Delectable Detective

Dating back thousands of years, most tellers use riddles to welcome listeners into their stories.  These specifically-worded queries get our brains in gear, focus our concentration and inspire creativity.  Riddles allow us to participate in a treasure hunt without taking a step.  All we need to do is use our imaginations, expanding our thinking from the obvious to the obscure.  The sense of accomplishment in deciphering these puzzles is a rich reward too.

Readers are guaranteed another adventure full of fun and one smart cookie on the run in The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC, August 23, 2016) written by Laura Murray with illustrations by Mike Lowery.  There is sleuthing and solving.  May they do themselves proud.  It's game on for the Gingerbread Man and the elementary school crowd.

I woke to the sound of a rumbling
ROAR!
and 
hooting
and 
howling
and
growling
galore.

The children called out names as the teacher made noises and everyone's excitement grew.  Boarding the bus the hunt was revealed.  The animal clues were no longer concealed.  It was a point-to-point guide around the zoo.

Unraveling riddle number one was done with ease.  In fact Gingerbread Man was soon in a tight squeeze; barely escaping snack status thanks to a sneeze. When he chanced a look, his class was gone.

Knowing his friends needed to be found; the Gingerbread Man unriddled the remaining riddles, animal by animal, in habitats high, low, wet, square and round.  Some beasts were big, other critters were small.  He found them, almost all.  Figuring out the final puzzle, the Gingerbread Man ran as only he can.

Single-minded he moved until...a baby kangaroo came into view.  Now two were lost but the Gingerbread Man was brilliant and bold.  He knew what they were seeking was more valuable than gold.  Hoping and hopping they followed the way.  Happy hero and baby buddy, together, saved the day.


When Laura Murray sends the Gingerbread Man on a trip, we are in for a treat.  As we wind through the zoo, we are learning animal names too.  Her riddles blend into the rhyming rhythm of the narrative asking readers to participate in piecing the clues together.  Within the puzzles we learn about the animals' characteristics, baby names, and food.  Here are two more sample passages depicting Murray's skillful word play.

"HAVE A WILD DAY!" said the man at the front
as we pulled out our riddles to start on the hunt.

I jumped 
on the railing
to get a 
good look, 
and out popped her tongue
like a curvy blue hook.


The energy in the illustrations rendered

with pencil, traditional screen printing, and digital color

by Mike Lowery will have you ready to go to the zoo.  There's no doubt when looking at the front of the dust jacket (I'm working with an F & G) the Gingerbread Man is ready to romp.  The animals at the zoo look equally willing to share in his pleasant pursuits.  On the back, to the left, readers are given a hint of further play and a problem in three separate visuals.  On the title page the Gingerbread Man is swinging on a vine from the top through the title text, dangling above a bright, light blue and white map of the zoo.  A friendly rhino grins at the reader.

Lowery portrays his interpretation of the story in a series of bordered panels of varying sizes.  He sometimes uses one or two pages, edge to edge to focus on a particular point.  The narrative is usually shown in separate boxes, black on white, at the top or bottom of a panel.  Dialogue is, for the most part, in speech bubbles.

With a dot, circle, or curve of a line, Lowery is able to convey an array of emotion.  These girls, boys, animals and the Gingerbread Man are upbeat and fully animated.  Readers will find themselves smiling repeatedly.

One of my favorite of several illustrations is at the beginning of the story.  The Gingerbread Man wakes up to discover his teacher is the cause of the commotion.  She's looking fierce pretending to be a large cat.  Looking out his window, the Gingerbread Man is smiling at the discovery.  We can see all his details, his frosted brow, his pink and white hat, bow tie, red buttons and brown shorts.  He's one cute cookie!


This entry in the series is a surefire winner.  Everyone is going to love following their favorite smart cookie in The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo written by Laura Murray with illustrations by Mike Lowery.  I know you will hear requests of read it again and most likely pleas for treats, riddles and a trip to the zoo.  

To learn more about Laura Murray and Mike Lowery and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  At Laura Murray's site she has mentor text lesson plans, a reader's theater, a design a Gingerbread Man story template, a story sequencing page, zoo animal matching and a color the cover page.  Please take a moment to visit Scholastic's Ambassador for School Libraries, John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read., for the book trailer premiere and a wonderful interview.  You will want to visit the Nerdy Book Club to read Laura Murray's recent guest post focusing on gifts and inspiration.  Laura Murray is a guest on Matthew Winner's podcast All The Wonders, Episode 278.  For my views about The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School, The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck, and The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas follow the links.

To Hunt And Be Hunted

Even after the end is reached, they ask to play again.  Exchanges are made and a new search begins.  As often as possible, despite the initial time-consuming nature, a part of most units of study in my library media centers contains a puzzle, a problem to solve, to reinforce basic level skills.  Print to print, print to digital, digital to digital and digital to print students move from clue to clue, seeking a final answer employing what they have learned.

Games in all their varied forms and formats are enjoyed by nearly everyone of every age.  For those who love reading, adventure and mystery, Book Scavenger (Christy Ottaviano Books, an imprint of Henry Holt And Company, June 2, 2015) written by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman with illustrations by Sarah Watt is an all-consuming quest.  It's a race to win a game not yet started.

Garrison Griswold whistled his way down Market Street, silver hair bobbing atop his head like a pigeon wing. 

   Garrison Griswold is the owner of a flourishing publishing company, Bayside Press located in San Francisco, California.  He is also the creator of a phenomenal game, Book Scavenger, which connects players virtually and in real time.  In this first chapter, which literally starts the book with a bang, Mr. Griswold is on his way to reveal the beginning of a new game, its secrets only known by him.  Two despicable men attack and leave Mr. Griswold hovering between life and death.  One of them carelessly tosses an extremely valuable object behind a trash container in the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit).

A short time later Emily Crane and her father and her older brother Matthew and her mother following behind them in a minivan, arrive in San Francisco.  They are moving from New Mexico, the ninth state in which Emily has lived in her almost thirteen years.  Her parents are on a life-long adventure to realize the name of their blog, Fifty Homes in Fifty States.

To her brother, who makes friends in a finger snap, it's no big deal.  For Emily this lifestyle is starting to wear a little thin.  She longs for more stability.  This explains her love of puzzles, ciphers, treasure hunts and Book Scavenger.  The huge positive about this move is being in the same city as her literary and gaming idol, Garrison Griswold.

It doesn't take Emily long to figure out the grandson, James, of their landlord, Mrs. Lee, is a kindred spirit.  The Lee family, Chinese-Americans, have resided in this particular building for generations.  Their extended family lives in other parts of the city.  This sense of belonging has never been a part of Emily's world.

As a result of a book scavenging afternoon, scattered flowers and a misplaced bumper sticker, Emily, James and Matthew locate the item lodged behind the trash container in the BART.  The real danger lies in the fact they were seen recovering it.  They have no idea what these people are capable of doing to gain control of this book.

The book, a brand new copy of Edgar Allan Poe's short story The Gold-Bug, is as Emily discovers, the first part of Garrison Griswold's new game, leading to a one-of-a-kind treasure.  As she and James start to unravel the coded hints, an embarrassing event during her first day at the new school demands more of James' attention.  If he doesn't win this particular wager, he will lose Steve, his cowlick.  Yes, he gave a name to his cowlick.

Chapter by chapter, alternating between the two desperadoes and Emily and company, streets and notable buildings in San Francisco are explored in earnest, sometimes while in pursuit.  Tension increases layer by layer in The Gold-Bug hunt, the cipher challenge, a particular band concert, floundering friendships and family dynamics.  There are more twists and turns than on Lombard Street, a red herring or two, and more than one ending where you will gasp and give a sigh of relief.


What readers will find enjoyable about this title is the way debut author Jennifer Chambliss Bertman invites them to solve the puzzles, ciphers and riddles right along with her characters.  We are participatory readers.  This hunt is enriched by other outstanding writing techniques.

Key elements found in stellar adventure and mystery stories, action, a quest, a hero in jeopardy, suspense, clues, smoke screens, enemies, and trusted companions and advisers, are deftly woven into the narrative and thoughts and conversations of the characters.  Vivid descriptions in which the characters are placed evoke a realistic sense of time and place especially in the city and middle school settings.  Bertman definitely sets the pace on high and we gladly ride the roller coaster she has deftly created.  Here are some sample passages from the book.

With a soft grunt, Mr. Griswold collapsed against the slick granite wall behind him.  He crumpled from a seated position to a prone one, his back sliding against the wall, leaving a streak of blood to mark his trail.  He tried to land on top of his bag in an effort to keep it from the men, but Clyde tugged it free. 

They were driving through a valley jam-packed with rows of houses wrapped around hillsides like serpentine belts.  

Matthew attracted friends like a rainbow attracts leprechauns.

James turned past a bakery and entered the mall.  Glass-fronted stores passed by in a blur, then James turned sharply and hustled upstairs.  There was nothing but the sound of their feet pounding until finally they slowed to a stop outside the public restrooms.  
"I think we lost them," Matthew said between gasps.
"Quiet!" James held a finger to his lips.


The Book Scavenger written by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman with pictures by Sarah Watt is brimming with intrigue and excitement in every chapter.  Book lovers and puzzle lovers are going to read this over and over again.  I know they will share the exploits of the characters with others, gaining new fans for the book and the game.  At the close of the story Bertman offers an extensive author's note explaining Rufus Griswold, The Gold-Bug, Cipher Challenge, Masquerade, and Book Scavenger The Game

To discover more about Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, this title and her upcoming books, please visit her website by following the link embedded in her name. Follow this link to the website dedicated to Book Scavenger.  Will you play the game?  Where will you hide your book?
Here is an interview with the illustrator Sarah Watts at emu's debuts .

They're Getting Away Again...

When learning a story yourself or teaching storytelling to others, the key is not in recalling it word for word but finding the essence of the narrative.  To me this is what knowing it by heart means.  If the bare bones of the tale are timeless, if it has appeal across cultures to people regardless of their age, it will remain as long as there is memory.

When reading any of the earlier versions of The Gingerbread Man (which as far as I can tell is strictly an American adaptation on the runaway food motif from folklore)  he was made by a little old woman and a little old man who had no children of their own.  Since that time authors and illustrators have delighted readers with their individual interpretations and enhancements on the original.  Catch That Cookie! (Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, August 14, 2014) written by Hallie Durand with pictures by David Small is an extraordinarily tasty tale mixing all the necessary ingredients for a recipe readers will remember.

It was December, and Marshall's class had 
heard stories about runaway gingerbread
men all week long.

Marshall is far too sensible to believe a single word in any of these stories.  Anyone knows gingerbread men can't run.  They are cookies, plain and simple.  Cookies are to be eaten.

Today is the day his class is making their own gingerbread men.  Marshall is eager to begin, acting as the chief mixer of dough.  After the cookies are cut, the decorating begins in earnest.  Marshall adds extra raisins so his man has six eyes and a nifty silver ball belt.  Mrs. Gray checks and re-checks the oven door to make sure no cookies can escape.

The students minus Marshall are delirious with glee when the timer chimes and the opened oven reveals the cookies have vanished.  To make it even more exciting the gingerbread men have left not one but four clues.  The chase is on!  They are led up high, down low, and from the classroom into the gym and back again.

Marshall is sure there is a logical explanation.  Gingerbread men can't leave clues.  Certainly there is a reason the writing is so sloppy on the notes.  Certainly there is a reason he spies a single silver ball on the floor.    Certainly there is a reason he discovers hundreds of gingerbread footprints.  Could the answer be magic?  Marshall takes a leap of faith.  Will you?


The blend of unseen narrator with dialogue by Marshall, his classmates and Mrs. Gray, their teacher, along with the gingerbread clues are skillfully composed by Hallie Durand.  She understands the atmosphere in school classrooms and the conversations to be heard on a daily basis.  Disbelief, excitement, positive support, mutual respect, curiosity, teamwork and riddles resolved are so lively you expect to hear someone speaking at any moment.  The beat of the G-men hints heightens the story's cadence.  Here is a sample.

If you can find us, we'll be your snack,
But if you can't, we're never coming back.
We ran from the oven, we were bored and hot,
Now we're hiding in a big, black___.


Caldecott Medalist and two-time Caldecott Honor winner, David Small's illustrations are smile-inducing from dust jacket and book case to the closing endpapers.  Animated typography on the front jacket and case with Marshall jumping through the "O" to capture his runaway cookie announces the spirited story to follow.  On the back Small has a wanted poster for the missing G-man looking somewhat like a recipe card.  His descriptions, height, weight, eyes, taste, last seen and warning, are hilarious.  The opening and closing endpapers are created in shades of a cool wintry blue with abstract snowflakes scattered from edge to edge.  The only difference between the two is a small circular image on the left at the end.  It's of Marshall and that's all I am going to say.

No space is wasted by Small as he begins the story on the two-page illustration for the title.  Marshall and his classmates are seated on the story circle rug as Mrs. Gray reads a gingerbread man book aloud.  The verso and the first page visual zooms in on a perplexed Marshall.  Rendered in pen and ink, ink wash, watercolor and colored pencil each page is a blend of varied illustration sizes and text.  The design and layout flow flawlessly.

The care given to detail is exquisite; the snowflake pattern on the endpapers is duplicated on Mrs. Gray's smock which in turn matches the snowflakes hanging from the classroom ceiling, in each setting fine lines outline objects placed within different colored washes allowing for the characters' and the action to draw our attention.  The facial expressions, the shift in perspective and red lines used to focus on specific elements are pure perfection.

One of my favorite illustrations (in addition to the last two pages and the closing endpapers) is when Mrs. Gray opens the oven to find it empty.  She is wearing a completely shocked look.  Marshall's nine classmates are jumping for joy.  He is standing in stunned suspicious silence.  Small has used a light gingerbread-colored wash to emphasize the classroom area but then has it frame his characters. This is definitely a picture packed with emotion.


Every time I read this book I begin and end with a smile.  In fact I never stop page after page.  Catch That Cookie! written by Hallie Durand with pictures by David Small will have you sniffing the air for a whiff of spice and molasses.  You might want to have cookies handy when reading this aloud or even silently to yourself.  Get ready for a chorus of read it again when you close the cover.

To explore the other works of Hallie Durand and David Small please follow the links to their websites embedded in their names.  Here is a link to an interesting article,  The History of Gingerbread, which includes a recipe.  I have created a Padlet of other books for you to use. (The link is here.) If you know of more, please leave the titles in the comments.

Created with Padlet

Hunting For Home

There is a tiny treasure resting on my bookshelves among all my gardening books.  On my birthday it was a gift from my mom and dad.  The inscription reads

June 11, 1980
To our daughter who is as lovely as a flower-----
Happy Birthday, Margie
With love,
Dad and Mom

They each wrote their own names; their signatures as distinctive as they were.  The book, The Language of Flowers, was originally published in 1968.  Printed in England my edition is the fourth printing in 1976.  This volume lists over seven hundred flowers with their meanings.

Seven kinds of daisies are listed.  In Tracy Holczer's debut middle grade novel, The Secret Hum of a Daisy, daisies figure prominently.  Considering the ox-eye daisy is prevalent in the wild I decided to look up what it represents.

Daisy, Ox Eye, .... A Token

Indeed.


All I had to do was walk up to the coffin.  

Twelve-year-old Grace is at her mother's funeral.  For all the years of her life, it has always been her and her mother alone moving from place to place; fourteen new schools in total for Grace.  Now she would be living with her maternal grandmother, a woman who, before Grace was born, had asked Grace's mother to leave her home after Grace's dad and grandfather were killed in an automobile accident.

In Grace's mind this woman who sent her own daughter away could not possibly want Grace.  At her Grandmother's house, she refuses to live inside taking up residence in her grandfather's workshop.  Here she can't hear the nearby river; its sound a painful memory of her mother's drowning.

After nine months, the longest time they have ever stayed in one place, Grace has grown to love living with Mrs. Greene and her daughter, Lacey, who has become her best friend.  When her mother wants to move again, Grace takes a stand arguing.  That discussion and afterward, those words exchanged in frustration, anger and disappointment is the last time Grace sees her mother alive.

Wishing for Before, afraid of After but needing to connect with life, a new person in a new small town, Grace like many experiencing loss of a loved one is looking for a promise.  When she finds a folded silver origami crane in the bushes on her way to school she believes it is a sign from her mom. In each new home her mom would create a scavenger hunt for Grace.  More and more clues are seen and collected.  Who is leaving these for Grace and why?

Origami cranes, larger cranes fashioned from found metal objects with messages tucked inside, a horse named Beauty, a park, a school project, a field of daisies, spoons and an Egyptian death ceremony are important pieces in Grace building a foundation, finding her place. Poetry, writing letters and stories told by supportive community members and family friends strengthen the framework providing shelter.  Will windows and a door open into Grace's heart?


With the single first sentence, readers, like Grace, are seeking answers.  We want to know more about her Grandmother Jessup, her dad, the community members, teachers and staff at school, Mrs.Greene and Lacey, the next door neighbors, Jo, Max and Mr. and Mrs. Brannigan and...her mother. Their roles are important in shaping Grace's new life.

Tracy Holczer builds her characters conversation by conversation.  We listen to Grace's thoughts as she weighs the pros and cons of her choices.  Talking, thinking and journal writing shape a picture of the past, present and possible future.

We want to understand the significance of the treasure hunt and its link to the meaning of home.  Using the clues and the placement of the paper cranes, we travel from place to place, idea to idea, on a road of discovery right along with Grace.  This moves the narrative briskly with a gentle tension.  Here are some samples of Tracy Holczer's writing in this title.

Each of her birds held a sorrow or a wish---all her sleepless nights and worries, all her hopes for the future---formed into words and sketches tucked deep inside those birds and meant to fly away.  Before that day, I didn't know what she might be worried about, what might have made her feel sorrowful.  I only understood my own sorrows, the way they would settle into the empty spaces meant to be filled by other things---a father, a place to call home---and I didn't know how to scrape them out now.


"You need to give her a name," I said.
"Give who a name?" Grandma said.
"The truck.  We had a name for our car and Mama talked real nice to her, like with plants.  That car always started right up."
"You want me to talk to the truck?" Grandma said real quiet, like it was occurring to her I might have slipped clear off my nut.
Sheriff Bergum looked amused.  "Come on, Miranda.  Give it a try."
"I most certainly will not."
Just to poke at her, I ran my hand along the crisp green metal.  "There you go Granny Smith.  You take your time. I know you can do it."
When I walked to the tailgate, Grandma stared at me through the rearview mirror; her eyes almost kind.
"You can give it a try again," I said.
In a shuddering cough of smelly gray smoke, the truck started right up.  Even I was surprised.


"You will go your whole life Gracie May, and every single person in it will fail you in one way or another.  It's all about repair.  It's all about letting yourself change those pictures."


The Secret Hum of a Daisy written by Tracy Holczer is about feeling hopeless and finding hope, never having a place to call home and finding people who make a house a home and it's about love helping to fill the hole of loss.  It's about being human but extending ourselves for the benefit of others, knowing everyone's lives will be richer for the efforts.  This is a memorable, moving debut.

You will find information about Tracy Holczer, this book (the first chapter for you to read) and a study guide by following the link embedded in her name to access her website.  This link takes you to a page explaining her free Skype visits.  It also includes links to blog posts during her tour, a post at Nerdy Book Club, Unleashing Readers and an American Booksellers Association Q & A. At OneFour KidLit is an additional interview.