Review: Stephen and the Beetle by Jorge Lujan

November 20, 2012November 20, 2012 | Tasha

Stephen and the Beetle by Jorge Lujan, illustrated by Chiara Carrer

This very simple story explores philosophical areas while still remaining a picture book that is accessible to very young children. Stephen was walking in the garden and sees a beetle. He took off his shoe and was about to smack the beetle. The beetle continued on its way, unaware of the threat. Stephen raised his shoe higher, but then started to wonder about what the beetle was doing and where it was walking to. So Stephen set down his shoe and put his head on the ground. The beetle came closer, reared back on its back legs and seemed about to attack, but then seemed to think about it and instead just continued on its way. The parallel pieces of this story make it all the more thought provoking and should get children thinking in a new way about even their smallest decisions during their day.

Lujan’s writing is simple and pure. He tells the story and what is happening with a straight-forward tone and allows the story itself to create the points of discussion. The only point where the writing gets complex and lush is when the beetle is about to attack. Suddenly the tone changes and the rhythm gets wild. But then, it is back to the simple tone to finish the story.

Carrer’s art is done in mixed media that includes collage, paint, pen, chalk and ink. She very successfully plays with dark and light images that mirror one another. The beetle is shown to be just as complex a creature as Stephen himself.

This is a book that will certainly generate discussion. There are etchical implications here, the question of impact of our decisions, and the aspect of choice. And yet, there is also a small boy playing in a yard with a beetle. It is a perfect example of a small scene that speaks to much larger issues. Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Twelve Kinds of Ice by Ellen Bryan Obed

November 20, 2012 | Tasha

Twelve Kinds of Ice by Ellen Bryan Obed, illustrated by Barbara McClintock

Oh my. There are few books that leave me with tears standing in my eyes at the end, especially books of a spare 64 pages. This one did.

I suppose I could leave my review at that, but here are some details for those who need more. This tightly written and beautifully illustrated small book looks at the twelve kinds of ice that happen in the course of a winter. It all starts with the first ice which is the thin ice on top of a bucket in the barn that breaks when you touch it. From there excitement builds as slowly the ice gets thicker and more able to be skated on. Some ice like field ice and stream ice can be skated on, but it’s tricky. Garden ice is the ice rink that the Bryan family created in their garden, made by packing the snow very firm and then spraying it with the garden hose. It is that family skating rink that is really celebrated in the book, showing a strong family and their mutual connection through ice skating. Even the ice skaters and hockey players get along. Most of the time!

Obed is telling the story of her own family and their love of skating. Her writing is so beautiful and strong. She tells a story with depth and feeling, celebrating winter, ice and the thrill of skating. Seeing how short the book is, one wonders how she managed to tell so much in so few pages. Her prose invites us into her family and onto ice skates. Alongside her, we don’t so much as wobble but instead skim across the ice at her side. It’s an exhilarating and intensely personal read.

McClintock’s illustrations are entirely black and white in the book. She captures a timelessness in her images, celebrating the family and natural surroundings. She also shows the movement of skating and its thrill.

This is a quiet book, one that will need some push to get it into children’s hands. I can see it being part of anyone’s holiday and also a great gateway to talking about your own memories of childhood and special things your family does together. Quiet but powerful and immensely satisfying. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: A Is for Musk Ox by Erin Cabatingan

November 19, 2012 | Tasha

A Is for Musk Ox by Erin Cabatingan, illustrated by Matthew Myers

The story begins right at the cover with Musk Ox chomping on the apple that would have been what “A” stands for. Instead, he insists that A is really for musk ox. Zebra argues with him, after all there isn’t even a single letter A in musk ox. Musk Ox explains using lots of words that start with “A” that musk oxen are Awesome; they live in the Artic and even Alaska. Turn the page and you will see that B is also for musk ox, rather than baby. Again, Musk Ox has plenty of explanations for exactly why. This silliness continues through the book, forming a pattern until you reach the letter M. And I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but I bet you won’t guess what M stands for. This zany book is filled with humor, pure cheer and a jolly spirit.

This is not an alphabet book for those first learning their letters. Instead, children who know how the alphabet works and who are veterans of ABC books will enjoy it most. They will get the jokes that are being poked at more normal alphabet books as well as the more pointed humor of the storyline. Cabatingan’s writing, done entirely in dialogue, is a pleasure to read aloud. It has a natural flow and a great sense of timing.

Myers’ illustrations are simple and quite silly when called for. The personalities of the two characters come across in their body language.

A hilarious alphabet book that is guaranteed to get kids giggling. Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Teen Books Become Movies

November 19, 2012November 19, 2012 | Tasha

A couple pieces of news about teen novels that are being made into films:

The second Beautiful Creatures trailer has been released. The movie is coming in February 2013.

The movie rights for Blackwood by Gwenda Bond have been purchased. MTV is developing the film to be produced by Kelsey Grammer.

2012 National Book Award Winner

November 16, 2012 | Tasha

The winner of the 2012 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature went to William Alexander for Goblin Secrets.

The other finalists for the award were:

Carrie Arcos for Out of Reach

Patricia McCormick for Never Fall Down

Eliot Schrefer for Endangered

Steve Sheinkin for Bomb: The Race to Build – and Steal – the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon

You can see the full list of winners on the National Book Foundation website.

Have you read the winner? I haven’t yet, so I’d love to hear what you think!

Review: The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand

November 16, 2012 | Tasha

The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand

Victoria has always tried to be the best that she can be with her perfect hair, great grades and neat room. So when she gets a B in music, she is distraught and refuses to show her parents her report card. Lawrence, her one and only friend, doesn’t have the same appreciation for perfection. He’s a musician who is often untidy and has a habit of humming constantly. As Victoria obsesses about her grades, she starts to notice that strange things are happening around town. Some of the students at her school have disappeared and no one seems to care. When Lawrence disappears and his parents are unconcerned, Victoria realizes that there is something horribly wrong. She knows it must have to do with the Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, an orphanage which never seems to have any children around. In Mrs. Cavendish, Victoria finds another person with a will for order and perfection. In Victoria though, Mrs. Cavendish may have met her match. As this book turns from mystery to horror, readers will taken on a frightening ride.

From the endpaper that is designed with bugs to the bugs scattered along randomly inside the book, readers will realize that this is a little darker than most mysteries. It begins as a classic story of a girl who is top of her class and fairly self-centered. She is likeable despite these faults thanks to her natural inquisitiveness and bravery. As the book becomes more dark and creepy, Victoria rises to the challenge, turning into a heroine before your eyes. It’s a credible and impressive transformation.

Legrand slowly builds the tension in the book, creating a story that you can never quite relax into. A great example of this is on page 83:

Outside, the streets glistened. Storm clouds sat fat, black, and heavy all along the sickly yellow sky. Victoria wondered if they would ever break or if they would just keep spitting bits of rain forever when no one was looking. She tightened her grip on the umbrella beneath her raincoat and tried not to think about how it felt like the trees were watching her.

It’s a book that twists and turns, becoming the unexpected. At several moments, I thought I had figured it out and the doubted that that would be the outcome in a children’s book. Children will delight though in realizing that Legrand does not shy away from the horrid, the frightening and the disgusting.

This is a wild ride of a book clothed in a classic mystery disguise. Get it into the hands of children who enjoy a good shivery read. It’s perfect for reading at night under the covers, if you are brave enough. Appropriate for ages 11-13.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon & Schuster.

This Week’s Tweets and Pins

November 16, 2012November 16, 2012 | Tasha

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

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

8 Thanksgiving Story Books http://buff.ly/TCYeAt #kidlit

‘Baby-Sitters Club’ series to be released as ebooks | Shelf Life |http://buff.ly/y4ZbiJ http://buff.ly/W7K92b #ebooks #kidlit

"The Cybils are turning me into Sybil, and my personality is fracturing." #nerdybookclub essay today. by @polkinghttp://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2012/11/11/the-trouble-with-cybils-by-william-polking/ … Retweeted from @Loveofxena

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/nov/15/who-could-that-be-lemony-snicket?CMP=twt_fd … Daniel Handler’s new Lemony Snicket novel! – Retweeted from @communitydisco.

From the Horn Book Guide: Artists and Masterpieces http://buff.ly/TCZBz8 #kidlit

Interview: Katherine Marsh, Author Of ‘Jepp, Who Defied The Stars’ : NPR http://buff.ly/TmMIsK #kidlit

Interview: Phillip Pullman, Author of ‘Fairy Tales From the Brothers Grimm" : NPR http://buff.ly/VTk8n6

Making Picture Books: The Pictures by Barbara Cooney — The Horn Book http://buff.ly/VYTMQR

Making Picture Books: The Words by Charlotte Zolotow – The Horn Book – http://buff.ly/TwWdFT #kidlit

Monica Edinger: Stop Calling Books for Kids ‘Young Adult’ http://buff.ly/XIWfPS #yalit #kidlit

Raising Kids Who Love Books « mama smilesmama smileshttp://buff.ly/W35vhf

Utah district sued for segregating children’s book about lesbian mums – http://buff.ly/UIwAAG #kidlit

What’s Your Desert Island Picture Book? http://buff.ly/TD9JI0 #kidlit

E-BOOKS

An 81-year-old Startup Entrepreneur, Seymour Simon, Sees a Bright Future in Digital Publishing – The Digital Shift http://buff.ly/TmMLVE

Bookboard: startup offers Netflix-type model for children’s ebooks http://ow.ly/fe8os Retweeted from @victoriastrauss

Oyster App for subscription ebooks. Essentially, a spotify for books, novels and great reads. http://mashable.com/2012/11/13/oyster/ … Retweeted from @JaredFink

Penguin Ebook Pilot Test Expands Beyond NYC – The Digital Shift http://buff.ly/W7JC0r

Reading on a Kindle is not the same as reading a book – Slate Magazine http://buff.ly/XI6e88 – I don’t agree at all, but it’s interesting.

Tablets Continue to Gain Ground Versus E-Readers Among Ebook Buyers | Digital Book World http://buff.ly/W7K3rk

LIBRARIES

Art Brodsky: The Mystery of the Missing E-Books – specifically about libraries on HuffPost! http://buff.ly/XIrCdf

Cleveland Public Library working to become a "People’s University" – The Digital Shift http://buff.ly/XIOn0F #libraries

Disaster plans and #libraries http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/what-katrina-can-teach-libraries-about-sandy-and-other-disasters/40986 … – Retweeted from @T_Swanson

Making the Case for a Public Library Makerspace » Public Libraries Online http://buff.ly/TCYsrk

My Terry Kendrick (library marketing guru par excellence!) interview from the book has been published in American Libs http://www.librarymarketingtoolkit.com/2012/11/an-interview-with-terry-kendrick-now.html?spref=tw … Retweeted from @theREALwikiman

A new chapter for libraries has The London Library becoming more social and more of a hub – http://buff.ly/TmN7eN #libraries

Newcastle library closures attacked in open letter from authors |http://buff.ly/ooI9mF #libraries

RT @infoDOCKET OCLC and GoodReads Are Expanding Their Partnership http://ow.ly/fhoKq

Two publishers make large donations to help libraries & schools recover from Hurricane Sandy: http://mbist.ro/RB2GPW Retweeted from @GalleyCat

SOCIAL MEDIA

How Social Media is Changing the Publishing Industry | Social Media Today http://buff.ly/UFkQid

interesting post on newspapers fighting Google: are they stupid, or is the value of Google News decreasing?http://pandodaily.com/2012/11/10/newspapers-take-aim-at-google-news-again-maybe-because-theyre-no-longer-scared/ … Retweeted from @mathewi

Killing Rumors With Facts: No, Facebook Didn’t Decrease Page Feed Reach To Sell More Promoted Posts | TechCrunch http://buff.ly/VEmbeL

TECHNOLOGY

Analyst: iPad will dip below 50% tablet market share in mid-2013 | VentureBeat http://buff.ly/W0z6rA

The prevalence of #mobile in #Africa: more mobiles than toilets and 10 times as many mobiles as landlines. #Tanzania http://bit.ly/RMgZCT Retweeted from @neildrewitt

TEEN BOOKS

Amazon has announced their Top 10 Books of the Year, and The Fault in Our Stars is alongside Eggers, Erdrich, etc. Wow! http://shelf-life.ew.com/2012/11/12/amazon-best-of-2012/ … Retweeted from @realjohngreen

The Dudes of YA, a "Lit-Erotic" Photo Spread | The Weeklings http://buff.ly/XGkNJp – hysterically funny greatness. #yalit

Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn has landed a deal for a YA book & a new novel for adults: http://mbist.ro/T52bjH

Gregg Olsen’s top 10 deadly reads – murderous fiction for teens! http://buff.ly/XIFiVO #yalit

How Paul Zindel Saved My Life by A.S. King « Nerdy Book Club http://buff.ly/W36QVf #yalit

‘Mortal Instruments’: Cassandra Clare talks about film — FIRST LOOK | Shelf Life | http://buff.ly/y4ZbiJ #yalit

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Books You Can’t Afford to Miss in November – great mix of adult & YA – http://buff.ly/TCWSWr #yalit

The State of the YA Market http://buff.ly/W36vC0 #yalit

YA Fiction and the Many Possibilities of Manhood | Malinda Lo http://buff.ly/TzzEAr #yalit

Review: The Santa Trap by Jonathan Emmett

November 15, 2012 | Tasha

The Santa Trap by Jonathan Emmett, illustrated by Poly Bernatene

Bradley Bartleby was born bad and as he got older, he got even more bad. Bradley’s parents were immensely rich and gave Bradley everything he wanted because they were scared of him. Every year, Bradley would make an enormous list for Santa Claus but Santa knew about how bad Bradley was and never looked at the list, instead giving him a small token gift of socks. Even though Bradley’s parents gave him everything he had put on his Christmas list, Bradley hated that Santa himself didn’t give him what he wanted. So Bradley decided to build a trap for Santa. He worked on it for a year, until by Christmas Eve his parents had moved out of the house because it was so dangerous. Now all it would take was Bradley to stay awake and watch the trap work. But staying up and waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve is notoriously difficult to do.

Emmett has created a holiday picture book with a lot of edge, plenty of weaponry and some pretty spectacular explosions. This is a holiday book that will appeal to children who feel a bit too old for elves and reindeer. Happily though, at the heart of the story there really is a Christmas spirit about what the real meaning of Christmas should be. Emmett though does not let that ruin the fun, delighting in turning Christmas on its ear in this picture book.

The art by Bernatene works so well here. It has plenty of zing and pop with its bold colors and modern feel. One just has to look at the cover to know this is not your normal holiday book. The illustrations were done digitally, adding to the modern feel, but they are also made warmer by brushstrokes showing on the images.

A dynamic and very funny holiday book that will work particularly well for elementary-aged children who will delight in the weaponry, the trap, and the twist at the end. Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from ARC received from Peachtree Publishers.

Washington Post Best Kids Books 2012

November 15, 2012November 15, 2012 | Tasha

The Washington Post has a list of their reviewer’s picks for best kids books of the year. I was struck by the number of nonfiction books on the list. Here are the top picks: