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The Widow’s Season by Laura Brodie

Natasha Maw — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 05:26:27 +0000

The Widow’s Season by Laura Brodie has a great first line, “Sarah McConnell’s husband had been dead three months when she saw him in the grocery store. He was standing at the end of the seasonal aisle, contemplating a display of plastic pumpkins, when, for one brief moment, he lifted his head and looked into her eyes.”

Did he fake his death? It could be possible. After all, he died in a freak flash flood and his body was never found. Was it his way out of their marriage? Or is she simply going crazy and imagining all of their encounters and conversations. Has her grief become so consuming that she no longer can tell reality from vision?

I was so anxious to get to the end of this book. No, not for it to be over. This is a haunting beautiful book. It could easily be called a ghost story but it’s so much more than a simple ghost story. It’s a story of marriage, of grief, of love, resolution, discontentment, starting over, loyalty, and the questioning of one’s sanity and reality.

I was anxious to get to the end of this book because Brodie perfectly convinced me, just like Sarah, that one can not be so sure about the realities they are experiencing. Was Sarah’s husband David really dead or was he really alive? As a reader, I honestly no longer knew. I wanted to believe that yes, he was really dead – a figment of Sarah’s imagination. But then the next chapter Brodie would easily convince me that he was really alive. A great depth and complexity of the characters and their relationships with each other. I love character driven novels and this one certainly is that.

I remember reading the ending of the book sitting on the couch with my husband, closing the book and then saying, “Ah! I can’t believe this book! “ And that was in a total good way.

I loved the widow’s support group that Sarah attended:

She had almost come to accept David’s appearances as a sign of mental breakdown, a delusion sparked by her isolation. But here were these women insisting that she wasn’t crazy, she was normal. Somehow the idea didn’t soothe her; a touch of insanity was preferable to the status quo.
She glanced over at Margaret, who was leaning against the kitchen doorway. “What do you think?”

Margaret hesitated, apparently choosing her words more carefully than usual.

“I think it’s going to be hard for you to have any closure until David’s body is found.”"

“Which means you think this is all in my head?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you don’t believe in ghosts?”

Again Margaret hesitated.

“I believe there is a lot more going on in this world than we can comprehend. Whether or not that includes ghosts, I don’t know. But I’ll say this much – if you are really seeing David, there must be a reason. Either he is somehow trying to reach you, or you are trying to reach him. Most likely the latter. There’s probably something unresolved in your mind.”

I really liked The Widow’s Season. Feels like the perfect book for the fall. I’d highly suggest reading this one curled up on the couch with a quilt on hand. And if you’re like me you won’t be able to put it down. I read the second-half of the book in one sitting.

Links of interest: Laura Brodie website, more book blogger reviews,
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Berkley Trade. June 2, 2009.
Paperback, 320 pages. ISBN 0425227650
Copy source: Review copy sent from the author
The Widow’s Season is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

Natasha Maw — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:01:03 +0000

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott’s opening chapter is a mere four lines:

I liked him first, but it doesn’t matter.
I still like him.
That doesn’t matter either.
Or at least, it’s not supposed to.

Those four lines set up the entire book perfectly. Ah . . . to be the third wheel. It’s bad enough to be the third wheel, but it’s even worse when you have a major crush on your best friend’s boyfriend. That’s exactly what it’s like for Sarah as she tries to convince herself that she doesn’t really like Ryan. Her best friend Brianna doesn’t even know that she liked him first, so it’s not like Sarah can even be mad at her either.

And then as if things aren’t awkward enough, Sarah begins to think that perhaps Ryan is beginning to give her more attention. Is it possible that he may like her in return? When something happens (great scene by the way!) that confirms her suspicions, she is torn with guilt. What to do? Is it worth losing her best friend over? But he’s so worth it . . .

While Living Dead Girl will always remain my favorite Elizabeth Scott book, I really liked The Unwritten Rule. It’s a seemingly simple book but full of characters who felt SO real (they all made feel like I was 16 again!), great tension, and one that I’d easily borrow out to all the teen girls in my neighborhood. The more I think about it later, the more I like it.

Links of interest: Elizabeth Scott website, on Twitter, more book blogger reviews. Maw Books reviews of Living Dead Girl and Something, Maybe.
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult
Publisher: Simon Pulse. March 10, 2010.
Hardcover, 224 pages. ISBN 1416978917
Source: Review copy
The Unwritten Rule is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Witness by Karen Hesse

Natasha Maw — Sun, 16 May 2010 15:02:52 +0000

Witness by Karen Hesse is told from the viewpoints of eleven different townspeople in a small town of Vermont in 1924. A town in which the Klu Klux Klan has moved in and ultimately changes everything. I adore free-verse novels and Witness is as powerful as they come. Based on true characters, there are photographs at the beginning of the book naming each character. This brought to life to the reader that these emotions, thoughts, lives, and horrific events are not just a made up story. The Klu Klux Kan is a real organization that horrifically changed people’s lives.

Two examples of two different viewpoints of the same event:

johnny reeves
we took a pine
40 feet high and
lashed a cross arm
to it and set the
cross in the ground,
its arms stretching above the town, we soaked burlap bags
in kerosene and wrapped the bags around the wood.
at the foot of the cross i smashed
a railroad torch.
the fire took off so fast. a divine
sight, neighbor,
the flames spread
from the base to the
top. in a matter of
minutes the cross arm
pulsed with fire. the
flames leaping,
seeking heaven
neighbor, the white
crucifix scoring
the night
blazed perfect.
perfect.

leanora sutter

i woke up saturday night
because the light coming through
my bedroom window changed.

on the hill across the valley
i saw
a flame
rising.
but it was
no wild fire. it
was a
cross,
burning.

silently,
silently,
i crept down the hall,
into the closet
where,
at the back,
mamma’s cotton dress
still dangled over her shoes,
and the walls smelled of hair oil and oranges.

in that dark and narrow place,
i opened a hole for myself
but no matter how i turned,
the light from the cross
curled its bright claws under the door.

I did find it interesting but also a bit distracting that there was no capitalization in the entire book. I suspect that Hesse was stripping the text down to its most simple form.

I have yet to meet a free-verse novel that I didn’t like and this one was no exception. Hesse has taken on a grim subject matter and thoughtfully portrayed those who were caught up in something larger than themselves. Beautiful.

Links of interest: More book blogger reviews.
Genre: Historical Fiction, free-verse, ages 9-12.
Publisher: Scholastic. March 1, 2003. Originally published 2001.
Hardcover, 168 pages. ISBN 0439272009
Source copy: Own
Witness is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris

Natasha Maw — Sat, 15 May 2010 05:20:46 +0000

The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris is a very quiet character study novel and a fine one at that. Living a comfortable lifestyle with his devoted wife Jane and their daughter Becka, attorney Tim Farnsworth relapses into a very odd condition in which he can’t stop walking. Having battled this condition twice previously, Tim had always lived in fear that it would return. But this time it’s escalated and his recurrences are much more frequent. He literally can’t stop walking. A compulsion which drives him out of his home or office and onto the streets where he has no idea where he will end up.

This is a story of a man who battles his body on a daily basis. And it’s a battle that he seemingly can’t win. Not only is his body succumbing to the ravages of the elements and the sheer stress of the actual walkings but his family is being tested to their limit. Can a family survive a disease that they don’t understand? One that doctors can’t diagnosis? One that could possibly be all in his head?

The book is incredibly introspective and one shouldn’t go into it hoping for a fast paced plot. The beauty of a novel such as this is the intricacies of character, their dynamics and relationships. Unfortunately unlike other enthusiastic book bloggers, I won’t be filing it under one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why this is. It is incredibly written and Joshua Ferris has pulled off that which could be potentially incredibly boring – 320 pages about a man who walks around a lot.

But I found myself putting the book down easily, picking it back up reluctantly. I didn’t find that it consumed my thoughts when I wasn’t reading it. I wanted to be more enthralled and engrossed and I just wasn’t feeling it. In fact, I found myself thumbing ahead to see how many pages were left in a chapter so I could put the book down. And well, that’s never a good sign. I never considered abandoning it though. I was fully invested in the story and it’s characters. I had no idea how it would end and I really wanted to find out. But it felt so slow in getting there. I could see the beauty of the story and the carefully selected writing yet I didn’t find myself lost inside the book. I always felt aware that I was reading the book. I don’t know if that makes sense or not.

As far as character studies go, I would recommend this one. But ultimately, I don’t think you need to rush out and read it immediately. It will still be there when, and if, you are ready for it.

Links of interest: Joshua Ferris website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books. January 18, 2010
Hardcover, 320 pages. ISBN 0316034010
Source: Review copy from BEA
The Unnamed is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Year of No Rain by Alice Mead

Natasha Maw — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:14:54 +0000

Year of No Rain by Alice Mead is a story of children and civil war. So right away you know it’s a sad book. But yet it’s one of hope, determination and optimism.

Eleven-year-old Stephen Majok lives in a small Sudanese village. When he is not playing with his friends he tends his family’s two cows. His father had become a soldier when he was just a baby and had never come back. One of his best friends, fourteen-year-old Wol, becomes engaged to his sister. He wants to marry before he joins the guerrillas in southern Sudan fighting against the northern government soldiers simply so she can remember him. It’s a war that Stephen doesn’t want to go looking for, he just wants to study but with the war school hasn’t been in session for over a year.

But the war soon finds him anyways, as his village is bombed from government soldiers. His mother tells him to pack his back with his most valued possessions and run into the forest with his friend Wol. His mother and sister stay behind. In the forest, they face hunger, thirst, and fear that their family has been killed. Orphans they yearn for home but wander unsure of where to go or who to trust.

A story of how children are caught up and affected in a horrible war. Stephen is a character whom readers can easily sympathize with. It’s easily written and perfect for young readers who are discovering the stories of people outside of their life circle and culture. It’s one that will elicit discussion about the ill effects of war, brutality, hunger, thirst, and the power of the individual, optimism, and the hunger for stability, family, love, and education.

Links of interest: Alice Mead website, more book blogger reviews. I read this book as part of the water theme for the Social Justice Challenge.
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Perfection Learning. January 2005.
Hardcover, 129 pages. ISBN 0756951585
Source copy: Own
Year of No Rain is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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We Are the Ship, The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson

Natasha Maw — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:09:50 +0000

Please forgive my rambling for a bit. Let me start off by saying that I know NOTHING about baseball. My only experience with the sport is when I lived in Chicago I went to a Sox game once and when I was in my early twenties I was playing a game of softball (not baseball I know – but close enough for this story) with friends and got hit in the face with a hard line drive. I broke my cheekbone in multiple places really bad and had to have reconstructive surgery. I’ve got a metal plate in there and everything. In fact, I still have nerve damage to the top of my left lip which often reminds me of the injury. For weeks, you could see the stitching from the ball imprinted in my skin – that is if you could see past my swollen face and blood shot eye.

So while I was reading We Are the Ship, The Story of the Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson and it kept talking about how fast these guys could pitch and hit – I kept wanting to wince. It’s no fun to get hit. I have to admire these athletes for even getting out on that field. Me? I am now officially scared of any ball which may potentially break all the bones in my face.

But as I was saying, I don’t follow baseball nor do I know its history or its present. So reading We Are the Ship was literally my first history lesson of any sort of the sport. So Natasha, you may ask, why read about baseball if you’re not that interested in it? Let me tell you. Kadir Nelson can illustrate the back of a cereal box and I would be all over it. His artwork is simply brilliant and I’ll read anything that has his name attached to it. Plus, teasing my husband is kind of fun too. If I mention Nelson’s name, my husband always says, “Oh yeah, that guy that you think is really good looking.” I know I’m not alone in this sentiment. Kadir Nelson is one good looking guy. He’s also incredibly soft-spoken and gracious which makes him even more appealing.

Plus, he can paint. Wow, can he paint. The talent just oozes from him. I am always blown away with his books and We Are the Ship was no exception.

This is a book that I was in awe of. Turning each page to discover the next illustration was a treat in and of itself. Kadir Nelson presents the portraits of Rube Foster, John Henry “Pop” Lloyd, Jackie Robinson, Oscar Charleston, Willie Foster, Andy Cooper, Wilber “Bullet” Rogan, Josh Gibson, William Julius “Judy” Johnson, Raleigh “Biz” Mackey, Leroy “Satchel” Paige, Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, Willard Brown, Hilton Smith, Buck Leonard, James “Cool Papa” Bell and many more. These are strong illustrations and one doesn’t doubt the strength or determination of these players.

In nine chapters, or better called, nine innings, our narrator who seems to have his eyes on every aspect of the sport and in what feels like a reminiscing by the fireplace takes the reader through the beginnings of the Negro Baseball League to its eventual desegregation with the crossover of Jackie Robinson to the minor leagues.

Let me tell you. Reading about the history of baseball? Fascinating! These men were simply amazing and one can only leave the book with a new-found appreciation for these men who did so much for the history of baseball and paved the way for many athletes who would come after them.

I loved how the story was narrated and wanted to share Kadir Nelson’s thoughts on this in the author’s note:

I have attempted in earnest to present these men (and one woman) in all their dignity, pride and spiritual strength. They are my heroes.

[. . . ] Where these was no way, they made a way. I admire this independent spirit.

In keeping with this spirit, I chose to present the voice of the narrator as a collective voice, the voice of every player, the voice of we. Under the leadership of Rube Foster, who declared the leagues’ independence from major league baseball by saying, “We are the ship; all else the sea,” the owners and players formed and sustained a successful league, demonstrating the power of the collective. And after reading interviews and listening to former players speak about their lives in baseball, it became clear that hearing the story of Negro League baseball directly from those who experienced it firsthand made it more real, more accessible. I hope that the way I have chosen to present the story has the same effect.

He later says,

I hope that I have done justice to these somewhat forgotten men and given them the tribute that they deserve. I have tried to honor them, to portray them as the heroes they were, and to further solidify their place in history. I hope that the reader will agree.

Yes, I completely agree. This is not just a picture book. It’s so much more than that. It’s special and if you have been fortunate to read this book as well, then you know what I’m talking about.

Links of interest: Kadir Nelson website, more book blogger reviews. Also illustrated by Kadir Nelson and reviewed by Maw Books: Moses, When Harriett Tubman Led Her People to Freedom and Henry’s Freedom Box, A True Story from the Underground Railroad.
We Are the Ship is part of my themed reading for the month of February which celebrates Black History Month. Join me this month as I explore books that celebrate the history of African-Americans.
Genre: Non-fiction Picture Book, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Hyperion Books. January 8, 2008.
Hardcover, 96 pages. ISBN 0786808322
Source Copy: Own
We Are the Ship is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Who Was Born this Special Day? by Eve Bunting, Illustrated by Leonid Gore

Natasha Maw — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:55:18 +0000

Who Was Born This Special Day? by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Leonid Gore is a beautiful, soft nativity story. Each manger animal is each asked in turn if they were born on this special night. Was it you little lamb? Was it you little goat? Was it you little calf? Was it you little donkey? Was it you mourning dove? Was it the cedar tee or perhaps a little stone? Each animal replies with the poetic story of their birth. The lamb says “I was born back in early May when the breezes of spring chased winter away.”

So who was born this special day?

Was it the child?
The child who lies in the manger bed, the shine of the star high overhead?

Clouds filled with angels shimmering bright,
singing of joy this dear, holy night.
Who was born this special day?

It was the child.

Both of my little boys really enjoyed responding with a no, each time the question is asked of each manger animal and then telling me that the baby is baby Jesus. The paintings are so soft. It gives a reverence to the book that is wholly appropriate. A great book for both children and adults to remind us that Christmas is not all gifts, glitter and Santa. But rather a special day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas!!!

Links of interest:
Genre: Fiction picture book. Approx ages 4-8.
Publisher: Atheneum. October 1, 2000.
Hardcover, 32 pages. ISBN 0689823029
Who Was Born This Special Day? is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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War Child, A Child Soldier’s Story by Emmanuel Jal

Natasha Maw — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:03:17 +0000

Why do I love reading memoirs? Because of books like War Child, A Child Soldier’s Story by Emmanuel Jal. What an incredible book that had me thoroughly engrossed. I think using the word engrossed is supposed to be a no-no when reviewing books but how else can I describe a book that had me unable to put it down and talking about it to my husband whenever I wasn’t reading it?

Emmanuel Jal is truly an amazing person and one that makes me believe in the resilience of the human spirit. A former child-solder at the young age of seven in the Sudanese civil war, he is now a hip-hop star who is using his music to share his message and to find peace for his people in Africa.

About Emmanuel Jal’s story (from the War Child movie website):

In the early 1980s at the age of seven, Jal was swept into Sudan’s civil war, becoming one of 10,000 child soldiers conscripted on both sides of the two decade long conflict. After being forced to do many unimaginably horrible things, he escaped the soldier’s camp and trekked for four months through Africa. He was eventually found and adopted by the now legendary British aid worker Emma McCune who had married Sudanese guerrilla commander Riek Machar and convinced him to not employ child soldiers. Shortly after she adopted Jal, McCune died in a suspicious car crash, leaving Emmanuel “orphaned” once again. Jal rose from ruthless child soldier to refugee to rap star. He found his own redemption and life mission through a message of peace that represents one of the 21st centuries’ most inspiring and hopeful journeys, and a metaphor for the broader African predicament.

What I find so surreal about Emmanuel Jal’s story is that he is my age (or nearly close to it as he doesn’t know exactly when he was born). What was I doing in the comfort of my American home while he had to make decisions about whether or not to eat his dead friend in order to stay alive, or that he was sleeping with an Ak-47 and not only being trained at the age of eight as a soldier but also sent to the front lines to kill?

I was so mad at his father for giving him up. For abandoning him when he was just a small child No child should have to raise himself at the age of seven or eight. I was so mad that people could do such awful things to each other. But I was so inspired with those who reached out to help. I adored and loved Emma McCune. She is a hero and sometimes I secretly wish that I could make a similar impact on somebody’s life. I am so inspired by Emmanuel Jal himself. For overcoming his war-torn childhood, not only surviving but thriving and using his life to make a difference for others.

After I finished the book, I rushed out and watched the documentary about his life. When he lived in the refugee camps, he was filmed by National Geographic. He loved to talk when he was little so he became a natural spokesman for the children. It was surreal to watch him as a little boy and put a face to the little boy that I read about.

Another trailer (does contain graphic images):

And then after I watched the documentary, I rushed out and got his CD which I have listened to no less than a dozen times. His lyrics are so compelling and he’s really talented. I love that he is using his music to make a difference.

I love this tribute song for Emma McCune, the woman who smuggled him out of the country, took him in, and put him in school:

I wanted to share this song as well, because he was told that if he wanted to be successful he should become more concerned with material things. His response was that while his people suffered in Africa, those things are meaningless. Just goes to show what his character his like.

Emmanuel Jal tells his story in his own words. Please stop a moment and take the time to watch:

One year ago, Emmanuel Jal pledged to fast two meals a day until he raised enough funds to build a school for his people in Africa. One year later and countless meals missed, he has not given up. You can find out how’s he doing via the links below and help the cause.

I was so inspired from this book and learning about Emmanuel Jal’s journey that I chose this book for the Twenty-Minute Book Club on the That’s How I Blog, Blog Talk Radio Show hosted by Nicole at Linus’s Blanket, which I will be a guest on Tuesday, January 19th. (and if you’re into reading challenges – this book would fit nicely with the That’s How I Blog Challenge as well as the Social Justice Challenge). I would love for you to read the book, watch the documentary, or listen to his album and join us on that show to discuss it.

Regardless, this is one of those books that when you read it, you have to tell everybody about it. So this is me, telling you about it. Read it.

Links of interest: Emmanuel Jal website, Twitter, Facebook and on YouTube. War Child documentary movie website. Gua Africa, Emmanuel’s non-profit charity which he founded, which is currently raises funds for the Emma Academy, in honor of the woman who saved his life.
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press. February 3, 2009.
Hardcover, 272 pages. ISBN 0312383223
War Child is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico! Americas’ Sproutings, Haiku by Pat Mora, Pictures by Rafael López

Natasha Maw — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:12:47 +0000

Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico! Americas’ Sproutings is a fantastic collection of haiku by Pat Mora accompanied by illustrations from Rafael López.

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.

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When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Natasha Maw — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:51:51 +0000

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead is the perfect realistic fiction book with a fantasy twist. It’s a mystery too. As well as a coming of age, friendship book. In fact, When You Reach Me dabbles a little in many genres. In a short 197 pages, this book packs a punch! From what I’ve read about the book it’s also getting a lot of Newbery buzz. Which I wouldn’t mind one little bit if it received Newbery recognition. It’s also on all of the Best of 2009 lists and deservedly so. Long story short: worth the read!

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.

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