Elementary School

Review: Drawing from Memory by Allen Say

| Tasha

drawing from memory

Drawing from Memory by Allen Say

Released September 1, 2011.

This is a captivating look at the life of Allen Say and his journey to become an illustrator.  It begins with his childhood in Yokohama, Japan which he had to flee when the bombings started in 1941.  As a child, his mother kept him safe at home and not out playing near the water.  He learned to read early and fell in love with comics, deciding at a young age to become an artist.  His father dismissed his dreams, wanting him to follow a more respectable path.  Say lived with his grandmother while he went to school until at age 12, he moved and lived alone in a rented apartment in Tokyo.  Following his dream, he approached the famous cartoonist, Noro Shinpei in the hopes of becoming his student.  Say found his sensei and a new father figure in his life.  Readers will discover the long hours, hard work, and talent that made Say the artist he is.

Say weaves photographs, drawings and paintings together into an extraordinary look at his life.  The text blends humor  with  brutal honesty about his family’s lack of support for his endeavors.  Always the book is optimistic, exploring the dedication that it takes to attain greatness.  It will serve as inspiration for young artists who may themselves be being ridiculed for their dreams.

More than a graphic novel, this is an autobiography told in images and words that is surprising, moving and luminous.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.

Also reviewed by

Review: Lucky for Good by Susan Patron

| Tasha

lucky for good

Lucky for Good by Susan Patron

This conclusion of the Lucky trilogy will be bittersweet for fans of the series.  Happily, there is one more book with the vivacious Lucky and the intriguing extended family of Hard Pan.  Sadly, it is the final one.  In this book, Lucky struggles with the unknown.  Brigitte’s new café is closed due to a violation of a county ordinance, her best friend is headed to England for the summer, and she even punches a boy.  That ends up with her in serious trouble and she is forced to do a family tree.  That brings up even more questions for Lucky, who doesn’t know how she will handle researching the side of her estranged father.  But nothing keeps Lucky down for long and soon all is heading towards solutions, but not without a few more bumps in the road to keep it all interesting.

Patron does not shy away from difficult topics in this final book.  She deals with the universal themes of family and community as she has in her previous novels.  And what a community it is!  I think all readers of the Lucky series hope to move to Hard Pan, despite the dried out sandwiches.  But Patron explores religion in this novel in a very frank and honest way, voicing the questions that children (and adults) have when they meet someone who believes in a more judgmental universe.  I applaud the courage and bravery of Patron in being so open about these questions, something that young readers will love as well.

Patron also excels at creating characters and all of your favorite characters return in this novel, plus a few new ones.  Lucky is a heroine with real spunk, with her own world view, and a strong sense of self.  Even in her moments of doubt, Lucky never shies away from being exactly who she is. 

An impressive conclusion to the Lucky trilogy, fans of the series will have to have this one.  And for me, I can’t wait to see what world Patron will create for us next.  Appropriate for ages 8-12.

Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Review: Bake Sale by Sara Varon

| Tasha

bake sale

Bake Sale by Sara Varon

Cupcake owns a bakery and his life has a certain routine to it.  Wake up at 6:30 am, head to the bakery, bake, and then open the shop at 9:00 am, work until 4:00 pm, then spend time with his friend, Eggplant.  Eggplant is planning a trip to Turkey to visit his family, who happen to know the very famous chef, Turkish Delight.  When Eggplant invites Cupcake to join him on the trip, Cupcake has to work hard to make more money and pay for it.  As he tries new things, his delight in baking returns.  Perhaps the solution to his struggles is closer to home than he thought!

Varon is the author of the very successful, Robot Dreams.  While this graphic novel doesn’t have the power of that book, it is still a great read that children will respond to.  The book also includes seven recipes for food that Cupcake makes in the book.  All of Varon’s books have a winning quirkiness to them.  Here you have Cupcake who creates cupcakes for other people to eat.  A bit strange, but that’s what makes Varon’s worlds so intriguing.

Her illustrations are just as clear and charming as always.   The characters are expressive, funny and interesting. The text is fanciful and fun, often meandering a bit rather than driving the story forward.  It reads and seems as if readers are really looking at Cupcake’s life.

A whimsical graphic novel that is not too sugary at all.  Appropriate for ages 8-12.

Reviewed from copy received from Roaring Brook Press.

Also reviewed by

Review: The One and Only Stuey Lewis by Jane Schoenberg

| Tasha

one only stuey lewis

The One and Only Stuey Lewis by Jane Schoenberg, illustrated by Cambria Evans

This series of stories are about Stuey’s time in second grade.  Stuey is not a confident kid, often choosing to just not even try before has a chance to fail.  When he starts second grade, Stuey pretends to be sick because he can’t read as well as he thinks he should be able to.  But Stuey is also creative.  When his mother tells him he can only trick-or-treat on their block, he comes up with a cunning plan to get plenty of candy.  But things do go wrong, like when he doesn’t get put on the same soccer team as his  best friend and instead is put on a team with a girl in his class who drives him crazy.  But in the end, it all works out and second grade becomes something that Stuey never wants to end.  After all, who knows what will happen in third grade?!

Schoenberg has written this book at just the right level for young readers.  She has infused the story with humor, making the book very appealing to children.  It also helps that the chapters read almost as separate stories about Stuey, so it can be tackled one chapter at a time.  She also clearly sets the premise for each chapter, creating tension and driving new readers to figure out how the story ends.

Stuey is a very likeable character, filled with doubts and concerns just like any real kid.  He is also inventive, which gets him both in and out of scrapes.  Stuey shows steady growth through the stories and readers will not be surprised to find that he loves second grade by the end, even though the short book started with him dreading it.

Evans’ illustrations are fun-filled and friendly.  The black-and-white images do a lot to break up the text into more readable pieces. 

A great pick for readers who are leaving the beginning readers and ready to tackle chapter books.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Farrar Straus Giroux.

Also reviewed by:

Book Review: The Mangrove Tree by Susan L. Roth

| Tasha

mangrove tree

The Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore

This book tells the true story of Dr. Gordon Sato in picture book format.  The village of Hargigo in the African country of Eritrea was dry and the animals could not find enough to eat.  Dr. Sato had the idea of planting mangrove trees on the shore of the salty Red Sea.  The trees can survive the salt and would give women in the village a way to earn money close to home from planting the trees.  The trees also help by giving off oxygen too.  The goats and sheep ate the leaves from the trees and grew stronger, living longer and having healthier babies.  The mangrove trees also changed the habitat along the shore, creating hiding places for sea creatures that helped the fish grow larger and the fishermen improve their catch.  This is the story of Dr. Sato, who through science changed the lives of people not only in Hargigo, but around the world.

Trumbore has written a clever dual story here.  On one side of the page, a simple cumulative story is told of the mangrove trees by the sea.  On the other side, readers get much more detailed information about the science and impact of the planting of the trees.  Finally, at the end of the book, readers can see photographs of the actual villagers, the trees and Dr. Sato. 

Roth’s illustrations are eye-catching and inventive.  Using collage, she has created such texture, color, and natural feel.  Her illustrations have depth, showing the people at work, giving individual coats to the sheep and goats, and celebrating the bright colors the people wear.  It is a very rich illustration that celebrates the setting and the work that went into the project.

Highly recommended, this book is a beautiful mix of nonfiction and picture book that is ideal for elementary science about the environment.  It celebrates the impact that one man can have on the world, inspiring youth to think about what they can contribute too.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by BookDragon.

Book Review: Addie on the Inside by James Howe

| Tasha

addie on the inside

Addie on the Inside by James Howe

Addie Carle, the only girl in The Gang of Five, is the center of this third story in The Misfits series.  Addie is an outspoken and opinionated person, but the verse here shows her to have many more doubts and concerns than she might show on the outside.  As her year of seventh grade continues, Addie has to deal with some big issues: the death of one of her cats, the breakup of her first relationship, teasing by other girls in school, and finding her own voice, even though she is talking all the time.  Addie shows herself to be thoughtful, caring, involved, and much more than others see on the outside, she just has to find the confidence to let her real self show.

Howe’s verse works on several levels.  First, it tells the story of Addie and her growth.  Second, it is poetry that truly functions as individual poems as well.  He plays with rhyme inside his lines at times, while other poems are more narrative and still others are haiku.  It is a fresh look at a verse novel that shifts from lighter to deeper tones easily.

Addie is a fascinating character, a girl who is smart, involved, vocal and entirely human.  While I’m not sure everyone will have this response, she was like listening to my own middle-school inner voice.  Addie’s point of view is uniquely her own, yet she spoke to me completely.  I finished the book with tears rolling down my face, just because of the understanding for my younger self I had found.

A beautifully written book featuring a strong yet human protagonist, this is one amazing read.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum.

Book Review: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

| Tasha

wonderstruck

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Released September 13, 2011.

This second book, following his award-winning The Invention of Hugo Cabret, is just as magnificent and haunting.  Here there are two stories, set 50 years apart.  In 1977, Ben has grown up along the shores of Gunflint Lake, Minnesota.  His dreams are filled with wolves chasing him, but he doesn’t know why.  His mother recently died and when he goes back to their home, a freak accident causes him to lose his hearing.  But just before the accident, he uncovers what may be a clue to his father’s identity.  The picture section of the book is the story of Rose in 1927.  She is deaf and refuses to be cooped up in her house and protected.  She has built a city of paper around her room and manages to sneak away to New York City.  As both children are drawn to New York, their stories come closer together and eventually become one.

Selznick has once again created a story that only he could tell.  His illustrations, done in line drawings, read cinematically, visually telling part of the story.  Here they perfectly capture deafness, offering readers a way of “reading” a book in pure silence without words.  It is a beautiful experience that is tangible and breathtaking.

Selznick takes readers on a journey here, because of the intertwining nature of the book, they must place themselves in his hands and simply trust.  Their trust will be rewarded as the stories come together with a click as the pieces meet.

The story also brings together divergent subjects into a whole.  The combination of the history of museums, silent film changing to sound, Deaf culture, and families would seem to be too many themes for any book to contain.  In Selznick’s hands, they are all ingredients in a satisfying recipe, each one adding flavor and depth that is uniquely theirs but none of them overwhelming the others.  It is a dance of balance that Selznick achieves effortlessly.

Highly recommended, this is a book that all fans of Hugo Cabret will want to get their hands on.  Appropriate for ages 8-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.

Also reviewed by

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Book Review: Sidekicks by Dan Santat

| Tasha

sidekicks

Sidekicks by Dad Santat

Captain Amazing is so busy saving the world from evil villains that he doesn’t have time for his pets back at home.  But Captain Amazing is also getting older, so he decides he needs a sidekick to help out.  His dog, hamster, lizard and even his lost cat decide to audition for the position.  As they vie for the position, rifts develop between them.  But when Captain Amazing finds himself in true peril, his pets must rise to the occasion and put their differences aside.  It will take all of their new skills, fantastic abilities, and their teamwork to save the day.

This graphic novel is inventive and great fun.  It is an appealing mix of superhero, animals and friendship stories.  Santat’s art (which I look forward to seeing in full color, rather than the partial color I got to see in the ARC) is engaging and modern.  Yet it plays directly back to traditional comic books with the battle scenes in particular.  Santat’s story is well paced and even controlled despite the wild antics of its characters and the vibrant action scenes.

Get this in the hands of young graphic novel readers and you will be a superhero too!  Appropriate for ages 7-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Arthur A. Levine Books.

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Also reviewed by 100 Scope Notes and Fuse #8.

Book Review: Spellbound by Jacqueline West

| Tasha

spellbound

Spellbound by Jacqueline West

Released July 11, 2011.

This second book in The Books of Elsewhere series is just as magical as the first.  Olive is still searching for a way to save Morton, the boy trapped inside a painting.  Now that the spectacles are broken, Olive must rely on the permission of one of the three cats to enter the paintings.  But nothing she tries is working.  So when her new neighbor, Rutherford, mentions that there may be a spellbook left by the McMartins, Olive immediately begins searching.  When she finds it though, she may not be ready for what it brings with it.  Plenty of adventure, magic and surprises await the reader.

West writes with an ease, a comfort that makes the book read quickly.  At the same time, she does use imagery very well, especially when describing characters.  Olive continues to be a great protagonist.  She is far from perfect, allowing her pride to get her into further scrapes in this book.  I am a fan of a flawed protagonist and Olive manages to be human and relatable throughout the novel.

As Olive spends more time outside the house, the neighborhood begins to come to life in this book much more completely than in the previous novel.  Olive’s parents are also more involved in this second book, though they do continue to leave Olive alone often, much to the delight of the storyline.

This is a charmer of a series filled with witches, magic, cats, and danger.  Fans of the first novel in the series will be clamoring for this second one.  A perfect summer read for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Dial Books.