Babymouse: Dragonslayer Review

http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9780375857126_p0_v1_s114x166.JPG

Holm, Jennifer. 2009. Babymouse: Dragonslayer. Ill. Matthew Holm. New York: Random House. ISBN: 978-0-375-95712-3.

Babymouse: Dragonslayer is the story of spunky, silly Babymouse taking on her personal dragon, math.  
If you have yet to meet Babymouse, you can make her acquaintance here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPWcnSuYFoM.

Jennifer and Matthew Holm are a brother and sister team who have created characters according to Booklist that are "...so genuine they can pass for real kids." Virtually every reader will find something they can relate to in the Babymouse series. Babymouse: Dragonslayer is a fun-filled adventure into the perils of being a Mathlete and competing for the coveted Golden Slide Rule. Babymouse does not enjoy math, but once her teacher puts her on the team she sets out to do her best. The teacher who leads the team encourages her by saying, "Don't be discouraged. Just because you're not good at something, it doesn't mean you have to be terrible at it, either." With those wise words ringing in her ears, Babymouse becomes friends with the other Mathletes and works through her fears with their support and a few adventures played out in her vibrant fantasy life.

Reluctant readers will be drawn into Babymouse's adventures both real and imagined as they recognize themselves and their friends in the school setting Babymouse and her friends inhabit. Older readers will laugh as Babymouse's imagination takes her into great works of literature including The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Hobbit. Finally, the big day arrives and Babymouse's team "The Fighting Fractions" faces their opponent "The Owlgorithms". Round after round leads to the final challenge where Babymouse must solve a word problem to win the day. That is a lucky break because Babymouse happens to be very good at reading! She does indeed save the day by answering correctly and returning the Golden Slide Rule to her school's trophy case.

Jennifer Holm has been awarded three Newbery Honors for her novels, Our Only May Amelia, Penny from Heaven, and Turtle in Paradise. She is a New York Times bestselling author.
Matthew Holm is a graphic designer and a freelance writer who also collaborates with Jennifer on a series of graphic novels featuring a character called Squish.
Learn more about Jennifer and Matt here: http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/video/jennifer-and-matt-holm/ and here; http://www.jenniferholm.com/p/babymouse.html.

Starred Review, The Horn Book: "Nobody puts Babymouse in the corner!"

Booklist: "Cute, smart, sassy Babymouse is fun and funny, and this book, like its predecessors, will draw reluctant readers as well as Babymouse fans."

Babymouse: Dragonslayer is the eleventh book in the Babymouse series, so readers may enjoy reading the first ten books and comparing her adventures. More information about the series can be found at the Random House website http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/babymouse/homepage.htm. The website also has information about the writing and design of graphic novels that can be used with students in a writing and illustrating workshop.The Babymouse series can also be used to broach topics of friendship, bullying, imagination, overcoming fears, and managing the daily dramas of school with upper elementary and middle school students. 

Barnes and Noble. Editorial reviews: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dragonslayer-jennifer-l-holm/1101356016?ean=9780375857126. (Accessed November 27, 2013.) 

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade Review

http://images.indiebound.com/450/199/9780547199450.jpg

Sweet, Melissa. 2011. Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN: 978-0-547-19945-0.

 Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade is a biography of Anthony "Tony" Frederick Sarg, the man who designed the first balloons for Macy's parade. Even as a child he wanted to know how things moved which led to his designs for marionettes when he became an adult. R. H. Macy heard about the marionettes and asked Tony to design store window displays and later costumes for the parade which featured live animals. The animals scared children on the parade route, so Macy asked Tony to think of something new and he set to work designing a puppet unlike any other, a puppet that could float high in the sky!

Sweet tells Tony Sarg's story with enthusiasm, a delightful sense of fun, and wonderful watercolor illustrations combined with mixed media collages that suggest the materials and feel of Sarg's time period. Most of the more than forty million people around the world who watch the parade probably have no idea that it started as a parade for the employees of Macy's who were immigrants and "...missed their own holiday traditions of music and dancing in the streets." The parade was so well received that Macy's held it every year and the crowds continued to grow until floats became hard to see and and the live animals featured began frightening the children. Sarg was asked to design something new and soon he found inspiration "...from an Indonesian rod puppet in his toy collection." The "upside-down marionettes" were made in Ohio out of a rubberized silk that was filled with air and helium on the day of the parade and controlled by rope handlers much to the delight of the throngs lining the parade route. "It was a parade New Yorkers would never forget!" Since Thanksgiving Day in 1928, there have been only two years during WWII when amazing balloons haven't filled the sky over Broadway, thanks to the creativity and curiosity of Tony Sarg. The author's note, bibliography, and sources all offer resources for more exploration of this fascinating story for all ages to share and enjoy.


Melissa Sweet was awarded a Caldecott Honor Medal for A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant. She has illustrated nearly 100 children's books and received the following awards for Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade:
2012 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal Winner
2012 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award
2012 Cook Prize honoring the best science, technology, engineering
and math (STEM) picture book
2012 The Flora Stieglitz Straus Award
2012 Jefferson Cup Award :: Virginia Library Association
2012 ALA Notable Book
New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading & Sharing
Texas Bluebonnet List
Learn more about Melissa Sweet at her website: http://melissasweet.net/.

"Sweet tells this slice of American history well, conveying both Sarg’s enthusiasm and joy in his work as well as the drama and excitement of the parade. . .This one should float off the shelves."—School Library Journal, starred review

“Tony Sarg, the man who invented the giant balloons of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, has found a worthy biographer in Caldecott Honoree Sweet. The rush that comes from inspiration, the cliffhanger moments of creation, the sheer joy of building something and watching it delight the multitudes—Sweet captures it all in what is truly a story for all ages"—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This clever marriage of information and illustration soars high.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“A joyous piece of nonfiction that informs and delights in equal parts.”—Booklist, starred review
"Sweet’s whimsical mixed-media collages, embellished with little dolls she made herself out of odds and ends, reinforce the theme that, for Sarg, work was play."— Horn Book, starred review

So many connections can be made with this delightful book. Thanksgiving, puppet making, and storytelling all come to mind. I would pair Alison Jackson's  I Know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Pie with this book for an entertaining and silly look at the Macy's parade. Following is a list of a few sites I found that offer a plethora of activities for any library, classroom, or family to enjoy.

A wonderful activity kit can be accessed here: http://www.hmhbooks.com/kids/resources/BalloonsOverBroadway_ActivityKit.pdf.
An excellent discussion guide is available here: http://melissasweet.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/121.pdf.
More resources can be found here: http://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=27322&a=1.

Indie Bound. Editorial Reviews. http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780547199450. (Accessed October 19, 2013.)

The Llama Who Had No Pajama Review

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51pRfp5i7eL._SX258_PJlook-inside-v2,TopRight,1,0_SH20_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Hoberman, Mary Ann. 1998. The Llama Who Had No Pajama: 100 Favorite Poems. Ill. by Betty Fraser. San Diego: Browndeer Press. ISBN: 0-15-2000111-5.

The Llama Who Had No Pajama: 100 Favorite Poems is an anthology of 100 poems ranging in topic from birthdays to families to animals of every size to insects and more. The style and complexity of poems is also varied offering a nice introduction to poetry for people of all ages while having plenty to satisfy an experienced reader as well.. Some pages showcase one poem while others offer three or four, but the layout is appealing to the eye, regardless of the number.Some of the poems are simply silly while others offer interesting facts about the animals and insects in the world. For example, compare the following two poems :

The Folk Who Live in Backward Town

The folk who live in Backward Town
Are inside out and upside down.
They wear their hats inside their heads
And go to sleep beneath their beds.
They only eat the apple peeling
And take their walks across the ceiling.

Praying Mantis

That praying mantis over there
Is really not engaged in prayer.
That praying mantis that you see
Is really preying (with an e).
It preys upon the garden snake.
It preys upon the bumblebee.
It preys upon the cabbage worm, 
The wasp, the fly, the moth, the flea.
(And sometimes, if its need is great,
It even preys upon its mate.)

With prey and preying both so endless,
It tends to end up rather friendless
And seldom is commended much
Except by gardeners and such.

Betty Fraser's gouache and watercolor illustrations are a lovely complement to Hoberman's verse with details that encourage readers to study the page, taking their time to fully explore the childhood experiences captured there. The book offers an index of first lines to assist readers in returning to favorites upon further readings. 

Mary Ann Hoberman and Betty Fraser were awarded the American Book Award for A House is a House for Me. The Llama Who Had No Pajama: 100 Favorite Poems was named the Gold Award Winner in 1998 by National Parenting Publications and on Child Magazine's Best Books of the Year. Mary Ann Hoberman received the  Children's Poet Laureate award in October 2008 and served in that capacity for two years.

"Hoberman's rhythms are lively and agile, and her imagination and sense of humor are still in tune with young readers. Fraser's simple but detailed gouache and watercolor illustrations exhibit the same qualities . . . Good for beginning or experienced readers of poetry, this should indeed become a favorite."--School Library Journal

"This collection of some forty years of Hoberman verse is a charmer."--The Horn Book

When I read the first stanza of the poem the title of the anthology references, The Llama Who Had No Pajama, I knew I would have to pair it with Anna Dewdney's Llama Llama books. The picture it conjures is a wonderful match:

The llama who had no pajama
Was troubled and terribly sad
When it became known that he had outgrown
Every pair of pajamas he had;
And he tearfully said to his mama
In a voice that was deep with despair:
O llamaly mama
I need a pajama
Or what in the world will I wear?
Or what in the world,
In the wumberly world,
In the wumberly world will I wear?

I believe the children in my story time will enjoy this poem very much and a silly conversation about llamas and pajamas is sure to ensue!

The variety of poetry showcased also makes this book an excellent choice for further study of poetry styles, rhyme, and the natural world. 

Amazon. Editorial reviews. http://www.amazon.com/The-Llama-Who-Had-Pajama/dp/product-description/0152055711/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books. (Accessed September 30, 2013.)

Hoberman, Mary Ann. http://www.maryannhoberman.com. (Accessed September 30, 2013.) 

Turtle's Race with Beaver Review

http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9780142404669_p0_v1_s260x420.jpg

Bruchac, Joseph and Bruchac, James. 2003. Turtle's Race with Beaver. Ill. by Jose Aruego and Araine Dewey. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0-8037-2852-2.

In this traditional Seneca folktale the weaker turtle outsmarts the stronger beaver to win a race that determines who gets to call a pond home. Turtle is very happy living in the pond that has everything she needs, "just deep enough" water, "plenty of food," and "lots of nice rocks" for sunning herself. While Turtle hibernates one winter, Beaver happens upon the lovely pond and decides to build a dam and a lodge where he lives contentedly until spring. With the return of spring, Turtle awakes and after much swimming to break the surface, finds her pond has changed. She sadly notes that all her rocks are underwater due to the dam, but graciously offers to share the pond with Beaver anyway since she has lived there her whole life. Beaver refuses, challenging Turtle to a race to determine who will get to live in the pond. Not wanting to lose her home Turtle accepts despite knowing that Beaver is a much better swimmer. 

The next morning all the woodland animals gather to see the race across the pond. Bear starts the race with, "On your mark...get set...GO!". Beaver leaps into the water expecting to leave Turtle far behind, but Turtle has thought of a plan. Turtle bites Beaver's tail, holding on tighter the faster Beaver swims until finally the shore is within sight. Once Turtle is close enough she bites down hard causing Beaver to cry out and throw his tail out of the water sending Turtle flying onto the shore where she is able to cross the finish line first. All the animals cheer the clever Turtle and again she offers to share the pond with Beaver, but he is so embarrassed that he leaves. Eventually the dam breaks and Turtle lives happily in her pond for many long years. Beaver finds another pond where a turtle is living happily and this time he decides to share, so they also live happily for many long years. 

This Native American tale is similar to Aesop's fable The Tortoise and the Hare and the author's note points out, " ...such stories are found all around the world." Both authors offer interesting comments about traditional tales and storytelling in the note, so it is well worth reading.

The pen-and-ink, gouache, and pastel illustrations are cartoon-like and full of color inviting the reader to interact with the page and feel the excitement of the challenge. The use of all capital letters also reflects the urgency of the race as it progresses. The seeming simplicity of the illustrations offers a nod to the oral tradition and the lifestyle of the peoples who originated the folktales and keep them alive even today. I was not familiar with gouache techniques so I did some additional reading at this site if you would like more information http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gouache.

Joseph Bruchac is the author of more than 120 books and has been writing for more than thirty years according to his website http://josephbruchac.com/index.html. He creates books, poetry, and music that pay homage to his Abenaki Indian heritage and Native American traditions.

James Bruchac is the oldest son of Joseph Bruchac. He is an author, storyteller, and wildlife expert who works with organizations around the world presenting programs for children and adults. More can be learned about James at his home page http://www.jamesbruchac.com/pages/home.php.

Ilustrators Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey have collaborated on over sixty children's books including Leo the Late Bloomer. To discover more about their books visit HarperCollins at http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/Kids/AuthorsAndIllustrators/ContributorDetail.aspx?CId=12017 and http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/Kids/AuthorsAndIllustrators/ContributorDetail.aspx?CId=11745.

In a 2003 review School Library Journal noted, "...the cheerful artwork is a wonderful match for this well-told tale." Booklist commented that ,"...cheering animal spectators invites audience participation..." and suggest it for reading aloud and encourage follow-up discussions.

A visit from a storyteller would be the ideal follow-up to this title, as well as further exploration of traditional Native American tales. A variety of art projects could be done also that could reflect pond life, Native American art and artists, and even cartooning. I read this with my six-year-old great-nephew and he thoroughly enjoyed it. We laughed at the expressive faces of the animals and talked about who would win before reaching the end. My great-nephew was quite satisfied with Turtle's clever solution and gratified to know that strongest doesn't always mean the win is guaranteed. Later my niece told me he has been dealing with a bully at school, so I better understood why he focused on that aspect of the story. Maybe the story will help him find a clever solution, too, along with the support he is getting from teachers and family.

Amazon. Editorial reviews. http://www.amazon.com/Turtles-Beaver-Joseph-James-Bruchac/dp/0142404667. (Accessed September 23, 2013.)

The Graveyard Book Review

http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9780060530945_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG

Gaiman, Neil. 2008. The Graveyard Book. Ill. by Dave McKean New York: HarperCollins Children's Books. ISBN: 978-0-06-053093-8.

Enjoy the book trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_UUVwTaemk

Nobody Owens would be considered an average boy if he didn't live in a graveyard. After the murder of his family by the man named Jack, he is raised by ghosts, ghouls, and other night creatures as he faces dangers and finds adventure both inside and outside the graveyard.

From the opening line to the ending one readers will be entranced by the story of Nobody Owens, known simply as Bod. Instantly the reader is anxious to protect Bod as we are told he "...stepped out of the house a little hesitantly." The man Jack is sure to find Bod if he doesn't hurry and Jack will kill young Bod with his razor sharp knife. With great relief we are happy to find that he is sheltered and ultimately adopted by the graveyard folk who decide to protect him and raise him as their own. Silas who "...belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead." becomes Bod's guardian since Silas is able to leave the graveyard to find food and other items a living child needs. Gaiman describes these events so matter-of-factly that we don't question them, but simply become part of the fantasy and eagerly turn the page to see what will happen next.

What happens next is that Bod embraces the journey of growing up with the care of the whole graveyard. He is taught to read with the help of gravestone etchings, given history lessons by ghosts who actually participated in the events, and learns the skills granted by having "The Freedom of the Graveyard", "Fading, Sliding, and Dreamwalking." All of the skills will be needed as he find his way to young adulthood while having dangerous and sometimes frightening adventures inside and outside his home until he finally faces the man named Jack.

Dave Mckean's black and white illustrations set the stage for Bod's adventures with just enough detail to enhance Gaiman's lush descriptions of Bod's surroundings while leaving the time period modern, but ambiguous.

The Graveyard Book won the Newbery Medal and the British Carnegie Medal in 2009, the first time both medals were awarded to the same book. It also won the Hugo Award for Best Novel and Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book. The illustrator, Chris Riddell was shortlisted for the Greenaway Medal. Gaiman and Harper Audio won the Audie Award  in 2009 for the audiobook edition.

The Graveyard Book, by turns exciting and witty, sinister and tender, shows Gaiman at the top of his form…The story's language and humor are sophisticated, but Gaiman respects his readers and trusts them to understand…In this novel of wonder, Neil Gaiman follows in the footsteps of long-ago storytellers, weaving a tale of unforgettable enchantment.

—The New York Times

Horn Book (starred review) “Lucid, evocative prose and dark fairy-tale motifs imbue the story with a dreamlike quality. …this ghost-story-cum-coming-of-age-novel as readable as it is accomplished.”

Booklist (starred review) “This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel’s ultimate message is strong and life affirming….this is a rich story with broad appeal.”

An author study including Gaiman's Coraline, M is for Magic, and Stardust would be interesting for students in the middle grades. We read excerpts about the gravestone rubbings as part of a genealogy workshop for families at my library last month to great effect. Also, HarperCollins offers a teacher's guide here: http://files.harpercollins.com/PDF/ReadingGuides/0061551899.pdf.

Barnes and Noble. Editorial reviews. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/graveyard-book-neil-gaiman/1100258468?ean=9780060530945. (Accessed November 19, 2013.)

Speak Review

http://www.blogher.com/files/speak-laurie-halse-anderson.jpg

Anderson, Laurie Halse. 1999. Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN: 0-374-37152-0.

Speak is the story of a ninth grade girl, Melinda, who called the police and ended the hottest party of the summer. She enters school an outcast and retreats further and further into herself as the year progresses until she finds her voice in the midst of a painful confrontation.

Everyone is so busy being angry with Melinda that no one bothers to ask why she called the police. She didn't tell her parents about the party, her friends snub her, and her teachers, except her art teacher, Mr. Freeman, can't see much past their chalkboards. Readers will recognize the cliques, the teachers, the cafeteria, and the drama of high school from the opening pages, especially "the first ten lies they tell you in high school."
The novel is structured around the four marking periods at Merryweather High and much is told through Melinda's grades each term. Art proves to be the only place she finds something to care about even when the counselor becomes involved. Basketball could be the release Melinda needs since she can sink foul shots easily, "She keeps bouncing balls my way, and I keep putting them up-swish, swish, swish. Forty-two shots later, my arms wobble and I miss one." But her grades keep her from joining the team, C's have become D's and F's.
As the school year passes and the seasons change, so does Melinda. Her art class assignment to make her chosen object, a tree, "...say something, express an emotion, speak to every person who looks at it" has led to many hours of frustration, but she feels safe in the art classroom. Spring brings a new spark of fight to her and she begins to find ways to warn others about Andy Evans, the upperclassman who Melinda now fully understands raped her at the party. The months of trying to forget, of refusing to talk about him, have been painful and have led to the realization that others will be hurt also if Melinda cannot find a way to help. When Andy finds her again, she finally finds the strength and voice she needs to end the nightmare begun the past summer.
Anderson uses the first person narrative to great effect as Melinda retreats inside her head, speaking to the reader while speaking to those around her less and less as she tries to forget the trauma of the past summer. When she does find her voice, readers feel hopeful even though we know Melinda will be dealing with the rape for the rest of her life, "There is no avoiding it, no forgetting." ... "He hurt me. It wasn't my fault. And I'm not going to let it kill me."

Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times bestselling author. Her books have earned many awards and she was honored with the Margaret A. Edwards Award in 2009 for her "significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature." Her website is available here: http://madwomanintheforest.com/.

Speak received many accolades including:
1999 National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature
Booklist Editors' Choice
Michael L. Printz Honor Book
An Edgar Allan Poe Award Finalist
A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
Winner of the SCBWI Golden Kite Award
An ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults
An ALA Quick Pick
Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
Booklist Top Ten First Novel
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Horn Book Fanfare Title
New York Times Bestseller
Publishers Weekly Bestseller

“In a stunning first novel, Anderson uses keen observations and vivid imagery to pull readers into the head of an isolated teenager. . . . Yet Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and holds readers’ empathy. . . . But the book’s overall gritty realism and Melinda’s hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last.”—The Horn Book, Starred Review

“A frightening and sobering look at the cruelty and viciousness that pervade much of contemporary high school life, as real as today’s headlines. . . . The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn . . . a novel that will be hard for readers to forget.”—Kirkus Reviews, Pointer Review

“Melinda’s pain is palpable, and readers will totally empathize with her. This is a compelling book, with sharp, crisp writing that draws readers in, engulfing them in the story.”—School Library Journal

“A story told with acute insight, acid wit, and affecting prose.”—Library Journal

“Melinda’s voice is distinct, unusual, and very real as she recounts her past and present experiences in bitterly ironic, occasionally even amusing vignettes. . . . Melinda’s sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.”—Booklist

Speak is realistic contemporary fiction that can lead to discussion of several topics that are difficult to broach including rape, underage drinking, bullying, and depression. The book is often challenged because of the controversial nature of the topics, but children and teens face all of these issues and more in their daily lives. The opportunity to discuss such topics in a safe environment has the possibility of changing bad situations and allowing a young person to receive help when needed. My daughter read Speak when she was in middle school and has since told me that she became more careful of her surroundings and the people around her as a result. 

Teacher's guide here: http://teachers.madwomanintheforest.com/youngadult-speak/.
Shmoop, an excellent website for educators and students, offers a guide to Speak: http://www.shmoop.com/speak-anderson/.
Macmillan has a discussion guide: http://media.us.macmillan.com/discussionguides/9780312674397DG.pdf.
A whole new group of readers may discover this wonderful book according to this article: http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2013/0802/Laurie-Halse-Anderson-s-Speak-will-be-adapted-as-a-graphic-novel.

Barnes and Noble. Editorial reviews: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/speak-laurie-halse-anderson/1100163764?ean=9780312674397. (Accessed November 29, 2013.)

Turtle in Paradise Review

November 9, 2013


http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9780375836909_p0_v1_s114x166.JPG

Holm, Jennifer L. 2010. Turtle in Paradise. New York: Random House. ISBN: 978-0-375-93688-3.

Times are hard in 1935 and eleven-year-old Turtle has to go live in Key West, Florida with relatives she has never met when her mother takes a job as a housekeeper for a woman who does not like children. Turtle in Paradise shares the unique culture and history of Key West in the thirties while exploring the hopes, dreams, and realities of the tough young heroine who dreams of a home of her own.

Turtle in Paradise is sweet, funny and sad with a young heroine that is unforgettable. Turtle, named because "Mama says I have a hard shell, " sees the world for what it really is unlike her mother who sees the world through a Hollywood haze. When she is sent to Key West to live while her mother works as a housekeeper in New Jersey, she is determined to keep her hard shell, "...I don't understand what's so wonderful about having a big family. Someone's always fighting, or not talking to someone else, or scrounging around trying to borrow money."  But Turtle soon finds a sense of home and family with her rowdy boy cousins and a grandmother she thought was dead. The story is fast paced and fun as the children find trouble that eventually leads to treasure while taking care of the exhausted women's "bad babies" in trade for candy as part of The Diaper Gang. Turtle discovers her past and forges a future in Key West when her mother comes for her after Turtle and the boys survive a hurricane when digging for treasure. Despite losing the financial reward to a crook, Turtle and her mother realize that the true treasure they were looking for is the stability and love that family and friends provide, "Maybe the real treasure has been right here on Curry Lane the whole time-people who love Mama and me. A home."

The desperate times of the Depression are fully realized in the poverty and hardships of Key West, but Holm also explores the freedom of living in a small community and the simple pleasures of childhood that young readers will recognize. The search for adventure and the common fun of playing pirates is explored as the group of kids sail out to find the treasure which quickly turns to fear and regret when the storm rolls over the island. The author's note, resources, and websites offer several avenues for further exploration. Especially interesting are the pictures included in the author's note that give young readers a glimpse into the 1930's clothing, houses, and people in Key West during the time the story takes place.

Turtle in Paradise is a 2011 Newbery Honor Book, 2011-2012 Texas Bluebonnet Book, an ALA Notable Book, Booklist Editor's Choice, Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2010, Spring 2010 Junior Library Guild Selection, and a New York Times Bestseller.

Jennifer Holm has been awarded three Newbery Honors and is the author of the Babymouse and Squish graphic novels with her brother, Matt. To learn more about her, please visit her website http://www.jenniferholm.com/.

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2010:“Sweet, funny and superb”

Starred Review, Booklist, April 15, 2010:"Turtle is just the right mixture of knowingness and hope; the plot is a hilarious blend of family dramas seasoned with a dollop of adventure."

Review, School Library Journal, April 2010:"This richly detailed novel was inspired by Holm’s great-grandmother’s stories. Readers who enjoy melodic, humorous tales of the past won’t want to miss it."

Discussions about the meaning of family, surviving hard times, the Depression, and life in Key West are all connections that can be made with Turtle in Paradise. Turtle remarks several times that she does not like Shirley Temple, so I would include a screening of a Shirley Temple film or at least a short segment for the children who are unfamiliar with her. Ernest Hemingway's cameo appearance also is an opportunity to look at his works briefly. Quizlet offer 186 questions about the book: http://quizlet.com/13729359/turtle-in-paradise-flash-cards/#. Random House has a teacher's guide available at http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9780375836886.pdf.

Barnes and Noble. Editorial reviews. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/turtle-in-paradise-jennifer-l-holm/1100259458?ean=9780375836909. (Accessed November 9, 2013.)

Dead End in Norvelt Review

http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9781250010230_p0_v2_s114x166.JPG

Gantos, Jack. 2011. Dead End in Norvelt. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN: 978-0-374-37993-3.

Also available in audio from Macmillan. Produced by Laura Wilson. Read by the author. ISBN: 978-1-4272-1356-3.

Dead End in Norvelt is an autobiographical historical fiction novel from Jack Gantos recounting two months in the summer of 1962 when he was "grounded for life" by his parents for accidentally shooting his father's Japanese rifle, a souvenir from WWII. He only gets to leave the house to help an aging neighbor who is the town historian and obituary writer. Incidents that are in turn funny and disgusting ensue, leaving Jack with a new appreciation for Norvelt and its citizens.

Jack Gantos has a gift for offbeat, slightly gross tales with characters and situations that have readers laughing out loud. Dead End in Norvelt recounts the summer that he acted as scribe for Miss Volker, an elderly neighbor who suffers from severe arthritis and can no longer write the obituaries of the quickly declining population of town elders. Gantos weaves into his story the history of Norvelt, a town designed in 1934 as part of the National Industrial Recovery Act, a New Deal homestead act instituted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The town is named in honor of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt who Gantos calls the Godmother of the town. Young readers may need a brief history lesson to understand the political and social climate of the time, but they will have no trouble relating to Jack's reaction to being grounded or his attempts to get out of the punishment. His interactions with the older members of the town will remind children of holidays spent with relatives who seem to be from another world, yet have some insight that sticks with them for years afterward. Surprises abound as Jack visits his first funeral home, dresses as the Grim Reaper to determine if a neighbor is dead, suffers massive nose bleeds, learns about the past and offers historical asides through the books he reads, and discovers a murder mystery all in one short summer.

The audio version read by Gantos is a delight. Listening to him tell his story is like sitting down with family to recount stories from when they were young. I was reminded of family reunions with my mother who is from a family of fourteen brothers and sisters. Listening to them tell stories of growing up on the farm in the fifties and sixties is having history revealed in the best possible way.

Dead End in Norvelt is the 2012 Newbery Medal Winner, won the 2012 Scott O'Dell award for Historical Fiction and was named an ALA Notable Children's Book and ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book.

Jack Gantos is the author of the Rotten Ralph series of picture books, the Joey Pigza series for middle grade readers, and also writes for young adult and adult audiences. For more information about this award winning author visit his website http://www.jackgantos.com/.

“A bit of autobiography works its way into all of Gantos’s work, but he one-ups himself in this wildly entertaining meld of truth and fiction by naming the main character . . . Jackie Gantos.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A fast-paced and witty read.” —School Library Journal

“There’s more than laugh-out-loud gothic comedy here. This is a richly layered semi-autobiographical tale, an ode to a time and place, to history and the power of reading.” —The Horn Book, starred review

“Gantos, as always, delivers bushels of food for thought and plenty of outright guffaws.” —Booklist

“An exhilarating summer marked by death, gore and fire sparks deep thoughts in a small-town lad not uncoincidentally named ‘Jack Gantos.’ The gore is all Jack’s, which to his continuing embarrassment ‘would spray out of my nose holes like dragon flames’ whenever anything exciting or upsetting happens. And that would be on every other page, seemingly. . . . Characteristically provocative gothic comedy, with sublime undertones.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Mary Quattlebaum of the Washington Post called Dead End in Norvelt, "…wonderfully wacky…The darkly comic mystery and oddball characters make for some good laughs, but the riffs on history raise the consciousness as well…"

Dead End in Norvelt is a wonderful introduction to American history from WWII to the late sixties. Norvelt is a town that was built for displaced coal miners and investigating more about the town can lead to lessons about Roosevelt's New Deal policies and programs, including the Works Progress Administration and projects they completed here in Amarillo such as the sidewalks in the downtown area. A wonderful discussion guide is available from the author:

http://www.jackgantos.com.vhost.zerolag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/9780374379933TG.pdf.

If Dead End in Norvelt leaves you wanting more, the sequel From Norvelt to Nowhere has recently been released and has received a starred review from Booklist: 

http://www.jackgantos.com/#sthash.czxtNJLa.dpuf.

Barnes and Noble. Editorial reviews. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dead-end-in-norvelt-jack-gantos/1100167540?ean=9781250010230. (Accessed November 4, 2013.)

The Midwife's Apprentice Review

                                                                                          

http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9780547722177_p0_v1_s114x166.JPG   

http://www.karencushman.com/images/books/bk_midw_hc.jpg
               
Cushman, Karen. 1995. The Midwife's Apprentice. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN: 0-395-69229-6.

The Midwife's Apprentice is the story of girl in medieval England who has no family, no home, no name, and no future. Her fortune changes when she meets Jane the Midwife, although Jane is a harsh mistress. After facing hardship and overcoming several obstacles, the girl who names herself Alyce, finally finds her place in the world.

Karen Cushman captures the drudgery, filth and hardship of medieval life from the opening chapter of The Midwife's Apprentice to the last page. She also shows the reader the transformation of a homeless, nameless, and hopeless girl into a young woman who finds everything she wants including, "A full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world." The girl who names herself Alyce is familiar because she is the target of bullies and she is unsure of her future just as most young people are when attempting to get through middle and high school. Her challenges are faced in a time long ago, but the universal themes of loneliness, fear, and confusion will resonate with readers of today.

Alyce becomes Jane the Midwife's apprentice which saves her from sleeping in a dung heap, but subjugates her to Jane's harsh criticism. With time, Alyce uses her wits and survival skills to learn the secrets of midwifery until the day comes when a woman in labor asks Alyce to attend the delivery and Alyce fails. Readers will understand Alyce's despair and relate to her solution to run away from the village rather than face Jane's sharp tongue. Alyce's only friend, a cat she saved from the mean-spirited boys of the village remains by her side and they find a home at an inn by, "...trading her labor for bread and a bed..." Working at the inn allows Alyce to find herself through hard work and the help of someone she discovers is a friend when he tells her, "You got guts and common sense. Just because you don't know everything don't mean you know nothing." One success is all it takes for Alyce to realize that she does want to be a midwife after all and so she returns to the village and is stunned to discover that Jane will not take her back until she proves that she is willing to "...try and risk and fail and try again and not give up." Words of wisdom for every person trying to find their place in the world.

Cushman offers a concluding note that gives a brief history of midwifery including the renewed interest in the practice beginning in the 1960's. The discussion of herbs used by midwives and their influence on current medicines is especially interesting and encourages further reading.

The Midwife's Apprentice won several awards:
1996 Newbery Medal
1996 ALA Best Book for Young Adults
1996 ALA Notable Children's Book
1996 NCTE Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts
1996 Horn Book Fanfare Honor List
1995 List of Recommended Book (NY Public Library)
1995 Booklist Books for Youth Editor's Choice
1995 American Booksellers Association Pick of the Lists
1995 School Library Journal Best Books of the Year

Karen Cushman writes historical fiction that often features feisty female characters. Her 1994 book Catherine, Called Birdy was a Newbery Honor book. For more information about Karen Cushman, please visit her website http://www.karencushman.com/.

In a starred review Booklist said, "This novel is about a strong, young woman in medieval England who finds her own way home. . . . Kids will be caught up in this short, fast-paced narrative about a hero who discovers that she’s not ugly or stupid or alone." School Library Journal, also giving a starred review, stated, "With simplicity, wit, and humor, Cushman presents another tale of medieval England... Earthy humor, the foibles of humans both high and low, and a fascinating mix of superstition and genuinely helpful herbal remedies attached to childbirth make this a truly delightful introduction to a world seldom seen in children's literature." Publishers Weekly said that, "Cushman has an almost unrivaled ability to build atmosphere, and her evocation of a medieval village, if not scholarly in its authenticity, is supremely colorful and pungent."

A comparison of educational and occupational opportunities between the two time periods, as well as an exploration of the great differences of life for young people would be interesting for today's tweens and teens. Research into midwifery and modern childbirth practices is also an important and fascinating discussion point for teens considering parenthood in the future. I have suggested this title as a "quick read" for the "Adults Who Read YA Book Club" at my library. I think they would enjoy the look at midwifery as well. An excellent discussion guide can be found here: http://www.karencushman.com/pdfs/DG_midwife.pdf.

Amazon. Editorial reviews. http://www.amazon.com/The-Midwifes-Apprentice-Karen-Cushman/dp/0547722176/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383703679&sr=8-1&keywords=midwife%27s+apprentice. (Accessed November 4, 2013.) 

Barnes and Noble. Editorial reviews. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/midwifes-apprentice-karen-cushman/1100303592?ean=9780547722177. (Accessed November 4, 2013.)

Children's Literature Network. Awards.
http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/aifolder/aipages/ai_c/cushman.php. (Accessed November 5, 2013.)