Elementary Fiction – Page 3

Louise Erdrich; books with historical significance

I don’t know why it took me so long to discover this wonderful series. Next year I plan to put it on our 5th grade book club reading list. Thank you to V. for pushing me toward this title.

The Birchbark House (1999)

Omakayas and her family are Ojibwe Indians living on Madeline Island. The year is 1849 and Omakayas (Little Frog) is seven years old. She has one older sister, Angeline, and two younger brothers; one a baby and the other, Pinch, is pure trouble. The book is set up on the cycle of the seasons as this small tribe of Ojibwes enjoy the warm days of summer preparing for fall and winter. The snowy months prove difficult for the tribe as many are short on food and sickness robs Omakayas of her baby brother. Erdrich set it up nicely in this seasonal manner to help us feel in the moment with this peaceful tribe. I have a romantic notion for Native tribes and this book shares all the positive as they begin to feel the encroachment of the white man on their land and Omakayas understands more about her gift for dreams.

The Game of Silence (2005)

The sequel to The Birchbark House continues the thread through seasons with several adventures. Another small tribe arrives by canoe, bedraggled and starved, as they escape from the white man and sickness. Old Tallow gets lost during a heavy snow as she searches for game to hunt and Deydey leads the priest on a mission just as the ice over the lake begins to crack and break. Any of these problems demonstrate the difficulties native people had even without the added fear of losing their way of life. Omakayas learns to accept her dreams as she uses a particularly powerful dream to rescue her father. She is a strong and unique young female character who takes pride in her family and the way of life she’s too often taken for granted.

A quote:

“The air cooled quickly. It was a little cold to sleep outside, but Deydey spread out the fire and built it up to a huge blaze. When the fire had all burned down to a bed of coals, he spread out the coals and then all of the family heaped sand on top of the big spread-out remains of the fire. They were making their bed. The soft comfortable sand was their mattress. Underneath, the coals would continue to give off a gently heat. They all lay down under the stars. There were no mosquitos or flies when the air was so chilly. Yet the warmth from underneath kept them comfortable. Deydey made this sort of sand bed often on his trips, and the children loved for him to make it for them.” (72-73, The Game of Silence)

Louise Erdrich’s native heritage helped to shape this series as she recounts events in her own family’s past. I have a few other books ahead of it but I plan to read the third and final book, The Porcupine Year. A post by Carol Hurst talks about The Birchbark House. The Game of Silence is discussed in this article at KidsReads and The Porcupine Year has this article also at KidsReads.

Top Ten Tuesday; #1

I’ve always wanted to play along with The Broke and the Bookish meme and today I’m avoiding another post I need to write so it seems like the perfect day to play along. Today’s topic is top ten of any genre.

Peaceful Reader’s Top Ten Historical Fiction Novels for YA and elementary

1. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

2. Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

3. The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

4. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

5. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

6. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

7. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

8. The Ransom of Mercy Carter by Caroline B. Cooney

9. Esperanza Rising by Pamela Munoz Ryan

10. The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

Honorable Mentions:

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis

A Thousand Never Evers by Shana Burg

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

So enlightening to browse back through old lists, reminding myself of all these wonderful books. Thanks for the joy. Now back to that other writing I need done for tomorrow!

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Anne Ursu

2011

312 pages

I consumed this book.
I finished it last night and even though the story ends wonderfully I just wanted it to go on. Hazel is an astonishing girl heroine!

Things to know and love:

It took place in Minnesota.
It made me miss snow.
It is a retelling of the fairy tale The Snow Queen.
The two main characters, Jack and Hazel, are lovable.
The two symbolize the difficult journey of growing up.
The parents are odd and generally not helpful (typical).
Anne Ursu makes some wonderful references to other great literature.

I read this beautiful retelling of The Snow Queen by Amy Ehrlich and Susan Jeffers to Groovy Girl tonight just to compare with what took place in the book and it is pretty accurate. Ursu has lengthened it by adding many adventures to the forest but it only makes the story more enticing. I am extremely pleased I purchased a copy of this book as I love the front cover and it is worth rereading. I will also want Groovy Girl to read it in her own time. I rated it five stars on Good Reads. Thank you, Anne, for this beautiful tale.

Anne Ylvisaker and The Book Club

Author Anne Ylvisaker

I was the host of our book club last night and we had a a fantastic time. Through a round of chance encounters (one of our members worked with Anne’s husband in Cedar Rapids a few years back) and after I’d read and loved Little Klein we cooked up a plan to read a few of her books and see if she would skype with us. We’re so happy she agreed.

Ylvisaker grew up in Minnesota; in the St. Paul area, her father was a minister and she spent time in Iowa as an adult as well. All three of her fiction books take place in these Midwest settings. She had a lot of good stories to tell; some about her family and some about her writing process. I particularly loved this one…her writing group at one time gathered words and shared them with each other; using them to write with that week. She could pick them out of Little Klein and demonstrated how they raised the story up. She also shared many of the personal family stories that have became part of her books.

It was one of the best book club experiences we’ve had and it had nothing to do with the delicious food or the wine. It was the lively conversation we had with her and the discussion we had after we hung up the camera.
I’m a huge fan of hers and hope you will take time to read any of her fiction books for fun.

I read Dear Papa recently (2002) a wonderful elementary/middle grade fiction that shares the letters Isabelle writes to her deceased father and other family members as she deals with her grief and her mother’s eventual remarriage. The book is filled with daily joys and disappointments…just like real life. It takes place in Minnesota around the second World War.
Here’s a snippet:

“Dear Papa, Jan. 1, 1944 It’s a brand-new year. I have made some resolutions: Help the first time Mama asks. Hang up my clothes before bed. Go to church with a willing heart. Keep our family together. Your daughter,Isabelle, nine and a half today” (15)

I also read her latest book, The Luck of the Buttons (2011) about a young Iowa girl, Tugs Buttons, who is cursed with an unlucky family. Tugs changes her stars as she wins a three-legged race, an essay contest and a raffle all at the 4th of July celebration. She suffers some hard times but in the end she is able to show her family sometimes you got to make your own luck happen. Tugs is another positive young heroine!
Another snippet to share:

“Tugs shrugged into yesterday’s clothes, which still lay in a heap on the floor, slipped past Granny, who was writing a letter at the kitchen table, and collected five pennies from her mother on her way out the door. Wednesday mornings were Granddaddy Ike’s checkers mornings. and in the summer, Tugs was in charge of walking him from his house to Al and Irene’s Luncheonette…”(60)

We found out she has two more books in the works about this Button family and the next one up is Button Down, featuring Tugs’ cousin, Ned. Read my review of Little Klein here, which features an adorable boy and a dog combo that will make you smile to the heavens.

There was a grand moment for me when Ylvisaker recognized the “Peaceful Reader” name and asked if we were not on twitter together…I was over-the-moon-thrilled!

Thank you to Anne for taking time out of her busy schedule (her children had just returned home for the holidays) to talk with our group and to all authors who make themselves available to us, their adoring readers.
Thank you to my book club friends for willingly taking this leap of faith with me and Kay!
(now I’m thinking why didn’t I ask her for a preview copy of Button Down…silly me)
Enjoy.

August Update-13 books!

I’ve read a bunch of wonderful books in August! I had minor surgery to remove a cyst and have spent a lot of time resting and reading! Look at all the fun stuff I read this month! Links are for my reviews. Some toward the end of the list are still waiting for their own review and some I probably won’t review at all.

1. Where She Went by Gayle Forman – RF- I liked If I Stay better yet it was interesting hearing his voice. These two could win cutest musical couple award!

2. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly -HF- Top Author of the Month! I loved depressed teen Andi mixed with Alex’s fight to save the prince during the French Revolution. It was, well, revolutionary!

3. The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter -Modern Fantasy-The Hardscrabble kids are tough and show us just how kids feel about being ostracized.

4. Gemma by Meg Tilly – RF- Wow. Brutally honest abusive/pedophile story. Made me want to hold my children very close. Tilly has this creepy guy written just right.

5. In The Green Kitchen by Alice Waters -Cookbook-Simple start-off recipes to help you accomplish bigger tasks. I loved the pantry list. I showed it to my mother while she was visiting and loved it when she laughed and said…”Oh, I bought this for you! Can you wait until Christmas to get it?” So typical. And yes, I can wait.

6. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly -HF-It’s 1906 and this is Mattie’s coming-of-age story where she figures it all out after her mother dies. Luckily, she takes the road less traveled.

7. Countdown by Deborah Wiles – HF-It’s the 60’s and everyone is worried about the Russian’s and Cuba, students learn how to duck and cover to stay safe and Franny figures out why her Uncle Otts is so important.

8. How To Buy a Love Of Reading by Tanya Egan Gibson -RF-Drunken, super rich children figure out they do have something to say at the last minute. Carley-I grew to like and Hunter-made me want to go to AA.

9. The Penderwicks; A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall- RF- Sweet, summer tale with a charming cottage and lots of room to play. Mrs. Tipton figured out her parenting skills at the last second-thankfully! I’m interested in the rest of this series.

10. True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet by Lola Douglass -RF- too-young-party-girl falls off the face of the earth and lands in Indiana. She’s startled to find real characters in the Midwest. Never too off for me-too much nap dropping.

11. The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas -Fantasy-Lovely magical tale about Oliver Twist-ish character who saves the magic and helps Nevery. I plan to read more of this series and was excited to see Prineas is an Iowa writer!

12. Matched by Allie Condie-Dystopian-Cassia has two loves on her post-warming world matched card and she must find a way to deal with her feelings for the unsanctioned Ky. This was a fast read and kept me reading even though I hated this overly organized world.

13.. The Love Season by Elin Hildenbrand – RF -Love the Nantucket setting, and the culinary experience of listening to Margo put together food-ohhhh! Did not enjoy Cade and his family or Miles. Loved Action’s character-could she have a spin-off book!

I am sad to say goodbye to summer. I always am. I’m a summer girl. I like to be warm. I like going to the pool. I like margaritas. Fall has it’s good points though and I’ve already made an Autumn dish and I especially like going into an Indian Summer September like we seem to be. My girl’s birthday comes up in September also!

Hope everyone has a blissful Labor Day Weekend. I will be celebrating my anniversary all weekend-we were married in Galena, IL and had all kinds of activities from golf outings to wine tastings for our guests to participate in. I’m sure we’ll find some fun this weekend even if I’m still healing.

The very unique Hardscrabble family in The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter

Oh, I am having so much fun reading this week, getting books off my to-read shelf that have languished too long. I thought this one was going to be all copycat Lemony Snickett(poor, poor orphan children) and while it does have some similarities, the Hardscrabble family is very unique.

“There were three of them. Otto was the oldest, and the oddest. Then there was Lucia, who wished something interesting would happen. Last of all was Max, who always thought he knew better. They lived in a small town in England called Little Tunks.” (1)

It is written in a very meta-fictive style in that as the reader you are talked to in a certain, knowing way. Their father has to go out of town on a supposed business trip and sends the children off to London, to an aunt’s house. Once they arrive they find only the cat sitter who made the mistake of pretending to understand what their dad said when he called to make arrangements.

Their aunt is truly on holiday and the cat sitter won’t let them stay (she doesn’t know them after all!) so they spend one scary night in London and then head off to their Great- Aunt’s house near the sea. It’s quite a journey and once they arrive their Great-Aunt is not what they expect at all. They have a small castle to explore and they find themselves pulled into the mysterious kneebone boy fiasco, which really all leads to what the Hardscrabble children really need; answers to what happened to their mother.

I found this book to be wonderfully quirky and I could think of a whole list of students to recommend it to because you need a unique mind to enjoy the Hardscrabble’s as characters as well as their unique journey.
I found it so refreshing when the children find out (although Otto remembers) that their mother has been dealing with her own mental health and that that is where the father goes every time he sets off for a trip.

Ellen Potter breathes an unusual life into Otto, Lucia, and Max, creating this story and I wouldn’t mind hearing more about their adventures. Take note of the cover above and realize you will find yourself returning to it throughout the story, checking on details about the children-like Otto’s scarf, wrapped so tightly around his neck, as though he is continually cold. Details. Explore Potter’s website

Get Your Latest News Here….Newsgirl by Liza Ketchum

I snatched this one up from the new books display shelf at my local library. The cover was appealing and the blurb convinced me to check it and bring it home. I wanted to read it before we left town but Cutting For Stone took a loooong time to finish so I decided to brought it along and finished it in DC.

Amelia, her mother and her mother’s friend, Estelle arrive in San Francisco from Boston by boat. They arrive broke and in need of shelter and food. Estelle and Amelia’s mother plan to open a dress shop and have brought trunks of fabric but have spent too much money on the trip. They’ve taken a chance on this trip to build a new life for themselves; to find a home where women can exist on their own so it comes as no surprise that strong-willed Amelia sets her heart on sellling newspapers even after repeatedly being told it’s not a job for young ladies.

She cuts her hair and begs her mother to sew her boy’s clothes in order to join up with a gang of enterprising young men. Her desire to write the news for the local paper sends her to the flagship flight of a hot air balloon where she assists and takes the ride of her life, making everyone think she and her companion are dead. She brings home money, has adventures and struggles with her identity both as a “boy” and as a fatherless daughter. She breaks ground in a new land and follows her dream, which make her a powerful character, perfect for young readers.

My thoughts:

I think this one will appeal to its intended audience more than adults. Ketchum spells out all the complicated questions Amelia has and a young audience will appreciate this help. Everything under the sun occurs to Amelia and this overwhelmed me as a reader. The fire, kidnapping, looting, a street fight and money stolen seemed a lot for one book. Someone mentions getting shanghai’d on the docks…she gets shanghai’d by two sailors.

Trapped in a runaway hot air balloon and her struggle to get home seemed enough of an added adventure to focus on. After her ballooning experience while she is stuck in the mountains was enjoyable as she learned about panning for gold. The story did push the envelope on women’s rights, racism and pioneer struggles. I enjoyed the idea of the subtle same sex relationship between Estelle and Sophie and that Amelia eventually concluded having Estelle in her life was just about as good as having a father but in general the book left me feeling a little flat.

In a Nutshell:
Author’s website: Liza Ketchum
Genre: Historical Fiction
Time Period: 1851 (Gold Rush, California)
Audience: elementary (4-6)
Pages: 317

Other reviews:
Kiss the Book

Friday Feature; A Book Lover's inventory!

Okay, truth be told, I don’t love all inventory but I do love beep, beep, beeping my way through the fiction books. It is much more than just a book count; it is review of what I have, what’s been popular and not-so-popular. While I’m doing this inventory I’ve been compiling a summer reading list with a notebook tucked next to my computer.

As you might imagine it is slow-going but oh, so much fun! I’ve been busted several times sitting on my step stool immersed in a book. Even my trusted assistant, Janice, jokingly said “hey, no reading during inventory!” I can’t help it, going through the fiction section makes me reminisce about the books I’ve read, popular books with students this year, books I want to recommend to specific teachers and sadly, good books that don’t fly off the shelves.

I found these books irrisistible and had a difficult time setting them back on the shelf to continue with inventory. I expect to go back to them very soon and may take a couple home tonight.

Treasures unearthed as I’ve done inventory. Click on the title for a synopsis.

1. On the Run by Gordon Korman (I was roped in instantly to the Falconers troubles)
2. Silent to the Bone by e.l. Konigsburg (same here with what happened to the baby)
3. Iqbal by Francesco D’Adamo (made me think of The Breadwinner)
4. The Brooklyn Nine by Alan Gratz (baseball)
5. Stumptown Kid by Carol Gorman (baseball)
6. Over the River by Sharelle Byars Moranville (loved The Snows)
7. Roxie and the Hooligan by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (bullies)
8. Poison Ivy by Amy Goldman Koss (bullies)
Here’s a quote I found inside Baby by Patricia MacLachlan:

I wondered what she would do when Lalo went off-island to high school. Maybe she would wither away among all the books with all the words in them until no one could ever find her again unless they opened a book. (17)

What was I doing on page 17 of Baby, you could ask? I’m pretty sure I’ve read it so I flipped through to read a page or two and no kidding, flipped right to that quote! Perfect for me. Inventory is a blast!

Have you read any of the above books? Would you recommend any of them?

We Can't All Be Rattlesnakes

by Patrick Jennings

2009

121 pages

This is the cutest little book told from a gopher snake’s point-of-view. I never would have picked it up myself (big dislike for snakes) but Patrick Jennings is coming to town and I thought Groovy Girl and I should read a few of his titles. He obviously has a thing for animals as many of his other books are animal-related, like Guinea Dog.
We Can’t All Be Rattlesnakes begins:

I had shed a skin the day of my capture. As always, the sloughing left me famished, so I curled up under a shady patch of creosote and eagerly awaited the first rodent to cross my path. Gopher was at the top of my list, though I was so hungry that I’d gladly have settled for even a nasty, gristly shrew.
A rodent did not cross my path first that morning, however. A lower life form did: a human. (1)

     And so it goes that the human, Gunnar, captures the gopher snake, taking him out of his natural environment and thrusting him in a cage, right next to other prisoners/animals; a tarantula, a desert tortoise, and an alligator lizard. Gunnar is a despicable boy, who loves his video games more than the animals he captures. Oh sure, for awhile he dotes on Crusher, the name he bestows on his new pet snake, but he is not a loving caretaker. He reminded me of the mean boy, Sid, in Toy Story-remember him! Gunnar is more dim-witted but he is not the character we are meant to love.  I really wanted the mom to tell him “NO more animals” but she never does. Only for the point of funny fiction I let it go!
    This book does such a marvelous job of thinking like a snake, in complex detail and Groovy Girl and I enjoyed how Crusher deciphers the human world. The other fantastic detail of this story is the communication that occurs between Gunnar’s “zoo”- thoughts are transferred to each other so what Crusher thinks is transmitted to the others in cages near him…other animals that he might eat if he weren’t trapped in the glass box. It’s funny to hear the animals sarcastically “teach” Crusher how it’s gonna be in captivity and hear how Crusher tries to work his relationship with Gunnar. Relationships form between the animals, you could call it friendship, even with a mouse dropped into Crusher’s cage meant for dinner. The thrill of eating a mouse in captivity doesn’t seem fair and the mouse and Crusher share the cage much to the great disappointment of Gunnar.
     I plan to book talk this with my 3rd-5th grade students-my guess is it will be a hit with boys first. It’s a quick read-we finished within a week, reading a few of the 13 chapters a night. I think this would make a perfect read-aloud to show students what “voice” is; to put themselves in to another being would be a great writing assignment. I’m anxious to now meet the author who writes such quirky stories for kids-he must be funny. His website is funny. He must be funny.

Patrick Jennings website
Kidsreads talks about it.
Click on the title and find it at an Indie store near you-We Can’t All Be Rattlesnakes

Top Ten-2010

I’ve checked out a few top ten lists around the blogosphere so I thought I needed to add my ten cents worth. I’ve divided them into three categories: Adult Fiction, YA Fiction and elementary fiction as these are the areas I do the most reading. I’ve grouped several series titles together as you’ll notice. For example, I loved Stieg Larsson’s Millenium series but can’t give it three spots on my list. Also they are not in any particular order as to how much I enjoyed them-too difficult to pick an absolute winner. Links added are to my own review of each book.How many of these titles have you read? Tell me your thoughts. Enjoy!

Adult Fiction

1. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series by Stieg Larsson-mystery, never reviewed it because so many others had but I’m a big fan of Lisbeth Salander, a kickin’ heroine from Sweden.

2. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford-Historical Fiction, alternating between 1942 and 1986, Asian-American, Internment Camps during WWII.
3. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusack-Historical Fiction, Nazi Germany, narrated by Death. Brilliant!
4. Serena by Ron Rash-Historical Fiction-North Carolina Mountains, environmental destruction amisdst ruthlessness.
5. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley-1950, England, 11-year-old star heroine, Flavia solves great mystery.
6. The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow-interracial story of Rachel’s family, told in alternating chapters, 1980’s.
7. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender-present day quirky family, Rose can taste her mother’s feelings through her cooking.
8. Buying Time by Pamela Samuels Young-Diverse, mystery, loved the layers and interconnecting of many characters.
9. Still Alice by Lisa Genova-Harvard professor with Alzheimer’s disease, amazing in-depth story, had me in tears.
10. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver Historical Fiction-just finishing this but am amazed by the research and layered history of this tale.

YA Fiction

1. Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye-Emigration tale from America to Palestine.
2. The $66 Summer by JohnArmistead- Historical Fiction, Alabama, 1950’s.
3. Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier-Fantasy,beautiful fairy tale with shades of the 12 Dancing Princesses.
4. Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony-Dystopian world, Canada and U.S., 2031, Anthony creates a unique world of the future.
5. Shiver/Linger by Maggie Stiefvater-Fantasy, werewolves, love story, excellent writing.
6. Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson-Historical Fiction, Revolutionary War and Slavery.
7. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen-Realistic Fiction, smart girl meets beach boy=complicated romance.
8. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen-Realistic Fiction, Owen helps Annabel understand the complicated parts of her life.

9. Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan-September 9, 2001, teens deal with fall-out before, during and after the towers fall. Heavy, timely and funny.

10. Devil on my Heels by Joyce McDonald-Historical Fiction, 1950’s, racial strife in Florida, great rabble rousing.

Elementary/Middle Fiction

1. Yankee Girl by Mary Ann Rodman-Historical fiction, Civil Rights Strife, tear-jerker.
2. Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur-Realistic Fiction involving death of sibling and parent, fantastic writing.
3. Any Which Wall by Laurel Snyder-Fantasy, children in Iowa small town discover a magic wall which makes for great adventure over the summer while the rest of us are just out riding our bikes.
4. Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull-Fantasy, amazing world surrounding grandparent’s house.
5. One Crazy Summer by Rita William- Garcia-1968 Historical Fiction, Black Panthers.
6. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead-A Wrinkle in Time mixed with realistic fiction, NYC drama.

7. Clementine; Friend of the Week by Sarah Pennypacker-You can make a mess of things and your friends will stand be there for you.
8. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin-Fable/Asian tales, girl and dragon change their destiny.
9. The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz-Fantasy, night fairy battles elements in human backyard after bat chews her wings.

10. Star in the Forest by Laura Resau-Realistic Fiction, Mexican family deals with deportation, difficulties as daughter takes care of abandoned dog to ease pain.

I hope each and everyone of you had a very Happy New Year! Cheers to 2011.