Reading Rumpus: January 2011

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead - review (sort of) post

Last summer, I got the bright idea that I was going to start these happy little book clubs all over the school where children could read for pleasure and talk about books. There wouldn't be worksheets; there wouldn't be projects; no mention of standardized test skills would leave our lips. With my principal's blessing and cute name (Book Dens), I went forth to conquer our school.

Lots of students signed up! Plenty of teachers jumped on board too! I got them all going and then, finally, I got my group. I didn't play favorites, I took the leftovers: Six boys, seventh grade, all labeled 'struggling readers.'

At our first meeting I touted their luck. They got the reading specialist, the one in charge, the one who held the key to all the books available. While the other groups were selecting from 3 or 4 titles, they would get to choose from the whole lot!

And they chose one of my favorites. "Trickery," my fellow den leaders called. It was my secret wish, my fingers crossed, eyes tightly shut hope. My boys picked When You Reach Me, the 2010 Newbery winner.

Isn't it amazing when you re-read a book you've loved and are reminded why you loved it? I read a lot of books. I wish I were a more tenacious writer and told about them all here. I should have written about When You Reach Me. Though the fancy gold seal and mandated library purchase now trail the glowing reviews, I should have told you that the last chapters will leave you breathless. You'll want to read it again. And maybe, if you're lucky like me, you'll get to read it again with those seeing it new. Magical!

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Genre: Mostly historical fiction, turning to science fiction at the very end
Age: 9 - 12
Pages: 208
Themes: Friendship, Coming of Age, Family Life, Time Travel
Character Development: Fantastic & unique characters
Plot Engagement: Slow at start, good in middle, whiz-bang ending
Believability: 100% suspension of disbelief intact
Awards: Newbery 2010
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Date: July 2009
ISBN-13: 978-0385737425
BUY When You Reach Me HERE

Lesson Activities: Some book group discussion questions: HERE
Random House excerpt: Here
Scholastic reading guide & project ideas: HERE

Here's the author discussing her writing style the book:

Rebecca Stead has an excellent quote that makes me feel so much better about myself. She says, "Some people will tell you that real writers don’t use parentheticals (which is nonsense). The most important thing to know about writing is that there are no rules." You read more about her on her website: here.
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The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter - book review

Magical Realism. My favorite. The ability to see the real world through a glimmering eye. I should have known this would be one of my favorite reads of 2010, just from that cover!

Look at the three Hardscrabble siblings. There's Otto. He's is the oldest and has not uttered a word since he was eight, around the time his mother disappeared. He wears a scarf and communicates through an invented sign-language. The middle Hardscrabble is Lucia. She's quick-witted, daring, a bit controlling and understands Otto's invented language. Max, the youngest, is a brainy boy, often deep in thought. One of them is the narrator of the tale, though we wonderfully never get to know which. Mr. Hardscrabble is a portrait painter who travels frequently, returning with glorious tales of the royalty he meets. Through a series of missteps, the siblings end up in the home of their maternal aunt. It is there that the real story begins. The children learn of a mysterious Kneebone Boy, locked away in a castle tower. They, of course, decide that they must rescue him. And in rescuing him, they solve the mystery of their missing mother.

One thing I especially liked was The Kneebone Boy's genre defying uniqueness. For the same reason I shun mainstream media, I embrace those stories (and tellers) who see the world in a different slant, those who are able to impart a bit of magic into the mundane without throwing us into a fantastical world of escapism (don’t get me wrong, I like a good fantasy occasionally too). It’s the ability to look at a situation of normalcy with a magical eye that fascinates me, makes me want to readjust my own lens.

Quirky, odd, charming, witty, affecting, weird: I’ll be waiting to hear more from the Hardscrabble children……

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Genre: Magical Realism with Mystery, Adventure and Gothic too!
Age: 9-12
Pages: 288
Themes: Non-Traditional Family, Love, Acceptance, Mental Illness
Character Development: Unique and Interesting Characters
Plot Engagement: Propelled by mystery of Kneebone Boy, with foreshadowing hints of missing mother
Originality: Very Original
Believability: Good, though Gothic and magical seeming, always within the realm of plausibility
Awards: Nominated for Middle Grade CYBILS Award
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Date: September 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0312377724
BUY The Kneebone Boy Here

Lesson Activities:
Genre - Keep track of parts that make this realistic story seem like fantasy
Inference - Have students guess which of the three Hardscrabble children is the narrator. Must support with examples from the story!
Cover Art - Examine several books. Discuss how the artist's depiction of the story entices (or doesn't entice) a reader. Closely examine The Kneebone Boy for clues of the story BEFORE anf then AFTER the story. You can also read author Ellen Potter's essay on the day she saw her book's cover on the Macmillan Kids Blog HERE. Study more about the artist, Jason Chan, HERE on his Blog. And HERE on his website bio.

An Excerpt from Blogger Book Rat on YouTube:

Ellen Potter used to watch people in her NYC building's elevator and make up stories about their apartments. She knew she wanted to be a writer from the time she was eleven years old. You can learn more about her and her books on her website.
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Cybils Shortlists Announced!

I have been waiting sooooooo patiently, barely able to control myself. Wanting to tell you.
Head over to the CYBILS website to see all the nominees.

It was so much fun, a lot of work to try to get through all the titles (like 150!), but really great fun. I got to meet some fantastic people which I'll plug again here with our middle grade nominee blurbs from the CYBILS site.

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: David Richardson
Rob Buyea, a teacher and first time author, has written Because of Mr. Terupt. It is a beautiful book about a class of fifth graders and their new teacher. The book is told by seven students. They write about their experiences with a special teacher. The students share the impact that tragedy has on their young lives. The experiences are sad, touching and life changing. Jessica, one of the students, tells Mr Terupt early in the book that she likes happy endings. This book does have one.- Kyle Kimmal @ The Boy Reader

Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs
Simon & Schuster
Nominated by: Jennifer Rembold
This is a humorous mystery that takes place in a zoo. The main character Teddy along with Summer, the zoo owner's daughter, must figure out who murdered the zoo's famous mascot, Henry the Hippo. The characters are well developed and will be loved by both children and adults alike. Listed for 8 - 12 year olds it is probably best for the higher ages due to some mild language. Children will love the gross descriptions and side splitting antics along with the believable parents in the book. The environmental element adds to the flavor of this book. Humor, save the animal type themes, and independent, can't stay out of trouble kid. Who could ask for anything more?- Sandra Stiles @ The Musings of a Book Addict

Betti on the High Wire by Lisa Railsback
Dial
Nominated by: Mary Ellen Thompson
Babo is one of the leftover children. In an unnamed, war-torn country, she lives in an abandoned circus turned orphanage. She is a storyteller, she has friends, and she is happy. Then she's adopted by an American couple, who change her name to Betti. In this heartbreaking, yet humorous and touching book, you get to know Betti as she struggles to adapt and adjust and come to terms with her new life while still yearning for the old. Nothing in this book is black and white: every character and situation is complex, appealing to the older readers, but yet the book is simple enough for younger ones as well. It's a book that will generate discussion about war, refugees, adoption and immigrants. It's not depressing, though; Betti is a spitfire, and readers of all ages will end up cheering for her and falling in love with both her and the book.- Melissa @ The Book Nut

Crunch by Leslie Connor
Katherine Tegen Books
Nominated by: Deena Lipomi
Gasoline is not available at any price, so Dewey Marriss and his siblings have to tough it out until their parents can get back into town. Dewey was left in charge of the Marriss Bike Barn, and business is booming to say the least. We loved the believable characters and thought provoking circumstances of this story. It has a retro feel, but could easily be set in the near future. A mini-mystery keeps the plot moving along but doesn't distract from the big question: What would life without gas be like? Crunch is a shoo-in for boys and girls ages 8 to 800. - Alysa @ Everead

Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg
Aladdin
Nominated by: Elizabeth Bird
It's a story with a sad premise -- a boy trying to deal with the death of his mother. However, it reads like a surprisingly normal "kid overcoming an obstacle" kind of story.
Milo's dad isn't really up to talking about serious topics, and he keeps moving the family from house to house, seeming to avoid the memories of his wife. That means that Milo is dealing with yet another new school. At this school he finds a good friend who appreciates him for who he is and what he likes (Freezies drinks from the local convenience store) and a next door neighbor who keeps leaving him sticky notes. These friends and a widow neighbor fill part of the hole that his mother's absence has left. Readers will cheer with Milo as he takes charge of overcoming his situation.
This story will speak volumes to any child who has lost a parent or is trying to help a good friend deal with that loss. But this book's humor, use of line-drawings and cartoons throughout, and universal themes such as struggling in Math, having a crush, the power of friendship, and moving to a new home or new school will entertain and enlighten other readers as well. - Jennifer Donovan @ 5 Minutes for Books

The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter
Feiwel & Friends
Nominated by: Jennifer Donovan
Dashes of Dahl. Snippets of Snicket. Heaps of Horvath. Those are the comparisons from the blurb on the back of this rather gothic middle grade adventure novel that I read breathlessly to the end in one day. I would add: A modicum of Monty Python. Pinches of The Princess Bride (without the kissing). Even a whisper of Joan Aiken's Wolves of Willoughby Chase.
No spoilers here, but it won't hurt to tell that The Kneebone Boy has no vampires, no magic, only one very small ghost, one large castle and one small play castle, lots of adventure, many oddities, and a few crazies. Also, there's not much blood, and lots of stuff happens at night . . . in the dark . . . in a spooky forest. Oh, and there's a dungeon and a secret passageway. How can any kid with an inkling of imagination resist? - Sherry @ Semicolon

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
Amulet
Nominated by: Sarah (aquafortis)
There are kids all over McQuarrie Middle School who believe Origami Yoda can tell the future. Others think he's just a stupid finger puppet made by the 6th grade's biggest loser, Dwight. Tommy HAS to know the truth. He has to know if Origami Yoda is real before he makes a complete fool of himself. Tommy reasons that Origami Yoda MUST be the real thing because there is no way a loser like Dwight could ever offer such great advice. Still, what if he takes Origami Yoda's advice and makes a fool of himself? In order to find out, Tommy opens a case file where his classmates explain their experiences with Origami Yoda's Jedi-like advice. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda will delight readers. It's filled with humor, great characters, a unique plot and the occasional glimpse of the force at work. Read it, you must. - Cheryl Vanatti @ Reading Rumpus (Me)

Again... It was an extreme pleasure!

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