For as long as I can remember, other non-Indians have asked this question. It’s always been hard to explain. Like all of the foundational, complex questions of our lives, there are many answers. They finally began to solidify when I started to write Something to Hold.
This work of fiction is inspired by my memories of living on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in central Oregon in the 1960’s. Like Kitty’s dad, mine was a forester with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He and my mother left Iowa in 1950 to take a job on the Colville Indian Reservation in north-central Washington state. They didn’t know then that they would spend the rest of their lives working with and living among Indian people. My brothers and I were born on the Colville Reservation, and we moved every four years, living near Washington, DC and on the Warm Springs and Yakama Reservations.
The years at Warm Springs were pivotal for me, as they are for all children between the ages of seven and eleven. Something to Hold is grounded in universals. We all long to find a place to belong, to make friends, to feel connected and rooted. The book also explores a unique perspective of a non-Indian outsider’s growing awareness of prejudice, including her own.
Recommended for ages 8-12.
In this new novel, debut author
Katherine Schlick Noe tells a fresh and compelling story, based on her own childhood experiences of growing up on an Indian reservation as one of the only white families in the community.
When our eleven-year old heroine, Kitty, arrives at the Warm Springs Reservation in Oregon in 1962, she's used to being the new kid--her dad works for the government as a forest manager and they're always moving around. But it's hard to fit in at the reservation school where she's one of the only non-Indians. She doesn't feel comfortable with the white girls dressed in their fancy dresses and stiff petticoats whom she meets at church on Sundays either. They dismiss all Indians as drunks, and their prejudice bothers Kitty deeply. Even her teacher tells her that none of the Indian students are going anywhere, and that "they will drag you down if you let them."
The story, narrated by Kitty herself, takes Kitty through her first year living on the reservation, a year of growth and change for this sympathetic character. As Kitty gets to know her classmates, she begins to appreciate them and their culture, as well as striving to understand the "dark shadows" in their lives, which are so much more complicated than her own happy two-parent family. She even becomes friends with Jewel, the powerful and angry girl who once intimidated her, and is faced with the difficulties of keeping Jewel's secrets. Should she speak out to help Jewel and her brother?
Something to Hold was recognized by Amazon as one of its
best books for December for children. Although the book discusses sensitive subjects, particularly prejudice and an abusive father, these difficult topics are always handled in an age-appropriate way, and in the end the novel is an uplifting coming-of-age story with appealing characters and an unusual setting.
Tomorrow, I am pleased to feature a guest post from author Katherine Schlick Noe about her new book!
Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher.
Recommended for ages 10 and up.I've had this book on my radar for a while, and had been waiting patiently for one of my many local libraries to purchase it so I could check it out. My patience finally ran out, and I decided to buy it myself. Frankly, this is such an important story that I think it's a must buy for school and public libraries and am disappointed that it seems to have escaped the notice of so many of the public libraries near me. The book has been getting some Newbery buzz from the blogosphere (which probably doesn't mean much, given recent Newbery history!), but it would also be a great candidate for the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction or the Coretta Scott King Award as well.
I get tired of our founding fathers being treated like saints, particularly in literature for young people--they were far from it, being not only men of flesh and blood but creatures of their time. In this compelling novel, Bradley tells the story of slave Sally Hemings' children, widely considered to be fathered by Thomas Jefferson (although some controversy persists despite DNA evidence showing that the Hemmings descendants share common traits with Jeffersons' descendants). The story is told from the point of view of three of Jefferson's slaves--two of whom, Beverly and Madison, were his sons from Sally Hemings, and the third, Peter, the young son of another slave on the plantation who was close to Hemings' children.
Although a slave, Sally Hemings herself was three-quarters white, and a half-sister to Jefferson's wife, Martha (who is already deceased at the time this book takes place). Her four children who survive infancy--Beverly, Harriet, Madison, and Eston--know who their father is but are forbidden to talk about it. Their special status means they get special treatment--better clothes, better food, easier work, and even learning to read and write and getting violin lessons, and their mother tells them they'll be freed when they're 21 years old, when they will be able to live as white people. Although they're 7/8 white, and all but one of them can easily "pass," make no mistake, they are still slaves. When a captured slave is returned to Monticello and whipped publicly for his crime, Sally and her children are forced to watch along with all the other slaves.
As Jefferson gets older, even those in the slave quarters suspect that his extravagant entertaining at Monticello, his constant building projects, and his love for fine French wines and luxurious goods are leading to greater and greater indebtedness. What will happen when Master Jefferson dies, and these debts have to be settled? The precious words of the Declaration of Independence--and its enshrinement of freedom for all--a copy of which is displayed at Monticello, are surely not meant for everyone, when slaves are another form of property and can be sold away at any time. This story ends with Jefferson's death, and a heart-wrenching slave auction in which families we have come to know in this novel are torn apart. The novel ends with a four-letter word.
Sold.
An afterword by the author explains what in the book is based on historical fact, and what is made up. She also explains what is known of Sally Hemings' children. Her two daughters apparently married white men, never telling about their past, and their families are lost in history. Madison and Eston Hemings stayed in Virginia until their mother's
Recommended for ages 8-12.
In this charming novel for children, Dutch author Bibi Dumon Tak fictionalizes the true story of an orphaned Syrian brown bear cub who's adopted by a group of Polish soldiers during World War II, eventually becoming the unit's beloved mascot. The mischievous bear cub was named
Voytek (smiling warrior) by the soldiers. As the soldiers journeyed through Iran and Iraq on their way to their assignment in Palestine to join their Brtish allies, even the officers softened at the adorable teddy bear of a cub. But of course, cute little cubs soon grow big, and Voytek soon is getting into plenty of trouble, especially with the resident monkey, Kaska, who loved to throw stones, sand, or whatever she could find at poor Voytek's head. But that wasn't the whole menagerie that followed the soldiers around; there was also a dog named Stalin, who Kaska liked to hitch rides on, and a dalmatian who loved to romp around with the bear.
Tak writes about the soldiers and their animal friends with such good humor that I found myself laughing out loud at their antics, especially touching in the middle of a war. When the soldiers are sent to supply Allied troops in Italy, Voytek takes his place helping to move live artillery shells, when he's not stealing food from the cook or sliding up and down cranes like an acrobat, stopping traffic as soldiers stopped to cheer him on.
While a story of a tamed bear who's goodnaturedly given chocolate, beer, and cigarettes isn't quite "politically correct" for today's American audience, I was charmed by the story of Voytek, his animal friends, and the soldiers who loved them in the middle of wartime. The book is greatly enriched by the pencil drawings of Dutch illustrator Philip Hopman, which perfectly capture the humor and pathos of the story. Any animal lover will be delighted by the story of lonely soldiers, little more than boys themselves, cuddling up at night with a furry bear, who liked to suck on their fingers at night as a sort of human pacifier.
The conclusion of the book includes some photographs of Voytek with his soldier buddies, as well as an afterword about Voytek's true story.
For more on Voytek and his soldier friends, see
this website set up by the son of one of the soldiers from Voytek's unit. The website offers plenty of photos of the real bear as well, including this one:
Recommended for ages 8-12. Alicia Alonso is one of the most famous ballerinas of the 20th century. This new picture book biography by award-winning author/poet
Carmen T. Bernier-Grand tells the story of her life in free verse, complemented by the graceful tropical colored illustrations by award-winning illustrator
Raul Colon. Gifted as a child, Alicia dances her first solo at age eleven, and even though her feet, legs, and arms hurt, "ballet dancing/tastes better/than chocolate ice cream." At the tender age of fifteen, she left Cuba with dancer Fernando Alonso to study in New York, where she marries Fernando and has a baby, leaving childhood and Cuba behind. But when she and her husband get jobs with Ballet Caravan, her daughter can't go with, and is sent to live with her grandparents in Cuba. Her career is almost finished when her retinas become detached, and she loses her side vision. Doctors tell her that her dance career is over. But Alicia is determined to dance again, and soon she is "America's finest Giselle," flying through the air in Colon's exquisite two-page spread.
Returning to Cuba, she forms Ballet Alicia Alonso, soon renamed Ballet de Cuba. But politics interfere with her plans, and she refuses to dance in Cuba under the Battista regime. When Fidel Castro leads a successful revolution in Cuba, Alonso returns there, and dances all over the world, but is exiled from the United States. Despite the controversy, she was finally invited to dance in the U.S. again in 1975. The story concludes b showing us Alonso still alive at 90, although no longer performing.
The book includes extensive back matter: the author includes a detailed biography in an afterword, which provides further details about some of the incidents outlined in the free verse of the main part of the book. She also lists some of the ballets danced by Alonso, some of her awards and recognition, as well as a list of some of the ballets which she has choreographed. There is also a glossary, a list of sources, websites about Alonso, and notes and references.
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Alicia Alonso in 1955 |
This book is likely to be of most interest to aspiring ballerinas and other children interested in dance and ballet. With the material in the back of the book, this 64 page volume provides enough material for a biographical report for school use.
Recommended for ages 8-12.
As a
Three Musketeers fan since I was twelve years old, I was of course excited to read this new time travel story, in which a 21st century boy travels back to France of the early 17th century, befriending the future musketeers, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. Author
Stuart Gibbs' fast paced, action-packed tale may well appeal to today's tweens, but I couldn't help but be disappointed in the way he interprets Dumas' classic story for the 21st century.
The story starts off strong, with a terrific first sentence that will grab any young reader: "Clinging to the prison wall, Greg Rich realized how much he hated time travel." On a trip to Paris with his family to sell the family's treasured heirlooms to the Louvre, Greg and his parents are pulled through a time warp, winding up in 1615. When his parents are falsely imprisoned for trying to kill the young Louis XIII, Greg must rescue them--by meeting up with three teenagers like himself, Aramis, a young cleric, Athos, a soldier from the lower social classes, and Porthos, a foppish rich young nobleman who's the life of the party. Greg himself becomes known as D'Artagnan (in the original a fish-out-of-water himself, as a bumbling, hot-headed young man from the distant province of Gascony. Mix in a nefarious brother of Cardinal Richelieu (the Cardinal being a central character in Dumas' novel), and a young Milady de Winter (the original villainess in the Three Musketeers), some tropes of fantasy fiction (a stone that grants eternal life), and
voila! a 21st century musketeer rehash.
Gibbs does a good job with the whole fish-out-of-water time travel tropes, with Greg disgusted by the smells of Paris, the privies, and the fleas, among others. The book of matches in his pocket make the 17th century characters he meet think he's a magician, as does his ability to swim. There's plenty of action, as Greg and his new-found friends swashbuckle their way to saving Greg's parents. At the end, they don't go back to the 21st century, which makes me think that Gibbs has a sequel up his sleeve.
While I can't help but appreciate any author that brings Dumas' characters to the attention of 21st century kids, I couldn't get over several changes to the original story that drove me crazy. First of all, the author keeps referring to Greg being in
medieval Paris. While the streets of Paris might have been similar to the way they were in the Middle Ages, 1615 is definitely not considered the Middle Ages, and I wonder how such a glaring error could have escaped the Harper editors, not to mention the professor of French history who Gibbs thanks in his acknowledgment for vetting the manuscript. Second, and what bothered me more as a fan of the original novel, which I couldn't help wondering if Gibbs had actually read, he changed many key elements of the musketeers' personalities. For example, Athos, or the Conte de la Fere in the original, was a member of the nobility, not a common soldier, as Gibbs makes him out to be. Appearing as a young girl, the character of Milady de Winter doesn't make sense with that name, since she is supposed to have married an English lord after having been married to Athos as a young girl. Also, it's not very believable that 14-year old boys would be made guards of the king! Any young person who reads this and goes on to read the original Dumas is going to discoverer the many inconsistencies, which I just don't think were necessary. And by turning t
Recommended for 14 and up.
In a vague way, most of us have heard of John Brown and his famous raid on Harper's Ferry that preceded the Civil War. Best-selling nonfiction author Horwitz points out that the event merits a mere six paragraphs in his son's 9th grade history textbook. In this compelling new work, Horwitz examines not only John Brown's own history and background but the forces in society that led to his carefully plotted conspiracy.
A descendant of the Puritans, Brown was a committed abolitionist who was not afraid to use violence to help overthrow slavery in the United States. He and his many sons participated in the pre-Civil War fighting between abolitionists and pro-slavery forces in Kansas, before spearheading the formation of a private army. His ultimate aim--no less than seizing the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, and freeing all the slaves. How this conspiracy developed and its high profile aftermath is the subject of Horwitz' riveting new work.
Through contemporary eyes, Horwitz notes, we are tempted to see John Brown as an al-Queda type of terrorist, a "long-bearded fundamentalist, consumed by hatred of the U.S. government...in a suicidal strike on a symbol of American power." In this book, Horwitz paints a much more complex picture of a charismatic leader of a large family, a man who mixed with prominent industrialists who supported him financially as well as intellectuals such as Frederick Douglass and Henry David Thoreau. He examines John Brown's early life and the events which led to his taking up arms against his own country.
Although the insurrection was quickly put down by future Civil War leader Robert E. Lee, the case mesmerized the nation, polarizing North and South, abolitionists and those who supported slavery. He became a hero to many in the North and a traitor to those in the South. Horwitz remarks "Harpers Ferry wasn't simply a prelude to secession and civil war. In many respects, it was a dress rehearsal. "
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John Brown |
I have been a fan of Horwitz since reading his earlier book
Confederates in the Attic, in
which he tries to understand Americans' ongoing obsession with all things Civil War. Unlike many of his earlier works, which merge personal narrative with historical passages, this book about John Brown is more of a traditional narrative non-fiction history work. Horwitz' elegant prose reads like a novel, and this book offers an in-depth and fascinating portrait of one of history's pivotal characters, and an important epoch in American history. While this is an adult title, I would highly recommend it to high school students with a strong interest in history as well.
Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Caleb's Wars, released last month by Clarion Books, is an intriguing teen historical novel set in the Jim Crow South during World War II. As the novel begins, two new businesses are opening in 15-year-old Caleb's rural Georgia town: a new restaurant for whites only, the Dixie Belle, and a POW camp for captured Germans, brought to Georgia to do farm work and replace Americans in the service overseas. Author David Dudley paints a harsh but undoubtedly true-to-life picture of life for African-Americans at the time. Caleb has to act carefully around the white people in the town, making sure not to offend anyone or even look a white man directly in the eye. His family life's no piece of cake either. His father whips him for disobeying and getting into a fight with some white boys from the town. "Don't you know by now that white folks'd just as soon kill you as look at you?" he tells Caleb. His brother's in the military, in the segregated army, and about to be sent overseas, and his mother takes solace in her faith. Against his father's wishes, Caleb takes a job working at the new whites-only restaurant, where he works washing dishes along with the African-American kitchen workers and a German POW, Andreas, who's been assigned to the restaurant. Caleb can't help but be drawn to the friendly young German, who's supposed to be the enemy. But when German POW's are allowed to eat at the Dixie Belle, where he and his friends can't be served, it's more than Caleb can take. How will he come to terms with the many contradictions in his life?
This novel mixes historical fiction with Christian themes as well, sometimes in a way that seems a bit uneasy. Toward the beginning of the story, Caleb, largely to please his very religious mother, agrees to be baptized. During the ceremony, and again after, he hears a voice saying "Behold my servant." Is it the voice of God? Caleb is as shocked as anyone, and thinks the whole thing is a practical joke by one of his friends. But when Caleb is able to mysteriously heal the crippled hands of an elderly man, what exactly does it mean? Is Caleb now a prophet of sorts? This religious aspect of the story is never fully developed, and seems to fit awkwardly with the historical fiction themes.
Despite its flaws, I found the book stimulating reading that could provoke interesting discussions for a book group or book talk. One caveat: Dudley does not shirk from using the "n" word in his dialogue, which of course was widely used at the time this book is set and is historically appropriate.
Disclosure: review copy provided by publisher.
Recommended for ages 5-12.
No matter what our religious affiliation, we all know the much-loved holiday song, Jingle Bells, a favorite not only for Christmas albums but also sung at every elementary school sing-along. But how did this famous song get written?
Author John Harris was inspired by a historic marker he saw on a visit to Savannah, Georgia, to do a little investigating as to the history of the classic tune. He saw a marker about the history of the song, written by James Pierpont, music director at the Unitarian Church in Savannah in the 1850's. This story is fictional, but inspired by actual facts. Harris imagines that Pierpont composed the song in the middle of a Savannah heat wave. Pierpont, in Harris' story, is an abolitionist, worried about violence surrounding his church because of their anti-slavery policies. He's homesick, too, for New England, and tries to explain to his young daughter what snow is like, and the sound of sleigh bells. Suddenly, he's inspired to write a new song for the Thanksgiving day concert at church!
llustrator
Adam Gustavson's lively images enhance this charming book, a great read-aloud for the holiday season, especially for elementary school classes learning to sing this classic tune!
Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher.
Recommended for ages 10 to 14
The first in a new series on the Vietnam War for young readers,
I Pledge Allegiance introduces us to four ordinary guys who are best friends: Rudi, Ivan, Beck, and Morris, our narrator. Morris is haunted by nightmares about Vietnam, visions of "torn flesh and burned flesh and the end of everything we know, all dying there in the scorching jungle of Vietnam." The friends have a sacred pledge--if one of them gets drafted, they would all be drafted, even if they weren't serving together. And when Rudi is drafted, each of them enlists in a different branch of the service. Morris picks the Navy, where he thinks he can somehow watch over his friends and keep them safe. But can he stop his nightmares of death and destruction from coming true?
This short, action-packed novel (under 200 pages) is perfect for reluctant readers, even those in high school. Told in the first person, we can easily identify with Morris and his fears and insecurities. Lynch does a great job evoking the close bonds between the four friends, as well as the atmosphere of serving on a Navy missile cruiser: the day to day routines, and the terror of actually seeing action in Vietnam. Boys will be particularly attracted to this new series. I was not able to find any information on the rest of the series, but I'm betting that there will be three more volumes, each concentrating on a different one of the four friends, thus profiling a different branch of the service. This new series is an excellent addition for school or public libraries.
Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher.
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Author Monika Schroeder (and Frank) |
Thanks so much to author Monika Schroeder for supplying a thoughtful guest post for Armistice Day, better known in the United States as Veteran's Day. Monika's new book,
My Brother's Shadow, deals with the critical period in German history at the end of World War I. I am also delighted to be able to offer a giveaway of this new young adult novel. If you'd like a chance to win, please leave your name and e-mail address in the comments below!
After the War was Lost –
Germany, my home country, has started two World Wars in the last century. Both wars not only brought death and terror to large parts of Europe, but also ended in defeat followed by fundamental changes of the political system. I have tried to imagine how regular people dealt with these changes. I find it fascinating that a German person born at the beginning of the 20th century could have experienced a monarchy, a failed democracy, a fascist dictatorship,
a socialist totalitarian regime and then again a democracy, just within one life span.
In my first novel, THE DOG IN THE WOOD, I wrote about the end of World War II and how people in a small village in eastern Germany experienced the arrival of the red Army. This story was based on what my father had told me about the end of WWII and how his family was affected by it. My new novel, MY BROTHER’S SHADOW, is set in 1918, another important transition time in German history. I tried to imagine what it might have been like for a young man who had grown up under the Kaiser to see the monarchy disappear and to be confronted with socialist ideas and women’s emancipation.
Nothing is the way i
Recommended for ages 12 and up.Set in Berlin in 1918, in the final days of World War I, this new novel tells the story of sixteen-year old Moritz, whose family's existence, like that of everyone else in Germany, has been ravaged by the effects of the seemingly endless war. His father was killed on the battlefield, his older brother, Hans, is serving in the trenches on the Western front, his little sister has died of illness, and his mother spends all her time either working at an ammunition factory or attending socialist party meetings. There's little to eat, with food rationed, and everything tasting of turnips, and people butchering horses who fall dead in the streets. Moritz, who works as an apprentice printer, tries his best to make sense of it all, wondering who is right--his brother, who says it's an honor to serve the Kaiser, or his mother, who bemoans the fact that her husband "died for our foolish Kaiser, who loves his uniforms and his yachts." Soon Moritz is given a chance to work as a journalist for one of Berlin's daily papers, covering the very socialist rallies where his mother and others are speaking out against the Kaiser and capitalist injustice.
When Moritz's brother Hans returns from the front with horrible injuries, missing half his arm and blind in one eye, Hans is plagued by nightmares about the war, and sees the Jews as scapegoats for all of Germany's problems. Morris, on the other hand, is having his first romance--with a Jewish girl. The book's ominous conclusion foreshadows the increasing persecution of the Jews that what happen in Germany during the 1930's.
Author
Monika Schroeder, who grew up in Berlin,provides an author's note discussing how the fall of 1918 was a pivotal time in German history, with the end of the "Great War," the Kaiser's abdication, and the establishment of a democratic government in the beginning of 1919. With the Germans' humiliating defeat, conservatives and military leaders began blaming the Jews, the socialists, and the communists for all of Germany's woes, laying the groundwork for Hitler's rise to power.
My Brother's Shadow is a very thought-provoking and well-written book about a period ignored in most young adult fiction, which more typically focuses either on World War I or World War II and the few years immediately preceding that conflict. We can easily identify with Moritz, whose story is told in the first person, and his divided family loyalties. While the book covers some weighty issues, Moritz is also a typical teenage boy, interested in his first kiss with a girl. We can sympathize with Moritz's mother as well, a strong character who is very involved in politics, and even his brother Hans, whose bitter experiences and injuries at the front have transformed his personality. This novel would be a good choice to read along with Russell Freedman's outstanding nonfiction book on World War I published last year,
The War to End All Wars: World War I. Below is the book trailer for
My Brother's Shadow:
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On Friday, November 11, The Fourth Musketeer is pleased to have a guest post from author Monika Schroeder and a special giveaway of this excellent novel (U.S. and Canadian addresses only). Please see Friday's post to enter.<
Chronicle Books is hosting its 2nd Annual Happy Haul-idays Giveaway for the blogging community. This year, they're not only giving away up to $500 worth of Chronicle books to one lucky blogger and one commenter on the winning blog post—they're also asking the winning blogger to choose one charity to receive up to $500 of books. It's so much fun to imagine spending $500 on their terrific titles, stationery, calendars, and other items!
If I were lucky enough to win, my charity of choice would be Reading by 9, a literacy initiative aimed at kids in grades K-3 that is spearheaded by the Los Angeles Times.
Here's the list of what I would get for myself (an eclectic mix if I do say so!):
5 Comments on Happy Haulidays Contest from Chronicle Books!, last added: 11/12/2011
Recommended for all ages.
I'm not Catholic, but I've always had an affinity for the gentle St. Francis, who gave up his life of wealth and privilege in medieval Italy to preach to the poor, taking care of the sick and the needy. He's particularly known for his love of all animals, and his affinity for nature in all its splendor. Renowned children's author
Katherine Paterson reimagines his text,
The Canticle of the Sun, in this exquisite new picture book illustrated by
Pamela Dalton. The text, written in free verse, sings the praise of the Creator, "who by your power and out of your love have/created all things and called them good." The text thanks God for the sun, the moon and stars, the wind, water, fire, and earth, but also praises "courageous brothers and sisters/who offer their lives to the making of peace." Even "Sister Death" is praised, for ushering us into God's loving presence. At the conclusion, Paterson reproduces St. Francis' original text, translated from the Umbrian text of the Assisi codex.
Pamela Dalton's exquisite
scherenschnitte, or paper cut illustrations, are created, according to her website, in the tradition of early American paper cutting popular in the Pennsylvania Dutch country in the early 19th century. Each piece is first sketched freehand, and then cut by hand from a single piece of paper before being hand colored. The delicacy and intricacy of her work is incredible, and merits many hours poring over her illustrations, which are set on a black background. They capture the every day world of a by-gone era, with adorable children gathering the harvest surrounded by kindly animals, birds, leaves, and flowers. Even the illustration of death is resplendent with life, with dozens of colorful butterflies erupting over the page. Take a look at the You Tube video below to learn more about Pamela's paper-cutting techniques:
I'm sure this gorgeous picture book will be getting a close look from the Caldecott committee. I highly recommend it to all lovers of picture books, and it would be a particularly lovely book to share with your family at Thanksgiving.
Recommended for ages 5 and up.
Author Tony Johnston, who has published more than 100 books for children, spins an old-fashioned tall tale based on the story of Levi Strauss and his "invention" of blue jeans in this new picture book. Filled with colorful Western-style language and illustrated with great humor by Stacy Innerst, this book would make a terrific addition to a gold rush unit at school or a discussion of tall tales.
The story begins with a hilarious close-up of a bearded miner with quite a few missing teeth yelling "gold!" as the gold rush began. But the miners' pants couldn't take the rough conditions of the gold field, and soon, according to this fanciful version, miners were working in their long johns, or "naked as a jaybird." Fortunately for the miners, Levi Strauss arrived in California too late for the gold, but was "slick with a needle and scissors." Soon Levi came up with some pants in which the miners "rushed, rushed, rushed" and no harm came to the pants! And in an alternative history, Levi Strauss even helps found the city of San Francisco--with barrels!
In an afterword, Johnston relates that the story of Levi Strauss and his invention of blue jeans is "mostly legend with threads of truth, which my version stretches to near popping." She provides some basic biographical facts on Levi Strauss, who while he may not have sewn any blue jeans, made them famous and became rich from manufacturing and selling them.
If you think you see the texture of blue jeans in the witty illustrations, you're right--illustrator
Stacy Innerst painted directly on blue jeans to get just the right effect for this story. You can even see the seams of the jeans in many of the images. The stylized artwork, with its exaggerated facial expressions and earth tones, is a delightful fit for the tall tale aspect of this story. Teachers could easily cut up some old denim for kids to paint on, making this story a fun inspiration for a craft activity as well.
Recommended for ages 7 through adult
I was immediately drawn to the stunning cover of this new work by
Patricia C. McKissack, who has written or co-authored over 100 books about the African-American experience and has received countless awards for her work. In her newest work, she marries African folktales with historical fiction, telling in free verse the story of an 18th century West African boy raised by his blacksmith father and the Mother Elements--Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth. The boy, named Mufasa, disappears one day, like so many others--captured by the slave traders and taken by ship to a far-away land. Wind, Fire, Water and Earth try to save Mufasa, but none is powerful enough. Nonetheless, the wind finally brings Mufasa news that his son is still alive, and working as a blacksmith, although still a slave.
McKissack celebrates in this story "the son who was taken,/But never forgotten. She was inspired to write this tale by her curiosity about how African literature and music portrayed those ripped from their families by the slave trade. Clearly these individuals were mourned by their families, but she could not find any stories, dances, feasts or other stories about the "Taken," so she decided to write her own using elements of African folklore for her story. The free verse allows McKissack to create a rhythm to her language that in certain passages is reminiscent of drums beating.
This moving tale of family members loved and lost is magnificently illustrated by the two-time Caldecott Medal-winning team of
Leo and Diane Dillon. The illustrations were created in acrylic and watercolor on bristol board, and the artistic style clearly shows the influence of African art. I will not be at all surprised to see this book honored with many awards, particularly for its powerful illustrations.
Recommended for ages 8-12.
In this exquisitely illustrated new picture book biography of Joan of Arc, award-winning author/illustrator Demi retells Joan's timeless story for today's young people, with simple text suitable for elementary school children and gorgeous mixed media illustrations, inspired by 15th century medieval manuscripts, stained glass, paintings, and sculpture.
Joan's story is told chronologically, beginning with her ordinary girlhood in rural France, in a time when the lives of peasants like Joan's family were made dangerous by the ravages of a long war with Burgundy and England. At the tender age of thirteen, Joan begins to have visions telling her that she would save the kingdom of France by leading the heir to the throne, or Dauphin, to Reims Cathedral to be crowned king. The story of how Joan convinced powerful men to back her, a poor and friendless maiden, convinces the Dauphin she is sent by God, leads the French army to victory, and then falls from the height of power to her ultimate tragic end as she is burned at the stake, remains compelling for all ages, and is rendered in glowing detail by Demi. The oversized book's pages mimic the ivory colored parchment of the Middle Ages, while the illustrations seem to glow with gold, vibrant purple, and the red of the flames that ended Joan's life. While the faux illuminated manuscripts are the star of this book, with exquisitely detailed borders enriching each image, Demi's simple retelling of Joan's story should fascinate young people not familiar with her history. Enough details are provided to make the book useful for school reports as well as pleasure reading.
This book is a must-buy for school and public libraries alike. Highly recommended!
Recommended for ages 10-14.
Avi, Newbery award-winning author of more than 60 novels for children and teens, turns once again to historical fiction in his newest novel, set in 1893 New York City. His hero, thirteen-year old Maks, makes a bit of money as a newsboy to help his impoverished immigrant family on the lower East Side. When his older sister, Emma, who works as a maid at the swank Waldorf-Astoria hotel, is falsely accused of theft and imprisoned in the city prison ominously called the Tombs, Maks teams up with a homeless girl, Willa, to try to clear his sister's name and free her from jail. At the same time, he has to avoid landing in the clutches of the Plug Ugly gang, whose boss is trying to take control of all the newsies. Confronted with a mystery whodunit, Maks enlists the help of a dying lawyer to find the true culprit of the theft at the hotel.
Avi knows how to spin a convincing tale, and this book is no exception. In his afterword, he notes that the book is his attempt to "catch a small bit of how New York City kids lived at the end of the nineteenth century." He's particularly adept at evoking the sounds, smells, and look of tenement life in New York, with its mix of poor immigrants from many nations. This poverty contrasts with the swank brand-new Waldorf Astoria, where Maks winds up working under cover to try to clear his sister's name. Avi uses a very colloquial voice to tell the story, with the narrator speaking directly to the reader. While I understand the use of a strong point of view, I was irritated by the way he tries to evoke the dialect of the time, with plenty of dropped letters, i.e. "'cause' instead of "because", 'bout' instead of "about," 'em' instead of "them," etc.
Avi includes an Author's Note with historical details about the period, as well as suggestions for further reading and viewing.
City of Orphans is definitely worth reading, and will be enjoyed by young people who like a historical mystery, but it would not be one of my favorites among Avi's works.
Recommended for ages 10-14
The Fourth Musketeer has been very busy finishing up her library school e-portfolio (now waiting for review by her advisor) and has not had as much time for blogging lately. Now that her school work is finished, she will be back to blogging about historical fiction again: all for one, and one for all!
Today, I am pleased to feature an excellent backlist title about World War II by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. I am looking forward to reading her newest book, Jefferson's Sons (on my list to find from the library!), which has had excellent reviews so far.
Based on a true story, For Freedom tells the tale of 13-year old Suzanne, an aspiring opera singer and student in Cherbourg, France. When the Germans bomb her town, she and her best friend are injured and witness the horrible death of a neighbor. Rather than give in to fear, Suzanne becomes a spy for the French resistance, carrying messages that help the Allies plan the invasion of Europe. Her work is extremely dangerous and often terrifying, and she is one of the few operatives from her unit to survive the war. Not even her family can know about her dangerous work.
This novel is an excellent first-person narrative of an ordinary teenager who discovers an inner courage that helps her to play a part in defeating the Nazis, even though she must keep her role a secret from all her family and friends and pretend to carry on as normally as possible. This novelization of a true story is very suspenseful and a great book to recommend to students since it has a very positive message of how a young girl could demonstrate
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Sounds like a powerful book that melds together Haiti now and then. I'm glad it's bringing attention back to Haiti and the plight of their people.