Book Review: Penny Dreadful by Laurel Snyder

Penny Dreadful

Written by Laurel Snyder
Illustrated by Abigail Halpin
Middle Readers, Ages 8 and up
(Published in 2010 by Random House Books for Young Readers)

Penelope goes from a rich, pampered, sheltered, boring life in the city, where books are her best friends and her parents are too busy for her, to living a poor but free and adventure-filled life in the country as Penny, with a whole town full of real friends and parents who finally pay attention.

This fun and cozy book is peopled with some great eclectic characters, and great illustrations. And it's the perfect summertime (or anytime) read. I love all the bookish references peppered throughout the story - books either mentioned outright or referred to in some way like this:

"Maybe she was the friend of Penny's dream: a Betsy to her Tacy."

How can you not love a book that does that? This is a book that feels like an old friend and an exciting new friend, both at once. It has a homey all-your-favorite-books-from-childhood feel to it, and yet it also feels contemporary.

Book Review: A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

A Tale Dark & Grimm

Written by Adam Gidwitz
Middle Grade Fiction, Ages 8 and up
(Published in 2010 by Dutton Children's Books)

This is a deliciously gruesome and imaginative tale, done in the original Grimm style, only much better written, with some hilarious, pithy, but sympathetic narrative asides. (It's worth reading the book just for those.)
The story is a clever combination of several fairy tales (Hansel and Gretel, Faithful Johannes, The Seven Ravens, Brother and Sister, The Robber Bridegroom, and The Devil and His Three Golden Hairs) and the author's own originality. It makes for a scary good read. (It would make an excellent read-aloud. But as the narrator warns, it is gruesome and scary in places, so know your child.)
Here's wishing you many more books, Mr. Gidwitz. I eagerly anticipate reading them.

My Girls' New Favorite Book: Ivy & Bean by Annie Burrows; Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Ivy & Bean

Written by Annie Barrows
Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Ages 6 and up
(Published in 2006 by Chronicle Books)

I bought this book a few weeks ago, not knowing anything about it, but as I skimmed through it at the store, it looked like one both my girls could and would want to read because:

1. The two little female protagonists are seven years old.
2. It is a book about best friends.
3. It has a young reader-friendly print size.
4. It is liberally peppered with pictures.

I was sure it had "hit" potential with my girls. They ignored it.
Then, when we were at the library the other day, I saw the audiobook version and borrowed it, hoping it would jump start their interest. And boy, did it! They have giggled over the audiobook all week (whose reader, Cassandra Morris, does a superb job, by the way), and now Karina is half-way through the book, with Olivia chomping at her heels to be finished so she can read it.

The synopsis:
Bean's mother keeps wanting Bean to make friends with Ivy, the new girl her age in the cul-de-sac. But Bean thinks she looks boring. One day, in hiding from her older sister Nancy after playing a practical joke on her, Bean finds an unexpected ally in Ivy. And a friendship blossoms as they discover their similarities and differences, and together conspire to take revenge on Nancy for her big sister meannesses.

The book is a quick read, for you moms (and dads) who like to pre-read books before handing them to your kids. It's a fairly quick read for kids too, which is appealing to young readers. And while, as a mom, I hope it doesn't give my girls any ideas about ill-treating each other (as if they didn't get plenty of ideas themselves!), the kid in me giggled along with the adventures of these two quirky, funny, vibrant, REAL girls. We look forward to more Ivy and Bean adventures.


Also go visit Chronicle's Ivy + Bean Website for the Ivy + Bean Fan Club and some great teacher and librarian resources, such as book-inspired worksheets and fun games you can play.

Book Review of Home Schooling: A Family's Journey by Martine and Gregory Millman

Homeschooling: A Family's Journey

Written by Gregory and Martine Millman

Autobiography/Memoir

Published in 2008 by Tarcher

This very well-written book chronicles the journey of one New Jersey family out of the public/private school system and into interest-led home schooling; a journey these highly educated parents didn't originally anticipate, but one which they found to be completely rewarding.
This book also touches on some important deficiencies in the public education arena, and gives a very interesting look at one family's personal solution to those deficiencies. If you are a home schooling family looking into interest-led home schooling, read this book. If you are a mainstreamed public or private school parent, this is a good book to read to understand why some parents choose the home schooling route for reasons other than religion.

"We want our children to become who they are--- and a developed person is, above all, free. But freedom as we define it doesn't mean doing what you want. Freedom means the ability to make choices that are good for you. It is the power to choose to become what you are capable of becoming, to develop your unique potential by making choices that turn possibility into reality. It is the ability to make choices that actualize you. As often as not, maybe more often than not, this kind of freedom means doing what you do not want, doing what is uncomfortable or tiring or boring or annoying." - Gregory Millman

Their approach to learning is characterized by a reliance on "real" books (as opposed to textbooks), real-world experiences, and travel, with very marked success. Gregory Millman says, " With exceptions so rare it is hard to remember one, textbooks are to books as powdered food supplements are to a good, balanced meal." Yes, yes and yes.

Here are some other quotes from the book on issues that resonated with me:

"Sometimes it [the government/society]* wanted children to solve the social problems, such as racial segregation, adults could not handle. Sometimes it tacitly supported some schools as warehouses, not instructional facilities. Sometimes it sought schooling to be the equalizer in a society in which the gap between the rich and the poor was growing... Now the drumbeat demands that all children achieve academically at a high level and the measure of that achievement is tests." - Patricia Albjerg Graham, former director of the National Institute of Education

In elaboration of the above statement, Millman writes, "The decision to send a child to school is a decision to send a child into an environment with an organization and culture shaped by such seldom articulated assumptions and compromises. It is a decision to entrust a child to an enterprise whose tacit mission and goals may be different from the ones written on the wall. These missions and goals are both political and economic."

Millman discusses the concept of "agency risk - the notion that people who manage an organization [in this case, schools] tend to manage it in their own interest, not in the interest of shareholders or other stake-holders [i.e. the children]."

Personally, I read this book with a silent cheer, because not only does it outline so well the issues and struggles my own family has faced in the public school system in our town, but the Millmans' philosophy toward education and learning is one that I passionately share.

(Let me also clearly state that I support every family's right to choose the educational option that works best for them, be it public school, private school, home school, or even no school. It is not my place to question another family's educational decisions.)

*The words within the brackets [ ] are mine, to make the quote clearer.

The Millman's blog at http://www.homeschoolingafamilysjourney.com/

Picture Books Read To/By the Kids in May 2011

Don't Touch My Hat

Written and Illustrated by James Rumford

Gotten from the library on the recommendation of Amy and her girls of Hope Is the Word, this fun picture book is about a sheriff in the old, wild west whose ten-gallon hat is his prized possession. He thinks his hat helps him do his job better, but finds out the hard, but hilarious way that he's wrong.

To make the story more fun, it is written in the Old West style of speech. Although the humour seemed directed more at the adult reader sometimes, both my girls and I thought this was one funny book.

Who Were They Really?

Written by Susan Beth Pfeffer

A very kid-friendly (and adult-friendly) introduction to the inspirations behind 12 classic children's books. Interesting and well-written, with lots of phot
os to go along with it. My 7-year-old even picked this book up and read several entries, enthusiastically sharing her findings.

For ages 7 and up.

Rain School

Written and Illustrated by James Rumford

A gentle story about a boy in Chad, central Africa, who is excited to go to school and finds out when he gets there that first they must re-build the school. My girls liked this look at the school experience for children in one part of Africa and so did I.
(When I saw this book at the library, I was excited to read it because Chad was the first African country I lived in when my parents brought me there as a newborn, and we visited monthly over the next three years when we moved over the border to Cameroon. I am somewhat hesitant to say that while the annual re-building of the school was something the author may have experienced, it was not exactly consistent with my own experiences in Africa. The reality my family and I saw in central and west Africa was that the rain doesn't wash the mud brick buildings away each year, but did make it necessary for the mud brick homes and schools to be repaired, re-mudded, and re-thatched in places every year. His version makes for a stronger, more easily explained story however, especially if one is trying to illustrate the importance of education.) 

Chin Yu Min and the Ginger Cat

Written by Jennifer Armstrong
Illustrated by Mary Grandpre

Chin Yu Min is newly widowed, but doesn't appreciate the kindnesses of her neighbours, and alienates herself. When a wise, talking ginger cat comes into her life and saves her from loneliness and starvation, she feels her life is complete and her independence justified. When the cat disappears one day, this haughty, snobby woman has to learn how to unbend and seek help.
The illustrations were a beautiful pairing with this folktale. My girls and I really liked this story.of a woman who learns she needs people.

Hansel and Gretel

Retold by Rika Lesser from the Brothers Grimm folktale

Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

Need I say more than this is one of the best retellings paired with the best illustrations of this folktale?

Elsie's Bird

Written by Jane Yolen
Illustrated by David Small

Elsie is a girl who loves the city she lives in, and knows it intimately. When her mother dies and her father moves them to the lonesome prairie, Elsie feels so out of her element that she can't and won't give this new place a chance. She stays inside the house all day and only interacts with her pet bird. When her bird accidentally flies free of its cage and into the outdoors, Elsie goes after it, losing her way in the tall prairie grasses, something her father had warned her was dangerous. But in butting up against danger, Elsie becomes fully aware of her surroundings for the first time. And it changes her.
Beautiful story, beautifully told, with amazing illustrations by David Small. My girls and I really liked this one.

The Perfect Wizard

Written by Jane Yolen
Illustrated by Dennis Nolan

A fascinating biography about the man who gave us The Little Mermaid, The Steadfast Tin Soldier,
Thumbelina, etc. My older girls really liked this story, which kind of surprised me. Not that the story wasn't well done; it was excellently told and illustrated. I'm just vaguely surprised that they stayed interested.
(There was a lot going on each page: the regular text, which told the story of his life, plus a quotation from one of his tales that illustrates how his real life experience worked into his stories. While that was interesting for me to go back and read, it was too confusing for my little girls, so I just skipped that part and read the straight biography.)

Art & Max

Written and illustrated by David Wiesner

I can't really describe this book, you just have to read it. Fun book, interesting concept of de-constructing art.

Book Review: One Second After by William R. Forstchen

I feel so brain dead right now at 2000 hrs (that's 8:00 p.m. for you non-military/ non-Ham radio types.) And it's all the fault of this book:

One Second After

Written by William R. Fortschen
Adult fiction (Older teens could read it, too.)
(Published in 2009 by Forge Books)

A little back story-
My husband got this book at Costco last week and devoured it in a day and a half. "You have to read this book," he kept breaking off to say. Two days later, I came down stairs after he'd already left for work (no, I don't make him breakfast-I'm nice like that) to find the book sitting on my desk in our co-office with a Post-It note on the cover that read:

I REALLY want your opinion on this.
Love, me.

Awwww. Reading the same book's the most romantic thing we've done in years. (I kid. Sort of.)

How then could I refuse? But it was a book, after having read the synopsis on the back, that I wasn't in a hurry to read. So I put it off, but Todd kept asking me, "Have you read it yet?" Finally, last night it was, "Are you ever going to read it?" So, romantic-minded me decided I'd better just hurry up and read the darn thing already.

Once the girls were FINALLY asleep last night, and AFTER Todd and I watched the movie The Mechanic (through which I covered my eyes about 50% of the time), I quit putting off the inevitable and went to bed to read.
And HOLY FREAKING MOLY!!! I got sucked into that book like a spider up a vacuum, and I read and read and read until after 0300 (3 a.m.) When I couldn't prop my eyes open anymore, I set the book on top of one of the piles of books on my nightstand (yes, there are 3 on top and 3 underneath... no, I will not take a picture) and slid into sleep...

...and into the most intense apocalyptic nightmares ever. It was a relief to wake-up, 'though I felt like I lived through a war. I wanted coffee so badly, and I don't drink coffee. My caffeine I.V. of choice is Coke. I watched the clock until 10ish ("No, Self, you can't drink a Coke for breakfast!") until my conscience would let me have one. I'm on my third one of the day, now. I'm soooo sleepy. I want my bed. Waahhh!

Book Synopsis-
The book is about a college professor in a small town in North Carolina who is a widower with two daughters, one of whom is diabetic. And then, out of the blue, all electronics shut down: cell phones, cars, electricity, etc. No one knows why or what has happened, but it's not coming back on, and the community begins to realize that something big has happened. And it has. An E.M.P. has been detonated in the atmosphere approximately 300 miles above the middle of the United States and has wiped out anything with solid state electronics (that hadn't been hardened.) Now John and his community have to come to grips with what that means. And what it means is shocking. And you will be dragged in to this book too, little spiders!

Utterly thought-provoking, completely scary (not in the horror book kind of way, in the oh-I-can-so-see-this-really-happening kind of way) this is a compelling look at what it means to be a society, and what it takes to be a society when you are suddenly thrust out of everything familiar, everything "normal", everything you thought "society" meant. This is not a book that will "go gentle into that good night."*


*From Dylan Thomas' poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night."

A Book Lover's Survey: Caution, Strong Passions Ahead!

Rachel Held Evans featured four intriguing questions on a blog post that I'm going to steal for my own post (Thanks, Rachel!), because as soon as I read them, I could immediately answer the questions. That doesn't happen to me very often.


Can you name...

1. A book you threw across the room in anger?
2. A book in which you underlined nearly every sentence?
3. A book you were surprised to love?
4. A book you're looking forward to reading?

1. A book I threw across the room in anger:
 On Becoming Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo

Not only did I throw this book across the room several times during the reading of it, when I was finished I threw it in the trash. I have only done that (the throwing and the throwing away) once in my life: with this book.

This book was recommended to me by another mother when my first daughter, Olivia, was a couple months old. I'd never heard of the book or the man before. I read the book, my mouth dropping open more and more in horror and disbelief.

I cannot say anything good about this vile book. It is the worst parenting book I have ever come across. And dangerous to the psychological and physical safety of children. Ezzo presents pseudo-scientific "facts" all throughout his book, (e.g. there is no such thing as a mother's intuition; wearing your baby in a sling puts you on a social scale with animals; don't demand-feed your newborn, make her know who's boss and stick strictly to a feeding schedule; infants should bend around your schedule not you around theirs; from the time they're born you babies and children should learn that your husband is your TOP priority, and your time together takes precedence over them, etc.) that fly in the face of commonsense and recommendations by the AAP. If you are a breastfeeding mother, and follow Ezzo's advice and schedule for feeding your baby, I guarantee you will very quickly lose your milk supply, and your baby will always be hungry. But the worst thing is his completely callous, completely detached parenting style he pushes. His attitude toward babies and young children is appalling. Following his advice could be dangerous, and could lead to a baby who suffers Attachment Disorder, resulting from emotional neglect.
The overall impression I got from reading this book -and yes, I read the vile thing all the way through- is that this man hates children and hates women. I can't believe this man has a following...well, yes I can, because he advocates parental selfishness, which obviously is very appealing to certain people. (If you don't want to take on the care of helpless little beings that depend on you for their every need, DON'T HAVE CHILDREN!!! 'Cause once you have them, it's not all about you anymore.)
Awful, awful book.

*Robert Bucknam's name is apparently just on there to throw his M.D. weight behind the claptrap that Ezzo espouses, giving the book "credibility." And shame on him for doing so.

2. A book in which I underlined nearly every sentence:

 A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle

First written in 1971, this book is the first of L'Engle's Crosswicks Journals (there are four). I read it the first time as a Junior at university. (On my own, not as a class required reading.) I am not an underliner of books, but I did take copious notes in my journal as I read it. In the pages of this book, L'Engle ponders deeply on many subjects: art, writing, good and evil, spirituality, the whole creative process, one's sense of self, etc. I loved the way she worded her thoughts. And it resonated with that youthful me in many ways. By turns sure and questioning, the philosophical and religious self-examination was appealing to the young woman trying-to-find-her-way-in-life that I was then. It made me think of my concept of "self" in a new way, something my philosophy classes had not succeeded in doing.

I have since left religion and religious belief behind me, and don't know if I'd feel the same way about this book today as I once did. But once upon a time it touched me deeply enough to overcome my scruples and write in the book.

3. A book I was surprised to love:
 The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

I read this for the first time when I was 17 years old, at my mom's suggestion. It didn't sound like it would appeal to me at all AND it was freaking LONG, so I only started reading it out of respect for my mom, telling myself that I could stop if it was too boring. But I very quickly got swallowed up in the story of Edmond Dantes, a young man in love who is betrayed by his best friend and sent to the Chateau d'If, an impregnable island prison, for treason. Years later, he finally manages a daring escape and returns to France after amassing a fortune and travelling abroad, to meticulously exact his revenge on the man who was once his best friend and everyone responsible for sending him to prison.

I haven't read this book since then, and I need to, just to see if I'll feel the same way about it.


4. A book I can't wait to read:

Oh my, how do I choose? For right now, I'll say all the ones from my recent library trip. 
I also have an Excel spreadsheet with over 400 entries and growing everyday, of books waiting to be read.