Echo {2016 Newbery Honor}

Echo

Written by Pam Munoz Ryan

Published February 24, 2015

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I have been trying to catch up on reading all of the ALA award winners from this year, and Echo has been my favorite so far by a long shot.

Pam Munoz Ryan cleverly weaves a fairy tale into the telling of stories of three different adolescents during World War II.  I think that is why I love the book as much as I do.  It is a masterful twist of imagination and historical fiction.  Otto is a boy who gets mixed up in a fairy tale involving three sisters and a harmonica.  The harmonica is the key to the fairy tale and eventually gets passed on through various means to three youth: Frederich, Mike, and Ivy.  They each discover something about themselves as they play the harmonica, and it helps them through their unique circumstances and challenges.  

Ryan uses each situation to provide interesting perspectives on the time period and the war.  Frederich is living in Germany in 1933 and has a sister and father with conflicting political opinions, Mike is living in Pennsylvania in 1935 and is an orphan trying to keep him and his younger brother together, and Ivy is living in California in 1942 and has a brother serving in the military.  Yet, through the harmonica, all are intertwined in the bigger plot.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and would recommend it to anyone.  Echo showed many moments of  heroism and hope despite difficult challenges that the characters faced.  World War II is such a hard time to write about and keep hope alive, but Ryan pulls it off beautifully.

My Rating: 5 stars (I can see myself reading this one again.)
Perfect for: 10-14 year olds

Happy Reading!

Emily

Our Bag of Books {The Full Moon at the Napping House, Have You Seen My Dragon, and Harry the Dirty Dog}

Every week, we come home from the library with a bag full of books.  Some books are new, some books are old, and some are books that we have checked out repeatedly.  Every week, a few stick out for various reasons.  I share them in hopes that you'll find some new ones to enjoy with your family.  :)

The Full Moon at the Napping House

Written by Audrey Wood

Illustrated by Don Wood

Published September 1, 2015

Knowing the love my kids have for any book written and illustrated by Audrey and Don Wood, I was excited to see that they had come out with a sequel to The Napping House.  With a full moon, no one is ready for bed and poor, sleepless granny is left with a restless household.  As we read this version together, I can feel my kids energy start out high at the beginning of the story, and then relax as the napping house is able to finally calm down thanks to a chirping cricket.  I loved how it had the same feel as The Napping House, but had its own twist that captured the bedtime process for so many families.  And who can resist Don Wood's delightful illustrations?

My Rating: 4 1/2 Stars (I could definitely see myself buying a copy,)

Perfect for: Babies, Toddlers, Preschool, Early Elementary

Have You Seen My DRAGON?

Written and Illustrated by Steve Light

Published April 8, 2014

I'm always on the lookout for a good counting picture book, and this one fits the bill.  A little boy has lost his dragon in New York City, and sets out to find him.  On each page layout, he visits a place where the dragon might have gone to in the city.  Each place he visits is intricately illustrated in black and white, and has colored items that the reader counts, such as boats, buses, dogs, balloons, and taxis.  It starts out with 1 item and ends with 20 items on the final page.  We all loved looking at the illustrations.  Overall, it was an original counting book that gave my toddler some good practice.

My Rating: 4 1/2 Stars 

Perfect For: Toddlers, Preschool

Harry the Dirty Dog

Written by Gene Zion

Illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham

Originally Published 1956

Harry the Dirty Dog is a classic, and for good reason!  Harry hates baths and after hearing the bath water running, he grabbed his scrub brush, buried it in the back yard, and ran away.  When he comes back home, he is absolutely filthy and unrecognizable.  His family isn't going to let him in the house since they don't know it is him!  He retrieves the brush he previously buried and they decide to give the dog a bath only to discover it was Harry the whole time!  I love how this book has been around for fifty years, but still delights children.

My Rating: 5 stars
Perfect for: Toddlers, Preschool, Early Elementary

Happy Reading!

Emily

Newbery Honor Book 2016: The War that Saved My Life

The War that Saved My Life
Written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Published January 8, 2015

The Newbery award winners for 2016 were announced a couple weeks ago, and ever since, I've been anxiously waiting for them to become available at the library.  I cruised through Echo (written by Pam Munoz Ryan), and then dug into The War that Saved my Life.  Both are historical fiction novels focusing on adolescents living during World War II, and each focused on similar social issues, but I came away with incredibly different feelings after reading each of them.  

Ada is ten years old and living in London with her mother and her younger brother, Jamie.  Ada's mother is extremely abusive towards Ada, and resents her for having a club foot.  It only takes an initial introduction to her mother for the reader to be disgusted by her.  Ada is not allowed to leave the apartment because no one would want to see such a handicap.  As a result, Ada has not been to school, cannot read or write, has little interaction with other children, and does not know the meaning of simple words, such as grass, etc.  On top of this, she is physically abused, receives limited food, receives extreme punishments, and is the target of many verbal attacks.  

When Jamie comes home from school, and tells the family that children are being evacuated out of London due to the war, Ada takes the opportunity to escape out of her atrocious life with her mother to live in the country.  She takes Jamie to the school where children are meeting up to head to the country. For the first time ever, Ada catches a glimpse of herself in a mirror.  Not knowing that it was her own reflection, she describes herself as "the nastiest girl" she has ever seen.  

When they arrive by train in Kent, they are looked over by families that are there to take the evacuees home.  Ada and Jamie are the only ones that are not chosen, so the organizer takes them to the home of a woman who does not want to take care of children, but ends up doing so anyway.  Susan Smith is still in the process of grieving her best friend when Ada and Jamie show up in her life, and the rest of the story covers the journey that the three of them take in learning to take care of each other, and try to form positive relationships despite depression and anger resulting from abusive relationships.

I have such mixed feelings in regards to this book. 

 I loved the growth and miracle that occurs in Ada as she gains freedom and care while living with Susan.  The war really does save her life by giving her the opportunity to escape at least temporarily from her home life.  Susan has a pony that Ada is immediately attached to, and gains a lot of independence through the ability of riding and taking care of the pony.  She grows physically, gains friends, and grows intellectually.  Crutches allow her to walk without putting pressure on her club foot.  She shows maturity as she helps in times of war crisis.  I also enjoyed the historical aspect of the novel, and the perspective of children evacuated during war.  

At the same time, I struggled greatly with it.  The abuse that is shown by the mother is extremely disturbing and depressing.  Along with the abuse were other societal issues that I do not think needed to be included, but seem to be increasingly present in children's literature.  Susan was grieving her best friend, and it never comes out completely to describe the nature of her relationship with her friend, but I got the idea that it was her significant other of the same gender.  

Ada struggled emotionally while dealing with trust issues for most of the book, which would be completely understandable after the abuse that she had faced.  There were many joyful moments and victories throughout the book, but I kept hoping for some more resolution throughout the book.  

My Rating: 3 stars (It is not an instant recommendation, and comes with some disclaimers.)

Age: I wouldn't recommend this for elementary school students.  With all of the societal issues included in the novel, especially the abuse, I would recommend older and more mature readers.  

Let me know your thoughts if you've read it!  I'll post my review on Echo soon.

Emily

Newbery Highlight: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

Written by Jacqueline Kelly

2010 Newbery Honor Book

Calpurnia Tate joins the ranks of girl characters who don't exactly fit the mold of what their families and society expect of them.  Calpurnia is an eleven year old girl living in Texas during the late 1800's, and much to her mother's dismay, the activity that gets her more excited than anything is joining her grandfather on nature exhibitions and experiments in his laboratory.  Poor Calpurnia has six brothers and is the only girl.  Her mother's hopes and dreams of having a girl who succeeds in everything domestic depends solely on Calpurnia, and unfortunately for Mrs. Tate, Calpurnia has no interest in such matters.  

Grandpa Tate is not a man who is normally friendly towards children, and most of the town considers his nature endeavors slightly eccentric, but after seeing his granddaughter's love for nature, he takes her under his wing, and treats her as a partner in his adventures and discoveries.  Together, they even make a discovery in the form of a new species of hairy vetch, or weed.  His encouragement and opinions give her hope that someday she would be able to pursue her scientific dreams, even though society is not very accepting of female scientists.  

All the while, the novel is filled with heart-warming and amusing stories typical of a family during the late 1800's. From her older brother's attempts at courting, to her younger brother's love for pets (including turkeys, which presents a serious problem around Thanksgiving), there is usually something happening at the Tate house.  

Jacqueline Kelly's writing is full of charm and wit.  I love how Calpurnia is a free spirit, but at the same time, is respectful towards her mother, who doesn't quite understand her.  They definitely don't share the same views, and her mother does require her to spend time learning all things domestic, but they are not unkind or disrespectful towards each other.  I feel like so many of the free spirited girl characters in other books are disrespectful, but I appreciated Jacqueline Kelly's approach to Calpurnia.  I imagine there are a lot of girls who find themselves relating to Calpurnia, and I think she is an excellent role model for any young girl finding themselves in interests that are different than what society thinks they should be interested in, including science.

My Rating: 4.5 stars (I would recommend it to anyone to read, and plan on reading the second book in the Calpurnia series.)

Perfect for: 10-12 year old girls (and adults!).

Happy Reading!

Emily

Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure

Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure

Written and Illustrated by Bill Peet

 

Bill Peet ranks as one of our family's favorite authors and illustrators.  Peet worked at Disney for 27 years, working as an artist and screenwriter, and as such, his illustrations remind one a lot of early Disney cartoons.  Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure (published in 1959) was his first of 35 children's books, and has all the elements of a classic picture book.

Hubert, a very conceited lion, is sharpening his claws on a rock when a spark from his nails causes his mane to catch on fire.  By the time the fire is extinguished, he is as bald as bald can be.  Hubert tries to hide to avoid any of the other animals from discovering the situation, but nosy Hornbird can't resist a good juicy and flies in to get all of the details.  Before long, all of the animals have heard and are there to help poor Hubert.  After much thought, Elephant remembers a cure that just might work, and sets off to collect the only ingredient needed: crocodile tears.  

To Elephant's dismay, the mean and crafty Crocodile has no intention of sharing anything.  On hearing the story of how Hubert lost his hair, Crocodile is rolling on the ground with laughter and shedding tear after tear!  Elephant quickly collects the tears and takes them back to Hubert to let them work their magic.  Hubert rubs the crocodile tears on his head, but no one is quite prepared for what happens as a result!

Classic characters, amusing story line and illustrations, and perfect rhyming have made this book one that everyone enjoys reading time and time again.  

Perfect for:  Early Elementary, Late Elementary
My Rating:  5 stars (We loved it enough to add it to our personal library!)

Interesting Fact:  Bill Peet did all of the storyboards for both The Sword in the Stone and 101 Dalmations.  For more information on Bill Peet, visit here.  

Happy Reading!

Emily

Our Bag Full of Books {3rd Edition}

Every week, we come home from the library with a bag full of books.  Some books are new, some books are old, and some are books that we have checked out repeatedly.  Every week, a few stick out for various reasons.  I share them in hopes that you'll find some new ones to enjoy with your family.  :)

The Perfect Nest

Written by Catherine Friend

Illustrated by John Manders

Published in 2007

 

Jack is a cat who is hungry for an omelet.  He devises a plan to build a comfortable and perfect nest that will attract a chicken.  After the chicken lays the egg, he will be able to make his omelet.  The first part of his plan works!  Not only does a chicken come along and lay an egg, but a duck and a goose each do, as well!   The only problem is that none of them want to leave the nest, and fight for the right to sit in it.  By the time Jack finally gets them to leave the nest so he can make his omelet, the eggs hatch and he is left with a baby chick, a baby duck, and a baby goose who all think he is their mama.  No matter where he hides, they are sure to find him.  It is a good thing he has built a perfect nest to curl up with them in.

This has become one of our favorites.  Clever story told with delightful illustrations.  Fun to read aloud with the French and Spanish accents of the chicken and the duck.  

Perfect for: Preschool/Early Elementary

My Rating: 5/5

 

When the Cows Got Loose

Written by Carol Weis

Illustrated by Ard Hoyt

Published in 2006

 

Ida Mae's family is not your ordinary family, and they do not have an ordinary bunch of cows.  When all 26 cows get loose, it is Ida Mae's job to round them up.  She hops onto her zebra and heads out to find them.  Some are found juggling cabbages, while others are found synchronized swimming.  Six were found up in a car in a tree and some are caught tightrope walking on a clothesline.  The adventure continues until all 26 are back home.

This book is full of imagination and laughs.  Each illustration contains wild antics of either Ida Mae's family (whose house is a fun house) or her talented bovines.  Ida Mae's life is one big circus.  

Perfect for: Preschool/Early Elementary

My Rating: 4.5/5

Three Bears in a Boat

Written and Illustrated by David Soman

Published in 2014

 

Three little bears break their mother's beautiful seashell while she is out, and are on a quest to find one to replace it.  They get in their sailboat, and after seeking the advice of other sailors, sail until they find an island to search.  They look underwater, in a cave, and on a mountain, but cannot find one.  Discouraged, they climb back in the boat, and end up in the middle of a storm. They finally pull up on their own shore, and find a beautiful blue seashell.  Mama Bear lovingly welcomes them home.

The storyline of this picture book isn't my favorite, and it didn't really grab the attention of my kids, but the illustrations are amazing.  It is worth checking it out from the library just to see the illustrations.  I wouldn't be surprised if this one won a Caldecott.

Perfect for: Early Elementary

My Rating:4/5

Tumtum & Nutmeg

Tumtum & Nutmeg

Written by Emily Bearn

Illustrated by Nick Price

Published in 2008

Mice in children's books have always fascinated me.  For some reason, they become beloved characters that we root for.  In reality, I would never be able to share my living space with them, and shiver at the thought of them.  I am extremely grateful for the fact that I have never seen one in my house, and I hope I never do.  One of my friends (whose reading taste I trust completely) recommended Tumtum & Nutmeg, and we have come to adore these two little mice.  Isn't it a strange thought to love mice?  

Tumtum and Nutmeg live in a snug little house named Nutmouse Hall (complete with 36 rooms!), which is located in the broom cupboard of Rose Cottage.  Rose Cottage is owned by Mr. Mildew and his two children named Arthur and Lucy.  Mr. Mildew is a widower, and an inventor.  Unfortunately for the children, the house has not been kept up on, and Mr. Mildew is always busy working on his inventions.  Rose Cottage is a mess!

Tumtum is a very generous and calm kind of mouse who likes to eat and read.  Nutmeg is a little more tense, but very kind and thoughtful.  She assumes a motherly role towards Arthur and Lucy, and wants to do everything she can to take care of them and improve their living quarters.  The two mice sneak into the attic where the children sleep in order to make improvements, and clean up the place.  All is going well until Aunt Ivy enters the picture.  Aunt Ivy is enemy to all mice, and does everything that she can to get rid of them.

Interestingly enough, everything that Aunt Ivy does to remove mice from Rose Cottage is exactly what I would do.  Her actions seem so much worse, however, when she is trying to harm two mice as sweet and caring as Tumtum and Nutmeg.  You can't help but dislike her, especially when she poisons Tumtum!

The Nutmegs friend, General Marchmouse, is summoned to save Tumtum and rid the house of Aunt Ivy.  Will he succeed?  You'll have to read it to find out!

Adventure always seem to be just around the corner with Tumtum and Nutmeg, and especially General Marchmouse.  Emily Bearn has written a total of nine books depicting their adventures, and every one that we have read is delightful, charming, and fast-paced.  One chapter was never enough for a sitting!  Illustrations by Nick Price are frequent and add to the delight.

Perfect for:
Read-aloud: Preschool/Early Elementary
Independent Reading: Middle/Late Elementary

Happy reading!

Emily