Poetry Month, Day 4

Rain on the green grass,
Rain on the trees,
Rain on the housetops,
But not on me.

Mother Goose


Hope you're staying dry.

Day 3, Poetry Month

I walked by a willow that was leafing out yesterday and thought of the first line of this poem. So here it is, just for you.

Nothing Gold Can Stay
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
-- Robert Frost

Poetry Month, Day 2

From Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz

Thomas
The Doctor's Son

My father is the noble lord's physician,
And I am bound to carry on tradition.
With every patient that my father cures,
I learn more medicine. Ordinary sores
Will heal with comfrey, or the white of an egg.
An eel skin takes the cramping from a leg.
I know five kinds of fever, and four humors,
Bloodletting, and the way to feel for tumors.

I know the stars and movements planetary.
With one whiff, I can sniff out dysentery,
And also, I am practicing the way
To soothe my patients--and to make them pay.
They swear at us when we demand our fee,
But what man can afford to work for free?
A healthy man is careless with a bill--
You have to make them pay when they are ill.

When first you see a sick man, feel his brow
And say, "You should have called me before now!
If given time, I vanquish all complaints,
But as it is, we'll have to ask the saints.
Make sure you pray, and that your heart is quiet,
And think of ways to simplify your diet--
That trencher full of venison I see
Is much too rich! Just hand it back to me!"

After the prayer, let the patient rest,
And tell his family, "I will do my best
To fight this sickness, but I fear his fate--
It may be that you called me in too late."
Then shake your head, look serious and wise--
This sort of talk protects you if he dies.
If he recovers, it was all your skill
That brought him back to life. And that's better still.

April is National Poetry Month

In honor of National Poetry Month, I plan to post a poem every day. Today's is from Jack Prelutsky's Pizza, Pigs and Poetry: How to Write a Poem.

A Piglet
I'm a piglet, pink and stout.
If I'm cold, I sneeze and sniff.
If I have to blow my snout,
I take out my oinkerchief.

Here's a writing tip from the book:
"Writing Tip #8
I never pass up an opportunity to write a poem."

Happy Poetry!

Ye Olde Bookes

A friend loaned me Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth. (Why, yes, I do sometimes read books that aren't for children. Hard to believe, but true.) It's an amazing novel about the building of a cathedral in medieval England. It got me thinking about all the great books for kids set in that place and time. My all time favorite is Catherine, Called Birdy, by Karen Cushman. It is the story of a girl whose father needs to marry her off advantageously. Birdy, on the other hand, wants to stay true to herself and her independent heart. It touched my heart and made me laugh--two things I really like in a book.

And that put me in mind of this year's Newbery winner: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz. Conceived as a series of monologues for students at her school who were studying the middle ages, this is a set of sometimes connected poems for one or occasionally two voices about medieval times. Each one is told in a different voice: the glassblower's apprentice, the glassblower's daughters, the knight's son, a beggar, and more. Interspersed are short informational essays about different aspects of medieval life. You can browse and read the ones that interest you or, do as I did, and read it from cover to cover. It was fascinating, informational yet fun and the illustrations are beautiful--mostly muted colors with reds and blues that pop from the page. Oh, and an extensive bibliography! It's fabulous and extensive (did I mention that already?). I'm planning to open up my library web page and put some titles on hold.

Do you have a favorite book about the middle ages? Or another historical period?

Animal Play

In Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett, a little girl and her stuffed animal pretend to be various animals. The text is rhythmic and repetitive:

Monkey and me,

Monkey and me,

Monkey and me,

We went to see,

We went to see some . . .

variously penguins, kangaroos, elephants and more. Each time you don't see the picture of the animal until you turn the page but you can guess what animal it is by the way the girl and her monkey are moving. The pictures are totally expressive and beautiful in a limited palette of black, white, brown and red.

Read Monkey and Me at your next story time and then take turns acting out your own animals.

Those Old Fashioned Stories

The Willoughbys, by Lois Lowry
The Willoughbys are a perfectly old fashioned family. They live in a tall skinny old fashioned house. The father goes to work at a bank each day, leaving with a briefcase and furled umbrella. The mother cooks meals and knits. There are four children who do the things children in old fashioned books do--go to school and the park and occasionally the zoo or circus.

That is, they are a perfectly old fashioned family if your idea of a perfectly old fashioned family has been influenced by Lemony Snicket. The oldest boy bosses his siblings around, telling his youngest sister that she can't do anything because she's just a girl. Jane, the youngest sister, spends considerable time trying to become more self-assured. The middle boys are twins with the same name, so everyone calls them simply "A" and "B". The parents don't actually like their children and the children wish that they were orphans (a perfectly respectable thing to be in an old fashioned kind of story). Down the street, there is a wealthy and eccentric man who has the potential to become a benefactor if one should be needed. When a nanny is hired, the children decide that she is odious.

With tongue firmly in cheek, Lowry is clearly having the time of her life poking fun of the conventions of an old fashioned family story. There is a glossary full of laugh out loud definitions and an annotated bibliography of real old fashioned family stories (like Anne of Green Gables and A Christmas Carol) with spot on descriptions at the back. Not to be missed.

Available in April.

Who Doesn't Want to Be a Superhero?

Timothy and the Strong Pajamas by Vivane Schwarz
is the story of Timothy, a cat whose favorite pajamas are starting to wear out. He can't bear the thought of giving them up though so his mother fixes them using the strongest thread and sturdiest patches and six very red buttons for good measure. Timothy discovers that the pajamas are not just mended but improved. Now they are Super Strong Pajamas with the Patches of Power and the Buttons of Braveness. Timothy sets out to save the world.

An extremely fun read aloud and the pictures are great too. Happy bedtime reading!

Where does the time go?

I've read a ton of books since the beginning of the year but somehow it's easier to find time to read than to blog about it. I could blame it on the fact that everyone else in my family claims time on the computer but I don't have that excuse at work. The honest truth is that I'd rather read than blog. Especially when I get to read a book like Savvy by Ingrid Law.

I originally read Savvy back in November but, of course, put off blogging about it. Now that there's an official release date: May 1, 2008--the author's birthday, no less--it can be put off no longer.

I LOVED this book. A fantasy, a coming of age story and a road trip all rolled into one and set in a very American landscape.

Everyone in Mib's family has a Savvy--a special talent that they grow into right on their 13th birthday. One of Mib's brother's affects all the water around him, her aunt gets perfect obedience to her every request, everything Mib's mother does turns out perfectly. So of course Mib awaits her birthday with a little more anxiety than the average middle schooler. When her father is in a terrible car accident and ends up in the hospital miles away from home, Mib is convinced that her newfound Savvy can help him. She stows away on a repurposed school bus hoping to get to him and that is just the start of her adventures. For anyone who loves tall tales, fantasy, humor, and a happy ending.

Pictures Are Good

All the books I remember loving as a kid had illustrations--the Wizard of Oz books, the Narnia books, the Little House books, all the Betsy Tacy books (even the high school ones). But then it seemed like illustrations in chapter books fell out of favor. Julia Gillian, however, is illustrated with fun pen and ink drawings showing Julia Gillian, her dog, Big Foot, her parents, and all the environs in her nine square block area of the city. Julia Gillian can walk anywhere in that nine square block area when she takes Big Foot and tells a grown up before she goes. Julia Gillian, she always goes by both names, is a creative and talented girl but she doesn't like to read much. She finally finds a book she thinks she'd like to read, a book with a green cover. Unfortunately, after she starts to read the green book, she realizes that it is probably going to have a sad ending and she's afraid to finish it. But Julia Gillian is a resourceful girl and she has many supportive adults in her life. Julia Gillian is going to be fine--she just doesn't realize it yet.

A Kitten Tale

A Kitten Tale by Eric Rohmann
Once there were four kittens. As the seasons pass, they worry about the snow that's coming--at least, three of them worry. The fourth says, "I can't wait!" Finally it snows and the fourth kitten rushes out to play in the snow. It's cold and wet and it covers everything. And the other kittens finally decide that the snow looks like fun.

The story would be a great read aloud with the frequent repetition of the phrase, "I can't wait!" but it's the pictures that steal the snow. Three tiger striped kittens and one all gray play in the mail and a puddle and a pile of leaves. They look three dimensional on the page and you can practically see them pouncing on each other.

A winner.

Catching Up

I've been clearing off my nightstand and have done a ton of reading lately. Just one of the books I read is Steel Trapp: The Challenge by Ridley Pearson. A fast paced book about a boy on his way to the National Science Challenge who gets caught up in the handoff of a briefcase to a member of a terrorist gang. The suspense is nonstop but never overly scary. In the end, everything is resolved and Steel (Steven), his family, and his new friend, Kaileigh, are all fine and the terrorist plot is stopped. Great for 10 and up. Available March 25.

Sebastian Darke Prince of Fools by Philip Caveney reminded me of Lloyd Alexander. The main character gets in over his head through the best of intentions, meets a stalwart companion and a beautiful girl, and grows in self awareness and self confidence. Sebastian is off to the country of Keladon to apply for the position of court jester. Along the way he and his talkative beast of burden, Max, meet Captain Cornelius Drummel, a small but fiercesome soldier, who is also on his way to Keladon. The three of them save the life of Princess Kerin of Keladon and are then ensnared in court politics when they get to Keladon. For 12 and up. Available April 8.

More Favorites

How could I have listed my favorite books from 2007 and leave these two off? Here they are:

Spud, by John Van De Ruit
Laugh out loud funny coming of age story set in South Africa


17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore, by Jenny Offill and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
Probably my very favorite picture book of 2007. I don't know how I could have left it off my other list. This book made me laugh out loud every single time I've read it. Think Junie B. or Ramona in picture book format.

My Most Excellent Year
A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park, by Steve Kluger
Augie and T.C. have been brothers--best friends really--since they were in first grade when T.C.'s mother died. Now they're in high school and, for a school assignment, writing about their freshman year in a series of letters supplemented with letters by Ale and a few others. And what a year it was--their lives would never be the same after meeting Hucky, a deaf boy who just needs a friend and, in T.C., Augie and Ale, he gets that and more. In the course of just a year, the three freshmen discover romance, learn sign language and meet Julie Andrews. Touching, funny, and incredibly original--I loved this book and didn't want it to end. On sale March 18, 2008.

My Favorites--2007

My Favorite Books This Year

The True Meaning of Smekday, by Adam Rex

I loved this laugh out loud funny book about Tip; her alien friend, J. Lo; and her mom saving the earth from being destroyed by alien invaders.

An Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

Based on Sherman Alexie's own life, this National Book Award winner will make you laugh and cry as you follow Arnold Spirit Jr.'s journey through adolescence.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick

Is it a picture book? A graphic novel? A chapter book? Or a combination of all three? The most inventive book I've read in a long time, this almost cinegraphic story of a boy living in the Paris underground is captivating.

The Apple Pie That Papa Baked, by Lauren Thompson and illustrated by Jonathan Bean

A cumulative tale with beautiful nostalgic illustrations reminiscent of Wanda Gag.

Orange Pear Apple Bear, by Emily Gravett

Four words and illustrations showing seemingly endless combinations of them. Beautiful and innovative.

Make Your Own Mythology Day

Gods of Manhattan by Scott Mebus
What if overlaying modern day Manhattan is a centuries old place called Mannahatta peopled by the immortal Gods of Manhattan, including Babe Ruth, Alexander Hamilton, Peter Stuyvesant and a host of lesser warriors and other beings? That is the premise of this story. Most people can't see them but one day Rory sees a cockroach riding a rat and then a rat and squirrel fighting each other kung fu style. It turns out Rory is a "Light" and a needed warrior in the fight to right a great wrong from Mannahatta's past. The book is full of suspense and ends on an up note with the whiff of a sequel in the air.

Available April 17, 2008.

Shakespeare Redux

Something Rotten, by Alan Gratz, is available now. It's a retelling of Hamlet, set in the town of Denmark, Tennessee at the family owned Elsinore Paper. A clever environmental mystery with general appeal is made even more fun by all the references to Hamlet. Alan Gratz calls it "Pulp Shakespeare" or "Hardboiled Hamlet." It made me want to watch the movie Strange Brew.

Saving Juliet, by Suzanne Selfors, won't be out until February. But it's worth the wait. Mimi is tired of acting but willing to go through with one more run of Romeo and Juliet to pacify her mother, a former actress and now the owner of a theater. After a bout of stage fright, Mimi opens the backdoor of the theater for some air and finds herself stepping straight into Shakespeare's story.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Based on Sherman Alexie's own childhood this story is both touching and funny. When Arnold Spirit Jr. opens his math book on the first day of school and discovers his own mother's name written in it from when she was a student at the very same school, he is incited to action. Transferring from the school on the Indian reservation to the public school in a nearby farmtown is the beginning of a new life for Junior. Feeling like he doesn't belong anywhere--the students at his new school ignore him, almost everyone on the res gives him the cold shoulder when he transfers--slowly changes to a realization that you can belong to more than the tribe you are born into. By the end of the book, Junior embraces his membership in the tribe of bookworms, basketball players, Spokane Indians, and more.

Sherman Alexie has been nominated for the National Book Award for this title. See the article below:

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=alexie11&date=20071011&query=sherman+alexie+national+book+award

CONFIDENTIAL or Top Secret Notebooks

"Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It" is the name of Brendan's top secret notebook full of questions about life. Brendan is a scientist, a tae kwon do afficionado and a young man of color. All of these things are important to his story. It starts out innocently enough with a trip to the mall when there is a rock and mineral display. While he's there he meets the white grandfather he's never known. His mother won't talk about her father at all, so Brendan tracks him down on his own and begins to get to know him, sneaking around to do so. The events that transpire are often described using the metaphors of Brendan's hobbies: science, geology, and tae kwon do, making this a powerful story. In the end, Brendan has learned something about rocks, proved himself to ready for a new tae kwon do belt, and brought his family closer together.

Poetry Even When It's Not Poetry Month

I just learned about a new (new to me, that is) form of poetry. It's called sijo. It's from Korea and is similar to haiku in that you count syllables. But in sijo each line has a specific purpose too--the first line introduces the topic, the second further develops the idea and the third contains a twist of some kind. Here's an example from Linda Sue Park's terrific book, Tap Dancing on the Roof:

Breakfast

For this meal, people like what they like, the same every morning.

Toast and coffee. Bagel and juice. Cornflakes and milk in a white bowl.

Or--warm, soft, and delicious--a few extra minutes in bed.