Vive la Paris - cover

This 210 page novel (if it were a person) is a real mensch but I think less experienced readers will be left meshuga. Paris (a 5th grader from Chicago) takes piano lessons from Mrs. Rosen (jazz lover and holocaust survivor).  Woven throughout the narrative are song titles and occasionally some lyrics.  Actually, a sound track to go with this novel would be valuable!  I’m left humming… but young readers are going to be left fahklumpt (look it up yourself – it’s Yiddish).

Strengths of the novel include a struggling but strong family, a main character with a strong and unique voice, wonderful character development in terms of beginning to view others empathetically, and a friendly culture clash of Chicago black and white.  I absolutely adored Miss Pointy, especially in Chapter 9!  Esme named her appropriately ’cause she is one sharp teacher!

If you want a novel focused on an individual topic, this is not it!  Esme Codell has included race, the Holocaust, bullying, peaceful protest, friendship, enemies, piano lessons, brothers, teenage pregnancy, death, God, fifth grade, and more all through the eyes of Paris McCray.  Paris is a unique character, with a unique voice, and while Codell manages to make it all come together in the end, it felt a little A.D.D. along the way.  That probably makes it perfect for many young readers.

I would recommend this narrative for better fifth and sixth grade readers through eighth graders.

Forest Born - cover

The fourth in Shannon Hale’s “Books of Bayern” series does not stand-alone as well as I would wish for young readers.  I recognize that a lot of books have gone under the reading bridge for me since “Goose Girl”, “Enna Burning” and “River Secrets”, but I found myself wishing Hale has provided more review, explainations and reintroduction of characters.  For a reader just discovering this series this will not be an issue, but a returning reader will struggle.

Razo’s younger sister Rin is the protagonist in this adventure.  A great deal of the conflict in the novel is Rin’s inner lack of self-esteem and confidence which results in great inner turmoil.  This drives her to leave her beloved family and home in the forest to follow Razo to Bayern for a change of scenery.  Adventure quickly follows. 

Rin slowly discovers that she has dual and dubious gifts of people-speaking and tree-speaking.  I found Rin’s unfolding discovery of her gifts somewhat convoluted and thus thought this the weakest book in this series.  Hale is an accomplished weaver of story, but her clarity of writing could have been better in this offering.  But fans of magic and fantasy and Hale’s previous Bayern titles will enjoy the book regardless.

The Lemonade War, cover

I always thought the worst part of school was math.  OK, it was PE.  But despite my ineptitude I understood PE and did NOT understand math… so math was the most dreaded class for me when I was a student.  This novel’s many detailed math portions felt obviously planted for the reader’s mathematical enlightenment.  I just skipped over them in annoyance.  I’m sure there will be young readers who feel the same.  Given a reader who enjoys math I’m not sure the mathematical sections of the narrative will be entertaining.  But face it, since I will never be entertained by numbers I am not the best judge.

I did appreciate the very realistic sibling conflict in this book.  Jacqueline Davies has created two very rich and believable characters in Evan and his younger sister Jessie.  Jessie is academically talented but socially inept.  Evan cannot compete with Jessie academically and fails in his own mind, especially, to measure up.  The catalyst for conflict is the impending school year where Jessie will be skipping a grade and will be, not only in the same grade as her brother Evan, but in the same class.  Evan’s unexpressed angst over the situation and Jessie’s inability to read social cues spark a competition between the two of them to sell the most lemonade.  It is war and it isn’t pretty.

Told in alternating voices, Evan and Jessie’s individual viewpoints richly illustrate the difficulties in communication within a family.  If this novel provides young readers with insight into the fact that another person views a given situation completely differently and that not everyone thinks exactly like they do, it would be worth plowing past the didactic math portions.  I especially appreciate the fact that both Evan and Jessie, while in conflict and confusion, are never totally uncaring about the other.  They have a solid, loving relationship beneath the communication issues and immature decision making ; that is what ultimately sees them through.

At 173 pages, plus illustrations, this is a very accessible novel for young middler readers… if they skip the math!

Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff

Patricia Reilly Giff is a “giffted” writer, but there are eleven reasons this is not one of my favorite Giff titles.

1.  This narrative does not have Giff’s usual pace and flow.  The characters are well developed but the plot takes too long to spin out.  

2. Sam’s discovery of a newspaper clipping in the attic listing him as a missing child seems overly familiar. 

3. Cooney did the missing kid thing better in “Face on the Milk Carton”. 

4. Giff seemed to allow too many elements of the narrative as part of the mystery.   So many details are revealed slowly that there is not enough base to launch a solid story.    

5. The wonderful side characters, Onji and Anima, remain unexplained too long.  

6. The title conflict, Sam’s mysterious aversion to the number 11, is never believable and somewhat contrived.

7. Sam’s angst over his “missing” status is also not completely believable. 

I did, however, like Sam’s issues with reading disability and his friendship with a new student, Caroline. 

A nice novel in terms of length (165 p) for fourth and fifth graders, but I fear it will not keep their interest.

And – like the novel – my list falls short.  I did not quite make it with “Eleven” and neither did Giff.

Just some brief notes on a few middler/young adult novels I’ve finished reading lately:

Near Hit:  Here Today by Ann M. Martin

Realistic Fiction and Historical Fiction (sort of) rolled into one.  It is 1963 and Ellie has a dysfunctional family due to a self-absorbed beautiful mother who splits before the novel is over.  Well told story of the situation where the child has to be the parent.  The Dad does step up before the novel ends.  Also interesting is the neighborhood of Witch Tree Lane – a diverse community which cares about one another, but suffers derision from the wider world.  (Especially the “two elderly ladies…who lived together for years and were not related” as Ellie explains.) Well told story.  Limited audience.

Near Miss:  White Sands, Red Menace by Ellen Klages

Sequel to The Green Glass Sea which I loved, this novel tries to hard.  Dewey is still living with the Gordons.  The big plot line is Dewey’s mother’s appearance on the scene.  The book details the early opposition to nuclear weapons.  Klages obviously did a lot of research for the book and I painfully felt every bit of that research as I read the narrative.  I also found it hard to care about the characters in this sequel.  Not particularly recommended – even for fans of Green Glass Sea.

Hit! : The Hero by Ron Woods

This narrative surprised me – and after all the novels all these years that is not easy to do.  Not as strong as Cummings’ Red Kayak, never less this is a excellent look at a main character exhibiting character under tough circumstances.  Good hearted narrator Jamie, bossy cousin Jerry, and misfit neighbor Dennis make up the threesome of boys building a raft.  There is disaster coming – you can feel it through the entire novel.  But The Hero will surprise you.  He isn’t who or what you think.  Highly recommended!

Miss:  All Shook Up by Shelley Pearsall

Great premise to this novel – Dad is an Elvis impersonator.  Unfortunately there is no interesting plot nor any character development in evidence.  Not recommended.

Near Hit:  Sparks fly Upward by Carol Matas

Set in turn of the century Saskatchewan and Winnipeg, this is the story of a Russian immigrant family and their struggles and disasters.  The author’s family history provides the inspiration for the story, and it is rich with details of life in a Kosher household with a huge extended family.  Insight into the cultural challenges and prejudices from within and without the family, this book is interesting reading.  This narrative is unique.  For better readers who enjoy historical fiction.

Bird Lake Moon

I have always preferred Kevin Henkes picture books to his novels, but I kept an open mind as I read ”Bird Lake Moon”.

There is something about Henkes’ novels that seem uncomfortable to me as a reader.  It isn’t the the intense subject matter that makes me uncomfortable, rather it is that he seems to try too hard.  Henkes’ novels certainly aren’t contrived, but they don’t flow for me either.  I am too aware, as I read, that the narrative has an author and I am not lost in the story quite enough.

“Bird Lake Moon” brings together two young protagonists, each with a family in pain.  Mitch Sinclair’s father has recently left home for another woman.  Mitch and his mother come to her parent’s home on Bird Lake to help themselves adjust. 

Spencer Stone’s family owns the cottage next door, but have not used it for several years.  Spencer’s brother, Matty, drowned at the lake six years previous and the family’s brave return to the site provides additional conflict for the story.  Random acts committed by Mitch are noticed by Spencer who assumes they are signs from Matty’s ghost.

The narrative leaves too many questions unanswered, I believe, to be satisfying to middle school readers.  Why is Cherry crabby?  Why does Mitch call his grandmother Cherry?  What did happen to Matty? 

Too much vapor – not enough substance.

Too much art – not enough action and drama.

Too much conflict – not enough character development.

I have always preferred Kevin Henkes picture books to his novels.  After reading “Bird Lake Moon” … I still prefer his picture books.

My undergraduate degree was from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. (It was called Illinois State Normal University when my parents attended there.)  So I guess I notice when the word ‘normal’ is in a book title.  “Deliver Us From Normal” (actually set in Normal, IL) and its sequel “Far From Normal” by Kate Klise … or “Define Normal” by Julie Ann Peters… or “Absolutely Normal Chaos” by Sharon Creech… or “Chasing Normal” by Lisa Papademetriou… et al

Waiting for Normal

But “Waiting for Normal” by Leslie Connor is a standout among the above mentioned ‘normal’ books.  (Although I did love the Creech book!)  Obviously the main character, 12 year old Addie, is not from a ‘normal home”.  Her “all or nothing” mother alternately smothers her or neglects her.   As her ex-stepfather Dwight tells her, Addie is indeed resilient; she makes the best of her less than normal life.  But as the plot develops, so does Addie’s character.  By the end Addie stands up for what she wants and needs… with a little help from her neighbor Soula and a cast of truly supporting characters.  Characters which truly support Addie, that is…

This is a novel I will only recommend to female readers, however, as there are several moments in the narrative that revolve around developing “boobs” and the start of menstruation; my 4th thru 8th grade male readers may find it uncomfortable reading.  But it is wonderful read!  Booklist said it best:  “Connor takes a familiar plot and elevates it with smartly written characters and unexpected moments.”  This book is above average.  Or should I say, “above normal”?

I tell my students again and again (as yet another literature based movie appears) that Hollywood has no imagination of their own.  This time, however, author Wendy Mass has borrowed from Hollywood and quite successfully I might add.  While Mass does not mention the movie Groundhog Day, her newest narrative borrows the premise.  But while the premise of a day that just won’t stop coming around again is borrowed from Groundhog Day the comparisons stop there.

Amanda and Leo have celebrated every birthday together, but at their tenth they had a falling out and have not spoken for a year.  With no joint party for year 11, neither of them is truly looking forward to it and it ends up as horrible as they expect.  Not only is it horrible, but they find they have to repeat the day again and again.  At first neither realizes that the other is having the same experience, but finally they team up to try and end the cycle of the repeating birthday.

This is an excellent offering for young middle school students.  I liked it much better than Mass’ previous books which I have read:  A Mango Shaped Space and Jeremy Fink and The Meaning of Life.  Mango had an interesting topic, synesthesia, but the writing was somewhat uneven in my opinion.  Jeremy Fink felt contrived in some parts of the narrative and was borderline didactic.  But in 11 Birthdays Wendy Mass has written a narrative that flows with enough action to keep a young reader engaged and enough surprises to keep a good reader guessing.  And the choices made by Amanda and Leo as they have the opportunity for do-overs demonstrate increasing maturity yet the premise of the repeating day makes any message seem natural. 

Worth reading.  Worth recommending to grades 4-7 and better third grade readers.

If you liked Emma-Jean when she fell out of a tree, you will like her in this sequel by Lauren Tarshis.  Emma-Jean is the same analytical, deliberate kid she was in the first book.  (See my review.)    However Tarshis gave Emma-Jean a new set of problems related to boys and first ‘love’in this second novel.  Only once did Emma-Jean revert to manipulative letter writing, and Tarshis could have, should have left it out.

Emma-Jean and her sweet and paranoid friend, Colleen, are actually equal main characters in both narratives; chapters again alternate between Emma-Jean’s voice and Colleens.  The strength of this second novel by Tarshis is that without being didactic, she has managed to provide a great deal of emotional counseling aimed at middle school girls.  The crushes, cat fights, queen bees, and quarrels with friends in the narrative are all too real and as Emma-Jean and Colleen navigate those waters in their distinct manners, the reader will benefit, I believe.

My concerns with both novels, however, are that the storyline and action are most appropriate for younger middle school students.  But Emma-Jean’s large vocabulary will leave some readers of that age struggling.  This is not necessarily a bad thing – we tend to not stretch our students in the United States enough.  But it is a factor which should be considered when recommending the novel.

Emma-Jean and Colleen are both good hearted girls who stretch and grow in self confidence as the narrative unfolds.  Don’t over-think the deceptively simple plot and I believe you will fall in love with Emma-Jean.  Or at least develop a crush.

We are in our new home and now I am the commuter to work instead of my husband and young adult daughter.  The church we attend is also in this community, so it makes sense economically when you consider the cost of gasoline.  But we left a small town Main Street home, built in 1900, which sheltered us for over 17 years.  We did the old girl a lot of favors – stripping six layers of wallpaper from each room, removing false ceilings, adding and updating electricity and plumbing, replacing windows, updating kitchens and baths, and adding a second bathroom and a third floor/attic family room.  We raised two daughters there, and the dear old house was the only home our youngest daughter remembered.  Since we were two blocks from school and our daughters were active members in the marching band our home was a revolving door for their friends.  I poured my heart and a lot of elbow grease into that American FourSquare home.

But change is sometimes good for us.  And we are pleased with the new home which someone else clearly loved, updated, and cared for before us.  59 years newer, out “new” house is the same age as my husband and I so I hesitate to call it an old house.  But my favorite family antiques have each found a spot.  Unfortunately there is still overflow in the garage, but school is almost out and I will get through it all soon.

So as I sit in my “new” little house and return to writing “Read to me…” I find I must first pass along a link a friend forwarded to me.  Roger Sutton, editor of Hornbook, mourns the passing of Eden Ross Lipson and links to an article, “Future Classics”she wrote in 2000 for Hornbook.  In it Lipson addresses the strengths of the books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I particularly value the fourth paragraph, as my friend knew I would, where Lipson so aptly describes the values integral to those narratives. 

I realize the “Little House” books have fallen out of favor in some circles.  Society changes and we view things through new eyes.  But LIW’s books are not meant to remain current.  They are meant to capture the people, places, and events of the author’s childhood.  Recent research for a civil war project brought me to a digitized collection of Civil War Era newspapers.  The site’s disclaimer caught my eye:

“They [the newspapers] are full of fascinating history, but note that the language in these newspapers is often highly offensive, especially when the subjects are African-Americans, Irish immigrants, or women. Please read this language not as statements of fact but in the context of mid-nineteenth-century politics and society.”

Shall we not use and value these primary source documents because they are offensive by today’s standards?  Certainly not.  We use them with understanding, taking value where we can and recognizing the effects of time on attitudes. 

The Little House books have been condemned by some for their views on Native American Indians.  I do not dismiss that concern, but shall we then lose all that is good and fine and valuable in Wilder’s narratives?  Certainly not.  As Lipson said:

“There’s no magic in the Little House books, no invisible railway platform leading to a fantastic place, no wizards at all. It’s a plain account of ordinary lives, that’s just what makes it so thrilling and so engrossing. The Ingalls family’s ordinary lives are so far from our own. The lesson they teach, without comment, is that there is dignity, honor, and pleasure in work well done. They teach it superbly.”

Change is sometimes good for us, but unfortunately our society has lost site of “dignity, honor, and pleasure in work well done”.  Ask any public school teacher. 

So I would like to add a hearty “second” to Lipson’s views on the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder and I shall continue to recommend them as read alouds to teachers and to students.  We must use the “Little House” books with understanding, taking from them the wonderful values and recognizing the effects of time on attitudes.  For if we don’t we lose so much…

Mr. Sutton and Eden Ross Lipton, thank you.  I believe I shall reread those books yet again.  You can just glimpse my childhood copies behind the statue in the banner on this page.  Now if I could just find the box my copies of “Little House” are still packed in from the move…