It was a successful reading week for me. I managed to:
- carve
out time to read the bag of picture books I got from the public library
ages ago.
- read
two easy chapter books and abandon one other.
- finish
up one audiobook and
- devour
one graphic novel
I will purchase three of the following picture books for our
school library when I have funds again.
Froodle by Antoinette Portis
 |
| 5 stars |
What happens when one creature defies the rules they are to abide
by? In this case, when a little brown bird decides that peep is no longer the
only song it wants to sing, it foments a revolution. Making change is never
easy. Feathers will get rustled. Unfortunately, even though the other birds
start to have fun creating their own new songs, Crow is not happy with
this.
Portis' illustration are amazing. Note the threat portrayed in the power
imbalance in this standoff between the crow and the little brown bird.
There is a powerful idea seeded through this book, but it is
counterbalanced and seasoned with lots of hilarity.
You will have to read the book yourself to find out how the
situation is resolved.
The Case For Loving by Selina Alko Illustrated by Sean Qualls and Seling Alko
 |
| 5 stars |
This is such an important book. It celebrates diversity as it
presents a history lesson on marriage rights in the USA. It tells the story of
Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter, a mixed race couple who took their case all
the way to the supreme court so that they could live wherever they wanted, and
other couples like them, could get married.
The illustrations reflect the intensity of the situation - being
light and filled with hearts and flowers when Richard and MIldred's life is
going well, and then dark when outside forces try to harm them.
Reading the author's notes at the end is worthwhile. It reveals
that the book was created by another interracial couple who were able to marry
"with great ease" in 2003, thanks to the earlier struggles of Mildred
and Richard.
The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee
 |
| 4 stars |
I'm sure glad that so many people have blogged and carried on
about this book because to be honest, I wouldn't have picked it up alone. The
front cover turned me off for some reason. Of course, now that I've read the
book, I have come to appreciate it. I concur that this is a poignant sweet
book. At first it didn't really ring true for me. I thought, who in their right
mind would lose a baby and not go immediately back to search for it? Then when
I reread it I realized that the circus returns within 24 hours. Whew! I have a
copy on order for when I get some money. I look forward to sharing it with
children.
As an Oak Grows by G. Brian Karas
 |
| 2 stars |
I wonder if I am not so impressed with this book because earlier
readers, like Elizabeth Ellington, have pointed out how superficially Native
Peoples history is recorded. I suspect that Pete Seeger, who the book is
dedicated to, might be disheartened. The book takes us through 200 years in an
oak tree's life. As the tree grows, the world around it changes. Although I
enjoyed the details in the images, I prefer how Virginia Lee Burton's The
Little House, reveals the impact of change over time.
Finding good beginning chapter books is one the most critical thing I do as a librarian. One of these days I will have to blog about my favourites. (although I'm sure it has already been done somewhere.)
I don't remember which #IMWAYR blogger wrote about this series,
but I am so very thankful that you did. I love love love it! If only this book
were available in paperback, I'd purchase a literature set to use with our
younger readers. I realio trulio adore it.
|
Dora Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon
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| 5 stars |
Dory,
our narrator, is an amazing character. She is the youngest of three children.
I have to admit that as much as I admire her creativity, I'm kind of thankful
that I am neither her sibling nor her parent. Dora is the kind of brilliantly
imaginative child who will drive parents and teachers slightly wacko. She wants
to be included in everything and is full of questions. She fluctuates between
the worlds of fantasy and reality. I suspect that fans of Calvin and Hobbs will
love Dory.
The Terrible Two by
 |
| abandoned |
I've tried to get into this book a couple of times, but so far, it
just hasn't really worked for me. I'm going to pass it on to one of our male
teachers of grade 2/3/4 and get his feedback. The truth is, even as the
mother of two boys, almost 40 years of marriage to the same man, and reaching
the ripe old age of almost 62, I still really don't understand boys and their
humour.
Skim by Mariko & Jillian Tamaki
 |
| 5 stars |
I am so thankful I purchased Skim at Serendipity
this year after Mariko Tamaki spoke about it. It is a powerful graphic novel.
Kimberly Keiko Cameron, (Skim) the protagonist, goes to an all girls
religious high-school. The novel begins with the suicide of one of
the girl's ex-boyfriends. The Tamaki cousins brilliantly reveal how this
event echoes across the actions of everyone in the school for the next year. At the
same time, they take a hard look at racism, body image, sexual identity, first
love and the secrets people keep. Skim examines how we
make assumptions about people because of the way they look. This book
is beautiful and dark and oh so very much real. I'm thinking it might just be
the book I give away to my teenage great nieces next year.
Skink by Carl Hiaasen
 |
| 3 stars |
While I always enjoy a Carl Hiaasen read, parts of this one didn't
ring true for me. Honestly, I can't believe that anyone in this day and age
isn't more internet savvy than Malley, Richard's cousin is made out to be. It's
such a contradiction as she is also portrayed as an independent, smart girl. In
this respect her character and the situation she ended up in, just didn't make
sense. I wondered what readers at my school might think about it so I asked
some of our grade seven girls if they knew anything about chat rooms. They told
me they were some old fashioned way people used to talk to each other on the
internet. Enough said.
In spite of this, there is a lot to like about this book. It's got adventure, suspense, action, and Skink, as ever, is a mythical character. But, because of my aforementioned concerns, the rest of the novel didn't work as well as an Hiassen novel would ordinarily do for me.
In spite of this, there is a lot to like about this book. It's got adventure, suspense, action, and Skink, as ever, is a mythical character. But, because of my aforementioned concerns, the rest of the novel didn't work as well as an Hiassen novel would ordinarily do for me.
Right Now I'm listening to The Search for the Red Dragon by
James A Owen. It's ok, but won't pass the bechdel test. Reading with my eyes, I'm in the middle of the most beautiful heartbreaking
book, This Journal Belongs to Ratchett by Nancy J
Cavanaugh.