The Diviners by Libba Bray

Evie O'Neill has gotten herself in trouble again for using her power to "read" a person's deepest, darkest secrets simply by holding an object of their.  Now, Evie is being shipped off to her uncle's until the resulting hoopla dies down.  Only problem is that Uncle Will lives in New York City, is the curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult, affectionately known as The Museum of Creepy Crawlies by New Yorkers, and it is the roaring 1920s.  Punishment?  Not for Evie O'Neill.

And no sooner does Evie arrive in New York, and she and her power to read objects are unofficially caught up in the investigation of some very strange, occultish murders after the police appeal to Uncle Will for help.

The Diviners is a big book - almost 600 pages.  And it is the first book in a series, which means it suffers from what I think of as intro-itis.  It must introduce the reader to a large cast of characters, those who will be recurring and those who are probably only in this one novel, like the villain Naughty John (though, of course, you never know...).  Naturally, most of the recurring characters, and they are a disparate group, all share the same secret as Evie - they too are diviners, though each person's power has a different manifestation.  There are some characters, like Mabel, Evie's best friend, and Uncle Will who may also have powers, but by the end of this book, we still haven't heard about them yet.

But Evie is the center of attention, an energetic teen who like to dress up and party at New York's best speakeasies (punishment?), and who really likes her hooch.  She is a girl of her time, a flapper right down to her headache band, not a bad girl, just a fun-loving one.

As Evie and Uncle Will get caught up in solving the mystery of who is killing people all over the city, a picture of a very creepy murderer begins to emerge.  Creepy not just because he kills, but also how and why he does it.  This is all made even more disturbing by the supernatural element surrounding him and by the song he chants when he is about to strike:

Naughty John, Naughty John

does his work with his apron on.

Cuts your throat and takes your bones, 

sells 'em off for a coupla stones.

On the negative side: my one big question is what parent sends their savvy, fun-loving teenage daughter to New York City to keep her out of trouble?  I know she had to get there, but really...?  OK, that aside, The Diviners is a great book with flaws.  For one thing, the copy I read, and in all fairness, it was an ARC, had so many typos that it was distracting.  For another thing, the whole book needed some serious editing desperately.

On the positive side: The Diviners is definitely the bee's knees.  I could hardly put it down and when I did, I couldn't wait to get back to it.  Bray has created a wonderfully suspenseful historical novel that really has the feel of the 1920s in New York City.  I loved the idea of a museum like the one Uncle Will had.  I only wish there really was such a place.  I have a Funky Museums board on Pinterest and would love to have been able to include The Museum of Creepy Crawlies.  I would have also liked it to have a more major role in the plot, but maybe Bray is saving that for a future book.

The Diviners is a definite read if you like good paranormal fiction, with an abolively, positutely wonderful cast of characters.  I can't wait for the next Evie O'Neill book.

This book is recommended for readers 12+

This book was an ARC received from the publisher 

Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet

Today is inflation day in New York City and it has nothing to do with the economy, but everything to do with blowing up the giant balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. 

Every Thanksgiving, we see these giant balloons make their way down Broadway.  Old ones get retired, new ones are added to the group, but lots of balloons are always there.  Yet, have you ever wondered how it all started?  If you have, then Balloons Over Broadway is the book for you.

In it, artist/author Melissa Sweet tells the story of Tony Sarg, the genius who first figured out how to make these balloons work.  As a boy,Tony had always been interested in figuring out how to make things move.  By the time he was a young man, he had developed a technique for making marionettes move more fluidly.  His reputation grew and when he moved to New York, he was asked by Macy’s to create a movable window display.  Using storybook characters, Tony created a parade across the display windows that dazzled the crowds and made them hungry for more.

It didn’t take long to go from window display to parade and although Tony Sarg’s first parade creations didn’t fly, it wasn’t long too many years before they were floating high in the air down Broadway.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Melissa Sweet tells Tony’s story in simple, straightforward language, ideal for young readers.  She has illustrated the story with a mixed media of watercolors and her own collages which are “a mix of paper from old books to make papier-mâché puppets, found objects and fabrics all painted or altered to illustrate what it may have felt like to be in Sarg’s world.”  Also used were pages of his own illustrations for The Tony Sarg Marionette Book.  Also in evidence is the legacy he left which is “that ‘play’ may be the most important element in making art” which may be why this feels like such a fun book for kids.

This is one of my favorite illustrations in Balloons Over Broadway and, yes, the is Felix the Cat there.  And below is a photo of the 1927 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade with the real Felix the Cat balloon.

Balloons Over Broadway is the perfect Thanksgiving Day book and should be a favorite for years to come.

This book is recommended for readers of all ages

This book was purchased for my personal library 

NOVEMBER IS PICTURE BOOK MONTH

Maggie's Chopsticks by Alan Woo

Poor Maggie, she has just gotten her first set of chopsticks and now, all she needs to do is learn how to use them.  But no matter how hard she tries, she just isn't getting the hang of it.

And so Maggie goes from person to person in her family, hoping their way of using chopsticks will work for her.  Each one has their own unique way of eating with their chopsticks.  Grandma uses her chopsticks to shovel her food from bowl to mouth; mother can make her shrimp fly from chopsticks to mouth; brother can pluck his food using a strong, sure grip on his chopsticks, while sister daintily crosses her chopsticks back and forth.  But none of these methods works for Maggie.

So Maggie turns to the Kitchen God, but even the Kitchen God can't help her learn to each with chopsticks.  Next, she approaches the ancient ancestors at their altar, but still no help or advice is found.  Finally, father tells Maggie what she really needs to hear: "Everyone is different.  Everyone is unique."  In the end, Maggie tentatively figures out that the method that works best for her is her own special way of using chopsticks.

I liked this book a lot; I liked the illustrations and I liked what it had to say.  I thought there were two different but connected and important ideas in Maggie's Chopsticks.  First, it reminded me of these words from Shakespeare's Hamlet: "To thine own self be true."  I think one of the hardest things to teach a child to to be her/his self and not imitate their friends.  So I found the message in this book to be along the same lines - everyone is different and how you do things should be a reflection of who you are, not an imitation of who someone else is.  This point can be seen in the different eating styles of each member of Maggie's family and the way each style reflected their personality and who they were.

The second idea is that all children must learn new things - some things are easier than others, but often frustrating just the same.  Maggie's chopsticks are a nice metaphor for this sometimes overwhelming time in a child's life, but the message is certainly clear enough for them to understand - you can do it, but you will have to work at it.

In the end, these two ideas converge in the way Maggie handles her chopsticks "like a butterfly emerging" a nice metaphor for her growth from little to big girl: "I am unsure/But ready to fly."

I love the somewhat whimsical watercolor illustrations of Isabelle Malenfant and how she has captured each family member's personality, but especially Maggie's feelings of frustration.  They are really a compliment to Woo's lyrical text.  Maggie's Chopsticks is an excellent choice for younger kids who may also be experiencing the frustrations of learning new things.

This book is recommended for readers age 3+
This book was borrowed from the New York Public Library

NOVEMBER IS PICTURE BOOK MONTH

Trafficked by Kim Purcell

From the publisher:
Hannah believes she's being brought from Molodova to Los Angeles to become a nanny for a Russian family.  But her American dream quickly spirals into a nightmare.  The Platonovs force Hannah to work sixteen-hour days, won't let her leave the house, and seem to have a lot of secrets - from Hannah and from each other.  Stranded in a foreign land with false documents, no money, and nobody who can help her, Hannah must find a way to save herself from her new status as a modern-day slave or risk losing the one thing she has left: her life. 

My Thoughts:

Hannah, 17, thought that coming to the United States would help her make enough money to pay for her grandmother's badly needed eye operation and she could learn enough English to realize her dream of going to medical school.  But right from the start, things aren't exactly on the up and up.

Trafficking of young girls is a real problem these days all over the world.  Victims of trafficking are kept in conditions where they can't do anything because they have no money, no documents, no friends, no family, and too often, no hope.   Hannah only wanted to make her life better after being orphaned by a terrorist bomb explosion that killed her parents, leaving her penniless.  Now in Los Angeles, Hannah is at the mercy of the Sergey and Lillian Platonov and expected to care for their two children, Maggie and Michael, as well as keeping the house immaculate.  Hannah was to take her meals in the kitchen and sleep in a small room in the basement.

It doesn't take Hannah long to realize that she is virtually imprisoned in the house, forbidden to go any further than the backyard.  She is allowed to use the phone and has had no contract with her grandmother or best friend in Molodova.   As Hannah discovers more and more about the family she is living with, and their shady friends and dealings, she also soon learns that Sergey knew her father and has held her captive with some information he had about him.

The only bright spot in Hannah's life is looking out the window and watching the teenage boy who  lives in the house across the way from the Platonovs.  Eventually she gets to know him and his friendship offers her some respite from her loneliness.  But she is too ashamed to tell him what is happening to her.

This is Kim Purcell's debut novel and it is clear she has done some in-depth research into the trafficking of young people.  This gritty story is realistically portrayed and the character are all well drawn, so much so that chills ran down my spine in several places in the novel.  The conditions that Hannah lived under are getting more and more familiar to us as we read about people who have managed to escape their captors.  People like Sergey and Lillian Platonov succeed at holding kids captive by isolating them from the rest of the world, making sure they have no money or contact with anyone who can help and instilling a sense of shame in them about their circumstances.  And that is exactly how it happens in Trafficked.

This is a book everyone should read, especially teens and young adults who want to get out and explore the world while also being employed and who might easily be taken in by traffickers.  An awareness of what It be careful of is always wise.

Kim Purcell has posted information about trafficking and where you can get help on her website here.


This book is recommended for readers age 14+
This book was borrowed from the Mid-Manhattan branch of the NYPL

It's Monday! What are you reading? #1

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys.  The kidlit version is  hosted by Jen and Kellee at Teach Mentor Texts

Last week, I read and reviewed these two wonderful books.

Kizzy Ann Stamps by Jeri Watts

Too Tall Houses written and illustrated by Gianna Marino











I read these two book, but I haven't reviewed them yet:

Maggie's Chopsticks written by Alan Woo and illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant about a young Chinese girl learning to eat with chopsticks.

Unspoken, a Story from the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole, a story told entirely in beautifully expressive illustrations about a young farm girl who saves a runaway slave.

And lastly, I am planning to read these books this week (and hopefully review them)

Two Picture Books:

Cold Snap by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by  Marjorie Priceman

The World's Greatest Lion by Ralph Helfer, illustrated by Ted Lewin

Paula Danziger's Amber Brown is Tickled Pink by Bruce Coville and Elizabeth Levy
The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats
Every Day by David Levithan
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Too Tall Houses by Gianna Marino

Too Tall Houses is the story of how the good friendship between Rabbit and Owl is almost completely ruined when it turns into a ridiculous competition.  Rabbit and Owl have always lived in harmony: Rabbit liked to garden, Owl liked to look at his lovely view.  But when Rabbit's garden grows and grows so that it blocks Owl's view of the forest, instead of talking to Rabbit about it, Owl simply builds a higher  house.

And when Owl's new higher house blocks the sun that Rabbit's garden needs to grow, instead of talking to Owl and trying to work a compromise out, Rabbits builds his house higher.  And so the two former friends continue to out build each others houses, until, having built the tallest houses in the world, both Rabbit and Owl realize they no longer have the things they want and love: Rabbit can no longer carry water to his garden and Owl can no longer see the forest.

In fact, they are now so high up, all they have is wind blowing their house around until one day a strong enough gust comes along and not only knocks the houses down, but knocks some sense back into Rabbit and Owl.  Reconciled, the two friends decide to build one house together because they realized that "Alone they had nothing...but together they had everything they needed."

I have to be honest and say that animals acting like people aren't ususally my favorite kinds of stories, but when it comes to fables, they seem to be just the ticket for getting a message across in a very gentle, indirect, not preachy way.  And Too Tall Houses has an important message about friendship, competition and cooperation.  As their houses grow higher and higher, Rabbit and Owl grow further and further apart, physcially and emotionally.

I think Too Tall Houses is such a well done picture book.  It was written and illustrated by Gianna Marino, whose Meet Me at the Moon has always been a favorite of mine.  For illustrating Too Tall Houses, Marino has used a full bleed pencil and gouache method.  The colors are rich earthy tones and each illustration has a nice textured feel to it, giving the reader a real sense of nature.  As you read, be sure to look at the expressive eye of Rabbit and Owl on each page and how they change over the course of the story.  I also like the whimsical detailing in each illustration.  I always think illustrations are such a good way to get kids studying and talking about the story being read, making it interactive.

This book is recommended for readers age 3-6
This book was obtained from the publisher

NOVEMBER IS PICTURE BOOK MONTH

Kizzy Ann Stamps by Jeri Watts

It is 1963 and integration has at last come to rural Virginia.  For 12 year old Kizzy Ann Stamps, that means a new school.  Her teacher, Mrs. Warren, has given up her job teaching at the one room school for black students so that her kids can go to the larger, better equipped, formally all white school.  It will be, Mrs. Warren tells them, a real opportunity.

As summer vacation begins, Kizzy takes Mrs. Warren's advice and writes to her new teacher, Miss Anderson.  And to her surprise, Miss Anderson responds to her letter.  And so it begins.

Kizzy is a girl who loves words and over the summer, she tells Miss Anderson everything - the history of her old school, about strict, switch-using but caring Mrs. Warren; about her family; about what life is like in the south for all African Americans; and about Shag, her border collie and her best friend and constant companion.

Kizzy is honest, too and tells Miss Anderson that she doesn't actually want to go to the white school, worrying that she and the other black kids really won't be welcomed there by the white students.  Added to this is her distress over the very noticeable scar running down one side of her face from a farming accident.  Frank Charles, now in her class, was the cause of Kizzy's scarring accident with his scythe and is the son of a bigoted neighbor farmer who hates having his farm bordered by "darkies" and who is angry that his son does not feel the same way. And to top it all off, now Frank Charles is following Kizzy and Shag around.

No sooner is Kizzy in her new school, than a white girl in her class tells Kizzy that Shag wouldn't ever be able to win let alone compete in a dog show.  And she's not just any girl - she's the daughter of the woman whose house Kizzy's mother cleans and whose hand me down dresses Kizzy wears to school.

Hurt at the insult to her beloved Shag, Kizzy heads to the one small library she is allowed to use, but resources about border collies are slim.  Nevertheless, she is advised by the librarian that there is someone who knows all about border collies and the kinds of competitions they can participate in.  Mr. McKenna is a Scotsman and a loner who just doesn't care about Kizzy's skin color, just her dog.  And it turns out that a competition would soon be coming to their area of Virginia.  Can Shag be properly trained in time?  More importantly, will they even allow Kizzy to enter?

Very often novels written in letter or journal form feel limited, providing only one perspective and relying on the writer to tell the story.  Here, however, I thought it worked, because she was actually writing to a specific person who was apparently from somewhere else.  Through Kizzy's letters and journal entries her teacher and the reader not only learn about her life, but it gives a window into how things were in general in a small rural area at a very important time in this country's history - integration of southern schools.

And there might be some concern that this is yet another novel with too many white people helping Kizzy, but to me it was believable - they were all outsiders in their own way - Kizzy, Frank Charles, Mr. McKenna, Shag, and even Miss Anderson to an extent.  So I felt that the message here was that together, these outsiders could and did effect change.

And I also thought that the sub-story about Kizzy's brother was a good counter-balance to her story, though I would have liked to have read more about him.  A champion basketball player on a winning team, the local school authorities and newspapers refused to acknowledge them, focusing on the not so wonderful white team.  As her brother's frustration mounts, he withdraws into himself, becoming more and more bitter until one night he and his friends cause some destruction to the neighbor's property.

In the final analysis, Kizzy Ann Stamps is an interesting novel about overcoming obstacles, meeting your fears face on, and the power of friendships.  As a historical novel, it is a wonderful fictional supplement to a middle grade study of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, especially if used together with two other recent novels about this time period, namely The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine and Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood.

This book is recommended for readers age 8-14
This book was obtained from the publisher - Candlewick

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday is a weekly event hosted by Shannon at Books, Ramblings and Plenty of Shenanigans