Elementary School

Book Review: Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg

| Tasha

queenofthefalls

Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg

What does a daredevil look like?  What traits must they embody?  Take the first person who ever went over Niagara Falls in a barrel.  Who do you think that person might be?  I’ll bet you didn’t think of a retired charm school teacher named Annie Edson Taylor.  She decided to try for fame and fortune through her stunt.  So she had a custom-made barrel designed and created, riding it over the falls in 1901.  This picture book follows her through her decision, preparations, over the falls, and then how her chance at fame turned out.  It is a book that explores fame, courage, and stereotypes.

Van Allsburg’s writing is rich, offering more text than is usually found in a picture book.  His picture books tend to have more text and be aimed at an older audience than general picture books, so this is exactly in the vein of his previous work.  The writing offers readers a glimpse into Annie’s though process as she changed from teacher to daredevil.  So much of the story would have been lost without the writing to carry it.

Of course any Van Allsburg book is about the illustrations.  He captures moments of inspiration, times of disappointment and anger, and also what a person’s face would look like as they go over Niagara Falls.  There is a beauty to this feisty woman who would not stop because of derision from those around her.  Van Allsburg reveals her as a real heroine in his book, creating incredible moments of tension in his art.

Highly recommended, this book celebrates a vibrant, risk-taking woman who deserves to be much better known than she currently is.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from library copy.

Book Review: Hurricane Dancers by Margarita Engle

| Tasha

HurricaneDancers

Hurricane Dancers by Margarita Engle

Engle’s latest historical novel in verse explores piracy in the Caribbean Sea in the 1500s.  It is the story of Quebrado, a fictionalized character, who is a slave aboard a pirate ship.  Also on the ship is Alonso de Ojeda who has been captured.  That ship, owned by real historical figure Bernardino de Talavera, becomes shipwrecked.  The story is populated by people from history, but told primarily through the voice of Quebrado.  It is a pirate story that removes the swashbuckling glamour and tells the bitter truth about what piracy was.

Engle captures such emotion in her verse, creating moments of pain, wonder and even delight in this brutal story.  The book is immensely engaging, thanks to its brisk pace and lively subject matter.  There is adventure and even a touch of romance in this story, giving light in the darkness of slavery and piracy. 

Engle pays close attention to the native people of the islands, allowing glimpses into their lives and their beliefs.  They make a great foil to the lying, manipulations of the pirates.  It is a story that is elegantly crafted and vividly written.

A great choice for late elementary and middle school students who are interested in history and pirates.  This is a book that is fast, fascinating and fabulous.  Appropriate for ages 11-14.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by:

Book Review: Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan

| Tasha

smallacts

Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan

Rosalind is not a normal British child living in India in 1918.  The other girls her age are shipped back to England for boarding school or spend their days at the club flirting covertly with young English soldiers and swimming in the pool.  Rosalind has never been to England, her mother refused to send her to boarding school because her older brother died in England while at school.  Rosalind doesn’t identify with the other English girls.  Instead her best friend is the daughter of one of the Indian servants and together they make illicit visits to the bazaar.  When Rosalind’s father returns from World War I, he brings with him stricter rules than Rosalind has been living under.  He disapproves of her friendships, forbids her going to the bazaar, and objects to her interest in Gandhi and his politics.  Rosalind’s world changes just as India begins to seek its independence from the British in this fascinating historical novel.

Rosalind is a great protagonist.  She is at odds with her English world, yet it is never pushed so far that her reactions and attitude loses touch with the historical setting.  She is strong, vibrant and a great lens to see India through because she is a bridge between modern readers and World War I.

Whelan creates her world with tiny touches, drawing India for readers in the details.  Her imagery is lovely, emphasizing the impermanence, the beauty, and the restlessness of the story. Yet the story does not drag at all.  This is historical fiction that is relevant, vital and interesting.  The pacing is beautifully done, offering the languid pace of an India heat wave, the time it took to travel at that time, and the desperation of a people.

I am hopeful that we will read more of Rosalind’s story in an upcoming book.  I look forward to seeing where Whelan will take readers next.  Perfect for middle school readers who will enjoy the engaging heroine and the touch of romance.  Appropriate for readers age 10-13.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Also reviewed by:

Anna Hibiscus Series Continues to Offer a Charming Glimpse into Africa

| Tasha

goodluckanna havefunanna

Good Luck Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke

Have Fun Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke

In the first two books about Anna Hibiscus, readers were treated to a glimpse into life in Africa among a large extended family.  But Anna Hibiscus has even more family, a grandmother who lives in Canada.  Book three in the series tells the story of Anna Hibiscus’ preparations for heading to Canada for the first time.  The first few stories reintroduce Anna Hibiscus’ family, including her baby brothers who get into all sorts of trouble.  The other stories tell of trying to find warm clothes suitable for a Canadian winter in Africa and how her family gives her a send off.  Book Four follows Anna Hibiscus to Canada starting with her plane trip.  Those of us in North America will see snow with fresh eyes, enjoy Anna Hibiscus’ first attempt at ice skating, and will enjoy getting to know her grandmother’s dog too.  This series continues to be a celebration of family, expanding now to far-flung families and new adventures.

Atinuke tells all of her stories with a storytellers structure and tone.  There is repetition that echoes throughout the series, tying them all together nicely.  At the same time, her structure remains easy and friendly, offering an inviting cadence to old and new readers alike. 

The entire series is illustrated by Lauren Tobia.  The illustrations weave throughout the book, creating a window into the cultures shown in the stories.  They make the book welcoming for newer readers who will find a great friend in Anna Hibiscus.

If you were a fan of the first two Anna Hibiscus books, make sure to check out these two as well.  They are just as lovely as the first.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copies received from Kane Miller.

Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream: Diverse and Universal All-American Story

| Tasha

claralee

Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han, illustrated by Julia Kuo

Clara Lee wants to be Little Miss Apple Pie in the upcoming Apple Blossom Festival parade.  But it requires that she gives a speech in front of the entire school and that worries her.  So when she has a dream that she thinks is a nightmare but her grandfather assures her is good luck, she discovers that she has an entire day of luck.  She gets the backseat on the bus, she climbs all the way to the top of the rope in gym class, and someone secretly gives her a candy necklace.  So she signs up to compete for Little Miss Apple Pie.  But before she can give her speech, her luck changes for the worse.  Will she be able to restore her good luck before the contest?

Han has created a book that is fresh and a delight to read.  Clara Lee is both all-American and beautifully Korean.  Her life with a foot in both worlds will easily be related to by anyone who has a strong cultural tie to another country.  There are some scenes that capture this especially well, like the meal where Clara Lee and her family eat fish soup, except for her little sister who gets to eat chicken wings instead.

That scene is refreshingly honest not only about the multiple cultures but about family relationships, especially with younger siblings.  The emotions that Clara Lee exhibits are real and tangible for the reader.  Clara Lee is not a perfect girl, instead it is her more human moments that make her the protagonist she is.

This chapter book is just right for young readers transitioning from easy readers to full chapter books.  There are friendly illustrations that make the reading easier and the writing is simple and forthright, ideal for transitional readers.  Get this in the hands of children who enjoy Ivy and Bean.  Appropriate for ages 6-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

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Time to Eat: Nature and Nibbles

| Tasha

timetoeat

Time to Eat by Steven Jenkins and Robin Page

Jenkins and Page continue their collaboration with a new series of nature books for young children.  The other two books in the series are Time for a Bath (coming in May) and Time to Sleep (just released).  In this book, readers learn about the many strange and different things that animals eat.  From the rocks that an ostrich has to eat to chew its food to the tapping thin fingers of an aye-aye looking for lunch, the facts are fascinating. 

Those facts are paired with Jenkins’ illustrations done in paper collage.  As always, his collage work captures the texture of fur, the softness of feathers, and the smoothness of skin.  They manage to be simple yet demonstrate the complexity of the animals. 

Make sure to turn to the end of the book for more details about the featured animals.  The facts included in the body of the book read aloud very well, offering just enough detail to be interesting and yet to move along quickly. 

This is a great book to add to any library’s nature section and to keep on hand for any nature or animal story times you will be doing.  The dung beetle alone is sure to get children intrigued!  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word

| Tasha

lemonade

Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Nancy Doniger

Poetry combines with puzzles and playfulness in this book.  Raczka takes the letters from one word and creates a poem that relates to that word.  Interestingly, the letters are always shown in the order that they appear in the original word, which makes for a fun time unraveling the words in the poem.  If you don’t want to puzzle or wonder if you got the poem right, you can always turn the page and see it written in a more traditional format.

Doniger’s illustrations are simple, modern and offer just the right amount of visual interest without detracting at all from the poems themselves.  The color palette is limited to reds, blacks and grays that make for subtle and friendly support for the text.

Highly recommended, this book will encourage children to try this format for themselves and look at words in a playful way.  Appropriate for ages 8-12.

Reviewed from copy received from Roaring Brook Press.

The Junkyard Wonders: Timely and Timeless

| Tasha

junkyard

The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco

Polacco tells another very personal story of an amazing teacher in this book.  Trisha thinks she has a fresh start when she moves to live with her grandparents and father.  She expects that she will no longer be in a special needs class anymore, but in her new school she is once again in a special class.  At this school, the class is known as The Junkyard.  Happily though, it has an incredible teacher in Mrs. Peterson.  Mrs. Peterson begins the school year talking about what genius is, and continues to lead the class forward by inspiring them every day.  She allows them to create their dreams, to realize that a junkyard is place of opportunity, and to achieve and grow.  When tragedy strikes the class, they persevere on with their efforts as a tribute. 

Polacco’s books are always heartfelt and vibrantly real.  Here readers see that differences are not disadvantages and friends are not always the most likely but can be the longest lasting.  The arc of the story takes readers through a wide range of emotions, from the dismay and shame of the special class to the achievements they realize to the loss they experience together.  Her tributes to teachers and the difference the great ones make in children’s lives could not be more timely and more timeless.

As always, Polacco’s illustrations are bright and evocative.  Obviously based on real people, the characters in the book are consistently portrayed and entirely unique from one another. 

Highly recommended for all children, whether in special classes or not.  I guarantee they will all long to be part of a Junkyard class by the end of the book.  This would make a great book for elementary classrooms discussing diversity and differences.   Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy received from Philomel Books.

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Grounded: Family, Funerals and Forgiveness

| Tasha

groundedklise

Grounded by Kate Klise

For a girl who never liked dolls, Daralynn sure had a lot of them.  She had gotten over 200 dolls after her father, brother and sister were killed in a plane crash.  She had also gotten her nickname, Dolly, because of them.   Dolly lived with her mother and next door to her grandmother.  After the funeral for her family, Dolly’s mother became the hairdresser for the local funeral home.  Later, she branched out to owning her own salon and doing hair on the living.  It was Dolly who had the big idea to start doing living funerals at the funeral home to make more money.  But then a crematorium was built in town and started taking business from the funeral home, and even worse, started doing living funerals themselves!  Dolly thought there was something strange about Clem, the man who owned the crematorium, and it was up to her to figure out what was really going on.  A mystery with small-town charm, this book is about family, funerals and forgiveness.

Klise’s writing has a folksy cadence to it here that echoes the sounds and feeling of a small town.  There are wonderful transcendent moments where the main character realizes something and Klise writes it with such clarity and perfect pitch.  The conversations between characters feel real and true, giving the book a strong foundation to put a mystery upon.  It is also a very funny book, thanks to Dolly’s wry humor.

Klise has created a small town in this novel that makes the perfect setting for a mystery.  The town and the people who live there are more than a backdrop for the story, they are a real community.  The most fascinating characters are those related to Dolly.  Each of them shows how to deal with life and tragedy in a different way.  They are subtle and tangible reminders of what grief can become.

Dolly is a marvelous character who strives to be good, but is still alive because she was grounded for going fishing without permission.  She is a girl who fishes, does hair, hates dolls, and never quite manages to obey the rules.  In other words, she’s a delight.

Highly recommended, this book would make a wonderful class read-a-loud.  Where it sings is in the relationships it shows, the laughter it provides, and the recovery from loss it allows us to witness.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from copy received from Feiwel & Friends.

Also reviewed by Kids Reads.