Blogging Break

I'm taking a break from blogging. Its probably just the winter blahs, but I'm finding my enjoyment of books lessening because every time I read one I think, "How should I blog this?" I'm tired of that being at the forefront of my mind. I want to read for enjoyment, without the thought of blogging about the reading experience entering my head. I can't give you any idea when I'll be back, because right now I don't know.
I'm still going to comment on the blogs I read on a regular basis. I don't want to lose contact with anyone, but posting on my own blog is just a mental chore right now.
Feel free to contact me via email with any book questions or if you need help finding books to read in a certain subject: mouseprints at hotmail dot com. I'm always up for that.

Happy reading, friends!

Reading by Candlelight at 4:30 in the Morning

A severe thunderstorm knocked out our electricity around four this morning, and sent my girls scurrying to our room in fright. Todd stayed fast asleep, but since there's not room in our bed for all five of us anymore, and they weren't going back to bed with the terrible rumble going on, we four girls headed into the living room, lit some candles and sat reading or coloring. I happily re-entered Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South to read more of John Thornton and Margaret Hale's Milton world. Olivia was reading Roald Dahl's Matilda (which she's really enjoying and feels compelled to read me the funny bits) and Karina started out with a Nancy Drew book, but soon joined Susanna on the floor for some coloring. Thankfully it was not a cold morning. The power stayed out until 7:30 a.m. but we didn't hear it come on, because by that time we were all napping. (Todd apparently woke up when it came on.)

I'm loving North and South, but I'm not happy with the version I'm reading. It's published by Norilana Books (the cover pictured), but it reads like an unfinished editing job. Quotation marks are missing. Paragraphs aren't broken up properly, which ruins the flow of the story. It makes things slightly confusing until I mentally readjust the paragraph break. I really want to reread it in a better format. Any suggestions as to good versions?

2012 End-of-Year Book Survey: The Middle Grade, Young Adult and Adult Edition

Book(s) I was excited about and thought I was going to love more but didn't:

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. I love books about early American history. I read this book halfway, but decided not to read anymore, despite having bought the book. I was disappointed in the writing. I found the main female character, Connie, to be amazingly ignorant in her field of "expertise" (colonial history), despite being a doctoral candidate. The tone of the writing struck a discordant note with me that I eventually couldn't look past, so I gave up.

Divergent by Veronica Roth. Almost everyone I know raves about this book, and there is much gushing all over the blogospere, but this book did nothing for me. It made zero sense to me why they would set up their society that way in the first place, and the thought processes and actions of the characters seemed so wacky to me that I couldn't get into the story. I just kept thinking, "Stupid, stupid people." So, this book: meh.

Most surprising book (in a good way) of 2012:

Hands down that would be Code Name: Verity by Elizabeth Wein. I have learned that usually if a book is that popular in the book blogging world, the chances are high that I won't like it. It blew me away. I wanted to talk to everyone about it. But it affected me so deeply I couldn't verbally do it justice. "Just read it," I kept telling people. Did I blog about it? No. Not yet. But I plan to when I can find the words.

The other book that surprised me the most was Heart of a Shepherd by Rosanne Parry. I never expected to be touched that deeply by a book about a young ranching boy. I wrote on Goodreads  that this book is "A truly underrated gem of a story. I loved its quiet goodness. I loved the characters. I loved their caring for and of each other, and their sense of community. I loved Parry's beautiful treatment of religion, through her characters. I loved the relationships of the characters in the story. I loved everything about it."

Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky touched on deep-seated racial prejudices in a real, and profoundly human way.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. I'm not a big fan of contemporary YA; I feel like I can't relate, having not grown up as a typical American teenager. But this book really worked for me. And I was shocked to learn this is the author's debut novel. It doesn't read like a debut novel.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Again with being dubious of YA contemporary. Plus I had to get over the hideous cover. Oh my gosh! What were they thinking? This was my first book by John Green and despite my initial hang-ups, I really liked this serious and humor-filled story of a girl dying of cancer.

Book(s) I recommended to people most in 2012:

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wien (YA)

Charles And Emma: The Darwin's Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman (YA)

Heart of the Shepherd by Rosanne Parry (MG)

Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin (MG)

Wonder by R.J Palacio (MG)

Sophia's War: A Tale of the Revolution by Avi (MG/YA)

Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky (Adult Fiction)

Great new-to-me authors I discovered in 2012:

Katherine Applegate
L.M. Boston
Rae Carson
Barbara Delinsky
Huntley Fitzpatrick
Katherine Hannigan
Jim Murphy
R.J. Palacio

Ruta Sepetys

Rosanne Parry

Elizabeth Wein

Eugene Yelchin 

Best book that was out of my comfort zone or was a new genre for me:

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler. While it wasn't a book I absolutely loved, I did quite like it and found it so well-written and really fascinating.

Most thrilling, un-put-downable book(s) in 2012:

Most memorable character(s):

Maddie and Queenie from Code Name: Verity. 

The grandfather from Heart of a Shepherd. 

Sasha from Breaking Stalin's Nose. 

Most beautifully written book:

Book that had the greatest impact on me:

Book(s) that had a scene in it that left me reeling and dying to talk to someone about it:

Favorite relationships from this year's books:

Maddie and Queenie in Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.

Elisa and Hector in Crown of Embers by Rae Carson.

Brother and his family in Heart of a Shepherd by Rosanne Parry.

Bob and Ivan in The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

Via and Auggie in Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Favorite book(s) --that aren't rereads-- from an author I've read previously:

A big thanks to Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner for the very fun survey questions, that I adapted for my use.

A look back at 2012 (must I?)

I'm glad the year is over. This hasn't been the kindest year to our family, financially. In the first half of the year we suffered through months of agony when it looked like my husband would lose his job. Then the company decided they'd keep him, but lowered his pay and took away his company car. So we scrambled to find a decent used car and now have the increased insurance/gas/upkeep of a second car, as well as car payments on a reduced income. Fun and games. It meant that Todd had to get a second job at night to pay for the car so it wouldn't be such a financial burden, and it meant little sacrifices, like curtailing our out-and-abouts and not going West to visit family this year, which made us sad. Poor Todd sleeps a lot when he is home, but he's actually having fun at his second job (he works in a bowling alley.) He likes it because it's a job he can leave at the door when he leaves for the night, unlike his full-time, day job. And fortunately, we've all been relatively healthy, aside from two rounds of throwing-up flu that swept through the children in the Spring and Fall and a few colds.

Book-wise, you can see from our Book Log that we managed to get some reading done, even though I haven't been very consistent with blogging this year. I feel like the older girls are starting to branch out more in their reading choices, away from the comfort of series books and into books with more meat to them, which I'm LOVING! It also continues to be good strategy to leave non-fiction I'd like them to read strewn around, or faced outward on the bookshelf, like they do at the library. Susanna has also blossomed book-wise this year. Whereas before she would come listen to a story if I called her, now she initiates read aloud time. It was hard to be patient for that to happen. Now I'm just waiting for letter and phoneme recognition to click. It'll come. I can tell she's moving in the right direction.

For myself, I wish I could find some really great adult fiction, but I've bombed out quite badly in that area this year. I don't mind angst, and problems, and sticky issues, but I need a little hope tossed in too. Any suggestions for me? (And please, no Christian fiction suggestions! Everything I read in that genre this year based on recommendations was so poorly written I wanted to tear my hair out.)

In January I will have been blogging for two years, and it's still a love/hate activity for me. I still feel like I'm on the fringes of the book blogging world, (have you noticed how cliquish it can be?) but I have really enjoyed getting to know people better as we interact on each other's blogs. I need to get better at commenting on other's blogs on a more consistent basis. One of the down sides of subscribing by email is that it has made me lazy in that area. I love getting all the blogs in one place, but I really need to work on then clicking over and commenting. So that's a blogging goal for next year.

2013, I sure hope you're a better bargain than 2012.

Review of Tiger Lily

I should start this review with two confessions:

• I never read the original Peter Pan by J.M Barrie. But I have seen the stage play and of course I've seen Disney's version.
• I have an aversion to spin-off books/fan fiction.

You probably know where this is going. 

I think fan fiction authors tread dangerous waters when they twist another author's story and characters to their own devises, especially such an iconic story as Peter Pan. They open themselves up to much more criticism than normal. But they've walked the gangplank, so to speak, and thus have to swim with the crocodiles.

Let's take a look at some of the basics of Tiger Lily: 

• Neverland, in this incarnation, is an island that is magically hidden, and only a few find their way there over the ocean. But that seems to be the only magical thing about it. Everything about it, including the fairies, are discussed in Darwinian terms: the island and its inhabitants just evolved to be the way they are. That not bad, just a complete departure from the original story. (There's no flying to Neverland in this book.) 
• Tinkerbell plays the mute, bug-eating, Tiger-Lily-fan-girl, non fairy-dust-toting narrator. She spends most of her time in Tiger Lily's village and has watched Tiger Lily grow up. Peter only meets her when he meets Tiger Lily, whom he's apparently meeting for the first time as a teenager. But despite Tinkerbell's muteness, she can apparently see into other people's minds.
• Tinkerbell talks about the random cessation of growth associated with Neverland. For some reason the pirates are aging, maybe because they sailed there from England as adults? But the natives on the island stop aging at some random point in time. It doesn't appear to be consistent, and the idea is left hanging as an inexplicable element of the island.
• The main characters, Peter and Tiger Lily are much older than the original, being about 15 or 16 years old, with all the sexual tension that entails. Which feels weird to read, when some of the same things are happening to them as happened in the original story. Peter comes across as  angst-ridden, emotional yo-yo: an innocent bad boy, which sometimes doesn't come across well, given his age in this story. Tiger Lily is the adopted daughter of the trans-gendered shaman of the tribe, taciturn, serious, doesn't show her feelings, and finds it hard to empathize with people, yet truly loves her adopted father. We never really learn what makes her tick. She remains somewhat a mystery throughout the book. Wendy is portrayed as the vapid, boyfriend-stealing wench. Smee is a sociopathic killer, obsessed with Tiger Lily. The whole tone of the book is darker, and the characters are flawed and mostly compelling, which I don't see as a problem, per say, but they just don't reconcile with the original characters. 
• There is an additional element of magic that is never explained in the book, that exacts revenge on Tiger Lily's enemies. We never learn if it is Tiger Lily herself that causes their destruction, or someone else, or some island magic at work.
• I would actually have really liked how Tiger Lily's story ended (it makes sense to me, as a married, middle-aged woman with reality, and real love, firmly under my belt) if it weren't for the fact that Pine Sap, the man she marries, her childhood best friend, is deserving of a woman who is emotionally present for him, especially after his abusive childhood. It seems sad to me that in marrying Tiger Lily, he marries a woman as equally emotionally distant as his own mother, although less abusive. It still smacks a little too much of an abuse cycle, although the author keeps insisting that he is very emotionally healthy. If Tiger Lily had shown signs of being different for her experiences, I'd feel better, but as far as the reader can make out, she's still the same old emotionally distant Tiger Lily, pining for Peter Pan.  I don't like Peter's ending.

On the positive side, Jodi Lynn Anderson is a good word weaver, if only the words weren't about iconic characters from an iconic story, most of whom have already been fully formed in peoples minds. If you haven't read Barrie's original, or seen the play, nor feel any loyalty to the original, you will probably like the book. My issues with the book stem entirely from the fact that it's fan fiction. My feeling is, don't mess with a classic. It's not yours to mess with. But I may be in the minority on that issue.

Published in 2012 by HarperCollins Children's Books

Review copy borrowed from the library.

What say you? Are you a fan of fan fiction or do you not want your classics messed with?

Christmas Favorites: A New Coat For Anna

A New Coat For Anna
Written by Harriet Ziefert
Illustrated by Anita Lobel

Based on a true story that takes place just after World War II, in an unnamed European town, A New Coat For Anna is the story of how young Anna's determined, enterprising mother, who doesn't have the money to buy Anna the coat she needs, uses the few fine posessions she has left to barter for the goods and services she needs to make Anna's new coat. She trades with the farmer for his sheeps' wool; she trades with the spinner to spin it to yarn; she trades with the weaver to weave the cloth; she trades with the tailor to sew the coat. The whole process takes a year, and Anna and her mother have to participate in the coat's creation too (carding the wool and dying the yarn using lingonberries.) After the coat is finished, just in time for Christmas of the next year, Anna and her mother invite all the people who helped make Anna's new coat possible to a Christmas celebration.

The wonderful, plentiful illustrations by Anita Lobel are perfect for the story, providing enough detail of each stage of the coat's genesis for modern children to understand and feel the work that went into it.

I deeply appreciate that this book gives children an insight into true hardship and inventiveness under trying conditions, without resorting to preachiness. My daughters and I love this story. It's a favorite reread at any time of the year, but especially at Christmas.



Published in 1986 by Random House Children's Books

Christmas Favorites: The Story of Holly & Ivy

The Story of Holly & Ivy
Written by Rumer Godden
Illustrated by Barbara Cooney

Loneliness and wishing are the themes of this magical classic Christmas story, first published in 1957. Ivy is a lonely orphan wishing for a place to belong. Holly is a doll in Mr. Blossom's toy shop, dressed in Christmas red and green, wishing to find her little girl, fearful of being put into storage with the mean owl Abracadabra because she hasn't been sold this Christmas. Childless Mrs. Jones aches for something she almost doesn't allow herself to wish for. How these three wishes converge and are fulfilled during this wishing time of year make for a riveting story that never feels dated because it touches on themes that are universal to the human condition. This touching story is made more poignant by Barbara Cooney's dreamy, luminous illustrations, of which there are not enough, in my opinion.

I loved this story when I was a girl, and I'm so pleased my girls love it too. This is the first year Susanna sat through the whole reading of this long picture book.

And the Winner of our Dangerously Ever After giveaway is...

Okay first I have to show you the highly technical process of choosing.

1. Cut a strip of colored paper.

2. Cut four squares from strip.

3. Write numbers on blank side of squares and fold. 

(Numbers 1-4 sequentially based on comments 1-4.)

4. Put in small bowl and shake.

5. Close eyes, reach hand in and pick number.....2!!!

The winner is comment 2, Storied Cities! 

Thank you, all four of you, for entering this giveaway and for your great princess book suggestions.

The Newtown Massacre: Are We Focusing on the Right Issues?

The deaths in Newtown are heartbreaking on so many levels. As I struggle to come to grips with such tragedy, and ache with a mother's love for those families caught in the tragedy, I'm concerned that we are focusing attention on the wrong issue. The knee-jerk reaction of people after a tragedy like Newtown's is understandable, from a human nature standpoint, but it frustrates me and saddens me. We hadn't even learned the complete truth about the event itself on Friday and people were already calling for stricter gun control.

Are we forgetting that every year, cars and other motor vehicles become legal weapons of death in the hands of careless, stupid people? There are far more senseless deaths via motor vehicles (35,885 in 2010*) than guns (8,583 in 2011**), but you don't hear people calling for cars to done away with. No, the underlying root problem is examined: alcohol, drugs, cell phones, road rage, tiredness? And we go from there.

Why then do we react to mass shootings by focusing on the tools that were used? Instead we need to be focusing on the elephant in the room: mental illness. One thing that every single one of the mass shootings over the years has in common is the troubled mental state of the person who carried them out.

Mental health resources in this country are abysmal. I know this first hand, because once upon a time I worked as a job trainer for an organization who worked with adults with disabilities. We battled this issue on a daily basis, struggling with the lack of not just physical resources like good job placement (it's hard to find employers who are willing to take a chance on those with disabilities), but mental resources for those whose mental issues make it hard to keep a job, especially with no insurance to pay for psychiatric help. It's rather like the boy with his finger in the dyke: you just hope the fissure won't get worse on your watch.

Our society shies away from any in-depth look at mental illness, I think because people fear it and because we don't as yet know the underlying causes for a lot of mental issues. Until we make better strides with mental health resources without the societal stigma, I'm afraid we will continue to have more mass tragedy, if not with guns, then with homemade bombs or something else.

Just my measly two cents.


*Motor Vehicle Fatality Statistics
**Murder Victims by Weapon

Giveaway: Dangerously Ever After by Dashka Slater; illustrated by Valeria Docampo

I reviewed this unique and refreshing princess book back in November (wow, it's been that long already.) A few days ago the publishers of Dangerously Ever After generously sent a copy of the book for me to give away on the blog.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment telling me your favorite princess book. Hopefully, we'll get a wonderful list that people can use as a resource. Also, in order to be eligible, you must leave a valid email address in your comment, so I can contact you if you win.

The drawing will close at midnight, Central Standard Time, on December 21st. The winner will be announced on Saturday, December 22nd.

NOW CLOSED.

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr; illustrated by Ronald Himler

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes is a short book that packs an emotional wallop through it's simple narrative. It is the true story of Sadako Sasaki, who was only two years old when the atom bomb fell on her city of Hiroshima, Japan. Now it is nine years later, and she discovers that she has the "atom bomb disease" (leukemia).

The book doesn't focus on any political message, nor does it focus on the war. It is simply the story of a young girl dealing with her own sickness and death, as a result of an event she herself doesn't remember. Nevertheless, this is a tough book for kids and one that sparks discussions about a myriad of topics: war, war on civilians, atomic bombs, cancer, family support during sickness, whether children are trusted with information about their own illness, hope or lack of hope, myths and legends on which people pin their hopes, death, fear of death. And yes, one comes away with a very anti-war feeling of one's own.

I borrowed Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes from the library to read aloud as part of our world history study. Olivia took it off the stack and read it herself before I had the chance to read it aloud. She soon came back with lots of questions. That sparked Karina's curiosity in the book, so she took it off to read. Much, much discussion ensued on all the topics mentioned previously. (Our copy was the original hardcover, pictured to the right, which contains a brief prologue and epilogue. I understand that later versions also contain discussion points. I wish we'd had that version, but we sure managed tons of discussion that sprang naturally from reading the story, even without a guide.)

I suspect this is a story my girls will forever remember.

Karina's response to my query about her reaction to the book was simple, but she takes longer to process thoughts than Olivia. She said: I thought it was really sad, but really good.

Olivia said:

This is a really sad book, but really worth reading. Until I read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, I didn't even know America had dropped bombs on Japan during World War Two. It made me sad to think of so many people being killed or infected because of it. The story is good. I loved it. I loved that it was about a real girl. And the pictures helped me to understand some things about the story. I liked the legend of the thousand paper cranes, even though they didn't help Sadako. In the end they did help her since the sight of them moving gently on the breeze gave her comfort as she died. I kept hoping she'd get better, but I realized pretty soon that she just wasn't. I'd definitely recommend it. It's one I'd read again. I think this is a book teachers should read to their students. Warning: reading this book will make you cry, especially the end, so read it with a tissue handy. Don't be afraid of crying; you won't regret reading Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.

Published in 1977 by G.P. Putnam's Sons
Review copy borrowed from the library.

Dangerously Ever After by Daska Slater; illustrated by Valeria Docampo

If you're the mother of little girls, you're probably going to encounter princesses at some point in your reading repertoire. This can be delightful or painful, depending on how the author chooses to portray said princesses. The delightful ones get reread with enthusiasm, and the painful, simpering, irritating ones get quietly "lost" in whatever manner deemed necessary.
Never fear, Dangerously Ever After by Dashka Slater and Valeria Docampo will be in the enthusiastically reread category, with no pain involved.

Princess Amanita is not your average princess. She loves all things dangerous, and her garden would make Morticia Addams proud. And then...

"One day, as the princess was watering a patch of itching thistles, a prince from a neighboring kingdom rode up. His name was Florian and he was out looking for for a dragon to slay, or a knight to challenge--or at least someone his own age to talk to."

The prince's arrival sets off a chain of funny events that culminate in the character growth of the princess (and undoubtedly of the young prince, too.)

My girls and I chuckled our way through the appealing absurdity of this refreshingly non-girly princess story. It appealed to my younger princess-loving daughters, and even my older princess-loathing daughter. I can see this being a hit with boys, too, because the traditional princess aspect isn't present. (It will help that the word doesn't feature in the title, but the word "danger" does.) All kids can identify with danger-loving Princess Amanita in some aspect, because at its heart, Dangerously Ever After is the story of a little girl whose way of identifying herself is called into question when she encounters events outside her comfort zone and control, which leads to growth and balance. That sounds heavy, doesn't it? But really that "lesson" is just naturally absorbed into the story.

This is the first book I've read by Dashka Slater, and I'm delighted with the introduction. The story's pacing, language, and length work beautifully as a read-aloud, perfect for ages 4/5 and up. It's one of the few picture books we've read that appeals to all my girls with equal enthusiasm. The illustrations by Valeria Docampo are a delight. Beautiful, vibrant, and fun, they perfectly highlight and compliment the text. The artist's heavy use of blue keeps the fierceness of Amanita's world in check. My girls loved the scorpion tail inspired hair-do, the suit-of-armour dresses, the prince's steed (a bicycle), and the strangely appealing garden.

For what it's worth, my girls and I are giving Dangerously Ever After a hearty thumbs up.



Published in Semptember 2012 by Dial Books For Young Readers
Review copy generously supplied by publisher.

Nominated for the CYBILS 2012 by Charlotte of Charlotte's Library.

Book Review: The Eyes of the Amaryllis by Natalie Babbitt

I beg your indulgence as I set up this review a little, so you can understand the frame of mind I came to The Eyes of the Amaryllis with. My family moved to The Gambia the summer after I turned nine, and there for the first time I met the mystery and power of the sea. It was such a new experience that we glutted ourselves with beach-going several times a week. When my parents wouldn't take us, my older brother and I would cycle to the beach off of the Sunwing Hotel to hunt in tide pools and estuaries at low tide. I loved the ocean - the moods, the sounds, the smells; but I learned to fear it too.  A few months after we moved to The Gambia, our next door neighbor's son, a big, strapping, friendly lad of fourteen, drowned in the ocean. It was shocking and horrifying, the suddenness and manner of his death.

In July after I turned eleven I had my own near-drowning experience. I went swimming off the beach at the American Ambassador's residence during a Fourth of July community picnic, and got caught in the undertow. I got carried a long way out, and couldn't get back in because of the force of the undertow. There were some young Peace Corps Volunteers swimming nearby, but I didn't even have the energy to call to them for help. I faced the terrifying reality that I was probably going to die because there was no way I could muster the energy to try swimming again. I alternated treading water and floating on my back, contemplating death and thinking that I didn't want to die like my poor neighbor friend. I hated the thought of what it would do to my family. Fortunately for me, one of those Peace Corps volunteers could apparently tell I was in trouble, even though I hadn't spoken. "Getting tired?" he asked quietly as he swam up to me. I nodded my head and he put his hand under my armpit. "The undertow's bad today. I'm going to show you how to beat it. Let's swim this way." Swimming by my side, we swam parallel with the beach for a little way, and then he lead us in at an angle. That man saved my life. I was too tired to do more than whisper a thank you when we made the beach. He went off with a little wave and a "You'll be alright now", as I lay heaving on the sand, and I didn't see him again that day, even though I looked for him. I never even learned his name, but I'm alive today because he came along. (I didn't tell my parents of my near-death for years, out of fear that they'd ban me from ocean-swimming. In college I became a lifeguard, and then a life guard instructor and first aid and CPR instructor in an attempt to "pass it on.")

It was a year or so later, when I was twelve I think, that I first encountered The Eyes of the Amaryllis by Natalie Babbitt in the Banjul American Embassy School's library. Written in 1977, it was the first book I read by Natalie Babbitt. There were a couple of her other books on the shelf, but this one sounded the most intriguing, so I read it first. I was instantly captivated by the atmospheric, mysterious story that seemed to capture the hypnotic pull of the sea. It struck me powerfully at the time, I think because of my cumulative experiences with the ocean, and because I, like Jenny in the story, had grandmothers I didn't know very well.

The story takes place in 1880, when eleven year old Jenny (whose real name is Geneva) is being taken to stay with her paternal grandmother, the first Geneva, who has broken her foot and needs help until it mends. Jenny's Gran lives on a bluff in a bay on the Atlantic coast, in the same house she came to fifty years before as a bride.

"To be away from home--to stay with Gran and help her while her ankle mended--this seemed a very grownup thing to do, and Jenny had boasted about it to her friends. But in truth she was a little alarmed about that part, though her grandmother, whom she had seen before only for two weeks of the yearly Christmas season, had long been a figure of romance to her. Gran was not like other grandmothers, smelling of starch or mothballs, depending on the time of the year, and spending their time watering their plants. Gran stood straight and proud. Her face and arms were sunburned. And though she talked and listened, there always seemed to be something else on her mind, something far more absorbing than Christmas conversation.
But Jenny did not care for household chores, and was not at all sure that somewhere in her lay hidden the makings of a bedside nurse. So it wasn't that part of her adventure that excited her. No, the real enticement was the ocean. But this she could not admit. She was the only one of her friends who had never been to the shore. Preposterous, when it was only thirty miles from Springfield! But her father had never let her come, had always refused to discuss it."

Jenny quickly bonds with her unusual Gran, and learns that Gran has been waiting for years for a gift from the sea, a gift from her dead husband. (Thirty years before, Gran's sea captain husband drowned when his ship, the Amaryllis, sank just off the coast of home in a storm, as his wife and child watched from the bluff in helpless horror.) Ever since, Gran has searched the beaches every day at high tide, no matter the time or weather for some memento. (That is, in fact, how she broke her foot.) Now Gran needs Jenny to be her eyes and legs on the beach, and continue the search. But there is another searcher, a mysterious man named Seward, who could not let such a gift be taken from the sea.

I won't tell you anymore. It's the perfect book to read this time of year, if you want a little spookiness.

Twelve year old me loved this book, and because I loved it, I went on to read Tuck Everlasting, which I also loved. I was loath to re-read it as an adult, lest it lose the magic. I'm happy to report, however, that it holds up to adult reading very well, and I caught nuances of the relationship between Gran and her son (Jenny's father) that I didn't fully understand at the time of my first reading, and understand Gran's obsession a little better now, too.


Published in 1977 by Farrar, Straus and Girouux.

Letters To Leo by Amy Hest; illustrated by Julia Denos

Exuberant, opinionated Annie writes letters to her new dog Leo, that her father has allowed her to keep, despite his aversion to dogs. Through Annie's letters, which function as a diary of sorts, we see life through a fourth-grade girl's eyes. We learn that her mother died when she was very young, her father is apparantly worry-prone, and she's not liking fourth grade and her unsympathetic teacher (to whom she privately assigns some less than flattering nick-names). She longs to be back in third grade with her beloved teacher, Miss Meadows.

The charmingly simple pencil drawings by Julia Denos are a perfect pairing with the story, making it feel very age authentic.

Letters to Leo is a cute and sometimes quirky story, and a little irritating to this adult who is obviously not it's intended audience. It is an easy, quick read and not very challenging in terms of vocabulary. I personally found the idea of a ten-year-old writing letters to her dog a little too "precious". Annie herself is a tad irritating to me, but then again, so is my nine-year-old daughter when she exhibits some of the same traits. For example, Annie calls herself cheerful, but spends much of her letter-writing complaining and whining, which unfortunately I found very authentic, speaking as the mother of an endlessly complaining nine-year-old daughter. (Oops, did I say that? Not "endlessly" darling, just sometimes!)
Funny, a bit snide, there is much that kids (and adults) can relate to in Annie and her everyday struggles.

I wanted to see how my own daughters would respond to the book, so I asked them if they would read it. They both agreed. I didn't tell them anything about the book other than the fact it is about a girl roughly their age, writing letters to her dog. (Olivia was, at first, reluctant because of the orange cover. She hates the color orange. There's a nine-year-old for you. Oh, she's going to hate me!)

Olivia's take on the book:

"It was okay for an orange book. They really need to fix that! Annie was funny (I mean amusing, not odd) and she made me laugh. She's one of those girls who doesn't like school, so she complains a lot about it. I like dogs and I thought it would be more about Leo, but he really doesn't play a very big role, other than as an annoyance to Annie's father. I thought it was odd that she'd be writing to her dog, though. Isn't she a little old for that kind of thing?  And her writing instruction books for her dog? What is she...six? Hello, dogs can't read! And I never could figure out if Jean-Marie was her friend or not, even though Annie called her her best friend. She didn't act like Jean-Marie was her best friend. I liked the way she tries to get her Dad to fall in love just so she can get a baby sister (or brother.) THAT was funny."

Karina's take on the book:

"When it [the book] was funny, it was FUNNY! But it was sometimes boring, because she kept going on and on about school and all the bad things that happened to her. I liked it, but I wouldn't want to read it again. Can we get a dog?"

So there you have it: three opinions about Letters to Leo!



Amy Hest also wrote When Jessie Came Across the Sea (Illustrated by P.J. Lynch), a picture book we love.


Book published in March 2012 by Candlewick.
Review copy borrowed from library.

Fanny by Holly Hobbie

We have a new, loved doll book we recently added to our collection. Holly Hobbie has written a book that this mom and her daughters can relate too, a story that will delight any creative little girl's heart, about a little girl who desperately wants a Connie doll just like her friends, but consistently and vehemently gets told no by her mother,

"Because I don't like the way Connie dolls look," said her mother. "They're just too...much."

Frustrated but resourceful, Fanny decides to make her own Connie doll. But when she's finished, the doll doesn't look anything like Connie. When her friends silently express their disapproval, Fanny banishes the doll to a dresser drawer. She ultimately has to decide which she cares about most: the doll or her friends' approval.

Despite the heavy sounding moral, the story is charming, not too "girly" and comes across as a joyful testament to a child's creativity and ultimate good sense.

(A bonus of buying the book is that it includes a Holly Hobbie illustrated paper doll to fasten together, as well as a blank one that your child can color and make thoroughly their own.)

Like Fanny's mom in the story, I too have refused to buy my daughters certain dolls, despite their popularity, due to their being too... much. Bratz dolls, for example. Yikes! I don't much like Barbies either, for their unrealistic proportions, but mostly due to the fact that their outfits have gotten excessively slutty in the last ten years. I spent the first few years of their lives assiduously keeping Barbies away from my young daughters, even going so far as to get rid of them when they received one as a birthday present. (Barbies as a gift for a two year old? Come on, people!) But life contains a certain amount of bowing to the inevitable. As they got older of course, they started encountering Barbies at other little girls' houses, and we went to my parents home on vacation and they encountered the Barbies my mom had saved from my youth. They were over the moon and went through a few months' phase of intense Barbie love, which has thankfully ceased. (To help myself not feel too nauseated over the thought of what I was allowing, I sought out the older Barbie clothes on Ebay, buying them in bulk, repairing when necessary, throwing away the more sluttish outfits I came across. I know. I'm intense about some things.)
Likewise, I know moms of boys who vowed to never allow their boys to play with guns, but boys (especially in playing with other boys) will turn anything into guns, and at some point you have to pick your line in the sand, and some lines are more movable than others. (For me: Barbies a reluctant, teeth-gritting "yes," Bratz "no.")

By Request: Links to Book Blogs for/about Boys

At reader Jocelyne's request (she has all boys and would like to know about the boys' book blogs I've found) here are some links to book blogs geared toward boys:

• LitLad "The Literary Leanings of Two Brothers"
• Boys Rule Boys Read "A place for boys to find terrific books and tell other boys about great reading."
• Books For Boys "Action Adventures & Mysteries Especially for Boys. After All Readers Are Leaders Others Follow."
• BoysBestBooks.com "Great Books for Boys & Those Who Read to Them"
• Boys Read
• Guys Read
• Book Zone For Boys
• BoyLit.com "Books for Boys"
• Guys Lit Wire
• The Boy Reader
• Boys Blogging Books (No longer an active blog, but they still have the site running and you can read the archives.)

Also, two blogs I regularly read always have great suggestions for books for boys (because they have boys):

• Fanny at Fanny Harville's Unschool Academy has some great chapter book suggestions for books for boys. Check out her read-aloud lists. (See her side bar to get you started.)
• Erica at What Do We Do All Day? also has lots of great suggestions and book lists she reads to her two young sons, from picture books to chapter books.

Are there more great ones I'm missing?

Sophia's War: A Tale of the Revolution by Avi

Doesn't that gorgeous cover by Edel Rodriguez make you long to read this? It's the perfect cover for this story. (I have a "thing" for silhouettes on book covers. I don't know why, but I feel compelled to buy a book with silhouettes on the cover.)

If you have never read one of Avi's books, you really need to. He writes intelligent historical fiction for young people. He never dumbs down his books, and obviously works hard to be historically accurate.

In this complex, smart story Avi again tackles an aspect of the American Revolution. (He did it once before in The Fighting Ground, where the reader is swept along in thirteen-year-old Jonathon's passion to be part of the fighting, and then his rude awakening to the realities of being a soldier.) But this story isn't just a feminine version of The Fighting Ground. It's a completely different aspect of the war, written in a different kind of narrative.

 The story is broken up into two different time frames. Roughly the first half takes place in 1776 when Sophia Calderwood is twelve years old. Sophia and her parents fled their home in New York City when the British invaded. Sophia's adored older brother William joined the American troops fighting to keep the British out of the city. As the book opens in September of 1776, Sophia and her mother are returning on foot to New York to try to reclaim what they can of their lives. (For safety, Mr. Calderwood must return in secret later.) In an apple orchard on the outskirts of New York, they witness a young man of "dignified bearing" being led by British soldiers to a rope hanging from an apple tree, and Sophia watches in horror as the ladder is kicked away and the young man (who she later learns was Nathan Hale) is hanged.

Still reeling from that shock, they return to their home to find it looted of all their most costly possessions. As they begin the clean-up process, a small troop of British soldiers appears on their doorstep, looking for Mr. Calderwood and informing them they will be required to billet a British Officer. What follows is a tense time of eking out a living while boarding a British officer and pretending to be Loyalists. Sophia develops a reluctant crush on John Andre (oh curse Blogger's lack of language accents!) the British officer boarding in their home, even as she firmly believes in the American cause. When she learns that her brother is a prisoner of the British and housed under appalling conditions, she pleads with Andre to help. What happens next firmly sets her on the course for later events.

The second half of the book takes place three years later, in 1780, when Sophia is fifteen years old. Through her work with her father's publisher friend, she meets a man who recruits her as a spy in the household of General Sir Henry Clinton. As a housemaid, she would have access to information vital to the war effort. She stumbles on to what appears to be a clandestine operation possibly involving the collaboration of the British and an American of high military rank, a man Sophia and other Americans idolized, a man who played a huge part in early American victories against the British. The implications are so shocking and suddenly Sophia is alone in her quest to bring this information to light.

In the author's note at the end of the book, Avi writes that the two story threads based on historical facts "are as historically accurate as I could write them." He goes on to say that "Sophia is as true an individual as I could hope to create, and her actions provide an explanation as to what really happened in 1780."

And can I tell you how much I appreciated his striving for historical accuracy, even down to the language used. So often you read historical fiction, and get jerked out of the story by an author's use of modern words and terminology. In fact, there is a very helpful glossary in the back of the book to look up those unfamiliar words you come across. (A couple of years ago I read a Middle Grade novel by an author who shall remain nameless, about the Civil War era and the main character talks about being "gaga" for a certain boy! Yes, that word was actually used. Having already overlooked other words that were very obviously not historically accurate, I threw the book down in disgust and never went back to it. So I really appreciated Avi's obviously meticulous research on this book.)

Sophia provides the modern reader with an emotional barometer of the life of an average citizen during that time of conflict in American history. Avi shows Sophia's -I think natural- human conflictions that come with living in a war-torn country: how morals and actions change or become ambiguous based on circumstances.

Sophia, as a narrator, is very Self conscious: she narrates her story as someone aware of her audience and how they may be judging her. Her narrative never loses that awareness. There is a "buttoned up" quality to it: like she is recalling this period of time and reacting almost unwillingly to remembered emotions, and doesn't want to come across as too emotional. She tries her best to be fair and balanced in her narrative, not defending her actions and emotions so much as explaining them. And yet, despite the distancing approach to the narrative, the reader is quickly caught up in her experiences.


Book published in September 2012 by Beach Lane Books.

I nominated this book for the CYBILS 2012 in the Middle Grade Fiction category.

Also linking up with Armchair CYBILS and The Children's Bookshelf.

Cybils 2012 Nomination Time

I'm so excited to have nominated books for the CYBILS for the first time.

• The Cloud Spinner by Michael Catchpool for Fiction Picture Books. (Inhabiting Books review.)
• Timeless Thomas by Gene Barretta for Non-Fiction Picture Books. (Inhabiting Books review.)
• The Giant and How He Humbugged America by Jim Murphy for Non-Fiction: Middle Grade and Young Adult. (Review coming.)
• Sophia's War: A Tale of the Revolution by Avi for Middle Grade Fiction. (Review coming.)
• Shadowfell by Juliet Mariller for Fantasy & Science Fiction (Teen). (Review coming.)

There's still time to nominate books for the CYBILS (Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literacy Awards). Nominations close on October 15th. (If you're not familiar with this award, it's the blogging world's People's -or Books, rather- Choice Award.)

May I offer some suggestions?

• Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust by Doreen Rappaport (Non-Fiction: Middle Grade and Young Adult) Update 10/13/12: Now nominated. Yeah!
• Tilly's Moonlight Garden by Julia Green (Fantasy and Science Fiction - Middle Grade) Update 10/16/12: Now nominated.
• The Power of Poppy Pendle by Natasha Lowe (Fantasy and Science Fiction - Middle Grade) Update 10/13/12: Now nominated. Yeah!

Head over to the following sites for some more ideas of books that haven't yet been nominated:

Jean Little Library
Semicolon
Random Musings of a Bibliophile
Hope is the Word
Charlotte's Library

Olivia Reviews Her Recent Reads

By Olivia Neal (nine years old)

Stolen Children by Peg Kehret. 

Fourteen-year-old Amy is babysitting a three-year-old girl while the little girl's grandmother is in the hospital and her mom has to be gone a lot helping the grandmother. While the three-year-old is taking a nap, Amy falls asleep too. When Amy wakes up, the little girl is gone. After looking everywhere but not finding her, Amy tries to call the police, but two bad guys burst in and kidnap Amy, too. They take Amy and the little girl to a cabin in the woods. Amy has to figure out a way to get herself and the little girl away from the kidnappers. This is the first Peg Kehret book I read, and it was so scary and thrilling. I loved it. 

Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret.

 Sunny has a twin sister, Starr, but they were separated when they were three years old. Sunny set out to find Starr. So a lot of the story is about her journey to Starr, and then what happen when she does. Sunny's journey was really exciting. I liked the idea of the story, that it was about sisters who didn't really know each other.  It's kind of like me: I have a half sister that I've never met, and I thought about what would it be like if she showed up on my doorstep. Will I like her? Will she like me?

Abduction!  by Peg Kehret.
I just finished reading this one. A little boy is kidnapped from his kindergarten class by his father, who's a crook. And then his older half-sister also gets kidnapped. It's a tense and nail-biting book. I don't really know how to describe it without ruining the story for you, just read the book. You'll like it!






Wilma Tenderfoot: The Case of the Frozen Hearts by Emma Kennedy.
Wilma's a ten-year-old orphan who was abandoned when she was a baby, outside a children's orphanage. She's a bit of a troublemaker, not in a mean way, but out of curiosity. She drives the matron crazy. She wants to be a detective so she can find her parents. Her favorite detective is Theodore P. Goodman and she aspires to be like him. When the matron forces her to go live with a mean lady, Mrs. Waldock, she discovers that Mr. Goodman lives next door. She wants to be his apprentice, but he refuses. So behind his back she tries to help him solve his current case.  I like Wilma because she just so curious and funny (and she has a dog named Pickle). The inspector's pretty funny too. And the case they are trying to solve is interesting and very mysterious.
I have the next book in the series, but it didn't start as interesting as this one. My mom says I have to give it more of a chance.

The Puzzle of the Paper Daughter by Kathryn Reiss.
When Julie finds a note in an old jacket, she and her best friend, Ivy try to find what the note means. When Ivy's Chinese Grandmother deciphers the note (which is in Chinese), she tells them the note is from the grandmother's mother that she gave the grandmother when she was fifteen and immigrating from China. Then Julie and Ivy's dolls get stolen, and 'though the dolls are worthless, they try to discover why someone would want to steal them and what it has to do with the note, if anything.
It was an interesting story, history-wise. I liked the immigration aspect, and I like that it was about dolls, 'cause I like dolls. I just discovered the American Girl mysteries at our library and I think I'll look into more of them.

Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives by Gene Barretta

Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives is Gene Barretta's latest release about Thomas Alva Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, phonograph, electric pen, storage battery, and so much more. It has a similar style to Barretta's other two biographical non-fiction picture books: Neo Leo and Now and Ben. It's not so much a biography as it is a record of Edison's technological achievements. On the surface you might not think that a book about an older man's achievements would be very appealing to young children. You'd be wrong. My girls found it immensely appealing.

Barretta showcases technology that we in the modern world take for granted, things we use everyday without a second thought. He juxtaposes a page showcasing present-day technology with pages showcasing the technology coming out of Edison's lab, showing how those early technological accomplishments made today's technology possible. Fun to read and very informative, with clear and simple text that is easily understood by kids of the target age group. The illustrations provide a perfect visual accompaniment that is immensely appealing.

My nine year old non-fiction-loving Olivia saw it in the Amazon shipment that arrived a few months ago, snatched it up and ran off to her bedroom. (I had pre-ordered it so it would arrive on its release date.) She came back shortly with a huge smile on her face and spent the next twenty minutes telling me everything she learned from the book. She had never before thought about the origins of the technology that she uses daily. The book has gotten a lot of mileage since then. I love great non-fiction picture books.

• Two Picture Books by Gene Barretta About Renaissance Men. (My blog post about Barretta's other two biographical books.)

I nominated this book for the CYBILS 2012 in the Non-Fiction Picture Books category.

Published in July 2012 by Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

The Cloud Spinner By Michael Catchpool and Illustrated by Alison Jay

In this lovely, dreamy fable, a wise young boy spins clouds into cloth under the stricture "Enough is enough and not one stitch more." One day a greedy king spies his cloud-woven scarf and wants more, more, more, despite the young boy's warnings. When the king's greed dries up the clouds, it's up to the observant princess and the wise boy to set things right.

Released as Cloth From the Clouds in Britain, this story has a universal appeal for both boys and girls, and works beautifully for a read-aloud. Catchpool employs the stricture from the story, using just enough words to convey the story and "not one [word] more." Further, he understands the need for key (non-annoying) repetitive phases that keep the story anchored, and delivers his message of conservation in a gentle but effective manner. Brilliantly done.

 The only book we've read previously by Michael Catchpool is his Where There's a Bear, There's Trouble, which was (and still is) universally adored by all three of my girls as toddlers. (Susanna, at five, still loves it and I still see the older two pulling it out of the bookshelf to read themselves on occasion.)

Alison Jay's deceptively simple, gorgeous folk art illustrations pair perfectly with this story. The colors are so beautiful. My children delighted in the cloud shapes and the smiling hills. (See the one on the cover?) I have loved her art since I first saw it on the original covers of Shannon Hale's Bayern series (The Goose Girl, Enna Burning and River Secrets. Click on the links to see the original covers.)

Bottom line: This book was definitely worth the purchase and I know it will be read again and again in the Neal house.


I nominated this book for the 2012 CYBILS in the Fiction Picture Book category.

BBC's Call the Midwife

If you haven't been watching this show, you're missing out. It's such a fantastic show, full of wonderful characters. It's playing Sunday nights on PBS right now (although it replays several times throughout the week. Check your local listings.) The first two episodes have already aired, but you can see them online right now at http://video.pbs.org/program/call-midwife/ for free. (If you have Amazon Prime, you can purchase the show in HD for $2.84 per episode.)

Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser

From the back cover: "Nancy Clancy has everything she needs to be a super sleuth (that's a fancy word for detective): She has a glamorous magnifying glass complete with rhinestones, a totally professional pink trench coat, and a sleuthing partner with awesome code-breaking skills--her best friend, Bree.
  Now all she needs is a good mystery to solve. But when crime strikes right in the middle of her classroom, will Nancy have what it takes to crack the case?"

Little girls who have grown up with the Fancy Nancy picture books and early readers will rejoice to learn that Nancy has grown with them, and is featured in her first chapter book and solving crime in her own inimitable Fancy Nancy style. (I think she is in second or third grade, although I can't find any place in the book that mentions her age or grade.)

When my girls spotted this in Costco a few months ago, they both instantly clamored to be the first to read the book. Olivia won the coin toss and was completely tickled by the Nancy Drew mentions. (Nancy Drew is Olivia's favorite super sleuth.) I had to stop her from reading parts out loud and ruining it for Karina.

It's a quick read. Both girls read it in short order, and both really enjoyed it.

And they're both anxiously awaiting the next book, due out in January 2013, Nancy Clancy: Secret Admirer.

Published in 2012 by Harper Collins.
Ages 6 and up.

The Quiet Gentleman by Georgette Heyer

From the publisher: "Unscathed from the wars, Gervase Frant finally returns to his father's estate to claim his title as the new Earl of Stanyon. But his stepmother's resentment and his half brother's open disdain put a chill on Gervase's welcome. Now he must establish himself as the new head of the house . . . and ignore his family's rising hostility.  Then Gervase's eye is caught by a lovely young woman -- the same woman already much in favor with his half brother. Now the brothers face direct competition as they bid for the lady's attentions. But as Gervase struggles to maintain a gentlemanly balance, he begins to find himself the victim of repeatedly cruel accidents. Soon it becomes increasingly clear that someone wants the new Earl of Stanyon dead . . ."

Georgette Heyer is one of my favorite authors. I've read most of her books and reread my favorites periodically. I couldn't remember reading The Quiet Gentleman before, but as I got into it, I started remembering things that were going to happen. But it's not going on my list of favorites by Georgette Heyer. Obviously not very memorable for me, I find this one of her most boring books, but on the whole it's not a bad read. The characters were marvelous but I thought it suffered from pacing problems. The mystery aspect of the book (who is trying to kill the main character) was quite boring and predictable. The romantic aspect was very understated, almost nonexistent, except at the last part of the book. The characters were the only reason I kept reading.


Originally published in 1951.
My copy was published in 1952 by G.P. Putnam's Sons.