A Part to Play by Jennifer Fry

“She was lost, where all she could see, all she could hear, was him. The music filled every part of her; the holes left by her parents and Kate.” 

Lucy was an ordinary teenager until the accident, BA (before accident). She had a wonderful older sister, Kate, who she adored and admired. Then suddenly Kate has a terrible car accident and dies. Lucy’s family just stops and life can’t seem to go on without her sister Kate. Lucy’s mother falls apart and her parents separate. Lucy feels the blame for her sister’s death like she should have been the one in the car; she should have been the one to die. Subsequently, Lucy is shipped off to a Performing Arts boarding school where she tries to deal with her grief. Lucy comes close to getting expelled from school when suddenly she finds a young muse, a talented musician, who she falls in love with. Through this love she recreates her love for acting and finds the ability to push through the pain and the nightmares. But at what cost? Unfortunately as her relationship begins to become much more intense with this young man they both struggle to become their own people and Lucy begins to lose herself.

This is a heart-wrenching story with raw emotion and real characters.  I couldn’t put this book down. I laughed and I cried throughout the story. A Part to Play is a beautiful coming of age story about a young girl who has loved and lost and the power she finds deep inside of herself to put her life back together again.  There are many wonderful themes including romance, family problems, bullying, and death.

I would recommend this story for Grades 7 and up.  This book is available in eBook format as well as paperback, and audio. This would make a wonderful present for your favorite teen this holiday season. Check out this young new Marin author, Jennifer Fry. 

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The Bear in the Book

This story actually sums everything up that I have been saying about the importance of picture books. Right here in this book, the author has actually recreated a scene of reading a story to a child but incorporating the story within a story. It is brilliant! The story begins with, "Once there was a book..."

It is bedtime and a little boy chooses his favorite book on the shelf for his mother to read to him. A story about a bear, a big black bear who goes to sleep for the winter. As the mother is reading the story, the little boy turns the pages and asks questions about the bear. The fabulous rythmic text is brought to life by Georg Hallensleben's vibraint paintings.

We get a glimpse as a reader about the interplay between a child and his mother during their bedtime ritual of reading a story. The author has created a perfect model of how a mother and child share a book together, right down to the cuddling on the bed, looking at the pictures, and talking about the concepts in the book. And just as the bear is waking up from his long winter's sleep, the little boy begins to close his eyes for the night. Once again a picture book that truly shows the power that books have in connecting books to readers.

This could easily be one of the Caldecott winners for 2012. Recommended for ages 3 and up.

November is Picture Book Month

Did you know that November is Picture Book Month? I didn't and I'm a children's librarian. I'm feeling a bit ignorant right now. Anyway I learned an interesting fact, picture book month was created by an author/storyteller, Dianne de Las Casas, based on the disheartening article that was published in the New York Times back in October of 2010, Picture Books No Longer a Staple For Children. The author talked about the demise of picture books that really got my blood boiling. In fact it probably got every librarian, bookseller, book lover, and teacher's blood boiling. The death of the picture book, really? This is absolutely not true. And to prove this point, Dianne de Las Casas, decided to promote a campaign in favor of picture books and to celebrate them each year. Go Diane! And that is exactly what she has done. With the help of the industry, authors, publishers, librarians and booksellers she created a website promoting this month each year.  Picture Book Month.  Check it out!

But back to the disturbing article, even though it was written two years ago, the gist of the article was not that picture books weren't popular because of the devices and ebooks going viral. No, the main fact in the article was that parents weren't buying picture books anymore because they felt they weren't challenging their children and advancing their reading skills. The article discussed that chapter books were more useful in building vocabulary and reading strategies more than a picture book. All of this is pure nonsense. Picture books are for all ages and stages.  Not only does it bring a story to life, the illustrations engages the reader and creates conversations as well as sharing of our innermost thoughts.

First, let's define what a picture book is. A picture book is a story that combines illustrations and words in a successful integration. Picture books are 32 pages in length and illustrations dominate the text integrating the text to bring a story to a satisfying conclusion for the reader. Picture books can vary in word length from 500 words to 2000 words. Some picture books cater to the very young child, while some picture books can be enjoyed by even middle school students or adults.

As a teacher librarian I can sum up the importance of picture books:
1. Chapter books are not necessarily more complex than picture books. Many picture books are actually written at a higher reading level than an beginning reader with more complex vocabularies and plots.
2. Illustrations help children to understand the story and analyze it as well as figure out the meaning of what they are reading.
3. Language in picture books allows children to practice sounds as well as rhythm and rhythme. Picture books usually provide lots of repetition that helps readers to anticipate more in the story as well as learn reading skills like phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension and fluency.
4. Picture books are usually mutli-sensory which stimulates imagination but helps readers to hear a story, see the illustrations and touch the pages. 
5. Picture books help develop a story. Children can learn about beginnings, middles and endings as well as conflict resolution.
6. Picture books provide interaction with parents, caregivers, grandparents, or any adult.
7. Most importantly reading picture books is fun. I truly believe that picture books help to create life long readers

Picture books bring the world to children through language and illustrations. Picture books help us to understand the world, the good and the bad. Picture books help us deal with new situations in our lives, such as new babies, new siblings, starting school, families, being scared, the list goes on. I think author Paul O. Zelinksky says it best, "Picture books are a unique form of storytelling, and storytelling is at the core of how we learn to experience the world. Picture books are the bridge to a life of reading." Thank you Paul. I couldn't have said it better!

Personally, I feel strongly that picture books are just one way to provide both personal and academic fulfillment to children. They help to create values, intellects, as well as enjoyment, imagination and experiences. Stories can create empathy and teach morals as well as world history. There is so much that books in general can do for us. I feel very strongly that children learn about their world through stories and the more they can know and understand the more they can learn about themselves. And reading aloud, reading a picture book can build knowledge that is required for not only reading success but also lifelong success.

So if you have a child, or even if you don't have a child, go to your local library or bookstore and look at the picture books, even just one. Look at, reveal in the illustrations, the storyline. Let your imagination travel. If you can read one a week, better yet like Diane says, read one a day for the entire month of November! But most importantly notice the importance of picture books in our children's lives.

The Biggest Kiss of All

This is one of the most adorable read-aloud story about kisses. Big kisses, small kisses, wet kisses, kisses on the noses, kisses on the toes-es, high kisses, low kisses, all sorts of kisses. When I first read this story I thought of the beloved Dr. Seuss. This book could of been written by him. This story has such charm and such colorful, lively illustrations, you will want to read it over and over again. Everyone always needs kisses, kisses are so important. So what could be more important than a book on kisses for everyone! You will want to cuddle up with your favorite little person and read this story  again and again. A great bedtime story! Or an anytime story. Recommended for ages 3-8.

Time Between Us By Tamara Ireland Stone

This is a very unique love story between two 16 year-olds during two different time periods and in two different cities. Anna and Bennett are meant to be together or are they? Bennett lives in 2012 in San Francisco but he has the ability to travel through time and space which accidentally brings him into Anna’s life, which is 1995 in Evanston, Illinois. He shows up on day on the track while she is running and yet she doesn’t know him but she feels like she does. But then he literally disappears. That same day he appears again in school, right behind her in Spanish class. She knows he must be the same guy, but why is she so drawn to him. As their relationship builds, Bennett tells Anna the truth about himself, and as they fall in love they wonder if their love can withstand the test of time? But with this new love brings adventures and many possibilities. But the biggest question is can fate keep these two together?

This first time author has created a very romantic love story between two very normal fun-loving teenagers. A book that I promise you won’t be able to put down. The dialogue is fresh and realistic. And then once you finish the story you will want to go back and reread some of the chapters just to confirm that understood the ending.

A wonderful read for grades 7 and above. I loved this book!

To learn more about this new author, check out her blog at Tamara Ireland Stone

To view the book trailer Time Between Us

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

This is a book that everyone should read. Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper is a compelling read about an 11 year-old child with Cerebral Palsy. Melody isn’t like most kids, she can’t walk and she can’t talk, but she can think. But nobody really knows what goes on in her mind, but we do as readers. Written from the point of view of the character the author shows us the life of a child with a terrible disease. While Melody isn’t mentally challenged like most people think. She is a fifth grader with normal thoughts and feelings. Melody has determination, she is funny and she is full of love. Melody is intelligent but nobody knows it because she can’t talk, she can’t complain, she can’t share her feelings, or answer the questions in class. She can do it in her head, but the words don’t come out of her mouth. That is until she receives a special computer that can talk for her. Once she learns how to the use the keyboard her thoughts come flying out and she suddenly goes from being the stupidest girl in the school to the smartest. But not everyone is ready to see how much she knows. 

This is truly a wonderful story about a young girl that you will never forget; a story of both heartache and hope. It can also be a wonderful story as a read aloud to a class to talk about differences. Another wonderful read about what it is like to be different. Sharon Draper wrote this story as a testament to those with disabilities, those who are misunderstood and to all the people out there that take care of these types of people.  A recommended read for Grades 5-8

Almost Home By Joan Bauer

What a compelling and yet honest read about a 12 year-old girl whose life is turned upside down when she and her mother become homeless in Chicago. In this remarkable story, Sugar, loses her home and her comfort but she never loses her dream.  After losing her job in Missouri, Sugar's mother picks them up and moves to Chicago for a fresh start. Only things are different in Chicago and Sugar and her mother end up homeless on the street. Through all the heartache, Sugar continues to keep in touch with her favorite English teacher and writes poetry to him about her feelings and thoughts. She finds a rescue dog that she names Shush who goes with her everywhere in a little bag and gives her much comfort. Sugar eventually ends up in the foster care system that takes care of her while her mother gets well. I think what was the most powerful and important lesson learned in this book is through Sugar's ability to be grateful for all that she has and to know that she might not be able to control life around her but she knows that she can always control how she deals with it, something that her mother taught her.  This is a very touching read by the highly acclaimed author, Joan Bauer. Recommended for grades 5 and up. This story will win reader's hearts. It won mine!