8:An Animal Alphabet

Now that Frances and Gloria are fairly fluent readers, we tend to use our reading time differently than we have in the past.  We are still reading tons of picture books together, but we do much more "participatory" reading than we ever have before.  Both girls are good readers, but I selfishly still want to read to them to h.  One of the things I'm seeing about both girls these days is that they don't have the reading stamina to tackle the longer books they want to read.  Frances particularly tries lots of books without success because she wants to read that book, but can't get through the longer chapters.  We tackle this with a number of strategies.  Frances and Gloria often take turns reading the dialogue in picture books.  If I am reading with just one of them, we often alternate pages so they can build up confidence on longer picture books and nonfiction.  I encourage Frances and Gloria to check out as many books as possible, even if they don't finish them (I've learned to ignore comments from the circulation clerks at the public library!).  This ends up being a combination of picture books, nonfiction, longer and shorter chapter books and graphic novels.  I've found that having a big pile of books means they 'll often find something they are eager to stick with.  And I reserve lots of books for us to explore together.  The more engaged they are with a book, the more likely they are to take it to bed with them that night, reading it over and over.  We pay lots of overdue fines, but it's worth it!

This is what happened when I brought home 8: An Animal Alphabet.  Cooper has created a deceptively simple plot in 8.  The book starts with an informational page, which is crucial in such a stark book as this.  He explains that on each page there will be eight of one particular animal.  Cooper footnotes the reasons why there are eight: "Because 8 is great.  Because 8 is round and adorable....Because 8 is my favorite number."  This explanatory page also references the back matter, which I love.  He tells you right up front that there is a section called "Did You Know?' to help identify animals.  I'll talk more about the back matter later, but I wanted to mention that Cooper points a reader's attention to the back matter right away.  I find it discouraging when you spend time struggling through a piece of nonfiction, only to discover once I've finished it that there was something in the back (most times a map) that would have helped me.  Maybe that's my own shortcoming as a reader, but I like to be reminded up front that there is information that I might need.

And I was surprised at how often we referred to the "Did You Know?" section as we read 8:An Animal Alphabet.  This book is a unique combination of concepts - it is definitely an alphabet book (it's in the name, after all!), but it's also a counting book.  Each page includes a large set of capital and lowercase letters in an easy to read font (Century Gothic for those of you who are curious).  Along the bottom of each page is a list of the animals which are included on that page, in alphabetical order.  As I mentioned earlier, there are eight of one particular animal on each page.  But the eight don't all look identical .  The newts, for instance, range in color, size, thickness and stripes or polka dots.  So it can be challenging to find the complete pack. On the panda page, children have to decide whether to count the mother-baby pair as one or two pandas.  It requires a little bit of analysis from the reader.

We used the book mostly as a seek and find type of book - racing to see who could find the tick or tarantula first.  And there were times that we needed the "Did You Know?' section for reference.  Cooper is careful to use a diverse mix of creatures, and I wasn't clear on the difference between an ibex and an impala, or whether an upupa  was a bird or a mammal.  When we consulted the "Did You Know?" section , there was one fact about every animal, again in alphabetical order.  There is also a thumbnail recreation of Cooper's illustrations so readers can match the animal with the larger page.  It was very useful, and even I learned facts such as that snails are more active at night or that rats can tread water for three days (shudder!).

Elisha Cooper, whose book Homer I featured here, has an illustration style that is well suited to an alphabet of animals.  He has a detailed, realistic style so it's clear what the specified animal really looks like.  All of the pages have a white background, and the animals stand out in crisp relief.  While there can be up to twenty animals on the page, they aren't interacting with each other either.  They are scattered around each page, but with the white space and lack of interaction, there is also a museum feeling about each page.

That museum quality to this book is also what gives it appeal to a wide audience.  This isn't a cutesy, themed concept book.  8: An Animal Alphabet  doesn't even have any text other than the listing of animal names.  It feels elegant and will be attractive to a wide range of readers.  It will be a great book for kids who know about animals and want to learn more.  And of course, I have to mention that I love it because Cooper included my favorite bird in this alphabet of animals - the kakapo!

8:An Animal Alphabet.  Elisha Cooper.  Orchard Books, 2015.

borrowed from Lewis & Clark Library

Yard Sale

I have made my fair share of moves in my life.  While I lived in the same house for more than 15 years while growing up (all of my childhood memories involve that house), I have spent the rest of my life changing houses every two or three years.  Sometimes it's been just moving across town, sometimes it's been moving across the country.  And if I've spent most of my adult life moving, Frances and Gloria have made many moves as well.  In Gloria's seven years, she has lived in five places!  And while the circumstances that we moved in haven't always been the happiest, the girls have always learned to love something about each new place - our neighbors, our backyard, the neighborhood playground.

In Yard Sale, Callie's family is moving.  They are moving from a house on a cul-de-sac to an apartment with a Murphy bed.  It's a big change, and because they are moving to a much smaller place, they won't need all of the furniture they currently have.  So Callie's parents host a yard sale.  On the very first page, Callie states "Almost everything we own is spread out in our front yard.  It's all for sale."  You can immediately see how Callie feels about the move.  She sits on their front steps, chin in her hands, totally dejected.  Her life is changing and it's clear she is not comfortable with what is about to happen.  The family goes to look at the new apartment, and Callie says "'It's all nice.'...But it didn't feel like ours."

On the day of the sale, Callie feels even more uncertain.  She sees a woman haggle over her headboard because there are crayon marks on it.  She cries when a man buys her bike, even though her dad reminds her that they don't have room to ride the bike outside the apartment.  Callie tries to participate in the sale cheerfully, but she thinks "I hate people buying our stuff.  It's not fair."  She doesn't want to move, but knows she has to.  She doesn't have any choice in the matter.

And her parents feel the same way.  One of the most beautiful and poignant things about this book and the collaboration between Bunting and Castillo is how easily you can surmise how torn the parents feel about this move too.  The parents' emotions aren't the focus of this story, Callie's emotions are.  But their complicated feelings are so crucial to how Callie deals with the move.  They are trying to make the best of a bad situation by pointing out the cool Murphy bed in the new apartment, even if Callie doesn't accept their overtures.  As the sale winds down, exhaustion takes over her parents.  "Anything that's left my dad is selling cheap.  He and my mom look droopy.  My dad is rubbing my mom's back."  In the picture, they look like they are holding each other up at this point in the day - sad, tired and uncertain.

Then something happens that shifts everyone's attention.  A woman comes up to Callie, who is slumped over, waiting to be done with the day.  "'Aren't you just the cutest thing?' she says, smiling.  'Are you for sale?''  While I'm sure the woman meant it in a friendly or funny way, it was the exact wrong thing to say to a little girl who already knows that this move has to do with money, and the her family is downsizing.  Will they get rid of her, too?  Callie has a moment of sheer panic, and "A shiver runs through me, from my toes to my head."  She is a little hysterical as she goes to her dad, who reassures her that he won't sell her, "'Not for a million, trillion dollars.'"  The illustration here focuses on Callie wrapped tightly in both parents' arms.  All of the busy movement around them at the sale falls away as they take comfort in each other, and feel each other's sadness.

The story ends with Callie's acceptance of the move, now that she has been reassured.  She notes "...it's OK because we don't really need anything we've sold.  And those things wouldn't fit in our new place anyway."  Perhaps the biggest reason that Callie is becoming more accepting of the move is due to what she realizes on the very last page.  "But we will fit in our new place.  And we are taking us."  She has a newfound knowledge that their family won't change, and that is the most important part.

This change is hard on Callie in a number of ways.  One of those ways is that she feels like she is losing many of the things that are her history.  For instance, the woman who haggles over the headboard with the crayon marks doesn't have any idea that those marks were how Callie counted the number of times she read Goodnight Moon.  And it is clear to Callie that the woman doesn't appreciate her crayon marks at all, that Callie's history actually devalues the headboard.  She decides to give her best friend her heart necklace because Callie knows that her friend Sara will appreciate the necklace.

There is a delicate interplay between adults and child in Yard Sale.  As I've mentioned before, her parents' attempt to make the best of a trying time leads to Callie's conflicted emotions.  They are trying their best to keep everything positive, but their body language tells another story.  Once they all admit their mixed emotions, the little family can move on, together.

This was the story that started off my Lauren Castillo-fest this fall.  I read a blog post that mentioned Yard Sale and I then proceeded to check out as many of the books that she had written and illustrated as I could.  That's why I also reviewed What Happens on Wednesday in September.  I love Castillo's illustrations overall - I love the families she depicts.  They are real - sometimes frumpy, sometimes sad, but not afraid to show their imperfections.  It makes me feel like I can relate to these families, whether or not my family resembles the one on the page.  They are real.  The colors she uses here are soft (but not necessarily pastels) and lend tenderness to the book.

Yard Sale is one of those moments that many children will feel strongly about.  They may have moved, they may have had a yard sale to get rid of excess stuff.  Frances and Gloria have done both, and could relate to how Callie felt.  Children may also remember a time when things in their own family were not so certain.  Whatever the situation, Yard Sale is a book that celebrates the staying power of family.

Yard Sale.  Eve Bunting; illustrated by Lauren Castillo. Candlewick Press, 2015.

borrowed from Lewis & Clark Library

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon Wrap-Up

So even though it is Monday, and the 24 Hour Readathon technically ended more than 24 hours ago, I'll do a quick wrap-up post in case you're interested in how the rest of my reading day went. 

When last I left you, I was on my way to the library to pick up holds and drop off overdue books.  There were a lot of both:

 These are all my holds, right after I returned from the library.  Then the girls' dad let me know it was time to pick up Frances and Gloria.   Then Albert and his dad came over.   And essentially the day got away from me.  I had read about 6.5 hours before the library visit.  I only read about another 1.5 hours that night before bed, so in essence I got about 8 hours of reading in during the 24 hour period. 

At first, I was really disappointed by the amount of reading I got done - only 8 hours!  I was comparing it to the 24 hour total, and thinking I had only read a third of the time. But then I realized I was thinking about this all wrong - I got in 8 hours of reading in one day!  That's pretty amazing for me.  And my reading got me past two books during the readathon (I also read about 150 pages of Furiously Happy) that I had been trying to finish all week.  It was a big deal to have moved past them.

Another thing that was fun about this particular Readathon is that many of my friends and family on Facebook read along with me, or shared what they had read, even if it was only for a few minutes.  It was a great way to acknowledge the community of reading.  And a lot of fun to encourage each other. 

So all in all, I will try to do the Readathon again, as often as I can.  While I didn't finish my TBR pile, who does??  It was still a worthwhile investment of my time and energy!

Perfect Fifths - Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon

So here I am, about two hours later, and I've finished another book from my To Be Read pile. 

This is my second time reading through the Jessica Darling series, which ends with Perfect Fifths.  While I wasn't totally satisfied with the story - much of it recreates Jessica and Marcus' first conversation after breaking up three years before - I was ultimately satisfied with this book as an ending to the series.  And now that I am thinking about it, maybe it was an accurate recreation of that first awkward conversation - where you don't want to say too much, but are trying to summarize what's gone on in your life while the other person has been absent.

Now that I've finished two books from my To Be Read pile, I am wondering if I'll be able to read beyond what I had originally planned.  I still feel pretty fresh, and am loving the feeling of checking books off my list.  We'll see how the rest of the day goes.  The girls will be home at some point this afternoon, but will be pretty worn out, so they may be willing to lay low tonight and watch a movie. 

Now off to the library to pick up some holds and return these overdue books!

The Magician's Land : Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon

Well, I think I am in hour four (?), five (?) - it is getting a little blurry - of the readathon, and I just finished The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman. 

I am not going to do much review of this book - mostly because it is the third in a series, and it would give too much away to say much.  But first I will say that this series is for adults, and has some really interesting concepts and feelings in it.  I actually wished that I had reread the other two books in the series (The Magicians and The Magician King) because it had been a few years since I read them.  This book definitely needs the other two books with all of their history, which I loved!  It was 400 pages long, and I had read about 100 pages before I started today.  I think this is the longest book I will attempt today (although A Court of Thorns and Roses is pretty long too), and it feels great to have finished it.

So far in the readathon, I've been taking a break after 45 minutes of reading to get up and do something else - eat, take a shower, etc.  It's helped me stay focused on my reading the rest of the time (another good tip from the guest posters at Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon.  I know there is no way I'll make 24 hours of reading, but I feel pretty good so far. 

On the snack front, I ate toast for breakfast early this morning, and then had the last of the smores cupcakes (recipe here).  Those cupcakes are so delicious I can hardly stand it!  Right now I am making Chex mix and it's almost done, but that is really for the girls - just doing it while I had time.

Back to the reading - going to read Perfect Fifths now and then make a library trip when I'm finished.  See you soon!

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon!

I am just getting ready to start Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon!  I participated in this last spring, without being super official about it, and the fall one turned out to be on a day that I could read a lot of the day (at least that's what I hope!).  Today is Gloria's 7th birthday, but the girls are celebrating with their dad today, so I should have a chunk of time to read.

For those of you who are new to the blog, and visiting from the readathon, here's a brief introductory meme - I am reading in Helena, Montana, where the weather is supposed to be in the low 70's!  It's going to make it hard to keep reading, but we'll see how I do!  Here's my To Be Read pile:

I'm planning to read the following books - The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas, All Hail the Queen (Anna and Elsa), Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty, and Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson.  I'm also hoping to write a blog post about Yard Sale today and make a trip to the library at some point to pick up some holds!

A few words about my To Be Read pile - you can see from the picture that most of these are library books... my library pile has been getting a little out of hand in the past couple of weeks, and I need to return some of these that are overdue.  So I am concentrating on the library piles today!

But as you may also know, I am on the panel for the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Books Cybils award, so I will be trying to do some reading for that too, which is why the Anna & Elsa book is there.  Most of my reading for the panel involves the girls, but we've had a hard time getting into this one, so I'll read it today and go back to it later with them if I think it's worth it!

The Dewey blog had some great posts in the lead-up to this readathon, and one of them recommended getting all of your cleaning done ahead of time so it wouldn't distract you.  I spent last night cleaning and getting groceries, so I am ready to start!  Actually, I got most of the cleaning done, and may vacuum as a break later.  I'm hoping to read about 12 hours today - again, depending on when Frances and Gloria come home, and how the day goes.  But I am kicking it off early this morning.  I'll report back throughout the day.

Thank you for reading with me!!

What Happens on Wednesday

As a single mother to Frances and Gloria, I have very specific routines.  None of us do well when we are not on a routine.  The girls feel secure knowing what will happen next, what will happen tonight or tomorrow.  Those routines keep us organized, keep us going, but can also frankly be exhausting.  Sometimes we trudge through the routine only because we are used to its predictability.  On the blog Mommy Shorts, Ilana has created a series called Wednesday Evenings in partnership with Allstate, and I love seeing it.  She chose all kinds of families, and sent a photographer to document their routines (there was also a series documenting family mornings too).  I find it so soothing to read this series - we are all in the same boat, where we do homework, eat dinner, read and give baths, no matter where we live or what we look like.

What Happens on Wednesdays is all about family routine.  The preschool girl who narrates the story begins with this line: "What happens on Wednesdays is I wake up when it is still dark out."  The mother in me groans at that idea, but there is the little girl, being swung out of her bed by her mother.  The other thing I love about this first page?  When the mom tries to kiss her daughter and is informed "...today is not a kissing day."  And with that statement, they are off.  The little girl revels in the structure - "Then she drinks her coffee and I drink my milk and maybe we have some strawberries while we read stories on the couch."  Even though this book shows one particular Wednesday, you get the feeling that for this little girl Wednesdays are blissfully similar.

After they wake up her dad, he takes his daughter out to the park to play before school.  Her mom has already gone to work on her computer in the back room of their apartment.  Another very developmentally appropriate thing about the narrator is her love of detail.  They don't just head off to school, they "walk past the store with the toy mouse you can ride for a quarter."  If you know any preschoolers, you are familiar with how long it takes them to recount something that has happened to them.  It is never straightforward and simple, the way busy adults prefer.  Instead their stories are embellished with all the details that they have noticed, all the details that are important to them.  And the details the little girl reports give color to her world.  When she and her mom stop at the library that evening, after swimming, she notes that it "has a stuffed duckling that's big enough to ride on.  There are shelves of scary grownup stories that spin around if you push them."  These are the details that make up our lives and that Jenkins celebrates here.

The day has many components to it - the morning routine, the school day, the afternoon (books, nap, swimming), and evening.  Sometimes the little girl notes where things are the same as every other day of the week - she lists out the school day schedule and then comments "Which  is the same on Wednesdays as any other day."  Or sometimes she explains what's different about Wednesdays: "What happens on Wednesdays is Daddy comes home early."  The routine is predictable but still has some flexibility in it.  "I put Band-Aids on Looga, my stuffed elephant or I make a puppet show, or I build a swimming pool of blocks, or I go through the laundry and try on grown-up clothes.  It is different every Wednesday." The other thing this daily routine helps the little girl manage is what is expected of her.  She knows that in the above quote, she is playing by herself while her mother cooks her dinner.  She must come up with a way to keep herself occupied until dinner is ready.

I noticed too that the parents are depicted having a very easy teamwork.  They often tag team in caring for their daughter.  I'm sure the handoff isn't always as seamless as it seems here, but while her mom gets up with her, her dad does school drop-off.  Her mom spends the afternoon with her and then her dad puts her in the bath after dinner.  "And what happens on Wednesdays is I can pick who puts me to bed.  So I pick Daddy."  The routine is very tied to her parents.  The book has a cozy feeling of family love in it - they are focused on their little girl's needs, but there are still other things going on.  They make dinner, return library books, empty the dishwasher - all those "other" tasks that need to be completed.

Lauren Castillo's illustrations for this story suit it perfectly.  Readers can look at any page and know exactly what's going on, even if their family doesn't look the same.  The routines depicted here are universal and comforting.  And the illustrations are packed full of the details the narrator finds so important.  There is the mom getting her daughter out of bed, still in her own pajamas.  Once the little girl pulls her dad out of bed, they go down to pick up the newspaper.  The dad is sporting mismatched pajamas and slippers as they head back up.   While the mom gets dressed and tidies up, the dad stays rumpled and unshaven all day (although he does change out of his pajamas!).  The illustrations work perfectly with the text to create that feeling of real, authentic family life.

While Wednesday isn't a special day - not a holiday or a day to be celebrated - it is a day full of love.  It is every day and yet it's a day that will be documented and remembered thanks to this lovely story.  I love the celebration of family life - it was comforting to the girls and to me as a parent.  It's a great choice for a Wednesday night or any other night for that matter.

What Happens on Wednesdays. Emily Jenkins; pictures by Lauren Castillo.  Frances Foster Books: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.

borrowed from Lewis & Clark Library

Alphabet Trains

When I worked as a librarian, one of the most frequent requests was for books about vehicles.  Boys, girls, parents, teachers - they all asked for books about things that go.  As far as we were concerned, there were never enough books to satisfy the need.  And now that I have a little boy (who we call Albert here) in my life, I know that still holds true.  On every trip to the library, we are always scanning the shelves for more books about his biggest loves - vehicles.  This is why one of his favorite books currently is Mighty Dads.  And Albert wants both story and information at the same time, so he can learn more facts while we read.  There are very few books which combine story and fact to his liking,  I am so lucky to count the author of Alphabet Trains as a friend, and even luckier that she created this second book in the series (I reviewed Alphabet Trucks here, another Albert fave.).

Alphabet Trains follows the same general pattern as Alphabet Trucks did.  There is an introductory verse on the first page.  It serves to set up excitement for readers.  They are invited on this train trip.  As the train in the illustration pulls away, a crowd surrounds the train, waving joyfully.  I'll take a quick moment here to note that unlike most of my reviews, where I write about text and illustrations separately, with Alphabet Trains I'll mostly talk about both pieces together.  That is because text and illustration complement each other so seamlessly here.  I am really not sure I could talk about each individually!  So as the train leaves, and everyone waves, we see that the first car of the train is filled with letters,  Here is our first glimpse of the alphabet train.

Each subsequent page includes two rhyming lines about a type of train along with an accompanying illustration.  As he did in Alphabet Trucks, O'Rourke adds the featured letter into its illustration with ingenuity.  In the letter A (for Auto train), the giant racks where passengers load their cars are A's themselves.  On the Pacific Surfliner page, each of the waiting passengers sport a P on their t-shirts.  The text for the letter U is "U is for unit train - one freight to one location.".  And, indeed, the picture shows that the freight on this particular train is all capital U's in a row.  Clever!

It really does seem like a daunting task to come up with twenty-six different types of trains, but Vamos completes the task with grace.  And these trains aren't all passenger trains either.  There isn't an Amtrak or the B&O Railroad, familiar to us from the Monopoly game, listed here.  Instead, types span from the Q subway train (familiar to me from my review of Lost in NYC) to the Hurricane Train in Alaska.  There are bullet trains, top-and-tail trains, and dinky trains.  For young train enthusiasts, this book is a winner - it gives them twenty-six new trains to learn about as well as a catchy way to categorize them all.

There are a couple of new additions to the series in Alphabet Trains that I wanted to mention here.  Alphabet Trains includes international trains as well, which is a great choice.  Trains are trains the world around, but it is how those trains are used in various countries that is so interesting.  For example, the Victoria Express - it travels between Hanoi and Lao Cai, and includes air-conditioned sleeping cars.  These are so necessary in a tropical environment!  There's also the Leonardo Express, in Rome.  It simply moves passengers from the airport to the Central train station, but does it efficiently in thirty minutes.  And finally the Glacier Express (which I have to admit, I believed was here in Montana, in Glacier National Park).  It's actually in Switzerland, and moves at a glacial speed, taking advantage of all the incredible scenery.  Including trains from around the world helps keep the audience for Alphabet Trains entranced.

And I wouldn't know all these facts about these trains if it wasn't for an addition to the book that I love most of all - back matter.  There are two pages packed with facts about each of the trains at the end of the book.  These facts are so useful.  With only two lines of text per train, there isn't much room to identify the train.  The back matter will also appeal to those train enthusiasts who want to know more.  Again, when Albert and I read Alphabet Trains together, it helped us learn more information.  There is no way I would have known all the facts he wanted without those pages.  On the Hurricane train in Alaska, riders must wave a flag to get the train to stop for them.  And they also have to inform the conductor what milepost they want to get off at.  They are equal participants in their train trip!

With so many great changes, though, I am happy to report that some of the things I loved best about Alphabet Trucks is still alive and well in Alphabet Trains.  I've already mentioned how well integrated the text and illustrations are in this title.  But I'd also like to point out what a strong literacy impact these books have.  I mentioned that O'Rourke incorporates the featured letter wherever he can.  But he also uses the letters in different typefaces, both print and cursive, and in capital and small letters.  It is fun to stop and admire each page, noting all the ways that letter has been used or displayed while still depicting the train accurately.

I cannot say enough how great I think these books are.  And while I've focused mostly on younger reader here, this title could be used as an informational book up to fifth grade.  IT can help springboard students into additional reading.  We love Alphabet Trains!  I've heard a rumor that there may be a third book in the alphabet vehicle series... we'll be first in line!

Alphabet Trains.  Samantha R. Vamos; illustrated by Ryan O'Rourke.  Charlesbridge, 2015.

sent by the publisher for review

The Woods

One of my favorite ways to learn about books is by reading about the titles other bloggers read and recommend.  We don't always agree, but quite often they have read books I have never heard about.  I've also never met a list of books that I didn't immediately want to check titles off!!  So I was in seventh heaven when Janssen published her summer reading list "100 picture books to read this summer".   I "met" Janssen when we served on a Cybils panel a few years ago (Side note: I am so excited to be a judge for Round One of the Easy Readers/Early Chapter Books judging this year!!), and I know that she has amazing taste in books.  So I printed out her list of recommendations and got to work.  Because these weren't the only books we read this summer, it took us all summer to get through the list.  But we loved it - reading old favorites and new titles.  And one of the new-to-us books that I loved enough to write about was The Woods.

It begins with a little boy going through his bedtime routine.  He's in bed, under his covers, finished with his story, when he realizes his bunny rabbit is missing.  The boy knows there is only one place his stuffed rabbit could be.  He gathers some supplies, including a sword, and heads off into the woods.  He announces that he isn't afraid at all.  Until...he runs into a BIG, SCARY BROWN BEAR!  Luckily, the little boy is brave enough to determine that the bear is afraid of the dark.  And the little boy can also solve the bear's problem by providing a night-light.  Because he has been kind to the bear, the bear wants to join in and help the little boy find his rabbit.
 
So with the bear tagging along behind, the boy proceeds through the woods.  They continue their search through the murky, dark woods, finding two scary giants and a three-headed, fire-breathing dragon.  Each time the little boy confronts something new, he doesn't get scared, but makes the effort to find out what they need (that frightening dragon is actually bawling because he has a stomachache!).  When he helps them out, they all agree to help him to find his rabbit in return.  But when the group approaches a dark cave, it tests all of their combined bravery.  The solution is to hold hands and  work together as they venture in.

What is inside that dark, spooky cave?  Well, it's one last surprise to close out the little boy's adventure.  But suffice to say everything turns out okay in the end.  When that little boy finally climbs back into bed, he has a whole host of new friends to snuggle with.

There are several pieces of this title that I think work together to make this a successful picture book.  Some of these are textual, and some are contained within the illustrations.  It doesn't have complex text with lots of words on each page, but those words are full of imagination and adventure.  Readers are drawn into the story immediately through the little boy's bedtime routine.  I have yet to meet a child who doesn't sleep with at least one stuffed animal.  They can all relate to the process of getting into bed, tucked in and slightly sleepy, and missing that one special animal who has disappeared.  When the story changes from a bedtime story into an adventure, children are ready to commit to searching along with the little boy.  Part of this is due to the earnest first person tone in those introductory sentences.

And another textual success is the repetitive structure of the story.  The sentences are fairly short to keep the plot moving along.  And after each time the boy meets someone (or something) new, and the group sets off together, the text claims "And we weren't afraid at all.  Until..."  It's a great device for building momentum - readers can't wait to see what is around the corner.  They will listen intently for the next cue and be prepared when the page turns.  That piece of repetitive text also ties off the previous incident.

One of the things I love about this story is that it takes teamwork to accomplish the little boy's mission.  When they reach the cave, they aren't individuals - they are a team.  It takes all of their effort to face off against that last creature.  The little boy has been clever in solving every character's problems with compassion and generosity.  But even the bravest little boy might cower before that creature, and it is the support of his new-found friends that helps him get through the confrontation.

I thought the illustrations helped make the story so captivating.  They remind me of illustrations readers would experience in a graphic novel.  There is rich color, with an incredible range of browns in the woods and the little boy's bedroom.  And there are fun details in the pictures too - that scary brown bear who the boy meets first has a gold HONEY necklace.  It looks incredibly out of place on a bear in the woods, but makes that bear seem more hip than scary.  When the little boy gives him the night-light, he strings the lightbulb around his neck instead.  The looks on the faces of every character as they discover each other are priceless.  They are often reacting in shock and fear, but they also look hilarious.  These details add to the fun of reading this book aloud.

Speaking of reading aloud, this story is dramatic and a perfect addition to storytimes or just a family reading time.  It is especially perfect with the multiple surprises on almost every page.  And of course, the combination of bedtime and adventure will help keep it in regular rotation everywhere.  Thank you, Janssen, for the recommendation!

The Woods.  Paul Hoppe.  Chronicle Books, 2011.

borrowed through interlibrary loan.

Courage & Defiance

You know I am a fan of well-crafted, thought-provoking nonfiction of all kinds.  I love when a title leaves me with questions - things to mull over later.  I strongly believe that the best nonfiction leaves you wanting more, that the reader will then take the bibliography or resource list and continue to learn.  When I was offered the chance to review Courage & Defiance: Stories of Spies, Saboteurs and Survivors in World War II Denmark, I knew that Deborah Hopkinson would have written a book that would make me think.  I had already read and loved many of her previous titles, including most recently Titanic: Voices from the Disaster.   What I didn't know when I accepted this assignment was that I would cry, cheer and sit in awe of the people contained within its pages.

The story Hopkinson tells is about the small island nation of Denmark.  When Germany came marching into Denmark on April 6, 1940, the country of Denmark did nothing.  The.  Not y quickly realized that their military could not resist the much larger German military, and their best hope was to surrender.  Amazingly, while the Danish government thought this was the safest plan of action, its people did not agree.  Hopkinson writes "But it began that first day, when ordinary citizens woke up to a changed world.  It began with anger, disbelief, and determination.  And it began with individuals asking themselves a difficult, almost impossible question: what can one person - or even a few together - do to make a difference against a powerful invading force?" (p. 22-23)

To me, the answer to the question is continually surprising.  Not because one or two people wanted to make a difference, or even hoped they could, but because so many Danish citizens stood up against the Germans.  They fought back in clever ways, risking their lives to do what was right.  For instance, Tommy Sneum, who was a pilot and lived by a German-occupied air force base.  A German soldier accidentally gave Tommy information about an early-warning system that the Germans were using to watch for Allied planes at the base.  Sneum risked his life repeatedly to get this system documented and the information to the Allies.  This included such inconceivable tasks as reconstructing an airplane in a farmer's barn to fly it across the ocean to England to deliver the intelligence.  And since they couldn't risk landing the single-engine plane anywhere the Germans might discover them, Tommy and his co-pilot would have to refuel in midair.

Tommy's story is just one of the incredibly daring stories Hopkinson has documented here.  And what is incredible to me about these stories is that these aren't necessarily the stories of generals in the Danish military or government officials scheming to save their countrymen.  These are the stories of people like you and me.  Many of the stories involve young people who easily see the injustice and fight back.  Niels Skov begins his sabotage by blowing up German cars on the street.  It may have seemed small, but it was something.

Hopkinson follows several people throughout the war, retelling their efforts at collecting information, performing feats of sabotage, and basically doing everything possible to slow the Germans down.  One truly amazing story begins on October 1, 1943, the day the Germans came to round up all of the Danish Jews.  There were 7700 Jews in Denmark, and it would take the bravery of many people to get as many of them as possible to safety.  Reading this story was one of the times tears came to my eyes - the entire country showed courage and defiance in accomplishing this miracle.  They protected their Jewish neighbors and friends and got more than 7200 of them to Sweden safely.  That is a jaw-dropping number.

Even for those of us who are familiar with the history of World War II, there is something new to learn here.  I mentioned earlier that this book left me with additional questions. Hopkinson's book inspired me to learn more.  In her prologue, she advises "Courage & Defiance is an introduction to a multifaceted, complex story, and there are many aspects I have not addressed." (p. 1)  For example, I wanted to learn more about how 7200 Jews were able to move into hiding without attracting attention from German soldiers on very short notice.  I want to know more about the governmental response.  A good piece of nonfiction gets the reader wondering, and then it provides the reader with strong resources to continue their exploration of the subject.

The back matter in this book is, of course, complete and extraordinary.  There are pages o selected resources (including a section of books of special interest to young readers), online resources, source notes, information on the Danish language, and more.  My only minor complaint is that while I read the book, I kept wishing for a map of Denmark to be able to better visualize some of the action.  I did find one, but it was in the back matter, so I didn't find it until I was finished with the book.  That might be a lesson for those of you who are teachers - encourage your students to explore the back matter first, to get a feeling for what information they will be exposed to in the heart of the book.


These stories give hope in the face of one of the greatest evils our world has known.  People all over Denmark stood up and did something, even if it was small.  Hopkinson's retelling is suspenseful and readable.  I couldn't put it down and can't wait to share it with others.  Thanks again to Deborah Hopkinson for appearing.  For other stops on the Courage & Defiance blog tour, please check http://deborahhopkinson.com/

 

 

Courage & Defiance: Stories of Spies, Saboteurs, and Survivors in World War II Denmark. Deborah Hopkinson.  Scholastic Press, 2015.

sent by the author for review

Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure

I have a confession to make - I am probably a small town girl at heart.  Or possibly a medium city girl at the most.  This might surprise those of you who know that I lived in San Diego until I was 21.  Or those of you who know me from my time living in Phoenix - both big cities.  I do love the benefits of living in a big city - the shopping (an actual mall!), the arts (very few bands make Helena a tour stop!)!  But I also really appreciate many of the things this small town showcases.  And I'm comfortable here.  When I was in college, I took a train from Virginia to Massachusetts.  I had to switch trains in New York City.  Granted, I never left the actual station, but even that experience intimidated me.  I've never wanted to go back.  So I feel a lot of admiration for books with characters who treat New York City so casually - who have, indeed, conquered it.  It's one of the things I mentioned in my review of Starry Night.  And that confident independence (something I could never imitate) is what strikes me about Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure.

It begins like any other school day for these tweens.  They emerge from the subway, thinking about the field trip that day.  And then there is Pablo, whose parents are hovering over him, worrying because it is his first day at this school.  He tugs away from them to enter school on his own, saying "Please just go away!"  But in true mom fashion, his mother gets in the last word, announcing loudly and in public that she's packed Pablo's teddy bear into his backpack in case he gets lonely.  I can feel Pablo's cringing embarrassment from all these thousands of miles away.

Pablo is part of the class going on the field trip, and Alicia volunteers to be his partner for the trip.  It starts off poorly, with the other kids teasing them.  Then  the teacher engages the class in a discussion of their favorite subway trains, since they will be traveling on one to the Empire State Building.  When all the other students rattle off their preferred subway lines, Pablo takes a calculated risk and volunteers the X train.  That starts the rest of the class off into giggles again, since everyone else knows there is no X train.  Pablo has attracted the wrong sort of attention.

But their teacher smoothly moves on from Pablo's mistake, giving lots of facts about both the construction of the subway system and the Empire State Building.  As the class makes their way down to the subway platform, Alicia asks Pablo where he's from.  Pablo replies "Nowhere.  My dad has to move a lot for his job."  Alicia asks Pablo "But where is HOME for you?"  He replies angrily "NOWHERE!", and Alicia states the obvious "Then I guess New York is your home now!"  Pablo huffs "Whatever."  You can already see their emotions about the day in this exchange - Pablo is overwhelmed and negative; Alicia upbeat and positive.

As they enter the platform, the teacher is explaining the difference between express and local trains.  The platform fills with commuters - talking, walking, checking their phones.  Alicia takes the opportunity to show Pablo a map, so he can familiarize himself with the subway system.  Just as she drags him over, though, the rest of the class boards a local train (which makes additional stops).  In a moment of panic, Pablo grabs Alicia to rush her to the train.  But they have rushed onto the wrong train.  The teacher gestures wildly at them, hoping that they will get off at the next stop the two trains share.  In the meantime, Pablo and Alicia argue over whose decision got them separated from the rest of the class.

The panicked decision-making from Pablo and Alicia only continues throughout their travels.  They are impulsive and worried, jumping from train to train.  At this point in the story, this mother was worrying about their safety.  But at least Alicia is a city kid, comfortable with the maze of subways.  Pablo has the sheer determination to conquer the new school and the subway.  The thing they need to succeed in reuniting with their class: each other.  Can they work together and maybe even become friends?

As much of the story fascinates me, being as far from my children's life experiences as can be, what amazes me about Lost in NYC are the layered, thoughtful illustrations.  The series that TOON Books began publishing last fall is called TOON Graphics for Visual Readers, and I think Lost in NYC is one of the best examples of this series.  Let's start with the endpapers.

The front set of endpapers shows a cropped section of the NYC Subway map, including parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.  It has the stops marked in bold black font and the trains in different colors.  The subway lines interweave on the map, showing how commuters get where they need to go.  It's a traditional subway map - one that is most likely available at any stop to stash in your pocket.  It is the same map posted on the wall in the subway station where the class loses Alicia and Pablo.  On the back endpapers, the students' trip is shown.  The scale is off - the children are as big as buildings - but this is purposeful.  You can spot Alicia, Pablo, and their class throughout this map as they travel.  It's whimsical and suits the story perfectly.  Pablo, for instance, enters a subway car at one height, then in the next car, he fills the car completely, looking a little scared and out of his depth.  It also shows Alicia, the class and Pablo all converging on the Empire State Building.  I like this slightly different perspective on the map of their journey - it feels a little more emotional.  It gives readers a unique view of how they all got to their destination.

As we all know, there are millions of people in New York City, Sanchez has the challenge of drawing the crowd of people surrounding Pablo and Alicia throughout the book, but to also keep the readers' attention.  Many people are dressed in muted colors, so that Alicia (dressed in pink and green) and Pablo (in blues) stand out.  But the commuters also have lots of individual details that draw the eye - absorbed in their phones as they wait, shuffling along in single-file lines, listening to headphones, reading - there are lots of terrific details when the reader pores over the illustrations.

One of the other very cool things about this book is the way it incorporates photographs and New York City history into the graphic novel format.  When the teacher begins to give information to the class in preparation for their trip, the class is shown on a map of the subways (again, much like the one in the front of the book).  The teacher explains how the subways were constructed at the turn of the century, which included digging trenches for the trains.  As he describes the construction process, the students perch on the edges of newly dug trenches.  This double-paged spread is also filled with historic photographs of the subways being built - another way for students to visualize what happened then.

Finally, this book does not disappoint in back matter either.  TOON always has great information in its back matter, and Lost in NYC is perfect.  There is a fascinating behind-the-scenes section about Sanchez's trip to New York City and how he found all the details included in the book.  There are also pages on the subway system's history and the subway system today.  Finally, there is a brief history of the Empire State Building and of course, a bibliography. It is especially helpful that the books in the bibliography are provided with age ranges to help guide readers.

As always, these books are quality products, elegantly designed, but with an appeal to children.  Even here in our little town of Helena, Frances and Gloria have read and re-read Lost in NYC.  I hope you will too!

Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure.  Nadja Spiegelman and Sergio Garcia Sanchez.  TOON Graphics, 2015.

sent by the publisher for review

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher

I love a good family story.  And by good, I don't mean that everything has to be perfect, or end happily, although that's nice when it happens.  I mean the type of family story that feels real, honest and satisfying.  In the last few years, I've come to realize that although families may be shaped differently, there is a love there that should be celebrated.  Families are magic when they work, and I love watching those moments unfold, whether in real life or on paper.

When I checked out The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher, I was just expecting it to be a fun read.  But I ended up loving it so much that I've read it twice this spring, and have kept it out from the library way too long.  I am so happy to be able to share it with you!

There are four boys in the Fletcher family - Sam, the oldest, is starting sixth grade; Jax and Eli are both in fourth grade (but at different schools), and Frog (whose real name is Jeremiah) is just beginning Kindergarten.  When the book begins, it is the first day of school..  The first day of school is filled with Fletcher family traditions, including a picture on the front steps before school starts, and a celebratory dinner when they all get home.  I love celebrating the little moments, and this first day of school dinner (there is a last day of school dinner too) is a special ritual I'll be stealing.  Each child gets served all their favorite foods at the first/last day of school dinner.  Eli always chooses Chinese dumplings and spareribs.  Sam wants spaghetti and meatballs (with homemade sauce).  Frog asks for macaroni and cheese from "'the purple box, not the blue box...That blue box is disgusting!'" (p. 22).  The boys' dad is a teacher, so he gets to have a special meal too: rare grilled steak with mushrooms and peppers.  And finally, "Papa had a small portion of everyone's meal, making, he said, a most fascinating study in how something can be less than the sum of its parts." (p. 22).  Whew - that is a lot of cooking - and eating!

Yes, there is a Papa and a Dad in this story and the matter of fact way this is treated by Levy gives me hope for more books where the emphasis is on the family structure, not who is within it.  While the Fletchers are all used to their family and how it operates, though, that isn't true of all of their community.  In the novel, Eli starts at a new school (more on that later), and as they arrive at a open house, Eli realizes that his family is a little overwhelming.  "Eli had been so worried about what his family would think of his school that he hadn't really though about how the school would react to his family. But as they trooped in, Eli couldn't help seeing them through new eyes... 'These are my dads' - he gestured behind him - 'and my brothers.'  Hoping desperately that was enough of an introduction, Eli swooped into his seat." (p.30-31).  Of course, people have questions, but the Fletchers mostly seem to attract attention because they are loud, rowdy boys, not so much because they have two dads. All four boys are adopted and are a mix of races, which can lead to more enquiries.  Eli thinks "He wasn't embarrassed about his family - it wasn't that.  It was just...there were so many of them.  And so many boys.  He knew the questions were coming." (p. 32)  The boys answer questions from Eli's new classmates as a family, united and secure in their story, although slightly defensive when kids get a bit too nosy.

But this novel is about the family at this time, not really how they became a family.  Each boy has their own story during the book as they navigate the school year.  We'll start with the youngest, Frog.  Frog is just beginning Kindergarten, and at dinner on the first day of school, Frog announces that he's met a new friend.  Her name is Ladybug Li, and she has three sisters and two moms.  This is all too much of a coincidence for anyone to believe.  They are already primed to be suspicious of Frog's information.  "Frog had what his preschool teacher had called an engaging and encompassing imaginary world, which Sam figured pretty much meant he was nuts.  Papa and Dad, of course, thought an imaginary cheetah under the bed was perfectly normal. " (p. 23)  Frog continues to insist throughout the year that Ladybug Li is real, but no one believes him.  And she is never at the birthday parties Frog attends, and she isn't in the phone directory...you can understand why everyone questions Frog's integrity.

Sam, who is entering sixth grade, has a great group of friends and plays soccer competitively.  Jax describes his brother this way: "Sam was royalty, kind of like a carnivore with a bunch of gazelles and zebras and wildebeests around him." (p. 7)  Sam's plan for the year involves preparing for the Elite team tryouts in the spring.  Getting on that team really requires plenty of practices, workouts, and an incredible amount of focus and determination.  But then Sam tells stories at the Fletcher Halloween party, and then kids ask him to tell stories during lunch period.  This leads to the director of the school play asking Sam to audition.  "She must have been joking - he'd never acted in his life.  Not that there was anything wrong with it, but he wasn't the type of kid.  He was the play-sports-every-recess type, the make-the-A-team-in-soccer type, the can't-wait-for-the-high-school-ski-team type.  Not the sing-and-dance-onstage type.  Obviously." (p. 93)  And suddenly Sam finds himself taking a risk, trying something unexpected, and possibly putting his soccer dreams on hold.

Then there is Eli.  At the start of the year, Eli is thrilled to be starting at a different school than his brothers.  He's been accepted at the Pinnacle School.  "A school where everyone was the smart kid sounded awesome.  A school where he didn't get 'rewarded' for already knowing the work by being allowed to sit and read quietly in the corner." (p. 15)  The school is expensive, and a huge shift for Eli.  "His parents hadn't been sure it was the right choice, but he knew it was." (p. 16)  This school has a lot of rigor, and doesn't believe in distractions like recess.  As the year continues on, Eli wonders if this is really the place for him.  This is the first big decision he's made for himself.  What if this was the wrong choice? 

Finally, Jax's story involves the whole family.  On the very first day of school, his fourth grade teacher announces a year-long Veteran's Project.  The students find a veteran and interview them about their experiences.  They will also research the war that veteran fought in.  The family realizes that their new next door neighbor, Mr. Nelson, is a Vietnam veteran.  The problem is that Mr. Nelson doesn't seem to like the Fletchers very much.  The boys always seem to be doing something wrong in Mr. Nelson's eyes.  After a contest to see who can hit the car horn harder gets the horn stuck, "Mr. Nelson had roared, threatening to call the police.  Eli had thought it was ridiculous.  It wasn't like they'd enjoyed the forty-five minutes it had taken to find the right fuse to turn the thing off any more than he had." (p. 14)  Diplomacy with Mr. Nelson will require effort from each of the Fletchers in order to get Jax's project completed.

There is so much life going on in this book.  Like any family, they have their ups and downs, but they work through things together.  The characters are dynamic and human.  Papa's sister, Lucy, lives in New York City and is a famous baker.  Frog loves to visit her because "best of all, when they were with her, she told them that, unless it endangered their health or well-being, the answer to any question would be yes." (p. 97)  Best aunt ever!  Every person in the book is full of personality and humor, even the cranky Mr. Nelson.  It keeps the book lively and chaotic, just like family life.

And that is what I love most about The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher.  It is full of family life.  Levy includes the snapshots of everyday rituals as well as the traditions that matter to this family.  In the nine months that elapse during this novel, there are bound to be some of both.  But there is also the family magic - the support, love, listening and guidance that make a family work successfully.  At the beginning of the book, Papa says that the meal he ate is less than the sum of its parts.  Once you've met the family Fletcher, you realize that their strength is the sum of all of them.  I'd like to read another book about the Fletcher family - they've won my heart.

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher.  Dana Alison Levy.  Delacorte Press, 2014.

borrowed from the Lewis & Clark Library

Mighty Dads

In the past few weeks, I've been thinking a lot about dads.  It's only natural at this time of year, after all, since Father's Day was just a few weeks ago.  But I'm also getting ready to blog about The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher later this week, and that's a really great book about dads.  I've known that I wanted to blog about this picture book, Mighty Dads, for awhile, and I was lucky enough that Scholastic was willing to give me a copy to review.

Mighty Dads is illustrated by James Dean, of Pete the Cat fame, which made this book a favorite with Frances and Gloria.  But I knew that this book would be a perfect match for a father/son pair who are very dear to me.  Since the son is making his blog debut here, he'll need an alias, just like the girls have.  The post where I talk about why I chose their aliases is here, and many of the reasons I chose those names are  still true today, more than three years later.  And if you know Russell Hoban' books, you will know that Frances has a best friend named Albert.  Perfect for our young friend, who I will now refer to as Albert.  My Albert turns four in two weeks.  He is full of imagination and chatter, and is blessedly flexible about playing with any and all of the girls' toys.  He is also a big library fan, and whenever we go, Albert requests books about diggers, cranes, dump trucks, and construction sites.  Albert is sweet, loving, funny and all boy in his fascination with construction equipment.  Frances and Gloria never cared very much about those sorts of vehicles, so it's fun to learn new facts about them as Albert does.

Each construction vehicle father in this story takes their child to work with them.  On each two page spread, the father teaches the child how to do the job they'll share.  "Bulldozer Strong shows Dozy right from wrong.  They go roar, roar, roar!"  The simple text (just two sentences per spread) is rhythmic and easy to predict.  Listeners will enjoy chiming in with the sound that vehicle makes.  I can imagine a storytime getting progressively louder with each repetition.  It might also be fun to make the story more physical, acting out the various jobs.  The cranes reach, the cement mixer and his child go spin, spin, pour.  There are all sorts of applications for this story.

Another thing I love about this book is the way the fathers engage with the younger vehicles.  They are guiding their children through the routines of their everyday jobs, but they also are there to protect and support their children.  The text in the beginning of the book states that Mighty Dads "keep them safe and bolted tight and show them how to build things right."  That emphasis on doing their job correctly is referred to throughout the book.  These dads take pride in what they do for a job, in doing it well, and teaching their children to do the job successfully also.  And they don't neglect the fun, either.  "Dump Truck Sturdy teaches Dumpy to get dirty."  Isn't that the best part of a construction zone?  There are so many opportunities to do a dirty day's work.

While the fathers exhibit patience, strength and pride, the young vehicles show their energy and enthusiasm.  They want to be 'just like Dad'.  Each of the little vehicles looks just like a mini version of their father.  While they are trying to do their father's work, the younger versions always produce just a little less than their dads.  Junior Crane has to work on hauling girders on the shorter side of the building; his dad, Crane Long Arm, is delivering beam on the taller side.  Same with the dump trucks - Dumpy's pile of dirt is dwarfed by what his father has delivered. But the child's contribution is just as worthy.  I love the nicknames Holub has created for the equipment too - there's Boom Truck Tall and Boomer, Excavator Big and Vator (I sort of wish this father/child pair were dressed all in black to give off the Darth Vader vibe).  The nicknames keep each family related, but also keeps the personalities distinct.

Dean's illustrations are a perfect match for this story.  The backgrounds are simple and bright, keeping the focus on the equipment and their actions.  On the excavator page, there is a huge swath of blue sky framing the bright orange excavators.  The excavator pair balances on the brown dirt, their scoops digging out the earth below.  It helps create a sense of perspective for the reader, too.  Excavator Big fills most of one side of the spread, while little Vator is even smaller than the adjoining text.

The most winning part of the illustrations are Dean's trademark faces incorporated into the vehicle windows.  There is so much personality embued just by the slant of a large eye.  The crane's long arm resembles a pointy nose because of the eye placement.  Looking at the father-child pairs is so much fun.  The solid primary colors from the backgrounds continue on to the vehicles themselves.  It gives a sense of play to the construction work.  They are bright, attractive, yet simply drawn - the way construction equipment should be.  Each father is plain and hard-working, and proud of it.

And those hard-working fathers are proud of their children too.  When the day of work is done, they celebrate their children's achievements: "When their rumble day is through - Mighty Dads say 'I'm proud of you! Tomorrow let's build something new!'"  I love that the fathers end the day looking forward to spending the next with their children!  And everyone is fast asleep as the book ends.

This book is going to be well-loved by Albert and his dad, and I can't wait to share it with them.  Here's to a fun day spent together!

Mighty Dads. By Joan Holub; pictures by James Dean.  Scholastic Press, 2014.

sent by the publisher on request.

Final Summary - 48 Hour Book Challenge

So I am finished with the 48 Hour Book Challenge, and am a little bit sad about it.  I got a LOT read, don't get me wrong, but I just wish I had had more time.  Life got in the way each day, and I found myself doing other things instead of reading.  And it didn't help that I am still pretty tired from my sinus surgery in the middle of last week.  But with all those excuses, I still read 12.5 hours, and completed five books and one complete blog post (I did write review posts for all of the books I read, but those were short).  It was a fun weekend, and I will for sure participate again!!! 
Here are the titles of the books I finished -
The Butterfly's Daughter - Mary Alice Monroe
Girl Genius, Book One: Agatha Heterodyne and the Beetleburg Clank - Phil & Kara Foglio
The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher  - Dana Allison Levy
Wolf in White Van - John Darnielle
Outrageously Alice  - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

and I read about half of Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, which I'll more than likely finish tonight. 

Thanks to MotherReader for keeping this challenge alive!! 

Outrageously Alice - 48 Hour Book Challenge

So, if you've read my blog for long, you'll know that I am a big fan of the Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.  It had taken me a long time to get to Outrageously Alice and I had been looking forward to reading it.  This is another book that I will blog about sooner or later, so I won't spend too much time talking about it now.

But here are the things that stood out for me in this reading.  Alice lives with her father and her older brother.  There is such a remarkable relationship between the three of them - one that is so rare and fun.  They are good to each other, and both her father and her brother have roles in raising Alice.  Alice is curious, and there are lots of questions that she asks each of them (or both of them together!).
Also, in this book in the series, Alice is struggling with who she will be, both now and as a grown-up.  She wants to be "not boring", which can sometimes cross the line into outrageous.  She's also learning how to interact with boys, which is interesting too.  As always with these books, there is lots to think and write about.  I am looking forward to writing about this one on the blog too!!

Current Reading Time: 10.5 hours reading + 1 hour blogging - 11.5 hours total!!
Books Finished: 5

Outrageously Alice.  Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.  Simon and Schuster, 1997.

Now off to keep reading and I have a blog post to write for today!

Wolf in White Van - 48 Hour Book Challenge

Well, after I finished The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher, my girls came home from a long few days at their dad's house while I recovered from surgery.  It was a successful re-entry, but it required my attention, so I didn't get as much reading done last night as I hoped.  However, I did finish Wolf in White Van last night around 10 pm, which was a victory.  I've read far more than I actually thought I would in this readathon, and I am loving it!  But on to Wolf in White Van.

I read it because it was on the Alex Awards list for this year.  Or at least, that was what caused me to put it on hold.  In the meantime, I had just  read Ready Player One and loved it, and I thought this would be another book about role-playing games that I would like.  But... I didn't get it.  There weren't enough of the things that I was interested in, and I felt like I just didn't get it.  Maybe if I was reading it more slowly, or not trying to read it while the girls watched The Goonies and I kept my eye out for scary scenes, or ... maybe it just wasn't my kind of book. All that to be said - I kept reading to finish it because I wanted to know more about Sean, and what had happened to Lance and Carrie.  I just wasn't satisfied with what there was.

Current Reading Time: 9 hours reading + 1 hour blogging = 10 hours total!
Books Finished: 4

Wolf in White Van.  John Darnielle.  Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux.  2014.

borrowed from Lewis and Clark Library

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher - 48 Hour Book Challenge

I just finished another book - yay!  I'm feeling pretty accomplished today.  I just finished The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher, and I am actually not going to say too much about it, because this was a re-read before writing a blog post.  I have two books that I'd like to post about in the next few days around Father's Day, and this is one of them.  So I'll keep my thoughts to myself for now. 

With chapter books, I tend to read them twice, at least, before I blog about them - the first time I might just be identifying that this a book I'd like to write about, so the second time I re-read looking for themes or quotes I'd like to write about.  Sometimes this second read takes longer, because I am making connections.  Sometimes it takes longer because while I have a feeling about the book, I can't exactly figure out what I'd like to say.  Sometimes it takes longer because I just don't have the time to sit down and work it all out.  I'm happy that I had had some time to think about the themes I wanted to use already, and that I had the time to re-read all at once.  Now on to writing about it...actually, I think I'll keep reading first!

Current Reading Time: 6 hours reading + 1 hour blogging = 7 hours total so far
Books Finished: 3


The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher.  Dana Allison Levy.  Delacorte, 2014.

borrowed from the Lewis & Clark Library