1. What Happened on Fox Street by Tricia Springstubb

Mo Wren loves Fox Street. It’s the only home she’s ever known: Mo loves the neighbors (well, most of them anyway), she loves her creaky, cozy house with the plum tree in the backyard, and there’s always the call of the ravine—a scraggly wood that passes for wilderness, where Mo is sure she’ll find a real fox, if she looks hard enough. It seems like Mo’s life will never change. Until her best friend becomes snobby. And scary old Mrs. Starchbutt* takes a sudden interest in Mo. Worst of all, someone wants to buy the Wrens’ house, and now Mo has to contemplate a life away from Fox Street.

Read this book if: you remember being ten years old and finding the world changing around you. Mo is the perfect age to start moving out of childhood, and she hangs on as long as possible, resisting the new thoughts crowding in her head. This is the summer she starts thinking about money, her father’s imperfections and the happiness of others. Fox Street has the perfect blend of reality and charm. The neighbors are quirky without being Dead End in Norvelt ridiculous, and there’s a real sense of community that reminds me of Lucky’s Hard Pan. What’s not to like about that?

2. With the Might of Angels: the Diary of Dawnie Rae Johnson, Hadley, Virginia, 1954  by Andrea Davis Pinkney (Sept 2011)

School desegregation seems like such an obvious topic for the Dear America series. I’m surprised it hasn’t been done before. Dawnie’s story takes place shortly after Brown vs. Board of Education, when she’s the only black student to attend the all-white junior high school. Talk about courage! Her diary begins months before she switches school, so we get to meet her family and community before the real trouble starts. By the time she steps into Prettyman Coburn (the school’s name, honest), I cared a lot more about her personal happiness than her role in historic events. Pinkney has created a character that brings history to life, and this book is a great read anytime, but especially timely for Black History Month.

3. Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer (Sept 2011)

Schanzer’s book is a straightforward account of what happened in Salem. There’s no need to embellish the horrific events, which led to the deaths of 20 innocent victims and ruined the lives of hundreds more. Quoting from primary sources, Schanzer explains the day-by-day choices that led a village to self-destruct. At the height of the hysteria, family members were accusing each other of witchcraft, and the jails were so full there was no one left to tend the farms. The true motives behind the witchhunt remain a mystery, and Schanzer doesn’t try to guess or condemn. Most of the Puritans got caught in a nightmare of their own making, and that’s scarier than any tale with a clear villain—because it shows how easily history can, and will, repeat itself. A must-read for anyone curious about history, or the true meaning of the word “witchhunt.”

Reasons to read this book:

The characters feel more real than any fictional character I’ve encountered in months. And that’s saying something, because they’re toys: four stuffed animals and a rubber ball, to be precise. There’s a human too–the little girl who owns them–but she doesn’t have many lines.

Because you like Toy Story. I know, it’s not legit to compare books and movies. But if you’re looking for an adventure-filled story with humor and warmth, not to mention unforgettable reasoning that could only come from toys (toys who know little about the world outside the confines of a child’s room), then this is your lucky day:

StingRay thinks about going down the hall to meet the towels, but she is nervous that they won’t be friendly, after what Bobby Dot said.
She also isn’t sure what a towel is.
What if it has sharp teeth?
What if it has angry claws?
What if the vicious towels become enraged when a plush stingray tries to join their private conversation?

Talking towels. The book’s wacky logic is just hysterical. The towels are as sentient as the stuffed animals, if much less mobile. But not the bath toys. And not every stuffed animal in the world. In the sequel (Toys Go Out), we find that the washer and dryer talk too (it’s a lonely life living in the basement). Jenkins actually makes it work, and there were times when I got so lost in the story, I was convinced I was reading about real live children.

For the purists out there, you’ll enjoy Toys Come Home if you like The Mouse and His Child/The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane/toy POV book of your choice. Except these toys talk and move (taking care not to do so in front of adult humans), which is why I’m convinced it has more in common with Toy Story.

The characters feel real because they deal with very human things. Like all kids, they learn to navigate friendships and jealousies. They become brave for their friends and test the bonds of loyalty (nothing says friendship like telling someone he can puke on you if that will make him feel better).

And when I say human, I’m also talking about big, adult issues. The book doesn’t shy away from death or (deep breath) the meaning of life. It even gives an answer, one that’s much more satisfying than 42.

I busted out my “art” skills for this review! That’s commitment.

I read this book purely out of Newbery-guilt—I’d never even heard of the title before it won a 2012 Newbery Honor. And now that I’ve finished, I’m going to push this book on everyone I know, because it’s brilliant, stunning and fully deserves the shiny sticker on its jacket.

Yelchin captures the terror of Stalin’s Russia in a mere 160 pages (the paranoia and brainwashing make The Crucible look benign). We witness two days in the life of Sasha Zaichik, the 10-year-old boy at the center of the tale. On day one he’s a proud Communist eager to join the Soviet Young Pioneers.  Then his father disappears, and forty-eight hours later, Sasha has become someone quite different. The transformation happens slowly, and it’s utterly believable. There aren’t many children’s books about Stalin’s reign—Between Shades of Gray is last year’s standout from the YA genre. Breaking Stalin’s Nose is squarely middle grade, but Yelchin doesn’t shy away from the violence. He hides the darkness under a seemingly calm tone that makes it even creepier. Consider Sasha’s reaction when he finds himself homeless and alone on a snowy night:

The Stukachovs are sleeping warm and cozy in our room. Tomorrow they’ll throw away our broken things. That doesn’t matter, of course. My dad and I oppose personal property on principle. Personal property will disappear when Communism comes. But still.

This book will hit you hard. And once you’re done, if you can’t get Sasha out of your head, check out Yelchin’s website for historical photos and artifacts—chilling reminders of the real history behind Sasha’s tale.

A genuine Dr. Seuss letter

Every year, it seems, I send fewer and fewer handwritten letters. My output this past holiday season was abysmal, few enough to be counted on the fingers of one hand. So I was delighted to find the blog Letters of Note, which might be just the inspiration I need to take pen to paper.

The blog is self-described as posting “correspondence deserving of a wider audience” and includes scans of original letters, many of which were written by children’s authors. Here’s a quick sampling:

Harper Lee‘s heartfelt advice to a young fan of To Kill a Mockingbird

Douglas Adams‘ hilarious (and rather desperate) attempt to get Hitchhiker’s Guide made into a movie

J.R.R. Tolkien‘s letters to his sons, complete with illustrations

…and more from Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowling, Dr. Seuss and Peanuts creator Charles Schulz

Bonus: for anyone who’s read Amelia Lost, here’s a copy of Amelia‘s “reluctance to marry” letter.

Extra bonus: read all about Dalek blueprints on official BBC Doctor Who letterhead!

Sisters Helena, Louise, and Beatrice, and their younger brother Lamont, travel across the Atlantic by ocean liner (even though mice hate water!) because, as downstairs Cranstons, their fates are intertwined with that of their family’s. Their human family, that is. As the human Cranstons have decided to try England in order to Give Olive Her Chance (alas, only three eligible titled men on board!), this voyage also turns out to be the sisters’ chance to find their futures as well. (Indeed, dynasties have been decided on such voyages.)

While Helena is not as cold or haughty as Lady Mary, she, too, is the eldest of three sisters and therefore, quite bossy and a worrier. However, instead of entails and prospects, Helena’s concerns are cats, water, and how she will keep her family together.

Louise prefers the company of her human-Olive’s pretty younger sister Camilla Cranston-over her actual family, simple-minded Beatrice is smitten by Nigel the steward, and young Lamont idolizes Nigel right down to ‘is Lundunner accent to the point of joining with the crew. Even though mice hate water, as you know.

Throw in a collection of significant looks (usually of disapproval, but Beatrice’s judicious appearance takes the cake at the Royal Reception), an imperative old Duchess who might as well be Maggie Smith in mouse form, and the choice between working class Nigel of the handsome whiskers and Lord Peter, Mouse Equerry of the aristocratic ears, and you start to see the similarities. Plus, Peck employs the best-laid puns of mice and cats in Helena’s pitch-perfect narrative…so put that in your pipe and smoke it, Downton! As for the actual story, like Downton, Secrets at Sea is not about plot so much as it’s about wit and charm and deliciously superfluous details that make for transporting drama.
]]> http://readsforkeeps.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/downton-abbey-cranston-mice/feed/ 3 radagast250 secrets http://readsforkeeps.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/fun-with-arthritis-cures-and-other-alayma-reactions/ http://readsforkeeps.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/fun-with-arthritis-cures-and-other-alayma-reactions/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:03:28 +0000 Lisa Song http://readsforkeeps.wordpress.com/?p=2230 ]]>

The British cover for Dead End in Norvelt (thanks to Fuse #8 for the tip): so much better than ours.

Um, wow. So Dead End in Norvelt got the Newbery! It was, as Jen predicted, a dark horse triumph. And while I’m still sad at the lack of recognition for Sir Gawain, Okay for Now and Amelia Lost, Gantos’ win makes me positively gleeful. We don’t often get laugh-out-loud funny Newbery winners: The Higher Power of Lucky often made me smile, as did The Tale of Despereaux. But I have to go back to Holes (1999) to find one that made me laugh. Norvelt packs enough humor to transform the most reluctant readers into bookworms (the title of this post references one of the more memorable scenes), and that may be the greatest prize of all.

As for the other award winners (full results from today’s ALA Youth Media Awards here), here are some scattered thoughts:

• This seems to be the year where books won in unexpected categories. After all the Newbery/Caldecott agonizing over Wonderstruck, it was great (and so fitting!) to see it win a Schneider Family Book Award. Same with Drawing from Memory‘s Sibert Honor and I Want My Hat Back! in the Geisel category. It all seems so obvious in retrospect.
• Breaking Stalin’s Nose (Newbery Honor book) reminds me of Moon Over Manifest from last year–something totally unexpected, which I’m now quite looking forward to.
• I’m ecstatic to see the Printz Committee honor The Returning. This is one of those books that reels you in slowly and doesn’t let go, but the slow pacing means it could use an awards-push to generate publicity.
• Okay for Now got recognition for the audio book. I’ve always wondered about Doug’s voice–I imagine it’s either quite deadpan or darkly sarcastic. Now’s a good time to find out.
• Kadir Nelson’s Heart and Soul won a well-deserved Coretta Scott King Award, though I’d hoped for Bird in a Box to get an award as well.
• I haven’t read A Ball for Daisy or Blackout, but Me…Jane and Grandpa Green both deserve as much recognition as they can get.
• Susan Cooper’s Margaret A. Edwards Award! I feel so lucky to have discovered her books this year (or rather re-discovered after a failed attempt to start the series years ago), and even had the chance to meet her during The Exquisite Conversation.

(Note: this is a joint post from Jen and Lisa)

Grace Lin’s book launch felt like one big happy gathering, just in time for Chinese New Year. Lin gave us a taste of her new book by reading to us from Dumpling Days. This time around, we travel with Pacy to Taiwan, her parents’ homeland, for a month long food adventure. In the sushi restaurant chapter, Pacy encounters for the first time raw fish and wasabi and a high-tech Japanese toilet with a control panel. “You never press the red button!” we learn as Lin sent us into fits of laughter, perfectly capturing Pacy’s youthful voice in a spot-on reading.

Yes, that's a fancy toilet on the projector screen.

There are plenty more deliciously embarrassing Pacy moments in the book, but it’s clear that food was the star of the (dumpling) day! Lin even signed her books, “happy eating!”

We met Pacy!

To top it off, each audience member got to take home a goodie bag stamped with a Chinese-style seal:

The bags came with candy, a dumpling recipe, a red envelope containing a “secret url” of deleted chapters from Dumplings Days, and our very own Pocket Pacy doll (Dumpling Days edition, hence the bright pink dress).

These dolls act like vicarious traveling companions. The idea is to bring the doll with you whenever you’re traveling and take pictures of Pacy in exotic locales all over the world. Lin has been leaving behind Pacys on her travels (see here) and she encouraged us to send in our pictures. What’s really amazing about these dolls is that Lin painted all of them by hand!

So, keep your eyes pealed for Pacy in photos and around the world. Enjoy some dumplings and happy year of the dragon!