Nominated for a 2007 Cybil in Fantasy/Science Fiction.

Giving Up the Ghost by Sheri Sinykin.

Davia is afraid of so much in her life when she leaves her native Wisconsin and heads down south to Louisiana with her mother and father.  Her mother recently survived cancer and now they are going to help with the hospice care of Davia’s elderly Aunt Mari.  Everything about the aging southern plantation frightens Davia, especially when she meets its resident ghost, Emilie.  As Davia is drawn deeper into the mystery of Emilie, she finds herself steadily overcoming her fears and facing the uncertainty in her life.

It is the characters of this story that really make it come alive.  Aunt Mari is often unlikable and scary, but readers will find themselves feeling an ever-growing bond with her just as Davia does.  Davia’s parents are complex, filtered by Davia’s perspective of them both.  Emilie is less frightening than petulant, making her an interesting ghostly figure.  But the real achievement is Davia herself, who has been masterfully crafted to be truly human and vivid.  Her character’s fears could have overwhelmed the writing, but Sinykin has managed to create a fearful character who discovers not only courage but also acceptance of uncertainty.  A strong message for readers.

Though Davia is 13 years old in the story, the book is more appropriate for elementary readers aged 10-12.  I recommend it for readers who enjoy ghost stories mixed with solid reality. 

The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio by Lloyd Alexander.

The author of The Chronicles of Prydain returns with his final book, a treasure hunt through the desert.  After being dismissed from his uncle’s shipping business, Carlo finds himself homeless with only a vague map to treasure in his hands and a book of stories.  Carlo gets onto a ship and heads out to find the Road of Golden Dreams despite the dangers.  On his travels, he gathers a motley party to travel with him, including the laziest camel-puller in the land, a lovely girl with a tragic past, and a mystic traveler happy to be wherever he finds himself.  Is the map real?  How about the treasure?  Or is it worth the journey alone?

Alexander is in fine form here with a vibrant setting, hordes of evil and/or interesting characters, and lots to say about journeys and treasures.  He has created characters who really stand on their own, leaving nothing to stereotypes.   Additionally, Alexander has added a wonderful touch of humor throughout the story, leading to laugh-out-loud moments and great guffaws. 

Highly recommended for readers who enjoyed Indiana Jones.  Readers will enjoy the journey through the desert, the dangers and the lessons finally learned.

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell

Emmy tried her hardest to be the best girl she could be.  But no matter how perfect she was, her parents continued to go on longer and longer vacations, leaving Emmy with her nanny, Miss Barmy.   Emmy misses her parent terribly, which is made worse by the fact that none of the children at school seem to notice her much less talk to her.  Emmy’s life changes when she starts listening to the classroom rat speaking to her and she enters a world of strange rodents and danger. 

The book is well-written and lots of fun with its unique and strange take on rodents.  Emmy is a likable character, once the story gets going, and the other characters are equally well rendered.  The villains are cardboard figures, taken to an extreme.

My main quibble with the book is the use of lucky chance as a way to move the plot forward.  I would much have preferred some of the discoveries Emmy makes to be the result of sleuthing rather than happenstance. 

That said, this is a book that could be used in classrooms as a read-aloud or for early-reading children.  It is appropriate for those reading at an 8-10 year old level.

Calendar by Myra Cohn Livingston, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand.

This simple book that follows the months of the year offers just a line per page making it perfect for young children.  Livingston has created a poem that sings along the year and has a mix of both traditional and surprising touches.  Some of the surprising touches will get readers to look more closely at the illustrations and others will have readers smiling with pleasure and agreement. 

Hillenbrand’s illustrations have a mix of collage and painting.  They are bold, bright and will project well to a group.  The first page “January shivers” is evocative of Ezra Jack Keats’ The Snowy Day with its child in red on a snowy background.  Even the collage technique evokes Keats’ art.  Many of the illustrations have a sense of motion and joy.  There is a playfulness but also an art to the illustrations. 

Recommended when doing calendars with children in preschool and kindergarten, this book will get children thinking of what they enjoy about the different months of the year. 

Chester by Melanie Watt

Author Melanie Watt is trying to write a book about a mouse, but her cat Chester is trying to get her to write a book about HIM.  So Melanie will write a page, and Chester will take his red pen and edit it to suit his story.  It leads to a power struggle between the author and her cat, filled with laugh-out-loud funny moments. Who will win in the end?  You’ll just have to read and laugh along to find out.

The illustrations are great fun here, because Chester does his best to change the detailed illustrations with his red marker.  Watt has done a fine job of creating two styles of illustration laid together.  She has also written a book that reads aloud very well with lots of personality and energy. 

This is one of those books that will get a classroom of children just shouting with laughter.  I highly recommend sharing this with a group of children ages 5-8.  The humor will draw in even the most jaded of elementary school children. 

The Story of Charles Atlas, Strong Man by Meghan McCarthy.

This is a picture book biography of Charles Atlas, who started life with the name of Angelo Siciliano.  Atlas came to the U.S. from Italy through Ellis Island.  Throughout his boyhood he was the victim of bullies.  When he saw a statue of Hercules at a museum, Atlas was inspired to get himself into shape.  But the first weights he used don’t seem to work.  Finally, Atlas created a new fitness routine and his body started to change.  His career after that was all based on his muscles and body.  He sold his fitness course to millions of people and his measurements are on file as the perfect human specimen. 

Picture book biographies often are dry and uninspiring, but this one will hold the interest of readers.  Even children uninterested in body building will be inspired by the way Atlas refused to give up and persevered in changing his life and build.  There is much more here than muscles, there is a real heart.

Recommended for children who normally won’t read picture books, this melding of picture book and true story will perfectly suit some readers.  The book also reads aloud well, and could be used in elementary school as a great example of a biography. 

The Boy Who Painted Dragons by Demi.

Ping is a boy who paints dragons, but he doesn’t do it out of love or joy, he does it because he is terrified of dragons.  Each dragon he paints, he hopes that he will no longer be afraid.  He covers entire rooms in dragons, but his fear doesn’t lessen.  When the dragons in heaven take an interest in his painting, Ping is sent on a quest for three treasures.  Ping learns to face his fear and truly honor the dragons with his paintings.

The illustrations in this book are marvelous, filled with metallic and brightly-colored Chinese dragons.  Children will be immediately drawn into the story with the promise of dragons and may be surprised to learn about the traditions of dragons in the East.  The story is told with flourishes and touches that match the flamboyance of the illustrations.  It is a single unified story.

The lessons of the dragons:  Seek Your Truth, Find Your Truth and Dare to Be True will resound with children and adults alike.  It would make an interesting book to start a discussion on fears and overcoming them. 

Recommended for its multicultural focus and strong storytelling, this book will work well with a group.  It will be most appreciated by children age 6-8.

Orange in January by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Julie Maren.

Reading like a poem, this picture book follows an orange from the blossom to the hands of a child.  The language of the book is beautiful, creating a very mellow and deep view of the world, just the right type of voice for a book about fruit. 

Here is one page, after the boy brings the orange home:

That night,
as ice gleamed on the branches,
he dreamed
of a land that shone
in summer light.

But there are so many pages with that sort of lovely language on them.  And do you see how child-friendly it is, but still emotionally deep and speaking volumes? 

And let’s talk about the illustrations.  Maren has created images that echo the depth of the words, filled with rich colors of deep blues, bright oranges, and in the same way the illustrations are child-friendly but somehow deeper and richer than most. 

Highly recommended as a perfect intro to poetry for children.  Share it in storytimes, it reads aloud almost magically and the illustrations are perfect for sharing.  Or it is also a perfect book to curl up and read on a snowy evening, while snacking on an orange of course!

Diary of a Fly by Doreen Cronin, pictures by Harry Bliss.

Continuing the series that started with Diary of a Worm and Diary of a Spider, Cronin has once again written a seriously funny book that children will adore.

This is the story of a fly who is headed to school for the first time.  She has many of the usual worries of a child.  Why can’t she have her own room?  Will everyone eat the same food at lunch?  What do her class pictures look like?  But she is also purely a fly, much to the joy of the reader. 

The art is lots of fun and carries the jokes in the text forward.  The two together form a winning and humorous pairing.  Because of the humor, even 8 and 9 year olds will enjoy this series of books.

Highly recommended for a good laugh, this can be used with a fairly small group of children, but shouldn’t be used for a big group.  Part of the fun of the book is the detail of the illustrations and you don’t want that to get lost.  Appropriate for ages 5-9.