Hokey Pokey by Jerry Spinelli

Kids live in their own world and that is where Hokey Pokey is, so before you start reading study the map in the front of the book, which is basically a map of the things of childhood.  It is a good guide for two reasons - to understand the layout of Hokey Pokey and to understand the references in the beginning of the story.  The first time I tried reading it, I ignored the map and closed the book by page 15.  But then, I was given the book to read for a review other than here.  I couldn't say no, so I studied the map and started reading.  And a funny thing happened on the way the The End - I absolutely fell in love with this book.

If you pick up Hokey Pokey and find you can't get into it, all I can say is KEEP READING.

Hokey Pokey is the story of Jack, who wakes up one morning in Hokey Pokey and discovers his beloved bike Scramjet has been stolen - by a girl nemesis no less, named Jubilee.  So he climbs Gorilla Hill, the highest peak in Hokey Pokey, gives his famous Tarzan yell, calling on his Amigos Dusty and LaJo to help him find it.  But something else has happened that day in Hokey Pokey - something feels different.  Jack senses it and so does LaJo.  But what is it?

Not only that, but Jack can suddenly hear a train whistle in the distance that no one else can hear, which is really strange because no one has ever seen a train on the tracks that run through Hokey Pokey.  So, what's that all about?

Jerry Spinelli has always been a favorite author in this house and he has done it again.  He understands that childhood is not really a time in our lives, so much as it is a place.  Think about it!  When you recall being outside playing with your friends, do you really see it in terms of time or in terms of place?  For me, it is place.  For instance, I still remember the feel of concrete on my knees as I crawled around the ground playing Skelly and never thinking of the dirt and germs I was gathering.  That Skelly court was a definite place.

But, time happens within place, so Hokey Pokey is really a brilliant metaphor for childhood.  Jack has reached an age - as in coming of age.  His stay in Hokey Pokey is coming to a end and adolescence, that great unknown, is looming.  And Spinelli has captured that transitional moment perfectly as Jack wanders through his last day in Hokey Pokey - the temporary distancing between him and his friends (unitl they too, come of age), seeing Jubilee through different eyes, dealing with 'The Destroyer', it is all there but different now.

Hokey Pokey may be the place where kids live and adults don't, but it is also a place language is its most organic.  Names (not in the bullying sense) for kids like Newbies, Snotsippers, Sillynillies and Gappergummers denote age by distinguishing feature.  Places like Tantrums, Stuff, Cartoons denote place by activity.  Compound nouns and verbs like bestfriendship, longspitter, speedbiking, runamucking - all so simple, yet all so descriptive.

Spinelli got it right, all of it.  It is spot on genius in its lyrical simplicity.  Coming of age doesn't usually happen in one day, but by placing Jack's in one metaphorical day and place, we can watch it happen like those time lapse films of flowers blooming.  The inexplicable changes in attitude, the confusion, the constant going forward into the unknown, seeing the world through different eyes, it's all there and more, so much more.

A funny thing happened while I was reading Hokey Pokey.  An overwhelming feeling of nostalgia for my own Hokey Pokey days swept over as never before.  So I called up my old Amiga just to have a little chat.

This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was provided by the publisher.

Ivy Takes Care by Rosemary Wells

It is summer 1949 and Ivy's best friend Annie is leaving Nevada for her fancy camp in New Hampshire.  On her way to say goodbye, Ivy finds an injured turtle, which she put in her bike basket and takes to Annie's house.  But when she arrives, a snooty camp friend is also there and it is clear she does not think Ivy is good enough for her and Annie.

Afraid their friendship is over, Ivy decides to buy a $5.00 friendship ring to send to Annie in the hope that it can be saved.  But how to get that much money?  In Ivy's house, every penny is apportioned into envelopes to pay bills, and there is never any left over.  Her dad is a hired hand on a small dude ranch that caters to people getting quick divorces in Reno.  But Ivy know how to take care of all kinds of animals and puts up advertisements offering her services to care for animals while their owners are on vacation.

It takes a while, but finally Ivy gets a call - could she take care of a horse named Chestnut?  And the owner gives her half her pay in advance - $5.00, just enough to buy that friendship ring and send it to Annie.

One day while caring for Chestnut, Ivy finds an injured mother fox with her four kits in the next stall.  Most farmers and ranchers hated foxes, but Ivy tries to care for it from a distance, giving the fox a baby aspirin in some food everyday, but to no avail.  When the vet, Dr. Rinaldi, stops by to check on Chestnut, he helps Ivy with the fox as well.  Noticing how well she works with animals, Dr. Rinaldi suggests she think about becoming a veterinarian.  And so a new envelope is made at home to save for college in the future.

More jobs come Ivy's way, including caring for and training a beautiful German Shepard pup named Inca, bought by a man who was divorcing his wife because she didn't like his other dogs.  Ivy falls in love with Inca and misses him terribly when dog and owner leave Nevada, thinking she will never see him again.

Around Christmas, Ivy is offered another job, but it is far from home and night comes early in winter.  The son of the dude ranch owner must accompany her on a ranch horse.  But when the horse is bitten on the nose by a rattlesnake far from town, will Ivy be able to help it?

And for that matter, is Ivy's friendship with Annie finally be over when Annie goes to private school?  And why are Ivy and her dad driving to the airport when no one is expected at the dude ranch?  There are lots of surprises in store for Ivy.

Ivy Takes Care is a very sweet coming of age story.  It reminded me so much of the kinds of novels I loved when I was around 10 years old and I don't think kids taste in fiction has changed that much since then.  And it is sure to please young animal lovers, especially since none of the animals in the story die, and the injuries are not too graphically detailed.  The rift in Ivy's friendship with Annie is, in reality, not uncommon for girls at this age as their interests begins to go in different directions.

There are lots of Jim LaMarche's black and white illustrations throughout the story, which he did with acrylic washes and pencil that provide their own sense of the time period.

Ivy Takes Care is another fine book by Rosemary Wells, an author who consistently really knows how to please her readers.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was provided by the publisher.

The Archived #1 by Victoria Schwab

Welcome to a world where the dead are shelved like books in an archive because every life has a story and when you die, your story becomes a history, a history that can only be read by a staff Librarian.  But sometimes, a history wakes up and wanders, confused about where they are and why.  Usually they don't get further than the Narrows, a dark place separating the outer world from the Archive.

It is the task of a Keeper to return the history to its rightful place.  And that is what 16 year old Mackenzie Bishop has been trained to do by her own grandfather, Da.  When she became a Keeper, she was only 12, the youngest Keeper ever (the usual age for becoming a Keeper is 16).

Mac and her parents have recently moved to a run-down former hotel turned apartments after the death of her 10 year old brother Ben.  Mac hasn't been able to come to terms with Ben's death and keeps going to the Archive, asking to spend time with Ben, or rather where his shelf is.  A Keeper cannot have any direct contact with the dead, except to return them when they wake.

The first thing Mac discovers in her new home is that the murder of a girl about 15 years old has occurred in her room back in the early 1950s.  And the murderer just walked away.  Now Mac is curious to see if he actually did get away with murder or if he was caught.  Perhaps some of the present residents can help enlighten her.

It doesn't take long for Mac to meet Wesley, who turns out to be another Keeper and a possible love interest.  The problem is as a Keeper whenever Mac touches another person, she can read them and the noise is unbearable, but she hasn't learned how to successfully block it out the way her Da and Wesley have.

Mac also meets Owen in the Narrows who saves her life when a history attacks her with a knife.  But Owen is a little odd, and might or might not be a love interest.  When Owen touches Mac, she feels no noise, just an addictive quiet peacefulness throughout here being.  Either way, he asks Mac to be allowed one more day before she returns him to the Archive.  Mac agrees, which she seems to think is OK since his name was never on her list of wandering histories.

But suddenly there are lots of histories waking up and wandering the Narrows, more than she has ever had to deal with before.  So many that she has had to accept some help for Wesley.  And it is all the more difficult because her parents don't know she is a Keeper and they want her around to help get her mother's new cafe clean and in order.

Can Mac solve the problem of so many histories are escaping?  Could there a breach in the Archive by one of the Librarians?  Can it all be somehow tied to the murder in her room?

I have to confess I had a hard time getting into this book, but then all of a sudden, I couldn't put it down.  Mackenzie was an interesting character, stressed by being such a young Keeper and having to constantly lie to her parents and disappearing on them.  The story is told in first person by her, but there are times when it is in third person, but they are her memories of being trained by her Da and of their close relationship.   I thought Wesley, with his spiky hair and thick black eyeliner was kind of a fun guy, able to relax and have fun and maybe, just maybe help Mac learn to do it, too.  He was certainly the most appealing love interest.

There were a few weak spots in the novel.  For one thing, I did finish the book wondering what the purpose of the Archive is.  It isn't like anyone could go there, read a history and do something with it.

Still, to Schwab's credit, I did not see the ending coming and that was kind of fun.  I hate when a mystery is so transparent, I can figure the ending out half way through a book.  All in all, The Archived is a  well-done, exciting story that should be read by anyone who enjoys a good paranormal story.  It is apparently the first in a proposed series, but it also works really well as a stand alone novel.

This book is recommended for readers age 12+
This book was received from the publisher

This is book 2 of my 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge hosted by The Book Cellar

Wee Rhymes: Baby's First Poetry Book by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Jane Dyer

When my sister, brother and I was young, I remember my mother always reciting nursery rhymes to us, so that by the time I was 5, I could recite them myself.  I loved those rhymes.  And so did my daughter when I recited them to her.  The only problem was knowing a limited number of these little pleasing poems.

Well, now two grandmothers who understand how delightful poems can be for young children have put together a book of rhymes, perfect for babies and toddlers.  There are some old Mother Goose favorites throughout the book, but most of the poems are written by Jane Yolen.  The poems are themed around a baby's life and include poems about kisses, belly buttons, naps, piggyback rides, even just holding a grownups hand.  The rhymes are short, as, for example "Baby has the Wiggles"

Baby has the wiggles,

Baby can't sit still,

Baby has the giggles,

Baby has a will.

Jane Dyer has done all the illustrations and they have a real old fashioned feel to them.  Dyer's illustrations always make me happy when I see them, and Wee Rhymes was not exception.  Whimsically done in pencil and watercolors in pastel hues, I was really, really pleased to see the diversity of the kids Dyer's portrays, making it so appealing to all readers.  There are white kids, African American kids, Latino kids, and Asian kids, sometimes alone, sometimes with family and sometimes playing together, as in this wonderful two page spread:

If you are looking for a baby shower gift, a birthday gift for a child or just because you think your own kids would like a nice poetry book, this is one you might want to seriously consider.  And it would be especially appropriate this month since April is National Poetry Month.

This book is recommended for babies, toddlers and children of all ages.

This book was purchased as a baby gift for a friend (but I read it, too)

Tito Puente: Mambo King - Rey del Mambo by Monica Brown, illustrated by Rafael López

Tito Puente was a great musician and a real New York City fixture.  And now, Monica Brown has written a colorful picture book about him and his music for young readers, and the best part is that it is bilingual so that it is accessible to both English and Spanish readers - children and their parents, since this is a wonderful read-aloud book.

Monica Brown is no stranger to writing bilingual biographies of important and influential Latinos.  She has written My Name is Celia: the Life of Celia Cruz, My Name is Gabito: the Life of Gabriel Gracia Márquez and Pelé, King of Soccer, among others.  Tito Puente: Mambo King is her most recent biography and tells the story of Puente's muscial life, which began at home in Spanish Harlem NYC, tapping out a musical beat on pots and pans as a toddler, and how he went on from there to become a band leader and five time Grammy winner.  Brown focuses the book only on Puente and his musical achievements as a well-known, well-respected Latino musician, leaving out the details of his personal life which might detract from that.  

Maybe I am a little biased because I grew up hearing Puente's music, but this is a book I can't recommend enough.  There are few enough good bilingual books out there and even fewer good read-aloud books, but Tito Puente: Mambo King is a real standout.

And, at a time when so many music programs are being cut from school budgets, books like this can really help a classroom teacher introduce students to various artists and the music they play.  Just time of the possibilities!

One of the things I really love in a picture book is when the text and illustrations reflect each other and feel totally connected and that is really the case here.  The illustrations by Rafael López are bright bold and colorful and as musical as the salsa music Puente played and the words that Brown used to describe it.

To get the real flavor of Tito Puente: Mambo King, listen to Brown and López describe the book themselves:

So, grab this book, make a nice Puente playlist for some real background ambiance and enjoy!

This book is recommended for readers age 4+

This book was Morningside Heights Branch of the NYPL

Nonfiction Monday is hosted this week by Andromeda at A Wrung Sponge

This is book 3 of my 2013 Nonfiction Picture Book Reading Challenge hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy

Out of Nowhere by Maria Padian

I had no expectations when I picked up Out of Nowhere and started reading it other than the casual recommendation of a friend.  Well, her recommendation wasn't so casual, she really really liked it and didn't want to influence my opinion.  Turns out, I really really liked it as well.

Tom Bouchard is a senior at Chamberlain high school in Enniston, Maine and the kind of character that is usually not the most interesting.  He is good-looking, a great soccer player, and a top student with very supportive parents.  But there is a crack in the perfection.  His girlfriend, Cherisse, is a shallow, whinny narcissistic girl who wants is complete attention and his best friend since childhood, Donnie, is a loser willing to get high on anything.  But Tom is a supportive kind of guy.

And it is a good thing because into the mix of people in his life come a young Somali refugee who is an ace soccer player.  Saeed and his family are part of the ever growing number of Muslim refugees settling down in Enniston, though not particularly welcomed there in light of 9/11.  To make matters worse, the mayor of Enniston had a letter published in the local paper asking Somalis' to tell other refugees not to come to Enniston, that there were already too many of them for the town to be able to cope with.

But Tom welcomes Saeed onto the soccer team with enthusiasm, believing that with him, Chamberlain has a fighting chance of beating their arch rivals Maquoit High School.  Things are looking pretty good to Tom.  That is, until the night Don convinces Tom to pull a prank and paint the Maquoit team's lucky rock, and they get caught.

Given community service at a center in the heart of Saeed's neighborhood, Tom becomes the new homework helper, working together with Saeed's older sister Samira, who makes it clear she does not like Tom at all,  and college student Myla, who is more fluid with her feelings about him.

Slowly, as their lives intersect, Tom begins to understand just how difficult and frightening the lives of the Somali refugees were before they came to the US and how poor and difficult their lives still are in a country where many don't want them and believe all Muslims are terrorists.  But when Tom innocently extends ordinary American kindness to Samira, there are terrible consequences for her and her family.  Tom must accept that Muslim culture and religion are intertwined and may not be as easily assimilated into American life as he thinks they should be.

Out of Nowhere is a real eye-opening novel.  It is a novel you would expect to be told from the point of view of Saeed, but instead it is narrated by Tom.  It is, after all, his story and his coming to consciousness that it is concerned with.  Saeed, though his story is important, is a catalyst here, the spark that brings Tom's insular life to an end and forces him to make changes and decisions which will ultimately set him apart from being just another stereotype.

This is a YA novel, so one should not be surprised that there is some real use of f-bombs throughout this novel (it is, after all, realistic fiction), and some sexual intimations, drinking and drug use.

This book is recommended for readers age 13+
This book was borrowed from a friend.

One of the more interesting points that Padian brings to like in Out of Nowhere is the immigration question surrounding the Somalis.  The mayor's letter is based on a real letter the real mayor, Robert MacDonald, had published in the Lewiston ME newspaper back in 2002.  It caused quite a hoopla among the people of Lewiston.  MacDonald was at it again when he told Somalis to assimilate, to leave their culture at the door when they come to the US.  What make Out of Nowhere doubly interesting is that Padian makes clear that make of the residents of Enniston have French-Canadian roots and had migrated to Maine for the same reasons as the Somalis - jobs and a better life.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

From her own Chinese roots, Grace Lin has created a wonderful  modern day folktale for children of all ages in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.  It is the story of young Minli who lives in a small village with her parents Ba and Ma in the shadow of Fruitless Mountain. Everyday, all the villagers must toil away in the mud that forms where Fruitless Mountain meets Jade River to plant and harvest just enough rice to live.  Fruitless Mountain is a dull brown color because nothing grows there.

In the evening, as the family eats their rice, Minli loves to have her father tell her stories.  One of her favorites is The Story of Fruitless Mountain.  When Minli asks if anything will ever grow on this barren mountain again, Ba tells her that is a question for the Old Man of the Moon.

The next day, returning from the field to begin making the day's rice meal, Minli runs into the Goldfish Man.  Knowing how hard her parents must work everyday, and wanting nothing more than to change their fortune, Minli buys a goldfish from the man, who tells her that goldfish means "plenty of gold" and that one in the house will bring gold and jade there, or really good fortune.

That night, Minli asks Ba what they need to do the bring fortune back to their village, he again says it is a question for The Old Man of the Moon who can be found on Never-Ending Mountain.  However, Ma is so angered that Minli spent one of her two coins on a goldfish and that Ba has given up a few precious grains to his rice to feed it, that Minli decides to let the goldfish go.  But before swimming away in the Jade River, the goldfish tells Minli how to find The Old Man of the Moon.

And so leaving a note for Ma and Ba, Minli begin her quest, and along the way she meets is a dragon who cannot fly and has been tied up by monkeys to keep in out of their peach orchard.  Minli frees the dragon and they decide to travel together to seek The Old Man of the Moon so the dragon can ask why he cannot fly like other dragons.  Minli and the dragon have many adventures, meeting others along the way who also tell them stories that help to to get Minli to her destination.

Enchanting - that is the word that most often came to my mind when I read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.  Lin has created a fantasy world where fish can tell you how to find your way, dragons can help get you there and the tales you hear along the way serve as your guideposts.

When my Kiddo was young, we read lots of Chinese myths together, so I really loved the way Lin worked her myths so easily within the frame work of Minli's quest.  It gave the whole story a feeling of being very old and wise.  Lin understanding of the symbols in Chinese myth is very apparent: there are goldfish for luck and affluence, dragons that have power over water, rainfall, and floods and symbolize power and strength, tigers and even kite flying, flown high for prosperity and to avoid bad luck.

Ba's stories may have inspired Minli to seek The Old Man of the Moon, but her mother always thought they were a waste of time: "Another story! Our house is bare and our rice hardly fills our bowls, but we have plenty of stories." Ma sighed again. "What a poor fortune we have!" (pg 10)  But even she saw how happy Ba's stories made Minli.  On of the things I did like in this novel is that Minli's adventure is interspersed with sections about her parents - readers see them missing her, and when Ba tells her stories to comfort her, Ma's attitude towards them changes just as the stories change her.

There is a definite lesson to be learned from Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, but to tell it would be to spoil the ending, so just let me say that this is a novel that should not be missed and is a wonderful read aloud book for kids of any age.

Lin did her own illustrations for this novel and they are spectacular.  Be sure to pay close attention to them as you read along.  There is much to be found there.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library

An excellent Educator's Guide is available for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon here.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a 2010 Newbery Honor Book.  It is book 3 of my 2013 Award Winning Reading Challenge hosted by Gathering Books.