Book Reviews
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THE SANDWICH SWAP by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah with Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Tricia Tusa (Disney Hyperion Books, 2010, 16.99) is a delightful picture book inspired by Queen Rania’s childhood.
Lily and Salma are childhood friends who do everything together. All school activities are shared and enjoyed every day. They always eat lunch together. However, they each different lunches. Lily always favored a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while Salma enjoyed a hummus and pita sandwich. Each of the girls thought the other’s sandwich looked rather yucky. For the first time the girls did not eat lunch together. The next day insults flew around the lunchroom. Soon the insults had nothing to do with the food but became something “not so nice to say to the other.” The end result was a food fight.
The girls have to help clean up. Next day they join each other at lunch and decide to try each others’ lunch. Surprisingly each enjoyed the different foods. They arranged a food festival for the entire school where different foodstuffs were offered. Thus Lily and Salma teach the true spirit of tolerance and acceptance.
A happening when the queen was a youngster inspired the story and multi-talented Tricia Tusa brought it gloriously to life. Her lively colorful expressive artwork truly makes the story breathe. The faces of the children are simply special. And the lunchroom scenes are to be treasured. How well I remember those days of Lunch Duty!! This is a real treat to be savored and enjoyed by young and old.
WE COULD BE BROTHERS by Derrick Barnes (Scholastic Press, November 2010, $17.99) is an absorbing story following three teens from Alain Locke Middle School. The story opens at dismissal as 6th grader Robeson starts the dreaded stroll “down the Bermuda Hallway. On the ground floor right next to the boy’ locker room is a set of stairs that are so deep, so narrow, so musty and hot. There have been kids who have gone down but never came back up.” Robeson is on his way to PSS (Post School Suspension).
This is a new experience for Robeson, nicknamed Crease, because his trousers always have a crease in them. His term is only for three days, but those three days will be most memorable. Also three other students are in PSS , and each will have a profound effect on Crease. Pacino, a boy from a rough neighborhood; Tariq also from a rough situation and an eighth grade girl named Rosilyn. During their time in PSS each student is assigned a mindless task like folding and/or stapling. The room monitor Mr Patt involves himself doing puzzles on his MacBook.
Not much chance for interaction one might think; however soon the three boys find themselves on a collision course headed for sure tragedy. The relationships both bad and good develop quickly and run into trouble way beyond the confined time of PSS. The plot moves swiftly and will absorb even a reluctant reader curious to discover who will come out unscathed.
Very solid story of school relationships and family life particularly in the inner city. Lots of twists and turns to keep young readers attention on the story.
Probably the best known author for young readers, particularly males, has to be GARY PAULSEN. His outdoor adventure stories have been responsible for turning more young males on to reading than perhaps any other contemporary author. His latest book I have recently encountered is WOODS RUNNER (Wendy Lamb, Random House 2010, $15.99).
This story centers on 13 year old Samuel and takes place in the British Colony of Pennsylvania. Samuel and his parents live on the frontier. They are probably “well educated” by frontier standards meaning they can read and write. Samuel is off hunting bear when he notices smoke coming for the general area of where his family and other settlers live. By the time he races home, he finds most of the cabins burned and many of the inhabitants slaughtered. His family was not among the corpses. He buries the dead and then determined to rescue his parents, he begins tracking the survivors.
This story, however, is not simply historical fiction. Each chapter is preceded by a non-fiction page telling about the Revolutionary War and its consequences for the people in the colonies. This information places the story events in a historical setting and thusly provides an aura of authenticity to the story. As in other Paulsen books, the adventures Samuel undergoes, as he rescues his parents and a young girl whose family and home he had witnessed being destroyed by English sympathizer Indians, are breathtaking and quite suspenseful.
The book will have great appeal for young male readers familiar with this author’s previous works. I highly recommend this also for any social science unit on the Revolutionary War. Fast read only 164 pages.
CRUNCH by Leslie Connor (Katherine Tegen Books, HarperCollins, 2010, $16.99 available April 27, 2010) is a delightful family story set in the possible future. Dewey Mariss is in the middle of a crunch. Dewey along with his sister, immediately younger brother and pre-school twins have been left at home while his parents are stuck with an empty gas tank up north. The country is experiencing its first gas shortage and the future is looking rather grim.
Dewey has been left in charge of the family business, The Bike Barn. Older sister Lil has been accepted as a student at an art class for the summer so Dewey and his brother Vince are very busy. Seems everyone is using bikes now that gasoline is impossible to obtain. Add a mysterious old codger neighbor, a helper who shows up one day, two policemen and a set of impetuous twins and the plot is off and running, or should I say pedaling.
The parents call in everyday to check on the family. The shop becomes very busy and soon Dewey discovers someone has been pilfering the shop. The sister’s summer class is cancelled so she decides to paint her summer mural project on the barn side, add customers galore and one has the ingredients for a fun filled adventure.
Author Connor is a master plot manipulator who gets readers quickly involved. As the plot gets more and more involved the lifelike characters with their distinct personalities come alive on the pages. There is even a hint at a budding romance at The Bike Barn. I know I would love to meet this family again as the children grow and get involved with life.
HOME IS WITH OUR FAMILY by Joyce Hansen, illustrated by E.B. Lewis (Disney Jump at the Sun, 2010, $16.99 No release date provided.) I reviewed this title reading an advance reading copy; therefore,I am unable to provide a date for its release or to comment on any of the Chapter opener art to come.)
For visitors to New York City who have spent any time in Central Park, this story will have special relevance. In March 1855 an article in the New York Daily Times warned citizens the city would be taking over a large area to make a park. Much of the area was swampy and rocky and occupied by the lowest dregs of the city. Also included was a little settlement called BLACK VILLAGE.
In this settlement author Hansen has set her delightful story of Maria Peters and her family. The Peters family run a small general store which serves in the capacity of a community center. Everything happening in the community revolves around this shop and the village school and church. Maria is the oldest daughter in her family and seems to excel in all school subjects except sewing. Her promotion to becoming a “Monitor” is dependent on her showing ability to make a shirt.
There are so many other activities which keep Maria involved in village life. She befriends a new classmate Anna. Anna finally confesses her parents have bought their freedom but Anna is still owned by a former miserable mistress. Slave catchers have been sent North to rescue her property. viz Anna. Maria is sworn to secrecy. Sojourner Truth is in the neighborhood and so Maria decides to contact her to arrange for Anna’s freedom.
The story is alive with suspense and humor. Family life of the period is depicted with careful attention to details. School life is also covered with fun attention to classroom life in the period. The story does provide some hope for the family after their property is sold.
MY BROTHER CHARLIE by Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete, pictures by Shane W. Evans (Scholastic Press, 2010, $16.99 available now) is a joyful story told by twelve year old Ryan and her mother Holly. Charlie is Ryan’s twin and at age three he was diagnosed with Autism. This book presents a very positive look at the life of the twins and their personal achievements.
I was especially taken with the page that started; ”Charlie has autism. But autism doesn’t have Charlie. If you ever get to meet my brother, you’ll feel lucky to be his friend.”
The story is crammed full of the purest form of love–a brother and a sister. Charlie is there for her no matter what. When she falls of her bike and cries, Charlie comes to her and says simply, “I love you.” What more needs be said.
The art work is brilliant. Colorful, larger than life. What a perfect way to depict these twins.
One of the most timely books I have read recently has to be WHERE THE STREETS HAD A NAME by Randa Abdel-Fattah (Scholastic Press, $17.99 November 2010). In this book we follow one day’s adventure for two Palestinian children on a curfew free day as they travel from their home in Bethlehem to Jerusalem. Thirteen year old Hayaat and her best friend, Samy, are on a mission. Hayaat is convinced if she could get some soil from her grandmother Sitti’s ancestral home it would save her life. This is not a journey of many many miles. The children know it could be done relatively quickly were it not for the Israeli wall that divides the West Bank. There are many checkpoints through which the two must pass. This presents a more serious problem as they do not have proper passes for this travel.
Samy is a typical teen and provides some of the lighter more humorous moments in this tension filled day. They encounter another Palestinian boy, Wasim, who fills Sammy’s head with stories of international travel as a potential soccer star. They join up with David and Grace, two American born Israeli peace activists. At one point David climbs the wall and encourages the children to follow him over the wall and into Jerusalem.
The story is filled with tension as the two travel to get some soil. The story is remarkable in that the author presents the Palestinian side of this on-going conflict in a simple easy to understand manner. We meet a variety of travelers inconvenienced by that ubiquitous wall. The reader is left not with any resolution, but, importantly, I think an understanding of what is really happening in that part of the world where peace and harmony are absent. This book has much for readers to ponder and discuss. Believe me, it is an enjoyable day’s travel with two intrepid teens. Much humor sprinkled liberally with great pathos makes this book a TRUE Winner!
Israeli Palestinian conflict as seen through the eyes of Palestinian teens, living under military occupation, international influence of sport of soccer, Palestinian family, dispossessed of home and land home. All readers from Middle school up; story even has elements which would appeal to high school students. Current history packaged interestingly. Author’s previous books have been well received.
THE OTHER HALF OF MY HEART by Sundee T. Frazier ( Delacorte Press, 2010, $16.99 June 2010 ) is a story of twins born in a bi-racial marriage. Kiera is born black like her mother; Minerva (Minni) white like her father. Through the intercession of their maternal grandmother Johnson the girls are entered in the Miss Black Pearl Princess of America Program. The girls spend ten days in the south participating in the program activities.
The girls have grownup to be very close, and new life in the south puts this friendship under serious strain. Life with Grandmother Johnson is also very strenuous for the girls. Personal strengths and motivations are questioned as the days prior to the pageant slowly pass. At the actual event the girls each shine with their own strengths emerging.
The story has moments of hilarious high jinks where the twins work to relieve some of their pent up pressures. There also are moments of great humanity and passion especially as Minni gets to know the next door neighbor. Previously Grandmother Jackson had the girls nail a brown bag of dog poop to the neighbor’s front door, so this new friendship for Minni has a definite bit of tension.
Being recognized as twins, despite their color differences, is one of the major components of this marvelous fast-paced story. Young readers will quickly identify with our intrepid twins. I can hear the laughter and chuckles as they follow the twins from their safe home in the Northwest to humid pressure-prone life in the south at the program particularly.
THE BEATITUDES: FROM SLAVERY TO CIVIL RIGHTS by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Tim Ladwig (Eerdmans Publishing Co, 2010, $16.99) comes to us, not as a story per se, but rather a free verse poem loosely based on the Beatitudes from Jesus’ sermon on the Mount. Since the early days of slavery African Americans have called on religion to help them endure and flourish.
Carole Weatherford has built a free verse poem quoting from the Beatitudes to delineate the highlights of the struggle African American faced from slavery up to modern times ending dramatically with these words: “Even now I am with the downtrodden and with those who seek uplift. I am holy water in the stream of humanity, Drink, bathe, and be free.”
Indeed the Weatherford words are strong, but they only emphasize the powerful, powerful art from Mr Ladwig. The images he has painted to accompany each page are nothing short of spectacular. They cry to be displayed prominently in every public place of assembly or worship. They add fire to the powerful words spoken and written of so long ago.
This is a book for every home, every library, every classroom in the world. It speaks universally to us all.
Black History month celebrations will soon be in the forefront of school programs. I get concerned every year when the same people , and this is not to be taken wrong, are recognized. Truly, Harriet and Sojourner were fearsome ladies who accomplished much in their lives. However, today’s young people need to be told about some of the lesser, but equally as important figures, worthy of recognition at this time. Particularly others who worked to bring recognition to the fight for equality for all.
A new profound and beautifully illustrated book, BEN AND THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION by Pat Sherman, illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Eerdmans Publishing Co , 2010, $16.99 ) is based on the true story of Benjamin Holmes. Ben, a slave in Charleston, taught himself to read. At one point his master was a tailor who sent Ben on errands around the city. By politely asking white men if he was in the correct spot he learned his way about at the same time he was learning to read street and other signs. As the Civil War neared Charleston, Ben’s master fled but not before he put Ben in a prison to await sale after things settled down.
While incarcerated some of the other prisoners bribed a guard and obtained the latest copy of the CHARLESTON MERCURY, the local newspaper. Ben read the Proclamation aloud to his fellow slave prisoners. This happened at a time in our history when slaves were not allowed to read. Ben was inspired originally by his father who taught him the letters he later was able to combine into the words, names of streets he journeyed for his master.
One can only imagine the dramatic effect Ben’s reading must have had on the other imprisoned slaves. The effect that Floyd Cooper’s illustrations will have on today’s readers are immeasurable. I know I felt I was there with Ben the entire time I was reading his story.