SPECTACULAR POSSIBILITIES

I took a trip up to the Bay Area last weekend. It’s a 5.5 hour drive (without traffic) from LA, and I settled into the driver’s seat, automatically reaching for a familiar audiobook: Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt, read by Lincoln Hoppe. It’s a trip I’ve made several times and a story I’ve listened to several times more since its publication in 2011, yet it has never failed to elicit the same depth of emotion each time. It draws me back to a place I’d never visited and a time I’d never experienced: a small town in upstate New York in 1968, the peak of the Vietnam War era.

Fourteen year old Doug Swieteck is starting eighth grade in a new school in a new town, where his father has just secured a new job after being fired for a poor attitude and a questionable work ethic. The Dump, his family’s latest residence, is small and dingy. His father is spiteful. His older brother is a menace. His gentle mother rarely smiles anymore. And Doug can’t think of a single good thing about the stupid town they've just moved to.

You can easily envision the trajectory for a kid like that: he’ll grow up to be a bully, a thief, a liar, a victim and a victimizer. And everyone else in town thinks so too-- including Doug himself.

Until he finds unexpected solace in a public library and purpose in a rare copy of John James Audubon's Birds of America. There’s something mesmerizing about the paintings in Audubon’s book, even for Doug, who would be the first to tell you he’s no artist. Soon he’s drawn into the stories he sees in each carefully crafted bird, which become the metaphor by which he interprets his world. His spirit soars and dives throughout the novel as he faces a deluge of circumstances that test his resolve to sketch a different future for himself.

Another librarian (whose name I unfortunately cannot recall) wrote in her review of the book that it had broken her heart and put it back together a thousand times. I can certainly relate to that feeling. There’s a lot to mull over here: the tangible and intangible effects of the war on returned veterans and their families, the dichotomy of wealth and poverty, the cyclical nature of abuse, and the problematic prejudices of adults. At the same time there’s the thrilling freedom of art, the unexpected kindness of others, the gentle glow of first love, the healing found in offering compassion even when it seems undeserved, and a long lingering note of Possibility. It’s a tale of resilience and redemption.

I highly recommend listening to the audio version of book (which still counts as reading, in case you’re wondering!) Lincoln Hoppe’s reading of Okay for Now received an American Library Association Odyssey Honor in 2012 as one of the best audiobooks produced for children and young adults, available in English in the United States.

A truly rewarding read for grades 6 and up.

BEFORE PARADISE

It’s 1934, in the midst of the Great Depression, and ten-year-old Beans Curry has had enough of working for close-fisted hoodwinkers. With an eye towards enterprise, he and his eight-year-old brother, Kermit, have been taking on odd jobs around town to help their unemployed parents make ends meet in a time when everyone is struggling.

Like everyone else in the close-knit community of Key West, Florida, Beans isn’t ready to trust the stranger in a shiny automobile from Washington D.C. with New Deal aspirations to turn the island into a tourist destination. Why would people want to travel across the country just to vacation in a town full of dilapidated homes, overflowing garbage, pot-holed dirt roads, and swarms of scraggly children? And besides, how can you trust a guy who walks around town in his underwear? Bermuda shorts, he says? — Beans doesn’t think so.

When a local bootlegger offers Beans a tidy sum to create a distraction, Beans seizes the opportunity to help his family. But after tragedy strikes as a consequence of his actions and the community mistakenly lauds him as a hero, Beans decides he will do anything to repay their trust. Saving Key West will be his biggest enterprise yet.

Jennifer Holm’s middle grade novel Full of Beans is a heartfelt and humorous prequel to her 2011 Newbery Honor Book Turtle in Paradise. The author’s note includes additional information on the background of Key West and President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, which ultimately saved the bankrupt town and shaped its history as a present-day tourism hotspot.

Grades 4+

THE WALLS HAVE EARS

Things can change in a heartbeat. Just ask Noah. One moment he's a pretty regular eleven-year-old living in Oasis, Virginia, looking forward to his friend's birthday party over the weekend. The next, his parents pick him up from school and tell him his name is actually Jonah, he's really only ten, he's from Roanoke, and he's on the way to the airport that very minute to move to East Berlin without taking anything with them. And, since the year is 1989, that means his family will be moving behind the Iron Curtain, where his every move and utterance will be monitored and nothing less than total compliance to the Communist way of life in the German Democratic Republic will be tolerated, where maps show the other side of the Berlin Wall as nonexistent blank space. 

When Jonah (née Noah) meets Claudia--whose parents have disappeared--it seems that she's the only other one who is interested in finding out what's really going on, despite the many strict rules they are told to adhere to--remember they are always listening, don't call attention to yourself, don't let your worries show, never talk about your old life, and so on. Why did his family really come here? What happened to Claudia's parents? And what happens to kids who don't follow the rules? 

This captivating novel packed with strong characters, vivid historical details, and plenty of fast-paced intrigue will keep fifth through eighth graders turning the pages to find out. 

A STATE-OF-THE-ART HISTORICAL MYSTERY

Laura Marx Fitzgerald, author of Under the Egg, is back with a new art-centric mystery in The Gallery. It's the height of roaring twenties, and twelve-year-old Martha O'Doyle finds herself employed as a servant for the wealthy, pompous newspaper magnate, Mr. Archer J. Sewell. The grand Fifth Avenue mansion is a far cry from the tiny Brooklyn apartment she shares with her family, and our inquisitive heroine wastes no time exploring every opulent corner. But it is the ever-absent eccentric mistress of the house--Mrs. "Wild Rose" Sewell, supposedly bedridden due to her madness--who really piques Martha's curiosity. What drove her so crazy in the first place? What is the story behind her hidden collection of world-renowned paintings? And what can a mere maid like Martha possibly do to bring all the secrets of this mansion to light? 

This compelling middle-grade novel features a spunky and relatable protagonist, backed by a cast of intriguingly quirky characters, fascinating historical details, and an action-packed mystery that will keep young readers in 5th to 8th grades turning the pages all the way to the very end. 

KEEPING UP WITH AUNT KATE

In the 1860s before Abraham Lincoln became president, an orphan girl, Nell Warne, was dropped off at the doorstep of her only living relative Aunt Kate.  Aunt Kate wanted no part of Nell since leaving their small town after the death of her husband. You see, she blamed Nell's beloved father for that particular tragedy and has never gotten over it.  Nell was determined to change Aunt Kate's mind by being helpful as possible so she won't be sent away to some orphanage to live with total strangers which Aunt Kate kept threatening her with.

So begins the relationship between Nell and Aunt Kate based on necessity and mutual respect as the two hire themselves as undercover female detectives with The Pinkerton Detective Agency to root out crime and deceit.  The story is loosely based on the real life Kate Warne told through the point of view of fictional Nell through narrative and letters with her best friend of the same age whose family escaped slavery by using the Underground Railroad.  

Readers will enjoy the adventures of Nell and her no nonsense Aunt Kate in The Detective's Assistant by Kate Hannigan. For readers in 6th- 8th grade who enjoy historical fiction and strong female protagonists in an action packed story. 

LOOKING FOR MOM IN MANY STRANGE PLACES

Julia lives with her grandmother and aunt in an old house called Windy Ridge. Her mom has been gone quite some time, and Julia has pretty much settled into a life with her friend Belfry, taking pictures with her Brownie camera of things she finds interesting. Well, her grandmother decides to die one day, so Aunt Constance and Julia pack up the house and head out on the road to find Julia's mother. Without any idea of where they are going, quite a quirky, entertaining adventure unfolds. With a bit of humor and a whole lot of weird, this historical fiction just may capture the attention of even the most reluctant reader. JULIA AND THE ART OF PRACTICAL TRAVEL by Lesley M. M. Blume is an entertaining read for 5th - 8th grades.

NOV 2015

WE'RE NOT IN BROOKLYN ANYMORE!

First they visited their long-lost mother in Oakland in One Crazy Summer, they returned to life with their father in Brooklyn in P.S. Be Eleven, and now the Gaither girls are back--this time visiting their paternal relatives in rural Alabama--in Gone Crazy in Alabama, the third and final installment of the series from award-winning author Rita Williams-Garcia. 

Much like the previous two novels, Williams-Garcia paints an all-at-once funny, poignant, and unflinchingly realistic look at life in the 1960s for these three young black girls and their family. As their father reminds 12-year-old Delphine and her younger sisters Vonetta and Fern while he's telling them to be on their best behavior, "the South's not like Bed-Stuyvesant and you can't get more southern than Alabama." 

And truer words have never been spoken: they get their milk and butter from a cow, the best entertainment is hearing their great-grandmother and great-aunt tell conflicting stories about their decades-long feud, and, perhaps most notably, they experience the very real presence of the KKK. But when a potentially deadly storm strikes, things get even more real as Vonetta goes missing after a fight with her sisters. Will the Gaither girls and their family ever be the same after their time in the deep South? 

This historical fiction novel really tells it like it was, and will make a gripping read for 5th to 8th graders, whether or not they've already enjoyed the previous two books in the series. 

CENTAUR RISING

Arianne and her family leave their home for the evening to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower. This grand spectacle gives her mother some reprieve from their financial troubles.  When it's time to go back home a great light flashes which stirs their horse, Agora.  Little do they know that this extraordinary light would change their lives forever.

When a pony is born the next year, Arianne's family must think of creative ways of caring for it with the little money that they have. To their surprise, the pony is a centaur.  The family must now think of ways to teach the community that although he may look different, there are special qualities that the centaur possesses.

Jane Yolen creatively weaves a tale about the life of a horse and a boy, who must stand together, to help their family regardless of their personal challenges.  The author also includes a historical note about medical practices during the 1960s.  An interesting and eye-opening read. For 5th and up.

RESCUES IN TIME

Ranger always knew he was destined to be a search-and-rescue dog. He’s had all the proper training, and with his powerful nose he’s never failed to find his mark. Sure the spirited golden retriever has a tendency to be distracted by squirrels, but really, what dog could possibly resist the allure of a bushy tail racing past? 

It’s during one of these exuberant squirrel chases that Ranger uncovers a mysterious metal box in his backyard and suddenly finds himself traveling back in time to Independence, Missouri, circa 1850. Though Ranger longs to be reunited with his own family in his own time, it’s soon clear to him that he’s been sent to watch over the Abbott family as they embark on the historic Oregon Trail and that he won’t return home until this mission is complete. 

Fans of Mary Pope Osborne’s The Magic Treehouse Series will enjoy this well-researched historical (with a hint of magic) tale. Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail by Kate Messner is the first of a series, followed by Danger in Ancient Rome (June 2015) and Long Road to Freedom (December 2015). The book includes an author’s note with historical background and references. 

For grades 2-4.

MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER SAD COUNTRY SONG

The year is 1948 and Tate P. Ellerbee is captivated by rising country star Hank Williams, tuning into his Louisiana Hayride radio program every week from Rippling Creek, Louisiana. So when her teacher assigns the class to choose a pen pal, she decides on Hank Williams without hesitation. Despite his lack of response (other than a few autographed photos), she writes him constantly and tells him all about her life and family, including her Aunt Patty Cake, Uncle Jolly, brother Frog, movie-star mama and world-travelling father, just for starters. Tate P. is also practicing her singing in secret for the upcoming May Festival Talent Contest, and wants to make her family, and the country star, proud. But the more letters she writes, the more secrets come to light, and it's clear that her picture perfect life isn't so perfect at all. Tate P. must come to terms with her family's truth and find enough grit to push forward and become more than just another sad country song. 

This poignant epistolary novel by National-Book-Award winner Kimberly Willis Holt features multi-layered characters, rich historical details of post World War II life in the rural South, some smiles and tears, and more than a few twists and turns.  

Dear Hank Williams makes a moving read for 4th grade and up. 

WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

Life is not easy for ten-year-old Ada, living with her mean mother and younger brother in London at the eve of the Second World War. Born with a bad foot, Ada never learned to walk right, which made her mother ashamed of her. Ada is not allowed to go outside, or talk to anyone, and barely gets enough food from her mother. But Ada is a fighter, and takes care of her younger brother and tries to survive to the best of her ability. When the war starts, children are evacuated to the English countryside, away from major cities that might get bombed by the Germans, and Ada and her brother finally get away from their mother to live with a lady named Susan. Although Susan never wanted children, she takes care of the two children, and Ada's life truly begins, and it includes learning to ride a horse, making a friend, and even catching a spy. But what happens when the war ends?

The War that Saved my Life is a beautiful, sad, and heartwarming tale about a girl faced with the worst circumstances who decides to fight for her life. It is also a book about love and family, and the way that both can be found in unexpected places. Ada is a wonderful character to read about, because even though she is hurt, she is brave enough to take care of herself and find her voice.

Although this is mostly the story of Ada and her brother, it is also a historical fiction book. The descriptions of daily life in the English countryside at the beginning of the war are fascinating to read about. Ada and her brother Jamie have to live with a stranger, just as many children had to do to get away from the danger of large cities. And besides that, they have to live on food rations and stand in long lines to get any food at all. They have to look for suspicious activity and report it, and even take care of wounded soldiers. But all that seems bearable with caring people around them as the village comes together to help each other.

This is a book you won't want to put down until you get to its bittersweet conclusion. Fans of The Book Thief will especially enjoy this book.

For readers in 5th-8th grade.

TELLING TALES - NEWBERRY 2015?

Thirteen-year-old Astri has a head full of fairy tales, but her life is far from being one itself. Sold off by her aunt to work for a vicious "goatman," Astri bides her time until she can figure out a way to escape the goatman, get her younger sister from her greedy aunt and uncle, and find a way to get to America to join their father. Along the way, she meets a girl who may or may not be a changeling, a brush that may or may not make coins fall out of hair, and what appears to be a troll's treasure. Though her journey is fraught with many perils, the dangers outside are not the only thing Astri needs to fight. Eventually, she has to face the barrier she created around herself and the fairy tales that threaten to take over her reality.

West of the Moon is inspired by the Norwegian folktale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon," and also by the author's great-grandparents, who met a young girl on their journey to the United States from Norway. Through lyrical prose, Margi Preus tells a story that is a combination of fairy tale and historical fiction, but most importantly it is a story about a girl who may not always do the right thing, but who always manages to find a way out through her courage and wits.

RED BERRIES, WHITE CLOUDS, BLUE SKY

Twelve year old Tomi Itano sees herself as a proud Japanese-American even though she has never been to Japan nor speaks Japanese. In 1941, the year the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and it is this very event that changes Tomi’s perspective on life.  Tomi and her family must endure unimaginable racist attitudes from their fellow non-Japanese Americans who now view them as the enemy. Tomi starts to see the hurtful store front signs that read “No Japs Allowed.”  She is even no longer welcomed as part of her beloved Girls Scouts.  To make matters even more unbearable, Tomi’s father is suspected of being a spy and is arrested and sent to an internment camp in New Mexico.  It did not take long for Tomi, her mother, and her brothers to be evacuated from their home and sent to the internment camp in Tallgrass, Colorado.

As the family is forced to relocate Tomi’s mother becomes worried about their strawberry fields. She also becomes bitter as the family is close to losing everything they own. Selling their belongings for very cheap is too painful; she even breaks her washing machine because the thought of selling it for a quarter proves unbearable.  As the family transitions from their home-life to camp-life, they try to establish a “normal” life by going to school and making friends. As time passes, life at the camp gives Tomi a chance to reflect on how she really feels about the way others treated her because of her nationality.

Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky by Sandra Dallas is a touching story about a young girl during the 1940’s. Readers will be introduced to a terrible event that occurred in America and the toll it took on one particular family.   

For readers in 5th grade and up.

A JOURNEY

A review by Theresa from the Children's Room: 

Based upon a real incident in the 1920’s when American children raised the funds to send dolls* to Japan to promote friendship, understanding and peace, Shirley Parenteau’s SHIP OF DOLLS gives the reader a chance to experience a slice of life from that period in time as they follow eleven-year-old Lexie through a challenging period in her life.

Sent to live with her grandparent’s in Portland, Oregon following the death of her father, Lexie is having a very difficult time settling in to a more strictly run household and life style than the one she shared with her free-spirited mother. Making friends at school is also difficult for the shy girl and the school “mean girl,” Louise, is not making it any easier. When Lexie finds out that the author of the best letter to be sent with the school’s doll for Japan gets to accompany the doll to the big send-off, she sees a way to get back to San Francisco and to rejoin her mother. Things don’t go quite as smoothly as one would hope and it takes more than a letter to get her where she wants to be.

Follow along with her journey and discover her story in this work of historical fiction for readers in grades 5-7. 

*The Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles has one of these dolls on display.

FIND YOUR VOICE

Paperboy is a historical fiction novel set in Memphis, Tennessee in 1959. It is about an eleven-year-old boy who takes over his friend's paper route when his friend goes out of town. The only problem is that Victor stutters, making everyday conversation difficult. He has to pick his words carefully, because certain letters, or combinations of letters, are much more difficult for him than others. Wanting more than anything to be normal like other children his age, he does not talk too much, and only chooses words he can pronounce. However, there are two people he can talk to freely - his family's maid "Mam" who he is very close to, and Mr. Spiro, a man he meets on his paper route who is not fazed by his stuttering problem. When a local junkman Ara T. starts making trouble for Victor, he has to overcome his fears to fight back.

Paperboy  is a beautifully written short novel loosely based on author Vince Vawter's own speech impediment. It focuses on something most of us take granted - the ability to express ourselves with words - and makes us think about how we view others who talk differently. But despite its important message, this book is a quick read with a bit of a mystery and some action. It will capture the readers' hearts and make a lasting impression.

For grades 4 and up.

AN OLDIE BUT A GOODIE

Picture yourself lying on the beach one day, a breeze swishing across your face, and the sun shining down on you as you lay in the sand. All of a sudden twenty wild hairy ponies come galloping by at top speed, whinnying and snorting their way down the beach. That's what it's like on the Island of Chincoteague, and every year the people on the mainland try to catch a few wild ponies and tame them. Some become work horses, some become show horses, and some get to race. Paul and Maureen Beebe are determined to get themselves one of these beautiful wild ponies to raise and care for, and hopefully someday race! MISTY OF CHINCOTEAGUE by Marguerite Henry was written a long time ago, but the story is full of excitement and adventure. The best part about this book is that it is based on a real place and a real pony! For 3rd - 6th grades.

MAY 2014

SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND

World War II home front and magical realism seem like an unlikely pairing, but they work together beautifully in Beholding Bee by Kimberly Newton Fusco.

 While World War II is waging overseas, eleven-year-old Bee is fighting a war of her own. Orphaned at a young age, Bee works at the hot dog stand of a traveling carnival. She lives in the back of a hauling truck with Pauline, a young woman who works at the carnival and is the only person looking out for Bee. But, what makes Bee stand out is the “diamond” on her cheek. Born with a large birthmark covering one side of her face, Bee tries her best to be happy despite the cruel stares and taunts she endures on a daily basis. But, at least she has Pauline, who Bee knows will always protect her from the world. There is also the strange, yet comforting presence of the lady in the orange flappy hat, who it seems only Bee can see and who only shows up on days that have been particularly difficult.

When Pauline is sent to work for another carnival, Bee is left truly alone and must face the harsh realities of the world.  Accompanied by her dog, Peabody, and the baby pig she smuggles out of the carnival, Bee digs deep within herself to summon strength and courage she didn’t know she possessed. Her journey of self-discovery and renewal is inspiring as Bee carves out a new life for herself and learns that she is not the only one who has faced hardship in their life.

Beholding Bee is an unusual and unexpected story. The cover art looks like a contemporary novel, but after a few chapters it’s clear that this is historical fiction that reads like a fairy tale. The stark realities of this country during the 1940s are apparent; polio, rationing, families broken apart by the war, and the treatment of children with special needs are all woven into the story. But, like any good fairy tale, there are bright points and moments of whimsy. Throughout it all, the character of Bee sparkles as she learns who she is and what she is capable of.

Recommended for 4th grade and up.

FALLOUT AND FORENSICS

The last review by Mr. B. of the Grandview Branch, who is now retiring.  He will be missed. 

Forensics and CSI fans, rejoice; this is a thriller just for you. On Saturday morning, thirteen year old Oz Keiller discovers a body in The Cold Case (walk-in freezer) at his mom’s restaurant. Oz’ older brother Dave, chef and now acting manager while mom is out of town, is arrested when his personal chef’s knife is found in the bushes outside the restaurant and identified as the murder weapon. The news that the dead man ate dinner in  the restaurant Friday night, and that he was the reporter who years ago had labeled Oz’ late father a traitor for selling nuclear secrets to the Russians leaves Oz as angry and hurt as he is shaken. No one had ever told him about his father’s case.  

After he pulls himself together, Oz calls his best friend Rusty, a girl obsessed with forensics techniques. Over the next four days, while attempting to clear Dave and to prove his father’s innocence, Oz witnesses another murder; and he and Rusty dodge spies, politicians, police, reporters, blackmailers, the killer, and uncover evidence solving a related “Cold Case.”  Julia Platt Leonard’s thriller, set in New Mexico, pulls the reader in and doesn’t let go until the last pages when Oz discovers a surprise conspirator.

Age: 11-14

KEEP CALM AND TIME TRAVEL

Lee Jones and Joan Lee are opposites in name and personality, but they are also BFFs.  They do everything together - even without knowing.  The night before their 8th grade trip, their parents both tell them they're getting divorced - right after dinner and just before dessert.  After this horrible news, the next morning, they discover that instead of going to California Dreaming, the BEST amusement park ever, their 8th grade trip will take place at a Fort.  The fort sounds like a horrible field trip until they fall asleep in the fort's lighthouse and wake up in past San Francisco - 1863 to be exact.  On their way to trying to figure out how they got to 1863 and how they're going to get home (or if they even want to live in a world with divorced parents and separate high schools), they befriend another time traveler, Samuel Clemens, who teaches them a thing or two about getting around the Wild West.

Lewis Buzbee's middle-grade novel Bridge of Time is perfect for 6th through 8th graders looking for adventure and excitement with a little SciFi and Historical Fiction thrown in.

YOU NEED YOUR LUNGS TO BREATHE...

...You need your brain to think, you need your heart to love. A long, long, time ago, well okay, 1940, it wasn't always easy to breathe. A terrible outbreak of the disease tuberculosis has taken over the bodies of many United States citizens. Men, women and children were dying if they didn't get help quick. This is what happens to Evvy, only her family thinks it is best if she goes to Loon Lake - a place just for people who have tuberculosis! Evvy is put into a room with four other sick girls, and the story talks all about what it's like living and dying with this disease. BREATHING ROOM  by Marsha Hayles is not a horror story, even though bad things happen. It IS a good historical fiction with interesting pictures and posters from that era. Evvy becomes good friends with many that come and go, and learns a lot about the importance of breathing. For 5th through 8th grades.

February 2013