A Tiny Piece of Sky by Shawn K. Stout

This was originally posted on my other blog, The Children's War, but I thought I would share it here as well.  It's an interesting story about what happens when rumors are spread about a German American who refuses to support the bully running for mayor. 

It's only June, but the summer of 1939 does not look very promising as far as Frankie Baum, 11, is concerned.  Her sister and best friend Joan, "the just-barely-older of the two," is getting to spend the summer at Aunt Dottie's farm in New Jersey, where Frankie is sure she will be having the best summer ever, while she's stuck at home in Hagerstown, MD with older sister Elizabeth, called Princess by their parents.

And ever worse, Frankie is expected to work in her father's newly purchased restaurant, a long neglected Alpine-style relict of years ago, now with only weeks to get it cleaned up and running again to become his dream of "An Eating Place of Wide Renown."  Opening day is planned for July 5th.  Sure enough, at the restaurant, Frankie is sent to the kitchen to work, a dirty, messy job, while Princess gets to work the cash register.

Frankie is vaguely aware of war talk among the townspeople, of anti-German feelings that are beginning to brew, but she has never really considered her family to be German, even though her father's parents immigrated from Germany.  But when Hermann Baum is approached by the cigar smoking president of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Sullen Waterford Price, and refuses to let himself be bullied into becoming at paid member of the chamber, he makes a formidable enemy, one all too aware of his German roots.

Price is also running for mayor of Hagerstown, so when Hermann also refuses to put his election poster in his front window, Price begins looking for just the dirty information he needs to start spreading rumors that Hermann Baum is quite possibly a spy and Nazi sympathizer.

To make matters even more complicated, Hermann decides to throw his own  pre-opening day Fourth of July party for friends, family and even his African American staff and their families.  Hermann has always treated his kitchen staff fairly, despite living in a state where Jim Crow is in effect.  That, coupled with the German flyer that has mysteriously fallen into the hands of Mr. Price, are all that is needed for a boycott of Hermann's party. 

Frankie has overheard quite a bit while working in the kitchen, and decides to do some investigating of her own about what is going on.  But she also finds herself doubting her father's innocence.  When no one shows up at her father's party, she goes to the town's celebration to try and find out what is going on.  When Hermann shows up looking for her, he collapses.  And the Baum family's life is changed forever.

A Tiny Piece of Sky is a wonderful coming of age story.  Frankie's character develops slowly over the course of the novel as she encounters different people and situations.  The story is told in the third person by an omniscient narrator in a rather conversational style, and who seems to be right in the thick of things, more aware of what is going on in the world than Frankie is.  To get some of Frankie and even Joan's mindset, there are also first person letters they write to each other, which tend to create more mystery about Hermann Baum's heritage than information.

The story takes place over June, July and August 1939.  There aren't many pre-World War II home front stories for young readers, making this all that much more interesting.  Stout looks at both racism and xenophobia through the lens of Frankie's summer.  Frankie hasn't really paid attention to the racism and discrimination towards the African American community in Hagerstown, until she starts working in the restaurant.  But the character of Mr. Stannum, the restaurant's new manager, opens her eyes when she witnesses the way he treats the black kitchen staff with such cruelty and contempt, even refusing to allow them to use the bathroom he uses.  

You  also don't find many books for young readers that are about the kind of treatment that German Americans experienced in the 1930s and 1940s as the possibility of war with Germany became more of a possibility.  Most people don't realize they were also discriminated against. though to a far lesser extent than Japanese Americans.  What makes this an interesting theme here is that Stout shows how easily people can change their attitudes towards of friends and even fathers when doubt begins to take hold.  For that reason,  A Tiny Piece of Sky is not just good historical fiction, but also resonates so loudly in today's world. 

The other part of what makes A Tiny Piece of Sky such an interesting, realistic novel is that much of the material comes from Shawn Stout's own family and the restaurant they owned in Hagerstown, which she writes about in her Author's Note at the end of the novel.  Be sure to read it when you read this excellent novel.

Teachers can find an extensive Teaching Guide for A Tiny Piece of Sky HERE

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

Used with permission: the original menu from Shawn Stout's grandparent's restaurant.
Click to enlarge and check out the prices listed.

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein

Splendiferous Greetings and Salutations!

Well, Mr. Lemoncello's wonderful library has been open for a while now and is a big success.  You may remember that in Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, kids were invited to play his Library Lock-In game just prior to the opening of the town's first library in 12 years.  The lucky winners of this challenge were then featured on all of the Christmas advertisements for Mr. Lemoncello's games - video and board.

Now, due to popular demand, there's a new challenge at the Alexandriaville, Ohio's only library.  This time it's a duodecimalthon, consisting of 12 games all of which relate to the Dewey Decimal system.   Kids from all over the country are invited to compete for a place on regional teams, who then arrive in Alexandriaville to compete with the original winning team - Kyle Keeley, Miguel Fernandez, Akimi Hughes Sierra Russell and Haley Daley.  Sore loser Charles Chiltington and his officious mother are also back doing their best to sabotage the Olympics, and so is Andrew Peckleman.  Andrew is still angry over the first challenge and now so totally anti-library, he is content to just clean up and fill bird feeders in his spare time at the motel his newly-met -great-uncle-twice-removed had recently purchased.

Kyle, who has been rather cocky about his win and his subsequent fame, is a little worried about being able to defend his teams title, especially after meeting Marjory Muldauer, who main goal is to take Kyle down.  Marjory seems to know everything there is about the Dewey Decimal system, as opposed to Kyle, who seems to know nothing about.   But there a full scholarship for the wining team at stake and that is something that Marjory really desperately needs.  And she shares the belief with Mrs. Chiltington and Charles that a library should be just a library and it  and not a place for games, videos, holograms of famous scholars, as well as books.

So desperate, in fact, that when she is approached by Mrs. Chiltington to remove just one book from the library, with the promise of ending Mr. Lemoncello's antics and inappropriate library games, and a Go to College Free card, the offer just may be too much for Marjory to resist.

But when more and more books turn out to be missing from the library's shelves, it looks like someone is trying to censor what people may read.  Or maybe it's just another sinister plot to oust Mr. Lemoncello and turn to library into a traditional library.  Or maybe it's all of those things.  But will Kyle and Marjory and the other kids be able to override their competitive spirits and band together to solve the mystery of the missing books.

I found myself reluctant to pick up Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics when I first got it.  So often sequels are such let-downs.  Not this one.  It is every bit as much fun as the first novel.  Once again, Grabenstein showcases a large variety of books throughout the course of the novel (and there is a list of all the books mentioned at the back of the book, too).

For those readers already familiar with Escape from Mr. Lemomcello's Library, you'll slip right into this sequel; for those who haven't read the first book, no problem.  There's enough background given to let you know what is going on.

And would that Mr. Lemoncello's library really existed!  Oh well, at least, we have the next best thing - a book set in that splendiferous place.  And it is a fun, action-packed novel filled with games and even a couple of rebus puzzles readers can try to solve along with the characters.  And in true Grabenstein form, and in light of the banned books and censorship theme (one among many) in the novel, the last chapter is a challenge to the reader - to find the 20 things Mr. Lemoncello said in this volume that come from books once banned.

This is a book sure to please middle grade readers whether they like games or not and always remember that

KNOWLEDGE NOT SHARED REMAINS UNKNOWN 

This book is recommended for readers age 9+

This book was received from the publisher

Earth Day 2016

Today is Earth Day 2016 and I thought I would share some favorite books that we have been reading this year.

Go, Little Green Truck by Roni Schotter, pictures by Julia Kuo

Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2016

32 pages, age 4-6

Little Green is a happy little pickup truck, he's strong and sturdy and loves helping Farmer Gray do farm chores, until one day he is replaced by a big new shiny blue pickup.  Now, Big Blue does all the things Little Green used to do and Little Green is put out to pasture.  But Farmer Gray's daughter Fern misses Little Green and convince her dad to refurbish him.  He's given a new engine that uses corn and soy oil to run, and Fern spruces his body up with some painted flowers, fruits and animals and Little Green is back in service - beautifully recycled and environmentally friendly.  

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

Random House, 1971

45 pages, age 6-9

The Lorax was published only a year after the first Earth Day and carries a strong message of what happens when corporations greedily use the earth's natural resources with abandon.  The Once-ler tells the story of what happened to the land of the Lorax when he arrived there and chopping down all the trees to mass produce Thneeds.  As the land became more and more polluted, everyone had to move away and pretty soon there were no more trees left to cut down, the air was dirty, and the name desolate.  There is hope at the end in the form of a tree seed, though.  This is a great book for teaching kids about caring for the environment, and even though a lot has been done, there is still more to do.
Visit The Lorax Project for some ideas for teaching The Lorax and for getting kids involved in helping to save the earth.

Water Runs Through This Book by Nancy Bo Flood, 

photographs by Jan Sonnenmair

Fulcum Publishing, 2015

64 pages, age 8-12

If we didn't appreciate the power of water before the water tragedy in Flint, Michigan, we do now. To me, there is nothing quite as wonderful as a cold glass of water, until it isn't there anymore.  In this book, Nancy Bo Flood takes the reader on a round-the-world tour of the wonders of water using prose, poetry and stunning photographs and each page reminds the reader of why water is so important to life.  At the end of the book, there are suggestions for actions that young (and old) readers can do at home and at school.  There is a list of resources and a nice glossary.  Nancy's most important message in this book - always be grateful for the water we have.  If you read only one book this Earth Day, consider this one, after all, water is the source of all life.

Outside: A Guide to Discovering Nature by Maria Ana Peixe Dias, 

Inés Teixeira do Rosráio, and

Bernardo P. Carvalho

Frances Lincoln, 2016

368 pages, age 8-12

This is another of my favorite books this year.  The subtitle is "With more than 100 plants and animals, plus an introduction to weather, geology, and the night sky."  What better way to help young readers learn to appreciate the earth than with hand-on activities they can do no matter where they live.  The illustrations are rather minimal, with few colors but they are still spot on.  This is a great resource book as well as a great activity book and would be ideal for introducing kids to the natural sciences.  I can remember my Kiddo exploring nature in the park and at the beach and a book like this is just what she needed but didn't have.  It's a hefty volume but its packed full of good stuff.  

Earth Day is 46 years old now, and there is still so much that needs to be done.  Curious about what you and your Kiddos can do?  Check out the Earth Day Tookkit to learn how to take matters into your own hands!

It's National Parks Week! Here are some books to help you celebrate it.

America's National Parks are 100 years old this year and it's also National Parks Week, which very nicely and deliberately coincides with Earth Day on April 23rd.  The parks, after all, are all about conservation.  National Parks Week runs from April 18 to April 24, 2016 and to help you enjoy the natural beauty and history of these parks, admission is FREE.  Whether you are a first-time or returning visitor, there is always so much to do and to see and learn.

And to help kids enjoy the parks, National Geographic has published three centennial books all about the parks and things they can do.

National Geographic Kids National Parks Guide USA Centennial Edition: The Most Amazing Sights, Scenes, and Cool Activities from Coast to Coast
Sarah Wassner Flynn and Julie Beer
National Geographic Kids
2016, 176 pages, age 8+

This colorful easy to navigate guide introduces the reader to all the parks throughout the country.  Each 4-page spread includes stunning full-color photographs of the park, a map with suggestions for tours that came be taken, some Dare to Explore suggestions for doing other things in the area, a Checklist of things to do within the park and of course, some fun facts.  Besides park information, readers will discover the role President Theodore Roosevelt played in the establishment of National Parks, explore past events from America's past in some parks, there's even a checklist of things to bring to make sure your visit is fun, a section on animals that are native to the different parks.  One of my favorite sections is on spooky sites in parks and formerly endangered species who didn't disappear thanks to the efforts of the National Parks.  For fans of statistics, there are lots of park record setters listed.  There is also a glossary and do read the Ranger Tips for each park at the back of the book.  My recommendation: if you are going to visit a National Park this year, this is the book to take with you.

Junior Ranger Activity Book: Puzzles, Games, Facts, and Tons More FUN
National Geographic Kids
2016, 160 pages, age 8+

So, you've got the kids in the back seat of the family car and you're off to visit a National Park.  If you are like me, you don't want to hear a lot of "are we there yet?"  The answer to that question is this book.  There are word games, fill-ins, jokes, matching games, searching games, pages and pages to keep kids occupied and informed. And of course, fun facts, like this one: The recipe for s'mores, a popular fireside snack, first appeared in a 1927 Girl Scout handbook.  I wonder how many s'mores have been made in national parks throughout the years?  No matter which park you are visiting, there's fun stuff relating to it.  And there is a nice Answer Key at the back of the book.  There are also lots of maps and incredible photographs I've always loved activity books, especially those geared to an adventure I was taking my Kiddo on.  One of the nice things about many of the activities is that they can be done in the car and the whole family can participate.  More than one child?  My advice is get a copy for each one to avoid the possibility of fighting over it.  Trust me - they will like this book.

Buddy Bison's Yellowstone Adventure
Ilona E. Holland
National Geographic Society
2016, 32 pages, age 4+

A road trip to a National Park can be lots of fun, even for your youngest readers.  Elena and Christopher are visiting their Aunt Rosa, a ranger at Yellowstone National Park.  No sooner do they arrived, but they hear that some that there are some injured baby birds somewhere in the park. While Aunt Rosa deals with the baby bird emergency, the kids decide to wander by themselves.  Elena meets and makes friends with National Park Trust mascot Buddy Bison, but then, she realizes that Christopher is missing. Besides learning park rules about wandering alone, kids will also discover fun facts throughout the story.  There is also a History of Yellowstone and 5 Tips for Park Preservation.  This is a nice introduction to conservation, safely and the importance of National Parks at a level young readers can relate to.

Here is something you might be interested in:

National Geographic is celebrating the 100th anniversary of our National Parks Service by offering the chance to win a spectacular family vacation for four to Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Zion National Parks. Here are the details:

"This fabulous 8-day family adventure from National Geographic Expeditions is a dream trip come true. Discover the incredible geological treasures of the American Southwest and marvel at the rainbow colors of the high desert; explore the Grand Canyon’s North Rim on foot or mule; hike amid Zion’s wonderland of slot canyons, hanging gardens, and waterfalls, and splash through the Narrows of the Virgin River; wind through Bryce Canyon’s whimsical maze of red rock spires, and go on a scavenger hunt. Stay in historic park lodges with Old West atmosphere, and take part in activities and excursions geared for explorers of all ages.  

The National Geographic National Parks Sweepstakes runs from April 1-August 31, 2016. To enter or obtain full Official Rules go to: NationalParksSweeps.com."

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge is a weekly celebration of 

nonfiction books hosted by Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy

Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar

Carol, 12, has never met her father's father and in fact, knows nothing about him except his name, Serge, and that he has been diagnosed with dementia.  And the idea of spending the summer packing up his New Mexico sheep ranch so the he can move into a facility that can care for him, is totally not how she wants to spend her vacation.

Right off the bat something feels off - for instance, the land is parched dry from a drought, and Serge still has Inés, the same dog he has had for 30 years (that's 210 in dog years).  And bees have been buzzing around Carol's head ever since they got to the ranch, but Serge tells her there are no bees, that it hasn't rained in 100 years, so drought means no flowers, no flowers means no bees.

Carol also bears an uncanny resemblance to her grandmother, Rosa, who died on the very day she was born.  At times, Serge thinks she is Rosa, otherwise he insists on calling her Carolina and admonishes her for knowing nothing about her Mexican roots, always asking "Why do you spit on your roots, chiquita?"

Carol knows that her father, Raul, and Serge had a falling out and that Raul left home at a young age, but she has no idea what happened.  There is still a lot of tension between father and son, but soon, Carol and Serge begin to bond over the stories her tells her, stories.  The stories always begin with Once upon a time, there was a tree and are about a  tree with magical life-giving power, around which Serge and Rosa's love story happened; and which kept Rosa, the only villager with wanderlust, safe as she repeatedly traveled the world wearing a simple bracelet made from its bark, and always coming back to Serge.

In-between Serge's stories, there is hard work to do so that the ranch can be sold.  Long days are rewarded by her mother's wonderful Mexican cooking, something her never does at home.  But the days also increase the tension between Carol and her 17 year-old half sister Alta, who refuses to accept step-father Raul's family as hers, and who only seems interested in her friends and her own indulgent father.

As the summer progresses, Serge's tales sound more and more like fairy tales.  Was it possible that this desolate New Mexican mesa was once a vibrant village, with villagers who could cheat death simply by living in the shade of their beautiful tree?  And could the bees really take away the village's lake drop by drop, leaving behind a parched crater, and causing the 100 year drought?  And why? Maybe, Serge's stories really are just a product of his deteriorating mind.

Or maybe not.  Rosa, he tells Carol, was always followed by a swarm of bees, and now, little by little, they are beginning to follow her, too.  But the once beautiful tree is just a trunk now with no branches or blossoms.  If the bees are coming back, can the land and the tree somehow be brought back to life?

Hour of the Bees is so not what I was expecting.  I had thought it would be about half sisters learning to accept each other in a desert setting.  Clearly, this is a story that relies on character to move it along and I thought the characterization was really spot on.  Told in the first-person by Carol, the reader will find her a very sympathetic character in this coming of age story as she learns to embrace her cultural heritage and to realistically change and grow.  I found Alta accurately annoying as the older sister (at times, reminding me a little too much of my own older sister).  She and Carol have some definite issues to be resolved.  Raul, Serge's son, really annoyed me, he is so angry at Serge, he can't even look him in the face, so he, too, has issues to deal with.  What better place to put all these unresolved issues and problems than the hot, dry desert.

Serge is my favorite character.  His dementia helps move the story along, as he alternates calling Carol "Caro-leen-a" and Rosa, though I never felt that his deteriorating mind had been exploited and reduced to a plot device.  Serge is a nice, fully-developed (ironically) character and I felt myself drawn to him just as Carol is.

When I first started reading Hour of the Bees, I was reminded of one of my favorite books, House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende.  Eagar uses magical realism just as skillfully, making you feel that it's all possible.  And magical realism is one of my favorite genres and I think this a wonderful introduction to it for young readers who are accustomed to stories about straight magic, i.e. Harry Potter (which I also love).

You can find a wonderful discussion guide, ideal for teachers and book clubs, at Candlewick Press.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley

Blog Tour: A Bandit's Tale: The Muddled Misadventures of a Pickpocket by Deborah Hopkinson

When it is believed that 11 year-old Rocco Zaccaro has brought shame to his family in their village of Calvello, Italy, he soon finds himself sent to New York City to work for a man his parents believe is honorable.  Signor Ancarola is a padrone or patron and promises the Zaccaro's $20. for the next four years, it Rocco continues to work for him.  It is 1887 and such things were still done to children then.

After a long voyage in steerage, Rocco finds himself living in a cellar with a bunch of other kids on Mulberry Bend in New York's Little Italy.  There is never enough to eat and it's always cold, and each morning the children are giving musical instruments and told they must bring at least $1.00 back to Signor Ancarola or else face his paddle.

Not terribly inclined to play the triangle he is given, Rocco decides to work on getting his bearings first with the intention of coming up with a plan to leave Signor Ancarola.  And the first person he runs into is Mary Hallanan, a young Irish meddler determined to help all of the city's mistreated, overworked horses and who will weave in and out of Rocco's life for the next year or so.  Next Rocco meets Tony and Carlo, two older boys who introduce him to another, more profitable way of earning his daily dollar - pickpocketing.  Soon the three boys have quite a robust pickpocketing business going for themselves, but Rocco still suffers from homesickness and the desire to return to his family in Calvello.  Since the boys divide their plunder with the lion's share going to Tony, and Rocco handing over a dollar to Signor Ancarola everyday, it isn't surprising that he comes up with a plan to work afternoons on his own to make more money.  Of course, Tony and Carlo warn his this is a bad idea, but Rocco is nothing if not hardheaded.

This decision leads to more adventures and even a stint in the House of Refuge for juvenile delinquents on Randall's Island, working for Jacob Riis, and even doing some meddling with Mary Hallanan and her blacksmith father.  But does Rocco ever find his way out of his muddled misadventures?  Does he ever see his family again?  And what about Tony and Carlo?

I love books that are set in New York City and A Bandit's Tale is right up my alley.  It is full of historical references and photos throughout, making it topnotch historical fiction.  Rocco is a lively, personable character, who just seems bent on learning things the hard way, despite the fact that his heart is always in the right place.  His journey is divided into four books and an epilogue, each book covering one of Rocco's big misadventures and his story is set between Spring 1887 and Spring 1889, a very interesting time as anyone who has ever looked as Jacob Riis's photos of the people living there will attest to.

You would think that a book that has themes like selling children to strangers, immigration, animal cruelty, and child labor would not sound very appealing to young readers, but Deborah Hopkinson's books are always so well-written and well-researched and this is not exception and Rocco's youthful narration really speaks to them. A Bandit's Tale is a book that middle grade readers will certainly enjoy, especially since Rocco is a great picaro figure, in the tradition of the best picaresque novels and not often found in children's literature.

One important note - 2016 is the 150th anniversary of the founding of the ASPCA and one of the figures that is mentioned in the novel is Henry Bergh, who was known as "the Great Meddler" and is Mary Hallanan's hero.  And no wonder, Bergh found the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1866,  Unfortunately, he died in 1888, which is also the turning point in Rocco's life.  I don't think that is too much of a coincidence.

A Bandit's Tale is truly an inspiring work.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was sent to my by the author, Deborah Hopkinson

Be sure to visit all the stops on the blog tour of A Bandit's Tale and watch for the hashtag #BanditBlogTour on Twitter

April 6-21, 2016

Date	Stop on Tour	Blog
March 30, 2015	Interview	Jane Kurtz
April 6, 2016	Review	The Book Faerie
April 7, 2016	Review	Laurie Thompson
April 8, 2016	Review/Guest Post	Welcome to Book Wonderland
April 9, 2016	Guest Post	My Learning Life
April 10, 2016	Review	Compass Books
April 10, 2016	Interview	Compass Books
April 10, 2016	Interview/Guest Post	Girl Who Reads
April 11, 2016	TBD	PragmaticMom
April 12, 2016	Interview	Orange Marmalade Books
April 14, 2016	Review	Randomly Reading
April 15, 2016	Interview	ProvatoEvents
April 21, 2016	Guest Post	Elizabeth Dulemba

FYI: Here are two photos of places that factored strongly in Rocco's story:

Bandit's Roost is a photo by Jacob Riis.  The boy in the bowler could be Tony. 

A picture of the House of Refuge, which could only be reached by boat.
Could Rocco be in one of those boats?

Waiting on Wednesday: Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that highlights

upcoming releases we can't wait to read. 

My Waiting on Wednesday pick this week is:

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
Dutton Books for Young Readers
May 3, 2016; 304 pages

From Goodreads:
Growing up in the shadows cast by two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. Until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class. Betty quickly reveals herself to be cruel and manipulative, and while her bullying seems isolated at first, things quickly escalate, and reclusive World War I veteran Toby becomes a target of her attacks. While others have always seen Toby’s strangeness, Annabelle knows only kindness. She will soon need to find the courage to stand as a lone voice of justice as tensions mount.

Wolf Hollow has already received four-starred reviews and it sounds like a really phenomenal novel.  If you are also interested in reading it, there is a Goodreads Giveaway running until May 2, 2016.

What's your Waiting on Wednesday pick today?

It's National Library Week!

Yes, it is National Library Week and the theme this year is Libraries Transform.  This year Gene Luen Yang is the honorary chair of Library Week.  Gene is the author of the award-winning graphic novel American Born Chinese as well as the 2016-2017 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.

I use the library a lot and always have.  It is a place where I can borrow books, access some wonderful databases, look through a big, big collection of digital images or just sit and read quietly.  Since it is National Library Week,  I thought I would share with you the libraries that have impacted my reading life:

This is the first library I went to when I was growing up and my mother had to take me for the first few years.  It is the Flatbush Branch of the Brooklyn Public library and it is located on Linden Boulevard at Flatbush Avenue.  I don't know how old this branch is, but I know it's been here at least since the beginning of the 20th century.  It was a small library, but it had everything I wanted.  My goal was to read from A to Z.  The problem was they kept adding new books to each letter and I couldn't keep up.

This is the central branch of the Brooklyn Public Library.  It is located across from Grand Army Plaza at the corner of Flatbush Avenue and Eastern Parkway.  When I was a teenager, I was allowed to hang out here doing homework with friends Sunday afternoons, after church and Sunday dinner.  It was about a two mile walk from my house, but back then we didn't have much money and any that we had was saved to walk up to Junior's on DeKalb Avenue for cheesecake.

This is the main branch of the NYPL.  I literally sat here and wrote my dissertation.  This library has so many resources and primary documents that I never ceased to be amazed by.  It is such a beautiful library and there is always so much going on there for students, scholars and/or tourists.  If you visit, be sure to take a selfie with Patience and Fortitude, the library lions.

This is the main reading room on the third floor.  It's closed now for repairs but was a wonderful place to sit and work.  On warm sunny days, I liked to sit outside and eat my lunch and watch the tourists watching the people watching them.  Those feel like such wonderful carefree halcyon days now.  I still go there once in a while to get information for some of my blog posts and other projects, and for the Children's Literary Salon.

 Nowadays, I do most of my librarying here at the Webster Branch of the NYPL.  It is located on York Avenue between East 76th and East 77th Streets.  This branch has been here since 1906.   It's a small library but they have great interlibrary loan service.  If you go into the children's department, you will see a small signed picture of Jack Ezra Keats.  Why?  Because this is the branch he used for his library needs.

These are my favorites libraries.  What libraries have impacted your lives?

Booked by Kwame Alexander

Twelve-year-old Nick Hall and his best friend Coby Lee both live to play soccer, on the field and virtually in a game called FIFA.  They may be best friends off the soccer field, but on it, they are on different teams and opponents set on winning.  And best of all, both teams are been selected to go to Texas for the annual Dr. Pepper Dallas Cup,

At school, Nick tends to daydream a little to much in Ms. Hartwick's Honors English class.  He's also being bullied by twin brothers Dean and Don, which is a real problem, especially when they start kicking his backpack around and telling him to stay away from April Farrow, 'cause she's Dean's girl.  Problem is, Nick is seriously crushing on April, who is just flirty enough to give him hope, despite the bully brothers.

At home, Nick's dad, a professor of linguistics, doesn't care as much for soccer as he does for his son's education and especially about his vocabulary.  Consequently, he has Nick reading the dictionary he wrote called Weird and Wonderful Words.  His mom is a stay-at-home, which is nice for special breakfast meals, nice hot dinners and for getting rides to school with Coby and avoiding the school bus and the bully brothers.

Life is pretty good as far as Nick is concerned, until a niggling suspicion that things aren't going as well between his parents as they had in the past.  Sure enough, his parents tell him that they are separating.  His mother, who used to train horses, is returning to that profession and that means she will be living in Kentucky, and returning home for short visits.

Once his mom is gone, life at home becomes a very different matter.  His normally stern father begins to feel like a tyrant, and Nick refuses to answer his mother's texts or take her calls.  As his life becomes more and mores stressed, Nick begins going to counseling to help him cope.   But it is a ruptured appendix and a kick in the ankle during a soccer match that finally take Nick out of play and offer him a chance for reflection and change, not to mention time to finally read some really good books.  Will he put it all to good use?  

If Booked reminds you of Crossover, it is only because they have some similarities.  Both are written in free verse, from the protagonists point of view.  Both protagonists are athletes, good at what they do, and both come from intact families that are put into crisis.  But don't let their comparability fool you, they are both excellent stories in their own right.

Nick, as you may have gathered, is a very reluctant reader with a very big vocabulary, and who ultimately discovers just what he has been missing.  OK, it's because of April that Nick really read All the Broken Pieces, but so what.  He read it and he liked it, and went on to read Out of the Dust.  April loves to read and even thinks the dictionary Nick's father wrote is cool.  Does who influences a reluctant reader or why they do really matter?  No, because once you  find yourself immersed in a few books, you are hooked.  I saw that with my own reluctant reader who went on to be an English major.

Booked is about family, friends, and change, but for me, the most important lesson that Nick gets comes from his eccentric Grammy-winning-rapper-turned-school-librarian, Mr. MacDonald, a/k/a "The Mac" who tells him:

Nick, the river is always turning and bending. You never

know where it's going to go and where you'll end up.  Fo/-

llow the bend.  (pg301)

It almost goes without saying that Kwame Alexander's poetic novels are lyrical, masterfully put together to paint a multi-layered picture.  And for that reason, his novel in verse packs a powerful punch simply by giving readers a realistic and relatable portrait of middle school life.  But the thing I love most is that Alexander shows young readers that it is cool to be smart.

This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an ARC from the publisher

FYI: to be booked in soccer - when a player has committed a serious offense or foul, they are given a yellow cautionary card by the referee.  If they commit another serious offense or foul, they are given a red card, must leave the field immediately and the referee writes done the details in his book (at least that's how I understand the term booked).

April is Poetry Month

The Night Gardener written and illustrated by Terry Fan and Eric Fan

William's street, Grimloch Lane, is pretty dull and gray to look at and could certainly use a little color and some cheering up.  Things are so dull that William doesn't even notice the stranger with a mustache walking down his street carrying a ladder and a rolled up clothe over his shoulder on evening.

But the next morning, William and the rest of the people on Grimloch Lane can't believe their eyes: overnight, just outside the Grimloch Orphanage where William loves, the tree in the yard has turned into a leafy owl.  It was like magic.

Soon, more and more trees are turned into topiaries night after night; there are cats, bunny rabbits, parakeets, an elephant, even a giraffe.  And the best part is that by transforming the trees into something different, the people of Grimloch Lane begin to come out of their homes and to talk with each other, and the next thing you know, their lives are transformed along with the trees.

Then, one day, as he is heading home, William spots a man with a ladder and wonders... Sure enough, he has discovered who is transforming all the trees and not only that, the Night Gardener teaches William how to turn trees into topiaries.

But as the season's change and the leaves fall, the trees revert back to just trees.  Now, however, William has a gift from the Night Gardener - his own pair of gardening shears and a newly learned skill.  When the next spring finally arrives, William puts his topiary skills to work, transforming Grimloch Lane and the people who live there once more.

I love a book that leaves me feeling really good about the world, and this one certainly did that.  In fact, as soon as I finished it, I went back and re-read the story, then went back and explored the illustrations.

The story itself is simple, the text is spare, but the message is powerful - one person can not only make a difference, but can teach others how to do the same.  It reminded me of that old proverb: give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.  

But it is the illustrations that really carried the book for me - in fact, this could almost be a wordless book.  From the gray graphite illustrations, to the gradual addition of color as more trees are finished and more people gather to look and socialize with each other, to the beautiful full color digitalized illustrations in a neighborhood that has come to life, each image let the story unfold quietly and gently.  Even the falling autumn leaves, and leafless trees, of winter continue to hold the promise that something exciting and magical is coming.

And if you look closely, you will notice that Grimloch Lane is a nicely diverse neighborhood.  The Night Gardener is a book that kids will definitely want to read and talk about again and again.  Don't be surprised if your young readers want to visit a real topiary garden.

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