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by J. Irvin Kuns
Penelope’s first day of fifth grade is also her father’s first day working as a janitor at her school. Her best friend, Tim, had died of bone cancer over the summer, and she is dealing with that fact. To help her, she enrolled in a “Poetry Therapy” class, and is encouraged to give a name to their feelings. On the morning of her first day of school, she names herself “Lead Twinkie” because she felt like she had swallowed a Twinkie whole and it was laying in her stomach like a submarine. She feels it isn’t fair that she has to start school with her dad there and not her best friend. She resents her father being there, especially as her father participates in recess on the playground and sits next to her for lunch in the cafeteria, filling in all the places Tim should be. Penelope copes with the void in her life and heals little by little by writing notes to Tim on pink “While You Were Out” phone message slips. As acceptance comes and new friendships form, Penelope experiences a growing up moment.
Kuns writes an overwheling story of healing and grief, loss and replacement, and fear of moving on in this moving book. Middle school is hard enough without your dad crashing it and your best friend dying. The characters are very well written and I found solace in the way others treat the girl, almost like she has died herself. She doesn’t realize that her father was trying to help her out, not invade her life. Kuns carries on with the grief a little longer than necessary but her writing is so good, you don’t mind too much. I enjoyed reading this book and felt that it could tweens face grief, grief of a classmate, or even just be a good book to read to expand their horizons.
Interest level: 8 & up
Awards: Junior Library Guild Selection
Kuns, J. Irvin (2004). While you were out. New York: Dutton Books.
by Lynne Jonell
Christina lives in a stone mansion on the edge of a forest. This mansion is surrounded by barbed wire, an electric fence, and signs that read trespassers will be boiled. Somewhere, deep within the forest is the laboratory where her mother was blown to bits when Christina was just a baby. Christina’s father is the head scientist at Loompski Labs, he knows how dangerous the world can be, so he tries to keep his daughter safe at home and forbids her to talk to the very interesting orphans down the road. But Taft, one of those interesting orphans, whispers to her about a secret tunnel, she forgets her own safety and vows to help him escape. She finds the tunnel at last and when she goes through it, she discovers the terrible truth about the orphans. Treated like slaves,and forced to use song to mine the dangerous, powerful energy source known as zoom from the mountains. Christina though has the gift of perfect pitch, which comes in handy when dealing with zoom, and when she and Taft set out to rescue the orphans they make some amazing discoveries, including a small child sized plane that flies with the power of song.
A fantasy with realistic parts thrown in this was an interesting book to be sure. There are some parts that seem morbid, like what happens to the happy orphans when they can’t keep the pitch. The heroine proves her mettle, and proves her dad wrong, that she can take care of herself. It is a page turner to be sure, with suspenseful happenings with every page turn. She finds a lot out about her mother’s death and her dad’s fear for her, so the book really does come full circle, which is a feature I like. It doesn’t leave you hanging and wondering by leaving out part of the story.
Interest level 10 & up
Awards: Junior Library Guild selection; Mark Twain award nominee 2011-2012
Jonell, Lynne (2009). Secret of Zoom. New York: Henry Holt.
by Washington Irving
This classic story is set circa 1790 in the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town in a secluded glen called Sleepy Hollow. It tells the story of Ichabod Crane, who is an extremely superstitious schoolmaster from Connecticut. He is competing with Abraham “Brom Bones” Van Brunt, the town troublemaker, for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and sole child of a wealthy farmer, Baltus Van Tassel. As Crane leaves a party he attended at the Van Tassel home one night, he is pursued by the Headless Horseman, who is supposedly the ghost of a trooper who had his head shot off by a stray cannonball. The story is he “rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head”. After Ichabod disappears from town, Katrina marries Brom Bones, whom is thought to be the headless horseman whenever the story of Ichabod was related, even though that is never proved or told in the story.
A classic story that is retold in many formats, I couldn’t help but reread this book. Poor Ichabod, whose superstitious nature drove him to leave town after being scared by one ghost. Irving was able to create very vivid imagery through his writing, which I find refreshing. This was a well thought out book, it wasn’t just thrown onto paper and put out as quickly as possible, which I believe happens with some of our newer releases. Irving’s humor adds to the book as well, and I enjoyed rereading this classic. I love the character traits that Irving gives Ichabod, traits that make him very nerdy and a gossip, eating at people’s houses whenever he can, entertaining the housewives with gossip and stories.
Interest level: 10 & up
Irving, Washington (1966). Legend of Sleepy Hollow. New York: F. Watts.
by Neil Gaiman
Coraline lives with her workaholic parents in part of a huge old house, a house they share with lots of other people. Former actresses Miss Spink and Miss Forcible and their aging Highland terriers and the mustachioed old man under the roof . At first Coraline contents herself with exploring the vast garden and grounds. But with a little rain she becomes bored and finds a 14th door in the house, a door that is sometimes blocked with a wall of bricks. When it fianlly opens up for Coraline, it’s into an entirely alternate universe. On the other side of the door is a mirror world, parents who have time for her and make delicious meals, people say her name correctly, and her room is beautiful, not dulll. Her fun world becomes creepy though as all the people in this world have shiny black buttons for eyes and paper white skin and they all have a keen desire to keep her on their side of the door, something Coraline isn’t sure she wants after all. After finding her parents missing, she sets out on an adenture to save them from this shadow world and get life back to the boring way she knew it.
A horror story to be sure. The illustrations add to that horror as you live through the adventure with Coraline. Gaiman does a good job of making you feel that the world, even with it’s creepy parts, would be a better place for her, but we quickly find that the grass isn’t greener on the other side, as the parents with button eyes turn sinister on her. This is a great fantasy book for those who like to be scared in their room at night. Gaiman’s writing adds to this story, he uses a dry humor to break in just when things are getting very scary, it breaks up the horror for the reader, and sometimes even illicits a chuckle. He created a very likeable character in Coraline, characters you want to bop on the head in her parents, and characters you want to flee from in the monsters in the mirror world. A delightfully wicked read from beginning to end.
Suggested age 8 & up but personally I would say 10 & up
Gaiman, Neil (2002). Coraline. New York: HarperCollins.
by Patricia Reilly Giff
Grace O’Malley takes on the role of mother after her family loses her real mom. Her younger sister, Amy, is diabetic and needs the constant care and reminding to not eat too many sweets so that she doesn’t overload her system. Grace isn’t happy when her father invites a relative from Ireland to come and stay with them and to take care of the family. Fiona, the cousin, has a hard time fitting in and Grace doesn’t help any with her attitude, she had been the mommy figure since her own mom had passed away, and she didn’t want that taken from her. Fiona tells Grace the story of Grania O’Malley, the Pirate Queen, who resembles Grace in a lot of ways. Grace gets into trouble at school when she breaks her teacher’s favorite Christmas bell. Her true character comes out as she deals with her breaking of the bell. The newly formed family really comes together when encountering an emergency that really hits home, and Grace wonders if she can be like the Pirate Queen.
This book was a rich and telling story of acceptance and empathy. Fiona’s use of the pirate queen to make Grace see her own strengths was very imaginative and helps break up the monotony in the book. It is written in a bit of an old-fashioned way, in other words, the problems that Grace is facing, particularly the breaking of the ornament, are not really true to life problems that face kids today, but it is still a valuable lesson. I like how the relationship between the cousin and Grace develops.
Interest level: 8 & up
Giff, Patricia Reilly (1982). The gift of the pirate queen. New York: Delacorte Press.
by Brenda Ferber
The fateful night that 11-year-old Cara stays over at her friend’s house, is the night her mother and sister die in a house fire. As she tries to adjust to life without them, she struggles with a sense of disbelief at her loss, her anger at her father for his reluctance to discuss the details of the fire and for hiding himself in his work, and her feelings of isolation from her classmates. Her faith is questioned as she questions God and why this happened to her family. But she finally realizes she can’t live without her Jewish faith. Cara takes strength from her beloved Bubbe and Zayde-her mother’s parents-and from creating a family scrapbook. She finally decides after much debate to take over and continue her mother’s home-based baking business-Julia’s Kitchen. This book includes a short glossary of Hebrew terminology and a recipe for chocolate chip cookies.
This novel shows a rich and heartrending view of loss and grief, not only does she lose her family, but everything she owned and loved. The author truly captures, word for word, the growing up process that Cara goes through as she learns to accept her loss and move on from it. The Jewish view in the book is not so thick that non-Jewish readers won’t enjoy it, but there is enough there to be a learning opportunity of other faiths and their beliefs. If you’re the crying sort, keep a box of tissues next to you, because it is a tear-jerker, especially if you’ve ever lost someone close to you and know what she is going through. My only gripe is the cover, I don’t think it accurately displays the plot of the book, or the seriousness of the plot.
Interest level: 10 & up
Awards: Junior Library Guild selection
Ferber, B. (2006). Julia’s Kitchen. New York: Farrer Straus Giroux
by C.L. Davis
Roxie Dockery and her family always look forward to Christmas, no matter how humble. Their life in Appalachia was difficult even before the Great Depression swept over the country, but they always had some candy and fruit, a Christmas tree at their church, and visits with their grandparents. This year, though, a snowstorm leaves the family trapped on their mountain. A huge tree crashes down on their house, leaving Baby John with a broken arm and the family without a home in the snow. The family though just moves into the barn and create a new home and even a new celebration that turns out to be the best one they have ever had.
I couldn’t leave out a seasonal book, I love this time of year, and a heartwarming story like this one was guaranteed to make my season brighter. The language used is a little annoying after a while, with the fetchin’ and tendin’ but it’s also very realistic and did give the book a rustic feel. I like that the family didn’t really notice the great depression since they were already poor anyway. The author’s portrayal of the family is also heartwarming, a richer, spoiled family wouldn’t have been able to pull things together like this family did, and he stuck true to that, and gave the family a strength that couldn’t be shaken.
Interest level: 8 & up
Davis, C.L. (2001). The Christmas Barn. Middleton, WI: Pleasant Company.
by Dia Calhoun
Cerinthe Gale is a commoner from the outer regions of the kingdom. The 13-year-old is chosen to study at the Royal School of Dance of Windward. She feels like her late mother’s dreams for her are about to be fulfilled, and as Cerinthe feels responsible for her death, she feels it’s very important that she do this for her. As her mother lay ill, Cerinthe, a beginning folk healer, treated her with a dangerous drug, and the woman died. Finally at the dance school, she meets Elliana, a wealthy and talented classmate, who without reason dislikes Cerinthe, and begins a rivalry. Cerenthe, through their rivalry, wonders why dancing no longer makes her happy why she no longer hears the song of the Goddess Sea Maid. It is only when a reckless wager ends in a horrible accident that Cerinthe chooses to use her gifts as a healer and saves the life of her nemesis, a hard decision to make. Cerenthe then realizes that her true dream for life is to be a healer, not a dancer.
What a true to life story about seeing our own dreams instead of other’s dreams for us. It’s a common story, we see it all the time, the father who wants his son to play basketball at his alma mater and pressure him into doing what he doesn’t want to do, instead of fulfilling his dream of being a chef. This story will hopefully give tweens the strength to find their love in life and stick with it, instead of ignoring their calling. The rivalry between the two dancers felt very real, and the description of the dance seemed to come from someone who honestly understood the gracefulness of it.
Interest level: 10 & up
Awards: An ALA best book
Calhoun, D. (2003). Aria of the Sea. New York: Farrar.
by Tom Birdseye
This book is filled with action, adventure, suspense and add to it believable characters, the author’s mountain-climbing expertise along with a tear-jerking conclusion.Reluctant readers will find this a hard book to put down, which is tantamount to helping them accomplish reading an entire book. The pace is non-stop and is perfect for young and old readers alike. The knowledge of mountain climbing and survival becomes clear as the characters try to survive the predicament the hyperactive Ty has gotten them into. Ty’s attempts at humor break up the action of the book and help calm your heart as you read about their adventure on that mountain.
Interest level: 10 & up
Birdseye, T. (2010). Storm Mountain. New York: Holiday House.
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