Whisper1 (Linda) Thread #10

This is the Pre-Raphaelite painting Flaming June by the artist Lord Frederick Leighton.

Difficult to sell in 1960 when Victorian art was not popular, it was purchased by the rich industrialist and politician Luis A. Ferre. Traveling throughout Europe, when he saw this painting he was enthralled by the brilliant colors and the composition. Purchased for a mere $10,000, it now resides in the Museum of Art in Puerto Rico.

A statement regarding the fragile link between sleep and death, Leighton symbolically placed an oleander plant in the top right corner.

The value of this painting today is priceless.

One of my college roommates had a print of this in our dorm room senior year. :-)

What an explosion of color--and yet so controlled!

A gorgeous painting, one of my faves. Looking forward to this thread!

BOOK#80


Penny From Heaven by Jennifer Holm

Continuing my quest to read all Newbery award winning books, this one is one of the favorites. Told from the perspective of 11 year old Penny Fulucci, it contains a cast of likeable, colorful characters that are quirky, eccentric and loveable.

The setting is 1950 in post WWII small town New Jersey where Penny resides with her widowed mother and maternal grandparents. Penny's father died when she was a baby and while Penny's mother is estranged from her father's side of the family, she accepts that they are an integral part of her life. They are Italian, emotional, loving and try their best to fill the gap for fatherless Penny.

Penny's best buddy and cousin Frankie is one step away from reform school. Uncle Dominic is "pazza", which translates to crazy in Italian. He lives in a car. They, along with Uncle Nunzo, Uncle Paulie, Uncle Al, Aunt Gina and grandmother Nonny provide a reference for a culture rich in tradition, filled with the hope of retaining the best values of their heritage while embracing American ideals of freedom and liberty.

This begins as a quiet, unassuming book with details regarding the 1950's. Penny has a sense of humor; the characters are well developed and the reader is lulled into a coming of age tale, until, events spiral and Penny learns of the circumstances regarding her father's death.

Using information from Lawrence DiStasi's, Una Storia Segreta: The Secret History of Italian American Evacuation and Internment During World War II, the author teaches the many ways that Italian Americans were subjugated in the 1940's and 1950's.

Punished by the government for Italy's role in WWII, Franklin Roosevelt signed Proclamation 2527, thereby labeling non-naturalized Italians as enemies.

While I knew of the terrible internment of Japanese Americans, I did not know that 600,000 Italians had to carry enemy identification booklets and it was mandated they could not speak the Italian, the "enemy language."

Even though they were law-abiding citizens, the author notes that over 3,000 Italian Americans were arrested and hundreds sent to campus.

Jennifer Holm is a three-time Newbery honor winner. She is an author who provides a story and characters that stay with the reader long after the last page is finished.

Highly recommended!

A new thread already! It seems like the last one just started. Another beautiful picture to admire and a great review. I'm adding Penny From Heaven to my wish list.

Thank heaven next month there is going to be a Juvenile July thread, I probably have more YA books on my wishlist than anything!

Popping in to wave hello and once again admire the pre-Raphaelite wonders with which you decorate. I hope all is well!

And a thumb from me for your review.

BOOK #81

Black Radishes by Susan Lynn Meyer

In the spring of 1940 the people of France naively believe that they will be safe from German invasion. As Hitler conquers surrounding nations, Gustave Becker's family knows that it is not safe for Jews. Entreating their relatives to escape Paris and move to the countryside of Saint-Georges, Gustave's parents leave behind their home and business in the hope of safety while family members remain in denial and stay in Paris.

By summer of 1940, the French army is defeated. While Gustave and his family are in a free zone, as one of a few Jewish families, it is becoming more difficult to survive.

Using the reference of her family history, the author tells the story of the increasing hostility throughout Europe toward Jews. Hunger and famine are a daily part of life. German soldiers are brutish. As the demarcating line between the two zones of France becomes more threatened, Gustav's parents know it is imperative to find a way out of the country.

As his father travels back and forth between the border, searching for food, he is assisted by the French Resistance groups. One fearful night when capture was immanent, brave Gustave bribes the guards with black radishes.

This book fell flat. The writing was ok, but not great. The story line could have been developed more fully. In many ways, a depth of feeling was missing.

Not recommended.

Too bad about Black Radishes, but I added Penny from Heaven to the BlackHole and found that the book is available at the local library. Thanks for the recommendation of that one!

BOOK#82

The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

I image this 1973 Newbery honor book would give youngsters the heebie jeebies and it might take a more mature YA to sift through the overtones of paranormal to the fact that the author is making a strong statement about those who seem to blame others or outside forces for their own character defects.

Jessica is more than a latch key child, she emotionally neglected by a selfish, immature and young mother. Astute in knowing she is not wanted, Jessica suffers dramatically and acts out viciously.

When she discovers an abandoned, weak, feeble, scrawny kitten, she reluctantly nurses him to life. Calling him worm, as he grows, she projects her inner turmoil to the cat and blames worm for her evil, nasty, spiteful deeds.

Believing both young and old are against her, and refusing to accept responsibility for her actions, she grows more and more out of control.

I cannot recommend this book. While the author is a three-time Newbery honor winner, this one doesn't seem to be one of her best.

#10: OK, that one goes on my 'Do Not Read' list.

Great review of Penny from Heaven--I'll look for that one. Black Radishes sounded great until your last sentence. Too bad! I'm with Stasia on Witches of Worm.

Love the painting! All that orange is just fabulous.

Gorgeous painting! I do like the pre-Raphaelites. :)

Nice review of Penny From Heaven. Shame the other two books weren't so good.

Beautiful painting, Linda. I look forward to seeing 'your' paintings more than any others.
I did not know that about Italians in the US in that era. In WWII my father worked with Italian POWs where he was stationed in Virginia. He was assigned POWs to help with the warehouse work he was in charge of and he liked the Italians best of all because they were all so nice and friendly. They all had relatives in NY who used to supply the prisoners with all the best kinds of Italian food and they used to hold 'parties' and would often invite my father to eat with them. The German POWs he did not like so much. There were a couple of SS men among them and that made all of them very difficult to work with.

Thanks Linda for the reviews. I will move up Penny from Heaven and I will move The Witches of Worm Down on the Newbery list.

It's too bad Black Radishes wasn't better. Last week my son and I were able to hear Helen Sperling a 92 year old Holocaust survivor speak at our school. She was an amazing person and her presentation was wonderful. I was so glad to see so many young people in attendance.

I just finished The Cricket in Times Square and it was a great story, one I would like to read with my younger son who I know will enjoy. Thanks for sending it my way.

just keeping current ! Have a nice relaxed weekend, my friend!

#15 Thanks to Linda for sharing the information and to you, Charlotte, for the story about your father's experiences. My grandfather spent WWII helping build the road from Baghdad to Tehran, and I imagine had some interesting stories, but he never spoke about the war at all. I wish I had that piece of family history to pass on to my daughter.

Hi Linda, I love the painting and the title 'Flaming June' is perfect. I also have added Penny from Heaven to the list as it looks very good. My grandfather actually fought in Italy during World War 2 and I now have an Italian brother in law who tells us that the local people, especially those that were in the areas where the fighting was the worst, they treasure the countries who came through to liberate them. The people of course didn't want war upon them at all and had no choice about whose side their country was on.

Penny From Heaven- love the title and the cover, I saw it's YA, is it light weight to read or can you get stuck into it? (if you know what I mean? :-))

Hey, new thread!
Great reviews, Linda. I didn't know about the problems of Italian born Americans during WWII. But after finally reading Kindertransport last night (great book, thank you for recommending it!!!) and learning that German Jews were arrested as possible enemies in the UK, I am less surprised than I would have been a few days ago.
I'd like to read Penny from Heaven and will put it on my wishlist.

Hi Linda, another beautiful pre-Raph painting to start your new thread :-)

Penny from Heaven has gone on the wishlist, sorry your most recent reads weren't so good.

Found and starred your new thread!

Linda,

I have added Penny from Heaven to my wishlist noting your recommendation. Being of Italian descent, I am extremely interested in what you wrote about this book and will have to track down a copy.

Hope you are feeling better - personally, I actually had a pain-free day on Friday - Amazing! Hope you get one too and soon!

Hi, Linda!

Stopping by to catch up on your beautiful art and Newbery reads. I have one last week of work until summer break and I'll be able to keep up better.

Have starred your new thread and added Penny From Heaven to the WL... and it's available at the library, yay!

#1 Even an art illiterate like me was enthralled by the painting and the rich use of colours without making it even the least bit gaudy!

#15. Hi Charlotte. Thanks for stopping by. What an interesting story!

I find such incredible tidbits of knowledge in some of the YA books I read. As mentioned, I didn't know about the treatment of Italians in America during and post WWII. Though, it truly amazes me how much we, as Americans point fingers and wag them at other nations, while we have a lot of nastiness in our history.

#16 Bette. I'm glad you liked The Cricket In Times Square. It is delightful.

#17. Hi There Kath. Are you enjoying summers without sick kids and the politics of your previous job?

#18 Lisa, my ex husband is a Viet Nam veteran. It left deep scars on him, but he rarely, if ever talked about it.

#19 Leonie, I suspect that many people were like that (and still are) smack dab in the middle of a crazy war that they never wanted.

#20. Megan, Actually, I'm not sure what you mean. I know that there are those who have a sense that YA is not meaty, and that is true for some YA books, as well as non YA books. When I joined the 75 challenge group back in 2008 there were members who read a lot of YA. This was a genre unknown to me and thus I wanted to explore it.

I've been hooked ever since. I've learned a lot of facts that I did not know, for example, when reading Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy I learned about the terrible displacement of the African American community in Malaga Island, Maine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQwJPWp2c70

When reading Elija of Buxton by Christopher Paul Harris I learned of the incredible story of Buxton where African Americans fled the cruelty and oppression of slavery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GdevJ6jjHI

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie deals with the difficulties faced by American Indians who are placed on reservations and granted second-class status.

Nancy Werlin's book The Rules of Survival was a haunting snap shot of children raised by a sociopathic mother.

I could go on and on and on.

Those youtube clips were very interesting, thank you for posting them. I also like YA for all the same reasons you've described although I don't read nearly as much as I would like to.

#28 I've added Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy as I'm a sucker for anything about Maine. I can't believe I've missed this one. I was confused about your next title though: Elija of Buxton. Is that a book? Or is that the youtube? Brrr...Rules of Survival looks a little too chilling for me right now. I'm on the lookout for happy books!

Hi Linda! I must find a copy of Penny from Heaven. You had me at 'Newbery,' and 'one of my favorites!'

Hi, Linda! Just starring and catching up on your new thread. Lovely art and great reviews!

Hi Lisa

Yes, Elijah of Buxton is indeed a book. One of my favorite Newberys! http://wwww.librarything.com/work/3305891/book/69031145

William Morris, Artist, Craftsman, Pioneer

If you are looking for a book to read when you are stressed and simply want to contemplatively bask in the beauty of the stunningly creative, exquisitely detailed prints contained therein, then take time to drink a glass of wine, or cup of coffee or tea, go to a quiet space and be prepared to unwind.

William Morris was well acquainted with members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. One of his best friends and mentors Dante Gabriel Rossetti introduced him to Jane Morris, who would become his wife and, in a sad triangle, using Jane as a muse and model, frustratingly tragic to Morris, Rossetti and Jane developed a life-long relationship.

William and Jane entertained members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in their intricately designed Red House. Their residence became an inspirational meeting place for poets, writers and artists.



Later, moving to Kelmscott Manor, Morris honed his artistry when decorating with wallpapers and tapestries.



http://www.kelmscottmanor.org.uk/home

In mid life, Morris became increasingly dissatisfied with the industrialization of Victorian society. Becoming a socialist, his public lectures were forceful, animated and he adamantly railed against a society wherein machines manufactured goods at the expense of man-made artistic endeavors.

Becoming angry at a process that manipulated the poor masses while breeding what he called a tacky middle class, he believed that a society was crazy if in its out-of control progress it failed to improve the lives of the people who lived in that society.

Paradoxically, while Morris threw stones at those who were rapidly accumulating wealth at the expense of the downtrodden, Morris' status in life and wealth was inherited from his father who owned copper mines.

Later in life, he became very disillusioned with socialism stating that it failed to deliver a long-term solution to the betterment of society.

His legacy continues today. He was a genius of the arts and crafts movement, and his legacy of fine furnishings continues to inspire.



Highly recommended!

I am happy you are sharing with us your immersion into the lives of William Morris, Rossetti, and their Jane.

I am at my best as a reader when I find some topic that interests me so much that I go from one book on the subject to the next and beyond (although my family and friends often wonder about my sanity when I am going through such a phase).

These particular people and their lives and times offer much to think about and explore. Thanks!

Thanks for your kind comments Michelle!

This sounds inviting and the pictures are so beautiful, but I guess there is no chance for me to get a copy without actually buying it. Well, I can at least put it on my wishlist and enjoy the website in the meantime.

#33 Thanks, Linda. The link in your first posting went to a new topic page, not the book, and when I searched for the book, came up with nada, thanks to a missing h. Got it now!

Fantastic review, Linda ... looks like a lovely book.

I love what I can learn just from your reviews.

Oh my, what beautiful and delicious looking photos, Linda. This one is going on the GFW. I wonder if I'm up for papering the whole house (ok -, the living room) in Wm. Morris wall paper. I ought to be able to get some for a few zillion dollars somewhere or other.

Charlotte, When you find the source of a few zillion dollars, please share the knowledge.

O.K. I'll make a list. I'll put you down in first place...

Hi! Your review of William Morris, Artist, Craftsman, Pioneer and your obvious enjoyment of Rossetti have captured my attention. I have been a lifelong fan of Morris, having been introduced to him via his Kelmscott Press, the Kelmscott Chaucer and all that. Thanks for the links and all the pictures — a great addition!

Hi Suzanne

Thanks for visiting my thread. I need to learn more about the Kelmscott Press.

Thanks for pointing me in that direction.

As always, a fantastic, informative, and inspiring review. Thank you.

Hi, Linda! I know that I am really late with this, but Congrats on passing 75!

Magnificent artwork and photos here as always. Just chiming in to say I love YA literature, too. Oh, and excellent review of the Morris book!

Just swinging by to say hi, Linda! Gorgeous picture to start your new thread. :)

Hello Linda - hope you are having a nice summer! :) Thanks for visiting my thread.

Hi Linda, the William Morris book looks fabulous.

#34 Oooohhh! You don't know how happy I am that you've read and reviewed William Morris, Artist, Craftsman, Pioneer. It's been on my BookDepository wishlist for months now (very little art books available at the municipal library system). But I've been hesitating to purchase it since I had no idea what the book was actually like. I had done a pretty thorough search of books on William Morris and wanted a good overview of the man, his creations, philosophy, etc., and that one seemed like the best I could find that was a) still in print and b) affordable c) provided LOTS of quality visuals (I'm assuming this is the case here?) In any case, thumbs up from me! :-)

Also, I think you won't mind too much if I plug our July: Juvenile & Young Adult thread here. Everyone is welcome to join in, if only to get an idea of just how broad a scope these categories can encompass.

I have added every book you mentioned in post #28 to my immediate TBR pile and also added William Morris, Artist, Craftsman, Pioneer to the TBR pile.

oooooo, Flaming June! How appropriate! Absolutely gorgeous colors.

#28 thanks for all that info. I dont really know much about YA literature, but had the impression that it was lighter in themes / plot / character development? Otherwise wouldn't it just be a novel for anyone rather than having a separate classification. I think I have read 2 or 3 and enjoyed them but they happened to be both short.

#55 -- Usually the difference between adult and YA books is that YA lit is likely to appeal to teens. Often (but not always) the characters will be teens, or people just beyond their teens. Usually the action of the book is such that would appeal to teens; for instance, you don't get a lot of teen books where the main character is going through marital betrayal or a midlife crisis, etc. But the themes can be just as dark as any adult book, since teens often have to deal with very emotional issues (suicide, drugs, abortion -- the list goes on, though of course not all teen books are about heavy issues). Any good teen book will have character development as solid as an adult book, and rather a better plot/pacing, as teens often won't put up with a book that wanders through a lot of slow parts. Some are shorter than adult fiction, but not all. And there are some really spectacular writers who write YA books -- there's definitely no lack of high-caliber writing in the YA realm. I love all of the books Linda listed in post #28, and many others.

My stars are in alignment now that I've placed one on your thread. The painting is lovely. My friend Nancy and I spent a few hours yesterday at the art museum ogling the Watercolor USA exhibit. It's an annual event that I look forward to. You are slowly educating me in the art arena -- and I appreciate it!

#56 That's a very good description you've just given. I certainly couldn't have done better.

Just popping in to say that I always learn so much from your reviews, Linda. You have definitely helped expand my reading. And I love that you're sharing such wonderful pictures too. Many thanks.

After Life by Rhian Ellis

I had to think about the impact of this book before trying to write an adequate review. I think the mark of a good book is one that perplexes, challenges and haunts. All three of those are reactions I have to the authors debut novel.

Unlike many mystery books wherein we are introduced to a murder and wonder who did it, After Life begins with a statement by the perpetrator acknowledging her misdeed. The opening line -- "First I had to get his body into the boat" -- sets the tone as throughout the book we learn details of the murder, but it isn't until the end, when the reader learns why it occurred.

Naomi Ash by all accounts should not be a like able character, yet in the authors clear, perceptive writing, one cannot help but grow to feel empathy for Naomi.

Deftly weaving a tale of spiritualism, while tracing the roots of this movement from its beginnings in the US, we are transported to Train Line, NY. Therein, the reader feels as though they are a part of the every day happenings of a small town, filled with eccentric, mystical folk who are not above using a little fakery to assist people in reaching their loved ones who have passed to the other side.

Naomi follows in her mother's footsteps and taps into abilities in the spiritualistic realm. Dabbling with her talents, she is sporadically successful in her endeavors, but as with all things in her life, she lacks a drive, gumption and motivation to take control. She is lazy, rarely bathes and fails to develop social skills. She cares little for her appearance, has no friends and seems incapable of sustaining any depth of feeling.

Peter Morton arrives in her life and takes her by surprise. Finding she is capable of love is a unique revelation. Her joy is short term. The book weaves past with present when we learn that ten years ago, she killed Peter and buried his body in the surrounding woods of Train Life.

When a contractor unearths the body, she prays that Peter is not one of the spirits that can communicate with her.

Slow in pace, this book takes the reader by surprise. The author superbly weaves a story of guilt and redemption, of truth and lies, of black, white and gray.

Recommended.

Great review, Linda.

Another excellent review, Linda, and another addition to my TBR pile! Hope you have a great weekend!

Great, great, review. Adding this to my list right away! :) Thanks Linda.

Thanks Roni, Laura and Valerie.

Hey Linda! Finally caught up with you! I love the painting at the top! My Mom had a postcard of it on her drawing board for a long time while I was growing up. It is so nice and vibrant!

Goodness, an excellent review, Linda! A tiny thumb, and adding it to the wishlist.

I wanted to thank you as well, for promoting YA literature here at LT. I think it's an overlooked and undervalued genre which has a lot to offer many of us.

After Life is a book that I want to read, so I have added it to my wishlist.

You made After Life sound like it is a cut above the ordinary thriller. Maybe I should add this to my wishlist. Haven't noticed Rhian Ellis before. Thanks for an excellent review.

I thumbed your review as it was so well thought out and written. And I love the first line of the novel, It's got me hooked and I don't even have the book to read.. yet.

BOOK# 85


Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

Simply stated, this was not as good as the first book in the series. The characters of Sookie Stackhouse and Bill the vampire remain true to character. Sookie can read the thoughts of others and Bill needs to sleep in a coffin during the day. I liked the beginning of the book. It was clever, creative and funny. From there on, it took a steep turn into disjointed jargon, hard to follow characters and two separate plots that didn't seem to weave together at all.

In Bon Temps Louisiana there is a murder. The very likable cook was murdered and his body found in the car of the local police captain. This murder is unsolved when Sookie takes a plane ride to Texas with Bill's coffin in tow. Here they are mixed up with some very shady moffia like vampires who use her mind reading abilities to track where one of there lead vampires has been kidnapped. Trying to find the perpetrators takes Sookie on a dangerous mission.

Arriving back in Bon Temps, the murder of the cook still has to be solved. Already trying to keep track of the moffia vampires, I grew frustrated at the amount of energy it took to switch gears and plod along with Sookie's adventures when she returned.

All in all, this book was a grave disappointment. I'll take a break. It is way too early in the series for the installments to fall flat and trite.

No stars for this one!

After Life sounds like a good one, Linda. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll certainly be looking for it. First sentence of the book is a real grabber.
Great review, BTW!

I've yet to delve into a Sookie Stackhouse book but they do sound enticing and must get to them some time soon and least the early ones.
Thanks for your truthful review.

Thanks for stopping by Lynda. I'm thinking of you and your mother. How is she today?

Morning Linda- I have never read Charlaine Harris and only made it through a few episodes of True Blood. Not my cuppa. Hope you have a nice Sunday and thanks for the Rachel!

Not able to catch up on everyone.. so I am just scanning and saying

The William Morris looks interesting... !

I just thumbed your review of the Charlaine Harris book Linda. I keep hearing about these books but haven't tried them. Now I think I can safely avoid them. I don't remember you ever not giving any stars to a book.

A friend sent this to me and I am so entralled with the hummingbirds that I have to share it with you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=EUEZkwJulBY

I'll take a break. It is way too early in the series for the installments to fall flat and trite.

I found the series to be a bit of a roller coaster like that, and gave up on it entirely two or three books back (I no longer keep track, so I'm not sure).

I loved that video of the hummingbirds! We sometimes go to a local bird refuge and using the provided bird seed, we get to hand feed the chickadees like that. They really feel so light and fragile when they land.

34: Thanks for another illustrated review. That's quite a house.

#56 thanks so much for that description! I fell like I get it now.
#77 We have a brand of coffee here called hummingbird, and it's my favourite! :-)

Sorry to hear about your latest read Linda, although I quite like the cover of the book. :)

I also enjoyed the hummingbird link. Thanks for posting it.

Ditto. My daughter is now trying to tame every bird that comes to our feeder. No luck yet :-)

wow..... thank you for the link....!

We've had plenty of butterflies around our butterfly bushes and other flowers, but no hummingbirds yet. At least I haven't seen any. Ben and Mary had some "sightings" although I think those may have been large dragonflies!

After Life sounds intriguing and is duly noted in the dream book. You have a wonderful way with words, Linda. I wholeheartedly embrace this line: I think the mark of a good book is one that perplexes, challenges and haunts. Well said!

Spectacular hummingbird video — thanks!

I love the hummingbird video Linda. And After Life sounds fascinating so onto the pile it goes. Hope your summer is going well :)

I was thinking I might try the Sookie Stackouse books but that has gone way down the list of series to look at now. Lovely hummingbirds.

Hi, Linda! I'm just dropping by to say hello. Life has been hectic, and my LT time has been limited.

Have a great evening!

Hi Linda, I am weeks behind in the threads (perhaps months?) and stopped by to say hi. I missed a lot, including your reaching - and quickly surpassing! - 75 books read. At this rate you will achieve double that by the end of the year! Excellent!

Loved your review of After Life and am putting it on my wishlist. And I love your art posts, too.

I love your threads, Linda. Not only do we get to find out about great books, but you also provide historical facts to go along with some of them. These are the kinds if history lessons I adore. =)

Hi Linda. Just stopping by to say hello. Hope you've been having some great lazy summer days.

Hey there Linda! I would just like to second what Pat said above!

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I've never read the Little House on the Prairie books. When I found three of them, including this one, at a neighborhood yard sale, I couldn't resist paying .10 for each.

While some who don't understand the appeal of YA works may scoff at this series, I found this book to be delightfully refreshing.

The beauty and charm lies in the simplicity of rural farm life in the 19th century. Written from the perspective of ten year old Almanzo Wilder, there is a rhythm and lyrical quality throughout.

Nothing earth scattering occurs, and unlike many YA books where there is a coming of age theme, this story veers off the path of that direction and instead, like a babbling brook, quietly pulls the reader into the tale of a young man with a solid, hard-working family who care about each other and do what has to be done to make a living.

Harkening back to a time when the items we now call necessities were not available, there were charming descriptions of soft candle light shining through the window on hard crusted icy snow, of sleigh rides to church, of one room school houses, of planting seeds by hand and of sheering sheep, dying wool and sewing clothes.

This week was a bear at work and each night I arrived home tired and stressed, this was exactly what I needed to read -- a wonderful tale that provided relaxation and smiles.

Recommended

(review and comments also posted on the July Jevenile & YA thread)

Oh what a treat you are in for if you plan to read the "Little House" books. A absolutely wonderful series.

Hope things get better on the work front, Linda.

Hi Linda! Just passing by and sending you a hug!

I have a feeling that will prove to be $0.30 well-spent, especially given your general enjoyment of YA. I think Farmer Boy is one of the few I haven't read, but the series as a whole is charming.

Linda, I loved the Little House series and now I can share it with my granddaughters - and grandson when he gets older. As Stasia would say, "cool beans"!

Just catching up. I always love your pre-Raphaelite reviews and images! Looks like you've had some good reads lately in that area. I wish that I could visit England again this summer, but it's not the best time to be spending money (budget cuts and contract negotiations, followed by likely pay cuts and an increased share of the cost of benefits). I'll have to seek out the Morris homes next time around.

The series is one of my favorites, though Farmer Boy wasn't one I read. I just purchased a full set of the books with the same yellow covers that I used to have, and I'm excited to read them all (some for the first time!) in the near future. I keep thinking that I'll save them for summer, but summer is already here. What am I saving them for again? :) Nice review, and Judy is right in saying that you are in for a treat if you read the rest of the series.

I snarfed down the Laura Ingalls Wilder series in 5th grade--I remember it well!

*smooch*

#95 I remember the Little House on the Prairie from when I was a kid. I think Id like to read some too now, thanks for the review.

Linda, I re-read the first few Little House books when my daughters were very young. I started out reading aloud to them, but continued on my own. Reading Willa Cather recently, I was reminded of how much I enjoyed the Little House series. I agree with others that you are in for a treat!

My wife *loves* the Little House series. I have only read the first one, Little House in the Big Woods. She keeps telling me that if we have a daughter we will be reading them all to her.

I never read those.. not sure that I ever will.. but, it brings to mind
Anne of Green Gables books. I never cae across them until I had a
daughter of my own. I read them with her.. LOVED them.

When I read Farmer Boy to my son a couple of years ago, I remember really liking the story, and also we both thought that that kid could an amazing amount of food!

Waves hello - you are in for a treat with the Little House books. And I recommend Roger McBridge's series that follows Laura and Almanzo as well.

Thanks for the art and information - your thread is always a pleasure to visit.

95: I never read the Little House books as a kid, I'm not sure why because my sister did so they were around the house. I've read a several kids' books recently, old favorites and new to me, enjoy the simplicity and nostalgia, also the branching out from the relatively small set that was available to me in the mid to late 1960s.

Are you reading Newbery books in any particular order? Do you notice appearance or disappearance of themes over the years?

On the Banks of Plum Creek was one of my favorite books as a child. I am currently infected with watching the TV series on DVD. I tried to get my daughter interested in the Little House books when she was little, but she never liked them.

Hi, Linda! Amazing what gems you can find at yard sales! :)

>111 profilerSR:: my daughters never really got into them, either. Oh well, I enjoyed re-reading on my own anyway!

Chiming in as another huge Little House fan - I loved loved loved them when I was little!

Hi Linda, I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder books when I was growing up, and to satisfy my inner child, I sometimes watch the TV series in the afternoons when I'm working from home.

BOOK #87


Abel's Island by William Steig

Joining the folk who are reading YA books in July, I'm looking forward to making a dent in the Newbery books I want to read.

Abel's Island is a 1977 Newbery honor book that is deceptively simple. While bored with the beginning chapters, as the story progressed, I was captivated by the wonderful illustrations and descriptions of Abel, the sophisticated mouse who was stranded for a year on an island far away from his home.

When on a summer picnic with his new bride Amanda, a sudden storm approaches. Finding shelter in a cave, Abel risks safety to rescue Amanda's wind blown scarf. Whisked away in turbulent currents, it is this prized possession that he clings to through the long year of loneliness.

The pampered, sophisticated Abel humbly learns to fend for himself while facing many perils. Longing for Amanda and his creature comforts, Abel gradually accepts his fate while proudly growing in self sufficiency.

While the winter winds whip, when the screeching owl stalks Abel as prey, and when the spring rains swell the river and hinder his escape, Abel survives valiantly and takes solace in the stars at night, in the beauty of the water and the glistening of the snow.

I have fond memories of this book, will have to pull it off of the shelf and give it a reread. William Steig is wonderful!

#116: Abel's Island brings back memories! I read that book to Beth when she was far too young to understand it.

Abel's Island looks like a book I need to check out of the library. The illustrations look tantilizing. Why does it seem to me that the author's name sounds so familiar?

Anyway, have a happy 4th of July, Linda. You sweet, kind and thoughtful person! :)

Happy 4th, Linda! Any plans for a fun celebratory day?

Hope you have a great Fourth of July, Linda!

glitter-graphics.com

What a pretty cover on #87

Just stopping by to say Hi, I've been away for a few days so I am very behind on threads. I loved the Little House books when I was little. Some year for christmas i'm going to ask for the complete set. For some reason my mother gave mine to my sister in law. I'm currently reading Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy based on your recommendation so far it is very good. I feel so sorry for Turner the ministers son.

Ah, Linda, you are so encouraging to those of us who enjoy YA and children's lit. I loved Abel's Island and read it to my students many times over the years. My guilty secret, however, is that I have not read either the Little House books or the Anne of Green Gables series. Clearly I must work to remedy this sad gap in my reading experience--I'm very happy that this month has a Juvenile and YA theme for a thread, and that so many of the ones I have here in the house will fit into the TIOLI challenges in one way or another.

Have a safe and happy Fourth, Sweet One.

BOOK#88

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Christopher Paul Curtis did it again! In writing this 2000 Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King award-winning book, he wove another magical, enchanting, complex, well crafted and spell binding tale filled with poignancy, sadness and laughter while teaching history in a captivating way.

I've raved about this author before, so please indulge my obsession one more time in encouraging you to take a few hours of solitude to savor every word, phrase and nuance of this incredible writer.

What's in a name? The answer is a tremendous asset and sole identity to Bud, NOT Buddy! As a ten year old orphan in 1936 hard-hit depression filled Flint, Michigan, Bud has little else. Four years ago his beloved mother died, leaving him is name and a few possessions he guards with his life.

The sum total of his existence is held in a raggle taggle suitcase he lugs from one orphanage or foster home to another. The string-bound cardboard container holds some rocks with dates painted upon them, a photo of his mama as a child riding a pony, and a few fliers listing a jazz group led by Herman E. Calloway.

When the last foster home experience culminated in a beating and fearful night of imprisonment in a back yard shack, Buddy knows he has had enough! Believing that his mother kept the fliers for a reason and that his unknown father must be Herman E. Calloway, Buddy runs away from Flint to Grand Rapids, seeking love and a home to call his own.

Christopher Paul Curtis masterfully writes about such complex issues as homelessness, poverty, racism, cruelty and poverty.

Living in a cardboard Hooverville community for a few days, Bud meets likable, down and out characters. Finally reaching his destination and claiming his identity to the great jazz artist Mr. Calloway and The Dusky Devastators of the Depression, leads to unexpected discoveries for all with quite a surprising ending.

I loved this book! I loved the spunky, determination of Bud, the complexity of the characters, the historical backdrop of the jazz age and the skillful depiction of a bleak period of time in American history.

Five Stars!!!!

Fantastic review, Linda. Big thumb up from me!

Great review and sounds like a book I will have to read. Your review inspires me to pick up Elijah of Buxton for my next read now--a switch from the fantasy I've been almost overloading on!

Roni
You are in for a real treat. I'll be sure to watch for your impressions.

Happy July 4th to all.

Thanks for your encouragement Pat!

Hi Linda

I am glad that you liked Bud, Not Buddy - it was a favorite of mine when I read it for a class.

I really enjoyed the Laura Ingalls Wilder series when I was younger. My aunt gave me the whole series, including some extra books that were letters between Laura and her husband. In fourth grade our class did a Little House in the Big Woods play. Our teacher was obsessed with L.I. Wilder, so we had a whole unit on her. I still remember making maple snow like Laura did in the book.

Happy 4th of July!

I also loved Bud Not Buddy.

I read Bud Not Buddy last year, and really enjoyed it as well. It's amazing how such a rather short book can cover so many issues and still tell a great story. Christopher Paul Curtis is a very talented author!

Great reviews, Linda!
I never read the 'Little House' series, but the TV show was a huge success in Germany in the 70s, it was my first 'contact' with the US. We girls all wanted to look like Laura and Mary (and wanted our names changed into "Laura" and "Mary", they sounded so exotic!). 0.10 for a book - I would have bought them as well. Maybe I should read them one day.

The illustrations in Abel's Island look so beautiful...

Bud, not Buddy goes to the wishlist!

Hi Linda

I have a question regarding a book, and I think you will be the perfect person to answer it: I have A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck, can I read this before A Long Way From Chicago? Or should I wait until I get the first in the series? I just don't like reading books out of order, especially if it makes a difference. If it can be a stand alone book, then I am fine.

Thanks!

Linda, so cool about your hot review of Bud, Not Buddy!

Hi Jess

While the characters in both books are the same, they are independent books and in my opinion, A Year Down Yonder is a great place to start.

Thanks Richard! I very much enjoyed this book.

Hello to all and many thanks for visiting here!

BOOK#89


Mountain Born by Elizabeth Yates

This gentle story of a boy, a lamb, love and loss, is a 1944 Newbery honor book. It is a light, delightful read.

#130 I still remember making maple snow like Laura did in the book. We did that too! My Dad thought I was crazy, but we did have some maple trees and one year we did the whole sap boiling thing (but ONLY one year, because we ended up with scarcely more than a thimble full of syrup for all our work). I think he just wanted to show us how precious that little jug of real maple syrup was. As I recall, there wasn't much in the way of new fresh snow available by the time we got done either. But it just goes to show how much influence a book can have on a young mind.

Maple sap boiling sure smells good, doesn't it?

You're not making it any easier for me to sit here breathing re-recycled artificially chilled air with the faint hint of old pizza grease in it, Richard.

Hi Linda, just dropping by to wave hello and catch up with you.

Hey, Linda! Just dropping by to say I've finally caught up with your thread! *hugs* I've added After Life to the wishlist, and moved Penny from Heaven up. I hope you get to read the rest of the Laura Ingalls Wilder series soon! It's one of my favorite series of all time, and one that I constantly reread as a pre-teen and young teenager. In fact, I may have to go hunt down my set... it's been far too long since my last reread! All the books are great, but I think my favorites are probably On the Banks of Plum Creek and The Long Winter.

>140 laytonwoman3rd: *snerk*

It's interesting how everyone has different favorites from the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. I think Little Town on the Prairie was my favorite.

Okay, one good turn deserves another...you were kind enough to drop by my thread..so i do the same....STARRED you for sure....i have always liked the fact that you find such wonderful YA books. Sometimes i think that YA books are better than standard adult fare...if only for their sense of "possibility"...if that makes sense..

;-}

I fell like a slug today. I'm in Beavercreek, Ohio with my daughter and family. It is so darn hot that I'm house bound in the air conditioning.

I'll get a cortesone injection in my spine next week when I return, but for now I'm weary of the pain and the pain medications.

Ok, enough whining...now on to a wonderful event.

I have an incredible relationship with the mother of my first husband (that phrase always has a weird sound to it) since I was married and divorced twice. Unlike my second mother in law, this woman was/is always wonderful to me, taught me to sew, loved me unconditionally, shared a love of reading, and was/is a kind, gentle soul.

Normally we drive to Ohio from Pennsylvania but back and neck pain precluded that trek this time. Yesterday we traveled from ABE in Allentown to Philadelphia and then on to Dayton airport. She is 88 years old and while she was a world-wide traveler in her younger days, she hasn't flown in years. I cannot express how special it feels to have this unique relationship. She has a heart condition, is physically compromised with back problems and was hesitant to leave her home. Yet, here we are safe and sound.

US Air was wonderful in helping to transport her throughout the airports. While waiting for connecting flights we laughed and shared many memories. On the final leg of the journey, she looked over at me, touched my hand and smiled. I could have cried buckets, but contained it to a few trickles of joyous tears.

She will return home with me for a week while her children are on vacation. I get to be with her for two weeks and it is balm for a weary soul!

That is wonderful for both of you, I am sure, Linda... enjoy every single second~ hugs

What a beautiful testimony!

Awwww....I just got one of those squishy feelings...

Oh Linda! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful story!

Proof that friendship will always flourish, given any encouragement. Makes me smile all over.

What a charming story, Linda! And such a wonderful relationship - you're both very lucky.

Linda, you have a wonderful way of describing relationships that are important to you. I also remember the fond way you described your times with your grandmother.

#151: Here I was thinking that we were proof that friendship could flourish, given encouragement, Richard :)

I hope you have a wonderful time with your family and your ex-MIL, Linda!

>154 alcottacre:: HA HA HA!
Lovely story, Linda.

#154 ZINGER!! Good on ya, Stasia.

>154 alcottacre: Okay, ya got me...how 'bout FURTHER proof etc etc? I think that's a truer statement anyway.

Sounds like a very special time, Linda. I'm glad that you are enjoying it in spite of your neck/back. But be careful!
Hmmmm. We're all the same under our personal loads of stuff: is that what it means to encourage and flourish???

BOOK #90

Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo



I'm not sure where to start a review regarding this book other than to say right up front, I didn't like it. Perhaps after years of church politics, I'm jaded. Perhaps as I've watched ministers cheat on their wives and people who claim to be very "Christian" act in an abhorrent "non-Christian" manner, I've lost a lot of the vim and vigor I had years ago when I sat in the church pew.

Perhaps as I've grown weary of those who preach about not throwing stones become the ones who catapult the boulders, I've shaken my head and moved along.

Perhaps realizing that I fall very far from traditional Christian beliefs, I also hope and believe that random acts of kindness are important and treating others how you want to be treated is indeed a golden rule to try to follow. And, I know that in judging the conservative view that unless one finds Jesus they will not get to heaven, I'm in some way judging those who believe this.

Years ago a wonderful Islamic friend asked her leader how it can be that even though I helped her tremendously when her husband died unexpectedly, that unless I profess Islam I will not go on to the next level when I die. At that same time I attended a bible study class wherein there was a very heated discussion by the leader of the group who told me my Islamic friend would be going to hell because she did not profess Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

I don't doubt the story line of this book. Four year old Colton Burpo was rushed to the hospital with a burst appendix, barely surviving, his minister father and Christian mother did what most would do in this situation...They prayed. Miraculously Colton recovered. I understand and believe in prayer and I wholeheartedly know the power of it.

After his recovery Colton began to tell his family about his three minute death and transition into heaven. He relates many vivid details that parallel the teachings of the bible. I didn't have a problem with this part of the story. I do believe there is another life that awaits us.

What bothered me about the book was the literal translations and the overwhelming platitudes that ozzed off each page.

Nice review, but I wouldn't touch that book with a 10 foot pole.

EXploiting that child should be grounds for criminal charges. Nauseating.

Brave of you to read it at all, Linda. I suspect that there are people out there who have had genuine near-death or out-of-body experiences, but once they start talking and writing about them, it's like they're trying to hand someone else a soap bubble. Can't be done.

I've had one. My mother had one. Neither of us saw fit to yipyap about it to all and sundry. Jeesh...and this little kid's being set up as some sort of prophet of the reality of Christian heaven. Disgusting.

Hi Linda- Since you are our resident YA expert, have you heard the buzz on Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher? This one sounds terrific.

Well I wouldn't read that book but I sure enjoyed your review, Linda.

Mark
I read Thirteen Reasons Why a few years ago. It is a very sobering book regarding the impact of bullying on a young woman. It haunts me still.

Is there recent buzz about the book? Please tell me more.

I recently heard a couple glowing reviews of Thirteen Reasons Why, on a book podcast. I thought it was a new release. I'm glad you liked it, if that's the right word.

Linda, I really enjoyed your review. I have not read the book and I don't plan too. I completely believe the truth in the boy's story, i just don't appreciate how his father is using it.

Hmm, that book sounds interesting but like others here, I dont think Ill be seeking it out. I do however love the notes you wrote on your first MIL. Relationships are what makes life important.

Hi, Linda! Safe travels to you, and enjoy family time. So sweet that you have such a good relationship with your first MIL.

#159: I am not touching that one with a 10-foot pole either. I do believe in Heaven, but am not willing to go through 'oozing platitudes' to read more about the son's experience - and I am with Richard about the parents. Shame on them.

Impossible to keep up with you on this fred flintstone laptop.. sigh
*waves*

Linda, it's so kind of you to screen out these horrid little books...I won't be doing this one either.

I appreciated the story about your former mother-in-law. It's wonderful how you two could maintain that relationship in spite of all the messy difficulties involved.

And I'm so sorry about your back pain. It can be disabling, I know. Many {{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}} and a few *smooches* to you, Dear.

Hello to all.

I think the book is a NY Times Bestseller!!!! Oh My!!! I was very bothered by what seemed to be the father's righteousness. At times if felt like he prompted the little guy in matching what he wanted him to say to then corelate with literay biblical phrases.

Next up..a Newbery honor book The Upstairs Room. I'm glad there is a July thread for YA and thus I can seriously make a dent in the piles of Newbery's yet to read.

Happy day to all. It finally rained here and perhaps it will be cooler in flat, hot, humid Beavercreek, Ohio.

Not a book I want anywhere near me either. And imho, the fact that a book is a NYT Bestseller is far from guaranteeing that it's anything I want to read.

I loved the story about you first MIL. Sometimes it's seems that what we think is the "main" relationship is simply a conduit to meeting other people who end up being much more meaningful in our lives. That's been my experience several times anyway.

Linda, I just picked up The Hundred Dresses last night and couldn't put it down till I got to the last page. What a wonderful little book! Thanks for recommending it. I'm glad our July theme is helping you reach one of your goals.

Stay cool!

This is my favorite site to purchase books....For those of you who do not want to buy more books, simply do not go to the link.

Beware...it is a dangerous place to visit.
http://p4trc.emv2.com/HM?a=ENX7CqkmpP5G8SA9MKJNPf_nGHxKLKLo4PcStGb5lw8W0bBhOG5mp...

Oh yes, I know this place... they're having a major inventory sale right now too on the Canadian site. But then I find it's such a slog to search for books, and when I realized I'd been at it for 20 mins, I suddenly remembered that I'm trying to buy less books and decided to get the hell out'a dodge! :-)

Hi Linda! Got behind in your thread, so I didn't get to say:

1. The Long Winter is my favorite, and I've had the opportunity to enjoy the Little House books all over again on audio with my daughter. Cherry Jones does a fabulous job narrating them--plus there is fiddle music!

2. Have added Abel's Island to my list. I loved William Steig's Amos and Boris.

3. Your relationship with your MIL (former) is a treasure. How wonderful when we have friends like that in our lives!

4. Heaven is for Real is scary. Thanks for confirming my suspicions about this one.

I hope the cortisone shot helps. I ricochet back and forth between trying to allow myself to heal (i.e. do nothing that will cause me to bend over, lift things, walk far, sit long, or stand in one place) and deciding to live life a little, even if it means more pain. I see my surgeon next week, and he'll check on how it's healing. He's also going to inject cortisone in the bursa sac on my right hip; he removed the left one when he operated on that side.

Lisa

Good luck next week when you visit your surgeon. Please keep me posted. An injection in the bursa sac of your right hip sounds very painful...ouch.

Hi Linda! I hope you have a wonderful and special time with the former MIL. I enjoyed your comments on the Heaven is for Real book. I always enjoy your reviews, even when you don't like the book. Your reviews always make me think. :)

Thanks Sher! It is nice to hear from you.

BOOK #91


The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss

This is a 1973 Newbery Honor book, an American Library Association Notable Children's book, a Jane Addams Peace Association Honor book and a winner of the prestigious Buxtehuder Bulle German children's book award.

Taken from real-life experiences of the author, she tells the story of four years of confinement in a cramped attic room during the Nazi occupation of Holland. Eager to destroy the Jewish population, the Nazi's beat, brutalized and killed anyone willing to hide Jewish people.

Bravely, a gentile family who were farmers, provided refuge for Annie de Leeuw and her sister Sini. Written from the perspective of eight year old Annie, the reader learns of the day to day boredom and fear of their confinement.

Recommended

The Upstairs Room is going on my wishlist!

I'm definitely adding The Upstairs Room to the list of books I'll be getting my niece for her birthday in August. Thanks for the recommendation, Linda.

You know Linda, this whole time I've been following your progress on the Newbery challenge you set for yourself and never thought to ask what made you decide to take it on?

The Upstairs Room is an excellent book to teach YA folk about history. It is in some ways understated and undramatic, while dealing with a very serious topic.

Ilana, I became interested in the Newbery books after reading some very insightful ones early on in the quest. Then, decided to read the earlier ones in comparison with the most recent books to glean a sense of the history of the YA genre and how an "award-winning" book is categorized.

I admit to a strong obsessive compulsive trait and when I began to compile the list of all the Newbery's simply thought it would be a very interesting goal to achieve.

Thanks for asking.

186: Ah, I'd wondered (in message 110) about the historical perspective. Have you talked about this in another thread?

Hi Linda! I got way behind - again. Hope your health picks up and how nice to hear your MIL story. So many family members 'go to the mattresses' after a divorce, it's nice to know there are some reasonable people in the world.

That HIFR book makes me shudder - not that I read it or ever would. Somehow I have a picture in my head of mounds and mounds of copies sitting in churches of that ilk all over the country so they can be passed out to the faithful on Sunday - or worse, people being badgered to buy by their leaders. Yuck. Thanks for taking the bullet for the rest of us on that one.

Just popping in to say hello. I hope you're having a nice weekend!

I'm way behind too but glad that you are reading and posting! Your ex-MIL story reminds me of my college roommate. She remained such close friends with her ex-SIL that she was matron of honor in her second wedding.
The HIFR book is completely off my radar, and I even sing in the choir! The church universal is a pretty complex animal!

Thanks Linda. And hey, if it weren't for a bit (or a lot) of obsessive compulsion, I'm sure we would still all be living in caves and eating meat still attached to the living animal. In other words, it's a good thing if you ask me.

>191 Smiler69:: tee hee!

I hope you are taking care of yourself, Linda... and feeling better.

BOOK#92


After the Rain by Norma Fox Mazer

This 1988 Newbery honor book tackles the difficult subject of family relationships, anticipatory grief and care taking of an elder relative.

Highly intelligent fifteen year old Rachel is the child of older parents. Feeling smothered by unnecessary attention, she is out of touch with them. In addition, her intelligence marks her as unapproachable and thus she doesn't quite understand how to fit in with peers.

Rachel's grandfather Izzy is diagnosed with cancer. Known as a cantankerous, crabby, judgmental and inappropriately, brutally honest man, he pushes those who love him away. As Rachel reaches out to her grandfather and tests the boundaries by insisting on helping him, gradually a very special relationship develops.

Aware of the limitations of time, through love and compassion, Rachel discovers confidence and strength she never knew she had. In helping her grandfather, she learns the power of family and friends.

Beautifully told, the author never dove in the waters of sentimentality. There is a very real, honest depiction of the difficulty of relationships. The author does not stoop to placing a big red bow on a neat package, nor does she shine an unnecessary harsh light on dysfunction, rather, she writes and honest, realistic portrayal of life and death.

You are reading so many interesting children's and young adult books. I have added The Upstairs Room to my list. I read Mountain Born to my children several years ago when they were much younger and we all loved it.

The Upstairs Room looks really good, however, I'm not going to buy is as am taking your advice re: the link you posted! :-)
For those of you who do not want to buy more books, simply do not go to the link
I'll do the old tried and tested library-catalogue-check first and then maybe check out the other options...

#194: Adding that one to the BlackHole!

Great review of After the Rain, Linda, and a big thumbs up from me.

#195. Thanks for stopping by.
#196 The Upstairs Room is intriguing. The author notes that the family who housed her were not heroes but people with strengths and weaknesses. This prompted me to do a little research and I found she wrote a sequel to The Upstairs Room and also later in her life took her two daughters and husband to Holland to visit the farmhouse and those who sequestered her. My local library has these two books and I'll obtain them when I return home from Dayton, Ohio.

#197...Hi there...Your blackhole must be enormous. Even at your rate of reading, you will need to live to be at least 100...which, naturally, I do hope happens.

#198..Hi Pat...Thanks for the thumbs up. This was another newbery book that insightfully dealt with a difficult subject.

Hi, Sweetheart! Hope you're feeling well today and that life is as pleasant as it can be for you.

Great review of After the Rain well worth the tiny thumb. I'm going to add it to my WL, but probably won't get to it for a while. Sometimes in a funk, I scan the WL for inspiration, though.

Hi There Gail. I think of you and hope all is well with you and your husband.

Thanks for the thumbs up!

BOOK #93


My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

This 1960 Newbery Honor book is also an American Library Association notable book. Chronicling the adventures of 13 year old Sam Gribley home to brave the wild in the Catskill mountains of New York. If you can dispel your parental questions of how in the world a young man can leave home and not be hounded down by his distraught parents, then this book will be a gem for you.

Sam fulfills the dream of young and old alike who long to escape the madness of society and live like Henry David Thoreau with nature as your only companion.

Living for a year in the forest, Sam is totally self sustaining.

The author notes that publishers originally rejected her book for fear it would encourage young adults to run away from home.

I Love the sound of that book
*rushing to library catalogue to see if it's available*

Hi Linda, just trying to catch up. I used to read My Side of the Mountain to my fifth graders every year. They loved it, especially those hard to reach boys.

If I could only get my niece interested in LT, I'd love to point her to your thread, Linda. She'd be able to start building her own obese wish list from the books you read.

>194 Whisper1: I read After the Rain for a YA lit class I took years ago. I loved it then. Great review!

202: Oh, there was a movie of My Side of the Mountain when I was a kid. 1969 says Wikipedia. I have no memory except that it triggers a positive impression. Don't recall whether I read the book, though I'd guess yes.

#199: Frankly, the BlackHole is so big I can never die :)

#202: I loved My Side of the Mountain when I was younger. I really need to give the book a re-read. It has been years.

Good Stasia...Hang around for a long, long time.

I hope your headache is gone today.

I adored My Side of the Mountain as a child, reread it many times! Always wanted to see the Catskills as a result, growing up in flat Kansas.

Roni

The author noted that even though the book is fiction, many go to visit the Catskills actually hunting for the area where they think Sam camped in the woods.

I was a big fan of My Side of the Mountain. I read this, the first time in 7th grade. Don't laugh, but I began to seriously consider running away and pulling a Sam. I was happy at home but I wanted to rough it in the woods. I wouldn't have lasted 24 hours.

Such a response for My Side of the Mountain! I never read it... never heard of it..
Maybe I should remedy that.

Hi Linda!!

Hi Linda! Just swinging by to say HI while I get caught up on LT.

My Side of the Mountain sounds like something I'd enjoy. Onto the obese wishlist it goes!

Linda, I remember really enjoying My Side of the Mountain when I was young.

Hi Linda, I see you are enjoying the July YA reads as I am. You increase my wish list everytime I visit your thread!

I adored My Side of the Mountain when I was in elementary and middle school. I never planned to run away, but I do remember making elaborate plans to camp out in the woods near my grandparents' house on our next visit -- I had a backpack with all of the stuff I thought I'd need, based on my reading of the book! (On that next trip, I ended up spending a lot of my daytime hours in the woods, but never slept out in them on my own . . . and I never managed to find food the way Sam did. I think I ate some wild onions, but that was the extent of my foraging!)

I haven't reread it in a few years, but keep meaning to do so.

Hi Linda, trying to catch up but it's good to see the great reading has continued here. Someone else posted a question on your Newberry reads and I was wondering, how many books are there on the list altogether and are you just focusing on the winners or all the nominees? I keep telling myself to look more at the book awards lists but then my bedside table full of books glares at me and I let it go..

Hey Linda! *waving by*

Hello to all.

I'm back from Ohio and had a lower back cortesone injection this morning. The pain management doc is a very capable, friendly man. I'm going to take it easy today and make a dent in the 75 challenge re. July YA books.

Leonie...I believe there are a total of 383 Newbery medal and honor books. I vow to read them all. Thus far I've read 76, which means I've read about 19% of them.

Thanks for asking.

Hey there Piyush. How are you?

Happy day to all.

#221 -- Your post made me wander how many of the Newbery books I've read. I came up with 75 that I've definitely read, and 8 more that I might have read as a child, but don't remember much about them. I'm not planning on reading all of them, but certainly make it a goal to read a few each year. I enjoy reading your reviews of them!

If anyone else is curious, the list is here on the ALA website.

Welcome home, Linda. Glad you had some good weather to greet you. Hope you're enjoying some pain relief after the injection.

Welcome home Linda! I loved My side of the Mountain when i read it with my son. It's one of the first chapter books he read. I've read 86 Newbery medal and honor books some day I will get to them all. I have not read After the Rain yet. It looks good. I will move it up on my list.

Have a great restful day today and here's hoping the injections help you stay pain-free for a good long while Linda.

I didn't realize there were that many Newbery Medals and honors! Thanks Leonie for asking about it.

Hi Linda!
Wow! That's a lot of Newbery winners. I need to take a closer look at this list.
I like to rec books to my grands - parents are so busy - I can do this for them!
And you are helping me to become aware of some great reads. Thanks.

I'm so surprised and happy that all four of my grandchildren (Ages 7-11) love to read. :)

I'm 150 posts behind, Linda, so although I can only scan the posts I particulary stopped by to say hi and glad you're safely home and had a wonderful time with your family. Please rest that back of yours, it's the only one you've got. :)

Thanks to all for your well wishes. What a wonderful group of kind, considerate people!

I am blessed!

BOOK #94
The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox


This 1974 Newbery Medal award winning book is by far the most compelling, graphic and intensely dark Newbery I've read. Having said this, you may wonder why I highly recommend this dark tale full of vivid, violent details.

The answer is simply this: Slavery was abhorrently wrong and this book captures the gruesomeness of the slave trade without stopping to the real temptation of pounding home a truth to the point wherein the reader closes the pages. Never exploiting the power of the evil, but honestly capturing the horror, Paula Fox did a marvelous job of addressing man's inhumanity to man. In 152 short pages the author accomplished what many writers cannot do with 500 pages of text.

In 1840 Jessie Bollier lives in New Orleans with his hardworking seamstress mother and his lovable sister. Veering off the path when returning from his Aunt's house, he is kidnapped and taken aboard a slave ship. He is a young 13 year old white male who, while aware of the dirty business of slavery, had no idea what was in store for him or the slaves.

Playing the fife during the day to earn extra money to help his mother renders him a target of the nasty traders who capture him and stow him on the ship. His job is to play for the slaves when they are allowed a bit of sunshine on deck. Providing sunshine is not done as a kind deed, rather the precious cargo is forced to dance in order to provide stronger muscle tone when they are sold at the final destination of Cuba. As Jessie witnesses the injustice, his notes become disjointed and shrill and he is beaten if he does not earn his keep.

Jessie witnesses fights, treachery and hostility between ship mates. As the ship travels to Africa and then to Cuba, the author's excellent writing, provides clear, crisp images that anchor the reader while the ship is tempest tossed and hell bent toward finishing their destination The journey becomes darker and deeper as evil resides above the deck and 98 slaves witness terror below.

When Jessie asserts that if the slaves are not treated properly there will not be more trading with the salves all gone, the response of a crew mate is simply stated as "The slaves are never gone!' All of Africa is a bottomless sack of blacks." Thus, with one sentence the author captured the incredible evil misconception that life does not matter...that it does not matter at all!!!!!

Another example of excellent writing are these paragraph:

For some time after the sun had set, the sky remained the color of rope. The ship lay steady on the glass-lie surface of the water which was pricked, now and then, into small ripples when a seabird struck its surface.

A few lanterns were strung up to give us light. They made a mystery of the ship -- we floated like a live ember in a great bowl of darkness.

This is anything but a light, easy-breezy YA book. It is nonetheless a part of history that cries to be told with bitter, angry tears of righteous indignation. And, if as the final page is turned, the reader does not come away with the brutality of American slavery, then there is something dramatically wrong with our society.

This is an author I'll be sure to read again.

FIVE big stars!

Glad to hear that the cortisone shots are helping with your pain some, Linda. I always have a bad reaction to cortisone, so they're a no-go for me. You've read some of my favorite books from my late elementary/middle school years lately. I loved loved The Upstairs Room, My Side of the Mountain, and After the Rain. I was a big fan of Norma Fox Mazer's books in general... she's an author you don't hear much about these days. I was also a big Paula Fox fan, although I never read The Slave Dancer. I will have to add it to my TBR list!

I'm also sorry you didn't like The Witches of Worm, I remember being really creeped out by it as a kid. I was a big fan of Zilpha Keatley Snyder's The Egypt Game which was WAY better, too.

Marcia

As always, it is wonderful to hear from you!

#229: Great review, Linda!

I remember The Slave Dancer from when I was young, maybe middle school age. Some of my favorite books around then were about either that era or the Holocaust; for some reason those fascinated me. My Name Is Not Angelica was another one, and The Devil's Arithmetic.

So, how are you feeling today? I am hoping that you
feel wonderful .. :)

Nice review of The Slave Dancer. I had forgotten about that one. It would be hard to write about slavery without incorporating its cruel and violent nature. I am glad this one was such a good read for you!

I hope you are feeling better Linda and are able to get lots of rest in the meantime!

Hi Linda!
Just put The Slave Dancer on my WL. Great review!

#202 I listened to an interview of Jean Craighead George, and her family life growing up gave her, in a positive way, the skills she gave Sam in My Side of the Mountain; including an independence that seems frightening in today's world. Another very independent boy who grew up fully capable, I believe, of doing the same as Sam is Sterling North. His memoir of the year he was eleven, Rascal, is quite astonishing compared to what we allow our children now.

My daughter loved these books as well as Julie of the Wolves and Island of the Blue Dolphins, each of which feature a girl who must survive on her own in the wilderness. Since reading them, my daughter has spent hours learning to use a jackknife to carve spears,
to identify native plants, and to try and tame wild birds. She has already asked when I'm going to allow her to live on her own for a week out in the wilderness. She's 8! I told her she needed to take it in small steps. This summer she slept out in the tent in the backyard all night with nary a qualm. Hopefully, she won't runaway to do it, but I can envision her testing herself in some way.

The Slave Dancer looks wonderful. That's one thing I like about the Newbery books, is they teach children about the horrific things that have happened in the past so that future generations don't make the same mistakes as past generations. I like how some of these books don't sugar coat the past so that kids see how wrong something was.

Great review, Linda. Hope you're feeling better as the cortisone takes effect...I can remember getting shots and taking pills for poison ivy as a child and adolescent...they worked well then; hope it can do the trick for you.

Hi Linda, I hope you are feeling better today.
I want to say that I love your reviews, although most of the books you are currently reading are more or less out of reach for me, as I can't get them here and ordering from the US is quite expensive. For many years I have avoided children's and YA books, but your thread and Ilana's have convinced me to open my eyes to this genre again.

Bonjour, Linda!

BOOK#95

Grave Secrets by Cyril Wecht

I so disliked this disjointed, poorly written, boring book that I won't bother to write a lot about my thoughts, other than to note that Wecht appears to be an egotistical, egocentric "expert" on how to perform an autopsy.

A disappointing read.

I am sorry you disliked the book so much. I hope you enjoy your next read more!

Thanks for lending this one to me! I'm currently all over the place with books. I'm reading 4-5 different ones.

4-5 is what I need to be reading at the moment rather than 18 or so. I feel like I have been treading water this week: reading, but getting nothing finished!

Linda, I'm not sure I would read that book anyway, but at least now I know not to give my sister this book!

I've just caught up on your thread - when did 247 messages appear and where was I?! - and have been enjoying all your reviews. My kids are still a bit little for most of Newbery winners but I'm looking forward to reading some of them together in a few years. I read some of the Ingalls Wilder series years ago, and have bought the first one and keep trying to get the kids interested but not yet!

Lovely reading about how close you are to your first mother-in-law, too.

Wecht is local. He is often on tv ( including during his recent trial )
I agree with your conclusion of egotistical, egocentric "expert".

Despite that, the whole trial thing was a farce, and all politics..
he only did what others in office do. I say, kick them all out!

I remember Wecht when I lived in Pittsburgh, and agree with you and Kath; he came across as an egotistical bore boor.

whew! It is good to receive validation regarding my thoughts of Wecht. IMHO the book was filled with him, him, him...He had some rather interesting insights and I don't doubt his intelligence. But too often he seemed pompous, self righteous and arrogant. If he comes across that way on the written page, God help anyone who actually has to be in his company for any length of time.

He seemed to be a name dropper. Maybe I'm jaded from 27 years of working in academia, but frankly, I'm just so darn weary of self important, educated idiots...

Ok, I'm getting off the soap box now.

The Slave Dancer is on the wishlist. It's sounds like a great read, but your review certainly did a good job of conveying how effectively the book delivers it's message.

I'll be only too glad to avoid Grave Secrets on the other hand!

Hi, Linda! Just stopping by to catch up, and to wish you a wonderful evening.

I hope the cortisone shot is making life more comfortable for you.

#246 reading, but getting nothing finished

I know the feeling! And in my case, actually getting nothing finished! I still hope to finish Huckleberry Finn by the end of this week though it will take some concentrated reading.

*Waves to Linda in passing, shouting "some day there will come a book we have both read"*

Hi Linda, hope you're feeling better now. Thank you for the great review of The Slave Dancer, it sounds amazing, are you going to post it on the reviews page as I'd love to give it a thumbs up.

I also seem to be reading very little at the moment and it is all over the place. Time of year? July reading blues maybe? I want to read more but I can't seem to focus for very long, a terrible plight for a bookworm.

Stopping by to say hi!! I love the YA books that you've read - or at least the pictures of the covers!So cute! Sorry your last read was a bummer!

It's just me, popping in to say Hello before I get down to working. I've missed you!

Linda, I read The Tiger Rising today in just one short sitting. It's so sad and so beautiful. Thanks for recommending it.

Here's a link to an interview you might enjoy, Linda. You may remember I've pushed Clara on the YA readers in this group before. She's an old friend.

Hello to all and thanks for stopping by. Ilana, I'm glad you enjoyed The Tiger Rising. Kate DiCamillo is one of my favorite authors!

Thanks for the link Linda!

Terri....I miss you too.

Sorry to all for my infrequent posts. Work load, effects of the cortesone injection and the heat have left me energy compromised.

It is time for a new thread. Please visit me here. Thanks!
http://www.librarything.com/topic/120916