Lair of Dreams (The Diviners #2) by Libba Bray

I waited a long time for the sequel to Libba Bray’s The Diviners, but it finally came out in August at a chunky 608 pages.  Was it worth the wait?  You bet it was.

Lair of Dreams picks up shortly after the ending of Book 1.  Having outed herself as a diviner in order to solve the mystery of the Pentacle Killer, a serial murderer in The Diviners, Evie O’Neill, 17, is now America’s Sweetheart Seer, reading secrets of people on the radio.  As a diviner, you may recall, Evie can “read” another person’s deepest, darkest secrets simply by holding an object of theirs, 

Evie is also estranged from her Uncle Will, the curator of the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult, and has been living in one hotel after another, getting kicked out for having too many raucous parties.  Evie still hangs out with her old friends, including Ziegfeld girl Theta Knight and musician Henry DuBois, as well as Mabel and Jericho, who works for her uncle.  And in Harlem Memphis Campbell, Theta’s love interest, is still trying to come to terms with his own abilities as a healer.  

Henry has decided to try to find his lost love, Louis, also a musician with whom Henry was in love when they lived in New Orleans.  Using his ability to dream-walk, Henry no sooner begins his search when he meets Ling Chan, 17, a girl from Chinatown who can also dream walk and speak to the dead.  But Henry isn't the only dream walker Ling has met.  Wei-Mae is a young girl traveling from China to New York to be married to a wealthy man she has never met.  

And then there is Sam Lloyd, the petty thief who stole Evie’s $20.00 when she first arrived in NYC, and has been a not-always-welcomed mainstay in her life ever since.  And now, much to Evie’s chagrin, she finds herself in a sham engagement to Sam, to the joy of her boss who sees it as free publicity for his radio station.

Sam, however, is more obsessed with the idea of something called Project Buffalo.  Whatever it is, it took his mother away from him as a boy and now he’s on a mission to discover why and how and where she is.  Project Buffalo was briefly mentioned in The Diviners, in a newspaper article Sam was reading about a young girl who died of a mysterious sleeping sickness but not before she uttered the words “Project Buffalo.” 

And now it seems that that mysterious sleeping sickness has gripped New York, and it appears to be centered in Chinatown.  It’s going to take a concerted effort of all the diviners to solve this mystery, but Evie is going through some stuff of her own.  Feeling less sure of herself, she parties and drinks too much to escape the disturbing memories of the Pentacle Killer.  When she starts making bad decisions and poor choices, it begins to look pretty doubtful that she will be much help.  

But when one of her inner circle falls victim to the sleeping sickness, will Evie be able to pull herself out of her boozy stupor and help her friend?

If this sounds a bit like a recap of The Diviner, it's because saying too much about Lair of Dreams means giving away too much of the story and it's way too delicious to spoil it for other readers.  Suffice it to say that this is a book that will certainly entertain, with it many story lines and it's twists and turns, but it will also make you think.  It is historical fiction that gives us a wonderful picture of life in 1920s New York.  Prohibition is still the law, so there are lots of speakeasies and glitzy flappers wearing headache bands and strings of pearls,  and the bright, fast rhythms of jazz bands is the music of the moment, but there is also a dark side - a side that exposes prejudice and mistrust of Chinese immigrants, gays and African Americans.  

Lair of Dreams is the second volume of a planned four volume Diviners series.  Evie has a smaller role to play in this book than she did in The Diviners, so I am wondering if each book will showcase another diviner, while the rest of the characters we are already familiar with remain in the picture as well.   I personally would really like to read more about Memphis, Isiah, and of course Blind Bill, characters with their own abilities living in Harlem.

Which leads me to the question - does Lair of Dreams stand alone even if it is part of a series.  I think it does, but given what and how much Bray refers to the has people and events in The Diviners, I would definitely read that first.  Both volumes are big, but so compelling, you won't want to put them down until you are done.

Now, I can't wait to read the three volume in The Diviners series.

This book is recommended for readers age 12+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley

Miracle on 133rd Street by Sonia Manzano, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

It's Christmas Eve, but living in an apartment in 133rd Street, everything is just too small for a proper celebration - or at least that's how Jose's mother feels - the tree is too small for all the decorations, the oven is too small to cook the roast in.  Mami is definitely unhappy and homesick for Puerto Rico.

But as  José suggests, a pizza oven would cook that roast.  So, he and Papi, also named José, bundle themselves up to head over to Regular Ray's Pizzeria to see if they can use their over.

But before they even leave their building, they meet Mrs. Whitman, from apartment 4B who is tired of all the Christmas racket everywhere, especially in her own apartment and from her own kids.

Next, they meet Mr. and Mrs. Santiago from apartment 3Cwho want to know if something is wrong.  It seems they won't be celebrating Christmas this year because their children won't be coming home.

On the second floor, Mr. Franklin was looking out his peephole to see if someone was being robbed.  And finally from 2B, Mrs. Wozensky complained that Christmas cost too much money, and who that much, anyway?

You would think that having met all that crabbiness and unhappiness, father and son would be feeling pretty down by the time they reached Mr. Ray's Regular Ray's Pizzeria.  But luckily, the pizza oven was free and they roast was successfully roasted, so successfully that it's delicious smell wafted into the noses of Mr. Ray, Mrs. Wozensky, Mr. Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Santiago and finally Mrs. Whitman.  With a roast so big it wouldn't fit in the oven, there was plenty to eat and all the neighbors accepted the invitation of the father and son to join them for their Christmas Eve celebration, much to Mani's delight.  What good cheer that night was filled with!

I'm a NYC girl and I just love a good story that takes place in my favorite city.  The only thing better than that is a holiday story that really captures the true meaning of Christmas - peace on earth, goodwill towards all people.  And that is just was the two Josés accomplish with one good-smelling roast and lots of Christmas spirit.   And miracle of miracles, even their small apartment was large enough to accommodate such a large group of people - but isn't that what Christmas Eve is all about - miracles?

I love the neighborhood that Sonia Manzano created for her story, a little reminiscent of Sesame Street (where she resided for so many years on TV), reflecting NYC's diversity in the microcosm of one small apartment building.

Majorie Priceman's bright, colorful gouache painting, done in a palette of sparkling Christmasy colors, add so much to the warmth and feeling of community of the story.  They are happy and hectic like the city and the apartment, but with room for everyone.

If you want a Christmas book that isn't about Santa Clause, or just need a break from shopping and mall madness, or maybe just looking for some down time, Miracle on 133rd Street is the book for you.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was borrowed from a friend
     

It's Monday! What are you reading? #20

It's Monday! What are you reading? is the original weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, but is now hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.  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 Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers .  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.

Christmas is almost here and my Kiddos will be arriving from California tomorrow, so I've been busy decorating and baking.  Their anniversary is December 26th; they were married here, right in front of the Christmas tree a few years ago, in a small ceremony.  Last summer, they had a second much larger wedding in China for his family, but I couldn't go because I have bad asthma and the air there was too smoggy.    

My Kiddos at Christmas

Despite all the excitement, I did manage to get some reading and posting done last week:

on Monday, I wrapped up my #Readukkah week with The Spotted Pony: A Collection of Hunukkah Stories, edited by Eric A. Kimmel;

on Tuesday, I reviewed The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow by Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson as part of a blog tour; 

and on Friday, I posted a roundup of board books for Christmas, sure to please the youngest of readers.

I also read some picture books, but haven't reviewed them yet:

Click, Clack, Ho! Ho! Ho! written by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin
The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by David Ercolini
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski, illustrated by P. J. Lynch

This week, I'm reading:

Miracle on 133rd Street by Sonia Manzano, illustrated by Majorie Priceman.  This is a wonderful story of community.  Full review coming soon!

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, a Flavia de Luce mystery by Alan Bradley, a nice holiday offering to indulge my love of cozy mysteries.  Flavia is an 11 year old who has a penchant for chemistry, complete with lab in a wing of her family's old, rambling estate house.  Flavia uses her knowledge of chemistry to help solve mysteries;

in the spirit of the forthcoming Newbery awards, I am also reading A Newbery Christmas: Fourteen stories of Christmas by Newbery Award-winning Authors, selected by Martin H. Greenberg and Charles G. Waugh.  I bought this book, along with A Newbery Halloween, ages ago at a book sale, but never got around to reading it until now.  

WHAT ARE YOU READING THIS WEEK?

  

All I want for Christmas are...Board Books

This Christmas roundup of board books is just right for youngsters who are starting to understand what all the excitement, the songs,  the decorations and the endless toy commercials are all about.   Take some quiet time with your young readers and enjoy a few of these gentle stories. 

My First Christmas written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola

Grosset & Dunlap, 2008, 14 pages (Age 3+)

Whether it's really baby's first Christmas or simply the first time your young reader is really attuned to Christmas, this is a fun book that covers all the usual holiday activities.  From the welcoming wreath on the front door, to the Nativity scene (the reason for the season) on the mantel, and the stockings to be filled, to the candy and cookies to be enjoyed, kids will enjoy reading and exploring the simple watercolor illustrations in this book as they await the arrival of Santa Claus.  

Spot's Christmas written and illustrated by Eric Hill

Penguin Books, 2015, 14 pages (Age 3+)

It's Christmas and Spot is very busy getting ready for the big day.  He sings carols with his friends, helps his dad decorate the Christmas tree, makes some Christmas cards to give out, and even helps his mom bake some yummy Christmas cookies.  Before he knows it, it's Christmas morning, and Spot may not have seen Santa, but he knows he was there - his Christmas stocking is brimful full of treats.  Young readers will enjoy reading about Spot's Christmas even as they get ready for their own big day.

Can You See What I See? Christmas 
written and illustrated by Walter Wick

Cartwheel Books, 2015, 24 pages (Age 3+)

This is a nice search and find board book for preschoolers.  Young readers will have fun finding all the Christmas trinkets and toys located in each photograph.  One side of each two page spread has words and picture prompts for kids on one side to find on the page facing opposite it.  Wick uses the photographic images from his Can You See What I See? Night Before Christmas picture book.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar's Christmas 1 2 3 

written and illustrated by Eric Carle

Grosset & Dunlap, 2015, 18 pages (Age 3+)

Young  fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar board book will have lots of Christmas fun learning how to count from 1 to 10 as they find the hungry caterpillar making its way over all kinds of holiday images.  All the images are done in Eric Carle's signature collage style using paint and tissue paper and kids will have fun from 1 Santa to 5 snowflakes to 10 presents.  But can they find the hungry caterpillar among all those presents?

Dream Snow written and illustrated by Eric Carle

Philomel Books, 2015, 22 pages (Age 3+)

Younger readers can finally have their own copy of this fun story now that it is a board book.  Learn to count to five along with a farmer who looks very much like Santa and who only has five animals - named one, two, three, four, five.  One night the farmer falls asleep, dreams about snow covering everything in white blanket (lift the snowy flap to see what's underneath).  He wakes up, realizes it is Christmas, pulls on his red coat, packs a big bag full of stuff and a wrapped box and can you guess what he does next?  Eric Carle's story is delightful and his paint and tissue paper collage illustrations add to the fun.

Christmas at Last! by Sam Hearn, illustrated by Penny Dann

Cartwheel Books, 2015, 16 pages (Age 3+)

It's finally Christmas and everyone in the Bear family has found just what they needed in their Christmas stocking - hat, scarf, mittens, buttons - except Baby Bear, who found a carrot.  What can he do with that?  Well, Daddy Bear has just the right festive idea.  Can you guess it?  This colorfully illustrated glittery book has pages shaped like Christmas stockings and is told in a rhyme bearing a striking similarity to The Night Before Christmas. 

Blog Tour: The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow by Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson, illustrated by Roman Muradov

When I first started blogging, I came across a website called The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow.  Yes, it is a book review blog, but, at that time, there was also an excerpt of a middle grade mystery to two blog owners, Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson, were writing.  Being a compulsive reader, I naturally read the excerpt.  And it was that tasty amuse-bouche that made me want more.  And now, it’s happened!  The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow has been published and now we can all enjoy what I hope is only Fairday’s first of many mystery-adventures.     

When Fairday's parents decide to move her out of Manhattan and into the Begonia House, a large old rumbling house that has been vacant for years in a place called Ashpot, Connecticut, she wasn't very happy.  Not only did it mean leaving her best friend and partner in the DMS (Detective Mystery Squad) Lizzy, but as Fairday, her parents and little sister Margo drove up to the house, they were confronted with the very ominous warning, 

Fear Not The Unexpected, 

right across the front gates.  What a welcome!

As if that sign weren't creepy enough, once in the house Fairday is sure she hears bagpipe music, but when she finds a dusty, moldy bagpipe in a locked third floor room, she's sure the music didn't come from there, but where?

Over her first weekend, Fairday begins to suspect that something is going on it the house.  Anxious for Lizzy to come visit the next weekend to explore the house and especially the locked room more, Fairday begins middle school on Monday.  Things go pretty well for being the new girl, and by the end of the week, Fairday has made a friend, Marcus, a fast runner also called Brocket the Rocket.  And an enemy, but he's really just an annoyance.

Begonia House has a haunting history, which people , even her classmates, seem to know about, but not know the details.  And sure enough, odd things begin to happen.  By the time Lizzy arrives the next weekend, Fairday has already put together clues and questions to be investigated:

Who is the red-haired lady Fairday catches glimpses of?

Why did the sand in the odd, old hour glass stop running even though it isn't clogged up?

Does it have anything to do with the kitchen clock being stuck at 3 o'clock?

How did Margo get into a mirror that reflects a door which doesn't exist? 
And who owns the bright red diamond and ruby covered high-heeled sneaker that can out of the mirror with Margo?

And lastly, why is Lizzy flirting with Marcus?  Is she crushing on him?

As luck would have it, Fairday is assigned an interview for school with her teacher's grandfather, Larry Lovell, a former investigative reporter who just may hold some answers to the mystery surrounding the Begonia House, it's original owner Thurston Begonia, and his only daughter Ruby, who suddenly disappeared on her wedding day over 50 years ago.

The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow is a mystery full of mystery.  It's fun, fast and well-written, well-plotted and really is worth the wait.  But luckily, you don't have to wait, since the book is available and you can enter the giveaway to get your owned signed copy: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

While you're waiting, why not enjoy the trailer for The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow:

And who are the lovely ladies who authored The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow:

Jessica Haight is a true New Englander, with a deep desire to be near the ocean and a love of the four seasons. She enjoys drawing while standing up and cultivating magic in her garden. She easily floats away in the pages of a good story and is still waiting for her owl from Hogwarts. Jessica lives in Connecticut with her charming fiancé James; dog Jack; cat Bill; and a very entitled bunny named Alice.

Stephanie Robinson lives with her husband in a quiet town, though not as quaint as Ashpot. After teaching fifth grade for almost fifteen years, she is now enjoying her role as a school media specialist.  One of the many benefits of her job is that she learns something new every day.  When Stephanie isn't working, she spends her time creating stories, getting lost in books, and traveling to new places.

You can follow Jess, Stephanie and Fairday on Fairday's blog, Twitter, the official book page Fear Not the Unexpected, Pinterest

The Spotted Pony: A Collection of Hanukkah Stories edited by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher

The last candle in the Menorah was lit last night and today is the last day of Hanukkah.  Eight days sure do go by quickly.  The Spotted Pony is my last #Readukkah for this year and I saved it for last on purpose.  

In his introduction to the book, Eric Kimmel tells us what a wonderful storyteller his grandmother was and how much he wanted to be just like her.  Especially welcomed were his grandmother's Hanukkah stories, one told on each night after lighting the candles, and Kimmel wanted to follow in her storytelling footsteps.  If you look at Kimmel's resumé, you will see that he, too, is a very accomplished storyteller, certainly one his grandmother would be proud of.

The Spotted Pony is a collection of eight tales, one for each night of Hanukkah, edited and retold by Kimmel, and each story begins with a Shammes, a brief introduction to what the story is about.  There are tales about wise men,  heroes, fools and tricksters, like Hershel of Ostropol in When Hershel Eats (the Seventh Night tale).  In it, Hershel figures out how to trick the Reb Shimon out of his dinner.  Reb Shimon would invited one person to his house for Friday night dinner, but he would pester them with so many questions, they never got to eat any of the food at the far end of the table before the servants took it away.  When Reb Shimon sees Hershel of Ostropol one Friday, he invites Hershel to dinner.  Did Hershel become a victim of the Reb Shimon's mean trick?  Well, it takes a trickster to know a trickster, doesn't it?  

In The Wonderful Shamir, wise King Solomon must find a solution to building the Holy Temple in Jerusalem without using anything made of iron as per the Lord's command.  He hears about a creature called a shamir, no bigger than a barleycorn, that has the power to slip massive stones.  Benayahu, a brave man in Israel, volunteers to seek out the demon Ashmodai to find out where the shamir can be found and then flying on the back of an albatross to find it, carrying only a piece of cut glass.  What is the glass for?  Benayahu was not only brave, but wise and he did bring the shamir back to Jerusalem, but just how exactly did he manage to do it?  Read on...

Those are just two of the wonderful tales in this book, but I have to admit my favorite was the tale told for the Eight Night of Hanukkah, The Spotted Pony.  This is a tale about kindness, loyalty, and letting go and should be read to be appreciated.

I loved the black and white realistic illustrations throughout each story, mostly because artist Leonard Fisher has really captured the true sense of these old folktales.  And even though the tales in The Spotted Pony aren't strictly about Hanukkah, they are folktales that will entertain and help readers celebrate the Festival of Lights each night.  And while the stories are from Jewish tradition, they can be read and appreciated by anyone. 

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

I hope everyone had a very Happy Hanukkah!

This is book 4 of my #Readukkah Reading Challenge for celebrating Chanukah hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries

Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Richard Simon and Tanya Simon, illustrated by Mark Siegel

Tonight is the seventh night of Hanukkah, so I thought I would share this review of a story that takes place on that night, and that I originally wrote for my other blog, The Children's War.

Shortly after Kristalnacht
(November 9-10, 1938), young Oskar's parents decide to send him to America to live in New York City with his Aunt Esther, whom he has never met.  Before he leaves, his father gives him some parting words of advice:

"Oskar, even in bad times, people can be good. You have to look for the blessings."

Oskar arrives in NYC on the seventh night of Hanukkah, which also happens to be Christmas Eve.  It's a cold, snowy December night and Oskar, who arrived penniless, with only an address and a photo of his aunt, has a long walk up Broadway from the Battery to her house on West 103rd Street before sundown and the lighting of the Hanukkah candles.

Along the way, Oskar finds the blessings his father told him to look for.  Watching an old woman outside Trinity Church feeding pigeons, he eats the bread she hands him to feed the birds.  Seeing him so cold, tired and hungry, she gives him a small loaf of bread to eat.

At a Union Square newsstand, the news dealer gives Oskar the Superman comic he can't pay for but is attracted to.

Later, Oskar has his first "conversation" in America, whistling back and forth with Count Basie outside Carnegie Hall.

Encountering some boys playing in the snow in Central Park, Oskar offers a helping hand to  a boy who has slipped.  Seeing Oskar's frozen hands, the boy gives Oskar his warm mittens and in return, Oskar gives him his Superman comic.

Altogether, Oskar experiences eight blessings (one for each night of Hanukkah) as he journeys up Broadway to 103rd Street.  But, of course, the last and most important blessing is finding his aunt.

The Simon's text is sparse but lyrical, a perfect read aloud book, and the story is carried forward wonderfully by Mark Siegel's paneled illustrations, done in a variety of sizes.  Siegel has rendered the illustrations in greys and earth tones, with splashes of color, so that they convey the overcast cold, snowy day of Oskar's arrival.  He has captured the variety of emotions that Oskar experiences on his long walk - fear, hope, confusion, wonder, surprise, happiness - both in Oksar's demeanor and his facial expression, and sometimes his emotion is only reflected in his eyes.

Oskar and the Eight Blessings works on so many different levels, but mostly it is a beautiful, sensitive Hanukkah story that really demonstrates that it is a season of hope and miracles.  The fact that the seventh night of Hanukkah is Christmas Eve, also a season of hope and miracles, only adds to the ambiance of the blessings.

But Oskar and the Eight Blessings is also a gentle way to begin introducing the Holocaust to young readers by explaining to them what happened on Kristalnacht and why Oskar was sent away by his parents to safety can provide enough information to help with those more difficult discussions later on.

NYC can be a daunting place even today, and I can only imagine what it would have felt like to this young Jewish refugee in 1938, escaping the cruelty of the Nazis who had already been in power since 1933, having no money and not speaking English and looking for an aunt who not only doesn't know him but isn't even expecting him.  But New York can also be magical, especially during the holidays, a place where blessings actually can happen.  Be sure to look at the map of Manhattan to see the places where Oskar's received his blessings in his new world and read the Author's Note for some very interesting background to Oskar and the Eight Blessings.

This book is recommended for readers age 4 to 104 years old
This book was borrowed from a friend

HAPPY SEVENTH NIGHT OF HANUKKAH!

This is book 3 of my #Readukkah Reading Challenge for celebrating Chanukah hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries

Dear Santa, Love, Rachel Rosenstein by Amanda Peet and Andrea Troyer, illustrated by Christine Davenier

Rachel Rosenstein loves Christmas.  She loves everything about it - the lights, the trees, the Santas, the sweets, the presents.  The only problem is that Rachel is Jewish and her family doesn't celebrate Christmas, they celebrate Hanukkah.  But for Rachel, Hanukkah lacks all the glitz and glamour that comes with Christmas.

So Rachel decides to do something about Christmas and Santa Claus.  First up, a letter to Santa asking him to stop at her house even though her family is Jewish.  Next, a visit to the old guy to see if he has received her letter.

When the letter and visit don't work out the way she thought the would, Rachel decides it's time to do something radical.  With decorations and cookies for Santa, Rachel is ready.  But the next morning, what a disappointment - no Santa visit, no presents.

To make matters more difficult, Rachel's mother has to go to work at a hospital caring for sick kids and leaving her already sad daughter.  Later, however, her dad takes Rachel and her sister to the park, then to a Chinese restaurant for dinner with her grandfather.

Pretty soon, the restaurant is full of families.  It was great, no one there celebrated Christmas either.  They celebrated Hanukkah, just as Rachel and her family did, and Chinese New Year, only a few weeks away, and Diwali, also a festival of lights for people who were Hindu.  Rachel has so much fun meeting all these other people that she not longer felt too bad about Christmas.  

I found myself with very mixed feelings about this book.  Rachel's disappointment that Santa didn't come is understandable and when her mother consoles her by telling her that "Sometimes, no matter how badly we want something, we just have to accept what is," I thought wise words.  And they sent me back to the beginning of the book that describes Rachel's family and how they celebrate the Jewish holidays together.  The text says that most of the time it is fun to be Jewish - and it is.  The family comes together for these days and there is lots of love there.

And when Rachel meets the other kids who don't celebrate Christmas, there is lots of camaraderie when they discover the one thing they really have in common - not being part of Christmas.  And Rachel finally gets it when she realizes that "when there [are] so many great holidays in the world, why feel so bad about one little old day like Christmas?'  A great lesson learned by a little girl?  New found pride in her own religion and a real appreciation for other religions beside hers?

Yes, but then you turn the page and it says maybe Rachel could still feel a tiny bit bad about not being part of Christmas and the whole thing collapse for me.

This book addresses a real dilemna that a lot of children and parents must deal with at this time of year.  Rachel's story could have been such an inspiring one for kids who may feel the way she does about not being part of a holiday that has become so prevalent in our society it dwarfs all other holidays and which has, ironically, lost much of it's religious significance for many people.

But maybe that last page will generate some good conversations with our children about how we celebrate religious holidays.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was borrowed from a friend.

HAPPY 5TH NIGHT OF HANUKKAH!

This is book 2 of my #Readukkah Reading Challenge for celebrating Chanukah hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries

Latkes, Latkes Good to Eat, a Chanukah Story written and illustrated by Naomi Howland

Today is the first day of Chanukah and I would like to share a book that I have always liked.  Sadie and her four younger brothers Herschel, Hillel, Hayim and baby Max have been left home alone while their mama is taking care of their Aunt Rose.  Living on the outskirts of a small village, the family is very poor and always hungry.

It's very cold on the first night of Chanukah, but when Sadie asks each of the older boys to go and collect some wood for a fire, they all refuse to help out,  Sadie heads out to the forest to get the wood herself.

While there, she meets a old woman who is very cold and who says she has no fire wood.  Sadie gives what she has collected to the woman and in return, the old woman gives Sadie a frying pan.  She tells Sadie that when her family is hungry, she must whisper the words
                     " Latkes, latkes, good to eat
                      Cook me up a Chanukah treat."

and when they have eaten enough, she must whisper
                       "A great miracle happened here!"

The only proviso is that only Sadie may use the frying pan.

Sure enough, each night pf Chanukah the frying pan makes as many latkes as Sadie and her brothers can eat.

On the last night of Chanukah, Sadie decides to invite the old woman to share the latke feast.  But while she is gone, her brothers decide to try out making some latkes for themselves.  Herschel, Hillel, and Hayim all claim they heard Sadie say the magic words, but once them have their fill of latkes, there is disagreement over the words used to stop the frying pan.

Needless to say, they are soon inundated with tasty, good-smelling latkes all over the house, overflowing into the front yard.  Soon even Sadie can smell them deep in the forest, and ever the townspeople are attracted to such a warm tasty treat.

But with so many latkes, can the boys' greed be turned into generosity and sharing?

Latkes, Latkes Good to Eat has been one of my favorite holiday books.  It read in part like a folktale, in part like a parable.  According to Naomi Howland, the story is based on an old Grimm's fairytale called "The Magic Porridge Pot" and makes for a very interesting reinterpretation of that story, placing it in Russian shtetl.  But there is a lot of similarity to the Chanukah story itself, when a small jar of oil miraculously lasted for eight days.  The illustrations, which are done in earth tones using gouache and colored pencils, help to give the story a sense of time and place, particularly the lovely border design on some of the pages.

I grew up in a neighborhood in Brooklyn where a lot of my friends celebrated Chanukah and I was always lucky enought to be invited to enjoy the evenings lighting of the candles, singing some Chanukah song and eating some really wonderful homemade latkes.  Howland has included a recipe for making latkes, something I've never tried myself but am tempted to now.

In her note at the end of the book, Howland explains that the words "A great miracle happened here" that stopped that latke making are also the same words that you would find on the four sides of a dreidel.

Latkes, Latkes Good to Eat is a wonderful read-aloud for children celebrating Chanukah, but it is also an excellent work for introducing young readers to cultures not their own.

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

Wishing everyone a very Happy Chanukah!

This is book 1 of my #Readukkah Reading Challenge for celebrating Chanukah hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

If you have ever wondered what everyone else was doing while heroes like Katnis Everdeen, Harry Potter, Tris Prior and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are busy saving the world from evil conquest, this is the book for you.  They may be the Chosen Ones, the only ones who can save humanity, but humanity is the operative word here - what the heck to they do during all the excitement?

For high school senior Mikey Mitchell and his friends it means hoping to at least make it to graduation and college, especially when it becomes clear that once again the "indie kids," the Chosen Ones with their cool-geek haircuts, thrift shop clothes and names like Finn, Satchel, Dylan, or Kerouac are involved in "some story going on that they're heroes of."  In Mikey's lifetime, the indie kids have already defeated the undead, soul-eating ghosts, the vampire cycle of romance and death.

He may not be a Chosen One, but life isn't easy for Mikey.  He's plagued with OCD, anxiety, and worry.  He has been in love with his friend Henna since he was 12 and he only has a few weeks left to tell her his feelings.  Henna's father is a white Finnish foot doctor, her mother a black music minister at their church and during the summer vacation, the family will be going on a mission to the Central African Republic.

Jared, Mikey's best friend, is gay and has been going off on weekends without telling anyone where he's at.  When Jared's grandfather Herbert was a teen, the indie kids defeated the Gods and Goddesses, sending them back where they came from.  But one goddess, the Goddess of Cats, remained and married Herbert.  As a result, Jared is also one quarter God, worshipped by all the cats in town and one mountain lion.  But where does he go and why so secretive?

Mikey worries a lot about his older sister Melinda or Mel, who has battled anorexia, but is doing better.  And their parents - mom Alice Mitchell is a politician, running for Congress, dad is an alcoholic.  There is a younger sister, Meredith, 10, and maybe a genius but definitely a fan of a rock group called Bolts of Fire (their concert is an important part of the novel).

Into Mikey's circle of friends come two new people who change the whole dynamic of the group,  Steve with an interest in Mel and Nathan, who has ensnared Henna's attention.  Meanwhile, the indie kids are involved with saving humanity from a takeover by the Immortals, who need new Vessels (human bodies) to survive.

All of this results in a very engaging novel that celebrates the ordinary by making it extraordinary.  How does Patrick Ness do that, you might ask?  Well, each chapter begins with one paragraph relating the "drama" the indie kids are involved in.  The rest of the chapter focuses on first person narrator Mikey, his friends and family and their quotidian dramas - passing their finals, kissing Henna, dealing with OCD, difficulties of having an alcoholic parents.

And it turns out that regular life is just as captivating, just as compelling, just as exciting as the lives of the "Chosen Ones" and often, just as fraught with difficulties.  I had expected this to be a rather humorous novel, and while there is humor as regards the indie kids and the Immortals, the rest of the novel is a serious look at the ordinary teen's life, which is anything but.

Of course, a novel like The Rest of Us Just Live Here walks a fine line between serious and satire, one that could result in dismal failure but Ness is a master of his craft and pulls it off beautifully.  Mikey and his friends are never the object of that satire, and Ness takes their problems very seriously.  And while this novel is set in the not too distant future, there are several tongue in cheek pokes at today's hipsters as the grandparent generation of the indie kids..

Ness has been one of my go-to authors since The Knife of Never Letting Go, and once again, he doesn't disappoint.  The Rest of Us Just Live Here is perfect for anyone who likes realistic fiction, fantasy, or a mixing of the genres.

This book is recommended for readers age 13+ (although it is suitable for older Middle Grade readers, in my opinion.)
This was an EARC received from Edelweiss/Above the Treeline