Mr. Crum's Potato Predicament by Anne Renaud & Felicita Sala

We are warned in the endpapers. 
"The story you are about to savor is a fictional tale with a helping of truth."
It sets the tone for the rest of this delectable reading adventure. 

Mr George Crum really was a renowned chef of mixed Native American and African American descent. Before he started cooking he had many other adventures, but those are not included in this book. 

He owned a famous restaurant where people came from far away to taste his inventive "sorbets, souffles, stews, succotashes, ragouts, and goulashes." He introduced them to all kinds of strange delicacies. 

Then came the day Filbert P. Horsefeathers, a peculiarly dressed man, came into the cafe and ordered, "Just potatoes."
George tried feeding him potato wedges fried in lard, but the customer sent them back. George then fried potatoes with thinner wedges. Again the man declined them. 

Eventually George created the perfect potato chip that satisfied the "finicky, persnickety Filbert Punctilious Horsefeathers."

George Crum was known to have a playful sense of humour, and the illustrations in this book capture this spirit delightfully. 

I love the luscious language. I've given you a hint earlier on as to the alliteration, but the interjections used by Gladys, the waitress, are just as priceless:
Well, huckleberry biscuits!
Well, flying flapjacks!

I urge readers to search out the definition of horsefeathers and other words in the book. Never will using a dictionary be so much fun!

The book begs to be read outloud. The reader will have as much fun, if not more, as the listeners. 

The backmatter contains additional (and authentic) information about this remarkable person. I hope the book inspires young readers to learn more about him. It did me. That's how I learned all about what he did before he took to cooking!

#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....

The Princess in Black written by Shannon & Dean Hale, and illustrated by LeUyen Pham

The Princess in Black by Shannon and Dean Hale tells the story of a superhero princess. When we meet Princess Magnolia, she seems  ordinarily prim and perfect. She's having hot chocolate with Duchess Wigtower, a snoopy older royal who dropped in unexpectedly. Unabashedly she announces that she is hoping to uncover the princess's secrets. 

Unfortunately Princess Magnolia does indeed have a huge secret. In the middle of their visit, her alarm goes off. She makes up the excuse of a sick bird and scoots off to her broom closet where she quickly changes into her black super hero costume. After escaping the castle via a secret route, she arrives in the goat pasture at the entrance to Monster Land. Stopping monsters is her job as The Princess in Black.

A hungry monster in search of goats has escaped from Monster Land. Duff the goat herder is no match for him. The Princess in Black arrives just in time to battle with the monster.

Meanwhile, Duchess Wigtower has gotten bored and begun snooping around the castle. 

Will Princess in Black save the kingdom from the monster? Will Duchess Wigtower discover Princess Magnolia's secret? You will have to read the book to find out. 

Pham's illustrations are perfect for this book. There is a comic sweetness to them that smoothes out the wilder battle scenes and enhances the text perfectly.  

I am hoping this is just the first in a series! 

The Wildwood Series by Colin Meloy

I'd like a time machine to go back to when my boys were young. I'd read them this series instead of Tolkien's Ring Trilogy. (ok, it was my partner who read it to them, but I'd convince him to read this instead)

There is so much to love about this series.

It's filled with magic, rich and complicated characters, plenty of battles and adventure, and luscious language. Even the most evil of characters have a depth to them that permits us to see how they came to be who they are. In addition to this, the series examines government and politics, environmental awareness, religion, and corporate capitalism. 

In Wildwood, the first book in the series, Mac, Pru McKeel's younger brother, is kidnapped by a murder of crows while she is babysitting him. She follows them to the edge of the Impassable Wilderness, and then, the next day, goes in after him. She is followed by her friend Curtis. Shortly after they arrive, they are separated and Curtis is captured by coyotes and taken to Alexandra, the Dowager Governess. This bit is reminiscent of The Chronicles of Narnia, as Curtis falls under her spell. Meanwhile, Pru discovers a corrupt and totalitarian government in her attempt to find someone to help her get Mac back. Talking animals, a nation of birds, bandits, and mystics who talk to plants, all come to her aid. It ends in a suspenseful battle that involves most of the residents of Wildwood. 

The second book, Under Wildwood, contains two parallel storylines. Pru is abducted from her home and returned to Wildwood in an effort to protect her from Darla, a shape changing assassin. She lands up with Curtis who joined the Wildwood bandits. Darla has a hitlist that includes Iphigenia, the leader of the mystics. Upon her death, The Great Tree tells Pru that she must find 'the makers' and reanimate Alexie, the mechanical boy, Alexandra, the Dowager Governess' son. By the end of the book she has managed to find one of them, Esben, a bear with hooks instead of hands. Meanwhile Curtis' two sisters, Elsie and Rachel, have been abandoned in an orphanage while their parents search for him. The orphanage is run by Joffrey Unthank, a corrupt industrialist, who wants entrance into the Impassable Wilderness to exploit its resources. He sends children into the Wilderness in hopes that they will discover a way in. The children get caught in the Periphery Bind, where they are looked after by Carol, an aging blind man, and the other maker of Alexie.

In book three, Wildwood Imperium, Zita, a young girl, reanimates Alexandra into the Verdant Empress. Now a giant ivy woman, she is is determined to complete the destruction of Wildwood and beyond through unfettered ivy proliferation. Pru and Esben search for Carol so she can reanimate Alexie. Curtis, unaware that the bandits have been drugged by a religious sect serving The Blighted Tree, tries to rebuild the bandit community on his own. This tale involves a corrupt government, a corrupt religious sect run by the industrialists, and a group of anarchists set on destroying the industrialists.  All the disparate storylines come together in a satisfying ending. 

I've listened to the Wildwood series as I went on with my life. Listening to a book is akin to straddling two worlds. One the one hand are the mundane everyday activities of life - cleaning, renovating, sewing, knitting, walking, travelling and even shopping. On the other, I am in Wildwood rooting for Pru, Curtis, Elsie, Rachel and the rest of the population. Our library copies have exquisite illustrations created by Carson Ellis that add depth to the story. I'm sorry I missed them in the oral telling of the tales. 

The only time I have been more heartbroken to come to the end of a series was when I finished up Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books.

The Elevator Ghost by Glen Huser

I am captivated by this charming tale. I adore Carolina Giddle, the supreme storyteller who drives a trinket covered Volkswagen Beetle, and keeps a tarantula named Chiquita as a pet. I am delighted with the motley collection of characters who live at The Blatchford Arms. 

I loved the unruly twins, Dwight and Dwayne Fergus, right from the start, as they scoured Blatchford for Halloween treats late into the night, even though it meant getting into trouble. (I'm sure I've had them visiting me far past their bedtimes on October 31st) Their antics when Carolina Giddle comes to babysit are hilarious. The twins are stunned as Carolina outmaneuvers them time and again. I love how her story, The Bone Game, enthralls and bridles the little rascals.

There are other children at The Blatchford Arms, and Carolina Giddle has just the right scary stories for each of them. There's the story of The Mountain King and the Shadow Killer, for Hetty and Hurbert Croop, who is afraid of the dark. The Scaly Batmonster of Scuggins Creek, entertains Elsa, Galina, and Luba, the artist's children. The screaming Angleo Bellini is tamed by her story of The Tantrumolos. Benjamin Hooper and his siblings are entertained by The Alien Ghosts. In her final story, Carolina Giddle tells the story of the ghost at Blatchford Arms.

Huser captures the tone and setting in just a few lines.
"Blatchford was scary any night of the year, not just on Halloween. It was a very old part of town with crooked streets and bad lighting. Cats yowled and scrapped in th alleys. Teenagers with tattoos were known to hang out under the bridges by the park."

"An hour past midnight, all of the excitement over Halloween had faded away. There was just the smallest taste of it left, like the sweetness from a caramel. Children had fallen asleep, even those complaining of stomach-aches." 

This is a perfect navel to read out loud to youngsters in the week or so before Halloween. There is humour and gentle scariness in each of the tales. I think it would be best for grade five and under, but then I'm a whole lot older than that, and I am infatuated with it. 

Five Stars

Best of Summer Reads 2014

That was some list of recommended reads the Dickens' community came up with last June. 195 books!! I don't know how many books each of you managed to plow through, but in the two summer months, I think my tally was 34 novels. (Not all were from that list, because I do have to read newer books in order to try to keep up with those voracious readers)

Since we are all returning to school again, I thought it was time to identify a few of my favourites. It isn't easy, because I didn't blog about all of them, and choosing a best book is kind of like picking which one of my boys is my favourite child.

Without looking at my list, three jump out as being unforgettable.

If I wasn't already a huge fan of Deborah Wiles work, Revolution would have sent me there. It's already winning accolades and will most assuredly win awards. It is brilliant on so many levels. I've ordered a copy for the library but it hasn't arrived yet. This will work for sophisticated grade 5's and up. 

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz is another title that won't let me go. It isn't a book filled with action, but it resonates long after the last word on the last page is done. These are characters that won't let go of you. I'll probably put this one on the grade 7 shelf, but I suspect that sophisticated grade 6's could handle it.

Counting by 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan is a profound novel about the power of love, family, and friendship. It's a book about redemption, and how one person can make a difference in so many other's lives. Read it out loud with your family or classroom. 

After looking at my goodreads account, I see that I gave 5 stars to a few other books this summer. 

I've become a fan of Wendelin Van Draanen's Sammy Keyes series. Sammy is one spunky kid; "part innocence, part tough as nails, and part Sherlock Holmes." She lives illegally with her grandmother in a senior's only building. The mysteries themselves are fabulous, but each novel works on many more levels. Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy, deals with homelessness. This series works for sophisticated grade 3's and up. 

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee is a modern retelling of the ice queen fairytale. It's both beautifully written and heartbreakingly sad. If you enjoyed the Narnia series by CS Lewis, you will find this one to your liking. Probably best for grade 4 and up.

The Prince of Venice Beach by Blake Nelson is the story of homeless teens. It's also a gripping mystery. There is nothing romantic about why these young people live on the streets, yet what we see is a group of supportive individuals looking after one another. Sophisticated grade 6's and up. 

I can't wait to have conversation with all of you about your best summer reads!