Ellen Hopkins's debut YA novel is a cautionary tale first and foremost. This collection of poetry tells the story of her daughter Kristina--a bright, pretty, but damaged girl who makes some painful and disastrous decisions in her young life. Underlying it all is tragedy--the author's family drama made public. The scandalous subject matter coupled with adults' perception of how a tale like this might affect its intended audience--teenagers and other young people made to witness mature topics "before their time", has led to its being challenged and banned in various communities.
Kristina seems to go from zero to sixty into a drugged-out, sexed-up downward spiral--this abruptness is what I liked least about the book, though I can see both that a) it's very possible it really happened this way and b) for storytelling purposes, it still works better than a gradual decline. The language is cutting, crystalline, harsh--the alignment (disalignment? malignment?) of the printed words emphasize the disorder and compulsions that drive Bree, nee Kristina, to waste and wither even as a new life develops within her body. The overt lessons in Crank are quite direct--don't do drugs, don't be careless with sex, seek help when you need it, but miss that last hit of credibility. The voices of the character and the author both seem unreliable somehow. However, while Crank is not my favorite of Ellen's books, it's a must-read to set the stage for the rest of her stories.
I have met Ellen Hopkins and I trust her writing. I have listened to her read from some of her later books (Fallout, Perfect) and her words have moved me to tears. I believe that, dark as it is, her narratives are important and even necessary to touch topics no parent wants to have to talk about with their kids. It's hard enough to do it as a preventative--what do you say when your child is, or--heaven forbid--you are the one with the addiction? Hopkins will touch the topics no one else will touch. She wrestles with the monster in the hopes that other Kristinas (and maybe even Adams) will be saved; not just to prevent teens from using drugs, committing crimes, or being sexually abused, but also for those teens who have been there and done that, and who no longer believe
by Nancy White Carlstrom, illustrated by Bruce Degen
2000 | 32 pages | Picture Book
"Where is Christmas, Jesse Bear? /
I see Christmas over there." Thus begins Jesse Bear's obligatory
Christmas book. This time around, the story focuses on some of the the
five senses, as Jesse Bear and his parents see, touch, smell, hear, feel
and know the holiday season.
The story includes both secular and religious elements, but doesn't
name the religious ones in the text. Rather, they appear on a single
page, as part of a Jesus-less nativity scene in a Christmas pageant
largely overrun by sheep and reindeer. This isn't really a criticism,
but it did feel somewhat strange to see any religious elements so late
in the book, and even then, without the biggest religious aspect of
Christmas, the baby Jesus.
But that minor flaw aside, everything about this book made me
nostalgic, from bringing the boxes labeled "Christmas stuff" down the
stairs into the living room, to reading The Night Before Christmas
together as a family before bed. As with all the Jesse Bear books, this
one really embraces that warmth and innocent comfort kids feel when
they're very small and at home with their parents, without a care in
the world. I especially loved the use of sound words on the page where
the family plays jingle bells:
Winding up the music box,
Playing of the chimes,
Ringing of the sleigh bells -
Jingle-jangle time.
I could really hear that jingle jangle sound.
I also really loved the image of the spirit of Christmas moving around outside:
Shopping with the crowds,
Skating in the park,
Moving house to house
Caroling in the dark.
This
is the kind of Christmas book I would have read again and again as a
kid and would someday share with a child of my own, to help him or her
understand what Christmas felt like to me as a kid. A little early to be
reviewing a holiday book, I know, but put it on your Christmas shopping
list this year if you know little ones who celebrate.
by Nancy White Carlstrom, illustrated by B
by Nancy White Carlstrom, illustrated by Bruce Degen
1998 | 32 pages | Picture Book
This book, the seventh in the Jesse
Bear series, has the best cover of all the Jesse Bear books I've
reviewed thus far. Jesse Bear's mother stands with an old fashioned
rotary phone in her hand, receiver to her ear, her face filled with
excitement as she leans in toward Jesse Bear and his dad, presumably
ready to tell them just who is coming to visit. One look at her face,
and I wanted to know, too!
As with the counting book I reviewed last week, this one also
makes good use of the title and dedication pages to set up the story.
On the page facing the title page, the family tidies up a bedroom,
making the bed and sweeping the dust. On the title page itself, that
same rotary phone from the cover rings loudly, and on the dedication
page, there sits Jesse Bear, gazing out the window, no doubt waiting for
this mysterious visitor.
As in another earlier book in the series,
Better Not Get Wet, Jesse
Bear, this one also makes use of speech bubbles, though it uses many
more of them, and this time actually depicts dialogue between Jesse Bear
himself and other characters. The main conversations take place with
cousin Sara, who is older than Jesse, and not at all his favorite
relative, but who is unfortunately the surprise guest.
Once Sara arrives, the story tells us briefly of the two young
bears' activities on each day of the week, Monday through Sunday. Though
it starts out kind of shaky, with Sara jumping out of a tree to
frighten Jesse Bear on Monday, on Tuesday, she helps him skate on his
own, on Wednesday, their game of hide and seek provides a great chance
for both of them to rest, and by the end of the week, Sara and Jesse are
swimming and writing together, and Sara proves to be a big help to her
smaller cousin.
This book didn't resonate with me as well as most of the others, but
what I did like was the message that big kids and little kids can teach
each other things, and that spending time with older and younger
cousins, siblings, and friends can be a great experience. Jesse Bear
learns a lot of "big kid" skills from his cousin, which is something a
lot of little brothers and sisters out there will appreciate and hope
for from their own "big kid" friends.
by Nancy White Carlstrom, illustrated by Bruce Degen
1999 | 32 pages | Picture Book
This book, which tells of Jesse Bear's
Halloween experiences, returns to the original format established by the
earliest books in the Jesse Bear series. Each page once again features a
border and the text stands apart from the illustration, situated above
or below it, or in a box within the illustration itself. I absolutely
love all
Wrapped. Jennifer Bradbury. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 320 pages.
"Put the book down, darling," my mother said from her chair beside the mirror. Wrapped is a great read! I wouldn't say it is a perfect read, but it is so much fun. I wouldn't change a thing. It was just a joy to spend time with this book, with these characters. It's a mystery-romance set in Regency England--1815 to be exact.
Our heroine, Agnes Wilkins, is a delight! I just loved her! I loved almost everything about her. True, I solved the mystery before she did, but I'm not holding that against her. For I think, in many ways, she proves her smarts. She just happened to be a little distracted by her new friend Caedmon.
I definitely loved this one and am happy to recommend it!
© 2011 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Huge. Sasha Paley. 2008. Simon & Schuster. 272 pages.
"Faster, faster!" Wil Hopkins's trainer, Heather, yelled over the sound of crashing waves.Huge is the story of two girls at fat camp. Wil Hopkins who is understandably angry, bitter, rebellious, and generally unpleasant to be around, and April Adams whose issues may be a little less obvious. Both girls are at Wellness Canyon for the summer. Wil against her will; April because she has worked and worked and saved and saved. The two, of course, are roommates. Their "success" at the camp depends on their ability to work together as a team, to work through any issues, to learn to trust one another, etc. But how do you do that when you can't stand the other person?!
The cover reads, "at fat camp even the drama is huge," and that gives you a fair description of what to expect. Two teen girls who are first brought together when they compete for the attention of a guy, Colin, and then brought together by the need for revenge when that guy turns out to be a big jerk. Perhaps because of the "boy drama" going on, Wil forgets temporarily that she desperately wants to gain weight at fat camp so her parents can't have the satisfaction of her success. So by the end of camp, Wil has lost weight too.
Huge has two narrators. And to be completely honest I had a hard time liking either of them. Wil, the richer of the two, seems to be the biggest pain. She's angry, bitter, rebellious. She acts out--speaks out--in anger a good deal of the time. And she seems to like being rude and hurting people. But her pain is obvious to anyone who's ever been there. Her parents have hurt her repeatedly--hurt her with their words, their actions, etc. What she's hearing is that she's not good enough as she is, that they are ashamed of her, embarrassed of her, etc. She feels that her parents just don't love her, accept her, understand her. I think the more her parents force the issue, force her to try to feel ashamed about her body, the worse it will be for her. I think FORCING her to go to fat camp against her will, forcing her to deal with her weight when she's clearly not ready to deal with it, may not be the best in the long term. Losing weight is a LOT more complicated than it might appear.
If you're expecting "Biggest Loser" insights--break down moments where they get it, they
really get it...then you'll be disappointed.
As for April, I think she's lost in her own dream world. She's equated being skinny with being perfect, being popular, being happy. She doesn't really seem to realize that she'll still be herself when she's lost the weight. She can't escape her issues just by losing weight. I think she desperately wants to be someone else. I think her shallowness may be hidden by her cheerfulness. I think she's able to hide her issues easier than Wil. But April has her own troubles, and they are revealed to a certain extent by the end of the novel.
The drama didn't exactly wow me. It was light and fluffy, a bit silly. The "
By: Laura,
on 8/17/2011
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As book lovers, we all have something in common: there’s too much to read and too little time. When I’m having a hard time deciding, I’ll often as my colleague Heather Doss. She’s one of our National Account Managers and one of the most well-read and knowledgeable children’s/young adult folks I know. So when I asked Heather which teen books she was excited about for the upcoming fall season, here’s what she told me:
SWEET VENOM by Tera Lynn Childs
ISBN 9780062001818
On-sale 9.6.11
“I’m a sucker for anything that is a retelling or twist of classic myths so was drawn to this book from the initial description. With three main characters each having their own personalities, this is perfect for teens that have grown up reading Percy Jackson while watching reruns of Buffy.”
DEADLY COOL by Gemma Halliday
ISBN 9780062003317
On-sale 10.11.11
“A murder mystery with a snarky Heathers feel so funny I literally spit a French fry at a pigeon while reading…genius!
VARIANT by Robinson Wells
ISBN 9780062026088
On-sale 10.4.11
“As a voracious reader, I feel like I’ve read it all & can usually figure out the plot before page 100 (not that that will stop me from reading). This boarding school thriller had a plot twist that I did NOT see coming & still has me puzzled to this day as to ‘what it all means’.”
THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson
ISBN 9780062026484
On-sale 9.20.11
“A fantasy for those who think they don’t like that genre, a setting that is lush & exotic, a romance that develops naturally & not instantaneously, a female protagonist who starts off unsure of herself & finds her inner warrior: this one has all the elements of my favorite books combined into one fantastic read!”
FROST by Marianna Baer
ISBN 9780061799495
On-sale 9.13.11
“Call it the ‘attack of boarding school thrillers’ but this one had a very different feel from VARIANT: deliciously psychologically creepy while leaving you wondering by the end who or what was behind it all.”
THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin
ISBN 9781442421769
On-sale 9.27.11
“I’d had this debut from Simon & Schuster on my GoodReads list for over a year & dived into it the second I got my greedy little hands on the ARC: a psychological mystery wrapped in a steamy romance & a hint of paranormal activity.”
Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners from 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert
By Marc Aronson
Atheneum Books for Young Readers (an imprint of Simon & Schuster)
$16.99
ISBN: 978-1416913979
Ages 10 and up
On shelves August 30, 2011
The notion that history is always happening isn’t necessarily obvious to a kid. I remember have several moments of revelation when I was younger, realizing time and time again that the folks we studied in school were real. That they walked around like I did. History has a tendency to play out like a movie when you’re young. You might be moved but you wouldn’t necessarily be able to wrap your head around the notion that there but for the grace of God go I. To hammer this notion home it might be advisable to find moments in recent history that have been recorded for all of posterity. Like, say, the Chilean miner incident of 2010. A lot of kids (as of this review) would remember when that was in the news. Yet they might not think of that as a historical incident yet. Enter Trapped by Marc Aronson. Here we have a book that sheds some light on the story that hypnotized the world. With its natural tension and everyday heroes, Trapped is that rarest of nonfiction beasts: A contemporary work of historical fact that has you gripping the edge of your seat.
The collapse of a San Jose mine on August 5, 2010 wasn’t anything the world hadn’t seen before. Mines collapse all the time. It’s a dangerous occupation. The difference here, of course, was the fact that the 33 men trapped 2,300 feet underground were still alive. Suddenly the world was riveted by their story. Would the rescuers be able to find them? And even if they did, how would they get them out? Backmatter to this true tale includes brief biographies of each of the thirty-three miners, a Timeline, a Glossary of Names and Terms, a word on “The World of the Miner” by a miner, a note to students, Notes and Sources, a Bibliography, a list of interviewed subjects, Useful Websites, and an Index.
A good work of nonfiction for kids makes you want to keep reading, even when you know the outcome. When I pick up a book like Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming, I love that I feel like there may be a chance that they’ll find Ms. Earhardt this time. Similarly, when I read Trapped I have to feel like there’s a chance that they won’t rescue the miners this time. Indeed there were several moments when it really seemed as though the miners wouldn’t be found. Aronson parcels out this tension, knowing better than to fill the narrative with foreshadowing or some kind of false narrative technique. And like Fleming’s book he makes sure to tell two different stories at once. We are both with the miners and with the rescuers as the tale unfolds.
Mr. Aronson is a fan of context. It isn’t enough to know that this story takes place 2,000 feet below the Chilean Desert. He must show you how that desert was formed. And it isn’t enough to simply know that these men were farmers of items like copper. He’s inclined to give you the very hist
Write a story to go with the writing prompt I provided and you could win a trip to NYC, courtesy of Simon & Schuster's Pulse It group and Wattpad.com. I might even meet you there. :)
All the details HERE.
Possession. Elana Johnson. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 416 pages.
Good girls don't walk with boys. Even if they're good boys--and Zenn is the best. Possession seems like the kind of book a dystopian-lover would love. But this one proved disappointing to me. The more I read, the more that disappointment grew. I'll try to explain.
It's one thing for a dystopian novel to throw the readers into a foreign world where they're unsure of the rules of the society and culture. But to leave readers confused for over 400 pages? To leave readers struggling to even make sense of the
basic story structure? That's a big disappointment. As I said, it's one thing if there are a few missing pieces of the puzzle. The author could have done that on purpose, after all. The reader's confusion could be intentional. But I don't know if I believe that an author would intentionally confuse readers for hundreds of pages. (Well, yes, there's James Joyce and T.S. Eliot. But that's a different story.)
I believe that when you read a book, you should be able to turn the pages and know whose head your inside--who is doing the narrating, whose perspective you're seeing. Call me silly, but, that's just the way I am.
Violet, our heroine, has not been quite as obedient as she should have been. She has a way of unplugging from the messages the authorities send--to everybody--messages that tell them how to live, behave, conform, etc. The voices that 'manage' them. But even if she's not brainwashed--she's still capable of thinking for herself, for the most part, she's not extremely rebellious. She's not out to start a revolution, she's not out to break down the powers that be. She just wants to take a little walk with her match and best friend, Zenn. She just wants to have a little alone time now and then. Of course, that breaks the rules. But it hardly seems fair that such offenses would lead to prison either. But that is just what happens to Vi. In prison she meets another boy, Jag, and if labels are to be believed, he is "bad." But this 'bad boy' has a certain appeal and these two seem to share a common destiny, a common enemy. Once these two team up....well, that's when things get started.
The novel has an interesting premise: a mind-controlling government. And the novel has romance potential. Readers know from the start that Vi will at one point or another be called to choose between the boy from her past (Zenn) and the boy of the moment (Jag). Readers--for better or worse--know more about Jag than Zenn. But that isn't necessarily a horrible thing. Zenn is present for the novel, just not in a romantic, heroic way. And Jag, well, even though he's got hero potential. Well, he's not going to go out of his way to act like a ROMANTIC hero when bigger things are at stake. (I actually like that).
While I didn't fall for Jag myself, that is,
I didn't find him swoon-worthy, I can see that Vi and Jag belong together. I think they deserve each other. Jag can get under Vi's skin and drive her crazy. And she can get under his skin and drive him crazy. The things she accuses Jag of, she's guilty of doing herself. And the things Jag accuses Vi of, well, he's just as guilty. If either were with a more honest person, there could be trouble. When these two fight--and they do fight--it's impossible to take sides. Because they're the pot and the kettle.
The ending. What can I say? Am I really more disappointed by the ending than I was the middle? It's not fair to say. I do think it's a bit open, a bit of a cliffhanger. If it is truly 'the end.' It is a LOT more open than most YA novels I read. (Which wouldn't be a bad thing.) If it's just trying to buil
By:
Becky Laney,
on 7/6/2011
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Trauma Queen. Barbara Dee. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 272 pages.
I am standing outside homeroom in yellow flannel monkey pajamas.Everyone else is dressed normally: jeans, track pants, sweaters, whatever.Apparently because today, Monday, February 3, is not Pajama Day at Crampton Middle School. Also apparently I am the only one who is celebrating Pajama Day, because I am the only one whose mother told her it was Pajama Day. Marigold doesn't always
love her mom. You see, Marigold's mom is a performance artist. She does crazy, crazy, embarrassing things in front of people...on purpose. Sometimes Marigold wishes her Mom could really stick to one performance: normal, sane, ordinary mother of two. But that's a role she rarely does.
Trauma Queen is about new beginnings. Marigold's family is starting over--again. The last town, well, it didn't end so well. On the positive side, Marigold made a friend--a really good friend--a girl named Emma. And things seemed to be going well until Emma's mom met Marigold's mom. Then it got UGLY, UGLY, SUPER-UGLY. Now Emma isn't allowed to speak with her...at all. So it's just as well, I suppose, that they did start over in a new town. But some things Marigold can't really forget.
One of the things that I LOVED about Trauma Queen were the characters. I thought they were well-developed. I loved how we get to know Marigold's family: her mom, her sister, Kennedy, her Gram. I especially loved to see the conversations between Mari and her Gram. I did. I loved how we get to know Marigold's classmates. Those that like Marigold (Layla, Ethan, Brody, etc.). And those that don't (Jada). WE get to see the tensions in her class. And it's so well done! It felt very authentic. I thought the author did a great job with showing not telling.
It was easy to love Marigold. It was easy to sympathize with her. But it was also easy--at least for me--to see the Mom's strengths. I couldn't not like the Mom. I couldn't. And when she started working with some of Marigold's classmates in an after school program, well, I admired her all the more. Was she perfect? No. Of course not. But she was not "the enemy" out to ruin her daughter's life. Seeing Gram, Mom, and Marigold together, well, it felt right. This novel has substance and depth.
I would definitely recommend Trauma Queen. I've also read
This is Me From Now On.
My favorite quote:
But how do you know you're seeing things through your own eyes? Maybe you think you are, but really, you're just collecting other people's points of view. Maybe you're seeing the world through their eyes, and you don't even know it. (211)
© 2011 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Grump. Janet Wong. Illustrated by John Wallace. 2001. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages.
Look how tired this Mommy isTired and frumpyGrouchy chumpyOh, what a grump!
Look at BabySmart, good BabyHappy BabyMaking gravyApplesauce and ketchup gravyNot too lumpyNot too bumpySquish squishDUMP!Grump is one of my favorite, favorite, favorite books. I almost don't even need to make the qualification of favorite
picture book. It's a book that begs to be read aloud again and again and again. The rhythm of it is almost magical--at least to me! I love the use of language, I do. I love the way it sounds, the way it feels on my tongue. It's real life. It's poetry. It just works.
The story of this one is simple. It's been a LONG, LONG, LONG day for this Mom and her Baby. And even if the Baby doesn't think he needs a nap, he needs a nap. But will this baby go down for a nap? Not without an all-too-familiar-struggle!
Baby's going to take a nap nowBaby's going to take a nap nowBaby's going to take a nap nowTake a nap nowLittle lump.She puts him in his crib and...
And oh of course that baby criesCries and whimpersCries and whimpersCries and whimpersPlay with me!So Mommy sits And reads to BabyReads so prettyReads so softlyReads and reads and reads until--Can you guess what happened to the oh-so-tired, oh-so-grumpy Mommy?
This one is such a GREAT book. I loved how true-to-life it was. Not only for the baby, not only for the mommy--but it captures the ups and downs of the whole relationship.
This one has been a favorite going on ten years. Today I was looking to review some board books, hoping to find something great to share with you, when I thought again of Grump. Why isn't Grump still in print? Why hasn't it been reprinted? Why??? It's just a WONDERFUL book. And it would be a great board book!!! The combination of this story with that format would be just perfect!!!!
© 2011 Becky Laney of
Young Readers
Today’s guest blog post comes from Ron Rauss, an author, illustrator, and published photographer. Ron lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and son. He was announced as the 2010 Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories New Author Contest Grand Prize winner in March 2011 and will have his first picture book “Can I Just Take A Nap?” published by Simon and Schuster in 2012.
Last October I received an extra treat with my Halloween goodies. Not just another chocolate bar or bag of candy corn, this treat came in the form of a phone call from General Mills letting me know that I had won the grand prize in the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories New Author Contest. I remember thinking that someone must be playing a Halloween trick on me, I loved my story but could it really be the big winner? It was no trick; Can I just Take a Nap? (a story inspired by my son Aiden) was chosen from over 8,000 contest entries and the manuscript would be reviewed by Simon & Schuster. Wow, does it get any better than that?
Believe me when I tell you that it does. In mid December I received another special call; this time it was from an editor with S & S and an early Christmas present, a publishing deal for my story. What a wonderful way to end 2010 and bring in a new year.
Six months later the excitement of the big win has not worn off and I still have to pinch myself now and then to make sure it’s not all a dream. The only negative is that I have to wait until next spring for the best part. That’s when my book will debut in paperback free inside millions of boxes of Cheerios®, giving kids all over the country the opportunity to enjoy the book before the hardcover edition ever hits the bookstores. It’s the part of the contest that is really special and reminds me why I started writing for children in the first place. I write to make children happy, I write for the smiles, and because of First Book and General Mills Can I Just Take a Nap? will be responsible for millions of smiles in 2012 (I have my fingers crossed!). That’s what I call an overwhelming success.
There are many ways for authors to judge whether their books are successful or not. Sales figures, critic reviews and literary awards are just a few. These things are all nice and they can give writers the validation needed to create day to day in a world filled with constant rejection. But in the grand scheme of things these numbers, opinions and medals are secondary to the enjoyment and wonder of a child. All the other things are just icing on the cake. With the Spoonfuls of Stories contest you can have the best of both worlds, helping get books to kids who need them while fulfilling your dreams of becoming a published, award winning author. Not to mention the pride of being associated with a wonderful organization like First Book whose main goal is to get new books to schools and programs that serve low-income children.
The contest is open for submissions now at spoonfulsofstoriescontest.com, but only until July 15th. So put on your creative thinking caps and get to work, your story could be the reason for millions of smiles in 2013 and the biggest will belong to you.
By:
Becky Laney,
on 7/1/2011
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The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 477 pages.
Eva Nine was dying. The tiny scarlet dots on her hand mirrored the glowering eyes of the snake that had just bitten her.I didn't love The Search for Wondla. I'm not even sure I liked it. One of the reasons it didn't quite work for me was that the ending left me unsatisfied. I wanted to shout at the book, "That's not an ending!" Then again, maybe it's not fair to judge a first book in a series by the ending.
Eva Nine, our heroine, may just be the last human on the planet. She has spent her whole life underground in Sanctuary. She was raised by a robot--albeit a robot with a mothering program built right in. (Muthr is always, always nagging Eva Nine to do this or that. Little things like picking up her room, etc.) When the novel opens, Eva Nine is in the middle of a test to determine if she's ready to live Sanctuary and venture into the real world above ground. Her muthr isn't convinced that she is ready. But she's going to give her one more chance, if Eva Nine doesn't improve, well, they may just have to go back to the basics.
Six Basic Survival Skills for Humans
1. Trust technology
2. Signal others
3. Find shelter
4. Create fire
5. Procure food and water
6. Know first aid
But ready or not, Eva Nine may be forced into the cruel, ugly world of unknowns. When someone breaks into sanctuary--destroying it in the process--Eva Nine is forced to flee the only home she's ever known. She is taking a few technological items with her, like her Omnipod, but what she soon discovers is that NO technology can protect her now, keep her safe, or guide her. The whole world--the whole planet--is unknown.
But Eva Nine won't be on her own for long, though her companions are not human--not even close.
The Search for Wondla is a blending of so many genres and subgenres. It's both science fiction and fantasy, in my opinion. It's an adventure story--a survival story. And of course it's one big mystery. Where is Eva Nine? What planet is she on? How did she get there? Is she really, truly the last human? Where did all these species come from?
The world Tony DiTerlizzi created is interesting. At times I found it confusing, I had to keep telling myself to keep reading and that it would start making sense eventually if I just read long enough. And that worked, for the most part. It helped when I decided the confusion might just be intentional. Eva Nine, our heroine, is thrust into a world that is completely foreign to her. She doesn't recognize any of the trees or plants. She doesn't recognize any of the life forms. These creatures--animals--speak in their own languages. She doesn't know what's dangerous and what's safe. She's completely out of her element.
Have you read this one? What did you think?
© 2011 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Small Acts of Amazing Courage. Gloria Whelan. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 224 pages.
How can kindness get you into so much trouble? It started when Mother dropped into sickness and I was left on my own. No, before that, when the war came and Father, a major in the British Indian Army who led a battalion of Gurkha Rifles, went off to the war. The battalion was sent to fight in countries I had never heard of and whose names I couldn't spell.Set in India immediately following World War I, Small Acts of Amazing Courage is the coming-of-age story of our heroine, Rosalind, who grew up with a little too much freedom to be a 'proper' lady. Or at least a proper English lady. Rosalind prefers to spend her time with her best friend, Isha. Isha has picked up English, and Rosalind has picked up Hindi. These two love to go to the bazaar. Rosalind isn't allowed--by her father, at least--to go. And Isha, well, Isha--though the same age as Rosalind, is already a married woman; her husband has a stall at the bazaar. Her mother hasn't been feeling the best, so Rosalind has spent the past year or so making her own rules. When her father returns, he's worried. He fears that he'll never be able to make a proper lady of her if she remains in India. She needs some polishing. She needs decorum. She needs to learn a little discipline and obedience.
But. Her mother pleads for Rosalind to be allowed to stay. But there are a few incidents--you might just call them small acts of amazing courage--that lead her father to make the ultimate decision. His daughter goes. No matter what his wife says. No matter how much his daughter pleads. No, she'll go to England to live with her two aunts. End of story.
Except that isn't the end of the story at all. For Rosalind will go on encouraging small acts of courage right there in England under the nose of her oh-so-bossy aunt. One of her aunts has spent her life being bullied. And with Rosalind's help, freedom may come at last!
Of course, that is only half the story. For Rosalind and Aunt Louise's fight for independence mirrors that of India. Readers learn about Gandhi and his followers who were making a non-violent stand of their own.
Readers might also want to read Padma Venkatraman's
Climbing the Stairs.
© 2011 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
This week I got a lovely package in the post - a whole heap of goodies that accompany the children's motivational book 'Why Am I Here?'. I illustrated and did the layout for the book in 2009 for Simon and Schuster bestselling author Matthew Kelly.
Author of several NY Times bestselling motivational books for adults and top class motivational speaker, this is Matthew's first book for children, published by his own publishing company: Beacon Publishing. Matthew is head of a phenomenal organization and the book itself has sold thousands already. To go along with the book his foundation has developed a whole teaching pack, including dolls, lesson plans, posters ... and I worked on the design and layout of everything you see in the photo ... including the packing boxes and hang tags on Max the doll. It was great fun, and even more fun to see it all together like this ... I feel quite proud!
So here's how you can win a goodie bag ... please be a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this post and you will be in the draw to win one of three packs including the book. Max the doll, pencils, badge, fridge magnet and a couple of other goodies! Good luck.
Other goings on in the life of The Wacky Brit ... next weekend on my way to the NE SCBWI conference in Fitchburg. Going to be entering the poster showcase again (last year I won 2 places, I am not expecting to replicate that though!). Here's my entry (this year we had to recreate a landmark children's book cover)
If your going, come say hello :-)
Meanwhile, working my way through the finals for the 'Hidden New Jersey' book for Charlesbridge Publishing. I love it when I get to the colouring stage, that's the most fun. The deadline is mid June so It's coming up shortly.
And in between I am putting together the school project for the local elementary school 4th grade that they have illustrated and written (it's about The Seasons in Maine).
So - heck it's been busy. Trying to stick to a good routine of bed early and up early. A bit like being a long distance runner .. pacing oneself.
Right I'm off - hope you will enter the competition!
Toodles
Hazel
aka The Wacky Brit
Lot's of book on the bedside table ... too many to mention right now.
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by Robert Burleigh, paintings by Wendell Minor. 
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I only read part of one of the Ruby Lu books so far but I see what you mean that the Alvin Ho books seem better written than the Ruby Lu ones.