Book Reviews

The Orange Houses

| Tasha

The Orange Houses by Paul Griffin

Mik has moderate hearing loss, helped by her aging hearing aids, but she prefers to use them to muffle the sounds around her instead by wearing them turned off.  Her greatest joy is creating her art, cityscapes empty of any life.  Jimmi Sixes in a teen from her neighborhood who at age 18 is already a war veteran.  He is also a drug addict and a street poet, seeing the world through his own distinct lens.  Fatima is a refugee newly arrived in New York who can create angels out of the newspapers she sells.  The three teens come together in a unique friendship that transcends their differences.  But the book will not let things be that easy.  Starting before even the first chapter, readers know that Jimmi will be hung.  Each chapter has a countdown to the hanging, keeping it central in readers minds even as they watch these three characters come closer and closer together.

The countdown effect is jarring and riveting at the same time.  When the reader gets too caught up in a chapter, it is there at the next one to remind them what will happen.  It is a cloud, a threat hanging over the book, yet each chapter manages to escape from the cloud.

The characterizations here are very well done.  All three of the main characters are complex individuals, each with their own form of deafness, each with their own problems, cares and worries.  Each tied together in this story, both loosely and very tightly.   Griffin also writes with a poetic sense, especially when writing about Jimmi.  Though written in prose, the sentences have the beat and pace of poetry about them.  He also uses metaphor nicely throughout the novel, placing them in unexpected but effective places.  His writing style perfectly fits the subject matter.

This tense and beautifully written book offers a piercingly violent yet connected and supportive view of urban teens.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Ten Days and Nine Nights

| Tasha

Ten Days and Nine Nights: an adoption story by Yumi Heo

A little girl waits for ten days and nine nights for her new sister to arrive.  As each day passes, she prepares for the new baby, keeping a countdown all the while.  She helps redecorate her room, practices with a doll, washes her teddy bear, and waits.  In between the little girl’s activities, readers will glimpse what is going on with her mother in Korea as she travels there to get the baby. 

Heo’s text is friendly and the countdown keeps the pace of the book brisk.  Her art is filled with sunshine yellows and deep reds, a palate that is warm and bright.  The images featuring the mother in Korea are done in deep blue tones with bright pops of color, making the two settings easily distinguishable for young readers. 

An engaging look at an older siblings waiting for an adoption to be complete, this is a universal story that all readers will relate to whether their siblings are adopted or not.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

One World, One Day

| Tasha

One World, One Day by Barbara Kerley

When I was a kid, I loved looking through my mother’s new Unicef calendars every year.  Each page featured children who were like me, but different too.  I would pore over the captions, decide where I wanted to travel based on the smiles, clothes and colors.  This book from National Geographic has that same sense of connection but difference for me. Kerley has paired very simple text with amazing photographs, each more evocative and fascinating than the last.  This book is about our global connection, celebrating our world in its entirety and uniqueness. 

Kerley’s text is simple but powerful.  She provides just the right thread to tie the photographs together, yet she manages to allow the photos to speak for themselves too.  For children like I was, there is lots of information in the appendix about each photograph, offering captions and geographical notes.  My only quibble is that the appendix refers to page numbers and the pages are unnumbered.  Luckily there are thumbnail images to help match page to information.

So which areas spoke to me here?  Where do I want to travel based on these photos?  Many of the images of India spoke to me with their deep colors and friendly faces.  From this collection, I would have yearned to travel there.  And as an adult?  I still do.

This book reads aloud well, though children will want to know what country the photos are from and what is happening in them.  I suggest using this with smaller groups or single children so that you can discuss and enjoy it entirely.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Catching Fire

| Tasha

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

This second book in the Hunger Games Trilogy returns us to the world of Katniss who is now enjoying her winnings.  Things are good.  Her family now lives comfortably in the Victor’s Village, and she hunts outside the gates for fun rather than survival.  Her only trouble is the continuing confusing relationship with her and Peeta.  Then you throw Gale into the mix too and Katniss really doesn’t know where her heart lies or if it lies anywhere!  Katniss has had time to enjoy her winnings and now must head out with Peeta to tour the Districts as a loving couple.  And with that tour, everything changes.

Collins has once again created a book that is gripping, tense and a riveting read.  Her world is even more completely evolved in this second novel, drawing readers deeply into the story and its setting.  Katniss and the other beloved characters continue to be strongly written and are obviously deeply understood by the author who puts them into impossible situations which they react to with their own unique personality but still grow and change realistically.

Collins excels at writing books with twists and turns.  Some of which are so shocking that I had to re-read the page to make sure I had read it correctly the first time.   Though one never knows what is going to happen next, readers can be sure they are in great hands.  This is like a roller coaster ride in book form!

An amazing second novel, this book will be worth the wait!  I promise!

Maybelle, Bunny of the North

| Tasha

Maybelle, Bunny of the North by Keith Patterson

Maybelle is a little bunny who lives in Homer, Alaska.  The book follows her through some of the things she does there.  She does many things that most children do: plays in the snow, watches the night sky, plays in the park, takes a bath, and is read to at bedtime.  But some of the things she does are uniquely Alaskan: watching the float planes take off from the lake and looking for moose in the fireweed.  The book illustrations have a hand-painted feel to them and are filled with blue skies, red flowers, and the sheltering mountains.

This is a short, gentle story that allows small children to see that people who live in different parts of the world and even the US itself have both commonalities and differences.  It would be an interesting discussion to talk with children about what makes their area of the world unique.  What do they consider every day things that others may be surprised and delighted by? 

Patterson has created a story with a nice pacing.  It is firmly grounded in Homer, Alaska and it is a pleasure to read a picture book for very young children with such a strong sense of place.  The progression through the day will be very familiar to all children, and the surprises of the uniquely Alaskan moments will be enjoyed by all as well.

Appropriate for ages 2-4, this book is simple and satisfying.

My Japan

| Tasha

My Japan by Etsuko Watanabe

This book provides a fascinating look into the life of a 7-year-old Japanese girl named Yumi.  Readers get to see her house, her room, what school is like, the public bath, and the holidays she celebrates.  There are so many things that are similar to our lives in the United States and so many that differ.  The illustrations are friendly and offer the reader additional information.  Personally, I am intrigued by the trapdoor in the kitchen floor that opens to an extra storage area.  Children will find their own things to be intrigued about, ask questions about and explore.  Most American children will be amazed by the concept of the public bath.

Watanabe does an excellent job of showing how similar we are and yet allowing readers to really see the differences in the societies we live in.  The illustrations are done in a very welcoming style that invites readers to look closely at the details.   This is a very nice introduction to Japan and its modern culture through the eyes of a child.

Recommended for children studying Japan or Japanese as well as children who are interested in other cultures.  With its friendly, inviting style, this book is a welcome addition to any library.

Heart of a Shepherd

| Tasha

Heart of a Shepherd by Rosanne Parry.

Brother is the youngest of five brothers and the last one at home with his father and grandparents at the ranch.  The work is hard and though Brother tries to be the best rancher just like his father, he wonders if this is the right place for him.  With the Iraq War heating up, his father’s reserve unit is called to duty for 14 months.  Now Brother is helping his grandparents run the ranch after promising his father that he would make sure when he returned nothing had changed.  But things do change and along the way, Brother finds his own path in life.

I’m not sure I can do this book justice in my brief review.  It intertwines heavy subjects, but manages to keep them all balanced and never succumbs to heavy handed tactics.  Parry creates a family of soldiers with a pacifist grandfather who never questions his son’s duty and his grandson’s choices.  She creates a strong grandmother, the central female figure in the story, who can hold her own with any man without losing her femininity.  She has five brothers who act like brothers do, who fight, ignore, trample, but also support one another without question.  This is a book about duty, honor, and bravery.  It is a book that celebrates all of us, no matter what side we are on, where we are from, what we are doing. 

I must also mention the incredible handling of religion in the novel.  The family has a Quaker grandfather while the rest of them are Catholic.  This is a fact, not a point of contention.  Faith is deftly woven into the dialogue, the thought process, the lives of these characters.  Faith in all forms, faith as a simple part of life.  It creates a book that is deeply spiritual, mixing duty, honor and faith.

I consider this a true contender for the Newbery medal.  It may not be a book that flies off of the shelves.  The cover is lovely and just right for the tone of the book, but this quiet, strong book may have trouble competing with the covers of louder, gorier, and more strident books.  This is the sort of book that will be read in classrooms, shared with friends, loved by all ages, and cherished by many.  It is appropriate for many ages.  I would read it to older elementary children, share it with adults, and recommend it to everyone.

Big Wolf & Little Wolf

| Tasha

Big Wolf & Little Wolf by Nadine Brun-Cosme, illustrated by Olivier Tallec

Big Wolf lived all alone at the top of a hill under a tree.  But then one day, Little Wolf came and stayed under Big Wolf’s tree.  The two wolves didn’t talk, but they watched each other.  When night fell, Big Wolf shared a small corner of his leaf blanket with him.  In the morning, Little Wolf climbed the tree following Big Wolf and did exercises together.  Big Wolf shared his meal with Little Wolf but still never talked with him.  Big Wolf headed out for his walk, looking back and seeing Little Wolf get smaller and smaller in the distance.  When he returned to the tree though, Little Wolf was gone.  Big Wolf was shocked, astounded to find that he missed Little Wolf deeply.  So what is a lone wolf to do when he finds himself to be more of a LONELY wolf?

Brun-Cosme has created a picture book with a unique feel. Her wording is simple and almost bare.  It is through that very minimalist writing that the emotions are really clear and powerful.  It is also a format that works well for a lone wolf and his simple life.  Tallec’s art is different here than in some of his other work (like Rita and Whatsit).  He uses paint to create a world of open fields and wide skies, but plays with color to make it a world in a vivid palette of pinks, yellows, blues, and greens.  This depth of color and strong lines make the illustrations a foil for the simple words. 

This book speaks to the lonely of us, the confused, the awkward.  It is a picture book that every child will understand whether they have been Little or Big.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Along for the Ride

| Tasha

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Auden has always been dedicated to school work, hoping that achieving in the academic world her parents work in will gain her attention and recognition from them.  She aslo doesn’t sleep any more, which started when she had to listen to her parents night-time arguments before they divorced.  Now Auden has just graduated from high school and faces a summer of work preparing for college.  To get away from her overbearing mother, she decides to go to stay with her father, his new wife and their new baby at the beach.  Prepared to spend the summer alone with her books, Auden is surprised when she finds herself getting drawn more and more into the lives of the people she is staying with.  She even volunteers to do the book at her stepmother’s boutique where she is surrounded by the pink of girly things for the first time.  As she becomes more involved with her family, she is also drawn into the lives of the local teens.  She and a brooding ex-biker named Eli find that neither of them sleep at night so a connection is made.  Will Auden have to change to fit into this new place or perhaps is there a hidden Auden that has always been there?

This book is magic.  The writing is done with an assurance and style that offer insight to the characters and important statements about being female in our culture without ever being overbearing about it.  The lightness of the writing works well with the deeper truths of the novel: loneliness, self-perception, and self-awareness.  All are beautifully woven into the book.

Dessen has an ear for dialogue so that every phrase rings true, effortlessly changing between characters.  She also has created a cast of characters who are individuals, unique and all intriguing right down to the parents and other adults.  I see novels in each of the teens, they are so well drawn and interesting in their own right.  Each adult character carries their own youth with them, just as we all do, offering them a depth and level of understanding unusual in teen novels.

I was sincerely amazed by this novel.  It was an interesting, fluffy, deep, fast read that I could not put down.  Expect this to be a huge hit of the summer.  It has summer beach read written all over it, but even better it has a lot of brain behind it too.  Appropriate for ages 13-16.