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Borrowed Names: Poems About Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.J. Walker, Marie Curie. Jeannine Atkins. 2010. March 2010. Henry Holt. 224 pages.

I liked this one. It was strange, but in a good way. All three women--Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.J. Walker, Marie Curie--were born in 1867; all three women were mothers. The poems are about these three women--their relationships with their daughters, their personal lives, their careers. What were these successful women really like? What kind of relationships did they have with their daughters?

Laura Ingalls Wilder was the only woman whose story I was familiar with. I did enjoy getting to know these other two women. All three women had very different different experiences, different hardships, different strengths and weaknesses.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Once by Morris Gleitzman. 2010. March 2010. Henry Holt. 176 pages.

Once I was living in an orphanage in the mountains and I shouldn't have been and I almost caused a riot. It was because of the carrot.

Once is a holocaust novel. It stars a young Jewish boy, Felix. He loves stories. You might could even say he gets a bit carried away with the stories--with crafting a story. If Felix has a fault, it would be his innocence. Is innocence really a fault? It might be in dangerous times such as these. Because Hitler's got the power. And Felix, well, Felix doesn't understand what that means exactly for him, for his family, for all European Jews.

When we first meet Felix, he is living in a Catholic orphanage. He doesn't know why his parents--booksellers--left him there in the care of nuns. He doesn't understand that there is an enemy to be feared. That this enemy does more than just burn books. It's a hard lesson to learn, but can he learn it in time?

What I appreciated most about this one was the writing. He begins each chapter with the word once. And these are some powerful sentences--sentences that make you want to read more.

Here are a few examples:

Once I escaped from an orphanage in the mountains and I didn't have to do any of the things you do in escape stories. Dig a tunnel. Disguise myself as a priest. Make a rope from nun robes knotted together. I just walked out through the main gate. (29)

Once I escaped from an underground hiding place by telling a story. (99)

There is something about this one that just worked for me.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle. 2010. September 2010. Henry Holt. 160 pages.

I was not the first girl she saw, nor the second, and as to why she chose me, I know that now: it was because she did not like me.

Our heroine, Tabby Aykroyd, has been chosen to be the new nursemaid at Seldom House. The young master has also been newly chosen. Something that Tabby finds odd indeed. Why adopt a young boy--a wild boy at that--to be the new master?

Of course, if Tabby were waiting for things to make sense at Seldom House, she'd be waiting forever. Everything she's seen, everyone she's met has been strange. Mr. Ketch and Miss Winter especially. And that would also include the ghost haunting her room. (There's something so familiar about that ghost...)

The boy Tabby cares for doesn't have a name exactly. Mr. Ketch, the one who brought him to Seldom House, just calls him his little heathen git. But Tabby chooses to think of the boy as Himself. He doesn't want a Christian name--so he says. Since this one is a mystery, I can't say much more about the plot. But I would definitely recommend this one!

The House of Dead Maids is a prequel to Wuthering Heights. And while I didn't love Wuthering Heights, I did love this one very much. Dunkle knows how to do gothic! The atmosphere of this one is just right. This one would be perfect for Carl's RIP challenge.

You can read the first two chapters at the author's website.
To view a slideshow of the interior illustrations, also visit the author's website.


© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Yesterday, I attended a workshop called "Picture Books: From Idea to Printed Page" in Fairfax, Virginia. The guest speakers were both from Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. Patrick Collins is the Creative Director, working on the art and design for books, and Noa Wheeler is an Associate Editor who has worked with many well-known books. While picture books are a collaboration of the writing and the pictures working harmoniously, I thought the information was largely relevant to illustrators. Still, since we spend a lot of time on the writing aspect on our blog, I decided to take detailed notes and share what I took away that pertained to the illustration process. Forgive me, in advance, if I'm being "Captain Obvious" here, because artwork and I aren’t exactly old friends, and some of these points may be predictable for illustrators. 

• The colors being used in the images must reflect the appropriate tone of the manuscript. They used an upcoming picture book called Alligator Wedding by Nancy Jewell, illustrated by J. Rutland, to make this point. Initially, the illustrations were filled with colors that were a little too dark despite the bayou setting. The illustrator was asked to brighten them, as to more accurately convey the mood created in the text and the results are fantastic.
• There is definitely a lot of back and forth, at least at this publishing house, in the illustrating process before it seems to be just right. They try out a variety of cover images, fonts, colors, and layouts before committing to anything. I gained a whole new appreciation for their pursuit of perfection.
• The text shouldn’t hamper the image. In one of their books Life in the Boreal Forest by Brenda Z. Guiberson, illustrated by Gennady Spirin, they made the decision to move the text into a column off to the side so it was not overlapping the image at all. That way, the integrity of the image remained pure. Even on the cover, the shadowing behind the title allowed for it to pop.
• This may seem obvious, but the image should reflect the text. They mentioned in a few books that what was being said in the text was not coming through in the pictures. Sometimes objects were missing or other times, things were not drawn accurately. Revisions had to be made to fix these problems.
• The importance of the cover was emphasized heavily as being something that must draw the reader in and appeal to kids. If you provide ample images and they would like to showcase them as much as possible, they can choose to put one image on the jacket flap and an entirely different one on the hardback case itself.
• They referred to “the gutter,” or the place where a book will be physically bound in the center. They advised leaving 1/4” space in the center of the image, where if it gets slightly tucked down into the binding, the image won’t be heavily affected.
• They strongly advised against submitting as an author/illustrator. The problem is that they may like one aspect of your work over the other. You may then get a  “no” because it’s difficult for them to tell you that one aspect is okay, but other is not. Stick to your strengths.
• If you submit a dummy, they recommend including mostly sketches and maybe  one or two finished pieces to demonstrate the final products you’re capable of.
• Finally, 8 1/2” x 11” are standard trim sizes. This goes back to the all-mighty dollar and the idea that bookcases in bookstores only accommodate a certain size. Once again, don’t give them a reason to reject you that’s easy to avoid.

I’m hopeful there are some tips here that may be useful. As a picture book writer

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Romeo's Ex: Rosaline's Story. By Lisa Fiedler. 2006. Henry Holt. 256 pages.

Such a season as this one Verona hath ne'er known. It is the year of our Lord 1595, summer.
A fervent heat has settled upon the city, baking the trodden dirt in the market square. I am comforted only by my own whimsy: the belief that in such heat, all manner of magic is possible, for men cannot think straight, and women dream chilly dreams. In the orchard, the defeated fruit falls to the warm grass, and the smell of it is lush and dangerous.
Equal to the heat is the hatred in which the city simmers; 'tis a selfish conflict begun long before this summer. A feud so great that it has carved a chasm of anger, like a moat, around the city of Verona.

What did I think of this retelling of Romeo and Juliet? I liked it. In fact, I really liked it in some places. (There were only a few places here and there where I didn't like it.) The story is told through multiple narrators. We've got Rosaline as our main narrator. But we also get sprinklings of Tybalt, Benvolio, Mercutio, and Romeo. (Juliet is not one of our narrators. Though through Rosaline's portions, we do hear from Juliet in dialogue.) Fiedler introduces a few twists to Shakespeare's story. And I won't begin to tell you about all of them.

Who is Rosaline? Well, she's the young woman that Romeo is sick with love over at the beginning of the play. He just can't understand why Rosaline would ever turn him down. Why did she turn him down? Well, for a couple of reasons really. One, she wants to be a healer. She wants to learn, to get an education. Two, she thinks Romeo "loves only with the eyes" and that his love is not love at all. Three, she just doesn't believe all that much in love and marriage.

I honestly didn't know what to expect from this one. But as soon as I read this bit from Benvolio's narrative, well, I knew it would work out well.

A man approaches. The pale glow of sunrise surrounds him, glinting off his hair. But e'en the breaking dawn cannot brighten this fellow's general aura of gloom.
No wonder. 'Tis Romeo.
Romeo here, in this veiled grove, accepting the morning as it spills in slanted ribbons of light upon the leaves, refracting the joy of it in his own despondent prism.
Romeo is sulking. Romeo is heartsick.
Romeo is nothing if not predictable. (31)

Love is in the air that summer. Will Rosaline have a change of heart? Will she have the happily ever after denied to her cousin, Juliet?

Even if you're not a fan of Romeo and Juliet, you might enjoy this one.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman. Henry Holt & Co. 2009. Review copy from publisher. YA Nonfiction. National Book Award finalist; on the shortlist for YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award.

About: Charles Darwin had faith in science; his wife, Emma Wedgwood, had faith in religion. Despite having opposite beliefs on the role of God in science as well as life after death, the two married and had a long, happy marriage of mutual support and love. How?

The Good: I adored this book! I love the look at real people in history, even it always makes historical fiction that much harder to read.

Darwin's research and writing process is presented in a way that makes sense to the non-scientist.

Darwin and Wedgwood (as well as their family and friends) left so much written documentation behind (books, journals, letters, notes) that Heiligman never guesses to thought process or motivation, footnoting the source for each he/she said/thought.

Because "how real people really lived" intrigues me (as opposed to "all Victorians thought and did thusly") I was especially interested in the details of housekeeping, in the most literal sense of the word. Here was not just a marriage full of love and respect; here, too, was a family that was warm, affectionate, supportive.

And I loved the message -- people can disagree and yet still love and respect each other. Darwin believed that God played no role in natural selection or evolution; Wedgwood (religious but not a literalist in her belief) disagreed. While they argued the point, it did not control their lives, their love, or their relationship. The trust was such that Wedgwood read and edited Darwin's work, noting what needed to be clearer to a nonscientific reader or more persuasive in supporting his arguments.

The good thing about a nonfiction book for young adults is that they are usually shorter than adult nonfiction. The bad thing is they are usually shorter than adult nonfiction. Often, in Charles and Emma, I was wanting more; more information on the family and friends of the Darwins. All those cousins, intermarrying! And all the rather impressive members of the Darwin/Wedgwood family. More information on the children. A modern theoretical diagnosis on what illnesses Darwin and his daughter Annie suffered from. What, if anything, they thought about social issues going on around them.

Because I read this is 2010, it's on my favorite books read in 2010 list. Even tho it's a 2009 title.

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© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy

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The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly. Henry Holt
& Co. 2009. Listened to Brilliance Audio version (2009), copy supplied by Brilliance Audio. Narrated by Natalie Ross. Middle Grade Fiction.

The Plot: It's 1899, and Calpurnia Virginia Tate is twelve. Well, actually eleven. But she's the type who thinks twelve is an acceptable answer. It's a hot summer in Texas. Calpurnia, sometimes Callie Vee, is the middle child, with three older brothers and three younger, most named for Texas heroes. Her family is well off; as the only daughter, her mother has plans for her. Plans that include cookery and knitting and housewife skills and possibly being a debutante. It's not what Callie wants. But what does Callie want?

A chance conversation with her imposing Grandfather Tate about grasshoppers leads her science. And studying nature. And to realizing that there is more to life than her corner of Texas. But is it realistic for a girl to dream of being more than what her family wants her to be?

The Good: A look at six months in the life of one girl, when she begins to leave childhood behind and become her own person. Told with a lot of humor and love, with details for the grown up reader to love, such as the warm, loving, physical relationship between Callie's oh so formal and proper parents.

How many times do kids in books (boys or girls) like, I mean really, really like, science? Science and nature and observation are all key parts of the story; scientists are mentioned, and a quote from Darwin starts each chapter.

Callie wonders why suddenly there are both green and yellow grasshoppers and asks her grandfather. Years before, Grandfather passed the running of the family business (cotton and pecans) to his son, Callie's father, and Grandfather now spends his days indulging in a love of and passion for science. He tells Callie to figure it out herself, and so starts what becomes a beautiful grandparent/grandchild relationship. Grandfather, who cannot quite keep track of all the children in his son's large family, slowly rejoins the family to become Callie's "Granddaddy" while Callie blooms as she turns her love of being outdoors and books and animals into something more than a passing fancy.

The supporting characters are fully drawn. Mother, who uses an alcohol-ladden ladies tonic to ease her headaches, wants for Callie all that Mother either had or wanted as a child. Which means cooking, and sewing, and embroidery, and perhaps being a debutante. Her mother fails to see that Callie has her own dreams; and Callie, just 11 (almost 12), doesn't know how to please her mother and follow her own desires. Cooking and "housewifery" isn't shown to be wrong; it's just shown to not be what Callie likes doing. Her friend Lula likes it; as does her mother. But it's not for Callie.

Likewise, Granddaddy, who spent his life doing what he had to do -- building a business and life for his family -- only now does what he wants. Granddaddy doesn't appear to give his full support to C

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The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children: A Novel by Keith McGowan; illustrated by Yoko Tanaka. Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. 2009. Brilliance Audio, 2009. Narrated by Laural Merlington. Review copy supplied by Brilliance Audio.

The Plot: A modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Sol and Connie Blink's father and stepmother have decided they don't want their children around anymore; luckily, there's a witch who will take care of the children for them.

The Good: "I love children. Eating them, that is." So begins the tale of Faye Holaderry, witch.

Hansel and Gretel is one of the more disturbing of the Grimm's Fairy Tales. What's worse, the witch eating children or the ultimate betrayal, that it's your parents who abandon you?

McGowan takes these two horrors, embraces them, and balances scary with funny. In his tale, it's not just a parent abandoning a child in a time of famine; oh no, it's much worse. It's parents who willingly turn their children over to the witch for every reason from bad grades to being kind to homeless people. Derek Wisse, turned over for disappointing his parents, doesn't disappoint Fay; not when "baked with secret ingredients and served with my very yummy homemade key lime pie." Mmmm, key lime pie. I love how the author uses humor, but also ups the horror by giving the nameless murdered children names, personalities, histories. Recipes.

As in the fairy tale, Mrs. Blink is a stepmother; McGowan plays with some of the fairy tale aspects, making Mr. Blink not who he seems. Various standards from fairy tales are used, twisted, reinvented, such as riddles, helpers, hunters.

Sol is 11; Connie, 8. Sol fashions himself as a scientist and inventor, like his mother, who died years before. Sol's scientific mind is a nice contrast against the magic of Holaderry. Holaderry has had to adjust to modern times (no house made out of candy or bread); but she is a witch who has lived centuries. Magic remains, even if its the magic of herbs, of hiding in plain sight. Sol and Connie find people who help them along; people who hinder; but ultimately, they need to rely on themselves and each other.

I love, love, love the ending. It's delicious. Your young horror fans will be thrilled. Grownups may worry about The Witch's Guide being too scary for kids (witches eating children! bad parents!) but kids will eat it up. Professional reviews vary as to whether this is for 9, 10, or 11 and up; I say, it depends on how much the reader likes scary stories. For someone like my niece, who loves Goosebumps and scary stories and Jurassic Park? Age 9. For other kids, it will be older.

I listened to this on audio, and the narrator realistically gave voice to a boy, a girl, a witch. Upon visiting the author's website,

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Barrett, Tracy. 2009. The Sherlock Files: The Beast of Blackslope. Henry Holt. 174 pages.

This is the second in a mystery series. The first is The 100 Year Old Secret. Xander and Xena are a brother-sister detective team. Descendants of the great Sherlock Holmes. They inherited his book of 'unsolved cases' in the first book, and are back for their second adventure. These two (along with their parents) are visiting a not-so-cozy bed and breakfast in the country. They hear a strange and frightening noise one day, and then begin to hear rumors of a beast. Thanks to a superb memory, one of the two remembers that Sherlock Holmes tried to solve this case a hundred years ago--a case of a strange beast in this area--but couldn't. Can these two figure out both mysteries--the identity of the beast then and now?

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

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The Miles Between by Mary Pearson. Henry Holt & Co. 2009. Audiobook Brilliance Audio 2009. Narrated by Jeannie Stith. Reviewed from audiobook provided by Brilliance Audio.


The Plot: Destiny Farraday is subject to her parents whims. Since age 7, she has been shipped from boarding school to boarding school. Just as she settles in one, they decide to send her someplace new. Ten years later, she's learned her lessons. Don't trust anyone. Don't make friends. Whatever you do, don't love anyone. Any day now, she may have to leave Hedgebrook Academy. When the one person she can count on, Aunt Edie, doesn't show up for a scheduled visit. Des wishes that for just once, life would be fair; that she would get one fair day.

When Des sees the car -- the pink convertible -- it looks so, well, inviting. Literally. Door open, engine running. She doesn't think twice; she decides to just go. Problem? She cannot drive. So she asks Seth. And Mira sees them and comes along; and then Aidan; and now these four have escaped school for one day, one fair day.

Is there such a thing as a fair day?

The Good: This isn't a book about a boarding school; it's about a road trip, as Des decides to visit her home town and confront the parents who abandoned her. Along the way, Des learns about Mira, Seth, and Aidan, finding out that they are more than the faces and quirks she observes over breakfast or in class. Des has done such a good job at keeping the world at arm's length that she has created barriers and, well, she just isn't good with people. But today, Des's fair day, that will change.

Des hasn't just created barriers between herself and those at school. There are also barriers between Des and the reader; protections in place. Things being half told. Destiny has been sent to boarding school at age seven? Do they even still have boarding schools for children that young, I wondered, isn't that something out of old English films? What's going on? What's happened? What did Destiny do, to get sent away? What has she done that they pull her from one school to another? Des cannot help herself; she slips, now and then, with details about her past.

The miles between. The miles between Des and her parents are disappearing, as the car she has kind of stolen gets closer and closer to her home town. Of course, she hasn't told Seth and the others the car isn't hers; she hasn't told them that the town they are approaching is the one she lived in for her first seven years. The miles between Des and other people are also disappearing; you cannot spend all that time in a car with people and remain casual acquaintances.

Des has a few quirks; some from being alone so much, moving around so much. She examines things; as she explains, "I pay attention to dates, numbers, and circumstance. Obsessively, some say. I prefer to think of it as careful observation, finding the pattern to coincidence. Can there really be such a thing as a pattern to coincidence? It would seem to defy the very definition. But many things are not what they seem to be."

So much in Des's life has not made sense, that she tries to gain control over disorder, chaos, and disappointment by viewing things as logical. Seeing patterns, discovering the same numbers again and again, finding stories about other coincidences that seem to defy logic -- yet happened. Des's viewpoint infuses the whole story, to the point where it almost seems like The Miles Between is magical realism. But the magic comes not from magic, but from Des's belief in a pattern. And that bleeds over from Des's own life to those of Seth, Aidan, Mira, as she finds out what each needs to have a "fair" day. And somehow, that fair thing happens.

A fair day. Not a good day; not a happy day. Not a day where you get what you want. Rather -- a fair day. What would your fair day be?

The Miles Between is not like The Adoration of Jenna Fox or A Room on Lorelei Street; I love how plot-wise, these books vary so much; how character wise, Jenna, Zoe, and Des are so unlike each other. But there are similarities, other than the obvious -- that Pearson is a talented writer that delights you with each story she tells and creates vibrant, real settings. It's also that each story is about a character finding out truths about herself, figuring out how to connect with the greater world.

© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy

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Leal, Ann Haywood. 2009. Also Known As Harper. Henry Holt. 243 pages.

Winnie Rae Early followed ten steps behind me the entire way home from school. It was hard not to fall into rhythm with the noisy sniff she took every third step.

Harper Lee Morgan's world is about to be turned upside down. Again. This would-be-poet is a charming narrator with heart and gumption. She's the big sister of Hemingway, "Hem," a little boy who just doesn't get it. Doesn't understand that his father is gone and never coming back. Every day Harper watches Hemingway watching for her father to come up the driveway. He still listens for the sound of pickup truck. She feels just a tad guilty that she can't want him back, not like Hemingway does. She remembers the drinking, the yelling, the friction and tension that existed when he lived with them. What's going on in Harper's world? Well, their home is being foreclosed. They're facing eviction. Within a matter of days, Harper along with her mother--who works as a housekeeper/cleaner--and her brother will be homeless.

Harper is a would-be poet. Words heal her. Poetry just happens. It's more than a coping mechanism. It's a part of her very soul. To write down the world as she sees it. To write down her hopes and dreams and fears. One of her darkest memories is of her father discouraging and humiliating her. Of him refusing to sign a permission slip for her to participate in a poetry recital. It's been a year since that happened. And now the school is having the poetry recital again. But will being homeless mean another shattered dream?

Also Known As Harper is more than a story of one family. It's a story that is so much more than that. A story that introduces lovable but quirky characters all down on the luck. Also Known As Harper is a very human novel. It's multi-faceted and beautiful in its portrayal of life itself.

Amanda's review.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
If you're reading this post on another site, or another feed, the content has been stolen.

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Vulture View

Author: April Pulley Sayre
Illustrator: Steve Jenkins
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (October 2, 2007)
ISBN-10: 0805075577
ISBN-13: 978-0805075571

"Wings stretch wide to catch a ride on warming air. Going where?"

Did you know turkey vultures don't hunt? These birds like their food already dead which is why they're known as nature's clean-up crew.

April Pulley Sayre does a wonderful job of introducing young readers to the turkey vulture in an easy-to-read poetic text. If you're like me, you've probably seen these scavengers swooping high above your highways, (we have one here at our local zoo, too)--but never thought too much about them. After reading this book, you'll think twice about the bird with the ugly bare-skinned face when you see them soaring high in the sky. The final two pages are a "Get to Know Vultures" section that provides information about vultures and a suggestion to check out the Turkey Vulture Society's website at www.vulturesociety.homestead.com, which contains facts and lots of wonderful photos.

Caldecott Honor-winning artist Steve Jenkins provides gorgeous cut-paper collage illustrations in bold colors that pop off the page.

Companion book:

Condor's Egg (Endangered Species)




Nonfiction Monday takes place at various wonderful blogs throughout the Kidlitosphere! Today, you can check out the Roundup at Tales From the Rushmore Kid.

To see the blog schedule for Nonfiction Monday, please visit Anastasia Suen's Picture Book of the Day.

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Engle, Margarita. 2009. (March 31, 2009 Pub.) TROPICAL SECRETS: HOLOCAUST REFUGEES IN CUBA. Henry Holt. 198 pages.

Read. This. Book. True, it won't be released for a few more weeks. But make note of it now to get to this one when you get the chance. Written by Margarita Engle--an acclaimed verse novelist--the book is the story of Daniel, a Jewish refugee, and the friends he makes in Cuba--Paloma and David. Daniel had no intentions of going to Cuba. When his parents tearfully sent him away--hoping and praying that at least their son may survive--this was right after the Night of Crystal or Broken Glass; they all thought that his ship would reach American shores--having heard stories of Lady Liberty and America being the place where all were welcome and the land where dreams could come true. But Daniel's ship was turned away from both Canada and the United States. His one chance for survival now depends on Cuba's mercy. The year is 1939. Does Daniel have a prayer of a chance?

This verse novel is told primarily in three voices: Daniel, Paloma, and David. Paloma is the daughter of "El Gordo" a man who is hoping that these refugees will make his wallet fat--very fat. The bigger the bribe, the higher the cost for a visa to enter the country, the richer he becomes. And with the Nazis even sending men to spread propaganda about Jews, the public isn't necessarily on their side--open to the idea of Jews being allowed to enter and settle there. Still, Daniel's ship is allowed. But we're not talking about one ship or even a dozen ships.

David is a Jew--a Russian Jew who fled Russia many years before. Paloma helps David--and others--help the refugees providing food and clothing and friendship and support--teaching them Spanish, for example. The book is a novel about many things: hope, life, survival, friendship, tolerance. But it doesn't hide the fact that this was a very ugly, very brutal, very cruel time in history.

I don't know about you, but I'd certainly never heard about Cuba in regards to the Holocaust. It's interesting to see how this one island, small in size especially when comparing it to Canada and the United States, was able to provide some shelter to Jews fleeing Hitler. In the author's note she shares, "Despite tragedies and scandals, Cuba accepted 65,000 Jewish refugees from 1938 to 1939, the same number that was taken in by the much larger United States during the same time period. Overall, Cuba accepted more Jewish refugees than any other Latin American nation."

This book is fascinating. It's absorbing. Read. This. Book.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Jarka, Jeff. 2009. (May Publication) Love That Puppy! The Story of a Boy Who Wanted To Be A Dog. Henry Holt.

This one is cute. Plain and simple. Kids often want dogs. Some kids even want to be dogs. Such is the case in Love That Puppy! by Jeff Jarka. Peter is a young boy--an 'ordinary' boy--who wants to be a dog, a puppy. Peter is happy being a dog though Peter's parents aren't so happy with this situation! You see, Peter isn't always a good dog, a well-behaving dog. Simple text accompanied by fun and playful cartoon-style illustrations make this one enjoyable. My favorite illustration? The one that shows Peter's hearing is excellent. He knows when the cookies are being opened and can get there on the double! But the chasing cars sequence was fun too. Anyway, keeping it straightforward, I recommend this one.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

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Piper Reed: The Great Gypsy by Kimberly Willis Holt

Reviewed by: Erica Moore

Piper Reed is in the middle at age 9. Her 5 year old sister reads better than she does, and her 12 year old sister is well, annoying by doing everything first. However, Piper has the Gypsy Club which she starts wherever her Navy family moves. This time it’s Pensacola, Florida. Piper gets the members of her newly founded Gypsy Club to have a pet show and talent contest, but what if Piper doesn’t win with her dog Bruna?

There are more misadventures for the Reed sisters in Pensacola with new friends and neighbors, plus a trip to New Orleans to visit their mother’s art teacher. If you haven’t met Piper Reed think Ramona, Judy Moody, Gooney Bird Greene and Clementine. They would be perfect for Piper’s Gypsy Club although they would all want to run it.

This is a wonderful series for younger readers, well written and lively. The real issues of moving and missing family members in the military are addressed but the stories are balanced and fun. The illustrations capture key moments in the story and make you laugh. This series would also be good as a read aloud.

Piper Reed: Navy Brat has enjoyed starred reviews from School Library Journal, Horn Book, Publishers Weekly and others. Piper Reed will be around for a long time. She’ll give Ramona a run for her money so to speak.

What Other Bloggers Are Saying:

Jen Robinson's Book Page: "Highly recommended for kids just reaching into middle grade fiction who want day-to-day stories that they can relate to." (read more...)

BooksForKidsBlog: "First-time chapter book readers have the chance to begin their solo reading experience with well-drawn characters who seem to come alive right off the pages of print. " (read more...)

JellyMom: "Very well done. I look forward to reading more about Piper Reed! " (read more...)

Biblio File: "Piper's adventures continue, and I think I liked this one even more than the first. " (read more...)


More Info:

• Reading level: Ages 7-10
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (August 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805081984
• ISBN-13: 978-0805081985
• Source: Uncorrected proof from publisher
  

Pair with Piper Reed: Navy Brat for a great reading adventure!

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Henry Holt/Christy Ottaviano Books Info...

The other day I mentioned the news regarding Christy Ottaviano's new imprint at Henry Holt. Here's Holt's complete, updated listing information to which Christy has added details about Christy Ottaviano Books:

HENRY HOLT & COMPANY
175 Fifth Ave, New York NY 10010. Unsolicited Manuscript Hotline: (646)307-5087. Web site: www.henryholtchildrensbooks.com. Submissions Web site: www.henryholtchildrensbooks.com/submissions.htm. Manuscript Acquisitions: Laura Godwin, vice president and publisher of Books for Young Readers; Christy Ottaviano, editorial director, Christy Ottaviano Books; Reka Simonsen, senior editor; Kate Farrell, editor. Art Acquisitions: Patrick Collins, art director. Publishes 30-35 picture books/year; 6-8 chapter books/year; 10-15 middle readers/year; 8-10 young adult titles/year. 15% of books by first-time authors; 40% of books from agented writers. "Henry Holt and Company Books for Young Readers is known for publishing quality books that feature imaginative authors and illustrators. We tend to publish many new authors and illustrators each year in our effort to develop and foster new talent."

• New Holt imprint Christy Ottaviano Books will publish approximately 20 books per year ranging from preschool picture books to middle-grade and young adult fiction, as well as some nonfiction. Of particular interest--picture books: humor; curriculum-focused; books that explore childhood milestones and feelings; nature; history. Middle-grade and young adult fiction: adventure; mystery; urban fantasy; coming of age; historical; commercial and edgy YA fiction. Submission policy: agents only and by author/illustrator referral.

Fiction Picture books: animal, anthology, concept, folktales, history, humor, multicultural, nature/environment, poetry, special needs, sports. Middle readers: adventure, contemporary, history, humor, multicultural, special needs, sports, suspense/mystery. Young adults: contemporary, humor, multicultural, mystery, historical.
Nonfiction Picture books: animal, arts/crafts, biography, concept, geography, history, hobbies, multicultural, the arts, nature/environment, sports. Middle readers, young readers, young adult: biography, history, multicultural, sports.
How to Contact/Writers Fiction/nonfiction: Submit complete ms, Attn: Submissions; "no SASE please." Responds in 4-6 months only if interested, otherwise mss are not returned or responded to. Will not consider simultaneous or multiple submissions.
Illustration Works with 50-60 illustrators/year. Reviews ms/illustration packages from artists. Random samples OK. Illustrations only: Submit tearsheets, slides. Do not send originals. Responds to art samples only if interested. Samples filed but not returned. If accepted, original artwork returned at job's completion. Portfolios are reviewed every Monday.
Terms Pays authors/illustrators royalty based on retail price. Sends galleys to authors; proofs to illustrators.

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Query: Does anyone out there have an electronic version of Geraldine Brooks’ article on Bronson Alcott, “Orpheus at the Plough,” published by The New Yorker in 2005? It’s been awhile but I remember it as an excellent piece.

I wanted to re-read it as I’m very interested in Louisa May Alcott right now, on two fronts: Her Unitarian-ness as well as her pulpy Gothic fiction side. Earlier today, I picked up Madeleine B. Stern’s biography of Louisa May Alcott from the library. Whenever I get into a subject like this I enjoy researching around online about what books to read, and I’ve noticed that books on the American transcendentalists seem to attract a particularly exacting & scathing class of Amazon reviewer. I suppose it’s the historical society tartars. Not necessarily people you want to dive into gin & crumpets with but clearly knowledgeable, and they say Stern is the way to go.

RELATED LINK: “Concord Writers on the Web”

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