Ordinary Hazards: a memoir by Nikki Grimes. 325 p. Boyds Mills Press October 8, 2019. 9781629798813. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)
Teen Tuesday features Ordinary Hazards: a memoir by Nikki Grimes. Resilience is a trait that gets bandied about a lot lately, especially when talking about children. Is it something we are born with or can it be cultivated? Grimes discovered the power of words, of reading them and writing them, to help her navigate the uncertainty of her childhood. She was born in Harlem to a mother who battled mental illness and alcohol and a mostly absent, though revered father. Her older sister, Carol, comforted and protected her as best she could. But there was only so much an older sister could do. There were rats, fights, cousins hooked on heroin, abusive caregivers and the gradual mental deterioration of their mother until she and her sister were removed from her home and placed in foster care. They were kept together for two years, but eventually, the girls were placed in separate homes.
Grimes is a poet and author of such verse novels as Garvey's Choice, Words with Wings and Planet Middle School and hybrid verse/ prose novels such as Bronx Masquerade and its companion, One Last Word. She's also author of the picture book biography, Barack Obama: son of promise, child of hope. The vivid imagery of her poems takes the reader back to the early 1950s, to dresser drawer beds, to nodding heads, to locked closets, to a train to Ossining and back again.
She found a good place with the Buchanan family though she missed her sister terribly. She found consolation in writing in notebooks. She wrote poems and bits of observations. After a few years, her mother got her life together and remarried. Nikki had to say goodbye to the Buchanans to return to her mother in Brooklyn and the hope of a new start that nine-year-old Nikki could not trust.
This memoir in verse was unputdownable. Vivid, raw, compelling, heartbreaking and honest, I often had to remind myself to breathe. She turned out okay, I reminded myself. Improbably, she had the strength to learn and grow despite the traumas. How, when so many in similar situations fall victim? Thank goodness for Nikki Grimes' resiliency. I wish it for each person who struggles.
Ordinary Hazards is extraordinary and not to be missed if you are a fan of the author, a fan of memoirs in verse or just a thoughtful reader with a heart.
The Secret Life of the Woolly Bear Caterpillar by Laurence Pringle. Illustrated by Joan Paley. unpged. Boyds Mills Press, April 1, 2014. 9781620910009. (Finished copy courtesy of publisher for review.)
The author discusses the life of a banded woolly bear caterpillar named Bella in this narrative non-fiction picture book for younger readers. Using words like undulate and accurate scientific taxonomy that is explained in text as well as in a glossary, the author describes Bella's journey, which is fraught with danger from predators and cars in her search for food to eat and, eventually, the perfect place to spend the winter.
The colorful, mixed-media collages depict the changing seasons and the variety of other animals she might encounter. Further information about the woolly bear caterpillar, including the myth about its ability to predict the severity of the coming winter is included at the end.
The Streak: how Joe DiMaggio became America's hero by Barb Rosenstock. Illustrated by Terry Widener. Calkins Creek/ Boyds Mills Press, March 1, 2014. 9781590789926. (Finished copy courtesy of publisher for review.)
I chose this in honor of baseball season opening this week.
In 1941, the war that would be World War II was raging in Europe. That summer was to be the last summer of peace in the United States and it was also the summer that Yankee great, Joe DiMaggio had a hit in 56 consecutive games. Batters often have a routine they perform before they're ready for a pitch. It might involve some sort of tic or sequence of swings, or tapping the bat on the plate. Not Joe, according to this highly readable account of that season. He spoke with his bat, which he named Betsy.
Baseball players are notoriously superstitious. But when Betsy was stolen when his streak stood at 41, he found himself hitless the first three times at bat. Then he grabbed another bat that teammate Tommy Henrich offered and hit number 42. And he kept on hitting. Betsy was found. He kept on hitting. Betsy broke and he kept on hitting.
The illustrations, in earth tones, are not terribly detailed but convey the period details such as the baggie uniforms and a variety of stances and baseball action scenes. The font of the number of hits and the word, streak, are red and leap out of the black of the other words on the page.
A two-page Author's Note follows the narrative and includes additional hitting statistics as well as historical context. There are also quotes from the press as well as other ball players scattered throughout. Two concluding pages provide source notes, a lengthy bibliography suggesting books, articles, video and websites.
A fine read aloud to kick off baseball season or to give to young baseball enthusiasts.
The Great Big Green by Peggy Gifford. Illustrated by Lisa Desimini. unpgd. Boyds Mills Press, April 1, 2014. 9781620916292. (Finished copy courtesy of publisher for review.)
Here's another book celebrating the color green. This time, it's a guessing game. Just what is the great big green? Playful language provides clues on each page that includes all manner of green things, living and non-living.
If the lush, inviting cover doesn't hook young readers, I don't know what to say. The computer-generated collages are the stars here. There's so much to see, the eye just doesn't know where to settle. Younger children will have a blast lingering on each page.
I'm not a huge fan of the color green, I love looking at it in nature, but am hard-pressed to purchase any green clothing although I did buy a green-leather couch. I was particularly tickled by the "dark and dangerous greens" and "tornado-sky greens."
The Great Big Green is a nice addition to the pre-school collection.
