The 74th Annual Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was both spellbinding and ingenious. The parallel to the present day reality craze is frightening and not that far fetched. The book is written in the future in a land called Panem, formerly known as North America. This world is run by "the capital," a brutal and controlling government, that designed the hunger games as a gruesome reminder to rebels that the capital is both lethal and omnipotent. Out of the 12 districts a girl and a boy are chosen to fight each other to death. All of this is televised and watched by the whole country. Many of the districts, such as district 12, don't see the hunger games as entertainment, they see it as a death sentence. When Katniss takes her sister's place in the 74th annual hunger games, she scarcely believes she can win, but this year the hunger games will surprise everyone.

I like the originality of this book. It has a little bit of everything, from sci-fiction, fantasy, adventure, suspense, to coming of age and romance. The ending leaves the reader wanting more with the promise of an upcoming sequel that is sure to be a hit. This book is on the 2009 Best Book List for young adults.

We Are the Ship

Kadir Nelson in his We Are the Ship has told the amazing story of the formation of Negro league baseball. His beautiful full page pictures in this oversized book convey the energy and power of these incredibly gifted athletes. These leagues began in the 1920s and continued until the time Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier into the all white major leagues in 1947. The league was founded by team owner Rube Foster, who called together all the owners of the black baseball teams and formed the Negro National League. As the narrator to their legacy, Nelson uses the collective voices of all the players. Because racial discrimination was commonplace, the players endured many hardships to play the game they loved so much. The pay was low, often they couldn't find a place to stay or a restaurant in which to eat, and often slept in their cars, on buses or in tents, while enduring taunts from white fans when they occasionally played white teams. Their demise began when Jackie Robinson was signed to play with the Brooklyn Dodgers and other white owners began to pick the most talented players from their ranks.

This book is an important part of African American history and as such needs to find a place in the school library, appealing to upper elementary and beyond. My dad, who played profession baseball, enjoyed this historical book. He's actually paid homage to these men at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. It is highly recommended for anyone who loves the game of baseball and its history. This book won the 2009 Coretta Scott King Author Award and Illustrator Honor, the 2009 Robert F. Siebert Award, a select title for 2009/10 Texas Bluebonnet Master List, as well as a number of other awards. Kadir Nelson has hit a homerun with this book!

Audiobook - Under the Jolly Roger

What can I say, I couldn't get enough of Jacky Faber. I was more than a little excited to see that Under the Jolly Roger, the third book in the Bloody Jack Adventure series by L.A. Meyer. was listed on the 2009 Amazing Audiobook list. Hooray, I thought, more exciting adventure read by the brilliant Katherine Kellgren. The Bloody Jack audio books are a success for three main reasons: L.A. Meyer is an amazing writer, Jacky Faber's character is real, lovable, and exciting, and Katherine Kellgren's voice and acting skills bring the above to life.

In this adventure Jacky has once again found herself in a precarious predicament. After being delivered to a British Naval Ship by a press gang, Jacky comes face to face with a cruel, nasty criminal of a captain who intends upon taking Jacky as his mistress. Will Jacky be able to rally the crew to her side or will their fear of the captain be too much? One thing is for sure, Jacky will be bold, smart, and comical as she triumphs once again as a real hero loved by all.

This audio book has 12 discs and is 15 hours long. Katherine Kellgren's accents are authentic. The excitement and emotion with which she tells this story draw the listener in and refuse to let go until the very end. This would be a great addition to any high school library. In addition to being a very enjoyable story, there is also a great deal to be learned about the history of Britain and surrounding countries. I don't think you have to be a young adult to become a Bloody Jack fan.

A River of Words

Jen Bryant introduces her readers to the life and poetry of William Carlos Williams in her picture book biography, A River of Words. Williams is portrayed as having an idyllic childhood growing up in the late 1800s wandering through woods and fields by the Passaic River. From his high school English class, he began a love for poetry that he continued throughout his life, even as he pursued a career as a physician. In her illustrator's note Melissa Sweet shares how she used endpapers from an old book, a book cover, and various other ephemera she had been saving to create the colorful pictures that share space with bits of Williams' poetry throughout the book.

This 2009 Caldecott Honor book would be a great book to share with elementary students to spark creativity and nuture a love for poetry. It also functions as an easy introduction into the life and poetry of one of America's most infuential poets.

The Blacker the Berry

In this beautiful collection of poetry by Joyce Carol Thomas, The Blacer the Berry, the author has written thirteen poems which all celebrate a shade of black skin color. The poem is set alongside a full page picture of an African American child, whose skin color reflects the color being described. The poems praise the beauty of the different shades using the visual of ripe berries. Illustrator Floyd Cooper has captured lovely expression on the faces of the children.

This Coretta Scott King Award book is highly recommended for its affirming and uplifting words and images, helping to foster an appreciation for the "color struck" world we live in. It would be a welcome additon to an elementary library.

Before John Was a Jazz Giant

The acrylic, collage and pencil illustrations of Sean Qualls grace the pages of this colorful picture book When John was a Jazz Giant offering insights into the early life and influences of John Coltrane, one of the greatest jazz musicians to ever live. There were "hambones knocking in Grandma's pots, Daddy strumming the ukulele, and Mama cranking the phonograph." There were preachers praying, music on the radio, songbirds, and sorrowful funeral sounds...all vivid sounds taken in by young Coltrane, who was "all ears." Author Carole Boston Weatherford has included a brief biography along with selected CD listings, and further sources for information on this legendary jazz saxophonist.
Before John was a Jazz Giant is a 2009 Correta Scott King illustrator honor book.

This lyrical book would be a great addition to the elementary library. It would be a good resource for Black History Month as well as a multi cultural lesson as it celebrates African American culture through the life and music of John Coltrane

Elephants Cannot Dance...or Can They?

In the latest book in Mo Willems Elephant and Piggie series, Piggie wants to teach Gerald how to dance. Everything Piggie does Gerald does the opposite - when Piggie jumps up, Gerald goes down - when Piggie lifts his right leg, Gerald lifts his left. Just when Gerald gives up hope and decides that elephants truly cannot dance, a couple of squirrels come over and ask if he could teach them his style of dancing. This book is funny, and many different important lessons can be drawn from the story, such as, it's always important to try, and it's okay to be different. The humor and repetitiveness of this book make it a good choice for a beginning reader, but it can also be read to younger children. My two-year-old son Dierk and I read this together, and he really enjoyed it.
Elephants Cannot Dance by Mo Willems is a NYT bestseller.

Goldilicious

Goldilicious by Victoria Kann is the third book about a very cute and imaginative little girl. Her first two books, Pinkalicious and Purplicious, were also NYT bestsellers. In this latest book, Pinkalicious has invented an imaginary friend, a unicorn and called it Goldilicious. Goldie, for short, enjoys doing everything that pinkalicious does. They go skating, fly kites, have tea parties, and try to escape the threat of the evil wizard, her little brother Peter. This story is delightful and bursting with fresh imagination and girlish fancy. I have read a few reviews that criticize this book for sterotyping what little girls love - the color pink and unicorns. I thought this book spoke more to the carefree, imaginative, freespirits that so many children have at that age.
This is a NYT bestseller.

The Curious Garden

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown is an excellent story with beautiful and colorful drawings that captivate the reader. Liam is out walking around one day when he discovers a small and uncared for little garden. He begins looking after the flowers, and they begin to thrive under his loving care. Pretty soon the town is full of flowers and also full of gardeners. This is a great book for young children and even toddlers. There are messages about loving the Earth, taking care of nature and the envirnoment, and looking for beauty in unexpected places. The Curious Garden encourages people (both big and small) that they can make a difference.
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown is NYT bestseller.

Audiobook I'm Dirty

I'm Dirty by Kate and Jim McMullan is a wonderful book about a backhoe loader. The story is told from the perspective of this excited and expressive tractor. He has a bucket up front and a digger in back, and he loves a good mess, and he loves how easy they are for him to clean up.
There are 3 tracks on the CD. The first track is intended for following along with the book. When it's time to turn the page, the reader hears a chime. Jim McMullan is the voice of the backhoe loader and does an excellent job of reading the story. I like the music they picked to accompany the reading, especially the sing song rhythm he gets into when he begins counting down what he is cleaning. The second track reads the story without the chimes. The third track is both Kate and Jim McMullan talking about their inspiration for the book and their writing and illustrating process. This was insightful. Kate and Jim make a great team, she does the writing and he does the illustrating and the reading. It is recommended for ages 4-8, but my two year old really enjoyed it! "Mommy look at this" and "Big Tractor!" It was fun to watch his reaction and see his enchantment with the adventures of this industrious and dirty tractor. I can't wait to see what else this couple creates in the future and can't wait to read I'm Stinky.
This book was a 2009 Odyssey Award.

After Tupac and D Foster Book Trailer

Jellicoe Road Book Trailer

Audiobook - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian

I just (regretfully) finished the audio version of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian performed by author Sherman Alexie. The story is told by Arnold "Junior" Spirit who is torn between two worlds, "I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other." Arnold sees how life on the reservation is hard - he knows poverty and he knows hopelessness. He has watched too many Indians give up on their dreams and he has watched too many Indians die. He wants a different life for himself and bravely steps out and chooses to go to a neighboring white school. His decision costs him dearly, he looses his best friend and his tribe turns against him. Torn between two worlds, Arnold tries to reconcile his life as an Indian on the "rez" and his life as the only Indian at an all white school.
Sherman Alexie captures what life is like for an Indian living on a reservation. Through Arnold's struggle we see how difficult it is for him to remain true to his tribe and culture and to follow his dreams and become his own person. He gets knocked down many times on his journey, but he never gives up. I think this book has a place on every high school library shelf. Many young people are trying to do just what Arnold did by breaking the confines of poverty and despair and daring to dream and have hope.
If Sherman Alexie ever decides to give up writing he has got a good chance at making it big in the comedy world. This story was hilarious! There were some seriously sad and tragic events, but they were delivered with a witty approach that made them sad and humorous at the same time. Hearing Sherman Alexie read his book is incredible. This is his story and he tells it with enthusiasm and authenticity.

The Underneath Book Trailer

Stinky by Eleanor Davis

Stinky loves his swamp. He loves how stinky everything is. He lives with frogs, alligators,possums, and slugs in a swamp filled with the stinkiest mud around. He eats pickled onions and has a pet toad named Wartbelly. Everything was just perfect for the little monster until one day when a boy comes along and builds a tree house in the swamp. Stinky is furious - he wants that boy out of his swamp. After all, children like to take baths and eat cake and apples - gross! Can these two become friends despite their differences?

I love the whimsical cartoon characters that clutter the page. This is a great book for a 4-8 year old boy. The expressive little monster is easy to like, he is so very happy and at home in muck and mud of his swamp. When Stinky wakes up he greets and is greeted by all the other swamp inhabitants and many of them are wearing close pins on their noses to avoid the smell of Stinky. This funny story is bound to be a great hit with young boys.

Stinky by Eleanor Davis is a Notable Children's Book

The Nature of Jade Book Trailer

Elephant and Piggie

Using few words and simple pink and gray illustrations, Mo Willems in his new book Are you ready to Play Outside? has added another wonderfully funny story to his Elephant and Piggie series that's sure to charm preschoolers and young readers. In this 2009 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winning book, the second in a row for Willems, Gerald and Piggie's friendship continues as Piggie discovers he can have fun playing outside even if it is raining. Their expressive faces and body language mirror the many emotions these lovable characters are feeling. Easy to follow along with and relate to this book will become a favorite for children and the adults who enjoy sharing the fun with them.
A 2009 Notable Children's Book

Goose and Duck!

Goose and Duck by Jean Craighead George is a fascinating book for children who are beginning to read. When a little boy finds a hatching gosling by a lake, he decides to become its mother. Shortly after the boy finds goose, they discover a hatching duck egg, and goose becomes its mother. The boy, goose, and duck play together – goose and duck imitating the boy’s every move. One day goose sees some geese flying overhead and figures out he belongs with them and flies away with them. The next day duck sees a group of ducks flying overhead and realizes that he is a duck and flies away. This sweet story is a great starter book for children. The few words on each page are big and have wonderful pictures that explain the story, which carries the message that sometimes animals need to go back to nature and their kind. This books teaches a valuable lesson for a child who has saved a baby bird, duck, or squirrel and has to let it go. Goose and Duck is on the Notable Children’s Booklist.

Oh, Alice!

What to do About Alice,? by Barbara Kerley tells the story of Alice Lee Roosevelt, who was the first daughter of Theodore Roosevelt and his first wife, who died shortly after Alice was born. I never knew anything about Alice’s life and was fascinated by her personality and character. She was constantly in the public eye because of her lifestyle. Most of the public loved her and adoringly referred to her as “Princess Alice.” She refused to behave as was expected of a lady, and many people thought her behavior “outrageous.” She was very intelligent and had a mind for politics like her father. She was very active during her father’s presidency and continued to be throughout her life. She didn’t follow the “rules,” and her father worried about her often. I think this very trait is what endeared Alice so much to her father. He is quoted as saying, “I can be president of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both.” Alice wouldn’t conform to the idea of a lady at that time because she had bigger ideas about politics and helping others. The lesson is “be yourself and stand up for what you believe in!” What a great story for a young girl to hear. This book is a Texas Bluebonnet Nominee.

Audiobook - The Curse of the Blue Tattoo by L.A. Meyer

Welcome to the very grand and never dull adventures of Jacky Faber. Jacky Faber was an orphan in London who was living under a bridge, begging for money, and stealing what she had to stay alive. That was all before she boarded a British Naval Ship, the Dolphin, as Jack, a small but strong and spirited “boy.” By the time the Captain realized Jack was really Jacky, she had already been promoted to midshipman and fallen in love with Jamie. When the ship pulls into Boston, the captain can’t get Jackie off fast enough. They enroll her in a boarding school for ladies run by the strict Mistress Primm. This is where Jacky’s adventures begin. Whether she is dancing for sailors, singing in a tavern, riding a race horse, or haunting the wicked priest, she is always jolly, free-spirited, witty, and resourceful.

The exceptional talent of Katherine Kellgren, the narrator, makes listening to this book so enjoyable that I was hardly able to do anything else until it ended. The versatility of both her many authentic accents and range of pitch was very impressive. Whether it be excitement or dread, the listener can hear and feel it in Kellgren’s voice. There were many times I closed my eyes and imagined the scenes she described. I thought the horse race was a particularly spectacular performance.

My favorite thing about Jacky is that only moments after being knocked down, she is back up grinning or playing her penny whistle. While she acknowledges that she is hard on her friends, she is a good friend to all those around her. I can’t wait to catch up on the other adventures of Jacky Faber, and I plan on listening to those too!

An Odyssey winner!

Savvy Book Trailer

Audiobook - Martina the Beautiful Cockroach

This amusing tale is about Martina, the beautiful cockroach, her coming of age search for a suitor, and the wisdom of her Cuban grandmother on how to choose the right one. I recommend flipping through the pages of this book as you listen - the illustrations are colorful and beautifully done!

The cd contains three tracks. The first is a storytelling performance of Carmen's original retelling of the classic Cuban folktale about Martina, the beautiful cockroach. The second track is Carmen reading the English version of her book with the sound of claves prompting the listener to turn the page. The final track is the author reading from the Spanish edition of her book with maracas signaling to turn the page.

A Pura Belpre' Medal and Odyssey award winning book, it would be a great addition for a multicultural collection and sure to be a hit with young audiences.

Poor, Poor Buster

This is a delightful tale of Buster the dog who has the misfortune of being sent to Sagebrush Kennels while his master, Brown Shoes, goes on vacation. He is very anxious and unhappy about being sent to a strange place. His initial experience leaves him feeling homesick, but with the beginning of the activities, Buster starts to overcome his reservations and actually enjoys himself.

Denise Fleming captures the anxiety Buster feels with a lot of humor. Busters emotions are clearly conveyed from his changing expressions. This is a good read aloud book which offers a great lesson about acceptance, overcoming fear, and being yourself. It would be an excellent book for a child going on a trip or a first time sleepover.

Buster Goes to Cowboy Camp is on the Notable Children's Book list

Don't Mess with a Smart Girl...or else!

After an uneventful freshman year at Alabaster, a prep boarding school, Frankie Landau Banks returns as a blooming, very attractive sophomore. She attracts the interest of popular senior Matthew Livingston, and they begin to see each other regularly. Being a strong and determined young woman, she becomes increasingly incensed by Matthew's involvement and loyalty to the all boys "Secret Order of the Bassett Hounds," a group that included her dad when he was a student there. Through a clever and devious plot to show she is just as smart as the boys, she creates some hilarious pranks with the Bassett Hounds doing her bidding while they think they're receiving orders from their top dog. The shoe finally falls, and Frankie confesses her involvement to the headmaster.

They're are fun additions with Frankie's propensity for word play. She likes to take a word, such as "disgruntle" meaning "discontent" and use "gruntle" as a word meaning "content." An example would be..."She was gruntled by the pleasant weather."

The action picks up and the suspense builds as Frankie embarks on a series of stealthy nighttime maneuvers on campus. Hard to put down and very humerous, this book should be a big hit with young adults.

This book was a 2009 Printz Honor Book