Author: Tasha

If I Stay

| Tasha

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

It starts with a day off of school where a light snow in the Portland area brings everything to a halt.  The snow melts by mid-morning and Mia heads off for a day with her family in their car.  They argue about what to listen to on the radio, tease her mother about her cooking, and all is near bliss.  Until the accident.  Now Mia has to decide.  She is the one in control though she doesn’t want to be.  She has to choose life…or death.

This slim volume contains such heartache, such wonder and such tenderness that it should take twice the amount of words it does!  Somehow in under 200 pages, Forman has created a character who becomes not only real, but open and vulnerable and achingly available to the reader.  Through flashbacks, we get to learn about her love of the cello, the gift for music, her early relationship with her boyfriend, and her amazing parents.  Things are beautiful but honest: life with a boyfriend is not perfect and her parents are different from most.  This is real life with all of the troubles but all of the joy too.  Forman’s writing is gripping,honest and at times so gentle that it’s a caress.  Her writing is what makes this book work.  It never tumbles down the slope of melodrama, instead keeping true and unflinching.

Make sure you have a box of Kleenex handy for this one.  It’s nearly impossible to put down and equally difficult to get out of your head.  Readers of Lurlene McDaniel will love this, and find a book with writing to match the emotions.  Appropriate for ages 13-17. 

Children's Books Ireland Book of the Year 2008-2009

| Tasha

The shortlist for The Bistro Children’s Book of the Year Awards has been announced.  The age range is large and makes for a very intriguing list of finalists:

Airman by Eoin Colfer

An Phleist Mhór by Ré O’Laighléis, Susan Edwards & Emily Colenso

Anila’s Journey by Mary Finn

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

Brionglóidí by Áine Ní Ghlinn & Carol Betera

Creature of the Night by Kate Thompson

Her Mother’s Face by Roddy Doyle

Highway Robbery by Kate Thompson

The Gift of the Magi by PJ Lynch

The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers

There Was an Old Man Who Painted the Sky

| Tasha

There Was an Old Man Who Painted the Sky by Teri Sloat, illustrated by Stefano Vitale.

This picture book captures the beauty of cave paintings that were discovered at the Altamira Cave in 1879.  A young girl found the paintings when she was eight years old and exploring with her father, an amateur archaeologist.  This book captures the spirit of the paintings and marries their glory with a catchy tune, introducing the wonder of these images to a new generation.  They have already survived 11,000-19,000 years, so it’s only appropriate to share them with generations.

The refrain in this book is "But I don’t know how he painted the sky – It’s up so high."  Even with the playful melody, one can’t keep awe out of one’s voice saying these words and viewing the majestic paintings in the book.  Many of the illustrations are closely tied to the cave paintings.  Others a have a deeper colored and more majestic feel.  But they all pay homage to the source of inspiration.  Beautifully done, this picture book is much more about capturing the spirit of the cave than replicating the illustrations themselves.  For that very reason, it is successful.

Recommended as a great alternative version of the song, this book has depth and majesty as well.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Big George

| Tasha

Big George by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Matt Phelan

George Washington was a tall, shy boy who loved to spend time on his own in the woods.  He learned from his half brother to be a Virginia gentleman, and loved to read books about ancient Roman heroes like Cincinnatus.  George grew into a man who worked on mapping the colony, loved the outdoors and excelled at sports, but he didn’t like to talk.  He could never find the right words unless he was angry.  Throughout this fascinating picture book, readers discover Washington’s path to greatness and history.  It is an unlikely and intriguing story of the first President.

Rockwell’s Phelan’s illustrations offer glimpses into moments in history.  Washington’s shock of red hair lends a different feeling to the history, as does seeing him as a boy who does more than chop down a cherry tree.  This is a much more human and therefore more interesting person.  Rockwell does well capturing history fully even though she is brief and concise.

Great for classroom use for President’s Day, this book will also find an audience amongst children who prefer nonfiction.  Appropriate for ages 6-7, younger for reading aloud.

Testing…

| Tasha

Just testing my remote blogging software, Windows Live Writer.

And to make this post useful, I want to mention that if you were registered to post on the old site, you will have to register again.  Sorry about that!

Welcome to WordPress

| Tasha

Welcome to the new format of Kids Lit.  Hope you like it!

All of your feeds should work well, but please let me know if you see something odd.  We are working to fix things, but sometimes you catch things I don’t.

Thanks for your understanding in case things go horribly wrong.

Because I Am Furniture

| Tasha

Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas

Anke lives in fear of her father and his wrath. He abuses her brother and sister in a variety of ways, but Anke is invisible to him. He pays her no attention at all. She begins to wonder what is worse, abuse or being completely ignored as if she is nothing. Then Anke joins the volleyball team at school and finds her voice. Her growing strength of body and spirit means that she can no longer be the silent witness at home. Told in poems, this novel explores the damage of abuse in a family and what happens when one person changes her role.

Chaltas’ poems capture small scenes in Anke’s life, adding up together into a full picture of a teen girl and the strange world she survives in. There are poems that hurt to read, changing the way breath moves out of your body. The poems are built to ebb and flow, not all have that crippling pain in them, allowing readers to breathe once more. But all carry the knowledge of a tortuous existence. Beautifully written, wonderfully paced and vividly done.

Recommended for readers of A Child Called It, this book uses poetry to bring emotions and pain directly to the reader. Not for the faint of heart, this book is powerful and bleak, but will leave readers with hope in the end. Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Freeze Frame

| Tasha

Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe

Kyle can’t remember what happened in the moments before his best friend Jason died.  He tries to write the scene many different ways in the styles of his favorite film directors, but nothing fills in that blank in his memory.  Did he mean to kill his friend?  What happened in those few seconds?  And why can’t he remember?

Ayarbe’s first novel is a dark nest of tension, doubt and fear.  Her ingenious use of film and novels as a language to psychology will make the book very accessible to teens who enjoy movies.  Kyle is a fascinating protagonist who feels such guilt for what happened, no matter his own personal role in it.  His family’s reaction as well as the reaction of Jason’s family is so well done and gut wrenching that it could be a novel of its own.  Beautifully, taut writing with great characters.  No one could wish for more.

I just have to mention the inclusion of a vivid school librarian who is a large part of Kyle’s recovery.   What a joy to have the librarian be not only a character but an intriguing and strong one.

Highly recommended for teens who enjoy a good psychological mystery.  Even better if they enjoy films too.  Appropriate for ages 13-16.

Flying Eagle

| Tasha

Flying Eagle by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray

In rhyming couplets, the story of an eagle hunting in the Serengeti National Park is told.  He has been hunting all day for food to feed his chick back in the nest but has had no luck.  Now it is sunset and different animals come out in the emerging darkness.  Readers will see hippos, rhinos, gnu, crocodiles, and even a human with a gun!  How can the exhausted eagle father find food with all of the dangers he faces?

The poetry is grippingly brief, making this a great book to share with young children looking for an African adventure filled with animals and danger.  Ray’s illustrations are deeply colored, evocative of the African world, and depict the tension of the book perfectly.

Recommended for both African and poetry units, this book is a tense tale told with vibrancy and depth.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.