Destination High Adventure

Regardless of the intentions of the protagonists in an adventure story, they find themselves constantly in and out of danger.  Their paths are littered with obstacles.  These may come in the form of monsters from lore, unexpected natural disasters or at the hands of unsavory individuals.  Moving at breathtaking speeds, the action is non-stop.  As readers we are never sure from one minute to the next if survival will be their fortune.

A year ago yesterday Compass South (Four Points, Book 1) (Margaret Ferguson Books, Farrar Straus Giroux) written by Hope Larson with illustrations by Rebecca Mock raced into the world.  A three page prologue, the air laden with mystery, introduces us to Mr. Hodge, the red-headed twin babies left in his care and the necessity of keeping two heirlooms in their constant possession, a compass and a knife.  Hester, the love of Hodge's life, we are told is now deceased.  The children, a girl and a boy, will never know her.

Twelve years later the children believing their father, Hodge, is dead join a street crew, the Black Hook Gang. In a robbery gone bad, Alexander and Cleopatra Dodge find themselves seated in front of the head of the local police.  To save themselves from prison they reveal the location of the gang hideout.

Although they are being sent from the city with a clean slate, they know their lives will be short if Luther, the leader of the gang, finds them.  Waiting for the purchase of train tickets to New Orleans they see an ad in the newspaper. A father, a very wealthy father, is looking for his twin sons, his redheaded sons, last seen five years ago.

From New Orleans they have to get to San Francisco to collect the reward as well as be reunited with their "father."  Their plans get turned inside out when they discover another set of twins with the same idea.  To add to their predicament Luther is indeed looking for them but he is now working for an unscrupulous pirate who has to have the compass and the knife.  These objects hold the key to untold treasures.

As events unfold, the two sets of twins find themselves separated but paired with each other.  A tumultuous sea voyage and a jungle journey take them closer to known and unknown perils.  Shipboard battles, sword fights, quick sand, wild animals, high winds, stormy seas and treacherous currents work against them but bigger surprises than they could have imagined await them as the conclusion draws closer.

To announce this first book there were numerous articles and interviews, Comics Alliance, Comics Alternative,  School Library Journal, Drawn to Comics, and Book Riot. A blog tour described the process of creating this title.  Two of the posts can be read at teacher Colby Sharp's blog, sharpread, and at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  To view interior panels please visit the publisher's website.

And now one year later...

The twelve-year-old twins, Alex and Cleo, return in further heart-pounding escapades as they crack the code hidden in the knife and compass in Knife's Edge Four Points, Book Two (Margaret Ferguson Books, Farrar Straus Giroux, June 27, 2017).  Now aboard the ship Almira commanded by Captain Tarboro, a man with a near legendary life, they set sail for the Marshall Islands.  They do so knowing the dreaded pirate Felix Worley, sailing El Caleuche, is trying to get to the riches before they do.  

For the first time in their lives the twins are at odds in their goals; Alex wants the life of a sailor for himself on the Almira and Cleo is struggling to find a place for herself.  Without the knowledge of anyone else, she convinces Captain Tarboro to give her sword fighting lessons.  The tension heightens when the ship seeks harbor in Honolulu.  Separated from Alex at the market Cleo uncovers more secrets increasing the questions about her and Alex and...Luther!  

Trying to change his destiny he saves Cleo from a brawl in the tavern and escapes the pirate crew to sail with the twins.  Of course this means a highly risky situation has turned decidedly deadly.  Worley will kill him for desertion.  Worley will pursue the Almira to the ends of the earth.

A high speed chase across the waves and the brutal outcome of an encounter with a reef alters the course for the twins, Luther, Captain Tarboro, his crew and the Almira. Evading pursuing sharks an island is reached but it, too, holds shocks.  It seems death has not had its day.

Friends and enemies blend in a twist of fate.  Is it a kidnapping or a secret pact?  Betrayals abound on all sides.  Page-turner can't begin to describe the minutes and hours leading to the first conclusion.  The power of story discloses another ending.

When it comes to crafting an adventure, Hope Larson has a gift.  Life in the 1860s moves from the pages into our presence so completely we are drawn into the world of the Hodge twins.  There is never a pause in the action except when as smooth as silk she weaves the past into the present through stories.  Told completely in dialogue we are captivated from beginning to end.  

Certainly the settings and the events tied to them play a huge part in readers' enjoyment of this book (and the first title, too) but her characters are strong and true, whether they are friends or foes.  They exhibit strengths and weaknesses.  Love is a driving force, an undercurrent in several relationships.  Here is a sample conversation between Cleo and Luther after he saves her.

Unnnh...   

Where am I?

The basement.

Eep!

Who are you?

Shh! You'll wake up the giant.

Ooooo...

She's coming to.  You don't look hurt---can you walk?

Who's there?  I hear whispering.

I think so.

There you are!

Quickly!

Don't you dare!  Don't you dare shut that door!

SLAM

Open this door!  Let me out!

LET ME OUT!

LET ME OUT!

Luther?

You can't know how glad I am to see you.

Glad?  One look at me and you ran off full chisel.

Had to get you away from Alex.

Did you also have to drop me through a hole in the floor?

You were in trouble.

Was not!

Okay, I was.  But I'm not sayin' thanks.  Last time I saw you, you about got me killed.

Fair enough.

The artwork on the matching dust jacket and book case suggests the adventure found on every page.  You can sense the tension and excitement in the twins aboard the Almira.  The image crosses the spine to continue on the back.  There we see Captain Tarboro with a guest on the ship who I will not name in case you have not read the first title.  The use of light and shadow by Rebecca Mock is stunning.  The details on the ship are in keeping with the time period.  The color on the opening and closing endpapers mirrors a pale blue sky.  

On the title page the illustration of the compass upon the knife as seen on the jacket and case appears beneath the text.  To the left of this is an old-style map of the voyage.  Each of the eleven chapters begins with a small but significant framed picture.

Panel sizes alter and are grouped to enhance the pacing of the narrative.  At times Mock will superimpose one element on another for emphasis.  Speech bubbles, sound effects and wordless images flow seamlessly together.  Color is used to great effect to elevate the time of day or mood of a scene.  It's the exquisite detail in all the illustrations which will have readers pausing, adding to the pleasure of the story.

One of my many favorite illustrations is in the market on Honolulu.  Cleo, who is struggling with the person she wants to become, is holding a bag of tea and smelling it.  Memories of things said to her about her tea making skills spiral out from the central element.  It's an emotional moment but also a prelude to a turning point in the story.

Knife's Edge Four Points, Book 2 written by Hope Larson with illustrations by Rebecca Mock is as thrilling as the companion title.  You simply can't start it without finishing it in one sitting; reading it as quickly as possible.  It is a period piece of a particular kind of adventure superbly done brimming with beginnings and endings.  You will want multiple copies of both books on your professional shelves.  And your personal bookshelf needs to have a copy of each, too.

To learn more about Rebecca Mock and her other work please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  She maintains a Tumblr account here.  To view interior images please follow this link to the publisher's website.  Hope Larson is interviewed for this title at School Library Journal.  The Comics Alternative again chats with the collaborators, Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock.

To view the other posts in the Knife's Edge Blog Tour follow this link.

When You Thought It Couldn't Get Any Worse...

Surviving seventh grade with your dignity and inconspicuousness intact is no easy feat.  Sometimes you get to keep one but not the other.  If you have new friendships in place, it's all for the good.  With the months of June, July and August acting as a buffer to the upcoming final year of middle school, you should be able replenish your mindset ready to tackle all the new firsts which come your way.

When the anticipated sequel to a well-received middle grade novel is released you know you're in for a treat when the dedication reads:

To the brave kids, the weird kids, and the cool kids.

Especially the ones who don't yet realize they can be

all three.

Jess Keating's debut novel, How To Outrun A Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied, presented to readers twelve-year-old Ana, short for Anaconda, whose life is like the place where she lives, a zoo.  In the sequel, How To Outswim A Shark Without A Snorkel (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, January 6, 2015) her high-profile grandfather, Shep Foster, springs a surprise on the entire family focusing on Ana's newly acquired bravery at speaking in front of others.  Swimming with sharks is going to be the least of Ana's worries.



I love the smell of the universe in 
the morning.
                -----Neil deGrasse Tyson

Really, Mr. Tyson?  Really?  What about the smell
of hippo poop wafting into your bedroom
window in the morning?  Or the wet-dog stink
of a flock of pelicans who strut around like
they own the place, and no matter how often
you try to shoo them out of the way, they
get even more puffed up and snooty at you? ...

Chapter 1

Some sharks can never stop moving, or else
they will suffocate and die.
                  -----Animal Wisdom

Whoa, sucks to be them! Can you imagine
never getting to sleep in?  Or laze around on 
a Saturday morning in your jammies watching
cartoons? ...

Ana, her twin brother Daz, her mom and dad, Sugar, her grandfather's girlfriend, and her grandfather have all gathered outside near the polar bear exhibit.  Moving toward some constructions signs, her grandfather raises a tarp leading them inside to view the secret project. With available resources and renovations The Marine Adventure Zoo has been built.  He, of course, wants Ana to give presentations here like she did with the reptiles.  To make matters even more uncomfortable, she is to interact with the sharks.  Yikes!  Not wanting to be the weak link in this new chain of events, she agrees.

Barely accustomed to this switch in her summer plans, while video chatting with Liv, her best friend who moved to New Zealand from Denver, another bit of stressful news is revealed.  Liv is skipping a grade and moving to ninth grade next year.  This means their pact to kiss a boy before high school is on fast forward.  Double yikes!  Kevin, her brother's best friend, is clearly a candidate but he and Ana are just getting to know one another better.

The final blow comes about a week after Grandpa's big reveal.  Apparently the zoo has been getting calls for volunteers after Ana's fabulous presentation.  A student from Ana's class has been chosen to work with her at the new marine facility.  Imagine Ana's shock when in walks Ashley, the leader of the pack of bully's, a Sneerer.  Triple yikes!  (cue Twilight Zone music)

Each experience, each interaction, with her parents, Grandpa and Sugar, Daz, Kevin, Bella, a new friend, Ashley, Patricia, the keeper, Logan, an older student intern and his girlfriend Danielle, at times clarifies and other times muddies Ana's thoughts and opinions.  One decision after another is shaping her summer and the person she can be.  Two mysterious incidents at The Marine Adventure Zoo nearly derail every step forward she has made.  Being brave is not always easy, but it produces the best kind of things.


The voice of Ana is one of the most genuine personalities in middle grade literature.  Jess Keating has demonstrated her true wizardry with words in shaping this girl's world, the people in it and every single moment during the summer weeks. We are brought into this story through realistic conversations between the characters and Ana's thought processes.  As in the first book, humor is liberally used.  Readers will find themselves laughing out loud repeatedly because the truth can be hilarious.  Keating uses our collective memories of being twelve beautifully.

Each chapter begins with a bit of Animal Wisdom about marine life followed by Ana's comments.  These are placed on a piece of paper taped to the page full of her special brand of teenage wit and wisdom.  Woven into the chapters is a Creature File about important people.  Opposite Species Name, Kingdom, Phylum, Weight, Natural Habitat, Feed On and Life Span are her candid remarks.  As a writer of lists to help make proper choices, several chapters contain Ana's numbered possibilities.  Here are some passages from this book.

Please.  Reptiles can't fool me.
The babies had hatched only minutes ago, just in time for Grandpa to call us at home in a frenzy, giddier than a dog in a Milk-Bone factory, yammering on about "the miracle of life' and all that.  From what I could tell, the miracle of life came with a lot of ...goo.  The hatchlings were already chirping up a storm and nipping at fingers when Daz and I got there.  That's the thing about living in a zoo.  You've got to be ready for everything. 

I stared dumbfounded.  "You're talking about a dead guy at a time like this?"  I shook my head.  My friends, the people who were supposed to care most about me, were telling me not to worry about Ashley.  Doesn't that sound wrong?  That's like saying, "Oh, that's just a river full of piranhas.  Why don't you hop in?" Or, "Hey, I've got some expired milk here.  Let's have a smoothie!"


How To Outswim A Shark Without A Snorkel written by Jess Keating will captivate fans of the series (and generate new ones) leaving them eager for the third book, How To Outfox Your Friends When You Don't Have A Clue, being released this October.  On the first page the spirit of Ana seeps out lifting you up, chapter after chapter.  There is much to love about all the characters and the way they each grow throughout the story.  If you are looking for an outstanding middle grade series, this one comes with my highest recommendation.


To discover more about Jess Keating be sure to stop by her website by following the link attached to her name.  To celebrate the release of this book Keating produced a series of videos found here.  Jess Keating was a guest at teacher librarian extraordinaire John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  During the blog tour for the title she was a guest blogger at Watch. Connect. Read. and was interviewed by I Love Reading teacher, Colby Sharp, at sharpread. 

Giggling Gals

If you've ever worked with a group of younger gals and guys you are well aware of the power of suggestion.  I learned quicker than quick to ask them as soon as they arrived in my classroom, the school library, if anyone needed to use the bathroom.  Otherwise, when you are in the middle of a magical moment in a story, a wee little voice will call out, "I have to go to the bathroom."  This is immediately followed by a chorus of twenty other voices with an identical request.

This enthusiastic openness can and usually works in wondrous other creative ways yielding to educational hours loaded with laughter and learning. Grace Lin, author illustrator of Newbery Honor book, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and companion title, Starry River of the Sky, has written an uplifting, captivating early reader series beginning with Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same and Ling & Ting Share a Birthday.  The third title, Ling & Ting: Twice as Silly (Little, Brown and Company, November 11, 2014), is filled with joyful sharing between siblings.


Ting is in the garden.
"What are you doing?" Ling asks.
"I am planting cupcakes," Ting says.
"Ting!" Ling says. "You cannot plant cupcakes."

So begins the first of six stories, The Garden, Lucky Red Paint, On the Swings, Apples, Reading Minds and Not a Silly Story, where the sisters demonstrate their ability to charm readers with their literal wit. Ting proves Ling wrong by indeed planting cupcakes but despite all her weeding and watering no more cupcakes grow.  When Ling tells Ting beans are seeds, Ting's response will guarantee outbursts of giggles.

Ling is all set to paint everything red.  She leaves Ting to get more paint only to return with Ting vividly splattered from head to toe.  Her puny observation is a final stroke of genius.

In the third tale Ling's swinging skills are questioned by Ting.  No matter how high the object Ting proposes, Ling can conquer the height.   You will never guess how she is able to accomplish this daring deed.

Apples, monkeys, penguins, fish and worms circle back to the beginning as well as defining a new starting point for a fruitful treat.  In a test defying logic the sisters decide they must be the most special of twins.  When Ling and Ting set out to write a serious not silly story they simply cannot help themselves.  Every change to make it more interesting makes it...sillier than silly.


When it comes to this series written by Grace Lin words like bubbly and brilliant come to mind.  I have never met Grace Lin but the sincerity, kindness and happiness I see in her other work and in her online personality are highly evident in this title.  Grace Lin is a gifted storyteller no matter the length of her work.  She chooses her words with care; she studies pacing and presents readers with something they will long remember.  It's highly imaginative the way she takes elements from the first five stories incorporating them into the sixth.


You won't care about the goofy smile breaking across your face when you look at the bright primary colors spreading across the matching dust jacket and book case.  Ling and Ting hanging by their knees from a bar holding the title is a perfect example of how these two embrace life with a glass more than half full.  Grace Lin continues the polka dot design on her opening and closing endpapers using two paler shades of red.  Maintaining the playground theme, she has Ling and Ting bouncing on two rabbit toys on the title page and sliding down a slide to introduce the table of contents.

For each of the stories her illustrations are painted using Turner Design Gouache on Arches hot-pressed watercolor paper.  (Be sure to read the Artist's Note at the book's end.)  Pictures of different sizes are framed in one-quarter inch borders with colors that change with each story.  A full page image starts each tale.  The girls' clothing, their expressions (and those on the other characters), their body movements and their shoes make these visuals simply heartwarming.

One of my favorite pictures is of Ting and Ling in and near the garden described in the first story.  The text Story 1 appears stuck in the ground like a row marker above Ting digging in the dirt.  Garden tools are next to her.  Ling is watering the words The Garden formed with leaves and flowers.  A wheelbarrow, bag and shovel are beside her.  Both girls are smiling.


I actually laughed out loud more than once reading Ling & Ting: Twice as Silly written and illustrated by Grace Lin easily imaging being surrounded by giggling children if this were being read during storytime.  The same writing and illustrating that garnered the Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor award for the first title in 2011 is present in this book.  Make sure this is added to your early reader collection.

For more information about Grace Lin and her numerous books please follow the link embedded in her name to access her website.  Here is a link specific to this title. You can read several pages from the beginning of the book by going to the publisher's website.

Oh To Be Not Seen, Never Heard

Navigating through your middle school years is a bit like motoring a boat down a stump-filled river in the dead of a moonless night.  You are never really sure whether you are going to feel a huge bump accompanied by a scraping sound.  If this should happen your heart races hoping it's only a tiny nick not a large scratch or even worse, a hole.  With a lot of luck and your learned skills you might make it all the way to your dock smoothly and safely.

It truly isn't easy being twelve years old.  If you could somehow fast forward to twenty or even ten years ahead, watching and shadowing yourself living day to day at twelve, you might be able to return viewing your considerable trials with a more open outlook.  Unfortunately this does not happen but with a gifted author, we can follow another twelve year old, laughing like a loon remembering.  How To Outrun A Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, June 3, 2014) written by Jess Keating will have you smiling so much your face will hurt (in a good way).

Warning:
This book contains real-life situations and stuff that has actually happened to me.  I'm talking lots of awful boy behavior, wretched girls, best friends who are missing in action, and ridiculous amounts of elephant poop. ...
---Ana Wright, Anonymite Extraordinaire

These two sentences are part of an opening introduction by the main character.  Readers will immediately realize they are about to enter a life filled with hilarious situations.  This is followed by a first chapter with Ana holding the tail end of a crocodile before rushing off to video chat online with her best friend; a friend who has moved to New Zealand from Denver where Ana still lives.

By chapter two we've become acquainted with the boy-next-locker, Zack, star of the tennis courts and Ana's current crush, Ashley, leader of the pack of The Sneerers, a trio of blatant bullies, Daz, Ana's prankster twin brother and his best friend, Kevin, all-around nice guy and genius at everything.  During dinner that evening Ana's already challenging life takes another interesting turn.  The meal, with her two zoologist parents, both who work in the zoo, is interrupted with considerable fanfare as her celebrity (maternal) grandfather and his current actress girlfriend arrive.

It seems Shep Foster is making a documentary about his life which will include television appearances by his daughter, son-in-law and their children.  He is also going to fund a project of his daughter's involving large carnivores at the zoo.  As far as Ana is concerned this has disaster, in a huge way, written all over it.  She is desperate that no one at school realizes: (1) who her grandfather is or (2) her family is moving to live inside the zoo.

Life being what it is, Ana's wishes become attached to a series of incidents even she cannot have predicted.  Amid time with a nine-foot-long crocodile named Louis, posted flyers, a catastrophic lunch hour, shrieking overnight visitors at the zoo, and a reptile exhibition, Ana seeks her brave, true self.  Family, friends and a tiny seedling lend a hand.


First and foremost author Jess Keating has crafted a top-notch middle grade novel speaking directly to the hearts of her readers.  With abundant use of humor in first person voice, we actively join in sharing Ana's last few days of school before summer.  Descriptions of characters, backdrop and situations are realistic not only in Ana's world but easily identifiable as possible in any twelve-year-old's day to day existence.

What sets this book apart from others are several writing skills, working wonderfully with the overall setting.  Ana identifies people in her life by creating a Creature File card which includes species name, kingdom, phylum, weight, natural habitat, feeds on, life span, handling technique and other important notes.  Her insights will cause smiles and head-nodding.  She also ends events and chapters with lists; Growing List of Things I Will Never Understand about Boys, Things I Would Do If It Meant I Could Sleep until College or Five Places to Live, Now That My Fate Is Sealed.  Most chapters begin with an Animal Wisdom fact followed by a comment from Anna looking like a note in a scrapbook taped to the page.  Here are a few sample passages.

"All porcupines float in water."
---Animal Wisdom

How could they even find this out?  Is someone out there dunking porcupines in water?

"I beg your pardon, young man?" Grandpa sputtered.  "You don't see me for years and now all of a sudden you're 'Hey, Grandpa-ing' me?  I don't think so!" Grandpa shoved out of his chair, and to Daz's horror, snatched him right up from his chair into a totally nonmanly hug.  He ruffled his hair under his fist and laughed.  "That's much better.  Good to see you, son." He let Daz go and chuckled at the state of his hair.  Now he looked like he'd been electrocuted.
That'll teach him.
"DAZ IS A PAIN!" Darwin nattered, shimmying on his perch as he watched us eat.  I choked on a mouthful of spaghetti, trying not to laugh.  I'd taught him that little gem in less than a week.

Sometimes, it feels like life should stop until you feel better.  You know, like when bad things happen and you have a moment of silence over the PA system at school or something.  Life should do that for you when you become camel poop girl and your best friend meets a girl named Leilani and your grandpa is parading around the news like a rockstar.  


How To Outrun A Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied by Jess Keating is one of those lighthearted, funny books which strike serious chords in our souls.  She speaks to the twelve-year-old in all of us. (Where was this book when I was twelve?)  Every time I read this title, I place more post-it notes on pages.  Words like uplifting, hopeful, hilarious, heartwarming and truthful aptly describe Ana and her story.  This is definitely one of my favorite middle grade novels of 2014.  I consider it a must read, recommending you purchase more than one copy for your classroom or library.  The best part is yet to come.  A sequel titled How To Outswim A Shark Without A Snorkel: Book 2 in the My Life is a Zoo series will be here in January 2015.  An excerpt is included at the back of this book. So what are you waiting for?  Grab your safari hat and get reading!

To learn more about Jess Keating visit her website by following the link embedded in her name.  Here is a link to a special A Thank You post she wrote.  Links here, here, here, and here are a few of the posts on her blog tour providing readers with more information about Jess Keating and the writing of this book.  Colby Sharp provides readers with one of his Ten Minute Review posts at sharpread along with a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Interview.  Here is a link to Jess Keating's post at the Nerdy Book Club, On Borrowed Bravery, And The Books That Change Us. Here is a link to an activity kit.

Enjoy a couple of Jess Keating's tweets below.  She is a very positive, active member of the Twitter reading and literacy community.

@missm_books @Loveofxena Little Bea! She surprised me! Bea is named after one of my idols, who painted this! ;-) pic.twitter.com/GMMT6EwF5H
— Jess Keating (@Jess_Keating) June 19, 2014

Cute comes in different sizes! These babies are in my next book! http://t.co/1767eJVcDc
— Jess Keating (@Jess_Keating) June 20, 2014

@donalynbooks That's great! I had a teacher-lib who would leave notes for me w/ her newest book recs. I named a character in CROC after her!
— Jess Keating (@Jess_Keating) June 24, 2014