Book Review: Letters from Wolfie

Letters from Wolfie by Patti Sherlock. (Grades 4-8)

When Mark's brother Danny left to fight in the Vietnam War, Mark thought that everything would be different. He thought someone might actually pay attention to him and he was really looking forward to spending some time alone with his mom. Mark is surprised, then, when his mom almost immediately announces her intention to get a job. Mark is, once again, feeling ignored. When Danny mentions in a letter that the army is in need of dogs to help the war effort, Mark thinks that making a noble, selfless gesture like sending his dog Wolfie would be a great way to get people to notice him and to do his part. After he sends Wolfie, though, Mark has second thoughts and when he writes to find out when Wolfie might be coming home, he is put into contact with Wolfie's handler, a private from Kentucky named Tucker Smalley. Tucker and Mark begin exchanging letters about Wolfie and about the war.

Everyone asks Mark about Danny, which frustrates Mark because even though he's not around Danny's still getting all the attention. Mark doesn't have much news anyway because Danny writes hardly anything about the war. In school, Mark becomes friends with a cute girl named Claire, but he's dismayed to learn that her brother is a draft dodger and is "hiding out" in Canada to avoid fighting. Mark's always known that he would serve in the military when he was old enough, just like Danny is now. His father's always told him it's a great way to get a free college education and Mark has never thought to question it. But Claire and Mark's history teacher Mr. Casey have different ideas about the Vietnam War. For the first time, Mark is getting to know people unlike himself. As Mark gets to know them both better, he starts to rethink his own opinions about the war. When Mark finds out that Wolfie may not ever be coming home, that Wolfie is now considered "army equipment", he begins a campaign to bring Wolfie home. He organizes a protest that nearly tears his family apart. His dad firmly supports the war, while his mom seems to be wavering.

Mark can't help but wonder: if he doesn't support the war, does that mean he's not supporting Danny? Does it make him a traitor?

It's not much of a spoiler to warn you that the dog dies. Sensitive readers be aware. I cried for about the last 40 pages or so.

I really, really liked this book. One of the beauties of an award program like the Caudill is that you might pick up something you never would have picked up otherwise. This is one of those books. I love how Mark grows and changes, how he begins to talk with people about his ideas, and how he realizes for the first time that other people might have different opinions. And that they might be right. Mark's viewpoint also shifts as the book progresses. At the beginning of the novel, all he cares about is getting some attention from his mom and being popular at school. By the end, he's learned that some issues are bigger than just himself. He starts trying to look at the world as others might look at it. He's starting to get the bigger picture.

I also loved the vivid description in the book. Sherlock puts you right in the middle of the action and makes it so real that you feel like you're marching alongside the protesters or playing catch with Wolfie. I loved how she described Wolfie at the beginning of the book:

"Wolfie's head sagged on his neck. He could be sad with his body, though his face had a permanent smile." (pg 2)

There are also some passages that cut right the heart of the matter. Take this one from when Mark is discussing the war with his mom and wondering whether being against the war is being disloyal to Danny:

"'Don't you think that's a little disloyal to Danny?' I asked.
She turned and looked at me. 'Explain.'
'Danny put himself in danger for this country.'
'No,' she said. 'Danny's country put him in danger.'" (pg 194)

All in all, I thought it was a great book and a timely choice for the Caudill list. (And yes, Sherlock includes an author's note [woohoo!] explaining some of the issues about using dogs in war and the efforts to commemorate their service.)

Incidentally, you can see a picture of the dog whom Wolfie was modeled after on Patti Sherlock's website.

Mini-Review: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. (Grades 4 and up.)

I... don't really have to review Hugo, do I? I mean... y'all have already read it, right? And if you haven't read it, you've at least read all about it, yes?

Well. Here's what we'll do. Since I resolved to read and review all the 2009 Caudill nominees, I will share with you what I wrote about this book when I read it in March. But then I'll also link to some better reviews. Deal? Deal.

"Hugo Cabret is an orphan living in a train station in Paris. He was living with his alcoholic uncle who took care of the clocks in the station, but his uncle seems to have disappeared and now Hugo is unsure what to do. He keeps on winding the clocks so that no one will notice and force him into an orphanage, and he keeps on working on his special project. It was a project that his father had left him before he died- a mechanical man that, Hugo suspects, when fixed will write a message. In fact, since his father's death, Hugo has become obsessed with the machine and his hopes that the automaton will give him a last message from his father. Unfortunately, to keep fixing the man Hugo needs parts, which he has to steal. And when he is caught by the shopkeeper, Hugo fears that his whole project is in jeopardy...

An innovative book with beautiful art. This book is not quite a graphic novel, nor is it complete without the pictures. I don't think I'd have been interested in the story on its own, but the drawings are more than worth cracking this puppy open."

And be sure to check out other reviews at: Becky's Book Reviews, Fuse #8, and Hypothetically Speaking. And then read Susan's post about why Hugo was going to break her heart (thank goodness it didn't!).

Book Review: Uprising

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix. (Grades 6-10)

Okay, I've got to give mad props to Mary Lee over at A Year of Reading for her post that bumped this book up on my to-read list. Her heartfelt recommendation resulted in me grabbing this book off our shelves, like, the next day. And it was such a good decision!

Why did I like it so much?

1. It's set in a time period (1909-1911) that fascinates me.
2. It's about spunky girls. Three of them, in fact.
3. It's about three spunky girls who are very different from each other (but also very much the same).
4. It's about three girls that I pretty quickly came to care about.
5. There is a 15-page author's note. *swoon*

In 1909, Bella is new to America. She came over from Italy where her family is starving. Since she's the oldest child, she made her way to the Land of Golden Opportunity in order to send money back to her small Italian village and save her family. Bella's got a lot going against her. She doesn't speak any English. The only person she knows in America is a distant cousin, Pietro. And she knows she's her family's only hope. When Pietro gets her a job working at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, she's grateful. All she wants to do is work hard, earn money, and save her family. Which is why it's so frustrating that the factory bosses treat them so abysmally, making them work without breaks, charging them for broken needles, searching them as they leave to make sure they're not stealing shirtwaists...

Yetta, for one, is not going to put up with the abuse any more. She's also a young girl working at Triangle. Yetta's from Russia and she moved to America to join her sister who fled Russia fearing persecution for her socialist tendencies. Yetta and Rahel are committed to fighting the factory bosses. They want a strike. They want a union. And Yetta will stop at nothing to make a difference.

Jane, on the other hand, isn't even aware of the strike or the poor condition of the factory workers. She's from a wealthy American family and the most that's expected of her is to marry well so she can put on pretty dresses and serve tea to a group of insipidly boring women. Jane feels trapped in her gilded cage until one day she meets Eleanor, a student at Vassar who tries to enlist Jane in the fight for women's rights. Jane begins to drive down to the factories to observe the strikers. Although her father doesn't approve, Jane feels like she's being called to help... if only she knew how.

These three very different young women come together and eventually form a strong friendship. And then all three are involved in the tragic fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.

It's a moving story that highlights an impassioned period in American history. I have to say that, although I knew about the Triangle fire, I really knew nothing about the strikes that happened beforehand. I found all the characters to be very believable and very accessible. Haddix really transported me back to the time and I couldn't put the book down. (Although I have to admit that I thought it dragged a little bit at the end... but then I'm rarely into the present-characters-looking-back-to-their-past angle...)

You can find more blog reviews at A Patchwork of Books and Sara's Holds Shelf.

If it's on your TBR list, I highly recommend bumping it up!

Your Assignment: Go Get Some Reader's Advisory!

We had a bunch of 8th graders come in to the library this afternoon with what I think is a really neat assignment. Their English teacher had instructed them to visit both a library and a bookstore. At each location, the students were to ask a staff member (librarian and bookseller, respectively) for at least three recommended books. They could be any type of books, any length as long as they were "at least an 8th grade level".

The students were to collect three recommendations from each location and write the titles and book locations (e.g. call number in the library) on their worksheet. Both a librarian and a bookseller had to sign their worksheet. Then the students have to choose one of the recommended books and do a book report on it.

I think it's such a neat assignment because it forces the kids to ask for reader's advisory, which is a service I think most people aren't aware of. A gaggle of kids came in for the assignment just before I was on desk and my coworkers alerted me about the assignment. I did help one girl with it when I was on desk. She explained that she needed book recommendations and I asked what type of book she would like to read. She told me that she liked chick lit, but not super fluffy chick lit. Something a little more serious.

I recommended the following books, taking care to let her know that if she didn't like these suggestions I would happily help her find others until we found something she thought she'd really like:

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock
A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy

I asked her whether she preferred long or short books. She said it didn't matter. I asked her what books she had read that she really, really liked and she said Nicholas Sparks books and Say Goodnight Gracie. (I recommended mostly teen books because she had come to me in the Young People's Department.) She had said she preferred realistic fiction over historical fiction or else I would have added Hattie Big Sky and possibly some others. She seemed happy with these recommendations and I believe I saw her taking at least four of them.

I wish I knew more about what the teacher intends the kids to learn. Is there a reason he's requiring that they visit and library and a bookstore instead of a library or a bookstore? I would love to see the kids' worksheets and see how the recommendations are different. I wonder if the teacher will ask the kids anything about their visits and what he would ask them (and what they would say!). For my part, I'm trying hard (as I do with any patron interaction) to make it a positive experience and show the kids that there is great stuff to be had at libraries.

The teacher probably doesn't realize this, but I think it's a great assignment for us librarians, too. For my part, I was very concerned that this girl get suggestions of books she thought she would really like. She's going to have to do a report on one of these books, after all. I don't want her to be stuck with a crummy book for her book report!

I'm looking forward to more of these 8th graders coming in to do this assignment. It's a challenge, but a fun challenge (hopefully for us and for them).

Book Review: Black Duck

Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle. (Grades 6-8)

When Ruben and his best friend Jeddy find a dead body on the beach in 1929, their lives change forever. A weird reaction from the local law enforcement causes Ruben to give the body some thought and he eventually discovers that the dead man was an infamous rum runner. During this time of Prohibition, rum runners bought booze from Canada or the West Indies and smuggled it into the country. Because the ships had to anchor in international waters, rum runners would load up small boats with the liquor and sneak it onto shore in the dead of night. Police were paid off to look the other way. But things are changing. Gangs from big cities are starting to control all the business and trying to stamp out the smaller independent bootleggers... including the local team that mans a ship called the Black Duck. Although Ruben and Jeddy have always been best friends, Jeddy, son of the local policeman, feels conflicted about getting involved with the rum runners. Ruben begins to see how much the rum-runners are infiltrating his hometown even as he himself gets swept up in their operations.

I read most of this book in the airport and on the plane on my way back from Orlando. It starts off a bit slowly, but picks up once Ruben gets caught up in the rum smuggling business. There are two storylines here. The first is set in modern day. A middle school boy named David is working on an article that he hopes will be published in the paper. He finds the elderly Ruben and attempts to interview him about the Black Duck. At first Ruben holds back, but as the two get to know each other over several weeks' time, Ruben tells him more and more of the story. Ruben's story is the main part of the book.

I had two favorite things about this book. The first is that Ruben tells David that none of the horrible stuff would have happened, had he and Jeddy just let well enough alone, if they hadn't pressed the issue with the dead body. I love this because I so often can't get on board with mysteries and adventure stories where the kids get all wrapped up in things they should just let the grownups handle.

My other favorite thing about this book is how it looks at morality and how its view of morality changes as the book progresses. Ruben knew the rum smuggling was bad, that it was illegal. As he takes a harder look at his town, though, he sees so many people caught up in it. His dad's boss is heavily involved and Ruben comes to realize that his dad is forced to look the other way or risk losing his job. The crewmen of the Black Duck are actually regarded as local heroes because they help out people in the area. They're bringing in lots of money in the time right after the stock market crash, and they're sharing it with those that need it. If they're helping so many people, how can they be all bad?

Ruben's best friend Jeddy is the son of the local policeman and he thinks he knows what's right. But it's the things he doesn't know that will bring about his betrayal and bring down the Black Duck. This book takes the things we know are "bad" and turns them all about so that we can look at them a different way.

Also reviewed by bookshelves of doom, Becky's Book Reviews, and Fuse #8.

Book Review: Schuyler's Monster

Schuyler's Monster by Robert Rummel-Hudson. (Adult)

Wha what? I'm reviewing a grownup book? Um. Yes. And not just any book. A super awesome book. A book I've been waiting for for literally years. And it's a book I think y'all should all read.

Now, let me preface this by saying that I don't know Rob. I've never met him, never talked to him, never emailed him. I've just been reading his blog for the past few years. And we blog readers know better than anyone how following someone's blog can make you feel like you know him. And like you know his punky, adorably irresistible daughter.

This book is about one such punky, adorably irresistible daughter. And it's also about a father. And about a monster. The monster, in this case, is a congenital brain malformation called bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria. It's an extremely rare disorder that results in Schuyler's inability to speak.

Hold up, I have to pause for a minute and tell you that Schuyler is pronouced "Sky-ler". It's Dutch. Good luck getting patrons to spell it right... :)

So. Schuyler's got this monster, this brain thing that's keeping her from speaking. And this is a kid who's got a lot to say. Rummel-Hudson chronicles his journey with his daughter from before she was born up until she's about seven. He describes the frustrating and devastating process of getting a correct diagnosis. At first doctors thought Schuyler might be deaf, then they thought she might have an autism spectrum disorder... It took years and endless evaluations to finally arrive at the correct diagnosis. And then it took years after that to finally get Schuyler the assistive technology and schooling that would help her do her best.

If it sounds like a bummer, you're right. But my favorite thing about this book is that Rummel-Hudson treats it with a mix of poignancy and sarcasm that brings just as many laughs as tears. His no-holds-barred humor made me laugh out loud. Like this passage from the beginning of the book:

"According to the pregnancy journal, the Grub was now entering a phase where she resembled an exercise in Mister Potatoheaded-ness... The ears started off near the bottom of her head, and the eyes weren't peering forward but were located on the sides of her head. ('Much like a rabbit,' said the journal cheerfully, as if the idea of having Rabbit Head Baby didn't make Daddy want to drive straight to one of Detroit's many drive-through liquor stores." (pg 14)

It's a moving story about an unconquerable little girl. I loved it. But here's the thing... Yeah, I loved it. But I've been following Rob's blog for a long time. I knew a lot of the story already. I knew how it would turn out and I knew the basic plot points. I wonder how it will be for people who don't know what's coming next. Will it be even better because everything will be a surprise? Or did I get more out of it because I am already somewhat emotionally invested in Schuyler?

You read it and then tell me.

After you're done reading the book, do check out Fighting Monsters with Rubber Swords (Rob's blog). I especially recommend a series of "promo" videos done by Rob and his wife Julie. Here's one with Rob telling us what the book is about.

Oh, and Happy Nonfiction Monday! (Which is, so far, the only good thing about today... Granted, I've only been up for about half an hour, but I've already had to clean up cat vomit twice... which is probably more than you needed to know...)

Mini-Review: Wolf Brother

Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver. (Grades 5-8)

I was absolutely delighted to see this book on the 2009 Caudill list because I love, love, love this series. You have to understand. I'm not a series person. I'm not even much of a sequel person. And yet... I love this series.

I read the first book during grad school and it was before I started writing little reviews of everything. So in lieu of a review, I'll share with you the booktalk I wrote when I presented this title to a 3rd-5th grade gifted reading class last spring:

Torak is alone. Before, he’d has his father, but now his father has been killed by a massive bear, the likes of which Torak had never seen. On his deathbed Torak’s father tells him that the bear has been possessed by an evil spirit, one that will continue to grow unless it is stopped. The fate of all the clans in the forest rest on stopping this evil spirit. And now it is Torak’s responsibility to stop it. Torak is to find the Mountain of the World Spirit, a mythical place that no one has ever found before. Torak’s father makes him swear that he will find it, he tells him that a guide will help him. Then Torak’s father dies and Torak is alone.

Wolf is also alone. He’s just a cub and his family has been killed by the Fast Wet. When Torak comes along, Wolf think he smells like one of his pack and the two have an instant bond. They stick together for company and safety. As they spend more time together, Torak begins to learn the wolf language and he starts to think that maybe this was the guide his father foretold.

Together, Torak and Wolf will try to find the Mountain of the World Spirit. They will try to stop the evil that is coming. But what Torak doesn’t stop to think about is how his father knew about the evil spirits. And why didn’t Torak and his father travel with a clan? Why did his father avoid other humans? Torak will have to find the answers to these questions- and manage to stay alive- in order to save the clans from the evil that is growing stronger every day. It’s more than a simple boy and his wolf can do… or is it?

An action-packed adventure story set in prehistoric times. If you like survival stories like My Side of the Mountain and Hatchet, with some fast-paced action thrown in, give this one a try.

***

Wolf Brother is the first book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series. The series goes as follows:

1. Wolf Brother
2. Spirit Walker
3. Soul Eater
4. Outcast (coming this May! I'm so excited!!!)

Kids Lit on a Water Bottle

I was inspired tonight by a post on ShelfTalker. In it, she talks about her water bottle, which she got at Powell's and which is kid-lit themed. On the lines marking the ounces, it gives a children's author that would typically be appropriate for the corresponding age.

To quote:

"At the 4 ounce mark = Seuss
At the 6 ounce mark = Sendak
At the 8 ounce mark = Lobel
At the 10 ounce mark = Pilkey
At the 12 ounce mark = Cleary
At the 14 ounce mark = L'Engle
At the 16 ounce mark = Hinton"

Then she calls for our lists. What would be on YOUR water bottle? And it made me think. I think if I based my bottle on what's popular at my library, it would go a little something like this:

4 ounce = Numeroff
6 ounce = Wick (as in Walter, author of the I Spy books)
8 ounce = Gutman (My Weird School, specifically)
10 ounce = Horowitz
12 ounce = Harrison (as in Lisi)
14 ounce = Meyer (as in Stephenie)*
16 ounce = Westerfeld*

Now. If I based my list on the books I loved as a child, it would go a little something like this:

4 ounce = Harris (as in Joel Chandler... yes, I loved the Disney Uncle Remus stories!)
6 ounce = Van Allsburg (Polar Express and Two Bad Ants)
8 ounce = Cleary
10 ounce = Lowry
12 ounce = Pike (as in Christopher)
14 ounce = Mazer (Norma Fox)
16 ounce = Steinbeck (I read The Grapes of Wrath my junior year and I was hooked...)

Now. If I based my list on the children's/YA books I've read as an adult (say, since I started the process of library school), it would go a little something like this:

4 ounce = Willems
6 ounce = Lester
8 ounce = Pennypacker
10 ounce = Clements
12 ounce = Oppel
14 ounce = Dessen
16 ounce = McCafferty

(Oh my goodness, that was incredibly hard to keep it to one author per line... I could make many, many more lists with all different authors, I know...)

What would be on YOUR list?

*I don't actually work with kids this age, so I can't be certain, but here are my best guesses.

Preschool Puppet Theatre

This February our library-wide theme is On Stage and last week we put on a puppet show for preschoolers. Originally, it was planned as a volunteer activity for middle schoolers. We'd meet for the first time on Wednesday, February 6 and the tweens who signed up would decide what story they'd like to put on, what parts they'd like to play, and we'd practice the show. Then we'd meet again on the following Wednesday (the 13th) to practice for about 30 more minutes before we invited the preschoolers to watch the show at 4:30.

Well. Due to the terrible weather on the 6th, we had to cancel the teen volunteer part of the show. I would have loved the opportunity to work with the middle schoolers, but hopefully we can try something like this again with better results. However, the show must go on! So my coworker B and I did the puppet show ourselves.

We're lucky that our department already had a nice puppet stage made out of PVC pipes and a lot of black cloth. We also have a very healthy collection of puppets. B and I put on a mix of songs and stories for a total of about 20 minutes of puppetry.

We started with the song "5 Little Ducks". We played the song on our CD player while I worked the mama duck puppet and B had crafted 5 felt ducklings attached to craft sticks. He used clothespins to attach the ducks to a ruler so he could move them all together. As each duck failed to come back, he removed one duck from the row.

Then we did a rendition of The Big Wide-Mouthed Frog. We followed this with the song "Mahna Mahna" (which is one of my favorite things I've ever done in storytime). Again, we played the song on a CD and we used googly-eyed monster puppets. B's puppet danced around to the "do doo do do do" parts, while my monster popped in for each "mahna mahna". The fun part was choosing a different part of the stage to pop in on. I surprised them a couple of times and came out at the bottom of the stage. We've done this before standing behind the felt board in storytime and it's always funny for the kids.

Next we did another story, The Dog who Forgot. Very fun as this is one where you can really interact with the kids. Then we did a felt/puppet combo rendition of The Itsy Bitsy Spider. And we ended it all with Old MacDonald Had a Farm. B accompanied us on the banjo and we all sang along while I picked out a puppet for each new animal. We like to end with a weird one, so I brought out the Big Bad Wolf to a chorus of giggles.

After we were done with the show, we brought out all our puppets and the small toy puppet stage we usually keep in the back of the children's department. We reminded everyone to please be gentle with the puppets and gave them about 10 minutes of free play time. It was fun, fun, fun. I was a bit concerned with getting the kids to let go of the puppets at the end of the program, but they were actually really good. We simply brought out our baskets and told them it was bedtime for puppets.

As much as I would have loved to get some of the kids in the community involved, it was easier in some ways to just do the show ourselves. Whether with volunteers or by ourselves, it's definitely something we'll do again in the future. We had a pretty big crowd and got lots of positive comments. Bravo for Preschool Puppet Theatre!

Meme

I've been tagged by Melissa for the nonfiction meme started by Gautami.

• a) What issues/topic interests you most–non-fiction, i.e, cooking, knitting, stitching, there are infinite topics that has nothing to do with novels? I am partial to books about animals, medical science, cold places (Alaska, Antarctica, etc.), and memoirs of all sorts. I really enjoy any non-fiction book that has a great story.
  

• b) Would you like to review books concerning those? One of my New Year's resolutions was to read more non-fiction. I write small "reviews" on LibraryThing and Goodreads for every book I read. If it's a book I particularly liked, I'll review it on my blog.
  

• c) Would you like to be paid or do it as interest or hobby? Tell reasons for what ever you choose. At the moment, I review books as a hobby and as practice. Sure, I'd love to be paid for them someday, but I'm just starting out here, so I don't have solid aspirations at the moment.
  

• d) Would you recommend those to your friends and how? I share reviews on my blog, I post reviews on Goodreads (which many of my friends and coworkers are on).
  

• e) If you have already done something like this, link it to your post. Here's a link to the nonfiction reviews on my blog.
  

• f) Please don’t forget to link back here or whoever tags you.
  

I feel uncomfortable tagging anyone, so consider yourself tagged if you'd like to fill it out!