BookMoot

SYNC YA Audiobooks Summer Schedule

2012-05-14T14:18:00.003-05:00

Generous audiobook publishers are partnering with SYNC again to offer a terrific schedule of FREE audiobooks to download and enjoy this summer 2012. Mark your calendar so you will not miss a week. As usual, their pairings are thoughtful and interesting. Go to SYNC for more information.

June 14-20: The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch (Scholastic Audiobooks) and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, adapt. by Frank Galati (L.A. Theatre Works)
June 21- 27: Irises by Francisco X. Stork (Listening Library) and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (Tantor Media)
June 28-July 4: The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud (Listening Library) and Tales from the Arabian Nights by Andrew Lang (Naxos Audio)
July 5-11: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (AudioGo) and The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (AudioGo)
July 12-18: Guys Read: Funny Business by Jon Scieszka (Harper Audio) and The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Other Stories by Mark Twain (Recorded Books)
July 19-25: Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter (Oasis Audio) and Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare (AudioGo)
July 26-Aug. 1: Pinned by Alfred C. Martino (Listen & Live Audio); and a title to be announced (Brilliance Audio)
Aug. 2-8: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Hachette Audio) and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (Blackstone Audio)
Aug. 9-15: Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy, (Harper Audio) and Dead Men Kill by L. Ron Hubbard (Galaxy Press)
Aug. 16-22: The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera (Bolinda Audio) and The Call of the Wild by Jack London(Naxos Audio)

Chronal Engine

2012-03-24T07:31:00.003-05:00

Chronal Engine by Greg Leitch Smith. Clarion Books, March 2012

UPDATE: Since publishing this review Chronal Engine has been named as a Junior Library Guild selection!! Congratulations to Greg!

It is always a joy to have a new book that no one knows about yet to share with the students and librarians. I've been in that happy position this week as I've subbed in my district's libraries. The short version of my book talk is: teens are forced back to the Cretaceous era on a rescue mission. This is no Land Before Time with cuddly, roly-poly baby dinos. These dinosaurs are looking for their next meal and would greatly enjoy a snack delivered from the twenty-first century.

Soon-to-be-eighth-grader Max and his older twin siblings Emma and Kyle are resigned to spending the summer with their grandfather at his ranch while their mother is away on a dinosaur dig in China. Soon after they arrive disaster strikes and Max must determine if the story of his great-great grandfather's Chronal Engine is true and if it really is capable of moving them back in time. The reader can easily believe in the machine's abilities as Smith draws on his electrical engineering background to describe the electronics involved. It may be imaginary but is sounds technically feasible..

Of course there are dinosaurs, big dinosaurs, little dinosaurs, baby dinosaurs, flying dinosaurs and ginormous alligators. The action is fast paced and gripping as the rescue party discovers they are no match for the sheer mass of these animals, much less their claws and teeth. I admit to some audible gasps and "Oh NOs" while I was reading. OK, I may have even shrieked once.

Humorous shout-outs to Star Trek and Star Wars will tickle fans. For Texans, there are landmarks, real and imagined, that evoke the Lone Star State.

Smith demonstrated in his first book, Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo that he has a fine ear for youthful dialog and humor. (Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo is an excellent audiobook. The performers who read the story are pitch perfect which is a tribute to Smith's writing. I highly recommend it.)

Young paleontologists will find much to enjoy as prehistory facts and knowledge weave naturally into Max's thoughts and comments.

The book is also enhanced with full page black and white illustrations by Blake Henry. His style gives the story the feel of a graphic novel. Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan series saw a return to the illustrated adventure novel which works with science fiction stories like these. When storytelling with larger than life creatures it helps to show their size and weight. Here, the heroes' Volkswagen zooms beneath the legs and tail of a sauropod and a T-Rex turns and stares menacingly into the reader's eyes.

Although the ages of the characters are eighth grade and high school, this book will also work very well with upper elementary school readers. Readers of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and Red Pyramid series will be natural sells for this title. I would love to see the character Brick Heck (from the television series The Middle) reading this book. I wonder how difficult it is to feature a non Hyperion title on that ABC network program?

Smith adds an "Author's Note" which cites many of his resources and reviews his efforts to accurately seat his story in current paleontology research. Personally, I greatly enjoyed his discussion of the "Robinsonade" survival genre (Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson, Gulliver, etc.) and how it has been a staple in literarture, movies and television. Chronal Engine fits perfectly into this tradition. I am hopeful that there will be additional books to follow. There are many points in the story to continue and Smith would have time to develop and deepen his characters. The family is dealing with the loss of their father in Afghanistan. There is much here to explore besides another place and time.

Check out the interview with Greg Leitich Smith at cynsations
There is also a reading/activity kit , including an extensive Dinosaur Word Search at GregLeitichSmith.com

Midnight in Austenland

2012-03-15T12:09:00.001-05:00

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale. Bloomsbury, 2012

I'm afraid I am a sure-sell when all things Jane Austen. Hale's first book Austenland which I reviewed (here) in 2007 was entertaining Jane Austen fanfiction. I savored the concept of a place like Disneyland for Austen lovers, hence the name Austenland.

The story was picked up by Twilight's Stephanie Meyer who is producing Austenland -- the movie which is in post-production according to IMDB. If you wander back to July 2011 on author Shannon Hale's blog, squeetusblog, you will find her posting a bit about being on the movie set.

In this new book, Hale keeps the setting and some of the background characters including Mrs Wattlesbrook who manages the place, Colonel Andrews, who interacts with the visitors like a Disney Character at the parks, and Miss Charming, a perpetual guest at Pembrook.

Charlotte Kinder is a divorced mother of two. She is successful in business but feels alone and like a failure because of her divorce. When the opportunity to take a vacation presents itself, the travel agent suggests Austenland and Charlotte, who has only recently read Jane Austen's works, books the trip.

Hale tells the story in a sort of pendulum swing fashion between the past and present. The reader learns more about Charlotte's past as she tries to understand herself in an ongoing dialog with her Inner Thoughts. In the first story, Hale played off Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Here she puts a spin on Northanger Abbey. Has there been a murder at Pembrook Park or is Charlotte, like the NA character Catherine Morland, seeing things that are not there?
This was a fun read for spring break.

As New Zealand discovered there is gold in fan loyalty. This time around Peter Jackson et al are rebuilding Hobbiton for the filming of The Hobbit so it will be a permanent part of the New Zealand tourist trade for year to come. (See Hobbiton Movie Set Tours) I wonder if a similar idea might be pursued to create a real Austenland type hotel for Austen fans.

The Great Spring Break Read-a-thon

2012-03-14T15:08:00.000-05:00

I have decided to see how many books I can enjoy over Spring Break. It will be productive and edifying to devote a swath of time or maybe at least a small corner of time to reading this week. We are enjoying local entertainments instead of traveling so I will enjoy a vacation of reading.

As Emily Dickinson described it so well:

There Is No Frigate Like a Book
There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
This traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears a human soul!

On the Blue Comet

2012-03-10T16:41:00.000-06:00

On the Blue Comet by Rosemary Wells. Candlewick, 2010.

On the Blue Comet was a pure joy to read. My childhood memory of pressing my cheek against the train board to gain a eye/ground level view of the trains was echoed in this story. The story's main character, eleven year old, Oscar Ogilvie is a kindred spirit as he performs the same ritual. We both were trying to imagine ourselves into the small world of the trains.

When I was a child, we had a model train set up. We did not have a basement but my father designed a over-sized folding platform for our HO model trains which included a train we had actually ridden on, the Santa Fe Railway Super Chief.

Wells sets her story during Great Depression. Oscar and his father share a love of model trains and they have an elaborate set up in the basement of their house. Each year they add to their collection but the hard economic times have put a stop to that. In fact, things are so bad that they must sell the train set to the local bank manager who uses the trains as a display in the bank lobby. Oscar's father leaves to look for work in California, promising to send for Oscar when he finds some. The kindly night watchman at the bank allows Oscar to visit and run the trains after the bank closes. One night the lobby is invaded by bank robbers and Oscar escapes into time and an unlikely landscape.

This story mixes history, time travel, and fantasy along with cameo appearances by some famous people in history. A great deal of the reading fun was identifying the people Oscar comes in contact with.

Bagram Ibatoulline has contributed glowing paintings that have been meticulously researched. Period fashion and architecture are reflected in illustrations which allow the reader to reach back in time too.

The book reminds me of how much model trains added to our childhoods. We learned -- hands-on --about electricity, direct current, transformers as well as trouble-shooting, patience and craftsmanship.

William Joyce

2012-01-31T11:43:00.002-06:00

Please stop what you are doing and watch this!
I had the pleasure of seeing William Joyce talk about his new series Guardians of Childhood at the Texas Book Festival.

Thanks to Alan Silberberg and Annette Dauphin Simon for sharing this link to The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from his Moonbot Studios. It has been nominated for an Academy Award.

Using a variety of techniques, including miniatures, computer animation, and 2D animation, award‐winning author and illustrator William Joyce and co‐director Brandon Oldenburg present a hybrid style of animation that harkens back to silent films and MGM Technicolor musicals.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

Award Winning Happiness

2012-01-25T22:55:00.005-06:00

ALA Youth Media Awards Day is something like a high holy day in the Kidlitosphere. -- The anticipation -- the predictions --and in my case the recognition that my TBR list grows ever longer.

When I heard the news that Jack Gantos had been awarded the 2012 Newbery Award for his novel Dead End in Norvelt, I was elated and began firing off emails to other members of the entwood here to let them know the momentous news.

I highly recommend the audio version of the book read by Gantos himself. It is an excellent way to enjoy this semi-autobiographical tale. He knows where he put all the jokes, ellipses and tender moments and delivers them perfectly.

The Troika of Jack Fansanity (Jules at Seven Imp, the brilliant Adrienne at What Adrienne Thinks about That and myself) was engaged in a day long happy-dance and conga line through emails and Facebook posts.

Jack has been recognized with Newbery honors and other awards in the past. Last week Dead End in Norvelt was awarded the 2012 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.

Winning THE Newbery Medal means that iconic gold medal will forever grace the cover of his book. It is a validation of his wonderful writing. "Writing is hard work" Gantos told my students several years ago when he visited my library. I am overjoyed his hard work has been recognized and rewarded.

Congratulations Jack Gantos!

Here is his presentation with the from the National Book Festival, Fall 2011.
I know his Newbery Award acceptance speech will be a humdinger. No one who hears him speak, ever forgets it. Listen to the crowd roaring with laughter here.

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins

2011-12-21T23:20:00.001-06:00

My family room coffee table is covered with picture books of the season. In honor of Hanukkah, tonight we read Eric Kimmel's marvelous Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins. This is one my very favorite read-alouds to share. Eric Kimmel is a commanding storyteller. I treasure my signed copy of this classic.

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, 1989

Hershel is courageous and cunning as he faces some evil goblins who ruin Hanukkah for the town folk every year. In order to break their evil hold over the village, someone must stay in the old synagogue for the eight nights of the festival and light the menorah there each night. Hershel volunteers for the job.This is a story that rivets young (and old) listeners. Kimmel relates this folktale with his full storyteller's voice. The book won a Caldecott honor in 1990 for good reason. The story and the illustrations beautifully balance humor and "scary." Trina Schart Hyman's finely drawn characters and setting pull the reader into the danger. The shadows in the old building are deep. Her goblins are at once comical and horrific. A dreidel playing goblin is grotesque with horns and multiple noses yet his dopey expression invites laughter. The skeletal hand of the King of the Goblins is silhouetted against a fire red background as Hershel (and the listeners and readers) look on with horror. Yet, Hershel outwits the demons and when he triumphs each night, the glow of the candles signals the power of faith over the darkness.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T14:20:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
The classic WKRP Turkey Drop.

Nonfiction Monday: Enrique Esparza and the Battle of the Alamo

2011-11-21T07:31:00.001-06:00

Enrique Esparza and the Battle of the Alamo (History Speaks: Picture Books Plus Reader's Theaterby Susan Taylor Brown; illustrated by Jeni Reeves, 2011. (review copy)

Texas history is the focus of fourth grade social studies in the Lone Star state. That is a happy year for those students as they study the story of the state's founding and its struggle for independence. Texans regard their state's symbolic birth at the Alamo with a mixture of pride and reverence. I have observed that by the time they revisit the story in 7th grade with its overlay of government and civics and junior high ennui, their enthusiasm wanes.
I am always on the lookout for books that embrace that high level interest in elementary school.
Susan Taylor Brown's Enrique Esparza and the Battle of the Alamo is part of the "History speaks" series from Millbrook Press. Brown focuses on the family of eight year old Enrique Esparza in the days leading up to and following the battle for the Alamo. Enrique's father Gregorio Esparza was one of the Tejano defenders who fought along side of the likes of Bowie, Crockett and Travis.

The Esparza family joined Gregorio inside the Alamo for the thirteen day battle. Gregorio died along with the other Anglo and Tejano defenders as Santa Anna gave no quarter for the fighters inside the mission. Esparza's wife and children survived. The story acknowledges the role of Tejanos in the fight for independence and their role in shaping the future of the state.

Jeni Reeves uses a warm and vivid Southwestern color palette to illustrate Enrique's story. She paints with broad brush strokes and captures the tension and fear in the family's faces as they endure the battle and the aftermath. Texas school librarians are always on the lookout for "Texas" books. The reader's theater adds another dimension to the story for classroom use. This is an excellent addition to the Texas school library. I wonder if it is available in the gift shop at the Alamo?

Movie: Trailer for The Hunger Games

2011-11-20T15:32:00.002-06:00

From Zombies to vampires and werewolves.

2011-11-01T05:18:00.003-05:00

Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris. Delacorte, 2011 (review copy provided by publisher)

This incongruous book cover does not begin to hint at the story between the boards. Kate Grable works as the student trainer for her high school's football team. She is smart, knowledgeable and takes her job seriously. She takes good care of the players even though the coach is not as concerned with their health as he is the team's performance.
When she discovers vials of drugs in the coach's office, she suspects he is foisting steroids on his team. When the football players begin falling ill and developing zombie-like symptoms (such as taking bites out of their classmates) she fears it may be something far worse. This is a very clever story and Kate is a smart and worthy heroine.

Cynthia Leitich Smith has one of her excellent interviews with Carrie Harris today at her blog Cynsations. And speaking of Cynthia...

Cynthia Leitich Smith, has extended her story, Tantalize as a graphic novel, Tantalize: Kieren's Story, Candlewick, 2011 (review copy provided by publisher). This is not merely a redo of the original story in graphic novel format. Instead she tells the story from the point of view of Kieren, the werewolf boyfriend of Tantalize's main character, Quincie. Quincie is the young Austin restaurateur who has unknowingly hired a vampire as her head chef. The graphic novel rounds out the original storyline adding more insight into Kieren who is one of the story's most interesting characters. Ming Doyle's black and white artwork employs close-ups and emotion filled facial expressions that reminded me of the old True Romance comics only with weremonsters.

At a recent author appearance at Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, Cynthia described the process of working with an illustrator in this kind of storytelling. She described a collaboration which made me think of the relationship between a movie director and cinematographer with each of them sharing both roles.

Halloween 2011 - what's your favorite book?

2011-10-31T22:39:00.005-05:00

This year I outsourced the pumpkin carving to the entlings and we ended up with some sort of symbol of the Horde? from World of Warcraft and a face from Minesweeper? I'm clueless.

I obviously need to reawaken my inner reading theme pumpkin carver next year. In the meantime, check out David LaRochelle's stunning work.

But we maintained our tradition of asking trick or treaters to name a favorite book before we doled out the treats. When the parents accompany the children there is general approval of this question. It is very fun to hear a dad ask, "which one of the books we've been reading do you like right now?" to his little one.

I was interested in the mother, carrying and a candy bag on behalf of her 14 year old daughter who was "home passing out candy" for her while she accompanied the younger siblings about the neighborhood. Could she have some candy for her daughter? She said her daughter liked, "mysteries, not the old ones but those new ones." Have a Kit Kat, lady.

Still, most of the kids were fairly cheerful about the question. More than one recalled "oh, I remember this place from last year."

Book titles mentioned in return for Reeses Peanutbutter Cups this year included:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Harry Potter were the big winners this year.
George Washington's Socks
Percy Jackson
The Bible
Happenstance Found
Monster High
Agatha Christie
Alvin Ho
Cats to the Rescue
Warriors
Short Life of Bree
Twilight
Skeleton Creek
Hunger Games (many)
Green Eggs and Ham
Eragon
Lord of the Rings
Judy Moody
Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can you?
Everybody Poops
Island
Cinderella
Cat in the Hat
FlyGuy
Barbie books
SpongeBob
Chronicles of Vladimir
Looking for Alaska (now THAT was interesting. From a very tall and deep voiced group)
1984
Wake
Bad Girls Don't

Turtle in Paradise

2011-10-27T21:20:00.000-05:00

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm. Random House, 2010 (review copy from publisher)

Jennifer Holm spins the reader back to the perilous economic times of the Great Depression. Set in the 1930s, eleven year old Turtle is sent to live with her Aunt Minerva in Key West, Florida because her single mother has a new job as a housekeeper and the new employer does not want children staying at the house. Turtle settles into life in Key West, eating new foods and trying to fit in with her male cousins.

The Our Gang comedies come to mind as her cousin Bean and the neighborhood Diaper Gang work to provide babysitting and diaper changing services for the mothers in the area. The children pull the neighborhood babies in their wagon and provide a secret cure for diaper rash that is a the stuff of legend. Unlike today, these children enjoy a wonderful freedom, safe within their community and extended families. Turtle meets more of her mother's family for the first time, including her ill tempered grandmother, Nana Philly. Her grandmother is suffering from the after-effects of a stroke and a lifetime of ill humor. Happily, Turtle is not fazed by her grandmother's attitude. Holmes always writes such interesting grandmother characters into her stories. Turtle gains more insight into her mother's early life and the man who might be her father. There is also lost pirate treasure, a hurricane and a cameo appearance from a very famous literary resident of Key West.

Photos of Key West and some of the real life characters in the story are provided at the end. Holm's research and meticulous attention to detail pay off, giving the story a rich sense of place and time.

Jennifer Holm's characters, May Amelia (Our Only May Amelia,) Penny (Penny from Heaven,) and now Turtle are girls I love spending time with.

Walking Home in the Dark...

2011-10-16T16:09:00.004-05:00

Ever since Ichabod Crane was chased by the Headless Horseman, the real and imagined threats that lurk in the darkest shadows have been celebrated in urban legends, novels and picture books.

Bone Dog by Eric Rohmann. Roaring Book, 2011

Gus loves his dog, Ella, but she is getting old and she warns him that she will not be around much longer. Before she dies she promises Gus that she will always be with him. Gus is sad and missing his dog as Halloween arrives but he puts on his skeleton costume and goes out trick or treating anyway. On his way home through a graveyard (of course!) he is surrounded by threatening skeletons. Just as they are about to attack, Ella appears as a bone dog to save him. The skeletons are unimpressed until Gus and Ella begin to howl into the night, calling real live dogs to their aid. The final pages confirm and assure the young reader that love never dies and Gus will never be alone.

Rohamann's visual storytelling is cinematic here. He opens and closes the story, viewing Gus and Ella together before an iconic full moon that frames the two friends. The reader (and Ella?) watch from above as Gus sits alone, rakes leaves alone and heads out for trick-or-treating, alone. Once Ella, the bone dog, returns to the scene, the view returns to ground level. The skeletons are at once comic and scary. Rohmann pans their frenzied retreat across a two page spread as they flee from ... turn the page ... the pack of real dogs in pursuit. The next page turn will be a laugh-out-loud read aloud moment. This is a beautiful story told with humor, sweetness and delicious creepy moments. I predict this book will not linger for long on the library's return book cart. I cannot WAIT to share it with children.

On a Windy Night by Nancy Raines Day; illustrated by George Bates. Abrams, 2010

Outstanding read aloud story about a scary walk home on Halloween night. A young boy's imagination turns shadows, sounds and dark shapes into terrifying threats until the moon light reveals what they really are. This is a perfect Halloween story that acknowledges the thrilling spookiness of the night but reassures too. Nancy Raines Day heightens the boy's imagination with a classic chant of "Cracklety-clack, bones in a sack. They could be yours--if you look back." The words grow in size, across the pages, as the boy's fear grows. Bates's pen and ink drawings depict the eerie clouds, the threatening tree branches and menacing cornstalks that become skeletons and jack-o-lanterns chasing the child on his way. The pen and ink work gives a splendid childlike Edward Gorey-ness to the pictures.

Dark Night by Dorothee de Monfreid. Random House, 2009

As Felix walks through the dark woods, the scary growl from a wolf sends him into hiding. Another loud growl from a tiger scares away the wolf who is then frightened away by a crocodile. Along with n unlikely small friend and a clever idea Felix turns the tables on the beasts with a bigger "badder" creature of his own invention. Sometimes the first step in overcoming fear is to find a friend and just walk tall.

Jack for Ambassador!

2011-09-13T03:47:00.000-05:00

Today the new novel by Jack Gantos, Dead End in Norvelt, goes on sale! As such, my family has declared it
Jack Gantos Day here in the entwood. I have been unabashed in my fandom for this man's writing. The humor in his books got my family through a tough time.

I still hear from students (many now in college) who say, "I remember when Jack Gantos came to our school." His visit was memorable in so many ways, not the least because it was the first and only time I ever saw a teacher almost fall off of her rolling chair because she was laughing so hard during his presentation.

One of the many joys of belonging to the Kidlitosphere community is getting to know folks who share your reading (and felt boarding) enthusiasms. During an email discussion of all-things-Jack with Jules at 7-Impossible things Before Breakfast and Adrienne at What Adrienne Thinks About That, we all agreed that Gantos would be the PERFECT choice for the role of Ambassador. So today, along with them, I enthusiastically wish to nominate Jack Gantos to be the next National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

His knowledge of children's literature is "deep and wide" as the old song goes. Listening to one of his presentations is a mini course on the subject. From Rotten Ralph to Hole in My Life, his books span early childhood to young adult.

Gantos's stories takes his characters into the strange, the odd, and the macabre but he always knows exactly how far to go and respects the youngster holding the book. He overlays his stories with tenderness and affection.

Still, there are moments when the reader cannot believe what just happened. While reading his stories aloud, my listeners have been know to suddenly cover their eyes (not their ears) and exclaim, "I can't watch!"

It is fitting that after years of writing some of his childhood into the Jack Henry stories, his character has stepped out in Norvelt as "Jack Gantos" or "Gantos Boy."

It is a testament to my dedication to this cause that I have stepped out from behind the dragon to appear here today. (Well, almost. The new baby dragon wanted to be in the photo and, yes, it is chewing on Rumbaughs.)

I hope Jack can be considered for ambassador. He would be grand.

Thank you Jules for arranging for our t-shirts. I wear mine with pride.

Nonfiction Monday: Baseball

2011-08-15T05:00:00.008-05:00

First Pitch: How Baseball Began by John Thorn. Beach Ball Books, 2011
Review copy provided by publisher

Beach Ball is producing some very well done sports books. I like their typography and the design which includes a nice balance of white space, text boxes and illustrations. The information easy to read and assimilate. The pages are numbered which is helpful to students learning to cite facts. They include an index, short glossary, photo and illustration credits and a list of web resources.

There is a wealth of information here on the origins of "America's pastime" provided by historian, John Thorn, whose credentials are very sound as he is the Official Historian for Major League Baseball. Thorn's mission here, is to share the background of baseball's origins and examine the real contributions of Abner Doubleday and Alexander Cartwright. Thorn's conclusions may surprise fans who have seen the plaques at Cooperstown. He traces the history of the game from an early children's game to the year, 1845, when William R. Wheaton wrote down some of the first rules for club play.

Thor's story reads like a detective tale which engages even casual fans, like myself. Highly recommend this title for all school library collections.

Review copies from my public library.

Author, Phil Bildner is recalling the great stories and legends of baseball for a new generation. Beginning with Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy, which was chosen for the Texas Bluebonnet Award in 2004, Bildner tells the story of Shoeless Joe Jackson and his search for the perfect bat. Charlie Ferguson, the "finest bat smith in all of South Carolina -- and in all the South" made a bat for Jackson which he used throughout his career. Ferguson was also part psychologist as he helped Jackson through various hitting slumps with advice on caring for his bat. Bildner's after word tells the rest of the Shoeless Joe's famous story. C. F. Payne paints his subjects with caricature-realism and a rich colors.

Bildner recounts the epic pennant race between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants in the summer of 1951 in The Shot Heard 'Round the World. C. F. Payne illustrates again. His paintings and Bildner's words paint a time gone by as stillness falls over Brooklyn and every ear listens to the final game of the series on the radio. Bildner's young narrator calls the climactic game and the reader watches, in the stands, as the Giant's Bobby Thomson cracks out the game ending home run.

Bildner is at the top of his game here with polished storytelling in his new book, The Unforgettable Season: Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and the Record-Setting Summer of 1941. Here, he covers Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak and Ted Williams's .400 batting average. What little I knew about DiMaggio's hitting streak was from Robert Mitchum as Philip Marlow in the movie, Farewell My Lovely. "Joltin' Joe" and "The Splendid Splinter" hit their way into the country's hearts during the summer of 1941. Bildner calls games like a veteran baseball announcer as he highlights key hits and identifies the fields and cities where the games were played. He lets the players speak for themselves with quotes. After hitting a three run homer in the All-Star Game,we "hear" Ted Williams say, "The greatest thrill of my life!" A list of research sources is also included.
Illustrator S.D. Schindler presents the visual story like a newsreel combining full page illustrations with vignettes. The book bolds and color codes Williams's name in red and DiMaggio's name in blue which helps the reader follow the two story lines. Bildner smoothly entwines facts and baseball stats in his writing but he excels at finding the heart of these sports stories and sharing them with a young readers.

First Pitch: How Baseball Began by John Thorn. Beach Ball Books, 2011
Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy by Phil Bildner ; illustrated by C.F. Payne. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c2002.
The Shot Heard 'Round the World by Phil Bildner ; illustrated by C.F. Payne. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c2005.
The Unforgettable Season: Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and the Record-Setting Summer of 1941 Phil Bildner ; illustrated by S. D. Schindler. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, c2011.

Amy O'Quinn is hosting the Nonfiction Monday round-up today @amyquinn.com

Sunny Bunnies

2011-08-10T07:03:00.011-05:00

Greg Pincus, father of the Fibs poetry form at his blog GottaBook and social media tour guide at Happy Accident, penned an ode to summer with a new poem, "At the Beach - a beach poem" last week. His poem inspired me to pick up Margie Blumberg's book Sunny Bunnies from the review stack.

A rabbit family packs up the car and heads to the beach where they play in the waves, fly a kite, enjoy a picnic lunch and build a sand castle. Blumberg's story rhymes along with a pleasant read-aloud rhythm. She hits all the activities a child enjoys at the beach. June Goulding's bunnies are picture book sweet and she fills the page with nice details including a sumptuous picnic with foods young children will recognize. At the end of the day, jars of lightening bugs glow while the family toasts marshmallows around a campfire. She also keeps the geography of the beach consistent in the different views. Her end papers are a map of Carrot Cake Park where the family has spent the day. I really like presenting maps to young children. Blumberg and Goulding hit the mark with the book's last pages as the children, who are still not tired, jump out of bed to check on their parents and find them completely zonked, sound asleep from their big day at the beach.

Sunny Bunnies, written by Margie Blumbert, illustrated by June Goulding, MB Publishing, 2008

Second Fiddle

2011-07-16T08:20:00.005-05:00

Second Fiddle by Rosanne Parry. Random House, 2011

As a veteran of the "I can't hear you practicing" skirmishes, I am heartened by stories of young people, devoting themselves to music (and practice) which this lovely book cover promises. Band, orchestra and choir programs play a huge role in many teens' lives. One of my students used to credit Virginia Euwer Wolff's The Mozart Season for inspiring her to All State success.

Parry begins her book with this cracking opening line:

"If we had know it would eventually involve the KGB, the French National Police, and the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, we would have left that body in the river and called the Polizei like any normal German citizen; but we were Americans and addicted to solving other people's problems, so naturally, we got involved."

This is a very cleverly imagined mystery, set in the distant past of 1990, in Berlin, not long after the Berlin Wall came down. Also, as promised, there is music.

Three girls have become friends by playing together in a string trio. Their music has linked them in friendship even though they come from different social worlds. Giselle's father is the commanding general of the American Forces in Berlin and Vivian's mother is the U. S. consul general to West Berlin. Jody's family lives in enlisted soldiers' quarters. Musically, Jody also plays second violin in the trio. As political change takes hold in Germany, many American diplomatic and military families are preparing to leave Berlin. These girls will probably not see each other again.

Their apprehension worsens when they learn their music teacher will not be able to take them to a music competition in Paris, This is a blow after all their practice and preparation. On their way home from their last lesson, they decide to cross into the East Berlin to console themselves with some gelato. The ease of their crossing is still somewhat unnerving as this used to be enemy territory. While there, they witness a terrible crime against a Soviet soldier and despite years of Cold War distrust, the three resolve to help him. As they plan, Jody sees a way to help the soldier and also get to Paris so they can perform together, one last time.

Parry conveys a sense of what it is like to be part of a military family living overseas. Despite frequent moves and her father's long work hours, Jody's family enjoys a sweet closeness. The author also captures the time and place perfectly. One side of the Brandenburg Gate is prosperous and booming, the other side is poor and grim. Parry inserts lovely detail such as the mouth-watering aroma from a Parisian crepe cart and the quiet interior of a church which puts the reader there, on the streets of Berlin and Paris. Her descriptions are so spot on, we can follow the action with a city map.

A useful and interesting author's note gives additional background on the division of Germany in 1945, the fall of the Berlin Wall and Eastern Europe's struggle to be free from the Soviet Union.

From Pachebel's Canon to Paris street musicians to Cold War intrigue, this book is a virtual vacation. I truly enjoyed the ride.

Roseanne Parry Website

Harry Potter

2011-07-09T16:10:00.004-05:00

Waves of Harry Potter nostalgia are washing over me this weekend. This lovely article "How J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter Saved Reading" By Norman Lebrecht in the Wall Street Journal today tributes the school library for introducing the book to his family.

My family experience traces the phenomenon to the school library. Our youngest daughter brought home a copy around year four, when she was 9. Her elder sisters commandeered it and insisted that the parents read as well. What Ms. Rowling achieved—long before Warner Bros. adapted her work into films, the last of which will be released next week—was a children-led read-in that crossed all age barriers, uniting families in a primal fireside act of sharing an unfolding story, page by page.

I remember that summer when I started reading Sorceror's Stone with entling no. 3. After two afternoons of reading aloud, together, she took the book upstairs and finished it on her own and pronounced it a grand read. I credit JK Rowling with her reading fluency to this day.

I was very fortunate at the start of my school librarian career. My first year as a school librarian saw the stampede for books about the Titanic, thanks to the movie. At that point we only had Exploring the Titanic by Robert D. Ballard and a picture book biography about Molly Brown, Heroine of the Titanic by Elaine Landau. Publishers soon got up to speed. (I remember the almost mele at the Little Brown booth for Inside the Titanic.)

Then there was Harry, wonderful Harry. I met a former student, not long ago, who recalled that I handed him a copy of the first book and he became a reader from that day forward. Rowling's books made every librarian look good as children clamored for the books.

As I look forward to the final film chapter of Harry's story on Friday I am reminded of how exciting it was to anticipate the very first movie along with my students. Seeing photo stills of Hogwarts with the floating candles in the great hall was thrilling. As the end of his film journey is at hand, I am cheered to see the books still being checked out by a new generation of readers in school libraries today. I am so happy the my family and I were there for the first grand ride.

Old MacDonald has a farm, EE-I-EE-I-O

2011-06-30T14:39:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of Old McDonald and onomatopoeia sound effects.

Gobble Gobble Moooooo Tractor Book by Jez Alborough. Kane Miller, 2010

Jez Alborough's usual cast of animals characters are trying to hitch a ride on a tractor driven by Sheep. Farmer Dougal hears the all noise and jumps out of bed to see what is going on. All he sees is his tractor sitting in place and animals grazing quietly, nearby. After he returns to bed, the animals are ready to ride again. The story reminded me of Duck on a Bike by David Shannon -- animals and vehicles. As a read aloud, there are animal sounds to make. The illustrations are in Alborough's comic style. I will say that the toothy grin of the sheep is a little unnerving.

Chicken, Chicken, Duck by Nadia Krilanovich, Tricycle, 2011

Farm yard animals quack, baa, cluck, maa, squeek, meow and woof. As the pages turn, the animals seem to be cheerfully jumbled up together. It is not until the last two page spread that their goal is revealed. Krilanovich paints with lovely texture and pattens. Her chickens are especially beautiful. The book plays with the Duck Duck Goose game chant, adding in animal sounds.

Dancing Feet! by Lindsey Craig, illustrated by Marc Brown, Knopf, 2010

Dancing is just plain fun for everyone. Dancing ladybugs go Tippity! Tippity!, elephants go Stompity! Stompity!, ducks' feet go Slappity! Slappity! and so on, with insects and lizards and animals of all sizes dancing up a storm. Nice rhythm and rhyme swing the text. It would make an excellent storytime read-aloud with lots of opportunities for audience participation. Marc Brown's collage illustrations pop with color and texture. The simple shapes might inspire some young artists. I am putting this one in my "have book, will travel" librarian's bag.

SYNC YA Literature into Your Earphones

2011-06-23T12:22:00.003-05:00

2 Free Audiobook Downloads Each Week
June 23 - August 17, 2011

Teens and other readers of Young Adult Literature will have the opportunity to listen to bestselling titles and required reading classics this summer. Each week from June 23 - August 17, 2011, SYNC will offer two free audiobook downloads.

The audiobook pairings will include a popular YA title and a classic that connects with the YA title's theme and is likely to show up on a student's summer reading lists. For example, Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, the first book in a popular series with strong allusions to Romeo & Juliet, will be paired with Shakespeare's classic.

To find out when you can download titles to listen to on the run this summer, visit www.AudiobookSync.com or text syncya to 25827

SYNC Titles
Summer 2011

6/23/11 - 6/29/11
Shiver By Maggie Stiefvater
Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare

6/30/11-7/6/11
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
The Trial by Franz Kafka

7/7/11-7/13/11
Where the Streets Had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster

7/14/11-7/20/11
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney
Beowulf by Francis B. Gummere [Trans.]

7/21/11-7/27/11
Chanda's Secrets by Allan Stratton
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

7/28/11-8/3/11
Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari
Rescue: Stories of Survival From Land and Sea by Dorcas S. Miller [Ed.]

8/4/11-8/10/11
Immortal by Gillian Shields
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

8/11/11-8/17/11
Storm Runners by Roland Smith
The Cay by Theodore Taylor

Pottermore

2011-06-23T09:18:00.013-05:00

Pottermore.com
The registration page is very slow right now. I can only imagine that the site is getting hammered with requests. There is more (thanks to Sheila Ruth @Wands and Worlds for the information) at the Guardian

the fresh Potter material – to be unveiled later this year - already stretches to 18,000 words about the novels' characters, places and objects, with more to come. From Professor McGonagall's love for a Muggle as a young woman, to how the Dursleys met (Petunia was working in an office); from new information about Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff houses, to details about wand wood, Rowling's writing will be just one part of the richly interactive, free Pottermore.com website, which is intended to bring the Harry Potter storylines to interactive life for readers.

Nonfiction Monday: For the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart

2011-06-20T06:18:00.003-05:00

For the Love of Music: The remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart by Elizabeth Rusch, paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Francher. Tricycle Press, 2011 (review copy provided by the publisher)

The CIP in this books shows the LC subject heading as "Berchtold zu Sonnenburg, Maria Anna Mozart, Reichsfrelin von, 1751-1829" aka Maria Anna Mozart, Wolfgang's sister. Rusch uses the piano sonata form, which she describes before the story begins, to frame her story as Maria played them frequently. Billed as Wonders of Nature! and Child Geniuses!, Maria and her younger brother, Wolfgang performed together across Europe. The two spoke French and Italian and had rich imaginations. A composer and prodigy in her own right, Maria noted down Wolfgang's compositions for him, before he could write. When their father chose to focus on Wolfgang as a solo performer, Maria was left behind at home, a move that devastated her. The siblings remained close though even after Maria's marriage and many of Wolfgang's compositions were dedicated to his sister.

Artists, Johnson and Francher use a collage of woven fabrics, rich brocades and embroidered satins, to bring the story to life. The textiles act as a canvas for the paintings and give them richness and depth. The paint is laid on thickly in places rendering a three dimensional feel to the figures. The pianos are layered with images of original hand written sheet music from the Mozart family collection. I would love to see the original artwork for this book.

A brief but complete bibliography includes books, letters and documents and personal interviews. An "encore" summary of Maria Anna Mozart's life fills out details of her story. This book is beautifully executed in every way.
Bravi!

If Rocks Could Sing

2011-06-18T08:40:00.000-05:00

If Rocks Could Sing: a discovered alphabet by Leslie McGuirk. Tricycle Press, 2011 (review copy provided by publisher)

My inner school librarian is putting this book on my "must purchase" list. The book is a happy tribute to every child who ever filled a box, sack, pail, or gym sock with a rock collection.
The ABC style book is wholly original and an imaginative delight. Each page focuses on a rock in the shape of a letter of the alphabet.
A rock shaped like a lower case "e" illustrates "elephant" along with a rock that looks just like the head of an elephant, with an upraised trunk. The two page spread for "o is for Ouch!" depicts a donut shaped "'o" rock with ouch depicted by a smooth oval stone "face" pitted with holes and grooves that look just like a face, grimacing.

I know I exclaimed or laughed out loud at some of the whimsical selections. McGuirk's interpretation of these amorphous shapes is a wonder because we see them too! Her rocks are identified as fossiliferous sandstone and the geologic process that forms this kind of sedimentary rock is also described. McGuirk began collecting these rocks on Florida beaches although she specifies that the letter "X" is from Maine.
This book has wide classroom applications from art teachers to science teachers. It would perfectly pair with Byrd Baylor's classic Everybody needs a Rock.