Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade: a Thanksgiving story by Trinka Hakes Noble. Illustrated by David C. Gardner. Tales of Young Americans series. unpgd. Sleeping Bear Press, September, 2017. 9781585369607. (Own.)
I was going to skip #tbt today. Take a break for the Thanksgiving holiday. But then this book popped into my head and even though it's only a year old (#tbt usually features books older than 10 years), I decided to review it.
The year is 1918 and a flu epidemic is sweeping the country, especially the tightly packed immigrant communities in New York's Lower East Side. Rettie is doing her best to care for her stricken mother and four younger siblings. She's only nine and her father is off fighting in the war. She scrambles to do odd jobs to earn money and hopes to participate in the ragamuffin parade so she can collect coins. She hopes the epidemic will not cancel the parade because she wants to feed her family on Thanksgiving.
Poignantly told and sumptuously illustrated, this tale tugs at the heartstrings. This picture book for older readers is a wonderful Thanksgiving read aloud to encourage gratitude and reflection. An author's note at the end provides historical context. Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade is a wonderful addition to any school, public or classroom library!
Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Penguin Random House, May 9, 2019.
Publisher synopsis: Delsie loves tracking the weather–lately, though, it seems the squalls are in her own life. She’s always lived with her kindhearted Grammy, but now she’s looking at their life with new eyes and wishing she could have a “regular family.” Delsie observes other changes in the air, too–the most painful being a friend who’s outgrown her. Luckily, she has neighbors with strong shoulders to support her, and Ronan, a new friend who is caring and courageous but also troubled by the losses he’s endured. As Ronan and Delsie traipse around Cape Cod on their adventures, they both learn what it means to be angry versus sad, broken versus whole, and abandoned versus loved. And that, together, they can weather any storm.
I adored One for the Murphys and Fish in a Tree and cannot wait for this!
SHOUT: a poetry memoir by Laurie Halse Anderson. 290 p. Viking/ Penguin Young Readers Group, March 19, 2019. 9780670012107. (Review from arc courtesy of publisher.)
It's always a big deal when Laurie Halse Anderson has a new book out. This memoir will be published in March, around the twentieth anniversary of her Printz Honor winning, National Book Award Finalist, Speak. I read Speak when I was new to school librarianship and before I was blogging. I distinctly recall my telling anyone who would listen that it should be required reading for all rising eighth graders and their parents and teachers. It was raw. It was true. It was groundbreaking. It was needed.
Unfortunately, it is still needed as little has changed in the twenty years. Speak was somewhat unintentionally autobiographical, something Anderson was willing to keep quiet about. Until. Until she started speaking to thousands of teens all over the United States. She'd avoid answering the question about whether it had ever happened to her. Until she didn't. She respects her audience too much.
So she shared, and, eventually SHOUT was born. Boy, do we need SHOUT! It is raw. It is true. It is groundbreaking. It most definitely is needed. I have heard Anderson speak on a variety of subjects over the years. She is a passionate truth teller and caller outer, whether it's about racism, PTSD, mental health issues or sexual assault. Her words are beautifully angry and inspiring.
Read Speak. Read Shout. Get angry and do a little SHOUTING yourself.
Squirm by Carl Hiassen. Unabridged downloadable audiobook. 7 hours. Narrated by Kirby Heybourne. Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, September, 2018. (Audiobook borrowed from public library. Own print copy.)
Billy Dickens is a bit of an oddball. But he's an interesting one. He lives with his mother and older sister, his dad having left the family when Billy was about three. His mom doesn't talk at all about his dad, but he faithfully sends a check each month. His mom is out there as well. Though loving, she moves the family frequently. The reason? She needs to live near an active eagle family nest. Billy doesn't stay in one place for very long so he doesn't make friends. He loves nature and the outdoors. He really doesn't mind going eagle watching with his mom. He has a thing for justice and fighting for the underdog. He also loves snakes. He earned the nickname, "Snake Boy," when he used a bagful of rattlers to deter his classmates from breaking into his locker (long story).
Billy decided that he's had enough of not-knowing about his father, pieces together the envelope containing the check and the return address and hops a plane to Montana where he plans on surprising his long-lost father. What he finds instead is his father's new family. Lil and her daughter, Summer are members of the Crow Nation. They are okay with Billy's dad's frequent disappearances. With Summer and Lil's help, Billy sets out into the woods to find his elusive father. What they find is his truck with the tires slashed. But that is not enough to deter Billy.
Kirby Heybourne is one of my favorite narrators and he does a fantastic job narrating this twisty turny, hilarious mystery. His laid back, almost nonchalant delivery was perfectly paced. I am a fan of both Hiassen's adult and juvenile fare. I love his descriptions of the outdoors. He deftly skewers rich, selfish, hypocritical politicians and businessmen, in this case a big game hunter with a penchant for rare endangered animals. This one might be my favorite. My students who like mysteries and like to laugh really love Hoot and Flush. I can't wait to hear what they think of Squirm.
Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.
For review: Two books for Cybils judging arrived this week.
Eliza Bing is (Not) a Star by Carmella Van Vleet. 249 p. Holiday House, September, 2018. 9780823440245.
Publisher synopsis: How will Eliza make it through the sixth grade? Her ADHD tends to complicate things. . . .
Eliza Bing stuck with taekwondo and earned her yellow belt even though her family expected her to quit. She's tough enough to break boards with her bare hands! Next up: middle school, and hopefully a best friend. The school play turns out to be the perfect opportunity to befriend confident, stage-obsessed Annie. But can their friendship survive the spotlight?
The joys and sorrows of middle school come to life in this funny and heartfelt sequel to Eliza Bing Is (NOT) a Big, Fat Quitter, recipient of the Christopher Award and four child-voted state award nominations.
Daphne Definitely Doesn't Do Drama by Tami Charles. Daphne, Secret Vlogger series. 96 p. Stone Arch Books/ Capstone, August, 2018. 9781496562951.
Publisher synopsis: Ridiculous makeup, blinding spotlights, and too much catty drama! Annabelle Daphne Louis starts her second assignment from her therapist to venture outside of her comfort zone at her new school. This time, she's trying her hand at theater. Failing the auditions for Little Shop of Horrors, Annabelle finds her place backstage. But when Annabelle features some funny impersonations on her vlog, Daphne Doesn't, the drama is just beginning. When the play director shares Daphne's videos with the cast, Annabelle starts experiencing some real-life drama. And as her likes and followers increase like crazy, Annabelle begins to realize that it doesn't mean anything if she doesn't have the guts to make friends in real life.
Purchased: nothing for me but I did buy Saving Winslow and Wimpy Kid 13 to send to my husband's great-nephews. They and their baby sister are great readers and I love being the Book Aunt.
If you leave a comment, I will definitely stop by and try to comment back - unless commenters have to sign onto Discus or whatever that's called. But I will check out your stack!
Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood: a World War I tale by Nathan Hale. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series #4. 126 p. Amulet Books/ Abrams, May, 2014. 9781419708084. (Own)
Fact Friday concludes our week devoted to books about World War I with Treaties, Trenches, Mud and Blood: a World War I tale by Nathan Hale. This is book number four in the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series. Though technically this book is historical fiction because it is narrated by the (dead) historical figure, Nathan Hale, all the history in these books is factually correct and often includes direct quotations. In case you are unfamiliar with the series, in One Dead Spy, the first book, Nathan Hale is heading to the gallows but since he was a historical figure, he's in future history books and has absorbed all the American history that happened (happens?) after his demise (in the future?) Yeah, it's mind-bendy, but go with it. This is sort an Americanized 1001 Arabian Nights with Hale delaying his execution with one more story.
The causes of World War I are complex but Hale does a good job of distilling them. The war was also notable for the advancements of military technology, such as poison gas and tanks. The horrors of this war were gruesome and the loss of life on both sides was extremely high. Hale manages to convey that without bludgeoning the reader. The palette is mostly earth tones, the art is crowded and filled with detail. The representation of the countries is signified by animal heads, Bulldog = England and Rooster = France.
The entire series is quite well done and highly recommended.
Kipling's Choice by Geert Spillebeen. Translated by Terese Edelstein. 154 p. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005. 0618431241. (Own)
#tbt features Kipling's Choice by Geert Spillebeen. This novel was originally published in Belgium and was translated by Therese Edelstein for an American audience in 2005. The story opens on a battlefield during WWI. John Kipling lies mortally wounded and reflects on his life. John is Rudyard Kipling's only child and both of them suffered from poor eyesight, which prevented his father from serving in an earlier war and initially prevented his son from serving in WWI. But the elder Kipling was now a famous author and pulled some strings to get John accepted. The story switches between John, written in first-person, and his memories, written third-person omniscient. This thought-provoking novel is a fictionalized account of real events.
