Book List

Book List

Children's Books

Biography / Autobiography (7)

Cesar Chavez

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez

Illustrated by YuYi Morales

This is a picture book biography of CesarChavez. The pictures are fabulous. I had no idea that until the age of ten Cesar Chavez grew up on his own family's ranch in Arizone and that it was a terrible drought that drove them out and sent them to the California central valley to try to survive as migrant workers. This is a very simply told story that depicts the migrant lifestyle and makes it easy to see why Cesar would be motivated to want to improve conditions. Cesar's peqaceful march on Sacramento, the state capital, was effective action that resulted in the first contract for farmworkers in America.

I do remember boycotting grapes for about five years when I was young.

I want to keep an eye open for other books by Krull who has written a number of books for her "lives of..... series, esp. one about Wilma Rudolph. Also want to keep my eyes open for more books illustrated by Morales who is also a puppet maker, artist, and Brazilian dancer originally from Veracruz, Mexico.

Braun, Eric

Booker T. Washington: Great American Educator

Illustrated by Cynthia Martin

from the Graphic Library Series

ISBN 0-7368-4630-1

This is a factual book laid out like a comic book. The pictures cover the pages with dialogue bubble in them and boxes here and there which state facts. But the layout is eacy to follow. This is a very brief overview of Washington's life. The issues of the times are very much understated, but are present. The book has resources and a glossary. It reccommends www.facthound.com

Type in the special code: 0736846301 to get age appropriate sites related to this book. Then click on "Fetch It".

Collins, James L. about fifth grade

The Mountain Men

Franklin Watts, A Division of Brolier Publishing

This book contains short biographies of seven well known mountain men who lived between 1772 and 1881. This book tells the individual story of each of these men who explored the mountains and made their homes there. These men were also storytellers though often their stories were not believed. They are John Coulter, Manuel Lisa, Jedediah Smith, Jim Bridger, James P. Beckwourth, Tom Fitzpatrick and Kit Carson. I like it a lot and think it would be handy for fifth grade research because the biographies are short.

Dawson, George and Richard Glaubman

Life Is So Good ISBN 0-375-50396-X (hc)

Penguin Books ISBN 0 14 10.0168 2 (pbk)

This is the story of George Dawson't life as told to Richard Glaubmann. One can here Mr. Dawson's voice clearly throughout. It is a great book. I know the author and knew he was working on this but I wsn't paying attention. When I saw it at our bookstore and it had the Christopher Award I thought I should try it. Now I am sorry I didn't try it sooner. I want to give it to several people for Christman.

Mr. Dawson's life is of interest first of all because he was born in the last couple of years of the 1800's and so saw all of the the 20th century. His life is also interesting because for a man of that era he traveled around a great deal and experienced a lot of life. In addition he is African-American and the grand-son of a slave who grew up where black people knew their place. But he went to places where life was not segregated as well. He actually traveled to Mexico and Canada. He held a wide variety of jobs. He came from a large family and a family with a tradition of passing down stories so he can also tell us stories from when he was too little to remember for himself. This man went to work very young to help support his family and didn't get a chance to learn to read as he was growing up. He went back to school at the age of 98 and learned to read. Richard Glaubman met him after he had learned to read and together they would look at old clippings and Mr. Dawson would recall that event in history and talk about it. I very highly reccommend this book!!

Romei, F. (1994). Leonardo Da Vinci: Artist, inventor, and scientist of the renaissance. NewYork, NY: Peter Bedrick Books.

This is a fabulous book with outstanding illustrations by Sergio and Andrea Ricciardi. It is a biography of Da Vinci accompanied by illustrations of the many areas in which he contributed to the Renaissance. There are illustrations of his paintings, sculptures, machines, marvels of engineering, sketches, and the Mona Lisa. This book also provides considerable insight into the lifestyle and achievements of the late 1400s and early 1500s in Italy.

Sateren, S.S. (2002). Michelangelo Mankato, Minnesota: Bridgestone Books.

This book comes from the series, Masterpieces: Artists and their works. It is about twenty-five pages long and includes photos of some of his most famous works. It is really impressive.

Schoeneberger, Megan *#*# third or fourth grade

Diego Rivera: Artist and Muralist

This book is part of the Fact Finders Series published by Capstone Press,

Mankato, Minnesota 2006 www.capstonepress.com

The book is an introduction to the man and his art. It is mostly biographical including his study of art and the development of his own style. It has many pictures including some of his murals. It includes a timeline, a glossary, and a very useful index for expanding the topics. It is very short, very fast reading but very good as a reference for third of fourth grade.

Fantasy (6)

Coombs, Patricia

Dorrie and the fortune Teller *#*#

Lathrop, Lee and Shyepard Company, NY 1972

Dorrie saves the day (as usual). Dorrie is a little witch, a fun and friendly witch, who lives with her mother and Cook, and her cat Gink, in Witchville. In this adventure the witches of Witchville are trying to hold onto their mortgage to the property on which they live; their landlord is getting ready to foreclose. In addition, an imposter has hijacked the kindly and well known Madame Zee in order to scare all the witches out of Witchville and dig up a buried treasure. As usual no one pays sufficient attention to what Dorrie tries to tell them and she has to go into action on her own. Love these books. Dorrie is such a cute witch! Great illustrations. Probably best as a read aloud. Would interest boys and girls, but girls more – first to third grade.

There are lots more Dorrie books.

Curley, Marianne

The Named *#*#*

Bloomsbury: New York 2002

It is impossible to say where in the world this story is set. It could be in the hills surrounding any town. The author grew up in a small farm town on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia and now lives in a coastal city on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, Australia surrounded by beaches and rainforests. Time wise I would say it is set in time current with publication.

The main character is Ethan; he is in high school. His sister was killed in front of him when he was about four. He thinks that is a nightmare and that she died some other way. But he keeps having the nightmare over and over when he sleeps. Ethan is one of the Named. This is a group of people who have been named as defenders of life as we know it. They train for and travel back in time to try to keep individuals from The Order of Chaos from going into the past and changing something/anything in order to change the future. The Order of Chaos is a group of evildoers bent upon altering the proper course of history to their advantage; the more destruction, death, and evil, the better they like it.

Ethan is assigned a girl as an apprentice. She is actually the little sister of a childhood friend and someone he used to know. She is a very strong healthy girl physically, mentally, morally. They make a fine team. There are definite but complex rules. There is also time travel, mystery, suspense and family. I liked this book a lot and want to go on to next book in the trilogy immediately. Good for high school or junior high.

Eager, Edward

Knight's Castle

Roger and Ann and their cousins, Jack and Eliza find themselves spending much of their summer together due to a medical crisis in the family. They are provided with a wonderful and large doll house, completely furnished and a very large castle with impressive soldiers. In between worrying, the four cousins discover magic and go back to the days of Ivanhoe and Robin Hood and have super adventures and learn lessons.

Jacques, Brian

Redwall *#*#*

Illustrations by Gary Chalk 1986

Philomel Books: New York 1986

The jacket calls this “a powerful tale of fantasy, adventure and knightly romance, by a master storyteller”. I agree. The characters are all animals living in and around Redwall Abbey. Redwall Abbey has housed a brotherhood of peaceful mice for decades, but at the time of this tale, peace has been shattered by the advent of an evil despot, Cluny the Scourge, a terrible, battle-scarred, one eyed Rat. The abbot of Redwall at first is not willing to do more than defend themselves and at that, with as little damage to the enemy as necessary. But he does come to see that their survival will require more, so he removes himself from the battle conferences to do his job as spiritual leader and allow others to defend the abbey. Matthias is a young mouse who takes on a large job. He is our hero. With the help of a wise and ancient mouse and a good badger and many woodland creatures, Matthias searches for the sword of the legendary Martin the Warrior and leads his abbey to victory. The characters are animals but are very well developed. It is a complex, many layered society. The story is full of riddles to be solved, humor, and romance. A great book. And only the first in a series of many.

First heard of this when Eric started reading Brian Jacques and he must have been in about seventh grade.

Lewis, C.S.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe *#*#* 4^th – 9^th grades

(2^nd book in The Chronicles of Narnia)

Illustrated by Pauline Baynes

This is the first Narnia book that I read, years ago, and which I have now read for the third or fourth time. It introduces the four children Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy who are staying with an old professor in the English country-side during WWII to be safely away from the nightly bombing in London. The house is large and first Lucy, and then the others, fall into Narnia from a wardrobe in the spare room. Narnia is held in the clutches of winter because a wicked witch who calls herself a Queen has put a spell on the land. Edmund gets mixed up with the witch while the other meet Narnia rebels who are loyal to the King Aslan. The children hold to their very British mores, even Edmund in the long run, and risk much to rescue Narnia from the spell. Aslan is beautiful and GOOD and mentors Peter. The four children “win through” and becomes Kings and Queens of Narnia where they rule well for some years until they accidentally go back through the wardrobe and find that in their own world not a moment has passed. They are once again the children they were in the professor’s house and the war is still going on.

This is a parable of the Christian story of death and resurrection, which my mother told me some years after I originally read most of this series. Abby and I went to see the movie in the theater and it was excellently done. I was worried because I a, very fond of this series.

Whybrow, Ian Fantasy

Little Wolf's Book of Badness *#*#*

Illustrated by Tony Ross

This book is a compilation of letters from Little Wolf to his parents. They have sent him off to his Uncle Bigbad's school to learn how to be bad. His parents are concerned that he is too well behaved and too nice to his baby brother Smellybreff. Little Wolf is scared and lonely and keeps writing home beggin to be allowed to return and promising to be bad. His parents never answer. Little Wolf has a number of adventures and gets over being scared. Each letter has little ink blots and hand drawn sketches that illustrate Little Wolf's experiences. This is a great book. Probably for second of third grade.

Historical Fiction (14)

Anderson, Laurie Halse Historical Fiction

Fever 1793 *#*#*

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

New York 2000

Historic fiction

In 1793, Phladelphia had a Yellow Fever epidemic. Those who could left town for the summer. Those who could not leave stayed and suffered. Prior to the outbreak of the epidemic, sixteen year old Matilda Cook worked her butt off helping run the family business, which is a coffeehouse, a respectable business for a widow and daughter and all the rage in Philadelphia at the time. Matilda and her mom share a bedroom over the coffeehouse and her grandfather has a second bedroom. Behind the coffeehouse, which her father built several blocks inland from the busy downtown waterfront, is a garden of herbs and vegetables (and the privy).

Philadelphia was the capital of the United States from 1970 to 1980. It had a large Quaker influence and many Philadelphia citizens were against slavery. Free blacks in Philadelphia were treated better than in many other places. Yellow Fever shut Philadelphia down. Business and government came to a halt. The members of the Free African Society were angels of mercy all across the city.

Matilda gets separated from her mother. She and her grandfather take care of each other. Matilda gets the fever but recovers as she is cared for by the French doctors who have greater success against the fever than do the British trained doctors with their bloodletting. Grandpa has a heart attack and dies. Matilda finds Eliza, the black woman who had been the talented chef at their coffeehouse as well as a practically a member of the family. Matilda and Eliza help each other through the rest of the epidemic. Naturally Matilda grows up rapidly through this whole ordeal.

This is a really good book. I liked Matilda, Eliza, and Grandpa a great deal. The characters were well drawn and detailed, realistic. The situation was historically accurate and included detail of day to day social life in Philadelphia in the 1790s. One can get a feel for what it was like to live then. This book is designated as an outstanding book by the Junior Library Guild. At the back of the book are several pages of really useful historical notes.

Note: I need to look for her book Speak

Armstrong, Jennifer, editor Historical Realistic Fiction

Shattered: stories of children and war *#*#* fifth, sixth, YA

This is a collection of stories about the effects of war on the lives of children. They are from a variety of authors and are about various wars. The editor says she wants us each to try to put ourselves in the shoes of the characters of each story. They are just children, with families and school, chores and friends but their lives are in complete turmoil. The stories are definitely unsettling, as they should be. I can remember a little about the Six Day War in 1967, and I can very much identify with Jacket in the story “Things Happen” by Fraustino. Many of these children are impressive in their dealing with emergencies, but all of them are forced to deal with tragedy that is way beyond anything a child should have to handle. The stories are all well written and really capture the situations; the characters are strongly drawn. This collection makes a really eloquent demonstration of the trauma and travail of being a child of war. The editor has succeeded in her goal which was to present a group of stories that help us, through the idiosyncrasies of story, character, and setting … "to begin to form [our] own ideas about what war is, what it means, where it comes from, and what happens when it happens.” Shattered is an absolutely appropriate title for this collection. War shatters life after life.

Armstrong, William H.

Sounder *#*#

Illustrations by James Barkley

HarperCollins Publishers: New York 1969

Newberry Award

This story is told in the third person and the main character is referred to as “the boy”. This boy is hardly more than a child and is the oldest son of a black couple who live in a sharecropper’s cabin at some distance from any other of the cabins. There are a couple of younger children as well. The hunting is poor this winter and finally the father becomes desperate and goes and steals a ham from somewhere. His wife cooks it up and they get one good meal out of it before several white men turn up to take the father into custody for the theft and shoot at the dog named Sounder. Naturally the boy is traumatized but he seems to displace much of his concern for his father onto the dog. The dog is maybe someone he can do something about and his father is not.

The dog crawls under the house but when the boy looks for him he is gone. The boy actually only figured to find him dying or dead, but he wasn’t there. So then he hopes maybe he is alive and will come back. Much later Sounder does return and but he is now one eyed, one eared, three legged and seems to have lost his voice. Meanwhile the boy visits his father once at the jail and then his father is moved to hard-labor in some unknown location. The boy goes out searching for his father periodically around the county and further field. His mother wants him to stop and be patient but he just can’t. On his travels he meets a black man who teaches a Negro School and who invites him to come and live with him and take care of the teacher’s chores in exchange for room and board and educating. His mom says it is the Lord providing so he should go. So he does and lives with the teacher. He goes home during planting and harvesting because his family’s rent for the sharecropping cabin must be paid in labor. At the end of the summer, he leaves his family with plenty of wood chopped, etc., so they will be all right till he returns.

Much more talking about than action or dialogue. But it is a moving story well told. Gives insight into the life of sharecroppers. And I can understand deciding one day just to hell with it I am feeding my family tonight. The boy has a couple of very ugly interactions with southern white racist powerful men!

Bauer, Marion Dane

Land of the Buffalo Bones: The Diary of Mary Ann Elizabeth Rodgers, an English Girl in Minnesota (From the Dear America Series) *#*# fifth grade?

Scholastic Inc. New York 2003

The author used her own family’;s story as the basis for this first historical novel.

Mary Ann Elizabeth Rodgers, fourteen years old and commonly called Polly, begins by thinking herself wonderfully lucky and rich to be going to the New Worldwith her wonderful Papa, the Reverend Rodgers, who is the leader of this colony of 80 as well as being their minister. Polly is the oldest daughter and constantly called upon to help her step-mother care for her small sisters and brothers, whom she calls the Littles. She begins her diary on board ship where she is one of the few in her family who is not seasick. Her story continues on board a train that becomes stuck in a blizzard. Finally they arrive at their destination and they build a soddie, which is a home with a dirt floor and walls made of uniformly cut chunks of soil with grass growing from it. It makes a rqther dark but really well insulated home. Polly’s diary covers the family’s first year in Minnesota with its many surprises and struggles. Minnesota is colder than anyone could have imagined. The community blames the Reverend Rodgers for misinforming them. By the end of that year Polly no longer thinks her father so wonderful; he is really rather an unrealistic dreamer. She gains a great deal of respect for her step-mother and finally at the very end calls her mother. Polly stands by her best friend, Jane, even when she “goes native” (my description). All in all it is a very believable and realistic story of life as it must have been and at the same time a good read.

Carbone, Elisa Historical Realistic Fiction

Storm Warriors fifth grade and up

Map Illustration: Peter Siu

Jacket Illustration: Don Demers

Alfred A. Knopf New York 2001

This is a novel “inspired by the real Pea Island Life-Saving Station on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the 1890s.” The crew of the Pea Island Life-Saving Station was all black, the only black crew in the state though there had earlier been integrated black and white life-saving stations. In 1996 the Pea Island crew were posthumously awarded the highest honor in the U.S. Life-Saving Service – the Gold Life-Saving Medal.

The story focuses on a boy by the name of Nathan who in 1895 is living on Pea Island with his fisherman father and grandfather. All three of them help the Life-Saving crew when they can and Nathan decides he wants to grow up to be one of the Pea Island crew. The men are happy to have him around and teach him all they can, but his daddy doesn’t want him to dream of being one of them because there is only one African American crew and getting a position would be really tough. In fact his best friends will fight him over it; they want that position too.

This is a really good book. The characters are well drawn and the setting is a character too. Good language, unique story, specific to the locale. At the back of the book is some history of the Pea Island crew.

Also need to look for her book Stealing Freedom in which the protagonist is a slave or former slave girl.

Jason's Story ?

Dahlberg, Maurine F.

Farrar, Straus and Giroux New York, NY 2007

Set in the mid-1800s, this is the story of a 13 year old house slave, Jonas, who grew up on a farm in Missouri and is in line to become the master's personal valet. This sounds like a dream come true to him. But then he is sent on a journey with the good-for-nothing son of the master who is going to try his hand at being a gold miner. Jonas is going along as cook and general slave for the son and two more stable men. On the journey Jonas has many new experiences; for the first time in his life his contribution, his cooking, brings him praise and acceptance as a full participant. The others in the wagon train and the whole atmosphere of this moving community is rather egalitarian. Besides staying alive and making it to one's destination safely has to take priority over keping to one's proper place. Jonas learns a lot and is permanently changed.

Finney, Patricia writing as Lady Grace Cavendish

Assassin Historical Fiction / Mystery

The Lady Grace mysteries from the daybookes of Lady Grace Cavendish, book the first

I did not actually expect to like this book, but I do. Lady Grace Cavendish is 13 years old and the favorite maid-of-honor to Queen Elizabeth I. Lady Grace was orphaned the previous year when her mother saved the queen's life. Queen Elizabeth is requiring Lady Grace to choose a betrothed, which Grace really does not want to do, but then a murder intervenes. Lady Grace is a not very ladylike young lady with a strong will, an observant eye, and a sharp mind. Also, she has friends in very unlikely places. It is a good adventure.

Gregory, Kristiana Historical Fiction

Orphan Runaways

Twelve year old Danny and his six yeawr old brother run away from a San Francisco orphanage in order to avoid being separated. They go to find their Uncle in Bodie, CA, a gold rush boomtown, where a saloon owner and a kindly, female, faroh dealer befriend and assist them. Their adventures are realistic for the time and place. Story raises the issue of prejudice and discrimination against the Chinese. Author's note at the end is more good history.

Hearn. Julie

The Minister’s Daughter *#*#* YA

Atheneum Books for Young Readers/ Simon & Schuster 2005

The story takes place in 1645 and is being told by Patience Madden (the minister’s other daughter) in 1692. It takes place in a small community in the countryside in England during the English Civil War which was triggered by arguments about church reforms; religion was a major issue at the time. Patience and her sister Grace are the daughters of a Puritan minister (who is actually planning on coming to the New World). When Grace becomes pregnant by the son of the local blacksmith she dares not tell anyone, so instead she pretends that she has been bewitched by Nell. Nell is the grand-daughter of the local herb woman/midwife; she is called the cunning woman. Nell is studying everything her grandmother can teach her about healing and the collecting, use, and preparation of the herbs that grow in the area. The blacksmith’s son is her good friend and she knows that Grace is pregnant by him and she makes the mistake of announcing that Grace is pregnant to the Minister’s housekeeper. The minister cannot allow this story to get out so he tries to eliminate Nell and her grandmother by accusing them of witchcraft. Patience who follows Grace’s orders to take to her bed with her sister and say crazy things and spit pins out of her mouth knows that Grace has been sneaking out of the house to lie with someone. So had she known how pregnancy occurs she would have known the truth, but she did not.

The story is pretty scary as are all stories about women being accused of witchcraft. It is a tragedy. It is also very informative about the life and prejudices of the times. Really good book

Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie

Lumber Camp Library *#*#

Illustrated by James Bernardin

HarperCollins New York 2002

“Ruby was born in 1912 in a lumber camp in the northern hills of Vermont.” That is the first line of the book. Most of the story takes place about ten to twelve or fourteen years later and follows Ruby and her family’s fortunes from the time she is ten for a couple or three years. Can’t tell exactly. When she is ten Ruby starts off to school riding her horse back and forth each day. Her mom wants her to be a school teacher one day. She comes home and teaches the older of her many younger sisters and brothers everything she is learning at school. She teaches them to read and figure and passes on the history lessons she learns. She loves to read! It has opened a new joy for her. At the same time she loves living in the lumber camp.

Ruby’s dad was a lumberjack and a riverman; he rode logs down the river and broke up logjams. It was a dangerous job and though he was very good at it he died. That meant Ruby’s mom had to move out of their cabin so another lumberjack could have it. It also meant that Ruby needed to give up going to school and sty home and take care of the littlest children while her mother went to be a cook in the lumbercamp. Ruby missed the camp that was her community, and her Pa, and her reading, but she didn’t question for a second what she needed to do. Living in town Ruby met the lonely blind woman who lived next door who turned out to be a very good friend to the family.

This is a good book. I wish it was longer or that there were a sequel. A few of the characters were well developed and others left pretty vague. The detail about the outdoor environment, the logging camp, and family life in that time and place are very descriptive. It makes a good historical novel at the third or fourth grade level.

Kjelgaard, Jim

Big Red *#*#*

Illustrated by Bob Kuhn

Holiday House New York 1945 (renewed 1973)

I read this book as a kid and absolutely loved it and remembered it ever since even though I am NOT an animal person. This is a really great boy and dog story. Kjelgaard writes about all the animals as someone who knows them intimately. One can’t help but love Red. He also writes about them as if they are fully developed characters with as many traits and as much personality as any of his human characters. Obviously the setting, the critters lifestyles, the details of dog shows and hound dogs and trapping and hunting are all accurate.

Danny is seventeen. He lives in cabin in the woods with his did, Ross. They are trappers and hunters. One day Danny sees a dog that impresses him as his dream dog: intelligent, sensitive, full of heart. But the dog belongs to Mr. Haggin, on whose land Danny and his Dad live. Mr. Haggin is a wealthy landowner and dog breeder who likes and respects Danny and Ross. When he sees how Danny feels about Red he decides to let Danny be Red personal care taker. So Red comes to live with Danny and his did and their four hounds at the cabin. Danny begins training and teaching him how to be a proper bird dog. This causes some tension at home as his Dad doesn’t see the point in a bird dog. But Danny and Ross have a relationship of mutual respect so they keep working at being supportive of each other.

Danny is an incredibly impressive young man. He can hunt and hike in the woods for hours. He can camp out safely with next to nothing. He can dig worms and catch fish, start a fire and cook them and take care of himself and his dog in the wild. He has strength and endurance beyond most anything you would see today. Then he can go to the city with Mr. Haggin and comport himself perfectly there too. He operates at all times from a very strong sense of morality. He is an everyday hero and a very memorable character.

Lowry, Lois

Number the Stars and Related Readings *#*#*

McDougall Littell A Houghton Mifflin Co

Evanston, Illinois 1998

Mazer, Norma Fox Historical Fiction/WWII

Good Night, Maman ISBN 0-06440923-6

This is the story of a french sister and brother, Karen (about ten years old at the beginning) and Marc (two or three years older) during WWII. They are Jewish and in hiding in Paris. The father has already been arrested, detained, and killed. They are paying a woman to hide them. However, this is only possible for about a year. Then the situation in Paris becomes even riskier and they are forced to move. So this follows them as they travel on foot, stopping and hiding here and there, across France and through Italy. Their mother becomes veery ill and finally insists that they go on without her. the story follows them onto the American ship the Henry Gibbons which brought 982 refugees from across Europe, to stay for the rest of the war in a camp behind barbed-wire in Oswego New York. On board the ship Ruth Gruber taught them English. The residents of Oswego welcomed them and took them under their collective wings.After a month of quarantine Karen and Marc and the other children in this camp begin going to public school in Oswego.

This is entitled Good Night, Maman because Karen is often talking or writing to her absent mother. It is a very good book.

For historical data go to Oswego Refugees on the Internet. See also the Safe Haven Museum at www.oswegohaven.org

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds *#*# fourth or fifth grade

To Walk the Sky Path

A Yearling Book,

Dell Publishing, a division of Bantam Doubleday Del Pub Group Inc.

New York 1973

Billie and Tommie live in the Everglades with their family. They are Mikasuki Seminoles and

They still live in the old way. They live in chickies which are thatched roof platforms three feet off

the ground. Their father works quite far away and has to leave early in the morning and doesn’t get

back until late. The 13year old works like a man with his uncle all day while the ten year old goes to

school in town. Grandmother and Grandpa speak no English. For the ten year old every day is a

walk between two different ways. He has never brought a friend home, but then he becomes friends

with a white boy from his class. This boy’s father works with the Seminoles and is knowledgeable

and respectful of the Seminole ways. The ten year old brings home books to teach his older brother

to read. These two boys are highly capable in the ways of the Everglades and hunting, etc.

The boys are very close with their Grandpa. Their uncle is home more than their father and is

more easygoing than their father and also close with the boys. When their entire camp is

decimated by a huge storm they all move to a new location which is closer to town and handier for

for the family but which is too close to civilization for the Grandmother. Grandmother and Grandpa

go back to the wilds and the boys and their parents move one step closer to the urban civilization.

The ten year old is being encouraged by his father, his teacher and his friend’s father to get as much

education as possible and follow his dream which will make him successful in the whiteman’s

civilization and make it possible for him to be the first to support his family at a new economic level.

Fiction (25)

Adler, David A. Contemporary Realistic Fiction

School Trouble for Andy Russell ISBN 0-15-202190-6

Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand

Second grade reading and interest level, I guess

Andy is a kid who thinks outside the box. He really is not actively doing anything wrong, (it’s perfectly okay if you want to picture your teacher behind bars in a people zoo), but somehow he is always in trouble. With Ms. Roman absent, a substitute in her place, and a little help from his friends, he gets into more trouble than ever. He winds up stuck in the principal’s office, along with his friend Stacy Ann, who has never been in trouble before.

Canfield, Dorothy (Dorothy Canfield Fisher) Fiction

Understood Betsy *#*#* fourth or fifth grade

Betsy was being raised by her young, anxious, fluttery aunt and her grandmother. But when she is about eight or nine her grandmother becomes ill and so they send her off temporarily to stay with a grown-up aunt and her parents on their farm. Betsy had until then been coddled and petted, fussed over and over-protected. Now she is expected to learn to cook and do dishes and be a sensible and contributing member of this farm family. What will become of Betsy? I love this book; I read it first when I was a child.

Christopher, Matt Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Shoot for the Hoop *#*# If you like Bball books ISBN 0-316-14125-9 (pb)

Illustrated by Karen Meyer

Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1963, 1995

Rusty Young is on the side lines reffing a casual Bball game for his friends. Previously he had played with them most every day after school in four-on-four pickup games. Then he had an unexpected health incident on the court, was taken to hospital and was diagnosed with diabetes (same thing happened to a girl on my daughter’s team at about this same age). Because of his diabetes, his lack of experience at controlling his insulin level, and his mom’s anxiety, he is now reffing instead of playing. But he is not happy; he no longer really feels a part of his crowd. And his teammate, Perry, is afraid that at any moment Rusty will collapse and ruin a game. Then a new coach intervenes. Can he make a difference for Rusty.

Corbett, Sue

Free Baseball - *#*# Set in a town in Florida

Dutton Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group

New York, NY 2006

Felix (about 11 years old) son of a famous Cuban baseball player, who risked everything to send his son to America, lives in an apartment with his mom who is always working. Felix’s passion is baseball; he eats, sleeps and plays it and is the best on his Little League team. His mother wants to see him put his energy elsewhere, perhaps into studying. His mother is very unavailable and he has never known his father. Felix works hard to win tickets to a professional minor league baseball game and his mom even arranges to take time off from work to go to the game with him. But at the last minute she sends him off with an obnoxious teenage babysitter who allows her friends to tease and humiliate him. After the game Felix goes down to run the bases along with many other kids and then, hurt and angry makes a sudden decision to ditch the babysitter. He sneaks into the locker room of the visiting team, which has some Cuban players, and is then mistaken for their new and absent batboy. This presents him with an opportunity which he grabs. He ends up going home with this team, hidden in the storage locker of their bus and sleeps in their locker room. Felix thought the baseball players from Cuba might know his father. They certainly knew about him as he was more famous than Felix knew. And the adventure continues. Felix’s mom is forced to tell him all she knows about his Dad. The team manager offers her a job working for the team which pays more money than she had been making. She takes the job and moves and Felix gets to continue to be batboy and his mom has more time to spend with him.

I like it a lot. It is definitely right on track with info about the minor leagues and the culture of baseball. Also has good info on escaping Cuba, etc.

Team manager is a really good mentor and the talented baseball dog is a plus.

Cormier, Robert Realistic Fictiion / 1950s or 60s

The Chocolate War and Related Readings *#*# older teenagers

McDougall Littell (PZ7 .C81634 Ch 1998)

Very heavy!

This story takes place in a Catholic boy’s school. Sounds like the days when I was in high school so fifties or sixties, but it could be a bit later. It is a cautionary tale of what boys can do to one another when left to themselves. Reminds me a bit of Lord of The Flies. A gang runs the school and all the adults pretend they don’t know it, except one who clearly condones it. He is another despot. The chocolate war itself is an effort to sell chocolate bars to raise money for the school. But one teacher and the gang get carried away with proving a specific point about power and several boys are emotionally very damaged while a couple are physically damaged. Themes of bullying and apathy. Can easily believe this could have happened in schools I attended. As a graduate of Catholic grammar and high schools and parent of children in public school, former employee in Catholic grammar school I actually believe that this could happen in a Catholic school far more easily than in a public high school where the students come from a variety of philosophical, ethical, and authoritative codes rather than from a single one. Same for any other closed society.

This book comes with other readings on similar subjects and would make a good reading for a unit on tyranny whether at home or in politics. (Hmmmmh. I can see using The Runner by Voigt and this book together.)

DeJong, Meindert

The Wheel on the School *#*# Set in Shora, a small fishing village in Holland

Illustrated by Maurice Sendak - the cutest little people

Harper Trophy 1954

Newberry Award Winner

This story is set in Shora, a fishing village in Holland. It is a very small town on the shore of the North Sea in Friesland. The story centers on the six school children of Shora, five boys and one little girl named Lina. Lina writes a story about storks and reads it to the class which prompts the teachers to suggest that all the children spend a few days wondering why there are no storks living in Shora. He says, “Sometimes when we wonder we can begin to make things happen.” Boy is he right. Wondering leads Lina to a conversation with grandmother Sibble which alters forever their relationship and provides vital info about storks and Shora. As the reader follows the wonderings and wanderings of the six children and their pursuit of a wheel the reader becomes acquainted with each of the children and gets to know how each thinks and behaves. The author has excellent insight into the minds and hearts of children; his dialog is perfect for the kids. It still rings true, 50 years later. Their thoughts and feelings are real and their adventure causes huge changes within their community as it draws in everyone in town and gives the generations access to each other.

I have to admit that it was a little slow for me, but it is a story I will never forget with characters that I will never forget either.

DiCamillo, Kate Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Because of Winn-Dixie *#*#*- Set in Naomi, Florida, present day

Candlewick Press.

Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2000

Ten year old India Opal Buloni has just moved to Naomi, Florida with her father who is a preacher. Her mother took off many years previously. So Opal and her father live alone together and they have a very good relationship. Opal doesn’t know anyone yet. The story is told by Opal who speaks directly to the reader. The language is realistic and vital, full of life. Winn-Dixie is the name of a dog she spontaneously adopts during an incident at the Winn-Dixie store. It is a rather large and ugly dog but she does not want it to be sacrificed to the dog-catcher. Thereafter she meets and gets to know an assortment of people mostly because of the dog. Shortly she has a number of new friends and she throws a party to bring them all together. She is a dynamo in a calm way.

Very fun book. Should appeal to 8 to 15 year old girls and 8 to 10 year old boys. Reading level fourth of fifth. The book itself is small, only about seven inches tall with lots of space between the lines of print – exceptionally unprepossessing

Eleanor Estes Contemporary Fiction

The Hundred Dresses *#*#*

Illustrated by Louis Slobodkin

Scholastic Inc., New York, 1994, 1973

This is an old favorite of mine. I give it five stars for fourth grade girls.

A girl named Wanda Petronski, who lives with her father and her older brother all the way up in Boggins Heights and comes to school everyday in the same clean blue dress, is made fun of by the girls in her class, especially the most popular girl, Peggy and her best friend Maddie. You see, one day, the first time that Wanda actually tried to join the other girls and speak to them, she told them that she had 100 dresses at home lined up in her closet. Peggy makes fun of Wanda about that and then goes on making fun of her about it every day. Maddie has begun to feel badly about this. She herself has to wear hand me downs that used to be Peggy’s and she doesn’t feel good about that. But at the same time she is afraid that if she stands up to Peggy, then she might be the next target. This story is as much about Peggy and Maddie's struggles over how they treat Wanda and how they feel about that as it is about how Wanda and her family deal with the way she is treated. It is a very, very good book - especially if one needs a book on cliques and social behavior. It made me cry when I was young.

Gauthier, Gail

The Hero of Ticonderoga

www.penguinputnam.com

Our hero is Therese Le'Clerk who is a 5th grader in Vermont back in 1966. She lives on a farm outside town and thinks her family is really bizarre and hopes her mother and father are not her real parents, but the are. A substitute teacher gives her an opportunity at the coveted Ethan Allen (Vermont revolutionary war hero) report. The book jacket says this book offers a hilarious tale of best friends, mad dogs, school crushes, field trips, pranks, oral reports, and heroes. Lots of Vermont history and some social, economic, cultural interaction. It was fun!

Komaiko, Leah

Annie Bananie: Best Friends to the End *# Realistic Fiction

Illustrated by Abby Carter

Pub: Delacorte Press - New York, New York - 1007

One of a series

“Annie Bananie is the new girl at school and every kid wants to be her friend.”

She is a bit unusual. She is just herself and quite unconcerned that anyone might judge her. She is happy, friendly, and out-going. She responds to each child positively. Of course this makes her popular! The teacher, Mrs. Liebling, is great; she is so very positive and validating even while she calls them on their misbehavior. Several people want to have Annie Bananie over for lunch on Lucky Lunch Day, an annual event at this school. Conflict, lies, and misadventure result, but so do best friends. Note: Libby is embarrassed by her grandma who comes through for her in a pinch. I’m guessing these characters are third graders and think this will appeal to second and third graders.

Kehret, Peg

Terror at the Zoo *#*#

Cobblehill Books New York 1992

Ellen Streater, turning 12, and her brother Corey, turning 8, are given an overnight at the Woodland Park Zoo (Seattle). They are going to be accompanied by their grandparents. Both kids are thrilled. They have participated in many animal centered activities over the years with their grandparent and both love animals. Additionally, Ellen is working on learning to communicate directly with animals silently; she has been working on it with her German Shepard, Prince. At the last minute, a string of mishaps place Corey and Ellen in their tent in the zoo all alone. That is, they are alone except for the zoo guard they have not seen and can not find and a stranger who turns out to be a dangerous escaped convict.

I like the characters; they are real and we get to know them. Corey is spontaneous and good hearted and brave. Ellen is sensible and brave as well. They know each other well and can predict each others likely actions, which helps a lot in the circumstances. They make a good team and work together even when physically separated and unable to communicate. They believe in and trust each other. Ellen is able to use her new skill at animal communication to their advantage.

Good book. The whole situation is very believable and the characters are well developed. The plot is good and the story is very suspenseful. Also very current day and the kids could easily by the kids next door. It could happen to you.

King-Smith, Dick

Lady Lollipop *#*#* late third, early fourth grade

Illustrated by Jill Barton

Candlewick Press, Cambridge, MA 2000

One has to really like pigs in order to write this story or illustrate it. I love it. Princess Penelope is a very spoiled, rude little girl of seven, going on eight. Her parents, the King and Queen ask her what she would like for her birthday. She says she wants a pig. They are rather horrified but agree. She chooses a pig that belongs to an orphan, Johnny, who has nothing in his life but the pig. He has trained the pig and so Princess Penelope takes both the pig, named Lollipop, and the boy home with her. She is letting Johnny be her personal peg keeper since the pig only obeys him. Johnny is an impressive diplomat! He sleeps in the barn, takes care of the pig, and begins an unspoken training of the Princess herself. Gradually as Penelope extends herself to learn how to be the pigs keeper and to get along with Johnny, the relationship between the two children alters. Gradually it ceases to be a relationship of sire to peon and becomes friend to friend with mutual respect and joy! This is what Penelope really needed. As she becomes friends with Johnny she becomes much better behaved, aware, and caring. She turns into a nice and a happy little girl.

Laird, Elizabeth

Secret Friends *#* (characters not developed enough) Set in a city in England

G.P. Putnam’s Sons, NY, 1996

Fourth or fifth grade

The secret friends are two girls (attending school together) from very different backgrounds. I think this takes place in England. One of the girls is a foreigner and looks different from most of the girls at this particular school. Both girls are new at the beginning of term, but one blends in and knows how to work the social scene. The other appears different and does not know how to work the social scene. At school they are not seen together but outside of school they begin to be friends. But the foreign girl dies! Themes of acceptance, death, family.

Lansky, Bruce, editor

The Best of Girls to the Rescue *#*# 4^th, 5^th, 6^th grades

Meadowbrook Press – Simon & Schuster, New York

This is a collection of stories about girls who are very competent and create their own opportunities. Bruce Lansky collected these stories with the help of reading panels of girls aged 7 to 13. Some of the stories are original while others are adaptations of folktales from different cultures. Some I have heard before and better told, but overall it is an easy to read and inspiring collection which is exactly what Lansky intended. My favorite is “The Fairy Godmother’s Assistant”, in which the actual FG is on vacation and the assistant can do no magic so she tells Ella that getting to the Ball is really up to her and that she must decide to go and just not let anything deter her. Then she gives sensible advice to a King and his sons and the King tells his sons that her advice is better than magic. And finally Ella returns, after the ball, carrying all her possessions because she is moving out to become a seamstress in town; after the Ball she just can’t possibly go back to waiting on her Step-Sisters. There is a wide variety of stories in here. There should be something for everyone. I particularly like that this book includes stories from: Australia, India, China, Italia, Russia.

Lovelace, Maud Hart

Betsy-Tacy ISBN 0-06-024415-1

Illustrated by Lois Lenski

Haarper Trophy: New York 2000

Nitz, K.W. (2004).

Defending Irene. Atlanta,GA: Peachtree Publishers.

This is a novel about a thirteen-year-old girl who loves soccer and was one of the top player on her Missouri girls’ team. Now, however, she and her family are living in Merano, Italy for a year. There is no girls’s soccer team in theis small, traditional town in the Italian Alps. Irene Benenati is going to have to prove herself to a number of people in order to find a way to play soccer in Merano. We can watch as American and Italian culture clash in her life. (novel for fifth to seventh grader)

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds

Roxie and the Hooligans ISBN-13 978-1-4169-1243-

Illustrated by Alexandra Boiger

Atheneum Books for Young Readers: New York, 2006

Roxie Warbler, the niece of a famous explorer, sits at his feet whjen he comes to visit and listens to every word he has to say until she falls asleep and as to be carried to bed. She thinks he is just marvelous. He has been in a lot of tight spots and has written a famous book about hot to survive anything. Roxie has long been studying his book. Roxie has her own survival problem that has to do with these bullies at school who think it is great fun to harass Roxie every day. Roxie is quite small for her age. So, she runs. Well one day she runs right into a dumpster which drives off and dumps her into the sea. The bullies had chased her into the dumpster so all of them are dumped into the water. Luckily they can see land so they swim for it. Stuck on an island together they discover that there are also a couple of very scary bank robbers on the island with them. After they steal some food and water from the robbers the robbers come looking for them. The bullies are clearly all far more scared than Roxie; she keeps coming up with ideas that might help them, but then she has to implement them herself. Basically she saves them all and turns the hooligans into friends and followers.

Paterson, Katherine

Bridge to Terabithia *#*#* Set on a farm in the U.S., back east, near a city

Illustrated by: Donna Diamond

HarperCollins Publishers. New York. 1977

Newberry Award Winner

Fourth, fifth, sixth grade

A ten year old boy named Jess with four sisters and no brother’s lives on a farm and trains all summer to be the fastest kid in the fifth grade. His father leaves early and returns late working in the city. Jess seems to be the main worker at home, milking the cow morning and night, helping his mother can, feeding his little sisters, doing chores, chores, and chores till he is exhausted. His best friend is his patient loving little sister May Belle, but she is several years younger. His passion is drawing but he gets little opportunity to draw and has no supplies. Every time his littlest sister squawks his mother yells at him. His older sisters tease him unmercifully.

Then some people move in at the next farm. It is a family with one child, a girl who will be in fifth grade with Jess. They are city people. Jess and Leslie become best friends. Jess introduces Leslie to rural life and Leslie introduces Jess to a host of different ideas and possibilities. She draws him into the world of her imagination and together they create Terabithia, “a world of magic and ceremony….[where they] rule supreme among the oaks and evergreens, safe from the bullies and ridicule of the mundane world.” Until disaster. And all the while his sister May Belle is being loving and supportive from a distance.

Themes of friendship and death. Very good book. Will appeal to girls and boys 8 to 11. But be ready to talk about death.

Perez, L. King *#* third/fourth grade

First Day in Grape

Illustrated by Robert Casilla in watercolors, colored pencil and pastel. The medium is perfect for this story.

The main character, Chico, is based on the author’s husband. Chico and his family travel to California as migrant pickers. They move a lot because as soon as they finish picking a crop in one location they move on to where they can pick another. Chico’s mother puts a high priority on education so unlike many of the children, Chico only picks on the weekends and after school. At school he is always the new kid and he is always behind the children who stay in one place and go to school the whole school year. Every morning his mother makes him stand tall when she sends him off to school. At school he is often picked on and called names. Luckily he is very good at math which boosts his self esteem and helps him to stand up for himself.

Ripley, Marion

Private and Confidential: A story about Braille *#*

Illustrator: Colin Backhouse

Dial Books for Young Readers New York 2003

This is a very short story but a good introduction to Braille. Malcolm is initially introduces as an active ten year old who like to go swimming with his friends and is enthusiastic about being pen pals with Laura. It is not immediately obvious that he is blind. When he tells Laura that he is blind she becomes interested in Braille and they send letters back and forth in Braille. There are some facts about blindness and Braille in the back of the book. The letter typed in Braille is great. We could actually try writing a short note in Braille in class.

Rylant, Cynthia

Poppleton in Fall (Book Six) *#*# grade two?

Illustrated by Mark Teague

Blue Sky Press/Scholastic Inc. New York 1999

I picked this up because I have previously read a Poppleton book. I like the illustrations a lot, especially the map of town. In this particular book there are three stories. The first story is about geese flying south over Poppleton’s house and making a pit stop there at his invitation. The second story is about Poppleton trying to buy a coat and getting it from the Big and Tall catalog. The third story is about Poppleton going to the Lions Club pancake breakfast. In this case the lion’s club is a club of real live lions and they make a wonderfully wide variety of pancakes. Fun book. All characters are animals; some are very small.

Spinelli, Jerry

Maniac Magee *#*#*

Little, Brown and Company. Boston 1990

Newberry Award Winner

Boston Globe – Hornbook Winner 1990

Maniac Magee was born Jeffrey Lionel Magee, but after his parents died and his life totally changed he became a legend and picked up the name Maniac. He left his aunt and uncle’s home and wound up living in a place called Hector where the black people and the white people lived on opposite sides of town divided down the middle by Chester Street. And never the twain shall meet. But Magee didn’t know that so he went back and forth at will. He didn’t know about other things that he was supposed to be afraid of or in awe of and so his behavior seemed awesome to the neighborhood kids. According to the author “the history of a kid is one part fact, two parts legend, and three parts snowball” and that is certainly the way he tells this story.

This is a great book. It is really fun and unique. It should appeal to boys and girls age 8 to 12.

Voigt, Cynthia

The Runner *#*#* for 7^th & 8^th grades and up

Atheneum New York 1985

The story starts sometime in 1967 and ends in 1969. Bullet Tillerman is a senior in high school and a runner. He runs because he is driven to run. He runs because he must. He is on the high school track team but he doesn’t run for the competition or pride or his school or his rep. He simply runs because he must; it keeps him sane. Bullet has a horrible mean father, not that he beats him. Rather his father belittles him, insults him or ignores him. He is a control freak – needs to be able to demonstrate that control over and over. He drove his oldest son away years ago and then his daughter, Liza. (Liza is the mother of Dicey etal from Homecoming and Dicey’s Song, so Bullet would be Dicey’s uncle.) Now Bullet’s father is driving him away. Bullet’s mother won’t or can’t stand up to him so she is losing all her children and being more and more boxed in all the time. His mother is Bullet’s only real concern. Bullet is a loner. He is smart and observant and is aware of subtle things that others miss, but at the same time he has so little experience at interacting or making relationships that he also misses other things that other people do see. Racism in the sixties is one of the themes here. Lots of racism at his school which drives events. Bullet makes some major attitude changes on the issue of racism. It turns out that Patrice, the French fisherman for whom Bullet works is an octoroon and Bullet had no idea. But he has long admired and loved the fisherman. Bullet is changed by coaching a black team mate, Tamer Shipp, and becoming friends with him and finally actually runs a relay for the team. The day he turns 18 he enlists and leaves.

Warren, Gertrude Chandler.

The Mystery of the Orphan Train ISBN 0-8075-5558-4

Illustrate by Robert Papp

Albert Whitman & Company Morton Grove, Illinois 2005

The Boxcar Children, otherwise knows as the Aldens, are now living with their grandfather, James Alden, in his big white house in Greenfield. As the story opens they are about to embark upon a visit to Kate Crawford’s Bed & Breakfast establishment in Kansas. Benny, six, is convinced that a mystery will find them there because they are always running into mysteries. His older brother, Henry, who is fourteen, and his sisters, Jessie and Violet are more excited about seeing Kate and living at the B&B. Of course they do find a mystery. They find out on the way there that a famous photographer once came there and took a picture of Kate’s Grandmother. Now the painting is worth a lot of money and someone has offered Kate a lot of money for it. Grandfather Alden leaves the children with his friend Kate for a few days. They have a lot of fun and figure out why Kate’s Grandmother had this painting. A desk with a secret compartment in involved.

Yep, Laurence

The Mark Twain Murders * didn’t hold my interest

Four Winds Press, NY 1982

This story is is set in San Francisco. It takes place in 1864 when Mark Twain was a newspaper reporter there, before he was famous. I love all the detail about life in San Francisco at the time. Also, the protagonist is a fifteen year old orphan. That was practically adult at the time. He has an unusual perspective on life and lives a strange life. He lives in a makeshift tent space under the boardwalk.

Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze River *#*#*

This is a great book. It takes place in the early 1920s. A boy of thirteen, whose father has recently died, and his mother leave their village and go to the city of Chungking because they no longer have any way to survive back home. The mother has a letter of introduction for her son to Master Tang who is a talented and successful artist and merchant in brass. The boy is to be apprenticed for several years to Mr. Tang. Young Fu is excited about coming to the city. He is excited to see the sights of which he has heard from travelers. His mother is very fearful of coming to the city and is afraid for her son. But once he is apprenticed to Mr. Tang, he is obligated to do as Mr. Tang requires so his other’s fears are of less influence.

Young Fu is young and gullible and subject to the feelings of all boys coming of age, but he is strong of character and a bit daring. The Chinese at this time were a very superstitious people and harbored an irrational fear of the elements. They also had a probably justified fear of foreigners. Young Fu is quick to act in a crisis; he can think on his feet very quickly, make a decision and act on it. Consequently he makes friends of influential people who do him good turns. He is hardworking and straight and true and both wins friends and influences people. He grows into a very able young man as the story goes on and his mother becomes less fearful and more comfortable and certainly proud of her son.

The story gives a lot of info about what is was like to live and work among the artisan and apprentice segment of China in that time. China was in political upheaval with one government succeeding another without much clarity. There was great poverty and a huge (possibly a third of the population) involvement in robbery and banditry on roads and rivers. Medical care was poor, expensive, and not widely available. No government could keep the streets safe. Town and city gates were locked at nights. Soldiers were not to be trusted. Even ones neighbors would not help in case of fire or drowning for fear of personal retaliation from the elements. It was every man for himself. And women were totally dependent upon a man even though it may be her son. On the other hand men married who was chosen for them. And the wife left her family as if they no longer existed and became the servant of the her husband’s mother.

Family by Pa Ching must have been about this same time period though about the upper class. At least this book is positive. I wish for more history now. I can see using Young Fu as an historical novel in a social studies or history class. There are several pages at the end of the book devoted to history and facts in a variety of subjects of the time, such as: education, medicines, transportation.

This book would appeal to 5^th through 8^th.

Folklore (3)

Calvino, Italo. (1980).

Folk Tales.

New York, NY : Harcourt, Inc.

This book is a collection of folk tales selected and retold by the well known Italian writer, Italo Calvino in 1956. George Martin translated it for this American edition. It contains many stories including one that approaches our Cinderella and another that is a version of our familiar Sleeping Beauty. Calvino researched all the written down folktales that had already been collected from the old ladies who preserved and passed them on. He wanted to make sure that his volume represented every area of Italia and every different kind of folk tale that Italy had. The book is divided into regional sections. Many of the stories turned up in slightly different froms in different areas. In each case he presented the story that said the most about the area from which it came. It is a huge collection, an Italian encyclopedia of old orally retold stories. Some of them are rather gruesom. (An adult would have to read a selection from this aloud and think twice before doing so.)

Collodi, C.L. (1983).

The Adventures of Pinocchio: Tale of a puppet.

New York, NY: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.

Pinocchio was originally written in 1881 and 82, and first published as a serialized story in a newspaper published in Rome. It was published as a complete story in 1883. Walt Disney made a cartoon of the story in 1940, but the books is much more detailed and far more an adventure and a cautionary tale. The complete version, which I found in the Farmington Library, is translated from the Italian by M.L Rosenthal and illustrated by Troy Howell. It is the Collodi Foundation’s authorized English translation. It is about 250 pages long.

Gerson, Mary-Joan

How Night Came from the Sea: a story from Brazil

Illustrated by Carla Golembe

Little Brown and Company, Boston

This story was recorded in 1917 in Fairy Tales from Brazil – How and Why Tales from Brazilian Folklore published by Dodd, Mead, New York. In this retelling by Gerson, the male sea serpent is replaced by lemanja’, who is the goddess on the sea in the Candomble’ (kahn-dome-bleh) religion, which is a blend of various African beliefs.

The illustrations seem very appropriate to the culture depicted, that is very bright colors and big color contrasts. This is a folktale and has elements in common with all folktales so in that way is rings familiar. On the other hand the specific story line is unique. I particularly enjoy the characterization of night, dark, and cool as a lovely blanket, a relief, a gift after the hot sunny days. I think this is an unusual depiction of the night for kids who frequently find the dark of night as frightening or threatening.

Gerson was in Nigeria in the Peace Corps and traveled to Brazil to explore the Nigerian culture in a “New World form”. Carla Golembe also illustrated Gerson’s Why the Sky is Far Away.

NON FICTION - Organized by subject (14)

Africa

Musgrove, Margaret

Dillon, Leo and Diane Illustrators Caldecott Winner 1977

Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions *#*#*

The author says that she hoped this book would give the reader a feeling for the vastness of Africa, the variety of her peoples and the place tradition holds in the heart of African life and for me it certainly does. I knew there were a lot of countries in Africa but this really brings home to me how very many different peoples and cultures there are in Africa. Both the author and the illustrators did extensive research to make sure the book was accurate and detailed. The art is pastels, watercolors and acrylics. Each one is framed in watercolor and black ink and the design in the corners of every frame is based on the Kano Knot which originated in the city of Kano in Nigeria. In order to convey as much as possible about each people, most illustration include a man, a woman, a child, their living quarters, an artifact and an animal though in many cases these elements might not actually be seen together. Each illustration has great detail; one could study each for some time.

Animals

Sonw Leopards and Their Babies by Marianne Johnston

A Zoo Life Book from PowerKids Press, New York

This book is specifically about the lives of leopards in zoos. There is only one species of leopard and it is endangered because poachers kill them for their beautiful fur. As a result there were in 1999 only about 5000 still in the wild. There were also 600 living in zoos around the world. These zoos are contributing to breeding leopards. Baby leopards are called cubs. Usually there are two to four born in a litter and they stay with their mom for about a year and a half. The book includes good photos and a glossasry. It also includes a website reference: www.mgzoo.com/snowleor.htm.

ARTs and Crafts Books

Zagaglia, Beppe. (2005) Modena: una storia antica, l’arte, la realta. Modena, Italy:Artioli Editore

This is a gorgeous book of photography that chronicles the history of the art, architecture, and commerce of Modena from the Age of Rome to the beginning of the twenty-first century. It united as a country fairly recently by compared even with our country, yet has a long history. And this book is a beautiful way to look at it. It is written for adults but I think American children would enjoy looking at the great photos of a place that looks so different from any American towns or cities.

The Little Witch's Black Magic Book of Disguises

by Linda Glovach from Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Prentice-Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

This is actually a children's how-to book on making costumes, jewelry, and make-up for all kinds of pretend. It starts out with the Little Witch's Code which are safety precautions and clean up instructions. All disguises can be made by children with things generally found around the house. No sewing needed. All materials and instructions are clearly spelled out and set up like a recipe. The Little Witch scenario and the illustrations make it more fun and inspire a desire for costumes and dress-up.

Death and Grieving

Everything You Need to Know When Someone You Know Has Been Killed

by Jay Schiefler

The Need to Know Library

I chose this book because of the tragedy stories that the two little boys Sean I met with last week told us, but I think this is better for teenagers.

This book is fairly comprehensive. I would suggest reading it at a time when one is not dealing with a death because it is a little overwhelming. It talks about how we are all impacted by sudden or viiolent death even when we hardly know the victim. It covers the grieving process. I like the Bill of Rights for Grieving Children on page 40. It talks about how to be there for a grieving friend. It wnds with a list of agencies that children can call upon when grieving.

Everything You Need to Know about Grieving ISBN 0-8239-2623-0

by Karen Spies

The Need to Know Library

The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

I liked this grieving book better than the one above. It starts right out with feelings. It includes anecdotes of various children who are grieving. It says right away that there is no right or wrong way to grieve. Chapter 3 is specifically about death and about dying from illness. Chapter 5 is about a child losing a parent to death and the special fears and stresses that come with that. Chapter 6 is about losing a young friend or relative.

This book also has a list of resources children can call.

Environment

Lasky, Kathryn

The Most Beautiful Roof in the World: Exploring the Rainforest Canopy *#*#

Photos by Christopher G. Knight

Pub: Gulliver Green – a trademark of Harcourt Brace & Company, Orlando, FL 1997

(Nice gift for Cheryl)

Knight’s photography captures an incredibly beautiful place. Real photography of plants and the rainforest coupled with clear explanations of Meg Lowman’s work. Nice write up. And because Mrs. Lowman has brought her two sons along and for the first time is taking them right up into the canopy with her it includes a fresh and exciting view for kids. It is written at a level that grammar school children can easily understand and enjoy. I think most kids would love to make such a trip and can identify even if they never previously were into plants or the rainforest.

Games

McGee, Shelagh (lives in the UK)

I'm A Little Teapot: Games, Rhymes, and songs for the first three years

collected and illustred by her also

This book is full of traditional word, thythm, clapping games - several to a page. Most I know but could not recal completely. It is good to find they are actually written down somewhere. Good mostly for playing with babies and toddlers.

Italy

Hinds, K. (2002)

Venice and Its Merchant Empire. Tarrytown, NY: Benchmark Books

This book presents the history, culture, religion, society, and achievements of Venice from its founding to its surrender, at the end of the Eighteenth Century, to Napoleon. Venice was a major center of art, architecture, music, and culture so there are fabulous pictures of building, sculptures and buildings. It is about eighty pages long and can be found in the J 945 section at J 945 31 H.

King, D.C. (1995).

Dropping in on Italy. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Book Company

This book opens with a list of quick facts about the country. Then follows a story of a trip by hot-air balloon, hence the term “drop-in” in the title. Lots of info and lots of photos included in this book. There are a number of maps and the progress of the hot-air balloon from place to place within Italy is mapped. (3^rd or 4^th grade reading level)

Malone, M.G. (2003).

Italy: Discovering cultures. Tarrytown, N.Y.: Benchmark Books

This is a fifty page nonfiction informational book. It is considered juvenile literature. It highlights the geography, people, food, schools, recreation, celebrations, and language of Italy. There are many great photographs, an illustration of the Italian flag and some examples of the new European Union (EU) coins and a banknote. It also includes a glossary. (probably upper elementary to middle school reading level)

Western Themes

Children of the Trail West by Holly Littlefield Non-fiction/history

from a series called: Picture the America Past.

This is a very bried picture history of children traveling west by wagon train between 1841 and 1869. It is told mostly through old photos and it focuses on transportation, chores, and recreation. It includes the experiences of African-American and Mormon children. Children contributed crucial assistand through their chores. The book includes suggested readings and support information.

The Nez Perce by Raymond Bial Non-fiction/history/

from the Lifeway series (books on fifteen other tribes available also)

pub: Benchmark Books, Marshall Cavendish, New York

128 pages probably fifth or sixth grade reading level

This book begins with a legend about how Coyote originally formed the land which is the ancestral home of the New Perce. This included eastern Washington, easter Oregon, and all of Idaho, and was bounded by the Cascades on its western edge and by the Rockies on the east. The weather here is mild and several rivers run through here. The wildlife was abundant. The area supported a dense forest of evergreens and many stands of fir, edar, willow and more trees.

The book describes day to day life, homes, and chores. They acquired horses early and began to travel further. The Nez Perce life centered around the natural rhythm of the seasons each of which brought specific tasks. Each life season: childhood, youth, marriage, warfare, death and each season of the year brought certain tasks. Spring brought fishing and hunting, while summer meant harvesting berries, nuts, roots, and camas lily bulbs. Autumn was the time to store everything. In the winter they made clothes, jewelry, floor mats, house covering, baskets, carved pipes.

The Nez Perce had a deep spiritual relationship with the earth. This book describes their faith in dreams, their rites, and ceremonies. They liked to play games and dice. Storytelling is central to explaining their world.

The Nez Perce welcomed and assisted Lewis and Clark and lived in peace with white settlers. However, they refused to sign the Thief Treaty of 1863 in which the US Govt stole most of their land. Fifteen years later the US Govt issued an ultimatum to the Nez Perce to relocate immediately to a reservation. Chief Joseph urged his people to accept because he knew they really had no other option for survival at that point. However, a few young men attacked some settlers and Chief Joseph reluctantly supported his young men and led the entire remaining band to run for Canada. They were chased over 1800 miles and many died. The rest were finally caught just 30 miles from the Canadian border. There Chief Joseph gave him famous "I will fight no more forever," speech and asked for time to go out and look for stragglers. The Nez Perce were then exiled to Oklahoma and Kansas and the Colville Reservation in eastern Washington state. Others were sent to Lapwai in Idaho. At that point the Nez Perce population was down from 6,000 to 1500. By 2002 they had increased to 4000.

The book includes a chapter on the Nez Perce today. The book includes many wonderful illustrations both old and new and a handy timeline from 10,000 BCE to 1996. It also includes a Who's Who, language dictionary, and a glossary of terms and references.

Hurry Freedom: African Americans in Gold Rush California

by Jerry Stanley Historical Fiction

Crown Publishers, a div. of Random House, Inc. New York

80 pages fifth of sixth grade reading and interest level

This is the story of the African American who settled California in the days of the gold rush. Shortly before gold was discovered in the American River in Calilfornia, there were only eight black residents in San Francisco and the population of the whole city was less than 1000 people. This book tells a story I had never heard about the part that free and slave African American played in developing California running their own newspaper and fighting to run their own businesses. I had no idea that the west was so hostile to African Americans. I always had the impression that the west was more open and welcoming than the south. But it turns out that there was a strong group of people who wanted California to enter the union as a free state rather than a slave state only because they wanted California to be a Whites Only state.

This is an excellent recounting with excellent illustration and photos of the African-America struggle for acceptance in early California. It contains a number of vignettes of men of conviction who made a difference for their people and dfor the future of California and our country. This book contains an exciting retelling of the six separate conventions and petitions to persaude the California government to extend legal protection to African-Americans

Poetry (2)

Prelutsky, Jack

It's Thanksgiving

pictures by Marilyn Hafner

This contains a dozen poems about Thanksgiving. I love Prelutsky's poems. They are so funny and so true, like Bill Cosby talk about life. These poems run the gamut from going to grandma's to eating to much. I especially like the one called Daddy's Football Game. I might have to send that to my kids right now. The kid who is narrating in this poem says that soon after dinner his dad sits down to watch his heroes loose!

Hailstones and Halibut Bones: adventures in color

Doubleday ISBN 0-385-24484-3

Twelve poems reflect the author's deepest perceptions about color.

She describes not just how they look, but also how they smell, taste, sound, sing, dance, and make one feel. Now it is impossible to casually name a favorite color; they all have so much to offer! It reminds me of a scene in the movie Mask in which a young man tries to describe colors to a blind girl and he using things she can touch or hold. In fact the author does get letters frequently from the blind regarding Hailstones and Halibut Bones.

The illustrator has many award and honor for his illustrations and I can see why. Those in this book are awesome.

Science Fiction (2)

L”Engle, Madeleine

A Wrinkle in Time *#*#*

Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers: New York 1962

“It was a dark and stormy night.” First line and much quoted.

This story centers on the Murry family, especially Meg and Charles Wallace (not in school yet). Also introduces Calvin, who I would say becomes Meg’s boyfriend. There are also their parents which include a father (a physicist), who has been inexplicably missing for a year and their mother who is also a scientist, beautiful and unusual. And there are the twins, Dennys and Sandy, who are age wise between Meg and Charles Wallace and who are better able to blend into the community and school life. The family is Different and Charles Wallace is able to know what his mother and Meg are going to do before they do it. Enter Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which who are actually extra terrestrial and who send Meg and Charles Wallace and Calvin, via tesseract, into another place to rescue their father.

I have long loved this book and especially Charles Wallace, Meg, Calvin and the mother. Unforgettable characters and, hooray! It is only the beginning of the story. Good for fourth to eighth grade.

Lowry, Lois Science fiction/fantasy?

The Giver *#*#* fifth, sixth, seventh grade

This is kind of an eerie story. Probably set a little in the future. The story follows a boy who is soon to turn twelve. He lives in a community in which one has almost no personal choice. As soon as puberty hits one begins taking daily pills to squash “stirrings.” One’s spouse and children are assigned. One does not marry for love and only a select few ever give birth. Those children are then assigned to families, always one boy and one girl to each family. Some people are never assigned children or even spouses and live a single life. Parents raise the children they are assigned with kindness and caring but not with real love. One’s career is also assigned. Anyone who fails to respond properly to any situation three times is released.

The protagonist and his friends are assigned their careers at their group twelfth birthday party. He is assigned to hold the memories of the community, both current and past. A man who has been holding them for many years begins giving the memories to him. The boy finds out many things he never knew and some things no one else in the community knows. Along with the memories he holds feelings. The Giver gives him the memories of war including the horror, fear, and pain. He also gives him the memory of Christmas morning in an old fashioned traditional three generation family. _The boy discovers what “released” actually means. The boy begins having some conflicts within himself. This books kind of haunts me.