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I finished a second book on my "Must Read" list and, yes, it was wonderful.
I imagine most everyone shared, or written, glowing reviews of Lauren Wolk's book as I will, too, after reading this book full to the brim of a family who has lost everything, so much that they ended up on part of Echo Mountain, living in a tent through months of hard weather while they built a cabin for shelter. As they worked, then moved into the new home, the mother and older daughter show they surely mourned what was lost, but as readers discover, this is the younger daughter Ellie's story, a twelve-year-old who loved learning from her father, things like starting a fire with flint and steel, how to catch fish. She was flourishing in nature. One quote I noted gave me a smile at her happiness: "Took Maisie her breakfast and sang her a song I made up on the spot, full of barn cats and field mice and goldenrod bowed down with yellow."
Sadly, Ellie, that sunny girl didn't stay because of a terrible accident when her father felled a tree and ended in a coma. Yet, she finds the strength to keep on, finding new purpose in the woman called "a hag" who lives at the top of the mountain and a boy, Larkin, who has been leaving secret carved gifts in various places she visits. Ellie is determined to be who she wants to be and keeps in hurt from her family as she uncovers more mysteries, stories I certainly didn't see coming. The many-layered characters reminded me that until we really know a person, we don't know the challenges they have or are facing. Ellie and all the others in her life are people worth knowing, people one would love to have in their lives.
I've had several "night" explorations in the past, like studying the moon and going on a "moonwalk", but sadly have never had a "Moth Ball" as described by Loree Griffin Burns. With photos by Ellen Harasimowicz of kids studying moths, preparing for a Moth Ball, Burns has created an experience like few others in a book! She includes the facts about moths, best ways to encourage many to come to the "ball", tools to use and recipes for luring. Added are an author's note, a photographer's note, a glossary and extra resources. It is an extraordinary resource for studying moths, even if you cannot get outdoors to see them in the wild.
The following two books published just this month! Thanks to Candlewick Press for the copies!
One never needs words when beautiful comic-style cells written, then illustrated by JonArno Lawson and Qin Leng can create a story as lovely, distressing, and sad in part, too. A little girl and her grandparent certainly need some help with their General Store. They have one apartment for the help and they make themselves put it up for rent, and then, finally, a young couple demonstrates what work, creativity, and friendliness can fix. The whole world turns and smiles! It is a fabulous new wordless picture book.
Dimitri is a happy young boy just starting pre-school. He loves ants and a tree with heart-shaped leaves, also the class guinea pig and the paintbrushes in art, and he tells them that. On his first day, he tells everyone at school that he loves them, but they seem not to know how to act and mostly run away. On the second day, he tells his mother he doesn't want to go back because no one told him they loved him. Mom explains about the many ways people show their love, a good lesson for us all! Shearring's illustrations are sweetly child-like, showing the exuberant emotions of children in a colorful palette. This will be a special book to discuss all kinds of ways people show their love, including not shying away from those three words, "I love you." Both the author and illustrator live in England. This is the first U.S. edition.
And one more picture book you might want to check out: