365 Days of Wonder

Although R.J. Palacio's Wonder remains one of my favorite children's novels, and The Julian Chapter provided a satisfying glimpse into the bully's perspective, I wasn't sure about the 365 Days of Wonder when I heard that Mr. Browne's Book of Precepts was being published. Sure, a book of thoughtful sayings to ponder sounds nice, but not exactly the kind of book kids are likely to pick up for pleasure reading.

When I actually saw 365 Days of Wonder in my local bookstore last week, I changed my mind. I still don't think that most kids will pick this book up just to read it. It actually wouldn't take very long! But I really fell in love with the notion of a precept a day. At my own home, I'm keeping our copy near the kitchen table so that most mornings we can read the precept before scattering about our day. I think many teachers could find usefulness in the quick lessons taught here, or use them as writing prompts. My favorite parts though are the pages of precepts written by other children. Their ages and cities are noted in the contribution section at the end of the book. I'm thrilled to see the evidence that Wonder has impacted so many children and will continue through these variations on choose kind. Another nice touch that Palacio included are the essays by Mr. Browne at the end of each month. Each essay provides another insight to the story or to a character quality mentioned.

I'm eagerly waiting to see what Palacio's next work might be. She really has a talent for developing the Wonder story. I have every expectation that her next project will be a winner as well.

Absolutely Almost

Albie is a fifth grader living in NYC, a boy who is almost good at many things. Almost, but not quite. Albie regularly miscalculates the tip for the man who delivers his Chinese food. Albie only wants to read Captain Underpants, not the more literary books written for fifth graders. Albie struggles with his spelling list each week. Albie also possesses one of the kindest, most compassionate, most sincere hearts recently depicted in children's literature. He knows that he doesn't live up to his parents expectations and that the cool kids in school ridicule him. Albie's best friend still attends his former school, leaving Albie to forge his own way this school year. All of these regular life struggles form a story of a simple boy endeavoring to find his way during the oft-turbulent pre-teen years.

Absolutely Almost provides an interesting narration for today's middle grade reader: the plight of the average child. Albie is not really good at anything. He's not a stellar student; he doesn't have any outstanding hobbies. He is kind and compassionate, but those traits are often overlooked in the search for a tangible talent. His parents are not particularly understanding and often push him to "do better". As a parent of 4 myself, Albie's perspective of his parents demands, even their relative lack of involvement in his education and the detail of his days, resonated heavily with me. Albie's new babysitter, Calista, appears to be his savior, and while most kids reading this novel will fall in love with her, I found her sugar-enabling, school-skipping, Peter Pan-type behavior to be a bit over the line. That said, she is sympathetic toward Albie in a manner he desperately needs, and she frequently points out life truths that help him along the way. One of my favorite exchanges between them occurs while they are discussing the fact that Albie may never find something in life that he's good at:

"I want to be something I'm good at." [Albie] said.
Calista...looked more serious than normal. "You should do something because you love it, not just because you're good at it."
"But you're good at art, and you love it." [Albie] told her.
She nodded. "Did you ever think maybe the love part comes first? Find something you want to keep doing forever, even if you stink at it. And then, if you're lucky, with lots of practice, then one day you won't stink so much."
"But what if I'm not lucky?" [Albie] asked her. "What if I do find something I love, and then I always stink at it?"
Calista smiled her thoughtful smile. "Then won't you be glad you found something you love?"

Albie's struggle does not reach a tidy conclusion by the end of the novel. Although Albie does have a better sense of self, I could easily see Albie's story being open for a sequel. Either way, Albie will leave many children identifying with his plight and even more children rooting for his success.

Hope Is a Ferris Wheel

Hope Is a Ferris Wheel is the story of Star Mackie, who is struggling to find friends and her place in a new school following a move to California from Oregon. Star appears to be the only one at school who lives in a trailer park, and her "layered cut" is constantly misidentified as a "mullet" by the other kids. She decides to start a club at school to help her find friends. After a false start with the Trailer Park Club, she finds limited success with the Emily Dickinson Club. With a mom who's often distracted by her own issues, a sister who attends a school for delinquents, a father who's missing, and a teacher who thinks she's not capable of much academically, Star innocently and honestly navigates her way through the school year.

Star Mackie is such a likable character that you can't help rooting for her from the first paragraph. She tends to see the best in everyone, even those who might not outwardly seem to have many redeeming qualities. Star is definitely naive, but it comes across as genuine, not cutesy. There were two events in the book that really made Star an authentic character for me, the first was when she fell in love with the first Emily Dickinson poem she heard, and the second was a tragic reveal of information that I don't want to spoil. Star radiates honesty in every emotion depicted, confusion over being spurned by her sister, feelings of betrayal by her mother, hope for a relationship with her father, devotion to her beloved Emily Dickinson poems. As a side note, the cover art is pretty great as well. I loved the vintage look of the ferris wheel and the carnival typeface.

The Year of Billy Miller

My rising second grader and I recently finished reading the Newbery Honor title, The Year of Billy Miller, together. I was thrilled when I first heard about Billy's story. The early chapter book genre is in dire need of some fresh lovely works and Billy Miller fills that void nicely. Aside from the classic Ramona series, there really aren't many beautifully written books for the not-yet-middle-grade chapter book readers, at least not that are written about them. Henkes captures the 7-year-old boy's thoughts, motivations, and fears perfectly. Billy Miller reminded me so much of some combination of my own boys, and his story features charming language covering the simple, yet complex, challenges of every day life.

Billy Miller visits the Jolly Green Giant on vacation prior to starting second grade. He falls over a guardrail, and although he's not seriously injured, he does develop a lump on his head, a lump that is still visible at the beginning of school. After overhearing his parents discussing his injury, Billy worries that he might not be smart enough for second grade. His dad reassures him that this is "The Year of Billy Miller". Throughout the story, Billy feels misunderstood by his teachers, worries about his father's success as an artist, is alternately annoyed and comforted by his little sister, dislikes to his classmate, builds a bat diorama for school, and writes about his mother for the second grade poetry slam. 

Each part of the year is broken into the sections Teacher, Father, Sister, Mother. My own almost-second grader particularly connected to the Sister section. He sighed and declared it his favorite when we finished. Henkes writing is beautiful descriptive, such as when Billy first spots Grace Cotter in his class:

Grace Cotter slipped into her chair. Billy had known Grace since kindergarten. She was so shy she seemed almost invisible. Like vacuums, her wide eyes were sucking in everything.

Although The Year of Billy Miller is a stand-alone novel, I found myself wishing at the end that Billy's story would continue. His family became so familiar that Henkes could easily write a follow-up novel in a year or two.

You can find The Year of Billy Miller in the Early Elementary Read Alouds section of The Book Children Store.

How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied

Middle school is tough. Middle school might just be unbearable if you lived in a zoo (literally!), if your best friend just moved to the other side of the world, or if your twin brother incessantly leaves reptiles in your bed. All this, and more, is happening to Ana (named after an anaconda, for Pete's sake!) this year, and she just wants to hide under a rock until middle school is finished. She feels like her efforts to stay close to her best friend are failing, and she's the target of the Sneerers, the kind of predatory animals one might face in a middle school. At the pinnacle of her misery, her famous zoologist grandfather arrives in town and puts her entire family on his reality TV show, giving the Sneerers even more ammunition against her. Will Ana EVER survive this year in middle school?

I think How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Untied will really hit a mark for many tween and early teen girls looking for a protagonist with the exact self-confidence issues that Ana displays. She struggles in math, desperately needs a new friend, and fearfully treads through interactions with the school's "mean girls". About half-way through the book, Ana's negativity started to grate on me a tad, although I truly understand that many young girls will completely identify with her feelings. Predictably, but with great heart, Ana found her courage and some comfort in her skin by the end. I loved the nerdy zoology humor, and the animal tidbits at the beginning of each chapter were a fun touch. I'm actually quite anxious to see where Ana's story goes in the sequel, due in January 2015. 

You can find How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Untied in the Middle Grade Books section of The Book Children Store.

Half a Chance

Lucy's father is a photographer who travels frequently for his job. He heads out on assignment just as her family is getting settled into their new little red cottage on a New Hampshire lake. Lucy quickly meets the family in the cottage next door, one of the summer families. As Lucy gets to know them, she becomes fast friends with Nate, about her age, and often goes with him on Loon Patrol, where she learns a great deal about the lake's feathered residents. As Lucy tells Nate about a youth photography contest her father is judging, they decide to enter the contest which Lucy hopes will help her understand her father's true opinion of her own photography. As Lucy is taking photos, she realizes that her photos are telling a story of Nate's grandmother. A story that Nate is not keen to see or admit.

Half a Chance is a perfect slow summer read. It begs you to find a shady hammock where you can hear the crickets chirping, or perhaps the loons calling, and fully immerse yourself in a quiet summer story. The author, Cynthia Lord, has such a gift for storytelling. She handles the difficulty of dementia, especially from a child's perspective, with the same grace that she handled autism in Rules. The best part is that while the story revolves around Nate's grandmother's slip into dementia, the photography contest, forming new friendships, even the education about loons rounds the novel out so nicely that the reader doesn't feel like the story is just about Nate's grandmother and her illness. I do admit that I wasn't fond of Lucy's father. He felt quite self-centered, and I found myself wanting to shake him into awareness of how much he was hurting his daughter. The intermittent storyline of Megan, a character who was a tad bit jealous of Lucy and treated her unkindly, was lovely though. Lucy negotiated that situation beautifully by ignoring Megan then later reaching out to her; a fine example of how to treat unkind people without making Lucy into a glaringly obvious goody-goody.

You can find Half a Chance in the Middle Grade Books section of The Book Children Store.

Counting by 7s

Willow Chance is a genius 12 year old obsessed with counting in multiples of 7, studying and caring for plants, observing and diagnosing medical conditions, and trying to navigate the social complexities of middle school. Shortly after beginning the school year, and being forced to visit the school counselor for suspicion of cheating, Willow's parents are killed in a car accident. Reeling from her loss, Willow is taken in by Vietnamese acquaintances she knows only slightly through her counselor. And in their little one-room garage behind a nail salon, she begins to put her life back together under their care. When her social worker finds a permanent foster home for her, Willow braces for yet more upheaval in her life.

My first thought about Willow Chance after reading only the first couple of chapters was that listening to her narration was often like listening to the younger sister of Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory. She is highly intelligent and remarkably self-aware, regularly commenting to herself that she understands she must follow social conventions rather than speak every assertion that she recognizes as truth. A perfect example of this is when she's riding in a cab and spots a concerning nevus (mole) on the driver's neck. She wrestles internally with the social convention of a 12 year old telling an adult that he should get a mole checked. Further, each of the supporting characters in this novel were fully developed with strengths and flaws that felt authentic. Holly Goldberg Sloan did a remarkable job of providing characters that I could care about while I still grimaced at their failings. The ending did feel a little odd to me, especially where Jairo was concerned. (If you haven't read the book, I don't want to spoil it so I'll leave my remark at that.) Either way, the ending did not detract from my personal feelings about this book, which is that I'm actually shocked it was not at least a Newbery Honor book. Willow's voice was consistently strong, and the dialog was perfect. Although this novel falls into the middle grade category, I would highly recommend this novel to anyone over the age of 10 (adults included). It's truly that good.

You can find Counting by 7s in the Middle Grade Books section of The Book Children Store.

Rules

School is out for the summer, and Catherine is not exactly looking forward to spending it without her best friend, who is visiting her father out-of-state over the summer break. Catherine learns that a girl her age is moving in next door, and although she desires a new summer friend (someone she can use flashlights to blink Morse code with at night), she worries that the new girl won't understand her younger brother, David, who is autistic. In an effort to curb some of David's social behaviors, Catherine creates rules for him, such as "No toys in the fish tank." or "Late doesn't mean not coming." While Catherine is attempting to make a new friend next door, she discovers that with little effort she's managed to make a friend at David's therapy clinic. Jason is a mute paraplegic who communicates through a word book, and Catherine, upon discovering he only has boring words, offers to make some hip words with pictures for him. As her friendship with Jason grows, and she tries harder to become friends with the girl next door, Catherine realizes that defining relationships can be complicated. 

When I asked my oldest 3 kids which books were the top 5 that they would recommend to other children, Rules was the very first book my 11 year old mentioned. (Before the Hobbit, even! That's high praise coming from the most sensitive member of this household.) Upon reading Rules, which won a Newbery Honor award, I could definitely understand why he was so moved by this book. The language in speaking of autism, and the feelings and actions of the other family members, rings with an authenticity that generates the backbone of this novel. Catherine is such a relatable character, full of practical observations, and with more responsibility thrust upon her than most kids her age. Although many of the issues in this book, such as Catherine's desire to befriend the girl next door and her ambivalent friendship with Jason, were not wholly resolved, the way Lord ended the book felt satisfying and realistic as life often doesn't wrap up neatly with tidy resolutions to relationship challenges.

You can find Rules in the Middle Grade Books - Philip Recommends section of The Book Children Store.

Sway, plus a chat with Amber McRee Turner!

Sway, Amber McRee Turner's 2012 novel, grabbed my attention on the first page. Anything that describes "tired eyeballs" as feeling like "they've been rolled in corn-bread crumbs" has the potential to be a uniquely descriptive book. I wasn't disappointed. Turner's witty, unusual language provides a great contrast to the novel's often heavy subject of divorce.

Ten-year-old Cass spends the early part of her summer waiting and longing for her mother, who volunteers with a local relief organization, to return from her latest mission. Cass adores her rescuer mother while finding her part-time janitor, part-time meat salesman father to be dull as dirt. Her mother's homecoming quickly goes awry, forcing Cass to reluctantly spend the summer traveling in a beat-up RV, named Roast, with her father. Through random shoes on the side of the road, famous soap slivers, and the extraordinary power of Sway, Cass slowly realizes that not everything, or everyone, in life is what you expect, and sometimes a hero can be disguised in a fraying 70s green-and-yellow-striped suit. Turner's first novel is by turns heartbreaking, enchanting, and just plain awes (that's awesome for you Sway newbies).

Amber McRee Turner's latest novel, Circa Now, comes out today! In celebration of this event, she agreed to have a little chat with me to answer some questions:

What inspired you to write your first novel, Sway?

I love the way God puts imperfect people in our own imperfect lives. We all make mistakes, some big and some small...even parents do. But there’s still so much good all around us, even in the midst of really hard times. The real magic is the hope that he gives us that things will work out okay, even if it’s not the way we thought it was going to be. It might end up even better than we hoped.  

(Detail-wise, there have been many recurring tidbits that have made an impression on me for my entire life...most of them taken in on road trips throughout the American South. In other words, ratty old RVs + small hotel soaps + abandoned roadside shoes + sudden storms + What if? = SWAY.)

You did such an adept job of writing Cass’s perspective of her parents, idolizing the deserting parent and blaming the remaining parent, which is a dynamic many divorced parents can identify with. Is there a particular place from which you drew that experience?

Thank you, Joy. 

I drew inspiration for the heartache from my own mother’s childhood experience. She had a father that left their family permanently when she was young, after a violent encounter. My mom later found out that her dad had secretly started several other families in different states. Thankfully, it was clear to my mother from the beginning that her own stalwart, hard-working mother was not to blame for his actions. So, for the particular “blaming” relationship dynamic, I guess I just put myself in Cass’ shoes and imagined how I might feel had I idolized my mom for so long, only to have her disappear.

How is your latest novel, that is coming out today, influenced by your first work? Or are they a completely different and separate experience for you?

Writing CIRCA NOW was quite a different experience for me, primarily because of the photographic nature of the novel, which Disney was kind and trusting enough to let me illustrate myself. (I will always be grateful to them for that.) The story is full of photographs, some very personal to me, that I have doctored up in silly ways to help tell the story of Circa and her friends. Circa calls them simply, “The Shopt.” It’s a dimension, much like our own, where anything is possible.

Where CIRCA NOW and SWAY do run parallel, though, is that they share in common a hope that can prevail over any natural, or man-made disaster.

What are you working on now? Another middle grade novel or a new direction?

If by working you mean drinking coffee and eating strudel and putting down about a dozen words a day, then yes I am working on a new book. It will be another middle grade, but nonetheless a departure for me. It’s my first foray into the action/adventure world. Truth be told, I’m actually bouncing back and forth between two concepts. One has my heart, and the other has my gut right now...and they are fighting for control of my head. I hope to know a winner very soon. In a nutshell, it’s “submarine vs. big-rig” in my brain right this very minute.

Which children’s books or children’s book authors inspired you as a child?

I was particularly fond of Shel Silverstein as a child. His poems opened a window to me. To see how someone could use silliness to convey big, important concepts. “Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” I love that.

Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?

I thank you for the honor of being a part of your blog! I’d like to include that all are welcome to visit my web site at www.ambermcreeturner.com, where they’ll find a collection of printable “Shopt Story Starters” to try. I’d love to hear what your followers can come up with!

Thanks so much, Amber, for chatting with me here at The Book Children! Amber's books, Sway and Circa Now can both be found in The Book Children's Store in the Books with Strong Females section.

Out of My Mind

I'm going to admit from the start that because I read Wonder and Out of My Mind at nearly the same time last summer, it's very hard for me not to compare the two in my head, especially when I'm thinking about reviewing them. I will also admit that I prefer Wonder to Out of My Mind, which is not to say that I didn't find a great deal of merit to Out of My Mind. In fact, I would actually recommend that everyone read both because I find both books to be critically important to middle graders, who can sometimes be a short-sighted, cliquish group.

Out of My Mind tells the story of Melody, who has a brilliant mind and photographic memory despite the cerebral palsy that leaves her mute and unable to control most of her muscles. Although her parents seem to understand, to some extent, that she is intelligent, her doctors and teachers treat her as if her mental faculties are akin to her physical ones. Being unable to communicate effectively drives Melody out of her mind...until she is awarded a device that allows her to finally speak.

Draper does a fantastic job of giving Melody a voice. Her struggles and frustrations are apparent and understandable. I appreciated that the author's bravery in allowing an event to happen to Melody that was not easily resolvable. Often times in children's literature you find the main character on the cusp of a negative event, and suddenly, they overcome. This is fantastic in some cases, but life does not always follow that sunshine and roses pattern. I did have a few problems with Out of My Mind: the teachers were horrific, the children's language seemed stilted at times, and the near-tragedy at the end seemed forced. Despite these few misgivings, I did highly enjoy Out of My Mind, and my children loved it. They actually begged me to read it each day. I think we finished it less than 5 days.

You can find Out of My Mind in the Books with Strong Females section of The Book Children Store.

The Julian Chapter: A Wonder Story

Since Wonder was one of my favorite books of 2012, I was thrilled to discover last month that R.J. Palacio was writing an addendum to Auggie Pullman's story. Although Wonder is told from the perspective of many different characters, the primary antagonist, Julian, never has a voice in Wonder. The Julian Chapter aims to rectify that by giving the background of Julian's story in his own voice. 

I admit to being a little nervous about reading Julian's story. I wasn't sure what Palacio could write to redeem Julian or his behavior in my mind. Even as I read the quote on the first page, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle," I was unsure what could possibly be in this bully's past that would account for his atrocious behavior. I think the beauty of Palacio's telling of Julian's story is that when you start to develop some sympathy for Julian, even though it is insufficient to justify his actions, you realize that he's just a 10 year old kid behaving as 10 year old kids sometimes do, especially when the adults in their lives do little to steer them toward kind or generous conduct.

Ultimately, I was grateful that a new character appeared toward the end of Julian's story, his Parisian grandmother. Finally an adult who could gently lead him toward kindness! And as in Wonder, her story, and ultimately Julian's story, will provoke tears by the time you are finished reading.

The Julian Chapter is currently available in eBook or audio version. Wonder is available in our store under the Books with Strong Males category. 365 Days of Wonder, with each of Mr. Browne's precepts (the English teacher's principles to live by referred to in the books) will be published in August.

Because of Mr. Terupt

The audiobook version of Because of Mr. Terupt has been on near constant play in our car recently. This, despite the fact that both of my older boys had already read it. All 4 of my kids enjoyed it immensely, which clearly means it needs a review here on The Book Children.

Because of Mr. Terupt, told from the voices of 7 different students, describes the year that Mr. Terupt, a young new teacher, came to teach their fifth grade class. The home lives of the various children, discussing topics including divorce, sibling death, teen pregnancy, help the reader understand their perspectives. By getting inside each of the student's heads, their characters are quickly fleshed out, and their differences make it easy for children to relate to them. Mr. Terupt is a patient, enterprising teacher who seems to desire to "get" each one of them and help them on a personal level. To expose the climax of this book would be a huge spoiler, but it's safe to say that most third to sixth grade students would enjoy this read. You also might never look at words the same way after hearing about "dollar words". ;)

You can find Because of Mr. Terupt in The Book Children's Store in the Middle Grade Books section.

If you haven't entered the giveaway, enter now! Tomorrow someone will win one of the Featured This Month books from the new Book Children Store!

Wonder

Wonder is counted among the best novels I've ever read, not just the best middle-grade novels. This story is original, relevant, and gracefully told in a way that it transcends genre. I would, of course, recommend it for middle-grade students. I especially recommend it for teenagers. But I also recommend it for adults even if you ordinarily hate middle-grade novels. Try this one. My own children were so engrossed that we read the entire book aloud over 5 days during the summer. They never wanted me to put it down!

"I wish every day could be Halloween. We could all wear masks all the time. Then we could walk around and get to know each other before we got to see what we looked like under the masks." ~ Auggie Pullman

August (Auggie) Pullman is born with facial deformities, among other problems, requiring him to have multiple surgeries as a young child and resulting in his being homeschooled for many years because of the numerous medical procedures and others reactions to his looks. At the beginning of Wonder, he is encouraged by his parents to try a brick-and-mortar school. As he eventually decides to give school a chance, the predictable varied development of relationships with classmates ensues. Wonder is told from several different points-of view, and the struggles of each character are thoughtfully and carefully refined.

What I did not expect from this novel was the sense of empathy invoked. I'm not easily given to strong emotions, but I found myself nearly in tears many times. Not just because of how a 5th grader with facial deformities is treated, but because of how Auggie's interests, thoughts, feelings, desires, and ambitions are truly like my own children's. I could see them in his voice and could hardly bear the thought that some unkind soul could possibly treat them the way Auggie was often treated. With so much talk of bullying in schools today, this is an invaluable resource to teach kindness and compassion for everyone.

**An excellent interview with the author is available on NPR's website.