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| Title: Winterling Author: Sarah Prineas Publisher: Harper Collins ISBN: 978-0061921032 |
May Contain Spoilers
From Amazon:
| “We live here, my girl, because it is close to the Way, and echoes of its magic are felt in our world. The Way is a path leading to another place, where the people are governed by different rules. Magic runs through them and their land.” With her boundless curiosity and wild spirit, Fer has always felt that she doesn’t belong. Not when the forest is calling to her, when the rush of wind through branches feels more real than school or the quiet farms near her house. Then she saves an injured creature—he looks like a boy, but he’s really something else. He knows who Fer truly is, and invites her through the Way, a passage to a strange, dangerous land. Fer feels an instant attachment to this realm, where magic is real and oaths forge bonds stronger than iron. But a powerful huntress named the MÓr rules here, and Fer can sense that the land is perilously out of balance. Fer must unlock the secrets about the parents she never knew and claim her true place before the worlds on both sides of the Way descend into endless winter. Sarah Prineas captivates in this fantasy-adventure about a girl who must find within herself the power to set right a terrible evil. |
Review:
When I saw the coal black horse with glaring red eyes on the cover of Winterling, I immediately wanted to know more about it. It’s a Middle Grade fantasy, and as I have been having quite a bit of good luck finding satisfying stories with these books lately, I couldn’t wait to start reading it. Once I picked it up, I could not put it down again. This is an exciting, magical read with a strong and feisty heroine who is moved by her heart to do the right thing. My favorite kind of character.
Fer feels that she doesn’t fit in her world. She hates school and the hurtful taunts of her classmates, and worse, once she climbs aboard the bus and is taken to the city, she starts to feel ill and muddle-headed. Her grandmother, Grand-Jane, doesn’t seem to understand how wrong Fer feels when she’s surrounded by the city and her schoolmates, and she keeps insisting she go to school. She has no sympathy when Fer gets into trouble for fighting, and Grand-Jane expects Fer to stay out of mischief. Miserable, the girl forces herself to suffer through one endless day after another.
One day on her way home from school one day, she witnesses three wolves attacking a dog. Upset that they are ganging up on the smaller animal, Fer bravely scoops up a fallen branch and wades into the middle of the fight, fearlessly chasing the wolves away. When she checks the dog for injuries, she discovers, much to her surprise, that the dog isn’t a dog at all; he is really a strange boy named Rook. Rook tells Fer about the Way, a magical portal to his world, and suddenly, Fer’s life will never be the same again.
This book had me hooked when Fer, despite her fear, bravely defended Rook against the wolves. She is a girl who doesn’t know how to back down. There is no challenge too frightening for her to turn away from, and she constantly puts herself at risk to save those around her. I loved her bravery, and more than that, I loved her selflessness. Fer never wanted anything in return, and she readily gave of herself, in a lan
| Title: Incarnate Author: Jodi Meadows Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books ISBN: 978-0062060754 |
May Contain Spoilers
From Amazon:
| NEWSOUL Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why. NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame? HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all? Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life. |
Review:
Incarnate is one of the more hyped books for the winter, and I was very eager to dive into the narrative. This is an interesting take on the dystopian genre, which is which is one of my favorites. In Ana’s world, there are one million souls, and they have been re-incarnated for thousands of years. When Ana is born, however, she is a new soul. A nosoul. Nobody knows where she came from. People are a bit afraid of her. In order for her to exist, another soul had to disappear, so people aren’t happy that she’s joined them. Her life means someone else’s permanent death, and a shocking shake up of the status quo.
Ana is left in the care of her mother, Li, a fierce woman who wants nothing to do with her. Unlike other children, Ana is a blank slate. She has no memories of her previous lives, because she has none. What a terrible disadvantage for her to have to deal with! While her peers are heading off on their own to continue the lives that they had temporarily left, Ana has no skills, no prospects, no expectations of things getting better for her. Li is a cruel and detached caregiver. She doesn’t see the sense in putting any effort into her duty when Ana probably only has one life. Why become invested in someone who will only be around for the blink of an eye.
This is the aspect that I found the most fascinating about the book. Everyone is thousands of years old. Everyone has a history with everyone else. Everyone but Ana. She is truly an infant to these people; young, ignorant, a disturbance in their carefully ordered society. She doesn’t fit anywhere, and people are not shy about letting her know that. They are dismissive of her, because they don’t know if she will be reincarnated after she dies, and they don’t think it’s worth their time to get to know her for her blip of a life. The concept of a life not being worth much because it will likely be only about 70 years is a little disturbing. While I understand the point of view of the citizens of Heart, I ju
By:
Betsy Bird,
on 1/24/2012
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Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems
By Gail Carson Levine
Illustrated by Matthew Cordell
Harper (an imprint of Harper Collins)
$15.99
ISBN: 978-0-06-178725-6
Ages 5-10
On shelves March 13th
I tend to run my bookgroup for kids between the ages of 9-12 like a gentle dictatorship. I choose the books, the kids vote on them, and so it goes. Now if the kids had their way we’d be reading fantasy novels day in and day out every single week. With that in mind, I like to try to make them read something a little different once in a while. For example, one week I might try to get them to read a Newbery winner. The next I would try to encourage them to dip into some nonfiction. One type of book I haven’t had the nerve to attempt for years, though, is poetry. Finding a really good, really interesting, really smart book of poetry for kids of that age is tricky stuff. Poetic tastes vary considerably, so it’s best to start with a book with a hook. And by hook or by crook, Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It is basically the answer to my prayers I’ve been seeking all these long and lonely years. It has everything. Humor, engaging illustrations, a clever premise, potential (and very fun) applications, and a passive aggressive streak that’s nearly a mile long.
Do you know that old William Carlos Williams poem about the plums in the icebox? The one that calls itself “This is Just to Say”? When you think about that poem, I mean really think about it, it’s just the most self-satisfied little number you ever did see. Williams is clearly not sorry, though he included the words “forgive me” in there. With that as her inspiration, Gail Carson Levine has penned forty-five or so false apology poems modeled on Williams’. The rules are simple. “The first stanza states the horrible offense. The second stanza describes the effect of the offense. The last stanza begins with ‘Forgive me’ and continues with the false apology, because the writer is not sorry at all.” Mixing together fairy tales and silly situations, Levine’s poems span the gamut, from the cow in Jack and the Beanstalk taking issue with her monetary worth to a girl’s pets asking pseudo-forgiveness for enjoying her diary’s contents. Saying sorry without meaning it has never been this charming.
On the book’s dedication page read the words “To Susan Campbell Bartoletti, who led me down the poetry path.” I am currently in the process of putting in an order with FTD in the hopes of sending Ms. Bartoletti some flowers of my own. Whether intentionally or not, she has been at least partly responsible for helping to bring to this world a poet of undeniable talent. We all know Ms. Gail Carson Levine for her fantasy novels. Her Newbery Honor winning Ella Enchanted is probably her best known work. But when I saw that she had gone into the poetry business I couldn’t suppress a groan. Great. An author who thinks they can write. Whooptie-doo. Can’t wait to see what recycled trope makes its 100th appearance on the printed page yet again. Imagine my surprise then when I saw not only the idea behind the book (snarky in its mere conception, which is no easy task when you work in the world of juvenile literature) but the poems themselves. Ladies and gentlemen if I blame Ms. Levine for anything it is for denying the world her drop dead gorgeously twisted poin
By: Julie,
on 1/10/2012
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| Title: The Book of Wonders Author: Jasmine Richards Publisher: HarperCollins ISBN: 978-0062010070 |
May Contain Spoilers
From Amazon:
| Sorcerers, Cyclops, Djinnis . . . Magic. Thirteen-year-old Zardi loves to hear stories about fantastical beings long banned from the kingdom of Arribitha. But anyone who is caught whispering of their powers will feel the rage of the sultan—a terrifying tyrant who, even with his eyes closed, can see all. When her own beloved sister is captured by the evil ruler, Zardi knows that she must risk everything to rescue her. Along with Rhidan, who is her best friend, and an unlikely crew of sailors led by the infamous Captain Sinbad, Zardi ventures forth into strange and wondrous territory with a seemingly impossible mission: to bring magic back to Arribitha and defeat the sultan once and for all. |
Review:
I spent most of my holiday vacation reading. I am amazed by all of the great stories I was able to enjoy during my time away from work. The Book of Wonders is one of the titles that I devoured, and I literally spent most of a day flipping the pages of this fun middle-grade adventure. An exciting spin on the 1001 Nights, there is plenty of action, adventure, and death-defying feats to keep readers entertained. I liked the characters, especially the spunky Scheherazade (nicknamed Zardi). She managed to get herself into, and back out of, an alarming amount of trouble over the course of the book. With her best friend’s help, she remained surprising unscathed even during the most trying of circumstances.
Zardi lives with her family and her best friend, Rhidan, in the city of Taraket. Her country is ruled by the evil sultan, Shahryar, who has outlawed all magic from his kingdom. He is a cruel and vicious ruler, and he delights in the discomfort and pain of others. When Zardi’s older sister, Zubeyda, is chosen to be the sultan’s next praisemaker, Zardi knows only fear. The career of each praisemaker is terrifyingly short, and each ends with a hunt. Zubeyda will be tracked down and killed! Zardi is determined save her gentle sister from this cruel fate, and she will risk her life to save her!
This is a fast-paced read, with one frantic adventure following another. With the help of Rhidan, Zardi leaps into the adventure of a lifetime. She thinks that the key to saving her sister is finding the Varish, a group of rebels threatening to overthrow the sultan and return Aladdin, the rightful ruler, to the throne. Rhidan, who was abandoned by his family and raised by Zardi’s family, believes that the sorcerers of the Black Isle will hold the key to his true identity, as well as help save Zubeyda. And so the two sneak away in the middle of night, and soon find themselves working on Sinbad’s ship.
I thought Zardi was a fun character. She refused to allow anything to get in the way of saving her sister. Not even being a shipwreck, the Cyclops, or the queen of snakes could deter her from her goal. Each new challenge was met with the grim knowledge that she could not fail, or her sister would die
A few weeks ago, Elizabeth Bird posed a question on her blog:
Which Maurice Sendak book are you? Though I never had the chance to reply to her post, I knew my answer almost immediately.
One Was Johnny, about a little boy who lives by himself and likes it like that, perfectly describes my introverted personality, and much of my behavior during childhood.
Johnny becomes overwhelmed as more and more creatures invade his house, coming in uninvited and making themselves at home. A rat and a cat are bad enough, but things reach fever pitch when a blackbird pecks Johnny's nose, a tiger comes in selling clothes, and a robber steals his shoe. "What should Johnny do?" the text questions. His solution? He threatens to eat every last one of his guests if they don't leave before he finishes counting backwards from ten.
This book represents everything I love about Maurice Sendak's work. He understands that somewhat darker side of childhood, filled with frustrations, annoyances, and worst of all, other, more obnoxious kids. So many children's books promote sharing, togetherness, and community. I can think of very few that sing the praises of solitude, and which demonstrate an understanding that sometimes other people are pushy and annoying, and we just want them to go away. This book rings so true because it doesn't force Johnny to share with his pushy houseguests, or to make room for them, or to apologize for wanting to be left alone. Rather, Johnny is the master of his domain and he throws all of those obnoxious creatures right out on the street! In my experience, well-meaning adults panic when kids show signs of wanting to be alone. They assume it means the child is dysfunctional in some way, or not a team player, but for the introverted child, and even introverted adults like me, the notion of all of those people in your space can be extremely overwhelming, and I think it's important to teach kids how to protect that personal space, and that it's okay to like being alone.
As a counting book, this book doesn't work so well, since there aren't necessarily the correct number of countable objects on each page. It does work as a lesson in counting to ten, but I don't know that it really strongly illustrates the meaning of each number. Still, though, the illustrations, which are all drawn against the same background of Johnny's kitchen table, are greatly entertaining as the chaos of the scene increases, and the changes in Johnny's expressions could almost tell the entire story on their own.
This is without a doubt my favorite in the Nutshell Library. Hear Carole sing it below, and check back next week for the conclusion to this review series, a post about
Pierre.
<p><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>ahahaha</p>
I borrowed One Was Johnny from my local public library.
0 Comments on Old School Sunday: Nutshell Library Review #3: One Was Johnny by Maurice Sendak as of 11/27/2011 6:41:00 AM
Everything Goes on Land
By Brian Biggs
Balzer & Bray (an imprint of Harper Collins)
$14.99
ISBN: 978-0-06-195809-0
Ages 3 and up
On shelves now
There is much to be said for simplicity. The elegant understated picture book that contains peaceful moments of serenity with the idea that a child might get lost in the image of a single field during a snowstorm, say, for hours at a time. Yes indeed. Nothing like it. There is much to be said for simplicity, but let me level with you. When I was a kid I liked quiet books, but only when my craving for the wild, colorful, frantic, and fast-paced had been fulfilled. It’s easy to swallow Tasha Tudor when you’ve supped first on some Seuss and Scarry. Part of what I love about picture books is that there’s room for all kinds. The long and the short. The classic and the new. The understated and, in this particular case, the overwhelming. Brian Biggs has brought to life the literary equivalent of Pop Rocks and Pixie Stix dissolved into Jolt Cola. A hugely entertaining, entirely loving citywide romp that puts the author/illustrator on the map and (I predict) will be impossible to pries from the hands of many a vehicular loving tot.
In the first few panels we see a boy and his father hop into their car and take off. Onto highways, off ramps, and finally into the big city. The two take note as they drive of all the kinds of vehicles they see. Different kinds of cars and bicycles. An array of motor homes and motorcycles. Trains and trucks. Buses and subways. Basically if you can think of the method of ground transportation, it’s in here somewhere. Biggs breaks up his incredibly detailed city scenes with close examinations of the vehicles in question. You might see the different parts the bicycle on one page or the way a motorcycle comes together on another. Finally, we learn about the duo’s ultimate destination and then it’s a quick jaunt home yet again.
No surprise that Mr. Biggs loved to pieces his copy of Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go when he was a kid. This book feels like nothing so much as the lovechild of Richard Scarry and Robert Crumb with a healthy dose of Mark Alan Stamaty for spice. I explain. The Scarry comparison is obvious. One of the great joys of his books is that in the midst of great big city scenes you can find small storylines and continuing gags. Like Scarry, Biggs makes a point of identifying vehicles of different types and kinds. Yet he also
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans
By Kadir Nelson
Balzer and Bray (an imprint of Harper Collins)
$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-06-173074-0
Ages 9-12
On shelves now
Humans tend to be a highly visual species. When folks tell you not to judge a book by its cover, that’s an optimistic sentiment rather than a rule. People like to judge by covers. Often we haven’t time to inspect the contents of all the books we see, so the jackets bear the brunt of our inherent skepticism. With this in mind, Kadir Nelson has always had an edge on the competition. If the man wants to get you to pick up a book, he will get you to pick up a book. You often get a feeling that while he doesn’t really care when it comes to the various celebrities he’s created books for over the years (Spike Lee, Debbie Allen, Michael Jordan’s sister, etc.) when it’s his own book, though, THAT is when he breaks out the good brushes. Nelson wrote We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball a couple years ago to rave reviews. Now he’s dug a little deeper to provide us with the kind of title we’ve needed for years. Heart and Soul gives us a true overview of African Americans from start to near finish with pictures that draw in readers from the cover onwards. This is the title every library should own. The book has heart. The pictures have soul.
An old woman stands in front of a portrait in the Capitol rotunda in Washington D.C. Bent over she regards the art there, recounting how it was black hands that built the Capitol from sandstone. “Strange though . . . nary a black face in all those pretty pictures.” Looking at them you would swear black people hadn’t been here from the start, but that’s simply not true. With that, the woman launches into the history of both our nation and the African Americans living in it, sometimes through the lens of her own family. From Revolutionary War soldiers to slavers, from cowboys to union men, the book manages in a scant twelve chapters to offer us a synthesized history of a race in the context of a nation’s growth. An Author’s Note rounds out the book, along with a Timeline, a Bibliography, and an Index.
Kadir Nelson, insofar as I can tell, enjoys driving librarian catalogers mad. When he wrote We Are the Ship some years ago he decided to narrate it with a kind of collective voice. The ballplayers who played in the Negro Leagues speak as one. Normally that would slip a book directly into the “fiction” category, were it not for the fact that all that “they” talk about are historical facts. Facts upon facts. Facts upon facts upon facts. So libraries generally slotted that one into their nonfiction sections (the baseball section, if we’re going to be precise) and that was that. Now “Heart and Soul” comes out and Nelson has, in a sense, upped the ante. Again the narrator is fictional, but this time she’s a lot more engaged. The Greek
by Doreen Cronin
2011 | 119 pages | Chapter Book
The Trouble with Chickens is a chapter book by Doreen Cronin, who is the author of a bunch of hilarious picture books, including
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. In this, her first longer book for kids, she introduces us to J.J. Tully, a retired search-and-rescue dog, who despite his suspicion of chickens, is roped into helping Millicent, whom he calls Moosh, find her lost baby chicks. The story is told in the first person, mainly from J.J.'s point of view, and includes lots of humor, interesting vocabulary, and several surprise plot twists.
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. Not only was it laugh out loud funny, with clever turns of phrase and well-timed punchlines, it was also just really well-written. The first sentence alone is fantastic: "It was a hot, sunny day when I met that crazy chicken." But that is just the beginning of the wonderful ways Cronin plays with language throughout the text. J.J.'s voice is absolutely perfect for his character. His deadpan tone and wry sense of humor really create the atmosphere of the story and wonderfully develop his character as a dog with a dangerous past, who has seen it all. Cronin also creates these great rules and concepts that define how animals behave and interact with one another. J.J. notes the differences between indoor and outdoor words, for example. He also calculates time according to species. An hour in dog time is seven hours in people time, "[w]hich translates into forty-three hours in chicken time." There is a human in the story - Barb is the owner of J.J., the chickens, and Vince, the rival dog who lives in the house - but the drama of the book belongs solely to the animals and especially to the duplicity of the chickens.
I think it's really difficult to write a story for early readers that is both easy enough to read and interesting enough to attract readers. Cronin has managed not only to entertain me with this story, but also to produce a really sophisticated book that shifts between points of view, tricks the reader with red herrings, and comes together in a clever surprise ending. I do think some of those sophisticated aspects make it a book for kids on the older end of the early chapter book audience - eight and nine year olds, most likely - but it's a definite standout of the genre for this year, and one of my favorite 2011 reads.
I borrowed The Trouble with Chickens from my local public library.NOTE: This book was nominated by Amanda Snow for the 2011 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
This is my third post about the Riverside Kids series, and it focuses on all the books that feature Russell Michaels:
Rip-Roaring Russell (1983),
Russell Rides Again (1985), and
Russell Sprouts (1987). Russell has been a regular in this series since the first book, where he is the two-year-old neighbor that sometimes plays with Teddy and Nora. Now, he's growing up, and so are the other Riverside Kids.
Here are the highlights from each of the books.
From Rip-Roaring Russell: - Unless I missed it, I think the first time we actually learn Nora and Teddy's last name - which is Resnick - is in the first chapter of this book. I found it kind of curious that the Michaels kids have had last names throughout the series, but Nora and Teddy, who up until now have been the stars, had no last name in their own books.
- I tried to sort out the timeline at the start of this book, but had trouble. Elisa is born in New Neighbors for Nora, when Nora is six, but now Russell is almost five and Elisa is only a few months old. I thought there was a greater difference in age between Nora and Russell than that, but I am not great at math so it's possible it does work out. Nora is identified as a seven-year-old now, so the only one whose age might be a little bit off is Elisa's. I expected this book to follow immediately after SuperDuper Teddy, but I'm not entirely sure that it does.
- My favorite part of this book is when Russell tries to stay up to watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on TV, but falls asleep and misses the whole show. It reminded me of that feeling of excitement of getting to stay up past normal bedtime and finding it so difficult to keep my eyes open.
- There really weren't any dated references in this book. It felt pretty contemporary, aside from the fact that my library's copy of the book smells old and is falling apart. (In all honesty, I should probably just weed it.)
From Russell Rides Again:- Grandpa's back in this book, this time with a mashup of fairy tales, including Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, and Hansel and Gretel. He uses the tale to teach Russell, Elisa, Nora, and Teddy that kids of all ages who are neighbors can be friends, even if "some are older and some are younger."
- Russell attends full day kindergarten. There is no mention of the fact that he is the only one in the series so far who goes to school for more than half a day.
- By the middle part of this book Elisa is two years old. A bit later than that, Russell turns six, and it is mentioned that Teddy is also six. It's starting to bug me how this book leaps forward in time in such large increments.
- I've noticed a few references to playing with Legos in a few different books throughout the series. I think it's the only brand name mentioned in the entire series. Maybe because there isn't any other way to describe Legos without calling them by name.
- This is the first book in the series that refers to any sort of diversity whatsoever. At Russell's birthday party, a boy named Daniel mentions that his father speaks Hebrew, and Nora points out that Mrs. Rodriguez, a neighbor on the second floor, speaks Spanish. I would have thought that a series taking place in New York City would have more different types of people walking around in it.
Career Dayby Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell
2000 |
40 pages | Picture Book
Mrs. Madoff's class has a lot of special visitors on career day. Everyone has brought in a guest to tell about his or her job. Pablo's dad, Mr. Lopez, is a construction worker who drives a bulldozer. Kate's father is a bass player in an orchestra and also a stay at home dad. Sarah's grandmother is the school crossing guard. As the children hear each guests's presentation, they wonder what they might be when they grow up.
The story opens with two students, Sarah and Pablo, standing next to a big red chair. This chair becomes the central focus of the verso side of each page, as the visiting adults sit in it with their students and introduce themselves to the class. Each recto page then shows a scene of the adult doing his or her job, giving the reader a better understanding of that career.
This book is the fourth in the series that includes several other titles by Anne Rockwell and Lizzy Rockwell. I haven't read the others very carefully, but this volume has a lot of really great strengths. Though there are few pages actually focused on the classroom, the pages that depict that environment are rich with details schoolkids will recognize from their own lives. My favorite is the job chart that appears on the second page of the book, showing each child's name and a little white card indicating the job they are currently assigned. I also liked seeing the blocks and toy people from that page reappear in various parts of the room on the two-page spread at the end where all the adults and kids interact together.
Another strong point of this book is the diversity of the cast of characters. The kids are not just racially diverse, but their parents work in a variety of career fields. Each figure's face is unique and has attributes that cause that character to stand out from the others. Right down to their clothes and accessories, these characters have their own personalities and styles, which makes the entire classroom come to life on the page. Even the way the kids sit or crouch on the floor tells something about them.
And most important is the content. There are a lot of books for kids about jobs and careers, but this one is especially well-done. It covers a spectrum of careers, from crossing guard and garbage truck driver to veterinarian and paleontologist, and portrays each one as an important contribution to the community. Reading this book will show kids that the adults in their own lives do interesting things during the day, and that the work they do now, whatever it is, will someday prepare them to do those things, too.
I look forward to using this book in a community helpers story time for preschoolers, and I'm also glad to have it in my library collection to recommend to parents and teachers who want stories about careers, and not just informational books.
The other books in the Mrs. Madoff series are:
Show and Tell Day (1997)
Halloween Day (1997)
Thanksgiving Day (1999)
Valentine's Day (2001)
100 School Days (2002)
Mother's Day (2004)
Father's Day (2005)
Presidents' Day (2008)
St. Patrick's Day (2010)
First Day of School (2011)
I borrowed
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by 
and the HBO series 
, which feature a thirtysomething Carrie Bradshaw. I loved this book because it works as a classic coming of age story, with Carrie figuring out her world and her place in it; with that world including expanding her horizons beyond her small town. Carrie works on being a writer and what that means. As the book starts, Carrie has been rejected for a summer writing program in New York City. She is at first reluctant to join the school newspaper (it's not her type of writing); she does not become an investigative journalist, rather, (spoiler!!!) she starts looking at herself and her friends and foes as source material, providing biting (and anonymous) commentary on high school.
by 
and Alice from 
, you're going to alternate between cringing, laughing, and loving her.
by 
we were told that Sophos had disappeared after having been abducted by rebels? In A Conspiracy of Kings, we find out what happened to Sophos and why it takes him so long to reappear.
by Peter Abrahams. HarperCollins. 2006. I don't remember where I got my copy; probably the library. This review originally ran at the 
.
‘I’m still not entirely certain I understand why he’s in the Dwarf Witness Protection Program at the end’ is enough to get me to buy this book. Who cares if it all makes perfect sense? It sounds hilarious!
YAY! So glad you liked this one as much as I do.
As much as I’m dying to share it with my students (and I go back to school today double yay!), I wanted to wait for the actual book just because of the art and quirky design. As you know I too am curious about how much context they will need to get some of the poems, but I have a feeling it isn’t going to matter. Once they get the idea of it they are going to plow through them and if they get some better than others, so be it.
Boy, I’d thought to hold off blogging about it till closer to the pub date, but this comment is getting long and I may not be able to wait!
I have heard NOTHING that makes me want this book any less. Not the odd inexplicable poem, not the odd strange illustration. I love the website collecting passive aggressive notes, and to start the children off with this young — *sob* — just brings a tear, that does.
Seriously – didn’t know Gail Carson Levine had it in her, and I’m glad she includes the original. Were I still teaching, this and the Sidman book together would definitely be perfect springboard for weeks worth of poetry and projects and letter writing.
This sounds fabulous! Can’t wait to read it!
I’ve had the privilege of hanging out with Gail at at Writer’s Conference, and I COMPLETELY believe she has this in her. And I mean that in the nicest possible way. I’m off to place my order….
Always loved Gail Carson Levine. Check out her moving story “Dave at Night” for a great read. Looking forward to March 13th……………
This Is Just To Say is my #1 favorite children’s poetry book EVER, so this — with an unnervingly similar conceit — has a lot to live up to. I’m excited to see it.
Looking forward to this one. As I was reading your review, I thought that this could inspire a good poetry writing lesson. Love that Levine has a blueprint for teachers.
Thanks for this excellent and thorough review, Betsy! I hope this is not terribly obnoxious to point out, but if you’re so inclined, do visit 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast–yesterday’s post features several final spreads and illustrations from FORGIVE ME. Here:
http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=2282
Oh shoot! Can’t believe I missed that post on 7-Imp. Usually I’m good at catching that kind of thing. Thanks for the heads up, Matthew!