A delightfully charming picture book from Chris Wormell, FEROCIOUS WILD BEASTS (Knopf, 2009, $16.99) arrived recently. This little story is truly what I would classify as a standard children’s book. Jack is lost in the forest. Yes, the forest his mother has warned him about numerous times. This place, she says, is where the ferocious wild beasts live, hide and pounce on people. Then they gobble them up.
Seasonal books appear from the various publishers. Many are repeats of the Nativity story each with some original twist or new character. And, yes, they are important to share with young readers to illustrate the true meaning of this holiday.
A new book goes way beyond the familiar and takes youngsters back to grandparents’ farm. THE TRUE GIFT: A CHRISTMAS STORY by Patricia MacLachlan , illustrated by Brian Floca (Atheneum, 2009, $12.99) opens with Liam and Lily arriving at their grandparents for an annual holiday visit. Liam has brought his red sock with grey trim full of money to buy presents for everyone. Both children enjoy the friendly atmosphere of the small town where their grandparents live.
One of America’s premier authors for young readers, who took them into Terabithia and then into the mills in early New England, now takes young readers to the conflict in Bosnia. In Katherine Paterson’s latest book, THE DAY OF THE PELICAN (Clarion books, 2009, $16.00), we first meet Meli Lleshi on the day she draws a picture of her teacher with his pelican nose. From that day on serious problems begin, and Meli blames herself for the trouble.
If you are ever interested in a study of Alaska, at any level beyond say Grade 6, than may I recommend an amazing book, THE GREAT DEATH by John Smegler ( Henry Holt, 2009, $16.99). This book of only 166 pages follows two young Alaskan native girls at the beginning of the twentieth century who are fleeing a pandemic of measles, smallpox and influenza. Some light-colored strangers with red spots on their bodies came to their village. Very quickly disease and death spread everywhere.
No matter where one goes today there is talk about going green. Kids as well as adult are bombarded with frightening images of what is in store for our world if we do not immediately take action. Many naysayers are also working hard to distract attention from this problem telling people there is no problem. Educating the very young seems to me one way to get the world’s attention on this problem. EARTH FEELING THE HEAT by Brenda Z Guiberson, illustrated by Chao Wallace, (Henry Holt and Company, 2010, $16.99) does draw young readers attention to the problem the planet is facing.
Another oversized picturebook arriving this week was JANUARY’S SPARROW by Patricia Polacco (Philomel Books Penguin Young Readers Group 2009, $22.99.) This remarkable 96 page treasure needs all the pages to relate a monumental tribute to the Crosswhite family.
Books come in all sizes and lengths! And the book for all the little wiggly nerds is here. I absolutely guarantee they will be totally enchanted, enthralled, amused and educated by Bill Bryson’s A REALLY SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING (Delacorte Press, 2009, $19.99). This oversized 169 paged volume immediately piques the interest of a young reader by opening, “This is a book about how IT happened– in particular, how we went from there being nothing at all to there being something.”
A non-fiction book for all ages is the Update of the 1962 book, LIFE STORY by Virginia Lee Burton (Houghton Mifflin, 1962, copyright renewed 1990, 2009. $22.00). For almost a half century this book has been informing and amazing readers of all ages, Ms Burton in a very direct almost simplistic style explains the history of planet earth.
WE TROUBLED THE WATERS Poems by Ntozake Shange, Paintings by Rod Brown (Amistad An Imprint of HarperCollins 2009, $16.99) arrived yesterday and my mind is still mulling over the message found here.
The first image to hit the reader comes from the title page. Minimum amount of text giving pertinent data about the book at the top of the two page spread. One’s eyes instead are drawn immediately to the body of a black man floating the stream on the bottom half of the page. No words other than the book data. What a shocking sight. It helps set up the reader for what is to come.
Patricia Reilly Giff, dear friend and author of so many significant books, especially the series that brought Chapter Books (THE POLK STREET KIDS ) into the lives of so many very young readers. Her newest book, WILD GIRL by Patricia Reilly Giff ( Wendy Lamb Books, Random House, 2009, $15.99) takes the reader into the world of horse racing. The main character, Lidie, lives in Brazil where she spends her time riding horses and dreaming about the day when she’ll be able to join her father and brother in America. Lidie’s mother has died and now she is twelve, she figures she’s ready to join her family on Long Island in New York.