Monday Reading

              Thanks to Sheila at Book Journeys who started It's Monday! What are you Reading?, a meme where bloggers share the books read recently. Now, thanks to Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts and Ricki and Kellee at Unleashing Readers, there is one with a children's focus. Come join in to share your own reading!

Caminar – verse novel by Skila Brown

             Based on real events in Guatemala in the early 80s, this story breaks your heart. It is not the usual growing up story where one celebrates a hard passage. Yet, the ending of the choice made by the young boy who tells the story brings tears, is to be celebrated. Although he has survived much loss,, his decision holds true to the character he was at the beginning. Skila Brown’s poems circle in and out of  terrible tension, exceptional feelings, and just enough information to make us, the readers, want to find out more. The use of movement of words and lines can show action, sorrow, and happiness. I loved reading and re-reading the stories told, was saddened by the obvious results that are foreshadowed. The subtle connections within the poems make the book worth re-reading to see what was missed the first time, so I’m not only recommending the book, but sharing that it should be read more than once.  There is a glossary that translate the Spanish words and phrases included in the poems, and a short Q & A about real events from the author.

 

Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach – written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

              It’s a “nutty” kind of story when Scaredy Squirrel avoids the beach for several reasons, but ends up going to the beach for one last thing to complete his own beach at home. Mélanie Watt tells the story in great pictures of this zany character showing and telling why he dislikes the beach, but then how much he enjoys the beach, what’s been forgotten, and what needs to be added. It’s a silly (typical of Scaredy) story that will bring lots of giggles when read aloud!

It Looked Like Spilt Milk - written and illustrated by Charles G. Shaw

              Mysterious pictures, white on gray, with repetitive wording, “sometimes it looked like __________, but it wasn’t ________________. This was published in 1947, an older book I’m not familiar with, but reprinted, and came with a cd of it, too. Good for the youngest  being read to, or perhaps slightly older if you’re reading outside with beautiful fluffy clouds in the sky?

The House In The Night – written by Susan Marie Swanson and illustrated by Beth Krommes

               With gorgeous woodcut illustrations, black and white and touches of yellow light, Susan Swanson writes a story of bedtime. In the end remarks, she tells that the inspiration comes from a nursery rhyme beginning, This is the key to the kingdom”. And so this beautiful story begins, “Here is the key to the house,” the starting action of bedtime, the book reading, looking upon the moon and a starry night, slowly darkening into sleep. I imagine this will be in a pile of favorite night-time story books to read.

The Cats In Krasinski Square - written by Karen Hesse and illustrated by Wendy Watson

             In the past years, after tragedies, often people share the story told by Mr. Rogers about his mother: "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers.”   I thought of that when I read this book, a fictional story from Karen Hesse based on a real-life story. During the terrible times in the Warsaw Ghetto, there were those Jewish people who “passed” as Polish, and day after day helped all they could to bring food and other items needed to the Ghetto, sneaking it however could be done. This story is about the use of cats to deceive the dogs used by the Nazis to find hidden food. It’s told by a young girl who says: “I wear my Polish look,/I walk my Polish walk./Polish words float from my lips/and I am almost safe, almost invisible.” With help, she devises a plan to save those bringing food, and to save the food. It is those helpers who we also must not forget. Wendy Watson’s illustrations are a bit faded, reminders of those yellowed photographs seen from long ago. The book is a good introduction to younger children who may not know much about the Holocaust.

Currently: Reading Nest, by Esther Ehrlich, so far a poignant and well-written story, out Sep. 9th!
         Finishing A Separate Peace by John Knowles, for a book group.