Tuck Everlasting and May B.

Before school ended a 4th grader approached me and asked if I had read Tuck Everlasting. I admitted I had not and she said you need to. Today at the beach I did just that. Wow. She was right - Tuck Everlasting is a great book. Written almost 40 years ago by Natalie Babbit, it's one of those books that is ripe for conversation. I'm not going to summarize it I will simply ask - would you want to live forever?

The author of May B., Caroline Starr Rose was a huge fan of the Little House series. That influence is clear in May B. Written in prose, the book tells an incredible story of a young girl (we might call her a tween) who is sent to live with a Kansas homesteader and his new wife. May's job is simple - keep the house running while Louise, the wife gets used to living on the prairie. Her father drops May off in August and promises to pick her up at Christmas. She has no choice - her family needs the money. This is a story of May's resiliency. It is heartbreaking and powerful. I hope I have a little May B. in me.

Wingwalker by Rosemary Wells

I loved Wingwalker - all of 63 pages, it tells a simple story of love, perseverance and trust. And yes - walking on the wings of a plane is how one man decides to provide for his family when they are forced to move from Oklahoma to Minnesota to find work.

To be honest, I struggled through The Bad Luck Chair by Sue Wilkowski- it's one of those books where I am acutely aware that what I like and what a nine year old might like is completely different. I would be curious if anyone has read it and what they thought of it. The Bad Luck Chair tells the story of Addy and her friends who are determined to reverse the curse of sitting in what is known as the bad luck chair. Addy's teacher thinks it's ridiculous but the five kids who sat in the chair prior to Addy all have a story to tell about they lost their "mojo." And Addy and her friends are a determined bunch.

On a side note....

I promised I would give Type to Learn a try this summer and I have. Just completed level 9 (89% accuracy; 21 words per minute). Goal is to get to lesson 20 by the time school starts. 

Saturday Reads

Yesterday was a beautiful day and I spent more time at the beach than I have all summer. Time at the beach means a book in my hands (or this case, two books).

The Mozart Question by Michael Morpurgo is about a young reporter who is sent to interview a famous violinist in Venice. Her orders are simple - take copious notes (no recording devices allowed) and don't ask the Mozart question. While the reporter knew much about the musician, she didn't know what the Mozart question was; upon meeting the violinist she is quite nervous and tells him all she knows about him and that she's not supposed to ask the Mozart question (admitting she has no idea what that is). What follows is a beautiful but painful story about Nazi Germany and how music saved some but not all. Well worth an afternoon.

From World War II we go to the war in Afghanistan. Shadow, also by Michael Morpurgo tells the story of Aman and his mother and their flight from their war torn country to England where they seek political asylum. While told from three perspectives: Matt (Aman's best friend from England); Matt's grandfather and Aman - it is really a story about a boy, his mom and the dog that saved them. 

A Bunch of Books....

I've been busy training Fitz but have still found plenty of time to read. I'm almost done with the Nutmegs and have read a few "off list" books, too. 

To make things a bit simpler (and easier for me) I'm going to give a quick recap and then rate the book using paws. Four paws means I loved it.; fewer than that, well.....I didn't like it as much. 

A solid mystery, Nutmeg nominee Closed for the Season tells the story of two boys who are trying to answer a simple question: was the previous owner of Logan's house pushed down the stairs or did she slip? And where is all that money everyone is talking about?

If you are in 5th grade and liked Diary of a Wimpy Kid, try The Last Invisible Boy. The content is a bit heavy - Finn's dad has died suddenly and this is Finn's poignant but humorous story of how he deals with the loss.

Nutmeg nominee Mike Stellar is what I might refer to as fantasy lite.  Mike is told just 8 hours before departure that he's traveling to Mars with his parents. What follows is a fun adventure as good battles evil. 

This a second go round for me with Nutmeg nominee Out of My Mind. I forgot how good it was. Read this book and then ask yourself what character you are; what character would you like to be; ask yourself if you have what it takes to be a friend to someone who isn't like you. I've been asking myself those same questions since I finished the book.

Nutmeg nominee, Wildfire Run, is the story of the president's son and his friends who get caught in a wild fire that envelopes the area around Camp David, the presidential retreat. An adventure story, there is nothing plausible about Wildfire Run but it's fun to spend some time with kids who are rather creative problem solvers.

In Nutmeg nominee, Wild Girl, Patricia Reilly Giff has written a wonderful story about horses and young girls and what it's like to be moved from the comfortable to the uncomfortable and what it takes to regain your footing. A wonderful read.

Another Nutmeg nominee, The Candymakers is just plain fun. The story, told from four perspectives - kids involved in a candy making contest, is a both a mystery and a story of friendship.

 When Thea is sent to New Jersey for the summer her mother gives her a notebook to write 100 Truths. It seems Thea has a bit of a problem with telling lies. Much to her chagrin, she is saddled with babysitting her seven year old cousin most afternoons; and all she wants to do is spy. Thea spends the summer answering the questions: Is it ever okay to lie? Does telling the truth always have to hurt? 

A handful of kids mentioned Glory Be to me as school was ending - they loved it and having just finished it, I couldn't agree more. It's not an easy story to read - reliving how African Americans were treated in the early 1960s is never pleasant but you couldn't ask for a better hero than Glory. Spend some time with Glory and Emma and Miss B - you won't be disappointed.