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Alvin Ho: Allergic to Dead Bodies, Funerals, and Other Fatal Circumstances

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I was first introduced to Alvin Ho when I was reading for the Cybils last year. I loved his humor and vulnerability and the appeal to younger middle-grade readers (Read my review of that book, Alvin Ho: Allergic to Birthday Parties, Science Parties, and other Man-Made Catastrophes). I thought that this particular hero would be a perfect fit for those younger 2nd and 3rd-grade kids who were good readers (but also popular with older elementary kids). I was able to put my theory to the test when I put the book in my 7-year-old son Kyle’s hands this summer. He loved it and promptly read 2 other books in the series, including this newest one Alvin Ho: Allergic to Dead Bodies, Funerals, and Other Fatal Circumstances.

I remembered Alvin Ho’s humor and quirky dark side, both of which are present here, but this novel felt a lot deeper to me. Perhaps because the subject matter is more serious, the tone followed.

Alvin’s GungGung’s (grandfather’s) best friend Charlie has died. Feeling sorry for him, Alvin tells GungGung that he’ll go to the funeral with him — but then he immediately regrets that decision when he starts thinking about how scary funerals are. He’s never even been to a funeral, but he finds out more than he wants to know about them from his school friends. And in the process of him discussing the upcoming funeral with his friends, they misunderstand and think that it’s actually his grandfather who has died.

This little mixup definitely provides the comic relief to the novel, going as far as a memorial at school hosted by the other grandparent library volunteers!

Confronting this issue has 7-year-old Alvin thinking about death. Not just Charlie, who was his friend too, but especially with the mixup, he worries about GungGung’s death. I think that the death of an old person who is not directly related to the child is a very healthy way to explore it — both for the fictitious Alvin and the child reading it.

I enjoyed seeing this more thoughtful side of this 2nd grader. It felt slightly less neurotic, because kids will definitely relate to it, which made it a more real and less quirky story — which worked for me just as well as the others.

This is nominated for a Cybils award, in the middle grade fiction category on which I serve as a panelist. This review represents my opinion and in no way indicates the final decision of the group.

Jennifer Donovan is allergic to housework, hard work, staying up late and other unnatural circumstances. She blogs at Snapshot.

Younger Middle Grade Novels: Alvin Ho and Sophie Hartley

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Apparently Alvin Ho and Sophie Hartley are well-known entities, but until I was introduced to both of these Cybils Middle Grade Fiction Nominees, I had not heard of either of them. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Birthday Parties, Science Projects, and Other Man-made Catastrophes introduces us to Alvin, his whole family, and his best friend Flea, a girl who wears a pirate patch and has one leg shorter than the other. I thought that the Asian-American character is unique (heavy on the “American” — other than the reference to his grandfather GungGung who lives with them and likes to teach everyone Chinese calligraphy).

Alvin is never without his PDK, personal disaster kit, which immediately made me love him. I felt like he was Scaredy Squirrel come to life. In addition to the fun, reality, and neurosis that Alvin brings us, we also get a bit of history, as the Concord students visit on a field trip with characters dressed as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Thoreau, and Louisa May Alcott.

The book itself engages the reader by using different fonts and capital letters for emphasis, along with line drawings on the majority of pages.

I found this book to be refreshingly free of that tween-wannabe attitude, and since it features a 2nd grader, the book is a perfect fit for 7 -10 year olds.

Happy Birthday, Sophie Hartley — Sophie has a big imagination. She wants a gorilla for her tenth birthday — yes, a real gorilla — and though it’s out of the question, it doesn’t surprise anyone that she would ask, and that she would think that it was possible. She’s begged her parents for a pet for years, but the answer is always no.

I like Sophie’s struggles through elementary school — friends finding other friends with similar interests, her 13-year-old sister growing up, and moving out of their shared room, etc. Elementary school girls curious about a little bit more mature topics will get a little bit of that through middle school sister Nora, but Sophie filters her squealing over boys with the “what’s all the fuss attitude” that her kind of 10-year-old girl has (my kind of 10-year-old girl had that attitude too).

This is sort of an early coming-of-age type story as Sophie endures some girl-drama, but in the end has some amazing friends pulling for her.

Jennifer Donovan reads and blogs, blogs and reviews a multitude of genres, which couldn’t make her happier.

The Bond of Siblings #AlvinMovie

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AlvinRoadChip-Poster

Four years ago I was at a junket for Chipwrecked. I had a lot of fun making promotional videos. It was a blast, and they still make me smile. Please check them out HERE. Because I was able to hear so much about that movie, Kyle has been very interested in them. Alvin and his brothers are back on Friday, December 18 with The Road Chip. He thinks as a 6th grader, he’s gotten too old for that sort of movie, but I actually think he would like it.

Please click over to read my sponsored post at 5 Minutes for Mom in support of the film to read more about how and why my bond with my sister has grown (and to see a delightful picture of us in the 70’s).

sister grad

5 Reasons to Give Books This Holiday Season {Friday’s Five}

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holiday_books

‘Tis the season again to exchange gifts with loved ones, and if you’re anything like me, you’re in the middle of making lists of items purchased and ideas for gifts not yet secured. As you make those lists, and check them way more than two times, I’m here to not-so-subtly suggest that you be sure to include the wonderful gifts of books, of course! Maybe you’re shopping for excited young children, too-cool-for-school teens, a special significant other, or that wacky aunt who will be the highlight of your family’s holiday meal. It doesn’t matter who is on your list, I’m confident that you can’t go wrong with a book, and here are five reasons, completely made up by me.

1. Entertaining AND educational is a win-win. Just think, the kids will likely be out of school for upwards of a couple weeks, and what’s better to add to their gift pile than a book (or five) that will keep them thinking, building language skills, and maybe even quiet for more than five darn minutes? Now, don’t groan at the word educational. That, in no way, means it has to be boring, or even appear educational. I’m all for the argument that any reading is good for your brain. Who says that wrapped book can’t be something super fun like Big Nate or Calvin & Hobbes? Nonfiction is an excellent choice for the overtly educational book gift, and something like the Smithsonian Discover and Young Explorers series (with giveaway right now!) is super engaging. Whatever their interest, there are books to fit the bill.

2. Ready to go as soon as the wrapping paper is off. No batteries required. No complicated set-up manual in a dozen languages. No indestructible plastic packaging to break through, and not even one twist tie wrapped around seventy-five times that needs to be removed. [insert sigh of relief here] Simply unwrap, maybe turn over to read the description on the back, and open the front cover– your gift is ready to be used.

3. Blockbuster adaptations are everywhere, but your motive can stay secret while you just look like the cool gift-giver. Hollywood and the bookstore have been colliding like crazy lately, and movie adaptations might be some folks’ introduction to a story. Got a teen who loved seeing Katniss on the big screen? Drop a box set of The Hunger Games trilogy in his stocking! Or maybe the excitement is high for the next film to be released, so why wait when the whole Divergent series can be read over break? Maybe you and a friend saw it in the theater, so a gift of the novel This is Where I Leave You would be perfect for your Secret Santa exchange. I can’t be the only one troubled by the fact that so many people come to incredible stories like these only through the movies, right? This year, give the gift of original source material!

4. Shop from your couch in your mismatched pajamas, and do some good via social media. I have not willingly and happily gone to a shopping mall for at least two decades. Sure, I’ve gone a few times out of necessity, but I did not enjoy any bit of the experience. The crowds, the noise, the parking challenges, the need to put on real pants. All of those problems are alleviated when I shop online from my couch. (Oh, how I adore pajama pants.) Whether you’re a fan of Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indie Bound, or whatever other options out there, you don’t have to leave your wi-fi enabled home to shop, and they’re open 24 hours a day. Before you get ready to checkout, you also have the luxury of countless online resources to help you decide which books to match up with which gift recipients. Just look for gift guides that focus on particular interests and age groups, or consult the wide variety of high quality book review blogs out there and you’ve got access to tons of expert advice. (Yup, you heard me call ourselves ‘experts’. We’re awesome like that!) Don’t forget about authors’ and illustrators’ own websites as another resource, and my personal favorite of all– social media. Hop on Facebook to ask your own panel of connections for book recommendations and your cart will be full in no time. Oh, and while you’re on your preferred social media outlet, be sure to share that you’re giving the gift of books and connect with Chronicle Books as part of their #GiveBooks campaign to also get books in the hands of children who need them!

5. It’s more than a one-time gift. It could be the catalyst for a lifelong passion.SONY DSC Now we’re talking about the loftiest and most respectable reason of all. Think long-term with this one. Maybe the people to whom you give books aren’t huge reading fans now, but they could become fans. Maybe you’ll give them books that reach them in just the right way at just the right time. Maybe the book you give that toddler will become the one she loves to both chew on and gaze at in her crib. The book you hand the sometimes surly teen could be the one that gets him out of his funk… for a little while. Maybe your friend will see herself in the novel you wrap up for her, and she’ll feel understood. And even those folks who could already be classified as book hoarders are always going to light up at the prospect of another to add to their piles.

Books = wonderful gifts, plain and simple. Do you need any more reasons?

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Calvin, Look Out!: A Bookworm Birdie Gets Glasses

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5M4B disclosure

calvin_look_outA few years ago, I became enamored with a little starling named Calvin, a book-loving bird who skipped flying lessons in favor of trips to the library and more time immersed in a book. Jennifer Berne’s Calvin Can’t Fly: The Story of a Bookworm Birdie became a much loved read aloud in my preschool classroom, and it remains a favorite of my own children to this day. Imagine my excitement when I saw that Berne had collaborated with illustrator Keith Bendis once again to bring a new Calvin story to the shelves. Calvin, Look Out! A Bookworm Birdie Gets Glasses gives the gist of the book’s tale right there in the title, but be prepared for a little silly adventure in the process, of course.

When Calvin seems to be having some trouble making out the words on the pages of books and tripping over things at the library, the kind, and appropriately named librarian, Mrs. Readalot, suggests that he may be farsighted. As Calvin is wont to do, his first inclination is to do a little research on the topic, and when he learns that he may just need some eyeglasses to fix the problem, he rushes right off to the eye doctor, who does confirm his suspicion. When he walks out with a spiffy new pair of glasses, he’s feeling proud and confident… until some of his starling cousins begin to tease him. When he walks off from the laughing flock, he walks right into a wacky situation like only Calvin can. Using his book-smarts, Calvin just might find a way to get a message to his huge starling family. They’ve helped him in times of trouble before, so he hopes they’ll be able to do it again.

There really is something endearing about this little starling guy– for me and my children, all proud bookworms, he is delightful and lovable. My daughter especially was excited to read this book to her younger brother, telling him, “I think I’ll really understand this one, because I had to get glasses, too!” Berne has scattered several literary and historical references that provide tidbits of new information and make for fun asides to discuss while you’re reading with young children, too. Just as before, Calvin remains true to himself, even in tough times, and his confidence and passion for reading are two admirable traits in a beloved children’s literature character.

Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom

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Some books wow me from the first page. Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom didn’t quite do that, but my 8-year-old son had already dug into this book and given it his hearty endorsement, so I kept holding out hope. And then — 25 pages in, Justin’s warmth, honesty and humor (whether he plans it or not), as created by author Rachel Vail totally hooked me. This is the 2nd “Justin Case” book, but neither my son nor I had read Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters, and we didn’t feel like we were missing anything. However, I can tell you for sure that we’ll be going to the J FIC Vail section in the library this summer to pick up the first one.

When I’m reading kidlit, there are things that must be present for it to be a success in my kid’s eyes, but then there are those elements that as a parent I really hope are there. This book has both in abundance.

THIS PARENT LOVES:

Justin Case just finished 3rd grade, but before he gets to 4th, he has to get through summer camp. He’s always gone to science camp, but this year, he and his parents have decided to give Camp GoldenBrook a try. Instead of hanging out with the “calm worried kids” that he self-identifies with, he’ll be swimming and doing sports with the “runny-aroundy kids.” Justin has his fair share of difficulties, such as being put in the lowest swim group and the results of the painful card game Knuckles, not to mention those flip flops that just don’t fit his anatomically weird toes.

The parents are human — not overly protective, too sarcastic, too cartoonish. They are funny and caring, but real. For example, when Justin hears the word “pacifist” at camp, he confuses it with pacifier, and his parents rib him a little about that. It’s exactly the kind of thing that goes on in my home. Maybe not textbook supportive parents, but it’s real.

Also — yes — there’s a message. Justin wants to quit the summer-long day camp when he suffers some setbacks, and his parents decide to let him. But on his own, he decides to finish strong. He also showed real character by being kind to others and in spite of his “calm worried” persona, he was a positive agent of change.

KID APPEAL:

My son enjoyed this book because it was funny. That’s definitely something that draws him to a book.

The diary format (which equals short chapters) makes it a great transition to longer chapter books. Though my 8-year-old is a great reader, he still has to be compelled to read “long” books. Being almost 200 pages classified this as a long book to him, but it makes a perfect transition to longer chapter books for 2nd graders and up.

The line drawings by Matthew Cordell appear on about every 3rd page spread, and that also makes it easier for kids to read (and more humorous).

Justin Case reminded us both of Alvin Ho (who I adore), and I can highly recommend adding this new reluctant hero to your child’s reading diet.

Alvin and the Chipmunks Chipwrecked Games

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My 7-year-old son has getting down for the last half hour on the Wii with Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. He even invited me to play, and I had a 5-Star performance of “California Dreamin.'” Score!!

When I was on my Alvin and the Chipmunks Chipwrecked press junket, there was a product room showcasing all the products, including this fun dance game. What I really liked about it is that it’s active, but that it’s totally kid friendly, unlike some of the dance games out there (I know that I, along with other parents, have asked our younger kids not to play certain songs on the lineup). These are popular songs, such as “All-Star,” and “Life is a Highway,” but there are lots of throwback songs that the kids will like but will really make the parents like “Tricky,” “Karma Chameleon,” “Play that Funky Music Chipmunk,” “Beat It,” and “You Really Got Me.”

This game has a lot of text on the screen, but Alvin and the rest of the chipmunks read everything, making this game appropriate for readers and non-readers alike. I highly recommend this game to preschoolers and up (as I’m watching an enthusiastic 2nd grader enjoying it right now, and I have to admit that I liked it a lot). They seem to be pretty forgiving on how precise your movements are.

This game is also available on other platforms including the DS, which we haven’t played yet, but I wanted to get this review up ASAP, because I do think that this would make a great gift.


Be sure to check out my review of the film (and enter to win the first 2 movies on DVD and a $25 Fandango gift card) as well as some fun facts about the film (and me on camera!).

The movie opens December 16 and is rated G.

Jennifer Donovan admits she’s living a pretty charmed life (online at least). She’s happy to back to blogging at Snapshot and pleased to cover such fun events at 5 Minutes for Mom.

On Reading: 5 Spooky Kids’ Authors You Should Know About

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The season is nigh when spooks and specters roam the streets, when children beg for tricks or treats, when ghosts arise from every grave, and you can find the fright you crave! That’s right, Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Dia de los Muertos, or whatever you call this fright-fest of a holiday, is upon us once again. And while you are sure to be putting together costumes for your kids, baking orange treats for their classrooms, and buying bags of candy galore, you shouldn’t forget one of the best ways to celebrate this unique holiday: with a few scary stories. Sure you can think of plenty of adult authors, but reading your kids a Stephen King saga might lead to some very scary nightmares. Instead, here are a few kids authors who will have your kids howling (with joy).

1. James Howe (with Deborah Howe). This author of the Bunnicula children’s series imparts the tales of a vampire bunny (who sucks the juice from vegetables) as seen through the eyes of the Monroe family dog, Harold. Along with his best friend, Chester the cat, he tries to unravel the secrets behind this mysterious rabbit to discover if he thirsts for more than just produce. Packed with mystery, suspense, and a silly twist on the supernatural, these books are sure to be a fun family read.

2. Barbara Jean Hicks. Stories like Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli and Jitterbug Jam put a funny spin on the scary that younger kids are sure to love. They can sing-song along to the bouncy beat of Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli and learn to look at monsters in a different way with Jitterbug Jam’s Bobo, who is afraid of the little boy living in his closet. Both books are accompanied by vivid illustrations that children will want to view again and again.

3. R.L. Stine. This author has been thrilling young adult readers for years with mystery novels, but none have been as popular as his Goosebumps series. With chilling tales of human/shark hybrids, trouble-making ventriloquists’ dummies, pumpkin-heads that come to life, and slimy monster blood that won’t stop expanding (just to name a few), these tales of terror will delight young readers who love a little gross-out factor and a lot of freaky fun.

4. Neil Gaiman. Better known for his adult literature and a stint with the comic Sandman, this British author nonetheless delivers some tasty fare for youngsters seeking the macabre. Check out The Graveyard Book, which details the life of a boy who is adopted by ghosts and ends up living in a graveyard, following the untimely death of his family. At turns terrifying and titillating, this book is not for the faint of heart, so consider it for young adult readers. Coraline is also spook-tacular (see the animated film of the same name) and M is for Murder offers a number of short stories suitable for the YA reader.

5. Alvin Schwartz. His collection of tantalizing tales, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (along with sequels), is actually a compilation of frightening folklore and urban legends adapted for kids (older kids, that is). And the illustrations by Stephen Gammell are equally mortifying. Parents may want to take a peek before handing this book off to their children, as there are allusions to both the supernatural and the occult, but considering these narratives have been part of an oral story-telling tradition for hundreds of years, you’ll no doubt discover a few you’ve heard before.

Guest contributor Sarah Danielson writes for a website that specializes in audiobooks where you can find audio book reviews and read the latest industry news.

5 Cultures #Kidlit Readers Can Explore #WeNeedDiverseBooks

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Diverse Books Collage

Spend any time in the kidlit community, and the topic of diversity is sure to come up. There’s a big focus going on these first few days of May. I hope you’ll check it out. I decided to come up with a Friday’s Five to share books that feature 5 different groups that are underrepresented in children’s literature. These are all racial or cultural designations, which don’t even take into account families that look different from the standard nuclear family, kids who are differently-abled, struggling with depression or their weight or anything else that might cause them to feel like they don’t see themselves in the media they take in, be that books, magazines, movies or TV shows.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but books that I’ve read and enjoyed which came to mind when I gave it some thought.

BiRacial

Not taking into consideration the children who look one way but self-identify another, causes me to think back to the days when anyone who was only 1/8 African American was denied the rights of a white citizen. When I was googling, I ran across this 2010 article from TIME magazine asking “Who’s White? Who’s Black? Who knows?. Chew on this:

Never mind what you’ve heard. Halle Berry was not the first black woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress. She was actually the 74th white one. And never mind all this talk about America electing its first black President; Barack Obama is actually the 44th white man to hold the job.

  • I know it matters, because my daughter’s best friend has said she loved seeing her specific make up featured in The Red Pyramid Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan
  • I finally read some Jenny Han recently, and loved the half-Korean heroine in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Asian

This is a growing population in the U.S., and certainly here in Houston (actually all of the groups I mention here happen to be visible in our communities and lives, from the time I was growing up years ago until now). These books all prominently feature Asian characters, and I LOVE all of them:

Hispanic

This is a growing population that is starkly absent. A recent figure I saw said that less than 2% of books reflect this population.

Indian

Muslim

Middle Grade novels with Doodle Detail #Cybils

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ellie show must go onThe Ellie McDoodle Diaries: The Show Must Go On written and illustrated by Ruth McNally Barshaw is obviously branded to the girl set, but I think it could appeal to boys and girls. I’ve read one or two other Ellie McDoodle books, and I’m a fan of the realistic school setting and Ellie’s fun sensibilities. She’s neither angelic nor bratty — she’s real.

This one was fun because it had the added nostalgia/interest of the Wizard of Oz. Her class is doing a unit on it, including projects and the play. All of Ellie’s friends are involved. She’s stage manager, and when her best friend doesn’t get the role of Dorothy, will they be able to patch it up? This is a great example of real age-appropriate issues and problem solving.

When I tried to think back on the drawings, I had to refresh my memory. I thought, “There must not have been that many.” Nope, I was wrong. When I looked back, I saw that there were lots of drawings, but they were seamlessly integrated into the story, which is kind of cool.

desmund pucketDesmond Pucket Makes Monster Magic written and illustrated by Mark Tatulli introduces Desmond, a middle schooler who would rather use his love and skill with special effects to pull off pranks than complete his math homework. That’s really nothing new in the world of kidlit, a tween boy who spends more time getting in trouble than making the grades, but I did like the voice in this book. It’s not really that he’s disinterested in school, he’s just much more interested in his hobby. He uses his sister’s Polly Pocket and American Girl dolls to make Monster Magic.

Even though he feels like he’s a master of the d-word, disappointing his dad and the school staff, when he’s forced to get involved in extra-curricular activities, he wonders if he will be able to use his talents for good with the drama department and change his reputation for good.

The drawings were original and some even had color and definitely added to the story.

alvin hoI was first introduced to Alvin Ho when I read one of the books nominated for a Cybils a few years ago (not the first one, which I believe was a finalist). I became an instant fan, as did my son. Alvin is terrified by life, but he still manages to cope, especially when he has his PDK (Personal Disaster Kit) at hand.

Though I’m still a big fan of the series by Lenore Look, Alvin Ho: Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night wasn’t my favorite. The plot point of getting a new sibling is one that elementary kids can understand, but the whole riff on the “sympathetic” pregnancy that Alvin experiences seemed kind of odd to me. My son still liked it though, and Alvin Ho is still a series that I push hard at the school library. If a kid has a fear or a worry, he can watch Alvin work it out in an over-the-top way.

These illustrations by LeUyen Pham are just accents to the story, helping to slightly break up the text and helping bring the story to life.


These are all Cybils Middle Grade Fiction nominees, but my opinions are not meant to represent the Cybils. I received the books from the library, and the library didn’t influence my review either.

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Say Goodbye For Now

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Say Goodbye For Now

In Say Goodbye For Now, Catherine Hyde Ryan explores miscegenation laws of the 1950’s with the heartbreaking story of four people who would have never otherwise become a family.

Dr. Lucy just wants to be left alone on her farm with the horses, dogs, and other animals she’s taken in. She’s not a vet, but the people of her small town in Texas aren’t very welcoming of a woman doctor, and she feels a responsibility to live on the land left to her by her father. She earns enough money by helping wounded men, asking no questions and keeping quiet from the police.

12-year-old Pete Solomon is headed toward the fishing pond with his buddy when they come across a dog lying on the side of the highway. Pete decides to help the dog and takes him to a vet, who turns him away because the dog is actually part wolf. When a nurse tells him about Dr. Lucy, he walks the long distance to her house. On his way he meets Justin Bell, an African American boy his age who has just moved to town.

Pete likes Justin immediately, but their friendship is not approved by the townspeople and when Pete finds Justin lying on the side of the road, semi-conscious and bleeding profusely, he doesn’t hesitate to take him to Dr. Lucy. When Justin’s father, Calvin, arrives at Dr. Lucy’s house, they also have an immediate connection, but agree that doing anything about their attraction is dangerous, both for themselves and Justin.

As Pete helps nurse the wolf-dog, who he names Prince, back to health, he also has to deal with his own father’s anger at his being gone all day without telling him where he’s going. Things come to a head and Pete has to turn to Dr. Lucy once more.

Say Goodbye For Now is a bit slow to start, and the language is a bit simple, at least initially. But as Pete grows, both physically and emotionally, so does the prose. Dr. Lucy also grows in her own way, grudgingly giving up her solitary life only to realize she just needed to surround herself with the right people.

This is a wonderful and important story that moves quickly and has the reader caring about the characters and not wanting the story to end, so if you’re looking for your next good read, look no further.

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When Reading Adversely Affects Children

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Parents get a lot of messages from our society, but one of the least controversial and most ubiquitous is the advice to read to your kids. Read lots. “You can’t read too much,” I’ve been told, although I know that’s not true because I can, and do. (Really. We eat supper late almost every night, and sometimes I’m not as prepared for teaching as I should be and I’m running late because I was reading. The struggle is real.)

What do you think? Can you read too much to your children? Should you censor your books? Will reading about Max make your own little Wild Thing rumpus about till you have a headache, or will Curious George turn your own little darling into someone that ruins your newspaper? I say yes, this is a real risk we take in reading to our children. Oh sure, positive things can happen. When my children were about 6 (twins) and 8, I was never worried about a dragon attack, because we’d all had long discussions about how to discover the weak point (a la Bard and Smaug, and yes this was long before those horrible Hobbit movie/travesties).

Elliot Book HappyElliot, about 2 years, before his love of books complicated things

When Ilsa went through her Harriet the Spy phase, and Elliot’s backpack got stolen at school, it was lovely to see her searching the sandy school courtyard for clues, and writing them all out in multi-colour pens. It was during this stage that I also found the following on her floor. I reproduce it exactly, spelling and grammar intact as written: “Four friends are forming a new organisation. The C.T.A. is the name. Matthew is a 10 year old boy happy and kind and his sister Esther, a bright happy Girl. Abel intelligent but capable of rages and Ilsa, a girl who does not (underlined twice) adore every language. These four friends all injoy exercicing, to play and love mysteries!”

So yes, I admit there are advantages. But is it worth the risk? Click on over to 5 Minutes for Mom to read my article detailing some of the dangers of reading Curious George to a 3 year old and having him discover Calvin a few years later.

 

Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God by Tim Keller

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5M4B disclosure

prayer TKThe apostle Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians commands Christians to “pray without ceasing” (I Thess. 5:17).What does this mean and how is it even possible? After all, the medieval monks had 7 fixed times of daily prayer, and that was eventually proven to be physically insupportable even for men who had devoted their lives to prayer and didn’t have to be at an office or dealing with the demands of a family who produce an insane amount of laundry. (info taken from p 241; laundry example is from my own life) I have a lot of Muslim friends and sometimes they’ll ask me how many times a day I pray, usually after pointing with pride to their 5 times of prescribed prayer. “We’re supposed to pray without ever stopping,” I tell them, and they’re amazed because they think of prayer as being very ritualistic, with certain motions done and words recited.

I don’t know about you, but prayer is something I want to do more of, feel that I should be doing more of, and yet somehow usually fail to do more of. I’m a big fan of Tim Keller, so I was pretty excited when I saw he had written a book on prayer.

Well-known pastor and author Tim Keller writes in the forward that he realized several years ago that he didn’t have one book that summed up all aspects of theology, experience and methodology, written in modern language and idiom, that he could give to give those wanting to understand Christian prayer. He has put together a work that manages to be both scholarly and approachable, theological and practical with everyday applications.

Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God looks at various kinds of prayer, most notably whether or not we should strive for contemplative prayer which muses on the majesty of God or active supplication which appeals to his power and love for help in various situations of life, and finds that one is not better than the other but that both are necessary in the life of an active, growing Christian. The subtitle of the work, “experiencing awe and intimacy with God,” points to this. We can know and experience God through prayer, and this will change us.

Keller paraphrases methods of combining Bible study with meditation and prayer. “We pray in response to God himself,” he says, in a section titled “Conversing with God.” (p.60) His book emphasizes the importance of being grounded in the Word of God in order to be able to properly appreciate just who it is we’re praying to. He doesn’t shy away from mysticism and emotion, but points to the necessity of first establishing a foundation of contemplation of the word and the gospel of grace.

I love how practical this book is. It’s divided into 5 sections; Desiring Prayer, Understanding Prayer, Learning Prayer, Deepening Prayer, and Doing Prayer. Each section is further broken down; for example the final section includes the sub-sections Awe, Intimacy, Struggle and Practice. The third section, Learning Prayer, includes a deep meditation on the “prayer of prayers,” The Lord’s Prayer, which through familiarity has become banal to many, but which contains many riches.

Whenever I read or listen to Tim Keller, I’m always impressed at how well-read he is and this book is no exception. I feel he quotes nearly everyone who’s written on prayer, from various “greats” through the ages like St. Augustine, Martin Luther, Thomas Cranmer, John Calvin and others, to everyone from medieval mystics to Anne LaMott and Flannery O’Connor. The book is also saturated in Scripture, and will cause you to look at even familiar passages with fresh eyes.

Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God is the sort of book to be savored. The many ideas and experiences put forth within offer ways to transform your life, to bring you into deeper knowledge and intimacy with God. Of course this isn’t a get-spiritual-quick scheme, and ups and downs are inevitable while we continue as broken people in a broken world. But I came away from this book with a fresh excitement for spending time in prayer, and with some practical tips to help me move forward.

Please check out my column at 5 Minutes for Mom, 2 Good Resources on Prayer, where I compare this with another of my favorite books on prayer.

Frank and His Friend – Special Collection #Giveaway

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frank and his friendMy son LOVES to read the comics. He first started by sharing the newspaper with his grandfather over the breakfast table, just as he was old enough to read. Then we found some old Calvin and Hobbes collections, which my reluctant but perfectly able reader snapped right up.

Comics are a wonderful way for families to share reading together. They are also a great way to nudge a child into a lifelong love of books. I truly believe it helped my son Kyle bridge the gap.

I received a copy of Frank and His Friend – Special Collection as a download link so I could preview it, but I asked for a giveaway for one of you!

frank panel

Frank and His Friend reminds me a lot of Calvin and Hobbes. I’m assuming “his friend” is some sort of imaginary friend who helps to bring the creativity of his mind to life on the pages. Find out more about the author Otis and the 70’s cartoon strip at the Frank and His Friend page. While you’re there, check out some of the other fun classic offerings at Curio & Co

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Mr. Fox

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Mr. Fox figures as a Bluebeard-like character in English lore, and writer Helen Oyeyemi has a lot of fun with the concept in her most recent novel. St. John Fox is a writer who is confronted by his muse, Mary Foxe, who accuses him of killing off his female characters, one after the other. (A fun twist on the “real” Bluebeard/Mr. Fox/Reynaud, who of course killed actual women) In some ways she’s his ideal woman, grown from an imaginary British voice in his head during the war which encouraged him to keep on, yet she confronts him with his neglect of his actual wife, Daphne. It’s a love triangle of sorts, and there’s definitely an element of magic realism. Mary Foxe and Mr. Fox play many different roles in the tales that follow. In one, she’s a spinster nanny and he’s a famous writer. In another, he’s an actual fox and she’s an old woman. In another, he’s an Egyptian child and she’s from somewhere unnamed on the same continent (I pictured a village in Mali or Mauritania myself) . In one, she kills him (and that’s a tale about the death of love, and regret, and magic), but usually, he kills her, or she dies in some way. Some are undeniably creepy and dark, yet there is throughout a lightness and whimsicality to the writing that keeps the reader enthralled. Meanwhile, flesh-and-blood wife Daphne is growing more and more jealous of this imaginary woman, and wondering how real she actually is. Things take an unexpected turn at one point, where the 3 of them almost intersect. The tales are filled with foxgloves and literal foxes and references to Reynaud (the French version of Mr. Fox the legend) and more.

In many ways, it feels like we are looking through a prism, seeing the same characters from many different points of view, turning it round and round in our hands. Mr. Fox explores themes of fable and folklore, of love and romance, yet also of violence, pain, and death–both physical and emotional.

Oyeyemi is a fantastic writer with a light, deft touch, and Mr. Fox is a quirky, unique, and charming novel. Although it has been compared to Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler, don’t let that put you off. It’s more a series of connected short stories, some almost vignettes and others more fully fleshed-out, featuring the same people in wildly different roles. Ok, Mr. Fox isn’t for everyone, I’ll admit that. But if you’re looking for something a bit different, this book is captivating, charming, whimsical, and in surprising ways romantic.

Elizabeth loves new takes on old tales. Learn more at her blog Planet Nomad.

A Parent’s Guide to the Best Kids’ Comics

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My son loves graphic novels and comics. He learned to read easily, but still didn’t like to read. But when he started reading comics which I bought as compilations — Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts and more — he saw reading as something to enjoy, not something to dread.

Now he’s a 3rd grader, and enjoys chapter books, but he still loves comics and graphic novels. I love having a variety of reading materials around for him. We have some tried and true favorites, but this book gave me so much more to look into! When you buy books online (which is where I get over half of my books), you have to rely on the reviews and publisher description if you are looking for new series, and I’ve often gambled.

A Parent’s Guide to the Best Kids’ Comics: Choosing Titles Your Children Will Love is a fantastic resource. The book is organized by grade (Pre-K to 1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8), and then further clarified by genre, with all sorts of categories like non-fiction, humor, mystery, superhero, adventure, wordless, romance, fantasy. Each listing has each appropriate category, clearly labeled with a tab-like bar on the edge, easy to see when you are just flipping through. All books/series are listed alphabetically (sorted by age) in the back.

Each book/series is given a two-page spread. On the right side, there is a page of the book so you can see the exact style and tone of the pictures and words. The left side contains a thorough PLOT SUMMARY description, including why it might appeal specifically to children. EDUCATIONAL TIE-INS are listed by topic, wonderful for teachers trying to incorporate topical ideas into the classroom. For example in the Babymouse section, the tie-ins are listed by topic for those general to the series and title for specifics, including but not limited to bullying, cliques, self-esteem, mathematics (Dragonslayer), sibling relationships (Beach Babe), Science (Mad Scientist). A HEADS UP gives any issues that might be of concern to parents such as name-calling, violence (cartoon or realistic), potty-humor etc.

WHAT’S NEXT is perhaps the most valuable section, giving a couple recommendations of books by the same author, or in the same style or theme.

Now, excuse me while I browse online. I certainly have some ideas. Check out A Parent’s Guide to the Best Kids’ Comics now to get some great gift ideas for all the kids on your Christmas list, and to continue fueling your own kids’ desire to read.

Beautiful Disaster

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Abby Abernathy wants to be a good girl, leaving behind a mysterious past and getting good grades in her second year of college. When she meets Travis Maddox, an underground fighter in the vein of Fight Club who is trailed by pretty girls, she is determined to be the only girl on campus who can resist his charms. Travis takes on the personal challenge of winning Abby over, and challenges her to a bet, one that will result in her living with him for a month if she loses.

Abby and Travis are the epitome of opposites attracting, but they’re also a bit too good to be true. They have a co-dependent relationship, and Travis’s obsession with her is less than healthy. While characters in the novel are college students, I wouldn’t recommend anyone younger than that age read it, as the relationships are not ones to be emulated. The oxymoronic title describes Abby and Travis perfectly and I was drawn into their story, even if at times I cringed at their behavior.

The sexual tension throughout the book is palpable, but the explanation of Abby’s secret past, known only to her best friend, fell a bit flat. Her inability to be straight with Travis – handling conflict by just leaving without telling him why – also got a bit grating, though was also appropriate to her age and experience.

Beautiful Disaster contains quite a bit of foul language, violence in the form of street-fighting, and some pretty explicit sex. It’s also the kind of book that leaves you feeling a bit raw and I have mixed feelings about it, which may be clear from this muddled review. It is told in the first person by Abby, and Travis’s side of the story is due to be published next year.

Notes on the audiobook: I enjoyed Emma Galvin’s narration. Her voice is unique, conveying Abby’s emotions and feelings well. She has narrated quite a few contemporary novels and I would enjoy listening to her other work.

Nancy was in some short-lived relationships in college but fortunately none that were quite so unhealthy. She writes about her boys, books and life in Colorado at Life With My Boys and Books.

Sharing ‘A Wrinkle in Time’; 50th Anniversary Edition

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It was a dark and stormy night. I was 12, recently moved 1200 miles from home, lonely, having a hard time making friends at my new junior high school. I was sick a lot that year and my mother, knowing what a hard time I was having, was patient with me, letting me stay home where in previous years she would have insisted I go.

We’d moved from a tiny town in the Canadian prairies to a town in Northern California’s high desert, and the one good thing that place had to offer was a library that would let me take as many books as I wanted at any given time. I thought they were crazy. I would stagger out of there with 20 or 30 books. My English teacher noticed me too. She invited me to be on the yearbook and the student newspaper.

The combination of these things—loneliness, sickness, access to lots of books—made this a year that I spent a lot of time snuggled under blankets, reading, escaping into the world of my imagination. I remember that English teacher (I don’t remember her name, sadly) giving me a copy of A Wrinkle in Time and saying, “Try this. I think you’ll like it.”

I opened it and read, “It was a dark and stormy night. In her attic bedroom Margaret Murry, wrapped in an old patchwork quilt, sat on the foot of the bed and watched the trees tossing in the frenzied lashing of the wind,” and was already hooked. I didn’t have an attic bedroom–we lived in a depressingly-average 60s-era bungalow–but I wanted one. I did have a patchwork quilt. And I love storms. By the time Mrs. Whatsit showed up and announced wild nights were her glory, I knew I had found a book to keep and treasure. (I got my own copy, don’t worry.) And so, I was along for the ride as Meg and Charles Wallace and Calvin tesseract across the universe to save Meg’s father, in an adventure that mixes theology, science fiction, pure fantasy, and the realities of everyday life on planet Earth.

I think the feeling of being alone is universal. Every child can relate to crushing embarrassment at school, to feeling misunderstood by even loving parents and siblings, to cowering in a storm and wondering if anyone else out there will ever understand you. That’s part of what makes A Wrinkle in Time such a great book. It’s instantly accessible. But then, to have Meg celebrated for her faults, to realize that what is so scary about Camazotz is that there is no originality, no true humanity, was very affirming to me as a young teen. And even though I knew that, unlike Meg, I would never do higher math, stories like this still gave me courage to keep on facing down my fears every morning on my way to that junior high.

I went on, of course, to read the companion books, then many of L’Engle’s other books. Now, as an adult, I especially love her non-fiction and poetry. All my copies are signed too, because she once visited Portland and I was able to hear her speak, and she was just as affirming and imaginative as you would expect. She was too tired to sign books afterwards, so we were encouraged to submit a list of up to 10 titles, and she sent us signed nameplates in the mail. That generosity is still stunning to me.

Once I had kids, I couldn’t wait to share my favorite books with them. They enjoyed A Wrinkle in Time too; begging me to keep going through just one more chapter to find out what happened.

It’s hard for me to believe A Wrinkle in Time was published 50 years ago–it still feels very fresh to me. This book was legendary for the number of rejections it received before someone finally had the courage to publish it, and I do feel it was ahead of its time. The legend lives on–one of last year’s most popular YA books, Matched, imagines a world very like Camazotz, and what might happen to give one of those identical children the courage to break free.

The new commemorative edition is gorgeous, with all sorts of extras—a copy of L’Engle’s acceptance speech for the Newbery Awards, a copy of a chapter from the original manuscript with her own scribbled pencil marks, an introduction by Katherine Paterson and an afterword by L’Engle’s granddaughter Charlotte Voiklis, telling a bit of her Gran’s story and the story of the book. There are family photos, including one I love of Madeleine reading to her two granddaughters, and more. There’s also a special facebook page for the 50th Anniversary commemorative copy, where you can keep up with different events that will be happening this year to celebrate the occasion.

This post is part of a special 50 blogs in 50 days celebration, so please read some of the other thoughts, with a different theme each week.

A Wrinkle in Time is classic for all the right reasons—because it is a story that has and will endure, because it touches something timeless in all of us. If it’s been a while since you’re read it, I encourage you to share a copy with a young person in your life.

One of you (U.S. only) will win a copy of the 50th anniversary edition of A Wrinkle in Time. Just leave a comment, and we’ll announce the winner in our giveaway column on February 8. This giveaway is now closed.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.


Elizabeth is glad she never has to be 12 again, but she survived. Learn more at her blog Planet Nomad.

Kids’ Picks, January 10

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My 7-year-old is detoxing from his computer/Wii binging that I allowed during our Christmas break from school. Yes, he read (mostly Calvin and Hobbes), but I’ve weaned him off unlimited electronics time, and I’m back to encouraging “real” books for him that meet his school reading requirement, and I’m gently nudging my 13-year-old to choose reading over all those other things vying for her attention.

I love sharing what they are reading in my Kids’ Picks posts over at my personal blog Snapshot, and I’ll hope that you’ll join us in 2012 as well. On the second Tuesday of each month, we share what our kids are enjoying. These are books that they’d recommend. Books they couldn’t put down. It’s not necessary something on your homeschool curriculum or something that they had to read in school (although it’s very cool when then “have to” books intersect with the “want to” books).

By the way, that’s sort of what the Cybils go for — literary merit and kid appeal — so if you haven’t checked out the finalists, it’s a good place to start if you are looking for recommendations for your kids.

Please link directly to your blog post, and include your children’s ages for ease in visiting.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

On Reading: Merry Christmas! What Books did you give or get?

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Merry Christmas (and other Winter holiday happies) from the 5 Minutes for Books team! We are so happy to be able to do what we do here. We do it because we love books, and we like sharing that love with all of you other booklovers. Here are some of the books that we are gifting to those in our lives:

JENNIFER

  • I’m feeding Kyle’s love of Calvin and Hobbes with a copy of one of the collections he doesn’t have: The Indispensable Calvin And Hobbes. I’m also trying to expand his appreciation of comics with a really nice hardbound Peanuts collection that I found in the clearance section at Barnes and Noble for around $10.
  • My kids’ bookworm roots run on both sides — not only from my own dad, but from Terry’s side of the family as well. My father-in-law and his mother are both huge readers. In addition to some other goodies, I bought The Hunger Games book for my/his grandmother (click the link for a chance to win the book and movie poster). That’s right! I’m giving the violent dystopian bestseller to my grandmother! And what’s more, I think she’ll like it, since she’s a fan of mystery and suspense and has dabbled in sci-fi.

LAUREN

  • My son is an avid sports fan. Every year, Santa brings him Scholastic’s Year in Sports. This book is filled with statistics, and my son pores over it for months. This is perfect for the 9-12 age range (or even older for those who love stats).
  • My daughter recently started reading chapter books. She found Sophie the Awesome in her stocking. I saw this series at our recent book fair, so I’m sure Santa made a good pick. I think my daughter will enjoy this exuberant character.
  • Almost every year, I give my mom the newest Nicholas Sparks book. She has them all, so I think that The Best of Me is a welcome addition to her collection!

DAWN

  • Just a couple weeks ago, my children’s school (where I also happen to teach) held its annual Scholastic Book Fair, and I picked up a couple of paperback books for the kids’ stockings. Raining Cats and Dogs: A Collection of Irresistible Idioms and Illustrations to Tickle the Funny Bones of Young People seemed to be perfect for my four year old who loves to giggle over the funny things words can mean.
  • For my kindergarten daughter, whose class recently completed an extensive study of bones and fossils, I chose the Scholastic 2011 winner of the “Kids are Authors” contest: What Does the X-Ray Say? I’m a big fan of this campaign that recognizes literary work created by school groups, and the topic couldn’t have been more appropriate for my daughter this year!
  • Since my mother-in-law took care of some significant book purchasing this year (Elephant & Piggie and Percy Jackson among the familiar characters in the mix), we opted to get our oldest a book that differed from his usual fare of middle grade and YA novels, and went with a puzzle book. Brain Games: Improve Your Memory is filled with a variety of number and word games that seem like his thing. Though we’re not looking to lower our 11 year old’s brain age, we predict he’ll have fun with this one.

NANCY

TRISH

ELIZABETH:

  • I’m late to the party, as usual! I’m on the West Coast, which is a valid excuse, and am also visiting the in-laws, which is even more of an excuse if only you knew! We still haven’t opened our gifts yet, but every one of us is getting books. (Yes, I am pretty sure that I am getting the The Complete Pelican Shakespeare, which I asked for when I realized I’d lost my old copy in one of our many moves.)
  • Elliot bought Ilsa 2 books, neither of which I can link since I can’t remember what they were even though I helped pick them out.
  • I bought Ilsa some of the Anne of Green Gables books. I grew up in Canada reading L.M.M. Montgomery, and I have passed on my Emily books and attempted to pass on my Anne books. Sadly, I’d read a lot of them to death, and Ilsa’s collection was missing a few. Not after today! Ilsa’s twin, Abel, is getting a comic collection.
  • Even Donn, who claims he’s not a reader, is getting 2 books: Elliott Erwitt Paris and Robert Capa: The Definitive Collection Yes, those are picture books! 😉

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