Yes, I have an eclectic taste in books . . .

and I'm usually reading five or six books at the same time. I'm doing this as much for me as I am for you—I need to remember what I've just read. I read books written for adults and for children ... don't overlook the latter, ithey're some of the best reading available today.

Kaleidoscope Eyes.

Jen Bryant. Knopf, 2009. Lyza's mother has gone away, her older sister is becoming a feminist war protester, and her father spends all his time at work. Then Gramps dies. He leaves her clues to a mystery, which she soon lead to her to the pirate captain William Kidd and the promise of buried treasure. Set in the late 1960s, this verse novel promised intrigue, history, and characters who could easily walk off the pages and into my living room ... I particularly admired the strong friendship between Lyza, Malcolm, and Carolann. Malcolm's brother, Dixon, is drafted to serve in Vietnam and that layer of story set in the timeframe of the book gives a depth to the story that makes Willowbank a community and Kaleidoscope Eyes a book to savor.

Alice Waters and Chez Panisse.

Thomas McNamee. Penguin, 2007. A good friend gave this to me, saying that I would enjoy reading about another female entrepreneur. She was right. I saved the reading of this book until we took a few days of vacation, so I could enjoy a cover-to-cover submersion ... and I'm glad I did. Alice Waters' passion for food and healthy eating, for providing an experience that fills the soul, I found that reassuring. The biographer has organized his research well, portraying a woman who has influenced many, many people. I especially enjoyed her attention to children's diet and the founding of the Edible Schoolyard. It's all in the timing, of course, but I'm so glad that the Obamas have planted an Edible Garden at the White House, something Alice Waters has been advocating for twenty years.

Into the Volcano

Don Wood. Blue Sky Press, 2008. I've always loved comic books. In today's burgeoning supply, I seldom find a comic book (okay, a graphic novel) that has me rapidly turning the pages, eager to get to the end to find out what happened. My comic book reading tended to be superheroes and not so much Nancy or Archie or Scrooge McDuck. When I do find a book that has an engrossing story, a plot that doesn't bog down in "sock 'em" and "zowie," and characters that make me care, I always have to squint to overlook the so-so illustrations. Not so in Don Wood's Into the Volcano. This is good! Duffy and Sumo, two brothers, are whisked often to the mysterious island of Kocalaha to live with an aunt who lives in a treehouse ... no, a mansion ... but then ... Who is this woman? When her crew decide to investigate a dormant volcano—from the inside—the potential for adventure is high. Wood doesn't disappoint. Even better, his illustrations are beautiful, mysterious, funny, and tense ... all in the right places. I highly recommend this graphic novels for classrooms and libraries.

Geronimo

JosephBruchac. Scholastic Press, 2006. I grew up in the era of the TV Western. I wanted a horse. I wanted a saddle. I wanted to ride the range with Roy and Hoppy and the folks on Wagon Train (did they ever get where they were going)? I didn't give much thought to the way Native Americans were portrayed. In the TVshows, they swooped in now and then, sometimes hurting the "pioneers," but sometimes being wise and standing up for their land and their people. Reading Geronimo is something everyone should do who ever watched a Hollywood movie or TV show. Told by Geronimo's grandson, this is a sad tale of a great people, once free to live and roam and think and eat and love as they wished, being rounded up, shoved on to a train that took them cross-country from Arizona to Florida, starved, and robbed of any dignity, just as the worst internment camps have done throughout history. It is also the tale of Geronimo, who turned a bad situation to his advantage, continued to negotiate for and lead his people, and fought until the very last for the return to his old life. Bruchac's writing is fiction, but he gathered his information from research, interviews, and tales passed down through the years by people who were there. The author's prose is exquisite. I also highly recommend Bruchac's Code Talker, a fictional account of the Navajo who fought for America in World War II, using their language as an unbreakable code to protect troop movements.

This is Just to Say:Poems of Apology and Forgiveness

Joyce Sidman. illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski. Houghton Mifflin, 2007. Every book of which Joyce Sidman conceives makes me wonder how she thinks of these intriguing ideas. Meow Ruff is brilliant. Song of the Water Boatman and Butterfly Eyes have me picturing Joyce in hip boots, with a pith helmet, a khaki jacket resplendent with stuffed pockets, and a magnifying glass. Most of all, I picture her brain working night and day, her eyes observing everything around her, listening, tasting, sensing, recording ... more than any ordinary mortal. Then she turns her thoughts into poetry. Or does she think in poetry as we would think in our native language?

Did someone say, "there's no good book of poems about being sorry and letting someone know"? Perhaps. Set in a classroom, with the framework of a class assignment, the voices of each poem are so different that Ihad to keep checking that Joyce wasn't acting as an anthologist or editor—no, these are truly her poems. Read a bit of "Fashion Sense":

'The classroom was so dead.
No one had anything more to say about Old Yeller,
and we were all crazy to get outside.
The silence seemed like a hundred crushing elephants.
So I raised my hand and made that comment
about your dress,
and everyone burst out laughing.

You smiled,
but your smile looked like a frozen pond."

Haven't we all been in that classroom? That's a portion of a poem to Mrs. Merz from Carmen, who goes on to write a lovely note of apology.

Now, a less creative writer would have let the apologies speak for themselves. But Ms. Sidman understands that an apology needs forgiveness (or not) and the responses to the letters of apology follow in a group just as they would in a classroom assignment. Mrs. Merz writes a haiku for Carmen:

"Just these few warm words,
and spring sunlight fills the room;
my dress turns to sky."

That's the other aspect I can rave about—there are examples of all types of poetry in this book. The concept of the book is a good idea and it's executed just as it should be. Oh, and the illustrations are exactly right for the book. Guess I like This is Just to Say.

John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth

Elizabeth Partridge. Viking, 2006. I wasn't a Beatles fan. In the town in which I grew up, there was always an Elvis movie playing at the El Lago. The local radio station played polkas and standards. Listening to the Beatles on WDGY happened on a day when my palm-sized transistor radio could pull in "Norwegian Wood" or "Yesterday."The kids in our neighborhood were far more impressed by Herman's Hermits, the Dave Clark Five, and Chubby Checkers (we Twisted until our sides ached). So it was as a Curious Reader that I approached BetsyPartridge's biography of one of the Fab Four. Not only did I learn a great deal about a musical genius, but I learned a lot about the culture, the other people of the times, and the world which embraced the boys from Liverpool. I'm convinced Ms. Partridge could write the phone book in a way that would keep me interested, but I believe she has done an outstanding job of choosing her words, the essential visuals, and relating her research in a way that will keep teens and adults glued to their reading chairs. Don't miss this book. And keep your eyes open for the next subject Elizabeth Partridge tackles.

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

R.L. LaFevers. Houghton Mifflin, 2007. I review books for the Children's Literature Network site, too, and I'm really torn about posting this book there. The kid reader in me couldn't wait to turn the pages to see what would happen next. It's set in an Antiquities Museum in London and there's mystery, intrigue, secret societies, magic, and Egypt. The main character, Theodosia, defines the term precocious. She sleeps in a sarcophagus in the museum in which her father is the curator and for which her mother goes on extended "collecting" trips. Minor characters are intriguing, although no one except Theodosia gets much page time. It appears to be the author's first novel, so we'll hope that the characters are more fully developed as she gains confidence in her writing. The reason I'm hesitating to recommend this book (which is the criteria for inclusion on the CLNsite) is that it's about removing antiquities from graves in Egypt and transporting them to England. Yes, that's a part of history but it seems untoward to be writing so casually about this at a time when antiquities are being removed from the world's museums and returned to their countries of origin. I've decided to regard the book as a fantasy because Theodosia thinks, acts, and speaks in a way few 11-year-olds would. Again, my kid-self says that kids would love to be like Theodosia so I'm willing to entertain a "willing suspension of disbelief." The book reads a bit like the Da Vinci Code for middle graders—without the religious commentary. See what you think—and let me know. I'm undecided.

At Random: the reminiscences of Bennet Cerf

Bennett Cerf. Random House, 1977. I just read this book for the seventh time. I pick it up every few years, delighting all over again in this autobiography of Bennett Cerf, who was one of the founders of Random House. One of the gallant publishers of the 1920s and 1930s, when bringing well-written books to the public was a mission without the driving force of the bottom line, the insider's look at publishing, authors, and New YorkCity. He was a renowned wit, appearing on What's My Line? and publishing books of jokes and anecdotes, and this book excels because of his deft touch. He published some of the most intriguing voices of the 20th century:James Joyce, Ayn Rand, D.H. Lawrence, Dorothy Parker, Sinclair Lewis, William Faulkner. I recommend this book to anyone for whom the world of books and publishing is irresistible.

Library Lion

Michelle Knudsen and Kevin Hawkes. Candlewick, 2006. Miss Meriwether runs a quiet library in which there is absolutely no running. She admonishes everyone who tries. One day a lion wanders into the library and everyone is uncertain what to do. None of the rules give them a clue. The lion seems to enjoy story hour. He lets the children lean on him as a backrest. He helps out. He follows the rules. Even Miss Meriwether comes to depend upon him. Then one day an emergency requires that the lion run for help and roar for attention. He saves the day, but he knows that he has broken the rules. He can't go back to the library. Everyone there misses him. What will happen? The text and illustrations are a perfect complement for each other. It's a delightful book, just right for storytime, bedtime, and page-pondering by young readers.

The Road to Paris

Nikki Grimes. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2006. Paris, an eight-year-old, and her ten-year-old brother, Malcolm, are moved from one foster home to another when their unstable mother can't deal with them. Used to taking care of each other, they are separated when Malcolm is labeled incorrigible. Paris is sent to another foster family, the Lincolns, in upstate New York, where she must fend for herself, never quite sure where Malcolm is and missing him terribly. Fortunately, the Lincolns are not abusive, and Paris begins to let down her walls, to make friends with the family's other children and some of the children at school. Just about the time she's feeling settled, her mother decides she'd like Paris and Malcolm to come home so she can try again to be a parent. Paris' way of looking at things is lyrical and, although this book is written entirely in prose, the author's poetic spirit imbues the language.

Tangerine

Edward Bloor. Scholastic, 1997. Sports books don't ordinarily cause me to pluck them off the shelves. I'd heard a lot about this book, though, so I felt compelled to read it—and I'm glad I did. Set in a slightly odd county in Florida, with all-too-believable townspeople, this story about Paul Fisher, his scary older brother, his parents, and his friends at his new and newer schools is absorbing, surprising, and well-written. Weeks later, I'm still thinking about the characters, the situations, and the ethical situations raised in this book. Paul needs Coke-bottle glasses to see, but he loves playing soccer and he's very good at it. His family, however, is focused on the Erik Fisher Football Dream for his older brother—a situation with which I fear all too many people can identify. So Paul must go it alone. He does an admirable job because he has a kind heart to accompany his competitive spirit. Sports are the subtext for this book but the story and the characters are at center field.

The Shadow Thieves

Anne Ursu. Atheneum, 2006. Charlotte Mielswetzki and her cousin Zee are charged with saving the world ... well, more precisely, with finding the shadows of their classmates and school children all over the world. Someone has stolen those shadows and it turns out that someone lives inHades, so that's where Charlotte and Zee must go. Reluctant to set off on this quest, they nevertheless have what it takes to deal with Philonecron, Hades, and Persephone, as well as a league of Shades. The author's voice is so humorous that even the scary parts are bearable. A refreshing, wonderful story set amidst Greek mythology. I can't wait to read the next book in The Cronus Chronicles!

The Lightning Thief

Rick Riordan. Miramax, 2005. Percy Jackson has been kicked out of every school in New YorkCity because he doesn't fit in. His mother married some slob of a guy who takes advantage of them both. And Percy can't figure out why his life is so bad. That is, until a monster chases him to a camp in upstate New York that Percy discovers is for "half-bloods," children who are part-human and part-mythological being. Twelve-year-old Percy is a demi-god, but that doesn't help him save his mother, who is killed by a mythological character as Percy tries to get them to safety inside the camp. Eventually, Percy learns that Poseidon is his father. Poseidon is also accused of stealing Zeus' thunder-bolt and it's Percy who is sent on a quest to retrieve it, along with Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and Grover, a young satyr. At times laugh-out-loud funny, at times scary, this is a can't-put-down book that is sure to appeal to kids who love adventure books. Plenty of surprises await.I predict a resurgence of interest in classical mythology.

Esperanza Rising

PamMuñoz Ryan. Scholastic, 2000. I have read many nonfiction accounts of the migrant workers inCalifornia, especially the early days during the Oklahoma Migration, the Dustbowl, and the Great Depression. Young Esperanza is the child of wealthy Mexican landowners, self-absorbed, unthinking even by the telling of her own story. When her father is murdered, their land taken from them, she and her mother escape Mexico for California with their most trusted servants. Learning to live by her own means, observing life in a field-workers' camp as the harvest seasons roll by inCalifornia, Esperanza grows tremendously during this book. It's fascinating for its look at a portion of our history that is usually ignored. The only false note in this book is the people attempting to strike for better pay and living conditions who are portrayed as uncaring and violent. I would have appreciated a more rounded look at the beginnings of the United Farmworkers' actions. On the whole, it's a beautiful book that will be enjoyed by young and old alike.

Worth

A. LaFaye. Simon &Schuster, 2004. A young boy in Nebraska in the late 1800s. Involved in a weather-related accident, he can no longer work on his father's farm. The farmwork is too much for his father alone, so a boy is brought to the farm from one of the OrphanTrains. Set amidst the range wars of that era, this book plops you squarely down in the middle of the time, helps you feel the pain and helplessness and anguish of the farmer's son, whose fears of being replaced by another son are realistic at any time. The author is especially good at weaving period details into this book, creating a memorable impression of life on the prairie.

FromRags toRiches:a History ofGirls' Clothing inAmerica

Leslie Sills. Holiday House, 2005. This book is my favorite picture book of 2005, as well as my favorite nonfiction book. The subject touched me—I was taught to sew my own clothes whenI was eight. That's what the women in my family did. I learned about shantung, silk, linen, tailor's tacks, darts, and French seams long before I took a home economics class in seventh grade. There, we had to sew an A-line skirt. Wouldn't you know that I accidentally cut into the skirt's fabric whenI was hemming it?The teacher decided to feature it for Parents' Night.I was mortified, begged her not to put it on display.

This is a book about the history of clothing for girls in America, offering well-blended cultural, economic, and historic aspects of cloth, styles, and manufacturing, as well as pop culture references. As a graphic designer, I find the book to be striking. The fabric swatches, the explanations, the paintings and photos ... everything is so well placed that it keeps me turning the pages. From smocking to Peter Pan collars, from bustles to Keds, from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory disaster to Imagine This, a clothing company that makes girls' fashion designs a reality, this book is a wonderful reference, inspiration, and a good read! Sills explains difficult concepts in a simple yet thought-provoking way. Extensive references at the back of the book, including a glossary and webography, make FromRags toRiches a must-have for every library shelf.

The Art of Reading:
40 Illustrators Celebrate RIF's 40th Anniversary

Dutton, 2005. I adore books like this, offering a glimpse into the influences that shaped the creative minds of our era. Going forward, this book will be a resource for those who ponder the minds and talents of children's book illustrators. From the cover art by Fred Marcellino to the very last spread by Dan Yaccarino, each illustrator reveals the book they remember as having been a classic book from their childhood. They have illustrated one scene from that book, written a brief essay about their relationship to the book, and the book cover from that era is featured along with a photo of the illustrator. A grand reference work that's fun to read and delightful to look at.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Lisa See. Random House, 2005. I picked this up based on how much I liked the author's On Golden Mountain, which was a lot. I read this book avidly, but it always felt as though I was reading a fictionalized explanation of an anthropological text. The two main characters were well-developed, but I did not feel as though they ever stood up, fleshed out, having real personalities. As an examination of a culture that is rarely discussed, it was fascinating in its detail. I had a hard time doing other things than reading, because I was that drawn to the topic, but ultimately I felt detached from the book.

The Birchbark House

Louise Erdrich. Hyperion, 1999. This is one of those defining moments in reading. Coming across a book that is so richly crafted in characterization, plot, imagery, and sensibilities that one savors every moment of the book. Omakayas is an Unforgettable Character. She is not perfect, she does not behave well at all times, she is intensely curious, and she has a touch of magic about her. She speaks to bears and has an affinity for crows. Her family and their living with the land around them are as natural as breathing in this book. Worthwhile reading for everyone, young and old.

TheGrape Thief

Kristine Franklin. Candlewick, 2004. What a good book! This gets an unqualified thumbs-up from me. Slava Petrovich is 12. He lives in Roslyn, Washington in the 1920s, when coal mining was the town's occupation. Every moment of this book is exciting as Slava (known as "Cuss" for his ability to swear in fourteen languages) plots with his friends to steal some of the annual grape delivery that arrives by train from California, avoids the bootlegging mobsters who are terrorizing their town, and plans to run away from home so he can help his mother pay the mortgage by working in California. His younger brother's near death, the gentle encouragement of the town's priest and doctor for Slava's scholarly talents ... all of this adds up to a can't-put-down read.

UnderstandingComics

Scott McCloud. Harper, 1994. A friend recommended this book as one of the best explanations of art she'd ever read—and she was right. Although the author's purpose is to explain how and why comics work, his examination of art, visual literacy, and our culture is so thorough that you'll never look at a page layout or painting or ... comic book in the same way again. Best of all, it's written as a comic book, so it's entertaining to read and the medium fits the message perfectly.

AstroCity

Kurt Busiek. DCComics, 1999. Volume 1:Life in the Big City. I've been on a mission this summer to understand the seemingly unstoppable growth of graphic novels in the teen reading world. The storytelling, graphics, and sensibilities in this series are quite good, much better than the average fair. The author makes good use of story without relying on the crutches of violence, swearing, or sexual enticement. He makes good use of a new world of superheroes and examines many different types of stories.

Blizzard!

JimMurphy. Scholastic, 2000. Weather is a preoccupation here in the Upper Midwest. We get to taste many flavors and blizzards are certainly one that everyone dreads. This storm, which hit the eastern seacoast with a vengeance and stayed for several days, killed many people and changed the way our country tracks weather. From personal, first-person accounts to newspaper articles woven seamlessly into the narrative to the grand sweep of a national disaster, Jim Murphy has written a first-rate book of nonfiction that pulls you along with its intrigue.

The Princess, the Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight

Gerald Morris. Houghton Mifflin, 2004. I am in awe of the writing in this book. Mr. Morris has created a medieval fantasy peopled by characters from Chretien de Troyes' writing—but not. The stories are there, but they are told in a way that engages 21st century readers. In fact, I couldn't put this down. There are twists and turns, rapid plot developments, engrossing characters, and a great deal of empathy for many of life's tough situations. This novel isn't as humorous as some of Mr. Morris' previous writing, but his tone is appropriate for this story. Even better, this is a book that both boys and girls are going to gobble up.

Just Like That

Marsha Qualey. Dial, 2005. I've read all of her books and admired her writing for many different reasons. This is her best to date. I stayed up all night reading it because I couldn't wait to find out what happened. I always read the end of a book after a couple of chapters. I didn't want to spoil the ending of this one. The setting, the multi-faceted characters, the richly woven fabric of the plot ... read it when it's released in May—it's worth losing a night's sleep.

Gone:The Last Days of The New Yorker

Renata Adler. Simon &Schuster, 2000. Part of my New Yorker bender (three books in one weekend), I then had to read Gone. I had never encountered Ms.Adler's writing before. I found it akin to walking headfirst into a bracing wind. Very opinionated, filled with venom for certain people, she is also respectful of WilliamShawn and mourns the glory days of The New Yorker. I was glad to be done with this book, but it provided a peek into the inner turmoil of the magazine through a different curtain.

A Life of Privilege, Mostly

Gardner Botsford. St.Martin's Press, 2003. Part of my collection of books about The New Yorker, this is written by their long-time nonfiction editor, who worked for the magazine after his horrifying experiences in World War II through the enforced retirement of WilliamShawn. The book reveals the life of one young man born into privileged New York society, the mind of a great editor, objective observations about the decline of The New Yorker, and a journalist's description of WilliamShawn. Botsford's stepfather was Harold Ross, so his care for the magazine was both inherited and earned through many years behind a desk. I found the book hard to stop reading--his writing is excellent.

BobbedHair andBathtub Gin

MarionMeade. Nan A Talese, 2004. A very different book thanI expected. The four writers examined are Zelda Fitzgerald, Edna Ferber, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and DorothyParker. Ferber is a favorite writer of mine--I think she's underrated. Parker I knew quite a bit about.The other two were strangers, both in writing and biography. I don't know these women any better, other than seeing them through Meade's fascination for their weaknesses. The book reads like People magazine.

AlCapone Does MyShirts

Gennifer Choldenko. Putnam, 2004. Barb Isham at theBookcase ofWayzata recommended this book. It has a wacky premise and it's a heckuva good read. How about the families of the prison guards on Alcatraz?Did you know that a large number of children lived on the island?This book is set during the time that Al Capone was incarcerated in the nation's most secure prison. Moose Flanagan moves toAlcatraz with his family, and life would be interesting enough even without his sister Natalie, who is autistic in a time and place where autism wasn't yet understood. His family life centers around his sister's needs. The plot and characterizations are both intriguing and Ms.Choldenko's dialogue is engaging.