Review: Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It

Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems
By Gail Carson Levine, illustrated by Matthew Cordell
Expected publication March 13, 2012 by HarperCollins

At the very beginning of this blog, I reviewed This is Just to Say, another book that takes a classic poem by William Carlos Williams as its inspiration. However, this book is a little different. See, Gail Carson Levine is mean. And she is not sorry.

This is a short but wonderful book of poetry inspired by a well-known poem. Levine takes a number of fairy-tale characters and has them write false apology poems, with hilarious results. She also includes some poems written by ordinary folks, apologizing (well, not really) for ordinary indiscretions. I think this book will be a big hit with kids - it's short but it's hilarious. It revisits a lot of things that kids already know about (the aforementioned fairy tale characters) but can also teach them a thing or two. Levine puts her introduction in the middle of the book (for which she writes a false apology to her editor) and here she explains why she wanted to write this book, as well as giving instructions for how to write your own false apology poems. This book would be perfect for the classroom or a book club because it has a built-in extension activity! The illustrations are simple but funny. Levine has a built-in audience from her extremely popular chapter books, so I hope this book is a big hit. I highly recommed it!

Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy.

Picture Book Saturday (8)

Hugs From Pearl

By Paul Schmid

Published 2011 by HarperCollins Children’s Books

Okay, I have to start this review by saying OMG, so adorable! Pearl is a porcupine who absolutely loves giving hugs. But she hates it, too, because her hugs hurt her friends. Her friends like getting hugs from her, but they wish it didn’t hurt so much. Pearl tries everything she can think of to stop her hugs from hurting her friends – she puts pincushions on her quills, she tries soaking them to make them soft – but nothing works. Pearl is discouraged. Suddenly, she gets an idea from the roses. This book has a very sweet ending and absolutely precious illustrations – they are soft and pastel and so very cute. A totally adorable read.

Wiener Wolf

By Jeff Crosby

Published 2011 by Disney/Hyperion

I actually read this one a few months ago and forgot about it until I recently saw it again and was reminded of how much I loved it. This is another book that is just insanely adorable. I love dachshunds and I’m pretty sure that anyone else who loves them will really appreciate this book. This book is about believing in oneself and dreaming big. It is so sweet and wonderful with realistic and charming illustrations. I hope Wiener Wolf has more adventures in the future.

Jake Gander, Storyville Detective

By George McClements

Published 2002 by Hyperion Books for Children

I read about this one somewhere while I was working on programming for my new job. This is a fractured fairy tale (Little Red Riding Hood, to be specific). It’s a very nice introduction to detective work, though I’m not sure which age level this would work best for. Very young children know the story but might not get the intricacies of this fractured version and older children might view it as too baby-ish for them. The illustrations are interesting and work well for the story. This is an interesting fairy tale version that I was surprised to discover.

Extra Yarn
By Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen
Published 2012 by Balzer + Bray
My reaction to this book is hmm...what is this book about? The illustrations are simple and done in an interesting style, which I enjoy, but I don't really get this book. Maybe it's about imagination? Or hope? Or something far more tangible? I'm really at a loss with this one and hope others have had more success than me.

Review: Cross My Heart

Cross My Heart
By Sasha Gould
Expected publication March 13, 2012 by Delacourte Books for Young Readers

Laura della Scala has lived the last few years in a convent, where her father forcibly entered her when she was young. Her life is about to change in ways she never could have imagined. When she discovers her older sister, Beatrice, has died, she is devastated. But instead of being able to mourn, she is told she will marry Beatrice’s intended – a repugnant old merchant named Vincenzo. Desperate for a way out of this fate, Laura stumbles upon the Segreta – a society of Venetian women that specialize in secrets. For a price, they may be able to help her.

I can’t remember if I picked this one up or if a publisher gave it to me but either way, I was happy to delve into it. I’m a big fan of historical fiction, but I don’t read a whole lot nowadays that doesn’t take place in America. Gould does a decent job of evoking the Venice of the 16^th century – what’s proper behavior, courtly intrigue, vengeance, secrets, suspicion, and the high value of esteem. It’s interesting because I don’t really think the writing is spectacular, but it had me hooked all the same. I think the atmosphere that Gould has created is the most compelling aspect of the novel – who doesn’t want to read about deadly secrets, intrigue and, yes, forbidden romance?  Laura is, at times, an annoying character, but it’s not hard to believe that a typical Venetian convent girl in the 16^th century would probably have annoyed the hell out of me. I like that she is clueless because of her upbringing and not just because she’s a silly little girl. I also like how she eventually finds her voice and stands up for herself – even to her father, something that was definitely not okay at the time. The romance is a bit too convenient – as in, we only met twice but I know that I totally love you forever – so that part of the book fell a little flat. I’m glad to say that I didn’t have the mystery solved before the end of the book and I think the layers of deception and treachery will keep readers engaged. This is not a perfect book but it’s a pretty good one.

Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader’s copy.

Review: Fairest

Fairest
By Gail Carson Levine, read by Full Cast Audio
Published 2007 by Full Cast Audio

In the Kingdom of Ayortha, singing is prized above all other forms of communication. This is a blessing for Aza - she is arguably the most gifted singer the kingdom has ever seen. Which is a good thing, because Aza is no beauty. But Aza's voice is about to bring her good fortune - or is it terrible danger?

I downloaded this one on a whim and recently listened to the audiobook. I've listened to, and very much enjoyed, other Full Cast Audio presentations and I actually didn't realize this was one until I started listening. They are always excellently done with well-chosen narrators. In the case of this book, where much of the story revolves around singing, we also get incredibly well-done musical numbers. I enjoyed listening to this, although, at times, I actually got a big sick of all the singing (this is pretty surprising, coming from me). I think Aza is a heroine who is easy to relate to and I think this book would appeal to a lot of young girls. I actually didn't even realize that this was supposed to be a retelling of Snow White until Aza arrived at the home of the gnomes. Once I put those pieces together, I enjoyed the story even more and thought back over bits that I may have missed earlier in the book. This book is populated with interesting characters and the fairy tale elements are incorporated well into the story. I definitely want to read more by Levine now - or perhaps listen!

Review: Judy Moody

Judy Moody (Judy Moody, book 1)
By Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Published 2002 by Candlewick Press

Judy Moody is about to start third grade and she is NOT looking forward to it. Everything will be different and she would rather that things stay the same. But Judy will learnt o express herself when a class project is assigned.

This is a series I've been meaning to read for a long time because it always looked so adorable. Plus, I will read pretty much anything illustrated by Peter Reynolds. I finally picked up the first one and found pretty much what I was expecting - this is a fun and sweet introductory chapter book that I think has wide appeal. The chapters are short and episodic - we get snatches of Judy's life but not a long flowing narrative. I think this works really well, especially for the intended audience. This is an excellent bridge series for those kids transitioning from early readers to chapter books. Plus, the humor will definitely appeal to kids. This is the first in the series and I hope to find time to read more!

Picture Book Saturday (7)

Blue Chicken
By Deborah Freedman
Published 2011 by Viking Children's Books
The cover of this book is so striking that I can't imagine anyone who sees it being able to resist picking it up and exploring what's within. It's a really cute story - the chicken of the title just wants to help and ends up causing a bigger problem. This could easily be used for a storytime about being understanding or making mistakes. The illustrations are bright and beautiful and also sweet. I really just want to be friends with this group of barnyard friends.

Blackout
By John Rocco
Published 2011 by Hyperion Books
This is a wonderful story about family and community as Rocco shows the city during a blackout. This book is clever because it can just be a fun book about blackouts for kids but it can also be a statement on technology and how alienating it can be for older kids and parents. The illustrations are vivid and incredibly evocative of the city and there is a beautifully sweet ending to this story. I can't really put my finger on what makes these illustrations so spectacular; they are just wonderful and make you realize just how artistic and beautiful children's books can be. Highly recommended, this book just won a 2012 Caldecott Medal Honor.

The Amazing Adventures of Bumblebee Boy
By David Soman and Jacky Davis
Published 2011 by Dial
Bumblebee Boy was first introduced to the world through the Ladybug Girl books. Now he has his own adventure. This is a wonderful story about sharing and being a big brother. Bumblebee Boy insists he flies alone, but Owen just wants to play with his brother. This book easily shows kids that sometimes we have to make adjustments for younger siblings. This could be used in a storytime about families and the illustrations suit the story well. Very cute.

Review: The Moon Over High Street

The Moon Over High Street
By Natalie Babbitt
Expected publication: March 1, 2012

The latest from the beloved author of Tuck Everlasting, this novel tells the story of Joe Casimir, a young boy who lives with his grandmother. The summer of his eleventh year, she breaks a hip and Joe is sent to live with Aunt Myra (who's actually more like a cousin). A strange series of events begins to unfold when Joe arrives in Midville.

I don't really remember reading Tuck Everlasting and I'm almost certain that I've never read anything else by Babbitt, but I figured I'd give this one a go. It's a very small and unassuming book, but for me, this did not equal a quick read. I found this book to be kind of bland and not particularly entertaining. I don't think the characters were very well developed - Joe's particular interest in the moon seemed like a quirk and didn't really give me enough to connect with. A very strange thing happens when Joe arrives in Midville and stumbles upon Midville's resident millionaire and to me, this plot didn't make a whole lot of sense. There was a distinct lack of reasoning for what was unfolding. This book really did not grab my attention. I think it's supposed to be more of a story with a message than a story about these specific characters, but the message didn't really seem all that unique to me. I guess maybe I'm too far outside the intended audience to have enjoyed this. A disappointment.

Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy.