Spaces In Our World, Places In Our Hearts

Each morning a stroll through the gardens reveals the presence of night visitors.  Their tracks are embedded in the dirt.  Stalks and branches from flowers and shrubs lay on the ground, nibbled and left.  Other plants have been eaten to their roots.  There is an abundance of white-tailed deer in our neighborhood.

Truthfully, watching them wander through the apple trees across the street or seeing them stop and stare at us as we walk in the morning never stops being magical. Sharing this space with them is a gift.  Masterful, award-winning author illustrator Yuyi Morales made a new book, Bright Star (Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, September 7, 2021), for us.  In this title we, using a blend of Spanish and English, are presented with beauty, borders, barriers, and the value of all individuals.

Child,

you are

awake!

Breathe in,

then breathe out,

hermosa creatura.

You are beloved.  We hold your light in our hearts.  The world has many things to notice, some easily seen and others more of a challenge.

Exploring together we will find flora and fauna, rich and rare.  Wait!  Pay attention, something is amiss.  For now, stay hidden.  Stay safe.

If we get separated, we still hold your light in our hearts.  If you are fearful or restless, let those around you know of your fright and frustration.  You will be heard.  Then, be still.  Use your senses to make discoveries.

If those discoveries pave a new path, follow it.  Using your mind, fashion a different tale, your tale.  It will be a tale told by those who always hold your light in their hearts.

With each page turn, one to four sentences, simple but thoughtful and intentional, written by Yuyi Morales warmly welcome us into the narrative.  The Spanish and English words are perfect partners in this lyrical dance.  The use of punctuation provides an added liveliness.  We willingly participate in listening to the words and reading them aloud.  Here is the passage we read after a page turn.

So you search!

You are ready,

cosita pequena.

Let's go!

Vamonos!

Looking at the background on the open and matching (reversed images) dust jacket and book case is like being enveloped by an autumn sunset sky.  On the dust jacket, it and the entire image, extend flap edge to flap edge.  The white-tailed deer, a fawn, peering between the cactus on the Sonoran Desert is still, observant.  What does it see?  The rays around the raised title text are embossed in gold foil.  The author illustrator name is raised on the textured fabric.  

The cactus crosses the spine and another one frames the face of a little girl.  She is looking directly at readers.  It is as if she is asking us a question.  On the book case, the image on the back of the jacket is on the front and the front image moves to the back of the book case.  The fawn and the child are one and the same.

The fabric shown on the front of the jacket covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Yuyi Morales has woven threads in golden yellow and forest green along the top and bottom of the pages.  She has embroidered five large stars, made by crossing perpendicular lines.  They are in earth colors.  On the far-left edge on the opening endpapers and on the far-right edge on the closing endpapers is a mass of pink sewn dots, mirroring the color of the cactus flowers.

On the title page, a double-page picture features cactus on either side and a hummingbird on the right.  

The artwork for this book was created using acrylic paint on paper,

photographed textures, digital painting, as well as weaving and embroidery.

Each two-page image in this book asks us to stop.  They are a complete sensory experience.  The representations of flora and fauna are breathtaking.  The backgrounds in the illustrations indicate the narrative mood as well as the time of day.  What do we see in these visuals?

As she did with her words, each element in these images is arranged with intention and considerable thought.  The scene of the destruction around the building of the border wall and the animals wondering how to continue with their instinctive journeys is particularly poignant.  The placement of a wordless picture is perfection.  For the final two page turns, the fawn becomes the girl child.  Deer are embroidered on the front and back of her shirt.  In the last visual, several of the children have featured animals on their shirts.

One of my many favorite illustrations is for the text above cited.  The sky and desert floor are nearly identical in color, as so often happens on a clear, calm morning.  Cactus and small shrubs are peppered on the sand.  A roadrunner, a jack rabbit, a ground squirrel, and a lizard join the fawn and its mother.  Several insects and birds are present.  One of the birds is the hummingbird.  On the left the fawn stands eager to move.  It jumps three times with a blur of movement; until it joins its mother on the right.

At the close of this book, Bright Star written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales, in an author's note are eleven supportive statements and paragraphs beginning with

I made this book because . . .

In reading this book, you realize Yuyi Morales has accomplished her reasons and more.  This book is deeply moving and timely.  You can't read it once.  You will want to share it often and widely.  Be sure to have a copy on your personal and professional bookshelves.  At the close of the book in an acknowledgment is a list of videos and films, books, online sources, organizations, and people that assisted in the creation of this title.

To discover more about Yuyi Morales and her other work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  Yuyi Morales has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.  The cover reveal and conversational thoughts by Yuyi Morales and Neal Porter was hosted by John Schumacher, librarian, lecturer at Rutgers University, and writer, on his Watch. Connect. Read. site.  Yuyi Morales is showcased at Publisher's Weekly where she shares the process for making this book.  At the publisher's website are additional bonus materials.  At Penguin Random House you can view the endpapers.  Here is a link to Yuyi Morales reading her book aloud on video at KidLit TV.  If you are interested here is a link to an event with Yuyi Morales speaking about this book.

A Titan-Type Of Tale

Tales told from generation to generation take on a life of their own.  They are embedded in familial traditions.  They are the threads binding all the members into a single woven tapestry.  Most, upon examination, are based on truth or the possibility of truth.  They are universal with respect to taking what seems to be ordinary and having it transform into something wondrous.

This shift is the power of storytelling, enveloping all who listen.  Octopus Stew (Holiday House, August 17, 2019) written and illustrated by Eric Velasquez is a story brimming with anticipation as soon as you look at the jacket and case.  Each page turn heightens the readers' awareness of something fantastical about to happen.

When Grandma saw my painting of Super Octo, she got the idea to make pulpo guisado, octopus stew---not exactly my favorite dish.

A small question asked by the boy, Ramsey, was quickly rebuffed by his determined grandmother.  Later he had to relinquish his superhero cape to accompany her to the store to purchase an octopus for the stew.  He took lots of pictures of the fish on display.  His grandmother bought the largest octopus.

As they proceeded to the cashier, Ramsey tried to tell his grandmother an important fact he located online about octopuses, using his phone.  She was not interested.  At home Grandma prepared the octopus, putting it in a pot to boil.  Ramsey avoided the entire process.

Later when Grandma came to join Ramsey in the living room, the duo heard weird sounds from the direction of the kitchen.  The noises grew louder and louder.  When Ramsey and his grandmother stood in the doorway to the kitchen, they were shocked by the sight which greeted them.  The octopus was enormous.  It was outside the pot.  It was alive!

Hiding and thinking with speed reserved for heroes, Ramsey put on his cape (and one on his perro), raced to the kitchen, held forth an object and made a loud demand to the octopus holding his grandmother.  At this point the tale takes one of two surprising twists.  Each conclusion relies on the reader's capacity for stepping into the unexpected with their eyes wide open.


As soon as the story starts, the personalities of Ramsey and Grandma are revealed through the narrative and their dialogue.  This technique, of blending text and conversation, used by author Eric Velasquez enhances the intimacy of the story for readers.  Using a mix of Spanish and English plus sound effect selections takes readers farther into the experiences of the boy and his grandparent.  Careful choice of words builds the suspense readers feel until they are faced with not one, but two, startling revelations.  Here is a passage.

Then Grandma came to sit with me while I did my
homework.  All of a sudden, strange noises started to
come from the kitchen.
Blimp, Blump, Brr, Blimp, Blump, Brr.
"Que sera eso? What could that be?" Grandma 
asked.  "Ramsey, quedate aqui.  Voy a ver. Stay here."


One look at the front of the matching dust jacket and book case and readers know they are in for an amazing adventure.  Chana, Ramsey's dog, Ramsey, and Grandma are astounded by the sight before them.  Hints of what they are seeing are behind them like steam on the blue canvas.  Grandma's arm and open hand held in front of Ramsey for protection are a sign of her affection for him.

To the left, on the back, on a lighter shade of blue, rows of fish, as seen at the market, are arranged along the bottom. On the opening and closing endpapers Eric Velasquez has placed a bright yellow background.  Vertical rows of white circular shapes like those found on an octopus are shown.

These illustrations rendered

in oil on Fabriano 300 lb. hot press watercolor paper

are rich and realistic.  Bold full-color images, highly animated, are spread across double pages or on single pages framed in a white border.  At times to enhance the pacing two smaller pictures are included on a single page.  For a highly dramatic effect a large, nearly full-page picture is laid on a double-page visual.  At a turning point in the narrative a wonderful, four-page gatefold will leave readers gasping.  The facial expressions on the characters heighten every moment and mood.  You'll find yourself completely captured by their story.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  On the right-hand side Ramsey is leaning out from behind his grandma.  His dog is leaning to the left of and behind him.  Grandma is standing, legs spread apart with one hand to her heart and mouth wide open in the doorway to the kitchen.  On either side of the doorway are the bright yellow walls of the kitchen.  The refrigerator is on the far left.  The floor is a rusty red tile.  Stretching from the top on the right to the far left are two gigantic octopus legs with the huge suckers visible.  A large

Thump!

is above one leg as it strikes the refrigerator.  The lid to the pot is on the floor.


From the minute you look at this book, you know you're about to enter into something marvelous.  Octopus Stew written and illustrated by Eric Velasquez is the best kind of storytelling, leading you into the extraordinary with two stunning twists.  Oh, this book is a superb title for sharing repeatedly, one-on-one or with a group.  I highly recommend it.  At the close of the book is a splendid author's note and a glossary of non-standard Spanish Eric Velasquez says was spoken in his home. 

To learn more about Eric Velasquez and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Eric Velasquez has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  You can learn more about Eric Velasquez in an interview at the Center for the Collaborative Classroom. A poster is available to download at the publisher's website.   At another publisher's website you can view interior images.  School Library Journal interviews Eric Velasquez during a Facebook live event about this book.

You Belong

As an educator, as a teacher librarian, all the children in any given school in any given year enter your classroom, the school library.  They arrive from an assortment of families, economic conditions, ethnic and racial backgrounds with a range of personalities and potential.  They are all beautiful, important and of immeasurable value.

Depending on the community in which they live, some of them for reasons of physical characteristics, language, clothing, cultural or religious practices feel as though they don't belong.  They are asked questions they are unable to answer to the satisfaction of other children or adults.  Where Are You From? (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, June 4, 2019) written by Yamile Saied Mendez with illustrations by Jaime Kim gives readers the best and only responses of true worth.

Where are you from?
they ask.

A little girl is questioned by her classmates.  Adults want to know if her parents are from here or from there.  When her reply prompts them to continue to question her, she is confused. She decides to ask her grandfather, her Abuelo,

because he knows everything.

Walking together with his granddaughter, Abuelo stops for a moment to think. He tells her she comes from the Pampas, the gaucho and the brown river.  He further describes the meaning and value of each geographical feature and person.  He continues this journey by taking her to mountain peaks and oceans painting pictures with his words of the flora and fauna dwelling there.

She also is a part of wild unexpected weather found in this portion of the world as well as the calmer ebb and flow of sunshine and rain.  Each sentence from Abuelo to his beloved little girl speaks of the land and the people and the histories attached to both.  The child, like those who questioned her, wants more.  She needs a specific place.

His response is certain to cause gasps in all readers.  Without a doubt, his granddaughter stops for a moment as joy and warmth fill her soul.  As Abuelo takes her home and holds her close, he speaks of universal, timeless beliefs which will resonate with all of us.


There is not a child (or an adult) who reads the words written by Yamile Saied Mendez that will not feel a connection.  The desire to know who came before us in our families is strong but even more urgent when others press us for answers other than those we know.  Abuelo's descriptions are lyrical and simply lovely; almost like a lullaby.  Through his words we walk through all aspects of a land, its inhabitants and the history of its people.  Each of these portrayals, like layers, are designed to lead us back to the girl's original question.  This makes Abuelo's final words more potent.  Here is a passage.

You're from mountains so high
they tickle Senor Cielo's belly,

where the condor roosts his family
and the jaguar prowls the night.


In a word the image seen on the open and matching dust jacket and book case is bliss.  You can see the shared pleasure in each other's company on both faces.  The path through the field with birds against the afternoon sky contributes to the golden emotional glow.  The field stretches over the spine to the far-left edge.  There are color variations in the grass as if a gentle breeze is blowing.  Even more birds in the same flock are shown flying.  On the jacket the title text, the child and her grandfather are varnished.

On the opening and closing endpapers a vista of mountains and an ocean spreads edge to edge.  In the first a palette of green shades and yellow depicts the start of a day with the large sun rising between peaks and glistening on the water.  Birds are flying from both directions.  On the final endpapers hues of purple color the sky, mountains and water.  A darker golden yellow and orange paint the setting sun.  Birds are again flying from both directions.  Both scenes present serenity.

The pictures rendered in watercolor and digital techniques to create the digital illustrations by Jaime Kim are brimming with animation.  The sizes move from full-page pictures to double-page pictures when the little girl is chatting with Abuelo.  With each page turn you can sense the mood and emotions intensifying by Jaime Kim's use of color.

To enrich the warmth of the narrative Jaime Kim alters her points of view.  Sometimes the pair are viewed close-up or as part of a larger landscape.  Their attire might change depending on the sentences.  They are seen riding horses and wearing appropriate attire when gaucho is mentioned.  Sometimes the reader is given more of a bird's eye view of a scene as in the plaza with reference to Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo.  Readers will finally notice the sky changing color as dusk descends on the pair.  This enhances the final sentences and the final image.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  It is night.  A few golden stars sparkle in the deep blue and purple sky.  This spreads as a canvas on the two pages.  Along the bottom of the page, outlined in those blue and purple colors, are grasses from the field enlarged as if we are peering through them lying on our stomachs.  On the right behind some of the grass the grandfather and his granddaughter sit.  Their backs are to us.  They are looking up.  One of Abuelo's arms is around the little girl; the other is pointing at the North Star.  Simply precious.


Lovingly written by Yamile Saied Mendez and lovingly illustrated by Jaime Kim, this book, Where Are You From?, tells readers all they need to know about their origins.  At the close of this title, readers will realize the human heart is a landscape large enough to include everyone.  I highly recommend this book for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Yamile Saied Mendez and Jaime Kim and their other work, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Yamile Saied Mendez has an account on Twitter.  Jaime Kim has an account on Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images from the beginning of the book.  There is also a printable activity, a family tree to complete.  Here is a link to a letter written by Yamile Saied Mendez about this book.

To Be Saved

Before you hear the clicking of toenails on floors, the jingle of metal tags announces a shift in position.  Their intention is to be as close as possible to you.  Comfort is a consideration but the bottom line is they want to be with their human.  We need them.  They need us.  We are better together.

The attachment between a dog and their human is remarkable for the reason we simply can't believe how steadfast their love and loyalty truly is.  It is humbling.  Operation Rescue Dog (Little Bee Books, September 18, 2018) written by Maria Gianferrari with illustrations by Luisa Uribe is about finding home in the heart of a dog and in the heart of a human.

Alma wears Mami's scarf like a hug.

Alma's mother is in the military in Iraq.  Alma has not heard her voice in three months.  They write letters but the exchanges between them take a long time to be delivered.

Lulu, an abandoned dog, with a half moon on her chest eats acorns and drinks from mud puddles to survive.  She is alone for weeks until she is saved.  Alma has an idea.  As a surprise for her Mami, she and her abuela are traveling to the Operation Rescue Dog site.

It is not a trip without setbacks for Alma and her grandmother and for Lulu.  Abuela and Alma are stopped by the side of the road.  A tire is flat, it storms and they wait.  Lulu waits too.  She is frightened of the unknown and the big truck.  When it stops, she runs.

First there is a sandwich and then joy.  First there is a rainbow and then hope.  A truck pulls into a parking lot.  A blue car joins other vehicles.  Dogs embark, hearts beat and the smell of home fills the air.


In a truly heartwarming portrait the words of Maria Gianferrari ring with authenticity.  Two parallel lives are depicted in alternating voices. Rich, sensory descriptions reference color, touch and smell.  Readers can easily identify with both the girl and the dog.  Here are two passages.

Lulu's curled in a crate.
Yowls echo.
Wind whistles.
The truck's floor hums.
Lulu sniffs the air.
It smells like . . . fear.

Abuela paces on the phone.
Alma plucks dandelions.
The air smells like rain.
The blue car must wait.


The opened dust jacket features both Alma and Lulu.  Mami's scarf is wrapped around both of them

like a hug.

Their affection for each other is evident.  To the left, on the back, the two of them are lying on their backs in the same grassy field surrounded by yellow dandelions.  The scarf supplies a literal connection.  With eyes closed, they are completely content.  A caption reads

Can a dog feel like a hug?

Using the colors from Mami's scarf, illustrator Luisa Uribe forms a scene on the opening and closing endpapers, this image features multiple dogs and humans at the site of the arrival of the Operation Dog Rescue truck.  You can readily imagine all the chatter and barking dogs.  In the first picture Alma and her abuela are running from the upper, left-hand corner.  Mary with Lulu waits in the lower, right-hand corner.  On the final endpapers there are subtle differences.  Many forever moments are being forged.

Luisa Uribe uses double-page pictures and single-page visuals to showcase first Lulu drinking from a mud puddle on the title page, to the Operation Rescue Dog truck driving down the highway at sunrise and then beginning the narrative on another two-page illustration highlighting Alma in her bedroom.  In Luisa's delicate details more of the story is told.  There is a picture on the wall of Alma and her mother in a military uniform.  In the following two-page illustration we see Lulu in various positions in the dark of night, alone and finally howling at the moon.

To supply readers with insight into emotional moods of both Alma and Lulu the point of view is shifted.  We are brought near to Lulu with her tail curled under her body in fear as she awaits her fate.  We are shown Abuela looking at the flat tire and Alma seated in the back.  Their car looks small compared to the vast landscape behind them.  Just as we have the wordless image at the front of the book of the truck on the highway, a second wordless illustration closes this book.  It's perfect.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  The Operation Rescue Dog truck is speeding down the highway.  We zoom in on the cab.  Lulu in Mary's lap is leaning out the open window.  Birds fly overhead.  Billowing clouds nearly fill the blue sky above rolling hills.  Along the bottom the grass is dotted with flowers.


Readers and listeners will find themselves drawn into the story of Alma and Lulu in Operation Rescue Dog written by Maria Gianferrari with illustrations by Luisa Uribe.  By alternating the perspectives in both the narrative and pictures we are immediately tied to both the girl and the dog.  We cheer with all our hearts for the resolution.  At the close of the book Maria Gianferrari shares the story of her beloved rescue dog, Becca, as well as explaining more about rescue dogs (and rescue animals).  She includes websites and other options to assist in helping these animals.  A glossary of Spanish words used in the story is added at the end.  You'll want to have this title on both your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about both Maria Gianferrari and Luisa Uribe and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Both Maria and Luisa are on Instagram.  Luisa maintains an account on Twitter.  Maria is featured on As the Eraser Burns.  Luisa is a guest on KIDLIT411.  At a publisher's website you can view interior images.


Maria Gianferrari loves dogs, especially her rescue dog, Becca.  She loves them so much that all of her fiction picture books published thus far contain a dog main character!  As an animal lover, Maria has been rescuing creatures unofficially all her life.  Her most recent rescue was a five-lined skunk stranded in her cellar.  She lives in Leesburg, Virginia with Becca, her scientist husband and artist daughter.

On Center Stage

You recognize them as soon as they walk into your classroom.  There isn't a sign of glitter on them anywhere but they sparkle.  It's noticeable in the way they walk, the intonation of their voice as they talk, and in the combinations of colors and patterns on the clothing they wear.  They are making a statement with an air of assurance.

They can be five or fifteen, age is not a factor.  For them life is most definitely not a dress rehearsal and their world, wherever they are, is a platform for a performance.  Starring CARMEN! (Abrams Books for Young Readers, September 12, 2017) written by Anika Denise with illustrations by Lorena Alvarez Gomez is a look at an energetic girl and her equally energetic hermanito (younger brother) Eduardo. 

Carmen is a one-girl
SENSACION!

She can act, sing, dance and design costumes.  She never tires of being in the spotlight on stage.  Every night she requires the attendance of her ever-so-patient and supportive parents at her show.  No two shows are alike.

Carmen takes every opportunity to practice.  This is what performers wishing to excel do.  Eduardo watches Carmen with affection and longing.  He wants to be a part of the shows.  Carmen is not eager to share the fame and glory.

As the newest show is about to start she determines Eduardo would be better as a lamp, wearing a shade over his face, than his original role of a rock.  Tonight the musical is rather lengthy; seventeen songs, slightly less dances and a bit of karate.  Poor Eduardo is not aware the show is over.  (How can you with something over your face?)

When Carmen requests an encore at dinner, her parents resist her urgings.  The next morning they try to cheer up a melodramatic Carmen, pouting at having only one show the previous night.  When she attempts to make a point, her mother counters with a fan letter from an admirer. 

Pirate play encourages Carmen to assume another position in the upcoming rock opera.  As the evening event is about to start everyone in the family appears to be happy with this production, especially Carmen.  There is nothing better than an inspired great surprise.


There is no denying the liveliness of the main character in this title when reading the words penned by Anika Denise.  To heighten the effervescence of the story, Spanish words and phrases are used with affection by Carmen's parents.  A blend of narration and dialogue contribute to the connection readers will feel with Carmen, her little brother Eduardo, and their parents.  The dialogue also informs us of the moods of the characters as well as the strength of the family unit.  From this we can see the gentle humor in more than one situation.  Here is a sample passage.

Dress rehearsals start early.
"Can I be in your show tonight?" asks Eduardo.
"Sure!  I'm the queen.  You can be a rock."
"How do I be that?" asks Eduardo.
"Don't move," says Carmen.

"Do I have any lines?"
asks Eduardo.

"Shh," says Carmen.
"Rocks can't talk."


You expect her to dance right off the dust jacket, singing one of her many songs.  Looking right at readers Carmen gives us a preview of her personality and presence on and off the stage.  The dazzling hues in the set, curtains and props, extend over the spine, unfolding like a Broadway musical presentation.  On the left, the back, gazing over his shoulder at his sister, Eduardo, holding a smiling star on a wand, is adding his share of magic to the show.

On the book case we get a peek at an interior illustration spanning edge to edge.  Carmen is taking a bow after her show.  Eduardo is not sure what's happening.  This is our first glimpse of the elaborate, inventive and vividly colored costumes and sets fashioned by Carmen.  The opening and closing endpapers are a rich, rose canvas.

Beneath the text on the title page, dressed in costumes, Carmen and Eduardo dance in pure happiness.  Rendered with paper, pencils, and Photoshop by Lorena Alvarez Gomez the illustrations invite participation in the story and generate ear-to-ear smiles.  Her full color images are frequently placed on a crisp white background to draw our attention to the included details.  They may be loosely framed.

Her pictures spreading across two pages are marvelous in their use of precise shapes, clean lines and colors ready to burst out of the book.  These ask the reader to stop.  They ask us to step into the lives of these family members.  We reply with an eager YES!

One of my many favorite illustrations is the one depicted by Lorena Alvarez Gomez for the text previously quoted.  The bodies of three sea dragons swirl and curl in shades of pink, golden orange and blues and greens across both pages.  Colored paper, scissors, glue, pictures, books and already completed fish surround Carmen as she works on one of the dragons in the center of the right hand portion of the picture.  Outside the gutter on the left, paper in hand, stands Eduardo.  Wide-eyed and hopeful he is asking Carmen to participate in the show.  She is looking up at him with skepticism.


We should all be so fortunate as Eduardo and his parents to have someone like his sister in our lives.  Starring CARMEN! written by Anika Denise with illustrations by Lorena Alvarez Gomez is in a word, exhilarating.  This character's passion for performing and positive perspective on life is contagious.  Her propensity to stand in the spotlight alone is tempered by her love for her brother.  Your patrons will be asking for this book frequently.  They will hardly be able to wait for the promised sequel.  I can't wait to read this one aloud. 

To learn more about Anika Denise and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  If you follow the link to the page about this title, she has activity guides in English and Spanish and templates for Starring CARMEN! crafts.  At the publisher's website they have printable activity kit pages.  I know you'll want to visit Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read., to enjoy the premiere of the book trailer and a chat with Anika Denise.

Started By A Freedom Run

When I think of blueberries I recall fresh muffins dotted with soft butter, creamy cheesecake, and warm pie with a scoop of ice cream and my dad.  By far my father's favorite fruit in dessert was blueberries.  He loved cheesecake topped with blueberry sauce.   The first two-crust pie I ever learned to bake was blueberry.  When you accomplish the right combination of tart and sweet, it's like tasting a little bit of heaven.

For others blueberries represent a way to make a living by harvesting them. For entire communities, they offer a seasonal focus.  In Cynthia Lord's newest title, A Handful of Stars (Scholastic Press, May 26, 2015) blueberries attract and rely on the work of a particular type of bee.  These bees in turn give a girl the chance to help her best friend to regain his eyesight.

The only reason I ever spoke to Salma Santiago was because my dog ate her lunch.
Sometimes life is like a long road leading from one "if" to another. 

Twelve-year-old Tigerlily (Lily) has never known a day without Lucky being a part of it.  The now blind black Labrador came with her and her mom ten years ago when they returned to Maine.  With Mama gone, Lily has been living with Memere and Pepere in the apartment over the general store they own and run.

Having slipped his collar Lucky is running like the wind over the blueberry barrens; Lily trying every trick in the book to get him to stop.  The quick thinking of one of the migrant workers raking the blueberry bushes gets Lucky to stop.  There's nothing quite like the whiff of peanut butter and the crunch of potato chips to stop a dog in his tracks.  

At Memere's insistence, with her grandfather, Lily enters the migrant camp for the first time bringing a local specialty meat pie meal to Lucky's savior.  As Lily and Salma, also twelve, officially meet and exchange conversation, a spark of friendship begins.  When Salma shows up at the general store the next morning, they find they have more in common than they might have thought.

Salma with a dream of furthering her education with a focus on art offers to help Lily paint her mason bee houses.  Selling these will raise money to help pay for corrective surgery for Lucky's blindness.  Salma is willing to do anything to help Lucky, having lost her own dog.

During the course of the weeks shared by the two girls, readers find themselves witnessing the changes in Lily, her two-peas-in-a-pod best friend, Hannah, who seems to not share interests with Lily any longer, Lily's grandmother and the community.  Both Lily and Salma challenge themselves personally by participating in activities never experienced before this year.  In a beautiful, yes breathtaking, conclusion over the course of two days, love triumphs.


By page five I was placing small post-it notes in my copy of this book.  Cynthia Lord has a magical way of creating visual landscapes with her words whether we are inside a general store or outside in the local cemetery.  We are drawn into the story experiencing the same surroundings as the characters.

Through Lily's thoughts and the dialogue of the other characters we come to understand each individual's personality.  Page by page Lord shows us the layers which make each person who they are.  We truly care for all of them whether they are initially likable or not.  I would be remiss (at Xena's urging) if I did not mention how aptly Lucky and his behavior are portrayed.  Cynthia Lord definitely has a special place in her heart for animals understanding them as if she speaks with them on a daily basis.  Here are a few of the marked passages from the book.

Even though he couldn't see it, Lucky was on that blueberry like a seagull on a French fry.  His eyes used to be black with a twinkle in them, but now they're blue-ish gray.  They don't even look like they belong to him.  It's like someone just traded out his sparkling black eyes and left blue marbles instead.

Dr. Katz smiled.  "Pink bees?"
I nodded.  "It's different."
"Different can be good," Dr. Katz said.  "It makes you pay attention."

I stood up.  "Remember that day we were swinging at camp?  I was feeling a bit scared, and I realized something.  To do brave things, you don't have to be hugely brave.  You only have to be a little bit braver than you are scared.  Give me your hand."


With eloquence Cynthia Lord tells a story of friendship and family in A Handful of Stars.  With pure mastery she blends two worlds, a girl who has suffered loss but has stability in her grandparents and her community and a girl with imagination who will always move with the seasons, never living in the same place for any length of time.   I guarantee this book will resonate with all readers.  I believe this would be an excellent read aloud.

Please follow the link attached to Cynthia Lord's name to access her website.  There you can enjoy learning about her other work.  Follow this link Andrea Skyberg|Author Artist for a tour of Cynthia Lord's studio and an interview.  John Schumacher, teacher librarian extraordinaire, interviews Cynthia Lord at Watch. Connect. Read.

To Be Given A Second Chance

Whether we are ready for them or not, troubles, small or large, manage to find a way into our lives.  Hardly ever, in batches of threes or constantly, day after day, they shape who we are.  Each individual will face these challenges differently; the best they can with what they know at any given time.

For children, without the years of experience adults have, it can be truly frightening.  Fortunately for many there are humans and canines willing to provide assistance.  Released in August of this year, Mountain Dog (Henry Holt and Company) written by Margarita Engle with illustrations by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov is one of those books on my shelves I've wanted to read for months.  Closing the cover as I finished it yesterday, I paused in gratitude for this remarkable story, wishing I had read it earlier.


In my other life there were pit bulls.
The puppies weren't born vicious,
but Mom taught them how to bite,
turning meanness into money,
until she got caught.

She said she will and she does; the social worker finds a relative eleven-year-old Tony does not know he has.  A great-uncle, Tio Leonilo, a forest ranger, a search-and-rescue member, willingly takes him to live in his two-room cabin, high in the remote Sierra Nevada mountains while his mom is in prison.  Gabe, his chocolate Labrador retriever, is trained as a search-and-rescue dog.

Much like a dream, the exact opposite of the world he has known in Los Angeles, Tony's life is a series of contrasts; his uncle's unexpected kindness compared to his mother's indifference, Gabe's playful loyalty versus the memories of claws, fangs and blood, and the meanness of the city streets replaced with the majestic calm found in the mountains and forest.  School is housed in three rooms, three grades, sixth through eighth, are in one group.

Tony's days are filled with attending class, surprisingly free of gangs and bullies, learning how to understand and navigate in the wilderness, the Pacific Crest Trail, search-and-rescue training and Cowboy Church.  His mind is constantly torn between his growing love for Tio and Gabe and the nightmares haunting him about his former life.  Visits to the prison leave him deeply saddened; his mother usually choosing not to appear.  Several rescues begin to reshape his outlook; as those lost are found Tony's thoughts begin to have a focus, a purpose.

Summer vacation finds Tony spending time with B. B., a bear researcher and friend of his uncle's.  She is also the grandmother of a rather vocal but not unfriendly girl in his class, Gracie. While Tony is with B. B., Gracie is back in India with her parents who are studying elephants.

During hunting season in the fall, a search takes a harrowing turn. Hard lessons are learned.  Decisions are made.  Love provides shelter, the hope of a new future.


All day as I continued to reflect on this book, I though how much of our lives are composed of poetry; how moments are remembered in fragments or phrases.  Reading a novel in verse like Mountain Dog is a bit like being a leaf in a stream.  A stream has a current moving around rocks, sand, grasses, branches or trees.  The leaf navigates around those objects, slowly or quickly, at times resting.  As a reader you need to step in, adjusting to the cadence, the flow, created by the author's use of words.

Margarita Engle draws you into her story with her gifted command of language, alternating chapters in Tony's and Gabe's voices.  Single thoughts, incidents and outcomes are beautifully described, painting vivid pictures of place and people in your mind which travel straight to your heart.  Each person comes with their own stories into Tony's life; stories filled with riches money can't buy.  With her characters Engle shows readers (and Tony) how people through choice can turn trials into triumphs. Here are a few passages from the book.

He had to learn how to survive
by eating seaweed, drinking rain,
and breathing hope...

That night when Tio asks me
about my first day of school, I don't
say much, so he takes me outdoors
in the darkness
to stargaze.
Without any traffic or streetlights,
the forest seems ancient.
I feel like a time traveler
in a distant land
where I don't know
the language
of star shapes. 
Constellations.
Pictures in the sky.
Myths. Stories. Directions.
A way to find north or south
by following a path 
made of light years.

...It's an odor that rhymes
with the weight of aloneness,
so I press my head against the palm
of his hand, hoping to help him feel
the floating lightness
of never-lonely.

The artwork of Olga and Aleksey Ivanov done entirely in black and white with the exception of the cover, compliments important portions of the narrative.  Most of the illustrations offer a close-up perspective of the subject.  My favorite is of Gabe's head nudging Tony's hand opposite the passage I've noted above.


A story of redemption on many levels vividly depicted in a rhythm kindred to our beating hearts; Mountain Dog written by Margarita Engle with illustrations by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov is a compelling, memorable book.  It is a moving portrayal of a boy whose mother is in prison but ultimately is raised up by a dog and people who believe in him, who give him hope through their love.  I highly recommend you read this book and share it immediately with others.

To learn more about Margarita Engle and Olga and Aleksey Ivanov please follow the links embedded in their names to their websites.  This is a link to the publisher's website highlighting the title and giving you a glimpse of eight illustrations from the book.  Please follow this link to a fascinating interview at Watch. Connect. Read. hosted by teacher librarian John Schumacher.