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.

For seven days Barger traveled to seven different airports, didn’t leave the premises, ate on $20 a day, and snatched bits of sleep on benches and floors – all to observe human behavior.  Step Back from the Baggage Claim is his extended metaphor that how we treat each other and how we behave at the airport is how we behave in our day-to-day lives.  If we change the way we act at the airport we can change our lives and thus change the world.

I have to admit that the idea does sound a bit hokey when I lay it out like that but let me share with you a few passages from the book:

I’m convinced that the lessons learned from our airport experiences can point us toward more fulfilling lives and toward a more compassionate world.  If we really want to change the world, it starts with small moments in our daily interactions.  Since so many people travel by air daily, airports are the perfect locations to begin to affect change in our mobile world.  This book uses air travel experiences as a metaphor for how each one of us can impact our world.

The title Step Back from the Baggage Claim comes from the observation that we all crowd around the conveyor belt to claim our luggage.  We jostle for the best position, crowd each other out and are anxious to catch sight of our bags first.

Just imagine what the experience at the baggage claim would be like if everyone took those three steps back so everyone could see, and if everyone actually helped those around them with their bags.  not only would the spirit and environment around the conveyor belt be more positive for all, but it also would be a more efficient way for everyone to get their bags as quickly as possible.  Imagine if stepping back at the baggage claim became the norm; imagine how that inclusive spirit could impact the underlying tone of complaining that permeates other aspects of the airport.  A place commonly filled with chaos, negativity, and frustration would be changed because of the thoughtful awareness of many. Then, imagine what that same spirit could mean for the world if we carried into other areas of our lives as well.

The analogy works.  I get it.  I totally get it.  And I’m sure that I won’t be able to fly anymore without thinking about my own airport behaviors nor observing others to see how they act.  But oddly enough, I can’t relate to the initial analogy of the baggage claim.  In my experiences of flying, claiming my bags has been nothing but calm and orderly.  My only anxiety that I’ve had is when my luggage was lost upon arrival at my home and the company ended up delivering it to the apartment across the street.  The other is when I moved cross country for college and everything had to fit in three boxes.  I wasn’t sure how I was going to get the largest box off of the conveyor belt but some nice man helped me out.  I’ve yet to experience a overcrowded, impatient baggage claim area.  Perhaps, I’m not well traveled enough?  When Barger says , “Take three big steps back” I couldn’t help but think to myself, “Hmm . . . I didn’t know there was a problem there in the first place.”  Luckily, he’s not only thinking literally but metaphorically as well.  The baggage claim message is simple.  Be aware and thoughtful of those around you.  Turn chaos and negativity into order, calm and a positive experience.

For the remainder of the slim volume, Barger furthers the airport analogy and touches upon the following points:

• Gain perspective and create space for others.
• Practice stillness in this movement.
• Share compassion with those along your journey.
• Quit the comparison game and thrive where you are.
• Celebrate an ethic of creativity.
• Put a grateful spirit into action.

Barger shares stories about his airport observations, movie analogies, stories from his life working in the nonprofit sector and his ministry in his church.  Each chapter ends with a summary, a self-evaluation questioner and place to jot down notes.

For having spent seven days in an airport I had hoped for more stories about the people he met or conversations he had.  I’m sure he has some great ones.  The book is not really about his experience living in airports for seven days but more about his general observation while doing so and combining them with his life experiences and metaphorically sharing the message:  “We can change the world because each one of us has the innate ability to expand our awareness, change our focus, and alter our daily interactions.”

There were a few problems with the design of the book (large font, small margins, unclear headings – which is something that Dawn at She is Too Fond of Books picked up as well) that has me nervous that some won’t pick it up after an initial thumb through.   While I sometimes felt that the airport analogy was a bit over the top, Barger has a sound philosophy and a great message to share:

Change the world by choosing to travel gracefully, living this message not only in the airports, but throughout the path of your life.  Take time to step back and gain a new angle of vision and consider those around you.  Slow down and commit to thriving where you are in the present moment.  Embrace the creative process of living the lift you want to live and, ultimately, build relationships and share compassion with those along your journey.  Small loving actions in every facet of our lives will change the world.  Daily commitment to this spirit in all corners of our lives can’t help but allow a movement like this to take flight!

A fun video about The Step Back from the Baggage Claim movement:

Have you had any airport or travel experiences where somebody touched you by their actions?  Vice-versa any horror stories?

Links of interest:  Jason Barger website, blog,  on Twitter, and Facebook.  More book blogger reviews.
Genre: Non-fiction, inspirational.
Publisher: One Love Publishers. September 25, 2008
Paperback , 134 pages. ISBN 0615226663
Step Back from the Baggage Claim 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.

Haunting Bombay is the story of the family’s dark secrets that have been kept hidden for more than a decade.  In the attempt to rid the household of the small ghost, the family must reveal that which they’ve ignored for years and risk tearing their family further apart while doing so.

Haunting Bombay was a beautifully told book with haunting characters.  I loved getting to know each of the characters, including the servants.  I love back stories and Agarwal gave us enough story for each character that the story needed each and every one of them.  Although there is still the element of the cruel family who unwillingly takes in an orphan, I’m glad that her grandmother fiercely loved her.  It was an nice change from the typical orphan story.   I loved the Indian setting and culture, the oppressiveness of the monsoon heat and dampness, the superstitions, and the food (mmmm . . . . why do I always pay special attention to the food?).

At the heart of this story is a ghost.  I knew there was a ghost when I started to read the book, but I wasn’t prepared for just how much the ghost would present itself in the story.  Haunting Bombay truly has its supernatural elements which I honestly didn’t enjoy as much.  I might have preferred the suggestion of such things rather then the clear manifestation of the supernatural.  But I thought that Agarwal did a great job of seamlessly combining the supernatural with a story about a family tragedy.  I also think that the book could have been a bit shorter.  At 362 pages, it’s not a long book, but  I struggled a bit through the ending and found myself anxious to finish.

After finishing the book and unraveling the mystery behind the young ghost, I could see that clues had been scattered throughout the story but I was glad to have  not picked up on them while reading.  I truly did not know how this story would end which kept me involved and invested in the story.  For those who would not only love a cultural book set in the heart of India but also a ghost story during this fall season, Haunting Bombay would be an excellent book to pick up.  For a debut novel, Agarwal does an excellent job with characters, language, and a sense of time and place.

While I didn’t find myself falling head over heels in love with the manifested supernatural elements of this particular story, Agarwal is an author that I would definitely read again for the pure joy of  story, setting and characters.

And as a total side-note, when I was little I named my journal for a while.  I had completely forgot that I had named it Pinky until coming across this oddly named character.  Funny.

Links of interest:  Shilpa Agarwal website, blog, and on Twitter.  Visit TLC Book Tours for more reviews on Agarwal’s blog tour.
Genre:   Fiction
Publisher: Soho Press. April 1, 2009.
Hardcover, 368 pages. ISBN 156947558X
Haunting Bombay is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

The boy, ten-year-old Peter, is an orphan who is being cared for by a cranky old soldier who wants nothing more for him than to train to be a soldier as well.  When Peter finds a coin on the street, he visits the tent of a fortune teller.  He only has one question.  Is the sister whom he has been told died in childbirth alive?  The fortune teller’s answer is ambiguous and mysterious:  follow the elephant.

An elephant?  He’s never even seen an elephant!  The answer makes no sense whatsoever.  Imagine his surprise when a magician performing at the local opera house mistakenly conjures an elephant which falls through the roof and into the lap of Madam LaVaughn.  Now crippled, Madam LaVaughn insists that both the elephant and the magician be locked up right away.  Peter knows that the mystery of his sisters existence and the path for a new future lies with the elephant.  If he can bring about a chain of events to bring him and the elephant together, perhaps not all hope is lost.

The Magician’s Elephant is a beautiful telling.  It’s magical.  It’s mysterious.  It’s hopeful.  It’s also sad in the sense that a cloud of darkness always loomed over the story.  DicCamillo’s narrative is stunning.  Each word carefully chosen and not a single word in there that wasn’t meant to be.  I enjoyed the story and its magical elements although I wasn’t falling head over heels for it – if you know what I mean.  I really liked it but didn’t loooove it.  Even so, it’s a special book and I recommend it.

I think that this could be hit or miss with young readers to tell you the truth.  I could see them either really loving it or either hating it.  I do hope that they love it.  It’s not often that a book like this comes along.  It deserves an audience.  But it’s DiCamillo that we’re talking about here.  If you haven’t discovered her yet, it’s high time that you do.  And this is one not to be missed.

Kate DiCamillo reading the first chapter of The Magician’s Elephant:

Links of interest:  Kate DiCamillo website, more book blogger reviews,  illustrator Yoko Tanaka website.  Maw Book reviews of Because of Winn Dixie, The Tiger Rising, The Tale of Despereaux, Great Joy,and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
Genre:  Middle Grade Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Candlewick.  September 8, 2009
Hardcover, 208 pages. ISBN 0763644102
The Magician’s Elephant is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Girl in the Arena comes out today and I’d love to see people picking it up to read because I think it makes for some great discussion.  The more that I think about the book, the more I like it.  It has some fascinating insight into a culture that has gone mad for violence and touches on some deep issues.

Girl in the Arena is a dystopian novel but man, it felt like the culture was not such a far fetched idea.  There are a lot of references to current culture – Skyping, Wikipedia, watching Crouching Tiger and Stranger than Fiction but wrapped up in all of this is the Gladiator sport.  And it’s actually more than a sport, it’s an entire culture that began first underground at about the time of the Vietnam War.  Gladiators now fight in front of large crowds and a TV audience and can fight anything from animals to other Gladiators to the death.  It’s a blood sport more popular than football or soccer.

Lyn was born into the Gladiator lifestyle and living the rules and bylaws of the association is second nature to her family.  Her mother is a high profile Glad wife who has been married and widowed by seven Gladiators.  Lyn is known as the daughter who had seven fathers.  They are celebrities.  Tommy, her current father has been matched up with Uber, a new gifted young fighter and if there’s a bylaw that Lyn knows all to well it’s – Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. Uber wins Lyn’s dowry which means that she must marry him.  But after watching her mother lose seven husbands, the last thing that Lyn wants to do is become a Glad wife.  But the Association is intent on her celebrity wedding.  To win her freedom, she challenges Uber to a fight in the arena.  It’s a  first for the association and they’ll do anything for publicity.  The only problem is – she might actually like the guy.  And while she considers herself a fighter, she actually doesn’t like violence.

I loved Lyn’s little brother Thad.  Although, it’s not stated specifically, I imagine that he is Autistic.  Everything that Lyn does, she does for Thad.  I loved their relationship.  Lyn’s relationship with her mother was odd in the sense that she seemed to be taking care of her instead of the other way around.  Plus, I always find it odd when children call their parents by their first name.

Stylistically, I found that the choice to not include quotation marks in dialogue to be very interesting.  It took me more than half of the book to be able to see past it.  It was really hard to read this way at first and took me out of the story.  I honestly don’t know why the dialogue was this way.  I was okay with it the second half of the book after I got in the rhythm of the book.  You can get a slight idea of what I’m talking about in the following passage where Lyn recounts the first time she went to her first Glad fight at the age of five.

– Kitten, we’re going to see some funny things today.  Men being a . . . . little silly.

She rubbed my knuckles with her thumbs as she spoke.

– If we see anything that makes us a little sad or upset, we just have to make a game of it.

I said I wanted to play a game.  And she started over.

– The men are going to look like they’re having a big fight.  Your father is a famous fighter, so this is something to be proud of.

– He’s a gladiator, I said.

– Yes, exactly, and we know that gladiators hav weapons.  Like . . . axes and knives and . . .

– And clubs.

[. . . . ]

– Yes, clubs too.  Good girl.  So nothing to be concerned about.  And I brought your coloring book and crayons.  And look, she said, reaching into her bag and pulling out my favorite stuffed animal.  — I brought your dog and her pajamas if she gets tired.

This is also one of those covers that isn’t truly representative of the book’s character.  I personally like the cover but Lyn is actually bald for the entirety of the book.  She’s got a nice set of hair in that cover.

Girl in the Arena explores a world of violence and how the lines between reality and games are blurred.  It’s a story that I won’t forget simply because it is SO disturbing.  How does a culture move from being normal to one where killing each other for sport is celebrated?  I don’t think this book will be for everybody.  It is bloody.  So be warned.  But it’s worth picking up.  A fascinating premise and story line.

And although I think it stands completely on it’s own, yes, its true, for fans of The Hunger Games . . . .

Other bloggers on the Kidz Book Buzz tour:  Abby the Librarian, A Patchwork of Books, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Fireside Musings, Homeschool Book Buzz, KidzBookBuzz.com, Maw Books Blog, My Own Little Corner of the World, Reading is My Superpower, Through a Child’s Eyes.
Links of interest:  Lise Haines website and on twitter.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Publisher: Bloomsbury. October 13, 2009.
Hardcover, 336 pages. ISBN 1599903725
Girl in the Arena is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Skeleton Creek finished with a huge cliffhanger.  Argh!  I couldn’t wait for the next book.  I had no idea that I would be receiving a copy of Ghost in the Machine, so I know that I let out an audible squeal when I opened a mystery package one day and it was this book!  Seriously, so excited to read this one.

In Ghost in the Machine, Ryan and Sarah are still forbidden to see each other and trying to solve the mystery at the gold dredge, which is haunted by the ghost of Old Joe Bush.  Time is running out because the town has decided it’s become so dangerous that they are going to burn it down.  But things get complicated when Ryan and Sarah uncover a secret society called The Crossbones which keeps the secrets of the dredge and Ryan’s father is in the middle of it all.

This is a great follow-up to Skeleton Creek.  Kids will enjoy the mystery and love getting spooked with the videos.  I remember that I jumped in one video and for another I had to keep pausing it because it was just plain scary.  Such fun!  But nothing to lose sleep over at night – unless maybe you don’t finish the book before you go to sleep which is virtually impossible because you’ll want to read it in one sitting.

The videos do take some time to load so I recommend skipping ahead to the next video as soon as you finish one so it’s already loaded by the time you get to it.  Be warned though, it’s hard to not have your eyes glaze over potentially spoiling text when skipping ahead.   Although everybody is in need of a few acting lessons, the videos are great.  I was hoping for a third book but everything wrapped up pretty tightly.

Which does remind me.  Ryan writes in his journal like ALL the time.  So I was surprised to see at the end of the book he doesn’t write for four days.  His last entry reads like an epilogue.  It wasn’t in his character to not write during those four days where everything gets wrapped up.  And Sarah also writes in the journal at the end too.  I’d much rather her stick to the videos.  So the ending felt a little bit unbelievable to me because they acted out of character.  But all in all nothing to spoil my enjoyment of the book.

My biggest disappointment is that there is not another book in the series.  I’m not ready for it to be over, I’d love to have more.  And the mystery/ghost story is the PERFECT genre for this concept.   October is also a great time to read this book especially together as a family.  I can see everybody gathered around the computer watching the videos and somebody else poking somebody right in the middle of a cliffhanger.  I can see screams.  Oh, I love it.

Great book, great fun!  We are reading mysteries this month for my Children’s Literature Book Club.  I can’t wait to meet next week to see what everybody thought about this one.

So are you up for it?

Links of interest: Maw Books review of Skeleton Creek (including book trailer to give you an idea of video content), more book blogger reviews, Patrick Carman’s website, extensive alternate reality Skeleton Creek game.
Genre:  Middle Grade Fiction with video elements, approx ages 9-12
Publisher: Scholastic.  October 1, 2009
Hardcover, 192 pages. ISBN 054507570X
Ghost in the Machine is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

15-year-old Sam has always been defined as the pastor’s daughter.  But not all is well behind closed doors.  Citing the pressures of being a pastor’s wife, Sam’s mother is an alcoholic who after one too many DUI’s is now in treatment.  But it’s not a fact that Sam wants her friends (who often don’t invite her along to less questionable activities – you know – the whole being the pasture’s daughter thing) to know about nor is it something that Sam and her father openly talk about with each other.

It is during this crisis in her family, that her community faces a crisis of its own.  A young girl in the church has mysteriously gone missing and no one is free from suspicion including her own father and the girl’s older brother, whom Sam has always crushed on.  This family and community crisis shakes Sam to her inner-core where she also experiences her own personal crisis – one that questions her faith, hope, and belief in something that is bigger than she is.

Although the events of this beautiful novel are huge – alcoholic parent, missing girl – it is also so quiet.  Sam is a character that feels so real.  Does she really live in those pages?  It can’t be possible.  She’s out there somewhere.  Living.  Breathing.  The questions that she asks herself are ones that any teen struggling to learn to identify who they are in the world will relate too.  Scratch that.  Not just teens.  Heck, even I found myself relating to Sam in my life right now and supposedly I’m supposed to have it all together right now.

Sam asks herself this question:

Do I believe?

I believe just enough that Jody is alive that I think we should keep looking.

I believe just enough in my mom to try to make a garden for her to work on when she gets home.

I believe just enough in my dad that he’ll have an explanation even if that explanation is that he’s only human.

I believe just enough in myself to know that even if I start in a new school I’ll be okay.

I believe just enough in forgiveness that eventually we’ll be a family again.

I believe just enough in God that I’m praying right now that Nick means what he says.

As a side note, I loved that Sam wanted to create the perfect garden for her mother to take care of.  As a gardener myself, I understand how gardening can heal.  How the creation of something can bring one hope.  When I garden, I’m basically telling myself that I’ll be around to reap the benefits of my work.  I have faith and hope in the plants and my ability to bring forth something that will bloom into something beautiful for me to enjoy later.  Gardening is an activity that while is enjoyable in the moment is one that is always looking to the future.  Sam wants to create a xeriscape garden:  a garden which can thrive on very little care.  Which I can’t help but think is how Sam thinks of herself, her mother, and her family.

Sara Zarr lives locally to me and it’s been my pleasure to be able to chat with her on numerous occasions.  I love that blogging has bridged that gap between author and reader for me.   The beautiful thing that I loved about Once Was Lost was that the author completely disappeared in the narration.  I did worry that knowing the author behind the book would taint my reading of it.  There’s nothing worse than hearing the author’s voice instead of  the characters.  But I completely forgot about Sara except that I had to keep reminding myself that  this amazing story came out her head.  How do people do that?  Honestly, I shouldn’t have been surprised because Story of a Girl and Sweethearts, are very popular books for teens, but I was in awe of the talent and the story that she’s able to tell.

Once Was Lost has a little bit of it all.  A mystery to pull you along, a family in crisis, a young teen discovering her identity and even a bit of romance.  But mostly it’s a novel about faith and how to hold on to that faith when the world we know comes crumbling down around us.

I was able to attend Sara Zarr’s launch party at The Kings English Bookshop in Salt Lake City on release day for Once Was Lost.  Tons of fun as always as so many other local authors came out to attend the big day.

I captured some video to share with you! In this video Sara talks about how the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart (which happened in our SLC community) inspired the writing of Once Was Lost:

Sara talks more about the writing process for Once Was Lost including how the safe return of Elizabeth Smart and Sara’s own therapy changed the outlook of the book:

And last, Sara reads from Once Was Lost (no spoilers – she reads from beginning of book):

Sara is doing a fun video tour of current book tour, I was thrilled to catch a one second image of myself in her last video!

Links of interest:  Sara Zarr website, more book blogger reviews, Maw Books reviews of Story of a Girl, Sweethearts, interview with Sara and  breakfast smoothie recipe.
Genre:  Young Adult Fiction
Publisher:  Little, Brown Young Readers.  October 1, 2009
Hardcover, 224 pages.  ISBN 0316036048
Once Was Lost is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Benny is a young Behemoth.  But he has a major problem.  In fact, it’s a very colorful problem.  In a black and white world, Benny is full of color and he doesn’t like to feel different.  For each emotion that Benny feels he turns a different color.  For example, “On Monday at the carnival, Benny’s friends didn’t share any cotton candy with him.  Benny turned bright red with anger and breathed furious fire from his mouth.”  A different emotion is conveyed for each day of the week and each night Benny goes to bed and wonders “Why was I created so colorfully?”

While at Sunday School, a wise old behemoth notices Benny’s sadness and reminds Benny that “Your King Creator made you to be a member of His family and to reflect His glory!  Every one of those colors will serve a purpose in your life.  You are a royal prince and never forget it.”  It was then that Benny’s heart glowed a bright and beautiful royal purple and the book ends with the scripture 2 Corinthians 3:15-18.

The illustrations by Trish McKinney are a combination of sketches and watercolor and matched the feeling of the book.  There were however two instances where the text flowed across the spread of two pages and I found it difficult to read without holding the book completely flat, which was difficult to do as I had one child in my lap and trying to show another one sitting on the floor.   At the back of the book is a page that encourages interaction and dialogue about how emotions are often paired with colors, how is the reader like or not like Benny and further study about the King Creator,  as well as background about the word Behemoth.

A portion of the profits from Benny the Baffled Behemoth goes to Heart for Africa, a faith-based humanitarian organization focused on bringing HOPE to Africans by targeting the areas of Hunger, Orphans, Poverty and Education.  If you would like to serve in Africa or get more information visit www.heartforafrica.org.

This is the second title of Melissa’s that I’ve reviewed, the first being The Sudan Project. Melissa is an author that is inspiring in that she her writing to make a difference. I’m THRILLED to have Melissa guest post for us today about writing with multiple purposes and you will find that post next!

(Remember that African Bookworms Carnival?  If all goes well, I should have it posted tomorrow.)

Links of interest:  Heart for Africa, also reviewed on the Maw Books Blog by The Sudan Project: Rebuilding with the People of Darfur, A Young Person’s Guide and an interview with Melissa Leembruggen.  Melissa serves as the president of Clay Bridges Communications and can also be found on Twitter @ClayBridges.
Genre:  Christian Picture Book, approx ages 9-12
Published:  Claybridge Communications, February 16, 2009
Paperback, 40 pages.  ISBN:  0615232043
Benny the Baffled Behemoth by Melissa Leembruggen is available from Powell’s and Amazon.

The year is 1936 and eighty-six-year-old Hennie Comfort (who truly lives up to her name and is a comfort to all she knows) lives in the high altitude of the Rocky Mountains in Middle Swan, Colorado.   The name Middle Swan is one that I will not soon forget as it’s as much a character in the book as anybody else.  It’s a mining town where women send their men off each morning either to the mines underground or to the dredge boats not knowing if they’ll be a widow by the end of the day because the work is so dangerous.

At Hennie’s gate is a sign that says Prayers for Sale and it’s here that she finds seventeen-year-old Nit who asks for a prayer of her own.  Despite the sign, Hennie doesn’t sell prayers, instead she gives them freely to those who need them.  Nit, who like Hennie, has already lost a baby of her own is new in town with her husband and is lonely.  Despite their obvious age difference, Hennie and Nit are drawn to each other through their common loss and Hennie takes Nit under her wings and teaches her how to survive in the rough mining town.

There is nothing more that Hennie and Nit, as well as the other women in town, love to do than quilt.  If somebody had told me that I would love a book that talked about quilting so much, I wouldn’t have believed them!  But yet, the book made me wish it was freezing outside with a warm mug of hot chocolate, pie, and a huge quilt to snuggle in.  Seriously, my only regret in reading the book now was that I didn’t experience it that way.  So come winter and you are wondering what book to pick up, pick up this one.

Hennie’s talent is not restricted to just quilting, she’s a master storyteller and the book alternates with Hennie sharing stories of her past and of the people in town with Nit.  While there is an overarching plot that moves Hennie’s stories along, each of the stories that she shares is complete on it’s own.  They are engaging and full of wonderful characters.  Sandra Dallas quickly engages the reader when Hennie shares a horrific experience in just the first chapter that had me instantly bonded to her and her story.  That bond never lifted, even after I closed the last page and I wished that  Hennie and Nit could come to my home for some conversation and teach me about quilting.

And I couldn’t close this review without noting the historical part of this Historical Fiction book.  I loved being taken back to another time and place.  From the setting of Middle Swan to the dredge, the mines, the mountains, the homes, and even the hookhouse, I felt as though I could have been right there experiencing life where hardships, loss, and grief were a way of life.

A beautiful book.  Beautiful writing.  Beautiful characters.  I’m not satisfied with leaving Hennie and Nit behind and wonder what their unwritten futures will be like.  I wholeheartedly recommend this one.

I have an interview with Sandra Dallas tomorrow.  Make a mental note to check it out.

Links of interest:  Sandra Dallas website, this is an Authors on the Web blog tour, check out more book blogger reviews.  Sandra’s  other novels include Tallgrass, The Chili Queen, New Mercies, Alice’s Tulips, The Diary of Mattie Spencer, The Persian Pickle Club, Buster’s Midnight Cafe.
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press.  April 14, 2009.
Hardcover, 320 pages.  ISBN 0312385188
Prayers for Sale is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s and Amazon.