Kid's Lit Express

The Earthly Knight by Janet McNaughton

2010-03-24T09:10:00.005-07:00

I love reading books about the Middle Ages and this one didn't disappoint (actually, it takes place prior to the Middle Ages). It's set in Scotland in 1162, when Norman lords have been given land in Scotland by the King of England. Jennie lives with her father, a Norman lord, and sister Isabel, who was recently disgraced by a wandering knight but refuses to tell her family what happened to her when she ran away with him. Now her father turns to Jennie to make a valuable wedding match, but she falls instead for Tam Lin, a mysterious man from a once powerful family who was said to have been raised by fairies.

This book has just enough magic realism to make you believe it's true; McNaughton weaves two old folktales, the story of Tam Lin and the story of Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight, into a satisfying book. Jennie is outspoken but she still understands the roles that women must play in her society. While she is at the mercy of her father's wishes, she manages to insert her own independence into her fate.

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

2010-03-18T13:34:00.003-07:00

Another book by Dowd (she wrote The London-Eye Mystery) about an Irish boy in the 1970s, when Ireland was going through the Troubles and Irish prisoners were going on a hunger strike. Fergus is digging for peat when he discovers the body of what looks like a young girl. She turns out to be a mummy from several hundred years before. Dowd weaves her story with Fergus' as they both struggle with family problems, growing relationships, and doing what's right for the sake of the many -- and of the one. Dowd is a wonderful writer, Fergus a great character, and kids will learn something about what was happening in Ireland just 30 years ago.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

2010-03-18T13:31:00.004-07:00

There was something of a controversy when this book won the 2009 Newbery Award; it's one of those books that kids probably love and adults don't understand -- or find scary or strange or downright weird. It begins with the murder of a family which in and of itself is pretty awful. A baby is the only survivor, and he manages to crawl to a nearby graveyard, when the denizens (read dead people) decide to raise him. Named Bod (for Nobody), the baby grows to a teen among the ghosts and spirts of the graveyard.

Sounds weird, right? However, it's a wonderful book. Gaiman (author of Coraline) creates a fascinating world with its own believeable rules, and the tension rises as the killer closes in on Bod in his graveyard. Read it!

Rules by Cynthia Lord

2010-03-18T13:27:00.004-07:00

Catherine is 12 years old and has a brother with autism. While she waits with her mother in the waiting room at his physical therapy session, she meets Jason, a boy her age who is in a wheelchair and can only communicate by pointing at cards with pictures or words. She begins making new words for him and develops a relationship with him. Then comes the school dance . . .

You can almost see the plot thicken in this book as the day of the school dance approaches. However, Lord does a good job of showing Catherine's frustration with and understanding of her brother at the same time. Having a brother with a disability gives her a better understanding of Jason, but also of what it is like living with someone with a disability.

I enjoyed this book; Catherine is a good character who grows just a bit during the book. I've noticed that many recent books have endings that don't tie everything up all nice and neat, but at least the endings are tied into reality; this is one of those books.

Revolution is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine

2010-03-18T13:23:00.003-07:00

Compestine was one of the featured authors at the Second Annual Tucson Festival of Books held here this past weekend, so I read this book to get ready. While it is not a biographical book, Compestine did grow up during the Chinese cultural revolution and experienced and/or witnessed many of the scenes in the book. Reading books about terrible times in history generally depress me because of the horrible things that people can do to each other. Did you know that during the Chinese Revolution the doctors were made into janitors and the janitors became surgeons? They trained peasant boys from the fields to be surgeons and sent them into surgery after just a few weeks of training. Mao's faithful made sure that they still had access to quality surgeons even as they allowed peasants to operate on the soldiers.

The good thing about this book is that Ling is a strong character and she stays true to herself through the book.

Stripes of the Sidestep Wolf by Sonya Hartnett

2010-03-18T13:15:00.003-07:00

Hartnett is an Australian writer and this book takes place in a small town in Australia that is slowly dying. Satchel O'Rye lives with his parents in the unnamed town, dying because the new highway takes people right past it. His parents refuse to recognize the fact that his father is suffering from dementia. While picking up wood in the outback, Satchel sees a strange creature; when he describes it to a local girl, Chelsea Piper, she discovers an astonishing fact, one that could save Satchel's beloved dog when he injures her by mistake.

Hartnett perfectly captures the feeling of the dying town by comparing it with Satchel's own sense of slowly dying under the weight of his father's illness. While the ending doesn't make everything hunky-dory, you do realize that Satchel, in the end, will be just fine.

The Braid by Helen Frost

2010-03-18T13:08:00.003-07:00

The Braid tells the story of two sisters living in the Scottish Highlands during the 1850s, when landlords forced people off the Western Isles so they could raise sheep there. One sister travels with her family to America while the other runs away to stay with her grandmother on the Isle of Barra off the western coast. Frost uses two voices written in narrative poems to follow Jeannie and Sarah.

I enjoyed this book; it's a very quick read and Frost includes a poem to introduce each new section that ties in with the story. While most of us know about the Irish potato famine, this book tells us about a piece of history most of us probably never knew. Sarah in particular is a well-written character.

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex

2010-01-14T15:31:00.004-07:00

OK, so this book is my newest favorite kid's book (before this it was The Phantom Tollbooth which I first read over 40 years ago!). The True Meaning of Smekday is the story of Gratuity "Tip" Tucci and her Boov alien friend, J-Lo, who must save Earth from another group of aliens -- the Grogs (or Nimrogs) who invaded after the Boovs. It's a buddy, road trip adventure, but along the way are hilarious indictments on everything from TV (the Boov have millions of channels, and the programming has gotten so ridiculous that each Boov spends time watching him or herself on TV constantly), to politics, to the US treatment of Native Americans, to yes, even Disneyland (the "Happy Mouse Kingdom"). But the best part of this book is the dialogue -- snappy, witty, and just plain hilarious. Even though the hero of this book is a girl, I think boys will like it too, since there is plenty of action, danger, shoot-outs, and car crashes. Rex has created a truly unique book and I can't wait to read more of them!

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve

2010-01-04T15:23:00.004-07:00

Here Lies Arthuris one of those books that takes a concept -- here it's King Arthur -- and turns it on its head. Sometimes it works -- like with Ella Enchanted -- but this one didn't for me. This story follows a young girl named Gwyna who is taken in by Arthur's PR person, Myrddin (Merlin). It seems that Myrddin is in the business of making Arthur the greatest king that ever lived by creating stories about him that make him sound wonderful. The problem is, the Arthur in this book is a not bright, sadistic, bullying guy -- not the "real" Arthur of legend that I know and love.

While Gwyna is an intriguing character -- especially as she spends some time disguised as a boy -- I really didn't like how Reeve made Arthur out to be such an incredible blood-thirsty double-dealing jerk.

But that's just me.

Masterpiece by Elise Broach

2009-10-20T16:35:00.006-07:00

Masterpieceis a thoroughly original novel about James, a boy who lives with his mother, stepfather, and baby brother in New York, and his unlikely friendship with a beetle who lives in his kitchen named Marvin. One night, Marvin draws a painting for James using the ink that James' father gave him as a birthday present, and this simple act leads them both into a plot to steal an Albrecht Durer masterpiece. Broach approaches this unlikely friendship with such creativity that it's amazing to see how it progresses, especially since the two can't communicate by talking. I was left guessing until the very end as to how James and Marvin would solve the theft; Broach does an impressive job of tying up the ends in a believable and touching finish.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

2009-09-11T15:52:00.005-07:00

I had wanted to read the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series of books for some time, as they look very fun. I wasn't disappointed. Greg Heffley is a new middle schooler where he thinks that students should be placed in grades based on their size, so the big kids can't bully the smaller ones. Greg isn't a very popular kid, but that doesn't stop him from making a running commentary on all the other losers in his school. You realize half way through that Greg also isn't the most sympathetic kid you've ever met, but by the end of the book he's learned some lessons.

Your favorites

2009-07-31T16:24:00.001-07:00

Thanks for all your comments! Interesting to see some books I've never heard of -- and then some old favorites! Please keep posting your books on the form below.

Your Name: Jean B
Book/Author: Phillip Pullman; The Rainbabies Comment: Love many of the books by Phillip Pullman - started reading one of his once without realizing I was not the target market! One of my favorite books for young children is The Rainbabies - can't remember the author - great pictures and a warm hearted story about an older couple who can't have children but one day find 12 babies no bigger than their thumbs and their ensuing adventures.

Your Name: Margaret D
Book/Author: Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands by Susan Carol McCarthy
Comment: This coming of age novel, set against the backdrop of the civil rights movement in Florida in the early 1950's, is an engaging novel for any age. It is one of the summer reading assignments for my middle school son and I am thankful that I read it. McCarthy helps us understand how the civil rights movement affected many of the people that lived in the early 50's.

Your Name: Lois B
Book/Author: Ender's Game
Comment: I have never been interested in science fiction, but a couple of years ago, I kept hearing about Ender's Game. My daughter was reading it (actually her boyfriend was reading it to her); a co-worker mentioned the book at lunch one day. I had to see what all the fuss was about. I so enjoyed this book that I went on to read the next three in the Ender series. Author, Orson Scott Card, does such a wonderful job of capturing what makes us human and the complexities of human relationships - that was the draw for me more than the sci-fi setting.

Your Name: Mara M
Book/Author: Diane Duane
Comment: "So You Want to be a Wizard" series---Friends Nita and Kit discover they are wizards just in time to save the world. Eight book adventure that is a whirlwind of fun, action and drama.

ISBN: 0440982529

Your Name: Cheri A
Book/Author: Robert Munsch
Comment: I have always enjoyed reading aloud Robert Musch's books to my kindergarten and first graders but as a retired teacher and grandmother of a two and five year old I am rediscovering the pleasure they give to both the reader and the listener.

Your Name: Maureen K
Book/Author: Effie's Bath by Richard Thompson
Comment: Two little girls who are best friends are taking a bath. When they put their heads underwater, they find themselves in another world. It starts when they meet an owl and a pussycat traveling in a pea green boat... The drawings are by one of my favorite illustrators,Eugenie Fernandes.

Your Name: Mara M.
Book/Author: Going on a Bear Hunt
Comment: GREAT for little ones, especially read with great enthusiasm. My guys can still recite almost every line! "I'm not scared!"

Your Name: Lesley B
Author/Book: Burnett, The Secret Garden
Comment: If this isn't the first book I ever read on my own, it was the first I remember having been transported by--to a mysterious old house in the middle of "the moors," which I pictured as huge green woods on a carpet of moss, hearing a little boy cry in the dark. I can still remember exactly how I felt reading it.

Your Name: Sandy L
Book/Author: Flight by Sherman Alexie
Comment: I've been wanting to read Alexie for a long time. The other day at the library I spotted this book in the YA section as I browsed for another book. I read 'Flight' in a weekend, probably could have done it in a day.

What a unique style!!! This man is amazingly bright, quick-witted and sharp to the core. He just lays it all out there as seen from the eyes of a half Native-American/half Irish teen, who calls himself Zits. Zits is orphaned by this stage of his life and has been to more foster homes than we have digits, each home having an impact on his life, none of which is good... tragically not even close. Amidst all the turmoil of foster home after foster home, it seems none of the social workers are able to connect with this kid. He sees through their psycho-babble and it leaves him so blatantly alone, unloved, and unwanted. We are in Zits' mind, we see the world the way he sees it, a bit cynical, a bit despairing.

One night after another run in with the cops, Zits meets someone while spending the night in jail. This philosophical character seems a bit like him. They connect and finally there is someone who just might understand Zits and the crazy world in which they live. This friendship leads to a revelation, betrayal and a choice that changes Zits' life drastically.

This is not a book for the faint hearted. There is tough stuff, real life that many of us would prefer not to see or know anything about... so read it and open your eyes.

Your Name: Rebecca
Book/Author: Lemony Snicket
Comment: You should know I'm fickle and _A Series of Unfortunate Events_ is what the kids and I are reading right now. We are on book 11 and I have had fun picking out the literary references - Dante's Beatrice, Clarissa Dalloway, Emma Bovary, The Road Less Traveled and more. Admittedly, it lulls around book 3/4, but the writing is still fun and the series picks up from there.

Your Name: Lisa S
Book/Author: The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, and The Chronicles of Narnia
Comment: The first two are classic children's. As far as the Chronicles, I still think they beat Harry Potter hands down.

Your Name: Mary Jan B
Book/Author: Knuffle Bunny, by Mo Willems
Comment: VERY clever and meaningful to the preschooler crowd. Knuffle Buny, Too is also awesome. My genre, if you can call it that, is pre-K picture books. I love books that are simple enough for preschoolers but get at something very meaningful in their lives such as separation, family, friends, etc.

Your name: Natalie M.
Book/Author: All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
Comment: This series of books about a Jewish family with 5 girls who live on the Upper East Side during the early 1900's. I loved the characters, and without even realizing it learned a lot about the Jewish culture and the immigrant experience!

Your name: Natalie M.
Book/Author: "Winnie-The-Pooh" by A.A. Milne
Comment: Still one of my favorites!

Your Name: am
Authors: Jon Scieszka/ Lane Smith
Comment: the true story of the three little pigs made me laugh out loud. :) still does. i think the wolf has a brooklyn accent.

Your Name: Mary J Nickum
Author: Erin Hunter
Comment: Hunter's series (3), Warriors, is the best constructed series of stories about cats that I've ever read! I wish it had been around when I was young. A wonderful, imaginative story about feral cats and their fictional cat society.

Your name: Karen
Book: The Underneath
Comment: You will absolutely love this book, a first novel for the author. It revolves around an old bloodhound that is tied to a 20-foot chain. He can get under the porch where he befriends a cat who has kittens. It's a story about love and revenge.

A is for Art by Stephen Johnson

2009-07-31T09:02:00.004-07:00

So, I LOVE picture books and have read a lot of them while I was working on my dissertation. We have the largest collection of international children's books in the country here on the ground floor of our college, so all of my classes had lots of opportunities for browsing great picture books. I particularly like multicultural books (my dissertation was on bilingual books from small presses), books about art, ABC books, and books with awesome artwork. A Is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet is an incredible alphabet book like none I've ever seen before. Johnson, who is a fantastic artist, doesn't portray apples and zebras -- each letter is a painting that uses that letter in really creative ways. For example, the letter F is a painting of "Fourteen hundred and fifty-five fake French fries were flipped, flicked, and flung onto a full-size field of faint fuchsia." WOW! I can't imagine how he thought up all these pieces, much less created them. Johnson also wrote Alphabet City, where he created paintings of normal city scenes that contained letters hidden in them.

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

2009-07-30T15:38:00.004-07:00

Bog Childis the second book I've read by Siobhan Dowd, and the first one that was published after her death at the young age of 47 of cancer. She published four books in all. Bog Child isn't as lighthearted as The London Eye Mystery but she is a very good writer. This one is set in Northern Ireland in 1981 when Fergus McCann is getting ready for the school exams that will help him get to med school. While he and his uncle are digging peat, Fergus finds the body of a girl buried in the bog. She is from the Iron Age, and Fergus becomes friends with the archaeologist who is examining her and her daughter Cora, who is Fergus' age.

A lot happens to Fergus over the summer. His brother is in prison, apparently because of his connection with the IRA. He joins several other prisoners in a hunger strike that is based on a real story. In the meantime, he is roped into delivering mystery packets across the manned border between northern and southern Ireland, an act that could land him in jail as well. Not only that, but he finds his feelings for Cora getting stronger.

Fergus is a strong character; he comes across as a typical Irish teenager during that time, but also demonstrates a depth of feeling for his dying brother, his worried mother, his Uncle Tally who seems to be drifting through life, for Owain, the young Welsh soldier at the checkpoint, and Cora, who has her own feelings to work out. While I didn't understand enough about the history of Ireland at the time, it does make me want to go and learn more about it.

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

2009-07-24T11:57:00.003-07:00

The London Eye Mystery is a great book for two reasons: the mystery is quite compelling and is solved in a very satisfying way, and the narrator, Ted, has Asperger's -- a milder form of autism. Ted and his sister Kat take their cousin, Salim, to ride on the London Eye (the giant Ferris wheel in the middle of London). They watch him enter a pod, which then rises into the air. Thirty minutes later, the pod comes back down, but Salim is not in it. With Ted and Kat feelng responsible, they must put their heads together to solve the mystery. Ted's head is "wired differently" so he thinks differently from others, and Kat is a little bit impatient, but they manage to come up with and test nine theories of what happened to Salim. In the end, it is Ted's method of thinking that allows him to crack the case and end up a hero.

I'm now reading another book by Siobhan Dowd, Bog Child. She is a very good writer; unfortunately, she died at the age of 47 in 2007 from cancer. She had published two books prior to her death and two afterwards.

This is a great book to introduce people to modern-day London but also to the inner workings of someone with Asperger's. Dowd makes Ted an engaging character who is often flummoxed by the expressions people use (he thinks that making small talk means using words with one syllable) and his fascination with the weather actually helps him to think about Salim's disappearance in a way that makes sense to him.

The London Eye Mystery, 2007, NY: Random House

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

2009-07-17T12:59:00.003-07:00

I have been reading some articles about the Newbery Medal award winners for the past few years. It turns out that a lot of librarians are, shall we say, less than impressed by the books that have won the award recently: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!; The Higher Power of Lucky; Criss Cross; and Kira Kira, to name a few. The librarians said they haven't bought the award winners for several years, because they haven't been books that children really enjoy. Well, I tried to get through Criss Cross, which won the award in 2006. Keep in mind that I RARELY start a book that I don't finish; in fact, I can think of only a handful over the years. I have to admit, I found Criss Cross to be so slow, so insipid, so -- I have to say -- boring that I finally just started skimming through it. I discovered that I hadn't missed a thing. I can't even tell you what it is about, except for a group of friends who do boring stuff over a summer. I have to agree with Anita Silvey and all those librarians; I don't see how this book could possibly interest kids enough to read it. I can't even imagine how the people on the Newbery committee came up with this book as an award winner. This is the same year that American Born Chinese and Octavian Nothing came out, but this book won the award.

What do you think about Newbery award winners, especially the recent ones?

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

2009-07-16T10:09:00.004-07:00

What I Saw And How I Lied evokes the film noir genre of the 40's and 50's -- I can just see Fred MacMurray playing the role of Joe. It takes place right after the war, when Evie's stepdad Joe returns from Europe and everybody is in a mood of excess. The family takes a vacation to Florida where Evie meets and falls for Peter, a handsome young man who soon attaches himself to the family. Evie is the quintessential young girl who falls for (perhaps?) the wrong guy. Her inexperience in the ways of love causes her to miss all the warning signs until a terrible tragedy lands her parents in court.

Blundell effortlessly captures the feeling of America and Americans right after World War II, when they were tired of going without and ready to enjoy the good life. I could picture many of the scenes in my head as a black and white movie. She also keeps you guessing until the end about how Evie lies to save herself.

2008, NY: Scholastic Press

Savvy by Ingrid Law

2009-07-14T12:25:00.005-07:00

In Mibs Beaumont's family, your 13th birthday is a big one; that is when you find out what your savvy, or special power, is. Mibs hopes hers isn't setting off storms like her brother Fish, but when the big day arrives her dad is in a hospital miles away from home, and Mibs' mother and older brother leave to be with him. When Mibs discovers her savvy, she realizes it can help save her dad's life. She sneaks on a pink bus heading to her dad's hospital in Salina, and before she -- or the driver -- knows it, she is heading away from Salina with Lester, the harried bus driver, her two brothers Fish and Samson, Bobbi and Will, the preacher's kids, and Lill, a down and out waitress. Their adventures on the way to Salina will change them all, but especially Mibs, who finds out that perhaps she had her savvy all along.

This was a very fun book -- the idea of having a "savvy" was very creative, and it's hilarious to find out how each person in Mibs family deals with their own savvy. Of course, everyone has savvy -- some more magical than others.

I always enjoy kids books that are great writing and fun to read, but that also leave you thinking about things -- I hate to say that they have a "moral" but they do really get you to consider your own life -- and maybe make you feel just a bit better about being yourself. Savvyis one of those books!

2008, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

2009-07-01T14:16:00.003-07:00

The Underneath is the story of an unlikely family -- a bloodhound named Ranger, a calico cat, and her two kittens, Sabine and Puck -- who live underneath the house of Ranger's owner, a social outcast who lives to hunt animals. When Puck, against his mother's warnings, adventures out from under the house, all of their lives change in ways they couldn't have imagined. Woven into their stories is the story of Grandmother Snake, her beloved daughter, Night Music, her husband Hawk Man, and their daughter.

Appelt has a gorgeous writing style, one that brings to mind timelessness and interconnectedness of all nature. She weaves together themes of love and hate, betrayal and redemption, and how we can build a family out of unlikely relationships. There are some difficult scenes in this book (the fact that the blurb likens it to Sounder, Shiloh and The Yearling should give you a hint!) but it is a story for the ages.

NY: Atheneum Books for Young Adults

Kit's Wilderness by David Almond

2009-06-25T15:40:00.005-07:00

Another great book by British author David Almond, Kit's Wilderness is the story of Kit, whose family has just moved to the coal-mining town of Stoneygate to be with Kit's grandfather after the death of his wife. Kit meets John Askew, a boy in his school, who soon involves him in his game called Death. In death, kids take turns going into an old abandoned mining tunnel. Kit discovers that he and John Askew have a shared history in the mine. In the meantime, Kit's grandfather tells him stories about his days in the mine and about the families of Stoneygate; soon, Kit is seeing Silky, the little boy with blond hair who plays tricks on the miners in his grandfather's day, along with the spirits of other people from the mine.

Kit is writing a story within the story about a boy named Lak who lives in prehistoric times. Kit weaves Lak's story with John Askew's story, and through the power of storytelling he saves both his grandfather and John Askey.

I'm fascinated by David Almond's style; it is spare and lyrical, and he says a lot with very few words. This book has themes of family, generations, forgiveness, and living up to one's potential.

A list of the kids books I've read since 1995

2009-06-25T10:39:00.000-07:00

I've been keeping tracks of all the books I've reading since 1995. Here are all the children's books with the author's last name. I have starred those books I particularly liked. Have you read any of these?

. . . . and Now Miguel, Krumgold
A Corner of the Universe, Martin
A Dictionary of Mythical Places, Palmer
A Girl named Disaster, Farmer
A History of the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, Smith
A Jar of Dreams, Uchida
*A Long Way from Chicago, Peck
A New England Girl’s Journal, Blos
A Pack of Lies, McCaughrean
A Proud Taste for Scarlett and Miniver, Konigsburg
*A Single Shard, Park
A String In the Harp, Bond
*A Year Down Yonder, Peck
Abel’s Island, Steig
*Abigail Adams, Bober
*Absolutely Normal Chaos, Creech
*Al Capone Does my Shirts, Choldenko
Alannah: The First Adventure, Pierce
*American Born Chinese, Yang
American Dragons, Yep
*Amos Fortune, Free Man, Yates
Artemis Fowl, Colfer
At Her Majesty's Request: An African Princess in Victorian England, Myers
Autobiography of my Dead Brother, Myers
Bad Boy, Myers
*Because of Winn Dixie, Dicamarillo
*Becoming Naomi Leon, Ryan
*Belle Prater's Boy, White
Boston Jane, Holm
Breathing Underwater, Flinn
Bud, not Buddy, Curtis
Bull Run, Fleischman
*Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, Latham
Catherine, Called Birdy, Cushman
*Chasing Redbird, Creech
Chasing Vermeer, Balliett
Child of the Owl, Yep
Dave at Night, Levine
Dear Mr. Henshaw, Cleary
Den of the White Fox, Namioki
Desperaux, The Story of a Mouse, DiCamillo
Dragon of the Lost Sea, Yep
Dragon Steel, Yep
Dragon’s Gate, Yep
*Dragonwings, Yep
Each little bird that sings,Wiles
*Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery, Freedman
Ella Enchanted, Levin
Esperanza Rising, Ryan
*Everything on a Waffle, Horvath
Faith and the Electric Dogs, Jennings
Gates of Excellence, Paterson
Gathering Blue, Lowry
Getting Near to Baby, Couloumbis
Go and Come Back, Abelove
Harriet the Spy, Fitzhugh
Harris and Me, Paulsen
*Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone, Rowling
*Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Rowling
*Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Rowling
*Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Rowling
*Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Rowling
*Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, Rowling
*Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Rowling
Heir Apparent, Velde
*Holes, Sachar
*Hope was Here, Bauer
I Hadn’t meant to tell you this, Woodson
I, Juan de Pareja, de Trevino
Ida B, Hannigan
In the Hand of the Goddess, Pierce
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, Lord
Inkheart, Funke
It’s Like This, Cat, Neville
*Jacob Have I Loved, Paterson
Jip, His Story, Paterson
Johnny Tremain, Forbes
Journey to J’Burg, Naidoo
Just Ella, Levine
Just Juice, Hesse
Kira, Kira, Kitahara
Kit’s Wilderness, Almond
Kneeknock Rise, Babbitt
Li Lun, Lad of Courage, Treffinger
Lily's Crossing, Griff
Lionboy, Corder
Lioness Rampant, Pierce
*Locomotion, Woodson
Love Ruby Lavender, Wiles
Lyddie, Paterson
Maniac Magee, Spinelli
Mara, Daughter of the Nile, McGraw
Memoirs of a Bookbat, Lasky
Minnie, Schmidt
Miracles on Maple Hill, Sorenson
Missing May, Rylant
Monster, Myers
Montmorency, Updale
Mountain Light, Yep
My Dad’s a Birdman, Almond
My Name is Maria Isabel, Flor Ada
Nightjohn, Paulsen
North to Freedom, Holm and Kingsland
*Northern Lights, Donnelly
Number the Stars, Lowry
Once Upon a Marigold, Ferris
One More River to Cross, Myers
Ophelia, Klein
Our Only May Amelia, Holm
Out of the Dust, Hesse
Philip Hall Likes Me. I Reckon Maybe. Greene
*Pictures of Hollis Woods, Giff
Princess Academy, Hale
Princess Diaries, Cabot
Princess in the Spotlight, Cabot
Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom, Paterson
Red Scarf Girl, Jiang
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Taylor
*Roller Skates, Sawyer
Ruby Holler, Creech
Sabriel, Nix
Sacajawea, Bruchac
Secret Letters from 0 to 10, Morgenstern
*Seedfolks, Fleishman
Seesaw Girl, Park
Shabanu, Staples
*Shadow in the North, Pullman
Shadow of a Bull, Wojciechowska
Shadow Spinner, Fletcher
Shakespeare’s Scribe, Blackwood
Shen of the Sea, Chrisman
Shiloh, Reynolds
Shizuko’s Daughter, Mori
Silent to the Bone, Konigsburg
*Skellig, Almond
Small Steps, Sachar
Stargirl, Spinelli
Strawberry Girl, Lenski
Surviving the Applewhites, Tolan
Tangerine, Bloor
*The Amber Spyglass, Pullman
The Amulet of Samarkand, Taylor
The Baboon King, Quintana
*The Battle of the Labyrinth, Riordan
*The Book Thief, Zusak
The Breadwinner, Ellis
The Cat Who Went to Heaven, Coatsworth
The City of Ember, Duprau
The City of the Beasts, Allende
The Clay Marble, Ho
The Devil’s Arithmatic, Yolen
The Devil’s Storybook, Babbitt
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm, Farmer
The Egypt Game, Snyder
The Fellowship of the Ring, Tolkien
The Fledgling, Langton
The Flight of the Swallows, Buss
The Foundling, Alexander
The Friends, Yumoto
The Gift of the River, Meadowcroft
The Giver, Lowry
*The Golden Compass, Pullman
The Golden Goblet, McGraw
The Grass Dancer, Susan Power
The Great Gilly Hopkins, Paterson
The Great Wheel, Lawson
*The Green Book, Walsh
The Headless Cupid, Snyder
*The Heart of a Chief, Bruchac
The Higher Power of Lucky, Patron and Phelan
The House of the Scorpion, Farmer
The Hundred Dresses, Estes
*The Kite Flyer, McCaughrean
The Last Book in the Universe, Philbrick
*The Last Olympian, Riordan
The Last Safe Place on Earth, Peck
*The Lightning Thief, Riordan
The Lost Garden, Yep
The Making of Megaboy, Wallace
The Master Puppeteer, Paterson
The Midwife’s Apprentice, Cushman
*The Misfits, Howe
The Monument, Paulsen
The Mulberry Project, Park
The Music of Dolphins, Hesse
*The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, Stewart
*The Mysterious Benedict Society, Stewart
*The New Policeman, Thompson
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place, Konigsberg
*The Penderwicks, Birdsall
The People of Sparks, Duprau
*The Perilous Gard, Pope
*The Prydain Chronicles, Alexander
The Rainbow People, Yep
The Ramsay Scallop, Temple
The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen, Alexander
The Return of the King, Tolkien
*The Ruby in the Smoke, Pullman
The Samurai's Tale, Haugaard
*The Sea of Monsters, Riordan
The Secret of the Andes, Clark
The Shakespeare Stealer, Blackwood
The Slave Dancer, Fox
The Star Fisher, Yep
The Stuff of Stars, Paterson
*The Subtle Knife, Pullman
The Summer of the Swans, Byars
The Supernaturalist, Colfer
The Thief Lord, Funke
*The Thief, Turner
*The Titan’s Curse, Riordan
The Trolls, Horvath
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Avi
*The Twenty-one Balloons, Du Bois
The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Levine
The Two Towers, Tolkien
*The View from Saturday, Konigsburg
The Wanderer, Creech
*The Watcher, Howe
*The Watsons go to Birmingham — 1963, Curtis
The Wheel on the School, De Jong
The Whipping Boy, Fleischman
The Wish, Levine
The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Speare
*The Wolf, Herrick
The Woman who Rides Like a Man, Pierce
The Year of Impossible Goodbyes, Choi
Thimble Summer, Enright
*Tiger in the Well, Pullman
Time Stops for No Mouse, Hoeye
*Up a Road Slowly, Hunt
*Walk Two Moons, Creech
What Jamie Saw, Coman
When I was Puerto Rican, Santiago
When she was Good, Mazer
Whirligig, Fleischman
Whittington, Armstrong
Wishing Moon, Tunnell
Worlds of Childhood: The Art and Craft of Writing for Children, Zinsser
Yes is Better than No, Bird Baylor
Young Fu of the Upper Yangzte, Lewis and Low
Zlata’s Diary, Filipovic

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Bankes, E. Lockhart

2009-06-24T15:54:00.005-07:00

Frankie Landau-Banks is fourteen years old at the beginning of the novel, a freshman at Alabaster Prep, a prestigious boarding school. Frankie is nothing special, but over the summer she grows into a beauty and manages to snag Matthew Livingston, one of the most popular senior boys at Alabaster, in her sophomore year. Matthew and his friends, most noticeably his best friend, a boy named Alpha (for being the alpha dog), are members of a secret society. When Matthew refuses to even acknowledge the existence of the secret club to her, Frankie decides, rather than getting even, she'll prove to Matthew and the others that she is worthy of becoming a member. In an ingenious plan, she soon has the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds doing her bidding, pulling off such memorable pranks on campus as the Ladies, the Doggies in the Window, and the ultimate heist of the Guppy, the traditional symbol of the campus.

Along the way, Frankie learns a lot about herself, relationships, the politics of gender, and power; most importantly, however, Frankie learns that she'll never be part of the good old boys club, simply because she is a girl.

I really enjoyed this book. Frankie Landau-Bankes is a strong, smart, capable female hero, one who thinks for herself and isn't afraid to try to get what she wants. I really enjoyed the verbal banter between the characters, but particularly in the way that Frankie uses words. The way she manipulates the boys into carrying out her pranks is truly devious. I wish she weren't quite so willing to be the girl she thinks Matthew wants her to be, but in the end she has decided to be just who she is -- with or without a boyfriend.

2008, NY: Hyperion

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

2009-06-23T08:51:00.002-07:00

I just finished the first book in Rick Riordan's series Percy Jackson and the Olympianscalled The Lightening Thief. Percy is a kid with dyslexia and ADHD who is constantly kicked out of schools for creating problems, even though he has no control over them. It turns out that he is what is called a half-blood, a child of one of the gods of Olympus and a mortal. After "accidentally" vaporizing his math teacher, Percy is literally chased to Camp Half-Blood by the Minotaur. Camp Half-Blood is where all the other kids with one mortal parent and one parent who is a Greek god.

Percy isn't quite as brooding as Harry Potter, and he actually has a pretty dry sense of humor; the chapter headings are hilarious when you discover what they are referring to.

The premise of the book is actually a very clever one, that the gods revered by the Greeks are still among us today, just not as visible to humans as they once were. Riordan has created a believable culture around these half-mortal children, and if you know your Greek myths you'll get a kick out of how he stays true to them but also turns them a bit on their heads.

There are ultimately five books in the series; the second one is The Sea of Monsters. In this one, Percy goes on a quest with his friend Annabeth and his half-brother Tyson, who is a cyclops. They must retrieve the Golden Fleece in order to save the tree where Thalia, daughter of Zeus, is imprisoned. The third is called The Titan's Curse. In this one Percy joins the daughters of Artemis, called Hunters, to save Artemis and Annabeth from Kronos, lord of the Titans.

The next in the series is The Battle of the Labyrinth. I loved Mary Renault's books as a kid, particularly the one about Theseus and the Minotaur, so this next Percy Jackson book should be fun!

I have now finished the fourth and fifth books in this series, The Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian, and I must say that Percy Jackson is a worthy successor to Harry Pottery. As I've said, the premise of Riordan's books is very original and he has created a very realistic and believeable world. There is a lot of action, with cliffhangers at the end of every chapter, and some fascinating characters. He ties it all together at the end, but I was left with wishing I could read more about Percy, Annabeth, Grover, Chiron, Tyson, and the other characters.

My Dad's a Birdman by David Almond

2009-06-19T14:13:00.005-07:00

Another book by David Almond, author of Skellig. This one was a bit stranger. My Dad's A Birdman is about Lizzie and her dad, who are trying to get on since her mother died. The dad is obviously not handling it very well, as he decides to become a bird in order to enter the Great Human Bird Competition. He stays at home, builds a nest, creates wings for himself, and eats worms and bugs.

Once Lizzie decides to join her father in his madness, the story takes a little bit of a sweet turn, and the finale of the Great Human Bird Competition is quite fun. You get the feeling at the end that perhaps Lizzie and her dad will be ok.

2007, MA: Candlewick Press

A list of good chapter books

2009-06-18T09:48:00.014-07:00

The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963, Christopher Paul Curtis. The Watsons leave Flint, Michigan to travel to see family in Birmingham, where they witness the bombing of the African-American church that killed four young girls. Hilarious and poignant.

Holes, Louis Sachar. It's incredible how Sachar weaves so many disparate stories into a neat little package at the end of the book. Better than the movie!

Al Capone Does My Shirts, Gennifer Choldenko. Moose lives on Alcatraz with his family where Al Capone is the biggest celebrity.

Becoming Naomi Leon, Pam Munoz Ryan. Naomi Leon travels to Oaxaca with her mother to finally meet her father, and to take part in the Noche de los rabanos (Night of the Radishes).

Locomotion, Jacqueline Woodson. If you haven't read this African-American author, you should, but Locomotion is my favorite. It's written as poems by Lonnie, who lost his parents in a fire and learns to live with his foster mother.

The City of Ember, Jean DuPrau. The first in a series about a city that is gradually going dark, leading Doon and Lina, two children, to discover the secret about their dying city.

Up a Road Slowly, Irene Hunt. One of the older Newbery winners, this is a poignant coming-of-age story of a young girl.

Heart of a Chief, Joseph Bruchac. Bruchac is one of the best Native American authors out there, and this is my favorite. It captures the experience of a cntemporary young Native American boy who must learn to live between two cultures.

Harris and Me, Gary Paulsen. One of Paulsen's less known books, Harris and Me is absolutely laugh out loud funny.

The View from Saturday, E. L. Konigsburg. I love books about misfits, and this is a great one, about four misfit children who come together to create a formidable quiz team.

Roller Skates, Ruth Sawyer. One of the very first Newbery winners, Roller Skates takes place in New York in the 1890's. Lucinda is an irrepresible young girl who meets all kinds of interesting people while she roller skates around town.

Picture books that made me laugh

2009-06-15T16:37:00.008-07:00

Cat Heaven by Cynthia Rylant: What a wonderful place for cats! and I adore the folk style paintings of cats enjoying their eternal play.

The Secret Life of Walter Kitty written by Barbara Hicks, illustrated by Dan Santat: A take-off on the James Thurber short story, Walter Kitty goes by his secret name: Fang!

Chewy Louie by Howie Schneider: If you've ever had a puppy, you will love how Chewy Louie chews through the whole house!

Chester by Melanie Watt. Another cat on a mission, Chester keeps re-writing the story that Melanie is trying to tell.

Olivia by Ian Falcolner. If you haven't read any of the Olivia books yet, you are missing out!

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner. Wiesner takes the story of the three pigs and turns it inside out, as the pigs escape the pages of the book to take care of the big bad wolf.

What picture books make you laugh?

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

2009-06-15T10:50:00.008-07:00

American Born Chinese is an award-winning graphic novel about Chinese and Chinese-Americans that recognizes the difficulties of being part of a culture that is often misunderstood or stereotyped. The novel follows the stories of three seemingly unrelated characters: the Chinese Monkey King, one of the most beloved characters in Chinese folk stories; Jin Wang, a young Chinese-American boy whose family moves from Chinatown in San Francisco to a mid-western town where is an anomaly; and Danny, a nondescript teenager who has to endure the yearly visit of his inappropriate Chinese cousin, Chin-Kee. Each of the three stories deals with the difficulty of being an "outsider".

This book is laugh out loud funny at times. The teachers in Jin Wang's new school quickly spread their own stereotypes about Chinese people and culture when they hilarious mangle Chinese-American students' names and claim they all came directly from China. Chin-Kee (say his name really fast) is a completely over-the-top representation of all the negative stereotypes about Chinese people, from his fractured accent to his choice of food to his knowing all the answers in Danny's various classes. While some of the stereotyping in this book might be considered offensive, it successfully highlights the experiences of Chinese-Americans, offering both a mirror and a window into what it's like to want to belong.

For an interview with Gene Yang go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYCZqt5WSOM

2006, NY: First Second Books

The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander

2009-06-15T09:11:00.007-07:00

The Chronicles of Prydain were written by one of my favorite children's authors, Lloyd Alexander, in the 1960's. The first is The Book of Three, and the final one, The High King, won the Newbery in 1968. The books follow the story of Taran, an Assistant Pig-Keeper, the magical pig Hen Wen, and Taran's friends Gurgi, the bard Fllewddur Fllam, and the princess Eilonwy, as they battle to defeat the evil Arawn. It's your basic hero's quest, complete with comic relief, a princess who can take care of herself, and a very scary bad guy. Lloyd based the series on ancient Welsh legends. This series is similar to the Hobbit stories, but as a child I enjoyed these more because they were written for children. These would make great read-aloud books for kids as well.

Also try Alexander's Time Cat: The Remarkable Journeys of Jason and Gareth about a boy who time travels with a cat through various time periods when cats were worshipped or feared, and Westmark, his series that features a female hero.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster

2009-06-12T16:14:00.007-07:00

Probably my most favorite book of all time, I still remember reading this book for the first time as a kid. I absolutely love all the puns and play on words that Juster uses. The ideas just keep coming -- from a marketplace that sells letters to a conductor who conducts the colors of the dawn, from the Amazing DYNN that makes a lot of noise to the Princesses of Rhyme and Reason. Tock is an endearing dog -- sort of like the scarecrow in Oz -- and I love how Milo realizes that there are just too many interesting things to see and do in this world to waste time wasting time.

The Phantom Tollbooth

The New Policeman by Kate Thompson

2009-06-12T13:35:00.015-07:00

This is one of the books recognized by USBBY, the US chapter of the international organization for children's books. Kate Thompson is an Irish writer. The story is about JJ Liddy, from a family of Irish musicians, who promises to give his mother the gift of time for her birthday. It appears that in our world, time has been going faster and faster until nobody has time for anything any more.

With the help of a local historian, JJ finds a time skin into the world of the Irish sidhe, or fairy folk. Time hasn't moved in their world, but now it is moving, and they are aging. JJ must find where the time is leaking out of his world and into the fairies' world if he wants to save both of them.

In this book, the fairies aren't little critters with wings, but regular people who love to play music. JJ meets Aengus, the Celtic god of love, youth, and beauty, who helps him to discover the secret of the time leak.

Meantime, back in our world, a new policeman has shown up who doesn't seem to know that much about his surroundings. Is he one of the sidhe as well?

Thompson brings all of these threads together into a very satisfying conclusion. I appreciated the fact that I couldn't predict how JJ would solve the time leak, but solve it he does.

Kate Thompson has written a wonderful book about Irish music, believing in magic, and family ties that also teaches us a bit about Irish folklore. There is a glossary in the back that helps you understand the Irish words that she uses. She also includes the music for dozens of Irish folk tunes that serve as chapter headings (or endings). If you are at all interested in Irish music and folklore, you'll appreciate this book.

2005, NY: Greenwillow Books

The Wolf by Steven Herrick

2009-06-03T13:29:00.007-07:00

The Wolf is an example of what I mean by children's books being amazing in their complexity and simplicity. It's the simple story of two teenagers who live in the Australian outback on sheep farms, who come together one memorable day to find the wild dog -- or perhaps it's a wolf? -- that they hear howling at night. It's not a very long book -- it's written in free verse and took me a lunch hour to read -- but it packs a pretty big punch. So much happens in the story with so few words it is amazing. Herrick's spare style realistically conveys Lucy's isolation from her family and Jake's closeness to his.

The conclusion is satisfying without being didactical or cloying. I enjoyed this book and hope to read more from this Australian author.

2006, PA: Front Street

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

2009-06-03T13:19:00.004-07:00

I've read the Mysterious Benedict Society (2007) and the sequel, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (2008). I see there is a third one coming soon: TMBS and the Prisoner's Dilemma. The MBS consists of four children -- Reynie Muldoon, Kate, Sticky, and Constance -- who are specifically selected by a stranger, Mr. Benedict, to foil a heinous plot by the sinister Mr. Curtain, who is planning to take over the world. Each child has special abilities -- Reynie is able to think through problems logically; Kate is physically fit and has a bucket full of contraptions that would make McGyver drool; Sticky can remember everything he ever read or heard (information sticks to him) and Constance -- well, Constance is good at being grumpy -- which helps to save the day in the end.

Stewart does a great job with Reynie -- he is an orphan who really appreciates being part of this small, quirky family -- but as with all families sometimes you get a little tired of your siblings. Reynie is a very realistic character -- he displays a great ability to think things through, but he is also very conscious of his role of leader of the little group. I really like Kate, too -- she is the swashbuckling type who always has a way for getting out of trouble.

I think boys in particular would like this series, as the books move along at a great pace, there is a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter, and Reynie is a very likeable hero.

NY: Little, Brown and Company

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy, by Jeanne Birdsall

2009-06-03T13:06:00.006-07:00

The Penderwicks is an example of what I would call an " good old-fashioned read". It's a recent book (published in 2005) and it happens in modern times -- but the only reason I know that is because there is a brief reference to a computer owned by Mr. Penderwick. Otherwise, it's one of those secret garden kind of books where the kids enjoy the summer by having great outdoor adventures, not by watching tv or shopping at the mall or playing Wii.

The Penderwick family consists of four girls, Rosalind, 12, Skye, 11, Jane, 10, and Batty 4, their Dad, a widower, and the dog Hound. The story follows them on summer vacation at a small cottage that sits on the grounds of a large old house, owned by a rich lady who doesn't care for the rollicking Penderwicks. My favorite characters were Skye, who is a total tomboy, and Jane, who narrates aloud everything around her because she is writing a book. They meet Jeffrey, the son of the rich lady, and through the course of the book they help Jeffrey gain the courage to communicate openly with his mother -- he wants to be a pianist, but she wants him to go to military school.

The characters are well written, the pace is great, and there's a little bit of something for everyone -- romance, games, dress-up, and of course a satisfying conclusion. I see that Birdsall has already written a sequel and I can't wait to visit with the Penderwicks again.

2005, NY: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Coraline the graphic novel

2009-06-02T14:23:00.004-07:00

I found this copy in our campus library; it's the graphic novel version. This is actually the first graphic novel I've read. The story itself is pretty creepy -- just thinking about the parents with black buttons for eyes is spooky, but seeing it on the page is downright gross. I'm not sure if reading it as a graphic novel is good or not, as you don't get to let your imagination make it scarier and grosser than the pictures in the novel. Now I want to read the "regular" version.

Coraline, adapted and illustrated by P. Craig Russell, 2008, NY: Harper Collins

Author Emily Gravett

2009-06-02T14:20:00.003-07:00

I just read several of Emily Gravett's picture books: Wolves, Orange Pear Apple Bear, Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears, and Meerkat Mail. Emily is an author/illustrator from Brighton, England. Her books are charming and very clever. My favorite is Wolves, in which a young rabbit borrows a book about wolves from the local library. While she is immersed in her book she doesn't realize that she is being followed by one herself.

A Fistful of Pearls and other tales from Iraq by Elizabeth Laird

2009-06-02T13:45:00.003-07:00

This small little book contains nine folk tales from Iraq. It reminded me of one of my very favorite books from childhood, The Case of the Marbled Monster, about an old judge of China named Oona. These tales have the usual folk tale characters, from the smart, beautiful but poor girl to the trickster rabbit to the demanding Caliph. With the state of the world today, it's nice to read something that helps us understand and appreciate a culture that we don't really know that much about.

The author, Elizabeth Laird, is not Iraqi herself but spent six months in Iraq and then moved to Beirut with her husband, who worked for the British Council.

2008, London: Frances Lincoln Children's Books.

Skellig by David Almond

2009-06-02T13:16:00.003-07:00

Skellig is the first children's book by British author David Almond, who has gone on to write several more outstanding children's books. He was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2008, which is given by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) each year to outstanding authors and illustrators of children's books from around the world.
Skellig is a very simple, rather short story that packs a big wallop. Michael and his family have moved from town to a run-down house in the outskirts of town. Between the work that needs to be done on the house and the fact that his baby sister is sick, Michael's parents don't have much time to spend with him. When he explores the old shed in the back of the property, he finds a strange being who calls himself Skellig. The story follows Michael and his new friend, Mina, a different sort of girl who lives next door and is home schooled by her mom, as they try to help Skellig survive. Is Skellig an angel? A bird? A strange new --or old -- type of being? Whatever he is, he helps heal Michael's family in their grief.

I couldn't put this book down. David Almond's writing style is spare and clean, making the magical realism of the book completely believable. I like the development of Michael and Mina's friendship; she is a particularly well-developed character. Skellig himself remains a mystery, which allows the reader to decide for herself what he is. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of David Almond's books.

I'm going to start adding the publishers information about the books I read so you can look them up yourself!

London: Hodder Children's Books, 1998.

Author Brands

2009-05-30T13:46:00.001-07:00

and while I'm on the subject of branding, it doesn't happen only with book characters -- it happens with authors too. How many famous people have now written one -- or more children's books? and how many of them are actually any good? Have you read Katie Couric's first book? It's absolutely awful. And Jerry Seinfeld's book? Frankly I find it gross -- the illustrations particularly. Why is it that people think that anyone can write a children's book? I think these books are mainly sold to parents who think their kids will like them . . . but kids are smarter than that. They like to read good books, not books written by famous people.

I tend to stay away from celebrity, so if you do know of any outstanding celebrity authors, let me know.

The Problem with Branding

2009-05-30T13:35:00.001-07:00

I know, there are tons and tons of children's books out there. I did my dissertation on the business of children's books, particularly on the topic of branding. Branding is the term used in marketing to create a mark or brand in consumers' minds about certain products. Children's books have become a major commodity in the market of creating brands. This refers to the practice of taking a great book -- The Polar Express, Harry Pottery, The Golden Compass -- and turning it into a movie, and t-shirts, and stationery, and Bandaids, etc etc etc. Soon the book becomes lost in all the other stuff that it created. I just came from our campus bookstore, where I counted no less than 9 books about the recently released (what, 2 weeks ago?) movie Up. There was a sticker book, and a Behind the Movie book, and a junior serialization book, and a picture book, and a book by the dog Dug. Already!!

What this has done is to turn even the act of reading into an act of consumption. Like the book? Buy the sheets, the beach towels, the plush toy -- you get the picture. One of my sources described how the book The Polar Express -- a wonderful fable written and beautifully illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg, one of the best writers of kids' books out there -- was turned into a movie. Then the movie was turned into a BOOK -- the book version of the movie! So kids might not ever even get to read the original book.

There are a lot of branded books out there, which is why I'm interested in reading the original, especially when it is well-written with terrific characters, a believable plot, and a satisfying ending.

Kids books that made me cry

2009-05-22T16:11:00.002-07:00

Some kids books make me cry because they are sad. Some make me cry because they are happy or hopeful. Some just make me cry because they are so beautifully written. Here is a list:

The Book Thief, Mark Zusak. I just finished reading this book and I guarantee it will make you cry. Beautifully and hauntingly written story about a young German girl living near Munich during World War II.

Because of Winn-Dixie, Kate DiCamillo. There is nothing sad about this book but the ending is so perfect, so full of hope and love, that I break down every time I read it.

Pictures of Hollis Woods, Patricia Reilly Giff. Hollis is a foster child who loves her newest foster mother, but she remembers her last family through her drawings of them. Very satisfying conclusion!

Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson. You probably cried at this movie, but you'll bawl after reading the book. The story of the unlikely friendship between a boy and a girl and what happens after the girl is killed in a storm.

A Long Way From Chicago (Puffin Modern Classics), Richard Peck. Grandma is absolutely one of the funniest characters I've ever encountered in a children's book, but the poignant ending got to me.

The Cat Who Walked Across France, Banks and Hallensleben. This is a picture book with a very simple story; a cat lives happily with his mistress, but when she dies he is put out with all her other belongings. He decides to return to the house by the sea where he remembered being happy. On his journey he passes through many French landmarks; the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. In the end, the cat finds his dream. Makes me cry every time!

About this Blog

2009-05-20T14:32:00.001-07:00

As a kid, I was a voracious reader. I was the kid on our summer vacation that Mom was always telling to put down the book. I loved all kinds of books, but mostly fantasy: C. S. Lewis, Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles, Norman Juster's Phantom Tollbooth. Even as I grew older, I remember telling my mother that I would never read adult books -- they were boring. I only wanted to keep reading kids books.

Now that I am an adult of course I enjoy "adult" books, but I still read books written for children. I don't have kids; I'm not a teacher or school librarian; I don't have lots of nieces and nephews. I just love kids' books. They contain a sense of wonder not found in adult books (outside of science fiction and fantasy, perhaps). It is extremely difficult to write a really good book for children, one that doesn't talk down or moralize or try to be too trendy. Kids books are universal. Kids books make me cry (something an adult book never did).

This blog is meant for those folks like me who enjoy reading children's books because they enjoy good literature and, in the case of picture books, good illustrations. It's ok if you have kids or are a teacher or librarian -- as long as you enjoy kids books for their literary value and not because you "have" to read them.