Monday Reading - Special Books

          Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they've been reading, along with everyone else who post their favorites.
          I had the great fortune of reading two marvelous chapter books this week, two you shouldn't miss.

Thanks very much to Candlewick Press for the ARC of this book, out early in November.

         I taught thirteen-year-olds, connected to this strong voice of Jimmy immediately and certainly understood his need to go hide out in a bathroom stall at the funeral home (which he did several times). This is a wake for his cousin, a cousin that pretty much made his life miserable every time they were together. Now Jimmy's mother says he has to give a brief eulogy at the funeral tomorrow. Can things get any worse? He also is stuffed into last year's dress pants because there was no time to get new ones. Arranged by chapters that are titled/words from Jimmy to show coming advice, like "Family member will be the first ones to make you feel out of place" and "You'll be surprised at who shows up", I had a tough time putting this one down. 

         Jimmy can't find one thing good that Patrick, his cousin, did or one memory that didn't end in ruin. Each chapter returns to those memories. It is painful to read about out-of-control Patrick and also out-of-control parents along with a few other adults. One continual light is Patrick's sister, Sophia, deaf, the one person who seemed to understand Patrick and certainly loved him. As the memories and the coming speech compound Jimmy's worries, he also tries to understand what really does happen at wakes, and while some parts are sad, other people show their true forms no matter the tragic circumstances. At the funeral, faced with this challenge, words come out that makes everyone gasp: "Patrick was kind of an asshole." You'll need to read this book to find out the rest of his words and what he shared he learned, something for us all. 

          Adam P. Schmitt's first novel is a poignant story that perhaps all parents and teachers should read to learn if they've been missing something in children in their lives.

       You must experience this book and Jonathan Auxier's note at the end, but wait to read that 'after' you read the story. The writing is beautiful and all I'm going to do is share a few quotes. It's a wonder of a book! You can also see a bit more from Auxier at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, some additional words about the writing and some sketches he made.

     "And even though they had eaten nothing, the girl still ended her day with a belly full of story--which sticks to the ribs even better than mutton."

      "Nan and Charlie stayed in the room all through the afternoon and into the night.

Just being quiet and things like that."

      "'So what if you are a monster?' She squeezed his hand. 'I wouldn't have it any other way.'"

        And here are four picture books I also enjoyed thoroughly.

        Thanks also to Candlewick Press for this sweet Christmas picture book from Michael Morpurgo and Kerry Hyndman that may connect with all of us with longing for home. This robin, brave and persistent, hears a calling that he cannot resist. Traveling over mountains and sea, in snowstorms and escaping hawks, Kerry Hydman's illustrations show the struggles of this bird, the sweeping and harsh terrain surrounding the flight along with other flocks he later joined, to return home. The ending is deliciously wonderful as he finds "her" and his home, welcomed by the people who live there, eating their Christmas bird cake. The story does have a happy ending and reminds me of the movie several years ago titled "Winged Migration", showing the struggles and the success of birds flying their long journey to HOME. 

         For all who love seeing these big machines and appreciate the work they do, often in the night like this one, sometimes in dangerous conditions, Deborah Bruss shows all that happens in clever rhyme, the story, really, of a snowplow driver, though he and the machine are thoroughly connected in the job! "Wind picks up and whirls the snow./It's a whiteout! Take it slow." Steve Johnson's illustrations show the beginnings of the work and follows all through the night in dark, snowy pictures, lights shining in windows and in streetlights as the snowplow moves along. Considering the weather, the scenes still give a cozy feeling, another kind of world most of us don't know. One fun thing that takes away the loneliness is that this particular snowplow driver takes his dog along.

        Originally published in 1942, then re-done with all of Lynn Ward's illustrations in 1970, this story of the little red lighthouse who thought it wasn't needed anymore after the George Washington Bridge was completed. It was, at least for a while. And it is still there, but now it's a historic sight you can visit. This book helped save it! Find out more here in this article. I managed to get this from my library archives. 

        Rafael López has created the happiest and most beautiful book celebrating our wonderful world, full of many different people, animals, things. As the pages are turned, the lyrics to the song are there, ready for everyone to sing along. This is going to be a lot of fun to share and sing together in classrooms, or with a few at home. 

          

What's Next - Starting Winnie’s Great War by Lindsay Mattick and Josh Greenhut, still reading Into The Jungle by Katherine Rundell.