Keeping Some Old Ones In Mind

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a kidlit meme hosted by Jen and Kellee at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS.  Lots of terrific books are reviewed by the readers here.  The TBR lists grow long here.  Plus, there is another meme hosted by Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS that offers even more reviews of all kinds of books, adult and children.  Enjoy!

Post on twitter with the hashtag #IMWAYR.

The second symbol shows that I'm participating in a reading challenge at Gathering Books.  The Award-Winning book is More Than Anything Else.  

Great Picture Books - Old & New

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a kidlit meme hosted by Jen and Kellee at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS.  They tell about books and book and more books.  My list grows longer every week from them and those that link up.  There is another meme hosted by Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS that offers even more reviews of all kinds of books, adult and children.  Enjoy the visit!

Use the hashtag #IMWAYR to share on twitter!

            I have also taken the Gathering Books Award challenge this year, and have read my first book that has won several awards, Michael Rosen’s Sad Book, by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Quentin Blake.  Michael doesn’t hold back, but shared how the sadness affects him because his son dies.  He uses the story to tell about his personal sadness and how that looks.  For example, sometimes he wants to talk with someone about his sadness and sometimes he wants to be alone.  This is a book that shows the rightness of being sad, and also, that sometimes things are better.  It’s a perfect book to share with students or adults who are grieving.    It touched me with every page, along with the stark black & white drawings that show darkness when needed, but colors too in a light style of pen and ink outlining plus watercolor.

Awards:  Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor

                   ALA Best book for Young Adults

                    U.S. Board on Books for Young People Outstanding International Book

                    A School Library Journal Best Book of The Year

                     A Parent’s Choice Award Winner

Terrible Things, An Allegory of the Holocaust – Eve Bunting, illustrated by Gammell

Just Two, But So Worth Reading!

Visit Myra, Fats, & Iphigene for marvelous talk about books at Gathering Books, including this  Reading Challenge. 

And-

Jen and Kellee host this kidlit meme at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS.  It's terrific to find new books to enjoy & share!  It's Monday! What are you Reading? is another meme hosted by Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS that offers reviews of all kinds of books.  

 If you’re on Twitter, use the hashtag #IMWAYR when sharing your link!

The two great books: 

Busy, Busy Week-Not As Much Reading!

Jen and Kellee host this kidlit meme at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS.  Join us to see what we're all reading.

          It's Monday! What are you Reading? is another meme hosted by Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS that offers reviews of all kinds of books.  

        If you’re on Twitter, use the hashtag #IMWAYR when sharing your link!

        And, Myra, Fats & Imogene host the blog, Gathering Books and challenge us with their reading Challenge, which you can find here.  This week, I read three books that were honored with awards.

Blackout – John Rocco   

Created with the look of a graphic novel, this tells the story of an urban family who finds stars on the roof  (in the night sky) and a party of many neighbors on the street.  Rocco shows the characters with a clever use of light and dark in his cartoon-like illustrations. Even with all the electricity expected, then lost, the family learns the fun of other kinds of entertainment, doing things together! 

Caldecott Honor book in 2012

Monsters of Men – Patrick Ness

I finally finished this very long story, and it continued to be a marvelous, edge-of-the-seat, heart-rending story. The characters are flawed, as everyone is, which made one think again and again, how does one make 'right' decisions and keep from negatively impacting others while defending oneself and others close?   I got so involved with the characters, wishing for good ends so much that I sat in my driveway more than once, listening to just one more part.   It is quite a story, and I wonder how I would have felt if I had read a print book instead of listening?  The actors creating the book were wonderful, and of course after listening to them for over 30 hours, I thoroughly got to know them. 

       winner of the Carnegie Medal last year

Another week of a terrific audio book!

Jen and Kellee host this kidlit meme at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS.  Join them and the other bloggers who are sharing the terrific things they are reading.

          It's Monday! What are you Reading? is another meme hosted by Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS that offers reviews of all kinds of books.  

        If you’re on Twitter, use the hashtag #IMWAYR when sharing your link!

And,  Myra, Fats & Iphigene host this meme at Gathering Books, where readers read award-winning books and review them.  This time I'm going to talk about The Ask and The Answer, by Patrick Ness.  

The Ask and The Answer – by Patrick Ness, audio performed by Angela Dawe and Nick Podehl

       Once again, I found the audio book of the Chaos Walking Trilogy, this time book two.  Some have said they didn’t like this as much, and there was some repetition of the same things going on, like Mayor (President) Prentiss’ ability actually to attack just through his “noise”, rather like someone who can move an object with their mind.  The later scenes become too much, especially since they were so intense and in the audio, I found that I just wanted them to end.  But that said, the book introduced more interesting characters, wrapped up some questions from book one, and ended with such a cliffhanger that I wanted to find the last one fast.  I am amazed at the depth that Ness is going to tell this story.  However, I’m going to take a break, and listen to some calmer books first, then finish in a few weeks.  Don’t forget to find this trilogy!  In 2009, it won the Costa book award, which is a series of literary awards given to books by authors based in Great Britain and Ireland.  If you are interested, the link goes to past awards where you can discover titles of other books in the past who have won this award, like Skellig, by David Almond, one of my favorite books.

A Picture Book from the Past-A Treasure Found!

       Myra, Fats & Iphigene host this meme at Gathering Books, and today I'm reviewing Home to Medicine Mountain written by Chiori Santiago and illustrated by Judith Lowry, a recent discovery from my own school library!

       I love when I find a picture book that connects with a book I use for book groups.  Sometimes it’s easy, and sometimes it isn’t.  Recently, in my browsing of our school library, I found Home To Medicine Mountain, written by Chiori Santiago and illustrated by Judith Lowry.  Next time I have a group that reads When The Legends Die  by Hal Borland, we will begin with this shorter story about Native American children who were forced to attend government-run Indian residential schools. These schools were created to make the children un-learn their Indian ways. 

This book won the American Book Award in 1999 and is an American Library Association notable book.

A Caldecott for School's Beginning

Myra, Fats & Iphigene host this meme at Gathering Books, and today I'm reviewing a Caldecott winner, Mirette On The High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully for that challenge.

It’s always good to find a book that offers a flavor of another time and place.  Mirette On The High Wire does that well.  The illustrations capture the flavor of France’s impressionists in lovely watercolor.

       The time is 100 years ago in Paris, where a little girl named Mirette is the daughter of the boardinghouse owner.  As she goes about her chores, she notices a man named Bellini who keeps to himself, is not interested in interacting with anyone, especially young girls.  Mirette discovers that he is walking on a wire in the inner courtyard ‘walking on air’.  She is enraptured with the idea; the story says that ‘her feet tingled’.  She tries to convince Bellini to teach her.  He refuses, saying that ‘Once you start, your feet are never happy again on the ground’.

       Mirette doesn’t give up her quest to learn, and practices in secrecy.  Soon she is discovered, and then Bellini does teach her.  There is a frightening climax where Mirette helps Bellini as he has helped her.  The story is about courage and persistence as well as kindness and caring for others when they are in need.  It will open good conversations with students about following one’s dream when the opportunity arises. Here at the beginning of the school year, it’s also time to talk about being mindful of others’ feelings and taking time to help when one can.  Mirette’s character shows her willingness to do that beautifully.

      The book cover shares that McGully has the idea for the story when she  was researching a real life daredevil named Blondin, who lived about a hundred years ago, and really did cross Niagara Falls on a wire.  You can find out a little more about him and see a photo of him crossing the falls here.

       

Still Reading While Visiting Family

Jen and Kellee host this kidlit meme at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS.  Please take a look at all the great books people have read & are writing about.

        It's Monday! What are you Reading? is another meme hosted by Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS that offers a variety of reviews of all kinds of books.

Myra, Fats & Iphigene host this meme at Gathering Books, and today I'm reviewing Leaving Gee’s Bend by Irene Latham for that challenge.

       This week, it was a bit slow reading because I had company all week, I but did manage to read a few books to share and to recommend.

             Leaving Gee’s Bend, by Irene Latham, who blogs at LIVE YOUR POEM... is a story of a young girl whose strong voice is the touchstone of this book.  Irene has brought to life a character so real that it’s hard to believe she’s a fictional young woman that does such courageous things for her family.  Ludelphia Bennett is only ten years old, but she takes such steps into adulthood as helping her mother deliver her new little sister, then going away from Gee’s Bend to try to find a doctor for her sick mother.  She rides a raft, which runs away down a river, jumps into the river when she loses the pole, and teaches herself to swim because she has to.  In fact, Ludelphia shows well that she can do anything needed, because she has to.  She might be afraid, but she takes action with little deliberation, when she must. 

       The story offers parts of the lives of the sharecroppers in Gee’s Bend, like their spare homes, their dependence on a few chickens and mules, and what feed for the animals and canned goods they can manage to have from their gardens.  Despite the poor lives with leaky roofs, love abounds in the household from Ludelphia’s parents and her brother, Ruben.  A neighbor and former caretaker of the young girl while her parents worked the fields also plays an important role in their lives, a sixteen year old named Etta Mae, who has knowledge of helping with babies being born, but who is also accused of possible witchcraft.  With the simplicity of a strong first person telling of the story, Irene manages to include the layers of complexity when one struggles to survive.  The small pieces of a quilt that Ludelphia keeps always in her pocket gives strength and the ultimate need for survival because of the loving goal of finishing the quilt for her mother.  It is the weft that keeps the weaving of the story together, along with love and courage.  Ludelphia grows up in this adventure of leaving her home, and finds that all those homilies about home hold so true.  She says it best here:  I reckon when you grow up in one place you just naturally think every other place is the same as your home.  I reckon it takes leaving to appreciate all the things about that place that make it special. (page 166)

Good Reading Everywhere!

Visit  Teach.Mentor.Text, with Jen and Kellee who are hosts of this kid lit meme, from primary to YA.  Check the links to see others' ideas of a good read!

        It's Monday! What are you Reading? is another meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys, a variety of reviews to find even more books for your TBR list. 

        Myra, Fats & Iphigene host this meme at Gathering Books, and today I'm reviewing The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater for that challenge.

       It’s hard to believe I’ve put this book off for so long. I loved every single line of it, and only wish there was more. I savored those last pages, but worried yesterday and today about the ending. I cannot give away the ending for you readers, only that part of it was how I saw the book moving so inevitably. You will have to do your own predictions, and hope that the end is satisfying to you. 

I loved the alternating and strong first person narratives, the weaving of the two stories together as they created the final binding off of the piece. This is no stereotypical girl in Kate(Puck) Connolly, but one who insists upon the future she envisions, then sets out to get it. Sean Kendrick almost holds the antagonist position until his enemy, the employer’s son, takes over, leaving the author to push Sean into a more tragic role as a parallel to Kate. One could almost see them side by side in a modern drama, working together like Clark Kent and Lois Lane to battle evil. And evil there is, but also dramatic interest in the parts about the water horses, legends from the British Isles, what Maggie Stiefvater calls the capall uisce. Here is an excerpt showing some of the terror of these horses: ‘The capall uisce looks at her and opens its jaw, and then it makes a sound that turns my blood into ice. It’s a hissed exclamation with low clucks behind it, clicking from somewhere deep in its throat: kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw.”
I also loved the way Steifvater made the third character the sea, surrounding the island. “As the sun shines low and red across the water, I wade into the ocean. The water is still high and brown and murky with the memory of the storm, so if there’s something below it, I won’t know it. But that’s part of this, the not knowing. The surrender to the possibilities beneath the surface.” One learns that life on an island means life with the sea. 
If you like horses, that is another part that’s fascinating. If you like anticipation, Steifvater has written a book that’s doesn’t stop one wondering what could possibly be next. I am now wanting to find the Shiver trilogy to read more of this author’s wonderful writing.  The Scorpio Races is a Michael L. Printz Award honor book as well as the Odyssey Audiobook (for excellence in audio book production) honor book.  

The Lonely Book by Kate Bernheimer, illustrated by Chris Sheban.  This newly published book grabbed me immediately because of the wonderful cover and the intriguing title. I love books about books and this is one to add to your collection. It’s about a sweet book that happens to be a little shabby and missing its last page, but a little girl falls in love with the story and makes up her own ending. It’s not quite as simple as that, for the plot takes a few paths before the book finds its own happy ending. This can invite such good conversation and/or writing about favorite books along with what being lonely means. It also could be used for an examination of how plot works with its twists and turns within the beginning, middle and end. Both author and illustrator have won awards for their work.

Each Week-A Great New Book! Or More Than One

COME VISIT TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS, WITH JEN AND KELLEE WHO ARE HOSTS OF THIS KIDLIT MEME, FROM PRIMARY TO YA.  CHECK OUT THE LINKS TO SEE WHAT SO MANY ARE READING!

        It's Monday! What are you Reading? is another meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys, a variety of reviews to find even more books for your TBR list. 

"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” 

 ^{- Emilie Buchwald}

         And, this week I am also linking with the blog Gathering Books, where you can discover even more ideas for finding terrific books.  They host a yearly Award-Winning Book challenge where participants read and review many books, sometimes theme-based.  Be sure to check it out.  Two of the books I read this past week belong on my award list of books, although others were nominated for an award.

The Big Field by Mike Lupika

I am really getting into this listening to audio books!  I just listened to my first Mike Lupika book (embarrassed to admit), The Big Field, and loved every single word that the voice of Christopher Evan Weber spoke.  I guess you could call me a sports fan, especially baseball.  Every spring I listen to the sports talk about the predictions for the Colorado Rockies, and although this has been a miserable year, I am still watching games, or listening to them on the radio, when I'm not listening to a book!  I knew that Lupika's books are out there, I even know the titles, but I just never took the time to read one.  Now I will look for more. 


   

A Book Discovery from the Past

I am participating in the Award Challenge hosted by the blog, Gathering Books.  Be sure to connect with this blog as often as possible.  It is filled with posts about books and authors you will want to know. 

I just finished listening to this amazing book that I somehow missed a few years ago.  It is Waiting For Normal by Leslie Connor.  Here is a young eleven, then twelve year old whose stepfather and mother recently divorced.  Because the mother left her at age nine to care for the two younger sisters, the stepfather has gained custody of them, while leaving Addie behind to cope with her mother.  Sound complicated?  It is.  And sometimes these are the circumstances that children must face, or worse.  They, like the main character Addie, are looking for normal!

At the beginning of the book, Addie and her mother, whom she calls Mommers, move into an old trailer in a remote spot near a mini-mart type of store.  This appears to be all the ex-stepfather can afford as he still is paying some money to the ex-wife.  The mother is furious, but Addie is shown to be a person who looks at the bright side.  She loves the private ‘bedroom’ she has above the living area, with curtains! There were times I wondered how she manages in the face of her difficult circumstances.  Throughout the story, Addie’s mother leaves her alone for days at a time.   Luckily Addie befriends the curious group across the road that runs the mini-mart and gains support from them while continuing her own resilient ways. 

It’s a long book that includes numerous twists and turns (a term Addie uses for her own family’s life) that make one ache with despair for this early adolescent.  

Her life includes:

-A change to a new school

-Cooking toast dinners, with enthusiasm

-A grumpy grandfather who has washed his hands of his daughter, Addie’s mother, and unable to be much help

-A wonderful character who owns the mini-mart named Sula, who takes the role of offering the kindness that Addie needs so desperately

-A loving ex-stepfather whose hands are tied by the courts, trying to help Addie as much as he is able

-Two sweet little sisters who add some happiness to Addie’s life

-A weaving in and out of Addie’s challenges in school and the additional gift she has of listening to music and being able to re-create it in her flute playing, all because of dyslexia.

-A couple of school friends who are supportive as much as they can be

-A hamster named Piccolo that adds the warmth of companionship Addie needs

When I listened to the book, it was frustrating to hear Addie grow herself, hearing her thoughts of despair and hope, aching myself for this young child to have something go right for once in her young life.  I began to think of all the other characters I’ve met just this year who’ve endured their challenges, needing help from adults and peers in their lives, and sometimes not getting that help for a long while. Sometimes these children hide their needs very well, to protect loved ones and the often-tenuous hold they have on their lives.  It is a challenge for teachers and others who work with children to watch carefully for signs of need, and take action as vigorously as possible.   In the recent books, I think of Augie in Wonder, Marlee in The Lions of Little Rock, Fern in See You At Harry’s, Hazel and Augustus in The Fault In Our Stars, and Conor in A Monster Calls.   And now I will be reminded of Addie in Waiting for Normal.  Thanks to marvelous writers, these poignant characters serve to remind us of the real characters in our lives, perhaps classrooms, which need our advocacy. 

More than once, I sat parked, listening to yet another chapter before leaving my car.  A woman named Angela Rogers narrated the book with such talent, I continued to ‘hear’ the voices each time I arrived at my destination and had to turn the cd off.  If you can listen to the audio version of the book, do so.

In 2009, the book was named one of School Library Journal's Best Books, an ALA Notable Children's Book, and ALA Top Ten Books for Young Adults, is on Texas Lone Star Reading List, and won the 2009 Connecticut Book Award.

I missed this Caldecott-did you?

       The wonderful blog Gathering Books is holding an Award Winning Book challenge this year.  They, and others of us who have taken this challenge have reviewed many books from all over the world that have been acclaimed in some way by an award.  The best thing is I have discovered numerous kinds of awards that I've never heard of, thus also new books to put on a TBR list.  My list grows longer, and it's exciting to see what writers are doing beyond my own community here in the US.

Shadows On Monday-What Are You Reading-Awards Too!

                                                    Visit Jen and Kellee at Teach Mentor Texts for this meme where you can find oh so many ideas for children's book (YA too!), and Sheila at Book Journeys for even more.    Then go over to Myra, Fats and Iphigene at Gathering Books for the Award Winning Books challenge.  Lots to find out about reading today!

Sun brightens the memories

shadows in the past.

Glimmers shift into the mind;

often they don’t last.

Now I’m feeling your soft skin,

Horsey, horsey – let us play,

carrying you on my back, and then

Giddiup, whoa!  Another day

shows that glimpse of when you

were a child so long ago.

The shadows fade the memory  

and the sun is dipping low.

I weave the threads to follow

in my writing day by day:

shadows coming into life

with sunshine they will stay.

A Good Week of Reading!

Thanks to Jen and Kellee, you can hook up with this kitlit meme: It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA at teach mentor texts!  Please visit to discover terrific books others are reading!

  It's Monday! What are you Reading? is another meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys, a variety of reviews to find even more books for your TBR list. 

Also - This Thursday, March 1st begins the monthly Slice of Life challenge at the Two Writing Teachers, Stacey and Ruth's, blog.  Check out this post to find out all about it!  It's a wonderfully supportive group of writers, a personally rewarding month, and there are prizes too.

I read quite a bit last week, but have just a few to review.  Part of my reading included many short stories, from the various anthologies I spoke about in last Monday’s post, so I could choose a few for my short story group.

One pleasure was finally reading Bigger Than A Breadbox by Laurel Snyder.  There are several lovely reviews about this book that give their ideas about it, at the blog Literate Lives and at the Children’s Book-A-Day Almanac blog.  I enjoyed the voice of this young twelve year old girl trapped in her parents’ turmoil and separated from her home and her best friend by being taken to her grandmother’s house (who thank goodness was a good grandmother) and told she had to deal with it as best she could.  It seemed so real to hear her thinking through every part of the book.  Snyder painted a realistic early adolescent who at times made such impulsive moves that I found myself wanting to shout, “no, no, not that way” or “don’t do that” and “watch out”.   How does the saying go:  “we live and learn”.  And through the adventures of the book, Rebecca did learn.