Picture Book Review - Going Places by Peter & Paul Reynolds

My husband and I are really pretty different people. I'm a rule follower, a by-the-book, here's how it should be done kind of girl. I look for the best way to do something (research is my forte) and then try to arrange a situation for the optimal outcome. I'm not very creative in that regard. Hubs, on the other hand, is a let's-not-read-instructions-til-we-have-to guy, one who can visualize how he wants a project to turn out and then puts together the items he needs to realize that vision. He thinks about the outcome before he jumps in, and then adapts as necessary to get the results he wants. He's a much more out-of-the-box thinker.

When I make dinner, it's from a recipe. When Hubs makes dinner, it's with whatever's on hand.

And yet, somehow, we manage to do pretty great things when we work together. (Except when assembling IKEA furniture. That can get ugly.) I think it's the strength of our opposite skill sets, that allows each person's weaknesses to be balanced out. Obviously we're doing something right, if we haven't killed each other in ten years of marriage!

So I could really relate to the characters Rafael and Maya, in the new book Going Places by Peter and Paul Reynolds. I mean, Rafael is basically me: when his teacher gives every child an identical "Going Places" kit, containing parts and instructions to make a go-cart, Rafael heads straight home and studies on the right way to do things. He follows the directions and soon has a picture-perfect go-cart. Maya, however, is just exactly like my husband. She takes her kit home and uses it as a stool to perch on while she draws and watches the birds. The next day Maya has completed her kit -- but the finished product looks nothing at all like a go-cart!

Rafael's response to Maya's creation is pretty much my own, in that he points out to Maya that she didn't end up with a go-cart. But Maya answers back, "Who said it HAD to be a go-cart?" (I can hear Hubs's voice right there!). And indeed, Rafael realizes that though the instructions guide users to making a go-cart, there's no rule that says that's what the kids have to make. So he suggests the two go a bit further and team up to make something even better, and decidedly more un-go-cart-like.

Peter Reynolds is well-known in the kidlit community not only for his accessible and inclusive illustration style, but also for his books focusing on creativity (Ish, if you haven't read it, is one not to miss!). Going Places, teaming Peter up with his twin brother Paul, not only demonstrates the power of creative thinking, but also the benefits of working in a team. I love that Maya and Rafael build something together that is twice as marvelous as they could have come up with on their own. They do so by combining their resources, both in terms of supplies and ideas. This focus on collaboration is really terrific - it demonstrates to kids that sometimes we find what we need not through our own ingenuity, but by relying on another to give us perspective, encouragement and ideas. And of course, I love that Maya and Rafael's creation blows the competition away. :)

Teachers and librarians take note: the Reynolds brothers have crafted something really special here -- a book that's fun, inclusive and lighthearted, but which teaches kids a critical lesson about the value of collaboration. Books like this, that feature diverse characters in lead roles, and show them achieving their goals through creativity and resourcefulness, should be the centerpiece of every home and classroom library. Going Places is one not to miss!

Going Places by Peter & Paul Reynolds, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Ages 4-6
Source: Library
Sample: "Rafael was confused. The set of instructions inside the box were for a GO-CART. But then again, they didn't say it HAD to be a go-cart. He looked again at Maya's contraption. After a moment, he grinned."
Highly recommended

Counting by 7s - Holly Goldberg Sloan

Wow! Can't believe the response to our 30 Days of Picture Books series. This is such a fun project for us to do, and it's nice to hear how it's affecting readers. For all those who've told us how much you enjoyed our picks, or mentioned that you're adding titles to your library list - thank you! And don't worry, we're already thinking about books to feature in next year's list. :)

In preparation for this year's 30 Days, Sprout and I read a ton of picture books, but that wasn't all I was reading. Today I'm featuring a title I read a while back, that touched me so much I couldn't help but share it with you. Holly Goldberg Sloan's Counting by 7s is being compared by many to R.J. Palacio's Wonder, and for good reason - both books feature narrators with compelling voices, unique challenges, and incredible people in their lives. But you can't really compare these books on any significant level, because each brings such individual strengths and impact to the reader. So let's acknowledge that one and move on, m'kay?

Counting by 7s tells the story of Willow Chance. Willow's a middle schooler who's best described as different from others she encounters. Willow's family is transracial, as Willow, who is multiracial, was adopted by "two of the whitest white people in the world (no exaggeration.)". But this isn't an adoption story. Willow's a genius, finishing the state proficiency exam so quickly that the school puts her into behavioral counseling. But this isn't a smart kid story. Willow's an oddball, not quite fitting in with anyone else at her middle school because of her talents and her interests. But this isn't an odd-girl-out story.

No, what defines this story is what happens to Willow in almost the first couple of pages: Willow's parents are killed in a car accident, and Willow, the adoptee/smart girl/oddball, is suddently and irrevocably on her own. Willow's got no support network to speak of, but from the emptiness around her, a web of family begins to appear. There's Mai Nguyen, a Vietnamese-Mexican girl who encounters Willow at the counselor's office and becomes a friend almost against her will. There's Pattie, Mai's mother, who sees Willow's plight and becomes convinced that foster care is no place for this tremendous child. There's Quang-ha, Mai's brother who disdains Willow but can't help but be impressed by her talents. And there's Dell Duke, the going-nowhere counselor who's treading water in his job until he becomes entangled with Willow and her story, and suddenly finds his whole life turned upside down.

It's tough for me to sum up in mere words just how much I loved this book. As with Wonder (here we go with the comparisons again), Counting by 7s is a watershed book, one whose story stays with you and that makes you think differently about assumptions you've previously held. Willow's a remarkable character in that her unswerving focus on her particular interests sweeps up everyone around her, a force that's changing their lives before they even realize it's happened. Though the narrative is propelled by a tragic event, this is by no means a sad book -- rather, it's a book about hope, about the goodness of human nature and how every minute can be a turning point. Willow's story speaks to the cynic in all of us, proving that even the most isolated and insular among us can be moved outside of our bubbles to be a force of change in another's life.

I highly recommend Counting by 7s for middle school readers, and for older readers as well, because I think even adults can learn a lot from this wise girl and her story, lessons about valuing yourself and about reaching out, believing that we can change the world. If you read one chapter book this year, make it Holly Goldberg Sloan's - and if you give one, make it this as well. You'll be glad on both counts.

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan, published by Dial Books for Young Readers
Ages 9-12 +
Source: Library
Sample: "I was taken to see an educational consultant that autumn and the woman did an evaluation. She sent my parents a letter.
I read it.
It said I was 'highly gifted.'
Are people 'lowly gifted'?
Or 'medium gifted'?
Or just 'gifted'? It's possible that all labels are curses. Unless they are on cleaning products.
Because in my opinion it's not really a great idea to see people as one thing.
Every person has lots of ingredients to make them into what is always a one-of-a-kind creation.
We are all imperfect genetic stews."
Highly recommended

Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle

Whew, lots going on around here at the moment! In addition to the Multicultural Kid Blogs Pinterest Scavenger Hunt we are participating in (are you pinning along?), I've recently been promoted to a librarian position at the regional library system where I work. That's a dream come true for me, frankly, and though it isn't a children's services position, I'll still be doing acquisitions for our children's department, so no shortage of new books any time soon. But while I've been adjusting to all of this, the blog has taken a back seat of sorts, and I do apologize for the lack of new content. Fear not, more is coming!

Of all the books I've recently read, though, one is so unique that I couldn't take it back to the library unblogged. In his debut novel for middle graders, Better Nate Than Ever, Tim Federle gives us a fast, funny and oh-so-relatable tale of a fish out of water who may just have finally found his true calling. Nate Foster hasn't always known he wanted to be on Broadway, but he has always felt he didn't quite fit in his hometown of Jankburg, Pennsylvania. With the help of best friend Libby, Nate's finally figuring out that he was born for the stage - and he may be getting his big break, when Libby helps him hatch a plot to sneak off to New York for a Broadway audition. It's for the stage version of Nate's favorite film -- E.T.: The Musical -- and Nate just feels in his bones that he's meant to play Elliott. So Nate screws up all his courage and takes the city by storm. But with every twist and turn, it seems it's not going to be an easy road to stardom. Should Nate give up and head for home, or keep on keeping on to make his big dreams a reality?

This one isn't going to strike a chord with every kid, but for those to whom it rings true, this one may just be a lifesaver. Federle's frank about Nate's struggles to figure out his place in the world; this is an especially good choice for young teens who are gay or questioning. There are lots of other weighty issues as well, including religion, happiness at home, sibling rivalry, bullying and the drama of not fitting in. But lest you think this is a heavy book, far from it. Parts of this warm and witty novel had me laughing out loud, and every single page had me rooting for Nate that he'd find his place in the world, now or later.

Federle's mined his own experiences for the story of Nate, and the truth of his writing shines through on every page. You can't help but smile at a kid who uses failed musicals as curse words, and who's almost single-minded about getting to eat at the Times Square Applebee's. There's the perfect pitch here between adulthood and childhood, between a kid who is dazzled by the white lights of Broadway and one who just wants to, once and for all, find the place he's meant to be. For all of us who've ever felt there was a version of life out there with kindred spirits, and who suffered through some years of being odd one out before finding it, Better Nate Than Ever says it all.

Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle, published by Simon and Schuster
Ages 9-13+
Source: Library
Sample: "And now I'm staring out the window at a familiar world zooming past, colors bleeding from grey (Pittsburgh) to bright red and blue (a car accident) to brown (somewhere thirty minutes out of town). Libby shared a really good technique that is thus far working beautifully: Crumple up a bunch of Kleenex and put them on the seat next to yours, and nobody will sit next to you on long bus trips. Try it sometime, guys."
Recommended

Teen Review - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Authenticity is pretty darn important in lots of arenas, but when it comes to books about a particular culture or population, it's crucial. Sure, it's possible to write about a culture you have no experience with, but let's be honest - you're probably going to miss some details, leave out key points and generally make a botch of things. If you haven't been raised in that culture, you're definitely going to have to do your homework to make sure that things ring true. It's kind of like learning to speak a language: while you can learn a little bit from books and CDs, pretty soon you're going to have to converse with some actual speakers of that dialect, and that's where you're going to find out what you should really be saying.

So I'm always a little suspect when I come across a book where the author doesn't have any kind of connection to the culture. There are some fine examples out there of authors and illustrators who have captured a world about which they have very little direct knowledge. But the best books, the books that move you to your core and transport you to a specific time or place, those books are written by people who have been there, people who KNOW.

You can't fake that, my friends.

This semester I'm taking a YA lit class (*waves to classmates*) and so far we've read some really incredible titles, about which I'll be blogging in the weeks to come. This week one of the selections was a book that's long been on my radar but which I haven't read until now - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Alexie's kind of a legend in the Pacific Northwest, for his portraits of life as a Native American growing up in this part of the country. He won the National Book Award for this novel, his first foray into writing for teens, which has incidentally appeared on a whole slew of "Best Of" lists. If you're the kind of person who is put off by critical acclaim, though, don't be tempted to cast Alexie aside - this novel is well worth your time.

Diary is a semi-autobiographical tale about Arnold 'Junior' Spirit, a teenager growing up in the middle of nowhere on the Spokane Indian Reservation, aka 'The Rez'. Like Alexie himself, Junior hasn't had the easiest time growing up: plagued by a host of medical problems since birth, he's also been tormented by nearly every other rez kid, and even some of the adults. He's got his best friend Rowdy, though, who sticks up for him no matter what. Until Junior reaches a turning point in his life, deciding that he needs to "go somewhere where people have hope" - he's going to leave school on the rez and enroll at Reardan, the all-white school nearly 30 miles away.

It won't be easy, Junior knows, even though he is stubborn enough to forge ahead no matter what. Just getting to school will be a challenge, not to mention trying to find his way as the only Indian in a sea of white faces. But Junior isn't counting on the personal toll he'll pay, when the people he's known his entire life turn their backs on him, including Rowdy, branding him a traitor for leaving the rez. And that's just the beginning of what's staring Junior down, as he tries to find his way and do what only he can do for himself.

So, wow. This is a novel that sneaks up on you, peppered as it is with cartoons (Junior's artistic POV is captured by illustrator Ellen Forney), gross-out moments and deep-down hilarious anecdotes. Junior's forthright, brutally so. He holds just about nothing back, and his honesty about life on the rez is as funny as it is unvarnished. Be prepared to run the gamut of emotions as you read - rarely will you cringe with embarrassment, laugh yourself silly and then be on the verge of tears within a few pages, but that's exactly what will happen here. Just as you're lulled into thinking this is another book about a teenage boy struggling to find friends, though, Alexie pulls out the big guns, reminding us that being a Native American in our society is to be among those counted out and pushed aside. Even as Junior makes light of his circumstances, readers can see his pain, often not too far under the surface, but he never invites our pity, only our understanding.

Alexie's voice here is wholly unique and entirely authentic - he lived this life, and he's given readers a unique window into what his own adolescence might have been like, polishing our vision of Junior's world to a fine sheen. This is the kind of reading experience that's intense and powerful, a take-no-prisoners trip through adolescence with a narrator whose voice is wise, profane, self-deprecating and reckless, entirely unlike any other. Hard truths are fair game for Alexie, who takes them head-on: everything from the drunken Indian to the white folks who wish they were Natives. And even as we recognize pieces of ourselves in the characters who populate Junior's story, we're forced to consider how all of us play a role in the kind of world Junior grows up in.

The epigraph of Diary is a quote by Yeats: "There is another world, but it is in this one." Alexie gives us this world, for those who will look unflinchingly.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, published by Little Brown
Ages 14+
Source: personal collection
Sample: "And it's not like my mother and father were born into wealth. It's not like they gambled away their family fortunes. My parents came from poor people who came from poor people who came from poor people, all the way back to the very first poor people. / Adam and Eve covered their privates with fig leaves; the first Indians covered their privates with their tiny hands."
Recommended

Bonus: Conversation with Sherman Alexie from public television

Chapter Book Review - Wonder by RJ Palacio

"I know I'm not an ordinary ten-year-old kid. I mean, sure, I do ordinary things. I eat ice cream. I ride my bike. I play ball. I have an XBox. Stuff like that makes me ordinary. I guess. And I feel ordinary. Inside. But I know ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. I know ordinary kids don't get stared at wherever they go."

Thus begins RJ Palacio's Wonder, an aptly named middle-grade novel that just may be my favorite book of 2012.

And that's saying something, because I've read some fantastic stuff this past year. But Wonder is like nothing else -- funny, heartbreaking, emotional, and absolutely an all-around incredible piece of work. I've seen a lot of hype about this one in the blogosphere, and having just turned the last page, I can tell you that all that high praise is richly deserved.

Wonder is Palacio's debut, and it's hard to know where she'll go from here, because she's definitely set a high mark for herself. The novel tells the story of August "Auggie" Pullman, who is in every way a pretty normal fifth grader, with the usual interests of a boy his age. But there's one thing very, very different about Auggie - he was born with a rare genetic disorder that manifests itself in a "craniofacial abnormality", as his older sister Via describes it. Auggie and his family have spent their lives dealing with Auggie's condition, through multiple surgeries and treatments to the looks and whispered comments from others when they first see Auggie. And the Pullmans have gotten pretty good at handling all of it.

But when Auggie starts fifth grade, his parents decide it's time for real school. No more homeschooling with his mom. Auggie's not sure he's ready, and he's more than a little nervous about how things will go with the other kids. Will he make any friends? Will the other kids ever get past Auggie's face and look at who he really, really is?

Palacio completely nails the experience of being the one who doesn't blend into the crowd. And still, she never makes Auggie a pathetic character or someone to be pitied - far from it. Writing from the point of view of Auggie, as well as several other pivotal characters, she tells Auggie's story as it impacts everyone. His presence at Beecher Prep not only changes Auggie's life, but many other people's as well, in ways that no one could have foreseen when the school year started. The reader begins to understand how Auggie's face serves as a mirror to all those around him; looking at Auggie, you see yourself in unexpected ways. How each character deals with that unexpected reaction provides the narrative drive for the story, and is what makes this an outstanding novel for everyone, not just middle schoolers. I'm hard pressed to think of a book that exemplifies the experience of empathy in such a way, by showing what it looks in real life, not after-school specials.

The center point around which Auggie's story turns is a quote by Wayne Dyer: "When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind." It's one thing to talk to our kids about bullying, about the importance of standing up for others and not joining in with the crowd. It's another to show them what bullying looks like. This is a book that can do that, without preaching or shutting kids down. I know it's one that I'll be reading with Sprout when he's older.

Share Wonder with the kids in your life, but read it yourself first. Auggie Pullman is someone you'll want to know.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Ages 9-13
Source: Library
Sample: "The thing is, when I was little, I never minded meeting new kids because all the kids I met were really little, too. What's cool about really little kids is that they don't say stuff to try to hurt your feelings, even though sometimes they do say stuff that hurts your feelings. But they don't actually know what they're saying. Big kids, though: they know what they're saying."
Highly recommended

Bonus: Hear what inspired the novel, as NPR interviews author R.J. Palacio

More reviews:
Jen Robinson's Book Page
Fuse #8
100 Scope Notes
More Than True
Abby the Librarian

Guest Post: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

Guest blogger today - my husband Jacob (resident Star Wars geek) on a middle grade chapter book that boys especially will love!

After watching my wife take part in the 48 Hour Book Challenge I have decided to do a guest blog and give you a review of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger. This was a fun book that is appropriate for kids ages 7-8 up. We are introduced to Dwight, a sixth grader who marches to his own drum. The kids at his school tease him until one day Dwight shows up with an origami finger puppet named Yoda who has an uncanny knack for granting advice. Nearly all the kids in the school come to ask Origami Yoda questions. This leads one of his friends to collect the stories from his classmates and figure out if Yoda is real, a scam, or something more. It also helps the group realize it is OK to be different -- as long as the force is with you.

As a die hard Star Wars fan, it was great to see the original trilogy used creatively. Dwight could be analagous to a Luke Skywalker character looking "always toward the future". Those movies taught a whole generation to embrace their inner geek no matter what anyone else said. After all when the original trilogy came out, people were listening to Disco and wearing silk shirts. Everyone was different.

What I really loved about this book is that it took me back to being a sixth grader. Feeling angst at going to dances, and hanging out with my buddies, even if we were fighting. I believe that this should be read in schools to illustrate that differences are good. Afer all it was Steve Jobs who co-created Apple, not the kid who sat next to me in social studies. The chapters here can be read quickly and can stand alone, and their are doodles in the margins that will make even a cynic smile.

May the force be with you.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger, published by Amulet Books
Ages 9-13
Source: Library
Sample: "It's just a fact. Dwight never seems to do anything right. Always in trouble. Always getting harrassed by other kids. Always picking his nose. Always finding a way to "ruin it for everyone," as teachers say. / If he would just listen to Origami Yoda's wisdom, like the rest of us, he would have it made."
Highly recommended