Deborah Hopkinson

When Delicious's father decides to head west to Oregon in this entertaining tall tale, he takes along all of his favorite apple trees (not to mention his peach, plum, cherry and pear trees, as well as his grape vines), carefully stowed away in a wagon of their own. The trail from Iowa to the west coast is an arduous one though, and Delicious must often think quickly in order to help her father get his precious cargo to its destination...

The third book I have read from author/illustrator team show more Deborah Hopkinson and Nancy Carpenter - the first two being Fannie In the Kitchen and A Letter to My Teacher - this engaging work of picture-book historical fiction is apparently based upon the real-life story of pioneer Henderson Lewelling, who established the first orchard in Oregon. That said, this is definitely a fictional tale, and is full of a folksy language and sense of humor. The accompanying artwork, done in oil paint, is full of light and color, and captures the excitement of Delicious and her family's many adventures. Recommended to children who enjoy tall tales and/or stories about the westward journey of the pioneers. show less

A fairy godmother comes along to "help" Cinderella but ends up smashing her prized pumpkin and turning her friend Fred into a boring horse for the evening. Will Cinderella ever get her fairy-tale ending?

Told from the point of view of a mouse, this was a fun twist on the well-known Cinderella tale. I do like that Cinderella takes a more active role in choosing her destiny, with the mouse wanting to give the fairy godmother a "one-star review" for botching things so badly. After the ball, show more Cinderella rejects being even discovered by the prince; much later she ultimately finds her own bliss in a female farmer who shares her life experiences and interests.

The illustrations fit the humorous tone of the story, and Zelinsky does an excellent job conveying motion in particular. The author's note spends a little time talking about the Cinderella story over the years and also discussing variety of pumpkins. I could see this title being particularly fun for kids who are learning about different folk and fairy tales, as they often like to compare and contrast the various versions. show less

An gorgeous ode to teachers. Expressive and child-friendly illustrations by Nancy Carpenter pair perfectly with Deborah Hopkinson's honest, insightful, and loving prose. Wonder at the emotions in child and teacher's faces on the cover: the girl's head is tipped in curious wonder, the teacher, complete with pencil in hair, is totally focused on the child. "I stood there ornery and dripping, just sure I'd get in trouble. But instead you grinned at me. 'Good morning! Look at you, standing there show more like Mary Kingsley just back from canoeing up the Ogooue River.'" Just the right words to hook a reluctant child. This would be the perfect gift to a child's favorite teacher or to a new teacher. show less

Eel is living on his own, trying to stay hidden from his evil stepfather. Eel’s brother is tucked away somewhere safe out of the dangerous hands of the man who is supposed to be watching over them now that their mother has passed. Although he is only 13, Eel spends his life on the streets and in the mud looking for coins and treasure. He'll do any odd job to help make some extra money to support his younger brother. When people in his favorite neighborhood start falling ill from “the show more blue death” Eel is asked to help remove the bodies. It's scary and worrisome. No one seems to know what is happening and why people are dying so suddenly. Is the sickness traveling through the air? Eel and his friend get the opportunity to help the famous Dr. Snow look into the matter. Will they be able to figure out the reason for the sickness and stop it before it wipes out the whole neighborhood? Journey back to 1854 to see science in action!

When I started The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel I knew it was historical fiction, but I did not realize how engrossed in the story I would become. Although I had heard of cholera, it was something I did not know very much about. I loved learning about it through Eel’s spunky voice. I applauded his sheer determination. He's a great character who puts others ahead of himself while he struggles to survive. I found it fascinating to learn about how maps were made and the scientific approach used to figure out an epidemic like the one in the book. It was also interesting to think about the water wells that were used at the time and people carrying the water home and using it for days. Now we are so fortunate (where I live) to have water coming out of our faucets. I know many places around the world are not so lucky. I would recommend this book to anyone in fourth grade and up who likes history and a story that has some very real dangers. I have found that my favorite way to learn about history is through reading historical fiction novels. They really bring the time to life and help me remember what happened far more than memorizing facts from a book. You won't be disappointed as you get to know Eel, Dr. Snow and the other host of characters in this book show less