Do you hear what I hear?

I’ve listened to several audiobooks so far this year. 

• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon – a favorite.  So much so that I recently purchased the whole series through audible.
• My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George – 1960 Newbery honor.  While enjoyable, it is a bit dated.
• Julie by Jean Craighead George – sequel to Julie of the Wolves that was published many years later.  Pretty good.
• Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm. –2011 Newbery honor.  It was OK. 
• Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George – 1973 Newbery winner.  LOVED IT.  Even though it won the award nearly 40 years ago, it didn’t seem dated.  A true classic.
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett – Loved it.  I heard that the audiobook was fantastic, and I am happy to say that it is. 

When you cease to make a contribution you begin to die. - Eleanor Roosevelt

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

School is out and Jack has a summer full of fun and relaxation planned. Unfortunately, his mother has other plans for him, like helping their neighbor, Miss Volker, with typing obituaries. Once Jack gets grounded, he starts to look forward to his visits with Miss Volker. It gets him out of the house and he might get to drive her car.

As more and more of the original residents of Norvelt pass away, some start to suspect it might not just be old age killing them. Jack’s friendship with Miss Volker places him deep in the mystery of who is causing the town’s population to reduce by leaps and bounds.

Likes

Full of humor and history, this is a fun read.

Dislikes

The mystery didn’t flow as well as the rest of the story. It felt as if it was tacked on as an afterthought.

Other

2012 Newbery Winner

Back in the USSR

Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin

For as long as he can remember, Sasha has looked forward to the day when he would be old enough to join the Youth Pioneers. Sasha, like many others in the USSR, worships his nation’s fearless leader, Joseph Stalin. Now that the day is upon him, Sasha’s excitement is tainted by a series of frightening events – starting with the arrest of his beloved father.

Likes

The setting of the Soviet Union is one not often seen in children’s literature. Likewise, the story itself is not one often told.

The story is fast paced and full of action.

Dislikes

While overall I like the illustrations, there are times that the simple pencil illustrations are cartoonish, distracting some from the seriousness of the story.

Other

2012 Newbery Honor

1. Make a list of things to do. 2. Do the things on the list. 3. Call it a day.

With the new year beginning, I've been thinking about goals.  Isn't everyone?  We make resolutions.  We break resolutions. We say we don't believe in resolutions. blah. blah. blah.   So, of course, they are on my mind.  With that being said, I came up with a list of Reading Resolutions for 2012. 

2012 Reading Resolutions

Reinstate the Newbery Challenge – A couple of years ago I challenged myself to read more Newbery winners and honors, including at least one from each decade of the award’s existence.  I want to challenge myself again to read more of the Newbery winners and honors. The goal?  To read twelve Newbery books this year.

Read more Printz winners and honors.  Granted, this is an easier goal to achieve, since the Printz award is much younger in comparison to the Newbery.  There are 57 winners/honors since the award was first given in 2000.  As of today I have read 17.  There are three more titles that I started and didn’t finish.  The goal?  To read twelve Printz books this year.

Once upon a time I belonged to two different book discussion groups.  One focused solely on YA/Teen literature.  The other focused on all youth literature. Due to scheduling conflicts (for the first group) and later increased hours of operation at our library (for the second group), I’m no longer involved in either one.  In fact, the second group doesn’t meet at all anymore.  This makes me sad.  The goal?  Join or start a new youth literature discussion group.  I would prefer for the group to meet face to face, but if it must be online, then that will do for now.

Using several methods, I keep track of the books I read.  I don’t, however, do a good job of keeping track of the picture books I read.  The goal? Keep track of picture books read!  Add them to GoodReads.com.  Write about them on the book blog.  Put the titles on the Books Read word document.

Social Media is, obviously, very popular.  I blog and tweet (and have both post to Facebook) about books and reading.  But do I blog and tweet enough?  What else can I be doing?  The goal?  Up my social media usage (in regards to books).

Every time I see that the 48-hour Reading Challenge is going to happen, I think, “This time I am going to participate.”  Then I promptly forget or end up too busy to devote that weekend to reading.  The goal?  Participate in at least one official 48-hour Reading Challenge in 2012.  

Keep up with the buzz in the business.  I subscribe to a bunch of blogs.  Do I actually read them?  Not nearly as much as I once did.  The same goes with trade journals.  The goal?  Take the time to read the blogs, journals, and other news sources to keep up with libraryland.  

In summary, these are my Reading Resolutions for 2012:

• Read twelve Newbery books this year
• Read twelve Printz books this year
• Join or start a new youth literature discussion group
• Keep track of picture books read
• Up my social media usage (in regards to books)
• Participate in at least one official 48-hour Reading Challenge in 2012
• Take the time to read the blogs, journals, and other news sources to keep up with libraryland

Penguin Party

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

From late spring through early fall, Mr. Popper paints houses. The rest of the year he sits at home, continually getting in Mrs. Popper’s way. All year round, however, Mr. Popper loves to read books and watch movies about the exploration of the North and South Poles.

After sending a letter to famous explorer Admiral Drake, Mr. Popper receives a surprise present – a penguin straight from the South Pole! In order to keep their new pet, named Captain Cook, from wilting away in loneliness, the family soon acquires a second penguin. When eggs are laid and subsequently hatched, two penguins soon become twelve. Feeding the flock increases the Popper family’s bills much beyond their means, something soon resolved by training the birds to perform as Popper's Performing Penguins. Soon the family – both human and birds – are traveling the country and entertaining thousands…but not without many humorous mishaps along the way!

Likes

The penguin’s antics are very enjoyable. I loved listening to the reactions of others upon seeing the penguins for the first time.

Other

Newbery Honor Award in 1939

Moon over Manifest

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

To twelve-year-old Abilene, home is with her father – and wherever the train takes them. When her father sends her to stay with a friend in the small Kansas town of Manifest, she is certain it is only temporary. Abilene is also determined to find out more about her father and why he left Manifest all those year ago.

With the discovery of a box of trinkets and letters, and the help of her new friends, Abilene begins to piece together a story of Jinx and Ned – the previous owners of the box’s contents.


Likes
The author artfully weaves the stories of Manifest in the late 1910s and Abilene in 1936, using first person narrative, newspaper clippings, stories and letters.

The characters are well developed and complex. Miss Sadie, Jinx, Abilene…all are multidimensional and complex, much like the world in which they live.

The setting and language are perfectly attuned to the time periods of the story.

Other
• Book group pick
• 2011 Newbery winner
• Debut author

I'm so glad that I bought this book.  I do have to say, though, that when I see or hear the title I almost immediately start thinking the song Moon over Parma.

A place to call home

Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson

For ten years sixteen-year-old orphan Hattie has been shuffled around from one family to another, never having a real sense of home. When her uncle passes away and leaves her his Montana homestead claim, Hattie takes the opportunity to make a home of her own. As Hattie struggles to prove up on the claim, she finds a family in her new friends.



With a backdrop of World War I, Hattie not only deals with the trials and tribulations of being a young and female homesteader, but also the evils of the faraway war. With a childhood friend fighting in Europe, she feels a strong sense of patriotic duty; however, with a German native as a neighbor (and also close friend), she is also angered by the anti-German sentiment displayed by locals.



Likes
The descriptions of Hattie’s world are vivid and vibrant. Characters are well developed and complex.

There are correlations to today’s world (insert anti-Muslim in place of anti-German).

The book reminded me a lot of the Little House on the Prairie books, but written for an older audience.


Other:
2007 Newbery Honor

I mostly listened to the audio version of this book.  It was wonderfully done.  My only issues were due to the discs skipping, causing me to miss a bit and having to check out the print version to catch up.

A little bit of this, a little bit of that

Today is March 16. Can you believe that we are nearly a quarter through 2011? Time goes too quickly!

So far this year I have finished 21 novels and 9 audiobooks. Not too shabby, in my ever so humble opinion. That doesn’t take into account the books and audiobooks that I have started and decided to not finish. There were a few of those.

Speaking of audiobooks, I’m searching for another good listen. I recently finished Hattie Big Sky, even though the CDs all skipped a lot, and started another audiobook: Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta. I did finish one disc before giving up. The narrator was decent enough, but his voice just didn’t fit the story. Perhaps I will pick up the book and try the print version.

So now I am without an audiobook during my commute. It’s driving me a bit buggy. I’ve gotten so use to listening to books on CD that listening to the radio (when I’m in the car alone) is extremely annoying – mostly due to the inane commercials.

Any suggestions for audiobooks?

I’m still challenging myself to read more Newbery winner and honor books. I started this self-imposed challenge at the end of March last year. So, nearly a year later, and I am happy to say I’ve now read at least one winner or honor book from each decade. When I began the challenge, I had read 45 Newbery winners/honors. Now the total is 61.  I'm not sure that I actually read one per month, but I did read more than 12 last year, so I am calling it achieved.

I could make a nice and pretty list, but I’m too lazy…at least at the moment. Here are the books I’ve completed:

(Year Author Title Status)

• 1922 Colum, Padraic Golden Fleece and The Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles Honor
• 1938 Wilder, Laura Ingalls On the Banks of Plum Creek Honor
• 1940 Wilder, Laura Ingalls By the Shores of Silver Lake Honor
• 1941 Wilder, Laura Ingalls Long Winter, The Honor
• 1942 Wilder, Laura Ingalls Little Town on the Prairie Honor
• 1944 Wilder, Laura Ingalls These Happy Golden Years Honor
• 1953 White, E. B. Charlotte's Web Honor
• 1959 Speare, Elizabeth George Witch of Blackbird Pond, The Winner
• 1963 L'Engle, Madeleine Wrinkle in Time, A Winner
• 1968 Snyder, Zilpha Keatley Egypt Game, The Honor
• 1968 Konigsburg, E. L. Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth Honor
• 1968 Konigsburg, E. L. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Winner
• 1977 Taylor, Mildred Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Winner
• 1978 Cleary, Beverly Ramona and Her Father Honor
• 1978 Paterson, Katherine Bridge to Terabithia Winner
• 1979 Paterson, Katherine Great Gilly Hopkins, The Honor
• 1981 Paterson, Katherine Jacob Have I Loved Winner
• 1982 Cleary, Beverly Ramona Quimby, Age 8 Honor
• 1984 Cleary, Beverly Dear Mr. Henshaw Winner
• 1986 MacLachlan, Patricia Sarah, Plain and Tall Winner
• 1988 Paulsen, Gary Hatchet Honor
• 1989 Fleischman, Paul Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices Winner
• 1990 Lowry, Lois Number the Stars Winner
• 1991 Avi True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, The Honor
• 1994 Lowry, Lois Giver, The Winner
• 1995 Cushman, Karen Catherine, Called Birdy Honor
• 1995 Creech, Sharon Walk Two Moons Winner
• 1996 Coman, Carolyn What Jamie Saw Honor
• 1996 Curtis, Christopher Paul Watsons Go to Birmingham: 1963, The Honor
• 1996 Cushman, Karen Midwife's Apprentice, The Winner
• 1997 McGraw, Eloise Moorchild, The Honor
• 1997 White, Ruth Belle Prater's Boy Honor
• 1997 Konigsburg, E. L View from Saturday, The Winner
• 1998 Levine, Gail Carson Ella Enchanted Honor
• 1998 Giff, Patricia Reilly Lily's Crossing Honor
• 1998 Hesse, Karen Out of the Dust Winner
• 1999 Peck, Richard Long Way from Chicago, A Honor
• 1999 Sachar, Louis Holes Winner
• 2000 Curtis, Christopher Paul Bud, Not Buddy Winner
• 2001 Peck, Richard Year Down Yonder, A Winner
• 2003 Farmer, Nancy House of the Scorpion, The Honor
• 2003 Martin, Ann M. Corner of the Universe, A Honor
• 2003 Tolan, Stephanie S. Surviving the Applewhites Honor
• 2003 Avi Crispin: The Cross of Lead Winner
• 2004 Henkes, Kevin Olive's Ocean Honor
• 2004 DiCamillo, Kate Tale of Despereaux, The Winner
• 2005 Choldenko, Gennifer Al Capone Does My Shirts Honor
• 2005 Schmidt, Gary D. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy Honor
• 2006 Bartoletti, Susan Campbell Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow Honor
• 2007 Larson, Kirby Hattie Big Sky Honor
• 2008 Schmidt, Gary D. Wednesday Wars, The Honor
• 2008 Schlitz, Laura Amy Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village Winner
• 2009 Engle, Margarita Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom,The Honor
• 2009 Gaiman, Neil Graveyard Book, The Winner
• 2010 Hoose, Phillip Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice Honor
• 2010 Kelly, Jacqueline Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, The Honor
• 2010 Lin, Grace Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Honor
• 2010 Philbrick, Rodman Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, The Honor
• 2010 Stead, Rebecca When You Reach Me Winner
• 2011 Williams-Garcia, Rita Once Crazy Summer Honor
• 2011 Vanderpool, Clare Moon Over Manifest Winner

Walk Two Moons

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Months after her mother leaves, promising to return in time for the tulips to bloom, thirteen-year-old Salamanca and her father leave their home in Kentucky and head to Euclid, Ohio. There Sal befriends Phoebe Winterbottom, her fellow classmate and the neighbor of Sal’s father’s friend Mrs. Cadaver.
The school year passes and Sal goes with her grandparents on a cross country trip to where her mother is in Idaho, hoping to arrive before her mother’s birthday and bring her home. On this trip Sal shares the story of Phoebe and the disappearance of her own mother, while coming to terms with the events of the previous year and a half.

Likes
Creech expertly weaves the three stories together: Sal’s life in Kentucky before her mother’s departure, her life in Ohio and Phoebe’s tale, and the trip from Ohio to Idaho.

The relationships between the characters are exquisitely written. I could imagine these people as being real.

The scenery is magnificently drawn. I felt that I could close my eyes and see Sal and her grandparents sitting in the river or Sal’s mother picking blackberries on their farm.

This is a beautiful novel that sticks with you, enticing a myriad of emotions throughout.

I finished listening to this book on my morning commute. It was extremely hard to keep the tears from flowing freely, even though I had guessed what was going to happen.  This is a mark of an excellent novel.

Dislikes
I listened to the book on CD. My only real dislike was of the narrator. There was a particular quality that she gave to most character’s voices that rather grated my nerves.

Other
Won the 1995 Newbery Medal
Number 68 on the Top 100 Children’s Novels

Psalm 147

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (audiobook)

Ten-year-old Annemarie remembers life before the Nazi occupation of Denmark. Everyone was more carefree. Soldiers were not stationed at every street corner. There was real coffee, tea and cigarettes for her parents, and enough butter and sugar for pink frosted cupcakes for Annemarie and her sisters.

That was several years ago.

Now Annemarie’s older sister is dead in a car accident. Her younger sister only remembers a Denmark full of German soldiers. And her family are about to risk everything to help save their dear friends and neighbors, the Rosens.

Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, is Jewish. Word has got out that the German soldiers are about to relocate all of the Jewish citizens of Denmark. Annemarie’s parents, her uncle and her almost brother-in-law help the Rosens – and other Jewish families – escape across the ocean to nearby Sweden.


Likes
This is a wonderful example of historical fiction that is accessible for a younger audience. Lowry includes an afterword in which she shares the truths within this work of fiction.

Other
This book could be tied in with the Swedish children’s novel A Farway Island by Annika Thor.

Winner of the Newbery Medal in 1990.

The title of the book comes from Psalm 147.

Had you asked me even a few days ago, I would have told you that I had never read Number the Stars. As it is a Newbery winner, I decided to check out the audiobook and listen to it. It’s a short audiobook – only three discs.

Shortly into the first disc I was fairly certain that I had read this story. By the time I finished the audiobook, I knew that I had read the book.

Bubble Bubble Toil and Trouble

Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and me, Elizabeth written and illustrated by E.L. Konigsburg.

On her way to school one Halloween, Elizabeth comes across Jennifer, a self proclaimed witch who goes to her school. Jennifer agrees to teach Elizabeth how to be a witch, assigning her many odd tasks.

This book was awarded a Newbery Honor the same year that Konigsburg won the Newbery award for From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

I’ve a confession to make. I didn’t actually finish the book. I tried. I really did, but I just couldn’t make myself read any more of the text. I thought it felt very dated and not at all appealing to most children in today’s society. As it is a shorter novel, I did read about ¾ of it before completely giving up.

Listening treasures

While I didn’t finish reading any books on vacation, I did finish two audiobooks while driving to and from Michigan. Both are considered children’s novels.

I, Coriander by Sally Gardner

Set in London during the mid-1600s, this is the story of Coriander, the only child of a well to do merchant. Her mother is considered to be the local expert on folk medicines. The family is a happy one.

Trouble begins with the arrival of a mysterious package that contains a pair of silver shoes. Young Coriander greatly desires the shoes, even though her mother is very set against them. Thus begins a story of mystery and magic; of tragedy and treachery.

As Coriander grows, her loving family is torn apart. She learns about her mother’s mysterious past, and, in doing so, who she really is.

Likes

• The story is engaging. In a mixture of reality and fantasy, Gardner deftly describes Coriander’s world.
• The characters are well developed. They grow throughout the story, learning from mistakes and
• I haven’t read a lot of Neil Gaiman’s work, but this story reminded me a lot of those I have read (Coraline, The Graveyard Book, Stardust, MirrorMask). Since I enjoyed most of those stories, I was happy with this.

Dislikes

• It isn’t as much of a dislike of the book as a confusion as to where it belongs in a library collection. Like many others, my library has it as a children’s novel. The more I listened to the book I understood why other libraries place it in teen fiction. The amount of abuse railed upon Coriander and her stepsister – and the description of it – is enough to make he hesitate giving the book to anyone younger than 13 or 14.

The second audiobook I finished is another of those stories that I thought I may have read as a child, only to realize I don’t recall it at all. Yet again, I wonder how no one put this book into my hand!

From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

The oldest of four children and the only girl, Claudia decides to run away from home. She’s tired of not being appreciated by her family. She isn’t one to just pick up and go, however. First she needs a plan. Part of her plan is recruiting one of her younger brothers – Jamie – as he is known to be very thrifty with his money.

The two leave home and travel to New York City where they make themselves a home at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They are not the only new residents of the museum. A statue of an angel – possibly a work of Michelangelo’s – was recently acquired and put on display. The children decide to solve the mystery of the statue’s creator, leading them to the home of one Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – the narrator of the story.

Likes

• The relationship between Claudia and Jamie. The siblings are close, but still disagree like siblings often do.
• Mrs. Frankeweiler’s tone and humor. She reminds be a bit of the character of Sofia on Golden Girls. I want to be like her when I grow up.
• The library! The children go to the library to do research on Angel. Yay!
• The little surprise at the end. I can’t tell you what it is, but I loved it!

Dislikes

• The narrator. I cringed nearly every time she spoke Jamie’s lines. She made him sound like the annoying kid in the Polar Express movie – just even more annoying. *shudder*

Other

• 1968 Newbery Winner
• Number 5 on the Top 100 Children's Novels list.
  

Some Pig!

Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White; pictures by Garth Williams

When kindhearted Fern saves the runt of the litter from death, no one in her family thought that it would amount to much. Soon the piglet, affectionately named Wilbur, is moved to a nearby farm (owned by Fern’s uncle), where he soon finds an unlikely friend in a grey spider named Charlotte. Through Charlotte’s talent and ingenuity, Wilbur hopes to remain off the family dinner table.

Like:

Such a sweet story of friendship, this is undoubtedly one of the best children’s books written. I knew the tale, but from watching the animated film as a child, not from reading the book. If I did read the story, I don’t recall doing so. I love the illustrations, the characters, the setting…everything about the book is wonderful.

Dislike:

I honestly can’t think of a thing.

Other:

1953 Newbery Honor book

Just to toot my own horn a bit…

I recently did the count to see how many books I’ve read this year. So far I’m over 60…not including audiobooks or picture books. Anyone want to take bets to what the final number will be at the end of the year?

That whole Newbery challenge I gave myself is going quite well. In the past 4 months I’ve upped my Newbery winner/honor reading to 53 books (from 45). Hmmm…perhaps I need to get cracking on that a bit more. I’ve also read several of the books from that Top 100 Children’s Novels list. There was quite a bit of overlap between that list and the Newbery winners/honors. Not that I realized it at the time…

Now…to get those reviews written and posted.

Happy Golden "Ears"

I finally was able to finish These Happy Golden Years audiobook! Yay! So here are two audiobook reviews for your reading pleasure.


Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura and her family have settled into life in the town of De Smet and their claim nearby. The long hard winter has finally ended, and life has resumed its normalcy. Laura and Carrie are attending school in town. Their new school teacher is Miss Wilder – the sister of the two Wilder boys. A familiar face has also joined the school. Nellie Olsen and her family have moved to a claim near the town. After a difficult fall term, partially due to Nellie’s scheming, Miss Wilder returns home to Minnesota and a new teacher, Mr. Owens, is hired for the winter term.

The Ingalls family moves back to town for the winter so the girls can attend school, and so they will be safe in case of another hard season. Time goes by and soon the winter term of school is ending. All of the students must showcase what they have learned. After a perfect show of knowledge, Laura is offered her first job teaching at a school twelve miles from home. It is on this note that the book ends.

Likes:
I enjoyed reading about daily life for Laura and her family, and about the different social customs of the time period.

Dislikes:
There are some parts of the book that time seems to fly by too quickly.

Other:
1942 Newbery honor book


These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Not quite sixteen years old, Laura has accepted her first teaching job. As it is twelve miles from home, she must stay with the Brewster family throughout the term. Laura is nervous about teaching, especially as several of the students are bigger than she is! She misses her family terribly, and doesn’t expect to see them until the school term ends. Much to her surprise, Almanzo Wilder comes to pick her up on Friday afternoon, whisking her through the snowy landscape towards home – and a break from the tense atmosphere of the Brewster household. Even though the temperatures are extremely cold, Almanzo continues to pick her up every Friday and return her back to the Brewster’s home every Sunday, allowing Laura to ease her homesickness and see her family.

Upon finishing the school term, Laura returns to her own school, where she finds that she still the top of her schoolmates. Laura continues to study hard…and to be courted by Almanzo.

Time slips by, and the Ingalls family makes their claim shanty truly a home. Laura continues to work several jobs over the seasons, including two more terms teaching. Almanzo and Laura, now around eighteen, grow closer, until one day he proposes marriage.

The book ends on a happy note: Laura and Almanzo’s wedding day.

Likes:
I love the description of place, and really felt I could see the town and the surrounding land. I also enjoyed reading about Laura’s growing feelings for Almanzo. It was so very sweet.


Dislikes:
Again, there were parts that time went too quickly. It was a little confusing from time to time.

Other:

1944 Newbery honor book

Ancient tales come alive

The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

When April is shipped off to live with her grandmother, she believes it will only be temporary and decides to not get comfortable in her new surroundings. Soon, however, she has made friends with Melanie, a girl her age who lives in the same apartment building. Together, along with Melanie’s little brother Marshall, they discover the abandoned lot behind a local junk store. The three take over the lot and begin an Ancient Egyptian themed role-playing game they’ve devised called the Egypt Game.

Soon their group begins to grow, first with new neighbour Elizabeth, then with fellow classmates Ken and Toby. A murder in the neighbourhood keeps them from Egypt for some time. When odd things begin to happen inside Egypt, the group isn’t sure what to make of the events. Perhaps their game hasn’t gone unnoticed after all…

This was a 1968 Newbery Honor Book, and on the Top 100 Children’s Novels list compiled on the Fuse8 blog.

I loved the setting of the story and the imagination of the children. I wish I would have read this book when I was younger! I think it would be great to give to someone who is begging to get interest in Ancient Egypt, but not quite ready to read Riordan’s Kane Chronicles.

I am Morgan le Fay by Nancy Springer

Witness the childhood and rise to power of Morgan le Fay, half sister to King Arthur. Told in first person, the reader knows Morgan’s innermost thoughts and secrets, and the actions that lead to her taking such revenge on her own half-brother.

I love historical novels, and I adore fantasy. Arthurian legends are a delightful mixture of the two. The world in while Morgan lives is beautifully illustrated by Springer’s words.

This is a great book to give to a lower level reader – especially one who, like me, would enjoy the mixture of history and fanstasy.

a trio of Little House audiobooks

I'm nearing the end of the Little House saga, with only two more audiobooks left to hear. Here are my reviews of three of the books in the series.


Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Covering about a year in Almanzo Wilder’s childhood, this book details life on a farm in New York during the mid-1800s. Almanzo wants nothing more than to have his own horse to train, but his father doesn’t think he is old enough yet. Life on the farm is difficult and full of work, but there is still time for fun.

Likes:

I liked the view of a year in Almanzo’s life, and learning more about him and his family.

Dislikes:

Perhaps because it was not about Laura’s own life, I found this to be my least favorite of the series thus far.


By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder

When Pa’s feet get that wandering itch again, the Ingalls family pack up and head west in search of their own homestead, but only after Ma makes Pa promise that they will stay settled. The family moves to a railroad town in Minnesota. After the railroad crew moves on for the winter, the Ingalls family settle down in the abandoned camp, all the while hoping that Pa can put his homestead claim in before someone else grabs the land.


Likes:

I loved reading about life in a railroad town and about the railroad being built. Laura’s natural curiosity makes for an informative tale.

Dislikes:

Once the railroad crew leaves for the winter, the story gets a little boring. This could also be because I’ve been listening to all of the stories back to back.

The more I listen to the stories, the less I like Mary.

Other notes:

This was a Newbery honor book in 1940.



The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Ingalls family has moved onto their homestead claim, and is living in a small shanty. But as autumn approaches both Laura and Pa have an uneasy feeling. While in town, Pa hears an old Indian proclaim that the settlers are in for a very long and nasty winter. Heeding these words and his own uneasiness, Pa decides to move the family into town for the winter. What follows are seven months of blizzards, keeping the trains from bringing in supplies, and keeping the families secluded and struggling in their homes. As food runs lower and lower, two young men decide to brave the snow-covered prairie in search of a fabled crop of wheat that can help the town survive the long winter.


Likes:
One might think that a book about being stuck inside for nearly 7 months due to seemingly endless blizzards would be a boring read; however, I found the story fascinating. Wilder’s description of the struggles her family experienced during that winter are concise and clear, worry interspersed with bits of joy. Her descriptions of the sounds of the blizzards, of the sluggishness of those final weeks of the winter, and of their complete and utter elation when spring finally arrives all make this a thoroughly gripping tale.

Other notes:

This was a Newbery honor book in 1941.

The times, they are a changin'

The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon

Sam idolizes his older brother, Stick. But when Stick becomes involved with the Black Panthers, Sam is conflicted. Should he continue to follow the non-aggressive beliefs of their father, a well-known and well respected Chicago Civil Rights leader? Or should he follow the more violent path his brother is taking, going against their peaceful upbringing? Sam’s struggle has him stuck between the proverbial rock and the river.

This work of historical fiction is amazing. The relationship between the two brothers becomes strained, but their feelings for one another are still very obvious. The lines between the two sides are often blurred, aiding in Sam’s confliction. At twelve years old, he is still just a child; however, he has been raised in the thick of the Civil Rights movement, which has opened his eyes to the troubles that surround him. While it doesn’t shy away from the hostility that the Black Panthers were known for, the book showcases the social and civil programs that the group strived to provide.

Hitler Youth: growing up in Hitler's shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

This biographical non-fiction tells the stories of several children and teenagers who grew up in Germany during Hitler’s rise to power and World War II, and how their lives were ruled by a homicidal maniac. With intensive training from a young age, Hitler used the German youth to build his army. Many fell in step with his ideals of a Master Race. Some, however, did what they could to share the truth about Hitler and his war.

How could a nation of young people be so fully swayed by one man? This book highlights how it happened, and the stories of a few who had the courage to fight back.

This was a 2006 Newbery Honor.

Little House series, continued

I’m still listening to the original Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and recently finished On the banks of Plum Creek.

Laura and her family move from their first home in Minnesota – a sod house built into the ground – into a fine house made of sawed limber. They talk of all the things they can afford now that the wheat crop is growing. Then, before it can be harvest, the wheat crop – and nearly every plant within miles – is consumed by a plague of grasshoppers. Pa must find other ways to make money to pay on the new house and buy the food needed for winter.

While this chapter in the Ingalls family’s history is full of drama, it is also full of love and hope. The family does what is needed to survive, all along they continue to cherish what they do have.

This book was number 85 on the Top 100 Children's Novels list. It also won a Newbery Honor in 1938.

Two movies and a book...all on the same topic!

As I mentioned in my recent pseudo-post, this past weekend I finished reading the 1923 Newbery Honor book, The Golden Fleece, and the heroes who lived before Achilles by Padraic Colum.

As the title suggests, the book contains the stories of Jason and the Argonauts during and after their quest for the Golden Fleece. It also tells the tales of such well known Greek mythological people as Heracles, Perseus, Medea, Orpheus and others.

I’ll admit. I had a hard time with the writing at first. The flow and styles that I’ve become accustomed to reading differs greatly than what is found in this prose. Additionally, the book is dense. There’s a lot of text packed into those pages, making the book seem somewhat unwieldy at first glance. I have a hard time imagining today’s children – even teenagers – plowing through this book. But, as I continued through the book, I found that I wanted to keep reading to find out what great challenge would be attempted. In the end, I found that I really enjoyed the book, though perhaps not nearly as much as the much read and rather tattered copy of Mythology by Edith Hamilton that I owned as a child.

This weekend the hubby and I went to see a movie. The flick he chose was the updated version of Clash of the Titans.

Now…had I not so recently finished reading the story of Perseus (or even the Percy Jackson series, which has some information about many of the Greek gods, goddesses and other characters), I may have enjoyed this movie more. Why? Because I wouldn’t have realized just how much of the story was changed by Hollywood. (An example – Perseus’ mother in this version was the wife of the king of Argos. In every other version I’ve read or seen, she was the daughter)

The special effects were great – which is to be expected anymore. There were several big named actors in the film, and, also as expected, they did a decent job at their parts.


When we came home, the hubby wanted to watch the original Clash of the Titans. This movie came out in 1981. Oy! It is noticeable! I think it must have had a very low budget as well. Maybe the writers were also on strike? Who knows. There were some great actors in this film as well, but they were not giving their bests. I’m not sure, but I think the Kraken was really the Swamp Thing. Really. It was that bad.

But…at least it stuck more closely to the original story. In that regard, I almost like the 1981 version better.