Today I'm bringing you a little something different. Still celebrating my 100th post, I thought I would present a list of some of my favorite picture books. To add a little challenge to my list, it's alphabetical. Although if I'm honest, I must admit I've never read my selection for X. I may do this again another time since the possibilities are practically endless.
The ABC’s of Picture Books
A is for Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
B is for Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban
C is for Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
D is for Dog Blue by Polly Dunbar
E is for An Elephant in the Backyard by Richard Sobol
F is for Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss
G is for Goin’ Someplace Special by Patricia McKissack
H is for The Hungry Thing by Jan Slepian
I is for If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Numeroff
J is for Just for You by Mercer Mayer
K is for The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
L is for Lon Po Po by Ed Young
M is for Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco
N is for Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs by Tomie dePaola
O is for Once There Were Giants by Martin Waddell
P is for The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy
Q is for Quick As A Cricket by Audrey Wood
R is for The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin
S is for A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson
T is for The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
U is for Umbrella by Taro Yashima
V is for The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
W is for Whoever You Are by Mem Fox
X is for Xavier and the Letter X by Cynthia Fitterer Klingel*
Y is for You Read To Me, I’ll Read To You by Mary Ann Hoberman
Z is for Zoom by Robert Munsch
About the Authors:
Judith Viorst
Judith Viorst is the author of several works of fiction and non-fiction for children as well as adults. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, her most famous children's book, was first published in 1972 and has since sold over two million copies.
Russell Hoban
Russell Hoban, an illustrator and would-be artist, was decorated for bravery against the Nazis. After returning to New York he found success with stories for children. Bedtime for Frances was first published in 1960. It is the first in the Frances series. Others include: A Baby Sister for Frances (1964), A Birthday for Frances (1968), Best Friends for Frances (1969), A Bargain for Frances (1970) and Bread and Jam for Frances (year?)
Biographical Information
Doreen Cronin
Doreen Cronin is a popular children's book author. Her picture books include Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type; Giggle, Giggle, Quack; Duck for President; Click Clack Quackity Quack; Click Clack Splish Splash; Dooby Dooby Moo; Diary of A Spider; Diary of A Worm; Diary of A Fly; and Wiggle.
http://www.doreencronin.com/
Polly Dunbar
Polly Dunbar is both a writer and an illustrator. Her books include Dog Blue and Flyaway Katie. She has also illustrated Shoe Baby, Looking After Louis, and A Saucepan on His Head. She lives in London, and her website says that her favorite things to do besides drawing are: "eating chocolate with coffee, singing along to the Beatles, stroking cats, and blue shoes."
http://www.pollydunbar.com/
Richard Sobol
Richard Sobol is a photographer who also writes picture books (nonfiction picture books) for children.
http://www.wildfoto.com/intro.html
Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss needs no introduction from me!
http://www.seussville.com/
Patricia McKissack
Patricia C. and Fredrick L. McKissack have written over one hundred books about the African-American experience. They have won countless awards and received much critical acclaim, all the while bringing enjoyment and information to young readers.
Scholastic's Patricia McKissack's page
Jan Slepian
Jan Slepian began her writing career when she and a colleague, Dr. Ann Seidler, wrote a series of articles devoted to common speech problems. "We wrote about ten of these and sent them off to a syndicated newspaper column called 'Parents Ask.' To our delighted surprise, they were accepted and published.: Thereafter, Slepian and Seidler, collaborated on a a series of picture books called The Listen-Hear Books, all dealing with some aspect of speech. The Hungry Thing from this series, and its sequels, The Hungry Thing Returns and The Hungry Thing Goes to a Restaurant remain popular favorites.
Penguin Group: Author Biography
Laura Numeroff
Laura Numeroff is a prolific writer. From her website: "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie was the tenth book I wrote. The idea came to me on a long, boring car trip. On the way from San Francisco to Oregon in the car, I tried to make my friend laugh by telling a story about a mouse nibbling on a cookie. “He'd want some milk to go with it. And then he'd probably need a straw. Then he'd want a napkin . . ." and by the time we reached Oregon, I had told the whole story! If You Give a Mouse a Cookie was turned down nine times — but my motto is “never give up.” I continued to submit it to publishers until it found a home at Harper."
Scholastic's Author Page
Mercer Mayer
Mercer Mayer has written many children's books. But my favorite books are from his Little Critter series. From his website: "I began illustrating books in 1966. Since that time I have published over 300 books. Most of my books are about things that happened to me when I was a little kid. Now I'm a big kid and I write about things that happen now, especially with my own children. They always remind me of what it was like."
http://www.littlecritter.com/
Audrey Penn
Penn got the inspiration for The Kissing Hand from something that happened when she was with her daughter in a park near her home, but what's really inspiring is Penn's own story. Working through illness and pain, she has carved out a career for herself as one of our most beloved modern children's book authors while raising three happy, well-adjusted children. Although her own kids are now grown, Penn still sees the world through the eyes of her young readers.
iParenting's article on Audrey Penn
Ed Young
Ed Young is an author and an illustrator. He was the winner of the 1990 Caldecott Medal, and has illustrated over 40 books for children, four of which he has also written. He cites the philosophy of Chinese painting as his inspiration. “A Chinese painting is often accompanied by words,” explainsYoung. “They are complementary. There are things that words do that pictures never can, and likewise, there are images thatwords can never describe.”
Scholastic's Author Page
Patricia Polacco
A prolific children's book writer, Patricia Polacco is an amazing writer. She has written so many wonderful and memorable books such as Thank You Mr. Falker, Pink and Say, Babushka Baba Yaga, Mrs. Katz and Tush, Chicken Sunday, Thunder Cake, and The Keeping Quilt.
http://www.patriciapolacco.com/
Tomie dePaola
Tomie dePaola is another prolific writer and illustrator. He's been published for 40 years and has written and/or illustrated over 200 books, including 26 Fairmount Avenue, Strega Nona, and Meet the Barkers. Tomie dePaola and his work have been recognized with the Caldecott Honor Award, the Newbery Honor Award and the New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure.
http://www.tomie.com/main.html
Martin Waddell
A master storyteller for children, Martin has won the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen award and the Smarties award twice. He is now one of the most prolific and successful of children's writers with well over one hundred books to his name. His books include the popular Little Bear series as well as the unforgettable (at least to me) book When the Teddybears Came.
Valerie Flournoy
The Patchwork Quilt was a Reading Rainbow book
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/mtai/flournoy.html
http://gpn.unl.edu/rainbow/
Audrey Wood
A prolific writer, she has written many memorable books such as The Napping House, The Big Hungry Bear, and Silly Sally.
http://www.audreywood.com/
Rafe Martin
From his site: "Stories in words are among our oldest, most powerful, most mysterious tools. Through mere sounds on the air or squiggles on a page, they give us what no other technology can--ourselves."
http://www.rafemartin.com/
Angela Johnson
Angela Johnson writes picture books, poems, and novels.
http://aalbc.com/authors/angela.htm
Jon Scieszka
Writer of picture books and author of the Time Warp Trio series. His website says: "I write books because I love to make kids laugh."
Scholastic's Author Page
Taro Yashima
The self-stated theme of his books for children is this: "Let children enjoy living on this earth, let children be strong enough not to be beaten or twisted by evil on this earth."
Brief Biographical Sketch
Eric Carle
Another writer who needs no introduction because his works have become classics and his quality is legendary.
http://www.eric-carle.com/
Mem Fox
Mem Fox is an Australian writer. She has written many memorable picture books including Koala Lou.
http://www.memfox.com/welcome.html
Mary Ann Hoberman
Mary Ann Hoberman is a poet and the critically acclaimed author of many books for children, including the beloved A House is a House for Me, winner of a National Book Award. Other popular titles include The Seven Silly Eaters and the You Read to Me, I'll Read to You series. She recently received the 2003 Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, given by the National Council of Teachers of English.
http://www.maryannhoberman.com/
Robert Munsch
Robert Munsch is a bestselling, much-loved Canadian author perhaps most famous for his book Love You Forever. He has written other equally great books as well. My favorites include Moira's Birthday; Purple, Green and Yellow; Stephanie's Ponytail; and Thomas' Snowsuit.
http://robertmunsch.com/
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Monday, December 04, 2006
Celebrating 100
Today's post is my 100th! I am planning on some other special posts later in the week celebrating my favorite literature. But today I have for you another review.
Armstrong, Jennifer. 2006. The American Story: 100 True Tales From American History
This rather heavy book entitled simply The American Story: 100 True Tales from American History is written by Jennifer Armstrong and illustrated by Roger Roth. It features 100 small portraits of American history from the sixteenth century (1565) to the twentieth century (2000). Some stories are about famous people, places, or events. Other stories are truly unexpected gems highlighting some forgotten heroes and the like. Others highlight some of America's greatest legends. Some stories feature notes that provide more details. It also features Story ARCS (subject guide), bibliography, and index. Readers will find familiar tales about George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, etc. But they will also find unfamiliar tales. Ordinary tales of what makes America great.
Here is just a highlight of what you can find within its pages:
1655 Keeping Watch, Keeping the Faith
New Amsterdam. The governor-general Peter Stuyvesant is unhappy when the first Jewish immigrants fleeing from Catholic Spain (during the Inquisition) arrive. Wanting at first to throw the Jews out of his city altogether, he is refused permission by the Dutch West India Company. But he's a persistent man "determined to place as many restrictions on the Jews as possible. He would not allow them to become burghers, or citizen. They were not to be trusted to keep the watch but instead would have to pay a fee to make up for not performing guard duty" (21). One Jew, Asser Levy was equally persistent. Determined to prove his worth, he refused to pay the tax and began (without permission) to join the other men in guard duty. "He marched with the burghers, kept guard duty with the burghers, and acted like a burgher, until there was no one in New Amsterdam who could honestly say that he was not a burgher. By his unceasing efforts to keep the watch, Asser Levy at last gained the rights of citizenship for all the Jews of New Amsterdam, and there was nothing that Peter Stuyvesant could do about it" (22). Armstrong's note further elaborates: "Asser Levy became the first Jew in North America to own a house and to sit on a jury, and he was a founding member of the first Jewish congregation, Shearith Israel. By 1662, he was one of the wealthiest men in New Amsterdam" (22).
1804 Going Bananas
In this brief story, readers find out the fascinating history of America's importation of bananas. "But possibly the most unusual thing brought into the harbor [of New York City] in 1804 was a shipment of bananas from Cuba" (63). People had no idea what they were or how you ate them. So they rotted. "The next time bananas made an appearance was in 1830, and pushcart vendors at the docks bought the ripening fruit to sell that very day before it spoiled. As the decades wore on, more and more people were introduced to the banana, but for a while it was so exotic that it was reserved for special occasions such as wedding banquets and holiday feasts. In 1876, bananas were sold at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia for a princely ten cents each. By the turn of the century, tropical fruits were so popular that the country was willing to go to war to protect its agricultural business interests in the Caribbean. By 1905, a mere 101 years after its introduction to the United States, the banana was so popular and so easily available that it was known as the 'poor man's fruit.' Today it is the most widely eaten fruit in America" (64).
1812 Uncle Sam
If you're like me you might have always secretly wondered what the deal was with "Uncle Sam" and how "Uncle Sam" became a patriotic symbol in this country...Armstrong presents this fascinating story. In 1812 during the war with Britain, America needed to keep soldiers and sailors well supplied and fed. A meat packer in Troy, New York, Sam Wilson was given a contract to supply soldiers (and sailors) with cured beef in barrels. Since each barrel was intended for the government, it was stamped U.S. But "since Wilson was known locally as Uncle Sam, people began saying 'U.S.' stood for Uncle Sam Wilson" (69). "And as the barrels rolled their way down from New York, the term rolled along with them...eventually the entire nation adopted Uncle Sam as the nickname for the federal government" (70).
1849 This Side Up
Henry Brown's story is a fascinating one. Born a slave on a plantation in Virginia, he remained a slave most of his life until one day while he was praying an idea came to him. "One night while he prayed for deliverance, the word "box" came into his mind. I'll put myself in a box and mail myself to freedom, he thought with wondering awe. He could deliver himself" (99). With help from some local sympathizers, he mailed himself to an abolitionist in Philadelphia. "The box they constructed was just big enough to hold him. It was two and a half feet deep, two feet wide, and three feet long. They lined the rough boards with cloth and drilled airholes for ventilation. Henry packed a canteen of water and supplied himself with some biscuits" (100). Though the box said "This Side Up: Handle With Care," his journey was not easy but when he arrived he was finally free.
1851 Ain't I A Woman
I won't go into too many details here, but I am so glad that Jennifer Armstrong chose to include the story of Sojourner Truth in her collection. Her speech, which Armstrong highlights extensively, is such a powerful piece of literature. I am happy that young readers will discover this story long before they reach college literature classes which is where I discovered this gem.
1884 Hold Your Horses, Here Come The Elephants!
A year after the Brooklyn Bridge opened, people were still fearful that the bridge would collapse. Enter onto the scene P.T. Barnum and his circus, and the crowd need never fear the bridge's stability again: "Barnum would march part of his parade from Manhattan to Brooklyn, across the bridge. The sacred white Incian elephant that had joined Barnum's circus was a celebrity attraction, but no elephant in the world could match the mighty Jumbo in popularity" (161). His circus parade concluded with Jumbo bringing up the rear. "The most prodigious pachyderm in the known world came marching along on ponderous feet, flapping his great ears and tossing his trunk in the air. 'Hooray for Jumbo!' came shouts of delight. Horses reared and snorted at the wild-beast smell of the elephants, and the toll keeper at the end of the bridge let the parade through without asking a nickel: he didn't know what toll to charge an elepant" (162).
1907 The Woeful Plight of Mary Mallon
Typhoid Mary's story told in a kid-friendly style.
1956 All Shook Up
The story of Elvis.
1980 The Fire Mountain
The eruption of Mount Saint Helens.
Each story varies in length between two to five pages, often depending on how large the accompanying illustrations for that particular story are. It concludes with the election of 2000. It is arranged chronologically, but readers will find it easy to browse and scan as well. The subject guide at the back of the book is also convenient for making connections and establishing patterns in history.
Armstrong, Jennifer. 2006. The American Story: 100 True Tales From American History
This rather heavy book entitled simply The American Story: 100 True Tales from American History is written by Jennifer Armstrong and illustrated by Roger Roth. It features 100 small portraits of American history from the sixteenth century (1565) to the twentieth century (2000). Some stories are about famous people, places, or events. Other stories are truly unexpected gems highlighting some forgotten heroes and the like. Others highlight some of America's greatest legends. Some stories feature notes that provide more details. It also features Story ARCS (subject guide), bibliography, and index. Readers will find familiar tales about George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, etc. But they will also find unfamiliar tales. Ordinary tales of what makes America great.
Here is just a highlight of what you can find within its pages:
1655 Keeping Watch, Keeping the Faith
New Amsterdam. The governor-general Peter Stuyvesant is unhappy when the first Jewish immigrants fleeing from Catholic Spain (during the Inquisition) arrive. Wanting at first to throw the Jews out of his city altogether, he is refused permission by the Dutch West India Company. But he's a persistent man "determined to place as many restrictions on the Jews as possible. He would not allow them to become burghers, or citizen. They were not to be trusted to keep the watch but instead would have to pay a fee to make up for not performing guard duty" (21). One Jew, Asser Levy was equally persistent. Determined to prove his worth, he refused to pay the tax and began (without permission) to join the other men in guard duty. "He marched with the burghers, kept guard duty with the burghers, and acted like a burgher, until there was no one in New Amsterdam who could honestly say that he was not a burgher. By his unceasing efforts to keep the watch, Asser Levy at last gained the rights of citizenship for all the Jews of New Amsterdam, and there was nothing that Peter Stuyvesant could do about it" (22). Armstrong's note further elaborates: "Asser Levy became the first Jew in North America to own a house and to sit on a jury, and he was a founding member of the first Jewish congregation, Shearith Israel. By 1662, he was one of the wealthiest men in New Amsterdam" (22).
1804 Going Bananas
In this brief story, readers find out the fascinating history of America's importation of bananas. "But possibly the most unusual thing brought into the harbor [of New York City] in 1804 was a shipment of bananas from Cuba" (63). People had no idea what they were or how you ate them. So they rotted. "The next time bananas made an appearance was in 1830, and pushcart vendors at the docks bought the ripening fruit to sell that very day before it spoiled. As the decades wore on, more and more people were introduced to the banana, but for a while it was so exotic that it was reserved for special occasions such as wedding banquets and holiday feasts. In 1876, bananas were sold at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia for a princely ten cents each. By the turn of the century, tropical fruits were so popular that the country was willing to go to war to protect its agricultural business interests in the Caribbean. By 1905, a mere 101 years after its introduction to the United States, the banana was so popular and so easily available that it was known as the 'poor man's fruit.' Today it is the most widely eaten fruit in America" (64).
1812 Uncle Sam
If you're like me you might have always secretly wondered what the deal was with "Uncle Sam" and how "Uncle Sam" became a patriotic symbol in this country...Armstrong presents this fascinating story. In 1812 during the war with Britain, America needed to keep soldiers and sailors well supplied and fed. A meat packer in Troy, New York, Sam Wilson was given a contract to supply soldiers (and sailors) with cured beef in barrels. Since each barrel was intended for the government, it was stamped U.S. But "since Wilson was known locally as Uncle Sam, people began saying 'U.S.' stood for Uncle Sam Wilson" (69). "And as the barrels rolled their way down from New York, the term rolled along with them...eventually the entire nation adopted Uncle Sam as the nickname for the federal government" (70).
1849 This Side Up
Henry Brown's story is a fascinating one. Born a slave on a plantation in Virginia, he remained a slave most of his life until one day while he was praying an idea came to him. "One night while he prayed for deliverance, the word "box" came into his mind. I'll put myself in a box and mail myself to freedom, he thought with wondering awe. He could deliver himself" (99). With help from some local sympathizers, he mailed himself to an abolitionist in Philadelphia. "The box they constructed was just big enough to hold him. It was two and a half feet deep, two feet wide, and three feet long. They lined the rough boards with cloth and drilled airholes for ventilation. Henry packed a canteen of water and supplied himself with some biscuits" (100). Though the box said "This Side Up: Handle With Care," his journey was not easy but when he arrived he was finally free.
1851 Ain't I A Woman
I won't go into too many details here, but I am so glad that Jennifer Armstrong chose to include the story of Sojourner Truth in her collection. Her speech, which Armstrong highlights extensively, is such a powerful piece of literature. I am happy that young readers will discover this story long before they reach college literature classes which is where I discovered this gem.
1884 Hold Your Horses, Here Come The Elephants!
A year after the Brooklyn Bridge opened, people were still fearful that the bridge would collapse. Enter onto the scene P.T. Barnum and his circus, and the crowd need never fear the bridge's stability again: "Barnum would march part of his parade from Manhattan to Brooklyn, across the bridge. The sacred white Incian elephant that had joined Barnum's circus was a celebrity attraction, but no elephant in the world could match the mighty Jumbo in popularity" (161). His circus parade concluded with Jumbo bringing up the rear. "The most prodigious pachyderm in the known world came marching along on ponderous feet, flapping his great ears and tossing his trunk in the air. 'Hooray for Jumbo!' came shouts of delight. Horses reared and snorted at the wild-beast smell of the elephants, and the toll keeper at the end of the bridge let the parade through without asking a nickel: he didn't know what toll to charge an elepant" (162).
1907 The Woeful Plight of Mary Mallon
Typhoid Mary's story told in a kid-friendly style.
1956 All Shook Up
The story of Elvis.
1980 The Fire Mountain
The eruption of Mount Saint Helens.
Each story varies in length between two to five pages, often depending on how large the accompanying illustrations for that particular story are. It concludes with the election of 2000. It is arranged chronologically, but readers will find it easy to browse and scan as well. The subject guide at the back of the book is also convenient for making connections and establishing patterns in history.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
The Night of the Burning
Wulf, Linda Press. 2006. The Night of the Burning: Devorah's Story.
Linda Press Wulf's first novel is inspired by the childhood of her mother-in-law, Devorah Lehrman. Beautifully written, it is a story about the anguish of losing family and home and the importance of remembering. The novel won the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award and first prize for a juvenile fiction manuscript from the California Writers Club.
Based on a true story, The Night of the Burning, tells the story of two sisters, orphans who at the ages of twelve and nine have witnessed too much already: the death of their uncle, father, mother, aunt, and the destruction of the entire Jewish community where they lived. As their community's sole survivors, the girls are rescued and sent to an orphanage in Pinsk. There the girls are chosen to be part of two hundred children sent to the Jewish community in South Africa. Their leader, a philanthropist, Isaac Ochberg, whom the children call "Daddy Ochberg."
The man patted the bench next to him, and I sat down warily. "I'll explain why I am here," he began. "I've come a long way, from a country called South Africa, down at the tip of Africa. There are Jewish people there, and they're worried about all the children in Europe who have no fathers and mothers because of the Great War. Ant that craziness they call the Russian Revolution." I knew about the Great War and the Russian Revolution, but they meant nothing to me. I only thought about the morning when we tucked Papa's blankets in to try to keep him warm, when he was already dead. And I thought about Mama before she died, calling for more water, more water, as the typhoid burned her from inside. I thought about the flames galloping through our village, the synagogue glowing red against the night. I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts. I needed to concentrate on the strange things Mr. Ochberg was saying. "So they sent me to find two hundred children and bring them back to South Africa. It's a beautiful country and a safe place for Jews. I'll take you and your little sister. But only if you really want to go with me." (7-8)
The story is communicated through a series of flashbacks, juxtaposing her journey to South Africa with her memories of home both pleasant and frightening. Our narrator is Devorah who ages from twelve to fourteen throughout the telling of this story. It is an amazing story of hope and despair, fear and joy, tears and laughter. It is the journey of how two sisters learned to laugh, love, and hope once more.
http://www.lindapresswulf.com/
Isaac Ochberg
Linda Press Wulf's first novel is inspired by the childhood of her mother-in-law, Devorah Lehrman. Beautifully written, it is a story about the anguish of losing family and home and the importance of remembering. The novel won the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award and first prize for a juvenile fiction manuscript from the California Writers Club.
Based on a true story, The Night of the Burning, tells the story of two sisters, orphans who at the ages of twelve and nine have witnessed too much already: the death of their uncle, father, mother, aunt, and the destruction of the entire Jewish community where they lived. As their community's sole survivors, the girls are rescued and sent to an orphanage in Pinsk. There the girls are chosen to be part of two hundred children sent to the Jewish community in South Africa. Their leader, a philanthropist, Isaac Ochberg, whom the children call "Daddy Ochberg."
The man patted the bench next to him, and I sat down warily. "I'll explain why I am here," he began. "I've come a long way, from a country called South Africa, down at the tip of Africa. There are Jewish people there, and they're worried about all the children in Europe who have no fathers and mothers because of the Great War. Ant that craziness they call the Russian Revolution." I knew about the Great War and the Russian Revolution, but they meant nothing to me. I only thought about the morning when we tucked Papa's blankets in to try to keep him warm, when he was already dead. And I thought about Mama before she died, calling for more water, more water, as the typhoid burned her from inside. I thought about the flames galloping through our village, the synagogue glowing red against the night. I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts. I needed to concentrate on the strange things Mr. Ochberg was saying. "So they sent me to find two hundred children and bring them back to South Africa. It's a beautiful country and a safe place for Jews. I'll take you and your little sister. But only if you really want to go with me." (7-8)
The story is communicated through a series of flashbacks, juxtaposing her journey to South Africa with her memories of home both pleasant and frightening. Our narrator is Devorah who ages from twelve to fourteen throughout the telling of this story. It is an amazing story of hope and despair, fear and joy, tears and laughter. It is the journey of how two sisters learned to laugh, love, and hope once more.
http://www.lindapresswulf.com/
Isaac Ochberg
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Adrienne Maria Vrettos
Vrettos, Adrienne Maria. 2006. Skin: A Novel.
Narrated by fourteen-year-old Donnie, SKIN is a heart-breaking story of a family in crisis. The first chapter opens with his sister's tragic though not unexpected death due to an eating disorder. The rest of the book tells the before and after effects of that disorder and her death.
I'm telling you this because you didn't ask. I've got it all here, growing like a tumor in my throat. I'm telling you because if I don't, I will choke on it. Everybody knows what happened, but nobody asks. And Elvis the EMT doesn't count because when he asked, he didn't even listen to me answer because he was listening to my sister's heart not beat with his stethoscope. I want to tell. It's time to tell. Even if you didn't ask, you have to hear it (4).
Karen, his sister, wasn't always like this. There was a time when she was normal. When she liked to have fun. When she liked to laugh. When she liked to eat. Donnie shares the good and bad times of his sometimes dysfunctional family. Beginning with his parent's turbulent marriage--arguments that go on for days, screaming matches, etc., and describing how through all of the chaos his sister was his anchor. His safe place to fall. But as the months progress even Karen begins to disappoint him. First she abandons him (his perspective) to be with her new best friend, the neighbor across the street, Amanda. Then as if that wasn't bad enough his own friends abandon him as well suddenly becoming 'too cool' to hang out with such a loser.
I wish they'd just sat down at the beginning of the school year and said, 'You're out,' instead of deciding together to drop me and waiting to see when I'd notice. If they'd done that, sat me down and told me, I would have laughed in their faces. I would have gotten up and walked away and left them sitting there to realize what they'd just done. It's not like there's a whole line of kids waiting to be friends with us, clamoring to take my place. We're the end of the line. We're the ones that people look at and think 'at least I'm not them.' Kids get a death grip on their friends when it looks like they might be slipping down to where we are. It's like a kick in the balls, when people use you as a threat, when you hear someone say, 'Stop being such a douche bag or we'll make you go sit with LePlant and the other freaks.' . . . Nothing about us is right. We're the wrongest kids you've ever seen. Our faces are wrong with zits, we have the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, and I think we might be ugly. Our families are wrong because none of us are rich, our bodies are wrong because we suck at sports, and there's something really wrong with all of our personalities, because nobody likes us, not even the teachers. Teachers make fun of us too, and think we don't notice. (21-22)
As his sister begins to push everyone away, even her best friend Amanda, Donnie feels like he is becoming invisible. His parents don't notice him. His sister is too busy not eating and busy pushing everyone away to notice him. And that's when she's not in the hospital being treated for her disorder. His teachers don't notice him. And he has no friends to notice him either.
I'm becoming invisible. Every day more and more light shines through me. I think about writing Karen at the hospital and telling her. If I wrote her and told her I was becoming invisible, I think she'd tell me to stop being so dramatic, and she'd say that she understood. Once I realized that I was becoming invisible, once I realized that no one really noticed me anymore, I stopped fighting it. I stopped taking the tiny bit of room they left for me on the bench at the lunch table and sat by myself at the end of the teacher's table, which is pretty much the worst place any kid can sit, ever. Unless that kid's invisible, and then it doesn't matter. Every day since Karen's been gone, I practice floating through the school halls like a ghost. I don't touch anyone and I imagine that the times I do brush up against their arms it feels like a clammy, cold breath on their skin. I sit in the back of the class and I don't raise my hand. I ignore everyone, even the teachers. Not the kind of ignoring where you jut out your chin and hope that everyone notices you ignoring them. I ignore them like we're not even in the same universe. I ignore them because it's easy: I'm not even here. My goal is to get through the whole school day without anyone talking to me. I decide once I do that, I'll become a superhero. I'll become Donnie Disappeared. (119-120)
Even after Karen's death, Donnie remains invisible. His parents trapped in ever-going arguments about whose fault everything is continue to ignore him until one day he snaps.
You never see me! You only see her, even when she's gone, you only see her. I disappeared so she could get better! I never asked you for anything! I disappeared and you didn't even notice! And she's gone and I'm here! I'm here!
Skin is an emotional novel, a powerful one, a story with ups and downs, hopes and fears, losses and gains.
Other fiction books about eating disorders include Just Listen by Sarah Dessen and Mercy, Unbound by Kim Antieau.
Another fiction book about young teens feeling invisible is Neal Shusterman's The Schwa Was Here.
Other fiction books about grief include: Maybe by Brent Runyon, Looking for Alaska by John Green, Saving Grace by Katherine Spencer, Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata, and What is Goodbye by Nikki Grimes.
http://www.adriennemariavrettos.com/index1.html
Friday, December 01, 2006
The Book of Bright Ideas
I tend to be slightly skeptical of any book that proclaims itself: A powerful, poignant novel of family, friendship, and a summer that will change lives forever. However, The Book of Bright Ideas by Sandra Kring, author of Carry Me Home, was described quite accurately.
Kring, Sandra. 2006. The Book of Bright Ideas.
Set in a small community in Wisconsin, Eveyln "Button" Peters and her family (mother, father, aunt, uncle) expect this summer--the summer of 1961--to be quiet and quite ordinary. All that changes when the Malones come quite noisily into town to stay. Winnalee and her older sister Freeda are a bit wilder and more vivacious than their new neighbors. But Button knows this: Winnalee is her new best friend and her drab life will never be the same again.
Winnalee's relationship with Button is close. The two become almost like sisters, sharing intimate, private secrets with one another. One such secret is a book--a blank book--Winnalee keeps in which she writes her bright ideas. The goal, if she can write down 100 bright ideas she knows she'll be wise and never make the same mistake twice. These bright ideas are often quite observant about human nature--universal and specific.
Here are a few of their bright ideas:
And although this isn't the official #1 in Winnalee's book, this is what would be Bright Idea #1 in Button's own book.
Bright Idea #1: If you take an ugly girl and you dress her up in a pretty pink dress, lacy anklets, and plunk a homemade bow on her head, you're not going to get a pretty girl. All you're going to get is an ugly girl in a pretty dress, lacy anklets, with a bow plunked on her head.
Bright Idea #86: If you're scared of dead people, then you're probably scared of live people too. But you don't got to be scared of either.
Bright Idea #89: If you ever don't know which direction to go in, or you start moving in the right direction but then get lost along the way, don't get rattled and start moving fast, this way and that. Instead, stand still and be quiet. Then you'll be showed which way to go.
Bright Idea #90: After you play beauty shop, your husband might say you look like a beauty queen, or he might just ask you where the Phillips screwdriver is. Either way, it doesn't matter, as long as your new hair makes you think nice things about yourself.
The Book of Bright Ideas is about how much of an impact a person can have on those around her/him. One person can change a life. It is a novel about discovering yourself. Finding your authentic self. Becoming the person you want to be. Growing in confidence and self-esteem. It's a novel about opening up and becoming vulnerable. And a novel about letting go of the past and saying hello to the future.
Although our heroine "Button" is nine, the novel is written for an older audience.
http://www.sandrakring.com/
Kring, Sandra. 2006. The Book of Bright Ideas.
Set in a small community in Wisconsin, Eveyln "Button" Peters and her family (mother, father, aunt, uncle) expect this summer--the summer of 1961--to be quiet and quite ordinary. All that changes when the Malones come quite noisily into town to stay. Winnalee and her older sister Freeda are a bit wilder and more vivacious than their new neighbors. But Button knows this: Winnalee is her new best friend and her drab life will never be the same again.
Winnalee's relationship with Button is close. The two become almost like sisters, sharing intimate, private secrets with one another. One such secret is a book--a blank book--Winnalee keeps in which she writes her bright ideas. The goal, if she can write down 100 bright ideas she knows she'll be wise and never make the same mistake twice. These bright ideas are often quite observant about human nature--universal and specific.
Here are a few of their bright ideas:
And although this isn't the official #1 in Winnalee's book, this is what would be Bright Idea #1 in Button's own book.
Bright Idea #1: If you take an ugly girl and you dress her up in a pretty pink dress, lacy anklets, and plunk a homemade bow on her head, you're not going to get a pretty girl. All you're going to get is an ugly girl in a pretty dress, lacy anklets, with a bow plunked on her head.
Bright Idea #86: If you're scared of dead people, then you're probably scared of live people too. But you don't got to be scared of either.
Bright Idea #89: If you ever don't know which direction to go in, or you start moving in the right direction but then get lost along the way, don't get rattled and start moving fast, this way and that. Instead, stand still and be quiet. Then you'll be showed which way to go.
Bright Idea #90: After you play beauty shop, your husband might say you look like a beauty queen, or he might just ask you where the Phillips screwdriver is. Either way, it doesn't matter, as long as your new hair makes you think nice things about yourself.
The Book of Bright Ideas is about how much of an impact a person can have on those around her/him. One person can change a life. It is a novel about discovering yourself. Finding your authentic self. Becoming the person you want to be. Growing in confidence and self-esteem. It's a novel about opening up and becoming vulnerable. And a novel about letting go of the past and saying hello to the future.
Although our heroine "Button" is nine, the novel is written for an older audience.
http://www.sandrakring.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)