More Sharon Creech!

Heartbeat
Sharon Creech

Heartbeat is another novel in verse by Sharon Creech. After reading Love That Dog and Hate That Cat, I wanted to read this book. I really enjoy how Creech tells a story in so few words and I wanted to compare this book to the last two I read.
This novel was a little more interesting to me than the last two because I learned more about the main character’s family and friends. The book is titled Heartbeat because Annie’s mom is going to have a baby. Sharon Creech shows how a child is affected by the fact that she is no longer the only child in the family. At first this may be difficult for some children, but Annie comes to love her new sibling. In addition, Sharon Creech describes Annie’s relationship with her friend Max. Max and Annie both enjoy running and racing so it is interesting to see how they compete with one another and are close to each other.
Once again I think it is great that Sharon Creech can tell her stories through poetry. This novel has more words on the pages compared to the last two I read. The novel is broken up into short poems. This is a good idea because it gives the reader a little insight as to what will be discussed next. The poems flow and they are simple and lyrical.

Hate That Cat-Another great novel by Sharon Creech

Hate That Cat
Sharon Creech

If you liked Love That Dog then you would enjoy reading Sharon Creech’s continuation of Jack’s story, Hate That Cat. This novel, in verse, is just as creative if not more creative as Love That Dog. Now that Jack has learned a little bit about poetry, his poems are full of enthusiasm.
Through his poems you really learn a lot about Jack’s character. He changes from hating cats to loving them when he gets a kitten. Children have the ability to love and care for animals and this novel shows us how Jack comes to love a kitten.
Once again, like Love That Dog this novel is a quick read. Each page may only be filled with a few words or phrases, but the words carry meaning. They teach us about Jack’s character and let us get inside of his head to understand what he is thinking. Many of the words are also what I would call “fun” words for kids. For example, words such as “buzz,” “boom,” and “pop” are just fun to read and even more fun for children to say. They reiterate Jack’s energy. Jack comes across to the reader as a loving, inspired, and caring person. I recommend that you take a little time and read this novel.

Go Ask Alice is a MUST Read

Go Ask Alice
Anonymous

I first read Go Ask Alice when I was in sixth grade. My teacher read it to our class and left out some parts because she felt they were too inappropriate for us to hear. After rereading this book, I am unsure whether she should have read it to us at all. This book is intense especially because it is a diary of a real person and not just someone made up. Each journal entry kept me wanting to read on and turn the page until I eventually finished it.
I would recommend Go Ask Alice to people in middle school and above. It introduces you to the effects that drugs can have on people. Some may think it’s unlikely to become addicted, but this diary shows you that it is very easy to become hooked.
This book also made me think twice about trusting people. One of the main reasons the girl is put in uncomfortable situations is due to the friends that she has. It’s important that we make friends we can trust. And, if you can’t trust someone then is that person really a good friend?
It’s a shame that the girl had to go through so many terrible experiences, but I do recommend this book. It’s an easy read, it’s interesting, and it’s a true account of how drugs impacted a girl’s life.

A Mysterious Creative Novel

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
This is a must-read for people that would enjoy reading a mystery with a different sort of twist. Miranda discovers several notes left for her in her home. Some of them cause her and her mother to believe they might be dealing with a criminal. But you learn that it is quite the opposite.
The author does a great job of making this novel appeal to both children and adults. If I had read this novel when I was younger, I would have liked the fact that I could relate to Miranda. Friendships are described in the book. Children develop their first friendships in elementary school. As a young adult, it is interesting to see how Miranda’s surroundings impact her thoughts and feelings. The author also shows us that Miranda is intelligent, caring, and helpful to others.
The author organized this novel into short chapters. Many chapter titles are simple phrases such as “Things You Hide,” “Things That Sneak Up On You,” and “Things That Smell.” The titles are intriguing and caused me to want to read and discover what things you hide, what sneaks up on you, and what smells.
In all, this was a book that I finished within a couple days. It kept my interest and so it was difficult to put the novel down.

What's left: the Leftovers

Leftovers by Laura Wiess

Why this book is great: The story makes you think twice, some parts are so disgusting/horrible that you are impelled to read on

This story is about two girls that become friends and help one another deal with their family issues. One of the girls is abused, both sexually and emotionally, and the other girl is grows up in a household where her mother makes her feel unimportant. The girls struggle with trying to understand boys and wanting to be liked by them. However, they are taken advantage of by one boy too many.
This story would be best fit for teenagers and even adults. It takes a more mature audience to read this novel because of the situations the girls are placed in. The characters are only in eighth grade yet they are already testing their sexually and are sexually abused and taken advantage of. It is horrible to think that people can abuse others to such a great extent, but it does happen and it is important to understand how this affects people.
The author makes it clear that we need to be careful with who we let into our lives and help and care for those we love and trust.
The author’s style makes this book interesting. Each chapter alternates from one of the girl’s perspective to the other’s perspective. It is in first person which allowed me to feel like the girls were speaking directly to me. This technique also enabled me to sympathize with the characters and gain a better understanding of how their family life and environment impacted their life and decisions.

A book by one of my favorite authors

The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech
Sharon Creech is one of my favorite children’s book authors. In addition to reading this novel, I have read Walk Two Moons and Love that Dog. Her novels are almost perfectly constructed that I find myself deeply engaged in her stories.
The cover of the book reminds me of peace and harmony. The bird on the front looks like a Dove and it is outlined with the colors of the rainbow. It is not too complex and looks like a student could draw it which caught my attention.
The Unfinished Angel showed the relationship between Angel and Zola and how they connected with one another while working to help the children. This story is very humorous and shows the kindness in the main character’s hearts. It is great to want to help others, but it is another thing to follow through with these aspirations.
I also liked that the chapters were only a few pages long. This kept my focus because stories from one chapter would continue to the next or a new idea would be presented. There is also some uncertainty of what’s going to happen next which provokes you to think ahead.
The fact that Zola helps the Angel learn and Angel helps Zola learn is very important. It shows us that friendship is a give and take relationship, and this is a lesson that children should understand.

Historical Fiction--One of the Best

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
I really enjoyed reading this novel. The best part of this book is that the author brings the main character, Homer P. Figg to life. I’m glad this novel is written in first person because it allows readers to have the opportunity to get to know Homer better. From the beginning of the book we learn that Homer is telling a true story even though he seems to tell lies all of the time. His lies are clever because they help him get out of sticky situations. They are humorous and caused me to want to continue reading until I finished the story. I hardly put the book down and finished the book within two days.
When I saw the cover of the book, I instantly thought about the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. I do not remember the whole storyline of Huckleberry Finn but I do remember it being clever and interesting. It too involved things from the past such as discussing racial issues.
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg would be a great book to introduce to children both at home and in school. Many children may not enjoy learning about history in class and this book teaches children about the Civil War and is also entertaining. The author did a good job of choosing titles for each chapter. For example, the titles “ The Secret in the Wagons,” and “The Weasel Comes A-Calling,” are interesting, unusual titles that may cause children to want to discover what lies ahead.

A Little disapointing but an interesting look at the Afterlife

The Afterlife by Gary Soto
I was a little disappointed with Gary Soto’s The Afterlife. I thought this book was going to be more interesting than it was by what I read on the back cover. The back cover tells you about the storyline—that Chuy is killed and makes the most of his “life” after death. So reading this I thought the story was going to be creative and intriguing. I did enjoy reading about Chuy’s emotions and how his views changed about those he loved after he died. But, I feel the story could have been better developed. Soto created two other ghosts, like Chuy, which gave him others to interact with since he is unable to talk to people that are alive. Chuy’s relationship with the girl that he fell in love with could have been better developed. Although Chuy and the girl spent time together, they did not really share enough information about each other. That’s probably why it’s called love at first sight and I guess people can say you just know when you love someone, but developing this relationship would make the book stronger.
I liked that this book incorporated Spanish words and at the end of the story there is a glossary which gives definitions for the words used. This is helpful for readers and exposes people to a different language. In addition, the language that Chuy used is what I would call “teenage” language because he uses words that people in high school would use as opposed to adults. This may attract more teenagers to read the novel.

A Look at the Holocaust

Hana’s Suitcase by Karine Levine
Hana’s Suitcase is intriguing from cover to cover. I enjoyed reading this story a lot. The author devotes certain chapters to Hana’s story. Other chapters are told from a teacher’s point of view, who is researching Hana’s life so that she can teach Japanese children about the Holocaust. This enables the story to be appealing to children and adults since it is told from different viewpoints.
The Holocaust interests me not only because I am Jewish, but because there are still many things left to discover about the past. In addition, I find World War II both intriguing and disgusting. I cannot bring myself to understand how people can treat others so horribly. This book gives information about how unfairly Jews were treated without being too gory for children to read. I found myself sympathizing with Hana and feeling her emotions with her. For example, when Hana and her brother were told they could not see “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” at the movie theater because they were Jewish, I felt sad for them. Although many worse things happened, the little things add up and it’s just not fair. My biggest pet peeve is being rude to other people, so that is something I just can’t stand.
I recommend this book to both children and adults. I’m sure there’s many people that still do not know a lot about the Holocaust and this book is a good introduction to it. I would also encourage people to take the time to learn more about the Holocaust and World War II.

Oh Poetry!

Bees, snails, and peacock tails by Betsy Franco and Steve Jenkins

From cover to cover of Bees, snails, and peacock this book has creative designs, uses a great deal of color, and has words that are large and small, and some of the text forms shapes. The colorful illustrations in this book really drew me in but I also enjoyed reading the poetry. Most pictures continue across both pages and each picture goes along with the text. For example, one page talks about ants being able to carry food on their back and so the illustration is of ants walking towards a watermelon. This makes the story cleverer. Children will be able to learn the names of animals and objects by matching the words to the pictures. I also liked this story because some of the information is factual such as star fish having five arms and “eyespots” that help them move around. After the story ends, there are two pages dedicated to giving a little bit of information about each animal. Older children could look at these pages to discover more about the creatures.
My only suggestion to this book is to fix the ending. The poem concludes by saying that creatures make patterns and shapes naturally. But, this could be better worded or the ending could be changed.

I Did It Because…How A Poem Happens by Loris Lesynski

“I Did It Because…” How a Poem Happens is full of energy and enthusiasm, and crazy made up words that are simply creative. What’s great about this book is that it is divided into sections on how a poem happens such as poem prep, sounds and wordplay, and inspiration sparks. After each section there are poems that use the ideas from that section. This enables children to learn how they can work towards writing a poem with these strategies. The book teaches children how certain sounds can come together to form rhythms and shows that poems can be written about anything. Any idea can form a poem from describing a pizza to telling others about you.
Each poem is illustrated with a picture that represents the poem. If you glance at these illustrations you will be intrigued to read the wacky, crazy, different, but fun poems in this collection.
The poem that touched me the most is titled “I Look in the Mirror.” The ending of this poem is “Look at me closely with all of your eyes—and all you will see is my perfect disguise.” This means that there is a difference between truly knowing a person and just looking at them from the outside. To find out more about someone else, you need to make an effort to get to know him and understand who he is. Messages like this are important for children to hear.

Have You Ever Read a Graphic Novel?

Janes in Love by Cecil Casteullucci and Jim Rugg
Although I haven’t read many graphic novels, Jane in Love was interesting. It appeals more to teenagers, especially girls with high school crushes. This book had a lot of “high school drama” which I always tried to avoid. The author also conveys the idea that with hard work you can accomplish your goals.
I like that this book incorporated meaningful quotes such as “it is not only what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do.” In addition, each comic box has detailed characters and by the end of the story, it is easy to remember which character is which. However, I believe that the author could have done a better job of developing the characters relationships towards one another. The “thinking” boxes were helpful but it would be great if they had more information on the characters’ thoughts and feelings.
I didn’t realize that so much work went into creating a graphic novel. I had heard of them before but did not know just how popular they are and that it takes a lot of practice to draw the characters the same each time.
I would recommend this novel and other graphic novels especially if you have not read one before.

You Better Love That Dog

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
The simplicity of Love That Dog makes this novel come to life. Sharon Creech enables readers to become Jack in this story by conveying his emotions through first person speech. I read this novel all in one sitting and I would consider it one of the best books I have read. I found myself wanting to turn the pages quicker than I could read because I was intrigued by what would come next. Some people may argue it’s difficult to write poetry, and even the character Jack seems to think so at times. But, this story shows us that poetry can be simple; when you want to tell a story or write a poem, express your thoughts. Poetry can also be created unintentionally as words fall across the page.
Another great thing about this novel is that both adults and children can enjoy it. Many children will be able to relate to Jack and his dog, as well as being in school. Adults may look at this story from a different point of view but will be proud of the things that Jack accomplishes along with his hard work and determination.
The font in this book is somewhat large and blue. Dates are also given on each page to make this book become a journal. These techniques make the story more individualized and the color causes the words to stand out. It gives the book a different feeling than if it was written in black and white. In a sense, this makes it appeal more to children. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good read.

A Look at Two Different Types of Non-Fiction Books For Kids

Eleanor Quiet No More: The Life of Eleanor Roosevelt by Doreen Rappaport
Eleanor Quiet No More successfully addresses and describes Eleanor Roosevelt’s life and accomplishments. This story is geared towards children in elementary school but can be read by older children and adults. The author and illustrator worked hard to bring this story to life by researching her life. You can even see how dedicated the illustrator was by looking at the details in his pictures. These paintings convey thoughts and feelings of the characters and represent the past. His pictures work well with the text. Some of the text in this story includes important quotes which are enlarged on the pages. Larger font permits children to focus on these statements and remember those that seem important or carry meaning. There are also borders along the pages with text. In some of the illustrations Eleanor is highlighted in brighter colors especially when she is laughing or when she has reached her aspirations.
Although I had some background knowledge on Eleanor’s life I was unaware of how much she helped people across the world during the war. This book describes Eleanor’s life without being too wordy as some biographies are. For this reason, children may be interested in learning about her life.

Animals at the Edge: Saving The World’s Rarest Creatures by Jonathan Baille and Marilyn Baille
Just by glancing at the cover, I was drawn into reading Animals at the Edge. On the cover of this book, a small animal with large eyes and cute little feet stares right back at you. When you open the pages of this book, you can admire the rare and unique animals that live across the world. This story teaches readers a little bit about many different animals and gives them information on how scientists are working to save them.
I really liked the organization of this book. There are differences between how each page is designed but they all include text within boxes, borders, pictures, and colorful font. There are “Did You Know?” bubbles as well as a “Note” book box. The bubble and the “Note” book box help to engage the reader. There are also rhetorical questions that promote deeper thinking.
Just the right amount of information is given about each animal and children may be inspired to look for additional information elsewhere. The fact that this book introduces you to the scientists instead of just saying “scientists study this animal” makes this book more personal and relatable. It is good for children to put faces to people and understand what a scientist might study.

Kevin Henkes' Bird Lake Moon

Bird Lake Moon has an interesting storyline, showing how friendship develops between two boys. This friendship enables one boy an escape from family problems—his parents’ divorce, and the other boy to better understand his parent’s struggle with his deceased brother. This storyline is compelling, but I found myself losing interest during parts of the book. Some words just seemed to drag across the pages. However, towards the end of the book, I wanted to keep reading because the author did a great job of adding connotation to the words. I felt sadness, anger, and frustration for the boys. I was satisfied with the end of the book because it reminded me of how important a best friend can be. I share memories and secrets with my best friend. She is always there for me to talk to and brings up my spirits when I am having a bad day. This is how friendship should be and this story shows how children can easily make friends, especially when they share something in common.
Bird Lake Moon also allows readers to see just how difficult it is to deal with divorce at a young age and the impact of losing a family member. It is not easy to find out that your parents have “suddenly” decided to split up.
I also liked this book because each chapter switched focus between the two characters. But, it was written in third person. This story could be improved if it was in first person because it would allow the reader to step into the “character’s shoes.”

African Folk Tales-a must read

A Pride of African Tales by Donna L Washington

Donna Washington offers readers a look into African Tales. It’s been a long time since I have read folk tales, but reading this book reminded me that people should take time to read such stories. Not only are these stories creative but they allow readers to learn a little about the author, the culture, and how people from this culture explain things, such as how monkeys originated. Each story is unique and after reading the different stories I found myself thinking of ways that I could tell tales to present similar messages. Many of the stories are also humorous and clever which kept my interest and is probably the reason why these tales have survived and been passed down through generations. In one of the stories a boy who is recognized as a “trickster” wants to find a friend to help him go fishing so that he doesn’t have to do much work. But, his plan fails when he ends up being tricked by the friend into doing most of the work. Other stories in this collection show us that we should act understanding and caring towards those whom we love. These African Tales reflect human nature, present how people may make mistakes, and demonstrate how they may overcome obstacles or deal with the decisions they make. The text is simple yet elaborate which enables the pictures painted on the pages to become images in the reader’s mind. I would recommend reading these stories since they carry messages and truths that many people can identify with. This book inspired me to continue reading folk tales so that I can learn how to develop my own tale. I remember being in elementary school trying to write my own short stories. Although my stories probably had poor grammar and made little sense I still enjoyed writing them because it allowed me to be creative. It is my hope that these folk tales and others will reopen my eyes to such creativity and help me to develop a short story for children.

It’s no secret that the majority of people buying children’s books are adults, not children. So when parents, teachers, and others go to the library or book store, which books should they pick out? To be honest, the amount of children’s books in these places can be overwhelming. There are so many authors out there trying to create a book that appeals to children but also to parents. Here’s a look at some children’s books. Some are just colorful and entertaining, others are interesting and have a story, and some carry messages that should be passed on.

What’s Great: It’s Colorful, Entertaining, Memorable
“Monster Mess” is a brightly filled book that shows what a monster encounters in a house. The clumsy monster makes the noisiest noises imaginable such as “crash, crash,” and “stomp, stomp,” as he tries to tip-toe his way to bed. If you are looking for a book that a child will read along with you, this is perfect. Children love to imitate sounds and noises and are drawn to a book when they see color and things they can relate to—shoes falling over, blocks, toys, and more. What’s more is the way the words are typed across the page. They reflect the sounds and meaning. The crashes crash along with chairs, and sniffs sniffle out of the monster’s nose.
Another thing that is great about this story is that the author presents the monster in a non-frightening way. As children grow up they develop fears, one of which may be that a monster is hiding under the bed or in the closet. In this story, the monster lives with the family and sleeps next to the boy during the night.
Although this story lacks message or meaning, I recommend introducing this book to children because I have no doubt that they will learn to read, or at least pretend to by memorizing the words on the pages and imitating their favorite “monster sound.”

What’s Great: The Message, it Shows Friendship, it’s Relatable
“The New Girl and Me,” is an interesting read geared towards children that are learning to read. It presents messages that are hidden deep within the text and some messages may only be visible to adults. Nonetheless this story teaches children about friendship. The “new girl” at school struggles making friends and acts as a bully until one of the children offers her friendship and the two of them become best friends.
The illustration in this story is plainer but the creativity is presented in the words. However, the drawings look like sketches that children would have the ability to make. Also, the children in the story ask questions, such as “what’s this?” and “what’s that?” that enable the story to become realistic.
Emotions are conveyed through this story. For example, there is loneliness in the “new girl’s” face when she is outcast that causes readers to sympathize with her. People can relate to this story because being rejected or having difficulty making friends is common.
Some children may dislike this story because it’s a little lengthy. But, if children have the ability to stay focused, they may learn more than expected.

What’s Great: Introduces Saving the Environment, Making a Difference
If you are all about saving the environment, being good to nature, and going green, check out “The Green Earth.” Children may not think about saving the environment, but once they read this book they may just be inspired. This story is overwhelmingly colorful beginning with the idea of wanting to do something big and make a difference.
Now it is many parents’ hope that their children will be inspired and want to help others by giving back. This book shows children how they can give back by riding their bike, recycling, conserving water, and more. And after each way to help the earth is conveyed, the story explains that “I can do this, because I love the trees” or “because I want the oceans to stay blue.”
If children grow up with this story they may want to save the world. Children love to play and they love to play outside so if they understand that saving the earth relates to the outdoors, they may want to make this big difference. In this sense, the author’s message is laid out. Let’s save the world one step at a time. However, some parents may not appreciate this book or like it because they may not agree with global warming or recycling or even the idea of being green. For this reason, the author may only attract a narrow audience.

What’s Great: A Place Called Home Where I Spend Time With Those I Love
People want a place they can call their home; a place to relax, have fun, be safe, and enjoy other’s company. The story “Home,” shows us that a home is not just a roof with walls, and windows; it is a place that we spend time with people we love. This story involves four characters fighting about which new house to live in, and ends with them realizing they want their old home back and to live together. They are friends, and they care about each other.
The four friends are different animals, each unique in his own way. Children will enjoy looking at the illustrations in this story. As the reader travels through the house, and sails across the sea, there is not one color that cannot be found. In the house are pictures of the four friends and one friend is baking muffins. This gives the home a welcoming feeling. When reading this book, children will be excited and interested in pointing out what objects lie on the pages. My cousins do this all the time. It’s almost difficult to finish the story because they say “look, a dog… oh wait a truck… and a fireman too!”
The important words in this story are enlarged and there are even bubbles that lead to words describing how the characters feel—sad because they miss the way things used to be. The uniqueness of each character will enable children to connect with one of them. Through this story children will learn that just like Dorothy said, there is no place like home!

What’s Great: I Want to Help Others and Achieve My Dreams!
Parents love having their children around and when it is time for children to branch off, it causes parents to experience sadness. In “One For All-All For One,” Max Mouse, encouraged by his parents, adventures into the world to reach his dreams. Along the way he meets four new creatures with whom he becomes friends. His friends each have a disability but also something they are good at. In other words, they all have “something special” to offer.
The story also presents each character’s doubts that they may not be good at something. Children can relate to this. It is hard for some children to understand that they cannot be great at each and every thing, but may be great at just some things. So, they need reinforcement when growing up that they are special, great, and have skills that can be admired. The author shows that when the friends come together, their differences do not matter and they can achieve their dreams. In turn, this teaches children that they are just as special and can reach for the stars.
In addition, this book’s illustrations make the words come to life. It is as if the reader is journeying with the characters. It is my hope that after people read this story they will want to help their friends too, because that is what friends do.