Polite Protocol

Certainly since the dawn of time, elders have served as guides for those younger than they are.  As parents or siblings it's almost an instinctive sense of duty. While most recognize the educational importance of making one's own mistakes, there are some things which must be done with the utmost care given to a prescribed sense of order, a code of conduct.

For whatever reason older sisters take this task to heart especially when it comes to younger brothers. It's a pleasure to present How to Behave at a Tea Party (Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, September 9, 2014) written by Madelyn Rosenberg with illustrations by Heather Ross. Julia's little brother Charles has got a lot to learn; she's just the sister to show the way.

First, you open the invitation.

Overall grubbiness will not be tolerated; attention needs to be given to those places most likely to attract extra dirt.  Proper attire with emphasis on formal and fancy is required.  It would be unthinkable to attend without the quintessential hat.

Certain guests are not welcome at the suitably set table.  Oh...my...it seems those previously uninvited friends have arrived.  Er...it might be a good idea not to eat the flowers or for that matter the tablecloth.  At this point the demeanor of the hostess is deteriorating slightly.

Teacups must be held delicately.  Only certain food will be served with the exception of the dog being allowed his bone. The cornerstone magic words of manners are to be used at all times. Oh...oh...Julia is looking a tad bit more frazzled; her quiet mode of instruction has been replaced with frenzied pleas of can't, don't and no...no...no. YIKES!

Now that all the rascals, Charles, Rexie the dog, the frog and the irritable McKagan brothers, have retreated Julia can begin anew.  There are several teeny, tiny problems when following decreed tea party decorum.  It's too quiet.  It's too orderly.  It's up to the banished troublemakers to put a new spin on the best way to celebrate this time honored tradition.  Bring on the moat maker, the castle creator and daring, darling dragon!


Oh, how I love the way Madelyn Rosenberg uses words to convey the best part of any given situation. She paints pictures of personalities, transports us into best laid plans gone awry and supplies ample opportunities for us to grin, giggle and guffaw.  You can feel the tide turning and the tension building as prim and proper shifts back and forth between hilarious havoc.  Here is a single passage.

You must say "please"
and "thank you".
You must NOT slurp like a moose.
Or burp like Uncle Victor. 


The title is telling readers one thing but the dust jacket/book case front illustration depicts an entirely different scenario.  Clearly this tea party is going to be anything but ordinary.  I can hardly contain my laughter when I look at it.  On the back is featured an interior picture on the pouring and drinking of tea.  Rendered digitally the visuals begin their interpretation of the story on the title page, verso and first page as Julia writes the invitation and delivers it to her brother Charles, innocently playing with his toys on the floor.

As Julia narrates Heather Ross shows readers exactly what is happening.  Charles is not cleaning his ears but Rexie's with a toothbrush and Rexie is cleaning Charles's nose with doggy kisses.  Initially Julia is blissfully unaware which sets the stage for one comedic situation after another.

The wide-eyed looks on all the characters (except the teddy bear who stares like a deer caught in the headlights), small upturned noses and mouths shaped in an array of emotions will have readers in stitches.  Younger readers, who notice the smallest details, will be totally captivated by the expressions and antics of the frog.

One of my favorite set of illustrations is for the text

Next you put on fancy clothes.  Wear a fancy hat.  Underwear does not count as a hat.

As Julia dons a hat and ruffled cape, Charlie and the frog head for the hills.  Rexie is smitten with wearing a pink tutu.  Julia does manage to snare Charlie placing a sailor cap on his head; prompting an outburst of laughter from the frog.  Purple, lace-edged underwear labeled Tuesday ends up draped over the frog's left side.


From the first time I read this book and each subsequent reading, I have had a smile on my face every single minute.  How to Behave at a Tea Party written by Madelyn Rosenberg with illustrations by Heather Ross is an adorable accounting of the misinterpretation of manners.  Sometimes a girl just has to go with the flow...or in this case...the frog. Be ready to hear a chorus of read it again.

For more information about Madelyn Rosenberg and Heather Ross follow the links embedded in their names to find their official websites. Here is a very special link to a blog post titled To Catch a Frog by Madelyn Rosenberg.  Today on Twitter people have been posting the cutest photographs of tea party attire and settings.  Here are only a few.  Follow the hashtag #howtobehaveatateaparty .

Our indy strikes again! Thanks @tnebeker RT: Sandy and I bond over a cup of tea: #howtobehaveatateaparty pic.twitter.com/kpcbNVsZtx
— Madelyn Rosenberg (@madrosenberg) September 9, 2014

Are YOU ready for the Tea Party? Celebrate .@madrosenberg's latest! http://t.co/5LhUrwV39D #howtobehaveatateaparty pic.twitter.com/2zIoxgPonl
— Cece Bell (@CeceBellBooks) September 9, 2014

Out today is a smart, hilarious how-to picture book for your kid: #HowToBehaveAtATeaParty http://t.co/bb1PDIx5lW pic.twitter.com/AK82EyIXn1
— HarperChildrens (@HarperChildrens) September 9, 2014

It's release day for #howtobehaveatateaparty. How YOU would get ready? Hat? Monocle? Other? Show us! Details: http://t.co/rjkDtBhMF6
— Madelyn Rosenberg (@madrosenberg) September 9, 2014

Enjoy the book trailer.  I am about to savor my final cup of tea for the day.

Nix The Naysayers

It seems to me children come into this world ready to freely express themselves anytime, anywhere.  For some this continues for the rest of their lives.  For others it's simply not easy.  Trust me when I say, I have firsthand experience in feeling apprehension prior to public speaking whether it's answering a question in class or standing before a room full of my peers.

For this reason, my students and I have conversations about making everyone feel welcome to share; appropriate responses are discussed.  Each person truly has a remarkable, unique story to share.  Talent show jitters can be particularly troublesome especially when you know deep down inside, you are good.  Author Judith Viorst and illustrator Sophie Blackall have given readers an encouraging, amusing and oh-so-true look in And Two Boys Booed (Margaret Ferguson Books, Farrar Straus Giroux) at experiencing and overcoming stage fright. 

On the morning of the talent show, I was ready to sing my song.

Why is this guy ready to sing his song?  Not only has he practiced over and over and over, but he is wearing his two favorite articles of clothing.  He's feeling even better when he realizes, seated and waiting, there are five students ahead of him in line.

As each of his classmates performs, shortening the time before he sings, his sense of "this is a piece of cake" turns to "why did I ever agree to do this".  When his turn arrives he stands up, then sits down and repeats this again.  Apparently this is not okay to two boys in his classroom.  They do the unacceptable; they boo.

His thinking gets muddled; words are switching places with other words in his mind.  His frustration grows.  But...all is not lost for this young soloist.  Practicing, blue boots and pants with pockets save the day; his classmates have a hand in it too!

What readers and listeners will like about this book is the cumulative format used by Judith Viorst with the narrative.  Each of the boy's new thoughts is added on to the previous one with the slightest alterations.  It's a wonderful technique for building anticipation.  In this case it creates the ideal canvas for his mishmash of thoughts as his doubt increases.  

Through her illustrations Sophie Blackall is able to cast her special artistic light on the essence of a story and also broaden the reader's view.  She takes a single scene elevating our awareness with her whimsical but realistic details.  As an example look at the dust jacket/book case.  The main character is off to the left with the five students who performed before him sitting in the chairs glancing in his direction.  Juggling balls and paper airplanes are placed above and below them.  It's a stroke of design brilliance to have them holding cards spelling out the final word of the title.   

To increase the pure fun of reading this book she has placed ten flaps within her pictures; readers gaining further insight with every lift. We might see the boy with the covers over his head and then smiling beneath them when they are pulled back or the teacher clapping.  The shape of the final flap is HEARTwarming.

Blackall shifts her visual size to emphasize a particular point in the story.  When the text speaks about the number of times the boy practices, twenty-five small pictures spread across two pages show all the boy is doing at the same time he is singing.  She has readers turn the book to see her vertical illustration zooming in on the pants and boots.  When the boy is shown waiting with the five others they are spread apart to depict his initial ease.  As it gets closer to his turn his stripped sweater acts as a turtle's shell.  I particularly enjoyed watching what the girl did with her poem.  Blackall is a master of conveying the everyday; no element is too small to note.  

The collaboration of Judith Viorst and Sophie Blackall in And Two Boys Booed is certain to dispel any fears, large or small, guys and gals might have when faced with standing before others.  It is brimming with understanding.  It builds a bridge between those with no fear and those who are not at ease.  It deserves a standing ovation.  

The link embedded in Sophie Blackall's name gives readers access to her personal website.  This link to the publisher's website shows eight pictures from the title.  This book, Judith Viorst and Sophie Blackall are part of a trifecta.  Sophie Blackall is featured by teacher librarian John Schumacher on his blog, Watch. Connect. Read., Judith Viorst is interviewed by educator Colby Sharp on his blog sharpread, and Sophie Blackall talks about making books at the Nerdy Book Club.  TeachingBooks.net has audio recordings of both Judith Viorst and Sophie Blackall speaking about their names.  Here is a link to a five question interview of Judith Viorst at The Horn Book.

Dusk And Dreams

As if on some internal clock, a stiff breeze blowing throughout the day will calm as dusk descends.  Squawking blue jays, save further chiding for tomorrow.  Bright blooms fold their petals until the sun welcomes with warming rays in the morning.

A busy pace is slowing. In Go To Sleep, Little Farm (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, September 2, 2014) written by Mary Lyn Ray with art by Christopher Silas Neal readers are gently lead about the farm, surrounding fields, and nearby woods as night falls.  Inside the house a little girl mirrors the animals and their activities as she and her family welcome bedtime.

Somewhere a bee
makes a bed in a rose,
because the bee knows day has
come to a close.

A beaver builds a bed of branches, a bear snuggles inside a log and mice burrow to hide from a hungry owl. Kits heed the call of a mother fox.  Horses, cows and a single rooster come to rest.  A peaceful pastoral scene is unfolding.

A clear sky supplies a canvas for twinkling stars.  Rabbits run for home.  Deer come out of hiding to eat their meals.

Having finished for the day a farmer father turns out lights, heading to tuck in his daughter.  A book is opened. A story is shared.  A mother bends to whisper words as a daughter drifts into dreams.  Outside the world heads further into slumber.


Simple lilting words by Mary Lynn Ray lead readers into the soothing softness of the dark.  Her rhymes pave a path for us to follow from creature to creature.  Through a selective use of language she shapes a lullaby balancing between the inside and outside worlds.  Here is another example.

Somewhere a worm sleeps in the dirt.
Somewhere a pocket sleeps in a skirt.


It's impossible not to feel a sense of calm when looking at the illustration spanning the dust jacket and cover.  Christopher Silas Neal's color palette, here and throughout the book, reflects the fading light of sunset to the shadows of twilight and the deep hues of night.  The rusty barn red, shades of blue, gray and black, green and pale yellow, cream, brown and white mingle on a matte-finished paper to convey emotion and mood.

Neal alters the size of his illustrations to heighten the meaning of the text; taking readers close to an item, moving back to give a greater perspective or showing a cut-away underground, underwater or inside (the log) to bring us into the story.  It's interesting how he interprets the text by showing a comparison of the animals engaged in getting ready for bed on the left with the young girl doing something similar on the right; the beaver building a pile with sticks as she builds a pile of toys on her bed.  Careful readers will note the passage of time through not only the change in background colors but in the time conveyed on the bedside clock.  Neal meticulously places series of the letter z adding to the tranquility.

His two-page picture of the brown rabbits clustered together in sleep with a seventh hopping to join the group is one of my favorite illustrations.  They are gathered in a flower-dotted clearing surrounded by bushes and trees.  The barn, farmhouse, fencing and a single horse are featured on a rise in the distance.  This is the accompanying rhyme.

Already, trees sleep the way that trees sleep.
Brown rabbits snuggle in a sleepy heap.


To settle a group, to close a day of classroom work or send your children off to bed, Go to Sleep, Little Farm written by Mary Lyn Ray with art by Christopher Silas Neal is a stellar selection.  I guarantee everyone, readers and listeners alike, will feel the calming comfort of the combined text and pictures.  So get comfy, snuggle with your friends and family and read this book.  It's sure to become a often-requested title.

For more information about Mary Lyn Ray, her life philosophy and her work visit her website by following the link embedded in her name.  At Christopher Silas Neal's website, linked to his name, he includes nine interior illustrations.  Information is also supplied about the process used to create other artwork.

Of Apples And The Art Of Compromise

Due to modern technology and transportation, many grocery stores carry apples every month of the year.  Regardless, there is something ultimately more satisfying about going to nearby orchards and getting the fruit right off the tree. It's somehow crispier, juicier, sweeter or tarter.  Still warm from the making, apple doughnuts are a culinary treat bordering on the divine. It's one of the many perks of autumn in northern Michigan.

Old deserted homesteads, vacant fields, conservancy parks and small farms are dotted with at least one, if not more, apple trees.  You can't drive the country roads without seeing them.  In author illustrator Chris Raschka's new title, Give and Take (A Richard Jackson Book, Atheneum Books For Young Readers), a farmer and his dog discover more than apples on their daily walk.

Every morning a farmer said to his dog, "Let us inspect the apples."

Together they head toward the trees.  Noticing the apples are ripe for the picking, the man fills his basket to the brim.  Imagine his surprise when a wee little guy calling himself Take pops out from the bushes.

He promises the farmer, who already believes his life to be perfectly fine, a finer life.  A stop at a neighboring farm has the farmer replacing his apples with pumpkins; many, many pumpkins.  He is also told to take a hike.  Finally arriving home exhausted, the pumpkins are used to make a concoction neither the farmer nor his dog like.  All he really wants is an apple.

The next morning the apple-loving farmer tells Take to take his leave.  Thankfully, our friendly fellow finds more apples to fill his basket.  A second time he is startled when a wee little guy calling himself Give leaps out of the tree.  With as much zeal as Take he assures the farmer, who already believes his life to be superbly sweet, a sweeter life.

Whispered advice later, the farmer, is again home with absolutely nothing.  Upon waking he tells Give to get out.  A third tree, the greenest, is visited on this day.  Now the farmer and his furry friend depart with a basket of apples, and...two argumentative wee little guys... and a plan. 

Why he has the grumbling gents with him is genius.  Stopping at the mill on the way home yields encouragement freely given and taken in conversation.  A tantalizing twist ends the tale.  

As surely as if he said Once upon a time, Chris Raschka leads readers into his story with the opening sentence, establishing a rhythm.  This storytelling beat continues with each encounter with the wee little guys; a promise, a response, another promise and an unsatisfactory result.  The three visited trees are the best of their kind.  It's even more fun when the outcomes all involve subjects beginning with the letter p. 

Cheerful banter, humorous exclamations and skillful use of repetition keep the reader eagerly turning the pages at the proper pace.  You can almost hear the voices of each of the characters; their personalities evident by the descriptive interactions.  Here is a sample passage.

Just then a tiny little man dropped out of the branches.

"Muttering Mutsus!" said the farmer.

"Who are you?"

"I am Give," said the tiny man.  "If you will listen to me, your life will be sweet."

The bright white on the matching dust jacket and book case as well as interior pages provides the ideal background for Chris Raschka's black ink and watercolor illustrations.  Shades of pink, peach, red, green, gold and orange focus on individual elements in each picture.  Varying line widths contribute to impressive layout and design.  

Raschka alters perspective from visual to visual, sometimes on a single page.  An illustration on the left might cross the gutter to the right drawing attention to another picture.  Everything, every single thing, the patterns on the farmer's clothing and basket, the facial expressions on all the characters, borders and no borders, the blend of text and images, flows flawlessly. 

One of my favorite illustrations is toward the beginning when the farmer and his dog visit the first tree, seeing the ripe apples.  Our eyes follow his pointing finger enjoying the display of fruit moving to the other page.  There we see the farmer's hand reaching to pick an apple.  Even without the text a story is being told.

Reminiscent of a classic folktale, Give and Take written and illustrated by Chris Raschka is a charming story of finding middle ground; to do so might supply a fine and sweet conclusion.  Listeners will be eager to join in when phrases are repeated.  I think this would be a great book to use for reader's theater.  It's as fresh, fun and delicious as a newly picked apple.

Here is a link to a series of video interviews with Chris Raschka at Reading Rockets.  At TeachingBooks.net Chris Raschka pronounces his name and gives a short history of its origin.

What's That You Say

It's easy to see the importance of quotations, phrases and words when entering my home as they hold places of prominence on my walls.  When reading or writing on my laptop several synonym tabs are always open as is an online dictionary.  Words are powerful and permanent.

Though many can have similar meanings, each one depicts a slightly different slant depending on the context in which it is used.  Collaborators, author Jen Bryant and illustrator Melissa Sweet, whose previous titles, A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams (Caldecott Honor winner, 2009) and A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin (2014 Schneider Family Book Award, 2014 Robert F. Sibert Honor winner, 2014 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award) have returned to depict the life of Peter Mark Roget in The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus (Eerdmans Books For Young Readers). Their collected letters and images provide a stunning portrait of a man whose accomplishments will continue to assist others for generations and generations to come.

Peter snuggled deeper into Uncle's lap as the carriage clattered through the valleys of Switzerland.

The death of Peter's father was the beginning of many moves for him, his younger sister Annette, their mother and uncle.  By the age of eight he was beginning his first book, a book of lists.  His mother worried about him constantly especially all his scribbling as she called his writing.  His lists gave him a feeling of contentment and security.

Drawn to the field of science in his teens Peter's favorite book was by another list maker, Linnaeus.  At the age of fourteen Peter entered medical school when his family relocated to Edinburgh, Scotland.  Within five years of dedicated studying, his education was complete.  (I know readers are going to find this nugget of information as astonishing as I did.)

On the advice of his uncle, Peter tutored and toured in France with two teenage sons of a wealthy gentleman prior to beginning his medical practice in Manchester, England.  He was a doctor by day and a creator of lists by night.  Several years later Peter continued as a medical doctor enlarging his practice in London, England.  Always rather shy he began to share his wealth of knowledge through lectures.

From a first draft of a book of word lists in 1805 to the publication of the first Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases, Classified and Arranged so as to Facilitate the Expression of Ideas and Assist in Literary Composition in 1852 at the age of seventy-three, Roget married at forty-two and had two children, a daughter and a son.  Although a highly respected member of prestigious societies affiliated with fields of science, Peter Mark Roget continued to maintain his focus on his word collecting.  For his commitment, perseverance and devotion we will always be grateful, appreciative and glad.

Before the narrative begins Jen Bryant includes a quote from Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie, illustrating an entire page, making reference to the importance of a thesaurus in Captain Hook's cabin.  Opposite this is a list beginning with Peter Mark Roget's birth date and the word BORN.  A series of words, twenty-one in number, depicting the growth and aging of a man ends with DIED and his death date.  These two introductions to this biography and this man, displayed as if he had written them himself, are clever and utterly perfect.  

Into essential portions of Roget's life, written with intimate details gleaned from research, Bryant places repeated references to his love of books and learning.  She ties these events together with his continuous search for the right word.  Conversations appearing in speech bubbles in addition to the story line contribute to the authenticity and sense of bearing witness to this man's greatness.  Here is a single sample.

The lists helped him remember his lessons.  They also gave him something to do when Mother peppered him with questions.

PETER, YOU'RE PALE! DO YOU NEED SOME AIR?

MON CHER, DO YOU NEED A NAP?

OH, PETER, WON'T YOU EAT SOMETHING?

MAMA, I'M FINE.

Although, to be honest, Peter thought fine wasn't quite the right word.

(Readers are treated to a list of all the words which could be used instead of fine and several meaning a little less than fine.)

On the book case the open volume pictured on the front is extended to the back in a solid color with a blurb centered in the back.  Melissa Sweet's technique of using watercolor, collage and mixed media fans out from the open pages, objects symbolizing all the many words collected by Peter Mark Roget.  The opening endpapers are vertical strips of text, pages and spines from books.  A list of Roget's one thousand words with a shortened plan of classification covers the closing endpapers.

With every single page turn we see Sweet's mastery displayed.  Each item in her illustrations is carefully chosen to compliment the author's text and the focus of Roget's life.  The title page is covered in blocks stacked one on top of the other, displaying letters and chosen subjects, replicating the building of the lists.  Everywhere you look the detail is exquisite. 

One of my favorite illustrations is that highlighting the text quoted above.  Roget is pictured in silhouette thinking fine encased in a bubble.  His other fourteen words are included in distinctive fonts on various papers and even leaves.  Melissa Sweet literally pieces together people's lives with her visuals.  To see these in their original form would be grand, spectacular, marvelous and breathtaking.

I highly recommend, endorse and suggest everyone read and obtain a personal copy of The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus written by Jen Bryant with illustrations by Melissa Sweet.  Classrooms and libraries will want more than one.  A two page List of Events mingles dates of Roget's life with world events giving us a broader viewpoint.  Informative and interesting one page author's note and illustrator's note follow.  A selected bibliography, a list for further reading and sources are listed.  

Be sure to visit Jen Bryant's and Melissa Sweet's websites by following the links embedded in their names.  At Jen Bryant's page for this title you will find extra resource links and a discussion guide.  Here is a link to a post at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast hosted by Julie Danielson where Melissa Sweet talks about her process for illustrating this title.  UPDATE:  This book is part of a trifecta on September 16, 2014. Visit the Nerdy Book Club for a review by Donalyn Miller, Watch. Connect. Read. for an interview of Jen Bryant by John Schumacher and sharpread for an interview of Melissa Sweet by Colby Sharp.  UPDATE:  Here is a five question interview of Melissa Sweet at Eerdlings, Official Blog of Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.  Here are two brand new videos with Melissa Sweet and Jen Bryant speaking with students about this title. (February 24, 2015)

Don't forget to stop by Alyson Beecher's blog Kid Lit Frenzy for see what other great books have been listed this week for the 2014 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Illumination

For almost fourteen years I've carried a flashlight as Xena and I take our final walk of the day.  It carves a safe space for us to move through the darkness navigating over our lawn, along the side of the road and through the uneven ground of vacant lots.  It picks up the eyes of deer snacking in gardens, the slither of a snake crossing the road, and the flash of rabbit's tail. Thankfully it announces our presence to less than careful motorists.

Certainly comforting, it also casts a different glow on the flora and fauna of our natural surroundings.  Flashlight (Chronicle Books) a wordless vision by author illustrator Lizi Boyd is one child's adventurous exploration of the night.  Grab a flashlight, turn off the lights and let's explore!

Nearly mirror images, but not quite, the dust jacket and book case in silver gray, black and white with colors illuminated in a radiating triangle, beckon to readers.  Opening endpapers in black, white and silver gray feature delicate images of plants and animals seen within the book.  Spot color is added to similar scenes on the closing endpapers.

A page turn, the verso on the left, the title on the right, begins the story.  A small tent houses our seeker lying on their stomach, head resting on hands, reading a book, as the flashlight casts a beam outside.  Leaving the tent footwear is donned, the flashlight placed on the ground showing us a yellow boot, grass and tiny red flowers.

Walking from place to place, a shift from left hand to right and back or an arm raised, lowered and up again, we see small portions of the dark showcased, briefly put on display.  Startled bats take flight, mice scamper, an owl's eyes widen, and a porcupine nestled in the crook of a tree chews on bark.  Cautiously hidden behind a tree we watch skunks waddle away; whew no phew.

As the child tours through nature's realm, those caught in the flashlight beam keep watch following.  Getting up after stopping to snack on some apples, a stone trips the wanderer.  Both the youth and the flashlight tumble to the ground.

In a humorous twist, the viewpoint is altered.  Creatures create delight.  Gathering, guiding and providing, memories are made on this marvelous magical night.


Using the unique color palette introduced on the dust jacket and cover, Lizi Boyd, using gouache, paints stunning double and single page illustrations throughout this title.  Delicate details, fine lines and simple expressive facial features create a hushed atmosphere evoking a slower pace.  Readers turn pages expectantly, eyes searching.

Matte-finished paper provides an engaging tactile experience.  By the second picture readers realize Boyd has painstakingly given them a gift.  Small cuts in the pages focus on portions of the next page incorporating it into the current visual.  Right to left, page after page, we hunt for these tiny treasures.

We are aware of the passage of time as the moon rises and travels across the sky.  Some smaller elements in her illustrations have color without the use of the flashlight; a choice begging for discussion.  It is impossible to select a favorite illustration.  The center piece of the child seeing the fawn, then sitting to eat the apples is pleasing and peaceful.  More of the animals are coming closer perhaps out of curiosity or to provide company.


Certain to be a bedtime classic whether sleeping inside or outside, Flashlight conceived and illustrated by Lizi Boyd is a masterful work of art.  She elevates simple to superb.  I would plan on having multiple copies.  This is sure to be discussed in Mock Caldecott groups.

Please take a moment to visit Lizi Boyd's website by following the link embedded in her name.  If you follow this link to the publisher's website three more two-page spreads are shared.  Even more artwork can be seen by stopping by a post at Brain Pickings.  Lizi Boyd is a guest on a Let's Get Busy podcast hosted by teacher librarian, Matthew C. Winner.  Last year Lizi Boyd was part of a trifecta at Watch. Connect. Read. hosted by John Schumacher, sharpread hosted by Colby Sharp and at the Nerdy Book Club.  This title was taken on John Schumacher's Road Trip this summer.

Hunting For Home

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

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

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

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

Daisy, Ox Eye, .... A Token

Indeed.


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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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


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


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


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

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