A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Phillip C. Stead

When I first skimmed through this book, I was disappointed that it had won the Caldecott while my recent favorite, JIMI SOUNDS LIKE a RAINBOW, didn't even get an honorable mention on any of the lists. However, a closer read revealed why it won.

This book feels like a throw-back to GOODNIGHT MOON in terms of the minute details and the color separation techniques. Young children will enjoy looking for the small creatures who tag along with the larger zoo animals - a bird carrying books, the bird sitting on top of a bus, and the mouse waiting at its own mini-bus stop. Readers will puzzle over the balloon - it appears on the title page, is in the background as the zoo animals troop to Amos's home, settles slowly to earth so the penguin can catch it, and is then floating in Amos's bedroom.

As befits a Caldecott, the writing fully supports the calming illustrations. I didn't experience a single jarring moment as I read the story. The rhythm is flawless and the compassion shown by each character to the others is a welcome respite from the sometimes spiteful world of pop culture.

Finally, do notice the dedication of the author & illustrator (a husband/wife team) to each other.

Sit-In: How Four... by the Pinkneys

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to hear Andrea & Brian Pinkney, a husband/wife team, talk about their book projects.

I was fascinated to hear Andrea deconstruct the artwork in this book. She said that the way Brian portrayed the lunch counter in his images almost made it another character in the book. For example, on one page, the counter was shown from two different angles so that it seemed to cave-in on itself in the gutter of the book. This symbolism represented the way that segregation was caving in.

On later pages, the lunch counter became a road with ups and downs, showing the series of successes and failures that the civil rights workers experienced. Finally, a road was shown on a track similar to that of a roller coaster, symbolic of the out-of-control twists that one can encounter when on a frightening journey. Every time I hear someone do a visual analysis of art, I'm impressed at the added layers of meaning that the images add to the story.

This is definitely a picture book for many ages. Children in the early elementary grades will be moved to discuss the ways that teens try to help others. Children & youth in later grades can use this text as a jumping-off point to explore the many incidents in the civil rights movement.

Two of Everything Heather Cook

Two of Everything was written by Lily Toy Hong. It is a humorous book about an elderly couple that comes across a brass pot. This pot is magical and doubles whatever you put in it. The couple spends hours doubling the few bits of money they have in order to become wealthy. It is an excellent book pertaining to math. The conflict in the story is when Mrs.Haktak falls in the pot and out come two Mrs.Haktaks! Thankfully the couple comes up with a brilliant idea in order to resolve this conflict and live comfortably.

Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens

The book that I would like to share is "Tops and Bottoms" by Janet Stevens.  This book is a trickster tale.  The tale is about a rabbit who lost a bet with a tortoise which resulted in the rabbit selling his farmland to the bear next door.  This was not just any ol' bear, but a very lazy bear.  The bear's father had been a very hard worker; however, the only thing this bear wanted to do was to sleep.  The tale goes on about how the rabbit tricks the bear into getting his land back - the bear chooses if he want the "tops" or the "bottoms" of crops that the rabbits plant.  It is a very funny book.  The book is also very unique because it is read from "top to bottom."  Unlike books that open from the side and are read from left to right, this book opens at the top and is read from top to bottom.  I think the uniqueness of this book will capture the attention of many students, it is well suited for students in grades 1-3.

Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt

Hi Everyone,
The book that I would like to share, which you may already be familiar with, is Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt. I really enjoy reading this book to my students at the beginning of the year, especially to younger students. It is about a squirrel who is perfectly content living a safe squirrel life with his safe daily routine. He provides readers with a list of the many things he's scared of...which is ok until he is confronted with one of his most feared enemies. He then learns that he can handle any situation and even changes up his routine a little. I really enjoy this book because it is funny. I think students can relate to it, especially the first week of school, because they may be nervous about meeting a new teacher and new classmates and leaving the comfort of their summer vacation and home. I thought there was only one book, but as I read it to students each year, they informed me that there are a few other "Scaredy Squirrel" adventures. I have read one or 2 others and they are equally funny and entertaining. I hope you get the chance to read it...I know you'll enjoy it!

GoodReads and GoodReads for Kids

Teachers who can inspire kids to read tend to have two major characteristics. First, they read widely for their own pleasure. One great source to read reviews of books and talk with other readers about their top picks is the website GoodReads.com. (You can find me there under the user name mbmullin16@gmail.com.)
http://www.goodreads.com/


Another important aspect is being familiar with many books that kids will want to read. This site is a good tool for finding out what kids are reading and what their opinions are.
http://www.kidsreads.com

Have fun exploring the books at these sites.
Margaret

Plain Kate by Erin Bow

I have no idea why I requested this book from the library. I must have seen it reference on some blog & thought it sounded interesting; besides, there's a talking cat - how could I resist!

I strongly recommend this book. The back-of-book blurbs talk about the "poetry, magic, humor,and sorrow" (Meg Rosoff) and how the "deceptively simple prose steals over you like an enchanted fog" (Elizabeth C. Bunce). Neither of the blurbs talk about the strong world building, compelling characterization, and complex plot (oh, and the talking cat!) There are Russian names; a feudal world, complete with guilds and guild masters; and a strange juxtaposition of both the use and fear of magic. The characters are connected in ways that are hinted at in skillful foreshadowing, leading to the resolution of the problem. Bow epitomizes the things I love about YA fantasy - characters and settings I care about while also providing a vehicle to consider issues in our own lives and world.

* At what point is the cost of vengeance higher than the unjust crime that prompted it?
* What is owed by the person who became an unwitting agent of evil?
* If your inaction caused evil to happen, what is your responsibility to right it? At what point does the cost become too much to bear?

I strongly recommend this one.

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

This book is amazing. I remember my mother-in-law talking about this book when she first read the ARC (advanced reading copy). When my husband turned into a prune in the tub, I knew that I'd have to tackle it, even though the topic is hardly fitting for a holiday break - I had a sense that it would be work to read. So far from the truth...

Kessler pulled me into Lisabeth's world in just a few pages, seamlessly moving between "all-American suburbia" and scenes with the Horsemen of the Apocolypse: Famine, War, Death, and Pestilence. Through her position as Famine, Lisabeth is able to find her own inner strength, setting her on a path to acknowledge and battle the anorexia that she hadn't yet acknowledged when she became Famine. Finally, Kessler's writing packs a punch - in relatively few pages for a YA novel, she uses poetic description and vivid images to make the reader feel what Lisabeth feels. As I said in another review, one power of YA fantasy is the ability to tackle problems from our world in a new way. Kessler's novel is compelling and important.