Book Review: The First State of Being

I adored Erin Entrada Kelly's Newbery Honor Book, We Dream of Space. As usual, I feel I must apologize when I don't relish a book. I'm guessing I might have had a different response to this Newbery winning Kelly book, The First State of Being, if I had read it years ago. Maybe, I'm just in too deep a funk to rally. The story held my interest, but didn't wow like the other one.

Set at the turn of the century, the story follows Michael Rosario as he prepares for the uncertainties of Y2K in 1999. His encounter with a boy named Ridge, from the future, leaves him hoping for answers to ease his fears. Alas, Ridge cannot offer any consolation. The only real tid-bit Michael gleans is a prediction of an earthquake across the world. He has plenty of challenges apart from his Y2K woes and Ridge's appearance may bring even more.

The title focuses on Ridge's advice to focus on "the first state of being," or the present. It is easy to allow fears over the future to overwhelm and capsize our equilibrium (I'm guilty). Through the story of Ridge's intersection into Michael's world, young people gain a powerful message of strength and resilience in the face of the uncertainties of life. Kelly writes well, and the story is worthwhile. For readers aged 8-12, it appeals to those interested in time travel or science fiction. 

Book Review: From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

I know I read this book when I was younger. Perhaps I liked it better the first time around. It wasn't regrettable, yet I expected so much more (both from its reputation and my memory). I'm guessing it was a read-aloud in one of my elementary classrooms. Fitting.

Claudia Kincaid is running away. She selects her younger brother Jamie to come along (he's thrifty with his money and has amassed enough to finance her venture). They execute her plans, from hiding in the Metropolitan Museum of Art to bathing in the fountain (and making off with the coins in the fountain). She seeks to change somehow, yet finds the little adventure not as fulfilling as hoped. They stumble upon a mysterious statue. Is it truly a famous work of art purchased by the museum for a pittance, or is it just an ordinary statue of an angel?

I enjoyed the sections on sneaking in and living in the museum. The parts about bathing and washing their clothes entertained. Sadly, when they came to the climax of the story (the mysterious statue), it fell flat for me. Thus, I'd say the beginning and middle were strong, but the end felt contrived and dissatisfying. I loved the glorious name of the elderly woman (and the title of the book). The interesting idea of children hiding out in a museum will still appeal to elementary students.

Book Review: Rascal

Written in 1963, two years prior to my birth, this children's memoir tells of a simpler, more wholesome time. Set in 1918 in Wisconsin (near to my past home in northern Illinois), it recounts the adventures of 12-year-old Sterling North and his pet raccoon. This book has sincere boy appeal, but is also entertaining for all. It made me hearken back to times when you could go on a trip and neglect to lock your house doors, when family was nearby and always at the ready to help you in times of need, and when young boys could make pets of wild creatures without worrying about legislation against them. Dipping back in time with Sterling is a satisfying exercise and made me want to know more about the author. The Amazon listing for the book shows the 1st edition copies go for over $300 now. Of course, you can still access it in cheap paperback modern form and I listened to the audiobook. I wonder if they illustrated the book. Suitable for ages 8-12, this would make an excellent classroom read-aloud.

Book Review: The Tale of Despereaux

Kate DiCamillo is one of my favorite children's authors. Her books hold timeless truth and suck the imagination into alternate realities with compelling characters and plots. I will never forget the experience of listening to Ms. Sharon McKee read this book aloud to her third-grade class in DeKalb all those years ago. The eagerness of the students for each read-aloud session was palpable. That is the sign of a truly outstanding book (and also of a truly great narrator, Ms. McKee).

The Tale of Despereaux tells of a small mouse, an abused servant girl, some rats, and a princess. It communicates the light available for our dark world through story. It emphasizes the tremendous power of love. In a kingdom saddened by the death of a queen, Despereaux is born to fulfill a purpose he cannot imagine. Even though all the mice are against him, love drives him to right a wrong. Every child needs to hear this story as a reminder you can overcome darkness with light, and hatred with love. 

Of course, in seeking an accompanying photo from Amazon, I discovered many negative reviews (in most, the readers didn't finish the story). They argue the tale is "incredibly dark," and "promotes evil and torture," "makes light of child abuse and death." I would argue that children are going to encounter darkness in this world where sin is rampant. Yes, they might even encounter death (indeed, one boy in that class mentioned above had already lost his 2-year-old sister). Some may know what it is like to be abused or to be dismissed because they do not fit the mold. If you stop there, of course it is incredibly depressing and demoralizing. But redemption shines throughout the tale. We live in a dark world, yet the light can penetrate the darkness if you bother to light a candle. (Sin exists to reveal our need of a Savior.) Kate DiCamillo's message is clear. Story holds healing power, but only if you see it through to the end. One abandoning reader remarked, "at what cost for the journey?" Journeys that cost are often the most worthwhile. If you've never read this book, please do so now and let me know if, after fully reading it, you regret that decision.

Book Review: Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy - Highly Recommend

How sad I'll be when I have no more unread Gary D. Schmidt books! What an outstanding author! He taps the heart of things and communicates significant truths packed in the garments of story. Published in 2004, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy is an earlier book, but just as powerful as The Wednesday Wars, Okay for Now, Orbiting Jupiter, and Trouble. Indeed, it was a Printz Honor book and a 2005 Newbery Honor book. Thankfully, I have a few more Schmidt books to read if I can lay my hands on them (at least one of them is available in audio form on Hoopla).

I had to read bits of this aloud to my boys because I knew they would sympathize with the protagonist,  Turner Buckminster. After a horrific introduction to his new life as the minister's son in Phippsburg, Maine, all Turner wants to do is run away. He doesn't fit in a town full of bullying peers and cantankerous elderly neighbors. The church elders are eager to clear out a shanty town on a nearby island, to make room for a lucrative tourist resort, and hope to garner Reverend Buckminster's support. Lizzie Bright lives on that island and becomes Turner's only friend. But it is 1912, and others frown on his associations with a young black girl. (Indeed, what a timely tale! If we all worked on building cross-cultural relationships, we might bridge the racial divide.)

The characters are endearing. Turner's struggles are excruciating. The plot pacing perfect! While this is a sad book (death occurs), it also speaks of hope and redemption. What a wonderful piece of historical fiction, spurring universal inspiration to seek love and justice. Schmidt proves, once again, that he weaves wonder in the ordinary struggles of life. Perhaps it appeals to me more as a pastor's kid, but I think it will hold equal appeal to other readers and would be a superb selection for teachers seeking relevant literature to discuss race and justice in classrooms today.

Book Review: Out of the Dust

Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust won the Newbery Medal in 1998. I primarily selected the book because I thought I'd need a shorter selection for the few days prior to CBLI. Alas, I ended up with only two days available, so I listened to music those days instead. Still, this was a brief journey and worth the listen. What made it extra special was that the book references Lubbock, Texas, where my sister just moved. I know she has experienced one dust storm since moving and the book helped me to imagine what that must be like.

Fourteen-year-old Billie Jo lives on a struggling Oklahoma farm with her pregnant mother and her hard-working father. The dust storms come, bringing with them a host of problems for the family. After a tragic accident occurs, Billie Jo must face the devastation and re-frame her life. Despite an invitation from her aunt in Lubbock, to live with her, Billie Jo toughs it out to remain with her family and endure the new challenges.

Because I listened to the story, I wasn't entirely aware that it was written in free verse until I browsed the back cover of the case. It was a simple, sad story, but full of hope and healing. It would make a great read-aloud to pair with a study of the Great Depression or the Dust Bowl. My favorite line came toward the end, when Billie Jo observes: "And I know now that all the time I was trying to get out of the dust, the fact is, what I am, I am because of the dust and what I am is good enough, even for me." What a great lesson for kids: the struggle may be difficult but it shapes us into the individuals we need to be.

Book Review: Walk Two Moons - Highly Recommend

How did I miss this Newbery book for so long? Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons won the Newbery Medal in 1995, before any of my sons were even born. I should have discovered this gem by now! Although the book holds universal appeal, I wish I had a young tween girl in my life so we could read and experience it together. Alas, my boys no longer want me to read aloud to them - what a sad, sad day.

The book garnered many notes of praise:

"This story sings." - Booklist

"A richly layered novel about real and metaphorical journeys." - School Library Journal

"Packed with humor and affection... an odyssey of unexpected twists and surprising conclusions." - Newbery Award Selection Committee

I cannot describe this marvelous book any better than the cover copy does:

In her own singularly beautiful style, Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech intricately weaves together two tales, one funny, one bittersweet, to create a heartwarming, compelling, and utterly moving story of love, loss, and the complexity of human emotion.

Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle, proud of her country roots and the "Indian-ness in her blood," travels from Ohio to Idaho with her eccentric grandparents. Along the way, she tells them of the story of Phoebe Winterbottom, who received mysterious messages, who met a "potential lunatic," and whose mother disappeared.

As Sal entertains her grandparents with Phoebe's outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold—the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother.

In my own words, I can only say that the writing absolutely sings and the story evokes such strong emotion that it brought me to tears at the end. What a powerfully moving book! What a masterpiece of great storytelling! I urge you, if you haven't encountered this touching tale, to give it a chance to warm and open your heart as it did mine.

Book Review: Penny from Heaven

After wincing every time my husband entered the room for my last audio book (a book with fairly graphic child abuse content), I determined to seek out a clean read from the tween audio book shelves at my library. The front cover of Penny from Heaven indicates that the author, Jennifer L. Holm, is a Newbery Honor-Winning author. Thus, I expected to be sucked in more quickly to the story. Alas, my interest flagged for the first several hours, but did finally pick up toward the middle of the story and I ended up liking the book a lot.

11-year-old Penny is an Italian-American girl living a decade following WW II. She dreams of an uncomplicated summer, but confronts a host of problems instead. Despite an extensive close-knit family on her father's side, her mother doesn't seem to trust Penny's Italian relatives. Nobody is willing to talk about her deceased father and Penny bristles against her mother's restrictions. Then, as if life isn't hard enough, she faces further loss and a devastating accident.

As the back cover proclaims, "Penny from Heaven is a shining story about the everyday and the extraordinary, about a time in America's history when being Italian meant that you were the enemy. But most of all, it's a story about families - about the things that tear them apart and bring them together." I fell in love with the characters and felt shattered for them when the truth about the past was revealed. I rooted for Penny to overcome her challenges and for the families to get along, because love covers a multitude of wrongs.

Book Review: Rules

In my quest for another clean read to listen to during my treadmill time, I selected Cynthia Lord's Rules. It was a sweet, tender story about life as a sibling of a special needs child. It would make an excellent read-aloud for 3rd to 5th grade classrooms. The author manages to create authentic characters who grow toward maturity.

Twelve-year-old Catherine feels invisible in a family focused on the needs of her younger autistic brother, David. As Catherine struggles to befriend the new girl next door, she attempts to balance her desire for a more normal family with her fierce loyalty and protection of her brother. David struggles with understanding social expectations so Catherine makes a list of rules for him to follow (things like "no toys in the fish tank" and "keep your pants on in public"), alongside her own list of rules about life (rules about deflecting questions and avoiding public dancing). Her rules are tested when she meets Jason, a boy her own age at her brother's therapy center. Jason is wheel-chair bound and cannot speak, yet he provides Catherine with an enduring friendship and pushes her out of her comfort zone.

Book Review: The View from Saturday

Although I didn't select this audio book for its brevity, I was short on time for perusing the shelves and knew I could trust E. L. Konigsburg for a decent tween read. The characters were delightful, the story engaging, and the plot pace steady.  With a kid-friendly feel of "Slum Dog Millionaire," The View from Saturday would make an excellent read-aloud for 3rd to 6th grade classrooms.

Mrs. Olinski doesn't know why she selected the particular four individuals who make up the sixth grade Academic Bowl team, but she knows that they have the potential to sweep the competition beneath their feet. Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian become fast friends as they prepare and get to know one another better. Each has a particular story fitting them for particular questions presented and when they come together, they establish a friendship that is both enduring and profitable.

Book Review: Wolf Hollow - Highly Recommend

While the last Newbery book I read didn't appeal to me, this one was a completely different experience. Wolf Hollow, by Lauren Wolk, was outstanding from start to finish, fully deserving of its numerous accolades and awards. It opened with a bang up first sentence: "The year I turned twelve, I learned how to lie." Indeed, the whole prologue was absolutely breathtaking. I knew I was in for a treat and I wasn't disappointed. The writing sings and it is a song well worth hearing.

Wolf Hollow takes it's name from a hollow where they trapped and buried wolves in holes to reduce the threatening population. How appropriate as we meet a true threat to our young protagonist. Annabelle is a sweet, sincere girl who has no idea what is in store when she first encounters Betty Glengarry, an "incorrigible" youngster sent to live with her grandparents. At first, Annabelle is determined to handle Bettty's bullying on her own, but over time, realizes that she is in over her head. Still, Annabelle is plucky, intelligent, and compassionate. She figures quite a bit out on her own, without the help of grown-ups, something sure to appeal to young readers.

This book will stun and enthrall readers of all ages as they watch Annabelle learn about the more difficult challenges of life. It takes on subjects of prejudice, justice, and mercy. Somehow the author manages to make readers feel empathy for both the bullied and the bully.

As Annabelle thinks on her plight, and the plight of Toby (another of Betty's targets), she wisely observes, "There might be things I would never understand, no matter how hard I tried... there would be people who would never hear my one small voice, no matter what I had to say. But then a better thought occurred, and this was the one I carried with me that day: If my life was to be just a single note in an endless symphony, how could I not sound it out for as long and as loudly as I could?"

The story ends just as eloquently. Annabelle declares, "The wind always swept my words away like cloud shadows, as if it mattered more that I said them, than who heard them." Thus, readers are challenged to live lives that speak into the darkness of this world, even if their voices go unheard. I am a better person for having read this book, and I think other readers will be, as well.

Book Review: The Girl Who Drank the Moon

I wanted to love this book. I really did. The cover is gorgeous, the idea is intriguing. and the endorsements are full of powerfully positive words ("spellbinding," "captivating," and "imaginative"). It is a New York Times bestseller and a Newbery winner. The Amazon page is full to the brim with accolades. I just can't bring myself to join the throngs.

I know there are friends of mine who would rave about The Girl Who Drank the Moon. People who love fairy tales, readers who enjoy fantastical stories, and lovers of magic will all be enthralled with it. I could imagine myself reading the book to an eager little girl (granddaughter perhaps, because I'm done in that department). But, the story never fully engaged me or pulled me in. Despite liking the portrayal of the little girl, I really struggled to care what happened to her because the story rambled and drifted aimlessly.

Living in the Protectorate sounds like it would be safe and cozy, doesn't it? But the whole idea of the Protectorate is held up by an annual sacrifice to the Witch in the dangerous forest around them. They hope that by offering up the youngest member, they will appease the thirst of the Witch. Thus, the story begins with a baby placed on a tree stump in the forest and left to its fate. The Witch does indeed come to take the baby, but falls in love with her and allows her to drink from the moon, thereby filling her with magic. That baby's mother is driven to madness and locked away in a tower. A young boy, training for a position as Elder, watches it all, convinced that something should be done to do away with this barbaric practice. So far, so good.

But, after that, the story begins to weave so poetic and allegorical that it began to bore me. Everything seems to be leading up to a climax, but it takes so long to get there and when things do finally come to a head (and I feared the girl would be mistaken for the witch and her throat slit - surely it couldn't end that way, I thought), it just sort of unravels and resolves quietly.

I felt hesitant about the undertones of the story. Was it poking fun at people who believe in a higher power, a God figure who works in mysterious ways? Was it mocking the idea of sacrifice? Why does the religious figure end up being the supreme evil entity? It felt like New Age philosophy triumphing over Christianity. Despite beautiful writing, I hesitantly read on, hoping for some form of redemption or some value to the story. Alas, I never found it. Am still confused by it, to be honest. Great potential, but sadly not a story to my tastes.

Book Review: Paperboy

I had noticed this book a few times before, but when my middle school son came home saying he had to read it, I decided to read it with him (to help him when it came time for him to write up his book report). Paperboy tells the story of a young boy in the 1950s who lives in the South and deals with a stuttering problem. Amazon lists this Newbery Honor book as "perfect for fans of To Kill a Mockingbird, The King's Speech, and The Help."

After hitting his best friend Rat in the mouth with a baseball, Victor feels obligated to take over Rat's paper route when Rat has to go visit his grandparents for the month of July. Because of his love of baseball, the throwing part thrills him. Because of his stutter, the collections part terrifies him. The book is full of interesting characters. My favorites were Mam, the boy's African American caretaker (similar to Aibileen in The Help) and Mr. Spiro, an educated man who gives the boy clues to help him discover his true identity (my son loved the image of the offered corners of the dollar bill with S-words on them so much that he used it for his book report's visual aid - sadly the teacher scorned his offering and said it showed "little creativity").

While the book is about identity and resilience, it is primarily about individual story. Once again, we all have a story to tell. As this book puts it, "it matters more what you say than how you say it." Toward the end of the book, Victor declares "my soul doesn't s-s-s-stutter." An excellent selection for any young reader who doubts their worth or struggles with their identity because of a disability (heads up - it does portray some intense social ills like alcoholism, domestic violence, and racial tension, and hints at the inappropriate affections of an adult neighbor).

Book Review: The Hundred Dresses

When I happened upon the audio book The Hundred Dresses, my heart immediately soared because I remembered loving this book as a young girl. Still, it has been years and years since I was first exposed to it and my memory of the story was vague. I'm so glad I spent an hour relishing the story again.

Wanda Petronski is a poor Polish girl who wears the same old faded dress to school each day. When a classmate comes in a stunning new dress, Wanda timidly squeaks out that she has one hundred dresses all lined up in her closet at home. This becomes fuel for rampant teasing. In the end, the girls discover the true secret to Wanda's hundred dresses and learn a lesson in kindness from her friendly response.

One day, I hope to have a granddaughter and I will happily read her this lovely tale. I will read it to her from my beloved collection of Collier's Junior Classics (which contains Louis Slobodkin's original illustrations for this 1945 Newbery winner - much better than the cover photo for the Recorded Books version). Hopefully, her heart will revel in the story as much as mine did all those years ago.

Book Review: A Wrinkle in Time

As I finished re-reading A Wrinkle in Time, I was struck by how appropriate it was that I selected this book to be a book my main character is reading in the novel I just completed last month. There are so many parallels between the character sentiments, theme, and quotations of the book with those in my book. I ended my book with a verse of Scripture (even though it is not a Christian young adult book - it was simply an appropriate quote for the moment of closure) and that same Scripture is quoted in Madeleine L'Engle's book.

This book brings great strength and emotional fortitude to my main character as she faces the challenges before her. It is a book about two children attempting to save a family member and my book also is about a sister attempting to save a sister. L'Engle's book emphasizes the importance of differences in a world bent on eliminating individuality and illness, just as my book does. What a perfect fit for a reference.

Margaret Murray has great difficulty managing her life in school. People think both she and her younger brother, Charles Wallace, are dumb, while they simply have a different way of thinking and perceiving and reacting to things. Their father, a scientist who has mysteriously vanished, is rumored to have run off with another woman, although Meg knows that cannot be true. When Charles Wallace and Meg meet the three strange ladies, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, their lives are thrown off balance and they travel on a mysterious trip to attempt to rescue their father from another dimension.

This is a classic tale of good versus evil. It demonstrates the underdog triumphing over the enemy. Great meaning is drawn from beneath the story. Although I'm not feeling sucked in enough to want to continue with the series, it was certainly a perfect read for a followup to my novel writing.

Book Review: Bridge to Terabithia - Highly Recommend

I kind of find it hard to believe that I hadn't read this book until now. I have heard great things about it for years. I even began listening to it as a read-aloud in one of the classrooms where I worked as an aide (sadly, the parent/reader failed to return to complete the book - perhaps this was because she included the few curse words used in the beginning of the book, a no-no in classroom read-alouds). I knew it was a tear-jerker because one of the writing instructors at a writers conference I attended a few years back read a portion of the book aloud to illustrate a point in her lecture. I was fully aware that someone dies in the book. After all, I knew that the book was written by Katherine Paterson on the heels of her son's loss of his best friend. Still, I wasn't prepared for how deeply the sadness moved me. It is hard to walk on the treadmill when you are sobbing.

Sean and I had begun reading this together when we went away for vacation. I checked out the audio version, hoping we would listen to the book while we were at camp (and we did during one free time for a bit). I couldn't wait for Sean to finish it, so I continued listening on my own during my exercise time. Despite the sadness the story evokes, it is truly an experience you won't want to miss.

Here's the summary from the back cover:

"All summer, Jess pushes himself to be the fastest boy in the fifth grade, running mile after mile on the family farm. When the year's first schoolyard race is run, his victory is stolen by a new girl who doesn't even know enough to stay off the boys' side of the playground.

"But instead of becoming rivals, they become friends. Jess guides Leslie, the city girl, through life in the country, and she draws him into the imaginary world of Terabithia. Here, Leslie and Jess are safe from bullies and ridicule. One day, however, that tranquility is shattered when tragedy forces one of them to reign in Terabithia alone.

"In this poignant, Newbery Medal-winning novel, Katherine Paterson beautifully illustrates the joy and pain of growing up."

This was a tour-de-force. It was a magnificent book. I can't wait to finish the book with Sean and see whether it moves him as much as it moved me. I can't wait to attempt to weave such emotional gold in my own novels.
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In thinking of the wisdom and skill of this author, I also wanted to share a TED talk I recently discovered about children's literature. It is well worth the 16 minutes of viewing time. Mac Barnett, another skilled children's author, uses humor to illustrate the poignant truth about the power of fiction. He speaks about how children's fiction should be a door to another world, a world of truth in the midst of lies:

Book Review: Dicey's Song

This was a book I had heard of but failed to read yet. Dicey's Song is a familiar title in children's literature, having won a Newbery Award. I wasn't aware that it is the second in a series of four books. The story unfolds in a very slow, meandering manner (or perhaps that was just the way the narrator presented it in the audio form). It was sweet and tender, but also a bit sad.

Here's the description from the back cover:

"It took 13-year-old Dicey Tillerman all summer to get herself and her three younger siblings to their grandmother's run-down farm on the Chesapeake Bay. Now the four of them face the difficult challenges of fitting into a frightening new world, one where once again, they are outsiders. Gram told Dicey to just hold on, to do all that she could to keep the family together. The trouble is, Dicey has only two hands, and quite a few problems of her own. Growing up, she discovers, is more than just holding on to what is important; it is learning how to let go."

The story brought me to tears a few times. Although I enjoyed it, I probably wouldn't rank it as one of my favorites for the year. It would be a good book to suggest to a child who is having difficulty with new circumstances or with family troubles. I don't think I enjoyed it enough to seek out the rest of the series, although if our library had another one in audio form, it might bump it up for consideration since I'm always looking for more books to listen to while I do my daily walk.

I will say that I like the cover posted at the top of this post far better than this one (to the left) on the cover of the library's audio version. I couldn't tell if the child on this cover is a boy or a girl. Perhaps that was intentional, but I think the first cover conveys more emotional pull than this particular one does. The downcast face also expresses more of the internal angst of the main character. Just a better cover, in my humble opinion.

Book Review: Criss Cross

Criss Cross, by Lynne Rae Perkins, was a 2005 Newbery Award winner. The Horn Book wrote of it: "Like a lazy summer day, the novel induces that exhilarating feeling that one has all the time in the world." I guess my perception of it was a bit different.  It did meander like a lazy summer day. It was an okay read, but merely okay. For the most part it felt like a stream-of-consciousness philosophizing about life. With no beginning, middle, or end, no plot to speak of, I longed for a destination and for more excitement than simple ruminations about lightning bugs, life, and love. There were moments of splendor, a few instances where the words felt beautiful, but it still didn't seem to be award worthy.

How to even summarize? Debbie is hoping something will happen to her soon. Set in the 1960s, the story is full of platform shoes and bell bottom jeans which graze the pavement. The various characters meander through life experiencing crushes on the opposite sex, contemplations of the meaning and purpose of life, and confusions over how to present the self to others. With no real action propelling it forward, it simply lallygagged through deep and shallow waters. I've read better Newbery winners than this.

Book Review: Lily's Crossing

Patricia Reilly Giff is an author my mother recommended to me and I'm pretty sure it was this children's book she encountered first to draw her in. Lily's Crossing is a tender tale of friendship during a time of war and uncertainty. For those who were young children (as my parents were) at the time of World War II, this will, no doubt, stir memories of that perilous time and the emotions which surged when brothers and fathers went to war, when specialty items were rationed, and when life felt like it would never be the same again.

From the back cover: "This year, as in other years, Lily has planned a spectacular summer in Rockaway, in her family's cozy house on stilts over the Atlantic Ocean. But by the summer of 1944, World War II has changed almost everyone's life. Lily's best friend, Margaret, and her family have moved to a wartime factory town, and worse, much worse, Lily's father is on his way overseas to the war.

"There's no one else Lily's age in Rockaway until Albert comes, a refugee from Hungary, a boy with a secret sewn into his coat. Albert has lost most of his family in the war: he's been through things Lily can't imagine. But when they join together to rescue and care for a kitten, they begin a special friendship. For Lily and Albert have their own secrets to share. They both have told lies, and Lily has told a lie that may cost Albert his life."

I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet tale. It certainly evoked emotion within me. I came to love Lily and her faults and foibles. I rooted for the budding friendship. I cried in the moments of peril and of triumph.

Book Review: Number the Stars - Highly Recommend

On the heels of hearing Lois Lowry speak at Butler University (a delightful experience, where I managed to secure a third row seat), I decided to listen to an audio-book of one of her books, one I had been wanting to read for quite some time but hadn't gotten around to. Number the Stars is an extremely well-written, moving story about a girl, in World War II, who helps her parents smuggle a family of Jews out of Denmark to safety in Sweden. The main character, like Lowry herself, has lost her older sister and is still reeling from the empty space she has left behind. Lowry manages to convey all the emotion of sibling loss with the even greater depths of emotion brought on by the difficulties of war.

When Annemarie Johansen's best friend, Ellen Rosen, comes to stay for a night, Annemarie is aware that the situation is perilous and they must pretend that Ellen is really her older sister, Lise, who died in a car crash a few years before. Ellen is a Jew and the Nazis are preparing to relocate the family. Soldiers do indeed come knocking, wanting to know if the Johansens know the whereabouts of their neighbors, the Rosens. Papa, thinking quickly on his feet, presents the soldiers with photos of his three daughters at birth. Thankfully, Lise had dark hair, just like Ellen, at birth, though both Annemarie and her younger sister, Kirsti, are fair-haired. The danger is not yet over. They must travel by train and attempt to fool the guards in order to get the Rosens safely across the sea to the shores of Sweden. Annemarie must be very brave and mature quickly in the face of these threatening times.

It was, by far, the best children's book I have read so far this year. Lowry's writing is enchanting. It is a perfect introduction for larger discussions with children about the harsh realities of war and ways people triumph over adversities. I especially appreciated the final track, where the author spoke of how much of the story was based in fact and how much came from her imagination. This would make an excellent read-aloud for older elementary students and will appeal equally to children and adults.