Whisper's 2009 Reading Take Two

The first thread was getting too long, here is the link for that one:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/51585

Hah! See you got it done. Good job. Welcome to the 2-thread gang!

Dear President of the 2-Thread Gang!

Thanks! I note that your second thread is already quite a long one. I'll be interested to see how many threads you will have by the end of 2009.

#3: I am afraid I might have one for every month this year at the rate it is going. Oh, well, I guess I should be flattered, right?

Maybe the two of you should have a thread for each month. I manage to keep up for awhile and then get overwhelmed if I fall behind. Maybe I spend too much time reading books. :-)

Good to see your second thread up and running :)

Starring your new thread to keep a close eye on you, Whisper!!

kiwidoc
now, if only I didn't follow your thread my tbr pile would not be as large.... BUT, there are so many great books I've added this year from your thread and others that I've been following.

Piyush...How are you feeling? Better?

Hi Linda,
I am feeling much better, thanks for asking. When are you getting operated?

Hi Piyush
I meet with the surgeon tomorrow morning to set a date for the following week. The sooner the better!

Glad you are up and about. It is a very cold Pennsylvania day. How is the weather in India?

Linda, it is starting to get warm here, summer has arrived! In my home town, day temperature rises to 48-49 degree celsius in May(peak of summer). As of now it is around 38-40 degrees there and in the range of 35-37 degrees where I live (for the last 2 years), as compared to Pennsylvania for example, where google tells me, temperature is -1 degree C!

Frantically looks for Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion charts.

>11 PiyushC:: So, by my standards, it is not "starting to get warm."

It is now boiling hot and will rise to Inferno-like in the summer. Anything over 21°C is "starting to get warm." Anything over 30°C is "getting quite hot."

:-)

Just wanted to check in with my comments on your old thread (late, as usual). I listened to 84, Charing Cross Road on audiobook, and found it absolutely enchanting that way, also. One of my very favorite books. And I thought I had read all of the Roald Dahlbooks (are you kidding? with 3 sons who had a schoolteacher grandmother? I think we had every Scholastic book ever published!), but I'd never heard of Revolting Rhymes. I'll bet my grandson would like that one...maybe I'll buy it and loan it to him when I'm finished!

#12:
http://www.onlineconversion.com/temperature.htm

#11: I'd die in 48C temps. It's -9C here right now. Beautiful day too.

Just wanted to check in and let you know that I've tracked you down! Hope to be back again soon. :)

>13 TadAD:
LOL, I take back my words, it is already hot now and summer is quite unbearable with strong dry and hot winds blowing the entire day. In winter the temperature drops down to 4 degree C, which is not too bad.
PS: All these weather discussions relate to my hometown, Nagpur (the center of India) and not India in general which has quite diverse climatic conditions (We also have the Himalayas).

>12 jasmyn9:
Apologies for the confusion, here is the equation: F = (9/5)C + 32

>15 tiffin:
No, you wont, trust me on this :P

Hey, Linda! Starring your new thread!

The Handmaid and The Carpenter by Elizabeth Berg.

I've been fortunate because I've read 38 books thus far in 2009 and this is the first one I can NOT recommend.
The writing is dull, flat, mediocre. I wanted to like it because I've enjoyed some of Berg's other books, but this is one wherein I scratch my head wondering how it ever got published.

I've followed you to your new thread Whisper and starred it as well.
I appreciate your honesty concerning The Handmaid. I like the cover so I probably would have picked it up at some point so thanks for saving my time.

Linda, hope your meeting with the surgeon goes well.
You've caused me to add a couple of books to my TBR mountain range. Next year I plan on having a "Books on Books" category and I'm collecting titles as I go, so the last part of your previous thread was very helpful.

> 19

"I scratch my head wondering how it ever got published." - she was probably contracted to write a certain number of books and the publisher had no choice relying on good will for sales. Pure speculation of course ;)

This book is too small to count in the number of books read, but it is worth mentioning:


The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl

Short and pithy, this is a story of the Notsobig one Crocodile who stays in the river where he belongs and the Enormous Crocodile who journeys into town where he can find juicy, meaty little children to devour.

While on his quest, the bragger Enormous Crocodile succeeds in antagonizing beasts along the way. Disguising himself as a coconut tree, a picnic bench, a carousel animal and a see saw, the vile reptile is thwarted by those he insulted.

This was not one of the most clever or creative of Dahl's books. I found it disappointing.

>23 Whisper1:: "too small to count", but boy does it seem big when you have a child who demands to have it read to them every night before bed ;-)

Hi FlossieT

It is a cute book and I can understand why your little boy would want it read and re-read.

When my youngest daughter (now 26) was a little one, she wanted us to repeat The Sneetches on the Beaches by Dr. Suess. I miss those days!

I'm not sure if the following will come through, but Abba's song Slipping Through My Fingers comes to mind. How fast they slip away....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfObZZshunA&NR=1

I used to really love that book when I was younger. Not sure how I would feel about it now but I thought it was wonderful then.

Following along with you, Whisper. And FlossieT, I would love to have those little pyjama-ed bodies snuggled close on each side while I read to them again (they're 28, 6'3" and about 220 lbs now). I think they leave an imprint on your psyche that never goes away.

I hope everybody saw Whisper on the "Hot Review" list today--for her review of The BFG!

Congratulations! Now all of LT can enjoy the review and learn about Roald Dahl.

While the tale is a cute, silly story, I'm not keen on the fact that Mr. Hoppy wins a heart via deception.

That is exactly how I felt, Whisper! And, similarly about Danny, the Champion of the World, which condones poaching.... They are funny stories though :)

Glad you enjoyed The BFG!

After all the recommendations and reviews by Linda, I couldn't resist anymore putting Roald Dahl to my list of authors TBR this year.

>25 Whisper1: The star-belly Sneetches! I have very fond memories of them, along with the little pink thing with the long pink hair sitting on the tiny cushion in One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.

Whisper I saw your hot review too - well done!

Alynnk we have One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish a lot here! I really like it. Our other over-and-over fish book is A Fish out of Water. I've read my son (4) The Enormous Crocodile but he was a bit little and got too scared (am holding off on the BFG too).

Digifish I know what you mean about the poaching but I LOVED Danny the C of the W when I was little. It was my favourite after Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I had a boxed set of 6 Dahl novels, and didn't read the others till I had my own kids.

>27 tiffin:: tiffin, it is rather nice, I have to admit... although at the moment their tastes are wildly different so usually it's three separate lots of bedtime stories. More snuggling time though :)

Bother it - I missed your hot review displayed on the home page - well deserved I know!!! Congratulations.

Add my congratulations to the rest, Linda. Great job!

Congratulations on your hot review Linda!

I hope all went well with your Dr. appointment. Hopefully, you will start feeling much better when everything is taken care of. You have my sympathies, I know how horrible gall bladder problems can be. Feel better soon!

Missed your review too, whisper. It was gone by time I'd read about it here. Way to go, regardless.

Message 28
Carolyn
Thank you ever so much for mentioning this.

29-27
A BIG thanks to all of you as well.

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
This book is marvelously crafted and it is one of the best I've read this year. It is a masterpiece of haunting beauty.

Though it was told in a much different rendition than the Disney interpretation, as a child Becca and her three sisters repeatedly heard the story of Briar Rose by their grandmother.

Becca, the youngest sister was enthralled by her grandmother's storytelling abilities. In real life, very little was known of Gemma, other than she insisted she was a princess rescued by a prince who broke through the thorns of the castle wherein all were silent and asleep. The Prince then kissed her and woke her from deep sleep.

On her deathbed Becca's Polish immigrant grandmother pleaded with her to "find the castle."

Discovering fragments of her grandmother's history in a box left behind, Becca undertakes an incredible journey to Poland where she learns of the brutality inflicted on the innocent at an extermination camp that was housed in a schloss (castle.)

Weaving the tale of Briar Rose and the Holocaust, Yolen vividly depicts the horror at Chelmno, Poland where from 1942-1945, 320,000 people were gassed and buried in mass graves.

Fairytales do not always have happy endings. But, while this book covers a terrible tragedy, it is also a tale of courage, of sacrifice and the power of redemption.

#40: Linda, I read a couple of Yolen's books last year that I can recommend: Here There Be Dragons and The Devil's Arithmetic, if you are interested.

I am putting Briar Rose on Continent TBR.

Briar Rose has gone onto the wishlist, it sounds just the kind of thing I would thoroughly enjoy.

Duh! A lightbulb just flashed above my head as I read the posts below The Enormous Crocodile. Even though my son is almost 10, I realized that I've stopped reading to him, unintentionally of course, but everybody's busy, blah blah blah. So I am heading out to the library today and picking up every Dahl book on the shelf and we're going to read, read, read and when we're done we'll read somemore.
Thanks to all who made me see the light.

I read Briar Rose a few years ago, and I thought it was very well written. Fascinating, haunting, and memorable... Yolen really has a gift for conveying strong messages & evoking powerful sentiment throughout the various genres she writes in.

Briar Rose looks wonderful - thanks for the great review Linda, I am adding it to my TBR list!

message 41, Stasia
I've added the two Yolen books you mentioned. Thanks.

Message 42, 46. I don't think you will be disappointed.

#44, Faith, it really is all the things you mentioned.

And, last but not least, Lynda...marvelous idea. Grab as many of those books as you can and read away.
I now have a delightful six year old grand daughter and I recently reminded myself that her mother slipped through my fingers because I was so busy with work and all sorts of other things, but the most important thing...my child!
I read to Kayla every chance I get.

Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

This is a 2005 Newberry Medal winner and the first book written by the author. As I turned the pages, I was aware that it would end and I wanted it to go on and on. A big thanks to Molly 4407 (Leslie) for recommending this one.

Set in the 1950's and 60's in Georgia, told from the voice of Katie, the middle child. One Japanese-
American family of only a few in the rural south, Katie's family learns of deep seated prejudice and poverty that grinds the soul.

Eeking out a living, the very proud Takeshima family literally work day and night to own a small home. While temporarily happy in their hard-earned accomplishment, their joy is soon overshadowed by the serious illness of their oldest child.

Kadohata's abiding theme of this wonderful book is the love Katie shares with her older sister and her family. Lynn is the mentor of Katie, the one who taught her to look at life through the words "kira-kira", meaning glittering, sparkly.

As Lynn's life ebbs away, through grief and pain, the lessons taught to Katie by her sister and family shine through.

I'm frustrated in writing this review because the book that is so stunningly special that words are elusive.

Simply stated: This is a MUST read.

There are not enough (Kira-Kira) sparkling stars or words to describe it.

Linda, your thread is dangerous to my bank account! Kira-Kira makes two books just from today that I must read! Another great review :)

Cait86.

I obtained the book from my local library and must return it. But, I plan to go to the bookstore and buy a copy. It is one worth obtaining.
Thanks for your compliment...much appreciated.

Whisper, I could feel through your words the impact this book had on you. Well said. I will find and read this, simply on the basis of your recommendation.

#43: when our very large and young man son had surgery, his dad read to him in the hospital as he recovered. We thought he had fallen asleep from the anaesthetic but he said "don't stop, it makes me feel so safe". I guess we're never too old to be read to and it has untold wonderful side effects. ;)

>48 Whisper1:: This looks so good. I have been looking for something worthwhile to read with my adult literacy student. What grade level would you estimate the reading to be on Kira Kira? I want something that would not frustrate her reading skills (about 5th grade level), but that we would both be interested in.

Onto the wishlist Kira-Kira has gone. It would be really nice if I could read a review and not want to read the book! I'm going to go and hunt some posts out where I know I won't like it the book.........

Donna828
Fifth grade level should be fine for Kira-Kira. I would not recommend Briar Rose for a fifth grade student. That book contains adult material that I feel not suitable for that age level.

Linda

your last two books sound both great, but no translations available (yet), athough I saw my library has some other books by Jane Yolen.

Anita

You have some really interesting books here yourself, whisper !
I will be back :)

I've had Kira-Kira on my list for a long time... you've made me nudge it up!

I'm adding Kira-Kira to my TBR pile. You write very compelling reviews, Linda!

I second The Devil's Arithmetic as being a great book!

Briar Rose was the first book I recorded in my book journal back in 2003. I have recorded every book I have read since then.

I also enjoyed Armageddon Summer by Jane Yolen

Jane Yolen was highly recommended by my YA Lit. professor. She has become one of my all time favorite YA authors, and I need to read more of her books. I have read a lot of her picture books to my class.

Hey Whisper! You're up on the Hot Reviews again for your review of Kira-Kira!

Kira-Kira is now on my list of look outs. thanks for the review. And now we have two review bigshots amongst us, with you and girlunderglass. That's good advertising for the 75'ers. Cool!

*thumb-upped* your review as well, it was lovely! I particularly liked the last sentence :)

Congrats to both Linda and girlunderglass! Well done.

Let me point out that shewhowearsredreads also has had TWO reviews up on the hot reviews this week!!

wonderful reviews :) I'm adding Kira-Kira and Briar Rose to my pile!

Thanks to all for your lovely comments! I greatly appreciate the affirmation!

Your review of Briar Rose gave me an 'oh, wow' moment. I'm definitely going to have to get my hands on a copy of that one!

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

Thanks to allthesedarnbooks for recommending this delightful book.

A 1968 Newberry Prize award winning book, Konigsburg is in fact one of only a few who have won two Newberry Prizes for her work.

Claudia Kincaid is twelve and bored with her suburban life. Convincing her younger brother Jamie to run away from home, they escape to live in the Metropolitan Art Museum in New York City.

For one week, they go undetected by guards, discovering items in the various galleries and hitching themselves to tour groups so they can learn and get some free food in the process.

While following a crowd to see a new acquisition of a small marble angel that could possibly be a genuine Michelangelo, ever the mensa student, Claudia probes to find more about the statue.

Locating the previous owner of the art work, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Claudia and Jamie seek to know more than the esteemed collectors and curators of the museum.

This is an easy/breezy creative book. While I cannot highly recommend it, because the Metropolitan is one of my favorite places because it is such a fascinating place, I did enjoy seeing it through the eyes of the children as they made discoveries late at night when no one was watching.

>41 alcottacre:, You're welcome, Linda! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I always fantasized about running off and living in the museum myself after reading this... maybe even, to a certain extent, before reading it, after seeing the Sesame Street special as a child where Big Bird and Snuffy spend the night in the Egypt room and the mummy comes back to life.

Marcia

I do know what you mean regarding the fantasy of spending the night in a museum. As a child when I visited the Natural History Museum in NY, I simply knew that the animals in the rooms filled with beasts of Africa roared and had a grand stampede at night when all was dark and quiet.

I was still teaching in the public schools when From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler was published and I read it to my 5th grade class. They absolutely loved it and so did I.--I, too, have fantasized living in a museum! I keep a copy of the book in my personal library now to lend to students who will enjoy it. I teach music--but I also encourage reading!

Congratulations, Whisper1, on another "hot review." You may make Kira-Kira a best seller! :-)

#70: With me, it was always wanting to spend the night in the public library. Now, how I thought I was going to get all the books read in a night, I do not know!

Another congratulations to our very own celeb 75. You are one hot reviewer, Whisper.

>41 alcottacre:: I've read a few of Konigsburg's other books and, while fine, don't measure up to that one. It really was a wonderful story.

msg 68> Whisper- my daughter and I are reading From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs.Basil E. Franweiler. She's reading it in her Focus program at school. We've had some interesting discussions. In class they had to sew knapsacks and pack it with items they would take if they were running away. They had to pick someone in their lives who would go with them and then they wrote their last will and testament. My daughter wouldn't tell me what hers said so it will be interesting when the final work comes home.

#76 Kelly, your daughter has a very creative teacher. That is a great assignment, and I'm sure you will want to read her final work.

The only thing I didn't like about the book was the lack of feeling by the children regarding how upset their parents must have been that they were missing.

#75 Tad, I have others checked from the library and hope to read them this week, I'm curious to see if my impressions match yours. Anita (Fameulstee) highly recommended The View From Saturday and listed it as one of her top February 2009 reads.

#74 Kiwidoc, thanks -- I'm blushing.

#73 Stasia, if anyone can read lots and lots of books in a library while hiding out there all night, it would be you. I'm wondering which section you would choose to begin your journey.

#72 & 71 Carolyn, thanks again! And, I know I'm repeating myself, but I appreciate your affirmation, and truly Kira-Kira is a terrific book!

For some reason, The Mixed-up Files always reminds me of one of my other favorite Newbery Medal books, The Westing Game; I must have read them both during the same unit in my language arts class in school. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. I've read it about once a year since then.

Amy, Thanks for recommending The Westing Game. I recently joined the Newberry Award Winner group here on LT. I'm hoping to read many books on this list in 2009.

Up next is your recommendation...

>68 Whisper1:: book 41 sounds fab! I love the idea of living in a museum. A few of the big museums in London do 'sleepovers' now, where the kids can all bed down overnight in the galleries, and I've always been a bit sorry that I'm too old to join in now :)

Message 80 -- That is so cool. I would love to spend the night in a museum as well.

>80 FlossieT:, 81

Maybe it's just me, since I've spent a good portion of my life reading scary stories and novels and watching horror movies, but I find the idea positively terrifying.

Of course, I love scary things, so I would still go... :P

Well, there's two more for the TBR mess. I remember my daughter loved The Mixed Up Files of Basil E. Frankweiler in fourth grade or so. I must try it---I'm finding that I still love kids's books.

Have you tried The Doll People and its much more engrossing and fun sequel, The Meanest Doll in the World? I read those to my third graders and I know that I loved them even more than the class!

There's a Newbery Award group? *runs off to join* Like I need another group... lol.

#84: Who has time for another group? lol

Stasia, I agree, making time for another group when I am enjoying this time consuming one, is a big challenge, but I want to learn more about the Newberry books and I'm going to pop into that site once in awhile.

message 83, I haven't heard of The Doll People or the Meanest Doll in the World...but now I am adding them to my tbr pile. Thanks!

Message 84...see you there!

I'm going to check out the Newbery Award group tonight when I get home. I've been thinking I wanted to tackle them anyway, and it would be even more fun with a group. Thanks for the heads up!

The View From Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg

The 1997 Newberry Medal was rightfully bestowed to Konigsburg. While her first award in 1968 for The Mixed Up Files of Basil E. Frankweiler was also laudable, her second masterpiece is by far the greatest.

As I turned each page, this highly crafted, wonderfully delightful tale solicited a wide spectrum of emotions, from tears to laughter and from sorrow to joy. Filled with insightful analogies and magical symbolism, Konigsburg fit all the fragmented pieces together while weaving past and present tense in a style that was easy to follow.

Intuitively, sixth grade teacher Mrs. Olinsky choose a team of four to compete for the Academic Bowl contest. Each member brought separate skills and knowledge as together they rivaled even the toughest eighth grade team.

The beauty of the story was not only in the winning, but truly in the magic of the journey as along the way each member, including their paraplegic mentor Mrs. Olinsky, learned the wisdom of kindness, of sharing, of caring and of the acceptance of things unseen and felt by the human heart.

It is every writers dream to craft a heartwarming, deeply profound book such as this.

Highly recommend!

#88: Another great review, Linda!

>88 Whisper1: Linda, A View From Saturday sounds just like my cups of tea! Great review!

- TT

Wow, I've had A View from Saturday on my shelf for years, but never bothered with it as it didn't look as interesting as I'd hoped... guess it's time to dust it off and give it a try!

>88 Whisper1: Had it on my save-for-later list for a long time and now finally decided to mooch it - thanks so much for the recommendation!

Great review, Linda. I'm really glad that you and Stasia have fiinally convinced me to read some YA (and even children's!) literature. The last few weeks I have had so much "on my plate" and been feeling really pressured and stressed that I have had difficulty reading the things I had planned. So I started reading the YA that you two recommended and I'm finding it very soothing at this point. Thanks!

In fact yesterday when went to the Friends of the Library meeting on a whim I picked up The Westing Game which was mentioned recently and that's what I read yesterday. (I'll review it soon on my thread.) I think today when I run my errands I'll go get The View from Saturday. Although I plan to use the weekend to catch up on some "regular" reading I know next week will be another "slammed" week and I will have this lovely book waiting for me to relax with! I also have The BFG waiting--I feel less stressed already!

Carolyn
Bingo, you hit the nail on the head regarding why I am drawn to YA books at this time. I'm not feeling well and it is comforting to read heartwarming, wonderful coming of age books.

I've got Mrs Frankweiler coming from Bookooch now thanks to you, Linda!

Hope you're having a great weekend.

thank as always for your reviews! 2 more ooks for the TBR mountain!

The Whipping Boy by Peter Sis

In this 1987 Newberry Medal award-winning book, living a charmed life in the castle, Prince Brat does not have to behave -- he has Jeremy, his lower class whipping boy to take the punishment for his rude, insolent, nasty behavior.

Jeremy dreams of escaping back to his previous life as a rat catcher in the sewer, living in the dark tunnels away from the sharp whip cracks that sting and cut. He suddenly gets the opportunity to flee, only Prince Horace is the one instigating the escape.

In a Prince in the Pauper fashion, Prince Horace is now stripped of his loftiness and Jeremy is assumed to be the prince as together they are captured by "Hold-Your-Noise Billy" and "Cutwater." These two ogre like characters stalk Prince Brat and Jeremy throughout the countryside where they meet Betsy and Petunia the dancing bear.

In fairy tale fashion, there is a happy ending and the Price becomes humbled and a better person.

Did you like the Whipping Boy, Linda? I didn't particularly care for it, but I find Sid Fleischman to be not much to my taste in general, and I never cared for The Prince and the Pauper. I always get Sid Fleischman confused with Paul Fleischman, who I quite like, and end up picking his books up anyway. Btw, I think you'd really enjoy Paul Fleischman's Whirligig, which is an excellent YA book.

#95 Flossie

Enjoy :) I loved that book as a child!! I don't know what it would be like reading it for the first time as an adult but it is a good tale.

You sure are determined when you set a goal! You're going through the Newberry winners like they're jelly beans!Have you considered changing the title of your thread to "The Dahl & Newberry Challenge"? :)
(I'm just jealous that you read so fast of course :D)

Aaaaaaaah, I'm about to give up, whisper. I loved The Twits alas my 9 yr old non reader was slightly intrigued but bored. Sheeeeesh, I don't know what will ever interest him. I'll continue to carry on none the less.

#98. Thanks for the recommendation of Whirligig I aded it to my ever growing tbr pile. Regarding The Whipping Boy, I'm not sure why this one won a Newberry Award. It was a so-so book without the depth of the other Newberry winners I've read thus far.

#100...It is called Obsessive compulsiveness and no where is this manifested more in my life than with books.

#101. Neither of my daughters were readers as children and since I spent my childhood in the library, it was frustrating for me. Don't give up!

#101 Have you read George's Marvelous Medicine? It's another Dahl book but a bit naughtier than the twits (not naughty in an adult way!) so might be more interesting for him. Fantastic Mr Fox is another one that I preferred to The Twits (though I loved that too).

Linda - You are about to tempt me into diving into the Newberry Award winners. I read a few when I was younger, but there are many that I've never tried. After loving The Graveyard Book this year, I think I'll try others. (Although I won't start with The Whipping Boy.)

Hope you are doing OK.

#103, Moomin2009, I read George's Marvelous Medicine and agree that it is a bit naughty and I felt that the child learned to deal with someone you don't like, you simply give them nasty medication.

Amy
I'm enjoying the journey into the world of the Newberry Award winners. My local library conveniently had two shelves devoted to Newberry Award winning books. I couldn't contain myself and checked out about 15 of them.

If you are going to dive into this process, may I recommend two of my favorites (listed above), Kira-Kira and The View from Saturday.

I'm having lots of fun!

I can heartily second the recommendation of The View from Saturday--I read it this weekend (because of Linda's recommendation!) and enjoyed it a lot. I had never read it before so I can say many adults--especially those who teach or in other ways work with children will find a lot to like about this book.

I also check out kira-kira and plan to read it this week.

Linda, I need another recommendation of a good Newbery Winner! :-)

>106 MusicMom41:: I'm idly reading all the Newbery Awards and Newbery Honors. It will probably take me years.

I find the whole Newbery voting thing interesting.

I don't always think the book that ended up being the most famous should somehow be the retrospective winner via time travel—imo, Miracles on Maple Hill was a perfectly valid choice over Old Yeller even though I liked the latter much more—but sometimes you just wonder what were the judges thinking? Charlotte's Web losing out to Secret of the Andes? I mean, come on, the latter is an OK book, but it's not even remotely in the same league. Did a little political correctness say "vote Peru not Pig"?

That cynicism wells up when I see that House of the Scorpion (wonderful book!) lost to Crispin: The Cross of Lead. I haven't read the latter, yet, but the author, Avi, hasn't impressed with his work so far, so...

Tad
Thanks for your post.
when I finished The Whipping Boy I wondered how in the world that one rec'd. an award.

I guess I need to research the award more and learn about the criteria.

Message 106

I'm currently reading Miss Hickory and it is delightful.

I agree with Tad regarding Newbery Awards. I really do not hold much stock in them. The professor from the YA literature course I took absolutely could not stand how certain books beat out others and the biases (right word?) that went into the judging. (I will have to dig out that section). This goes for Caldecott Medals as well. I used to love a certain picture book until I found out it was offensive to certain cultures - and it is a Caldecott winner.

If it is written by an author who is not the same nationality as the subject - be weary & do research. www.oyate.org is a good start for juvenile/YA Native American literature

I think setting out to read the Newberys is like setting out to read the "1001 Must Reads" or the"classics" - you will have your favorites and form your own opinions, and have fun reading them.

I think the point of my rant here is do not have the assumption that a book is excellent because it won a Newbury award. Be your own judge!

Sorry Whisper for taking up so much thread space.

>109 jayde1599:

Isn't that how it always goes, though? There's a list of set "classics" and while you may love some on the list, there are others you just can't stand at all. And then there are you books that you don't know why they aren't classics (or in this case, winners of the a certain award). I find it quite fascinating and it just goes to prove out different everyone's tastes are.

Miss Hickory Carolyn Sherwin Bailey

In this 1947 Newbery Medal award winning book, Miss Hickory is indeed a hard nut to crack. She is a stick figure doll composed of a fork-like twiggy body and a hickory nut for a noggin. Her humble, but clean, abode is made of corncobs nestled beneath a lilac bush.

Miss Hickory is deemed alive by the family who made her and the forest animals who befriend her.

When the family temporarily moves from New Hampshire to Massachusetts, Miss Hickory is left behind to fend for herself in the bitter cold winter.

She is a selfish, self serving, vain and stubborn old coot who self righteously judges others, especially those who help her.

Carolyn Sherwin Bailey weaves subtle humor and social commentary throughout via the personality given to Miss Hickory.

For example, in observing the trouble-making crow as he leads a pack of fellow meanies, Miss Hickory remarks that he most likely is a gangster and really should be shot, but, will not be caught.

The squirrel who tries to help by keeping her warm, alas does not save, but eats all his nuts and is lectured for his bad qualities but not praised for his good attributes. The crow who finds a new robin's nest home for her after her corncob abode is taken over by a chipmunk, is deemed dirty and gossipy.

And, there appears to be a subtle dig at self righteous church goers as we learn that Miss Hickory, decked in her finest attire, looks forward to attending the sermons of Jack in the Pulpit.

In short, Miss Hickory is akin to the character of Gladys Kravitz in the 1970's television series Bewitched. She is a noisy, judging little hypocrite.

When hungry squirrel takes his revenge and eats her head off, Miss Hickory, in a biblical way looses her life to be reborn again in the spring.

My favorite character in Miss Hickory is Wild Heifer, although her mother Cow is quite a hoot too. And Hen Pheasant! Did you enjoy the book, Linda?

Message 109 Jayde
Thanks for visiting my thread and posting your comments. Please feel free to take as much space as you like. Your opinions/thoughts certainly are valid.

Message 110 RebeccaAnn

How right you are!

Tad raises a great point regarding the subjectivity of an award-winning book and the process of who deems one work more worthy than another.

I think Truman Capote must have had a huge fit when he learned that his friend Harper Lee won the Pulitzer Prize for To Kill a Mockingbird instead of his masterpiece In Cold Blood.

Whisper - great reading about all your YA adventures. I can also recommend the Poppy series by Avi - I just loved reading it aloud to my kids.

(had to make a comment to bring an end to my silent lurking around here!!!)

Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer

A sympathetic look at Mary Tudor as her life unravels and her cruel father Henry VIII strips her of contact with her mother Queen Catherine, of her title and regal status, of her clothing allowance, and of emotional support.

As Henry's obsession with Anne Boleyn becomes more and more all consuming, all impediments must be eliminated.

There is not much more that can be written about the Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Catherine of Aragon, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I, still, like many, I'm fascinated by the story and the history, thus I search for books that have a different slant to the tale.

#112
Yes, I did like Miss Hickory. I especially liked the development of the character. In most YA books, there is a coming of age metamorposis of character and Miss Hickory is no exception.

#114 Kiwidoc, thanks for stopping by. I check your thread daily and my tbr pile has significantly grown each time.

Thanks for the recommendation of the Poppy series. Which book should be read first?

Oh - the Poppy books are lovely. The first is simply entitled Poppy then there is Poppy and Rye and Ragweed then one about the owl that hunts the mice, and the grumpy badger (?) that they encounter on their journey. (Poppy is a mouse). They are aimed at 6-9 year olds and are very sweet. (I cannot remember how many in the series but I think 5-6 unless he has written more since.). I really enjoyed the illustrations., too.

If your child loves the book you are reading them, it makes the magic even more wonderful - as an adult there is the aspect of 're-living the magic' that I enjoyed.

I have not read any YA or children's books since they became teens - both now read much the same as me. However, I intend to fully revisit Alice in Wonderland this year - perhaps with annotations, to get the mathematical jokes etc.

Ooh, that looks good, like you I'm fascinated by the Tudor era.

#45 sounds very interesting. Never heard of that particular author but since I am very interested in the Tudors and their insanity, I guess this goes on the giant wish list.

The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman.

This heartwarming tale set in fourteenth century England, is the 1996 Newbery Medal award winning book.

A pitiful homeless young woman is poor in every possible sense. Lacking food, a place to stay, no means of support and no name, the waif-like girl lives in a dung heap for shelter.

Taken in by a midwife, she not only learns a trade, but most importantly, the character, who struggles with self doubt, finds beauty and confidence in helping others.

Rich in detail, Cushman accurately, sensitively depicts the harsh cruelties of medieval existence when life was brutal, and survival was a day to day accomplishment.

I very much like the way in which the author developed the character from a nameless down-trodden street vagabond into a spunky, talented young woman who not only gains a name (Alyce) but who also symbolically finds a way in the world.

This is a delightful book of a girl born to fail who, against all odds, finds confidence and inner strength.

Thanks, Linda. that sounds The Midwife's apprentice like a good one to add to my Newbery list and my local branch has it. I really enjoyed Doomsday Book earlier this year which is about the Middle Ages--sort of--and this one will be a good complement to that.

Somehow I'd missed this thread... wondered where you'd gone -- oops. Now I have to catch up :)

ETA Okay, seems I had begun reading it but never posted and so lost it...

Thx for the review of Yolen's book. I hadn't heard of her, and it sounds like I need to read her stuff!

Is The Midwife's Apprentice YA? Ah I see it is, but it's also tagged 'children' and 'juvenile'. Is it a young YA? Wondering if it might be appropriate for my neice who is an accomplished teen reader or if it might seem babyish to her.

suslyn, like many YA books, the subject matter is serious. While I don't know your neice, I wouldn't think it to be a book that I would label "babyish."

Carolyn, is this the book you mentioned?
http://www.librarything.com/work/27022

If so, I'll put this on my tbr pile.

Is YA a recent thing? Surely not! But, I'm raking my memories, trying to think of one YA category book that I've read when I was a YA, and I can't think of one! I remember reading the Secret Seven and the Famous Five by Enid Blyton, but I think they might be more properly classified as "Children's Literature", and then I moved straight on to Hammond Innes and Wilbur Smith, which satisfied a YAs yearnings for travel and adventure. Ah! YA = Yearning Adult - Oh! well in that case, I've read plenty ;)

Enjoying the reviews by the way.

Peter
Thanks for your insightful comments. YA= Yearning Adult! I love it!

Loved your Miss Hickory review, Linda. Am putting it on the ol' wishlist now.

#124 Whisper1

Linda, that's the book. You can read my review at message 9 on my 75 Challenge thread. I loved this book. It's one of my top reads this year.

Very Mild Spoiler:

This book makes the point that sometimes you can make a difference in this world without even realizing it!

Carolyn
Have you ever read Mark Twain's The Mysterious Stranger? One of the underlying themes is that we can make a difference without realizing it. In this book, Twain seems to dabble a bit in predestination and fate.

I'm glad you liked The Midwife's Apprentice, Linda! You should definitely pick up her Catherine, Called Birdy if you get a chance. She's so good at portraying medieval life!

Another excellent, more of a historical fantasy take, on midwifery are the YA books Juniper and Wise Child by Monica Furlong, which take place in the Dark Ages.

> 130
Yes the Monica Furlong books are great too.
There is a third book Colman, but I was a bit disappointed, it is good, but not as good as the other two.

Thanks for the recommendations Marcia. I'll hope to read these books soon.

opps Anita
While sending the post to Marcia, yours came through. Would you recommend Colman or should I skip this one?

>131 FAMeulstee:, I've never read Colman. Is it newer? I don't remember seeing it when I originally read the books, say, 10 years ago. I'm with Linda, should I try to read it or is it so bad I should skip it altogether?

Colman is newer, it was published after Furlong died in 2004. If you liked the first two, I would recommend to read Colman too.
I rated Wise Child and Juniper both 4 stars and Colman 3 1/2 stars.

>135 FAMeulstee:, thanks, I'll add it to my list! I may have to reread the first two, as well, haven't read them since I was a teenager.

Linda,

I've never even heard of it! I checked and my library system doesnot have a copy so I checked Amazon. They have 3 versions. One is the title story for a collection of Twain stories, the second is a novel by Twain with that title, and the third has 3 versions of the novel that Twain evidently left when he died. Which one did you read? I think I would like to read it--I enjoy his work usually.

I really haven't read any of his work for several years, but when I was younger I read most of the famous ones. One of my favorite short pieces is an essay titled something like Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses." I had just read several of the Natty Bumpo series by Cooper and this essay had me almost rolling on the floor! :-D

(That is bizarre--how many times do we find a touchstone not working for a fairly well know book and this one works--supposedly--for an essay I read in a collection whose name I can't remember! Ahh--the vagaries of LT! Keeps life interesting!)

Carolyn
The Mysterious Stranger was published after Mark Twain's death. I believe that one of my American Literature professors (in college a long time ago) mentioned that Twain's daughter tried to stop the publication of this work, fearing that it was too scathing. It is indeed Twain's acerbic look at organized religion.

Another great work of his that I recommend highly is Letter's From the Earth.

Twain was indeed a fascinating man. Last fall I attended a theatre performance of Hal Holbrook's impressive impersonation of Twain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mysterious_Stranger

90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper
On my tbr list from the 2008 75 book challenge group, this one was recommended by streamsong.

Don Piper, a young Baptist minster is a victim of a horrible traffic accident wherein a truck crashed head on into his car and he is violently crushed within.

Pronounced dead at the scene, he is transported to heaven where he is embraced by those who died before him. After his out of body experience, he awakens to horrific pain.

Reluctant to discuss his experience, Piper is consumed with constant, unbearable pain as gradually his body and spirit are rebuilt. In telling the story of his miracle and new life, Don is able to assist others.

I rate this book 2.5 stars.

Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi

17 year old Miles moves to New Orleans to be with his father after living in space-cramped closeness with his mother who remarries a man who already has three children.

The crowded conditions he left cannot compare to the nightmare he faces as he, his near do well jazz musician father and his uncle flee Hurricane Katrina to seek safety in the superdome.

Volponi spares nothing as he intensely, accurately, painfully and vividly details the horrors that await them at the overcrowded, stench-filled and violent superdome.

The majority of the story takes place inside the dome as gangs rule, as lawlessness abounds and as human nature is portrayed in a worse case scenario.

Escaping the turmoil of the superdome, Miles and his father flee to the flooded streets where looting, shooting and crime are rampant.

With the necessary imperative to pick up the pieces and repair their lives both in the physical surroundings left behind by the wreckage of Katrina and in the mucky debris of hard emotional feelings, the tenuous relationship between Miles and his father grows in a healing space.

Highly recommended. Five Stars.

I hadn't heard of this one--I will have to track it down. Thanks Linda.

abw
You will find this in the YA section of a library.

That sounds excellent, Linda! I will def look for it next time I'm at the library.

Hurricane Song looks very good - hopefully my library has it!

Oh dear, I am adding so many books to my TBR list, and I don't even have time to read the piles of books I already own! At this rate, I will have my 2010 reading all lined up by April!

Cait86
Welcome to the club! I'm convinced I'll never read all the tbr books I noted in my library, but I now know that the great fun is simply in adding them to the dream pile. I do feel good when I read a book from the tbr pile..One small step at a time.

True, true - I guess it would be worse if we couldn't find anything new to add to our TBRs. Imagine running out of books!

I keep saying to myself that I should stop getting so many books from the library and read all the books I have on the shelves, and then I read about another book I absolutely must read NOW, and put it on reserve, and then I go to the library and can't resist the temptation to browse, and before I know it I have another 35 books out from the library. Meanwhile my shelves have overflowed and I have bags, boxes, storage bins, and piles of books everywhere so as I can hardly walk through three rooms of my house. It's a vicious cycle, but one I cannot stop!

I understand completely. I decided to not buy any books this year (well, try not to, at least) in order to make a dent in the 300 books or so that I own but haven't read. I've been using this library like crazy, though, since we're in the Interlibrary Loan network and can get just about any book, so even though I'm not buying books, I'm still not reading the ones I own.

It's like if I own a book, it's just not destined to be read... :(

>148 RebeccaAnn:: RebeccaAnn
maybe you should get the books you own and want to read from the library?
I did once and it worked ;-)

That's my husband's biggest pet peeve. I will bring home books and they sit there and then I go to the library (actually two, I alternate between them) and read the books I get there.

>149 FAMeulstee:

That could work... ;-)

That's my wife's biggest pet peeve.

Somehow simply having the books around, looking at them and their pretty covers brings solace.

I'm recovering from surgery and despite the pain, I'm having a relaxing time because I have the luxury of reading. So, I visited two libraries yesterday and brought home about 50 books. I couldn't carry them so my husband simply shook his head as he lugged the bags in the car.

poor darling, hope you feel better soon.

thanks beeg. I simply had my gall bladder removed laproscopically. I'm doing much better today.

I am currently reading A Certain Slant of Light and I highly recommend this one!

And, by the way, thanks for some of your posts today on various threads...they made me laugh right out loud.

I did the gall badder thing as well. I also offered you my LJ it's usually good for a giggle.

#153 "Somehow simply having the books around, looking at them and their pretty covers brings solace."--That is so true. Sometimes I just like to pick them up and thumb through the pages and admire the covers in anticipation of reading them.

I hope you are feeling bettter soon, Linda. At least you have some serious reading time! Enjoy!

Oh, you shouldn't thank people for making you laugh, because right now laughing HURTS!! ;-D

Hope you heal quickly, and know that being surrounded by beautiful books will hasten your recovery.

#155 Glad the gall bladder thing is behind you. Isn't it amazing how quickly you're up and about now a days?! Enjoy this extra reading opportunity while you can, you'll be back to cooking and cleaning in no time.

Even worse--you''ll be back at work! ;-)

#153 - Hope you are feeling back on top of the world soon.

50 Books!!!! My local library limits me to 10 books, and then only gives me 2 weeks to return them, so I only ever get 2 or 3. Unfortunately, here in Japan, my selection of English language books is very limited!

Hope you feel better soon, Linda! One of the best benefits of my surgery is that I'm able to read a lot easier and more comfortably than I could before (although for a couple months after it was sketchy!) and there's nothing able to make me feel better than curling up in bed with a good book.

Glad you're enjoying A Certain Slant of Light, too!

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

This incredible book is poetically lyrical and heartwarmingly poignant. It is such a great book that I struggle to write a review that would do it justice.

Helen is a light, a spirit that has roamed the earth for 130 years latching herself to people who cannot see her while she vicariously watches their everyday joys and struggles.

Her most recent host is a high school literature teacher. While observing his class she discovers one of the pupils can "see" her.

Together the spirits search to uncover the bonds that hold them to earth and the sins they deem unforgivable that must be healed to set them free.

This is a story of compassion, of struggle, of redemption, of chains that hold and love that frees.

Five Stars!

Wow! Sounds like a great book. If I did not already have it on the Continent, I would add it.

Holy smoke! I have missed many books here...
Good think I have to get ready for work because I only have time to add
A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb to my list~

I agree with your rating of 90 Minutes..

Take care :)

I'm so delighted you loved A Certain Slant of Light. It's one of those books that's really sticking with me. I find myself thinking about it often. I got it from the library, but I really think I need to buy my own copy.

Thanks for the review of A Certain Slant of Light. It sounds wonderful. It's the third book I've added to my TBR pile in about 5 minutes. I've got to stop reading these threads! ;)

#164, 165, 167 Stasia, mckait and Lorie,

I really think you will like A Certain Slant of Light I don't think my review did it justice.

#166 Marcia, thanks ever so much for recommending A Certain Slant of Light. As you know, I found this book on your thread. And though I have many books on the TBR pile, I was drawn to this one and thus put it up at the top. I'm glad I did. I think it will be right up there with kira kira and one of the top reads for 2009. I cannot say enough good things about it.
I will look out for more of this authors work. Her writing is so beautiful.

A Certain Slant of Light sounds amazing! Consider it added to my TBR Island.

Miss Linda, please know that I hope you get better soon!

Linda - glad you are safely home and hope your recovery is speedy. If you went to the library, it must not be too too bad?

The Whitcomb book has fallen onto my TBR pile after such accolades from you. Thanks.

Hi Karen
Nice to hear from you.
I'm doing much better, but I'm very much aware that my 56 year old body does not recover from surgery as easily as it did when I was in my 30s.

Regarding The Whitcomb book, I'd be surprised if you didn't like it.

I hope you are well.

>147 allthesedarnbooks:: hear hear.

Linda, glad you are recovering, and sounds like you are reading plenty too. Take care.

It's so contagious when someone really likes a book, isn't it. I don't mean in a hype sense but you can tell they REALLY liked it. Hope the village library has it.

Milk the down time for all it's worth, Whisper: R E A D!

56?!?!?

we are practically twins !

love the kittens! Thanks!

Hi Linda. Glad to read that you're feeling better since your gall bladder surgery. Be sure to take it easy for awhile.
I have already added A Certain Slant of Light to my amazon wish list. It sounds really interesting.

Search of the Moon King's Daughter by Linda Holeman

A sad, shockingly accurate depiction of Victorian England in 1830 during the industrial age when the elite and upper ecelon held sway and power over the lives of the poor, and wretched downtrodden.

In a Charles Dicken's like fashion, rich in detail of the haves and have nots, Holeman takes us to the gritty, nasty streets of England cities where prostitution and mill work are a few of the only options for women, where children are sold to a life of climbing into and cleaning dirty chimneys, where food is miserly given to the hungry while the rich feast on sumptuous banquets, where the help are treated miserably and the rich have carte blanche to do with them as they will.

Emmaline, her father, mother and baby brother live a calm countryside existence. Rich in beauty of character, her father teaches her the poetry of Yeats and thus, Emmaline calls him The Moon King.

When Cholera takes the life of her father, her emotionally weak mother drinks herself into denial while at the age of ten Emmaline tries her best to fend for her brother and self.

Forced to flee to a mill town, Emmaline's mother obtains work in the factory where she is maimed by a machine. Out of work and a means of income, to quell the physical and emotional pain, Emmaline's mother becomes addicted to laudanum. In a drug induced state, she sells her small son Tommy to the men who use children as labor to clean the chimneys.

Against all odds, Emmaline, The Moon King's Daughter, searches for her brother in the hope to find and save him.

Highly recommended not only because of the well-researched material throughout, but also for the beautiful story of a sister who loves her brother with all her heart and will not cease until she finds him.

What a great review! It sounds like a wonderful book. Even the review made me cry!

Nice review, Whisper.

It looks like several of us will hit 75 books by the end of June!

Wow, very nice review.

It looks like you'll be surpasing your goals for the year very soon. Good job! You'll be catching up with Stasia at this rate.

>178 MusicMom41:, I agree that sounds like a fantastic book. I'm a fan of William Blake's poetry, many of which touch on the horrors of chimney sweepers, so this book will definitely be added to the TBR pile.

Hi Linda,

Finally caught up with your threads! Thanks for the nice words about Antsy Does Time--it is one of my favorites for the year on several levels.

It's been fun reading all the Dahl comments and I have to agree with those who go with the Wilder film version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The charm and moral of the story carried over, even if Dahl wasn't happy with it.

Briar Rose is one of a series of retold fairy tales which are quite remarkable; I liked this one very much and also Snow White and Rose Red and several others in the list (check out the series in common knowledge)

And--one last note--years ago I enjoyed The Whipping Boy as a moral tale, but my middle school age son (at the time) did not. I wonder what he'd think of it now--LOL!

Hi Linda,

Congrats on the "Hot Review" of Search of the Moon King's Daughter! You're reviews are always good, just look at my TBR pile as proof!

Message 181 and 184
Thanks ever so much Lorie. This book is one of my top reads for 2009 thus far.

Message 182
RebeccaAnn. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.

Message 183
Always a pleasure when you pop in my thread. Thanks for taking the time to read the posts and comments re. the books. May I ask you where I can find the reference you make re. "common knowledge."

by the way, in checking today's home page I note that Tiffin, Tututhefirst and blackdogbooks all received Hot Reviews!

Linda, when I check on Statistics from my profile page, one of the options is Series Coverage, which lists various books, characters, and authors for series. It's all part of the "Common Knowledge" set-up somewhere else in LT. I've been using it to find my "next in order" when I want to read a familiar author or revisit a character.

Also, on the YA reading list, I meant to mention two of my all-time favorites: Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field (I originally read my mother's copy of the book); and Celia Garth by Gwen Bristow. The first is the story of a wooden doll and the second is a young girl in Charleston during the American Revolution. More for your TBR--unless you've already read them, of course.

Laurie, Thanks for the information re. the common knowledge series. I haven't read the YA books you mentioned. Now, of course, I'll be sure to do so.

Linda - I just got back from a short spring break trip and wanted to send you my wishes for a fast recovery. (Although if you spend your recovery time reading, I'm afraid my TBR list will grow faster than normal!)

#177: Sounds like another good one, so on to the Continent it goes!

Congratulations on hitting 50 books! I better watch out - you will soon be caught up to me . . .

Seems like I turn around and back again only to find *poof* 60 new posts on your thread :) good stuff!!

#189 Amy, I hope your break was enjoyable.

#190. Stasia, I would not even attempt to read as many books as you.

#191..Thanks very much Susan!

Linda, I enjoyed your reviews of A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb and Search of the Moon King's Daughter by Linda Holeman. I recognised A Certain Slant of Light from the website address you sent me. There was not much on the website about it, but your review makes me want to rush out and get it.

However, it will have to go on the back burner with every other book right now. I am approaching the end of The Book Traveller and all my energies are concentrated on finishing it. I am on the last section now. Should easily finish it by my target date of 7th April. Then I am going to outline book two of The Book Traveller:The Messenger, beginning 8th April.

Thanks for motivating me to do this, Linda!

- TT

You are welcome TT. Your writing talent is very obvious. It is a natural thing to notice creativity, wit and wonderful humor. As always, I wish you the best of luck!

Loved your book number 50 so much I just hurried over to Amazon and bought it. Great review, Linda!

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

Continuing my quest to read the Newbery Award winning books, this is the latest.

Once again, I am in awe of the ability of YA books to reach out and tug at heartstrings while dealing with very complex issues.

I highly recommend this profoundly moving tale of Lucky, a rough and tumble ten year old whose mother died tragically and thus now is in the guardianship of her father's previous wife Brigitte.

Brigitte moves from France to temporarily take care of Lucky until a "real" home can be found.

Living in three tiny connected trailers, existing in poverty in the hot, dry desert community of Hard Pan, California (total population of 43), Lucky, who does not perceive herself as such, fears that one day Brigitte will leave and return to a better life in France.

Shirking the responsibility of raising Lucky, her father periodically sends checks to Bridget that are never enough to cover bare necessities.

Strongly fearing it is only a matter of time until Brigitte moves back to France and thus tosses her aside, Lucky, ever aware of needing protection, carries a "rescue kit" with her at all times.

While sweeping and cleaning the Found Object Wind Chime Museum and Visitor Center, Lucky quietly listens to the testimonials of the AAA meetings where she hears the stories of those saved by trusting the "higher power." Lucky knows that if only she can find her higher power, she will have a better life.

Lucky's friends consist of her lovable, loyal dog HMS Beagle, knot-tying obsessed Lincoln (named because his mother wants him to grow up to be the President of the US), and scrappy little five year old cookie mooching Miles, also a orphan-like waif, raised by his grandmother.

Wanting to be the one who leaves and abandons before this happens to her, Lucky runs away. Using the resources she stashed away in her rescue kit, she lives overnight in a cave.

When Brigitte and town members rescue Lucky, she learns that Brigit is in the process of adopting her and it was never was her plan to leave.

Lucky discovers that her "higher power" is indeed the fact that not only is she loved by Brigitte, but also by the 43 people of the town.

Adding both Search of the Moon King's Daughter and The Higher Power of Lucky to my TBR pile, Linda. Thanks!

Any book that contains a place called The Found Object Wind Chime Museum and Visitor Center is a book I've got to read.

#196: Sounds like another great read, Linda! Thanks for the recommendation.

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

In this delightfully funny 2001 Newbery Award winning book, 15 year Mary Alice moves from city life in Chicago to backward, small-town country Illinois to live with her big, burly grumpy grandmother.

In 1937 times were tough and a recession following the depression meant unemployment and down and out difficult living conditions. When Mary Alice's father is unemployed, her parents can no longer afford to feed and clothe her and temporarily house her with her paternal grandmother.

While, in my opinion, this isn't one of the better Newbery award books, it is worth the read. What it lacks in depth, it gains in humor.

Mary Alice discovers the quiet joys of small town life and the deep abiding way in which people help each other through the difficult economic times.

The grandmother truly is a hoot and there were many instances when I laughed right out loud by her antics. There is a simple beauty in the way in which Richard Peck developed the relationship between Mary Alice and her grandmother -- who proved not to be so grumpy and cold afterall.

#200: Looks like you are about ready to join the 3-thread gang, Linda!

Linda- hope the gall bladder boo boo is all better. I've been catching up on threads after a week long marathon of building a webpage for our local library who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks--we just take longer to learn them! anyway--congrats on your hot review status. I concur with your review of Year Down Yonder. If you haven't read Peck's others, The Teacher's funeral and Here lies the Librarian are both favorites of mine. Definitely not to read until the incision heals, the laughter could be painful.

Thanks Tina.
I will definitely check his other books. I laughed so darn hard at some of the happenings in Year Down Yonder. I believe there is another book written before this one and it won a Newbery honorable mention.

Thanks for the great reviews, I have added Certain Slant of Light and Higher Power of Lucky to my pile. Also want to add my best wishes for a speedy recovery and still enough down time to enjoy some good reads.

Hi Sten
Thanks for your good wishes. I've been checking your thread. You are reading some great books. And, I hope you enjoy A Certain Slant of Light and The Higher Power of Lucky as much as I did.

I picked up A Certain Slant of Light used on Amazon, but have yet to receive it..

I definitely need to clear some space....

#206 mckait

'I definitely need to clear some space'

I so hear you........................................

Kath, it is a great book and well worth the wait.

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

In this 1995 Newbery Honor book, we travel to an English manor house circa 1290 and hear the tale of Catherine, a spunky 14 year old young woman whose thoughts and feelings are anything but those held by a traditional girl of the time.

Stubborn, willful, immature, silly, quick-witted and bright, Catherine bucks her father when he plans to marry her off to a richer, ugly, piggish old knight.

Through the one-year journal of Birdy, we learn of Medieval herbal remedies, unsanitary, filthy conditions, fairs, funerals and monastery life.

Catherine has an affinity for birds and symbolically lets them out of their cages as she resigns herself to an arranged marriage to someone she cannot love.

While this book seemed well researched, it is not one that I could highly recommend.

I'm sorry you didn't like Catherine, Called Birdy Linda! It was one of my favorites in middle school.

Was going through your thread(s) and realized it was your review of Briar Rose that had made me write it down as a TBR. Now that I've noted that down, I wish I could remember the other Jane Yolen books I read when I was younger.

It must have been this thread that sent me out in search of it, too. I bought it a short time ago....

#210 Have no fear Marcia, my tbr list has expanded exponentially since you became part of the 75 book challenge group. You and I share a similiar like of many books. It isn't that I didn't like Catherine, Called Birdy, in my opinion, it simply didn't have the depth that many newberry books I've read thus far.

#211 I just discovered Jane Yolen is indeed quite a prolific writer...
I was able to obtain a copy of Devil's Arithmetic and hope to read it this weekend.

http://www.librarything.com/author/yolenjane&all=1

#212, Kath, thanks for stopping by. I love the smiley faces you have on your thread!

Your nonrecommendation of Catherine, Called Birdy surprised me as it was one of my favourites when I was younger. However, I did read it when I was the age it was intended for......about 13, so maybe that makes a difference.

Hmmm, every time I come to this thread, I have about 40 messages to catch up on! I'm going to join the crowd adding A Certain Slant of Light to my wishlist I think... Hope your surgery recovery is making better progress!

#214. Hi lunacat..I love the photos of your beautiful kitty! Someday I'm going to figure out how to post pictures on the site. I haven't mastered that yet.
Any help, would be appreciated.
Regarding Catherine, Called Birdy, it isn't that I cannot recommend the book, I simply cannot "Highly" recommend it. I tend to save the "highly recommended" for books I really connected with. A Certain Slant of Light, kira kira and Search of the Moon King's Daughter were recent ones that I thought were excellent. The Cushman book was good, but not great, in my opinion.
I really enjoy your thread. Thanks for stopping by here on mine.

#215 flissp...
Thanks for your well wishes..I'm stronger today and think I've turned a corner...back to work next week...ugh.
I hope you enjoy A Certain Slant of Light.

I had Catherine Called Birdy in my classroom library when I was teaching. (Regretably, I left almost all of about 300 children's books for my successor. I did save all the Roald Dahl's for myself! Someday I must catalog these.). This was one that not many of the children enjoyed, in fact I recall only one girl reading it all. They were mostly too young (11) but even so many girls usually picked up books beyond their years. I read only the first part and I thought it sounded good.

Linda where do you want to post pictures? (was going to explain how post pictures here on your thread but then I saw that you DO know how to do that since you have pictures of books covers so that must not be it?)

A Certain Slant of Light arrived today! I will read it tomorrow :)

I'm looking forward to learning about your impressions Kath.

#218
GUG, I would like to know how to post pictures such as those on this thread. I'd like to post photos of my sheltie Simon. Thanks for your help

http://www.librarything.com/topic/59898

#213: I think you will like Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen, Linda. I read it last year and it is quite good, and although dealing with the Holocaust, not a 'negative' book.

How could that be?

The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars

This 1971 Newbery Medal Award winner is a coming of age story of Sara Godfrey who, typical of some teenagers, is insecurely self absorbed with shoes, clothes, hair styles and boys. Sara and her siblings live with their Aunt Willie. Their mother died living behind Sara, her sister and mentally challenged brother Charlie.

While Charlie is loved by Sara, at times, she also perceives him as a burden.
When Charlie roams out of the house one night looking for the swans that live in a nearby lake, using her intuition and knowledge of Charlie, it is Sara who finds him.

This is a simple tale told with some (but not much) depth of feeling. It does not shine like other Newbery Award winners and in fact, I cannot recommend this one at all.

edited for typos

I remember reading Summer of the Swans as a preteen and finding it very old-fashioned, but not in a good way. Didn't like it very much. I vaguely remembering liking other books by Byars, but not enough to recall their titles. Obviously not that much, eh?

I don't know if I've done this before for you, but some of my favorite Newbery winners are A Wrinkle in Time, The Giver, Walk Two Moons, Sarah, Plain, and Tall, The Hero and the Crown, Jacob Have I Loved, The Bridge to Terabithia, and The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Don't even get me started on the honor books, lol!

#223: I only meant that the book is not unremittingly depressing, loosha. The book is written to help children better understand the Holocaust.

Marcia
Thanks for listing some of your favorite Newbery winners. I've basically been reading them as I find them in the library and I don't have a particular order, rhyme or reason. Before my Newbery journey, I read A Wrinkle in Time, The Giver, and last year I believe Anita recommended Walk Two Moons. I liked that one so much I recommended it to my book club members as one of our reads.

Stasia, I plan to read The Devil's Arithmetic this weekend.

#227: I cannot wait to see what you think of it!

Haunted Houses: Fact or Fiction by Terry O'Neill

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I took saw this book on the library shelf and proceeded to the check out, kind of like being in a Hershey candy factory and buying the dark chocolate I don't even like.

It was a quick read but held nothing of depth and I certainly couldn't recommend it.

It is an attempt at a balanced look of the research of folk who say haunted houses are a real occurrence and then the other side of the camp that contains the disbelievers.

For my two cents on Newberrys, I really liked Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell and the two horse books by Marguerite Henry, King of the Wind and Misty of Chincoteague. Yeah... I wanted a horse, as a girl.

I'm a believer.. being a veteran of haunted homes...

me too, mckait

We need to compare notes someday :)

ok, add my name to the list of those who want to compare. Before buying my current residence, I lived in a house that was pretty darn spooky at times.

The reason I questioned why I picked this one off the shelf wasn't because I doubt the premise, it is simply that even when briefly scanning the book in the library, I didn't think it was accurately good.

Understood. I enjoyed my spirit friends most of the time :)

Whisper, thank you so much for pointing me in the direction of
A Certain Slant of Light. Wonderful read!

Kath
I have allthesedarnbooks (Marcia) to thank for recommending this book.

message 230
Thank for mentioning these Newbery Award winners. I'll be sure to add them to the list.

I bought and read The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl yesterday and just noticed it made your list. (What would you call that--38 1/2?) I wasn't very impressed with it either, but it was nice to find another Roald Dahl book I hadn't read--and especially one I could read in one sitting.

I also noticed you read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (#41). I read that one in elementary school, but I think I may reread it. I've totally forgotten what I thought of it. That's what I had to do with The Whipping Boy and The Summer of the Swans (books you read/reviewed above). I'm afraid to think what I'll have to do in another 20 years--reread everything again?? Yikes! My library's already pushing the 3,000 mark.

Anywho, I like your Newbery Award idea. :) I should dust some of mine off sometime.

Thanks for stopping by. I'm having great fun reading the Newbery books.

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

An emotionally charged YA book dealing with the horrific subject of the Holocaust. This is the second book of Yolen's that I've read, with the theme of the Holocaust. As in Briar Rose, Yolen writes in a gripping manner that certainly takes hold and shakes the soul.

In this book 13 year old Hannah of New Rochelle NY reluctantly celebrates Passover with her Jewish family. Mindful of the repetitive phrases and traditions, Hannah complacenty goes through the seder dinner feeling it to be endless and boring.

Suddenly, as Hannah is given the task of opening the door for the prophet Elijah, she is transported to 1942 Poland and Nazi occupation. Hannah becomes Chaya, a young girl in a concentration camp vividly living all the horrors of death, starvation and mind numbing cruelty.

Thus, when Hannah returns to the table with her family, she has gone through a metamorphic change and understands on a very deep level the meaning and need for continuity of tradition, of family and of never forgetting the price others have paid.

>240 Whisper1:: I loved Briar Rose, so I'll definitely give this one a try.

Hi Tad
It is good to see a post from you. I hope you are well.

I agree with you regarding Briar Rose -- it is a great book. The Devil's Arithmetic is very compelling and sad.

Yolen is a quality writer. My first exposure to her work was an adult science fiction book called Cards of Grief about a culture where grieving was the highest art form. I met her some years later at The White Rabbit in La Jolla to get the Pit Dragon books signed for my nephews and told her how moving I found that book. She shared that she had been working through some grief of her own at the time she wrote it. Still my favorite of hers.

Briar Rose was written after The Devil's Arithmetic, but informed by the research she did for the first.

Bashan and I by Thomas Mann

Thanks to Karen (Kiwidoc) for recommending this book. It is a delightful story of Thomas Mann and his loveable, goofy and loyal dog Bashan.

It is a simple tale of a man and a dog. While, imho, Mann came across as a bit of a dandy snob, the love he felt for Bashan shone through and I sensed that he was humbled by this wonderful canine.

ronincats
Thanks for listing another Yolen book that I promptly added to my tbr pile. How interesting that you met this author.

#243: I am adding Cards of Grief to the Continent too, Roni. I have not read anything by Yolen yet that I have not liked, although the experience is limited.

Cannot do a dog book on account of.. you know~
Looks good though..

>244 Whisper1:: Linda
I am glad you liked Bashan and I too!
I think it is more the time, Mann was a rich man in the early 20th century, then being realy a snob.
But he had a good eye for Bashan.
Anita

Anita..
You are right! What a great insight! Thanks for providing clarity regarding Mann...A light bulb went off when I read your comment.

How I envy that you have seven beautiful puppies to hold and love. I imagine your house as warm and happy.

Skin by Roald Dahl

Eleven very creepy, macabre short stories written by the master of creativity. This is definitely NOT your typical Dahl book. Some of the tales were so horrific that my mind wanted to erase the pages.

LOL, Whisper... it's funny, but with such a short description, I am now dying to read that Skin book. I am insanely curious to know what could be "so horrific". I already checked my library and I'm picking it up tomorrow!

Great description!

#50: I do not do at all well with creepy, so I think I am going to pass on that one.

You are about ready for the 3-thread gang, aren't you?

#251..Cauterize, I'm anxious to know your take on this book. If you, like me, have a vivid imagination, I think you will understand what I'm saying once you read the book.
#252..Thanks Kath. I cannot remember if you have read this book or not.
#253..The creativity of the story lines and the twists and turns reminded me of Rod Sterling and his TV shows The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery.

It is nice to be invited to the 3-thread gang meetings.
(I'm smiling)

Now you know what I meant when I said Skin gave me nightmares!!!

Ooh...I love macabre, scary things. I'll definitely be checking this book out!

hey Linda, sorry I took so long to get back to you. I had a flight and a coupke of bus rides in between and am currently happily away on holiday :) What you need to do is upload the pictures from your computer to an online storage space for pics - I use http://www.flickr.com

You can make an account for free. Once you've created your account you click on You -- Upload Pictures and Videos and you find the location on your computer where the pictures are. After the photos are safely uploaded on flickr you click on the picture you want. Then you click on ALL SIZES (on top of the pic) to decide how big do you want the pic to be. For each size you get a different code underneath the picture. (where it says "Grab the photo's URL"). Then you just insert into your LT page the code you already know (the one you use for book covers) with the URL that you got from the photo on flickr. For example: (without the spaces)

becomes


Sorry if I made it sound complicated. It really isn't!

Eliza

A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck


A 1999 Newberry Honor award winning book that I absolutely loved!

This is a touching, memorable walk down memory lane told from the perspective of 15 year old Joey Dowdel. This book was written before Peck's 2001 Newbery Medal winner A Year Down Yonder.

Each chapter is a separate story of a summer spent with Joey and his sister Alice who travel from Chicago to rural Illinois to visit their down and out, no frills, salt-of-the earth grandmother.

As I read these stories spanning seven wonderful summers, I was moved to tears and laughter. The author wove accurate historical depiction of troubled economic times in the US. There is a marvelous feeling of the down and out folk who quibble but hang in there together.

While living a hermit like existence, Granny Dowdel still has knowledge of the pulse of the town and the quirky personalities of the members. She is incredibly inventive in exposing the hyprocrites, finding ways of helping those less fortunate, and in leaving a legacy of laughter and memories to her grandchildren.

A must read.

</b>
>249 Whisper1:: Linda
Glad I could enlighten you ;-)

Yes our house is warm and happy, and the livingroom is now half its normal size, we just put up the puppy pen in the livingroom, their place for the next 5 weeks. Next week they will sleep upstairs in the whelping box and be downstairs during the day. Then we will put up the big puppy pen in the garden and they will be there a lot in the last weeks, if the weather is not too bad.

#250 - Skin and Other Stories by Roald Dahl sounds great! It actually belongs in a small group of Dahl books, namely short stories with unusual twists for teenagers, with The Great Automatic Grammatizator and The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar.

#258 - By the time my little guys are ready for YA books, there will be a whole new generation of authors and titles (although many will undoubtedly stand the test of time), but reading these reviews is giving me a great insight into a category that seems to have completely passed me by. For that, I thank you! I'm taking notes.

Missing May by Cynthia Rylant

Be sure to have a box of tissues by your side if/when you read this poignantly wonderful book of loss that wounds and love that transcends the sadness of death, enabling the spirit to keep living through the pain.

Cynthia Rylant, the author of this 1993 Newbery Medal award winning book, is rightfully deserving of the honor.

While small in the number of pages, it is large in depth and meaning. It packs a soft wallop as each and every word is used with such powerful poetry that I marveled as I turned the pages.

Narrated by Summer, we learn of the difficult early years after her mother died and she was complacently passed along to a series of family members. "Every house I had ever lived in was so particular about its food, and especially when the food involved me. I felt like one of those little mice who has to figure out the right button to push before its food will drop down into the cup. Caged and begging. That's how I felt sometimes."

Rescued by elderly Aunt May and Uncle Ob, Summer finally finds a secure, stable home as she lives with these two wonderful people who, while lacking in financial resources, have an abundance of love.

When Aunt May dies, in deep grief, Summer's fears of abandonment and insecurity arise as she watches Uncle Ob slip into depression.

Enter anything but ordinary, highly eccentric, classmate Cletus Underwood who brings a unique joy and unconventionality to the two deeply hurting souls.

I liked everything about this book. Rich in symbolism, the words gentle power come to mind.

Highly recommended.

#258: Thanks to your recommendation, I picked that one up at the library today.

#2612: I will have to add that one to the Continent!

Hi Whisper - am behind on everyone's threads, so a bit of catching up:

Glad you've turned the recovery corner, hope you continue to progress!

My tuppence worth on the Newbery Medal is to back up allthesedarnbooks and say that I highly recommend The Bridge to Terabithia - it's a wonderful book. Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh is also great...

Stasia, I will be very curious to see what you have to say about these books. As you can tell from my comments, there just aren't enough good things to say about both of these incredible books!
Will read Missing May last night and when finished, simply said "INCREDIBLE!"

hi flissp

It is darn difficult to keep up with the threads. I have tried and true ones I read (yours is one of them) and I simply know I cannot read all 400 plus threads. Our group has grown tremendously. I know I'm missing out on learning about new books and new people, but it would be impossible to keep track of all.

Thanks for your good wishes re. recovery. I am feeling better, but still very tired. I hope to go back to academia next week. My job as publications adviser is deadline driven and stressfilled, so I'll need to monitor my energy.

Thanks for the recommendations that both you and Marcia mentioned. I will definitely read these two. I saw the movie The Bridge to Terabithia but I've never heard of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh...

Lastly, thanks for stopping by.

I read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH many years ago but I loved it. I think I read it several times.

When I return books to the library tomorrow, I'll pick up these books.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is wonderful! The animated movie eviscerated the underlying meaning of the story and turned it into a simple children's tale, but the book is a marvelous exploration of intelligence and responsibility in a highly accessible story--one of my very favorites.

Missing May sounds wonderful, and I shall put it on my tbr list, Linda.

Hope you are feeling better!

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Times are hard in the Oklahoma panhandle dust bowl of the 1930's and 14 year old Billy Jo Kelly knows first hand about pain, loss, grief, poverty, emotions and people that swirl around, get lost or die.

Life was difficult, but easier when she had the stability and security of her mother's love and the ability to play the piano.

Tragically, Billie Jo's mother dies in a terrible accident when her father carelessly placed a pail of kerosene near the stove. As a fire erupts, her mother flees in the yard. Billie Jo, unaware of this, threw the pail outside on her mother. As her mother burns, Billie Jo tries frantically to save her. Shortly thereafter her pregnant mother dies in childbirth followed by the death of baby Franklin.

The author accurately portrays the unremitting dust storms that rob the farmers of their livelihood, of the terrible day-to-day existence in poverty, and via a series of structured verses told through Billie Jo, we feel the storm of emotions as she is left with disfigured hands, severe emotional grief and overwhelming feelings of guilt and of unforgiving anger toward her father.

Because of severe pain, she is robbed of the joy of playing the piano. As the story unfolds, this feisty, tenacious young woman bravely heals as slowly she physically moves the scars until she can play once again. Symbolically as she heals, the rains happen, bringing hope, re birth and a slow, but steady healing of the relationship with her father.

#268: Looks like another good one, Linda, and I already checked: my local library does indeed have it!

Oh....I love the sound of Out of the Dust. I'm totally putting that on my wishlist.

Stasia and Severn
I don't think you will be disappointed. I'm anxious to hear what you think of the book when you are finished.

glad you're feeling better - good luck with the return to work!

Up A Road Slowly by Irene Hunt

While this 1967 Newbery Medal winner is not a page turner, nor does it have the gripping, heart wrenching events that occurred in some other Newbery award winners, such as Out of the Dust. Missing May or The Higher Power of Lucky, it is a book I would recommend.

The story is a simple one of a strong willed, stubborn, feisty seven year old who, when her mother died, moved in the country with an older, school teacher Aunt.

The beauty of the book is in the elegant writing of the author as she superbly crafts the stages of maturation and the examples set by the Aunt as she tempers the headstrong, impetuous girl through adult hood.

This one sounds really good, too. Somehow Irene Hunt sounds like an author I should know. When I saw the name I immediately had the feeling "Oh, I like her!" I'll have to do some research.

ETA Found it! Across Five Aprils, a Newbery Honor book about a boy growing up taking care of the farm during the Civil War. I read this to the last 5th grade class I taught, before my children were born! As I recall we all loved it. But that was a long time ago!

Carolyn

The beauty of this book was in the writing style. There was nothing deeply moving about the story, but I really enjoyed the way the author was able to depict a somewhat bratty little girl/young woman and gradually, through a series of experiences, change the character to a caring, mature, sensitive person.

I visited a used book store today and was able to obtain a copy of Across Five Aprils.

I'm so enjoying my Newbery quest.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are feeling better.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies: Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz

In this 2008 Newbery Medal winner, the author takes the reader to a Medieval Village.

Each poem is a story told by the daughter, son, nephew or apprentice of a particular trades person.

While it is creative and the illustrations are very artistic, I personally cannot recommend this book.

It falls flat, smack face down in one of the muddy roads that meander throughout the village. The stories jump around higher and faster than the fleas and lice described as a part of the every day life in 1255. I kept waiting for at least one of the tales to soar like the falcon, but alas, as unglamorous as the Crusades, it felt like a pilgrimage to no where.

#276 I was looking at Good Masters! Sweet Ladies at the book store just this evening. After reading your review I'm glad I put it back on the shelf!

wow -- good stuff :) You make me wish I lived near an English-book library!

>276 Whisper1:: Well, there's one to avoid!

#276 - Certainly sounds like a disappointing book - your review, on the other hand, was fantastic! Hope your next book is better :)

what cait said :)

Thanks to everyone for stopping by my thread while I was on the Newbery journey. I had a lot of fun this month and truly was amazed at the depth of feeling portrayed, the incredible story telling in dealing with some very difficult subjects and the great writing of so many wonderful authors.

Of all the Newbery winners that I've read, the one that most impacted me for the sheer beauty, eloquence, and poignancy of the story is Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata. If you have the time, or the inclination to do so, I highly recommend you read this book.

Wow, you have been BUSY. Glad you are feeling better, and hope that you really manage to rest up this weekend if you have decided to re-enter the world of work next week. The clocks go forward tomorrow in the UK which I am NOT looking forward to in any sense (I seem to spend the rest of the year trying to adjust and just about have the hang of it by the time they go back again in autumn).

Hi Rachael...so good to hear from you.

I picked up Skin, and enjoyed it! I thought some were thoroughly creepy and some were on the funny side. "The Sound Machine" freaked me out the most *shudders* I don't even want to think about it! Thanks for reviewing it!

Cauterize...Interesting that you mention that "The Sound Machine" freaked you out the most. Of the stories, that one is also the one that was the most thought provoking. And, when I think of the book, that is the story that comes to mind. And, the first story was the one that seemed the funny one.

For the first story, "Skin", I could see how it would be extremely scary if you had read it in the 1950s. It loses its punch because the subject matter is so benign nowadays. I thought "The Champion of the World" was the funniest, especially at the end when things 'scattered' (trying to avoid spoilers). "The African Story" had the most disturbing imagery and "Beware of The Dog" had the most beautiful passage when he is falling between dark and light.

I like SF, and thought "The Sound Machine" was in the vein of creepy SF!

@271 - heh, it'll be a long time before I get to it! First it has to be purchased - which might take months, er even years. Then it'll have to actually get read hehehe....

One day it might turn up in my thread! :)

Linda

Hope you had a good first day back at work and aren't too tired!

I have a few more Newbery Winners to read to finish out my 999 category, but I have your list of recommendations to guide me. Next up is Kira-Kira because that is due back at the library next week. Then will be The Hero and the Crown because that is the prequel to the Newbery Honor book I just finished last night. Then I think I will need about four more for the category. I've really been enjoying them--and grateful that you were willing to weed out the ones that weren't worth it! :-)

Take it easy tonight and read a good book! :-D

Carolyn

I'll be anxious to learn your feelings/thoughts re. Kira-Kira.

Hello to all and thanks for stopping by.

I started thread #3, which can be found here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/61185