October 2007 Archives

The Witch's Child by Arthur Yorinks, illustrated by Jos. A. Smith.

If you are looking for a great creepy Halloween book, this is it!  Even better, it isn't technically a Halloween book, so you could use it anytime you want a good scare.

Rosina is a horrible, mean witch.  She was powerful enough to give herself anything she wanted, except a child.  One October night, she builds herself a daughter out of straw and leaves and clumps of hair.  But she cannot bring her Rosalie to life.  She tries different things to bring Rosalie to life, but nothing works, so she discards her and forgets about her.  Then one day, a young girl enters the witch's house, finds Rosalie, and lavishes her with affection.  The witch returns to find this child holding her forgotten daughter and it fills her with rage.  But as she moves to attack the girl...

Would I spoil the ending?!  Tee hee! 

The language and illustrations of this picture book both contribute to the creepy theme.  Yorinks has little touches throughout the book that make it all the more shivery.  The first page of the book, featuring the witch flying toward the reader without a broomstick, just flying, is paired with some very atmospheric writing that will have children clutching each other when you read it aloud.  The witch turns children into thorny bushes, a horrible fate, but then Yorinks adds that they are "stunted and prickly and rooted to the ground."  The witch grabbing a "long knife" to attack the girl is wonderful, as is the pacing of that section where each beat brings the tension up a notch.  Whew!  And the illustrations are right there too, increasing the tension, adding to the horror, creating a witch without a broomstick or pointed hat that is all the more horrible for missing those details.  There is nothing cartoonlike or comforting about this witch.

Recommended for reading aloud at Halloween parties in classrooms for grades 2-4.  Children as young as 5 will enjoy the story, but the nuances will be appreciated by slightly older children who want a good thrill with their Halloween goodies.

Prickly Sea Stars by Natalie Lunis

This book is part of the No Backbone! series that focuses on invertebrates.  The book offers fascinating glimpses of the world of sea stars or starfish.  Take a close look at the eyespots that sea stars use to see on the tips of their rays.  Or be amazed at the way that starfish eat by pushing their stomachs out of their mouths and into the shells of clams and mussels.  Readers will also be astounded by the colors and textures of these animals.

The glory of this book is the photography which offer close examination of sea stars in all of their variety.  The images are bright, clear and illustrative of the points being made in teh text.  The text of this nonfiction book is accessible, friendly, and interesting.  It will be appropriate for first and second grade readers to read on their own, but interested children as young as 3 and 4 would be able to learn all sorts of facts when it is read aloud to them. 

I am off at a conference today, the Wisconsin Library Association Annual Conference, where I will be giving a speech on Library 2.0. I'll be at the conference all this week and then will be off on vacation for the following week. A vacation with no laptop tagging along! So I will post more at the tail end of October.

Cowboy & Octopus by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith.

This book somehow snuck by me, and I found it on the library shelves.  How could I have missed it!

Cowboy and Octopus meet in the first chapter, play together and start being friends.  The other chapters in the book offer great slapstick comedy, strange bean humor, and knock knock jokes.  How could you go wrong?! 

Once again Scieszka and Smith have created a zany world that children will love to enter.  The illustrations are purposefully stiff and cut-out.  They deepen the humor of the situation, rather than competing with the cleverness of the words. 

Share this with preschoolers, but also with older elementary age children.  They will enjoy the humor more deeply than younger children.  All children will head back to the library seeking their other favorites by this team. 

The Magic Rabbit by Annette LeBlanc Cate.

Ray the magician and his rabbit are best friends.  They do everything together, including their act.  But one day something goes wrong, and the two are separated.  Bunny is lost in the city alone.  He finds a nice park, but when night falls he is again alone.  He wanders the streets until he finds a perfect clue to lead him back home.

The illustrations of this picture book are done in black and white with touches of yellow gold stars scattered throughout.  The illustrations are highly detailed with many small touches.  Somehow even without color, the pictures of Bunny and Ray at home are cozy and his time on the street go towards bleak and cold.  The words are equally effective, easy to read aloud, and don't talk down to the audience. 

Share this book as a great read aloud.  Children fascinated by magic will definitely enjoy it, but it is also a treat for any 4-6 year old.

The Little Red Fish by Taeeun Yoo.

There is something about books where the bottom falls away and you are left holding a book that has pulled you out of reality and into a whole new world.  This picture book does that, even better it does it with a library!

JeJe's grandfather is a librarian and they head to the old library together.  This is the first time that JeJe has been allowed inside, and he marvels at the rooms filled with books.  JeJe has brought his red fish along with him in its bowl.  Eventually, JeJe falls asleep, when he awakens his fish is gone!  He searches for it and finds its tail sticking out of a book.  Then, as the text in the book says, "something magical happened."

The sepia tones of the art speak to the history, quiet and dimness of the old library.  The fish offers one touch of red color throughout the book, allowing children to follow him to the magical book, which is also red. 

Part of the reason I love this little book is that it is unapologetically different.  From the art to the message, it has a sweet strangeness to it that is wonderful to read.  It is free from garish color, lacks any pop-eyed cartoon creatures, and speaks to something that is old-fashioned and forgotten.  What a lovely door into a world of imagination!

Recommended for reading at bedtime.  This one won't stand up to a wild story time, though it would be fascinating to see if the book's quiet sense of wonder would evoke the same reaction in a group of children.  I've seen it happen with other books!

When Dinosaurs Came with Everything by Elise Broach, illustrated by David Small.

Running errands with Mom is such a bore, until a boy discovers that today, dinosaurs come with everything.  Buy a dozen doughnuts, get a triceratops.  Get a shot, receive a stegosaurus.  With each purchase, the boy gets more ecstatic and his mother more frazzled.  Eventually, the pair have quite a herd of dinosaurs heading back home with them.  Mom needs to lie down for awhile, but when she sees the dinos in the yard, she has a brilliant idea.

I love this book.  I love its sense of play and fun.  I love that there is no waking from a dream, just people who now have to deal with a group of dinosaurs in their lives.  It is a book that speaks to getting things for "free" like kittens but also speaks to the utter joy of childhood and open possibilities. 

Don't save this just for children who like dinosaurs, though they will be thrilled with it.  The book has a good enough story to be read aloud to children ages 4-7 at any time.  Nicely, while it appeals to children, adults will also enjoy the humor, meaning that it is a great one to become a read-aloud favorite.

Nominated for a 2007 Cybil Award in Fantasy and Science Fiction.



Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr.

Since she was a tiny child, Aislinn has been able to see what other humans can't: the fairies who walk among us.  Her Gram taught her to be careful, never show them that she can see them, and to live in fear of being discovered.  But now Aislinn is being followed by two court fey, powerful fairies who don't seem to be stopped by iron.   Aislinn has always been told never to let anyone know she sees fairies, but she eventually has to confide in her best friend Seth.  Will the two of them be able to figure out how to keep Aislinn safe?

The above is a very simplistic summary of a detailed and complex book.  But the joy of the novel is discovering its complexity through reading it.  I wanted to give nothing at all away in order to allow you to experience the fun of discovery with no spoilers.

The fairy world here is not one of glitter and pink, rather it is a world where beauty cannot be trusted and choices can mark the rest of your life.  The complex fairy society is fascinatingly real.  Additionally, the characters are well written and complex as well.  Aislinn is a real modern heroine, refusing to accept the way things have always been done and deciding to forge ahead herself. 

This is a book that mixes horror, romance and tension into a tight novel.  I read it with some fear that it was going to head too far in one direction, but instead it walks a tightrope between genres. 

Recommended for fans of Holly Black, I also think that lovers of vampire novels would enjoy this.  Let's hope there are more books coming from Marr.

The Wizard by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Brandon Dorman.

This is a gorgeous new edition of Prelutsky's poem which originally appeared in Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep.  Prelutsky's skill with words is as evident as ever as is his connection with children.  I appreciate that Prelutsky is not worried about the use of words like "gaunt" "perplexed" and "fiendish."  Rather he allows the poem itself to frame and support these jewel-like words, giving children a chance to reach for them. 

The illustrations in the book are equal to Prelutsky's work.  Dorman has brought the world of the wizard alive using interesting perspectives, lush colors, and scores of details in each image.  It is a book worthy of poring over, growing with, and adoring. 

Highly recommended as a read aloud for elementary age children learning about poetry.  It will also be successful in storytimes about magic for preschoolers.  But I do think that its darkness and its words will be most appreciated by slightly older children.

ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) has started its own blog.  According the their press release, the blog will cover "time sensitive news in children's librarianship, current
issues in the field, programs, conferences, initiatives, resources and
activities of interest to ALSC members and those interested in children's
librarianship."

I think a place to discuss the special qualities of service to children is a wonderful thing.  Definitely adding it to my RSS feed list.

Check out this breathtaking new trailer for The Golden Compass film.  Wow!

The finalists for the 2007 National Book Awards in Young People's Literature have been announced.  And what a great slate of candidates it is!  Two of my all-time favorites of the year, so I look forward to reading the others. 

Right now my vote goes to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.  A spectacular read.

Sherman
Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time
Indian

Kathleen
Duey, Skin Hunger: A Resurrection of Magic,
Book One

M.
Sindy Felin, Touching Snow

Brian
Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Sara
Zarr, Story of a Girl

Monster hug! by David Ezra Stein.

I think I have discovered a new favorite picture book author.  This is the same David Ezra Stein who wrote the wonderful Leaves, which is my new favorite autumnal title. 

In this book, two monsters wake up, meet and start to play.  The monsters are bigger than mountains, can climb buildings, eat cars and trees, but really are just a pair of wild children.  The art is wonderfully rough and wild, suiting the subject perfectly, emphasizing the child-friendly text.  I love the wildness in the monsters' eyes, the transposing of a blue monster who lives in a volcano and a red monster who lives under the sea, and the use of red words that capture the mood of the two monsters in single syllables. 

There is something special about finding a book that is not only masterfully created but will be truly enjoyed by even the smallest children.  What a rare treat!

Very toddler friendly, this book can be used with children ages 2-6.  Even older children will enjoy the humor and freedom here.  Highly recommended for use in preschool and toddler story times this time of year for a very non-scary monster story.

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is becoming a film by Mandate Films.  Kat Dennings will play Norah and Michael Cera will play Nick.  Looks like the targeted release date is 2009.

Review of one of the nominated titles for the 2007 Cybils in Fantasy and Science Fiction.



Gift of the Unmage by Alma Alexander.

Thea was born a Double Seventh, the seventh child of two seventh children.  From birth she was expected to have great magical powers, but they never emerged.  Her father pulls some strings to get her a special Pass to learn from Cheveyo in an unknown land.  With Cheveyo's quiet teaching, Thea begins to learn more and more of herself and why she cannot do magic.  She learns of her special powers of weaving, allowing her to visit the ancient Grandmother Spider and discover the presence of many worlds beyond her own.  This is power and knowledge that she will need to fight in an upcoming battle that might just save her own world from destruction.

This book is a fascinating blend of spirituality and fantasy.  The things that Thea learns with Cheveyo are less magical and more philosophic.  I had not anticipated the depth of these lessons, the ring of truth they have and the power that this book receives from them.  The writing is lovely as it twines through different worlds, allowing the reader to experience them.  I enjoyed the portrayal of the near-silent Cheveyo and Grandmother Spider.  Thea's character is well-developed and serves as the perfect window into her world. 

While this book will not be for all fantasy fans, who may expect their fantasy to be more about dragons and knights, it will be welcome for readers of fantasy looking for depth and great world building.  Highly recommended for thoughtful fantasy readers.

Review of one of the nominated titles for the 2007 Cybils in Fantasy and Science Fiction



Tattoo by Jennifer Barnes.

This fluffy fantasy novel has the charm of a Buffy the Vampire combined with a dark fairy myth.  A normal day at the mall becomes a lot more when Bailey selects four strange temporary tattoos.  She and her three close friends apply the tattoos at the mall and then discover that they have special powers given to them by the tattoos.  Bailey begins to hear voices and dream vivid dreams of two fairies, which lead the four teens on a wild ride to save both their world and the connected fairy world.

These are not sweet Tinkerbell fairies with pixie dust, rather they are dark fairies with amazing powers.  The humor of the book is winning as are the four teen girls, who are each as unique as can be, though they verge on cardboard at times. 

The cover is a huge selling point of the book.  Teens looking for a book to escape into without working hard at it will enjoy this novel.

The Battle of the Labyrinth will continue the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan!  The fourth in the series, it will be released in May of 2008.  Take a look at that great cover and plan on ordering this for your library!  What fun to have another fantasy series that flies off of the shelves all on its own.  But even better, it's a great series filled with action and humor, so librarians can be confident putting it into the hands of children and teens.

VOYA's October Edition has a Roundup of Paperback Series for Teens.  It is great to see series books being reviewed seriously.  One thing that VOYA does exceptionally well is to take paperback releases seriously and review them right alongside the hardcovers.  When one is working with teens this is very important.  The Sweep series looks like the best bet from this batch.  Onto my to-be-read list it goes!

Finding Violet Park by first-time author Jenny Valentine has won the Guardian children's fiction prize in Britain.  The book is not yet out in the U.S. and let's hope it doesn't take as long as The New Policeman did.

Eliza's Kindergarten Surprise by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by Nancy Spier

When Eliza's mother drops her off at Kindergarten for the first time, Eliza cries.  So her mother gives her a special kiss and puts it into Eliza's pocket.  As Eliza starts her day, her pocket feels very empty, but she finds two buttons that look like her mother's eyes and put those in her pocket.  Throughout her day, Eliza finds all sorts of small objects that remind her of her mother.  By the end of the book, Eliza has quite a collection, and suddenly knows exactly what to do with it. 

The illustrations are very clean and bright.  I do wish that some of the background children at school were of different races, but it remains a very friendly book.  The use of a pocket being empty to symbolize that empty feeling inside is very nice. 

This is a very positive book about starting school, showing that children can cope in many different ways.  Perfect to share with children starting either preschool or kindergarten, this book will allow a discussion about fears to start.

Recommended for ages 4-6.

Mine by Mathilde Stein, illustrated by Mies van Hout.

A clever little tale of a ghost and a girl.  When Charlotte discovers a ghost in her bed hogging the covers, she tells him he can stay but must share the bed.  Then in the morning Charlotte listens again and again to the ghost declaring that everything thing is "Mine!"  Charlotte stays patient, using lots of parenting techniques to get the little ghost to learn to share.  Slowly, the ghost learns that sharing is actually a lot more fun.  Eventually someone from the castle on the hill comes to the door to ask if Charlotte has seen a greedy little ghost.  But Charlotte declares that the only ghost she knows loves to share.  The little ghost does head back home to the castle and his parents, but sends a friendly note back to Charlotte.

This is a wonderful Halloween book with none of the Halloween holiday in it.  The illustrations are bright and colorful with an interesting mix of strong black outlines and free coloring.  The text has a nice rhythm and style that will be very welcoming to children.  Additionally, this friendly ghost tale is perfect for children who want to have a quieter and less frightening Halloween. 

Recommended as a read aloud for ages 4-6.

NPR has a piece on the upcoming The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising, a film adaptation of the series by Susan Cooper which has me twitchy in all the wrong ways.  Yes, the film itself looks nice, but will it bear any resemblance to my beloved series?  I doubt it.  And this article did nothing to make me fear it less.  Take this quote from Cooper:

"You do have to do violence to a book to make it into a screenplay —
the two mediums are so different," Cooper says. "But the alteration is
so enormous in this case. It is just different."

That's exactly what I am afraid of!  Was the violence done to this series surgical and limited, or was it like a bomb going off.  We will just have to wait and see.

Catch that goat!  by Polly Alakija.

This is a great romp through a Nigerian street market.  Ayoka has been asked to watch the family goat, but he immediately escapes out the door.  As she dashes after him, she asks each person if they have seen the goat.  They haven't but all of them are also missing something as well.  It's not until the very end that everyone finds exactly what they are missing.

The art here really shines, filled with colors, business and the bustle of a marketplace.  There is a real sense of place in each image and one can almost hear and smell the market.  The text of the book is very simple with a distinct rhythm through the repetition.  This will make it very friendly for small children.

Recommended as a great multicultural read for preschoolers, ages 3-5. 

Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.

I loved last year's Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, so I was very excited to get my hands on this new book by the same authors.

Naomi and Ely have been friends since they were tiny children.  Their friendship has grown and changed over the years, becoming closer and closer.  Even when Naomi's father had an affair with one of Ely's mothers, their friendship withstood it.  But their entire relationship is challenged by a single stick of Orbit gum, which tells Naomi that Ely has stolen her boyfriend.  The entire basis of their friendship has shifted because they have always had a No Kiss List to prevent just this sort of thing.

Cohn and Levithan have again written a book with such a fresh look and tone that it is amazingly hip in a way that will stand the test of time.  Where other authors look more to making cool references about bands and products, these authors create coolness out of anything at all, including gum.  The other aspect of the novel that works so well is its pacing.  As readers watch the friendship deteriorate, they will feel as if years have passed, just as Naomi and Ely do.  At the end, they will be surprised and amazed that it was actually such a short period of time.  The authors do this without slowing the story down, but instead lay the groundwork of time as a shifting one.  This is applause worthy writing.

Naomi's character is a little stagnant for me, but I also see that that is part of what Naomi is about.  She is trapped in her own version of reality, unable to see beyond it.  Just as her mother is wallowing in her own pain, Naomi is also caught and unable to move beyond.  Ely is a far more likable character, filled with charm and wit.  But it is the secondary characters who really shine.  Gabriel, the creator of amazing playlists, the two Bruces who rise beyond what any reader expects them to be, and the Robins who are also very well written and highly individual.  All of the characters have unique voices, fresh perspectives, and a lot to offer the reader.

Let's hope this author team continues to write together.  They manage to not only have a hip book, but also show the human face of the hippest among us.  This book is appropriate for high school students and not younger due to some references in the novel.  But it should be in every library and in teen's hands.  This one is a guaranteed circulation magnet for libraries.

The Wicked Big Toddlah by Kevin Hawkes.

This rollicking book is guaranteed to have small children listening intently.  It is the story of Toddie, a brand new baby who is very special.  He is huge!  He is brought home on a flatbed truck, takes baths in the ocean, and eats ice cream by the truckful (literally!)

The text of the book is key to its success.  Done in a matter-of-fact style, the words don't speak to the size of Toddie at all.  Instead they are all about normal baby things:  dirty diapers, baths, eating solids, starting to walk, etc.  Nothing in the text gives away the antics of the illustrations.  The illustrations are large, colorful and spectacular.  Toddie is amazing in his large size, great enthusiasm, and broad humor. 

Recommended for ages 3-6.  Highly recommended for reading aloud.  This book is a guaranteed read aloud winner.

A Strange Day by Iris van der Heide, illustrated by Marijke ten Cate.

Jack is waiting to find out if he won a drawing contest.  But the wind is blowing hard outside and the postman loses his grip on the letter.  He heads out to chase the letter down.  Meanwhile, Jack runs to the mailbox to check on his letter and doesn't find a thing.  Jack now decides that he didn't win and walks off in despair, not noticing anything that is going on around him.  And quite a lot is!

The illustrations are real winners here, carrying the story forward.  They are done in paint with a friendly bright coloring, lots of animals, figures and busyness.  The story is also friendly, giving just enough detail about Jack's walk to move the story along.  The real joy is discovering the story that is not being told in words by looking at the pictures. 

Recommended for ages 4-6.  This is a lap book that will be enjoyed by children.  Reading it in front of a group will diminish the pleasure because of the details of the illustrations.

Samsara Dog by Helen Manos, illustrated by Julie Vivas.

Originally published in Australia, this book shows reincarnation in a simple and accessible way.  It follows the lives of Dog, who moves from being feral and self-focused to slowly and through many incarnations becoming a dog who lives for someone else. 

The illustrations are amazing, ranging from vistas looking out over the sea to moments of such intimacy they are luminary.  And the text is equally luminous with a gentleness about death that works very well. 

There are definitely tragedies in this picture book.  I read it to my very soft-hearted six-year-old and we both ended the book with tears streaming down our faces.  It is a book that will create discussion and so shouldn't be read at bedtime or for a story time, unless your goal is to start a discussion of reincarnation. 

Recommended for children who can handle the subject matter or are asking questions about death and dying.  The content is appropriate for ages 6-9.

Baby Can by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Maxie Chambliss

There is a time in parents' lives when they are looking for gentle books on having a new baby in the house that will help an older sibling through the transition.  And there are quite a few of them out there, but this one is a charmer!

Each time Brendan's parents tell him that the new baby James can do something, Brendan shows that he can do it too.  The adults in the book respond with enthusiasm and kindness by appreciating Brendan's demonstrations of his own skills.  Through the picture book, James grows from a tiny baby into a toddler.  It is Brendan who notices his brother walking for the first time, and it will surprise no one who James decides to walk towards. 

The book is pure joy with no negative messages for new older siblings.  Though Brendan is obviously concerned that the baby gets a lot of attention, it is not spelled out in the text.  Instead older siblings learn that there is plenty of attention for them as well.  The illustrations are very friendly, filled with lots of white space, warmth and bright colors.  The text is equally welcoming and is appropriate to use with toddlers who are becoming older brothers and sisters.

Recommended for 2-4 year olds.

Happy Banned Books Week! 

Libraries use this week each year to make the public aware of the fact that people are attempting (and succeeding) to restrict access to books.  Some books are more of a target than others.  Just give a picture book any homosexual content, no matter how subtle and well-handled, and I guarantee a place on the list.  As many of you probably know, And Tango Makes Three is the most banned book of the year.  Shouldn't surprise me, but it is a lovely book and NONFICTION. 

The Office of Intellectual Freedom at the American Library Association has created a video featuring the top banned books of the year.  So many of them are titles for children and teens!  Definitely worth viewing and sharing.

Nominations are now open for the 2007 Cybils Awards! 

You can make nominations in any (or all) of the categories:

Fantasy/Science Fiction
Fiction Picture Books
Graphic Novels
Middle Grade Fiction
Non-Fiction: Middle Grade and Young Adult
Non-Fiction Picture Books
Poetry
Young Adult Fiction