For the Birds!

Beloved author and illustrator David Graham has produced yet another beautiful picture book. How to Heal a Broken Wing tells the story of a pigeon that falls out of the sky and lands in the middle of a busy city. No one seems to notice this poor bird, except for a little boy named Will. With the help of his mother he brings the bird home. Will and his parents nurse the bird back to health and mend its broken wing until finally the pigeon is able to fly away and rejoin the other birds in the wild.

The illustrations are done in a very similar style to David Graham's other books (think "Let's Get a Pup!" Said Kate), but the lighting and the sparsity of text makes the images incredibly powerful. This is a soothing story and the bird's successful recovery is incredibly uplifting. Perfect for those seeking stories about healing broken bones, taking care of wildlife, or simply a story with a happy ending.

Overall Grade: A+

This fabulous book has reminded me of other great books about birds:

The True Story of Sellina by Italian-American author Matteo Pericoli contains many similarities to David Graham's book as both describe a bird alone in the city who needs help. Instead of having a broken wing, however, little Stellina has abandoned her nest as a baby and is unable to care for herself until Pericoli's wife Holly finds her and takes her in. Pericoli describes how Holly would take care of the little bird and how Stellina would become a part of their lives. Touching and sweet, the text is written in what seems to be lines of free verse poetry

Overall Grade: A+

How to Paint the Portrait of a Bird is an adaptation of a poem by French author Jacques Prevert. Translated and illustrated by award-winning illustrator Mordicai Gerstein, it is a beautifully poetic story that is not so much about healing or even birds, but about the power of art. The story provides instructions on capturing a bird to paint, beginning with directions to sketch an inviting birdcage to attract the bird. The fantasy of this procedure is whimsical and filled with child-like creativity as it celebrates the creative process and creative solutions to difficult problems. The illustrations are beautifully rendered and seem to call to mind the very portrait that the poem calls its readers to paint.

Overall Grade: A+

Princess Accademy

This Newbery Honor-winning novel by Shannon Hale certainly lives up to expectations. When it is prophisied that the prince's future bride will come from the remote Mount Eskel, a princess academy is set up to teach all of the eligible girls skills such as reading, diplomacy, and poise. Young Miri, who has never been allowed to work with the rest of her village in the quarries, quickly establishes herself as a strong candidate for the role of princess with her speedy mastery of her lessons. Miri seems to have finally found a way in which she can be useful to the village, but does she really want to be a princess? Tensions between the girls are sometimes strained as they are constantly reminded of the competition between them, but will they be able to band together when the academy is put in danger?

As one of the girls points out in the final chapter, "Maybe Mount Eskel didn't need a princess, just an academy." While some girls truly dream of being able to marry the prince, Miri and each of the other girls in turn begins to discover the value of family, friendship, community, and education as they become aware of the world beyond their mountain. Quality of life on Mount Eskel is vastly improved as the girls are able to use their lessons to help their sheltered village thrive. The princess academy is truly life-altering for each of the 20 girls who attend...though not necessarily for its intended purpose. Pragmatic and fanciful readers alike will appreciate the way in which Hale blends the two takes on the academy to create a compelling and engrossing tale.

Overall Grade: A+

May Bird and the Ever After

After getting a request for this book from a kid who has proven to have excellent taste (she's a regular at the library, and we've done a lot of book talking!), I finally picked up May Bird and the Ever After by Jodi Lynn Anderson. I was kind of impressed with the book. May is a friendless 10-year-old girl who has a vivid imagination...and the threat of being sent to boarding school looming over her shoulder. One day while walking in the woods near her home, she falls into a lake and is sucked into the "Ever After," home of ghosts, specters, and ghouls. May finds herself instantly hunted by Bo Clevil, who has outlawed the living from remaining in the Ever After. Teamed up with Pumpkin (the ghost who has haunted May's house for years) and trailed by May's pet Somber Kitty, the two set out to find the Book of the Dead, which will hopefully tell May how she can return home.

This engaging story is perhaps a little slow to set up, but May's adventures in Ever After are exciting and fraught with danger. The characters that May meets up with along the way are diverse and well-drawn, each with their own distinct and endearing personalities. There are lots of interesting dead spirits to be found here, but is not a scary book. It would, however, be a good tone-setting for those looking to get into the Halloween spirit but who don't necessarily want to have their pants scared off.

Overall Grade: A-/B+

Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend

High school senior and Harvest Queen Belle Philbrick's world is turned upside down when her boyfriend of over two years dumps her - after coming out of the closet. Now Belle has a huge range of emotions to deal with as she tries to come to terms with the news. Even worse is watching the rest of her small town community come to terms with this news - and some people certainly react badly. Belle is left to try to answer all of the questions that Dylan has left her with. Did she ever really understand Dylan? How has her own identity changed as a result? And what about Tom, a friend from Belle's childhood who suddenly seems to be looking at her in a new light?

Despite a relatively snarky title, this book is certainly deep and thought-provoking. Author Carrie Jones does a great job of getting inside Belle's head and showing her complicated and sometimes understandably irrational emotions. This books is also a great way of looking at the coming-out story as we really see how Dylan's preferences affect his friends and his community.

Overall grade: A-

The sequel to this book, Love (And Other Uses for Duct Tape), brings us back to Belle, Tom, and their tiny Maine hometown. The good news is that this book presents an interesting look at all forms of love (including sex) and their sometimes unplanned consequences, including teen pregnancy. The themes are truly good and using Belle again as a reactionary character to difficult circumstances is interesting and effective for exploring these themes. Unfortunately, the writing just isn't as good. It almost seems like Jones is trying a little too hard to recapture the tone she nailed so perfectly in Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend, and in the process ends up repeating herself over and over again in terrible teenage angst. The timing in this story is also off, and it seems like things move along far to quickly for the four days or so in which the book is set. Still worth checking out, but be warned about the decline in quality.

Overall grade: B/B-

Sorry about the terrible influx of teen books recently! It's simply coincidence that I've picked up so many quick teen reads lately. I've been slowly working through a few longer children's books, and hope to post about another one very soon.

A Library Card for Every Child

Today I encountered a little boy (about nine years old) who did not have a library card. This boy was so excited about being at the library and looking at books and using the computers. However, he was disappointed to learn that without a library card, he would not be able to take books home with him or use the Internet computers, which require a library card to log in. He was at the library without his parents, so he was absolutely unable to get a card that day. I have seen this boy at a library a few times in the past, and have never seen a parent with him, so I am inclined to doubt that we will see Mom or Dad with him anytime soon without some major wheedling on his part.

I like to think that the parents of a child so young would know where their son is spending his time, even if he is on his own. So why is it that this boy does not have a library card? Why would you come to the library if you didn't have full access to everything the library has to offer?

Getting a library card is very easy in most places. Most libraries simply require that you fill out a brief application and show a form of identification or proof of address. This is simply so that library employees can keep track of exactly where materials are after they are checked out. All in all, obtaining a library card should take no more than about fifteen minutes of your time.

Once you have a library card, you have the ability to take home books, movies, music, and at some libraries games. Library cards are often also required for using library computers. The library is certainly open to the public and people are more than welcome to simply read at the library without taking items home. However, having the option to take materials home means that your child's opportunities to read become unlimited. Obtaining a library card also can give children a great sense of responsibility, because once they check something out on their card, they are responsible for taking care of the item and returning it on time. It also gives children a certain amount of ownership over the items they have selected, making the materials seem more enjoyable since they checked them out.

And just think - the library offers all of these opportunities for free, in exchange for your home address, phone number, a form of ID, and the promise that items will be returned in a timely manner. That's a pretty great deal no matter where you are.

As far as I am concerned, there is simply no good reason not to have a library card. It is my hope that other parents will agree that having his card is a key to learning about the world around you as well as a host of entertainment. Parents, if you have not done so already, please make sure that your child has his or her own card so that he or she can take full advantage of the resources available at your library.