Wednesday, November 30, 2016

A Picture Book Roundup for Native American Heritage Month

Whenever I do a picture book roundup, I try to always use books from the library, or if I already own the book, I check to make sure it is available to borrow around the country.  I do this for a reason - once upon a time, very early in my blogging career, I reviewed a book I just loved only to discover it was no longer available to buy or borrow - except from one library in Florida and libraries in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Then, for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month last May, I made it a point to read only books written about the Asian American experience by authors who were themselves Asian American and that were available in the library. I found that a lot of the books I wanted to read were just not easily available even though they appeared on lots of lists recommending them.

For Native American Heritage Month, the situation was no different. Lots of recommendations for hard to find books that looked really interesting. Luckily, all public libraries can do inter-library loans and the books below are available in libraries around the country.

Legends:
Chukfi Rabbit's Big, Bad Bellyache: A Trickster's Tale 
told by Greg Rodgers, illustrated by Leslie Stall Widener
Cinco Punto Press, 2014, 40 pages, age 5+
Chukfi Rabbit is a wily rabbit. He's a lazy boy, but he sure does like to eat. So when Ms. Shukata Possum needs a new house, she asked her friends to help, promising dinner with fresh homemade butter after the work is done. Well, Chukfi Rabbit loves butter, but he does not like working. Can he find a way to eat that tempting homemade butter without doing any work? Remember, he's a trickster. Chukfi Rabbit is an old Choctaw tale was discovered among Choctaw interviews in the Oral History Archives at the Oklahoma History Center by Greg Rodgers while he was doing other research. This is a trickster tale that will bring a smile to anyone reading it even as it teaches an important lesson about being a good neighbor. And a real feeling of authenticity permeates it in the Choctaw names of the animals, the clothing they wear and the food the food they eat. Widener's detailed illustrations are all expressively depicted in a soft pastel palette. Author and illustrator both members of the Choctaw Nation. 

Rabbit's Snow Dance, a traditional Iroquois story
told by James & Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by Jeff Newman
Dial BFYR, 2012, 32 pages, age 4+
It's summertime and long-tailed Rabbit is longing to be able to eat the tasty leaves and buds that grow on the tops of trees. But how to reach them? Rabbit decides to make it snow by singing his special snow song, after all, it always brings snow in the winter when he sings it. Taking his drum into the forest, Rabbit drums, dances and sings "I will make it snow,/AZIKANAPO!" and sure enough, flakes being to fall. So Rabbit keeps singing and dancing and the snow piles up higher and higher until at last, he can reach the tops of the trees. But now Rabbit was really tired from all that singing, dancing, and drumming, so he decides to take a nap in the treetop before he eats. But remember, it's summer so while he naps, the snow melts away.  What a surprise Rabbit has when he wakes up and steps off the tree branch expecting snow.  As he falls, bits of his tail get caught in the tree branches, and he lands a short-tailed rabbit. This is another trickster rabbit tale, although there is no explanation about its origin. It's a fun read aloud and the stylized watercolor, gouache and illustrations are a whimsical as the rabbit's antics. The Bruchacs, father and son, are of Abenaki heritage, a tribe of Algonquian-speaking people in the northeastern part of North America. 

Fiction:
Hungry Johnny by Cheryl Minnema, illustrated by Wesley Ballinger
Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2014, 32 pages, age 4+
Young Johnny sure does like to eat, especially after playing outside in the snow. Going home, he tells his Grandma "I like to EAT, EAT, EAT." Grandma is cooking, and there's even fruit and sweet rolls, but Johnny has to wait to eat. There is a community feast that evening they will be going to. Waiting is hard for a hungry boy, but after a long drive, there is "a l-o-n-g [Ojibwe] prayer," then the elders must eat first. Finally is it time for Johnny and Grandma to sit at the long community table, but just as he gets ready to eat, Johnny sees his Grandma's very old friend Katherine come arrive. Johnny knows just what to do - he jumps up and offers his chair to Katherine, telling her "it's time to EAT, EAT, EAT."  Johnny may want to EAT, EAT, EAT, but by the time he sits down at the table, he has learned some important lessons about thankfulness, patience and respect, thanks to his loving Grandma. Cheryl Minnema and Wesley Ballinger are both members of the Milles Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith,
illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu
Morrow Junior Books, 2000, 32 pages, age 4+
More than anything, Jenna would like to jingle dance at the next pow-wow just like her Grandma Wolfe.  She practiced and practiced and Grandma Wolfe even said Jenna could dance Girls. Which would be wonderful except there just wasn't enough time to mail-order the tins for rolling jingles so Jenna's dance wouldn't sing like her Grandma's. Unless...Visiting different women and relatives in her intertribal community, Jenna manages to borrow enough jingles for her dress and dedicates her dance to each woman who helped her. This is a lovely intergenerational story about an important shared tradition in Jenna's family. The language of the story is as lyrical as the beautifully done full color watercolor illustrations. Leitich Smith has incorporated some interesting cultural elements of Jenna's life as a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, expanding them in her not-to-be-skipped-over Author's Note at the end of the story, along with a Glossary for unfamiliar words. Like Jenna, Cynthia Leitich Smith is also member of the Muscogee Creek Nation.

Saltypie, a Choctow Journey from Darkness into Light 
by Tim Tingle, illustrated Karen Clarkson
Cinco Puntos Press, 2010, 32 pages, age 6+
Saltypie is Tim Tingle's homage to his strong, loving grandmother and how she faced the difficulties and problems she encountered, and passed that on to her family. A member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, in 1915, his Mawmaw moved to Texas with her husband and 2 year old son. One morning Mawmaw was standing on the porch of their house, when she was hit in the head with a rock by a boy she never saw coming, simply because she was Indian. Bleeding, her 2 year old son, thought the blood looked like the sweet filling of his mother's cherry pie, but tasted like "saltypie" instead. Saltypie became the word that helped the family deal with trouble, "Sometimes you don't know where the trouble comes from. You just kinda shrug it off, say saltypie. It helps you carry on." I thought the subtitle of this story has a nice double meaning. It is Tim's journey from darkness to light about his grandmother's life, and his grandmother's journey from darkness to light after she has surgery to gives her her sight back - lost years ago to a disease. 

I had read Saltypie in Tingle's collection of stories about the Choctaw people (a book I highly recommend and in fact, I think I will revisit it this week), but I don't think any of the original feeling was lost in turning it into a picture book. It is complimented by Karen Clarkson's softly painted illustrations that really capture all the emotions of the family on each page, but especially the last image of Mawmaw, whose eyes are open for the first time since that fateful morning in 1915. 

Toby and the Secret Code, A Choctaw Adventure by Una Belle Townsend
illustrated by Gwen Coleman Lester
Doodle and Peck Publishing, 2016, 32 pages, age 6+
As he reads his class report, Toby couldn't be prouder of his hero and namesake, his great-great-grandfather, Tobias Frazier. Tobias Frazier was one of 19 Choctaw soldiers in World War I who helped the US Army by using the Choctaw language to create a secret code, one the enemy couldn't figure out. When Toby's friend Charlie said he wished they could have a secret code like the code talkers, Toby offered to teach him some Choctaw worlds. Toby's grandfather, Papa Tobe, even helped them with pronunciation, as the boys played soldiers with walkie-talkies. One morning, when Toby arrived at his grandfather's fishing hole, he found Papa Tobe on the ground, hurt and muttering in Choctaw. Luckily, Toby could now understand what he was saying and was able to get help for him quickly. Toby never would have saved his grandfather if he hadn't been inspired by his WWI hero and code talker. This is a nice intergenerational story about a part of Choctaw history that is not well know. There are lots of basic Choctaw words with pronunciation for young readers to learn, including colors, numbers and days of the week. There is also a Glossary, a list of the 19 code talkers, including Tobias Frazier, and websites for more information about the Choctaw Nation. Illustrator Gwen Coleman Lester is a member of the Choctaw Nation.

Nonfiction:
Crazy Horse's Vision by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by S.D. Nelson
Lee & Low, 2006, 40 pages, age 6+
As a boy, Crazy Horse was called Curly because of his curly hair. And although he was small, he was a natural leader among the other Lakota boys, always reminding them to be brave. By the time he was 13 years old, Curly had already tamed a wild horse, and killed his first buffalo, giving it's meat to those who could not hunt for themselves. After witnessing a terrible fight between the Lakota and the nearby white soldiers, in which the Lakota leader was killed, Curly decided he needed a vision to guide him. Without telling anyone what he was doing, and without the proper preparation, Curly left the Lakota camp, riding into the hills. There he fasted and prayed, until he had as vision that gave him the guidance he sought for his life, and hearing the word "keep nothing for yourself." Though his father was angry at him for defying tradition, when Curly told him about his vision three years later, his father gave his son his name, Crazy Horse after interpreting his vision. I found this to be an excellent work for understanding both the idea of Lakota naming traditions and the practice of the vision quest. The illustrations are sweepingly beautiful and at the same time, very personal. They are somewhat stylized, and readers would do well to read both the Author's Note about Crazy Horse's life and the Illustrator's Note about his choice of styles. color, and texture as they relate to his Native American heritage. S.D. Nelson is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux.

There is a Teacher's Guide for Crazy Horse's Vision available from publisher, Lee & Low.

Buffalo Song by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth
Lee & Low, 2014, 40 pages, age 7+
Coming up a herd of buffalo that had been killed by white hunters, a Nez Perce man and his son discover one buffalo calf still living. Taking it back to the camp of Walking Coyote and his wife Mary. They have been trying to save any surviving calves from destroyed herds, but now must take them to the priests at St. Ignatius Mission for their good pastureland. After a harrowing journey over treacherous terrain, they arrive at the mission but the priests refuse to take the small buffalo herd. Eventually, the herd is sold to a Mexican/Piegan rancher, Michel Pablo who is trying to bring back the buffalo herd to its former glory. Buffalo Song is a poignant story that is actually based on the efforts of the real Walking Coyote and Michel Pablo. As white settlers crossed the great plains, buffalo were killed en masse for their tongue meat and hides (something not really made clear in the book), and then left to rot until they became an endangered species. Be sure to read Afterword to learn about early efforts to save the buffalo. Bill Farnsworth's gauzily painted illustrations in a palette of earth tones add much to the story.

I had put in library requests for three more picture books for Native American Heritage Month, but they didn't get here yet.  They are all books I have read and would recommend:

Native American Heritage Month may be over for 2016, but there are so many good Native American stories that you don't need to confine your reading to one month a year. Here is a PDF to download with some suggestions from Dr. Debbie Reese and the First Nations Institute: Native American Children's Literature Recommended Reading List

NOVEMBER IS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

Monday, November 28, 2016

Rain Is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith


Cassidy Rain Berghoff and her best friend Galen Owen have promised each other to always celebrate their birthdays, both having been born on noteworthy days - Rain on New Year's Day and Galen on July 4th. Now that their friendship seems to be moving into the relationship realm, Rain had already decided that for her 14th birthday, it was time to kiss Galen, really kiss him, French kiss him. But it was a kiss destined never to happen. Galen was hit by a car and killed on New Year's Eve.

Rain is unable to bring herself to attend Galen's funeral, and in fact, holes up in the house for the next six months. By June, though, she is somewhat ready to emerge from hiding.  Her older brother has let her know that he would like her to participate in their Aunt Georgia's Indian Camp, a camp for Native American teens to explore their culture while living in a very white community. Rain isn't really interested in it, but finds a way to be there without participating. When she was young, her grandfather taught her all about photography. Rain has become a very talented photographer and is hired to take photos of Indian Camp for a news article in the local newspaper. The paper is run by Fynn's girl friend, Natalie, who has also been living in their home for a while.

Rain is a little confused when she first arrives at camp to find her former best friend, Queenie, there. When Rain learned that Queenie and Galen were romantically involved, their friendship began to change, and completely dissolved when Queenie hurt Galen. To make matters worse, Queenie had gone to Galen's funeral, something Rain couldn't do, and had even read a poem she had written. Now, no one understands why an African American girl is participating in Indian Camp until they learn that Queenie has recently discovered that she is part Native American, her great grandfather was Seminole.

Rain's intention is to keep a neutral distance from the camp and just take photographs, but when she learns that Mrs. Owen, Galen's mother, is challenging the town council for giving the camp some public funding, her attitude about and involvement in it can't help but change. Having been subjected to all kinds of stereotyping, anti-Indian prejudice and demeaning sentiments in and out of school her whole life, Mrs. Owen's challenge just becomes too much for Rain to ignore.

Rain is a teenager who has a lot to deal with - coming to terms with Galen's death, her brother's pending marriage and the baby he and Natalie are expecting, the possibility of rekindling her friendship with Queenie, and exploring her feelings about her own Native American heritage. Rain's mother, who was killed by a freak lighting strike a few years earlier, was Muscogee, Creek-Cherokee, and Scots-Irish, and had always referred to her family as her "patchwork tribe." Her dad, stationed overseas at a military base, is Irish, German and Ojibwe. The family lives in Hannesberg, Kansas, a mostly white community, which is one of the reasons Aunt Georgia felt Indian Camp was so important for the few Native teens who live there.

Rain Is Not My Indian Name is Cynthia Leitich Smith's debut novel and she written a main character who is sensitive, funny and for the most part very in touch with her own feelings about herself.  And even though it is narrated in the first person by Rain, the reader gets even more insight into her life through the short journal entries the begin each chapter.

Rain says she is basically OK with who she is: "Being a mixed blood girl is not big deal...Dealing with the rest of the world and its ideas, now that makes me a little crazy sometimes." And yet, she wants nothing to do with Indian Camp, and in school, around Thanksgiving when all the negative pop culture depictions of Indians come up "as bogeymen on the prairie, windblown cover boys selling paperback romances, or baby-faced refugees from the world of Precious Moments" (pg 13), she hides behind sci-fi fanzines rather than doing or saying anything, just as she hides behind her camera for Indian Camp or in the house for six months after Galen's death.

Rain Is Not My Indian Name is a coming of age novel about learning to (re)connect with the world in a new way and Indian Camp just may be the way for Rain to do that.

But it is also a much needed novel about what it feels like to live in a white community when you are culturally mixed, and part of that mix is Native American. And for readers who aren't Native American, like myself, reading this novel is an important eye-opening experience.

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

NOVEMBER IS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Ashes (Seeds of America Trilogy - Book 3) by Laurie Halse Anderson



Ashes continues the story of Isabel and Curzon begun in Chains and continued in Forge, picking up the threads of their story 3 years later, beginning on June 25, 1781, and ending on November 5, 1781.  And while Chains was told from Isabel's point of view, and Forge was told from Curzon's point of view, in Ashes the story is again narrated by Isabel.

Three years have gone by since Isabel and Curzon escaped from Valley Forge and their enslavement by the cruel, sadistic Mister Bellingham. Now, as runaway slaves, they have already walked nearly 1,000 miles from Pennsylvania to Virginia to South Carolina in search of Isabel's younger, epileptic sister, Ruth, and dodging British and Continental patrols, armed Loyalists and bounty hunters along the way.

But when they finally find Ruth, Isabel doesn't get the reception she had been hoping for. Instead, Ruth is cold and won't even look at her sister.  She has been living with an elderly slave couple and a young boy named Aberdeen since being sent south in 1776. Though the couple love Ruth as if she were their own daughter, they tell her to go north with her sister and to do what she says. Ruth may be obedient to her sister's requests, but she still wants nothing to do with Isabel, refusing to even look at her, much to Isabel's disappointment.

Meanwhile, Curzon's loyalty is still with the Patriots, while Isabel feels that neither the British nor the Patriots will help enslaved people like themselves achieve freedom, no matter what they promise. The two argue about this endlessly, so when Curzon, Isabel, Ruth and Aberdeen meet up with the Continental Army at Williamsburg, Va, they decide to go their separate ways. Aberdeen chooses to work as a spy for the British, Curzon rejoins the Patriot army, and the two sisters find work in a laundry run by Widow Hallahan. With a promise to be paid money, Isabel also finds work washing up and later serving in a tavern owned by Widow Hallahan's son and frequented by the Americans and French. But once the armies move on the Yorktown, Isabel wonders what will happen. It doesn't take long to find out. Isabel rightly suspects that Widow Hallahan has plans for Ruth that don't include Isabel - shades of Mrs. Lockton's treachery in Chains that originally separated the two sisters.  Isabel quickly decides that it is time to leave, and the sisters make a daring exit from Williamsburg, following the armies to Yorktown, VA and finding work as cooks.

Though Isabel finds herself in the midst of the war, this last book in the trilogy is really about her, with the chaos and confusion of the war mirroring her thoughts and feelings about her and Ruth, and what the future will hold for them, and the place Curzon may or may not have in it. Isabel and Curzon have now known each other since she was 12 and he was 15. He is the only person she has ever really trusted, but as the war carries on around them, Isabel sees less and less of him, even as she thinks more and more about him. It takes a long time for Isabel to realize that Curzon can love her at the same time that he loves his country and he is willing for fight for both of them.

Laurie Halse Anderson has explored so many aspects of the Revolutionary War in her Seeds of America Trilogy that are not a part of the usual school curriculum.  And she has brilliantly woven them into the story of these young enslaved people who only want their freedom, paralleling their stories with that of the Patriots who are fighting for their freedom and independence from Britain. She offers readers a vibrant history of a war that we traditionally think of in terms of white soldiers and leaders being fought for white colonists, forgetting or not even knowing that there were many African American soldiers who also fought, generally in place of their owners, in the hope of gaining their freedom after the war is over, soldiers like Curzon; and girls like Isabel, who were charged with helping to care of the leaders of the war with no real hope of future freedom.

Ashes ends with the surrender of the British and the end of the war.  And for readers it is the end of Isabel and Curzon's stories, but Anderson offers us a hopeful conclusion to her Seeds of America trilogy, though there are no tidy answers about the future for Isabel, Curson, Ruth and Aberdeen. They must still head north, they are still considered to be runaway slaves, and there are still bounty hunters after them.

Chains, Forge, and Ashes are individually and as a trilogy so well-crafted that it takes my breath away when I think about it. They are honest, thought provoking, gripping adventure as they narrate the sensitive personal stories about people who traditionally have not had voice at that time. By giving Isabel and Curzon a voice, Anderson has opened our eyes to really thinking differently about the history of this country.

Be sure not to miss the extensive appendix at the end of the book which offers explanations and suggestions for further reading about many of the people, places and events included in Ashes.

I cannot recommend Chains, Forge, and Ashes highly enough.

This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an EARC received from Edelweiss/Above the Treeline

Monday, November 21, 2016

For Thanksgiving, the State of New York gave me...



JURY DUTY


It looks like I'll be hanging out on the set for Law & Order: SUV for a while (that's just a joke, it's really the New York State Supreme Court Building).

But even though I had to cancel my Thanksgiving travel plans, I look at jury duty as a chance to do my civic duty while catching up on emails, books that need to be read, other neglected things that need doing and meeting new people from my neighborhood who were also called. In NYC, you go to the courthouse everyday until you either get picked for a jury or dismissed after three days. And who knows, maybe for once I will get chosen for a jury.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Updated - Picture Books about....Books and Reading


Learning how to read in an exciting experience for most kids. First, there is the alphabet, then words, then sentences and before long, they are reading all kinds of wonderful, magical stories. Here are some stories about books and reading that budding bibliophiles just might find to be fun and interesting and reluctant readers might find inspiring.  

I Am A Story written and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
HarperCollins, 2016, 40 pages, age 4+
Here is a wonderful introduction to history of storytelling, beginning with the drawings by people living in caves, to the complicated hieroglyphics of the early Egyptians, to the detailed medieval tapestries and hand-made illuminated books to the invention of the printing press and the publication of books as we know them.  Authors wants to tell their stories and we want read them.  Yaccarino shows the readers the different ways people get their books, the wide variety of emotions they can elicit, the negative reactions to some books that are banned, censored or burned, and the inspiration the can encourage.  Books, he concluded, will live forever.  This is an ideal book for curious young readers who might wonder how books began and developed.  It's also a wonderful read-aloud for working up enthusiasm in kids just beginning to read, as well as kids who already read - I get chills just imagining the discussions each page in this book will encourage.   

How This Book Was Made by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex
Disney Hyperion, 2016, 42 pages, age 3+
Now that kids know that stories come from someone's imagination or experience, it's time to see how a story becomes a book.  And Mac Barnett has done just that.  He begins by tracing the idea for a story through draft after draft, explaining the role of a book editor, and what happens up to the point where the author is finished writing.  Then it is off to the illustrator and when he is finished, everything is sent away to be printed until finally the book is finished.  Well, actually, kids may be surprised to discover that a book isn't done until it is in the hands of readers like themselves.  This is a fun book that not only shows how a book it made, but how an author's imagination works to create and embellish stories that kids will want to read again and again.

This Is My Book! written and illustrated by Mark Pett (and no one else)
Knopf BFYR, 2016, 40 pages, age 3+
I really found myself chuckling all the way through this charming book about who really writes a book.  Author friends have told me that sometimes when they are writing, their characters take off in directions that were not part of the plan. And that is just what happens here.  As soon as he draws Percy the Perfectly Polite Panda, the author is informed by the panda that he prefers to be called Spike.  Next thing he knows, Spike has colored on the clean white pages, has added friends, as a few other embellishments like a flap, a pull-tab and a pop-up, all against the author's wishes. In the end, though, author, Spike and friends all concede that a book not only belongs to each of them, but to the reader, as well.  In fact, there is even a small blank book in a pocket at the end for the reader to help them write the book.  Breaking the fourth wall doesn't always work, but this one is a fun way of introducing the idea of metafiction to young readers and inviting them into the writing process, literally.

We Are in a Book! (Elephant & Piggie #13) written and illustrated by Mo Willems
Disney Hyperion, 2010, 57 pages, age 3+
Another favorite book that breaks the fourth wall.  Careful Gerald and his more exuberant friend Piggie discover they are characters in a book after noticing that someone is looking at them.  A monster?  Nope, it's a reader reading the word bubbles.  After making the reader say the word 'banana and laughing themselves silly over it, much to his chagrin, Gerald learns from Piggie that a book ends and theirs ends on Page 57.  What to do?  Ask the reader to read their book again, and what reader wouldn't want to read more Elephant and Piggie?  This is a delightful book, just right for beginning readers.  Willems always seems to know just what kids need and want.  This is probably my favorite E & P book, and it was deservedly a Cybils winner in 2010:

How Rocket Learned to Read written and illustrated by Tad Hills
Schwartz & Wade, 2010, 40 pages, age 3+
Rocket really doesn't have an interest in learning out to read, he would much rather run and play and take naps, but when a little yellow bird hangs up her alphabet banner and begins to read, Rocket finds himself captivated by and oddly curious about the bird's story. And everyday after that, the bird read and taught Rocket the alphabet.  When the bird flew south for the winter, Rocket practiced what he had learned. When the bird returned in spring, she and Rocket spent their time reading all kinds of stories together. This is such a wonderful story about the joy of learning how to read and Rocket's teacher is one smart bird - giving him just enough to make him so curious to know what happens in that first story bird read, that came back for more and was hooked.  And as the seasons show, learning to read is a slow, steady process for young readers like Rocket, but well worth the effort.       

Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
Charlesbridge, 2006, 32 pages, age 3+
Lola loves Tuesdays.  It's the day she and her mom go to the library. Lola packs her backpack with books to return and, of course, her library card. Sometimes there is story time, other times there is singing with the other kids at the library.  After checking out their books, Lola and her mom end their morning out together with a snack. This is a great book for introducing young kids to the library and how it works.  And, I know story time is very popular and always packed at my library. I really like Lola's enthusiasm about going to the library, bringing back her books and getting new ones, and that her mom also checks out books for herself - a little modeling behavior by mom. Parents who like read generally have children who like to read. The colorful illustrations are done in acrylics and compliment the text. A perfect book for parents and teachers to share with budding readers.  
Madeline Finn and the Library Dog written and illustrated by Lisa Papp
Peachtree, 2016, 32 pages, age 4+
Sometimes, beginning readers just don't like to read because they can't figure out the words, and reading out loud is particularly difficult.  Madeline Finn would like nothing more than to star sticker from her teacher, but all she gets is a heart that says Keep Trying.  But when the librarian introduces Madeline to Bonnie, a big white dog who is a good listener, she can't help liking the dog and discovers it's fun to read with her.  But one day, Bonnie isn't at the library, but later, with her new reading skills, Madeline finally gets her desired star for reading.  And Bonnie?  Well, let's just say when Bonnie returns to the library, Madeline has a much larger puppy audience to read to.  Reading to animals is something that is being done around the country, mostly in animal shelter.  According to the ASPCA, as children improve their literacy skills, they also learn compassion towards the animals, while the animals become more socialized increasing their chance of being adopted.  You can check with your local shelter to see if they have programs like this.

A Child of Books written by Oliver Jeffers, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston
Candlewick, 2016, 40 pages, age 4+
In spare text and with line drawings that combine with the words and sentences of a variety books, Jeffers and Winston have created an homage to the power of books and the stories they tell. A young child, a child of books, invites a boy to come with her on an imaginative journey to show him the world of books. To get there, they climb the mountain of make-believe, lose themselves in the forests of fairy-tales, escape monsters in haunted castles, all created by using snippets of texts from stories like The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, and Hansel and Gretel, among others, many others.  This is a celebration of the written word and ideal for young readers just starting out on their own journeys through the world of books.  We took a magnifying glass to read all the words and titles used, which kept us busy for a long time and generated lots of conversations and curiosity about books and reading.  This is definitely one book you won't want to miss sharing with young readers.

How To Read a Story by Kate Messner, illustrated by Mark Siegel
Chronicle Books, 2015, 32 pages, age 5+
Sure, your young readers may already know how to read, but do they really know how to read a story. In this charming picture book, the 10 simple to follow steps are outlines for really reading a story. Each step elaborates just what is involves.  The whimsical illustrations are done in ink and watercolor in bright, happy colors and compliment the text on every page. I loved how he depicts the young reader following the step listed and then reading his story aloud to the family dog so well that he begins to attract and draw other family members into his listening circle.  This is a great read aloud and could easily become a family favorite.


The Children Who Loved Books written and illustrated by Peter Carnavas
Kane Miller, 2013, 32 pages, age 4+
Here is a delightful story about a family that loves reading so much, that even though they don't have a TV or a car or even a house (they live in a small old fashioned trailer), they do have books, lots and lots of books, piled here, there and everywhere.  But what the day comes that there are so many books they don't fit in the house anymore, the family realizes it it time to do something. This is a wonderful, charming homage to books, reading, book lovers and libraries! And it is sure to become a favorite wth all like-minded folks, young and old. 

Here is an article you might be interested in reading called "How to Encourage Your Children to Read at Home" by Maria Jose Meneses, which includes a list of suggested reading skills by age. 



Monday, November 14, 2016

Forge (Seeds of America Trilogy - Book 2) by Laurie Halse Anderson



Forge continues the story of Isabel and Curzon begun in Chains, picking up the threads of it almost 10 months later, beginning on October 7, 1777 and ending on May 18, 1778. And while Chains was told from Isabel's point of view, in Forge it switches to Curzon's voice.

Isabel and Curzon have gone their separate ways.  Isabel has run away, determined to find her sister Ruth while Curzon finds himself first in the midst of the Battle of Saratoga after saving the life of a Patriot soldier name Eben Woodruff of the Sixteenth Massachusetts Regiment and nephew of the regiment's commanding officer. From Saratoga it was on to the winter encampment at Valley Forge. Curzon enlists in the army in the hope of gaining his freedom and in the process, besides Eben, he makes a few other friends and a few enemies.

Valley Forge proves to be a real challenge.  There are no barracks, so they are ordered to built huts that are always cold and leaky, many of the soldiers don't even have shoes anymore, and must stand in the cold snow in bare frostbitten feet, many are ill with disease and every one is cold and hungry all the time, desperate for food, warm clothing and shoes that never seem to arrive.  And for Curson, because he is African American, it also meaning dealing with constant racism.

Isabel and Curzon may have gone their separate ways, but he never stops thinking about her.  Nor has Curzon forgotten his former master, the cruel, sadistic James Bellingham.  In Chains, Bellingham had enlisted Curzon to take his place in the army with the promise of his freedom after the war, a promise he has no intention of honoring.  When he shows up at Valley Forge, Curzon finds himself again in his clutches, having enlisted again as a free man when he was still owned by Bellingham. And to real surprise, after arriving at the house where Bellingham is staying, he finds that Isabel has also there, as well as another slave, Gideon, who refuses to even acknowledge Curzon. To keep Isabel in her place and, Bellingham has placed an iron ring around her neck as a constant reminded of her enslavement, and only he has the key to unlock it.

Curzon begins plans to escape Bellingham again, and tries to talk Isabel into going with him, but she seems more interested in Gideon now, and eventually reveals that they have their own plans to escape.  But Curzon doesn't trust Gideon, and it turns out, with good reason. When the truth about Gideon is discovered, will Curzon and Isabel be able to mend their friendship enough to attempt escape from Bellingham?

Like ChainsForge never lets the reader forget the irony of African Americans fighting for the freedom of the country that has enslaved them, perhaps expressed best by Curzon's friend and fellow soldier Eben Woodruff who tells him "Two slaves running away from their rightful master is not the same as America wanting to be free of England." (pg 65) And Laurie Halse Anderson explores this irony in the attitudes and beliefs of a variety of different characters, American and British, rich and poor, as they impact the lives of Curzon and Isabel.

Isabel was such a compelling narrator in Chains, and I found that to be true of Curzon in Forge. By switching narrators, Anderson presents the harsh conditions on the battlefield and as well as in a house with a white man is a harsh master over his enslaved servants. I have to be honest and say that what happens on battlefields isn't something I am generally interested in, yet I found I couldn't put this down and have a better understanding of what the Patriot soldiers experienced than I ever did when we studied the Revolutionary War in school.

Just as she did in Chains, Anderson has included quotes at the beginning of each chapter, so taken from original sources and adding to the authenticity of the novel.  She also includes the dates during which each chapter occurs.  This kind of timeline approach also helps situate the reader in terms of what was actually happening in the Revolution.

Forge is a wonderful sequel to Chains, but it is also a novel that can stand alone.  And as I did with the first novel, I cannot recommend this highly enough.

Laurie Halse Anderson has excellent teaching resources for Forge.  You can find it HERE

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

Friday, November 11, 2016

Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie, illustrated by Yuyi Morales


Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie, illustrated by Yuyi Morales
Little, Brown BFYR, 2016, 32 pages

When he was born, Thunder Boy Smith Jr was given his name by his dad, Thunder Boy Smith Sr, and he really loves his dad a lot, he thinks his dad is just awesome, but...Thunder Boy Jr hates his name and just wants to have one his own.  A name that sounds like who he is, one that celebrates something cool that he has done, or expresses something about his personality. So, Thunder Boy Jr tries on a bunch of different names that reflect the things he has achieved or wants to in the future, like climbing a mountain and being called Touch The Clouds, or learning to ride a bike at age three and being named Gravity's Best Friend, or traveling the world with the name Full of Wonder:


What a surprise, then, when his dad tells him it is time for Thunder Boy Jr to have a new name.  And the name he chose is just so fitting. Thunder Boy Jr is renamed Lightning. Now, father and son are amazing- their love is loud and bright and together they light up the sky:


Thunder Boy Jr. is told in the first person, so readers know exactly how he feels about his name, and he has some very strong opinions about it. Thunder Boy is an endearing character, a bundle of energy, and has a great imagination. And all that is superbly captured in Yuyi Morales' bold, colorful digitally painted illustrations.  And there is a wonderful story behind the illustrations, which were made from the remains of an antique house in Xalapa, Mexico. You can find out how that what done in the note by the artist at the front of the book.

I think this is a smart book about a young Native American boy asserting himself and declaring his individuality within a loving intact family and community.  But, it is not a book about Native American naming traditions which are many and varied among the different tribes. Rather it is a book about identity, about finding oneself. Sherman Alexie has said in an interview that when "you talk about the Native American search for identity...it's almost always a story of loss and pain. I wanted to write a picture book in which a kid goes on a search for identity in the context of a loving family." (The Washington Post April 18, 2016)  Inspired by Jack Ezra Keats' The Snowy Day, Alexie went on to say "I wanted to replicate that experience [of a brown-skinned character, a boy who is just like him], because in literature in general, there aren't many Native American children."  I certainly hope he continues to explore this need and create more picture books like Thunder Boy Jr.

This is a book that shouldn't be missed - by anyone.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Little, Brown BFYR

NOVEMBER IS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH


Monday, November 7, 2016

Chains (Seeds of America Trilogy - Book 1) by Laurie Halse Anderson



Much of this review was posted on my other blog, The Children's War, as part of a Revolutionary War Reading Challenge a few years ago.  

Chains is the story of a young slave girl who yearns for freedom.  It takes place during the American Revolution and he time period covered in this first book of a trilogy is May 27, 1776 to January 19, 1777.  

Living in Rhode Island, Isabel, 13, and her younger sister Ruth are quickly sold by a greedy nephew for the money they will bring after their somewhat benevolent owner, Miss Fitch, passes away.  But Miss Fitch had promised them freedom after her death and Isabel can't get that promise out of her head. And unlike most slaves at the time, Isabel knows how to read. 

Now, as the American Revolution begins, the sisters find themselves in a Loyalist household in New York City at the mercy of a cruel mistress, Mrs. Lockton.  The Locktons, who believe their bread is buttered on the side of the Loyalists and King George III, despise the Patriots who want independence from them and everything they stand for.

It isn't long before Isabel meets Curzon, a young slave working for the Patriots, and known for the red tricorn hat he is always seen wearing.  Curzon convinces Isabel to spy on Mr. Lockton, and report anything she hears that might be useful to the Patriots.  Isabel isn't very enthusiastic about doing this, but when she is given the devastating news that Mrs. Lockton has sold Ruth, she changes her mind.  It had just been discovered that Ruth suffers from seizures and the very ignorant, superstitious Mrs. Lockton believes that they are a sign that the devil is in Ruth.

Curson proves to be a good friend to Isabel, although she has very mixed feelings about him, the war between the Patriots and the Loyalists and which side would be most beneficial to her in terms of getting her freedom. 

As the war heats up, so does Isabel's determination to find her sister and, as she is told by an elderly slave known as Grandfather, to find the way to cross her own River Jordan* to freedom.

Chains is written in the first person, so we always know exactly what is going on in Isabel's mind, how she perceives everything around her and, most poignantly, how she feels about the things that happen to her.  But by spying on Mr. Lockton and his friends, we are also given a certain amount of insight into the Loyalist side of things. 

Isabel is a very strong willed girl and Mrs. Lockton knows it and is determined to break that will and so she is constantly trying to tighten the chains of slavery that bind Isabel.  Yet, it takes a while for the realization that Mrs. Lockton cannot chain her soul to really sink in to Isabel's consciousness, even though all her actions had always already proven it to be true.  Her strength in the face of Mrs. Lockton, her wavering between the Patriots and the Loyalists, her determination and her innate sense of kindness despite everything all make Isabel such an exemplary protagonist. 

In fact, Anderson has created a whole cast of characters in Chains who play their parts to perfection.  Set against the backdrop of New York City,  Anderson has written a brilliantly crafted novel in which the fictional walk through the historical and it is spot on.  Anderson has even turned New York into a character in its own right, by staying true to the history of the time (NB: I used to teach New York history to my 4th graders and it was my favorite thing to teach).

One of the things I really liked about Chains were the quotes used at the beginning of each chapter. These quotes are from actual sources of the time that help situate the reader and gives the novel a real feeling of authenticity.

I don't think I could possibly recommend this book highly enough.

Laurie Halse Anderson has excellent teaching resources for Chains, including a section on how to put on a colonial tea (with some really good recipes).  You can find it HERE

This book is recommended for readers aged 10+
This book was purchased for my personal library

*I was talking to a friend about Chains and she said she didn't get the River Jordan reference, which is a reference to God's command that after the death of Moses, Joshua would lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to freedom in the promised land by crossing the River Jordan.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Fascinating: The Life of Leonard Nimoy by Richard Michelson, illustrated by Edel Rodriguez


One of my favorite memories of my brother is watching old Star Trek reruns together on television. They ran on local stations in syndication then and as far as we were concerned, it didn't matter how many times we saw each episode - and eventually we saw them all. And while Captain Kirk was the lead character of the show, for us, it was really Mr. Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy.

Naturally, when I learned there was a new picture book about Leonard Nimoy, I was very excited.  I no longer watch Star Trek (well...maybe once in a while I do), but I was aware of Nimoy's acting/directing career, as well as his photography books.  I realized, however, that I knew nothing about his early life, other than the little I had read in his obituary.

Fascinating is written by Leonard Nimoy's good friend and gallerist Richard Michelson, and if Michelson's name rings a bell, it is because he has written his share of excellent children's books besides being a gallery owner.  Michelson begins his biography with Nimoy's first stage performance - singing "God Bless America" at a talent show in Boston's West End, where the family lived.

His performance was well received, but Lenny's parents had emigrated to the United States from Russia and were less then encouraging about following his dreams, unlike his Bubbe and Zayde who both advised him to do just that.  By 17, Lenny had been bitten by the acting bug and saved all his money to travel to Hollywood and become an actor.

Michelson follows Lenny's acting career as well as his interest in photography but basically ends the book with his role as Spock on Star Trek and the influence of both his hair style for that role and his Vulcan greeting "Live Long and Prosper." The hand gesture that went with it was part of a blessing Lenny saw during a Rosh Hashanah service when he was a young boy.  He was fascinated by it and practiced getting his fingers to separate in the middle by taping them together.  Who knew it would become such a famous gesture world wide?
Fascinating is a really well-crafted biography that introduces the life of this beloved actor to adult fans as well as a whole new generation of kids.  And Edel Rodriguez's colorful illustrations compliment and enhance the text, making it a very accessible book.

Star Trek hasn't disappeared from TV and so neither has Leonard Nimoy.  There are also the movies, some of which he was able to reprise his role as Spock.  And you may recall he also made a guest appearance as Spock on a The Big Bang show before his death.

This is an insightful and inspiring book about a man who found his passion(s) and successfully pursued them.  If for no other reason, it is a book to share with kids today.

This book is recommended for readers age 5+
This book was purchased for my personal library (because deep down, I'm still a Trekkie)


Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge is a weekly celebration of 
nonfiction books hosted by Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy 

 
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