tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30433849605362958062024-02-06T18:17:29.742-08:00The Kid Readermulticultural and social justice oriented book reviews with fun stuff in between.
for kids, by a kid!Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-91238445999959995202011-09-15T09:34:00.000-07:002011-09-15T09:36:54.751-07:00Monster (Walter Dean Myers)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-IbwvH8gCgKCJPENX-wL8ffr5KgVaAzdsPy3LxDRVScrZ_bGwe5B6SzIMZL6-RW1iaOZ-YXY1ojp-6_CBXQ6Hm_Vs6cRYGEfe8aWvXHVXI_ATzv0vCR6wjQ3-gmqg4n6yl-_TA6qSALy/s1600/monster.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 281px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-IbwvH8gCgKCJPENX-wL8ffr5KgVaAzdsPy3LxDRVScrZ_bGwe5B6SzIMZL6-RW1iaOZ-YXY1ojp-6_CBXQ6Hm_Vs6cRYGEfe8aWvXHVXI_ATzv0vCR6wjQ3-gmqg4n6yl-_TA6qSALy/s400/monster.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652626173809397618" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">"I've never seen my father cry before. He wasn't crying like I thought a man would cry. Everything was just pouring out of him and I hated to see his face. What did I do? What did I do?"</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for supposedly being involved in a robbery that ended in the death of a convenience store owner. He is convicted of being a lookout in the crime, but the question throughout the book is if he is truly guilty or if he is just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Walter Dean Myers' "Monster" changed my perception of prison life, proposed many intriguing questions about the American judicial system, and put me in a position where I could relate to a character I have very little to nothing in common with. Although the plot of this story could sound alluring to any type of reader, the format of the writing likely will make or break the book for the reader.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Steve is beginning to imagine his life and predicament as a movie, and he decides to write it as such in his journal, which he is allowed to keep while in prison during trial. The text literally reads like a movie script. As someone with a passion for film and writing, I found this composition to add to the uniqueness of the book and it made a more interesting read.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">However, I feel that if it had been written in a more "traditional" way, I would have enjoyed the book even more. I understand the idea of having your book stand out through a unique style of writing, but in this case I feel it wasn't necessary, though it did help make the long scenes of dialogue in court easier to follow without becoming confusing or boring.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Race and socio-economic class play a huge roll in this story.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Steve is a young black man from a impoverished, high-crime area of the city, and the jury may be prejudice against him. The author creates this vulnerable, fearful character in a terrifying situation.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">As a reader, I was able to relate even though I had never actually been in a situation such as Steve's. Almost all of the book is set in court, listening to witnesses, attorneys and suspects, and for the most part the only time we hear Steve talking is through his monologue journal entries, though there are some conversations between him and other people.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Information is dealt out slowly and somewhat sparingly throughout the text, and especially in the beginning it is hard to tell if Steve is truly innocent or not. As a reader, it is all about opinion, and there are many decisions you have to make both intentionally and involuntarily about the case to get your answers, much like a member of the jury, the overriding question in the book being: what did Steve do?</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I recommend this book for ages 12 and up.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-4842568418412289232011-09-15T09:32:00.000-07:002011-09-15T09:34:41.880-07:00We Are America: a Tribute From the Heart (Walter Dean Myers)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkeEtlICOLjjgKHdte-sJrYF4m9jwHF78wc0M-67Hz5BJbEZAuj0o0ZxhFSH_rXXrd2jI1Ue1rRl6rTdYptc-ljPgGSYrmz_SYxUIgaXci4SSUd6iTXnp6eg2fUNZXZ7FlTGHpnLOBDfZ/s1600/9780060523084.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 364px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkeEtlICOLjjgKHdte-sJrYF4m9jwHF78wc0M-67Hz5BJbEZAuj0o0ZxhFSH_rXXrd2jI1Ue1rRl6rTdYptc-ljPgGSYrmz_SYxUIgaXci4SSUd6iTXnp6eg2fUNZXZ7FlTGHpnLOBDfZ/s400/9780060523084.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652625462097637074" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Written by the award-winning author of "Monster" in a timeline of gorgeous, moving poetry and illustrations, Walter Dean Myers says, "Writing 'We Are America' has been a journey not of discovery, but of rediscovery."</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This book is a beautiful combination of art and history woven into one, from the British arriving in America, to Americans fighting for equality in the 1960s. Myers' son, Christopher Myers, offers illustrations that portray the emotions of each sequence of time included in the book, and work well parallel to his father's writing.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I believe one of the best ways to learn about history is through real peoples' viewpoints, seeing through their eyes and imagining how they viewed this world at their time, and Myers does just that through this picture book.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Along with quotations from a variety of historical and/or political figures (i.e. Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Edward Johnson) the book mixes historical fiction with real history, to give you a piece of writing spilling with information on America and its inhabitants from a variety of perspectives.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">A wonderful investment for any teacher, parent or student, "We Are America" is a timeless tale of our ever-evolving nation. Ages 9 and up.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-67513610532543248412011-09-15T09:29:00.000-07:002011-09-15T09:32:13.537-07:00Worlds Afire (Paul B. Janeczko)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUB3ibmnfJO5SMemZ_QYSZWvJO14PmH-VO6fzqKF12DXj_O8vbAWkw6kJa6c2Nu0bWaGmH1TzElk1iX3f61iNevYjVm3XqHfbnCB9inxZT54Hqgnf7J9StEVlDQ6QUpmys9IauTFbNXol/s1600/9780763634001-l.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUB3ibmnfJO5SMemZ_QYSZWvJO14PmH-VO6fzqKF12DXj_O8vbAWkw6kJa6c2Nu0bWaGmH1TzElk1iX3f61iNevYjVm3XqHfbnCB9inxZT54Hqgnf7J9StEVlDQ6QUpmys9IauTFbNXol/s400/9780763634001-l.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652624780223452850" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This story documents the horrific circus fire in Hartford, Conn., in 1944 that killed 168 people and injured more than 600. Told from a variety of viewpoints -- from the victims of the fire, to the witnesses, to the suspected arsonist -- Paul B. Janeczko writes in a simple yet eerie?manner that makes this series of poems haunting.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The book brings light to an occurrence in history that isn't known?by many, but still is one of the worst fire-tragedies in America. Enticing in its language, "Worlds Afire" is beautiful despite its horrific subject.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">As opposed to your standard history books, the author paints a picture of the fire from more than one angle, getting information from many different people such as children, parents, detectives, nurses and others affected by the tragedy. He lays out that information accordingly and artistically.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">It is paced perfectly, with two parts: building up to the fire, as well as what happened during the fire along with the aftermath. It is a short read with an unforgettable story, and it led me to read more about the specifics of this little-known disaster that has helped defined U.S. history. Ages 10 and up.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-38568473664501459972011-09-15T09:21:00.000-07:002011-09-15T09:26:42.682-07:00Locomotion (Jacqueline Woodson)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlAbkGxWtrreyzBbEiDImMfzIyP6G1ElY1fxByTtlensmPzqjqggIhOzCa8adStFf5t8U9zzhZBOKCy92PgVWPSnvGb4PEAP_Kr6VPf9OwxmcvyZl6mZYwH0jjAxEM4y2WaXscLrOPtep/s1600/9306551.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 262px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlAbkGxWtrreyzBbEiDImMfzIyP6G1ElY1fxByTtlensmPzqjqggIhOzCa8adStFf5t8U9zzhZBOKCy92PgVWPSnvGb4PEAP_Kr6VPf9OwxmcvyZl6mZYwH0jjAxEM4y2WaXscLrOPtep/s400/9306551.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652623486646826018" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Locomotion is a brilliantly poignant story of tragedy, hope and healing from the perspective of 11-year-old Lonnie C. Motion (aka Locomotion), an orphaned boy who is learning how to navigate through the grief of losing his parents, being separated from his sister, and using poetry as a resource to showcase his thoughts and emotions.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The book ebbs and flows in its language and plot development, and as you get deeper into the book, a variety of things are revealed therefore giving the reader a better image of the characters and their secrets, as well as the urban environment in which they live.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Woodson has the ability to make your heart ache with a single sentence, and a unique sense of poetry that despite its "unconventional" nature (the majority of the poetry doesn't rhyme, etc.) it all works beautifully, each poem melting into the next.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Lonnie's relationship with his teacher, Ms. Marcus, shares the remarkable bond between teacher and student that isn't often depicted in books, particularly those written for young adults.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">She changes his view of poetry through her gentle yet encouraging method of teaching, and she becomes almost like a maternal figure in Lonnie's creative life. The book manipulates the idea of the generic "family" upbringing, and instead Lonnie learns, grows and looks up to a variety of people the same way that a child does to their parents or siblings. ?</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I found this book to be a very thought-provoking read, and recommend it for ages 10 and up.</span></p></span><p></p>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-2553486023474931972011-07-18T13:15:00.000-07:002011-07-18T13:18:02.671-07:00Looking For Alaska (John Green)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6zfc9SLVsT86ypU4vUBz5nM5KHth4rWxaqA81FBjx8cyt5F8Rnr9dyRvTv9skv6UITk6wZkdHd939cec_kvjqzjzyd_S5ikZZKxqoCPyib7iCCS6_Fvpm2N6Hl7w9a19yCskOYpF3ky1/s1600/LookingForAlaskaJacket.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6zfc9SLVsT86ypU4vUBz5nM5KHth4rWxaqA81FBjx8cyt5F8Rnr9dyRvTv9skv6UITk6wZkdHd939cec_kvjqzjzyd_S5ikZZKxqoCPyib7iCCS6_Fvpm2N6Hl7w9a19yCskOYpF3ky1/s400/LookingForAlaskaJacket.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630789097861427266" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Miles Halter is fascinated by people's last words, and when he is officially through leading his own dull life, Miles decides there is no use waiting until death to seek what Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps."</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">So he steps away from his mischief-less, friendless, challenge-less life in Florida to attend boarding school in Alabama. His dirt-poor yet ingenious roommate, Chip, ironically names the tall and gawky Miles "Pudge," and teaches him, along with Chip's best friend, Alaska, how to take risks. Pudge, like every other boy at the school, immediately falls for the gorgeous, brilliant and mysteriously self-destructive Alaska, who launches him headfirst into this Great Perhaps that he had been seeking.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">"Looking For Alaska" is absolutely flawless, with crisp, articulate language and stunningly realistic characters. It is a crooked love story that will appeal even to those who don't like romance, and has a deeply meaningful narrative that deals with life, death and the things in between. The story is told from the perspective of the cogitative Miles, whose desire for answers makes this book captivating up until the last page.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The book is written in a unique "before and after" format, counting down the days to some unknown event that you as a reader only can guess, and then charting the days following.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">It is timed perfectly, delivering information in a discreet, half-foreshadowing manner while never revealing too much.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Although the book is labeled as young adult, it deals with heavy issues, and sometimes very mature themes. It has been banned in multiple school districts, but it is all written in a very tasteful and somewhat artistic method that keeps it from being raunchy. I would recommend it for ninth-graders or older, more or less depending on their maturity level and the opinion of the child's parents.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">"Looking for Alaska" has immediately become one of my favorite young adult novels, and I can't wait to read more from this promising author.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-19105588168204918092011-07-11T15:38:00.000-07:002011-07-11T15:54:02.605-07:00Late Summer Reading!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5dcC2tr4GUACkMyVN0psriNLHWqRbk_yLrK1oHVPgH-9UkvURZScaAZ_gmpZLXCasAtrkd3BjGzDYsfRZd5g7TV6XociJELqkvi5sljt-AKLqzS_pZVDkImwz5Nt-P4ioCW7kmWgPw99F/s1600/Summer_book_by_notursweetie.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5dcC2tr4GUACkMyVN0psriNLHWqRbk_yLrK1oHVPgH-9UkvURZScaAZ_gmpZLXCasAtrkd3BjGzDYsfRZd5g7TV6XociJELqkvi5sljt-AKLqzS_pZVDkImwz5Nt-P4ioCW7kmWgPw99F/s400/Summer_book_by_notursweetie.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628230227590424418" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 24px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I can hardly believe we're already seven months into this year. Just when it felt like we'd just gotten through winter, we moved into summer. </span><a href="http://athenstwilight.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The Twilight Criterium</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">, </span><a href="http://www.athenshumanrightsfest.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Human Rights Festival</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> and </span><a href="http://athfest.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">AthFest</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> just rolled by.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">In honor of these last weeks of the steamy Southern summer, here is a list of books for you and/or your children's enjoyment for reading at the beach, the pool or late into the humid nights.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><b style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">CHILDREN 10 AND UNDER</span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">► "A Nest Full of Stars" by James Berry (Amistad, 96 pages, $16.89)</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This book captures the essence of summer with colorful art inspired by the author's upbringing in Jamaica.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Berry uses beautiful poetry written in what he calls his own "Caribbean Poem" style to depict growing up and being curious about the world as a young person.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">It's a delightful collection of writing, perfect for reading aloud together.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">► "Fairy Houses ... Everywhere!" by Barry & Tracy Kane (Light-Beams Publishing, 56 pages, $14.95)</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Summer is the time of year when the fairies are out and about, playing and laughing and vacationing just like you. "Fairy Houses ... Everywhere!" includes all sorts of magical real-life fairy houses, from the very simple to the extravagant, as well as an entire chapter devoted to tiny homes on the beach.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Take this book for inspiration next time you're on a picnic, hike or for a day at the beach, and make a fairy house of your own.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">► "Jolly Mon" by Jimmy & Savannah Jane Buffett (Harcourt, 32 pages, $17.95)</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">On a remote island off the Caribbean called Bananaland lives a man whom they call The Jolly Mon, whose sweet and beautiful singing carries throughout the land and brings joy to the people.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The book is filled with striking, island-style illustrations and a magical and adventurous story. It's a charming read for the beach.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><b style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">11 AND UP</span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">► "Guitar Highway Rose" by Brigid Lowry (Holiday House, 196 pages, $16.95)</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">A unique story written in a unique format about 15-year-old Rosie, who is desperate for excitement in her life.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Half road story and half romance, with intriguing characters and scenarios, this book is a fun read with a serious plot, ideal for reading late into the night.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">► "Pictures of Hollis Woods" by Patricia Reilly Giff (Yearling, 168 pages, $6.50)</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Hollis Woods has been in so many foster homes she can't even remember all of them. Hollis has been in trouble with every family she's been with. But then she goes to Josie, an eccentric old artist, who changes Hollis' view on life.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This is a touching novel about two artists who -- though they may seem rather different -- are both equally inspiring.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">It's an exceptional story with that mosquito bites and dirty fingernails feel of summer as a child.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">► "Altered Clothing" by Kathleen Maggio (Quarry Books, 136 pages, $24.99)</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">For those of you who have that one favorite shirt that is too hot for summer, there is hope. "Altered Clothing" shows how to take old and out-of-style clothes and turn them into modern DIY pieces.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">It's written by a professional and filled with photographic steps and before and after examples. Ideal for taking old winter-wear and making it into fashionable pieces for the summer.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">► "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata (Aladdin Paperbacks, 244 pages, $6.99)</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">One of my favorite young-adult novels, "Kira-Kira" is an unforgettable story about poor Katie Takeshima, who moves from Iowa to Georgia, where her sister Lynn teaches her about people and things through her eyes. Lynn's way of perceiving the world is extraordinary, but when Lynn falls terribly ill, it's up to Katie to remind her family of the simple and beautiful things. An incomparable read that will move you up until the last word.</span></p></span></div>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-56725935696765529812011-07-05T07:50:00.000-07:002011-07-05T07:51:57.474-07:00The Tyger (William Blake & Neil Waldman)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckqQrXeRG2N4e9jhdmD8GdJ4fI87Dk0cWdMs-uDoDeIfSz4es4Cw9NQoRwZKHQ8hmDzLoROM1KDSOe5MLFiyz8zuc2ujLe9mt7p_itY8craQ9XBxB0wlcsacFa9GLKRnSwz5yNnQrUzIp/s1600/0152923756.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 194px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckqQrXeRG2N4e9jhdmD8GdJ4fI87Dk0cWdMs-uDoDeIfSz4es4Cw9NQoRwZKHQ8hmDzLoROM1KDSOe5MLFiyz8zuc2ujLe9mt7p_itY8craQ9XBxB0wlcsacFa9GLKRnSwz5yNnQrUzIp/s400/0152923756.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625880962408808418" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">"Tyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night ..."</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This fantastic book introduces kids to classic poetry using one of William Blake's most well-known and most studied pieces. Although Blake's original poem "The Tyger" (from his collection "Songs of Innocence and of Experience") was printed in 1795, it still is highly analyzed by literary critics and young readers alike.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The poem coincides with beautiful paintings by Neil Waldman, in which he captures the spirit of the mysterious and clever tiger perfectly.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The illustrations are mostly black and white, with bursts of orange, yellows, purples and greens that will draw the eyes of children as well as adults. Although the pictures aren't always parallel with the theme of the poem, they are intriguing nonetheless, with or without the writing.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">It's a great piece of literature that, though it has many metaphors children probably won't pick up on, has the flowing, charming nature that will keep them wanting more.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-92052166468336826772011-06-27T16:59:00.003-07:002011-07-05T07:52:19.902-07:00The Surrender Tree (Margarita Engle)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xFDeSLP57xkMVinANGpSd5MQAvRQjOrwlE0uwBGAMktGWa8sa9bHZxwA-IxqCQ2PI3amwfTXKMQWzRmSQ4QhnHA4s82_ZPmmhBc9sqf_OrSOaGt5470sKJltLJUdQ4NGX2gOkS2xm6pk/s1600/jkt_SurrenderTree.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 273px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xFDeSLP57xkMVinANGpSd5MQAvRQjOrwlE0uwBGAMktGWa8sa9bHZxwA-IxqCQ2PI3amwfTXKMQWzRmSQ4QhnHA4s82_ZPmmhBc9sqf_OrSOaGt5470sKJltLJUdQ4NGX2gOkS2xm6pk/s400/jkt_SurrenderTree.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623053831868297922" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Helvetica, arial;font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">In the late 1800s in Cuba, a handful of Cuban slave owners freed their slaves and declared independence from Spain. For the next 30 years, that battle for freedom continued, as slavery was abolished and Cubans fought for their survival as the Spanish ordered them into “reconcentration camps” and slaughtered hundreds of thousands.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">It was an incredibly dark time, but also was marked by the power of people fighting for freedom.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">“The Surrender Tree” weaves stories of that time, the wars, revolution, genocide, slavery and everyday living that happened then, through the voices of different characters speaking to the reader in poetry.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The book mostly centers on Rosa and her husband, Jose, (based on true historical figures) and is broken into three sections — the time leading up to the Cuban War for Independence, during the war, and after. The first section explores how Rosa learns to be a healer with the materials of the Earth, and then during the war how she and Jose work to heal the people hiding from the concentration camps and help the people of Cuba in their efforts for independence.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Other characters are composites based on historical accounts and documents researched by the author, whose own great-grandfather lived through this time period in Cuba and whose grandmother was born right after it.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">It’s a much deeper understanding of that time in history than in most history books, and is told from the perspective of the people. This is a good book to read with your class if you are a teacher, or if you are studying this time and you want a more in-depth perspective. Ages 11 and up.</span></span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-10227790498667333622011-06-27T16:53:00.000-07:002011-06-27T17:01:45.608-07:00The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodhOeI-cDQIxxwYqAQpKZ46vEV_bCvKf0_LLs4t8f8tWHf_5rD83TBXzST_n8EfeFtgHM777FNf00cT7w2v5OiC8jaEtF6CnoABQ33dHmqimlvy7pEm0cX8fW23PKKRJsIBuRwfM4BUro/s1600/the-hunger-games-book-cover1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodhOeI-cDQIxxwYqAQpKZ46vEV_bCvKf0_LLs4t8f8tWHf_5rD83TBXzST_n8EfeFtgHM777FNf00cT7w2v5OiC8jaEtF6CnoABQ33dHmqimlvy7pEm0cX8fW23PKKRJsIBuRwfM4BUro/s400/the-hunger-games-book-cover1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623053096508498146" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Every year in the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each of the 12 districts is chosen at random, and must fight to the death on live television. And so begins Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games" (the first in a trilogy of the same name), a thrillingly realistic novel that'll have you hooked until the very last page.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Collins makes this fictional world seem so real by conjuring up fantastical images and cleverly making them somehow relatable to readers. The heroes in this novel are not the perfect, brave and bold protagonists you often find in books. As much as they are strong and inspirational, they also are flawed and make decisions that come back to bite them.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The plot is composed in such a way that will please everyone no matter what their genre preference.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">It will lure action fans and romance geeks alike, but definitely will not turn off those who have more of a taste for fantasy and science fiction. For every kind of reader, "The Hunger Games" is guaranteed to leave you hanging, and never bored.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I recommend this book for my fellow "Harry Potter" followers, but along with a warning: there are much more detailed (and bloody) descriptions in "The Hunger Games," which is either good or bad depending on the strength of your stomach and the power of your imagination.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">All in all, a fantastic and jarring read. Ages 11 and up.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-91792648692955844622011-06-05T08:18:00.000-07:002011-06-05T08:20:13.973-07:00Letters From Young Activists (Dan Berger, Chesa Boudin, & Kenyon Farrow)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8MF9WpgYUF2tEYOeVmucXCFIKsgr9eROxAzaTX8kw5YkUhVCueDr2_xlZ92Gcw-vl4MJiICgsJOuoIT1o30nNk_7EYCjE6WOQ4N08ru_krA3OPVQKMAKq1pu-ZkI1avRc37j05a7bnXi/s1600/LettersfromYoungActivists300.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8MF9WpgYUF2tEYOeVmucXCFIKsgr9eROxAzaTX8kw5YkUhVCueDr2_xlZ92Gcw-vl4MJiICgsJOuoIT1o30nNk_7EYCjE6WOQ4N08ru_krA3OPVQKMAKq1pu-ZkI1avRc37j05a7bnXi/s400/LettersfromYoungActivists300.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614755628160208642" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">In previous reviews I have spoken about how important I feel activism is for today's youth, but I haven't really reviewed a book that is solely about that subject.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This collection of soulful works is written by rebels of diverse backgrounds, experiences and ages (most of them in their teens and 20s, but some slightly younger or older).</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The letters are written to their peers, family, national leaders, governors, ex-presidents, as well as general letters to cultural movements, such as punk rock, hip-hop and feminism.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The editors are three young activist writers themselves, who have selected letters representing a wide variety of issues from various view points, speaking on subjects they deeply believe in. In their letters, the writers express the problems in the world and the changes they want to see. Bernardine Dohrn - a writer, activist and law professor - says in her preface, "Young people have changed the world. ... It will happen again. It's happening now."</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">She sets up the book perfectly, explaining the need for the next generation to speak truth to power and work for change.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">A stirring, encouraging piece for those looking to make a difference. Ages 12 and up.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-46059090650691810102011-06-05T08:16:00.000-07:002011-06-05T08:18:04.600-07:00Something About America (Maria Testa)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbaiOhnErguVdghJOI4IfL3ClUrwouThWttNhiM03VXMzaacJRz3R3gkXVmgzGUkWWEL7XctB-p6l6TBfpmX9IIXbA7455PPQaO8Tt68zOADZ084EOq4a9VkAhWGHuGUxSnzqRrJcFqg7C/s1600/2952.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbaiOhnErguVdghJOI4IfL3ClUrwouThWttNhiM03VXMzaacJRz3R3gkXVmgzGUkWWEL7XctB-p6l6TBfpmX9IIXbA7455PPQaO8Tt68zOADZ084EOq4a9VkAhWGHuGUxSnzqRrJcFqg7C/s400/2952.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614755142184863634" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">After having fled Yugoslavia during the ethnic battles there more than 10 years ago, the unnamed 13-year-old protagonist of Maria Testa's "Something About America" finally is beginning to feel like an American. Her parents, on the other hand, are seemingly refusing to assimilate to the ways of their new country. The family struggles to rebuild what they had dreamed of back in Albania, along with trying to feel welcome in the melting-pot country that is the United States.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The challenges they all face - including anti-immigrant sentiments and even threats - are outlined simply in Testa's poetic style.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Inspired by actual events, this book is written in the style of a verse novel - a novel written in poetry form. It deals with the dissolution of the former Soviet Union and the effect it had on its citizens, as well as issues such as racism, war, identity and, amongst all of this, the importance of community.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">"Something About America" is touching and thought-provoking, and with its short length, I was able to read it in less than an hour. It introduces new perspectives on immigration and immigrant communities in the U.S in an accessible and compelling way that young readers can relate to. I recommend this book for ages 11 and up.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-38918091897483018202011-05-23T10:44:00.000-07:002011-05-23T10:46:48.613-07:00Free? (Amnesty International)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdSGE1PHQgtctZvsE3nJc6LqzMyaQkQwVtx8c-9MVAnJLb9ylPG5UA99SiJsmGUFYpdeh7hl81ePOhnLujgOGNEVdS4x5oXcKdko0JMK785Pu4DQH9nTWnU9bd0dKQLNM5-hYfQzIrJDT/s1600/free+stories+celebrating+humsn+rights+Amnesty+International..jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdSGE1PHQgtctZvsE3nJc6LqzMyaQkQwVtx8c-9MVAnJLb9ylPG5UA99SiJsmGUFYpdeh7hl81ePOhnLujgOGNEVdS4x5oXcKdko0JMK785Pu4DQH9nTWnU9bd0dKQLNM5-hYfQzIrJDT/s400/free+stories+celebrating+humsn+rights+Amnesty+International..jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609969422910763794" /></a><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdSGE1PHQgtctZvsE3nJc6LqzMyaQkQwVtx8c-9MVAnJLb9ylPG5UA99SiJsmGUFYpdeh7hl81ePOhnLujgOGNEVdS4x5oXcKdko0JMK785Pu4DQH9nTWnU9bd0dKQLNM5-hYfQzIrJDT/s1600/free+stories+celebrating+humsn+rights+Amnesty+International..jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, arial; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; font-size: 13px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">In 1948, the United Nations created the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, based particularly on the events in Nazi Germany that led up to World War II. This document contains 30 rights to which every human on the planet is entitled, no matter their situation. But even though we have come far since World War II, some of these concerns still exist today.</span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">"Free?" is a collection of 14 thought-provoking short stories, by writers such as Margaret Mahy and Patricia McCormick, that were inspired by the millions of people who, more than 60 years after the declaration was adopted, are still denied the privileges they deserve. These fictional representations of human rights violations are inspirational, clever and moralistic. Set in both past and present, the subjects range from modern day slavery and child labor to civil liberties and immigration rights.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">At the end of each story, the author explains how the tale is relevant to a specific article in the declaration, as well as what true event, if any, it is based on.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">For further reference, the book has a simplified version of the document along with biographies of the author and information on the philosophy of Amnesty International and the importance of "justice, fairness, freedom, and truth." The foreword was written by acclaimed author Jacqueline Wilson.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This is fantastic book for young adults to become more familiar with human rights, and a satisfying read in general. Ages 11 and up.</span></p></span></div></div>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-47065957832342351632011-05-15T10:48:00.001-07:002011-05-15T10:48:28.652-07:00Wanting Mor (Rukhsana Khan)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22pRIvSy5yGOZ1jNAVwlD5vVnafF33o6QtIv1nPiS-MD5x4wjUrPEiodg4pEq6ZsiWHNl2sbSs0PCSW9IH_XWYNTt08XHqVUQ5G-FS01OEZD3nVzEVy_1x1bn7TsT7RpSkrobTUQiJj78/s1600/wanting-mor.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22pRIvSy5yGOZ1jNAVwlD5vVnafF33o6QtIv1nPiS-MD5x4wjUrPEiodg4pEq6ZsiWHNl2sbSs0PCSW9IH_XWYNTt08XHqVUQ5G-FS01OEZD3nVzEVy_1x1bn7TsT7RpSkrobTUQiJj78/s400/wanting-mor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606997002718861010" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Raised in a poor Afghan village, young Jameela knows what it's like to need to take care of yourself, but she did not expect such extreme measures.</span><p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">After her Mor (Pushto for mother) dies of an illness, she and her inexperienced father set out to Kabul where she gets a glimpse of city life. What seems like an exciting journey becomes a rather scary rollercoaster ride when her father remarries a mean-spirited woman and abandons Jameela in the marketplace. From there she has to power through many more obstacles and stay strong with her faith in Allah while doing so.</p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> Despite this book's short length, I learned more in it than I have in some 400-page books. The story is so real while still having the mildly fantastical edge that keeps you hooked. It gave me a new perspective, not only on the Middle East in general, but on Islam and the belief system. America, the youth in particular, have seen enough of the demonized version of the Middle East. Although that part is most definitely there, there is so much that people don't think or talk about.</p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> Pop culture makes it seem as though all Muslims are terrible, misogynistic people, and that is unfair and untrue, what with the billions of Muslims in this world. "Wanting Mor" shows an interesting perspective of this often misinterpreted area that is the Middle Eastern from the point of view of a young girl we can relate to. It deals with large issues of war, religion and poverty without being preachy or boring, as well as personal challenges with family, faith and friendship.</p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> The glossary in the back of the book (pages 186-190) will help a lot if you are not familiar with Islamic and/or Pushto terms and phrases, as well as a helpful source if you forget the meaning of this or that.</p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> Because of its length, "Wanting Mor" can be read in less than a week if you have the time and effort. It's quick but fulfilling, making it a great report book to tag on to studies in school, or to read together as a class or family.</p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A fantastically thought-provoking story inspired by true events, this book proves that even with such simple writing you can learn much. Ages 1</span></span>0 and up.</p>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-91357439216917932882011-05-15T10:34:00.000-07:002011-05-15T10:47:25.708-07:00Tales of Famous Heroes (Peter & Connie Roop)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3I3bpXlCvHiBWxR5TeLDm9BvCxwqszUGsElJGEKt3Y-shsUH4g5RxqT3oSDKttk84gB9HAl8EBMw51w8oicSk_o3TPPi689HkQe_a3nZVZE9bAzc-KN8S9e3hNPbwsP23wXD9OwJhb1t/s1600/index.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 323px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3I3bpXlCvHiBWxR5TeLDm9BvCxwqszUGsElJGEKt3Y-shsUH4g5RxqT3oSDKttk84gB9HAl8EBMw51w8oicSk_o3TPPi689HkQe_a3nZVZE9bAzc-KN8S9e3hNPbwsP23wXD9OwJhb1t/s400/index.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607000832447258946" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">From Sojourner Truth to Jonas Salk, this book covers 18 different heroes and heroines, and how they made our world what it is today. Similar in concept to the book "10 Amazing People" by Maura D Shaw, which I previously reviewed, this one is targeted (it seems) at a younger audience.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The book has layered illustrations with black and white photos in the background and unique, semi-realistic paintings of each character in the foreground. The author does a great job of keeping the writing simple while still talking about deep or detailed subjects.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">It's the ideal book for introducing children to politics and social justice, going beyond the typical heroes discussed in books and at school. It's colorful and interesting, with lots of pictures, and packed with information. It's a great way to teach your child the importance of being true to your beliefs while staying a peacemaker. Ages 7-11.</span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-86850049581560030322011-05-02T09:06:00.000-07:002011-05-02T09:11:14.762-07:00Shark Girl (Kelly Bingham)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibetU8j1QYR9zIYEJcDSwAFiD3kuO_1WJVwo2EVU1087VmQ17QSizHnR0aHl-T_cF-AM2dd_tnvL0b_TEpTdJWJolDCFs2srCeQcZ_RMJMBcstlRbrr-igKWWiPxihl7o52jXihVs7x_A/s1600/Shark_Girl.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 264px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibetU8j1QYR9zIYEJcDSwAFiD3kuO_1WJVwo2EVU1087VmQ17QSizHnR0aHl-T_cF-AM2dd_tnvL0b_TEpTdJWJolDCFs2srCeQcZ_RMJMBcstlRbrr-igKWWiPxihl7o52jXihVs7x_A/s400/Shark_Girl.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602151937789136642" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 24px; font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The last thing 15-year-old Jane Arrowood expected to encounter on that sunny, cheerful day at the beach was a shark. So when she wakes up in the hospital after having been in a coma for days, she's met with the scary realization that her right arm had been amputated.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">In this beautiful, verse novel (a novel-length narrative told in poetry), a young artist struggles not only with physically losing a limb, but with how it affects her family and friends as well as her own perception of herself and the world around her.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Oftentimes in stories about disabled people, particularly amputees, we meet inspirational folks who, even after losing part of their body, are amazing artists or athletes. "Shark Girl" is inspirational, too, but it's not sugarcoated, showing Jane's feelings and struggles in everyday life. The protagonist's pain and stubbornness is relatable, the author's language is powerful and enticing, and the format makes it a pleasurable read without being too short.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This is a wonderful novel that will keep you hooked until the end. Ages 11 and up. </span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-34778839753013766692011-04-25T08:28:00.000-07:002011-04-25T08:31:26.859-07:00Our Choice: Young Readers Edition (Al Gore)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniDWjzws2kHFOxrLmb_AqvYichDKxPWd-t1bBSHR98i0V7N0qPTwYFT4PGYh9W0GuYenGT-APvlRt5y-Y-WTUFGG-Rapg4I4QwtT42kRzSPnI8sV2ZNOFpJKmkDLCNbka2AKAkREGGRwl/s1600/51po6lGaBWL.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 331px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniDWjzws2kHFOxrLmb_AqvYichDKxPWd-t1bBSHR98i0V7N0qPTwYFT4PGYh9W0GuYenGT-APvlRt5y-Y-WTUFGG-Rapg4I4QwtT42kRzSPnI8sV2ZNOFpJKmkDLCNbka2AKAkREGGRwl/s400/51po6lGaBWL.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599544037224070978" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Based on the best-selling book for adults, former Vice President Al Gore's new Young Readers Edition of "Our Choice" has all the information a child needs to realize that global warming really is a big deal. Gore says in the book, "So far, the climate crisis has not seemed real to most people. The world's average temperature is rising now. But the difference is too small for some to notice."</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This inspirational book includes all kinds of information about what has caused global warming, and what we can do to prevent it.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">How solar panels work, what greenhouse gases are, and what a "passive solar" home is. It shows alternative ways to run your car, and better ways to heat and use electricity in your home.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Not just adults, but children need to start working to save the Earth, because it's the only planet we have. And we need to do this now. It's our choice.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I recommend this book for ages 8-13.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-43392297482674212342011-04-24T12:39:00.001-07:002011-04-24T12:40:35.052-07:00Scranimals (Jack Prelutsky)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-k6hj6TujCrsJmsXzxqRbMcG6Anqh1XoXpUhKx2ktTjhDG7ckKlhu4UhF1mV3aVy2XHN1VK0hFQ6OVDTz9LAr7h-YrefJ9Olm6XvalwMuJbfHTsZ-7Vx4BdFYMgUmB1qCKC4Y3AppdCu/s1600/scranimals.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 369px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-k6hj6TujCrsJmsXzxqRbMcG6Anqh1XoXpUhKx2ktTjhDG7ckKlhu4UhF1mV3aVy2XHN1VK0hFQ6OVDTz9LAr7h-YrefJ9Olm6XvalwMuJbfHTsZ-7Vx4BdFYMgUmB1qCKC4Y3AppdCu/s400/scranimals.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599237218050696882" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">When a curious young boy and girl go to Scranimal Island to see some wacky things, they get what they bargained for. Spinachickens with leafy feathers and Bananacondas that shed their peels and creep around.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Full of clever, imaginative creatures and crazy illustrations by Peter Sis, this collection of short poems is super fun.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Sis' artwork fits in with Prelutsky's somewhat dark writing theme, with a plethora of pale and dark colors and fantastical landscapes, and grim animals such as the helpless "Cardinalbacore," the haunting "Radishark" and pathetic "Avocadodos."</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Each poem is fairly short, and has the pronunciation of each mutant creature as well as things hidden in the pictures for you to find. I recommend it for ages 4 and up.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-68049355701094416582011-04-24T12:32:00.000-07:002011-04-24T12:35:09.930-07:00365 Ways to Change the World (Michael Norton)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93VLKmvdLrehQFxHfmEogeqIXFzlu8DBUGqTU-1khxGTTArW_i0cRYuTcak0pl8uiDpHeMY41yPBu3jyXHi0al3DhIfO4e69rKWDBcDfXXEm5-HC8oS2B5RJjK1oPzjsVnIhyzbpMGV2h/s1600/365-Ways-To-Change-The-World-B-28826.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 289px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93VLKmvdLrehQFxHfmEogeqIXFzlu8DBUGqTU-1khxGTTArW_i0cRYuTcak0pl8uiDpHeMY41yPBu3jyXHi0al3DhIfO4e69rKWDBcDfXXEm5-HC8oS2B5RJjK1oPzjsVnIhyzbpMGV2h/s400/365-Ways-To-Change-The-World-B-28826.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599235634272383074" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Simple things that keep you going each day, and huge ways to keep others going, are what you will find inside. This book is great for the new year, so you can look back at the end of 2010 and think about all the things you did, because just a little something each day adds up to a lot after 365 days.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">If one of your New Year resolutions is to become more Earth-friendly, purchasing this book guarantees that will happen. Or if you are too busy to actually do the things the book mentions, it has tons of information that makes you more aware of the subject, leaving it open for actually getting into later. Despite the fact that it is not a children's book, because it talks about and includes some adult matters, mature preteens and teens will understand it.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">"365 Ways to Change the World" is a great gift, especially for somebody who is interested in the environment, or wants to be more socially conscious. This is the kind of book you can read over and over again. It includes all kinds of information about Web sites, organizations and more information if you are interested in a certain subject, or are wanting to raise money for a certain cause. I believe that the more people who read this book, the better our country, and world, can become.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Recommended for ages 12 and up.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-11094782780610015852011-04-24T12:13:00.000-07:002011-04-24T12:28:52.390-07:00The Streets are Free (Kurusa)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmziRmCT6dn-X1fH7FDwrGftLzLiDN3gJF6ktC084OW973GelGQhe2P_BRVokBgq6MfXJZiKPIwoUSW5sWvUGq5fLStOtjVqvJIhSfLXoxq1Avye5lirn3PSf3qyp4-NutsMsjrzAkE2X/s1600/1550373706.01._SS400_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmziRmCT6dn-X1fH7FDwrGftLzLiDN3gJF6ktC084OW973GelGQhe2P_BRVokBgq6MfXJZiKPIwoUSW5sWvUGq5fLStOtjVqvJIhSfLXoxq1Avye5lirn3PSf3qyp4-NutsMsjrzAkE2X/s400/1550373706.01._SS400_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599230868850240610" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In the barrios of Caracas in San Jose, Carlitos, Cheo and Camila have to play in the busy streets down below the mountain.</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmziRmCT6dn-X1fH7FDwrGftLzLiDN3gJF6ktC084OW973GelGQhe2P_BRVokBgq6MfXJZiKPIwoUSW5sWvUGq5fLStOtjVqvJIhSfLXoxq1Avye5lirn3PSf3qyp4-NutsMsjrzAkE2X/s1600/1550373706.01._SS400_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">One day while playing in the road, a large truck drives by, and they have to stop to let it pass. They realize it just doesn't work when that's the only way they can play, so they leave.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sitting on the steps of their local library with their friends, not knowing what to do, the children begin discussing with the librarian how great it would be to have a playground where they could go after school to play hopscotch and baseball and swing and imagine.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">They write a list of things they need for a playground, and make a banner to bring to City Hall. The mayor agrees and gives them an empty lot - but nobody in the town turns it into a park! The children look at it everyday, wondering when they will be able to play there.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That's when they take matters into their own hands.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This heartwarming book based on a true story shows the power you have, even as a child, and you really can do something when you try your best. The book also includes bright illustrations by Monika Doppert, which really capture the colors of Venezuela. The writing is very simple, with not a lot of words on each page. I recommend it for ages 4-9.</span></span></p></span></div>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-49325300589699827462011-04-24T12:04:00.001-07:002011-04-24T12:06:17.395-07:00On the Bus With Rosa Parks (Rita Dove)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTBTsU7wd9D1DvInioNq6sMUeoWMZtQ7gzf962kDQhlvN_M2vPAz5bcrB_Xgce6dWTsp9lyyQNbSP3fW5Q7TuLo1LtnxNFyyh8dAi8ytrvKTcmKz6Pblcf1fiAlPmnUXLf63aRMNLvq7U/s1600/794659543.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 264px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTBTsU7wd9D1DvInioNq6sMUeoWMZtQ7gzf962kDQhlvN_M2vPAz5bcrB_Xgce6dWTsp9lyyQNbSP3fW5Q7TuLo1LtnxNFyyh8dAi8ytrvKTcmKz6Pblcf1fiAlPmnUXLf63aRMNLvq7U/s400/794659543.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599228200266258338" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 24px; font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">"On the Bus With Rosa Parks" paints a detailed picture of Alabama and gives a perspective on Rosa Parks' story most people don't usually have. </span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Dove is former poet laureate of the United States, and arranges the poems like a puzzle, each one flowing well with the next, with intriguing language and cryptic metaphors.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The poems aren't only about Parks, but have all sorts of inspirational messages about life.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">It's a great follow up to Black History Month, offering a new look at the life of Rosa Parks, and it's just a beautiful book in general - the sort that begs for dog-ears, highlighted sentences and notes all over.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This is not a children's book, but it can be read by young adults, as long as they read with open minds and wide open eyes.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-17956296176760626932011-04-23T09:36:00.001-07:002011-04-24T12:02:57.594-07:00Mama Miti (Donna Jo Napoli)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PfQMw6MdqiyVAfjr9YsqBtYapn8zOfUdFh0BBgdXAsgi2eZmdYD0uvvfxfMCmzn3BfwLRXfWhBr6B4ilejVK_5fSyjr9bzeJfvfxAldDjbFJ0C3ZdXIO5mfmIPkoRRzobH1TrvGkW7dk/s1600/597239525.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 302px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PfQMw6MdqiyVAfjr9YsqBtYapn8zOfUdFh0BBgdXAsgi2eZmdYD0uvvfxfMCmzn3BfwLRXfWhBr6B4ilejVK_5fSyjr9bzeJfvfxAldDjbFJ0C3ZdXIO5mfmIPkoRRzobH1TrvGkW7dk/s400/597239525.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598819110144866002" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">When Wangari Maathai was a little girl in Africa, she payed attention to nature. She would study tadpoles in the puddles, and she loved the trees. When she grew up, she moved to the city, but she still surrounded herself in nature by planting trees in her backyard, and she wore a blue dress that looked like it had tadpoles on it. Word spread that she was wise, and could help people with their problems. So people from all around Kenya came and told Wangari their problems. Some had lost their jobs and couldn't feed their families; some had lost their homes and needed shelter. Because of Wangari's knowledge of trees, she gave people seeds of trees that could help them - trees that were good for firewood, trees that had berries you could eat and so on. Over time, many people came to Wangari, and the people planted the seeds. Not only did it help the people, but then the area was covered in trees, and it was beautiful. Then people began calling her Mama Miti, which means "Tree Mother." This book by Donna Jo Napoli will inspire children of all ages, with Kadir Nelson's beautiful fabric collage illustrations, with the bold colors and designs of Africa. The story of Mama Miti is a true one about a woman who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, "for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace." Ages 4-10.</span></span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-61883439524244272872011-04-23T09:10:00.000-07:002011-04-24T12:00:30.362-07:00Girls are Not Chicks (Jacinta Bunnell)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MOeeRA0HzSagdNcrQWhqwlhsOVa2IZLblo5tzvnU7ia08-u1y4w44BtxQjDRRfV1RPAZNCxq6PtpVO1BII2_TmZ7BQN_8_Mj2GO8n4NOET0msk1BqlcvI1dlhH3q3iqB78bxJlwJhGey/s1600/girls_are_not_chicks_color_lg.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MOeeRA0HzSagdNcrQWhqwlhsOVa2IZLblo5tzvnU7ia08-u1y4w44BtxQjDRRfV1RPAZNCxq6PtpVO1BII2_TmZ7BQN_8_Mj2GO8n4NOET0msk1BqlcvI1dlhH3q3iqB78bxJlwJhGey/s400/girls_are_not_chicks_color_lg.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598812751229536946" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">"Girls Are Not Chicks" is a feminist coloring book created to empower girls and women, and encourage them to love themselves despite their flaws. In this comedic and clever collection of wisdom, girls trade in Barbies for things that are "a little less destructive," fix and create things without help from men, and look past all of the lace and ribbons to see who they truly are. The pictures are bold, clear and easy to color, with images like ballerinas holding wrenches and girls speaking up for themselves. They each have short and simple messages like "Violet puts food on the table with tractors, not teaspoons," and "Wear shoes. Don't live in them."</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This makes a great gift for women and girls (or men and boys!) of all ages, and though it might irk the small-minded, it will keep all the feminists laughing.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-73069456556868515032011-04-23T08:59:00.000-07:002011-05-15T10:34:10.582-07:00The Lorax (Dr. Suess)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3nZfYr398UfES7Poz7Mq0PtnGR8qnNNO4_VdJSK47J8Vni3LaK3kNrXGyJ_LHJ4uO7CyObc80vIwgrj_C-nMSELz3KoACVneRXz4xifE22q7SfeVSkk6sa1w2d2-IG-joPhcdUGT8h67/s1600/51SM5e%252BY7KL.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3nZfYr398UfES7Poz7Mq0PtnGR8qnNNO4_VdJSK47J8Vni3LaK3kNrXGyJ_LHJ4uO7CyObc80vIwgrj_C-nMSELz3KoACVneRXz4xifE22q7SfeVSkk6sa1w2d2-IG-joPhcdUGT8h67/s400/51SM5e%252BY7KL.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598810469843459090" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:medium;" ><p style="margin: 0px 10px 4px 0px; padding: 4px; font: 0.83em Helvetica,arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"The Lorax" is more than a children's book with silly rhymes and colorful pictures; it has deep political messages, but they aren't too deep for children.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 10px 4px 0px; padding: 4px; font: 0.83em Helvetica,arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This book is about a creature called the Lorax who "speaks for the trees because they have no tongues," when a big company starts cutting down trees and polluting the water and air. But the book is really about respecting the planet, and how large factories and corporations are effecting the world. It is about the importance of having a smaller carbon footprint, and treating nature with respect.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 10px 4px 0px; padding: 4px; font: 0.83em Helvetica,arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The book, with its unusual whimsical shapes and bursts of color in the illustrations, and made-up words in the poetry, was rather groundbreaking for its time (1971), and Dr. Suess was good at doing this. His other books, such as "Yrtle the Turtle" and "Horton Hears a Who," are about being peaceful and understanding the world.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 10px 4px 0px; padding: 4px; font: 0.83em Helvetica,arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"The Lorax" is a story about recognizing environmental problems, speaking up for the planet, and the power in all of us to make a change.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-28593586382444686622011-04-23T08:56:00.001-07:002011-04-23T08:58:55.827-07:00Totally Joe (James Howe)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FVe5rfZgmZlCP2atthnBgE0s3w2mYoUsIYAfOg3OEh3t5l5GlLm3YahSiiLV5cBsSuK2AjNln7WhG30-aLSZ9_0cuaNniYiTWmy8Oj6joMsw8-dUp_1tXU2oWEFWbUd34IbE8TXZV96J/s1600/51pmpFXrI8L.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 269px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FVe5rfZgmZlCP2atthnBgE0s3w2mYoUsIYAfOg3OEh3t5l5GlLm3YahSiiLV5cBsSuK2AjNln7WhG30-aLSZ9_0cuaNniYiTWmy8Oj6joMsw8-dUp_1tXU2oWEFWbUd34IbE8TXZV96J/s400/51pmpFXrI8L.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598809002071864370" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">"Being who you are isn't a choice."</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">When Joe Bunch, a 13-year-old boy desperate to be out of the closet, was originally assigned to do an "alphabiography" for English class, he thought it was a lame idea; the last thing he expected to come out of it was a rewarding exploration of himself and the world around him.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This novel, a companion to the original book "The Misfits," deals with subjects such as bullying, homophobia and the daily life of not only gay youth, but young adults in general. The protagonist, though not exactly the epitome of an "average" seventh-grader, still has the fears, flaws and yearnings everyone can relate to, at least a little bit. It's a short and sweet read that, though it's rather optimistic and comedic, has its touching, and its understandable (but not overwhelming) sad parts.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Written in a clever, alphabetical format that still is pleasurable reading, "Totally Joe" is a nice read with great morals, for readers no matter what their sexual orientation. Ages 10 and up.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043384960536295806.post-11155122825050396782011-04-23T08:48:00.000-07:002011-04-23T08:51:25.563-07:00Ten Amazing People & How They Changed the World (Maura D. Shaw)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihowaMNIclOlgErkDdNoV2fNUhoQMssljKwKrOZGDVvtTk-JITYv0Mq2qaL94shrooLOItEI_Nxs21mgwQnqfkE0jk_KfOWIWGkIw3j_7wc09GnORTmyHkxaIF5YcX2AOsfDu2GjWBuhBJ/s1600/TenAmazing22-23.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihowaMNIclOlgErkDdNoV2fNUhoQMssljKwKrOZGDVvtTk-JITYv0Mq2qaL94shrooLOItEI_Nxs21mgwQnqfkE0jk_KfOWIWGkIw3j_7wc09GnORTmyHkxaIF5YcX2AOsfDu2GjWBuhBJ/s400/TenAmazing22-23.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598806968566937282" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This inspirational book introduces 10 powerful spirits, from Malcolm X to Mother Teresa to Desmond Tutu, and how they changed the world with their strong hearts and determined minds. The book is written in a way that is understandable for young children, yet not boring for older kids, and has all sorts of great information on peacemakers throughout the 20th century.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Each person has a beautiful, collage-like illustration, a biography, a timeline of significant events in that person's life, quotes and more. An intriguing look at history without the typical white, rich men theme.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">"10 Amazing People" shows kids that everyone can make a difference, no matter what their religion or race. It puts out the message that religions don't have to be separate, but can mix together as one. The book features people from religious backgrounds in Buddhism, Islamism, Catholicism, Christianity and Hinduism, who all have made an incredibly positive impact on our world.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; font: normal normal normal 0.83em/normal Helvetica, arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The moral is that it doesn't matter what religion you follow or beliefs you have, as long as you do what is right. Recommended for ages 6-adult.</span></p></span>Grace Allen Polaneczkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10554493447969146995noreply@blogger.com0