families

The Properties of Water

| Tasha

63576099

The Properties of Water by Hannah Roberts McKinnon

Released October 26, 2010

For Lace, the lake she has grown up living on has been an integral part of her childhood and her life.  All of the seasons of the lake, as well as the sounds and smells of it, are the background to her days.  When her older sister, Marni, is injured jumping into the lake from a height, Lace is unable to return to her beloved lake or even to the city’s swimming pool.  Lace works to continue having some order to her life, but her mother is hours away caring for her sister, her father is grieving himself, and her grandparents dart in and out of her summer.  There is the new family care giver, Willa Dodge, but Lace sees her as an invader and perhaps even a thief.  One happy part of her summer is that an older boy is paying attention to her.  As Lace faces her first summer without her older sister, she begins to realize that everything has changed and she can do very little to repair any of it.

Written with a clear voice, this book has lustrous prose that makes Lace’s struggles come beautifully to life. 

To show the author’s skill with words, I have to share one passage, though there were many to choose from:

He sinks on the bench beside me, and we sit, shoulder to shoulder, like two battered bookends holding up all the sadness in the world.  This time I put my arm around him, and Cinder wedges under the bench beneath us, his black fur collecting our tears like gemstones.

This is a book about grief and the horrible time when grieving seems like the wrong thing to be doing, but forward motion is impossible too.  It is the story of a loving, devoted family torn apart by an accident.  It is Lace’s story and the lake’s story.  It is about the power of nature, the horror of brain injury, and the healing powers of time and love (as well as a great dog). 

This very short book by today’s standards is a small jewel.  It is dazzling as it shows emotions so thoroughly that it is like readers are experiencing it themselves.  Her prose is deep and radiant, but never leaves a young reader puzzling.  Rather her images are taken straight from the world of the lake, of summer and of sadness.

Highly recommended, this book is a great choice for tweens who will understand everything that Lace is feeling.  Appropriate for ages 11-13.

Reviewed from ARC received from Farrar Straus Giroux.

Half Brother: Stole My Whole Heart

| Tasha

Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel

In 1973, thirteen-year-old Ben moves with his family to Victoria from Toronto.  He not only has to deal with leaving his friends behind and moving to a new city and climate, but he has a new little brother.  His new “brother” Zan is a chimpanzee, taken from its mother when it was only days old and brought to Ben’s house to be part of an experiment conducted by both of his parents in whether chimps can learn language and how being raised as a human child will affect him.  At first, Ben is caught up in his own teen concerns: a pretty girl and how to be an alpha male in his new school.  But slowly he warms to Zan and eventually grows to consider him a real sibling.  As Zan learns to sign and communicate, the divisions between his parents’ two approaches become magnified and their approaches to parenting Ben as well.  All too soon, Ben is forced to confront the truth about the experiment and its result.  The question will be answered, what kind of brother will Ben be to Zan?

Oppel really had his work cut out for him here.  Bring the 1970s to life with all of its unique perspectives and style plus write a convincing teen boy character and finally create an animal character that rings true.  And he manages it all with great style.  The time period is deftly created from small touches, never hitting readers over the head with it.  Ben is a boy who is easily related to by readers.  He struggles in school, would rather be with his friends or outdoors, and has a big crush on a girl.  At the same time, he makes classic mistakes with the girl, frustrates his parents, and gets in plenty of scrapes.  Nicely, Ben’s crush echoes what is happening with his father and the experiment.  He’s not a perfect hero, but because of that he reads as a real person with plenty of emotional depth.

Zan, the chimp, is a wonder of writing.  By turns he charms, aggravates, frightens, bites, mauls, tantrums, and adores.  He is never written as a human child, never given human emotions.  Oppel never loses sight of the fact that Zan is pure animal, that loss of perspective is left to Ben.

The book is deep and haunting.  At times even before things unraveled, I read it with a pit in my stomach, knowing that something was going to unravel the Eden that was being portrayed.  It is a book that explores experimentation on animals, what makes us human, what the animals in our lives mean to us, and what it is that connects us all to one another.  It is a book of self exploration, the clarity of comprehension despite the pain, and what one must lose to do right by those we love.  In short, it is a glory of a novel.

A great read that is impossible to set aside, this book will stay with you long after you finish it.  If you are like me, you will finish it with deep gasping breaths, tears and great satisfaction.  Appropriate for ages 13-15.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.

Anna Hibiscus – Brilliant New Series

| Tasha

Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke

Hooray for Anna Hibiscus! by Atinuke

Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa in a great big house filled with relatives, including her parents, her little twin brothers, her grandparents, her many aunts, her many uncles, and all of her cousins.  She is never lonely because there is always someone to play with, share stories with, and have fun with.  In the first book in the series, Anna Hibiscus discovers that it’s not so easy to have a family vacation with just your small family.  She meets her Aunt Comfort who lives on the other side of the ocean, though she frets that Aunt Comfort will have forgotten how to be African.  Anna Hibiscus also learns about hard work and dreams of seeing snow for the first time.  In the second book in the series, Anna Hibiscus sings before a crowd, refuses to get her hair braided,  loves the quiet of nights without electricity, and travels to the other side of the city. 

Obviously written by a storyteller, these books are unique and offer American children a fascinating glimpse of life in Africa that is guaranteed to break stereotypes.  The stories are all set definitively in Africa and all of the stories have a focus on things that make Africa special.  Another positive for the books is how the simple pleasures of life are the best, something that so many children in America need to learn. 

Anna Hibiscus is a great protagonist.  She is still learning herself about the differences between her own life and that of the poor children she sees around her.  She learns about this in very concrete and tangible ways that children in any country can relate to.  Nicely, Atinuke has created books for children that instead of shying away from difficult subjects like poverty embrace them and focus attention about them.

Atinuke’s use of rhythm and repetition in her stories adds to the feeling of them being written by a storyteller.  There is also a powerful tie to the oral traditions of Africa thanks to these storytelling phrases.  Beautifully written and wonderfully simple and straight forward, these books are something very special.

Highly recommended, these books belong in all public and school libraries.  They are a wonderful modern look at Africa and the people who love her.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copies received from Kane Miller.

Also reviewed by Fuse #8.

Soup Day

| Tasha

Soup Day by Melissa Iwai

Today is soup day, so a little girl and her mother head to the store through the snowy streets.  There they buy the ingredients for their soup, careful to choose the vegetables with the brightest colors.  They pick out green celery, yellow onions, orange carrots, white mushrooms and more.  Back at home, they wash the vegetables and cut them into little pieces.  The little girl gets to help with a plastic knife and the softer veggies.  After sautéing the vegetables, broth is added and the soup cooks.  The mother and child play together as the smell of soup fills the house.  Finally spices and pasta are added and then they sit down to dinner with Daddy. 

Iwai has captured cooking from a child’s point of view.  The selection of vegetables mentioning their colors is done with a gentle tone, and most children will not notice that colors are being reviewed in that part of the story.  The focus on what the little girl is able to do is charming and affirming for children.  Seeing her pride and involvement is a large part of the story. 

Iwai’s illustrations are done with acrylics and collage and Photoshop.  They mix the textures of textiles with the crispness of photos and the brushstrokes of painting.  The result is a rich blend that makes for engaging illustrations.  The book is printed on nice heavy pages, making it welcoming for toddler hands.

This book is as warm and welcoming as a big bowl of homemade soup.  Add it to your recipe for a great story time or a unit on soup or food.  It would be ideal paired with a version of Stone Soup.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Macmillan.

Touch Blue

| Tasha

Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord

Released August 1, 2010.

Tess firmly believes in luck and does all sorts of things to try and capture some of it.  But wishes and luck are difficult things to grab ahold of as Tess quickly discovers.  On her island home, the number of children have fallen below the threshold to have a school.  If nothing is done, Tess and her family will have to leave the island and Tess will be unable to become a fisherman the way she wants to.  So the islanders decide to take in foster children to both increase the number of children on the island and to help other people.  Tess has been envisioning an orphan like Anne of Green Gables, who loves to read, loves the island and loves their family.  But real life is more complicated.  Her family ends up fostering Aaron, a boy haunted by his past and the loss of his mother, a boy who is silent and distant, moody and who plays the trumpet with amazing skill.  Where is the luck in that?

Lord’s writing is effortless and enjoyable.  While this book feels like a light summer read, it offers many insights into family, loss, luck and bravery.  Lord has again tackled a difficult subject with such a brilliant approach that readers will be happily afloat in her hands before realizing that the book has a lot more depth than they may have expected.

Lord also excels at characters.  Here Tess is the main protagonist, a girl who holds onto her haven of a community and clings to all the luck she can.   She is a complex character written with restraint and understanding.  Her delightful mix of bravery, self-assurance, and doubt is masterfully presented.  Another great characterization is Aaron who reveals himself to the reader slowly, just as he does to Tess and her family.  He is a foil to many characterizations of foster children, yet at the same time he has a darkness and need to him that speaks volumes.

You are guaranteed to have luck if you pick up this title, even more if you share it with another.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.

Also reviewed by:

My Father Is Taller than a Tree

| Tasha

My Father Is Taller than a Tree by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin

Ideal for a Father’s Day read, this book features pairs of fathers and sons who spend time together.  They do so many different things from boating to painting to playing games.  The father son pairs are diverse not only by being from different cultural and racial backgrounds but also in their relationships.  There are father who wrestle, fathers who need help, father who are artists, fathers who read books.  This is a true celebration of the importance of fathers and the many ways that men can be fathers to their sons.

Bruchac’s poem flows over the bottom of the pages, knitting them together.  The poem is simple and enjoyable with rhyming couplets that offer the inspiration for the illustrations.  Halperin’s illustrations are exceptional.  Done in crayon and pencil, they have a delicacy of line combined with a pleasing density of color.  Each double spread offers one large image of the father and son and then four smaller images showing details of the time they are spending together.  Because of the detail of the pictures, this book is best shared one-on-one and really looked closely at and talked about.  The illustrations invite readers in, tell them a story beyond the poem, and allow us to really understand fathers and sons.

A beautiful book that should not be saved just for Father’s Day.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books.

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The Dancing Pancake

| Tasha

The Dancing Pancake by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff

Bindi is facing a lot of changes in her life.  First, her father has left their family to find a job in another city.  A few months later, she learns that her parents have separated.  Now her mother and her aunt are starting a restaurant called The Dancing Pancake.  They will be moving into the apartment above the restaurant and out of their house.  As all of these changes hit, Bindi finds herself feeling sad and angry about them.  People at the restaurant and her extended family help her deal with her feelings and show her the positive in her life. 

This verse novel features a full cast of interesting characters.  The poems are written from Bindi’s point of view.  She is a protagonist who is open and honest about her feelings, even when she is struggling with them.  She offers readers a clear view of what children deal with when parents separate and life changes.  At the same time, she is uniquely Bindi, a girl who loves to read, worries about what sort of friend she is, and tries to help others whenever she can. 

Spinelli’s verse is short and sweet.  It has a clarity and understated feel to it that makes it very easy to read.  Lew-Vriethoff’s illustrations have a breezy, effortless quality to them.  They are simple line drawings that capture the moments in the book.  The verse format and the illustrations throughout the book will make this a very inviting title for young readers.

Highly recommended, this book strikes just the right balance between a girl’s life falling apart and a family ready to catch and hold her.  Appropriate for ages 7-10.

Reviewed from copy received from Knopf.

Two Little Pirates

| Tasha

Two Little Pirates by Ruth Paul

I must preface this review by saying that this is a book from New Zealand, so it’s not available in the US.  I received it from the author and publisher, Scholastic New Zealand.  Ruth Paul’s books are available in Canada as well as Australia and New Zealand.

In rhyming couplets, this book follows two little pirates who attack the King and the Queen.  They are actually two little boys who pounce on their sleeping parents dressed as pirates.  After a brief battle, the parents prevail and the two pirates are hung over the edge of the ship to become shark bait.  When they beg to be released, the King and Queen agree on one condition: that they tidy up the mess they made.  When that is accomplished, they have a nice snack in bed and then everyone cuddles up and dozes as the bed sails off.

Paul keeps a wonderful balance between imaginary play and reality in this title.  At all times, the ship which is the bed is surrounded by water, until the children have finally given up their pirate roles and become children again.  Additionally, the parents respond with great delight to their young pirates and the attack.  The battle is merrily fought, the capture and punishment is doled out in character, and the snack and cuddles conclude.  What a great way to spend a lazy morning together!

Paul’s art is bright and friendly.  She revels in the play along with the family, enjoying the different angles that the bed can be viewed in throughout.  Done in watercolor and colored pencil, the art has a great clarity of line and depth of color.

This is one pirate bed that is definitely worth sailing on.  Children will revel in the story though parents should be braced for a morning invasion after reading it.  Parents should also be open to snacks in bed, crumbs and all.  But who could resist if it ends with cuddles and a snooze?  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Alfie Runs Away

| Tasha

Alfie Runs Away by Kenneth M. Cadow, illustrated by Lauren Castillo

Alfie’s mother has gone too far!  She wants to give away his favorite shoes and get him new ones.  So Alfie decides to run away.  As he packs his things, his mother makes helpful suggestions, like taking a water bottle, snacks and a flashlight.  She gets him a bag to help carry his items, suggests he take his teddy bear and some books too.  With all that to carry, Alfie can’t go far.  But he does make it all the way deep into the backyard, still wearing his too-small beloved shoes.  When he gets there, he has a drink, a snack, and takes his shoes off and puts his aching feet in the cool grass.  When he takes them off, he puts them on his bear where they fit perfectly.  Now the only thing missing was the hug he refused earlier.  Luckily, his mother is headed out to see him with her arms open wide.

The tone in this book is spot on.  Cadow both respects Alfie’s perspective on the situation and yet shows a loving, warm mother who allows Alfie to learn his own lessons.  There are lovely moments in the book where Alfie’s mother gently suggests he not wear those shoes and when she offers to put his rejected hug in his bag to carry along with him.  Cadow manages to show Alfie’s frustration and his mothers calmness side by side without either overshadowing the other.

Castillo’s illustrations feature the shoes in bright red as a focal point.  She too balances the relationship of mother and son visually.  Her illustrations have soft edges and feel cozy and warm.  They ensure that children will not be alarmed at this boy running away.  Alfie’s facial expressions really project his moods clearly, moving from his initial anger to contentment at the end.

I packed my bags and ran away as a little girl.  All the way down the driveway and over to a bush in the neighbors yard.  I had no idea my mother could still see me out the window.  I was sure I had gone far, far away.  This book captures the situation with simplicity and honesty.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Farrar Straus Giroux.