A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

Having just finished a pretty heavy classic, I decided to find a quick, fun read.  Someone gave me a stack of Newbery Award books a while back, and since I remembered loving A Year Down Yonder by the same author, I chose this one.  Turns out that A Long Way from Chicago is the prequel to A Year Down Yonder, and it's every bit as entertaining.

With chapter headings such as, "Shotgun Cheatham's Last Night Above Ground," and "A One-Woman Crime Wave," you know you're not in for your run-of-the-mill coming-of-age novel.  Told from the perspective of a young boy, it chronicles the summer visits of Joey and his sister, Mary Alice, as they visit their eccentric, cranky, and very large grandma in her small town.  In each chapter, you get to watch the children grow up, but you also learn just a snippet more about Grandma. After each adventure you fall a bit more in love with her--her faults as well as her good qualities.

I would totally recommend these books for kids age nine or ten and up--real gems!

Book review of The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck

I like to read to my kids during lunch--it seems to be a good time because their mouths are full of food, their hands are busy, and they're all sitting at the counter facing me.  It's hard to get them to sit still otherwise . . . This book was one we read together over the summer, just because I happened to have it on my bookshelf. I can't think where I got it--probably from my good mother, who first introduced me to Pearl S. Buck.  I highly recommend almost all of her books--I went through a Pearl S. Buck phase in high school and read everything our library had to offer.

This book is shorter than her others and written for younger readers.  It tells the simple story of two boys whose lives are influenced by the ocean, particularly by a "big wave," or tsunami, as we know it.  It seems like there are natural disasters all over the place nowadays (the last days are truly upon us, aren't they?), and reading this provided a good backdrop for us to discuss why Heavenly Father allows natural disasters to happen, why people die, and what happens to them when they die.  They really identified with the boys in the story, and I think that's due to Pearl Buck's writing style.  We're reading her book The Story Bible now, and it's really making the Bible stories come alive--I will keep you posted on that one!

The Magic Thief Series by Sarah Prineas

          I absolutely loved this book!  It had plenty of mystery, fantasy, and adventure.  It's kind of like Harry Potter, in the way that it has magic and wizards--just no wands.  I liked the way the author described everything. It's one of my favorites.

Poetry by Douglas Florian

My kids and I stumbled upon a treasure--the poetry of Douglas Florian.  I confess I am not much of a poet enthusiast, and usually I don't understand much of it.  But children's poetry is another story--I remember spending hours devouring Shel Silverstein.  So I was delighted to discover Douglas Florian and his whimsical, playful style.  My kids memorized this one, they got such a kick out of it!  It's from Lizards, Frogs, and Polliwogs:

It's wise to stay clear

Of the dangerous cobra

All months of the year,

Including Octobra.

My personal favorite is "The Praying Mantis" from Insectlopedia:

Upon a twig

I sit and pray

For something big

To wend my way:

A caterpillar,

Moth,

Or bee--

I swallow them

Religiously.

His humorous artwork adds to each poem, and my kids like the fact that he paints with watercolor on paper bags.  Florian says this of his own work: "My drawings are abstract regressionist. They are old but behave like little children."  Apparently he has published several children's poetry books--can't wait to get my hands on them!

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll

Jessica:  Having grown up watching Disney's cartoon version of Alice in Wonderland and now watching it with my own children, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for these stories.  I loved reading them as a pre-teen.  However, after watching the new Disney version by Tim Burton (it was very . . . interesting, to say the least), I had to re-read them to make sure they weren't more bizarre than I recalled.  They may be a bit off-the-wall, but not so outlandish as the movie would lead you to believe; in fact, both books were quite comical and had me laughing out loud.

Carroll was a master at language and logic--he actually worked as a mathematics tutor at Oxford, and you can tell that he had a brilliant mind.  He uses word play frequently in his stories, which makes them all the more amusing.  Both books are very clever and entertaining and well-deserving of the title "classics."

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has the stories of the Mad Hatter & March Hare and the Queen of Hearts.  Through the Looking-Glass deals more with the chess pieces--the white and red queens--and traveling from one "square" of a giant chessboard to another. It includes the characters of Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee and the talking flowers.

Alice with Tweedle-Dum & Tweedle-Dee before their battle

Lydia:  I loved the royal subjects and how they acted. For example, how the Red Queen is running with Alice and they get absolutely nowhere. Then there is the White Queen who starts crying because she will get hurt in the future. I loved these books in every way!

Alice talking with the White Queen

(I suppose I am biased, but I love Lydia's drawing style!  I made her sketch a couple of her favorite scenes so I could show her off a bit . . . :)

Clarice Bean, the Utterly Complete Collection by Lauren Child

Lydia:  I thought this was a good book. It was about a little girl who wanted to be a mystery solver like the girl in her book--until she solves a mystery of her own. I really liked it because it was written by the same person who wrote Charlie & Lola. I also like the pictures. There are lots of them.  I love the way she describes things.

Jessica:  Lydia talked me into reading these books, and it didn't take much effort, since our entire family is in love with Lauren Child's Charlie & Lola series.  They were so entertaining!


Clarice Bean is a pre-teen girl growing up in England who deals with some very normal problems--a mean teacher, a pesky younger brother, and homework she doesn't want to do.  The whole series reminded me of the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, which I loved when I was little.  These are for a slightly more mature audience than those, strictly for comprehension reasons.  Any pre-teens would really enjoy them.  They are clean, clever, and perfectly darling!  I found myself wanting to talk like Clarice, who is the author of these "diaries."  Listen to how delightful she is--for example, in describing the neighborhood organic grocery store:


It's all about selling things that haven't been sprayed with chemically things.
I am not sure what that word organic exactly stands for really.  Who does know?  They should call it "with bugs" or something so people know what they are in for.  You might find a caterpillar in your broccoli but that's the point.
Mom says, "There's nothing wrong with eating a caterpillar."
I say, "There is if you are vegetarian."


On the irritating boy who sits behind her in class:
And I can hear Robert Granger breathing.  That's what he does.  He sits behind me and breathes.  It drives me utterly crazy.
And I turn around and go, "Stop breathing, will you!"

And he says, "Clarice Bean, of course I cannot stop breathing because then I would be dead and how would you like that?"
I decide not to answer his question because Mom has taught me if you can't think of anything nice to say, then sometimes it is better to say nothing at all.  You see, I am trying really hard to keep it zipped in class.


Describing tofu:
. . . .[It] looks a bit like a very palish cheese but tastes of nothing.


The diary-like feel ("epistolary" form--am I not so smart?) keeps you reading just a bit more to see what Clarice will talk about next.  I don't know what to call it, but I love that she uses different font sizes and styles to emphasize words (reminds me of my wonderful sis-in-law, Chelsea, who does the same on her blog).  It's such a cute way of writing! 


Utterly Me, Clarice Bean is cute as can be, Clarice Bean Spells Trouble was my very favorite and had the best story line--very laughable throughout, and Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now was still great, although it dealt with more serious issues of divorce and moving, etc.  They are such quick reads--I think I read each one in a day.  I wish there were more of them!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Lydia:  This is a great book. The fascinating thing is that the pages are black! First, it starts out with pictures. It had a lot of adventure and a little bit of mystery.  I loved it!

Jessica:  I was surprised to find this very fat book in the Caldecott Award section of our library.  I pulled it out and thumbed through it, and sure enough, the pictures are quite amazing!

It's a very unique book--half of the story is told via pictures, much like an old black and white movie (very fitting, once you discover what the story is about!).  I don't want to ruin any of it for you, so I won't expose the plot.  It was very interesting and very appropriate for younger readers.

I was also delighted to discover that there is a movie based on the book that will be released this year, starring such greats as Ben Kingsley and Christopher Lee--Lydia and I are definitely going! :)  Here's a link to the book's website as well:  http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson

  This is supposed to be a retold story of Peter Pan, but it has a lot more adventure and way more details. It tells what happened before Peter Pan became the Peter Pan he is now. It was so fun to read I just couldn't put it down. I loved it!

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Because of Winn-Dixie is about a girl who has moved into a new place and doesn't have any friends, until she finds a dog who helps her find new friends in her neighborhood. Because of Winn-Dixie is a great book.

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

Lydia's Take: This is a very sad and happy book, all at the same time. What I mean by that is that it has a sad beginning and a happy ending.

Jessica's Take: Charming isn't a word I use very often--it seems to belong to a more Jane Austen-ish time. But it is just the word to describe this book (as well as The Tale of Despereaux, also by Kate DiCamillo). I think I read this in just one day, so it's definitely a quick read. Still, I enjoyed the style of prose she uses. She seems to leave out anything unnecessary, yet still keeps the charm (there's that word again . . . ) and carries you without your knowing it through a beautiful, sweet, touching story.


I was pleasantly surprised by the way she wove together the lives of seemingly unrelated characters. It was like reading Dickens (on a much smaller scale), and for me, that's really saying something.

Nick of Time by Ted Bell

This book was a lot of fun because it had a sort of taste of Treasure Island to it--there were a lot of fun parallels to that book, which I also enjoyed, but that's another story. Literally.

Anyway, I loved the fun adventures going on throughout the book and the mysteries involved. And the history. I thought it would be a perfect book for my boys when they get older. My only complaints were that there were a some unanswered questions (there's time travel in the story, which always presents a few), but then again, they could be resolved in the sequel, which I haven't read. Also, the author seemed to jump inside of anyone's brain he wanted to. That's not necessarily a bad thing--I just prefer first person or third person from one or two points of view. Other than that--really fun, perfectly enjoyable, and a light, quick read.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

I loved this one! Thanks to Elsa for recommending it and Amy P. for letting me (without knowing it) borrow her beautiful copy. This only took a day to read, but it was so cleverly written and had very sweet symbolism. Perfect for a young reader--I can see why it became so popular! (And personally I think the book is better than the movie)

Part of what I liked about it was how the author talks to the reader--sort of Charlotte Bronte-ish--and addresses you as "Dear Reader" with some very charming insights into the story. Cute book! I really recommend it for young kids or for old ones looking for something quick and fun to read.

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

The city of ember is a great book about a city surrounded by darkness. The city's people believe that they are the only light in the dark world, except two kids named Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow. They find a secret tunnel and think they've found a way out of ember. Was ember an underground city? Did the passage they found lead to anything? You'll find out if you read the city of ember.

Little House on the Prarie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

This is a great series of books about Laura Ingalls Wilder. It talks about her life--how she lives in the prairie, a dugout and in lots of other homes.

My favorite book in this series is: On the banks of Plum Creek.


Jessica:  I grew up on these books and loved the pictures and stories.  As a mother, I thoroughly enjoy reading this series to my children.  I think it is so good for them to realize that life wasn't always as easy and convenient as it is now.  Plus the real-life situations the Ingalls family dealt with has helped spark discussion with my own children about how to deal with their problems.  A perfectly beautiful series!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

This is one of my favorite books. It's about a boy (wait a second--doesn't everybody know this story?) named Charlie who finds a golden ticket and goes on a cool adventure in a giant chocolate factory.

The Twits by Roald Dahl

My class read this book together; it's about a man named Mr. Twit who has a huge beard and Mrs. Twit who has a glass eye. It has lots of silly stories about these very silly people.

Ginger Pie by Elenor Estes

I liked this book because it's about a dog who gets captured by a mysterious man in a yellow hat, but eventually finds it's owner. I think that this is a cute and funny book.

(Jessica here--I loved reading this book out loud to Lydia. There were many parts where we laughed out loud--it was truly darling. And clean and cute and old-fashioned--not enough books like that anymore!)