Seasonings...

It is said that variety is the spice of life; different experiences make life more interesting.  But change is not necessarily a good thing; a change not wanted or unexpected can alter your sense of normal so much so, nothing seems to make sense any longer.  The road to a new normal is fraught with detours, wrong turns, potholes, and yes, maybe even another accident. 

For those that are loved unconditionally by family members and one or two steadfast friends, the destination, though painful and slow, can be reached.  Author Phoebe Stone,  has scripted a story of such a journey in The Boy on Cinnamon Street (Arthur A. Levine Books).  Louise Terrace, a seventh grade student, has lost her normal.

From the Prologue we read:

My name used to be Louise but it's not anymore.  I had a T-shirt made that says across the front NO LONGER LOUISE.  I changed my name because Louise rhymes with cheese and fleas and sneeze.  So now I'm Thumbelina. 

Before this two page introduction ends our initial reaction of Thumbelina? is answered.  Louise is only four foot seven inches tall; small for a seventh grade student.  And her friend, Henderson, wise beyond his years, says one day as they are walking along the river,

"Actually everybody has a story, a fairy tale in their heart that they adhere to.  That's why Hans Christian Andersen is so awesome."

As a reader I know hardly anything about either of these characters, yet, but being too short, too tall, too anything at that age creates immediate empathy.  Henderson, by his very observations, is intriguing.  When the final two sentences mention placing an order for pizza and cosmic wheel I, as a reader, am completely hooked.

Louise lives with her maternal grandparents in a condo in South Pottsboro.  Her family home on Cinnamon Street in North Pottsboro is empty.  Selling her most prized possession, her balance beam, Louise, the star of her gymnastic team, has quit.  Her grandmother acts out-of-character when Benny McCartney, a ninth grader, delivers the pizza.  Thelma & Louise happens to be a movie that her grandparents watch repeatedly.

So many questions to be answered but the most urgent is who left the note under the mat for Louise reading:

I am your biggest fan. 

Reni, Louise's best friend, Henderson's sister, knows it must have been Benny McCartney. When a huge pink heart done in chalk appears on the front steps, Louise races over to Reni's house; a home she wishes was her own so full of warmth, vibrancy, the requisite family members.  Their plans, items left for Benny at his locker, another gift given to Louise, a dress and a special evening do not equal success.

Trying to decipher the case of the crush, Reni and Louise inadvertently unravel more than either of them are prepared to face.  Aching truths surface.  Poignant moments so tender, weeks between them, will leave readers breathless.

As the pages in this book are turned Stone weaves a web that surrounds her readers, a fabric spun with words; words describing characters so memorable readers will be unwilling to leave them even when the covers are closed.  Dialogue is true to life and in keeping with each character's personality.
The deep and abiding love her grandparents have for one another and Louise is a never wavering strength throughout this story.  These are just a few examples:

When we're walking in the door of the apartment, Grandma throws her purse on the couch and says to Grandpa, "You know what I discovered in the basement today while I was down there sweeping?"
"What?" says Grandpa.
"Asbestos," says my grandma.
Grandpa raises his eyebrows and looks over at me like he and I are a unit, like a washer and dryer set, and Grandma is a stove way on the other side of the room. "Where, baby doll?" he says, still smiling.
Grandma gives Grandpa a you-didn't-take-out-the-garbage-so-now-I'm-going-to-have-you-arrested- look.

He stands there looking tall and un-Hendersonly quiet leaning his head against the wall and staring at me like I'm a puzzle with a piece missing.

They're in their little cliques.  I know those circles and how they seal over, leaving no room to beg, steal, or borrow for an entrance.  I know.

Vivid depictions of the weather and seasons form a keen sense of the passage of time; a reflection of Louise's emotions and memories.

Outside my window, the snowstorm is whirling and raging like white anger and when I push my face against the glass, I can see millions and billions of snowflakes dancing and diving past my window.

The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone, a book about being lost and found, offers readers a vivid view on the value of pure friendship and the potency of unconditional love.  This is a remarkable read and one of the best of 2012.

Twitterville Talk #43

Enjoy a little bit of this and a little bit of that as National Poetry Month begins, more award winners are announced and new titles are revealed.

Winners of the 2012 Indies Choice and E. B. White Read-Aloud Awards Announced  As an educator or parent you could not go wrong with these winners or honor recipients.


Retweeted by author Shannon Hale, these are some of the coolest book images I have ever seen, posted at the one and only extraordinary blog, Brain Pickings.

Thanks to Literacyhead for providing a link to Literature Heavyweights.  I have always known great literature makes for a strong foundation but....what didn't I think of this?

A retweet by the American Library Association Chapters branch speaks to the importance of certified librarians in an educational setting---Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one.  Neil Gaiman  (Newbery award winning author, The Graveyard Book)  Thanks Mr. Gaiman for telling it like it is.

Newbery Honor Award winning author Joyce Sidman tells readers at School Library Journal:  Why I Write Poetry: A really good poem can reach kids in wondrous and unexpected ways.  This would make a wonderful introduction to bringing more poetry into classrooms and homes during National Poetry Month.

The 2012 Eisner nominations are in!  Our students feel the same way checking these out at the "speed of light".

A Fuse #8 Production blogger, Elizabeth Bird, New York Public Library's Youth Materials Collection Specialist, presents: Librarian Preview: Penguin Book for Young Reads-Dial & G. P. Putnam's Sons (Summer 2012) 

The Book of the Future via a tweet from Larry Ferlazzo of Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

The Wait Is Over...The Plot Thickens

The intrepid trio is back.  And I couldn't be happier. When we first met Willy, Bobo and Earl in I Must Have Bobo!(Atheneum Books For Young Readers) by Eileen Rosenthal, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal, I could hardly wait for this next installment.

As in the first book, it is crystal clear in I'll Save You Bobo! (Atheneum Books For Young Readers) wherever Bobo is, Earl is close at hand and wherever Willy is, Bobo is next to him or nearby.

WILLY IS HAVING A HARD TIME READING...
GO AWAY, EARL.

In typical fashion Earl is trying to weasel Bobo away from Willy.  Snuggled in a big easy chair Willy is reading a dinosaur book to Bobo eager to reach the "survival of the fittest" section boys so love, only to discover it's not what he expected.  Not to worry, he and his stuffed monkey BFF, Bobo, are going to become authors.

Crayons and paper spread across the floor Willy begins their adventure drawing as he narrates to Bobo.  Beginning in a jungle, a big green jungle, with huge trees, a snake with a red tongue, poison mushrooms and wait...stop...Bobo and Willy in the story have a tent!  Two chairs and a sheet later the story continues wild animals everywhere, especially the tiger with huge teeth climbing toward Bobo as he explores among the trees. 

Unbeknownst to Willy, Earl has been climbing up the chair bringing the precarious tent crashing down.  Completely disgusted Willy stalks away, supplies and Bobo in hand, as an equally disgusted Earl watches.  Cozily perched on his knees Willy starts over at a table. 

This jungle is more dangerous than the preceding one, filled with vines and cat-eating snakes.  Poor Earl it would seem, has been consumed by a vicious jungle snake.  Pleased as he can be, Willy concludes his story.

But is it really the end?  It's surprising what a cat tail can feel like to a bare foot.  Who saves Bobo, indeed!

Eileen Rosenthal has a knack for striking the exact emotional tone of Willy's speech to Earl as well as in his storytelling skills as a young author.  Clever word choices place Willy in control of the day's adventures, in and out of his imagination, at least from his point of view.  Concise sentences provide  the perfect opportunity for Marc Rosenthal's complimentary artwork.

Creamy, rich, golden endpapers extend to supply the backdrop for the illustrations throughout the book.  In this tale Earl is prominently pictured in the lower right hand corner of the front endpapers patiently awaiting the page turn; this cat is the Prince of patience, of perseverance.  Warm brown pencil drawings are filled in digitally with basic colors, colors from Willy's box of crayons.

Visual thought bubbles appear above Willy depicting a more mature rendition of his childlike artwork; artwork doing more than telling a story.  With his usual attention to detail Rosenthal has Earl, back arched hair standing on end mouth in a scared yowl, gazing in horror at one of those snakes with long, red, forked tongues.  On the floor earnestly at work, Willy has his tongue out also. 

You have to love Bobo, inanimate dressed in his black and yellow sweater, the object that binds these two family members together in their tug-of-war for his attention.  Author Eileen Rosenthal and illustrator Marc Rosenthal bring their delicious blend of humor to I'll Save You Bobo! endearing more readers to these charming characters.  One-on-one or as a group read aloud these two titles are story time favorites.

For more about Marc Rosenthal here is a link to an interview he gave at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast on October 4, 2011.  To see other images in this newest title follow this link to the Simon & Schuster web page.

How High Can You Jump With Your Imagination?

April has arrived despite everything being coated in frost this morning.  So has spring break and...National Poetry Month.  Continually searching for new online applications to use with students, I tend to search through my alphabetical (librarian's habit) list of web 2.0 goodies to try.  StoryJumper was designed about three years ago by three Dads so storytellers of any age could tell their tales.

StoryJumper is free of charge unless you wish to purchase a hardcover copy of your story; an extensive terms of service and privacy policy explain how it is to be used by children/students under the age of thirteen.  Teachers can convert to a classroom edition from an existing account. An easy seven step process combined with your own photographs and/or artwork or images found at StoryJumper are guaranteed to produce pleasing results.

I decided to "jump" right in by clicking on the orange create button.  At the next page are a list of templates for first time users to explore; Build a book from scratch, Treasure Map Builder, Food Fun, Ocean Tale, Costumes, Trucks and Rescue, Magic and Myth, Astrozone and Train Time.  I, of course, selected to build a book from scratch.  If unsure about how to start, there is a quick tutorial to read or a short video to watch.

The screen that appears is a working area for creating your story/book.  Across the top from left to right a new page, copy page and delete page option are available as well as a storyboard type display of the front cover, dedication page, all sixteen pages and the back cover of your book.  The small grey box in the upper right hand corner contains icons for single or double page view, fitting to your screen, a flipping tool and zooming in and out.

On the left hand side of the screen four types of elements may be added:  props, scenes, photos and text.  When you select one of the props it is shifted to the highlighted page.  It can be resized from any of the corners, twirled at an angle with the dot, moved forward or backward, flipped, copied or deleted.  Placement of a prop can be anywhere on your page by dragging it.

By clicking on the more props button a search can be made for something specific.  When you find what you need, clicking on it moves it to the prop selection on the working screen.

The next screen element that you can add to your story is a scene or background.  Just as for the props element there is a large searchable selection from StoryJumper but you can add your own also.  I uploaded some photographs.  Any images that you upload can be turned into a prop or scene in a few quick easy steps. 

Eight text box frames are available.  Text can be moved forward or backward.  Seven different font styles can be sized, changed to boldface or placed in italics.  Font color and background color for the text box are additional options.  Text can be justified or deleted. 

All that's left now is to compose that story.  As this was my first time using this application I did not use all sixteen pages.

I did find that I needed to add a page with just an image if I wanted my front and back cover image to be text-free.  The StoryJumper app will only choose from created pages.

To save your story/book or upload an images your need to register.  When creating an account you are asked to give a user name, a password, your birthday, an email address and whether this is a classroom edition account.  A confirming email will be sent to you.

When sharing your story, by default it can be viewed by you only.  You can change that to include anyone or only family or friends.  If you want to explore other stories just click on the explore dot although there is no search option.  There is a very comprehensive help section.

I made my story able to be viewed by anyone but there is no way to get a URL link or HTML code to embed it in a website or blog.  I have copied a link that I hope will work. 

StoryJumper offers another avenue for digital storytelling that has huge potential in and out of the classroom.

Avast Me Hearties!

The clock is ticking toward the deadline for voting in the 2012 Children's Choice Books Awards.  The polls close on May 3, 2012.  Another outstanding candidate in the lineup under the K-2nd grade group is Pirates Don't Take Baths (Philomel Books) written and illustrated by John Segal.

As the words, "It's bath time", echo upstairs and downstairs, through hallways and in and out of rooms, a signal for an ongoing conflict between parents and children has been issued.  A struggle that's a real head-scratcher when you consider at the sight of the nearest puddle, children are in and splashing about in a New York minute.  A piglet forcefully declares:

No! No! No!
I'm not taking a bath.
Not tonight.  Not tomorrow.  Never.

When his mother questions, Never?, he answers with a disgusted expression on his face, clad in a pirate's tricorn, eye patch in place, sword raised high, enumerating what pirates do but taking a bath is definitely not one of them.  When she counters he adroitly switches occupations.  Now cowboys don't take baths.

This little guy changes his identity, careers and where he lives, like a chameleon does colors.  He shifts from cowboy to Eskimo to knight to living in the desert to being an astronaut and on to a treasure hunter.  As quickly as he transforms his patient mother responds to the point where both are ecstatic, each for reasons of their own.

Sudsy cover lettering followed by pale blue endpapers, front and back, replete with soap bubbles plunge readers into the bath-time battle of imagination versus reality.  Pencil and watercolor illustrations, usually two-page spreads, at times employing lots of white space, depict every nuance of the persistent porcine's avoidance of the tub.  His facial expressions and body language, when his mother's voice of reason intrudes, are hilarious with a capital H.

Author/illustrator, John Segal, has created a book, Pirates Don't Take Baths, brimming with riches, you won't even have to dive to reach.  Just open the cover and I double dare you not to laugh.  By visiting Segal's website linked above you can view more pictures from this title as well as his others; a true treat.

Striking It Rich...Writers That Is

Last Monday, March 26, I posted a review of Ellen Potter's newest title, The Humming Room, a stunning story inspired by The Secret Garden. (I ended up having to draw names for the distribution of the newly acquired multiple copies in our library media center.) As is my custom, prior to writing a review, I like to learn as much as possible about an author or illustrator by going to their website, blog or reading interviews they have given to other bloggers or journalists.  At Potter's website I clicked on the For Kids tab to discover that she and Anne Mazer have written a book, Spilling Ink:  A Young Writer's Handbook (Flashpoint, March 30, 2010) with illustrations by Matt Phelan. 

Not only do they have a list of hints about creating a sizzling character but they include links to other helpful websites for aspiring young writers.  But it was when I selected the For Teachers tab that I struck pure gold; The Official Website of Spilling Ink The Book!  Across the top visitors to the site can choose, About, Creativity Blog, Spilling Ink Writer's Club, Teacher's Kit, For Kids, Ask Us Anything, Press or Contact.

The About tab gives short descriptive information concerning the book, each of the authors and the illustrator.  The most recent post under the Creativity Blog heading features photographs with a big "WOW" factor by a thirteen year old member of a Spilling Ink Writer's Club.  You are invited to create your own caption for these story starters.  If you have ever wanted to start a writer's group, then look no further.  The Spilling Ink Writer's Club page is jam-packed with information on how to begin a group, free inspiring downloads, how to publish your work, other books for young, older teens and adult writers, links to great websites about writing by authors and a truly succinct video by Neil Gaiman who tells it like it is.

Downloads such as prompts, "I Dare You" cards, bookmarks, an official license to write, posters, bookplates and a partner writing contract are more than enough to jump-start an engaging writing program in any educator's classroom.  I'm going to print off the bookmarks to use during April is National Poetry Month when my students are writing poems. 
If children or young adults are coming to the website on their own all of the items listed under the Teacher's Kit are also included under the For Kids tab.


 Ask Us Anything is a discussion forum where questions asked are answered.  I can speak from experience, these two authors are never too busy to respond.  After reading all the comments from the Press about Ellen Potter's and Anne Mazer's book, Spilling Ink:  A Young Writer's Handbook you will want a copy of your own, if you do not have one already. 

Everything about the website, The Official Website of Spilling Ink The Book! is welcoming; the layout, the ease of navigation, and information for every age and taste.  After spring break I will be sharing this with many of my classes.

Inseparable...

In 1975, a title was published for children, The Great Ghost Rescue.  It's author, Eva Ibbotson, wrote marvelously imaginative stories, tinged with humor, full of heart, until her death in October of 2010.  Her final gift to readers is One Dog and His Boy (Scholastic) released in the States this past month.

All Hal had ever wanted was a dog.


Hal is no boy with a fleeting whim.  This soon-to-be ten-year-old has been planning this, dreaming about this, for as long as he can remember.  The problem is his parents; both too busy to pay any attention to their son, believing that money can buy happiness.

When his Mom's plans for his birthday backfire, a man of dubious character appearing in a dog suit, Hal erupts.  To smooth over his forgetting Hal's birthday, his Dad promises Hal the very next day they will go pick out a dog.  What he purposely forgets to tell Hal is that the dog is a rental for the weekend only.

Myron and Mavis Carker, owners of The Easy Pets Dog Agency, a couple of shady characters if ever there were two, have, what they believe, a business that has them riding strong and fast on the road to riches. Acquiring dogs with pedigree, renting them for ridiculous amounts of money and hiring dog-loving Kayley to cater to the dogs' every need for minimum wage, sends their greedy little hearts aflutter.  Finding a mongrel stray outside her home, Kayley smuggles him into the one empty crate in the room next to her office, naming him Fleck.  As far as Mr. Carker is concerned this is a new breed, The Tottenham Terrier.

Sharing the room with Fleck is a Saint Bernard, Otto, who dearly misses serving those in need, a wee little Pekinese, Li-Chee, bred to guard Chinese Emperors, Francine, a poodle, who would much rather be back in the circus performing, a collie, Honey, who longs to herd anything and cranky Queen Tilly, a Mexican hairless spoiled in her earlier life and not adjusting to being a rental.  Strolling through The Easy Pets Dog Agency, Hal tells Kayley,

"No, I just want to look---when I see the right one, I'll know," He looked up at her trustingly.  "I'll know at once, I'm absolutely sure."


When he sees Fleck and Fleck sees him, the bonding is instantaneous and forever; two days of pure joy for this duo.  On Monday when Hal's mother tricks him and he discovers Fleck is gone, big changes are in the works.  Hal is going to get Fleck and travel to his grandparents in Northumberland.  What he doesn't realize is Kayley's younger sister, Pippa, is going with him after she, in a spontaneous moment, releases the other dogs in Room A except for Queen Tilly.

Going across country from London is no easy task, let alone with five dogs in tow.  A circus, Greystoke House, a field of sheep, and the monastery of St. Roch are interwoven into an action-filled storyline, propelling the children and their canine companions toward their goal.  Not trusting the police to find his missing son, Donald, enlists the services of a private detective agency, posting a handsome reward.

Caring, helpful people and truly nasty, despicable characters surround Pippa and Hal on their journey; its outcome hanging on the thread of hope.  But Eva Ibbotson's books strive to leave readers with a good ending.  One Dog and His Boy is no exception.

While the bones of this tale are nothing new, when given flesh by the capable, creative mind of Eva Ibbotson, readers win and win big.  Her detailed descriptions of her characters' personalities are sheer delight.

Albina Fenton, Hal's mother, was in her walk-in wardrobe, trying to decide what to wear.
"Really, everything's in rags," she muttered, passing along a row of glittering evening dresses, then back along a line of tailored suits, opening drawers of frilly blouses and embroidered scarves. "I'll have to throw most of it away and start again.  Some serious shopping is required."


..."If I didn't know it was going to be over the day after tomorrow, I couldn't stand it," said Albina.  "I found a white hair on the carpet----and another on the footstool.  And I nearly fell over the creature's drinking bowl.  I do so hate mess!"


Ibbotson keeps readers guessing right up to the last minute, plot twists confounding in their unpredictability; something good happens when expecting bad and vice versa.  People, dogs and events are tied together so well that readers holding this book know, without a doubt, this present has been wrapped by a master; a master that is missed.

One Boy and His Dog by Eva Ibbotson is one of her finest books; for dog lovers required reading, for others wanting adventure with goodness triumphant, there is none better.  I love this book and so will my students.  Multiple copies will be available.

The cover art for the US version, shown above, was done by Chris Sheban. Check out his website for the process he uses with his artwork.   I am working on getting a copy of the UK version with drawings inside by Sharon Renatta.  Visit her gallery for a hint of those illustrations.

I believe this is the UK paperback edition.

I believe this is the UK hardcover edition.