Freakling

Freakling by Lana Krumwiede. Published 2012 by Candlewick Press.

Apparently my to-read stack is two years behind publishing dates. I don't know how other librarians have time to read everything as it comes in and before it hits the shelves; I wish I could be one of them but I guess I will always lag behind.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It is another dystopian/sci-fi title where an alternate version of the earth in some unknown future date (or  past however you want to look at it) has a colony of people living on another side of a mountain that separates them from the Republik. This is not the most important part. The important part is that the reason they are separated is that they are people who all have the ability to wield psi--to be able to use their minds to do everyday tasks such as feed themselves, put on their clothes, drive psi vehicles, etc. Some people have more power and control of their psi and some don't have any at all. If you do not have psi you are sent to a town outside the city where you have to actually work as regular humans do, using zippers and forks and everything else hand related.

While this ploy seems highly improbable and absurd, the tale itself is action packed and interesting. The story focuses more on what power means and how one wields their powers in either a benign or malicious fashion. It also speaks to whether or not the powers we have should be used at all.

Intended reading level: Grades 4-7
Genre: Sci-fi/Dystopian

Question to the readers: What would you have chosen if you were Taemon? Do you think Taemon made the right choice? Why or why not? Would you want to be the True Son? What would you do if you had psi?

Read-alikes: The Giver by Lois Lowry, Matched by Ally Condie

Bad Unicorn

Bad Unicorn by Platte F. Clark. Published 2013 by Aladdin.

Unicorns are not all sparkles and kindness. They do not prance and they do not grant magical wishes. If this book is to be believed, unicorns are ferocious magical beings with an appetite for human flesh who wish destruction upon all the world. They enjoy a good frobbit meal here and there as well.

Max is your regular underdog at school with one friend who he enjoys playing fantasy-based games with, until he discovers that the book he's been reading from has magical powers and only he can control it. Max and his friends find themselves whisked away to the future where machines control the world and not a single human is left thanks to one bad unicorn.

Wow! How can all this fit into one novel? Time travel, magic, unicorns, machines, reality television, did I mention unicorns? But if you're looking for a clever twist on a magical tale, something with a little humor as well as action, give Bad Unicorn a try. The book has a natural ending but also sets itself up for a series.

Interest level: Grades 3-6
Genre: fantasy, humor

Question to the Readers: What choice would you have made if you were in Max's shoes: try to make it back to the past or face Robo-Princess? What do you think will happen in the next book? Did Robo-Princess deserve her fate? Why or why not?

Read-alikes: Cold Cereal and The True Meaning of Smek Day both by Adam Rex

The Grand Plan to Fix Everything

The Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami. Published 2011 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

In this book, Dini finds out that her family will be moving to a secluded mountain town in India for the next two years. The only thing that can get her through the drama of leaving behind her best friend Maddie is the idea that she may meet her favorite Bollywood movie star, Dolly Singh. While Dini is not adjusting well to her Indian life, a trail of coincidental events line up like  Hindi movie plot points to make sure that all the strange events come together in a wonderful, magical way.

This book reminded me of a Bollywood movie. At some points it was over the top and melodramatic while at other moments it was calm while humorous. The present tense narration bothered me, but for others it could sound like reading one long poem. The illustrations have a sweetness that matches the text and for those wanting a glimpse into Indian life and movie stars will enjoy this read immensely.

Intended reading level: Grades 2-4
Genre: Friendship, Realistic Fiction
First in series.

Questions to the Readers: What would you do if you could meet your favorite movie star? How would you feel if you had to move half way around the world from your best friend? Have you ever traveled anywhere that was very different from how you lived at home? What was different or the same?

Read-alikes: The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang

Cold Cereal

Cold Cereal by Adam Rex. Balzer and Bray. Published 2012.

With the sequel of Cold Cereal having been released recently, I decided it was finally time to read the first one. I loved The True Meaning of Smek Day and have always appreciated Rex's illustrations- a balance between Saturday morning cartoon and realism, so I was looking forward to this title. The book did not disappoint. While I liked Smek Day better, the satire mixed with adventure and mystery in this book hit all the right spots a reader of this genre would enjoy.

With a man-sized bunny, evil cereal corporations, magical power reserves and leprechauns, what genre is this book? It is a mystery, a fantasy, a funny story, an adventure and a story about families. It's also a series like many books for children are these days.

Scott and his family move to a new town completely owned and controlled by the Good Cereal company. He starts having what he thinks are strange hallucinations that he doesn't want to investigate until he's pulled into a mystery by two genius twins that he befriends. I don't want to reveal more, but if you like books with geniuses and a strange puzzle to unravel, give this one a try.

Interest level: Grades 3-6
Genre: Mystery, fantasy, humor, adventure

Questions to the Readers: What actions would you take if you started to see strange, magical creatures? Would you rather be yourself or have the ability to drink the smart juice? Where do you think the line of scientific experimentation should be drawn?

Read-alikes: The Mysterious Benedict Society, Genius Files, Chasing Vermeer and other Blue Balliett mysteries

Wonder

Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Alfred A. Knopf. Published 2012.

This book was much talked about last year and for good reason. It is not the usual coming-of-age novel where a student starts his first day of school at a new school dealing with bullies and pressing middle school matters. That stuff is there, but this character is very different than any characters before. August, or Auggie, has a rare genetic disorder that has made his face look like that of a B-Movie monster. He has been home schooled his whole life due to continued illness, but his parents have decided that it is time for him to go to a real school at the start of middle school. This time period would be hard enough for anyone, but it is especially hard for Auggie as he has to deal with the reactions of all the students around him while trying to decide who he is as a person as well.

The author uses multiple perspectives to tell this story. This opens up the book to see the reactions of everyone around Auggie and letting us understand how they really feel and how actions and thoughts can actually be two different things. This was a great story for learning about being in the shoes of other people and how to accept people for who they are and not how they look.

Intended reading level: Grades 4-8
Genre: Realistic Fiction, School fiction

Questions to the Readers: Have you ever felt like an outsider? If so, how did that make you feel? In what ways has Auggie always stayed true to himself? How has he changed over the course of the novel?

Read-alikes: The Misfits by James Howe, The Giant-Slayer by Iain Lawrence

The Tiger Rising

The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo. Candlewick Press. Published 2001.

As with many of DiCamillo's books, this story is about children coping with major turmoil in their life and finding friendship and peace over the course of the novel. Because of this, there is the sweet melancholy that is present in her others books as well. And like the mouse, elephant and dog that have precedence elsewhere, this novel has a tiger taking main stage.
The premise is that a boy working with his father at a hotel in the South finds a tiger locked in a cage in the woods. After befriending the new girl in town, whether he wanted to or not, he shares the tiger that he's found and her reaction changes the course of their lives.

Intended reading level: Grades 3-5
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Question to the Readers: If you found a tiger in your backyard, what would you do about it? Do you think Rob made the right choice? Why or why not?

Read-alikes: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Wish

Wish by Beth Bracken and Kay Fraser. Published by Capstone Young Readers. NetGalley.

I don't know how I feel about this title. The writing fit the age group and I can foresee this being a good transition novel for the girls who are growing out of Fairy Realm but aren't quite old enough for Twilight. This is exactly the publishers and authors intention in this title as well. But this is an odd sweet spot. The older readers won't want to feel like they're reading a book for young kids and the young kids won't read it if it seem too dark or makes them feel uncomfortable. On that end, I think its a better read for the younger kids. It's the pictures that throw me off more than anything. While they are ethereal and dark in the right ways for a book about evil faeries, I feel there are too many of them and they are almost too realistic or dark at parts for the younger readers. What I would love to do is test this title out with some of my third and fourth graders? For the writing itself, I thought it overused flashback or retrospection and didn't stay in the action long enough or expand moments where it could have. Again, I think this was because of the strive to hit a certain reading level. On the other hand, it was very poetic and carried a sadness to it that lent itself well to the themes and the strange magical world.

In this story, two girls are best friends but over a confrontation with a boy, Soli accidentally wishes Lucy away to the faerieground where she is held prisoner by Queen Calandra. Only Soli can enter this world to try to bring Lucy back and discover mysteries about both girls' lives while she's at it.

Questions to Readers: Has a friend ever done anything to you that made you just want to wish them away? What lines should friends never cross?

Read-alikes: the Emily Windsnap books.

10 Plants that Shook the World

10 Plants that Shook the World by Gillian Richardson. Published Feb. 2013 by Annick Press.

NetGalley.

I just signed up for NetGalley and I wanted to get my hands on a book fast. This title was instantly available and I'm glad it was. Between vignettes, factoids, and history about the main foods that shaped human civilization as we know it, I was happy I was given a chance to read this book before I purchase it, which I will be doing.
The structure of the book is an opening page that introduces the main facts, such as Birth, Likes and Dislikes, of each plant. Following this is a vignette of a person's life that may have been affected by the plant in some way in some time period. There is then a history of how the plant effected the world interspersed with facts throughout. I liked the structure in a general way but I thought the vignettes were a bit superfluous. I would have been happy with an extended history or a briefing of how the plant effects us more in the current time period. I also think the sidebar of facts is always exciting, but the history gets into some pretty desolate stuff and having to break to hear about the dates of cotton inventions seems to trivialize it a bit.  I think a better use of the space for text would be a reflection on how students could combat things linked to the atrocities that happened in the future. Of course, that's asking a lot of the writer.
Those are my big two complaints about the book. Otherwise, I thought it was a great way for kids to learn how something as seemingly simple as pepper, and other plant items, can have such a huge effect on the world. It would be a really great lesson to compare to oil, the stock exchange or clothing manufacturers of today. I also left with some gained knowledge. I didn't know there was no recorded history of how to make paper out of papyrus or that a fair number of cacao laborers have never actually tasted chocolate.

Intended reading level: Grades 3-5
Non-fiction

Questions to Readers: If you knew that the every day items you ate were destroying the planet or leading to slavery, would you change your purchasing decisions or what you ate? Why or why not? How can we ensure trade frenzies highlighted in this book don't happen in the future? What was the most interesting fact that you learned?

Read-alikes: Big Wig: A Little History of Hair

Princess Knight: Part 2

Princess Knight: Part 2 by Osamu Tezuka. Published 2011 by Vertical, Inc. Published originally in

Japan in 1953.

I was interested in finishing this short manga series by the Godfather of Manga because of it's gender bending. I wanted to see if he was ahead of his time with more than just art and manga, but unfortunately the ideals seem to still hold two hearts. While on some points its forward thinking--women get the right to vote and be equals as decreed by Prince Plastic once he is given a male heart, but on the other hand--Sapphire is not fully a person until she accepts her female-ness, allowing her to wed Prince Charming. There's a disgraceful scene where she almost marries a female character and both the other female knight and pastor freak out when they find out she is a woman and say that this cannot be done. In moments like this, it's worthwhile to remind yourself that this title was originally written in Japan in the 1950s.

The first volume was so ambiguous about whether or not it was detrimental for Sapphire to have both a male and female heart that I was really hoping there would be some sort of finale that concluded with her keeping both and the characters accepting this as normal. But I suppose that would be my 21st century re-write for this title.

As for the story as Tezuka intended it, there is still a lot of cliffhanging action, slapstick comedy, Disney-influenced character and plot points and a "happy" ending. Worth finishing off the series as its only two volumes.

Intended reading level: Grades 3-5
Second in series

Questions to Readers: 
Would you change anything about the ending? Who Sapphire ends up with? What heart she has? If so, what would you change and why? If not, why do you think Tezuka chose this ending?

Read-alikes:
Tezuka's Buddha series, Donald Duck comics or other Disney titles

Genie Wishes

Genie Wishes by Elisabeth Dahl. ARC. Published April 2013  by Amulet Books.

I really enjoyed this book. It was perfectly realistic in all the right ways. It didn't try to be over the top to get laughs or deal with issues that were too heavy. It captured what it was like to be at the edge of adolescence exactly.

The story takes place at the end of the summer right before school starts with the impetus of a new girl, Blair, who starts to put a wedge between the main character, Genie, and her best friend, Sarah. The drama between the three builds slowly over the course of the book but in a way that is natural and true to how it would unfold in real life. The gem of this book, for me at least, was how realistic the school situations were and how the school was run. Its the first school-based book I've read in a long time that actually had students doing things that I believe students actually do these days and without the emphasis being on a horrible teacher or a mean principal. The story is shaped by  Genie becoming the class blogger and writing posts about the fifth graders dreams, wishes and hopes over the course of the year. There would be such a great tie-in with student blogging using this book as a catalyst.

Intended reading level: Grades 3-5

Questions for the Readers:
Have you ever grown distant with a good friend? How did this make you feel? What changed between you and your friend? Do you think students in fifth grade should wear make-up? Why or why not? Convince the readers to your argument persuasively.

Read-alikes: 
Lauren Myracle's birthday series (Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen), Alice series by Naylor

Dorko the Magnificent

Dorko the Magnificent by Andrea Beaty. ARC. Published April 2013 by Amulet.

Robbie Darko opens the book by talking directly to his audience as if he's a showman on stage. He warns us that there will be no explosions or car chases like in the movies but if we happen to make his book into a movie, feel free to add them where we see fit. Robbie explains to the reader that he is a magician, whether or not his fellow students appreciate him for it. Beaty does a good job of showing us Robbie's blunders without him seeing them as blunders as he tells us about them. The story truly takes off when Grandma Melvyn is introduced and becomes part of the family. She becomes Robbie's mentor in all things illusion whether he wants her to be or not. The story also has a believable and timely subplot dealing with money woes and parent's struggling to keep the family afloat during the economic downturn.

Overall, a good read for grades 4 and 5 with two cheeky main characters and a whole lot of Trixies.

Intended reading level: Grades 3-5

Questions for the Readers:
Why do you think Grandma Melvyn calls everyone Trixie? How would you feel if Robbie was your magician brother and took your stuff to use for magic tricks? How does the ending make you feel?

Read-alikes:
The One and Only Ivan, Secrets of the Cicada Summer

Princess Knight

Princess Knight: Part One by Osamu Tezuka. Originally published 1953. Translated to English 1977.

Vertical, Inc. 2011

For my graphic novels for youth class, I had to choose a Manga to read this week. I went with Tezuka's Princess Knight because I was intrigued by the dueling gender relationships and the playing with stereotypes especially for a book published over 50 years ago in Japan. I had also heard that Tezuka is the father of Manga from Scott McCloud's work.

The premise of this book is that a mischievous angel named Tink places a boy heart in an unborn baby before God gives the baby a girl heart and sends he/she on his/her way. As punishment, Tink must go to earth and take the boy heart back before he can ever return to heaven. Unfortunately the baby becomes the Prince/Princess of the kingdom and it takes Tink 15 years before he can even speak to her. The story follows the adventures of Prince Sapphire as he/she deals with trying to hide his identity of a girl to be considered the heir and prince to the kingdom.

The book mainly played on gender stereotypes and had a lot of slapstick humor reminiscent of Bugs Bunny and other cartoons from that era. With the heavy religious overtones, I was worried that with the dated writing of this text that the book would try to make the character choose one gender or the other. While I've only read part one, I'm happy that Tezuka allowed him/her to remain ambiguous and has him/her gain identity from both hearts. She is neither fully princess or fully prince.

With action, adventure, knights, witches, pirates, kingdoms and assassins, this book would appeal to both girl and boy readers who love comics. The humor is kid friendly and as it was intended for a young female audience (shojo) it is not too violent or sexual.

Here's a bonus YouTube video from the opening of the Princess Knight anime:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb_8PJ4Wqjo

Intended reading level: Grades 3-5

Questions for the readers:
Do you think Prince Sapphire should keep both hearts? How does each heart help her in her adventures? What do you think of the choice Tink made towards the end that changed his fate? Do you think Sapphire will choose Captain Blood or Franz Charming? What fairy tales does Tezuka use to tell his story?

Read-alikes: Astro Boy, Bone series

Wildwood

Wildwood by Colin Meloy. Published 2011.

This book has been receiving rave reviews and it is not un-warranted (love my double negatives). What's interesting about this book is that it could be under the banner of "celebrity" writer as it was written by a member of the Decemberists, but I don't think this faults the book, rather than add an interesting layer to the author's background (apparently Colin Meloy plays with the themes and legend in this book in his rock operas often). But anyhoo...its a thick tomb of rich vocabulary, descriptions that place you in the moment and scene, and a creative fantasy world that seems disconnected and connected to our world at the same time. This could be because the setting is in the Impassable Wilderness of Portland, Oregon, a mythical country that mere humans are unable to pass into because of the magical protections surrounding it.

In this world, there are talking animals, evil rulers, bureaucratic red tape, blood sucking ivy and more. As many reviews prior have pointed out, this book is like a new Alice in Wonderland or Wizard of Oz. It feels instantly classic and timeless yet of this moment and not dated. For the summary, Prue loses her baby brother when a murder of crows picks him from the basin of his Red Flyer and takes him into the Impassable Wilderness. She must go in after him but she is followed by Curtis, a boy from her school, who insists on being partners even though he is unaware this means that he will be swept away into a coyote army and eventually made part of a group of bandits. Prue must bring the North and South Woods together to defeat the evil Dowager Governess of Wildwood if she has any hope of getting her brother back before he is sacrificed to the ivy.

My problem with this book was also one of the things that made it great. It doesn't water down its language so that younger kids will have an easier time reading it, which is what makes it rich and wonderful, but also what will make it a hard sell to readers who aren't already strong and voracious consumers of their fantasy fiction. At 540 pages, its may be difficult to inspire a child to continue when even as an adult, I had some difficulty with some words. I mean, who knew that "gorp" was just trail mix. But hopefully, with its wealth of description that added to the action rather than slog it down, they will be pulled into Wildwood.

Also, something should be said for the illustrations. Their quaintness was somehow reminiscent of Quentin Blake to me, not in style, but in that they are very specific to their illustrator and they instill warm feelings in you when you look at them. Now, that being said, as I mentioned before, the descriptions in the writing at times was so specific and wonderful that I almost wish there were no illustrations or that they weren't so innocent looking because sometimes the action was grisly and bloody and menacing and that is where the pictures failed.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Reading level: listed as Grade 5, but I would say more like 7
Genre: Fantasy

Comparable Titles: Chronicles of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz

Book Connections: Portland, Oregon, Building Imaginary Cities and Map Making, Green Connections (talking to trees and plants)

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School and other Scary Things

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School and other Scary Things by Lenore Look. Published 2008.

This cover always attracted me and the intrigue from the long title added to my excitement about this read. I had heard good reviews but I had never gotten around to reading it. Well, I'm happy to report that on all accounts it did not fail. The illustrations are adorable and match the character and family so well. The story is cute and fun and full of the trials of family and school life in all the ways you want it to be.

Alvin Ho is allergic to school, or so he thinks, and has never spoken in class. He can talk at home and on the bus, but not at school. This stops him from having very many friends but with his PDK and lessons from his dad and brother, he will try his best to meet people and survive anything that is thrown at him. Over the course of the book, we get to know Alvin and his family more, but we also watch as he makes a big mistake with his dad's favorite toy, and see how his father handles it in a mature way that is both believable and refreshing. We also watch as Alvin comes out of his shell, if only just a little bit, enough to make it so that this series continues on in many more books.

I've been reading it to my second graders and we're all enjoying it. It gets lots of laughs and Alvin's mishaps keep them riveted.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Reading Level: Grade 3
Genre: Humor, realistic fiction
First in series

Comparable Titles: Big Nate, Joey Pigza Swallowed a Key

Book Connections: Making survival kits, allergies/hypochondria, discussion of ethical dilemas, playing piano

The Adventures of Captain Underpants

The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey. Published 1997.

First, I'm amazed how long these books have been around in the same way I found out that Magic Tree House has been around since I was little. To me it seems like they've only been on the scene the last five years, but maybe that's because I've only started paying attention to children's books in the last five years. I've obviously known about these books and glanced through them but I hadn't read one from front to back yet so I decided to spend 10 minutes on the first one.

I can see why kids love them. While it is potty humor, its not necessarily disgusting. The illustrations are fun and the little animation bit towards the end is interactive and intriguing. I can see all the kids making their own flip book animations after reading this. The plot's obviously not extensive but the kids are fun and I love the idea of the mean principal being hypnotized into the crime fighting Captain Underpants. It makes it that much funnier when he's streaking across the campus. While, I've known some teachers and parents who are against their kids reading these books, I say, if they're excited about reading then let them read this one. It will only get them reading more books in the future.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Reading level: Grade 3 (titlewave says 4.8, sometimes I don't understand where they get these numbers from...but then again, looking at the book there are words like "miserable, behavior, hypnotize" that I suppose could be difficult for some students. Personally, I find as young as first grade is an appropriate reading level for these titles.)
Genre: Humor

Comparable Titles: The Adventures of Super Baby, Babymouse, Super Amoeba

Book Connections: making your own comic books, creating super heroes, making flip books

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Published 2009.

This is one of those beginning reader books to be put in the same category with Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Its formulaic and uses strange kid humor but the concept is fun and there are more pictures than words, so its a good transitional book for a struggling reader. There's a whole series of these that don't necessarily have to go in order and their bright yellow on black and white makes them pop on a shelf.

In this one, the Lunch Lady must battle the evil league of librarians as they plan to dominate the world through their magical book monsters. Being a librarian, I was a little sad that they didn't help the Lunch Lady in her spy endeavors, but I understand that the concept of these books is the Lunch Lady taking on the ills of the school world, so I'll go along with it. That's pretty much the book in a nutshell.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Reading level: Grade 2
Genre: Humor, graphic novel
Series

Comparable titles: Captain Underpants, Big Nate

Book Connections: Roles and Jobs in a school, Book Monster Attacks

Hereville: How Mirka got her Sword

Hereville: How Mirka got her Sword by Barry Deutsch. Published 2011.

This was an interesting, quick graphic novel. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting but it didn't disappoint me either. If anything, I thought it was too short and that it could have been one chapter in a collection of three that inter-weaved more. It reminded me of American Born Chinese in that it was highly focused on a specific culture but also extended itself into a fairy tale like telling. This is why I think I wanted more because American Born Chinese was able to push itself to a near perfect level with the interweaving of the stories that I think Hereville could have really benefited from.

In this story, a young girl in an Orthodox Jewish community has benefited from the lessons of argumentation that she's learned from her Stepmother. After she stumbles on a witch's house and has a confrontation with a talking pig, she must defeat a troll for her sword of destiny. As you can see, not much happens. The story seems to be more about the culture and watching how the family interacts and deals with their problems. The more I think about it, the more I am bothered by how abruptly it ends but it was a fun read and I feel like I learned something about Orthodox Jewish communities.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Reading level: Grade 4
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy

Comparable Titles: American Born Chinese, Page by Paige, Anya's Ghost

Book Connections: Judaism, Shabbos, knitting

Liesl and Po

Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver. Published 2011.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the illustrations complimented it without distracting or becoming a main focus. The writing was fresh and lovely and not extraneous and it moved the story along even when there wasn't huge plot points or cliffhangers. I've heard from some students that this is their all time favorite book and from others who just couldn't get into it, so it's a mixed bag when it comes to kid reviews.

Liesl is locked in an attic room after the mysterious death of her father, when two fuzzy shapes appear in her room and decide to help her escape and bring her father's ashes to her old home. The fuzzy shapes are neither boy nor girl nor dog nor cat but some how a blur of both, but they are certainly ghosts from the Other Side.
Meanwhile, Will is an orphan who works for an alchemists who has been working on the greatest magic in the world to give to the Lady Premiere. When Will accidentally confuses the boxes with Leisel's father's ashes and the magic, the two kids find themselves working together as runaways. Many of the characters collide and their fates intertwine, which could seem too easily wrapped up, but I liked it and thought it was more whimsical.

Interest level: Grade 3-6 Reading Level: Grade 6
Genre: Fantasy, friendship

Comparable Titles: Magic Thief

Book Connections: grief, alchemy, ghost stories

The Flint Heart

The Flint Heart by Katherine Paterson and John Paterson. Published 2011.

This is a abridged, rewrite of Eden Phillpott's 1910 Fantasy by the same name. It keeps to a classic fairy tale form with the repetition of three, a land of fairies, strange magic and a human and animal interaction. There is dread and drama, but not excessively. The illustrations are fantastic and the story is magical and intriguing and a great bedtime read for children. The language can be a bit mature for students to handle on their own for the intended audience, which could make it a hard sell. The book is made to look like a large picture book with the glossy print and high color illustrations, but as mentioned, the language is harder than the picture book readers could handle.

A flint heart is created that gives ultimate power to whoever wears it, but it also turns them into a horrible version of themselves. For over 5,000 years it falls into different hands and only a boy, his sister, a dog and a hot water bottle can help the fairy kingdom to end the power of the flint heart.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Reading level: Grade 6?
Genre: Fairy tale, fantasy

Comparable titles: A Tale Dark and Grimm, Tale of Desperaux

Book Connections: The original tale, fairy tales in general

The Cricket in Times Square

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden. Published 1960. Newbery Honor Medal.

Reading this book was like experiencing deja vu. I knew I had read it when I was little but I couldn't remember anything more than what the cover suggests. As I read it this time, glimpses of memory would come back to me as if in a foggy dream, but nothing specific or jogging that made me go, "Yes, I remember this scene." I can understand how it has lasted this long. The book is easy to read, has good details, the friendship between the animals is genuine and there are enough bits of excitement spread throughout to carry you along. Sai Fong and friend are stereotyped, but not negatively, just dated.

Synopsis: A cricket ends up in a subway station in Times Square and is soon collected as a pet for the newstand owner's son, Mario. The cricket, Chester, befriends Tucker the Mouse and Harry the Cat in the train station. They discover that the cricket's beautiful musical ability can be translated to a human audience so that they can earn money for the poor Bellini family whose newstand isn't doing so well. At the heart of the book, its a tale of friendship and coming together.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Reading level: Grade 5
Genre: Friendship, Fiction
First in series.

Comparable Titles: Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little

Book Connections: Orchestra and Opera, Crickets, Subways, Times Square, Making a newstand or business-math