Hurry Up and Wait by Maira Kalman and Daniel Handler (2015, MoMA; 64 pages) This is the second volume in a series of collaborations between the artist Maira Kalman, the writer Daniel Handler (a.k.a. Lemony Snicket), and the Museum of Modern Art. The book shows pictures and drawings of people striding forth, dashing across streets, and jumping over puddles, while others daydream on park benches and linger on sidewalks with friends. This is a follow-up to Girls Standing on Lawns, and it also contains important photographs from MoMA's collection, by Dorothea Lange, Helen Levitt and more artists. Kalman includes ten vibrant paintings and Handler adds his elegant prose, while he ponders the merits of action and contemplation. A delightful book, absolutely enjoyable both for youth and adults. Find this title in our catalog: Hurry Up and Wait Recommended by: Maite
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A Curious Tale of the In-Between by Lauren DeStefano (2015, Bloomsbury USA Childrens; 240 pages) Pram Bellamy is special--she can talk to ghosts. She doesn't have too many friends amongst the living, but that's all right. She has her books, she has her aunts, and she has her best friend, the ghostly Felix. Then Pram meets Clarence, a boy from school who has also lost a parent and is looking for answers. Together they arrive at the door of the mysterious Lady Savant, who promises to help. But this spiritualist knows the true nature of Pram's power, and what she has planned is more terrifying than any ghost. This is a lyrical, evocative and beautiful read for a middle grade audience, to be enjoyed also by adults. Pram, the young heroine of this story is a fantastic character, compassionate, passionate, touching. One of those characters easy to fall in love with. The School Library Journal wrote that this book is a “concoction of tension and love with a cliff-hanger ending.” And I couldn’t agree more. This novel is perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Sheila Turnage. A note for parents from Common Sense Media: “Parents need to know that A Curious Tale of the In-Between is a ghost story from YA veteran Lauren DeStefano, her first foray into writing for big kids and tweens. Lots of talk about death, ghosts, and the afterlife lend a creepy atmosphere, but all ghosts are benign and many are helpful and friendly. The overall messages about death are positive, in that death is not seen as the end but as "just what comes next." Violence is infrequent and involves mostly vague recountings of the past (including a suicide by hanging), and the heroes are in peril a couple of times. The kids are all good models for friendship, loyalty, and bravery.” Find this title in our catalog: A Curious Tale of the In-Between Recommended by: Maite Sadie and Ratz by Sonya Hartnett (2013, Candlewick; 64 pages) This chapter book for younger readers, winner of the 2008 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, written by Sonya Hartnett and illustrated by Ann James, starts like this: "I am Hannah. These are my hands. Their names are Sadie and Ratz. We live in a house with my mom and dad and my stick insect, Pin. I want a dog, but Mom says I’m too young." Hannah’s hands aren’t animals, but according to her dad, they behave like wild beasts. For one thing, they’re always after four-year-old Baby Boy (whom Sadie wishes were a dog). They jump onto his head and try to rub his ears off. Baby Boy knows how to turn the tables, though, and when he spills milk on the carpet, he tells Grandma that Sadie and Ratz pushed him. But when Baby Boy goes too far, Hannah may have to send Sadie and Ratz on vacation to prove their innocence. Sonya Hartnett uses a ton of sensibility, wry humor and great characters to spin a tale about mischief, siblings, and taking matters into your own hands that will engage younger readers and astonish adult ones. Ann James' illustrations are fabulous and a great complement to the story. To read a great review that compares this book to Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, click here Find this title in our catalog: Sadie and Ratz Recommended by: Maite Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle (2015, Atheneum Books for Young Readers; 208 pages) Margarita Engle is the first Latina woman author to receive a Newbery Honor, and rightly so for her writing in this poetic memoir, a memoir that shares how she grew up as a child of two cultures during the Cold War. Engle's father is an American artist of Ukrainian Jewish descent, and her mother a beautiful Cuban immigrant who misses her tropical country, “the lush beauty of a land so wild/and green that the rippling river/on my great-uncle’s farm/shimmers like a hummingbird.” The contrast is the noisy city of Los Angeles. “In one country, I hear the sweet words / of another. / Dulce de leche means sweet of milk. / Guarapo is sugarcane juice.” But then a revolution breaks out in Cuba and Margarita fears for her far-away family. The hostility between Cuba and the United States after the Bay of Pigs invasion will shake her world in a dramatic way, waking up a thousand questions about identity, otherness, love and family. Margarita Engle chooses to end this beautiful poetic memoir with a comforting thought: “All I know about the future/is that it will be beautiful.” To read an interview with the author about this novel, click here Find this title in our catalog: Enchanted Air Recommended by: Maite El Deafo by Cece Bell (Harry N. Abrams, 2014; 248 pages) Going to school and making new friends can be tough. But going to school and making new friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid strapped to your chest? That requires superpowers! In this funny, poignant graphic novel memoir, author/illustrator Cece Bell chronicles her hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with the Phonic Ear, a very powerful—and very awkward—hearing aid. The Phonic Ear gives Cece the ability to hear—sometimes things she shouldn’t—but also isolates her from her classmates. She really just wants to fit in and find a true friend, someone who appreciates her as she is. After some trouble, she is finally able to harness the power of the Phonic Ear and become “El Deafo, Listener for All.” And more importantly, declare a place for herself in the world and find the friend she’s longed for. This 2015 Newberry Honor Book is a memoir and a graphic novel all at once. It is the story of how a girl turned her disability into a superpower. I fell in love with the character of this book in the first five pages. Cece Bell, the author, chooses humor to tell her life journey from age 4 through elementary school. Visit the author's website by clicking here, and you can listen to the author talking about her story here. Find this title in our catalog: El Deafo Recommended by: Maite Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman (2009, Henry Holt and Co.; 281 pages) Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species, his revolutionary tract on evolution and the fundamental ideas involved, in 1859. Nearly 150 years later, the theory of evolution continues to create tension between the scientific and religious communities. Challenges about teaching the theory of evolution in schools occur annually all over the country. This same debate raged within Darwin himself, and played an important part in his marriage: his wife, Emma, was quite religious, and her faith gave Charles a lot to think about as he worked on a theory that continues to spark intense debates. This 2009 National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature is a thought-provoking biographical account of the personal life of the man behind evolutionary theory. Deborah Heiligman makes a connection between Darwin's work and his personal life, and how each affected the other. This is a fascinating exploration of history, religion, and science for young readers and also for adults. To read a very interesting New York Times review on Charles and Emma, click here Find this title in our catalog: Charles and Emma Recommended by: Maite Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt (2011, Clarion Books; 368 pages) As a fourteen-year-old who just moved to a new town, with no friends and a louse for an older brother, Doug Swieteck has all the stats stacked against him. So begins a coming-of-age masterwork full of equal parts comedy and tragedy from Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt. As Doug struggles to be more than the "skinny thug" that his teachers and the police think him to be, he finds an unlikely ally in Lil Spicer -- a fiery young lady who smells like daisies would smell if they were growing in a big field under a clearing sky after a rain. In Lil, Doug finds the strength to endure an abusive father, the suspicions of a whole town, and the return of his oldest brother, forever scarred, from Vietnam. Together, they find a safe haven in the local library, inspiration in learning about the plates of John James Audubon's birds, and a hilarious adventure on a Broadway stage. In this stunning novel, Schmidt expertly weaves multiple themes of loss and recovery in a story teeming with distinctive, unusual characters and invaluable lessons about love, creativity, and survival. I've recommended this book to two childless grown-up adults and they both came back to me saying thank you. You will laugh and cry, and you will finish the book with the feeling that the world is just okay, for now. Beautiful writing, wonderful characters, and an extraordinary story that is perfect for lovers of baseball, birds, art, and public libraries. A must read. Find this title in our catalog: Okay For Now Recommended by: Maite The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (2012, HarperCollins; 325 pages) The winner of the 2013 Newberry Medal is an unforgettable literary piece based on the real story of Ivan, an easy-going gorilla accustomed to having humans watching him after spending twenty-seven years behind the glass walls of his enclosure at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends, Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line. Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home -- and his own art -- through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better. This is a story about friendship, about hope, and about the power of art. It's one of those juvenile novels that can be read in an hour, but it will have to be digested in a lifetime. Adults will enjoy it immensely if they like to think about important questions in life. The writing and story elements are superb. This book is a winner. There is a fantastic website about this book with very interesting information. You can access to it clicking here. For a picture of the real Ivan, click here. Find this title in our catalog: The One and Only Ivan Recommended by: Maite |