Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Polar Animals by Susan Hayes and Tory Gordon-Harris

I just love polar bears and penguins so when I saw this book about them, I just knew I had to tell everyone else about it.

Polar Animals by Susan Hayes and Tory Gordon-Harris is part of the Scholastic Discover More series, so you know it is chock full of information about polar animals, all beautifully photographed.

Readers are introduced to the cold at the North and South Poles, as well as how each of the different animals are able to keep relatively warm in those sub-0 temperatures.  And they will even find out why the poles are so cold and what the four seasons are like there.  There's even a Hall of Fame of record setting animals (as they say - extreme temperatures can result in animals going to extremes).

Following general information about the poles, the animals living at each is looked at individually.  And there is all kinds of interesting facts about all of them.  For example, did you know that a polar bear uses snow to dry off after a nice cold swim?  Or that an Arctic Hare's black eyelashes protects his eyes from the sun just like sunglasses protect our eyes? I didn't even know there were hares at the Artic.  And that in the Southern Ocean at the South Pole there are sponges that are over 1,000 years old?  These are just some of the interesting facts waiting for eager readers to discover.

At the end of the book, there is information about the dangers these polar animals face, mostly because of melting ice, oil spills, litter, pollutions and too much fishing, but there are also suggestions about how each of us can help.  And for budding scientists and other curious readers, there is an informative interview with a real Antarctic scientist, followed by Glossary of terms used throughout the book.

One of the nice things about these Discover More books is that Scholastic always includes a link to a free digital  book about another aspect of each topic.   Polar Animals has a free digital book on Polar Explorers that can be easily downloaded.  Not only is there information and interesting facts about the different explorers, including the youngest, a teenage Antarctic trekker named Lewis Clark, but there are maps of the different routes taken, how to dress for such cold weather and, one of my personal favorites, puzzles that require knowledge to move on.

This is an excellent beginning book for children developing an interest in the world around them, or as a resource in the classroom or home schooling library.

This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was obtained from the publisher

This is book 7 of my 2014 Nonfiction Picture Book Reading Challenge hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy

Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle

For Nate Foster, 13, and his best friend Libby, musical theater is everything.  So naturally, when they learn that there is an open casting call for a new Broadway musical, and that auditions are to be held on a weekend, Nathan is elated.  Who better to play Elliot in E.T. the Musical?  The only trouble is the Nate lives in western Jankburg, PA and Broadway is in NYC.

Nate and Libby put their heads together and soon hatch a plan.  Nate will take the Greyhound bus to NYC, go to the audition, snag the role of Elliot, then hop back on the bus to Jankburg so he can be home before anyone notices he's gone.  And conditions could be more ideal. Nate's parents are away for the weekend, trying to spark the dying ember of their almost dead marriage and Nate's been left in the hands of totally disinterested, "girl addicted" brother Anthony, 16, who wants him to spend the night at Libby's.

Armed with old unreliable Nokia cell phone, his mother's ATM card, and Libby's support, Nate gets on the Greyhound bus to NYC.  Easy peasy!  After all, he and Libby have rehearsed everything over and over should something go wrong.

And lots of things do go wrong, but Nate perseveres.  The bus ride could have gone better, but once Nate arrives in Manhattan, he is in love with the city despite the sudden rain storm; the guy who sells him some ill-fitting hip hop clothes so he can be dry for his audition; being told he needs a guardian if he is under 18 in order to audition; and running into Jordan Rylance, who went to the Performing Arts School in Pittsburgh with Libby; and a few more obstacles, setbacks and surprises.

And just when it feels like Nate and Libby's plan is for sure going downhill, along comes the family black sheep, Aunt Heidi, to send Nate back to Jankburg on the bus.  Maybe.

Better Nate Than Ever is narrated by Nate and he is a really wonderful, unique character.  He's a hale and hearty kid who has a dream and he's going to go for it, no matter what.  His voice is realistic, though sometimes he sounds a little older than 13.  But, Nate is shorter than most 13 year olds, has been bullied by kids at school and at home by Anthony, who calls him some not very nice homophobic names (and Nate tells us firmly that his sexuality is still undecided), and even his parents want him to be more like his jock brother and less like who he is.  These kinds of things can force a kid to grow up fast and, though, Nate relates all of this with some very tongue-in-cheek humor, but the reader knows these are serious issues for him, and no doubt, for many of them as well.

Tim Federle, no stranger to Broadway musicals and auditions, has produced a well written, realistic story, though not without a few zany moments and people.  Besides tackling some serious topics in Better Nate Than Ever, he also gives the reader a little behind the scenes look at what goes on in auditions, where everyone is talented and where stage mothers and their children are desperate to become the next big star, or at least get a foot in the stage door.  But books about musical theater can be a hard sell to middle grade boys, and I wonder if there was enough to pull them in.  I hope so.

When I was in college, I moved into an East Village 4th floor walk-up.  I was the only person in the building not in show business and the only native New Yorker, who has always loved going to the theater.  But, during my college years, I watched friends go on audition after audition and I have to admit, I could never do, but I really have to admire them and all actors for their guts and persistence.  My experience made reading about Nate really extra special for me.

GOOD NEWS: If you loved Better Nate Than Ever, you probably already know or have read the sequel, Five, Six, Seven, Nate!

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

I really loved how Nate and Libby substituted curse words with failed Broadway shows.  So, Holy Cats ("Cats technically wasn't a flog, but Libby says it was, artistically…" pg 74) and Heavens to Carrie,  Nate really wants to go to the Applebee's he sees by Port Authority Bus Terminal and 42nd Street, a little bit of home, I guess.  But if you come to NYC, skip the Applebee's and head over to Joe Allen's for a signature burger and a look at the walls, which are decorated with posters from failed Broadway plays.  Think of all the new 'curse' words you could learn.

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

Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier

Dimple Lala has just turned 17 and suddenly she finds herself in the midst of an identity crisis.   Both of her parents and, in fact, all of her relatives were born in India.  Her parents were the only ones who migrated to the United States, to Springfield, New Jersey, where Dimple was born.

A talented photographer, Dimple has always hidden herself behind the lens of her camera, and she has always been content to take a backseat to her blond-haired, blue-eyed, very flamboyant best friend Gwyn.  Both have always felt like outsiders - Dimple because she has always felt "not quite Indian, and not quite American." Gwyn because she is a rich girl with an alcoholic mother who's never home, and a father who left years before.

But, now Dimple's parents have arranged for her to meet a 'suitable Indian boy,' and naturally, she can't help but feel resistant.  Karsh Kapoor may be good looking, but Dimple refuses to have an interest in him.  After all, he is the son of her mother's best friend from India, a college boy going to NYU, studying to be a computer engineer, and, Dimple is pretty certain, a real nerd.

But Dimple has a lot to learn about being Indian and her cousin Kavita is just the person to begin her education.  On a visit for Dimple's birthday, she tells her all about the South Asian scene at NYU, in which she and Karsh are both active. And Kavita gives Dimple a way to define herself as an ABCD - American Born Confused Desi (Hindu for a person from South Asia).  Suddenly, knowing that there are other people out there who feel as she does about who gives Dimple a whole new perspective on things.

But when Dimple runs into Karsh at a club one night, she suddenly sees him in a different light.  Unfortunately, Gwyn also seems to sees him differently then the description that Dimple had given her, and Gwyn is on the rebound from a very public, very humiliating break up and has no inhibitions about revealing to Karsh what Dimple had said about him.  Which means that Gwyn now feels completely entitled to throw herself at him.

Suddenly, both girls have an real interest in Indian culture and traditions.  Or maybe it's a real interest in impressing Karsh with their South Asian knowledge - just as soon as they acquire some.  Unaware that Dimple's feeling about Karsh have changed, Gwyn asks her to help her win over Karsh, even going to far as to borrow the new Indian clothing Dimple had just received for her birthday.

Will Dimple be willing to continue to take a back seat to Gwyn yet again?

Born Confused lays claim to the fact that it is "the first ever South Asian American coming of age novel" and I loved it - every word on all its 500+ pages.  Tanuja Desai Hidier has a way with words that not only brings her characters to life, but can tingle all your senses - don't skip the descriptions, skimmers.  But coming of age is a journey and Dimple takes us along on her through her first person stream of consciousness thinking, which can be at times funny, self-deprecating, serious and very naive.

I loved the metaphorical use of the Dimple's camera.  She considers the camera lens to be her third eye, even naming it Chica Tikka.   Dimple uses it not just as a way to hide but also to express what she can't in words.  In fact, she has a lovely relationship with her grandfather, Dadaji, in India and since neither speaks the other's language, Dimple tells him about herself and her life through her camera lens.  Tellingly, in the beginning, everything in Dimple's world is shot in black and white, but at 17, she begins to experiment with color - with her photographs and her life.

Best friend Gwyn is quite a character, as well.  She has been the subject of Dimple's photographs for years, and nothing makes Dimple happier than seeing Gwyn happy, a situation that the very narcissistic Gwyn takes complete advantage of.  I wondered more than once why they were such good friends, since that outsider sense of themselves seems to be all they had in common.

Mr. and Mrs. Lala, Dimple's parents, have been drawn to perfection by Hidier, as is cousin Kavita, Karsh and everyone else who people this novel.   I did find I had to look up a few things I was sure of, mostly regarding things belonging to Indian culture and tradition, but not so much that it spoiled my enjoyment of Dimple's story.

Born Confused was originally published in 2003 and a few things may feel dated, but that does not detract from the novel at all.  And that was also a time before social media and cell phone cameras, so Dimple's SLR camera, film, and darkroom may baffle a few readers, but hopefully they will be curious enough to enlighten themselves (I personally still prefer an SLR for real photographs, a cell phone for snapshots).

Bottom line: at a time when #weneeddiversebooks, Born Confused should be on everyone's reading list.

GOOD NEWS: Tanuja Desai Hidier has written a sequel to Born Confused called Bombay Blues, continuing Dimple's search for self and home, and this time she heads to Bombay to visit family and it will be available August 26, 2014.

This book is recommended for readers age 14+
This book was an E-ARC received from NetGalley

It's Monday! What are you reading? #9

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.

This week I hope to finish and review
1- Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier 

And I hope to read
1- The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy
2- The Life and Time of Benny Alvarez by Peter Johnson
3- Five, Six, Seven, Nate by Tim Federle

WOW, I just realized I have no picture books or nonfiction for the week.  I'll have to fix that!

Last week, I read and reviewed
1- Every Day is Malala Day by Rosemary McCarney

2- The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer

3- The Comic Book War by Jacqueline Guest

4- I Survived #4 I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor by Lauren Tarshis

 I read but have not reviewed yet

1- Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle (which I loved)

2- The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynn Jones and Ursula Jones (which I did not love)

What are you reading this week?

Every Day is Malala Day by Rosemary McCarney

Most people around the world were stunned on October 9, 2012 when they heard the news that a young girl and her two friends were shot by the Taliban on their way to school in Pakistan.   For most of us, that was our introduction to 15 year of Malala Yousafzai.  With reports about the shooting, came information about Malala's fight for the right of all girls to be educated.

Malala and her two friends survived the shooting.  You would think a bullet in the head would put a stop to Malala, but that would be giving the Taliban just what they wanted.  Instead, this very brave young woman continued her fight for the right of all children to be educated around the world.  

Every Day is Malala Day is a beautiful tribute to Malala.  The book begins with a short introduction to her and her accomplishment.  This is followed by a letter, really a compendium of letters sent to Malala from young girls around the world, expressing their admiration, their friendship and support for her.  Malala is a girl that many of them could relate to and who champions a message that they know can impact and change their lives.

Each page has simple text paired with a detail, richly colored photographs of girls raising their hands in support ("We have never met before, but I feel like I know you"), laughing together ("And you are a friend"), girls in uniforms with their arms wrapped around each other as they go to school ("You spoke up for yourself and other girls too").  

While most of the pictures show strong smiling girls, they are contrasted with some that remind us that Malala's work isn't finished yet, that too many countries want girls uneducated and silent.  And this is accomplished through early marriage, maintaining poverty, discriminating against girls and of course, the kind of violence that didn't work with Malala.

The book ends with excerpts from Malala's speech given at the United Nations on July 12, 2013, her 16th birthday.

The beauty of this book is that Malala was really an ordinary girl who decided to stand up for what she believed in and didn't let anything stop her, not even a Taliban's bullet.  She is truly an inspiration to girls everywhere of what they can accomplish through education and determination - which is exactly what her message is.  As she told the UN and the world:

"One child, one teacher, one pen, and one book can change the world."

Every Day is Malala Day is done with the same beauty, eloquence and simplicity that Malala exemplifies and it is a book is would recommend to everyone.

Profits from the sale of this book go to Plan Canada, which works to end gender inequality and promote girls' rights around the world through their Because I am a Girl Fund.

This book is recommended for readers age 5+
This book was borrowed from a friend

Watch the video that inspired the book:

This is book 6 of my 2014 Nonfiction Picture Book Reading Challenge hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy

The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer

Grace and her mother are nomads, moving from place to place all over California every few months, but now Grace is sure they have found a much desired permanent home.renting a small house from Mrs. Green.  Grace and Lacey Green have even become best friends.  So when her mother started showing signs of restlessness, Grace refused to move.  Then the unthinkable happened - Grace's mother accidentally drowned in the river.

Now Grace, 12, must live with her estranged grandmother, a woman she only knows one thing about - she had put her mother on a bus to Texas when she discovered her 17 year old daughter was pregnant with Grace.

At her mother's funeral, grandma seems to be the cold-hearted, uncaring person Grace always imagined she was.  Grace refused to live in the house with her, choosing to live in an old shed instead.  But Grace has a plan to sabotage her grandmother's life as much as possible and one that she is pretty sure will get her sent back to live with Mrs. Green and Lacey.  Even after grandma hands her brand new clothes and a new pair of Chucks, Grace refuses to have anything to do with her.  On the other hand, tracking mud through the house, removing all the light bulbs in the house and replacing the clothes detergent with dish washing soap doesn't elicit the reaction Grace had hoped from a disgusted, raging grandma ready to get rid of another child.

And then Grace discovers an origami crane and she is convinced her mother is reaching out from the grave to guide Grace to where she wants her to live now.  After all, her mother had always used origami cranes as part of the treasure hunts she devised for Grace each time they moved to help her get accustomed to her new home.  All Grace has to do is find all the clues her mother was sending.

But slowly Grace begins to settle in, starting school and even making new friends.  Could this possibly be the permanent home she has always craved?  But what about grandma?  Can she trust grandma not to send her away like she did her mother?   Well, sometimes, thing just aren't what they seem to be.

I have to confess, it took me two tries to get into The Secret Hum of a Daisy.  I found the beginning a little slow going, perhaps the idea of beginning a novel with a funeral wasn't appealing to me.  But once I past it, I couldn't put Grace's story down.   For the most part, the writing is beautiful - emotional and lyrical yet straightforward.  The characters are nicely developed, and as you get to know them better, Grace and grandma both begin to feel very engaging and quite full-bodied.  The setting is perfect, a very small, somewhat rural town in northern California where everyone knows everyone else, and most people knew Grace's mother and even her dad in a way that doesn't happen in big cities.

This is a coming of age novel where readers really see the transformation of Grace unfold slowly and gently, as she narrated her story (it is a first person narration).  I was a young when my dad passed away and so I could understand Grace's magical thinking when she first discovers the origami crane, since cranes played an important part in her mother's life., and convinces herself it is a sign from her mother.

All that being said, I did have some problems.  First, while Grace's mother seems somewhat selfish, not considering what her growing child needed, only what she herself wanted.  She had grown up in a stable, happy home up until she was sent to Texas, and while that may have traumatized her, it wasn't enough for me to understand the need to keep moving.  Perhaps she was haunted by her own demons, but I didn't get a sense of that, mostly because we don't find out the whole story until almost the end of the book.

There are two main themes in The Secret Hum of a Daisy.  First, there is the theme of loss.  Grace loses her mother accidentally, but even before that, she has already lost the family she never knew, the life she could have had and wanted because of her mother's wandering life.  And each move involves its own kind of loss.  But the loss theme keeps coming up.  I could handle a few origami cranes being found - maybe some kid could have made and gave them to different people around town, but instead cancer and the story of Saduko are introduced and as is a sick horse.  I felt it was too much and really interrupted the flow of Grace's own narrative about loss.

The second theme is about forgiveness.  I am a big believer in forgiveness, so naturally I kept wondering how many hoops the grandma was going to have to jump through before Grace realized she wasn't the person she had been years ago.  However, I did think it was a real positive that the grandma owned up to her mistake and took responsibility for her.

The Secret Hum of a Daisy appears to be a debut novel for author Tracy Holczer.  I thought that she has a definite writing style that is just the stuff of great middle grade stories and she can cast an image with words in a way that is enviable (much like her young protagonist does with her poetry).   When you read the book, you will see what I mean.  I think a little editing and this could have been a 5 star novel for me. And I am really looking forward to reading her next book.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book is a ARC from the publisher

There is an excellent Curriculum Guide for teachers to use with this book available HERE

Park Scientists: Gila Monsters, Geysers, and Grizzley Bears in America's Own Backyard by Mary Kay Carson, photographs by Tom Uhlman

If you have ever visited one of America's national parks, you know how beautiful they truly are.  But did you know that they are also, as Mary Kay Carson writes, natural laboratories and living museums, places where you can find all sorts of interesting and unique animals, plants and other wonders of nature?

In her new book, Park Scientists, Mary Kay Carson introduces us to three very different national parks, and to the work that scientists and researcher carry on in them all year long to make sure they continue to be healthy places to visit.  Scientists study the ecosystem particular to each park, as well as measuring temperatures, tracking populations of animals and plants and devising ways to care for them, when they are sick or simply to keep them healthy.

First up is Yellowstone National Park, so large, it takes up land in three states - Montana, Wyoming and  Idaho.  Carson explains how Yellowstone's famous geysers happen, why they erupt to faithfully (hence the name of the most famous geyser in the park - Old Faithful) and why scientists study them and monitor their temperatures so closely.

Yellowstone is also home to the famous and scary grizzly bear.  Carson explains how bear scientists can now track bear populations using a special GPS collar.  Readers will also find out why it is important to sturdy these big bears so they don't disappear because of hunger and how their enemy, the grey wolf, can both hurt and help the grizzly.

Saguaro National Forest is the second park visited.  This desert park is located in the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona, near Tucson, and is my personal favorite.  Scientists here study the Saguaro cacti, measuring its growth and doing a census of these desert giants.  They are especially concerned with what might cause a Saguaro to die.  To date, they believe it is a serious of freezes, but they keep studying the problem.

Also found in the desert are Gila monsters.  These are the largest lizards in the US and they have been around since the age of the dinosaur.  Though not too large, they are very powerful, so watch out for them if you see one in the desert.  They are tracked like the grizzly, wearing a specially designed GPS, so they can be monitored.

From the desert, Carson takes us to the Great Smokey Mountain National Park on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina.  Here, scientists study salamanders and fireflies, trying to determine what effect climate change may have on them.  The salamander requires a moist climate, so the question is could it adapt to a warming climate.  Carson introduces us to an evolutionary researcher, who studies the adaptation of salamanders using their DNA.

Ever wonder how a firefly lights up the night?  Carson explains it all and then tells us about what firefly researchers do.  Fireflies are difficult to protect, but they are in decline.  Researcher want to find out why.  I remember when I was growing up in NYC, there were fireflies everywhere at night, then one summer they were gone.  Temperature change?  Maybe.

Carson's text is clear and concise, and is complimented with beautiful  colorful photographs by Tom Uhlman.  His close up shots provide informative pictorial detail enhancing our appreciation of the work of the scientists and researchers.  And his more panoramic views give us a bigger picture so that we can really marvel at the beauty and difference of each park.

I hope these few interesting facts from Park Scientists about what goes on in these national parks have whet your appetite for finding out more about what science does to help protect and prolong the natural wonders that are found in each.

Park Scientists is part of the Science in the Field series and is every bit a excellent and informative as all the other books in the series.  This is a welcome addition to the library of the curious reader or the budding scientist, not to mention in classrooms and for home schooling.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

There is an in-depth 7 page discussion guide perfect for teachers that can be downloaded for free from Scribd

This is book 5 of my 2014 Nonfiction Picture Book Reading Challenge hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy

Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes

For Joylin Johnson, 12, there is nothing better than a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, a game of one on one with Jake, or hanging out with her best friend KeeLee.  It all adds up to a good day for her.  Or at least it used to until middle school came along and everything changed.

Joylin is changing - she's growing up and not happy about the changes,  inside or outside her body.  But she continues to play basketball, making the team at school and garnering all of her basketball loving father's praise.  The problem is that leaves no praise left over for little brother Caden, a talented artist in his own right, who keeps trying to get his father's attention and a little praise for himself.

Then, one Saturday, Joylin heads over to join the boys only basketball game.  When Joylin gets the ball, she suddenly realizes the guard on the other team who's shadowing her has killer green eyes.  She loses the ball and has a fight with Jake, but finds out the boy's name is Santiago.

Suddenly, Joylin is smitten and to attract Santiago's attention, she changes herself to get him to notice her.  But heels and makeup just aren't her style and besides, Santiago still doesn't notice her.  Naturally, Jake and KeeLee are quick to point out that she really just needs to be herself.

But it takes a man texting in his car to make Joylin finally stop and reassess what are the most important things in her life.

When my Kiddo was around Joylin's age, she said to me one day "Wouldn't you love to be my age again?  It's the best!"  My answer was a flat out and resounding NO!  Once was enough.  And as the realities of tween life began to make themselves felt, she told me she could totally understand why I said no.

I had forgotten about his conversation until I started reading Nikki Grimes's Planet Middle School.  Grimes has managed to capture exactly what the transition from child to adolescent is like in this short, free verse volume.  It's all there - from changing hormones to clothes to zits to confusing feelings about boys, friends and life in general.

Joylin is the first person narrator and that  combined with the free verse style results in a feeling of stream of consciousness that gives this story a sense of intimacy and immediacy.  And Joylin is a great narrator - she's sassy, at times sarcastic, but she can also be kind and understanding, especially when it comes to her little brother.

This is an ideal book for anyone girl who has reached middle school age and who may be having some feelings of trepidation and anxiety about the changes she is facing or already experiencing.  It's always comforting to know that experiences like Joylin's happens to all girls.  I wish I had it to give to my Kiddo when she was 12.

One of the things I really loved about Planet Middle School is that the protagonist is African American but it is not about being African American per se, it is about being a girl entering a new phase of her life and that makes the story really universal.

Planet Middle School is, on the whole. a wonderful, very readable story about family friendship and growing up.

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

West of the Moon by Margi Preus

After having read Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus, I knew I had to read West of the Moon as well, because even though the two novels are very different from each other, they both deal with strong young protagonists who refuse to simply accept their harsh circumstances at the hand of a cruel master.  In Shadow, it is Hitler, in West of the Moon it is a simple goatman.

West of the Moon is introduced with the beginning of the Norwegian folktale East of the Sun, West of the Moon, in which a poor father with many children gives his youngest daughter to a great White Bear so that the family can now be as rich as they had once been poor.

For 13 year old Astri, this folktale has parallels to her life, but the circumstances are very different, as she tells us throughout her story.

Asti's mother has died and her father has left Norway and gone to America to seek his fortune, leaving her and younger sister Greta, 8, to live with their greedy aunt and uncle and their daughters. Needless to say, they are not treated well.  One night, a great big goat farmer with a hunchback, Mr. Svaalberd, comes to the house, gives the aunt two gold coins and takes Astri back to his isolated mountain hut.

In the folktale, the bear treats the daughter well, they live in a castle, eat well and have fine things.  Astri's new home is filthy, she is expected to do great amounts of hard, dirty work and the food is wonderful either.  The bear treated his daughter like a princess; the goatman treats his like a servant he is entitled to hit and even beat when he is angry at her for something, which is often.

After she is locked in a storehouse shed, Astri discovers a young girl upstairs sitting at a spinning wheel and spinning beautiful yarn.  The girl doesn't speak, but over time she cares for Astri's wounds each time the goatman hits her.

Astri is smart and quick-witted, so when the goatman decides they are to be married, she knows she has to do something drastic and quickly, then go get her sister Greta and try to find their father.  Taking the goatman's treasure and his book of spells, Astri and Spinning Girl run away, pursued by the goatman.

Eventually, Astri and Greta find their way to the ship that is taking all the people afflicted with "America Fever" to find their dreams and, for the sisters, maybe their father.

Nothing is ever as easy as a synopsis makes it sound and that is very true of West of the Moon.  Astri faces all kinds of hardships and dangers throughout her adventure.  And she meets all kinds of people - some kind, some not. And while Astri is a strong, brave survivor, she also isn't above a little lying, cheating or stealing of her own in order to save herself, Greta and even Spinning Girl.  On the other hand, she is aware of this side of her survival personality and totally owns it.  I think this makes her the best kind of hero.

Preus is such an excellent storyteller that she can even manage to convey hope even at the darkest moments.  She has written a wonderfully magical novel, despite its episodes of violence.  I did think that the parallel of the original folktale and the harsh reality of Astri's story might help to temper some of the more difficult aspects of the story, particularly those surrounding Astri's getaway from the goatman, making it more digestible for sensitive readers.

In her Author's Note, Margi Preus writes that the roots of this novel lie in the diary of her great great grandmother Linka, who came to this country from Norway with her minister husband around the same time Astri and Greta would have.  In fact, some of the shipboard incidents are lifted right out of the diary - you can read the notes to find out exactly which ones.

You do not need to be familiar with the folktale East of the Sun, West of the Moon, but you might want to give it a read anyway at some point.  There are references to other Nordic tales as well, that are listed in the back matter that young readers might also be interested in reading in conjunction with West of the Moon. 

This is a wonderful novel and I highly recommend this magical book.  I couldn't put it down when I read it.

This book is recommended for readers age 11+
This book was an ARC from the publisher.