Month: February 2016

Pax by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Jon Klassen

~ Janet Dawson ~ 4 Comments

 Published by Balzer + Bray 

Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8ErVnRt40I

Summary: When Peter’s father goes to war, Peter is sent to live with his grandfather. His father says that Peter’s pet fox, Pax, must be returned to the wild.  We see this happening from Pax’s point of view, and the story of what happens after that is told in chapters that alternate between Peter’s and Pax’s stories.  Peter realizes he has done a terrible thing, and runs away to try to rescue Pax.  A few days out, he breaks a bone in his foot, and is taken in by Vona, a woman whose own war experiences left her so scarred, both physically and emotionally, that she has withdrawn from the human race.  Meanwhile, Pax meets up with some foxes in the woods, and slowly, still desperately hoping for Peter’s return, starts to make a life for himself in the wild.  While Peter and Pax are on their journeys, the war is slowly encroaching into both of their lives, leading up to a climactic finale.  288 pages; ages 8-12.

Pros:  This beautifully written and illustrated story will undoubtedly be a 2016 awards contender.  Filled with love, hope, friendship, and healing, Pax is a book to savor and discuss.

Cons:  This sometimes felt a bit too much like a Book With A Message (see somewhat self-congratulatory book trailer).  A little infusion of humor wouldn’t have made the story any less powerful.

The Cat Who Came In Off the Roof by Annie M. G. Schmidt, translated by David Colmer

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers 

Summary:  Tibbles is feeling down after being scolded by his newspaper editor for his inability to write about anything but cats.  He’s distracted by his worries when he comes across a young woman who’s been chased up a tree by a dog.  After rescuing her, Tibbles invites her back to his house, where she proceeds to purr, rub her head on his shoulder, and finally settle down to sleep in a cardboard box lined with newspaper.  It comes as little surprise to learn that Miss Minou began life as a cat, and an unfortunate accident has turned her into a human.  She can still talk with cats, thought, and their little town has plenty of those, each one a source of news from the humans they live with.  When Miss Minou starts sharing her stories with Mr. Tibbles, his newspaper career takes off; that is, until he writes an article accusing the wealthiest man in town of some pretty dastardly deeds, witnessed only by cats.  No one believes his story, and his career is once again in jeopardy.  Meanwhile, Miss Minou has a one-time-only chance to return to her feline form.  Will the cats of the town be able to give this unlikely couple a happily-ever-after ending?  160 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  This charming story is a classic in the Netherlands, where the original, entitled Minoes, has been loved by children since 1970.  With a quirky but lovable cast of both feline and human characters, this would make a great read-aloud for kids from the primary grades on up.

Cons:  The wealthy villain bore an unfortunate resemblance to a certain billionaire presidential candidate.

Soar by Joan Bauer

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Published by Viking Books for Young Readers

Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2meh6h7BaE

 

Summary:  Jeremiah has been through more than his share of difficulties, starting when he was abandoned by his mother at the age of nine months and continuing through a series of heart problems that ultimately resulted in a transplant.  Lucky for him, his mother left him in an office building where he was discovered by nerdy but loving Walter, who adopted him and has been by his side ever since.  Jeremiah’s greatest love is baseball, but his heart hasn’t gotten healthy enough for him to play.  When Walter and Jeremiah move to Hillcrest, Ohio, they look forward to cheering on the town’s championship baseball team.  Within days of their arrival, though, scandal has swept through the town, shutting down the team.  When Jeremiah discovers a few kids at his middle school who still love to play, he gets the idea to become their coach.  Step by inching step, the kids work together to build a middle school team and to repair the damage done to Hillcrest.  With Jeremiah leading them on, the Hillcrest Eagles prove there’s more than one way to have a winning team, and that talent isn’t nearly as important as heart.  304 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  “You’re weird…but I like you,” says one of Jeremiah’s teammates, perfectly capturing Jeremiah’s voice as he narrates this story.  Quirky, humorous, and refusing to be kept down, Jeremiah gives the people of Hillcrest and the readers of Soar plenty to cheer about.

Cons:  Occasionally Jeremiah seems a bit unbelievably wise and mature for a sixth-grader.

 

Shape Shift by Joyce Hesselberth

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Published by Henry Holt and Company

Summary:  A boy and a girl introduce nine shapes: triangle, semicircle, crescent, trapezoid, rectangle, circle, oval, diamond, and square.  Then they start putting the shapes together to see what they look like.  A triangle on top of a semicircle can look like a ballerina or an elephant with a thousand balloons on his back.  A crescent on top of a trapezoid?  A bull ready to charge or a fish jumping in the sea.  The final two pages show twelve shape combinations and ask readers what they see.  32 pages; ages 2-6.

Pros:  A fun introduction to shapes that will have kids looking for geometry in their everyday lives.

Cons:  According to other reviews, the author has created two apps to explore shapes and colors, but they’re not mentioned anywhere in the book.

Bear is Not Tired by Ciara Gavin

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Published by Knopf 

Summary: Bear is an enthusiastic member of a household of ducks. When the weather starts getting colder, Bear is determined to stay awake all winter so as not to miss out on anything.  But nature takes its course, and before long Bear is dozing off at meals and in the middle of games.  Mama Duck convinces him that he can’t fight who he is, and that, awake or asleep, he is still part of the family.  Finally, Bear settles into hibernation mode.  The ducks eat meals near him, and the baby duck snuggles up to sleep with Bear at naptime.  When spring comes, Bear awakens and enjoys sharing the pictures of what happened all winter long.  32 pages; ages 2-6.

Pros:  Cute watercolor illustrations enliven this gentle tale that would make a perfect bedtime story.

Cons:  There sure are a lot of picture books that feature cute bears hibernating.

First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial by Susan E. Goodman, illustrated by E. B. Lewis

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Bloomsbury 

Summary: In 1847, at the age of four, Sarah Roberts started at the Otis School in Boston, just a few blocks from her home. Soon, though, she was told by the police that she had to leave. The Otis was for white children, and Sarah was African American.  The school she could attend was further from her house, had no place to play, and owned a single book.  Sarah’s parents decided to fight the decision.  They took their case to the Massachusetts Supreme Court, where it became the first case in the nation in which a white lawyer and an African American lawyer worked together, and the first in which an African American lawyer argued a case in a supreme court.  They lost the case, but Sarah’s father didn’t give up.  He traveled around the state to gain support, and in 1855, Massachusetts became the first state to outlaw school segregation.  Goodman writes that the fight for justice is often like that, a few steps backward, then a few more forward. She concludes with the story of Linda Brown and how her experience with segregated schools, similar to Sarah Roberts’, led to the 1954 Supreme Court decision banning all segregated schools in the U.S.  Back matter includes a timeline, a follow-up on some of the people in the story, resources, and how a nonfiction book is researched and written.  40 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  This little-known story is an important and inspirational part of American history.  It’s told well, with beautiful illustrations.  The last two pages do a fabulous job of outlining the work and research that go into the creation of a nonfiction book.

Cons:  The coloring in the illustrations sometimes make it difficult to differentiate skin tones.  Maybe that was intentional, but I found it a little confusing.

Frankencrayon by Michael Hall

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Published by Greenwillow Books 

Summary:  On the page before the title page, the reader is informed that this picture book has been cancelled.  A few pages in, a bunch of crayons are surprised that someone has persevered to the story.  The pencil takes over, relating how the crayons were all set to do a performance of “Frankencrayon” when the lights went out, and a huge red scribble appeared.  Crayon attempts to clean it only made it worse, and the production was cancelled.  Meanwhile, the three crayons slated to play the Frankencrayon monster were awaiting their entrance on page 22.  When the big moment arrived, everyone was gone except the scribble.  The three resourceful crayons fix things up; the last page reveals who was responsible for the scribble in the first place.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The story takes great liberties with the standard book format, including the reader in all the goings-on.  Michael Hall, creator of last year’s Red: A Crayon’s Story once again shows his skills at bringing crayons to life.

Cons:  Careful reading is required to understand the story.

Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford and R. Gregory Christie

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Published by little bee books

Summary:  Both slaves and free gathered each Sunday in Congo Square, the only place in New Orleans where slaves were allowed to meet.  After working all week, Sunday afternoons were a celebration, with music and dance that reflected the participants’ African heritage.  The story of Congo Square is told in rhyming couplets, illustrated with folk art style paintings.  A foreword by historian and Congo Square expert Freddi Williams Evans and an author’s note both explain the history behind this book.  40 pages; grades 1-3.

Pros:  The grueling work of slavery is depicted in both the text and the illustrations, with allusions to beatings and escape attempts.  In contrast, the Congo Square scenes radiate joy and celebration.

Cons:  The foreword and author’s note seem somewhat redundant.

American Ace by Marilyn Nelson

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Published by Dial Books 

Summary: When Connor’s grandmother Lucia dies, she leaves a letter for his father, revealing that Connor’s grandfather wasn’t the Italian man his father grew up with; instead, he was an American pilot who was in Italy during World War II. Connor’s father was raised in a tight-knit Italian family, and the news is devastating to him at first.  Along with the letter, Lucia left a school ring that belonged to the pilot.  Connor uses the ring to research his grandfather.  Eventually, he learns that this man was African American, one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.  Just as the mystery is about to be solved, Dad has a stroke and is hospitalized.  Connor helps him heal, both physically and emotionally, by learning and sharing more and more of the courageous history of the Airmen.  117 pages; grades 7-10.

Pros:  In an author’s note, Marilyn Nelson writes how she wanted to tell the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, and eventually had the idea to write a book in which the main character gradually learns their history.  She achieves this brilliantly in just 45 poems told in Connor’s voice.  The history is fascinating, and so is the story of this family who must rethink their entire identity in the light of revelations about their cultural heritage.

Cons:  The structure of Part 7, in which Connor tells his father the story of the Tuskegee Airmen while his dad is convalescing in the hospital, is a little bit confusing.

The Big Dark by Rodman Philbrick

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Published by The Blue Sky Press 

Summary: Charlie Cobb is enjoying an unusual display of the northern lights with the other townspeople of Harmony, New Hampshire, when a massive solar flare knocks out the power. Not even batteries work, so all vehicles and cell phones are gone.  The town has to come together to try to survive the cold and dark.  In the midst of the chaos, Charlie realizes his mom is almost out of her diabetes medication, and if he can’t find more, she may not survive.  Determined to save her, he sets off on a cross-country skiing trip to find a city that may have the prescription they need.  As the people of New Hampshire move into survival mode, their true colors start to be revealed, and a show-down between good and evil seems inevitable.  The final page describes solar flares in history and their potential for damage in the future. 192 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Charlie is a likable and resourceful character.  The suspense builds from the first few pages, with almost every chapter ending in a cliff-hanger.  Even reluctant readers will find this hard to put down.

Cons:  The villain, living on a well-armed compound complete with camouflage-clad sons and their subservient wives, seemed a bit out there.  Even for New Hampshire.