Book Reviews

Review: And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano

| Tasha

and then its spring

And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead

This enchanting book starts with the brown of late winter.  It’s the brown that you have to plant seeds into in the hopes of green coming soon.  But then you have to wait for rain, hope that the birds didn’t eat the seeds, realize that the bears may have stomped too close to the seeds because they can’t read signs, and then you have to wait some more.  It stays brown, but even the brown starts to change and seem more hopeful and humming.  Then you wait some more, and then one day, if you are patient and keep caring for your newly planted seeds, you wake up to green!

Oh how I love this book!  In her poetic prose, Fogliano captures the patience of gardening, the drudgery of late winter, and the hope that must be invested in order to see seeds spring to life.  I had expected the birds eating the seeds, but the stomping bears led me to realize that this was more playful a book than I had originally expected, something I love to have happen in the middle of a picture book!  

Add to this the illustrations of Caldecott winner Stead and you have such a winning book.  Her art has a delicacy that is perfect for the whispers of early spring.  The boy in the story is thin, wear glasses, and by the time spring finally comes has created quite a garden with birdfeeders, signs, and plenty of lumps of dirt.  By far my favorite part comes at the end, where the garden does not burst into flowers but remains weedy and lumpy, but green.  Perfection.

Doing a spring story time soon?  Get your hands on this book!  Ideal for classes planting a garden or all of us longing for the green to return.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Roaring Brook Press.

Review: The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone

| Tasha

boy on cinnamon street

The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone

When Louise orders yet another pizza for dinner, a new boy delivers it.  When Louise sees the delivery boy, she feels something shift and change, but ignores it.  Louise has built a safe world for herself, living with her grandparents.  She has given up gymnastics and tumbling.  She doesn’t see her old friends from her old neighborhood.  Her best friend tries to convince Louise that she has a crush on the delivery boy, but it doesn’t feel like that at all.  Louise continues to get signs that someone likes her though, and it might be that delivery boy after all.  But before Louise can be ready for any sort of relationship, she has to come to terms with the family secret that she is doing her best to hide from.

Stone’s writing shows readers that something is wrong before Louise ever comes close to realizing it consciously herself.  There are clues sprinkled throughout the book, cleverly leading readers to sleuth out what happened before the book reveals it.  Nicely, that is not the heart of the book.  Rather the heart is Louise herself, a girl who has blocked her memories, created a new life, and finds the construct crumbling around her.

This book centers on Louise, but it also has some other amazing characters in it.  Louise’s best friends are brother and sister, Henderson and Reni.  They both support her, embrace her in their normal family life, and stand by her as she realizes the truth.  My favorite characters are Louise’s grandparents, who stay jovial and supportive, never pushing Louise too far and always being there when she needs them.  They are engaging, lively and charming, just what Louise and the reader needs.

My only quibble is that the sweet cover does not speak to the depth of the book itself, which wrestles with dark subjects, memory and survival.

A character-centered book, this tween read is compelling, romantic and rich.  Appropriate for ages 10-13.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.

Review: Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood

| Tasha

glory be

Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood

In Hanging Moss, Mississippi, summer is filled with swimming at the pool, visits to the library, and just trying to stay cool.  But for Glory, the summer of 1964 when she turned 12, was a very different summer.  Now her older sister Jesslyn, doesn’t want anything to do with her.  She is interested in boys more than in playing games with Glory.  Her best friend Frankie has always been easy to get along with, but now things are strained.  Glory does have a new friend, a girl from the north whose mother is helping set up a clinic where everyone is welcome.  Desegregation has come to Hanging Moss, and the pool is closed rather than stop being segregated, tempers are high, and neighbors and families are torn.  In this setting, it is Glory who shines, growing into a young woman with passion and a voice to match.

Scattergood’s debut novel is a gem of a novel.  She manages to write with a distinct point out view without negating the fears of the time but still firmly standing against any racism.  It’s a difficult thing to do, but because she manages it, the book is much stronger.  While the book is about civil rights, it also explores the complicated relationship of sisters, who are by turns drawn together and then pushed away.  The book is intelligent, explores the complexity of the day fully, and remains very human.

Glory is a great heroine, one who is confused at times about what is happening around her, but also one who sees when a stand must be taken.  Her growing confidence along with the support of her father and sister, create a compelling story of a young woman finding her voice.  The growth of Glory throughout the book is clear and natural.

This is a book that could be shared in the classroom, but I think it would read best on a blazing hot day near a swimming pool to remind everyone of what human rights are.  This is one strong, dazzling debut.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.

Review: There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff

| Tasha

there is no dog

There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff

God may not be exactly who you’d expect him to be.  He’s actually a slovenly, lazy, disinterested teenager named Bob, who’d much rather lust after hot girls than pay attention to any prayers made in his name.  Bob lives in an apartment with Mr. B, who has been his personal assistant for millennia.  Every time Bob gets interested in a new girl, the entire weather system goes haywire.  This time the girl is Lucy, who works at a zoo and lives a simple life until Bob gets involved.  The question is which will last longer: Bob’s attention span or Earth!  This irreverent and very funny novel for teens comes from one of the top YA authors and is pure joy to read.

Rosoff’s writing is buoyant here.  The entire premise carries humor, but she infuses it further with wry insights, clever devices, and unexpected twists.  It’s a wild sort of book that the reader simply has to go along with.  This is controlled chaos, reined in solely by the quality of the writing and the strength of the story. 

The characters of the book are a motley group.  Readers will immediately be drawn to the luminous Lucy but at the same time, they will see themselves in God as well.  Bob is a God with a raw creativity, undisciplined natural skills, and very short attention span.  While he may read at first like a regular teen, Rosoff manages to mix that universal experience with one that is specific to God. 

There is a magic here, a miracle, that takes a book that could have been heresy and lifts it to heavenly humor.  Appropriate for ages 15-18.

Reviewed from ARC received from G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

Review: Hugs from Pearl by Paul Schmid

| Tasha

hugs from pearl

Hugs from Pearl by Paul Schmid

Pearl is a very friendly little porcupine, and one of her favorite things to do is give everyone hugs.  But porcupines are prickly and Pearl’s hugs hurt!  At first Pearl tried keeping Band-Aids handy after hugs, but she didn’t like to make her friends say “Ouch!”  Then she tried pin cushions on her quills, but that took way too long and she couldn’t reach them all.  Pearl tried a long hot bath, but her quills refused to soften.   Pearl decided that she just couldn’t give hugs any more.  But then she got inspiration on her way home from school when she saw some bees buzzing happily among the thorny roses.  Could Pearl have figured out the trick to pain-free hugs from a porcupine?

Schmid has created a story that is simply told and can be read solely as a book about a little porcupine, but it is also a story that could be used for discussions about what each of us has that is prickly and hurts other people and how we can solve it.  The story has a touch of heartache and a real sweetness to it that never becomes sickly sweet or overbearing, instead it has a great freshness to it.

The art is equally fresh with its charming mix of pale greens and pinks.  Pearl herself glows with her pale pink blush, popping on each page compared to the other animals.  Her facial expressions manage to convey deep emotions even though they are just a few lines on the page.  The simplicity in both the text and the illustrations make the book very enticing.

This book is a shining example that adorable, sweet books can also be stirring and warm.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: A Boy Called Dickens by Deborah Hopkinson

| Tasha

boy called dickens

A Boy Called Dickens by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by John Hendrix

Enter the world of Charles Dickens’ childhood in this picture book.  The fog and cold of London will enfold you, along with the smoking chimneys and the dankness of the Thames.  Twelve-year-old Dickens worked in Warren’s blacking factory, wrapping bottles of blacking for sale.  He entertained the boy next to him with his stories when they could get away with it.  Dickens worked ten hour days and when work is finally completed, he headed home to his tiny attic room where he lived alone.  His family was in the debtors’ prison with only Dickens bringing in any money at all.  When his father and family is released from prison, Dickens’ life changes and he is finally allowed to go to school.  This book celebrates the 200th anniversary of Dickens’ birth in a way that will resonate with children.

Hopkinson’s story begins with an invitation into London and into understanding the world at that time better.  It is actually like entering a novel by the great writer.  Readers will chase after the fast-moving Dickens until they figure out where he is headed.  There is an element of play and fun from the get-go, even though the subject here is very serious. 

Hendrix’s illustrations show the gritty world that Dickens grew up in.  Yet all is not fog and work, there is the beauty of story, the world of imagination.  It’s an impressive mix of historical accuracy and a more whimsical take on creativity. 

Picture book biographies of historical figures can be tricky, since so much information needs to be shared.  Here the balance of story telling and imagery is deftly done, creating a book that is noteworthy.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

| Tasha

fault in our stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Hazel has known she is terminal since she was diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at age 12.  But then a drug that worked on only a small percentage of the population actually worked on her and her tumors shrunk.  At age 16, she’s still not healthy: her lungs need to be drained regularly and she has to cart around an oxygen tank.  She also doesn’t attend high school, having gotten her GED.  Hazel spends her days watching trashy TV and reading books, forced out of the house only to go to a support group for teens with cancer.  It’s there that she meets Augustus Waters, a boy whose leg was lost to cancer.  The two form a bond almost immediately, but Hazel doesn’t want to get close to anyone who could be hurt by her death.  However, Augustus is not the type of person to be ignored easily and Hazel may just have a lot more life to lead than she ever imagined.

Green manages to write a book with characters who have cancer that is not a “cancer book.”  It bears absolutely no resemblance to those teary paperbacks filled with maudlin sentimentality.  Instead it is a purely John Green book, filled with witty remarks, complex characters, and a vast intelligence.  Both Hazel and Augustus are characters who are breathtakingly rendered, whole people, who just happen to come fully to life when together.

Green’s writing is incredible here.  His phrasing is beautiful and inventive, creating new imagery as he builds this amazing romance and human story.  One of my favorite sentences in the book comes on page 25, “I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”  Throughout the book, there are profound moments of insight, things that give pause, make you think, and create beauty from the ordinary.

Intensely personal, vibrantly romantic, and wildly successful, this book may just be the best that John Green has written.  Get this into the hands of teens and adults, perhaps with a tissue or two.  It is simply incredible.  Appropriate for ages 15-18.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

| Tasha

million suns

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

The second book in the Across the Universe series takes up the story three months after Amy was awoken from her cryosleep.  Elder has become Eldest and has taken control of the ship.  The population has stopped being drugged by Phydus but that has created new problems of controlling the suddenly unruly population.  Amy gets a clue that starts both her and Elder on a quest to figure out the truth behind the ship no longer moving through space.  It quickly becomes a race against time as killings start with the ominous phrase “Follow the leader” on each body.  The truth may set you free, but getting to it can be deadly.

I was thrilled to get my hands on this second book, because I found the first so fresh and fascinating.  The story continues with the same claustrophobic feeling aboard the ship, where readers will think that they know the truth of the situation but will quickly realize that there is much more to the story of their journey into space.  I did find the book hard to get into at first because the beginning was slow moving.  That is quickly remedied and the pacing of the rest of the book is very successful.

The setting of Godspeed is a compelling one that Revis uses to great effect throughout the story.  The ship itself holds many of the secrets, making it a vital part of the tale.  The characters are equally complex.  Elder and Amy have a relationship that is romantic yet troubled.  Combined with the tight setting, the desperation of their quest, and the killings, it makes for a riveting read of mystery, science fiction and romance.

This complex and engaging science fiction novel will be embraced by fans of the series, who will immediately start thinking about what will happen in book three.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from library copy.

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Review: Crouching Tiger by Ying Chang Compestine

| Tasha

crouching tiger

Crouching Tiger by Ying Chang Compestine, illustrated by Yan Nascimbene

Vinson is fascinated when his grandfather arrives from China and practices tai chi in the backyard.  When Vinson finds out it’s a martial art, he thinks it might be like kung fu but soon learns it is not.  His grandfather begins to teach him the basic movements of tai chi but it is slow and requires a lot of patience.  When Vinson is offered a place in the Chinese New Year parade, he’s not sure he wants to even participate.  However, when he and his grandfather get to China Town, he discovers that his grandfather has been saying wonderful things about him and that everyone is very pleased to meet him.  Even more importantly, the respect everyone shows his gentle, quiet grandfather changes his view of martial arts and the man himself.

This book is perfect for Chinese New Year, since that holiday is celebrated in the story.  The growth of the main character is well developed, especially for a picture book.  The quiet grace of tai chi is shown throughout the book, including the overall tone of the story itself. 

The illustrations also reflect that quiet simplicity with their expanses of watercolor and fine lines.  The illustrations are modern-feeling and capture the excitement of the New Year and the movement of martial arts with great energy. 

This winning title is a dynamic but also introspective look at the Chinese New Year and tai chi.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy. 

Also reviewed by BookDragon.