So I really don’t want to say to much about the book because I didn’t know a single thing about it when I read it, so the little twist at the end was a really nice surprise.  It’s also the type of book that as soon as you close the very last page, you want to open the first one again and start all over again.  I borrowed this one from the library but it’s a keeper that I’d like to add to my library and I think would also make a great read-a-loud as a family.

A perfect compain book to When You Reach Me is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (which by the way I hated! Previous link is my review).  Our main charater in When You Reach Me, Miranda, has this FAVORITE book which she reads over and over again.  When she first mentions the plot but without mentioning the title (not given till much later – so the comparison between the two books may go over some people’s heads), I thought to myself – ugh, that sounds like it’s SO not my type of book.  At the next book reference I realized that her favorite book was A Wrinkle in Time and yep – so not my type of book!

But When You Reach Me IS my type of book.  One that I would wholeheartedly recommend even if I didn’t tell you anything about it.

Links of interest: Rebecca Stead website and blog, more book blogger reviews.
Genre:  Middle Grade Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books.  July 14, 2009.
Hardcover, 208 pages. ISBN 0385737424
When You Reach Me is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Duck! Rabbit! is the perfect read-a-loud book with its two narrators.  In fact, it was read very energetically by two librarians and it was well received by the kids.  When I got my hands on my own library copy, my husband and I both read it out loud together to the kids.  A fun book to read either on its own or in a group.

In Duck! Rabbit! the off page narrators debate whether or not the animal in question is a duck or a rabbit.  Where one sees ears, another sees a bill.  Where one hears rabbit sounds another hears duck sounds.  The illustrations vary little which I think is fantastic.

But really, no need for me to ramble on about it.   The video says it all:

A great book for kids to think about shapes in new ways.

Links of interest:  Amy Krouse Rosenthal website, Tom Lichtenheld website, more book blogger reviews.  Duck! Rabbit! is a  fiction picture book Cybil’s nominee for which I’m a panelist.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx age 4-8.
Publisher:  Chronicle Books.  March 11, 2009.
Hardcover, 40 pages. ISBN 0811868656
Duck! Rabbit! is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

After the funeral Becky and her family are expected to go back to normal.  But normal doesn’t exist anymore.  No one is happy anymore.  Becky stopped playing soccer and at school her friends don’t know what to say.  By the time winter rolls around again, Becky doesn’t feel so sad when looking at pictures of John.  One morning she laughed while watching her dog roll around in the snow.  And then one day, she had so much fun at a birthday party that she came home feeling guilty for “forgetting to miss John.”

Becky’s parents help her realize that John will always be her brother and that he’d want her to be happy.  While John’s memories would always make him a part of their family, Becky comes to know that she can still enjoy the things that they used to do together.

My only regret for the book is the cover art.  I don’t care for the orange and green background with the scrapbooking type photo holders.   It feels as though it doesn’t give justice to the story.  The illustrations are lovingly and realistically portrayed in watercolor.

I’d highly recommend Always My Brother for those who are seeking a  sensitive story that doesn’t discount the memory of a loved one after death and addresses the complex subject of loss, grieving and the recovery process.  I found myself very touched with Becky’s and John’s relationship and appreciated that the journey wasn’t an easy one by any means.

Jean Reagan is able to give an authentic voice to the book as she lost her own nineteen-year-old son a few years ago and draws upon her grieving experience and that of her daughter.   Jean is a local Utah author and it’s been my pleasure to chat with her a couple of times.  It is also my pleasure to have an interview with Jean which will be posted today.  Jean’s story is fascinating and it’s an interview that you don’t want to miss.

Blog Comment Prizes: Tilbury House will draw 7 lucky winners from all of those who leave comments on any of the participating tour posts (Nov.1-13) to win one of the following prizes:

• A copy of Always My Brother signed by author Jean Reagan (5 available)*
• A set of 10 winter notecards with art by illustrator Phyllis Pollema-Cahill (2 available)

* Winners are welcome to designate a grief center, school, or library to receive their signed copy in their place.  All winners will be announced after the tour.  US/Canada addresses only, please.

Twitter Prize: Everyone that tweets about the tour using the hashtag #AlwaysTour from November 1-13 will be entered to win a set of three children’s books from Tilbury House — your choice! Winners will be announced after the tour, US/Canada addresses only, please.

Do you have any additional titles to recommend on this subject?  Jean will be sharing her own, but I’d be curious to hear yours as well.   Any other ways that literature can help ease a child’s pain?

Links of interest:  Jean Reagan website.  Always My Brother is a fiction picture book Cybil’s nominee for which I’m a panelist.
Genre:  Picture book, ages 4-8.
Publisher:  Tilbury House.  May 21, 2009.
Hardcover, 32 pages.  ISBN  0884483134.
Always My Brother is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Her husband is out of town and as she leaves with the kidnapper her only thought is with her children who are now left home alone.  Taken to a hotel and tied to a bed for the better part of a week, Claire – as the title suggests – has time to be still.  She has time to think.  To evaluate.

Ironically, her kidnapper is kind (but she fears his boss) and they spend a lot of time talking.  As she begins to understand him and the reasons for his actions, she sympathizes with him and forms a special bond.  As the negotiations take place for her return, Claire discovers that her husband might not be who she thinks he is.  She  reevaluates her marriage, family, and motherhood.  If she makes it home, she will not be the same person that she was before.

The few reviews that I’ve read of Standing Still all mention  Claire’s irrational anxieties and now that I read the back cover, I see that it mentions it as well.  How could I have read the entire book and not put a label on Claire’s behavior as anxiety, panic attacks or acute panic disorder?  Sometimes I wonder if I’m a good reader at all.  Do you sometimes feel like this after reading a book?  That you missed the obvious and wonder how you managed that?

I thought Claire was a bit “off” but I wasn’t able to label it.  I certainly questioned some of  Claire’s behavior.  She seemed overly nervous but yet maintained an incredible degree of calm while being held hostage.  There is also a certain element of mystery as Claire alludes to a possible reason for her abduction but we don’t know the circumstances behind it.   I didn’t relate to Claire at all despite the commonality of both being mothers.  But we don’t always need to relate to the main character and this case I liked getting into the head of someone I didn’t understand.

The strength of this novel is definitely the writing and the style.  In alternating chapters between the present and the past, we gradually learn more about Claire and her past as she is coming to grip with her future.   I particularly liked the style of the chapters set in the past.  Each begins with a photograph description and Claire reminisces about the circumstances surrounding the photograph.

A taste of the writing:

Fear doesn’t always serve you in life.  It lives on your surface, visible as your skin.  People can take advantage of your weakness.  Dogs can smell it on you, and so can children.  But when  you turn it outward, and fear for the lives of the world, you can warn someone.  You can save someone.  You can see the potential for destruction around us all.  It’s what makes me certain I’m a good journalist.  But a very bad seatmate on an airplane.

A great book which kept me hooked and I’d recommend for all readers.  The writing was poetic.  Fantastic prose.  The premise and story were intriguing.  Characters were engaging.   But ultimately, I fear that it’s one that I could also easily forget.  And I hate it when that happens.

Links of interest:  More book blogger reviews, Kelly Simmons website.
Genre:  Fiction.
Publisher: Washington Square Press.  February 10, 2009  (Hardcover by Atria in Feb. 2008)
Paperback, 288 pages. ISBN 0743289730
Standing Still is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

But first let’s talk about the story.  The text by Liz Garton Scanlon flows from one page to the next with a thoughtful tone that makes the reader pause to let the words sink in.  The story follows the day of a family beginning with a morning on the beach and their daily routine until the evening which is spent with family and friends.  The words are simple but convey that each moment is to be savored and is special.  That each of us have a place in this world and that simply by being a part of the world we are all connected.

All the world can hold quite still.
Nanas, papas, cousins, kin
Piano, harp, and violin
Babies passed from neck to knee
All the world is you and me
Everything you hear, smell, see
All the world is everything
Everything is you and me
Hope and peace and love and trust
All the world is all of us.

The illustrations add so much to the beautiful text.  Frazee shows the  young, the old, and different cultures.  I love how she also included a nursing mother.  It was the little touches like that that made me stop and linger over the pages.   This book is beautiful.  Simply beautiful.  The illustrations are visually stunning, cute, humorous, and breathtaking all in one roll.  It’s hard to pick a favorite spread but I remember gasping a little at this one:

Oh  my.  I’ve fallen in love again . . .

Links of interest:  Liz Barton Scanlon website and blog,  Marla Frazee website, more book blogger reviews,  Maw Books reviews of  Santa Claus, The World’s Number One Toy Expert, Walk On! A Guide for Babies both by Marla Frazee and  the Clementine Series by Sara Pennypacker illustrated by Marla Frazee.   All the World is nominated for a Cybils award in the Fiction Picture Book category for which I’m a panelist.
Genre:  Fiction Picture Book, approx ages 4-8.
Publisher:  Beach Lane Books.  September 8, 2009.
Hardcover, 40 pages. ISBN 1416985808
All the World is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Anyways, in Goodnight Goon a little werewolf is having a hard time going to sleep.  He names the things in his room which includes pictures of martians taking over the moon, three little mummies rubbing their tummies, moans and groans, a skull, and a pot full of goo.  After he names them he says goodnight one by one to each of them. He puts the monsters under the bed (so clever) and ends by saying goodnight monsters everywhere.

This has potential to be a really, really cute book but the illustrations were just not doing it for me.  My kids weren’t crazy about it either but I only tried it once on them.  And well, sometimes, especially my kids, need to be exposed to a book more than once.  So, it doesn’t seem fair that I’m sharing their reaction after only one reading but to tell you the truth, they never picked it out of the pile on their own either.  It just couldn’t compete with Where’s My Mummy or Leonardo the Terrible Monster this week.

But overall, I think it’s worth taking a look at this Halloween picture book to discover if it will be a new classic in your home.  Because your kids just might love it.

Links of interest:  Michael Rex website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre:  Picture Book, approx ages 4-8.
Publisher:  Putnam Juvenile.  August 14, 2008.
Hardcover, 32 pages.  ISBN 0399245340
Goodnight Goon is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Determined to prove his bravery, he decides to face his fear by confronting it directly.  His journey will take him to a remote and desolated island where he must use his skill to find his way home.  Will he return home not only a hero but also conquering the ocean itself?

Call it Courage is a survival story.  A story  of surviving on the ocean and alone on a deserted island using skill and a bit of luck to endure.  It’s ultimately a  story of Mafatu fighting against nature and also himself.  I enjoyed the culture of the story.  However, the book is very short and I’m afraid that if it was any longer I easily would have set it down.  Luckily, I was able to read it in a single sitting.  Younger readers may find themselves bored stiff but those who like more introspective stories may find it interesting.  Not one of my favorite Newbery books but I’m thrilled to cross another one off of my list in my ongoing project to read them all.

Do you like reading survivor stories?  Man vs. nature stories?  Any favorites?

I read Call it Courage as part of Banned Books Week (which ended Friday).  Although I found this book on more than one banned books list, my searches for exactly why came up empty.  If I were to guess it would be because during a storm, Mafatu loses all of his clothes and he arrives on the island naked and it’s not until much later that he finally  makes himself some new clothes.  Although the book mentions his nudity, not once does Mafatu ever think about his nudity.  It’s not even important except for the thought of what would it be like to try to survive without even a shirt on your back.

Links of interest:  Armstrong Sperry resource website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre:  Juvenile Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Simon Pulse.  January 2008.  (Originally published 1940 – the copy that I read published 1963 by Scholastic)
Paperback, 128 pages. ISBN 141695368X
Call It Courage is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

I grew up with this book.  Who didn’t grow up with this book?  Seriously?  I naturally assume that EVERY single household has a copy (or two) of it.  That’s how huge in my head it is.  I remember this book somehow, magically, always within arms reach.  It’s one of the very first picture books that my husband and I purchased after we got married because it felt unnatural to set up our house without this book in it.

Who didn’t want to be Max?  What a lucky little boy.  Sent to bed without dinner.  But who cares?  Who needs dinner when a forest starts to grow in your room and an ocean tumbles by with a private boat to sail to where the wild things are.  And although the wild things roar their terrible roars and gnash their terrible teeth and roll their terrible eyes and show their terrible claws, it doesn’t matter because you easily tame them and become their king.  And then  you have a wild rumpus and swing from the trees and have a grand old time.  And the best part, when you sail back home you have your supper waiting for you anyways!  A nice warm supper after a grand adventure.  Yes.  Who doesn’t want to be Max?

A book that I will make sure my boys grow up just as I did.

Who’s excited for the movie?!  I am.  Maurice Sendak has worked closely in making sure the movie matched his vision and from what I understand is ecstatic with how it turned out.  The movie will be released on October 16th of this  year.  Two more weeks!  This is one that’s worth getting a babysitter for  – that’s how I determine how all movies are lately – are they worth the cost of a babysitter and the price of a ticket?

Where the Wild Things Are movie trailer:

So what are your thoughts about Where the Wild Things Are?

I read Where the Wild Things Are as part of  Banned Books Week. The book has been challenged because of its witchcraft and supernatural elements.  Witchcraft?  Because he tamed them?  I don’t get it.

Links of interest:  Maurice Sendak Wikipedia entry, more book blogger reviews, and the Terrible Yellow Eyes website which is a fantastic art site!
Genre: Picture Book
Publisher:  HarperCollins.  November, 1988.  (Originally published 1968).
Paperback, 48 pages. ISBN:  0064431789
Where the Wild Things Are is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

And yes, I post this despite the way that it sounds.  That my good review was “bought.”  Certainly not.  But I must admit that if the author makes such a fuss over her book and packages it in such away that I know she knows it’s a special book, then I can’t help but think that this book is special.  And guess what?  It certainly feels that way.

The only thing that eighth grader Nikki Maxwell wants is a cell phone.  It would certainly help her fit in better at her new snooty school (which she’s attending on scholarship because her dad got the bug extermination contract – just picture what it’s like to get picked up from school with a large roach on top of the car) but what she gets instead is a diary.

One stupid diary.

Absolutely no one writes their most intimate feelings and deep, dark secrets in a diary anymore!  Why?!

Because just one or two people knowing all your BIZ could completely ruin your reputation.

You’re supposed to post this kind of juicy stuff online in your BLOG so MILLIONS can read it!!

Only a total dork would be caught WRITING in a DIARY!!!

Yep, this book totally had me from less than eight quick pages in.  But despite swearing to never write in the diary, she does.  Nikki, like many other middle-schoolers, has a lot to worry about.  She’s new.  Invisible.  Desperate to make friends and not embarrass herself in the process.

Nikki loves to draw and fills her diary with really fun illustrations.  The school has a art competition and Nikki really wants to win but that means rivaling the school’s most popular girl Mackenzie who has it out to “get her.”  There was a scene at the end of the book between Nikki and McKenzie that had me laughing out loud.  In fact, there were many laugh out loud moments.  It was funny, cute, and yet touched upon so many worries that young tweens fret about.

I can’t help but compare Dork Diaries to Diary of  a Wimpy Kid (my reviews of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Rodrick Rules,  The Last Straw), and it’s a comparison that was offered up to me by the author itself.  I loved Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  Dork Diaries is certainly within the same vein.  Not to say that it’s not original.  That’s the beauty of it.  Coming off of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid wave, I didn’t possibly think that Dork Diaries could be original.  But it is.  Very much so.

This book trailer will give you a good idea of how spunky Nikki is:

I highly recommend it tween girls and middle-schoolers (although this thirty-year-old can’t wait for the next book).  A friend of mine just asked me if I had heard of this book and if she should order it for her middle school library.  Yes.  Absolutely yes.  They’ll love it.

Links of interest:  Dork Diaries website and blog.
Genre:  Juvenile Fiction, approx age 9-12.
Publisher:  Aladdin.  June 2, 2009.
Hardcover, 288 pages.  ISBN:  1416980067
Dork Diaries is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Wife of the Gods is a whodunit murder mystery and in full honesty if the book wasn’t set in Africa without its many African themes and traditions I doubt I would have even given the book a second glance.  But what sets this book apart is its Ghanan African setting as well as its memorable characters.

In a small village of Ketanu, Gladys, a young medical student, is murdered in the forest and Detective Darko Dawson is brought in from the large city (obviously much to the annoyance of the local police) to oversee the investigation.  For Darko, the village of Ketanu brings back vivid memories.  He often visited his aunt with his mother twenty-five years earlier as a boy.  But that all changed when his mother went for a visit and never returned.  The mystery of her disappearance was never solved.  Darko intends to not only investigate the murder to which he has been assigned but also to seek out new clues into his mother’s disappearance.

It’s not easy though.  Darko is a complex character who leaves behind a loving wife and a young son who needs a heart operation.  He also has an anger management problem, although sympathetically it comes out when he sees those less fortunate being abused.  And he can’t help but use his police power to procure marijuana.

Darko clashes with the local culture which is still held by the strong belief in witchcraft and age-old traditions, such as virgin girls being offered up to fetish priests as trokosi, or Wives of the Gods.  His investigation is slowed by such beliefs and even the local police are apprehensive to question certain individuals in fear of angering the Gods.

Darko uncovers a myriad of suspects, characters who are all memorable in their own right: Gladys herself, who was an AIDS worker and gave many a motive for her death; Samuel, a young man with a simple crush; Timothy who worked with Gladys in AIDS education;  Isaac Kutu, the local herbalist and healer; Togbe Adzima, the fetish priest and his several wives; Elizabeth, Gladys’s aunt and believed by many to be a witch; and even his own Auntie Osewa who has a background which she’d rather keep secret.

There was one thing that hindered my full enjoyment of the novel and that was that I couldn’t recall characters after they were previously introduced.  There were a couple of times that I thought I was reading about a new character and then had to stop and see if I already knew who they were, which I realized I did.  Rechecking previous passages of the book always takes me out of the story a bit.  Fault of the reader and not the author?  Maybe?  Fault of the author and not the reader?  Maybe?  To tell you the truth, I’m not really sure.

Wife of the Gods is recommended for those who like a good mystery and intriguing characters.  Not only is there a mysterious murder to solve but several ideas to think upon including that of new culture vs. new, African culture, traditional and advanced medicine, family relations, and more.  And man, Quartey has convinced me that I’d love to visit Ghana for the food alone.  So many wonderful descriptions of the food!

If there are to be more books about Inspector Darko Dawson then I will be sure to check them out.  A series worth following.

Book trailer for Wife of the Gods:

When you read mysteries how often do you guess who the murderer is correctly?  I don’t often read whodunit genre books but I must admit that Kwei Quartey kept me on my toes although I rightly suspected the murderer (but don’t until about 3/4 of the way through the book).

Links of interest: TLC Book Tour stops, Wife of the Gods website, Wife of the Gods excerpt, reading group discussion questions, more book bloggers book reviews, and a thoughtful interview with Kwei Quartey at Jen’s Book Thoughts.
Genre:  Literary Fiction, Mystery
Publisher:  Random House.  July 14, 2009
Hardcover, 336 pages.  ISBN:  1400067596
Wife of the Gods is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.