After the death of his single mother, a thirteen-year-old boy is accused of a crime he did not commit and forced to flee his fourteenth-century EnglisAfter the death of his single mother, a thirteen-year-old boy is accused of a crime he did not commit and forced to flee his fourteenth-century English feudal village, the only place he's ever known. While struggling alone in the confusing unknown world, the orphan meets a wandering minstrel who takes the boy under his protective custody. But the authorities from the boy's home village relentlessly continue to hunt him like an animal.
Fast-paced with short chapters and plenty of boy appeal. There's a fair amount of violence (fighting with deadly weapons, hanging, even torture), which is all realistic for the historical time period. The heavy dose of religion throughout the book may be a turn-off for some, but it is characteristic of the era, when it was believed that God decided everything and free will was an unthinkable sin. Readers need to be mature enough to understand adultery and the consequences of illegitimacy in a significantly smaller world when giving birth out of wedlock was shunned.
Medieval England is skillfully brought to life through description and revealing contrasts with modern life are made with well-chosen historical details such as the inability to read, scarcity of food, ability to fit all one's possessions into a single sack, poor personal hygiene, lack of running water, and human excrement heaved out of windows onto the public road. In terms of themes, trust, work ethic, fairness and justice, family, and the existence/purpose of God are all explored.
The ending was disappointing in a number of ways. I wanted less violence and more strategy. I expected Crispin's heritage and Bear's involvement in the brotherhood to converge in some meaningful way. Crispin deserved some sort of compensation for all the years of poverty and suffering that he and his mother endured; it feels like he settled for less than he was entitled to, and his oppressors won....more
This is a difficult book to evaluate. I enjoyed what is there, but it is too brief for a middle grade novel. It’s the length of a chapter book, but thThis is a difficult book to evaluate. I enjoyed what is there, but it is too brief for a middle grade novel. It’s the length of a chapter book, but the reading level and subject matter are suitable for middle grade. The result of this compression is the author relying too much on narration, rather than writing in scene; yet the writing is mostly enjoyable.
The Britishness adds to the quaint feel of this story. The heroine is smart, brave, and likable. She compensates well for her shortcoming. The family relationships are solid, though I would have liked them fleshed out more.
There are some issues with believability and logic. Why didn’t five-year-old Property know her real name, parent’s name, or address? Why would an adult woman who owns a bookstore assume that an abandoned five-year-old can read? And why doesn’t this same woman realize her oversight at some point over the next six years? In this close-knit family, who live in close quarters, why doesn’t the mother or the brother notice at some point that the youngest child isn’t actually reading the books she is handed? Don’t they ever talk about the books as a family? Once the girl realizes that the others can read and she can’t, why doesn’t she make attempts to learn how to read? Aren’t there any alphabet books in the bookstore that she could borrow? Why doesn’t an eleven-year-old and a sixteen-year-old attend school or have home-school lessons?
I love the inventiveness of the Book Emporium, but the family had so little time to interact with it. The protagonist triumphs at the end, but things go her way too easily. I would probably choose 3.5 stars, if half-stars were available. Since I adore the feisty cat, I’ll round up to 4 stars. ...more
Autobiographical children's graphic novel about a Russian-American pre-teen seeking where she fits. There are many plot threads, but they all weave toAutobiographical children's graphic novel about a Russian-American pre-teen seeking where she fits. There are many plot threads, but they all weave together seamlessly, and the story never loses its focus on Vera's learning curve about what constitutes a healthy friendship and how to form one. The art adds to the story and deepens characterization not just of Vera, but of all the characters. Limited color palette of black, white, and green is effective to portray the old-world camp setting and ambience. Highly recommend. ...more
The first title in a historical fiction chapter book series. I'm not sure why this book is set in the 1820s other than the fact that the kids ride a dThe first title in a historical fiction chapter book series. I'm not sure why this book is set in the 1820s other than the fact that the kids ride a donkey into town (which could easily be a bicycle). The historical setting seems unnecessary, but the location feels important, even integral, to the story. Yet Italy, or even Europe, is never mentioned. To add to this confusion, the character of Amerigo Pegleg fought in "The Revolution in America" - Does that mean he is American?
The character of Rosa is quite unlikeable. Her father behaves like an ogre, though admittedly it would try anyone's patience to parent Rosa. This book is subtitled "A Twins Story" but the focus is clearly on Rosa, and Emilio feels more like a secondary character. There are three other children who are secondary characters (who are developed in future titles within this series), but only Primo feels necessary to this story.
The illustrations and layout are quite professional, but the writing doesn't meet those same standards. There is an abundance of "telling" and explanation throughout, and much of the actual action happens off-stage. For example, the kids wake up and see the effects of the supposed Janara's (i.e. a type of magical creature) mischief. There are a number of different types of magical creatures mentioned but not fully developed, to the point that it becomes difficult to differentiate between them. It's also difficult to differentiate between the village children. ...more
A retelling of an Irish legend about a giant who is known throughout Ireland for his kindness, but also for being dim-witted. The giant seeks wisdom fA retelling of an Irish legend about a giant who is known throughout Ireland for his kindness, but also for being dim-witted. The giant seeks wisdom from an old villager who is known for secret knowledge that he has refused to reveal to anyone but "the right one." He reveals to the giant that he must catch and eat a scarlet salmon. The giant catches the salmon but refuses to kill it, instead releasing it back into the river. As he eases the hook out of the salmon's mouth, it pricks the giant's thumb. The salmon's blood seeps into the giant, along with his wisdom. The giant uses his newfound wisdom "in the service of others and of Ireland," just as the salmon predicted. This picture book imparts the message that you will get what you want through kindness, not force. Gorgeous illustrations reflect the Irish heritage of this tale. ...more
Set in Ireland, a boy wakes up to wailing on a cold wintry night and believes it is a visit from a banshee. He takes his peacock feather (his "best thSet in Ireland, a boy wakes up to wailing on a cold wintry night and believes it is a visit from a banshee. He takes his peacock feather (his "best thing") outside as an offering in place of his frail brother. He finds evidence that the noise wasn't a banshee after all, but he's not totally convinced of that. Beautiful prose. Both the text and the illustrations are rather scary, so I consider this a picture book for upper elementary or middle school children. ...more
Children's nonfiction picture book about the life of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the author of The Little Prince. TheText: 3 stars Illustrations: 5 stars
Children's nonfiction picture book about the life of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the author of The Little Prince. There is a lot of text regarding his livelihood as a pilot, but very little about his writing in general or The Little Prince in particular, which is really what I was interested in reading about. So I'm disappointed with the text. But the illustrations are glorious, in true Peter Sis fashion. ...more
Children's nonfiction picture book about Christopher Columbus's voyage to discover America. As with all of Peter SiText: 4 stars Illustrations: 5 stars
Children's nonfiction picture book about Christopher Columbus's voyage to discover America. As with all of Peter Sis's picture books, the illustrations provide talking points just as much as, if not more than, the text does.
I would have liked just a bit more detail in the text. Specifically I want to know more about the hardships faced during the actual voyage. The book mentions "the rebellious crew," but what did Columbus do to lead them to victory, other than lie about the number of miles travelled? The ending is a bit vague. Columbus never knew he had reached America, but didn't he figure out at some point in his life that he wasn't in the Orient?
But Sis does a good job of distilling the information and relating what life was like for Columbus. This book provides a good starting point to entice children into reading a fuller biography of Columbus. ...more
This graphic novel came highly recommended to me, but it really doesn't work well for me. The narrative is interesting at timText: 3 stars Art: 3 stars
This graphic novel came highly recommended to me, but it really doesn't work well for me. The narrative is interesting at times, but disjointed and frequently interrupted with modern information that provides evidence of the far-reaching effects of the Curies' research. While these asides are also interesting, they are lengthy and disorienting, jumping ahead in time. Furthermore, there isn't anything to signify the beginning or end of the supplemental material.
Overall, it's a jarring experience for the reader, not knowing what you will encounter on any given page. This might be an interesting creative encounter if the material selected for the book was more molecular, able to be broken down into atom-sized pieces that can stand alone, but also create something more when combined. But on the cover we are promised "A Tale of Love and Fallout" and it's rather challenging to piece together the story, or any continuous tale, from within this mosaic-type structure.
The art isn't really my thing either. Some of the illustrations are terrific, but (like the text) the style is very inconsistent from page to page.
This isn't actually a graphic novel, given the absence of sequential art on any of the pages. It's essentially a picture book, with an illustration on each page and accompanying text on most pages. But our society seems to think that it is only appropriate for children to read picture books. This, people, is a 200-pg picture book for adults. Since the American publishing industry lacks that category, we incorrectly call this a graphic novel. If you found this a challenging read, don't let that discourage you from reading other graphic novels. ...more
Middle grade novel about a boy living a drab existence being raised by his old-fashioned grandmother in contemporary Paris, until an exuberant new girMiddle grade novel about a boy living a drab existence being raised by his old-fashioned grandmother in contemporary Paris, until an exuberant new girl in his class befriends him and, along with her rather large family, sparks his transformation. I feel the same way towards this book as I do about A Book of Coupons, by the same author - the premise is inventive and the characters are wonderful, but the story feels rushed and compressed. Like A Book of Coupons, this is a very short novel, even for middle grade, and doesn't feel fully fleshed out enough. Even so, it's a fairly enjoyable read. A good book that could have been great. Translated from the original French. ...more
Short children's biography of the surrealist painter Rene Magritte. The brief text highlights interesting and relevant facts. Many good-sized color reShort children's biography of the surrealist painter Rene Magritte. The brief text highlights interesting and relevant facts. Many good-sized color reproductions of his art. Very good introduction to this artist, suitable for elementary school children. No back matter. ...more
Jan Brett's Gingerbread Baby returns for more adventurous chases. Watching Mattie play with his own friends, GingeStory: 5 stars Illustrations: 5 stars
Jan Brett's Gingerbread Baby returns for more adventurous chases. Watching Mattie play with his own friends, Gingerbread Baby realizes he is lonely and wants other friends too. Once again, Mattie has a creative solution for his gingerbread friend. Lovely illustrations with intricate details and plenty of Nordic flair. Last double-page spread has large fold-outs. ...more
Re-telling of the classic Gingerbread Man tale, with a Scandinavian setting and a twist ending. Lovely illustratioStory: 5 stars Illustrations: 5 stars
Re-telling of the classic Gingerbread Man tale, with a Scandinavian setting and a twist ending. Lovely illustrations with intricate details and plenty of Nordic flair. Surprise ending comes with a hidden flap page....more
We can't change history and children need to learn what really happened in World War II. However, I'm not sure that tText: 2 stars Photographs: 2 stars
We can't change history and children need to learn what really happened in World War II. However, I'm not sure that this amount of information needs to be disclosed to 7-yr-olds. Perhaps the problem is the bluntness in which the information is conveyed. Because Benno and the Night of Broken Glass is a very effective picture book about Kristallnacht, for example.
The reaction from the granddaughter lacks credibility. Children of that age bracket are still very concrete thinkers. And her optimism is a strange response to hearing about the tortures and murders of so many people with whom she shares a religion and heritage. Especially since some of those people were her own extended family, even if she's never met them.
Poor layout and design. Many of the photographs are dark and/or difficult to see well. Ten of the 28 pages contain a small amount of text and no art at all, leaving a large blank space on those pages. Two of the photos feature random holocaust victims who are not characters in the story....more
The story of the holocaust, told from the perspective of a Jewish grandmother looking back on when she was a young girl who Story: 4 stars Art: 4 stars
The story of the holocaust, told from the perspective of a Jewish grandmother looking back on when she was a young girl who narrowly escaped a concentration camp twice, first in Germany, then in the Netherlands. Her parents and neighbors were not as fortunate as she was, and only one neighbor survived Auschwitz. He tells her of her parents' struggles after she was separated from them, and how they died. This is shelved in the YA section of my library, but is not nearly as gentle as A Family Secret, another graphic novel from this creator also focused on WWII. Care is taken to avoid blatantly gruesome images, but some of the content is still rather disturbing. I am just as stricken, if not more so, by the rendering of Nazis wearing gas masks while pouring cyanide through the roof of the "showers" than I was by seeing the actual sufferers choking on the gas (which I have seen in other Holocaust literature). But this is important history to remember, and we can only soften the brutal truth so much. ...more
A fictional but historically accurate graphic novel, set in The Netherlands, that examines the effect of World War II on twoStory: 5 stars Art: 4 stars
A fictional but historically accurate graphic novel, set in The Netherlands, that examines the effect of World War II on two school-aged female best friends, one Jewish and one not, and their families. Despite the book's brevity (a mere 62 pgs), the scope and depth of this work is outstanding. Highlights the difficult decisions that had to be made during the war, and the conflicts that resulted among family members, neighbors, co-workers, and friends. Through a relative's story, this book also covers the Japanese involvement in WWII. Despite heavy losses for both families, the book ends on a happy note for the two friends, now grown women.
A must-read for anyone interested in WWII and/or holocaust literature. An excellent teaching resource for upper middle school or high school students. Would pair well with The Diary of a Young Girl. ...more
Not much plot here. Two siblings like to hang out underneath the kitchen table late at night listening to adult conversation that they don't understanNot much plot here. Two siblings like to hang out underneath the kitchen table late at night listening to adult conversation that they don't understand. At first their parents are aware they are there and watch what they say, but later the adults somehow don't notice them and stop censoring their dialogue. The children then go on a wild goose chase for an imaginary "black dog" that is plaguing all the adults in Dublin. They don't know why they are pursuing this creature, or what they hope to accomplish other than some vague notion that things will somehow improve for their parents and adult relatives. The kids, now an aggregation of other sibling groups and children who don't know one another, literally run through the streets for many pages, without any real incidents occurring. I'm not sure what middle grade readers would grab onto in this novel. ...more
The story of a young girl trying to convince her family of Jewish immigrants from Poland that they should celebrate Thanksgiving, now that they are AmThe story of a young girl trying to convince her family of Jewish immigrants from Poland that they should celebrate Thanksgiving, now that they are Americans. The illustrations of tenement life help to establish the setting and tone of the book. The pictures are realistic, but not squalid. The hues are muted, but not bleak.
Due to the amount of text, the inclusion of foreign words, and some of the concepts (i.e. the pogroms), this picture book is appropriate for upper elementary school students. In the back of the book, there is a glossary of the Yiddish words that appear within the text. ...more
Children's nonfiction picture book about the life and work of Charles Darwin. There is a ton of information presentText: 3 stars Illustrations: 4 stars
Children's nonfiction picture book about the life and work of Charles Darwin. There is a ton of information presented on the pages and it is not appropriately distilled for child readers. A lot of the text is interesting, but it isn't organized well. To compound that, much of the text appears in a very small handwritten-type font, which is very difficult to read. Appropriate for upper elementary school students and best use within a guided group setting where an adult can focus the content. ...more
A gentle introduction to Anne Frank and the Holocaust, told from the perspective of the tree outside the annex where the Frank family and other Jews lA gentle introduction to Anne Frank and the Holocaust, told from the perspective of the tree outside the annex where the Frank family and other Jews lived in hiding during World War II. Stunning sepia-toned illustrations create a historical feel to this marvelous picture book. A creative approach to the subject. Powerful emotional impact without describing or portraying any of the atrocities directly. ...more
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