a long time. But Brendan’s spiral turns darker and more destructive and having one understanding friend may not be enough to save him from himself and his despair.
Told entirely in verse, this book captures the world of a teen experiencing a different gender than the one he was born with. The story is told in three voices: Brendan, his girlfriend Vanessa, and Angel. In this way, readers get to see not only Brendan’s personal story and evolution, but also the way that it impacts people he loves. Angel serves as a vision of a possible future that is positive and yet complicated.
Clark doesn’t shy away from anything in this book. Sex and sexuality are discussed frankly and with beautiful details that add radiance and wonder. She also does not make things easy. Gender is shown in all of its complexity and as a full spectrum. One brilliant character is Vanessa, a girl who is a high school wrestler but also one that is flirtatious and womanly. Readers may not realize it at first, because Clark handles it gently, but Vanessa speaks to her own form of gender expression.
A powerful blazing novel that gives insight into teens struggling with gender variance and also offers a book where those teens can see themselves and a way forward. Appropriate for ages 14-18.
Reviewed from copy received from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Divergent Trailer
The first Divergent trailer has been released:
What do you think?
Review: The Story of Fish & Snail by Deborah Freedman
The Story of Fish & Snail by Deborah Freedman
This is the story of Fish and Snail who were great friends. Every day, Snail would wait for Fish to return with a new story. This time, Fish returned with a great story, one so wonderful that Fish wanted to show Snail instead of tell about it. But Snail doesn’t want to leave the book they are in. Snail wants to stay right there and play kittens instead of pirates. The two start to argue and finally Fish declares that it is THE END and leaves the book. Snail was so sad. This was not the way the story was meant to end. So Snail leans farther outside of the page and sees Fish in a watery book below. Will Snail leave his safe book and dare to tumble down to the other ocean below? Will Fish return with more stories?
Freedman captures a story-within-a-story here with her setting of two characters living not just in one picture book but many. It is the story of two opposite characters who still manage to be friends, most of the time. There is the sedentary Snail who longs for the stories but not the real adventure. Then there is the irrepressible Fish who jumps and leaps literally off of the page. The pair make for a balanced friendship but also one with plenty of room for misunderstanding too. Their conversation and fight are written strongly and honestly.
Freedman’s art is gorgeous. Readers will recognize her as the author and illustrator of Blue Chicken. She uses similar splash effects in her art here. The blues are gorgeously green and filled with light. When Fish swims the bubbles take on a stronger form as Freedman lets the watercolor dapple the page. There is one beautiful image of Snail looking down to the other book that plays with perspective cleverly.
I’ve heard Caldecott rumblings for this one and with its playful yet artistic illustrations, I’d love to see that. In the end though, it’s also a great story about friendship, books and being willing to take risks. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Reviewed from copy received from Viking.
Waking Brain Cells 