Grades 5 & Up: January 2012
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Fiction Series Roundup
APPLEGATE, Katherine. The One and Only Ivan. illus. by Patricia Castelao. 305p. CIP. HarperCollins/Harper. Jan. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-199225-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-210198-3. LC 2011010034.
Gr 3-7–This tender tale of friendship and hope is narrated by a silverback gorilla living at The Big Top Mall, a shabby, circus-themed roadside attraction. For years, Ivan was passively content. He had his art, unlimited bananas, and his friends: Stella (an elephant), Bob (a stray dog), and Julia (a human child). Ivan’s eyes are finally opened to his deplorable surroundings when he loses a friend due to neglect. The last straw is when he witnesses the attraction’s owner abusing Ruby, a newly acquired baby elephant. Thus, Ivan is inspired to take action. With some help from his human friends, his dream of a better life for all the Big Top’s animals just might come true. The character of Ivan, as explained in an author’s note, is inspired by a real gorilla that lived through similar conditions before being adopted by Zoo Atlanta. Applegate makes a powerful statement about the treatment of animals–especially those living in captivity–and reminds readers that all creatures deserve a safe place to call home. Castelao’s delightful illustrations enhance this lovely story, and the characters will capture readers’ hearts and never let go. A must-have.–Alissa J. LeMerise, Oxford Public Library, MI CAREY, Janet Lee. Dragonswood. 404p. Dial. Jan. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3504-0. LC number unavailable.
Gr 7 Up–Set on Wilde Island a generation after Dragon’s Keep (Harcourt, 2007), this story continues with a perfectly crafted combination of history, mythology, and fantasy. King Pendragon has died, and while the island waits for his eldest son to return from the Crusades, the power-hungry Lord Sackmore is becoming more and more of a threat to the future king. When Lady Adela, the witch hunter, comes to their little town, Tess and her two friends stand accused. Through their wits and the unexpected assistance of a dragon, they escape and flee into Dragonswood, which, although forbidden, is safer than the certain death they face at home. The tenuous peace among the humans, dragons, and fairies on the island is being threatened, and Tess, Poppy, and Meg seem caught in the middle. Tess has been keeping her fire-sight visions secret and it turns out that she is not the only one with secrets to keep. When one of the king’s woodwards takes them in and offers them shelter, Tess cannot deny her feelings for him, even as she fears him and suspects that he has secrets of his own. The political intrigue, mythology of Merlin, and romances that bloom are all uncovered with precise timing and will have readers racing toward the end and then going back to savor the events more slowly. The story is complexly satisfying on its own, but readers will want to go back for Dragon’s Keep as well and will look forward to the future of Wilde Island.–Genevieve Gallagher, Charlottesville High School, VA LACOUR, Nina. The Disenchantments. 308p. Dutton. Feb. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-525-42219-8. LC number unavailable.
Gr 9 Up–Enchanting in its depiction of the cusp of young disenchantment, this realistic novel will hit home with many thoughtful YAs. Just after high school graduation but before a long-awaited trip to Europe for Colby and his best friend, Bev, comes a mini-tour, a handful of oddball gigs between San Fran and Portland for Bev’s impassioned but technically weak girl band, all in less than a week. No surprise that Colby has been in love with her for longer than he can remember. Big surprise that she has been keeping secret her plan to attend RISD in the fall, not tour Paris and Stockholm. Bev’s bandmates, Meg and Alexa, bass and drums respectively, round out the passengers in Colby’s Uncle Pete’s turquoise vintage VW bus. Lies and life sometimes get in the way of the carefully planned shows and highways, but the people the teens meet and the richness of their experiences take them where they need to go. Colby’s dad’s old band, a mysterious tattoo linked to a recording’s cover art, conversations had and left unspoken, and lots of art–these provide some of the “mountains and canyons” of the contemplative but spectacular narrative. Characters and scenes are created with the same care and attention to detail that Bev spends on her tiny sculptures that allow the people and places of Colby’s road trip of passage to pop to life. Profundities will be found or echoed for many readers: we all feel pain, need love, overcome fear, crave beauty–and lose ourselves and gain strength in the elemental force of music.–Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA LEVINE, Kristin. The Lions of Little Rock. 304p. Putnam. Jan. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25644-8. LC number unavailable.
Gr 5-8–In this stunning piece of historical fiction, Levine sheds light on the little-known period immediately following the Little Rock Nine’s integration of Central High School in 1957. In September 1958, Governor Orval Faubus ordered the closure of all public high schools in the city. This novel depicts the tumultuous era through the eyes of 12-year-old Marlee Nisbett, who is painfully shy but eventually reclaims her voice by having the courage to do the right thing. On her first day at West Side Junior High, Marlee meets Liz, a new girl unafraid of speaking her mind. Emboldened by her friendship with Liz, Marlee begins talking and interacting more with her classmates. When Liz abruptly disappears amid rumors that she is a black girl–“Can you believe it….A nigger at our school?”–passing for white, Marlee is bereft but determined to uphold the friendship, at great cost to both girls’ safety. In trying to sustain her relationship with Liz, Marlee ultimately realizes that there is a bigger cause at stake. With remarkable depth and clarity, Levine unflinchingly portrays racial tensions in the 1950s Deep South. Her descriptions of the Women’s Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools (WEC) and the Stop This Outrageous Purge (STOP) campaign further lend an air of historical authenticity to the book. Readers will be moved by Marlee and Liz’s strong bonds and inspired by Marlee’s unwavering tenacity in the face of what seems like insurmountable adversity.–Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, CA MACCOLL, Michaela. Promise the Night. 264p. further reading. Chronicle. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8118-7625-4. LC number unavailable.
Gr 6 Up–Beryl Markham, the female pilot on whom this novel is based, spent her childhood riding horses on her father’s ranch in Africa and hunting lions with the local tribesmen. Diary entries and news articles between each chapter shed light on her famous transatlantic flight from east to west. Abandoned by her mother as a baby, and somewhat neglected by her father, a successful businessman and horse breeder, Beryl was raised more by the local Nandi tribe than by her family. She was considered a wild child, defying gender roles from an early age with reckless determination. Issues of racism and class are touched upon, especially in her close friendship with a local boy. An author’s note explains that many events are based on fact, including beatings by a governess, expulsion from boarding school, and the strained relationship she had with a married woman who became her father’s companion. Several scenes of graphic animal violence are included. Overall, this is a unique historical novel about one tenacious girl who defied odds to become successful in a field dominated by men. Give it to outdoor adventure fans or those desiring a strong female protagonist.–Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library MASON, Simon. Moon Pie. 328p. CIP. Random/David Fickling Bks. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-385-75235-0; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-385-75237-4; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89909-6. LC 2010051354.
Gr 5-7–A lighthearted, cartoon-style cover design belies a serious and compelling story of a family in crisis. Martha Luna, 11, has been holding her family together since her mother’s death, but when they move to a new house, she and her little brother, Tug, notice that their unemployed dad is acting “strange.” He takes foolish chances and falls off the roof, and sometimes disappears, leaving them home alone. When it becomes apparent that he is an alcoholic and his driving while intoxicated lands Martha in the hospital, the children are placed in the temporary custody of their strict maternal grandparents, and Tug is unable to adjust. Grandma softens only when talking to Martha about her mother, a talented actress. When Martha, costume designer for her outrageously flamboyant friend Marcus’s speed movies, discovers her own acting talent, events are set in motion that bring their recovered father back into their lives and lead to a triumphant climax and real hope for reuniting their family. The brilliance of this novel is its point of view: narrated in third person, it nevertheless plants readers firmly in Martha’s skin, skillfully conveying her extraordinary sense of responsibility, growing dread, resignation, and, ultimately, self-realization. Strong characterization is built by the continuous layering of small details. Readers know Tug by his innocent questions and observations, and Marcus’s over-the-top remarks and behavior (think Kurt on TV’s Glee) provide much-needed comic relief. While the setting is England, the story could take place anywhere. Readers who enjoyed David Almond’s My Dad’s a Birdman (2008) and Amy Hest’s Remembering Mrs. Rossi (2007, both Candlewick) will appreciate this more in-depth, touching, and absorbing novel of a family’s disintegration, repair, and promise.–Marie Orlando, formerly at Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY TREGAY, Sarah. Love & Leftovers. 452p. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Bks. Jan. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-202358-2; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-209935-8. LC number unavailable.
Gr 8 Up–After bumping into her husband with his boyfriend at the grocery store, Marcie’s mother decides to stay at the family’s summer home in New Hampshire rather than return to Idaho with him. The teen’s life is turned upside-down; she has to start over at a new school away from her friends, The Leftovers, and from her “emo-sensitive rocker” boyfriend. Things start looking up when she meets a good-looking jock who brings her breakfast and takes her to the homecoming dance. Then, when she seems to be settling in, her severely depressed mother thinks she will be better off in Boise, and Marcie is whisked back to her old life, where she comes to understand her father better and questions her relationship with her boyfriend. Told in verse, the story takes a realistic look at the emotional roller coaster that is first love. Marcie doesn’t always make sensible decisions, and she hurts her boyfriend and alienates her friends, but her actions are believable. The Leftovers are an easily relatable crowd: a poetic rock-star wannabe, a manga-drawing tattooed best friend, a geeky swimmer, and a cheerful Girl Scout, to name a few. The author does a terrific job of keeping the plot moving by using poetry to her advantage. Reluctant readers will appreciate the brevity while poetic souls will appreciate the format.–Kimberly Castle-Alberts, Stark County District Library, Canton, OH USHER, M.D., adapt. The Golden Ass of Lucius Apuleius: Now a Book for Young Readers of All Ages. illus. by T. Motley. 88p. CIP. Godine. 2011. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-1-56792-418-3. LC 2010032978.
Gr 5-8–Adults who are familiar with the ancient tale “The Golden Ass” may be slightly alarmed that it is now being marketed to children, but fear not! The violent, bawdy adventures have been toned down in this adaptation, and the result is quite enjoyable. In this version, Lucius is a business traveler in ancient Greece who meets up with a boy and his tutor. The boy begins spinning tales about being magically transformed into a donkey and his adventures while so changed. He fell in with a band of thieves, rescued a princess, was sold to a troupe of priests, was forced to work in a mill, got captured by a Roman soldier, became an actor, and finally was turned back into a human by the goddess Isis. This slender volume concludes with an afterword by Usher about the original work and the ways in which he varied his version. While the bookending chapters with Lucius are a bit stilted and awkward, the tales themselves are funny and imaginatively over-the-top. Motley’s pen-and-ink illustrations are terrifically detailed and cartoonlike and are reminiscent of John Tenniel’s work in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The violence and sex have been softened, but the goofiness and sense of adventure are still here, making this book perfect for humor-loving middle schoolers.–Geri Diorio, Ridgefield Library, CT WRIGHT, Barbara. Crow. 296p. Random. Jan. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86928-0; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96928-7; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98270-5. LC number unavailable.
Gr 5-8–In this moving, first-person narrative, Wright draws attention to the lesser-known historical events of the 1898 Wilmington, NC, race riots and coup d’etat where racist insurrectionists overthrew the local government and perpetrated widespread attacks on black citizens. She depicts the harrowing events leading up to the riots through the eyes of Moses Thomas, an 11-year-old African-American boy. On his last day of school, he narrowly avoids coming under the shadow of a buzzard, a harbinger of bad luck according to his grandmother, Boo Nanny. Indeed, the bird’s ominous appearance foreshadows several racist acts against Moses as well as horrific tragedy for the Thomas family. Moses is a studious boy, and deeply inspired by his father, a Howard University graduate and reporter for the Wilmington Daily Record, the only black-owned newspaper in the South. However, Boo Nanny feels that her grandson is too focused on school to notice the effects of the pervasive racism surrounding him and tries to educate him on the harsh realities of life. The boy’s education comes at a price when he risks his life to help the Daily Record’s editor escape, and later when he’s trapped in the newspaper’s building during the insurrectionists’ attempt to burn it down. Wright adroitly charts Moses’s emotional growth from a self-involved boy into a poised, socially aware young man. The expert blending of vivid historical details with the voice of a courageous, relatable hero makes this book shine.–Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, CA BORDEN, Louise. His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg. 136p. maps. photos. bibliog. index. Houghton Harcourt. Jan. 2012. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-0-618-50755-9. LC number unavailable.
Gr 7-10–This is a detailed biography of a “righteous Gentile” whose intelligence, courage, and organizational talents saved thousands of Jews from being sent from Hungary to Nazi concentration camps. Wallenberg came from a wealthy and influential Swedish banking family. Writing in a direct and adulatory tone, Borden carefully chronicles his life, beginning with his birth in 1912 to his mysterious disappearance at the hands of the Soviets after they liberated Hungary from the Nazis at the end of the war. To this day, apparently nobody knows what became of him. Only a citizen from a neutral country like Sweden had any chance of negotiating on behalf of the Jews, and Wallenberg persevered against great odds. Borden’s extensive research is evident throughout. Abundant photographs add immediacy to the narrative, and the double-spaced text and wide margins make the book accessible to students with reading difficulties. An extensive bibliography, a list of archive sources, and another of video recordings are appended. This volume adds to the scholarship about Wallenberg already found in Sharon Linnea’s Raoul Wallenberg: The Man Who Stopped Death (Jewish Pubn. Society, 1993). –Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ DOWSON, Nick. North: The Amazing Story of Arctic Migration. illus. by Patrick Benson. 56p. map. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Candlewick. 2011. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5271-5. LC 2010048131.
Gr 3-6–Polar bears and just a few other animals–fox, musk ox, and arctic hare–are year-round residents of the far north. “But when spring comes,/bringing back the sun/with light and warmth./the Arctic changes.” Animals from many parts of the world begin an annual trek northward to give birth to their young. Narwhal whales, “strange as fairy tales,” swim, as do the blubbery walrus and even the Canadian caribou for part of the journey. Other creatures fly or walk. Dowson’s poetic text and Benson’s impressionistic watercolors introduce seasonal changes as well as various birds, mammals, and even fish that undertake the long migration. The spare text and expansive views provide an inviting sense of the terrain and the journeys endured by the animals. Fine soft pencil work shapes and shades scenes softly lighted in gold, muted green, and aquamarine tones. Set in columns of blank verse, the narrative sometimes appears in black type in a white column or running through a scene and on other pages in white letters framed on shiny aqua. Lovely wordless spreads create pauses in the evocative account. The book is an attractive entry in the growing number of nonfiction poetry picture books, offering rich read-aloud and browsing opportunities.–Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston GRADY, Cynthia. I Lay My Stitches Down: Poems of American Slavery. illus. by Michele Wood. unpaged. further reading. CIP. Eerdmans. 2011. RTE $17. ISBN 978-0-8028-5386-8. LC 2011022481.
Gr 4-8–Grady combines the tradition of American folk-art quilting with a series of original poems written in unrhymed verse that depict the hardships of American slaves. On each spread, a full-page illustration on the right depicts a scene from a slave’s life, while a corresponding poem appears on the top left-hand page, with corroborating historical facts listed below. Fourteen traditional quilt patterns are used, and the name of the particular pattern appears above each poem. Some selections are more powerful than others. In particular, the last poem, “Basket,” poignantly describes the feelings of tiredness and oppression as well as the solace and hope that embody the slave’s harsh existence, “I lay my stitches down and troubles fall away…I’m breathing with the rhythm of my quilting…the threads that weave the fabric of my life.” The author notes that she has included a biblical, spiritual, and musical reference in each poem to reflect the three layers of a quilt and used 10 lines of 10 syllables to mimic the square shape of the quilt block. Using acrylics on canvas, Wood has created striking illustrations that add a masterful visual component to the volume. She successfully draws readers in and brings the characters and their stories to life. She presents the strength and determination of people who have endured unspeakable injustice and hardship with a grace born out of spirituality. This ambitious work offers a bit of poetry, history, folk art, quilting, religion and more. It will definitely fill a niche in libraries.–Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY OSBORNE, Linda Barrett. Miles to Go for Freedom: Segregation and Civil Rights in the Jim Crow Years. 118p. map. photos. reprods. bibliog. chron. index. notes. CIP. Abrams. Feb. 2012. RTE $24.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0020-0. LC 2011022854.
Gr 6-10–This companion to Osborne’s Traveling the Freedom Road: From Slavery and the Civil War Through Reconstruction (Abrams, 2009) painstakingly documents a period of “widespread discrimination, cruel prejudice and daily humiliation” from the late 19th to mid-20th century. The book showcases pieces from the Library of Congress’s African-American history collection, including photographs, drawings, and documents. Each page is laid out in a restrained scrapbook style with dynamic black-and-white photos and reproductions offset by jewel-toned frames. The text is elegant and understated. Drawing on personal interviews, the author provides incidents of everyday racism that young people will be able to grasp and relate to immediately. One man recalls growing up in North Carolina, where African Americans were served hot dogs through a 12-inch hole in a wall at the back of a restaurant rather than served face-to-face. One striking photograph shows a man in profile climbing steep stairs to a separate “colored” entrance to a movie theater, while another depicts a burned-out, broken-down school bus for black children. A letter from 1926 contains a one-sentence letter: “I am sorry, but no colored students are accepted at the Peabody University.” Osborne’s archival and storytelling talents are equally powerful. Her clear-sighted narrative does not hold back from exposing cruelty, but she never lets sorrow overwhelm it.–Jess deCourcy Hinds, Bard H.S. Early College, Queens, NY TOUGAS, Shelley. Little Rock Girl 1957: How a Photograph Changed the Fight for Integration. 64p. (Captured History Series). photos. reprods. bibliog. chron. further reading. glossary. index. notes. Web sites. CIP. Compass Point. 2012. PLB $33.99. ISBN 978-0-7565-4440-9; pap. $8.95. ISBN 978-0-7565-4512-3. LC 2010054303.
Gr 5-9–When Will Counts snapped a photo on September 4, 1957, Elizabeth Eckford reluctantly became the face of the fight for school integration in Little Rock. In it, Eckford is poised and stoic as Hazel Bryan, shouting violently, follows behind her. This book explores the photo in depth, providing the perspectives of the two subjects and the photographer and discussing what the image meant in the struggle for school integration. Tougas works with this premise and provides readers with a full account of this troubling time in American history. The author makes good use of quotes throughout the readable text, enabling today’s students to imagine walking in the shoes of one of the Little Rock Nine. Each page includes an archival photo, primary-source document, or biography of a key player in the event. A testament to the power of the press and the bravery of all who fought for equal rights, this book should be required reading.–Heather Acerro, Rochester Public Library, MN 
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