George Ella Lyon

It's 1947, in a small town in Alabama and Sonny's dad has just walked out on them. "You don't know my daddy," the book begins, and Sonny tells the reader of the day his life changed. He knows there has to be something more to the split up than he has been told, and it puzzles him. A few years go by, and the reader sees small town Southern life through Sonny's eyes as he tries to handle his own life without a father, as well as every day living with his sometimes funny, sometimes difficult show more family. Sonny deals with heartbreak, pain, and love, familial and otherwise, and at last finds peace within himself regarding his father.

Sadly, this brief synopsis does nothing for the book. Telling a skeleton outline of the plot with no spoilers and none of Lyon's amazing writing is so unjust! This is an amazing book, with prose that sometimes verges on poetry. Lyon had me laughing out loud with Sonny's predicaments on one page, near tears on another, and spellbound from the sheer beauty of her language so often. She captures the feel of the South so well and so subtly that there are bound to be references that will pass by those uninitiated to Southern culture.

I couldn't NOT share a few lines that caught me especially:

"It was a sleepy kind of morning, the air like bathwater."

"Like some reversable cloth, Mama's laughter flipped over into sobs."

"We just stood by the shiny gray coffin with its handles like fancy toilet-paper holders and said "Yes" and "No" and "Thank you" and breathed whatever breaths came by: mint, onion, tobacco, whiskey, and bad."

"All the windows had been propped open, but it was one of those afternoons when the air lay on top of you like a big cat, and no waving of cardboard Jesus-at-the-door fans could make it get up and move."

My main regret is that I fear the intended audience will not be interested in the subject and that some of the emotional dimilemas may really be too mature for grades 5-8. It would be more appropriate, I think, for older YA readers. I would suggest that a parent of younger readers read it first (I give it a full recommendation for all adult readers) and then decide when/if it's appropriate for their child at that age.

Another quibble is that the dust jacket blurb is not very appealing; I only chose to read it because it took place in the South and I needed another book for my Southern Reading Challenge. I really can't see a child picking this up and saying, "oh, this sounds just what I've been wanting to read". It will most likely take an adult pushing it on them to get a child to read it. A new, more interesting cover would be advised.

But, as far as the book goes. . . It's a five star read for older YAs and adults. Masterful writing all the way through; I will be looking up her other novels right away. show less

Inspired by a storytelling elder from her own childhood, children's author George Ella Lyon has crafted this poetic tale of a young girl's friendship with an elderly neighbor, who sits on his porch and spins tall tales. From the falling star he caught one day, to the rainbow "bath" that he experienced, but was unable to keep - save as a story to be passed on to others - the old man transports the girl with his fantastic flights of fancy.

I don't know, all told, that I was completely won over show more by My Friend, the Starfinder - certainly not to the same extent as the friend who recommended it to me - but I am glad that I picked it up, because I thought the artwork, done by Stephen Gammell in pastel, watercolor, pencil and gouache, was really quite interesting. It was the cover illustration, in fact, that convinced me to give this one a try. There is an arresting quality to these paintings, I find, that holds my attention, even when some of the elements (the depiction of the human faces) are not really to my taste. I love the splatters of color, and the use of light! Still this was a mixed bag for me - I appreciated the idea of the narrative more than the narrative itself - so my rating is a low three stars, and my recommendation is primarily for the artwork. show less

THE PIRATE OF KINDERGARTEN is an adorable book about a kindergarten girl who has double vision. In the beginning, she is struggling to read and tripping over things and it seems that neither she or her teacher realize why exactly she is having these problems. After a vision test at school, Ginny is diagnosed with double vision and receives an eyepatch to help train her eyes. thus becoming "the pirate of kindergarten." I love that Ginny chooses to call her self that and puts a positive spin show more on what some might see as an embarrassing situation. I also appreciated Ginny's love of reading and how her excitement about being able to read books more efficiently aided in her acceptance of the eye patch. The illustrations are so cute and bright, and also give the reader insight into how Ginny sees her surroundings. show less

Many-Storied House: Poems by George Ella Lyon tells the story of a house and a family through a series of poems examining life in the rooms of a house. The family’s changes, challenges, and joys felt like walking through Lyon’s home and life. Lyon created immersive images that felt both voyeuristic and secretive. Many-Storied House created a sense of going home. There were several times I found myself smiling in gentle recognition, and others frowning in uncomfortable recognition. Lyon show more reminded me of the pain and the comfort of being with family in small town Kentucky. Lyon’s house, like most family homes embodied the double-meaning of being many-storied. Many-Storied House brought up a full spectrum of emotions for me and reminded me of the importance of connection. show less