It’s now 1958 and the family belongs to a preacher, his wife, and  three children, one of whom is ten-year old Bob, who narrates the story.  While his older sister is obsessed with Elvis Presley and hanging out with the wrong crowd, his little sister has become obsessed with Grandma Dowdel and spends every waking moment next door, Bob is just trying to stay under the radar from the town bullies and trying to figure out exactly who is the strange woman next door.

A Season of Gifts was a worthwhile sequel and I enjoyed every minute  spent with Grandma Dowdel.  With the story spanning between summer, Halloween and culminating with a wonderful Christmas there are plenty of crazy antics.  I loved how Grandma Dowdel acts like the one who can’t stand everybody and she’s not a church going person but she’s the one who always does the most good.  I also loved how she doesn’t do “neighboring” or Christmas but yet she was the one with the biggest tree and the best gifts.  She’s awesome when she always has the upper hand on the prowling teenagers.  Ruth Ann, the little sister was hilarious as she began to talk and look like Dowdel.  And I enjoyed how the parents weren’t quite sure about their odd neighbor but yet end up in cahoots with her.

If you haven’t read this three book series, I suggest that now would be a good time to do it.

Links of interest:  More book blogger reviews, Maw Books reviews of A Year Down Yonder, A Long Way From Chicago, and On the Wings of Heroes.
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Dial. September 17, 2009.
Hardcover, 176 pages. ISBN 0803730829
A Season of Gifts is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Over the long  holiday weekend, I read Thanksgiving at the Inn by Tim Whitney which is a sweet story that tugs at your heart strings and is a book which will appeal to those from ages 9 to 99.  To tell you the truth, I’m a bit regretful that the word Thanksgiving is used in the title and that it is partially being marketed as a holiday book.  Although, the events of the book culminate with a Thanksgiving meal, it certainly is a story that should know no seasons.  I’m not aware of that many Thanksgiving books (Christmas seems to take that slot) so I would recommend picking this one up when you’re in the mood for some holiday reading next year but I would also recommend that it be picked up regardless of what the calender says.

Twelve-year-old Heath is living at home with his moody father who doesn’t pay enough positive attention to him after his mother left them both.  Recently suspended from school – his father is unwilling to listen to Heath and hear his side of the story – and following the death of his grandfather whom he doesn’t know at all, Heath and his father are in a position to inherit a fortune.  His grandfather and father were not on good terms (a path that he’s following with his own father) and taking a chance to reach out after death, Heath’s grandfather left a few stipulations in his will blocking their path to simply taking the money and running.  They must move in and run the bed-and-breakfast that his grandfather owned and it’s only its odd band of tenants that will determine if they’ve done a good enough job and deemed “worthy” of the money.   Ultimately, it’s a story of relationships, family, discovery and forgiveness.

The strengths in this book are the characters.  From the ones who live in the bed-and-breakfast, to those Heath meets in the new town and to his father and grandfather.  They are each memorable and are developed fully in such a short amount of time.  This is one of those books where when you think back on it, you think less of the plot and more about the character:  their back story, quirks, how they relate to each other, their friendships.   The plot is quiet but yet you are pulled along in wanting to know what happens to Heath and his father.  Are they able to pull together and salvage their relationship before it’s too late?

The one thing that did bother me about the book is that I’m not sure if juvenile readers would pick it up on their own.  I actually think that it’s more of a book for adults although it’s technically classified for readers age 9-12.  Case in point, I’ve noted bloggers who never review middle grade fiction, reviewing this book on their blogs.  It’s not to say that younger readers wouldn’t enjoy the book, but I’m just not convinced it’s one that I’d recommend to the child over recommending it to their parents.  In fact, I’d recommend a parent read it with their child or as a family.

Another reason, I mention that a  juvenile reader may not pick this book up on their own is the title, the cover, the back cover, and the inside layout.  Basically, the entire book design isn’t set up to appeal to a young reader.  Thanksgiving at the Inn, while a descriptive title doesn’t have me jumping up or down, the cover isn’t dynamic enough for a young reader to take note of it on the shelf.  And well, the back cover feels totally geared for adults.  With the tagline: a story of family and forgiveness, it’s followed by nine blurbs.  Kids don’t care about blurbs from elementary school principles, CEO’s, executives or authors.   I’ve never seen a middle grade fiction book have only blurbs on the back cover which are clearly written for adults, so this striked me as odd.  The inside layout leaves a bit to be desired as well.  I found the type to be too large but this didn’t bother me as much as the very small margins.  I could be wrong but my gut feeling is that those small margins will scare kids off.

SO the point?  I think that the book was actually written with an adult audience in mind but when push came to shove it has a twelve-year-old protagonist so it’s classified as middle grade fiction which kind of left the marketing in limbo.  Add in the holiday aspect as well.   Of course, I have NO idea if that’s how it actually played out but that’s at least how it feels to me.   So the consensus?  I think Mom or Dad would pick this book up and then encourage their kids to read it.   And you know what?  That’s not really a bad thing.  Like I mentioned earlier, it’s a book for all ages.  And one that will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside – kind of like a Hallmark movie.  Overall, it was a pleasant read that shouldn’t be relegated to just a seasonal read.

Links of interest:  Tom Whitney website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre:  Middle Grade Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Bancroft Press.  October 1, 2009.
Hardcover, 223 pages. ISBN 1890862649
Thanksgiving at the Inn is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Eight-year-old Grace is worried about the upcoming harsh winter.  And for good reason, last winter many people died including her own grandmother, her mother gave birth while her father was lost in a blizzard.  Winter frightens her.  As the season is upon them, Grace reads Psalms in the Bible where God takes care of even the birds and that He will take even better care of his children.  With a child’s perfect faith she prays, “Please send us a gentle winter.”  Her prayers were answered, no blizzards came and before they knew it spring had  arrived.

Later that fall, during harvest time, a new settler told them of a custom to gather together as a community and to share a harvest feast.  For Grace and her family, it would be their first Thanksgiving.  After preparing pies, turkeys, pheasants and other delicious dishes, they all sit down and begin to dig in.  But Grace knows that something isn’t right and shouts, “Wait!  Shouldn’t we first say thank you to God and ask a blessing?” The next morning as they sat down to breakfast, Grace’s father says, “Say it Grace” from which comes the phrase “saying grace.”

The author’s  note at the beginning of the book provides a few prayers that are good for children as well as scripture references that also make wonderful prayers.  My family blesses our food before each meal and this will be a great book to solidify to my children why we call on God and thank him for our bounteous blessings, not only this time of year but all year long as well.

Links of interest:  Illustrator Timonthy Ladwig website, more book blogger reviews.   Saying Grace: A Prayer of Thanksgiving is a  fiction picture book Cybil’s nominee for which I’m a panelist.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx age 4-8.
Publisher: Zonderkidz.  September 1, 2009
Hardcover, 40 pages. ISBN 0310712106
Saying Grace: A Prayer of Thanksgiving is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Have you ever thought about where some of your favorite foods come from?  This Thanksgiving as you sit down to pumpkin or pecan pie, mashed potatoes, corn, or cranberry sauce, think about if you know where these foods originated.  Now, Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico! Americas’ Sprouting isn’t about the Pilgrims and Native Americans and how did we come to eat these foods at the Thanksgiving dinner table but rather about the foods found native to the Americas before they were divided into countries.

Chocolate.

Fudge, cake, pie, cookies.
Brown magic melts on your tongue.
Happy, your eyes dance.

Pecan

We crack hard, brown shells,
family munching, story time,
crunchy taste of fall.

Pineapple
A stiff, spiky hat
on thick prickly skin, inside
hid syrupy rings.

Pumpkin

Under round luna,
scattered tumblings down the rows,
autumn’s orange face.

Each haiku is accompanied by a short paragraph that explains where the particular food comes from, as well as interesting facts about it.  LIke tomatoes probably originated in Peru or Mexico and though it’s technically a fruit is eaten as a vegetable. Most of us know that but do you know why it’s considered a vegetable?  In 1893, the United State Supreme Court ruled that tomatoes should be subject to the government’s tax on imported vegetables.  I bet you didn’t know that did you?!  (And in all honesty, I did know that, but I find it so interesting it was a Supreme Court ruling.)  Potatoes are native to Andean mountains of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador in South America and the Aymara Indians of Bolivia developed more than two hundred varieties of potatoes alone.  And in 1955 potatoes became the first vegetable grown in outer space.

The illustrations by Rafael López are fantastic and is heavily influenced by the work of Mexican muralists and I must admit that they make me really hungry.  Dancing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?  Come on?  You’ve got to love that.

A great book for a closer look into the food that are native to the America’s as well as a great introduction for children to haiku – seventeen-syllable poems of Japanese origin.

Do you write haiku (looking at you Amy!).  I’d love to have you share your favorite Thanksgiving food in haiku, if you are up for it.

Links of interest:  Pat Mora website, Rafael López website, Maw Books review of Gracias Thanks also by Pat Mora.
Genre: Fiction picture book. Approx ages 4-8.
Publisher: Lee & Low Books. October 31, 2007
Hardcover/Paperback # of pages. ISBN 1584302712
Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico! Americas’ Sproutings is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Por la mariquita que se posí en mi dedo, una pequeña sorpresa voladora roja, gracias.

For the ladybug that landed on my finger, a little red flying surprise, thanks..

Por mi hermanito, que le lanzó su puré de chícharos a mi hermana y me hizo reír tanto que me caí de la silla, gracias.

For my little brother, who threw mashed peas at my sister and made me laugh so hard I feel off my chair, thanks.

Por el chocolate que papá derrite hasta que se convierte en un líquido espeso que llamamos lodo tibio cuando lo vertemos sobre el helado de vainilla, gracias.

For the chocolate Dad melts into thick syrup we call warm mud when we pour it on vanilla ice cream, thanks.

I love how Gracias Thanks is not screaming Thanksgiving book to me.  In fact, there’s nothing about Thanksgiving mentioned or portrayed in it. It makes for the perfect read not only during this month where we reflect on our blessings and our gratitude but for any time of the year as well.  A great book for any collection looking for more books with diversity and one that I will revisit with my boys again each year.

Links of interest:  Pat Mora website, John Parra website, more book blogger reviews, Maw Books review of Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico! Americas’ Sprouting also by Pat Mora.
Genre: Fiction picture book. Approx ages 4-8.
Publisher: Lee and Low Books. October 20, 2009.
Hardcover, 32 pages. ISBN 1600602584
Gracias Thanks is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Maw Books:  Welcome Diane!  Take a moment to introduce yourself so our readers can get to know you better.

Diane Z. Shore: Well, I’m originally from the Midwest and now live in Atlanta, GA, and love it here. One thing that may surprise your readers is that I used to be a C.P.A. (Yikes!)  But I wasn’t very good at it, and I definitely like being a children’s author much better.  In my spare time I play tennis.  I’ve had to cut back some due to my traveling schedule, but I’m still on three different teams!

Maw Books:  Another author I interviewed, James Dashner, was a C.P.A. as well.  How funny!  What books do you currently have published and do you play favorites among your own books?

Diane Z. Shore: After 9 ½ years, more than 400 rejections, and more sloppy copies than I can count, my first book, Bus-A-Saurus Bop was published.  When I visit schools, I use this book to talk about the long road to publication, and that if you believe that you can accomplish something and truly have a dream, don’t let anyone tell you that it can’t happen.  There were several times I felt like giving up, but something in my gut kept telling me that I was getting closer and closer.  I’m so glad that I didn’t give up, because I am truly doing something that I love to do!

Bus-A-Saurus Bop was the start of my career, and since then I have published Look Both Ways, Rosa Love to Read, This Is the Dream, and This Is the Feast.  But I would have to say that my favorite book that I wrote is HOW TO DRIVE YOUR SISTER CRAZY, which was inspired by my then seven year old son and nine year old daughter.  That book came out about three weeks ago, and my kids are now 15 and 17!   But my son still drives his sister crazy!!  This seems to be the favorite among the kids!   Must be a lot of sibling rivalry out there!

Maw Books:  Who doesn’t drive their sister crazy?  What was the inspiration behind This is the Feast?

Diane Z. Shore: It was at an SCBWI fall conference back in 1998, where a panel consisting of a librarian, an editor and an agent all expressed the need for more Thanksgiving books.  I really like the Thanksgiving holiday, but wouldn’t say I was gung ho about writing a book about it.  A year later,  I was checking out books at our local library and one of the books I checked out was titled This Is the Pumpkin, a contemporary story about Halloween, written in a variation of cumulative rhyming verse.  I thought that this format could work for a contemporary story about Thanksgiving and started out writing This Is the Turkey.  That story was going nowhere, and so I thought why not write about the First Thanksgiving using the same cumulative rhyme format, and calling the book THIS IS THE FEAST.

Maw Books:  What is the process like to research for a picture book, especially this one based upon the first Thanksgiving?

Diane Z. Shore: For This Is the Feast, I checked out every book I could find on the First Thanksgiving, both adult and children’s.  A couple of the Pilgrims (or New Comers as they were actually called) kept diaries so I had primary sources, too! I found the research to be very interesting and exciting, or as I tell the students when I visit schools, “very wowing!”  I discovered I really loved non-fiction, and thought about other historical events that might work written in the cumulative rhyme format, and that’s when I came up with THIS IS THE DREAM.  That book actually started out as THIS IS THE MARCH, about the 1968 march on Washington D.C., but decided that was too narrow an approach, so I expanded it to the entire Civil Rights Movement.  For research I watched videos and read lots of books.  Most of the research material for DREAM was primary sources.

Maw Books:  Because it’s Thanksgiving and your book is a Thanksgiving book, what are the traditions that you have in your home this time of year?

Diane Z. Shore: I’m not much of a cook, so anytime I can go to my sister’s house or my parents’ house, we’re there!   So I guess you could say that one of my traditions is to let someone else cook!

Maw Books:  I’ve never hosted a Thanksgiving myself.  If I had to make a turkey, I wouldn’t know what to do.  But, I love to ask authors for a favorite recipe to share with my readers.  What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish and would you care to share the recipe?

Diane Z. Shore: OK, now I just told you that cooking is not on my top 10 list of favorite things to do.  But, I do always offer to bring something when we are invited elsewhere for Thanksgiving and  Sweet Potato Casserole is my favorite thing to make AND eat.  It’s more like a dessert than a side dish. (And I love desserts!)

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

2 eggs 1
cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Beat eggs, granulated sugar, and 3/4 cup butter. Add milk and vanilla. Combine with the mashed sweet potatoes; spoon into a greased 2-quart casserole. Combine brown sugar, flour, 2 tablespoons softened butter, and pecans, mixing until crumbly; sprinkle over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Serves 6.

Maw Books:  Sounds delicious!  Thank you!  What do you do outside the world of books?

Diane Z. Shore: Play tennis, read, and go out to dinner with friends.

Maw Books:  What can your fans look forward to next?

Diane Z. Shore: This Is the Game, about the history of baseball, and more How to Drive Your Sister Crazy books.  I think the ideas for those books are endless.  They are in my household anyway!

Maw Books:  I look forward to them!  Thank you so much Diane!

Diane Z. Shore: Thank YOU!   Happy Thanksgiving and may the wishbone break your way!   Diane

You can visit Diane Z. Shore at her website and purchase all of her books at the Maw Books Amazon store.  And visit these other bloggers participating in the Kidz Book Buzz blog tour:  the 160acrewoods, A Mom Speaks, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Cafe of Dreams, Dolce Bellezza, Homeschool Buzz, KidzBookBuzz.com, Looking Glass Reviews, Maggie Reads, Maw Books Blog, Never Jam Today, Olive Tree, Our Big Earth, Quiverfull Family, Reading is My Superpower, SmallWorld Reads.

After Diane’s recipe, I’m ready to talk about Thanksgiving traditions that many of us carry on in our own homes.  Tomorrow we’ll talk about some of those traditions and share some yummy Thanksgiving recipes.  So come prepared to share!

This is the Feast begins as the Mayflower sets sail in 1620 in hopes of reaching a new land to escape religious persecution.  The pilgrims (who I’m glad to see are not depicted in all black and white) reach land and with much trial and tribulation try to survive the first winter at Plymouth, despite much death and disease among them.  Without the help of the Indians to show them how to sow the corn they may not have survived.  The book culminates with a great feast with the Indians to celebrate their good fortune.

This is the Feast is a lyrical, rhythmic verse.  I read it out loud to my three year old and it flowed well.  Each sentence begins as “These are the . . . ” and “This is the . . .”  For example:

These are the maples, in forests ablaze,
where wild turkeys run and golden deer graze.
These are the plums and cranberries tart,
picked and preserved with a gladdening heart.

These are the cornstalks, soldiers of maize,
gathered in sheaves during harvesting days.

These are the baskets of plentiful crops,
spilling with tassels and vegetable tops
and brimming with berries and chestnuts and plums
that ripened in forests where golden deer run -
a harvest of plenty, all gathered with pride.
“Thanks be to God, who doth us provide!”

Megan Lloyd’s illustrations are bright, detailed, and lively but to tell you the truth nothing that I was “oohing and awing” over.  They were very clear and accurate but the rendering perhaps leaves something to be desired.  That said my little boy enjoyed picking out all the animals on the different pages.  He eagerly was turning the pages before I could finish reading the text.  Even if he didn’t understand anything that I was actually saying, hearing the rhymes was good and it stills worked great as a point and see type book.

This is the Feast is a great introduction to the Thanksgiving traditions that many of us carry on in our own homes.  Because I love to eat, and I love Thanksgiving, tomorrow we’ll talk about some of those traditions and share some yummy Thanksgiving recipes.  So come prepared to share!

Visit Diane Z. Shore at her website and these other participating blogs today in the Kidz Book Buzz tour: the 160acrewoods, A Mom Speaks, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Cafe of Dreams, Dolce Bellezza, Homeschool Buzz, KidzBookBuzz.com, Looking Glass Reviews, Maggie Reads, Maw Books Blog, Never Jam Today, Our Big Earth, Quiverfull Family, Reading is My Superpower, and SmallWorld Reads.