#IMWAYR JUNE 22, 2015

Well, here we are, it's Monday again. Time to check in with hosts Jen From Mentor Texts and Kellee and Rickie from Unleashing Readers, to find out what bloggers around the world are reading this week.


It was a surprisingly productive week for me. Everything I picked up was good! I read plenty of picture books, finished a couple of chapter books, completed a number of middle grade novels, managed to read an adult title, and even got some reviews posted!


PICTURE BOOKS


Storm Song by Nancy Viau and Gynux (illustrator)

I enjoyed the sound poem in this this delightful book and know my younger readers will also. The bold illustrations perfectly match the powerful text. I like these multicultural characters and think my readers will empathise with their fear as the storm becomes so fierce, the power goes out. 

Enemy by Davide Cali and Serge Bloch (illustrator)

This is a dark and sad book about war and how we come to see ordinary people like ourselves as the enemy. It's the story of two soldiers from opposite sides of a conflict. Both are ordinary people who have come to see each other as some kind of monster. This is a powerful addition to our Remembrance Day collection. 

My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis

A mother tells the story of her son who likes to wear dresses and doesn't fit the traditional gender stereotype. I hate that this book equates girly with frilly, pretty and pink. I don't particularly care if people are like this or not, it's just not all there is to being a girl. I also don't like the faceless people. On top of this it's preachy at the end and doesn't need to be.  I suppose it has it's place, but I wish I hadn't purchased this one.



Crossing Bok Chitto by Tim Tingle and Jeanne Rorex Bridges (illustrator)

Tim Tingle is a gifted story teller. Every time I read his work, my appreciation of him increases. This picture book tells the story of how the Choctaw helped a family of black slaves find freedom. It begins as Martha Tom, a young Choctaw girl, heads off across Bok Chitto in search of blackberries for a wedding. She gets lost and is returned to the river by Little Mo, a young black boy about the same age as her. The two become friends. When Little Mo's family is about to be separated, he comes to Martha for help. The Choctaw community gathers together to save them. 

Jeanne Rorex Bridges illustrations are so gorgeous I'm tempted to purchase a copy of this book just to cut them out and frame them. See what I mean below. 


 

I appreciated the notes at the back of this book giving the reader more information about the two Choctaw nations on one page, and then information on Choctaw storytelling and how this tale came to be on the other.


I Wish You More by Amy Kraus Rosenthal

This book gave me shivers when I first read it. I've ordered a copy for my great-niece who graduates high school this year. I love this book so much that I've scanned the pages to share and read at our school's end of year goodbye ceremony. 



CHAPTER BOOKS


Piper Green and the Fairy Tree by Ellen Potter and Qin Leng (illustrator) 

I was happily hooked by this book on the first page. Piper is a great addition to the world of strong spunky fictional girls. I love her honesty. I love the adults around her. I've preordered a couple of copies of this and am going to get the next one for sure.


Detective Gordon: The First Case by Ulf Nilsson and Gitte Spee

This is a sweet mystery story with delightful animal characters. It's reminiscent of William Steig's work. The reading level is probably a bit high for this to be an easy chapter book but will make a delightful read aloud for younger children. I admired Spee's illustrations and the ambiance of the forest that comes through. 


NOVELS


Magic Marks the Spot (The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates 1) by Caroline Carlson


This is the perfect novel to read/listen to in June. It is such a fun romp. Hilary Westfield wants nothing more than to be a pirate. Unfortunately, The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates won't take her because she is a girl. It looks like Finishing School is where she will end up. However, Hilary is indomitable and has her ways of getting what she wants in spite of those pesky adults in her life. I'm planning on reading more of this series this summer. 



All Four Stars by Tara Dairman

I enjoyed this book about a young gourmet chef who is banned from her parent's kitchen after setting the curtains on fire. I'm also looking forward to trying out some of the recipes from Dairman's website. The only downside of this book is that I have to wait for the sequel. 


The School Of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

I started listening to this at the same time as I was reading the previous title. What a delightful pairing of books. This adult novel centers around a cooking class and delves into the lives of the different students who attend it. My sister has been bugging to read this one. I'm so glad she didn't let up. I was utterly enchanted by it. If you haven't already read it, you should. 


All The Answers by Kate Messner

I got up Saturday morning earlier than I expected, and after I made coffee, started to read. I didn't stop till this book was done. It's the story of a Ava Anderson, a young girl with anxiety issues. She finds a pencil that will answer any factual questions written with it. To Ava and her best friend Sophie, it seems at first that this is an ideal tool. However, as is the case with all kinds of magical power, there is a downside. The two girls start to become dependent on it and rely on it more than their own awareness of what is going on around them. Ava ends up with more information about her family than she is able to deal with. 

What I liked about this book:
These are full dimensional characters with strengths and flaws. I liked that the two girls used the pencil to help out the people in the home for older people. I liked that there was some examination of the ethical issues of using the pencil and that they tried to focus its use on doing good. 

What I didn't like:
I've taken students to these kinds of adventure places Ava and Sophie went to. When I was a classroom teacher I took my students to an indoor climbing facility every fall. It was the most important field trip we went on, because my students had opportunities to try again and again to reach the top of a wall while their classmates encouraged and cheered them on. For the rest of the year, Remember The Wall, was our reminder not to give up. I tell you this because it influenced how I felt about the latter part of the book. 
That Ava chose to go to the adventure course without her mother's support so that her mother could get her cancer screening test felt realistic to me. On the other hand, her success while there, didn't feel honest. Whereas I think Ava might well have discovered that she had more gumption than she realized, with her level of anxiety, it just didn't work for me that she would manage to achieve the level of success she manages in the book.  

As I read this book, I couldn't help but make connections to Mary Amato's The Word Eater. It would be interesting to have these two books as part of a collection of books dealing with power and how it is used.

Currently I'm listening to Mr Terupt Falls Again by Rob Buyea and reading, with my eyes, Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King. 

Up next. I'm going to try and get a couple more of the books on my to read list crossed off so that I won't be mortifyingly shamed when Carrie Gelson calls for the next update. Unfortunately, I also have a pile of public library books I have to get to....

20 comments:

  1. I love I Wish You More... It's a great gift to give regardless of occasion and I hope it'll be released in board book format sooner rather than later.

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    1. It will be a beautiful board book. It's going to replace Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go! for a while anyway.

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  2. Sequel to All Four Stars just came out! It was good as well. I agree on equating "girl" with pink/frilly. I have trouble believing that Caitlyn Jenner's personal style is always '50s pinup. There are lots of women who prefer a more functional look, and that bothered me, too!

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    1. I'm looking forward to reading it. We women like all kinds of looks at different times. Gender is so much more complex than media of all kinds want's us to believe.

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  3. I really need to find a copy of I Wish You More. It sounds like it needs to be in my media center. Come see my YA week here. Happy reading!

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  4. Enemy and Crossing Bok Chitto are my favorites of the books you read. Both are so powerful. I Wish You More is a sweet one. Have a great week!

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    1. Both are stunning books. I am definitely a Tim Tingle fan! Enjoy your reading week too.

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  5. Loved I Wish You More, All the Answers, and Piper Green (so glad you liked it too!).
    I just requested for my library to order the Pirates book on audio. Too many people have said how wonderful it was to listen to.
    I am meeting Tara Dairman in a few weeks so I need to read her book before then!

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    1. I really enjoyed this book on audio and think you will also. I am green with envy that you get to meet Tara Dairman. All Four Stars is perfect middle grade fiction.

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  6. I so hear you about #mustreadin2015. I think I've only read 2 titles on my list--and that was months ago. I've seen the Tim Tingle title at my library--will have to check it out. I adored I Wish You More--as did my Children's Lit students when I read it aloud to them. Definitely gave me all the feels when I read it aloud to my son. I got choked up a couple of times. Isn't it wonderful when you have a super productive reading week AND love everything you read??

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    1. It certainly is! One of the reasons I keep going back to my #mustreadin2015 is because they all have at least 4 stars and nearly all of them are more than worth the time I put into them.

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  7. Oh my goodness. Crossing Bok Chitto has been on my son's holiday wish list for so long! I smiled when I saw it on your list. Thank you for sharing it. :)

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    1. Ricki, it is as beautiful in it's words as it is in the artwork. I love the art so much I went to her page to see if she had any prints from the book to sell. Alas none, but her work is drop dead glorious.

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  8. Cheriee, every time I read one of your posts I feel like I know you better-- your voice comes across so strongly. I laugh every time you write about getting to your MustRead list before Carrie comes calling! :D

    I Wish You More and All Four Stars were already on my TBR list-- I love Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and I had really good reviews about the second title from my students. I've never heard of The School of Essential Ingredients, but I have to say you've got me interested in this one. I read so many kids' books that I don't get to as many "grown-up books" as I used to, but I think I'm going to put this one on my list.

    So glad you loved the VNHLP. It is a fantastic audiobook, and I'm really thinking about playing the audio for my kids as one of our "read-alouds" this year!

    Have a great week!

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    1. What a lovely comment Virginia. I think you will love The School of Essential Ingredients. It's magical realism, one of my favourite genres. Read it in conjunction with All Four Stars for extra book love. I enjoyed VNHLP and am looking forward to listening to more.

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  9. Wow, lots of great books and many that are new to me! I definitely want to read the Tim Tingle one, and I've been on the request list for I Wish You More for awhile.

    I agree with you that All the Answers just didn't grab and stay with me the way that I thought it would.

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    1. I think you will love the Tim Tingle one. It's hard when an author breaks faith with us. We are on the ride and then the author takes us into a place that just doesn't make sense. Sigh.

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  10. Loved reading your candid responses to such a diverse set of books. I think I have to find Crossing Bok Chitto - sounds like a good title to add to my multicultural text-set. I just checked our online library database, unfortunately we don't have it yet. Will have to recommend for purchase.

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    1. Thanks Myra. I personally want to read what people think, so I write what I think. As for the Tingle title, It's a beautiful book that should be in every collection. It's going to be in ours.

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