chrisholliman

Children's Librarian

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  • “Under the Egg” by Laura Marx Fitzgerald

    The Plot In Five Sentences Or Less:  Theodora Tenpenny is a 13 year old who lives with her declining mother and her eccentric artist grandfather Jack in a townhouse that has seen better days.  When Jack suddenly passes away, his last words to Theodora are cryptic:  “It’s under the egg.  There’s…a letter.  And a treasure.”  Desperate to pull her mother and herself out of penury, Theodora’s investigations lead her to the discovery of a painting that appears to be straight out of the renaissance.  But is this truly a valuable piece that could bring in a windfall, or is it simply a fantastic forgery?  Theodora’s explorations will turn up fascinating stories of her grandfather’s days in World War II and show her the importance of art in the darkest of times.

    My Take:  Readers who have an interest in art history and museums will most certainly enjoy this book.  As the dust jacket bills, those who enjoyed The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Chasing Vermeer will appreciate this mystery as well.  I learned a great deal about Renaissance art as well as the pains taken to preserve it during World War II.

    One Interesting Note About the Author:  According to her website, Laura Marx Fitzgerald’s favorite middle reader books are a tie between The Mixed Up Files and The Westing Game.

  • Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

    The Plot in Five Sentences Or Less:  Bud Calloway is an orphan who never knew his father and whose mother died a few years ago.   Bud springs himself from his next foster home and manages to hide out for a few nights outside the local public library.  But the road beckons, and soon Bud is on his way to Grand Rapids to find his father.  Along the way, he meets a lot of quirky characters who help him along in his quest.  He eventually encounters a grumpy jazz musician who doesn’t fit his model of fatherhood.


    My Take:      This is the first book that I had read by Curtis and I was not disappointed.   No landscape writer, Curtis’s strength lies in his ear for creating a character through the sound of their words.  I can certainly understand why this book won the 2000 Newberry Medal Award.  Bud is an artfully sketched out character who is as adept at survival as he is with the English language.  I appreciated Bud’s rituals to stay out of trouble with adults  and his humorous “Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself.”   I recommend this book to any 5th grader and above who can appreciate Bud’s interesting view on life.

    One Interesting Note About the Author:   According to his website, after graduating high school in Flint, Michigan, Curtis worked in Fisher’s Body Plant #1, hanging 80 lbs. car doors onto Buick’s.

  • “Sway” by Kat Spears

    The Plot In 5 Sentences Or Less:  Jesse Alderman is the hook up man at Wakefield High, the guy who can get you anything–for a price.  But when a big shot jock wants a shot at dating school hottie Bridget Smalley, Jesse’s real troubles begin.  He ingratiates himself into her life and becomes good friends with her brother Pete who suffers from cerebral palsy.  But as Jesse gets closer to Bridget and Pete, demons from his past begin to surface.  The walls begin to close in on him as he understands that simply being smooth and untouchable is not enough.

    My Take:  Well, I just loved this book.  Jesse Alderman is such a jerk-ass and an intriguing character at the same time that I couldn’t put this book down.  More than anything, he is convincing.  Spears has a talent for writing humorous, caustic dialogue that simply rings true.

    I also appreciated that she has written a frustrated love story that is palatable for boys.  Bereft of any hint of sentimental romance, this book features wounded characters that struggle for hints of humanity in the Darwinian jungle that is high school.  I can certainly understand why this book was starred by Kirkus and School Library Journal.  I would rank “Sway” as one of the best Young Adult books that I have ever read.

    One Interesting Note About the Author:  According to her website, Kat Spears has worked as a “bartender, museum director, housekeeper, park ranger, business manager, and painter.” She has also worked as a gift shop attendant at St. John’s Church where Patrick Henry made his famous “Liberty or Death” speech in 1775.

  • Amulet Book One: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi

    The Plot In 5 Sentences:  After Emily and Navin’s dad perishes in a horrible accident, their mother moves them to a spooky, rural house once owned by their grandfather.  The children soon discover his old workshop as well as an amulet that Emily ties around her neck.   That night, when a creature kidnaps their mom, the children chase after them and stumble into a strange world.  There they learn that the amulet has magical powers and that they have been charged with using it to gain power over this weird place known as Alledia.  With this knowledge, Emily and Navin embark on a dangerous adventure to find their mother.

    My Take:  This is a highly requested item in my library, so I felt compelled to read it.  I was not disappointed.  The plot is unencumbered and the pace is brisk.  Kibuishi’s art is eye catching when necessary, but shorn of detail when the narrative speeds forward.  Children will appreciate the fully realized fantasy world and the dangers that lurk there.   I think that I’ll be reading the second in the series.

    One Interesting Note About the Author:  Kibuishi will design the covers for the rerelease of the Harry Potter series.

  • The Swallow: A Ghost Story by Charis Cotter

    The Plot In 5 Sentences Or Less:  Polly lives in a bustling house full of children and loves to read and think about ghosts.  Ruby has the opposite problem in that she feels abandoned by her family but has the unwanted power of seeing the dead.  By accident one day, the girls discover that they are neighbors and that their attics connect.  As they began to secretly visit each other through the attics, they began to learn about the tragic past of Ruby’s family.   An aunt that passed away years before begins to visit the girls and brings with her a frightening message.

    My Take:  This was great children’s book to read in the fall.  I appreciated the rotating narration between the two girls and also how the author kept us in suspense as to whether Ruby was actually a ghost or not.  I did feel that the book bogged down in certain places, but overall I would recommend this to children looking for a ghost book.

    One Interesting Note About the Author:  Charis Cotter lives in Newfoundland and has an abiding interest in ghosts.

  • The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

    The Plot In Five Sentences Or Less:  Will, raised as a ward of the castle and having never known his parents, faces his destiny on his Choosing Day.  Hoping that he will go to fighting school, Will is surprised when the shadowy figure of Halt requests that Will join his team of Rangers, a stealthy band that polices and keeps watch over the realm.  Will takes to his training well, mastering such Ranger arts as camouflage, stealth, and of knife throwing.  As his skills mature, Will earns the respect of Halt and makes a name for himself by slaying a large wild boar in the forest.  But the a wild boar is nothing compared to the dreaded and evil Kalkara, whom the evil lord Morgarath has sent on a mission to kill the Rangers.

    My Take:  I was suitably impressed by the opening shot of this now 12 part series.  Flanagan gets right the balance between character development and delivering a suitable level of excitement for younger readers.  I was expecting that the entire book would be spent on Will’s training and his efforts to please Halt, with the obvious attending disappointments until then end, when, through some personal breakthrough, Will finally earns the respect of his master.  I was pleased that this was not the narrative arc, or at least not the entirety of it, and that, by the final quarter of the book, Flanagan has ushered us to the larger stage where we are meeting the Kalkara of Morgarath.

    One Interesting Note About the Author:  Flanagan conceived these books in a series of short stories that he wrote for his son to interest him in reading.

  • “The Sister’s Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives” by Michael Buckley

    The Plot In Five Sentences Or Less:  Daphne and Sabrina have bounced among foster homes for the past few years ever since their parents passed away.  Their latest foster mother is an eccentric old woman calling herself Mrs. Grimm and claiming to be the girls’s grandmother.  She takes the girls to her old house stocked with eccentric items and, in time, strongly hints that the girls are part of an old family tradition of keeping fairy tale characters–known as everafters–in line and out of sight.  The girls are mostly skeptical until the grandmother and her chauffeur are kidnapped by a giant.  It’s up to Daphne and Sabrina to track down their grandmother, solve the mystery of why this giant is terrorizing the town, and live up to their family name of Grimm.

    My Take:  This light hearted romp featuring a cast of characters from well known fairy tales and children’s literature is a good choice for children looking for a fun read.  Buckley manages to balance the right amount of realism and zaniness so that even when the book incorporates darker elements, it never takes itself too seriously.

    One Interesting Note About the Author:  According to his website, Michael Buckley attempted to be a stand up comedian and lead singer of a punk rock band before going to college.

  • “Gregor the Overlander” by Suzanne Collins

    The Plot In Five Sentences Or Less:  While mourning the disappearance of his father two years prior, Gregor and his younger sister Boots are sucked into an underworld through a grate in their apartment building’s laundry room. They soon discover thriving societies of crawlers (cockroaches), humans, spiders, and rats that live together through a fragile truce.  Unfortunately, war is brewing as the humans believe that Gregor is the one predicted by an ancient prophecy to bring aid to their kingdom in the face of their enemy the rats.  Not wanting to be entangled in the politics of the underworld, but desperate to find a way home, Gergor and Boots set out on a quest dangerous quest to fulfill the prophecy.

    My Take:  This is one of those books/series that I have meant to tackle for a couple of years now.  I found it to be an immensely readable juvenile fantasy that kept the pace going.  I was impressed by Collin’s ability to immerse the reader in another world, provide adequate detail for the characters and setting, without losing the narrative momentum.  I also appreciate that the book works well as a stand alone or as a beginning to a delightful series.  Recommended ages 9+

    One Interesting Note About the Author:   C’mon!  It’s Suzanne Collins!  You probably know all about her already.

  • Best Toddler Read a Louds for Library Storytime

    Last week I did a post on the best preschool read a louds.   Below is a companion post on what I consider to be the best books for toddler storytime.  I have always found storytime for the 2 year old crowd to be a bit more challenging.  At our library, toddler time is 10 minutes shorter than preschool, but it can feel much more challenging.  A toddler has a shorter attention span and what thrills a preschooler is completely lost on a younger child.  When doing a storytime for the 2’s, I typically keep it high energy and KEEP IT MOVING.  I incorporate puppets, music, my guitar, bubbles, and anything else that I think may capture their attention.  As such, I choose books that are shorter, have far less text, and big bold pictures.  Also, many of these books are in the question-and-answer format; toddlers seems to enjoy the surprise of turning a page and discovering the answer.

     

    1)  Where’s Spot? by Hill.  This may be my favorite toddler read a loud of all time.  The simple search for Spot introduces us to lots of colorful friends.

     

     

     

    2)  I Kissed the Baby by Murphy.  I love the ebullient mood of this book!  The animals seems so manic in their excitement over the baby.  I can’t help but smile when I read it.

     

     

     

     

    3)  Where is the Green Sheep? by Fox.  A few months ago, I inquired of Mem Fox  as to where exactly the green sheep is.  She still hasn’t gotten back to me.

     

     

     

     

     

    4)  I Went Walking by Sue Williams.  A great book for learning colors and the basic farm animals.

     

     

     

     

    5) Flappy, Waggy, Wiggly by Leslie.  A whimsical question and answer book that shows part of the

     

     

     

     

    6) Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Carle and Martin.  This and it’s Polar Bear, Polar Bear companion book are children’s classics.

     

     

     

     

    7)  I Dream of An Elephant by Rubinger.  Rubinger’s toddler books feature basic rhymes, simple text, and promotes color, letter, and number learning.

     

     

    8)  Seals on the Bus by Hort.  This bus gets a little crazy and crowded as geese, vipers, and even skunks get on board.  It’s a great book if you’re feeling like making some animal sounds.

     

     

     

     

    9)  It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Shaw.  A black/blue and white book that incorporates repetition and in which children can guess the shape.  You may have to shorten for toddlers.

     

     

     

    10)  Under My Hood I Have A Hat by Kushkin.  A great, fun book for winter.  A little girl overdresses for the snow and finds that she can’t move.

     

  • Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

    Because_of_mr_teruptThe Plot in 5 Sentences Or Less:  Each of the fifth graders in Mr. Terupt’s class at Snow Hill School has a story.  Jessica, for instance, just moved across country with her mother to get away from her dad, while Alexia is intent upon spreading gossip throughout the class in order to start a war among the girls.  As the year progresses, tensions among the students rise.  But Mr. Terupt is an extraordinary teacher, capable of challenging his students with creative projects that point to deeper lessons.  When a tragic event unfolds, Mr. Terupt’s lessons of kindness and forgiveness will be put to the test.

    My Take:   Because of Mr. Terupt reminded me of the book Wonder by Palacio because of the revolving first person narrator style and the emphasis on young people working out how to treat each other.  Much credit should be given to Buyea for revisiting the “inspiring teacher” trope and not writing a stale rehash from this familiar territory.  The choice to have the plot revolve around the tragic event in the middle of the book provides a great deal of momentum to the narrative.  I did find the ending a little too nicely wrapped up for my cynical tastes, but this is nonetheless a wonderful read about forgiveness and the power of a teacher to inspire.

    One Interesting Note About the Author:  On his website, Rob Buyea confesses that he wasn’t much of reader growing up, but he did enjoy My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George.