School is back in Session!

Summer is just about officially over for me. It was definitely the fastest summer I have ever had. Even though I was productive and read so many wonderful books for children, I can't help but feel a bit cheated that I didn't read anything for myself. On my quest to change that and read one great adult book before I head back to work, I recently picked up

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand.

I read about 1/4 way through it and decided I just couldn't finish it. I'm not one to not finish books but it was just too war heavy for me. Even if I don't really love a book, I always finish it. But with this book, there was no guilt, I just put it down knowing that I will read it at another time. But it did take courage to allow myself not to finish it. And for the record I loved her first book, Seabiscuit.

So in my quest to do something for me I went and saw The Help in the movie theaters last night. Once again, another first. I always read books before I see them in the movie theaters. Books are always better than the movies, right? (Well maybe Harry Potter can be the exception). Although reading the books before seeing the movies definitely makes the experience that much better. But this time I did not read the book! But, the movie was fabulous! And there is no doubt in my mind that the book was probably that much better.

So once again that leaves me back without reading anything for me, something for my adult mind. Something to make me think, or enjoy or experience.  I read two parenting books this summer out of sheer frustration that I wasn't parenting my two children right. I just felt like everything I was doing was all wrong. On my nightstand I have two "must have" parenting books, Raising a Son by Don and Jeanne Elium and The Blessings of a B Minus by Wendy Mogul. Every once in awhile when I get really frustrated and feel like I'm doing everything wrong as a parent I reach out for a parenting book full of wisdom to help me through my insecurities. This was one of those summers where everything I did and say with my 11 year-old son caused a fight or a yelling match. So after some researching books in the public library and local bookstore I found the perfect "boy" book for me to read and help in raising my son. Boys pose special challenges, different than girls, and this book really talks about the different developmental changes that occur from infancy to young adulthood. It has actually been very helpful, I'm on the chapter The I'm-on-my-way-but-I-don't-know-where-I'm-going years: Eight to Twelve.

On top of my challenging summer with my son, my 14 year old daughter is heading off to high school  and quite frankly I'm scared to death. Partly because I remember my high school years for good or for bad. So when I heard that one of my favorite authors, Wendy Mogul, had finally written a teen book (her first book was Blessings of a Skinned Knee) I pre-ordered the book, The Blessings of a B Minus.  This book was published last year and once again is based on her own experiences with her children, or now young adults. Wendy Mogul is a child psychologist and lecturer that uses Jewish teachings in her books in raising children. But you don't have to be religious or even Jewish to enjoy and appreciate her philosophy on raising children. This book is geared towards raising teens in our world today and I highly recommend it. If you haven't read her first book for raising younger children, that is also a delightful and inspiring read. 

So as I count the hours until I head back to the school library next week I realize, it isn't the end of the world that maybe I didn't read anything for myself. I saw some wonderful movies this summer, spent quality time with my children, family and friends and maybe that will just have to do for now.

The Red Umbrella

I just finished reading a really fabulous and very powerful book called, The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez. This is a great historical novel for grades 5^th -8. I would also recommend this book for an “in-class” read because it teaches a part of history that many children today don’t know much about.

The story begins in Cuba in 1961 and spans over the course of just about one year. Lucia is 14 years old and has a wonderful life with her family in Cuba. She is a typical teen, thinking about fashion, dreaming of parties and liking boys. But everything changes when the revolution begins. Her friends are no longer friends and her family is being stripped of their rights. After Lucia witnesses a brutal murder her parents decide to make a heart wrenching decision, one that many had to make during that time. They decide to send Lucia and her little brother, Frankie, to America alone. While one can’t imagine being torn from your family, Lucia makes the best of their new situation and learns to adapt to her new lifestyle in America while waiting for her parents to bring her back home.

This novel is based on historical events that took place during this time period when over 14,000 unaccompanied minors were sent over to the United States to escape Castro’s Operation Pedro Pan. This was considered to be one of the largest Exodus of unaccompanied children in the west. The author created this story based on true experiences of her own parents.

Christina Gonzalez did a fabulous job as a first time author creating a very real story portraying authentic feelings. Another special touch that I enjoyed was the inclusion of brief newspaper headlines at the beginning of each chapter. These headlines give the reader a glimpse into the Cuban politics and history. There is also an author’s note as well as an index of Spanish words and phrases that the author used throughout the story.

The Red Umbrella is a moving story of Cuba, family and the true meaning of home. Find it today at your local library.

The Sister's Grimm- Fractured Fairy Tales

 
I just finished reading The Sister’s Grimm: The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley. This is the first in a series of 8 books with book 9 on the way. For more information on this fabulous series check out this site The Sister's Grimm.

The Fairy Tale Detectives is considered to be a fractured fairy tale. First let’s define fairy tale. A Fairy tale is a story, an oral story, that has been passed down through the generations as well as through many different cultures. These stories are usually full of magic with characters such as Fairies, trolls, goblins, elves, giants or gnomes. The stories usually begin with “Once Upon a Time” and end with “Happily Ever After”. Some of the most famous fairy tale authors are the Brother’s Grimm, Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Andersen and Paul Galdone.

A fractured fairy tale is just another way of reinventing or rewriting a fairy tale with humor. There are many authors that enjoy writing fractured fairy tales. Check out this list of wonderful fractured fairy tales by many different authors at this site. Fractured Fairy Tales

The Sister’s Grimm: The Fairy Tale Detectives begins with two sisters, Daphne and Sabrina, who have been abandoned by their parents and are moved around within the foster care system. Suddenly they are sent to live with their grandmother, Relda Grimm, who they believe is dead. When they find themselves in Ferryport Landing with Grandma Grimm the girls are skeptical that she is their real grandmother. But in time they learn their true history of being related to the famous ancestors, the Brother’s Grimm. The girls learn about a collection of case files of magical mischief but then suddenly find themselves in the center of another crime and they need to solve it. And so the story begins of the The Sister’s Grimm and their exciting adventures with many characters that we all know and love, Snow White, the three little pigs, Jack and the Beanstalk, Prince Charming, and none other than the big bad wolf. This magical story is delightful in that it weaves so many wonderful fairy tale characters and plots within the story. As the girls begin to solve their first crime they learn about the mystery that leads to their ancestor’s magical beginnings with witches, pixies and fairies.

A delightful read and a definite must for lovers of  fairy tales. This story is full of imagination, creativity and adventures but with a modern-day twist. I would recommend this set of books for children in grades 4-6. It might be helpful to even go back and reread some of the classic fairy tales before reading this story.

Some of my favorite fractured fairy tales include:

Sleeping Ugly by Jane Yolen

Jack and the Meanstalk by Brain and Rebecca Wildsmith

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

The Book that Jack Wrote by Jon Scieszka

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka

The Frog Prince, continued by Jon Scieszka

Somebody and the Three Blairs  by Marilyn Tolhurst

Rapunzel: A Groovy Fairy Tale  by Lynn Roberts

Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson

Cinder-Elly by Frances Minters

Lauren Myracle - An Author for Tweens

Lauren Myracle is a young author who relates well to tweens and teens. She has written many books that deal with adolescence, relationships, families, school life, as well as sex, drugs and alcohol. While I prefer her tween books to her teen books, I am happy to recommend the “Winnie Series”.

Winnie Years Series

1. Ten (2010)
2. Eleven (2004)
3. Twelve (2007)
4. Thirteen (2008)
5. Thirteen Plus One(2010)

Ten was just recently published, even though it is the prequel to Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, and Thirteen Plus One. For those of you who are just starting out with this series I recommend beginning with Ten. For those readers who have already read "The Winnie Years", Ten is really a great beginning to this sweet little series and a wonderful read even though you know Winnie as she gets older.

I’m happy that Lauren chose to come back and write Ten as I feel this story gives more background to our fabulous character Winnie and I think readers can relate more to her as a young tween. Each book begins with Winnie celebrating her birthday. Through the years we deal with different issues as Winnie gets older and more mature and life gets more complicated.

Ten introduces the character Winnie Perry who is so excited to become ten, the double digits. She is almost a middle-schooler and that means of course more responsibility. This story is predictable as it concludes the last year of elementary school with Winnie and her best friend Amanda .

In Eleven, Winnie finds a new best friend but what happens to Amanda? In Twelve, her body begins to develop and she buys her first bra and gets her period. In Thirteen boys become really important and there are big changes in Winnie’s family, all good. Thirten Plus One is the end of the middle school years and now Winnie and her friends are typical teens getting ready to start high school. This brings about different challenges and issues for these young girls to deal with.

"The Winnie Years" is a great little series for girls in grades 5 and up. 

Check out this great author, Wendelin Van Draanen

I just finished reading The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen. Honestly I picked up the book because I was attracted to the title and book cover. I always get excited about stories that have to do with one of my favorite sports and hobbies, running. But you don't have to be a runner to enjoy this one. The Running Dream is about a young high school girl who is a great track athlete, until she is in a tragic bus accident and ends up losing her leg as well as her future dreams. The story begins with her waking up in the hospital and realizing what has happened.  I think the School Library Journal review of this book really sums it up nicely.

Jessica has run her personal best at a track meet-then there's a tragic bus accident and the high school junior loses her leg as well as her future dreams. From waking up in the hospital and coping with the trauma, to her return home, then school, she tries to grab her life back. On one level the story offers inspiration to those dealing with physical changes in their own lives and the stages of recovery, fight, survival, and victory as Jessica reaches deep to push past her wall of self-pity and loathing, and moves beyond the "finish line." On a deeper level, there is her blind discrimination toward a fellow classmate who has cerebral palsy. Rosa is hard to understand and easy to ignore. She is anchored to a wheelchair. Jessica, encumbered by her crutches and her tender "stump," is seated in the back of the class, out of the way, next to Rosa. She learns that the girl is smart, wise, and friendly. They pass notes and share lunch. Rosa writes, "I wish people would see me and not my condition." When Jessica is running again-on a specially engineered prosthesis-she challenges herself to help her friend be seen. How Jessica orchestrates putting Rosa in the forefront of a community race and pushing her wheelchair across a finish line is a study in faith and determination. Readers will cheer for Jessica's recovery and be reminded to recognize people for their strengths and not overlook them because of their disabilities -Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY (c) Copyright 2010.

This was not the only book that I read this summer by the author Wendelin Van Draanen. Earlier in the summer I read Runaway and ran a teen book club through the local public library.  It was a great book to have some meaty discussions with. While this was a very different type of book both stories have two very strong female characters with some strong messages for the readers. Both stories really are about keeping hope alive.

Readers wont look at homeless people in quite the same way after meeting Holly and seeing her through five long months on her own. An urban, female version of Gary Paulsens Hatchet (Macmillan, 1986), this novel chronicles the daily struggle for food, shelter, safety, and cleanliness that becomes the focus of life once a home and income are stripped away. Twelve-year-old Holly knows a lot about living on the streets, since she lived that life with her drug-addicted mother before the womans death from an overdose. She determines that it is preferable to continuing in her abusive foster home. A journal provided by a compassionate teacher is where she records her lonely and difficult struggle for survival. While the plot has the occasional convenience, readers will be drawn to the gripping details of both physical and emotional landmines hidden in the ordinariness of everyday life. This is a great book to hand-sell or booktalk to young teens who enjoy a dose of emotional trauma in their fiction or for reluctant readers who need suspense to keep them turning the pages. Van Draanen has shown great versatility in adding another dimension to her already respected body of work.–School Library Journal, Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL

I would recommend both of these books for children in grades 7 and up. They deal with very real and sensitive issues. 

Wendelin Van Draanen is a prolific writer. She is also the author of the Sammy Keyes Mystery Series for middle grades, Shredderman, Gecko and Sticky, and other stand alone novels. One of my all time favorites is Flipped. Flipped was actually made into a motion picture a few years ago. Despite my feelings about books being made into movies, this one was very well done. For more information on this great Northern California author check out: http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/vandraanen.

Learning how to fly

Calvin Can't Fly The Story of a Bookworm Birdie by Jennifer Berne is a gem of a book. This beautiful and touching story is about a little starling bird. He isn't like his brothers and sisters or his thousands of cousins. (Because starlings have big families). Calvin is different from the start. Instead of learning how to fly he learns how to read. He visits the library each day while his family learns how to swoop, fly and do figure eights in the sky. But Calvin is busy learning to read and learning about adventures, legends, folktales, poetry and facts about the world. He learns that books can take him places that his wings can't. But suddenly the weather is beginning to change and it will be time for the starling family to migrate but Calvin still hasn't learned how to fly. So the story continues with wonderful cartoon like illustrations using gouache by illustrator Keith Bendis. The colorful pictures are descriptive with wonderful facial expressions. I think this is a very original story, both heartwarming yet a little quirky but a definite must for library shelves. (Recommended for grades K-2)

Some trumpet drama

So my daughter is heading off to a wonderful overnight music camp tomorrow. One of her passions is playing the trumpet. While she plays in various orchestra and bands during the school year she loves to attend her music camp each summer. This Northern California music camp is set outside under the Redwood trees in a beautiful grove. It really is a stunning setting. Unfortunately in the past few days her trumpet has been acting up. Now, one might ask, how does a trumpet "act up". From a non-trumpet player it has something to do with the valves, slides and some interior issues that need to be fixed. Unfortunately there is also the possibility that the trumpet cannot be fixed. My heart goes out to her because she has been waiting all year to head back to this fabulous camp but if her trumpet isn't working properly how can she possibly enjoy herself and play beautiful music? While we try to fix this issue the day before she leaves for camp, a book comes to mind The Philharmonic Gets Dressed by Karla Kuskin. It is one of my favorites and I remember reading it over and over to my children when they were younger. It actually isn't a picture book but rather a beginning reader (probably level 3 or 4). It was at one time a Reading Rainbow Book, for those of you familiar with the Reading Rainbow series through PBS.

The story begins late at night. Outside it is dark and all around the city there are 92 men and 13 women getting dressed to go to work. We don't know where they are going or what they are doing, but we watch as they bathe, put on their underwear, and then their special black and white apparel. We try to guess what they are doing and where they are going. Then we watch all these people take a musical instrument and travel to town where they begin to work together, playing. It really is a gem of a book.

While I'm on the subject of music there is another wonderful author, Matthew Gollub that comes to mind. His stories include music and rhythm. Matthew's books are picture books and I have actually had the opportunity to see him speak/perform at a local book store for a group of children. He was fabulous. My favorite books of his include: The Jazz Fly,  and Gobble, Quack, Moon. Both of these books include a CD that you can listen to and follow along with the book.  Matthew's musical talents in these CD's are wonderful and they just make you want to get up and move to the beat. For more information on Matthew Gollub, check out his site at: http://www.matthewgollub.com