The Problem with the Puddles by Kate Feiffer, illustrated by Tricia Tusa

Baby’s parents agree to disagree about everything.  This means that they could not agree on a name for her when she was born.  Her mother calls her Emily and her father calls her Ferdinanda.  Everyone else calls her by the name on her birth certificate written by a nurse: Baby.  They have two dogs because her parents couldn’t agree on which type of dog to get.  They did agree on the name, Sally, so both dogs are named that.  Mr. Puddle loves the country while Mrs. Puddle loves the city, so they have homes in both.  In their hurry to leave for the city, the family forgets the dogs.  The parents disagree on whether to turn back or not.  Meanwhile, the two Sallys have realized they are forgotten and try to fix the problem themselves.  This whimsical, funny and clever novel begs to be shared.

I just love clever books.  Books that ask children to stretch a bit and reach.  The fact that this one does it in such a subtle way makes it all the more clever.  Through the lens of a light, illustrated story, children get to see a dysfunctional couple, a father who has lost his son because of lies, and a family desperately in need of a cleaning staff.  All serious subjects handled with a deftness and skill that allow the readers to stay above it all.  Lots to discuss here, the book has great writing that reads aloud with ease as well as friendly, inviting illustrations that capture the style of the writing perfectly.

Recommended as a read aloud, this book also reads alone well.  The problem here is that I don’t know if a second book is in the works or not!  That’s the problem with the Puddles!  Appropriate for ages 7-10.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly.

In1899, girls are expected to grow up to be either wives or teachers.  So what is a girl like Calpurnia to do?  She is much more interested in different species of grasshoppers than in tatting or cooking.  She would rather spend hours with her grandfather in his shed doing experiments than learning to knit all of her six brothers socks.  As the only daughter in the family, Calpurnia is expected to be ladylike, play the piano, and eventually be launched into society.  Calpurnia is much more likely to be muddy, wet, and dashing about just as fast as her brothers.  Where is the place for Calpurnia?  Readers will love to try to figure it out as they see the wonderful day-to-day of her family and all of the animals on their farm through Callie’s eyes. 

Callie’s voice is so clear and true to character that it brings the entire book to life, not just her character.  Her dismay at her mother’s and society’s expectations, the pull of her own personal interests, and the glory of her grandfather’s scientific endeavors are vividly displayed in this gem of a novel.  Kelly’s writing is crisp and clear, revealing a previous century and what a girl’s role is.  But the book is more about Callie as an individual than Callie as a symbol for any type of feminist movement. 

The characters of the book are so well-written.  Each of the six brothers is unique, quite an achievement in itself.  Callie’s parents and grandfather are just as complex as she is, as are the servants in the house.  The small touches in the text, single phrases at times, reveal just as much as a paragraph would have. 

This book reminded me of Caddie Woodlawn, a favorite childhood book of mine.  It has the same feisty heroine girl, the same muddy pinafores, and the same clever, even sly, writing.  Highly recommended, this book is appropriate for ages 8-12 and would make a great read aloud.

Where the Steps Were by Andrea Cheng.

Pleasant Hill Elementary School will be torn down after this year.  This novel in verse tells the story of that final year as experienced by the third graders in Miss D’s class.  From learning about how to get along with one another to learning about great figures in history, we get to experience life in their world.  Some of the students are dealing with problems of jealousy and friendship while others grapple with more pressing issues like homelessness. 

Cheng excels at writing poetry that children will immediately relate to and understand.  She moves skillfully from humor to seriousness and back, weaving her poems into the experience of a year.  There are also small glimpses of Miss D’s personal life as she struggles with her own son.  This deft humanizing of a teacher is also important for children to see.

Highly recommended as a classroom read, this book may not fly off the shelves on its own, but will be appreciated by any student who opens it.  Appropriate for ages 8-10.

The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman

In the 18th year following Enclosure, everything in people’s lives is regulated.  Honor and her parents move to live on Island 365, where they are kept safe by a Watcher’s tower, curfew is strictly set for everyone, and behavior is expected to conform to the norm.  But Honor’s parents don’t conform.  They leave in the middle of the night, take her to the edge of the ocean to feel the forbidden dangerous water, and most public of all, have a second child!  Honor knows that because of these behaviors, her family is in danger.  She does her best to conform herself, doing her school work perfectly, acting the same as other people, but it may not be enough to keep her family intact.

I have a mixed reaction to the cover of this book.  I love the girl, the clouds, the motion of it.  However, it really doesn’t read as dystopian science fiction and I worry that fans of that sort of novel will miss it.  This book is a gripping look at the future after climate change has melted the polar icecaps.  The world is now islands which are Enclosed with domes from the dangerous weather patterns.  Everything is about being safe, and that is achieved through uniformity and unity.  But at great cost.

The characters are well done, especially Honor who is very human, while being trapped in a society she doesn’t understand.  Her reactions drive the book, moving the story forward as she discovers the truth about her world.  The setting is equally well depicted, helping to show rather than tell the truth about the world to the reader. 

Highly recommended for fans of dystopian fiction. 

Swords by Ben Boos.

This nonfiction book is packed full of information on many types of swords ranging from Iron Age swords to those carried by ninjas.  Readers will enjoy the detailed information on each type of sword and its wielder, filled with details about the blade, the hilt and the way it is used in battle.  In each chapter, there is a vivid double-spread that highlights swords from that period rendered in 3-D style. 

This is a book that will capture children’s imaginations, have them poring over the book, and talking about it with friends.  The ink line drawings are detailed and accompanied by the detailed information while the two-page spreads are images only, allowing the swords to speak for themselves.  All sorts of readers will enjoy this book, whether looking for information or just fuel for their imagination.

No needs to sell this book, just face it out on your nonfiction shelves and it will never ever sit for long.  Recommended for ages 8-12.

The Worry Tree by Marianne Musgrove.

Juliet is a born worrier.  She worries about lots of things: her grandmother falling, her little sister driving her batty, hygiene, her parents arguing and especially her two best friends fighting over her.  After things with her little sister finally come to a head, she gets to move into her father’s old junk room.  There she discovers a mural on the wall, hidden behind the wallpaper.  It shows a tree filled with animals, designed to take your worries and watch over them for you.  Exactly what Juliet (and her grandmother as a little girl) needs. 

This is a lovely timeless story perfect for those children who find themselves victims of their own worries.  Juliet is nicely portrayed as a worrier, not a whiner.  She feels responsible for so many things, just as many children do.  Her family is seen as busy but still involved: a true modern family.  Additionally, the process of telling your concerns to someone or something else is sound advice. 

This book would work as a read aloud for classes as well.  A nicely done, Australian import, it is appropriate for ages 7-9.

Brooklyn Bridge by Karen Hesse.

Joseph feels trapped in his Brooklyn apartment surrounded by the Teddy Bears that his family invented a few months ago.  The bears have taken over their lives, their space and their toy store.  Now Joseph spends his days stuffing bears, packaging them, and being responsible for his younger brother and sister.  And all he longs to do is go to Coney Island, the symbol of all that is fun and all that is not his current life.  But life isn’t that simple, as he quickly finds out as he faces falling in love, a death in the family, and much more during the summer he’s fourteen years old.

Hesse has created a novel filled with characters that are so well written they come to life.  Even the more extreme characters in the family ring true and have hidden complexities to them which are a treat to discover.  Joseph himself is a true teen with a certain focus on himself rather than his family.  It is when he faces hardship that his true character shines through.  Hesse’s voice as a writer is equally strong here with attention to period detail that make the setting as much a part of the story as the characters.  Never intrusive, her voice is a guiding light bringing the period to life for children who may have no knowledge of it.  Hesse has also blended humor, tragedy and a real family into this story.  One never knows quite where the book is heading because of her skillful writing, elevating what could have been a simple quiet story into something with dramatic tension that is hard to put down.

Highly recommended as great historical fiction that is very well-written and conceived, this book is appropriate for 10-13 year olds.  It would also work as a book to read aloud and discussed in a 5th or 6th grade classroom.