Chapter Books

Tropical Secrets

| Tasha

Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba by Margarita Engle

Daniel left his family behind in Nazi Germany and sailed for New York for a new life.  But his boat is rejected by the Americans and ends up in tropical Cuba.  He still hopes to reunite with his parents one day, but doesn’t know how they will ever find him in this unexpected port.   He is befriended by a young Cuban girl, Paloma, who is the daughter of the man who decides the fate of the refugees that arrive in their port.  And there is also David, a Russian refugee who fled long ago to Cuba.  These three are captured and celebrated in Engle’s poetry where their fears, joys and friendship are the foundation.

Engle writes with such power and clarity that her poems are startling.  They enthrall with their words and then end sometimes with a shove, as reality comes hurtling back.  Readers as with her characters are not allowed to daydream for long.  She has the ability through poems to create a cohesive novel yet each of her poems could be read separately and be complete.  This is an incredible achievement.  Her characters are distinct and interesting, each grappling with their own demons but living in the same place.  She writes of our commonalities and differences with a fearlessness that makes it all discussable and accessible. 

Highly recommended as are all of Engle’s novels in verse, this book sings with history, truth and wonder.  Appropriate for ages 10-13.

Faith, Hope and Ivy June

| Tasha

Faith, Hope and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Even though they both live in Kentucy, Ivy June and Catherine live very different lives.  Through a school student exchange program, now they each have a chance to see how other people live.  Ivy June lives in a small cabin in the hills by Thunder Creek with her grandparents because her parents’ home was too crowded.  They don’t have an indoor bathroom but they do have an incredible view of the entire mountain just a short walk away.  Catherine lives with her family in Lexington.  She attends a private school, wears designer clothes, and has more than one indoor bathroom.  On the surface the two girls will have nothing in common but when tragedy strikes, all differences are forgotten.

Naylor has created a story of two girls who have a chance to be friends but may not be able to see past their differences to reach that point.  There are twists and turns in their relationship with one another that refreshingly have nothing to do with their economic status.  Naylor also does an admirable job of making the harrowing job of coal mining real to young readers.  It is a joy to read a book with a heroine like Ivy June who is complicated and refreshingly unashamed of her poor upbringing.  It is equally wonderful to find a wealthy girl like Catherine who faces challenges when staying with Ivy June but remains eager to see what her life is really like.  Naylor never strays near stereotypes, instead focusing on the similarities of the two girls even when they can’t see it themselves. 

A complex tale of friendship and connection, this book will have readers questioning what stereotypes they believe in.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Dragonbreath

| Tasha

Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon

Danny the dragon wants to please his father and breathe fire, but he just can’t seem to do it.  His father advises him to “think hot thoughts” but that doesn’t work.  Delayed by his father’s fire-breathing lesson, Danny has to write his report about the sea on the bus.  Though he comes up with a clever but imaginary sea creature, he ends up getting an F but has a chance to redo the assignment.  So he and his best friend Wendell, an iguana, head to the Sargasso Sea (which happens to be on the bus route) and meet up with Danny’s cousin Edward, a sea serpent, who takes them on a great tour of the sea complete with adventure, danger and laughs. 

This book is a great mix of comic and novel with panels inserted regularly that carry the story forward via cartoons.  The story is then picked up again in prose form interspersed with illustrations.  This makes it very child-friendly and welcoming for children who enjoy reading on their own but may not be ready for a picture-free book yet.  The style of the book also works well with the comics, filled with jokes, humor and lots of laughs.  There is a great sarcasm about the dialogue that makes this a book that children throughout elementary school will enjoy. 

Danny and Wendell are a great pair of friends.  Danny always upbeat and ready for anything (with the exception of breathing fire.)  Wendell rather morose and cautious, often the butt of the jokes, but also intelligent.  The characterization throughout is nice, never being lost at the expense of the humor or short length of the novel.

Appropriate for ages 7-10, this book makes a great read aloud too.  The voices are distinct and lots of fun to portray when reading aloud.  That said, this is also a good book to give to reluctant readers.   I’m looking forward to the next book in the series with its promise of ninja frogs! 

Dessert First

| Tasha

Dessert First by Hallie Durand

Dessert is a third-grader who has a strange but wonderful new teacher who tells them to march to the beat of their own drum.   But when Dessert tries to do something as simple as having her family eat dessert first at supper, her parents do not appreciate the suggestion.  With a little finesse, Dessert does persuade them to give it a try with great results.  But this mischievous girl finds herself unable to say no when her mother leaves a box of her grandmother’s famous Double-Decker Chocolate Bars in the refrigerator and declares them off limits.  Meanwhile, there is a fundraiser for her teacher’s anniversary at the school that calls for the children to give something up.  Dessert has no idea what to give up, but her enemy is waiting with a special suggestion.  Spend a delightful time with Dessert and her very active family of foodies.

Durand has set the perfect tone here.  One that children will relate to effortlessly.  There is a great sense of humor, a nuanced approach to naughtiness, and examples of frenzied but quality parenting.  Dessert is a character who is interesting, conflicted and great fun.  The supporting characters are equally interesting from her parents to her teacher to the people who work at her parents’ restaurant.   Durand’s pacing is also well done, with the book speeding right along like a sweet sugar rush. 

A life-long fan of dessert, I am happy to say that it continues to hold true with this title.  I’m looking forward to Dessert’s next adventure, one just knows it will be sweet but never saccharine. Appropriate for ages 7-10.

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.

Lucky Breaks

| Tasha

Lucky Breaks by Susan Patron

This second Lucky book follows the Newbery Award winning, The Higher Power of Lucky.  One worries about a second attempt to catch magic but there need be no worries here.  Patron has again captured the essence of a tiny town, its diverse inhabitants, and at the same time the longings of a young girl.  Lucky is now almost eleven, an age that she feels has infinite potential.  Much more so than ten.  She is ready to become “intrepid” and have adventures.  But she is still stuck in Hard Pan and her friends don’t seem to be changing.  Lincoln is still obsessed with knots and Miles with being almost 6 himself.  When a group of scientists enter Brigitte’s cafe, there is a girl just Lucky’s age with them.  After a few stilted glances, Paloma and Lucky become fast friends.  But Lucky still yearns for adventure especially in her no-danger small town.

Just as charmingly written as the first, this book is the perfect companion novel.  Lucky remains as strong a character surrounded by others who are written with equal clarity and strength.  Patron writes with a subtle humor that is a delight to read.  Just as with the first book, this would make an exceptional classroom read with plenty to discuss together. 

I loved visiting Hard Pan again and seeing all of my old friends.  A wonderful second book, I look forward to the third which will complete the series.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Vanishing Cultures

| Tasha

 

Vanishing Cultures series by Jan Reynolds

This is a series that will have children thinking, questioning and seeing beyond their personal lives.  Each book in the series focuses on a culture that is quickly disappearing.  The culture is seen through the eyes of one specific child who shows readers around their home, family and life in general.  Information is offered matter-of-factly and contains fascinating tidbits that underline the differences between cultures.  Nothing is overly dramatic, nothing pointed out as strange.  Just a real look at a culture with permission to stare, linger and think.

 

The photographs in the books are just as lovely as the covers above.  Done in a variety of layouts and sizes, the photos really help create a bridge to the reader.  The text is filled with unknown words, but that is part of the fun of reading them.  Children and adults alike will find the About the Journey section at the back interesting and can refer to the map in the back cover to get their bearings. 

Highly recommended, this series is eye-opening and lots of fun.  The text is just the right level for 7-9 year olds to read independently, but the series is also perfect for teachers to share in the classroom with even younger children.

Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love

| Tasha

Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love by Lauren Tarshis

If you were as charmed by the first Emma-Jean Lazarus book as I was, then you want to make sure to pick up this second novel.  Remembering what went wrong when she tried to help Colleen before, Emma-Jean is amazed when Colleen comes to her and asks for help again.  Emma-Jean now has a little group of friends in her 7th-grade class but she is much more comfortable observing them from afar than being in their midst.  When shown the unsigned love note that Colleen found in her locker, Emma-Jean is immediately drawn into solving the mystery.  But Emma-Jean is distracted by this strange fluttery feeling whenever Will Keeler walks by.  What could be wrong with her?  And will she be able to concentrate long enough to figure out this puzzle?

I adore Emma-Jean.  She is quirky, wildly intelligent, and entirely herself.  Even better, she doesn’t really understand or care that others find her odd.  She does know that she isn’t like the other girls who smell of daisies and bubble gum.  But at the same time, she is not filled with a yearning to be anything but true to herself.  Very refreshing in a heroine this age! 

Tarshis’ writing is filled with sensory touches.  We know what things smell like, sound like, feel like.  This draws readers deeper into the story and offers surprising insight into characters and situations.  The writing is deft, interesting and never dull. 

An ideal novel for those who enjoyed the first, this book is strong enough to stand on its own.  Tweens ages 10-13 will enjoy both novels and both are ideal for classroom readalouds and ripe with things to discuss.

Slob

| Tasha

Slob by Ellen Potter

Owen is the butt of everyone’s jokes.  Other kids make farting noises when he passes and he’s not sure if a suggestion to get a fat exemption from gym class was meant nicely or cruelly.  Now someone is stealing Owen’s one pleasure in life: the three Oreo cookies he is allowed each day.  Owen is also working on Nemesis, a television that will show the past.  And he has one specific day in mind that he has to see.  But things are getting out of hand.  Owen is being bullied by his gym teacher, his best friend might just be turning on him, and his little sister belongs to a group that has her dressing in boys clothes and insisting on being known as Jeremy.   Owen has tried sitting still and not reacting to things, perhaps it’s time to take a different approach.

Potter has written a pitch-perfect novel of the miseries of middle-school.  Filled with sarcasm and lots of humor, the story is filled with intriguing characters, believable and unique.  Each character including the adults has a small memorable feature that is part of the story.   The mystery of the missing cookies may take center stage in my synopsis, but the book is far more about relationships, anger, revenge and heroism.  All of which make this funny book deeper than most.

The characterization here is so strong that readers will have no trouble with the rather large cast of characters.  Owen is a traumatized boy whose life slowly is revealed to the reader.  Jeremy is a savvy take on a girl who wants to be in control but can’t figure out how.  Nima, the Buddhist who lives in Owen’s building, adds a vehicle for Owen to begin to question his way of life.  It all comes together into a wonderful mix of great people all seen through Owen’s wry lens.

Appropriate for ages 11-13, this book has a winning cover and its humor will have readers sharing it with friends.  A must-have for middle school libraries everywhere.