November Mini-Reviews: Cybils Edition

If you've been following the Cybils at all, you know that those of us on the first judging panel have our hands completely full with books, until the end of December. My mini-review feature this month is focusing on some of the 168 books I have on the reading list. Just some quick thoughts on each one for you. Enjoy!

The Other Side of Blue, written by Valerie O. Patterson was true to its name and was filled with lots of blue. Blue oceans, blue names, blue paint, and "blue" emotions. This was a pretty depressing one, I will admit, and if you're looking for a book to cheer you up, I wouldn't go for it.
The emotion in it is pretty raw and well done, though at times, the characterization fell a bit flat for me. Cyan was a little too dark in all the pretty blueness and the other characters were just a little too one dimensional. Overall, a quick read that will fill your sadness quota for awhile, though the brilliant location of the book will make the winter months seem a bit warmer.


The Other Side of Blue
Valerie O. Patterson
240 pages
Young Adult
Clarion Books
9780547244365
October 2009
Review copy received from publisher

Pure, written by Terra Elan McVoy, was on a subject I had been waiting and waiting for in a YA book (no pun intended), and was finally put into my hands. Purity is the main theme, though friendship, love, and loss all play major roles as well.


I felt Tabitha, the main character, was written very realistically, with true feelings and concerns, though a few of her friends were over-the-top and not quite believable. I also felt the overall book was too long and dragged a little in parts, so I think a good 50 pages or so could have been lost without harming the integrity of the story.

Written on a subject that doesn't get nearly enough attention, I would definitely hand this to teens looking for a good story, as well as for some info on purity rings and their meaning.


Pure
Terra Elan McVoy
336 pages
Young Adult
Simon Pulse
9781416978725
April 2009
Copy borrowed from local library

The Homeschool Liberation League by Lucy Frank, is another one written on a pretty important topic these days with so many parents and children taking part in the homeschool movement. My husband and I have chatted about this ourselves, so I was really looking forward to picking this up, though I was left feeling a little disappointed.

Katya wasn't the most believable character, though her parents certainly were written in a realistic light. I kinda felt like the author was really trying to write from an 8th grader's point of view, but came off sounding just like an adult trying to be a kid.
A bit bummed about this one, but it held my attention enough that I would still encourage readers to pick it up. Homeschooling is definitely an important subject for fiction authors to be considering and I really hope to see more books on this in the future.


The Homeschool Liberation League
Lucy Frank
288 pages
Middle Grade-Young Adult
Dial
9780803732308
July 2009
Review copy received from publisher

Love is the Higher Law, written by David Levithan, was really a great read. Following three teens in the days and months following September 11th, the reader is treated to a rare glimpse inside the minds of the young and how they continued their lives after that tragic day. I was really impressed with each character, not even being able to name a favorite and was truly hooked from the first page.


The cover was awesome, the plot line fabulous, the length was perfect, and the characters really enjoyable. No complaints at all about this one! I would hand this to any teen, male or female, as I think anyone can really get a lot out of this one. Highly recommended!

Love is the Higher Law
David Levithan
176 pages
Young Adult
Knopf
9780375834684
August 2009
Review copy received from publisher

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Non-Fiction Monday: Time for snow!!!

Let me start off this post by explaining that I have a slight obsession with that fluffy white stuff that falls from the sky in the winter months. I grew up in Upstate NY where we got dozens of feet of snow every winter, snow days were a weekly occurrence some years (but only if at least a full foot feel or an ice storm graced us), and I owned more sweaters than I did t-shirts. Then I moved to Southern New Mexico four years ago and had only teeny tastes of snow for those years. We would get the occasional dusting, which would shut down the town,  but nothing worth talking about at all. So, now that we're back on the East Coast, I'm SO excited for winter to really start. I would have expected snow by now, being late November, but we've had 70 degree days for weeks!

My obsession goes beyond just the weather. If you know me well enough, you know our last name happens to be Snow, so we collect snowflakes, snow angels, wintery stuff, etc, as any good member of the Snow family does! We fulfill our name well :)

I'll enjoy my wishful thinking about the weather, while you enjoy these books about snow!

The Story of Snow:The Science of Winter's Wonder, is written by Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson, Ph.D. and takes every day questions about snow and answers them with a simple, yet informative method. We are able to learn just what snow is made of, how it forms, what the different shapes are, etc. Lots of really cool facts about snow that aren't typically taught.

Also included is a pretty neat activity, teaching us how to find our own snow crystals (and I know it works, I did it in the third grade!). The photographs of real, blown-up snow crystals are just fabulous and leave me itching to take out my scissors and make framed pictures out of this book. I'll resist, I promise!

A really great classroom book. Teachers and librarians can use this to accompany units on weather or hand it to kids doing projects on the fluffy white stuff I love so much!

The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder
Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson, Ph.D.
36 pages
Non-Fiction
Chronicle Books
9780811868662
October 2009
Review copy received from publisher

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Picture Book Saturday

Just two for you all today...it's been a lazy week here at A Patchwork of Books!


How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? is part of Jane Yolen's "Dinosaur" series, which happens to be one of my favorite, favorite series. Along with awesome illustrator Mark Teague, readers get a hilarious glimpse into the lives of our favorite dinosaur.

We can never have enough reasons or methods to say "I love you," and these dinosaurs, even though they're sometimes naughty give parents and kids lots of funny ideas. No matter what a child does, he or she is always loved and Yolen is able to get that point across very well, while mixing silly rhymes with Teague's bright and fun illustrations.

Great for group read alouds, also awesome for bedtime stories between families. I don't think you can ever go wrong with a Jane Yolen book, but the "Dinosaurs" are definitely some of my favorites!

How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?
Jane Yolen
40 pages
Picture Book
Blue Sky Press
9780545143141
October 2009
Review copy received from publisher

A Book of Sleep, written and illustrated by Il Sung Na is one of those bedtime books that has the makings of a classic. The flow of the text is magical and sleep-inducing and the beautiful illustrations with keep you staring at the pages long after the story is over.

A lone owl watches as other animals fall asleep at night, each doing something different. Some animals sleep standing up, some all by themselves, and others sleep cuddled up close together. A great way to learn about animals, as well as tell a soft, quiet bedtime story.

Again, the illustrations are just beautiful and the text flowy and lyrical. A great bedtime story for families or just as a one-on-one read aloud. Loved it!


A Book of Sleep
Il Sung Na
24 pages
Picture Book
Knopf
9780375862236
September 2009
Review copy received from publisher

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Don't forget to be thankful today...

Sometimes we forget and just get caught up in the baking and yummy food and turkey frying and football. Be thankful for what you have....don't take for granted that you can afford to put a meal on your family's table or even that you have family to celebrate with.

And enjoy the goodies too!

Non-Fiction Monday: If I Had a Hammer

This is definitely the week of thankfulness and I know a lot of families that are incredibly thankful for having a roof over their heads, when they previously could not afford one. Habitat for Humanity is such a wonderful organization and they help make housing possible for many around thw world. Picking up this fabulous book will have you appreciating them even more.

If I Had a Hammer: Building Homes and Hope with Habitat for Humanity is written by David Rubel and has a foreword by the famous Jimmy Carter and features stories of families helped by Habitat, as well as a history of the organization and just how it started.

Truly a great book for getting younger readers to understand the magnitude of just what a few simple hours slinging a hammer can do for a family. The accompanying photographs help to highlight the families, the volunteers, the materials used, etc. Rubel dug deep into the emotions of everyone involved, yet still managed to come up with a factual book filled with great information. I learned so much about where Habitat goes and what they do...adults can use this book too!

This would make an excellent book for your library or school shelves. I would encourage teachers and librarians to use this to highlight the importance of volunteering, not to mention the necessity of being thankful for what we have in our lives. This is an important book that needs to be in reader's hands.


If I Had a Hammer: Building Homes and Hope for Habitat for Humanity
David Rubel
160 pages
Non-Fiction
Candlewick
9780763647018
October 2009
Review copy received from publisher



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Picture Book Saturday: Thanksgiving edition

I love, love, love Thanksgiving! I love getting together with the families, making and eating lots of food, and taking a day to really thank God for all the blessings we have been given.
Hopefully, if you like any of my choices this week, you can run out to the library and find them in time for the big day. Enjoy the turkey!

Thanksgiving Rules, written by Laurie Friedman and illustrated by Teresa Murfin is a great choice for a read aloud in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Funny, but with a sweet message at the end.

Percy Isaac Gifford wants to make sure we all make the most out of our Thanksgiving experience, so he's come up with a list of rules for us to follow. From how to keep the greeting of the relatives short and sweet, to how to build up your plate, and ending with a sweet surprise for everyone.

The rhyming makes this a fun story (though sometimes the rhymes are a bit off) and your kids will definitely be giggling through a lot of Percy's rules. The message at the end is of thankfulness and love, a nice touch.

Thanksgiving Rules
Laurie Friedman
32 pages
Picture book
Carolrhoda Books
9780822579830
September 2009
Review copy received from publisher

Duck for  Turkey Day, written by the very nice Jacqueline Jules (yep, I've had the pleasure of meeting her) and illustrated by Kathryn Mitter, is an awesome way to bring some diversity into this wonderful holiday. 

Tuyet, a Vietnamese-American girl, is incredibly disappointed...and more than a bit worried...that her family will not be having turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, but traditional duck instead. She insists that it simply cannot be Thanksgiving without a turkey! 


After learning what some of her friends ate for Thanksgiving, including roast beef, enchiladas, and even a tofu turkey, Tuyet starts feeling much better and begins to realize that what is eaten on Thanksgiving Day matters a whole lot less than spending time with friends and family. 

I really, really liked the message of Duck for Turkey Day and feel it's an ever-important one to attempt to get across to kids in today's time of extreme diversity in our schools, cities, and towns. Not everyone eats turkey on Thanksgiving (like me!) and I think this is a great tool for teaching that.  

Duck for Turkey Day
Jacqueline Jules
32 pages
Picture Book
Alfred Whitman & Company
September 2009
Borrowed from my local library


I'm a Turkey!, written and illustrated by Jim Arnosky, is another fun read aloud, this time focusing on the turkey part of Thanksgiving!

So, I'm sure we all wonder just where our turkey might come from and Arnosky gives us a look at just what wild turkeys do all. From talking in Turkey speak, to strutting, we get a fun, rhyming story, meant to be made silly.

If you think your child may be attached to the turkeys and not want to eat their dinner...wait until after the holiday for this one :)

I'm a Turkey!
Jim Arnosky
32 pages
Picture Book
Scholastic
9780439903646
September 2009
Review copy received from publisher

10 Fat Turkeys, written by Tony Johnston and illustrated by Rich Deas is one of those countdown books that kids just seem to love. My copy is a board book, but it was originally published in picture book form, so I thought it counts for Picture Book Saturday :)

We start with 10 fat turkeys fooling on a fence and work our way down to just 1 turkey as they each decided to do something silly that makes them fall off the fence. The funniest part is finding out what each turkey is going to do next! We have a turkey that decides to try and roller skate on the fence, one that tries to whistle in a shoe, and another that decides to balance bricks. Very funny!

Oh and the back cover features a turkey holding a sign that says "Eat Ham," which just cracks me up! Adorable book, really.

10 Fat Turkeys
Tony Johnston
32 pages
Picture Book
Cartwheel Books (an imprint of Scholastic)
9781417690602
September 2004
Review copy received from publisher

To learn more about any of these titles, or to purchase, click on the book covers above to link to Amazon. I am an Affiliate of Amazon and will receive a small commission from your purchase.

Poetry Friday: Tofu Quilt

Jacket description:
"Growing up in Hong Kong in the 1960s, Yeung Ying is tired of hearing how important boys are. After all, she can write letters and recite poems as well as-even better than-her boy cousins.


Luckily, Yeung Ying's mother thinks 'girls and boys are just the same.' Despite protests from her husband's family, Ma uses what little money the family has to send her daughter to private school. There Yeung Ying begins to fall in love with books and writing. Combining this new passion with the colorful experiences of her daily life, Yeung Ying discovers that even girls can dare to dream."

Tofu Quilt, a collection poems by Ching Yeung Russell, is actually a story of the poet's life. Each poem helps to connect the pages into a beautifully written story, allowing for an experience of life in Hong Kong as a young girl, as well as a pretty great interpretation as to what it's like to turn a dream into reality. Russell wanted to be a writer more than anything, but was consistently turned away by male family members. She lets the reader in on just how she came to realize that big dream that previously seemed so impossible.

I loved the individual poems and the seemless way they seemed to flow into a single book. The main character was incredibly likable and left me really cheering for her, in hopes that she would indeed get to write (though I knew she was the author and obviously HAD succeeded).  The added glossary of Chinese words was very helpful and the cover was intriguing. Overall a great addition to any poetry collection, but one that can also be handed to a preteen/teen that enjoys historical fiction.

Tofu Quilt
Ching Yeung Russell
136 pages
Poetry, Middle Grade
Lee & Low Books
9781600604232
October 2009
Review copy received from publisher

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