The Price of Freedom: how one town stood up to slavery by Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin, illustrated by Eric Velasquez

 In 1856, freedom was just across the river in Ohio for Kentucky slaves Dinah, John and Frank.   One frigid cold night, the three took horses from their master's barn and rode across the frozen river.  On the other side, they met an elderly Quaker who sheltered the frozen runaways.  After for two weeks.  Dinah went her own way and John and Frank headed north together.

The two men had to keep going, hoping to reach Canada before they were caught because Congress had just passed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which meant that a slave owner could capture a runaway slave anywhere in the US and made aiding a runaway slave was a federal crime.

Along their route, Frank and John had help from the various Underground Railroad "station" they came to.  They had almost reached Canada when they decided to spend the rest of the winter in Oberlin, Ohio.  There they took odd jobs and they like Oberlin so much, they decided to stay longer.

Until 1858, when several slave hunters showed up looking for the two runaways.  Frank and John were worth $500 each to their leader, Kentuckian Anderson Jennings.  But the town of Oberlin wasn't going to let this happen without a showdown...

In the end, neither John nor Frank or even Dinah were returned to Kentucky.  But 37 townsmen were charged with violating the Fugitive Slave Act and sentenced to three months in prison...three months that only strengthened their resolve to aid runaway slaves in what ever way they could.

The Price of Freedom is a true story and another of those picture books for older readers that bring aspects of American history to life in such an effective way.  The text is simple, straightforward and factual but without being patronizing and coupled with realistic illustrations that compliment and extend the text even further.  Artist Eric Velasquez has expertly rendered the illustrations using mixed-media and oil paint, in dark hues that reflect the dramatic times depicted in the text.

The 37 Men of Oberlin, Ohio

There is a old photograph of the 37 men who went to prison at the end of the book giving absolute credibility to the story of what happened in the town of Oberlin, Ohio.  In the back matter, Fradin and Fradin have also included brief description of the Underground Railroad as well as a Bibliography, suggestions for further reading and websites where curious readers can find more information.

All this makes The Price of Freedom a welcomed addition to any classroom or home-school or for introducing any reluctant young readers to non-fiction through narrative.  But whatever the reason, this is a book well worth reading.

This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

This is book 9 of my 2012 Nonfiction Picture Book Reading Challenge hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

Imagine a town that hasn't had a public library in 12 years.   Well, that is exactly what happened in Alexandriaville, Ohio.  But now, a new state-of-the-art library is about to open.  Not something that interested 12 year old Kyle Keeley until he learned that the library was built by none other than Mr. Luigi Lemoncello, his favorite game maker and Kyle loves to play games.

Now Mr. Lemoncello will host 12 kids, all age 12 to experience the library in all its technological, holographic glory in what amounts to an overnight library sleepover complete with games.   But the next day, Mr. Lemoncello makes them an offer (with parental permission, of course) no true blue game player could resist - A 24 hour Library Lock-In game in which the kids are challenged to figure out how to exit the library other that the way they came in or by using any of the emergency exits.  Naturally, there are hints scattered throughout the library, but first they must figure out how to find the hints.  And during the Lock-In, there is not contact with the outside world but there are additional Extreme Challenges for the hale and hearty where they either complete the challenge or are automatically sent home with some "lovely parting gifts."

The story is narrated by Kyle, a class clown and a crack game player and a pretty nice kid.  Along with him at the Library Lock-In are a diverse group, most of whom are out of the game almost before it begins.  Those left are Kyle's best friend Akimi Hughes, another ace game player; Haley Daley, the pretty cheerleader whose family is having financial problems; Miguel Fernandez, a nice kid and library geek who says "bro" a little too frequently; shy, bookish Sierra Russell and Charles Chiltington, rich, confident and suck up par excellence.  Akimi suggests that she and Kyle work together a la Survivor to solve the puzzle of how to exit the library until it is just the two of them left and they must compete with each other.  The other remaining players join them and soon it is Kyle's team against Charles Chiltington.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library is a fun book to read and there are enough clues, if you read carefully, to solve the puzzle along with the characters.  And if you really pay attention, maybe you can solve the puzzle that wasn't in the story but there is a clue about how to find it somewhere in the story.  I would read the Author's Note carefully for that one.

I liked the way a group of kids who didn't really know each other well could come together and work towards a goal.  Teamwork tells and it certainly does here.  I also like that a sense of responsibility and acts of kindness count in Mr. Lemoncello's library, as does treating people, even if they are only a holograph, with respect.  Score one for moral fiber!

Another nice touch - the number of favorite books that are mentioned throughout the novel and are the basis for some of Mr. Lemoncello's excellent puns.  Here is a book about a library and it truly celebrates books and reading.

Even if you don't like games (me!) or puzzles or ciphers (I love both), this is still a totally enjoyable book.  Think Survivor meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets Night at the Museum meets Mr. Lemoncello.  You can't go wrong.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was received from the publisher.

There is a downloadable PDF study guide complete with Common Core Standards available HERE

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday is a weekly event hosted by Shannon Messenger at Books, Ramblings and Other Shenegans

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

When I was in school, and even when I was teaching in a classroom, Friday afternoons were always reserved for arts and crafts.  In the early grades, from 1st to 3rd, it was the time we drew pictures, or made cards for any given holiday or even illustrated something from a social studies lesson we had during the week.  I loved Friday afternoons in school, I loved the smell of my Crayolas, I loved arts and  crafts.

So, when I picked up a copy of The Day the Crayons Quit, I was immediately taken back to those wonderful halcyon Friday afternoon arts and crafts days.   Then I started reading...

Young Duncan thought he was going to have a little Crayola time in school when he pulled out his crayons to draw a picture.  But instead of finding crayons in his crayon box, he finds a bunch of letters  wrapped together in a little bakery box string (nice touch, Jeffers, I like it!).

What was this all about?  Well, it seems Duncan's crayons aren't very happy and they have gone on strike.  Each color has written him a letter stating its particular grievance and a picture Duncan had drawn using that color to make their case.  Red feels hard pressed because it has to work so hard, even on holidays, Blue is tired, Yellow and Orange are arguing over which one is the real color of the sun, and poor Peach can't even come out of the box because its wrapper has been peeled off and now Peach is naked.  Well, you get the picture

And in the end, Duncan comes up with the perfect solution for ending the crayon strike.

The first time I read it, I was going home on the bus one afternoon and I was laughing so much that the lady next to me started looking around for another sear.  Not to worry, I told her, The Day the Crayons Quit is one of the funniest books I have read in a long time, and is a book that will appeal to kids as well as adults.   By the time I got off the bus, we both had read the book and she thought she just might buy it for the grands.

A word about the Jeffers' illustrations - they are perfection, I couldn't have done better myself in 1st grade.  But it takes a really talented grownup to pull of illustrations and letter that looks like something out of childhood.  And naturally, the illustrations and letters were all done with crayons.

The Day the Crayons Quit is an epistolary novel that is sure to become a classic (said with tongue in cheek).

This book is recommended for readers of all ages.
This book was purchased for my personal library.

It's Monday! What are you reading? #5

It's Monday! What are you reading? is the original weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  It's Monday! What are you reading? - from Picture Books to YA is a kidlit focused meme just like the original and is hosted weekly by Teach Mentor Texts.  The purpose is the same: to recap what you have read and/or reviewed and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week.

Last week, I read the following books:

1- The Children Who Loved Books by Peter Carnavas - a lovely picture books from Australia about a family that loves to read.

2- Nasreddine retold by Odile Weulersse - a charming old, oft retold folktale from the Middle East with a  moral that still resonates today.

I read but have not yet reviewed the following picture books: 

1- Hey, Charleston! The True Story of the Jenkins Orphanage Band by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Colin Bootman.  The true story of a group of orphans and the man who helped them become a world famous band.  

2- That is NOT a Good Idea! by Mo Willems.  A very subtle "stranger danger" story about listening to your instincts or here, to your inner gosling.  

3- Stick by Andy Pritchett.  A dog with a stick needs someone to play with otherwise a stick is no fun!

4- See What a Seal Can Do by Chris Butterworth, illustrated by Kate Nelms.  I was taken in by the cute seal on the cover, but this is a nice informative book that tells us all about seal life - underwater.

I read but have not reviewed the following novels:

1- Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabensten - A fun book for kids who like to play game, technology, books and libraries or for kids who just like to read.

2- After Iris by Natasha Farrant.  Told from the point of view of Blue, 12, about a family trying to get on in their own dysfunctional ways after the death of Blue's twin sister.

3- The Saturday Boy by David Fleming.  With his father off fighting in Afghanistan, Derek, 11, must learn to navigate life's pitfalls, including a two-faced school bully, by himself.

On this week's TBR pile:

1- Prophecy by Ellen Oh
2- One Crow Alone by S.D. Crockett (prequel to After the Snow)
3- P.S. Be Eleven by Rita Williams-Garcia, continuing the story of Delphine and her sisters from One Crazy Summer.
4- The Silver Dream by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves, a sequel to InterWorld, this science fiction novel continues the story of Joey Harker.

What are you reading this week?

Nasreddine retold by Odile Weulersse, illustrated by Rebecca Daubremer

Here is another wonderful folktale from the Middle Ages, believed to have originated in Turkey, which has a moral that so appropriate for today's world.  But isn't timelessness the beauty of folktales.

Every week, young Nasreddine and his father, Mustafa, take their donkey and bring their wares to the market to sell.

When they bring their dates to market, a vizier tells Mustafa he is lazy for riding on the donkey and making his son walk.  His words cause Nasreddine to return home in shame.

When they bring the sheep's wool to the market, Nasreddine devises a plan so that he can ride the donkey.  Once again, they face criticism from a group of women who call Nasreddine disrespectful to his father by making him walk.  Again, Nasreddine returns home in shame.

It is time to sell the chickens at the next market day, and this time Nasreddine insists both he and his father ride the donkey along with the caged birds.  Yet again, there is criticism, this time for being so cruel to the donkey by making it carry so much.  Nasreddine returns home again in shame.

A few days later, when it is time to sell the watermelons at the market, Nasreddine suggests that he and his father walk and the donkey would only have to carry the fruit.  But, soon they are being followed by a group of laughing kids.  One finally asked why they are walking and not riding.  Another answers it is because they are stupid,  Once more, shame visits Nasreddine.

Finally, on the next market day, Nasreddine suggests to his father the they carry the donkey so that no one can make fun of them.  But has Mustafa had enough of Nasreddine's ideas?  Is it finally time to impart some fatherly wisdom to Nasreddine?   Yes, it is and that is just what he does.

Here is a wonderful folktale that not only speaks to its young readers, but also to any adult readers reading to children.  Mustafa has the patience to watch as Nasreddine's attempts to solve the problem of weekly criticism, waiting until the moment is right for his son to hear what he says.  And Nasreddine's attempts to deal with the weekly comments and laughter he and his father are the brunt of add some humor to this tale, so it is an easier one for children to take in.

There is a note at the end of the book that although the story has been retold and probably changed over time, Nasreddine still offers its reader wisdom and delight, and that is so true in this version of the story.

I loved the mix of bold and soft watercolor used in the different illustrations and the way Daubremer used a white background and vivid bright colors to highlight Nasreddine and Mustafa at home, then switched to full page illustrations in more muted colors when they were heading to the market.  The palette of colors used give the story a definite Middle Eastern atmosphere.

A new edition of Nasreddine has come out this year (2012), but the one I read was from 2005, but they seem to be identical.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

The Children Who Loved Books by Peter Carnavas

We all want our kids to love books and reading.  Here is a delightful story about a family that loves reading so much, that even though they don't have a TV or a car or even a house (they live in a small old fashioned trailer), they do have books, lots and lots of books, piled here, there and everywhere.  But when the day comes that there are so many books they don't fit in the house anymore, the family realizes it is time to do something.

The books had to go.  But once they were gone, things change.  The table wobbles, there's nothing for Angus to stand on to look out the window, then Mom and Dad and Angus and Lucy notice there is a lot more space between them and they are growing apart.  Until...Lucy brings home a library book and the space between everyone grows smaller and smaller as they read the book.

Carnavas says there are two themes in this book.  First, the theme that we don't need a lot of material things to be happy.   This is very true.  The second theme is that books can bring people together and that make you happy.  Think about reading to your Kiddos before bedtime.  It is a close, somewhat intimate moment between you both.  Maybe you talk for a minute about the story or maybe about the day, they may even open up and talk about something that is bothering them.  Either way, if you were brought closer together by the daily bedtime story routine.  And that can be just the beginning, thanks to books.

And Carnavas reminds us, we don't have to buy and own books to be happy, we can just go to the library like Lucy and Angus and Mom and Dad end up doing.

The boldly colored, whimsical illustrations, also done by Carnavas, are done in watercolor and ink, and are rather fun.  Somewhere in almost all of the illustration there is the family's calico cat and roosters.

The Children Who Loved Books is a wonderful, charming homage to books, reading, book lovers and libraries!  And it is sure to become a favorite with all like-minded folks, young and old.

The book is recommended for readers of all ages.
This book was purchased for my personal library

Joone by Emily Kate Moon

Emily Kate Moon always wanted to be an author/illustrator and she has now achieved that goal with her debut picture book Joone.

Joone is a story that is sure to put a smile on your face and a little sunshine in your day.   Joone, age 5,  narrates the different things about her life as she goes through a summer day.  She introduces herself, telling the reader that she lives in a yurt with her Grandpa, a retired scientist, and her pet turtle, Dr. Chin.   She likes the colors purple and orange, and ice cream sandwiches.  Everyday, she learns something new from her Grandpa and everyday, she teaches her Grandpa something new.

And Joone is a busy girl, her days are always well spent doing the simple things she like to do - swimming with Dr. Chin, sometimes helping Grandpa do repairs to the yurt, sometimes not helping Grandpa do repairs to the yurt, but playing with Dr. Chin instead.  Joone is a happy little girl who even spells her name with a smiley face:

If you are looking for a quiet summertime story to read to a child, Joone will definitely fit the bill.  When I read it to my 4 year old neighbor Lilly, she kept asking to hear it again and again.  And sometimes I could hear her whisper to herself things like "oh, I like them, too" about ice cream sandwiches, or "I have one, too" when Joone said she always wore her favorite orange dress.

Joone's story is written in simple declarative sentences, ideal for young children.  There is humor to be found, though it is subtle and there is a definite Asian sensibility throughout the story, though nothing is said regarding that.  The lovely illustrations, done by the author in gouache and pencil, are charming in their simplicity, yet at the same time, very expressive.  Grandpa playing checkers with Joone while wearing the daisy chain she taught him how to make is my particular favorite.  I made those when I was young and later wore a lot of them when my Kiddo was growing up.

While most kids don't live a simple, happy life like Joone's, this is a perfect story for young children and one that might even get a dialogue going with kids about their own day, recounting their own simple pleasures.  And it is one of those children's books that have a very positive image of an elderly adult, something I have become more and more aware of since I started reading Lindsey McDivitt's blog A is for Aging, B is for Books...

This book is recommended for readers age 3+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

Grandps's Yurt

Lifetime: the Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Chirstopher Silas Neal

Have you ever wonder about how many spots a giraffe has or how many Joey's a red kangaroo will give birth to in their lifetime?  Well, if you have, look no more.   Veteran author Lisa M. Schaefer has written another informative book for kids that is not your traditional counting book.  Instead, it takes different behaviors or features of 11 different wild animals and averages how many times it happens in the course of each animal's lifetime.

So, Schaefer writes that the average giraffe will wear 200 spots on its body, 100 on each side in its lifetime.  And the average red kangaroo will give birth to 50 joeys in her lifetime.  How did Schaefer come up with her amounts?  She explains right from the start that she based her "estimations on the average adult life span of each wild animal that lives to maturity and the recorded and observational information about it's behaviors or physical features."

So, Lifetime is both a counting book and a book that teaches kids about averages.  Each two page spread features one animal and the average number of times something happens in its lifetime.  Then the reader can count each occurrence, which is cleverly included in the illustration.  For example, on average, a caribou grows antlers 10 times in its lifetime.  Can you find and count all ten antlers?

You can click this to enlarge it for counting

At the back of the book, there is more information about each animal, including their average life span and that math used to derive the average number of times something happens.  And because Lifetime is also about averages, there is an excellent explanation of what an average is and how to find it.

Kids will like the counting and the information about each animal, but they will also enjoy the lovely earth-toned mixed media illustrations befitting all these animals in their wild habitat.

There are lots of good counting books available for kids, but this is one that takes counting a little further by teaching kids about averages as well, making it a very appealing for kids, especially those  interested in math and/or nature.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was provided by the publisher.

This book will be available September 24, 2013

Nonfiction Monday is hosted this week by Shelf-Employed

This is book 8 of my 2013 Nonfiction Picture Book Reading Challenge hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy

Summer Reading

My friend Angela over at AJ Arndt Books Blog a Young Adult Summer Reading Flowchart that was too good not to repost.  After all, the dog days of summer are just ahead and what would be nicer that curling up with a good book or two before school begins?  Here is a chart that has something for everyone, depending on what you are in the mood for.  So, take a look and maybe, find a good book.


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