REVIEW: Squashed in the Middle

Winthrop, E.  (2005).  Squashed in the Middle.  New York:  Henry Hold and Company.

0805064974

Daisy is the middle child with an older sister and a younger brother.  Everyone in her family knows her business and talks about her as though she isn't even in the room.  But nobody will listen to her when she has something to say.  As Daisy is about to go on her first sleep over at a friend's apartment, she can no longer stand the rest of her family speaking for her instead of listening to her.

The illustrator, Pat Cummings, made excellent use of the page, often making it seem as though there was no space left for Daisy or the reader.  As things change for Daisy so does the use of space.

The language of Squashed in the Middle is simple with large text, which lends itself to being used with young readers.  There are a lot of words on some of the pages though, so a teacher might want to encourage students to think of the book as a step to early chapter books.

Activities:

Aside from offering some catharsis for middle children, this book also provides a good overview of how a child should prepare for their first sleep over, including the ever important rule of telling your family where you are going.


Quotes of Note:

"Daisy was squashed right in the middle of her noisy family.
She had one older sister and one younger brother."

"But when Daisy talked, nobody ever listened."

"Daisy, will you sleep over at my house?" Rosa asked one afternoon."

Certified Resolution Writing Endeavor Review Report: Week Forty-Four

So, each year November comes around (as November is prone to do) and with it arrives Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) and I usually come up with an excuse that prevents me from participating:  "I'm too busy," or "It's november 3rd.  It's too late for me to start."  Stuff like that.  But this year, I'm going to give it a try!  (despite the fact that I have the best excuse EVER...I'm taking my Ph.D candidacy exams!  Don't want to drop the ball on that one)  But I've also decided this month would be the perfect time to abandon sanity.  Especially since I'm still struggling to get into my newest writing project.  What better way than to intensely allow it to consume me for a whole month, eh?

I also just heard about the Tara Lazar's picturebook alternative through this blog.  They're thinking of a different idea for a picturebook each day.  Sounds awesome!  I'd participate, but I'm a novel-minded author.  I come up with one mediocre picturebook idea every few years.  And whenever I try to write a short story, I inevitably get feedback that it "feels like the start of a novel."  Sigh.  So, I don't think I have 30 picturebook ideas in me.

Hell, I don't think I have enough of an idea to write an entire novel in a month.  I did approximately 1,200 words yesterday.  Which is good.  But I'm already below the daily goal.  It's especially annoying, because I can track my lack of kick-assedness on a bar graph in my nanowrimo user account.  My word count is a mere dot compared to the goal count.  I hates me my bar graph.  And this, my few but dear readers, is after day one.

Part of my problem is also the fact that I work best when I write by hand.  To count my words each day, nanowrimo wants my entire manuscript to be typed up.  They want me to write 1,600 words a day AND type it up?  But, but I'm lazy.  You're interfering with my bad work ethic, nanowrimo!

Shel's Brain:  But that's the point, you fool!
Shel:  Shut up, Brain!  Nobody here needs you!

dnsfiew;oj;njsdn;lksij;dehndfkme;aodiaenfo;sijfaeksmf;kaljhgiaehwjnsdihfjnewajifsjhansefnaiowenfawens;fiaesmfiawne;fmvidnv;s dwoejifh;ewijfaiwehfud ojuwiehf;qe fiewij 'orije iai jwi jijifajwei f;aweiawesjf;ejraifhjeqwa  jfai;ejf i;iwefj iaji;sfi;awef;j iejfowiejfaksjf rekjf i;jfdja;efj;ie jfiwehugs ;ifreiufdhj i;gusd;ifg;efiersdjjfiehfjha;kwdj;faojriehfijekfa;f e iei ei;a;iaeif ;ie;e 'ow'ialsefheirh ;awdj
Q'SD;FK AE;ISFAJSD IESJD;IS  ewaisfj;iehsdf aiewf; awedh
ndjfnllea;eibonbcoeamkdfawe...

...reeeeeeettttttuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurn 2 mEEEEeeeeeeZ BBBBrainzzz!!!

Shel's Brain:  Say it, fool!
Shel:  I am nothing without you.  I needs you to think and stuff.
Shel's Brain:  And never forget that again!
Shel:  To be fair, I could.  After all, you're the one in charge of memory and--
Shel's Brain:  Shut up, Shel.  And stop typing.  It's not like anyone will read these ramblings!  You're so annoying.  I should have been the one to leave you!

REVIEW: Goose Girl

Hale, S. (2003) The Goose Girl
383 pages – 158234843X

Thirty Second Summary: Princess Ani has been betrayed by her lady-in-waiting and is running for her life in a strange country. Forced to disguise herself as a peasant, and working as a goose herder for the king, Princess Ani must fight in secret to regain her title and her kingdom.

Poor Princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee. It’s been a tough couple of days. First she finds out that her mother has been grooming her not to run their kingdom, as she’s always believed, but instead to be shipped off and married to an unknown prince in a far-off country. Then her maid, who she has been friends with since childhood, turns out to be a scheming betrayer bent on murdering Ani, stealing her identity and marrying the prince in her stead! And on top of that, her horse gets killed!! Throw in a couple stabbings, a saucy best friend, a wise and kindly mother-figure who lives in the woods, and the ability to communicate with the wind, and you’ve got the makings of a brilliant fairytale retelling.

There’s also romance – oh, pleeenty of romance. It’s a tribute to how fantastical the book is that I wasn’t screaming for all the Action And Stuff to get over so she could hook up with the prince already. (Yes, yes, of course she hooks up with the prince. It’s a fairytale, for goodness sake, not a tragedy!)

Hale has done a fantastic job reimagining a classic story. Well-known characters such as Falada the talking horse and Conrad the goose-boy fit right alongside new ones like Selia (the evil maid) and Geric (The love interest? I bet he’s the love interest!). The more bizarre elements of the original tale – Falada’s severed head chatting it up with Ani, her ability to coerce the wind into playing with Conrad’s hat – are handled in expert fashion, updated to fit smoothly in with the rest of the book.

Now, let’s be honest. I’m a huge sucker for fairy tales, and some of you… well, some of you might not be. You’ll have to trust me, though, when I tell you that you’ll enjoy Goose Girl regardless of your feelings about Happily Ever After. Just try to read the hardcover version. I’m not sure how I feel about the limpid blonde on the paperback.

Quotes of Note:

The queen gave Ani a mother’s adoring stare, and Ani returned it coldly. She was in no mood to pretend love between them. She had no more duty to these people save to leave them. (P. 44)

The man listened calmly to Yulan, then looked to Ani and waited for her to speak. In her truest Bayern accent she said, “They’ve a knife to my back.” (P. 230)

“War. That’s what killed the old king and his other sons some years ago. That’s what the lovely queen and I were trying to avoid, and look at it all come down on us like so many hunting falcons. Can’t stand war. Gets in the way of order and process and all the good things.” (P. 304)

“My lord,” said Selia, “it is a grave crime and thus a public castigation. To be placed naked in a barrel full of nails and dragged through the streets by four white horses, I believe.” (P. 344)

Tasty Rating: !!!!!

If you thought this was delicious, try:
Goose Chase by Patrice Kindl
Same “Goose Girl” story, braaaand new twist.

REVIEW: The Little Red Fish

Yoo, T.  (2007).  The Little Red Fish.  New York:  Dial Books for Young Readers.

9780803731455

Enjoyment Rating: !!!

JeJe, a young boy, goes with his grandfather to the library where he words.  JeJe takes his red fish with him and mid-way through a book, JeJe realizes his fish is missing from it's bowl.  Jeje follows the red fish into a book and witnesses the magic of the illustrations coming to life.

The Little Red Fish shows the power of engaging with books, as animals jump out of pages.  Most pages only include two or three lines of text, but several have none at all, encouraging visual literacy and potentiality for a young reader and adult to take turns reading, with the child taking on the responsibility of the textless pages.

The illustrations have a clear Asian influence, with very little but very intentional use of red (the rest of the illustration are drawn in brown-scale).


Activities:

The little Red Fish shows the imaginative power of literacy.  Although the fish is the magic figure, a teacher or parent can encourage to think about how libraries could potentially be perceived as a magical place.

A teacher could also draw students' attention to how nature is emphasized throughout the story.


Quotes of Note:

"JeJe's grandfather was a librarian at an old library in the middle of the forest.  One day he allowed JeJe to come along with him, and JeJe brought his friend the little red fish."

"He was amazed by all the different rooms filled with books.  He explored from one corner to another."

"Could that be his fish's tail peeking out of the middle of the book?  Jeje picked it up, and when he opened it...something magical happened."

Literary Feast: Wake (Pages 101-150)

Our Literary Feast of Lisa McMann's Wake continues! You guys are rather quiet out there. Does anyone to have something to say?

Shel: Janie goes stalkery on Cabel. Why must all YA novels these days include some stalker action? I'm not a big fan. Give the dude his space, chica. I mean, I never stalked anyone ever as a teenager.

Monica: Yeah… I was a little alarmed by that particular moment. On the upside, at least the first time, she “feel[s] like a total creep” for doing it, before getting bored and wandering away (104). That’s what you get for being a stalker, Janie! You get boredom and residual guilt! (And the second time, you get a raging headache and even *more* guilt, so really… stalking doesn’t pay, kids.)

Shel: I was really surprised by Janie and Carrie keep breaking out the cheap booze on page 24. Not in a prudish way. My thoughts were more along the line, "Bu-but, your mom's an alcoholic. You've see n the damage alcohol can do. You're predisposed to have said damage in your life! DON'T YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH BESIDES TURNING TO ALCOHOL WHEN YOU'VE HAD A BAD DAY?!"

Monica: Oh, definitely. It’s the same reason I wanted to slap her when she got all hoity-toity on Cabel about him not drinking or doing drugs. Hellooooooo? HE is being responsible! HE is recognizing genetic predisposition when it’s staring him in the face! In his gorgeous, gorgeous face!

Shel: I do wish the sleep clinic possibility had gone somewhere. At the very least, she could have fun material to make jokes about the principal. That's always fun. I do like her doing research though. That's probably my inner nerd talking. Or my outer nerd.

Monica: Really, it’s probably just your nerdness as a complete entity, let’s be honest. I think the sleep clinic had possibilities, but I did enjoy seeing her bolt from the office like a bat out of hell. Plus, I was completely sure that it was going to turn into some sort of epic horror movie moment, where the nurses drag her into the room and strap her down and dissect her dreams. Escape definitely seemed like the best option.


Shel: Wow.  Being dragged back in...that's a horror movie I want to watch.  With a light. Cause I'm a wimp.

Monica: And the plot with Miss Stubin thickens! Janie has more power than she thinks? So far, we’ve already seen her exhibit her “I Suck At Stalking” power, her “I Whine When I Have To Watch My Classmates Having Sex With Each Other In Their Dreams” power, and her “Angst Angst Cabel Betrayed Me Angst” power. I don’t know if we can handle anything else!

Shel: Hahaha.  Too true.


Monica: I’m not going to lie. I really like the way Cabel is taking care of Janie in this section. I mean, he already showed off his awesomeness during the bus scene, but now I’m just completely in love with him. Between coming to her house to make sure she eats (after she stalked him, no less), picking her up off the floor and plying her with Snickers bars, telling her he loves her via Dream Messaging… what a cutie! A potentially drug-dealing cutie, but you can’t have everything.


Shel: I'm still "meh" about the boy.  When I think of him, I will always picture greasy ringlets.


Thanks for reading!  Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.  We'll post our final course of the feast on Tuesday!

REVIEW: New Kid in Town

Freedman, C., & Stephenson, K.  (2006).  New Kid in Town.  Intercourse, PA:  Good Books.

1561485470

Interest Rating:  !!

With the feel of a western, Mouse is new in town.  He is welcomed by his new neighbors, but is cautioned to be cautious of the Big Wolf who lives on a nearby hill.

The illustrations of the animals are cute and child-like.  I was kind of surprised to see some species included that aren't native to the west (Giraffes??????  Really?).  While kids won't mind at all, if a teacher did plan to use this in a lesson on the "ol' wild west," the presence of giraffes may complicate a discussion.

To go slightly spoiler-y on you, it turns out the Big Wolf isn't quite as awful as many of the towns animals assumed.  I liked that this played with the reader's expectations that come with so many big bad wolves populating children's literature.

Activities:

New Kid in Town can help to ease the concerns of a child who is moving to a new town.  A teacher can point out the different places Mouse goes to make new friends.

This book can also be used to encourage students to see beyond appearances and to befriend children who may seem different or to consider the motives of bullies.

Quotes of Note:

"Mouse was the New Kid In Town.  He bounced in from over the hill, looking for a new place to live, and came upon Badger's Bakery.  "Hello!" said Mouse, strolling in.  "I'm the New Kid In Town."

"Watch out for the nasty Big Wolf who lives on the hill.  He's huge and hairy, and wild and scary.  BEWARE!"

"BEWARE of the horrible Big Wolf who lives on the hill.  He's ugly and mean, and his teeth are slime green.  Watch out!"

REVIEW: Spooky ABC

Merriam, E.  (1987).  Spooky ABC.  New York:  Simon & Schuster.

0689853564

Spooky ABC is a Halloween alphabet book.  Each letter features a dark illustration by Lane Smith and a poem by Eve Merriam about a supernatural creature or object.

I liked the illustrations.  They were done in Smith's usual style, if not featuring some more dark colors.  They do have some potential to scare some.

When it comes to themed alphabet books, I'm always entertained by how authors come up with words for some of the most difficult letters.  In this book's case, I feel like choosing "Yeast" for the letter Y was a bit of a tragic fail.  I suppose when yeast is described as "rise rise, seethe spread, fuss fume, foam spume, spread and spread" it could be vaguely creepy.  But only vaguely.  On the plus side, when yeast is included in an alphabet book, it'll most likely provoke the question "what is yeast?"  Sciency teaching moment!  Hope you have some yeast around for a demonstration.

I was also interested that Smith created the illustrations first before Merriam was chosen to write poetry to match them.  But a few of the illustrations were later changed to match the poems Merriam came up with.  Smith had originally planned the illustration for Y to be a Yeti.  Why oh why didn't he fight for Yeti?

Personally, I wasn't too fond of Merriam's poetry.  It often felt like the various poems were just thrown together quickly instead of being well crafted.  Sometimes there's a lot of fun with assonance and alliteration, but not always.  Sometimes there's rhyming.  But not always.

I also consider myself to not be an overly crazy or unreasonable person when it comes to books that challenge religious norms, in fact I encourage ideas that challenge dominant world views.  But the poem for the letter D, "Demon" did make me a little uncomfortable.  In it demons dance and cast a spell to call up the devil.  The poem includes the following lines:

"Make this spot
infernally hot,
put your hate in,
Satan;"

While it's meant in fun, it did make me a little uncomfortable.  I'd still be willing to keep Spooky ABC in my classroom though.  


Activities:

Now, this is not a book intended for actual struggling readers who are still trying to get a grasp on the significance of the various letters.  Spooky ABC is better used as a Halloween treat for older readers who could write their own spooky poems in response.

Quotes of Note:

"Why do the curtains blow?

What do the floorboards know?"

"Jack-o'-lantern,

don't know know

your head is hollow,

you're missing teeth,

you've got no brains

and nothing underneath."

REVIEW: City Witch, Country Switch

Wax, W. (2008). City Witch, Country Switch. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Children.

9780761454298

With a similar title to the the picturebook City Kid, Country Kid, Wax's City Witch, Country Switch contains similar themes, but uses an entirely different approach to describing the different lifestyels of people who live in the city and people who live in the country. City Witch, Country Switch shares the story of Mitzi, a city witch who arrives home to discover that her cousin Muffletump is there and would like to stay. But Muffletump becomes homesick and uses magic to bring some aspects of country life into the city, which leave Mitzi far from pleased...until she decides to join Muffletump in the country for her own vacation.

The illustrations are fun, my favorite part being the faces Mitzi makes at her cousin's unwanted magic spells. Gibala-Broxholm's portrayals of the two witches clothing styles manages to hints well as their underlying personality differences.

While some crazies could accuse this story of glorifying witchcraft (I know you're out there!!!!), at heart this is a story of attempting to find middle ground and being able to relate to one another. This could be a good book to share with girls' who are having trouble working or playing together because they think they are very different.

Activities:

In response to a read aloud, students could write their own Halloween or supernatural themed poems.

City Witch, Country Switch also lends itself to discussions of home and lifestyles, the different ways space is used depending on a location, being considerate of others, trying to understand and respect others' cultures and ways of living, etc.

There is also a slight environmental message that a teacher could draw out, since Muffletump objects to the amount of smog she encounters in the city.

Quotes of Note:

"Mitzi was a city witch

who came home late one night

and saw her window open wide.

Had she left on the light?"

"Remembering a magic spell

to help her [Muffletump] fall asleep,

she chanted "Twinkly-Winkly!"

and...the room filled up with sheep!"

"Bye-bye, noise and smog," she called.

"The country is for me!"

"Wait," yelled Mitzi, "I'll come, too!"

Her cousin whooped, "Yippee!"

REVIEW: Shiver

Stiefvater, M.  (2009).  Shiver.  New York:  Scholastic Press.

0545123267

390 Pages.

PLOT SUMMARY:  When Grace was younger, she was attacked by a pack of wolves.  The only reason she survived was one wolf with striking eyes prevented it.  As Grace has gotten older "her wolf" continues to watch her, unaware that he is actually a werewolf who has been in love with her since their first meeting.  After one of the boys from school is killed by the local wolves, the town of Mercy Falls, Minnesota begins cleaning their guns, ready to reduce the wolf population, forcing Grace to protect the werewolves and to finally meet her wolf, Sam.

Oh, the romance.  Oh, the angst.  Oh, the paranormal angsty romance?  Is it possible, dear readers, that I have read a similar story before?   Yes, just maybe.

To share Sam and Grace's romance, Shiver switches back and forth between their points of view.  If each chapter weren't marked according to who was narrating (and the temperature), I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Grace and Sam's voices.  Sure every now and then Sam starts creating song lyrics, song LYRICS and more SONG LYRICS.  But the first person narrations from both teens sounds the same.  Very poetic and beautiful (a nice change from many of the other paranormal romances out there), but the same.

I also really liked the concept of a werewolf's transformation being determined by temperature.  I thought it was an interesting interpretation and Stiefvater made it relevant to the setting and underlying tensions of the story.  After all, werewolves in July just doesn't have the same visual appeal as them running through a snowy wood.  I may have, however, started mumbling why don't they just move to Florida around page 100.  By page 150, I was yelling.  LIVE WHERE IT'S WARM!  MOVE SOUTH!  DO IT, DO IT NOW OR I WILL CRY!!!!!!  Luckily, Stiefvater does eventually address this small plot hole.

But then I found a new plot hole.  The end just kinda...ends (before you say, no kidding that's what endings do.  Read this one.  We'll discuss).  Despite the switching back and forth in point of view, there's a lack of switching during dramatic moments.  Grace gets attacked by a wolf.  I want to be with her through that experience.  But I'm with Sam.

On the grand scale, I wouldn't call this a tense novel, more of a slow snowflakes drifting down to the ground with a few icicles of antagonists and drama occasionally dripping water from time to time as you sip hot chocolate and watch kinda book.  I wouldn't have minded a little more tension.  But then, I've always been more of a dark and cold night, breathing out vapor as you're chased and falling on the ice only to be bludgeoned by falling hail kinda reader.

It was hard not to compare Grace to Bella in the Twilight series.  Both characters have parents who are absent, both do the cooking for the family, both have depressive tendencies and both become obsessed with their stalkery love interests.  But, where Bella is consistently a victim, Grace is a tad bit more independent.  Although the, "I did not live until he entered my life" thoughts did still make me roll my eyes.  But, I often roll my eyes at romance, dear readers.  It's probably a contributing factor to why I'm a long-time singleton.

On a much more random note, the book font color drove me crazy.  As you can see above, the book cover features dark blue prominently.  Well, it's trick of the light that the font color used throughout the book seems to match.  It's actually dark grey.  I know this because I devoted way too much time debating the font color as I read.  Literally, I'd put my nose to the page and lean away, watching the font go from grey to blue.  My brain, for the win.


ACTIVITIES:

This book lends itself to being compared to other recent paranormal romances or to being a well-written recommendation for teens who are hooked on the current trend.

The book lends itself to discussions on hunter culture and the reasons and risks associated with hunting.  Student could also explore the way space is presented in the story--who is close to who and when?  How is that a metaphor for their emotional relationships?  On those lines, a teacher could also encourage students to focus on setting and imagery as they read Shiver.

Since Sam is a fan of writing lyrics, students could do the same.  A teacher could incorporate this book into lessons on poetry, particularly focusing on the works of Rainer Maria Rilke.

To go a more sciencey route, a teacher could also give some historical information on how vaccines are developed.


QUOTES OF NOTE:

"I remember lying in the snow, a small red spot of warm going cold, surrounded by wolves.  They were licking me, biting me, worrying at my body, pressing in.  Their huddled bodies blocked what little heat the sun offered" (p. 1).

"I didn't realize that the wolves in the wood were all werewolves until Jack Culpeper was killed" (p. 12).

"I'm sorry.  I feel stupid for not remembering.  It takes a couple hours for me--for my brain--to come back."
He didn't release my fingers, and I didn't take them away, even though it was hard to concentrate with his skin against mine.  "Come back from what?"
"Come back from when," he corrected.  "come back from when I was..."
Sam waited.  He wanted me to say it.  It was harder than I thought it would be, to admit it out loud, even though it shouldn't have been.
"When you were a wolf," I whispered" (p. 67).

"I struggled to find something to say that wouldn't sound like the greeting of an interspecies stalker.  "Good morning," I managed" (p. 84).


TASTY RATING:  !!!!

REVIEW: The Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Cazet, D. (2005). The Perfect Pumpkin Pie. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

0689864671

So, my favorite part of this time of year is, quite literally, pumpkin pie. I loves me my pumpkin pie. Mmmmmm. *Wanders into the kitchen to get a piece*

...

Back and full of pumpkin pie!

Where was I?

Ah, yes, The Perfect Pumpkin Pie.

In this case the perfect pumpkin pie is not delicious goodness, but rather is a picturebook, set around Halloween, describing how the perfect pumpkin pie was created. And by that I mean, an elderly Mrs. Wilkerson prepares the perfect pie for her mean husband, only to have him die before he can take the first bite. Mrs. Wilkerson then decides to bury her husband's body in the pumpkin patch before moving far away.

Jack and his grandmother, who have moved into the old Wilkerson house in time for the next Halloween, encounter a ghost in the pumpkin patch who won't leave until he gets his perfect pumpkin pie.

Now, in case you couldn't tell from the description, this humorous picturebook is best left for those middle grade readers who won't be hurt by lighthearted portrayals of death and occasionally darker illustrations (for example, the ghost of Mr. Wilkerson takes his eye out of his skull to examine a pumpkin pie closely. And on that note, the story is at moments text heavy and has some fun with fonts that may intimidate younger readers.

Activities:

Now, a superhero teacher would be able to take a child to a pumpkin patch, have a child help pick one out and then guide said child through all the steps of making pumpkin pie.

I, on the other hand, will take a child by the hand, guide them into the nearest grocery store and let them pick out the best pie from the display case. Then we'll wander on down and find the whipped cream aisle. Good times. That's the way I role.

Students could also have fun dramatizing this story and performing it as a skit. They could have a lot of fun turning the phrases the ghost of Mr. Wilkerson into various styles of songs.

Quotes of Note:

"One Halloween night, wind stirred the leaves in the pumpkin patch outside the old Wilkerson house. Inside the house, Old Man Wilkerson sat, waiting."

"Mmmmm," he said. "I does love a perfect pie."

"That same night, by the light of the Halloween moon, Mrs. Wilkerson buried Mr. Wilkerson in the pumpkin patch."

"Of course, no one ever heard from Mr. Wilkerson again, either. He was, after all, dead. Or was he?"

"He's nothing but cold smoke. He's a ghostly fussbudget with an appetite for a good pie."

Literary Feast: Wake (Pages 51-100)

Tasty! The Wake Literary Feast continues! This is such a fast read, so let's keep on keeping on. Just be aware there are spoilers below, and I'm not typing about the metaphorical food.

SHEL: I know last time I just complained about Cabel as a love interest based on his greasy hair. And now he's had a SUPER-DUPER-MAGIC-FAN-FICTION-WORTHY makeover. But I still don't like it. No doubt there's a reason for the change. But I'm still not loving it. It's too drastic.



Monica: I like it. I’m not saying it’s not a complete Mary Sue (“Yes, I’d like my boyfriend character to have broader shoulders, and pouty lips, and… ooh, can his hair be cut to gently frame his face? With highlights? I love me some highlights!”) but at the same time, she needs someone a little more respectable to be all anchorish for her for the rest of the book. Think of all the drama on the bus, where he was literally holding her down and trying to protect her from her own mind -- I don’t think he’d be up to it if he was still stumbling around bedecked with the aforementioned greasy ringlets.

Shel: Ugh. All this throwing around of "greasy ringlets." It's upsetting my tummy.



Monica: Am I the only one who is having major and serious Freddy Kreuger flashbacks? To the point where I sort of want to ask the author if she’d been having an all-night Friday the 13th movie marathon the evening prior to writing “Wake,” and then dreamed an evil character that sort of vaguely *TOTALLY* resembled the main character in said films?



Shel: Well, maybe it's Cabel who was so disturbed by Freddy. Am I reaching to far again? I think I might be.



Monica: You might be. But it's okay. We love you anyway.


Shel: It's good to feel loved despite my crazy tendencies.

Monica:  Leaving Knifey-Nails behind, can I mention that I felt *so* bad for Jamie when Cabel pretended not to be Cabel? You can imagine she's walking a pretty tenuous line anyway, sanity-wise. There she was, planning on having a nice chat with Mr. Newly Muscular, and he goes and makes her doubt her own reality? What a jerk.


Shel: My response was, "What a silly moment.  Whatevs."

Monica: Ooooh, I'm loving the interactions with Miss Stubin! It's all Mysterious and Fraught with Portent! Why is she the only one who actually addresses Janie face-to-face? Why did she need Jamie's permission to change the dream?! How hot, really, was the soldier anyway!??!


Shel: I'm liking Miss Stubin overall.  She gets cool points.  I hadn't noticed that she's the only one addressing Janie.  I hope this isn't a "6th Sense" dealie.

Monica: Didn't you just about lose your mind during the bus scene? "He takes her hand with his free hand and strings his fingers in hers. Looks at her hands, and lays his cheek against her hair. After a while, he is asleep too." At this point, I'm screaming at the book. Because AH! Cabel falls ASLEEP! JANIE is ASLEEP! Things can only go pear-shaped from here. And... they do.


Shel: I just kept thinking how much it would suck to appear to have seizure in front of all your classmates.  Not a good time.

Monica: Aw. Page 99 is filled with angst and misery and angst and angst, all in just three lines. I've decided I *do* like the way this book is written... it took me a while to warm up to it, but the liking is definitely there.



Shel: Awww.  I'm glad it won you over for that moment.  On a different note, NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I don't likes Cabel being knifey-nails. I was expecting a hunt for a Dexter-like serial killer. I can see how your mind made that jump. I, alas, am unable to have flashbacks. The only version of Freddy Kreuger I saw was The Simpson's Halloween spoof.



Tune back in on Friday and the feast can continue with the next fifty pages.

REVIEW: Creature Carnival

Singer, M.  (2004).  Creature Carnival.  New York:  Hyperion Books for Children.

0786818778

Enjoyment Rating:  !!!

My few dear readers, guess what time it is almost?  Here's a hint:  It's my FAVORITE holiday of fun and sweetness!  That's right.  And it's time to get in the mood for some frights.

Welcome to the creature carnival!  One by one, this picturebook goes around the carnival and shares a poem about each of its creatures, making references to fairy tales, folk tales, some movies, classic literature, and myths.  But children of all ages in attendance, beware!  If you don't pass with care, you may find yourself in a snare!

Initially, this concept made me a little uncomfortable, since my mind immediately went to a "people with unusual appearances being taken advantage of place."  But Creature Carnival manages to avoid this issue by using mythical animals or beasts from fairy tales and the displayed creatures.

The illustrations are highly stylized in a gothic fashion, but remain light and fun, which will prevent wee little readers from wee-weeing in their wee little pants.  A big plus.


Activities:

This is a good Halloween read that also promotes poetry.  The artwork will feel familiar to reader who like A Series of Unfortunate Events or Zorgamazoo.  So, Creature Carnival could lead into those longer books.

Since a lot of classic creatures are included in the carnival, a teacher could connect individual poems with lessons on mythical creatures like the Sphinx and Pegasus or to fairy tales.  Since many of the names of the creatures aren't given until the ends of the poem, a teacher could try to turn a read aloud into a guessing game before reading the last line and showing the illustration.


Quotes of Note:

"Come along, children of all ages.
See baled beasts not found in cages.
Spend your parents' hard-earned wages.
It's Creature Carnival time."

"Not a horse, not a bird,
Wouldn't drop an egg on us.
Very sleek, very Greek,
In a word:  Pegasus."

"You can't domesticate a dragon.
He'll never pull a plow or a wagon."

A Chance to Meet Winter the Dolphin!

Monica, before you get too excited, I want to warn you that this essay contest is intended for writers a wee bit younger than you.

MEET WINTER THE DOLPHIN

ESSAY CONTEST

Encourage your young readers to enter for a chance to win a visit with Winter the Dolphin at her home in Clearwater Marine Aquarium by telling Scholastic about their favorite animal hero. Download thecontest details (PDF) here.

ABOUT THE CONTEST 

Winter the Dolphin has been an inspiration and hero for children and adults alike.  When Winter was just three months old, she was rescued from a crap trap which had seriously damaged her tail.  It wasn't clear that she would survive but she did.  However, the damage to Winter's tail was so extensive that it fell off.  To everyone's amazement, a prosthetic company stepped in an fitted Winter with a prosthetic tail.  Now Winter is using her new tail and thriving.
Scholastic wants to hear about an animal that has most inspired your children by having them tell us about their favorite animal hero in 200 words or less. 
One grand prize winner and his/her guardian will receive a trip to visit Winter at her home in Clearwater, Florida, one night's stay at a hotel, $500 travel voucher, a Winter prize pack and a Nintendo DS Game system!  10 runners up with receive a copy of Winter's Tail, a Winter's Tail Nintendo DS game and a Winter plush doll!


HOW TO ENTER

Send entries to:
Scholastic's Meet Winter the Dolphin Contest
557 Broadway
New York, NY 10012


Each entry must include student's name, age, and grade; teacher's name; and school name, address, and phone number.


All entries must be received by November 30, 2009.  Winners will be announced on or around December 14th.  No purchase necessary.  Open to legal residences of 50 United States and D.C. ages 6-14 as of November 30th 2009.  Void where prohibited.  Click here for complete contest rules.

REVIEW: The Bravest Knight

Mayer, M.  (1968).  The Bravest Knight.  New York:  Dial Books for Young Readers.

9780803732063

The Bravest Knight, which was reissued in 2007, shares the story of a young modern boy who dreams of having lived a thousand years ago so that he could have been a squire to a knight and enjoy all of the fantasy and romanticism ascribed to that time.

The Bravest Knight is illustrated in Mayer's familiar style with full color and a lot of humor incorporated.  And the reader needs to have acquired visual literacy to be able to understand that humor.

Since this is a classic and is reflective of when it was written with regard to the fact that feminism still hadn't snuck into children's literature yet, the princess figure is rather passive, a character to be rescued.


Activities:

The Bravest Knight could be used to begin a lesson on what daily life would really be like during the dark ages, since the book (at least early on) does a decent description of a squire's duties before shifting into a more fantastic path.

This book could give voice to a desire for those young children who prefer fantasy and imagination to reality.  I wish I had found this book when I was a child.


Quotes of Note:

"I wish I lived a thousand years ago."

"There would be beautiful castles, kings and queens, good knights, bad knights, fair ladies in danger, evil dragons from the mountains..."

"I would work for the bravest knight in the kingdom and be his squire."

"The knight and I would wander through the countryside in search of adventure."

Literary Feast: Wake (Pages 1-50)

Welcome to the second literary feast! Over the next week, we'll be focusing our literary skills on Lisa McMann's Wake. And perhaps after the feast, we can all go off and dream walk through our neighbors' weird and twisty dreams.


As with most beginnings, we'll be beginning with the beginning of the book. Below you'll see our conversation over appetizers. Feel free to add your thoughts. And be aware, as always there are potential spoilers for the book below.

Monica: I have to complain right off the bat about the cover. I am the kind of person who requires their books to be in pristine, just-off-the-printing-press condition. Mint, if you will. And how the heck am I supposed to do that when publishers insist on designing covers using the kind of ink that shows marks if you so much as set it on a table!? Whimper whimper. Shall have to turn the pages with sterilized tongs.

Shel: I like the cover! It's purple. I *heart* purple. Are we going to have to have a fight before the meal is even served, Monica?

I also really like the premise of this book. A teenage dreamwalker = good fun. I am having trouble with the distance the narrating seems to have from Janie though. I feel like I'm not with her, not inside her head. Instead I feel like I'm reading a case file or encyclopedia entry about her experiences. Does that make sense?

Monica: I know exactly what you’re talking about in terms of narrator POV. It feels sort of like I’m reading a novelization of an episode of Unexplained Mysteries – there’s (hopefully going to be more) drama and there’s crazy powers and there’s a puzzle that must be solved, but we’re not really involved ourselves. We’re just viewing it all from a safe, sterile distance.

Shel: I've been thinking about this a little more. MAYBE the distance and sentence structure is an attempt to make the entire novel seem like it's a hazy dream itself. Huh, huh? Could that be it? Am I reaching too far? I suppose if it were actually meant to seem like a dream, a man would randomly pop out and ask Janie if she wanted cheese or there'd be other random weirdness.

Monica: You're definitely reaching too far. However, now it's in my brain and I'm willing to accept it as a viable excuse for the writing style. Curse you, Shel!!

Shel: Hahaha! This means I shall steal the last role of bread. It is mine! *Swipes the bread and glares at all the diners daring someone to challenge me* Any-hoo, I bet the Mom's alcoholism is going to be relevant to the plot later on. For instance, does she drink so she doesn't dreamwalk too, hmm?


Monica: Oooooh. OOOOOOOOOOH. Thank *God* there’s an up-and-coming sequel, eh? ;)

SHEL: Fade is already out...but there's a third one (Gone?) on the way for early next year.

Monica: That name seems like it negates the possibility for a fourth book, alas. Unless she decides to title the next one “Okay, Gone For Reals This Time, Guys.”

Shel: Or RETURN!!!!!!!

Monica: Can I sidenote that I would NOT be cut out for dreamwalking amidst my pre- and pubescent classmates? I don’t care *how* good friends I was with someone, if I’d seen her in a dream with breasts the size of watermelons, I’d have serious trouble making eye contact the next morning. Obviously Janie is better peoples than me.


SHEL: This is true. If somebody annoyed me, it'd be so easy to draw upon my classmates' nightmares to send them running. Also, I don't know how I feel about Cabel as a love interest so far. I got tied up on the "greasy ringlets." Not a fan of grease (unless it's on Snape's head). And Cabel isn't my Snapey.

Monica: Okay, yes, greasy ringlets, but he’s a fifteen-year-old guy. A chivalrous fifteen-year-old guy, to be more precise. How can you not like him after the skateboarding incident!? My biggest problems are a) I keep misspelling his name as Cable, and b) in said misspelling, I automatically think of the Marvel superhero, complete with rippling muscles and psychic powers. (Nate Summers! Call me!)

Shel: OMG me too! I keep seeing Cable's eye flash blue like in the cartoon. Oh, X-men.

On that note...

Check back on Wednesday night, when we'll post discussion on pages 50-100 of Wake. And let us know your thoughts of the book! The more opinions the better!