Book Review: Written in Stone by Rosanne Parry

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Written in Stone cover imageSet on the Makah Indian Reservation on the remote Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, Written in Stone takes a look at traditional whaling practices of the Makah that continue today, and how the loss of this ceremonial hunt threatened the livelihood of the tribe.

The story is told through the eyes of Pearl, a young Makah whose mother and sister died in the influenza pandemic in the 1920s and whose father died on a whale hunt. When the whales begin to disappear, she worries that no one will be left to tell their stories and keep their traditions alive.

Without the meat, bone, fat and other things the Makah harvested from whales, their very survival is in peril. Pearl’s uncle, aunt, and her grandparents contemplate leaving to seek work in lumber mills, canneries and other places along the Pacific coast. In the end, Pearl draws on her own creativity and ingenuity as well as the wisdom she has learned from her parents and grandparents to stay true to her heritage while forging a path for the future.

Early in her teaching career author Parry lived near the Makah on the Quinalt Indian Reservation. She beautifully captures the wonder of the place while weaving in details of coastal tribal life in the early 1900s as she tells Pearl’s story. At the end, she provides a glossary of terms as well as a bit of history about the Makah.

Mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 9 to 12 reading Written in Stone will be able to discuss the history of the times, how women were limited to certain roles, and how Pearl ultimately found her voice to preserve what was important to her. I highly recommend it.

The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Peace, Baby! by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff

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Peace, Baby! cover imageLearning how to deal with conflict can be challenging for kids (and adults too sometimes!), as they learn how to navigate disputes with siblings and other children at school. A new picture book helps them look at situations that may arise in their daily lives and think about how they will respond.

Peace, Baby! is written by Linda Ashman and illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff, and it shows kids dealing with a variety of common events that may cause conflict. Here’s an example: “One big cookie. Two of you. Marcus want it. What to do? That’s right, break it. Now there’s two! Hey, peace, baby.” Here’s another: “Sofie, racing toward the snack, nudges Nora, pushes Zach. Should they elbow Sofie back? Nah, peace, baby.”

The pastel illustrations are calming, and they show both the conflict and the resolution. While sometimes it may be difficult to figure out how the characters got from one to the other, that’s where conversation between parents and kids come in. You can talk about how you think the children may have found a peaceful situation, and you may be able to discuss things your child could do to help her deal with frustrations that come up in the future.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Giveaway and Sara Pennypacker Talks About Her Clementine Series for Young Readers

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Toay I’m taking part in a blog tour for Sara Pennypacker and her new book in the popular Clementine series, Clementine and the Spring Trip, which I am also giving away one copy of (U.S. and Canadian addresses only please). Read more from Sara, then leave a comment by midnight (PDT), July 3 for a chance to win.

Here’s a little more about her:

Sara Pennypacker (www.sarapennypacker.com) was a painter before becoming a writer, and has two absolutely fabulous children who are now grown. She has written several books, including the Clementine series, all illustrated by Marla Frazee, The Amazing World of Stuart, Sparrow Girl, and Summer of the Gypsy Moths. She grew up in Massachusetts and splits her time between Cape Cod and Florida.

Here she talks about why her books are about an ordinary girl in a normal family.

Sara Pennypacker photo

Hi, and thanks for inviting me – I’ve been poking around the blog all week, and feel right at home here. I only wish it had been around when I was raising my kids—it was mother-daughter reading experiences that led me to become a writer for children in the first place. Like all of you here, I spent a lot of time reading with my guys when they were little. As they aged into independent readers, their book choices differed—my son headed straight for the non-fiction section of the library, but my daughter was the child of my reading heart: she always chose stories. Through her, I fell in love with children’s fiction.

Clementine w/family making dinner line drawing

Illustration copyright Marla Frazee

It feels right to talk about my Clementine series here because while Clementine is the main character, in my view, it’s her very ordinary, beautiful, funny family that’s the star of these books. The smart writer avoids functional parents for their characters; there’s no built in sympathy, as you have for the orphaned or neglected child, and there’s very little tension—that necessary, crackling charge that makes the reader tear through the pages. Clementine is loved, supported, and always protected…you never have to worry about her.

But I was drawn to write about this kind of family for two reasons. First, Clementine is based on my son, who had issues with attention (which, okay fine, he got from me) but she’s confident and happy. The only psychologically true way to create a girl like that was to give her fabulous parents and a great school environment. But more compellingly, as I surveyed the bookshelves, I noted a lack of contemporary stories about kids who were safe and cared for. I’m not disparaging in any way the many books out there that explore damaged kids in dysfunctional settings—they are incredibly moving, necessary, and sometimes life-changing. I merely wondered: if books are supposed to be both windows and mirrors, reflecting and framing the whole range of kids’

Clementine and mother line drawing

Illustration copyright Marla Frazee

experiences, then where were the books for kids like Clementine, or kids who longed for her security?

The more I thought about that, the more attractive the idea became: write a series that celebrates the redeeming grace of the ordinary—kids being kids and grown-ups being grown up, and everyone just doing their best.  The mom in the Clementine books is modeled loosely on the mom I was: although an artist, she’s the practical one of the parents, allowing the father to play the comedian role at times.

Clementine’s dad is more of a fantasy, I think— besides being funny, he’s reliable, strong, he listens, and he’s hopelessly in love with his wife and kids— and so I work hard to keep him real.

Oh, gosh, this all sounds so serious! The Clementine books are funny—I find Clementine’s world-view hilarious, and her parents, friends and teachers all face the challenges Clementine brings with such good humor. Because these are books about whole families, I’m always happiest to learn that families are reading them together. I’d be thrilled to hear about moms and daughters reading the series…

Clementine and dad on the couch line drawing

Illustration copyright Marla Frazee

Follow Sara on her blog tour at these stops:

Thurs, June 20: Media Darlings
Fri, June 21: Sharpread
Mon, June 24: Children’s Book Review
Tues, June 25: Kid Lit Frenzy
Wed, June 26: There’s a Book
Thurs, June 27: As They Grow Up
Fri, June 28 Bookingmama

 

Book Review: The Journals of Petra Volare by Reece Michaelson and Pamela Jaye Smith

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Petra Volare cover image

Calice lives on the island of Crete in Minos’s palace with her mother. She knows she must keep quiet about her true identity, she is Daedalus’s daughter, but she yearns to know more about her father and her brother Icarus.

She renames herself Petra Volare and ventures around the town. As she does she meets people who teach her how to see her life differently: a sailor, a sword maker and a healer woman. Together they help her gain confidence in herself and her abilities so she can learn her true destiny.

The Journals of Petra Volare Scroll 1: From the Shadows is a reimagining of the ancient Greek story of Minos, the Minotaur, Daedalus, Icarus and other figures from the myths. Authors Reece Michaelson and Pamela Jaye Smith have created a character who is an outsider, which means she can tell the tale the way she sees it. She feels she has a role to play in protecting her brother, but she must discover what that is and how she can help. Along the way Petra Volare learns a lot about herself and the people she thought she knew well.

The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Short Seller by Elissa Brent Weissman

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The Short Seller cover imageWhen 12-year-old Lindy comes down with mono she’s too tired to think of doing anything but sleep. Soon she’s feeling better even though she’s still stuck at home for a while. To help her pass the time, her parents give her $100 and access to their brokerage account, so she can experiment with buying and selling stocks.

Lindy is fascinated by the stock market, and before long she’s taught herself a lot of the ins and outs of trading shares. As a bonus, math is fun for her for the first time. But she learns that the stock market can go up and down on a whim, and what looks like gains and losses on paper can have real consequences.

The Short Seller by Elissa Brent Weissman takes a look at investing in more ways that one. Lindy can’t understand why her parents are always restricting what she can buy when it’s obvious they have a lot of money. She’s not allowed to have a cell phone yet, or go to concerts without parents or buy a lot of clothes at the mall. She doesn’t understand why anyone would want to keep money growing in an account over a long period of time when it could be taken out and spent on something fun in the short term.

At the same time she’s learning about trading stocks, Lindy is also dealing with strains on the relationship she has with her two best friends, who have become close while she’s been out sick. Through it all she learns about the true meaning of friendship, solidarity between sisters, and the importance of paying attention to details. Girls between the ages of 9 and 12 should appreciate the issues Lindy faces.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Boo ABC: A to Z with the World’s Cutest Dog by J. H. Lee, photographs by Gretchen LeMaistre

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Boo ABC cover imageBoo is a cute little Pomeranian who has been called “the world’s cutest dog” and who has nearly 7 million likes on his Facebook page. He also has several books for children, including BOO ABC: A to Z with the World’s Cutest Dog.

The book combines photos of Boo (taken by Gretchen LeMaistre) being adorable in some way, with activities kids can identify with to help teach the ABCs. For instance, E is for eat, and there is a picture of Boo staring longingly at a cup of cocoa and a bone-shaped cookie with the words, “Snack time! Yum!” Boo also sports a little hat for the letter H, appears with a stuffed giraffe for G, and poses with a sand castle for S. Each letter features prominently on the page along with a dog bone that contains a word to go along with the letter.

Author J. H. Lee owns Boo and Buddy, who also appears in a couple of pages, and she knows how to put her pup in situations that really show off his cute side. Children should love coming back to Boo ABC again and again, learning the alphabet as they do.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff

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Boy Nobody cover imageBoy Nobody never goes by his real name. Not since he was recruited into The Program when he was 12. He also never asks about his assignments: he goes in, gets the job done, and leaves. He’s good at eliminating people The Program tells him have made the wrong choices and are a danger to our country. Yet when his next assignment has him getting close to the daughter of the mayor of New York City, he begins to question his past assumptions. This job, though, is unlike any he’s had in the past, and questioning could end up hurting more people than he needs to while putting his own life in danger.

Reminiscent of The Bourne Identity, Boy Nobody compels you on a fast-paced ride that twists and turns in unexpected ways. Boy Nobody—known as Benjamin through most of the book—shows how young teens can be effective in accessing and killing people who are dangerous to our society. It’s easier for them to get close to their targets because they raise little suspicion.

But the morality of training and using children as assassins is a good one to consider and discuss. Would it be justified if it was the best way to eliminate threats and prevent harm to our society? Would we trust the people in charge to make the right decisions and have the best information about who poses a threat?

Being inside Benjamin’s head as he calls on his training to stay out of danger and complete his missions will have you cringing at the normal things you do, and I can guarantee you’ll never look at the new kid in school the same again.

The conclusion is surprising, bringing up even more questions good for discussion. And while this was the first in a series, Zadoff did a great job of tying up this story in a satisfying manner while also sending out intriguing teasers about what may come next. I’m hooked.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Author Jenny Meyerhoff Talks About Writing Humorous Books for Children

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Jenny Meyerhoff photo

Jenny Meyerhoff photo by Mindy Garfinkel

Yesterday I reviewed The Barftastic Life of Louie Burger, a funny book that should resonate with anyone who’s ever been challenged to get up on a stage and perform. (Read the review and enter to win a copy here.)

Today, author Jenny Meyerhoff is stopping by as part of her blog tour.  Meyerhoff  is the author of a young adult novel, Queen of Secrets, and three books for young readers–Sami’s Sleepaway Summer, Third Grade Baby, and most recently, The Barftastic Life of Louie Burger, a story about an aspiring stand-up comic with an unusual catch phrase. Unlike Louie, Jenny is not  a comedian, but she does know a lot about barf. After all, she’s a mom. Her three kids love fluffernutters, comedy and reading. Jenny lives in Riverwoods, Illinois with her funny kids and her delightful husband. For more information, visit her website: www.jennymeyerhoff.com.

The next stop on her tour is Geo Librarian .

From Jenny Meyerhoff:

Hello, Mother Daughter Book Club Readers. It’s so nice to be here today to chat with you as part of my blog tour. My latest book, The Barftastic Life of Louie Burger, just released, and as you might suspect from reading the title, it’s a humorous book.

Although I dreamt of writing children’s books, even when I was young enough to still be called a child, I never thought I would write funny books. I thought I would write fantasies. My first book, Third Grade Baby, actually started out as a story about the Tooth Fairy’s top secret tooth management computer system. It wasn’t very good, so I stripped away all the magical elements and I was left with the simple, realistic story of a young girl who still had all her baby teeth.

That’s when I learned a big lesson. Comedy and tragedy are two sides of the same story! Being teased about your baby teeth could be tragic, but it can also be amusing. It all depends on how you look at it.

Parts of Louie’s life might sound pretty depressing. Louie’s father just lost his job. Louie seems to be growing apart from his best friend. I could have written this book in a really heart-wrenching way. And sometimes, heart-wrenching is the best fit. But even in my own life, I like to see the humor in a situation. Like the time the local paper took a picture of me nine months pregnant and blew it up to cover the entire front page in their coverage of the opening of the local pool. My maternity swimsuit had tented out around me in the water and I looked more like 27 months pregnant. My only choices were move to a new town or laugh.

Laughing is cheaper, and it’s good for you too!

A lot of people think that funny books come from packing in the zingers and the one-liners, and while those help, true humor, for me, comes from situation. I think kids really get this. I try to put Louie in as many uncomfortable and incongruous situations as I can: the non-sporty kid trying to prove his athletic prowess; the older kid trying to hide the fact that he plays unicorns with his little sister; the comedian who’s afraid to tell a joke!

And of course, it never hurts to throw in a little slapstick.

I think situational and slapstick humor is one reason classic comedians still resonate. Louie Burger is a big fan! Here’s a link to his favorite Buster Keaton moment from the book! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN2SKWSOdGM

Thanks for having me today. If you want to know more about me and Louie, visit me at www.jennymeyerhoff.com

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