Goblin Secrets

by William Alexander

Randomly came across this book while browsing the library shelves, and thoroughly glad I did.  The National Book Award Winner sticker on the cover caught my eye.  This book is all about masks, and how they change people.  In this book, that is taken in a literal sense.  Rownie is a young boy who serves a witch who sounds a lot like the "Baba Yaga" from old fairy tales.  He wants to find his brother who has disappeared so he escapes from the witch, but runs into trouble with the "law" when he gets involved with a traveling troupe of goblins who put on plays with masks, even though it is against the law.  Rownie then discovers the masks are much more than just make-believe and he has an important part to play.

The atmosphere of this book was mysterious, intriguing, and beautiful.  The landscape set by the words was mesmerizing and really drew me into the town.  The "scary" element was indeed scary, especially with the masks, and it really kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen, and it was all very mysterious until the end.  I liked the juxtaposition of an "old world" feel of witches and magic, with the "new world" feel of mechanisms and motors.  I'm hoping there are sequels to this book, because the end leaves a little mystery still to be told.  This book feels very much like sitting down to watch a play in a dark and magical theater, with musical and strange colors all around you.

Princess Academy

by Shannon Hale

This book was recommended by my sister, and it was a joy to read.  Miri is a young girl who works in a remote village high up on a mountain, where the livelihood of everyone depends on work in the nearby quarry.  Miri doesn't feel that she fits in and is of no use to her father.  When she hears that the prince will choose a bride from this village, Miri believes this is her chance to show her father what she can do.  She, along with the other girls of the village, are taught how to be princesses.  They compete but also learn to work together.  Miri comes to learn more about herself and just what she means to her family and her father.  She also learns of an important talent that helps save her friends when trouble comes along.

I like this story because based on the title, one might thinks its a "fairy-tale" type story, but it is not.  The end comes to a good conclusions for the girls, but it is not what you expect.  Miri is a strong main character who is believable and also inspiring, as are many of the other girls, who together give the book a rich mixture of personalities.  The setting of the book is also written well, with the feeling of this place embedded into the story throughout.

There is a bit of a magical element to the story as well, which is not overdone, but simple and interwoven into the story very quietly.  I enjoyed that it felt natural that this would occur, though it was a book that I wouldn't necessarily consider a "fantasy".  I think this would be an especially good read for young female readers.  You don't usually go wrong with a Newbery Honor Book.

52 Books for 52 Weeks - My Year in Review

Happy New Year!  One of my discoveries in 2012 was the website goodreads.com.  It speaks to my love of books, my love of recommending books, my love of getting recommendations from people I trust, and my love of organizing and tracking books!  At the beginning of the year the website encouraged me to set myself a reading challenge goal, so I did.  I figured one book a week wouldn't be too hard. Well, my consistency went up and down, but I finished my 52nd book with 5 days to spare! 

For my own benefit (and perhaps yours if you are interested), I'd like to do a quick review of the year in book terms.

I started the year off by reading The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury.  And just so you know, I do not know that because I remembered, only because goodreads tracks it for me.  Anyway, I was excited to find that I started the year off with an excellent classic, a book of sci-fi short stories that were both mesmerizing and haunting. Some were funny, others were disturbing.  All were mind-opening.

Some of the books I enjoyed the most included:

Caleb's Crossing, by Geraldine Brooks
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach
The Chosen, by Chaim Potok
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, by William Kamkwamba
The Penderwicks, by Jeanne Birdsall

Brandon Sanderson, author

My favorite of the year was not a single book, but multiple books by Brandon Sanderson.  I can't believe it took me this long to discover such a fabulous author!  Thanks once again goes to my friend Emily for the recommendation.  First I started with the Mistborn trilogy, then read a couple of his other books like Elantris and Warbreaker (good but not as good as Mistborn), and finally finished with the first book in his "Stormlight Archive" called The Way of Kings.  Sanderson has an amazing ability to write realistic systems of magic that aren't just conjured out of thin air.  Only problem now is that I've run of of books by this author.  He is projecting that The Way of Kings will be followed by NINE other books in the series, so now I have to WAIT!  I'm already waiting for the final installment of the Kingkiller Chronicles to come out, and now I've got another set to anticipate.  My only comfort is that I have introduced these books to a number of family members who are enjoying them as much as I am.  Success!

I also wanted to note a few of my favorite picture books that the kids and I came across this year.  Most of them are our favorites because of great artwork combined with fun and interesting words.

Happy by Mies van Hout
Jump! by Scott M. Fischer 
Skippyjon Jones in Mummy Trouble by Judy Schachner
The Wide-Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner
A Hat for Minerva Louise by Janet Morgan Stoeke

I finished the year off with a children's book called Goblin Secrets by William Alexander, all about goblins and witches, secrets, and the wearing of masks.  Not to mention a National Book Award Winner.  A nice laid-back way to end the year, especially after the busy holidays.

I haven't decided what my reading goals will be this year, so what do you think?  What are your reading plans for 2013?

It's been a good year all around and I'm looking forward to many more adventures next year, both in my world, and in the many worlds between many pages.  Hopefully I will see you there!

Christmas Books Worth Reading

I've was hoping to have this post out before Christmas, but alas, things got busy.  Better late than never, now you can prep for next year!  Anyway, I've seen a number of facebook posts recently, asking about favorite books for Christmas.  I have a number of friends who do a countdown to Christmas with children's books, and I like to give a book to my kids for their Christmas Eve gift to open before bed.  That being said, there are a lot out there that are downright lame.  So, here are some of my choices that I think are worthy of your time:

 

1. The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg

Read this instead of watching the movie.  Please.  A lovely tale about children who know and recognize the true meaning of Christmas.  Beautiful, haunting illustrations.

2. A Child's Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas

This story is about a little boy's experience with the sights, sounds, smells, and adventures of Christmas in his small Welsh town.  The characters in the story are wonderfully rich and quirky, and the warmth and laughter it brings truly will make you smile.  I believe this would technically be considered a prose poem, but it is very accessible and easier to read than some of Thomas' other poetry.  And if you can find an audio recording by the author, or even go see a play of this work, its almost better to listen to than to read.  You can really let yourself disappear into the richness of the language and the story.  I have a soft spot in my heart for Wales since I had the pleasure of studying abroad there for a few months during college.  One of the best experiences of my life. And one of the best days while there was when I was able to see a performance of this work at  the college a few days before my own Christmas in Wales.  It was truly a marvelous experience.

3. Merry Christmas, Festus and Mercury, by Sven Nordqvist

I came across this treasure in some used book sale, and one look at the cat on the front had me hooked.  When I read it and looked at the other illustrations, I loved it even more.  Its got a quirky feel to it because of its focus on a different tradition/culture, so its refreshing, and the relationship of this old man and his cat is hysterical and heartwarming all at the same time.  Not sure how easy it would be to find a copy, but keep an eye out.  I believe there are others in the series.

4. Duck and Goose, It's Time for Christmas!, by Tad Hills

A fun little board book for the younger crowd.  Duck and Goose and two funny characters who are getting ready for Christmas.

5.  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson

This is a chapter book instead of a picture book, but is a pretty quick read nevertheless.  Its about a town putting on their Christmas pageant and all the funny moments that entails, as well as how one family of misfits teach everyone the true meaning of Christmas.

6.  A Little House Christmas: Holiday Stories from the Little House Books, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I have re-read the Little House books so often I have lost count, and they only get better and better.  Many of my favorite excerpts (except for my all-time favorite parts about her falling in love with Almanzo - but that's for another post) are the Ingalls' Christmas celebrations.  They are so happy with so little, and I love the old-time traditions and family gatherings.  I'm so excited to find this collection because it gathers all these stories together to be enjoyed during the holidays.  And I plan to definitely get the collection that has the original Garth Williams illustrations.

7. A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

A true classic, the story of Scrooge and his journeys with three spirits who teach him about the true Christmas spirit of love and kindness.  My favorite quote is when Scrooge is confronted with Jacob Marley's ghost, who is weighed down with the chains of greed he forged in life:
“But you were always a good man of business, Jacob," faltered Scrooge.

"Business!" cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!"

8. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, by Susan Wojciechowski

A talented old woodcarver never smiles, having lost his family to illness.  But when a widow and her son ask him to make a new crèche, he discovers his own Christmas miracle.  Lovely illustrations and a touching story. 

9. A Christmas Parable, by Boyd K. Packer

This is a deceptively simple story about a man who has a dream that teaches him about the greatest Christmas gift of all - the Atonement of the Savior.  I especially love his poem at the end about being washed clean, in relation to the miracles of Christ both in the Bible and in our hearts today.  My mother started a tradition many years ago of reading this book to us on Christmas Eve and then writing down Christmas memories in the back.  We would then review our favorite memories from the year before, and then each take a turn picking one of the Nativity pieces to display.  Finished off with reading the Christmas Story from Luke.  So many joyous memories, surrounded by an eternal family.

10. Christmas Bells, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Most of us know this poem better as the words to the carol "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", however it is interesting to read the original version, which has a total of seven stanzas.  Two omitted from the song make reference to the Civil War.  Either way, the words of this poem/song are some of the most joyous, hopeful, and true words you will hear.  No matter what each Christmas brings, whether in hard times or good times, Longfellow's verse will give you renewed hope that "God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! / The Wrong shall fail, / The Right prevail, / With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

So, there are some of my favorite books.  However, I can't end without sharing a few of my other favorite entertainments for Christmas:

Movies

It's a Wonderful Life

Mr. Kreuger's Christmas

White Christmas

Miracle on 34th Street

While You Were Sleeping

Music

"O Holy Night" and "O Come O Come Emmanuel" by Manheim Steamroller

"Halleluja Chorus" from The Messiah

"Jingle Bells?" by Barbara Streisand 

"Silent Night" by Boyz II Men

"Ode to Joy" by Beethoven

"A Soalin" by Peter, Paul & Mary

"What Sweeter Music" written by John Rutter

Jump! (and Halloween books)

by Scott M. Fischer

This is a fun children's book that my son actually discovered at the library.  Each page is about an animal that gets scared by a bigger animal, which makes it JUMP!  The book has great rhymes, good rhythm, and kids love to "help" read the story when its time to turn the page and JUMP!  And the artwork is fun, nothing fabulously amazing but not cheesy either.  My son picked this book to share with his Kindergarten class on his Superstar Day, and it was very popular.  The teacher commented that it was a very good choice for that age.  I love finding new books for the kids, and I enjoy them myself.

On a side note, I was invited to read at my nieces' school for their Halloween party.  My mother often reads there and she is quite popular but she was going to be out of town and recommended they ask me.  I was happy to fill in.  It was to be arranged thus: 15 kids at a time from ages K-7th grade, for 15 minutes each, and I would do this 5 times in a row.  I bit daunting but it was also exciting.  I love sharing my love of books with anyone and everyone.  I tried to think outside the box and pick some different books that the kids may not have read before.  And it was difficult to think of how to appeal to all the different age groups.  Luckily, the kids seems to enjoy it and were very respectful and well-behaved.

I had four different things to read, though I found I had to shorten my time and finally had to cut one out.  However, I'll include them all because they went well together.

1) I started out with reading/singing a poem called "Three Little Witches" by Marjorie Barrows.  My mom used to sing this to me when I was a kid, and it has a good rhythm and is fun.  A good way to get them interested and paying attention.

2) For the younger children, I chose a book called "Little Goblins Ten" which is kind of a Halloween version of the poem/song "Over in the Meadow".  Its a counting book, but its also got a good rhythm, and with this one I had the kids participate.  When I would say a word they had to respond back.  So it would go, "Haunt! said the daddy" and the kids would have to say back, "Haunt! said the two" and they would have to do it the way I did, so I tried to really ham it up and make scary Halloween noises

3) "The Witches" by Roald Dahl is a favorite of mine and so I used them for the older children, some of whom had read it.  I started by summarizing what Dahl says are the characteristics of a "real" witch, things like that they are bald, have no toes, etc.  The kids got a kick out of this part.  I then read an excerpt, the chant that the Grand High Witch says about their evil plan to turn all the children into mice.  This is the one I finally had to cut out of the last couple because I didn't really have enough time and I had to summarize the book a lot, but it was a good choice and a high recommendation from me.

4) I finished with Chris Van Allsburg's "The Witch's Broom".  It has the most wonderful haunting illustrations, as all his works do (Polar Express, Jumanji, Harris Burdick) and though its about a witch's broom, really its not too scary at all, just clever and quite a funny turn at the end.  It has a lot of deeper meaning which I thought maybe some of the older kids might pick up on as well, but most of the kids really were quite mesmerized with it.

So, all in all, it was a lot of fun and I hope the kids enjoyed the reading.  I certainly did, and I loved being able to visit the school and teachers, since I actually attended there way back in 4th grade.  Oh, and I forgot to mention that since a few of my books were about witches, I decided to dress the part, complete with a homemade broom, black teeth (braces are handy for this), and a big ugly wart on my nose.  It was fun!

Dragon's Gate

by Laurence Yep

Sorry I haven't posted a review lately, but big things are happening for us and its been a little crazy of late.  My reading time has been sparse, but I've managed to finally get through a rather large book I was working on.  But this review is instead about a book I read in between waiting for the library to let me check the big one out again, and which was much more manageable and enjoyable.

Dragon's Gate is written by Laurence Yep, a prolific author of children's and young adult books that tell stories centering around Chinese immigrants and their stories.  This particular book of his is about a young man who lives a good life is China but dreams of going to the "Golden Mountain" of America with his father and uncle, who proclaim it to be a wonderful place.  Through unexpected circumstances he ends up going to the Golden Mountain and finds out that it is not at all what he expected.  He joins his father and uncle who work blasting through a mountain to build the railroad.  The Chinese workers are treated poorly and unfairly as they work on the "Dragon's Gate" as they call it.  The boy Otter helps the other workers see the way they are being treated and begins a small revolt that leads to a strike.  The workers are able to negotiate for better treatment, but it forever changes young Otter and makes him see the world in a different way.

I enjoyed this story because it was based on true events.  It started with a lovely story about a small part of Chinese culture at the time, and then it moved into the terrible and true story of the Chinese immigrants that made much of the railroad and the Western expansion possible.  Yep does a fabulous job of understating things and not making them too melodramatic, mostly because a story like this does not need anything added to it to make it poignant, important, and touching.  I'm not the only one who thinks this is a great book since it won a Newbery Honor Award in 1994.

Go Away, Big Green Monster!

by Ed Emberley

Picked this fun kids book up from the library today, thanks to the recommendation of a friend I happened to run into there.  We also happened to arrive just in time for playgroup, and the kids got to make fun Chinese Dragon heads with streamers for the body which looked very much like flames as they "chased" each other in circles around the room.  A fun craft and I thought it was very creative and fun. 

We all really enjoyed reading this book for the first time before naps just now.  It's a fun book that uses progressive paper cutouts to slowly grow a "big green monster" with purple hair.  The second half of the book has the reader telling each of the facial features to "go away!" and the monster progressively disappears.  An easy and exciting book for kids, my boy and girl liked it equally.  Its got simple words and bright colors.  A fun book to pick up for your toddler!

The Midwife's Apprentice

by Karen Cushman

A lot of depth is packed into this simple-looking book.  The story is set in the medieval times and is about a young girl who is an orphan and unloved by everyone.  She eventually is taken in and becomes the midwife's apprentice, learning who she is in the process. 

What I love about this book, and which is obviously why it won the Newbery Medal, is that it really puts you into the time and place it is set.  The descriptions are visceral and thick with wonderful imagery, both of the beauty and the darkness of the times.  I felt like I could literally touch and walk right into the meadows and cottages.  The main character is the same way, a very authentic feeling girl who does not know where she fits in.  The language she and the characters use also feels true to the times.  Not once does the book fall into any sort of a trite or romanticized way of looking at the world it portrays.

At times I am grateful for a book like this because it is a breath of fresh air from the complicated, dark, and romance-laden children/young adult books that are all the rage now.  A small and honest story that nevertheless can be told in any time and age - the story of a young girl learning that she too is of worth in the world.

Perfect Square

by Michael Hall

Have I mentioned how much I love libraries?!  There is something so rewarding when you find a book that you can touch and turn pages, and the illustrations are beautiful.  Especially when it is a children's book.  Online just can't do them justice.

My recent find is called Perfect Square and its a simple book, but really is almost perfect in its loveliness.  It starts out introducing a perfect square who is happy to be a square.  But then something happens to it and it gets torn up, or cut, or ripped.  So instead of being sad, the square picks up the pieces and makes itself into something wonderful, like a fountain, or river or bridge.  In the end, the square finds that being perfectly square isn't quite as wonderful as it thought at the beginning so it makes itself into something new.

The colors are vibrant, the pictures simple but imaginative, and the book shares a lovely thought that is not too overbearing - that maybe being what we think of as "perfect" isn't all its cracked up to be, and being different is fun.

So, from one "imperfect" square to another, go get this book and share it with your kids.

Art & Max

by David Wiesner 

A very clever children's book with some lovely illustrations, this book is recommended for parents and kids alike, but particularly to anyone interested in art.

Art and Max are two lizards who decide to do a little painting in the desert one day.  But things get a little out of hand when Max gets a little overzealous with the paintbrush and creates a bit of a catastrophe.  The book takes off at this point with brilliant illustrations that include paint, watercolor and line drawings, and which all incorporate into the actual plot of the story seamlessly.  I love a good book that is cleverly written but still tells a good story without drawing attention away from the characters. 

Wiesner is a three-time Caldecott medalist, so the beautiful illustrations and focus on art concepts is not a huge surprise, and it makes for a lovely, fun and funny story that both you and your children will love to read and discover together.

Skippyjon Jones

by Judy Schachner

Let's take a break from the serious book I am currently finishing up, and review an awesome children's book I came across at the library bookstore for 50 cents!  I love the occasional gem I find at these places.  It makes me wonder why someone would give up such a fun book, especially as it sat amid a sad plethora of Disney princess books and the "new and improved" version of Winnie-the-Pooh.  Don't get me wrong, I don't mind these things for their own value, but compared to this unique and fun book, the rest seem like boring replicas of each other.  Enough said.

Skippyjon Jones (don't you love that name?!) is a Siamese kitten who has a wild and vibrant imagination.  First he pretends he's a bird, until his mother gets him out of the tree and puts him in to time-out in his room.  Which only leads to offering him even more opportunity to explore his imagination as he goes on adventure as his pretend Chihuahua alter-ego, El Skippito. 

Two things drew my eye immediately to these book while thumbing through the other mundane offerings.  First, the front cover art.  With children's books, you can actually tell a lot about a book by the cover alone.  This one just made me smile, because that cat looks like he's got a lot of character.  The second thing I noticed was the little award symbol, which is a good, quick, visual indication that a book has a good chance of being worthy of your time and money.  The award on this one happens to be the "E.B. White Read Aloud Award".  If you don't recognize that name off the top of your head, E.B. White wrote Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, to name two of my favorite of his works.  I'd never heard of this particular award, but any book that receives an award for being a good "read aloud" book is usually good - and it was.

If you are lucky enough to come across this one at some yard sale or library clearance, snatch it up before someone else does.  After doing some quick research it looks like there are other books about this funny cat, so I'll be keeping an eye for those as well.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

by Grace Lin

I come from a family of storytellers.  My grandfather and mother both are beautiful storytellers.  There is nothing better than a story within a story, which is why I so enjoyed this children's book.  It is a simple narrative about Minli, a young girl who lives with her parents.  They are poor and her mother is somewhat discontent with their meager circumstances.  Minli goes on a journey to find the Old Man in the Moon and learn how her family can find fortune and happiness.  She meets fantastic creatures and people along the way, including a dragon who cannot fly and a talking goldfish.  and each of them has their own story they tell about their own fortunes.  The author incorporates many Chinese folktales into her story, weaving them together elegantly into a rich and touching narrative.

This is a lovely book for both parent and child to read, especially together, because it shares beautiful stories about family, friendship, forgiveness, contentment, gratitude, and love, all in a way that reminds you to never stop believing in the wonder of magic and fantasy.

The Underneath

by Kate Appelt

I'm in the middle of another book about the American South but can't do a review until I'm finished, but it made me think of a children's book I recently came across and enjoyed very much.  The Underneath is a Newbery Honor book and tells the story of a dog who lives under the porch of a house.  Inside the house lives a mean and angry man.  He stays underneath the porch to stay safe from the man.  The dog is lonely until he makes friends with a lost cat and her kittens.  They make unlikely friends, which are some of the best friends anyone can have.

Appelt tells a wonderful tale of love, and writes with a southern voice that paints pictures rich with imagery and depth.  She incorporates a little of the southern tradition of magic and animal spirits, but in a way that makes you think and wonder, not in a way that makes it scary or dark.  The voice of the book reminded me of other well-loved books including The Yearling and Where the Red Fern Grows.  Like these other favorites, Appelt uses animals to tell a story about love and humanity.

Tacky the Penguin

by Helen Lester

Tacky the Penguin is...well...tacky. He doesn't quite fit in with the other proper penguins. He's always doing things a little different. The others think he's just too weird, until his crazy antics save them all from a bunch of penguin hunters.

We have a lot in common, Tacky and I. In fact, my good friends know my "Penguin" nickname and how it came to be. It's a story I don't need to tell here because its not that exciting really, but let's just say that like Tacky, I've always tried to embrace the things that make me a little different.

Children's picture books require a good illustrator almost as much as a good author, and Lynn Munsinger does not disappoint. This is a lovely and funny book that shares a great message about being yourself. There are also a number of other Tacky books that further share this lovable bird's unique personality. Make this a birthday or Christmas gift for any of the young readers in your life. Or even the old ones like me!

The BFG

by Roald Dahl

The BFG is a Big Friendly Giant who whisks a little girl away from an orphanage one night, after she catches him blowing dreams into the rooms of other children.  In typical Roald Dahl fashion, this book is filled with humor that is just a little dark, a fantastic chain of events, heartwarming friendships, and justice for the bad guys.  The author has a vivid and quirky imagination which all children will enjoy.  I also like that he doesn't always ignore the darker side of life.  He himself had a rather dismal childhood in the time when English children were sent to boarding schools.  This upbringing obviously colored his writing, which you can also read more about in his autobiography called "Boy".

This was the first of Dahl's books that my mom read to me when we were growing up, so it will always be my favorite.  We also enjoyed reading some of his other books together, such as Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, Danny the Champion of the World, The Witches, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Read this one before someone attempts to make a bad movie out of it.

The Original Oz Books

by L. Frank Baum

We've all seen the classic Wizard of Oz movie, perhaps even read the book.  But not too many people realize that L. Frank Baum wrote a total of 14 Oz books, all of which I recommend today, both for you and your kids.  The original favorite characters of the Tin Woodman, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, Dorothy, and Toto are in all the subsequent books, but many new and fantastical friends join the journey.  Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter, Tik-Tok the Mechanical Man, and the Nome King are just a few of my favorites.  These books, more than any others, take me straight back to my childhood because they tell stories that come directly from childhood imagination, unfettered by something so boring as reality.  Baum tells good stories that are easy and fun to read, and will make you smile.  If only I could own a tree that grew lunch boxes and dinner pails, then I would be a happy girl!

The 14 books in order (which is how one should always read series) are:

-The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

-The Marvelous Land of Oz

-Ozma of Oz

-Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz

-The Road to Oz

-The Emerald City of Oz

-The Patchwork Girl of Oz

-Tik-Tok of Oz

-The Scarecrow of Oz

-Rinkitink In Oz

-The Lost Princess Of Oz

-The Tin Woodman Of Oz

-The Magic of Oz

-Glinda Of Oz

Many other authors since L. Frank Baum have tried writing Oz books and I have read some of them, but none are as good as the originals.  I highly recommend reading these to or with your kids, just as my mom did with me.  Leave your boring Kansas lives for a moment each day and go visit the wonderful world of Oz.