Early Reader Extravaganza

Do you remember when the ability to read first happened to you?  Have you seen that realization dawn on the face of a child? The feeling of knowing you can read is nearly indescribable. In that moment for you and others, the world shifts.  It is brimming with endless possibilities and discoveries. 

Some of the best books for early readers have engaging characters, characters who connect with us and charm their way into our collective hearts.  Their everyday lives are akin to adventures.  What they say and do is liberally enlivened with humor.

Author Jonathan Stutzman and artist Heather Fox have created an early reader series with sibling ghosts who are the best of friends.  We were introduced to the duo in Fitz And Cleo (Henry Holt and Company, May 25, 2021) and earlier this year their second book, Fitz And Cleo Get Creative (Henry Holt and Company, March 8, 2022) was released.  The exuberance of these characters will have you grinning from ear to ear and wishing to join them.

Something 

in the 

Attic

THUMP

Was that you?  No, I'm right next to you.

What do 

you think

it is?

I don't know.

It sounds

angry.

In this first of eleven delightful stories, Fitz and Cleo, finally explore the attic.  They find a stray kitty.  Cleo is thrilled and names the cat, Mister Boo.  Fitz is not so thrilled, especially when  Mister Boo's favorite place to sleep is on his head.  

Mister Boo stars in the next three tales as Cleo proclaims the cat's virtues, Fitz babysits Mister Boo, and subsequently discloses the lack of Mister Boo's desirable characteristics.  The trio next share a day at the beach and ice cream.  Star wishing and brain freezing might be involved. 

Fitz and Cleo try to beat the previous record of loop-de-loops via paper airplanes.  Mister Boo is not happy with the results.  Fitz questions the outcomes of a scientific theory and Mister Boo's baseball skills with conclusions not to his liking.  Who knew how cat tails were so useful?  Speaking of science, why can't Mister Boo be an astronaut and get shot to the moon on a rocket?

As the final hours at a day's end are presented, readers find Fitz and Cleo, brother and sister, peering through a telescope at the stars.  After one of Fitz's remarks, Cleo declares this planet the best planet.  Fitz does not understand how she could possibly know that.  Cleo's replies are entirely heartwarming and true.

Head

in the 

Clouds

Grr.

Sigh.

Don't you like the book?

NO!

I LOVE

the book.

That's the 

problem!

In this next series of lively narratives, they begin with Cleo's dissatisfaction with her life compared to what she reads in books.  Ever supportive, Fitz points out the wonderful imagination of Cleo per her love of the "cloud game."  That evening during a roller-coaster kind of movie viewing, Cleo has her best idea yet.  She and Fitz (and Mister Boo) are going to make a movie!

The successive episodes revolve around their creative endeavors.  The value of getting an idea in writing before it vanishes will resonate with a lot of readers as will the practice of writing versus procrastination to accomplish your goals.  Readers will find themselves laughing at an exercise in painting and the importance of winning rock-paper-scissors.  

When Cleo and Fitz look for cast members for the movie, we meet their friends who closely resemble a vampire, a werewolf, and a creature from the Black Lagoon.  The siblings shine in the next two stories, each doing what they do best.  Colorful creativity bursts forth, but does not last due to another type of burst. If only powerful spells and Rube Goldberg Machines really worked as they desire.

In one of the two final stories, readers are treated to an extraordinary movie production.  All the participants reveal their best talents.  We learn the finest gift they have is the gift of friendship.  Faithful to her sweet and wise nature, Cleo utters the final sentence.  And, that's the truth.

Author Jonathan Stutzman has written dialogue between these ghostly siblings certain to echo in readers' minds and hearts.  The personalities of both Fitz and Cleo are found in what they say and think.  Their honesty with each other and their shared love stands out.  Sometimes these disclosures will have you laughing out loud.  Here are passages from the first story in each book.

YAY! Spooky

attic!

Shhh . . .

We want the

element of

surprise.

Spooky attic.

Spooky spooks!

Might be a monster,

might be some kooks.

What are you singing?

It's called

"The Spooky Attic Song"!

It's my favorite.

You just made

it up, didn't you?

Yes, I did.

RUSTLE

SCRATCH

SCRATCH

SCRATCH

Some terrible beast is up

here with us!  It's coming

from over there---shine

your light at it!

GULP

You know that

game you like,

where you

find shapes in

the clouds?

You don't 

like that

game!

Yes! Because cumulus clouds

are not bunnies or dragons,

they're ---

I mean . . .well . . .

do you maybe 

want to play now?

You want to play 

the cloud game?

*sigh* . . .Yes.

What do you see?

OKAY!

Hmm.

That one . . .

. . .looks like me!

Personally, I think it looks like someone

who has exciting adventures inside

her head every day.  Someone who will be

more than ready when real adventures

come her way.

You cannot look at the front of the book cases of these books without smiling.  What Heather Fox has done with her black lines is fashion two ghosts we want as our friends.  The glasses and hat for Fitz and the big purple bow for Cleo are the finishing touches.  On the back of both books is information you would normally find on the front and back flaps of a dust jacket.  Fitz, Cleo and the title text are varnished.

The pattern on both the opening and closing endpapers in the books is a reflection of some of the stories.  On the first set, white outlines on lavender feature ice cream cones, balls of string, rockets, and paper airplanes.  On the second set, white outlines on turquoise spotlight paintbrushes, juice boxes, pencils, and microphones.  With a page turn, in both books, a pictorial interpretation, wordless, starts with the siblings engaged in an activity.  

A series of panels, bordered in fine black lines or wide white borders, full-page images, page edge to page edge and two double-page pictures, edge to edge, for dramatic effect created by Heather Fox invite readers to be participants in each narrative.  We want to jump into the images with Fitz and Cleo and Mister Boo and the other characters.  

Sometimes, you will stop to fully appreciate the extra details included in each image.  Is that an octopus as the ice cream vendor?  The similarity between Cleo's chalk art and Fitz's body as the Rube Goldberg Machine completes its task will not be lost on many readers.

One of my many favorite illustrations from Fitz And Cleo is three wordless vertical panels on a single page.  They are close-ups of the eyes of Cleo, Fitz, and Mister Boo.  It is after they have consumed too much ice cream too quickly.  Brain Freeze has attacked them.  We all know how that feels and their eyes replicate that feeling perfectly.

One of my many favorite illustrations from Fitz And Cleo Get Creative is a double-page picture.  It is a stage setting with shades of purple for the background and speakers.  The stage lights are turquoise.  On a raised light blue platform is Mister Boo on red drums.  On one of the drums is the group's name, Boo Fighters.  To the left of the gutter is Cleo looking gothic but still wearing her big purple bow.  On the right is Fitz wearing his glasses, playing an olive green guitar, sporting a chain around his neck, and instead of his hat, he has a yellow and orange spiked Mohawk. 

These books, Fitz And Cleo and Fitz And Cleo Get Creative, written by Jonathan Stutzman with artwork by Heather Fox, are pure happiness.  Readers will find themselves smiling, giggling, laughing, and sighing at the shared antics and inventiveness of these two ghosts and their Mister Boo.  They are wonderful for silent reading or as read aloud titles.  I highly recommend them for both your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox and their other work, please visit their websites by following the link attached to their names.  They have a joint website for these titles linked here.  There are activities to download. At the publisher's website, you can view interior images for Fitz And Cleo and Fitz And Cleo Get Creative.  Jonathan Stutzman has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Heather Fox has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  To introduce their series, Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox wrote a post at librarian and writer John Schu's site, Watch. Connect. Read.

There are several explanatory tales in folklore about why dogs chase cats.  You have to wonder if there is some veracity in these stories because it seems canines and felines struggle with compatibility even today.  If one or the other of them has been the sole companion of humans, they are wary of the introduction of the other into the family dynamics.  Frank and the Bad Surprise (an Arthur A. Levine Book, Levine Querido, April 5, 2022) written by Martha Brockenbrough with illustrations by Jon Lau is about a cat that fails to understand what his humans were thinking.  Are they crazy?

CHAPTER 1

The Bad Surprise

Frank the cat had it good.

He had a nice house, lots of toys,

all the Whiskies he could eat, and a 

window that looked out at the world.

One beautiful morning Frank was looking out that window and saw his humans returning to the house.  He was excited to see them carrying a box, but the box was not good.  The box was bad.  Inside that box was a puppy.  Frank immediately went to the computer keyboard composing a letter to his humans. (Are you laughing yet?)

After mailing that letter, Frank fell asleep in the sun knowing his humans would comply.  His nap was disturbed by that rambunctious puppy.  This unruly canine did not understand basic rules.  Frank retaliated.  He found himself in his crate, but still able to type away on the computer keyboard writing a letter.

His humans forgot he was in "jail" until he meowed at the sight of the puppy eating his beloved Whiskies.  He did not forgive his humans and wrote another letter.  The next morning Frank did the only thing he could think to do, he ran away.  He felt sorry for his humans, but what else could a cat do when a puppy enters their domain?

Frank thought he knew the world from his window watching.  He did not.  It was too much of everything that was not good, loud yappy dogs, mean people, rain, thunder and lightning, and smelly garbage.  Soon he found himself sitting in the rain on the sidewalk outside his home.  The storm woke up the puppy.  It started barking.  Frank imagined it was laughing.  It was not.  Frank wrote one new letter.  (Yes, his humans noticed him and he was back inside.)

Using a blend of narrative, Frank's thoughts, his comedic letter writing and human commentary, Martha Brockenbrough, in seven short chapters, acquaints readers with Frank and the puppy, who he names at the book's end.  The letters written by Frank are full of hilarity.  You can tell his mood with each writing by his signature line.

As a human who shares her life with both cats and dogs, Martha Brockenbrough writes with the sure knowledge of their interactions. Through her words she deftly depicts the regality of this cat and joyful abandon of the puppy.  Here is a passage.

Chapter 2

The Rules of Naps

There is nothing bad about a nap.

A nap in a warm spot is cozy.  A nap

feels the way warm bread and butter

taste.

Frank loved naps more than any

other thing.

Frank's humans knew not to 

wake him from a nap.

They knew that was against the

rules of naps.

The puppy did not care about

the rules of naps.

As soon as you look at the front cover of the book case, you can see the contrast between Frank and the puppy.  Frank is moving with uncertainty, or perhaps total disbelief. The puppy could not be happier.  This is grim versus grin.  The sign hanging from the mailbox designating this as book one is a nice design touch. On the back of the case is text normally supplied on the front and back flaps of a dust jacket.  There are two small pictures of Frank doing his favorite thing and discovering the "bad surprise."

On the opening and closing endpapers with dark turquoise on lighter turquoise are rows alternating between a dog bone and a cat ball with a bell.  On the title page are Frank and his two humans sitting on the front porch of the house before the arrival of the "bad surprise."  The puppy and Frank sit in opposite corners on the verso and dedication pages.

These illustrations were rendered by Jon Lau

by painting the characters, objects, and backgrounds using poster color paints on sheets of BFK Rives printmaking paper.  He then scanned the paintings and assembled the illustrations in Adobe Photoshop, much like a digital collage.

The size of the images vary in accordance with the pacing and presentation of the narrative.  There are full-page pictures, edge to edge, and smaller pictures on a single page, sometimes several grouped together.  There is one atmospheric scene on two pages when Frank learns a valuable life lesson.  Toward the end of the book are more double-page visuals when the best lesson of all is understood.  Readers will readily be able to discern the mood of Frank, the puppy, and the humans by their facial expressions.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when the puppy is breaking the rules of naps.  Frank is still mostly asleep, curled in coziness.  The puppy has leaped on top of him, paws on his chest.  The puppy is licking Frank's nose.  This is a smaller image on a single page with a light spring green background, focusing solely on the puppy and the cat.

That Frank and the Bad Surprise written by Martha Brockenbrough with artwork by Jon Lau is the first book in this series is a GOOD surprise for all readers.  We can hardly wait to see what new adventures Frank and the puppy will celebrate together with their loving humans.  Who knows what surprises await this twosome?  You'll want to have a copy of this funny and fun title on your professional and personal bookshelves.

To discover more about Martha Brockenbrough and Jon Lau and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Martha Brockenbrough has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  Jon Lau has accounts on Instagram and Tumblr.  At the publisher's website, you can view some interior pages with art and text.

An Apparition In Need

Caregivers and educators tell you, regardless of the time of year, when given the choice most children overwhelming request scary stories.  Of scary stories, stories about ghosts are in high demand.  In fact, children are eager to share their own ghost stories based on personal experiences or family legends.

By definition, ghosts are the souls or spirits of departed beings.  Their ability to be seen or unseen varies.  Gustavo: The Shy Ghost (Candlewick Press, July 14, 2020) written and illustrated by Flavia Z. Drago and the Spanish edition Gustavo: El Fantasmita Timido released on the same date is the story of a ghost who wants and needs the other monsters to see him.

Gustavo era

un fantasmita.

Como a cualquier otro ser paranormal, le gustaba

hacer las cosas que le eran normales: atravesar

paredes, hacer volar objetos o brillar en la oscuridad.

Gustavo was a ghost

He enjoyed doing the normal things that

paranormal beings do---passing through walls,

making objects fly, and glowing in the dark.  

Of all the things in Gustavo's world, he loved playing the violin the most.  He had a secret. He loved Alma, another monster in town, but he never declared his affections to her.  

Gustavo was much too bashful.  He wanted to join the other youngsters in their activities, but it frightened him.  Yes, it did.  He disguised himself as other objects to get near them, but they did not notice him.  This saddened him.

The little ghost knew he had to be proactive if he wanted friends.  He wrote a letter to all the other monster children, inviting them to a violin concert in the cemetery during the Day of the Dead. A full moon was expected.

When the date arrived, Gustavo went to the cemetery. No one came.  Gustavo decided to do what he loved most, he played and played and played his violin.  He gleamed with happiness.  Imagine Gustavo's surprise at hearing sounds he longed to hear.  His life was never the same after that Day of the Dead night under a full moon.  Neither were the lives of anyone else.

Gustavo may be a ghost, but author Flavia Z. Drago's depiction of him and his problem creates an instant connection with readers.  She describes something and someone he loves, just like us.  She explains his fear with examples and his attempts to overcome it.  When he chooses to be brave, we find ourselves cheering for him, especially when he decides to perform his concert for an empty cemetery. Flavia Z. Drago, through Gustavo, shows us how to make a dream come true.  Here is a passage from the book.

As the days went by, Gustavo

couldn't stop thinking . . .

What if no one shows up?

What if they don't

like my music?

What if they don't like me?

Except tonight was The Night

And this time, he couldn't hide.

Conforme el tiempo pasaba,

Gustavo no podia dejar de

pensar . . .

?Y si no llega nadie?

?Y si no les gusta mi musica?

?Y si no les gusto yo?

Pero esta noche era La Noche.

Esta vez no podria esconderse.

The color palette is dazzling in the contrast between brilliant pink and orange.  On the front of the dust jacket, the framing around Gustavo, in his home, features papel picado, a form of art known in Mexico.  Delicate, elaborate patterns are cut into tissue paper.  This framing around Gustavo is varnished.  When you run your fingers over the items in this part of the image, they are raised.

On the back, the theme of papel picado is used to fashion the entire illustration.  The colors are reversed with orange being the prominent color.  Pink is the cut-out places.  The main part of the picture shows Gustavo and Alma in the cemetery together, both smiling. The skeletons, musical notes, lacey edging, and the same border at the top as the front are part of the back illustration.

The book case is white on the front and back.  On the back in pink are the same words shown on the back of the dust jacket.  They are:

GUSTAVO IS A GHOST.

A VERY SHY ONE.

MORE THAN ANYTHING,

HE WANTS TO MAKE A FRIEND!

On the front big and bold are the eyebrows, eyes, smile, and rosy cheeks of Gustavo.

In two hues of gray, rows, vertical and horizontal, of symbolic skeletons pattern the opening endpapers.  Along the right side is a set of photo booth pictures, four portraits of Gustavo with different facial expressions, curious, smiling, startled, and sad.  For the closing endpapers, the color of the design is two shades of rosy red.  The photographs, numbering six, capture the changes in Gustavo's life.  

These illustrations,

done in mixed media

are enchanting, shifting in size to place emphasis on the story and its pacing.  The intricate details invite readers to pause at every page turn.  They are a reflection of a ghost's life within the Mexican culture.  Gustavo's father is a ghost, and his mother is a skeleton.

The fish in the fishbowl in their living room is a skeleton, but there are bubbles to indicate it is breathing.  A floating teapot is pouring tea into a floating cup for Gustavo's mother.  In the Spanish edition the word NEWS on the mother's newspaper reads NOTICIAS.  EYE-SCREAM on the dessert truck in town is changed to HELADOS YETI.  Little skulls with wings and antennae fly around Gustavo and the other monster children.  Every time you read this book; you will discover more wonderful elements.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  It's when Gustavo is trying to get close to the other children by disguising himself as something else other than himself.  On a white background are a group of monsters, five altogether.  There is a skeleton girl wearing a frilly pink hat.  She is waving her arm where bubbles flow from a circle-shaped wire.  She is behind a Frankenstein character.  In front of him is a werewolf in a dress with a bow in her hair.  She is carrying a soccer ball.  Next to her with a hula hoop around its waist is a creature from the Black Lagoon.  Alma is on the far right, carrying a handful of colorful balloons on strings.  Gustavo's face is one of the balloons.  I love this scene.

Gustavo: The Shy Ghost and Gustavo: El Fantasmita Timido written and illustrated by Flavia Z. Drago is in a word, delightful.  Readers of all ages will be fascinated by the artwork and captivated by the story whether it is read in English or Spanish.  The Spanish when read aloud is musical.  For its portrayal of a ghost, a culture, and overcoming shyness, this book needs a place on both your personal and professional bookshelves in both languages.

To learn more about Flavia Z. Drago and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  At her website you can view interior images from this book, not shown in the illustrations at the publisher's website or at Penguin Random House.  Also at the publisher's website are an activity kit and author's note you can download.  Flavia Z. Drago has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  This book and Flavia Z. Drago are showcased by librarian Matthew C. Winner at The Children's Book Podcast.  Please enjoy the video below.

BOO!

In most locations around the country schools have either started several weeks ago or have their first day this week.  There are still some that adhere to the policy of classes resuming after Labor Day but it's happening already.  Amid all the back-to-school displays of necessary supplies (which commenced right after the 4th of July), the colors of orange, black and white are appearing, as early as two weeks ago.  Large grocery store chains are stacking bales of hay showcasing pumpkins, ghosts, black cats and mum plants at their outside entrances.  Inside large box stores Halloween decorations and costumes are filling up the shelves and aisles.  According to my calculations the first day of autumn is still thirty-one days away and sixty-nine days will come and go before we celebrate the holiday of Halloween.

In case you think I might be grumbling a bit about how retailers seem to be wishing our lives away, clearly forgetting to stop and smell the roses, this is simply not the case.  A quick glance at my storage bins will reveal I love autumn and Halloween.  Halloween is one of my favorite holidays of the year to celebrate reading by handing out books instead of sweet treats.  This year there will be a new title among the stacks.  The Scariest Book Ever (Disney Hyperion, July 18, 2017) written and illustrated by Bob Shea is fabulous fun.

BOO!
I'm a spooky ghost!  Scary, right?

Our new supernatural friend is actually a bit spooked too.  It seems the dark woods we noticed a few pages earlier has him most definitely on edge, although he won't admit it.  His bravado is not quite sincere especially when orange juice is spilled on his white clothing.  It might not have been an accident but does provide an excuse to not visit the dark woods.

He is curious about what we found when we went there.  After our reply he declares dark holes usually yield nothing pleasant.  He invites us to stay with him and participate in his version of scary.  When he finds out what indeed came out of the dark hole, he believes it's a trick to get him to venture into the dark woods.

Each time we readers go back to the dark woods via page turns the ghost asks us what we saw, makes guesses and hardly believes what we say is true.  He then tries to lure us to stay with him offering things like

Spooooooooky doughnuts.

After five visits to the woods with the unseen participant (us) reporting the state of affairs in the dark woods, the ghost agrees to go...to protect us...supposedly.

What he and his black cat see elicits a shriek of horror.  If a ghost could die twice, this one would have been scared into a grave...another grave.  His feline friend comes close and whispers the truth to him.  Surprise! Surprise! Spooky surprise!


The specific word choices by Bob Shea used to create this first person narrative by the ghost will have you bursting out loud with laughter.  The back and forth banter between the ghost and those traveling to the dark woods supplies tension, contrast and loads of comedy.  The ghost's guesses at what is seen and his idea of scary will have readers of all ages delighting in the hilarity.  Here is a sample passage.

You can stay here and help me with the
haunted housework.  We'll tell spooky 
stories and clean the bathroom.

That's scary, right?


It's not very often readers see a ghost looking worried but our narrator shown on the front of the opened dust jacket is very concerned.  His constant cat companion is reserving judgment.  To the left, on the back, on a canvas of yellow are the dark woods.  Among the trees are the whites of eyes gazing right at the reader, as if the very trees are alive.  Next to the ISBN in the lower right-hand corner stand a very spooked ghost and his cat.  I love how this duo is positioned.

The book case is done entirely in an orange background.  On the front are miniature scenes using characters in the story.  They are participating in activities which are the farthest thing from scary.  On the back of the case the cat is sipping milk from a saucer.

On the opening endpapers Bob Shea starts his story with the ghost first peeking through an open doorway and then climbing a staircase.  With a page turn he is cautiously looking out an upstairs window on the left at the dark woods on the right, the title page.  The verso and dedication pages continue the pictorial story with the ghost leaving in fright and hiding behind a chair.

Bold bright backgrounds in pink, yellow, blue, and white work well with the black canvas which serves to highlight facial and body features and text.  This limited color palette showcases Bob Shea's fine lines and cheery details.  The use of varnish to draw attention to the naked ghost (remember he spilled orange juice on his white clothing) adds to the laughter factor.  Bob Shea uses large areas of color and double-page wordless images to excellent effect.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a black canvas.  The ghost is hovering at the top.  His body is shown in black varnish.  We can see his eyes and mouth.  Extending from the sides of his body are yellow rubber gloves, worn when cleaning the bathroom.  He has just dropped a white scrub brush.  (I can't even write about this without laughing.)


Early this afternoon I had the pleasure of reading aloud The Scariest Book Ever written and illustrated by Bob Shea.  My friend and her two children ages, two and almost five, and I were seated on my quilt-covered sofa.  With every page turn we were howling with laughter.  Bob Shea has a gift for writing stories which generate laughter within all of us.  As I finished the girl jumped up and yelled out loud, "I love this book!"  There is no better recommendation than that.  Please make sure to have copies of this title on your professional and personal bookshelves.

To learn more about Bob Shea and his other work please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson features Bob Shea, his art and this title on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Here's the almost five-year-old holding Bob Shea's The Scariest Book Ever. 

In Pursuit Of A Companion

Being alone does not necessarily mean you are lonely.  You may welcome the solitude.  In fact loneliness may descend when you are part of a crowd.  Loneliness may have more to do with not being in the presence of like-minded individuals.

If your circumstances have recently changed placing you in new surroundings the unfamiliarity may throw your state of being off balance.  Goldfish Ghost (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, May 2, 2017) written by Lemony Snicket with illustrations by Lisa Brown follows the roaming of a recently deceased pet.  His sense of belonging left with his life.

Goldfish Ghost was born on the surface of the water in a bowl on the dresser in a boy's room.

Although he was used to being in this place, someone to talk to would be even better.  So he left, floating from the boy's home.  A small seaside town with the usual small stores, a beach, a fishing pier and a lighthouse spread before him.  It was said the lighthouse was haunted.

There were squawking gulls at the pier and a fisherman but none of them seemed to notice Goldfish Ghost.  He continued drifting to town on the air currents.  He passed over all shapes, sizes and ages of people and animals but he was invisible to them.

It was no different at the beach.  Even the ghosts of all the sea dwellers floating over the water did nothing to make Goldfish Ghost feel less unwanted.  Having nowhere else to go after the sun set, he went back to his bowl in the boy's bedroom.  There was another goldfish there, a living goldfish.

Goldfish Ghost left a second time.  As he glided over the rooftops, he heard a sound.  Someone was speaking to him; someone wanted him.  Sometimes what you need is right in front of you.  You only have to expand your vision.


With his opening sentence Lemony Snicket has our immediate attention.  Before we turn the page questions are swirling as to the current status of this goldfish.  In a calm, contemplative tone the story informs readers of the character's wish to

find some company.

In describing each place Goldfish Ghost visits during the day and upon his return back to his bowl, we come to understand his need for a specific kind of companionship as well as the difficulty he is encountering in his search.  (In the initial presentation of the town, readers are given a hint of the conclusion.)  The repetition of the words company and good company creates a gentle cadence in keeping with the overall symphony of this story.  Here is a sample passage.

Another goldfish was there, but she was not a ghost.

She seemed nice enough, but she was not
good company, and the moon called
Goldfish Ghost back out the window. 


On the dust jacket the blue on blue polka-dot background is the wallpaper in the boy's bedroom, home of Goldfish Ghost.  By giving him a distinctive white color, it helps readers identify the other ghosts yet to come.  To the left, on the back, the canvas continues over the spine.  There we see memorabilia hanging on the wall, a pennant, a hand-drawn picture of the goldfish and a snapshot of the lighthouse.  A can of fish food sits on the table.

Rendered in India ink and watercolor on paper the illustrations have a soft, peaceful quality.  Subdued, earth tone colors on matte-finished paper contribute to this impression.  The visual narrative begins with a scene of the boy's home by the sea, a window giving readers a view of the fish bowl.  A sea gull perched on a hill to the left screams.  (I am working from an ARC but I believe this to be the opening endpapers.)  At the back we are shown a more panoramic view of the village at night with a full moon, a few stars and the group of ghostly sea dwellers hovering over the ocean.

The two pages for the verso and title are a single image.  It is a close up of the inside of the bowl with Goldfish Ghost floating over the text on the right.  An interesting quote wraps around seven bubbles coming up from the bottom of the bowl on the left.  All of the illustrations except for two are double page, edge to edge.  Those two single page pictures will give you pause.  They are gorgeous.

The details in each of the illustrations ask you to stop and notice the references to children's literature, the community, the locals and the tourists.  Readers will love finding the titles on book spines, watching the eyes on the teddy bear, spying the cats, the open door of the pet shop and the recent patron, and the seagull at the beach stealing someone's lunch.  The place where Goldfish Ghost finds good company gives him a new life as shown by the golden glow.

One of my favorite of several pictures is when Goldfish Ghost has left the house the second time.  It is deep into the night.  A few upper story windows in town shine with light but the others are dark.  The cloud of ghosts from the ocean lingers over the water.  Goldfish Ghost is drifting toward the voice, up on the hill.  A full moon shines down on the scene.  A hint of the outcome is visible.


Having read this book repeatedly over the course of weeks, I find Goldfish Ghost written by Lemony Snicket with illustrations by Lisa Brown to be deeply satisfying.  For those readers who have lost pets or recently family or friends, this title will provide them with comfort.  Some of the words spoken by Lemony Snicket invite further discussion as do the illustrations of Lisa Brown.  This is an outstanding collaboration.  You need to have this title on your professional and personal bookshelves.

To discover more about Lemony Snicket and Lisa Brown and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  The publishers have created a special site for this title with numerous additional resources and views of interior images.  I hope you enjoy this video of Lemony Snicket and Lisa Brown on tour for the book as much as I did.  It's worth every minute of your time.

Far From Ordinary

More than thirty years ago a tale was told which found a place in my repertoire of spooky stories.  It's about an ordinary town, much like our (your) town, where an ordinary family lives.  The parents are ordinary as are their children.  They live in an ordinary house on an ordinary street lined with other ordinary houses.  BUT...

The extraordinary thing about this family and their home is it's right next door to the local cemetery.  At this point listeners lean in a little closer, making a tighter circle.  This is exactly what we do when we're hooked on a good book.   We lean into the story by wrapping ourselves literally in a cozy blanket and figuratively let the characters, setting and narrative envelope us.

Today time stood still as I entered the anything-but-ordinary world found within the pages of The Key to Extraordinary (Scholastic Press, February 23, 2016).  As in her debut book, A Snicker of Magic, two years ago, this story takes us on a remarkable journey.  Along the paths in which Natalie Lloyd leads us we feel our hearts grow stronger and larger as her words feed familiar and hidden needs.

It is a known fact that the most extraordinary moments in a person's life come disguised as ordinary days.
It is a known fact for me, at least. 
Because that morning started out mostly the same as all mornings before: I woke up to an ache in my chest, the smell of chocolate and the sound of the ghost making a racket in the kitchen.

There is no ghost in the kitchen when twelve-year-old Emma Pearl Casey gets to the bottom of the stairs.  It's gone but her college age brother Topher is stirring up a batch of the famous family beverage, Boneyard Brew, in the Cocoa Cauldron.  She and her brother live with their Granny Blue in the rooms above their bakery, Boneyard Cafe, in a town called Blackbird Hollow.  The ache in her chest, the Big Empty, has been there since her mother died.  They are joined within minutes by Bearclaw, Bear, her small rescue dog.

Emma steps outside on the back porch to begin her day giving tours through the Blackbird Hollow Cemetery which happens to be spread before her.  (Yes, readers, the graveyard and her backyard are one and the same.)  As people pass through the gates we are introduced to the townspeople and those extra special to Emma, her Uncle Periwinkle and Aunt Greta.  A stranger appears, Waverly Valentine, who asks about the most famous ghost in Blackbird Hollow, The Conductor.  According to local legend, The Conductor appears and sings if summoned by someone pure in heart.  In the dead of night words in the melody tell of a treasure hidden hundreds of years ago.  Scores of people have hunted for this wealth; some to never return.

There are some more things you need to know about Emma and the rare wonderful people living in Blackbird Hollow.  Emma is next in a long line of remarkable women, The Wildflowers, who each have had a Destiny Dream; a field of blue flowers appears holding an item signifying their life's path.  They record their dream and how events unfold in the Book of Days.  Tall spirited Cody Belle Chitwood is Emma's very best friend, through thick and thin.  A third person returns to town, Earl Chase, who has not talked since a horrific experience with a tornado.

Throughout the days in Blackbird Hollow complete with the dancing and singing jamboree nights at the cafe, a dark cloud comes to rest over Emma, Topher and Granny Blue.  There is one who would take away everything important to them, a villain of the worst sort.  The arrival of her Destiny Dream gives Emma an answer but it's not clear what she needs to do.  With the help of her friends, a ghost, the promise she made to her mother, a Gypsy rose summer and a frightening storm, true treasures are discovered and a dreamed destiny takes shape.


When Natalie Lloyd writes you have to remind yourself to breathe.  Her small town characters live their lives generously, even the one who rarely smiles.  The conversations between the adults and the adults and the children are as real as rain. They accept the possibility of ghosts in their graveyard, feeling The Touch and the blooming of flowers in every season of the year.  They find joy whenever they can despite the hardships they may face.  Where else but Blackbird Hollow will you find a grandmother with tattoos who used to be a boxer and still rides a motorcycle.

The descriptions of the locations in and around the town are so vivid; you'll find yourself planning your next vacation as a trip to Tennessee.  The graveyard with the names on the headstones, the forbidden portion of the cemetery, the Thicket, the Wailing Woods, the mountains and fields, are steeped in history and mystery.  The weather, wind, rain, thunder and lightning, add to the atmosphere.

One of the other things which will have you either grabbing a highlighter or using an entire package of sticky notes is how Natalie Lloyd chooses her words.  They are somewhat alliterative; Blackbird Hollow, Boneyard Cafe, Granny Blue, Wailing Woods and Destiny Dreams.  If you were to read this book aloud you will be inclined to sing at times.  Here are some sample passages.

I made my way through the kitchen door and onto the back porch.  The screen door slapped shut behind me, and I stared out over the dreamy-morning world.  The dark night had already faded to a pretty pale blue at the horizon.  A cool wind prickled my skin and rustled the branches of the big oak in the center of the field.  The leaves made a sound that reminded me of breath, which was kind of strange considering all that lay before me.  As far as I could see, the headstones and statues of Blackbird Hollow Cemetery peeked up from the mist.

The book spine crackled underneath my fingertips when I opened it.  It sounded like my spine when I first wake up and stretch in the morning, and I wondered if it was possible for a book to come alive that same way.  To tell you things.  To change the course of your days.

The sadness was heavy in Blue's voice when she answered. "Don't know if we can hold out that long."
"Do you remember what Mama said about fear?" I asked.  "She said fear is just a flashlight that helps you find your courage."
Blue rested her hand on my shoulder.  "Well, she knew a thing or two about courage.  That's for sure.  She was a brave lady."
"We are all brave ladies," I said.  "We're Wildflowers."

My book after I finished reading it today.  

My copy of The Key to Extraordinary written by Natalie Lloyd is brimming with sticky notes.  You will find yourself reading portions of it again and again.  You will find yourself reciting phrases aloud to listen to the music they create.  We can never have too many true friends, love or hope.  It's all here, springing forth and spreading outward like the flowers in Blackbird Hollow.

You will want to learn more about Natalie Lloyd.  You can do this by following the link attached to her name taking you to her website.  She has a blog linked here. At TeachingBooks.net she talks about both her books reading excerpts from each of them.  She also talks about the pronunciation of her name.  The artist who designed the cover for this book, Gilbert Ford, has an interesting post about the process here.  Enjoy the trailer created by Scholastic Book Fairs.  

As The Sun Sets

Darkness closes in.  Listeners press closer together around the flickering light of the fire.  A sudden breeze rustles the fallen leaves along the forest floor.  Deep among the trees a branch snaps, breaking the relative silence.  Faces turn, wide frightened eyes look at one another.  It's time.

The moment has come to begin the story; a most anticipated tale of ghosts, houses held together by ancient promises, children all alone and a family caught in a deadly web.  All you have to do is be brave enough to be scared.  All you have to do is open the cover and turn the page of Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener (Amulet Books, an imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc., May 20, 2014).

1
Storyteller At The Crossroads
The calendar said early March, but the smell in the air said late October.  A crisp sun shone over Cellar Hollow, melting the final bits of ice from the bare trees.  Steam rose from the soil like a phantom, carrying with it a whisper of autumn smoke that had been lying dormant in the frosty underground.

Siblings, red-haired Molly and Kip, seeking employment, are making their way in a fish cart, drawn by a rather stubborn horse they have named Galileo, to the Windsor estate.  They have come to England from Ireland hoping to be eventually reunited with their missing parents.  Having traveled for days they are cold and hungry; Kip is ill with his lame leg feeling worse.  Along the way, asking for guidance, every person has urged them to turn around, to avoid the sour woods.  An elderly woman, a local storyteller, Hester Kettle, finally gives them the correct directions amid warnings, eliciting a promise.

Their arrival at the manor is not as they anticipated. Next to and growing within the structure is an ageless towering tree.  Mistress Windsor is not expecting them; her now absent husband having failed to inform her of their new household help.  A boy, Alistair, about Molly's age, has an air of entitlement about him.  Only the younger girl, Penny, is excited about their coming.  Already Molly has won her over with one of her special stories.

Constance Windsor, against her better judgment, allows Molly and Kip to stay.   After touring from room to room with her, Molly is certain this family and this house are shrouded in evil.  Further incidents confirm her assumptions; a tall, dark-clothed man wearing a top hat wandering about after dark, deep holes dug around the base of the tree, a small secret room behind a locked green door, and dreams; all the family members, Molly and Kip have bad dreams.

Further complications are Master Windsor's financial problems, a mysterious moonlit garden in the woods and the physical changes creeping over all who sleep in the mansion.  As secrets are revealed unease turns to terror, the line between stories and lies blurs, and your heart's desire has horrific consequences.  As a legend lives, love must fight its biggest battle.


In a four page author's note at the book's end Jonathan Auxier chats with readers about the nine year journey taken to bring this book to them. Evidence of those nine years speaks eloquently on every single page. A deep sense of atmosphere emanates immediately continuing to build even with the final sentence.  Many chapters end with a suspenseful thought.  Your senses are on high alert.

Each character is realistically and fully developed complete with strengths and weaknesses.  As readers we come to understand why they do what they do, even those driven by malevolent desires. These beings stir up feelings of compassion, deep respect, sadness, affection and fear.  We cheer for our champions; when goodness strikes out against the wicked.

That Jonathan Auxier chooses to have two of his characters be tellers of tales, storytellers, is of importance.  One speaks of what was and is; the other weaves words as moments dictate.  More than once the characters (and readers) are challenged as to the use of stories, their place and purpose. Here are some sample passages.

The tree was enormous and looked very, very old.  Most trees cast an air of quiet dignity over their surroundings.  This one did not.  Most trees invite you to climb up into their canopy.  This one did not.  Most trees make you want to carve your initials into the trunk.  This one did not.  To stand in the shadow of this tree was to feel a chill run through your whole body.

Molly turned onto her back and slowly shut her eyes.  For the first time, she let herself feel the exhaustion that she had been fighting for weeks.  Every part of her was worn out.  Her hands, feet, legs, arms---even the tips of her hair felt tired.  Molly was too tired to think about the strange pale family or the strange ugly tree or the strange portrait in the library.
She was too tired, even, to register the sound of a door opening and heavy footsteps entering the house.


Nearly a week has passed since I completed the reading of The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier in one sitting; the story consuming me and my day.  The images of the manor, the tree, the gardener, the Windsor family, Fig and Stubbs, Hester Kettle, Kip and Molly are as real to me now as when I was reading the book.  There is nothing better than a good scary story.  This one lingers asking you to read it again...and you will.  This is classic storytelling.  This is the best.

The dust jacket artwork and book case design add to the overall spookiness of this title.  Leaves in gray and black on the endpapers as well as swirling about each chapter continue creating a sense of foreboding.  Several double page spreads of the tree, the night gardener and a full moon provide a backdrop for the title, verso, dedication, quotations and contents pages.  This is excellent bookmaking.

Please take the time to visit Jonathan Auxier's website linked to his name above.  He has graciously included a post of the playlist; songs he listened to while writing this book.  This is a link to his post at the Nerdy Book Club about The Night Gardener.  Stop by and listen to Jonathan Auxier's podcast interview at Let's Get Busy hosted by teacher librarian, Matthew C. Winner.  This link will take you to a series of posts Jonathan Auxier did about his road to publication.  Enjoy the video below which was posted on YouTube about a Skype visit Jonathan Auxier had with a group of students.