Arc Review: Once Upon a Camel by Kathi Appelt

Image: Simon & Schuster

Once Upon a Camel by Kathi Appelt. Illustrated by Eric Rohmann. 326 p. A Caitlyn Dlouhy Book/ Atheneum Books for Young Readers/ Simon & Schuster, September 7, 2021. 9781534406438. (Review of arc courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

Zada is an elderly camel who lives in the desert in Texas with her found family headed by kestrels, Pardo and Perlita. She's awakened abruptly one morning by a hysterical Perlita babbling about an approaching mountain. Turns out, that mountain is a dust storm, a haboob (Yes, I had to look that up), and it's heading toward the cottonwood tree the family have made their home. What's more, Pardo and Perlita have two unfledged chicks in their nest that need protecting! 

The frantic kestrel parents entrust the care of Beulah and Wims to Zada before they are blown upwards into the windstorm. The two chicks nestle down into the hair on top of Zada's head and the trio sets off to the Mission. While Zada has made the trip to the mission many times, never has she done so in the middle of a windstorm and never on such achy legs and certainly not with two fidgety chicks balanced on her head! But she is an honorable camel and a fine auntie and will not Pardo and Perlita down. But what to do to keep Wims and Beulah occupied? She tells them stories.

This is when the narrative flashes back from 1910, West Texas to Smyrna, Turkey in 1850. Do the math, Zada is old! Together with Asiye, Zada was born into the Pasha's racing stables and are destined to race for him. Under the tutelage of gentle Teodor, the two camel best friends thrive and strive to be their very fastest in service of the Pasha. How then, does Zada end up in America? You'll need to read this luscious, atmospheric story-within-a-story to find out. 

And, did you notice in the publication information up top that the book was illustrated by Eric Rohmann? This was the whipped cream and cherry on top of your favorite sundae! Here's a photo of one particularly arresting bit of art among many:

I'm a huge fan of Ms. Appelt. Her books are basically automatic purchases for me. I love her unhurried storytelling. It's rich and lyrical and perfect for reading aloud. She must've done a tremendous amount of research. I spent a fair amount of time looking up unfamiliar words, including the pronunciation of Asiye's name. Young readers' vocabulary will be enriched as Ms. Appelt steeps the reader in two countries/ cultures. 

There are moments of danger and suspense. There will be tears but there are many moments of humor, much of it laugh-out-loud. I closed the book with a satisfied sigh and cannot wait to reread it with my ears. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Image: Simon & Schuster

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. 528 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, October 12, 2021. 9781534496194

Waiting on Wednesday features a sequel that I am looking forward to reading called Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Since this is a sequel, I don't want to give too much away, but Aristotle and Dante are two characters I absolutely adore and I can't wait to visit with them again! Check out #tbt tomorrow for info about the first book! Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World is due to release on October 12.

Teen Tuesday: Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas

Image: Macmillan Publishers

Lost In the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~12 hours and 13 minutes. Read by Avi Roque. Macmillan Audio, March, 2021. 9781250779557. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday and L'Shana Tovah to all who are celebrating the Jewish New Year. May you have a sweet start to, 5782, the new year.

Teen Tuesday features Lost In the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas. Eighteen-year-old Wendy Darling is driving home from her volunteer job at the local hospital one night, when a shadowy figure lands on the hood of her truck. She pulls over to the side of the road to investigate and discovers a boy lying on there. He appears to be unconscious, but he opens the bluest eyes Wendy has ever seen and he calls her by her name! She has no idea who this boy is, but she has been obsessively drawing him and a picture of a gnarled tree for the past five years-ever since she and her brothers disappeared into the woods. 

Wendy was the only to return after a six month absence, clutching an acorn and with no memory of who took her or what happened to her brothers. Wendy's memory loss has been frustrating for her, her parents, the police and the town, all of whom want closure, especially since two children went missing recently. The boy is named Peter and his shadow has something to do with the disappearance of the children. Peter begs for Wendy's help finding his shadow before any more children disappear. Wendy agrees and as they investigate, more children disappear, most having some connection to Wendy Darling.

This modern-day Peter Pan story just thrums with suspense and atmosphere. While there are subtle references to the J.M. Barrie classic, this twisty, menacing tale is wholly original, scary, occasionally humorous and delightful.

Lost in the Never Woods is perfect for fans of fairy tale updates/ retellings or any reader who enjoys a twisty mystery. I wasn't a huge fan of the audiobook, though. The narrator chose to pause at odd times fairly consistently through the book, frequently taking me out of the story. They also lacked nuance between different voices, often leading to confusion about who was speaking.

Middle Grade Monday: The Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling

Image: Little, Brown and Company

The Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~3 hours, 5 minutes. Read by Casey Holloway. Hachette Audio, September, 2020. 9781549134456. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Happy Labor Day! I hope you've been enjoying your holiday weekend! Middle Grade Monday features The Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling. A number of my students are fans of the author's debut, Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus and its sequel, Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus. The Canyon's Edge is very different. It's written in verse with sections of prose. The mostly present tense stream of consciousness and use of flashbacks are very effective in setting the mood and instilling tension.

Nora and her father head out to the Sonoran Desert to celebrate her birthday with a hike and climb into a slot canyon. Nora's father chose this celebration to be far away from civilization and danger, because a year earlier, the family were celebrating at a restaurant when a man dressed in cammo entered and began shooting, killing Nora's mother and wounding her father. Both are grieving, suffering from PTSD and have withdrawn from the world. Nora has been homeschooled, but is ready to return.

Unfortunately, the desert also contains danger. They are hiking in the slot canyon when a flash flood roars through. Nora's father pushes her up to safety, but is swept away by the strong current. Nora is left alone with no supplies and many decisions to make. Does she attempt to climb out of the slot and find their car? If so, what then? They were parked in the middle of the desert. Does she climb back down into the slot and follow the trail hoping to find her father? Luckily for Nora, she's an experienced hiker/ climber. Even without equipment, she knows to look out for danger, such as snakes and scorpions and, worst of all, another flash flood.

The audiobook was effectively performed, but I think I should've read this one with my eyes to appreciate the various breaks and poetry forms. 

The Sonoran Desert setting is vivid and tension runs high throughout this intense, edge-of-your-seat survival adventure that you won't want to miss.

Fact Friday: Zion Unmatched by Zion Clark and James S. Hirsch (Again a day late!)

Image: Candlewick Press

Zion Unmatched by Zion Clark and James S. Hirsch. 32 p. Candlewick Press, August, 2021. 9781536224184. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Happy Saturday! I'm stumbling out of the gate here with my posts this first week of school. I have managed to post to the learning platform at school and our public library's FB page, but not here! Apologies. We had quite the first day back at school on Thursday thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Ida.  As usual, Closter students rose to the occasion with good humor and energy, making my Fact Friday choice quite fitting. 

Fact Friday features Zion Unmatched by Zion Clark and James S. Hirsch. Students in sixth through eighth grades may remember viewing a video about elite athlete, Zion Clark during advisory last spring. Mr. Clark was born without legs and was quickly abandoned by his birth mother. He grew up in the foster care system, where he experienced abuse and neglect. Nevertheless, he taught himself to walk by using his hands and strove to do his best in school. He discovered wrestling in high school and also became a champion wheelchair racer and hand-cycler. Today, he's a motivational speaker and entrepreneur as well. This photo-essay/memoir is the first of a planned trilogy.

The full-color, slightly over-sized photos of Mr. Clark are striking. His energy and determination are evident in each. There are inspirational quotes sprinkled throughout, but unnecessary because the man is the inspiration. The photo-essay is a nice introduction to Mr. Clark. I am hoping that future volumes contain more detail about his life and what he did to overcome his challenges and thrive. 

Zion Unmatched will have wide appeal and is a recommended addition to any school, classroom or public library. 

#tbt: Flipped by Wendell Van Draanen

Image: Penguin Random House

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanan. 212 p. Alfred A. Knopf/ Random House Children's Books, October, 2001. 9780375811746. (Own)

Happy first day of school with students to me! Getting to school this morning was a bit of a challenge what with flooded roads and downed trees. We had a delayed opening. I hope you all stayed dry last night! What a storm!

#tbt is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the publication of Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanan a month early. This comedy is told in the alternating points-of-view of Juli and Bryce. The first time Juli met Bryce back in second grade, she flipped for him. She's convinced that he is the bearer of her first kiss. Bryce's immediate reaction to Juli is just the opposite. Over the years between second and eighth grades, this remains the case until Bryce flips. For Juli. And she couldn't care less.

Flipped was named an SLJ Best Book and also made several State Award lists. It was adapted for film by Rob Reiner in 2010  and is one of my go-to "romances" for fifth and sixth graders!

A Late Waiting on Wednesday: Besties: Work It Out by Kayla Miller

Image: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Happy Thursday. I headed into school yesterday for my first day and forgot to post this here. I remembered to post it to our learning platform and the town public library FB page though. 

Waiting on Wednesday features Besties: Work it Out by Kayla Miller and Jeffrey Canino with illustrations by Christina Luu. There are lots of Click series fans at TMS and this book is a spin-off that's due out October 19. Here's the publisher synopsis:

Meet Beth and Chanda, two stylish best friends on their way to building their fashion empire! An unexpected business opportunity presents itself when the girls are asked to dogsit at Ms. Langford's luxurious house while she’s away, but it quickly turns into a disaster after an accident leaves one of Ms. Langford’s prized possessions in pieces! Now Beth and Chanda have to take on as many odd jobs as they can in order to afford a replacement. Car washing, book sales, interior decorating—you name it, Beth and Chanda are there! Will they be able to patch up their mistake in time?

New York Times best-selling author Kayla Miller and co-author Jeffrey Canino deliver a vibrant and honest story about middle school friendships and personal responsibility. Accompanied by Kristina Luu's fizzy, expressive art style, this graphic novel is the perfect companion to Olive's existing stories.