Middle School

The Firefly Letters

| Tasha

The Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle

I have adored Engle and her poetry since first reading her Poet Slave of Cuba.  This historical novel told in verse tells the story of early Swedish feminist Fredrika Bremer and her travels in Cuba.  While in Cuba she inspires and changes the lives of two women, a slave named Cecilia and a wealthy young woman named Elena.  At first amazed and shocked by the freedom Fredrika demonstrates, Elena warms to her as she begins to understand that the future could be different than just an arranged marriage.  Cecilia finds in Fredrika a woman who looks beyond her slave status and a role model for hope.  Told in Engle’s radiant verse, this is another novel by this splendid author that is to be treasured.

As with all of her novels, Engle writes about the duality of Cuba:  the dark side and the light, the beauty and the ugliness.  Once again she explores the horrific legacy of slavery without flinching from its truth.  Against that background of slavery, she has written a novel of freedom.  It is the story of a woman who refused to be defined by the limitations of her birth and her sex, instead deciding to travel and write rather than marry.  Fredrika is purely freedom, beautifully contrasted with the two women who are both captured in different ways and forced into lives beyond their control. 

Beautifully done, this book is an excellent example of the verse novel.  Each poem can stand on its own and still works to tell a cohesive story.  At times Engle’s words are so lovely that they give pause and must be reread.  This simply deepens the impact of the book.  Engle also uses strong images in her poems.  In this book, fireflies are an important image that work to reveal light and dark, as well as freedom and captivity.

Highly recommended, this author needs to be read by those who enjoy poetry, those who enjoy history, and those who simply are looking for great writing.  Appropriate for ages 11-14.

Reviewed from library copy.

Out of My Mind

| Tasha

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

Melody is eleven years old and has never said a single word.  She also has a photographic memory so she remembers being a baby, remembers every show she has ever seen on TV, remembers the commercials too, remembers songs, factoids, everything.  All those words are trapped in her head, unable to be released.  Her parents know she is bright, but how could anyone know just how smart Melody actually is with her cerebral palsy being all that they can see?  At school she is in the classroom for those with special needs where the quality of instruction varies from year to year. One year she was subjected to the alphabet over and over again along with a CD of nursery rhymes.  Pure torture!  So when Melody realizes that she needs a computer to help her talk, everyone had better be ready to hear what she has to say!

This in-depth character study is beautifully done.  Melody is a character with charisma, brilliance and a sassy attitude that is integral to her personality.  Despite being unable to speak, Melody will speak deeply to any reader who takes the time to meet her.  Draper does not sugarcoat Melody’s disability.  She does not make the people around Melody too perfect and good.  Instead everyone is human, especially Melody. 

Draper brought me to tears several times in the novel.  From spectacular moments of Melody speaking to the cruelty of other children, this book offers such highs and lows.  And through it all, living it all, we have Melody, a true heroine, an amazing person, and someone we all should get to know.

The cover is wonderful with its fish out of water theme and a direct tie to the storyline.  I love the contrast of the pale blue and bright orange, because Melody is such a flash of bright color in the novel.

This will make a brilliant read aloud for a classroom of 5th or 6th graders.  It will also be adored by single readers who will find Melody a person worth spending time with.  Appropriate for ages 9-13, this book is a real winner.

Reviewed from library copy.

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13 Treasures

| Tasha

13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison

After being tormented by fairies and waking her mother in the middle of the night, Tanya is sent to stay with her grandmother in her dilapidated manor house.  Tanya sees fairies at her grandmother’s house too: they fill the grandfather clock and make mischief in the kitchen.  But fairies are nothing compared to the dangers of the woods that surround her grandmother’s house.  As Tanya struggles to come to terms with her second sight, she is helped by several unlikely allies, including the local witch woman, the annoying son of the manor’s caretaker, and a girl has had far worse luck with the fairies.  Will Tanya be able to solve the mystery that surrounds her with their help? 

Harrison excels at creating an immersive world that truly is brought to life through her writing.  Her attention to small details and willingness to truly describe settings have helped make a world that is tangible.  Exploring the manor house, one can almost smell the dust of neglect, see the encroaching ivy.  The fairies are offered with just enough detail to make sure readers remember that they are not friendly, sweet butterfly-like creatures.

Harrison also has a good ear for dialogue, which helps complete her world building.  Tanya is a tough but also friendly girl who is trapped in a nightmare no one else can see.  The tense relationship between her and her grandmother is written in actions rather than explanations.  There are plenty of tense moments, strange events, and bizarre happenings to keep the pages moving briskly.  For me though it was a book to savor, a world I longed to linger a bit more in.

There is plenty to love here.  It is a book of evil fairies that works for children who are not ready for Holly Black and Melissa Marr yet.   Beautiful writing and  incredible world building.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Little Brown.

The Dreamer

| Tasha

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan and Peter Sis

Released April 2010.

Neftali is a boy with the spirit of a poet.  He loves to write series of words anywhere he can, he collects small objects like stones and keys, and he daydreams amazing adventures.  He is also a boy with a father who wants him to focus on the real world and become a doctor or dentist, definitely not a writer.  His father is a domineering force in his world, blowing a whistle to call him to attention and sneering at his scrawny build.  Despite this, Neftali continues to dream and write, eventually becoming one of the most read poets in the world, Pablo Neruda.

Ryan’s prose is profound and exquisite.  She has created here a book about a real person that takes you directly into that person’s mind, allowing a deep understanding.  She has taken some of the seminal events of Neruda’s life and written scenes that sear into your mind with their beauty and importance.  She writes to honor a great poet but also to allow people to understand him on a new level.  Beautifully done.

Combined with Ryan’s prose, Sis’ illustrations exude a simplicity and delicacy that work marvelously with the subject matter.  His illustrations verge on the surreal, taking us into Neruda’s thoughts and dreams.  The illustrations are deceptive in their simplicity, revealing far more than they seem to.  The partnership of these two has created something magical.

The Author’s Note at the end of the book is interesting and important.  I also appreciated the inclusion at the end of some of Neruda’s poems, because readers of this book are sure to want to read his poems.  I know that this book will reconnect me with his writing again.

A moving and beautiful tribute to a poet’s youth and development, this book also shines because of its focus on self-esteem, social consciousness, and individuality.  I can see it being used as a read-aloud in classrooms, though part of its beauty is reading it and savoring it.  Appropriate for ages 9-13.

Reviewed from Advanced Reader Copy received from Scholastic.

 

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