Review: Cat Says Meow by Michael Arndt

| Tasha

cat says meow

Cat Says Meow by Michael Arndt

A fresh new take on animal noises in a picture book, this is a clever and artistic reinvention.  Blending animals with a typological representation of the animal and its noise, this book is pure font bliss.  The book offers 25 animals that pop against the white background. 

Simple in the extreme, this picture book explores the curves and zig zags of letters, turning them into tongues, feet, ears, whiskers and tails.  The words are sometimes obvious in the drawings but others take a bit more squinting and thinking to make out.  The art becomes a visual puzzle and makes the entire book a joy to explore and decrypt. 

Get this into the hands of art teachers and writing teachers who will adore the creativity that it displays and the way it engages on many levels.  Appropriate for ages 3-8.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

Paper Towns–The Movie

| Tasha

paperto

For years I have wondered why John Green novels had not been made into movies.  And now here is news that a second one is on the way!  Deadline has announced that Paper Towns will be made into a movie by the same team that is making Fault in Our Stars. 

In fact, Nat Wolff, who is starring in Fault in Our Stars has signed on to star in Paper Towns.  Very interesting!

Review: The Story of Owen by E. K. Johnston

| Tasha

story of owen

The Story of Owen by E. K. Johnston

When the world saw Lottie Thorskard fall from a girder, everyone wondered what she would do next.  No one expected her to move to the tiny town of Trondheim and start slaying dragons there with her wife, her brother and his son.  But that is how Owen started attending the same school as Siobhan.  Siobhan is not a popular student, but she gets good grades and loves to play and write music.  None of this should have made her even noticeable by Owen, whom everyone wanted to know better.  Somehow though Siobhan with her biting wit gets invited over to Owen’s home for dinner and Owen’s family including the famous Lottie have a plan that involves Siobhan.  They want her to be Owen’s bard.  Which will involve being nearby when they fight dragons.  So Siobhan must train to defend herself with a sword, learn more about different types of dragons, and she becomes an important piece of Owen’s story herself.

This is one of those books that surprises right from the beginning.  Somehow I didn’t realize that this is a modern-day dragon tale set in Canada.  In this book, the world has always had dragons and they form the heart of literature and song going back into history.  Johnston takes the time to rewrite the lives of famous people for the reader, building her world so successfully that it all makes perfect sense that dragons are here and have always been. 

The juxtaposition between the two main characters is brilliantly done.  But perhaps the very best part is that this is not a romance.  Yes, a male and female main character but no sparks, no kissing, no sex.  Instead they are busy trying to save their community together.  Siobhan and Owen are both vibrant and intelligent.  They have the sort of brilliant dialogue that one would expect from a John Green book.  Except they do it while fighting dragons!  Amazing.

A completely incredible debut book, this takes fantasy and turns it on its head with a thoroughly modern take on battling dragons and extraordinarily deep world building.  This is one of the best and most unique fantasy novels I’ve read in years.

Reviewed from digital galley received from NetGalley and Carolrhoda Books.

2014 Indies Choice/E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Finalists

| Tasha

The finalists have been announced for the 2014 Indies Choice/E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards.  Booksellers across the country will vote on their picks and choose the winners.  Here are the finalists in the children’s and YA categories:

BOOK OF THE YEAR – YOUNG ADULT

Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin, #2) The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle, #2) Eleanor & Park

Dark Triumph, by Robin LaFevers

The Dream Thieves, by Maggie Stiefvater

Eleanor & Park: A Novel, by Rainbow Rowell

More Than This Rose Under Fire The Summer Prince

More Than This, by Patrick Ness

Rose Under Fire, by Elizabeth Wein

The Summer Prince, by Alaya Dawn Johnson

 

E.B. WHITE READ-ALOUD AWARD – MIDDLE READER

Counting by 7s Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail

Counting By 7s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Flora and Ulysses, by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by K.G. Campbell

The Mouse With the Question Mark Tail, by Richard Peck, illustrated by Kelly Murphy

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy Rooftoppers The Year of Billy Miller

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy, by Karen Foxlee

Rooftoppers, by Katherine Rundell, illustrated by Terry Fan

The Year of Billy Miller, by Kevin Henkes

 

E.B. WHITE READ-ALOUD AWARD – PICTURE BOOK

Crankenstein The Day the Crayons Quit

Crankenstein, by Samantha Berger, illustrated by Dan Santat

The Day the Crayons Quit, by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

Dream Animals: A Bedtime Journey Mr. Tiger Goes Wild

Dream Animals: A Bedtime Journey, by Emily Winfield Martin

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, by Peter Brown

Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great Warning: Do Not Open This Book!

Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great, by Bob Shea

Warning: Do Not Open This Book! by Adam Lehrhaupt, Matthew Forsythe

Review: Half Bad by Sally Green

| Tasha

half bad

Half Bad by Sally Green

I always approach fantasies that are supposed to be the “Next Big Thing” with a lot of caution.  But this one is a wonderful surprise.  Nathan lives in a cage outside of the house where the woman paid to keep him lives.  He is let out of his shackles at dawn, forced to run for miles, train in combat, and kept close to home by wristbands filled with acid that will detonate if he goes too far.  Nathan is a witch.  But that is not why he is in a cage.  He is in a cage because he is a mix of white witch and black witch and worse, he is the son of the most notorious black witch of all time.  The white witches who keep Nathan imprisoned are training him to kill his father.  Through a series of flashbacks, Nathan’s childhood and the abuse he suffers from the white witches is exposed.  The question quickly becomes who the bad guys really are and how Nathan can survive in a world where no one trusts half of him.

Set in an alternative England where witches are real and in a constant battle for power, Nathan is trapped not just in a cage but also in between the two powerful factions.  The writing here is wonderfully clean and clear, even when it turns to violence which it does often.  Thanks to the quality of the writing, the moral questions shine on the page, clearly linking this witch world to the various moral questions at play in our own world.  Yet this does not become overbearing at all, since the world is compellingly built.

The characters are also well done.  While the “white” and “black” labels designate the factions, the question of good and evil goes much deeper.  Nathan is an exceptional protagonist.  He is complex and both in his character and the world, nothing is simple.  As he learns the truth about his parents, his family and himself, his reactions are honest, violent and superbly done.

This book is worthy of all of the fanfare it has received, but the reason to read it is to enter the violent world of witches where everyone is at least half bad.  Appropriate for ages 15-18.

Reviewed from copy received from Viking.

This Week’s Tweets, Pins and Tumbls

| Tasha

Here are the links I shared on my Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr accounts this week that I hope you find interesting:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Board Book Roundup: Spring 2014 Edition – The Horn Book http://buff.ly/1dgL62p #kidlit

Newbery / Caldecott 2015: Spring Prediction Edition — @fuseeight A Fuse #8 Production http://buff.ly/1guh0mo #kidlit

Stacked: Girls Kicking Ass With Their Brains: Guest Post by Sarah Stevenson http://buff.ly/1gxGf7B #kidlit

Your Kids Love ‘Cosmos.’ Keep Them Interested in Science With These Books. – Tablet Magazine http://buff.ly/1daAOAM #kidlit

EBOOKS

Judge Rules for HarperCollins in Open Road E-Book Dispute http://buff.ly/1gPVsRW #ebooks

People Who Use E-Readers Dive Far Deeper Into Books | Underwire http://buff.ly/1l3Zi1c #ebooks

Makerspaces in Libraries | Education | Learnist - Scroll through for some interesting articles on makerspaces

LIBRARIES

Libraries designed without old-fashioned books, for new-fashioned readers http://buff.ly/1daBpCG #libraries

Who Says Libraries Are Going Extinct? – Pacific Standard: The Science of Society http://buff.ly/1l7JBWG #libraries

TEEN READS

Darren Shan: "I wanted to write about racism in the UK – zombies seemed like a good way to do that." http://buff.ly/1gy5ZAB #yalit

DIVERGENT: Early Reviews Not Promising » EarlyWord – http://buff.ly/1gyahIe #yalit

Is The "Young Adult" Boom Dwindling In Books As Well As Movies? http://buff.ly/1gPWtcZ #yalit

LGBTQ-Friendly YA Novels Get Award Nods, But Are They Getting a Crossover Audience? | Bustle http://buff.ly/1gQ0Y7p #yalit

The Maze Runner unveils first teaser poster – Movies News – Digital Spy http://buff.ly/1gy5C9j #yalit

Nancy Pearl Interviews: Laurie Halse Anderson » EarlyWord http://buff.ly/1d6MGnk #yalit

‘Rango’ Scribe To Pen Paramount’s Miley Cyrus Project ‘Wake’ http://buff.ly/1daB1UC #yalit

Toxic Relationships in Teen TV and YA Novels – Flavorwire http://buff.ly/1l42v0J #yalit

‘Uglies’ Author Westerfeld Shines a Light on the Publishing Industry for Next YA Novel http://buff.ly/1eBygqd #yalit

The Giver – The Movie Trailer

| Tasha

Here is the first trailer for the star-studded movie version of the book by Lois Lowry.

Anyone else disappointed not to see black and white in the beginning?  Also, it’s a lot more firmly science fiction than I had imagined.

Review: Monday, Wednesday, and Every Other Weekend by Karen Stanton

| Tasha

monday wednesday and every other weekend

Monday, Wednesday, and Every Other Weekend by Karen Stanton

Henry and his dog, Pomegranate, live in two different houses.  On Mondays, Wednesdays and every other weekend, he lives with his mother on Flower Street.  On Tuesdays, Thursdays and every other weekend, he lives with his father two blocks away on Woolsey Avenue.  The two houses are very different.  They smell different, look different, sound different and even taste different.  Pomegranate though is never truly happy at either house.  He wants to be somewhere else.  Then one day, Pomegranate gets out and runs away.  Henry and his father head to Flower Street to see if he is with Henry’s mother, but no Pomegranate.  Then Henry realizes where Pomegranate must be and heads straight to the house where his family used to live all together.  Now a little girl lives there and she has Pomegranate with her! 

This book has such a strong heart.  Stanton clearly shows the differences between the two homes that Henry lives in.  The different neighborhoods, the different foods, the different sounds.  Both homes are beautiful, both are filled with love for Henry.  Stanton’s clever use of Pomegranate as the expression of the emotions involved in a divorce is well done.  She manages to allow Henry to be well adjusted and happy while still dealing with the complex emotions that divorce elicits.

The art is charming and wonderfully loud.  Done in collage mixed with painting, the colors shine on the page.  She makes sure to show the elements that make up life in each house, showing again the differences but also the similarities in the homes.

A memorable book on divorce for children, even children who have not experienced divorce themselves will enjoy this engaging title.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Feiwel & Friends.

Review: Anna Carries Water by Olive Senior

| Tasha

anna carries water

Anna Carries Water by Olive Senior, illustrated by Laura James

Anna wishes that she could carry water on her head the way her older brothers and sisters do.  Her family does not have running water in their home, so the children walk to the spring and back every day toting water.  Her siblings carry the water in different types of containers balanced on the top of their heads.  But Anna with her smallest container can’t do that.  Anna tries, but only manages to dump water down herself and have to refill the coffee can.  Then she carries it in her hands instead.  Anna’s oldest sister reminds her that when she is old enough to balance the water, it will just happen.  But can Anna wait that long?

This Caribbean picture book is a treat.  It not only offers a glimpse into a different way of life but also gives a gentle reminder of the importance of patience and perseverance.   Written in simple language, the book uses repetition very nicely to give it a sense of traditional folktale while being firmly set in the present day. 

The illustrations tell much of the story and also have a traditional feel mixed with modern content.  They are bright colored, vibrant and help make sure that readers know that they are in another part of the world.

A bright and vivid book, this is a great pick for sharing aloud and would make an unusual but great addition to any story time or unit on water.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.