A Wrinkle in Time By: Madeleine L'Engle

This is another book that I read as a child and then shared with my daughter. The story received a Newberry Medal in 1963. It is an all time classic fantasy. The theme of good versus evil is played out in a world where time and space are manipulated. The main characters are children who take on the epic battle and are triumphant in the end. This book as well as the other 3 in the series account for much of my passion surrounding the fantasy genre. If you have never read this magnificent piece I highly suggest that you do. In fact now is the perfect time because they are just releasing a new edition with extras that make it even more memorable. There is new cover art and an introduction written by the author.

The Secret Garden By: Frances Hodgson Burnett

I am so glad I finally read this book. Actually this is another one that I listened to. It was a wonderful book to hear because of the English accents and dialects that would have been lost if I was reading silently. This is a classic that I missed somewhere along the way. I was also under the mistaken impression that this was a fantasy and that the garden somehow had magical powers that healed the boy and his cousin. That is not the way the story goes. It is however, a tale of healing. The kids in this story have been given all the material things in this world but nothing in the way of love and attention. What Mary and Collin find in the garden and in Miselthwait Manor may not be magic but, it does heal them in both mind and body. There is a new technology that I also would like to tell you about. At least it is fairly new. It is called a Play Away. I checked it out of the library and it is really cool. The entire book is in a self contained digital player. All you need is a set of headphones. The library even included an extra battery in case you needed it. This devise is small enough to fit in your pocket or you can wear it around your neck (lanyard included). Here's the best part. I was so impressed that I decided to look them up to see how expensive they are. They cost about the same as any other audio book.

If I Were In Charge of the World and Other Worries By: Judith Viorst

This has long been my favorite collection of poetry to share with my students. The poems are funny and right on the mark for my 4th and 5th grade students. The poems have a common theme; the everyday worries, thoughts and daydreams of elementary aged kids. The subjects range from friends and bullies to homework and parents. The best thing about them is that if you look past the hilarious lines, just under the surface there are some really important messages for kids. Namely that they are not the only ones who are feeling the things that they are feeling. This is the title poem from the book. Enjoy.

If I Were in Charge of the World

If I were in charge of the world

I'd cancel oatmeal

Monday mornings,

Allergy shots, and also

Sara Steinberg.

If I were in charge of the world

There'd be brighter night lights,

Healthier hamsters, and

Basketball baskets forty-eight inches lower.

If I were in charge of the world

You wouldn't have lonely,

You wouldn't have clean.

You wouldn't have bedtimes,

or "Don't punch your sister."

You wouldn't even have sisters.

If I were in charge of the world

A chocolate sundae with whipped cream and nuts

would be a vegetable

All 007 movies would be rated G

And a person who sometimes forgot to brush and

Sometimes forgot to flush

Could still be in charge of the world.

By: Judith Viorst

Jumanji By: Chris Van Allsburg

This is one of the first picture books I ever purchased. I now own several Chris Van Allsburg books. He is an amazing illustrator. Jumanji is a grand example of his talent. There are two things that I most love about his work. First of all I love his attention to details, from the medium all the way down to choice of paper is made deliberately. I also love his ability with perspective. The angle from which he creates a scene is almost as important as the scene itself. I bought this book to share with my 4th and 5th graders 11 years ago. It was right after we had encountered an excerpt from the book in the basil we were using at the time. I have hated Basil's ever since and have rarely used them. I have always been fortunate to be in situations where I was not forced to use a preselected text. I have spent literally thousands of dollars on books for my class room since then. And it was well worth the investment.

The Hello, Goodbye Window By: Norton Juster Illustrated by: Chris Raschka

This is a Caldecott Medal winning book published in 2005. The illustrations are by Chris Raschka and they are in his typical style, bright colors, lots of motion. It is the story of a little girl and what she likes best about her grandparents' house. This book is full of light and love and happiness. It is a wonderful book for grandparents and parents alike to share with the small children in their lives.

Ramona the Brave By: Beverly Cleary

I was given this book as a Christmas gift by my fifth grade teacher, Mr. Allison. I still have my copy, signed by my teacher (I actually have several books that were given to me by teachers). I have read this story numerous times as well as the others in the Ramona series. I have read them myself as a child, with my students and with my daughter. Ramona is to the children of the seventies what Junie B. Jones and Judy Moody are to the children of today. And even though they have been with us for awhile these stories are not dated. The experiences and emotions Ramona shares with us in the book stand the test of time. Her character makes you love her. Whether she is pulling out every last tissue from the box, squeezing an entire tube of toothpaste into the sink or making kitty faces in her Q we cherish every chapter. Ramona is here to stay.

Mole Music By: David McPhail

After I saw the presentation on this book in class I added it to my collection. They were even nice enough to let me have a copy of the wonderful music they used along with the story. I plan to use the story as part of a staff development in the fall. I won't even attempt to analyze the book here.That has already been done. What I would like to share is what made me LOVE this book. If you haven't noticed by now, I tend to wax philosophic. In almost everything I read, I find myself looking for the deeper meaning, the moral to the story. The moral to this story is an important one. You can make a difference, no matter how small or insignificant you believe yourself to be. This is a great message for teachers to hear as well as kids. Teachers pour their heart and soul into their students and their classrooms. Yet, seldom does a teacher know for sure whether or not he/she has made a difference in the life of a child. As educators we have to have faith that the love,patience, effort and skill we bring into our classrooms does matter even if we never see it directly. Just like the mole in his tunnel underground. Even though he didn't know it was happening, he was changing the world. I have to share my own sappy story. Last summer I contacted my first grade teacher to let her know that she had made a difference in my life. It was one of the best things I ever did. We talked for a long time and I believe she was glad that I called. She was the teacher for me that turned on my love of school and learning and I had always remembered her. In fact, when I entered the School of Ed.'s Masters program 11 years ago I wrote my application essay about her. The question was "Why do you want to teach?" or something like that. My answer was so that I could touch the lives of children the way my first grade teacher had touched mine. I hope that I shed a little light into her mole tunnel. Just remember we make a difference everyday whether we get to see it or not.

Mama, Do You Love Me? By: Barbara M. Joosse

I have had this book since my 10 year old was a toddler. The storyline is predictable. The child wonders if Mommy will still love her if....... The answer to the question is, of course, yes. So, you are probably thinking, Do we really need another one of those books on the shelf? The thing that makes this book different from all the other books that reassure a child of a parents unending love is that this story also teaches us about a different culture. We are exposed to vocabulary like mukluks and ptarmigan eggs. There is a glossary in the back of the book to help us and the illustrations are gorgeous. This book is a respectful look at the Inuit culture as well as a reassurance that no matter how naughty you are, your Mommy will still love you.

The Outsiders By: S.E. Hinton

I first discovered S.E. Hinton in the 6th grade. I blame her for always falling for the "bad boys" (thank you S.E. Hinton). After I devoured the Outsiders I read all the other books that centered around those initial characters: Rumble Fish, That Was Then, This is Now and Tex. By the time the movie came out in 1983 (4 years later) I had read the book about three times. The movie was awesome, of course. I mean just look at the cast but, the book is what made me love those characters. The classic and timeless adolescent struggles are the major themes in this novel. I believe this is why it holds up as a teen favorite 40 years after it was first published. The main characters are a group of friends from "the wrong side of the tracks". The group as a whole and as individual characters struggle to find independence from their families while attempting to find acceptance within their peer group. The plot centers around the conflict between the poor kids (greasers) and the rich kids (socshes, I probably spelled that wrong). By the end of the story the characters have learned the hard way that maybe the two groups aren't so different after all. I mentioned during our class period on poetry that my favorite poem came from this book. It is a Robert Frost poem that Pony recites to Johnny at a very poignant point in the story. I will remember it until the day I die. I would like to share it with you now.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold

Her hardest hue to hold

Her early leaves a flower

But only so an hour

Then leaf subsides to leaf

So Eden sank in grief

So dawn goes down to day

Nothing gold can stay.

BY: ROBERT FROST

S.E. Hinton's novels are still selling to young readers. That was Then This is Now was in this month's Scholastic Book Clubs flier. It is easy to see why.

The Solar System By: Seymour Simon

I have been a fan of Seymour Simon's science picture books for some time. I think that his amazing photos bring the world, the solar system, and the universe in to the minds and hearts of every child who picks up one of his books. The reader can't help but become engaged in the text. After looking at the photos you are compelled to read in order to find out more. This book is full of full page pictures of each planet. It is a book that you could spend a full half hour just leafing through. The text is also high engaging as well as scientifically accurate. Add one, two, or ten to your classroom library and your students will be begging you to teach them science.

The Journey: Stories of Migration By: Cynthia Rylant Illustrated by: Lambert Davis

In this beautiful book Cynthia Rylant and Lambert Davis collaborate to tell the remarkable story of six animal species that migrate (Monarch Butterflies, Desert Locust, Gray Whales, American Silver Eels, Caribou and Arctic Terns. The illustrations are amazing. Each animal is depicted in different stages of growth and in different habitats as it makes its journey. The text is typical of Rylant. Almost poetic, each word chosen deliberately. Each animal has 6-8 pages devoted to its migratory cycle. This would make a good introduction to migration for a class. It would also make great independent reading material. When I am teaching a unit in Science or History I try to have a variety of reading material on the subject available to my students for silent reading time. This will be a perfect addition to such fare. The one criticism I have of this book is that there are no source notes, no bibliography and no evidence that Rylant did any research into this topic at all. The writing is not scientific in nature. More story telling than specific details. Still I think as an introduction or as an independent read it is worthwhile and certainly beautiful both in text and illustration.

Messenger By: Lois Lowry

This book is also a compaion to The Giver. This story takes place in yet another community. Here we are rejoined by characters from both of the previous books. The community in this book is more communal in nature and is founded on acceptance and compassion. Yet even in this idealic setting the flaws that plague the human condition are seeping in and threatening to destroy what has been so cherished. We see that humans are never free from the weaknesses with each of us. However, while we are confronted once again by the ugly truth of our race, Lowry is a gentle guide and we feel safe to explore the darkness without fear of being sucked into the abyss. Once again we are shown that even at it's weakest the human race is a beautiful thing and there is always hope.

Gathering Blue By: Lois Lowry

This is a follow up to The Giver. I won't say it is a sequel because it is not. None of the same characters from the first novel are in Gathering Blue and the community at the center of the story is much different. Yet, in many important aspects the stories are very much the same. The major themes that Lowry adressed in The Giver are adressed here as well. In the village where this story takes place it is unacceptable to be weak or disabled in anyway. Those who are "of no use" are simply disgarded. They made it sound nicer in The Giver. Release seemed like a good thing. But, as you know, it was the same in the end. The hero of this story is a girl. She is an outcast. The only reason that she was not "taken to the field" when she was small was the power her mothers father had in the village. Much like Jonas,Kira slowly discovers that the community in which she lives has dark secrets and is unsafe. However, Kira chooses to deal with this knowledge in an entirely different way than Jonas. Lowry has once again developed a realistic and believable world. A world that is foreign from the one in which we live but, we think, could exist under the right circumstances. Lowry has once again led us into the very darkest parts of humanity and shown us that even in the darkest night there are sparks of light.

Number the Stars By: Lois Lowry

This book won Lois Lowry her first Newberry and it is obvious to see why. This is the story of a girl and her best friend growing up in Denmark during the German occupation. The main character is 10 years old. Her best friend is Jewish. I will neither spoil the story nor waste your time by summarizing the plot. I will say that this book is a must read. Lois Lowry has become one of my all time favorite authors during this semester. I have now read six of her books and fully intend to read the others. She is a master of leading the reader, child or adult, gently by the hand into the depths of human cruelty and inhumanity. She shows us the evil in the world and in the hearts of men, not to shock or scare us but to enlighten us to the human condition. Although all of her work I have read so far deals with this darkness, she always gives us a light. Her heroes exemplify the best humanity has to offer. They are able to overcome the evil in the world and remind us all that there is still hope for us as a race. What is even more striking is that her heroes are children. These children are not just fighting the school yard bully they are fighting society, Nazis, beasts in the forest, demons in the night. At the risk of sounding "preachy", doesn't the Bible say, "and a child shall lead them"? Her characters are brave, loyal, and intelligent, and they give us a brilliant light with which to see in the dark.

The Princess and the Pea By: Dorothy Duntze

This is a retelling of the Danish fairytale first published in 1835 by Hans Christian Andersen. The story has also been known as The Real Princess and How to Tell a True Princess. Andersen reported having heard the story has a child. However, there is no record of it in the Danish oral history. The story tells of a princess who is in search of a princess to wed. As he searches from kingdom to kingdom he is unable to find a woman who meets his high standards of what a true princess should be. Then one night there is a knock at the door and a woman standing in the rain says that she is a princess and wishes to have shelter for the night. The Queen does not believe that this woman is a true princess and devices a plan to prove whether or not she is truthful. She has her servants stack mattresses so high that one needs a ladder to get into the bed and then places a pea under the bottom mattress. The next morning the woman's royalty is proven as she complains of being horribly bruised by something in her bed. Soon the Prince and this True Princess are wed. The illustrations in this picture book are reminiscent of folk art. The story is kept short and to the point. It makes a fine addition to any collection of fairy tales.

Waiting to Waltz: A Childhood By: Cynthia Rylant

I read, "But, I'll Be Back Again" before I read this collection of poetry. I am glad I did. They go together so nicely. If I hadn't read the memoir first I might not have realized how close to a memoir these poems are. Rylant is so skillful with language that I have thought all semester that her prose is almost poetry. She chooses each word and structures each sentence with such care. This was another chance to glimpse the person behind the art.

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices By: Paul Fleischman

My daughter and I read these poems together. We were laughing so hard at first we could only manage a little at a time. Oh what a joyful noise that was. Neither my daughter nor I are the most coordinated people in the world and reading this book seemed a little like trying to rub your tummy while patting your head. With a little practice we were able to get the hang of it. Our favorite was Book Lice. This was a very pleasurable read and it was a bonding experience for my daughter and I. Hurry for Paul Fleishman!!!

Long Night Moon By: Cynthia Rylant

This is a beautiful collaboration between Cynthia Rylant and Mark Siegal. This illustrated poem makes a wonderful addition to bedtime fare. It is simple and beautiful. Rylant once again shows us her skill with words. Not too many, not too few, all beautiful and deliberate. The illustrations are serene, tranquil and inspiring. The illustrator tells us at the end of the book that he had difficulty choosing a medium that would do justice to the imagery of Rylant's words. He chose charcoal and the result is a perfect representation of the mood evoked in the poem. In paintings I have always been most captivated by artists such as Rembrandt who are able to bring light to their art. It always struck me as almost magical that a painting could actually appear to glow with real light from the way the artist used his medium. Siegel also uses light, the light of the moon, in his illustrations in a very magical way. Add to this the knowledge that is shared of the Native American tradition of naming each full moon and the book is richer still. This is a wonderful collaboration between two amazing artists.

I Had Seen Castles By Cynthia Rylant

I began this course with a dislike of historical fiction. I considered it to be dry and boring for the most part. When I read Across Five Aprils I was smug and said to myself, "see you were right". When I read The Watsons Go to Birmingham I thought it must be a fluke, one good book in a genre filled with awful ones. I was wrong. I loved this book as well and have since read several other historical fiction books that I thoroughly enjoy. Here is what I have learned. It isn't the genre it is the style. I prefer authors who do not try to delve to deeply into every detail of the period they are writing about. I do not wish to know many details of every battle of the Civil War. I like to read about the peoples lives that were living in that period. I want to feel as if I am there with them somehow. I want to be in that time machine with the author. As Dr. Johnson read from the acceptance speech in class on Monday I thought, Exactly! My husband claims that I never admit when I am wrong. So, here it is, in writing, I WAS WRONG. As I read I Had Seen Castles I kept having to remind myself that this was a work of fiction. A work of fiction written by a woman noless. The main character is so well developed and his voice so authentic that if I didn't know better I would have sworn this was a memoir written by a veteran of WWII. Rylant's ability to portray the life of this man who goes from being an innocent youth to an emotionally scarred veteran is simply amazing. The details of the life lived within this novel are heart wrenching. I believe that all young men with grandiose ideas of war should read this book and think again.

Gossamer By: Lois Lowry

The first thing I want to tell you is that I have included a cool link with this post. If you click on the title it will take you to NPR.org. There is a blurb about the book and you can hear Lois Lowry read a passage from the book. I didn't want to risk anyone missing it. I thought it was kind of cool. Anyway.........

This is Lois Lowry's newest novel. It was published in 2006. The premise of the story is that there are magical, fairy like creatures, which "bestow" dreams upon humans and animals while they sleep. These are good beings who use the memories stored in items around the house (pictures, old sweaters, keep sakes, etc...) to give good dreams to people while they are sleeping. The purpose of the dreams is to help the humans who have them to gain some strength and happiness from them so that they may effectively deal with the problems they face from day to day. There are also evil counterparts who bestow nightmares but, you'll have to read the book to find out more about them.

This novel is based in the modern world and is reality based. The humans to which the main characters (the Dream Givers) are assigned are ordinary people. There is an elderly woman, her dog, and an angry foster child. We get to meet the boy's mother as well. The difficulties faced by these humans are normal, ordinary problems. All of this "ordinariness" serves to make the fantasy world of the Dream Givers more believable.

I hope I am not being to cryptic but, I really do not want to give anything away. If you have enjoyed any of Lois Lowry's other work then you must read Gossamer.

Once again she has taken the reader by the hand and gently revealed to us the reality that there is evil in the world. However, as with her other stories we are also reminded that humans are basically good and that there are heroes all around us if we can just "See Beyond" ourselves and remember that we are all in this world together.

I will leave you with one quote from the book that I think summarizes a lot about Lois Lowry and her work as a whole. It is a statement made by the main character in the story: " And you know what..... Sad parts are important. If I ever get to train a new young dream giver, that's one of the things I'll teach: that you must include the sad parts, because they are part of the story, and they have to be part of the dreams."(pg. 96)

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes By: Eleanor Coerr

This is a historical fiction novel based on the life of a girl who died at the age of 12 due to the effects of the atom bomb which was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. The picture to the left is of a statue in a Peace Park in Seattle, Washington. You may access a link to the Sadako website by clicking on the title of this post. This is an important and powerful book that is as relevant today as it was years ago. The story of this brave little girl and her life cut short by a war she and her family had nothing to do with is both sad and inspiring. Sadako so inspired her class mates that they had a book of her letters published. She has continued to inspire people around the world. There are statues of her in Hiroshima as well as Seattle. This could be a powerful tool in the classroom as a part of the discussion of WWII. Sadako is suitable for middle school aged students. The story is well written and would be accessible for a wide range of reading levels. The text is written at about a 4Th grade level and there is a picturebook written by the same author that is written at a 3rd grade level. As I have mentioned before, it is difficult to find quality books for middle and high school students at a lower reading level. This is definitely one that can be added to the top of that list.

Lost Star: The Story of Amelia Earhart By: Patricia Lauber

Amelia Earhart is someone whom I have often wondered about. I always knew she was a pilot whose plane went down over the ocean and was never found, but that was the extent of my knowledge. This book gave me alot of insight not only into her death but, into her amazing life as well. I listened to this book on tape and it was extremely well done. The version I listened to was by Scholastic as part of their Read XL program for middle school students reading below grade level. Our school bought and began using this program this year. The tapes that come with the read aloud series model cognitive strategies during the reading. The narrator also stops when there is a word that the student may not know and not only tells the reader what it means but, while doing so talks about how to figure the word out. An example was Altimeter, the narrator said something like "I wonder what that word means? Well, I know that a meter is a tool for measuring something (like a thermometer, or a speedometer) and I think Alti- sounds like the beginning of Altitude which is that word we discussed earlier that means height in the air, so I think an Altimeter must be a gauge for measuring how high in the area the plane is." You might think that all this talk would interfere with the flow of the book but, it really didn't. In fact I think that it was important especially with this book because there were quite a few technical aviation terms. Alot of struggling readers don't have the skills to stop and think about words they don't understand as they read and this was a great model. I think it will help me too, it was like being able to sit and listen to a great teacher's lesson. Modeling is good for teachers AND their students. As I said this is an excellent book. It is written on a sixth grade level. Some of the terms may be difficulty without some class discussions or the audio. Otherwise, I highly recommend this biography of a Great American Woman.

But, I'll be back again By: Cynthia Rylant

I must admit that I was a little upset that we were expected to read this book when it is out of print. I was afraid I was not going to be able to find it. I was able to borrow a copy from a classmate so I got over it. After reading this book I completely understand why Dr. Johnson insisted we read it. I am glad she didn't take it off the list. It is amazing to read about the life of this talented author and realize that she had a rough childhood. Or at least her life was hard compared to what I consider to be a "normal" upbringing. It also gave me much more insight into her writing. I was happy to find out that her book When I was Young in the Mountains was dedicated to her grandparents. Her self awareness and understanding of the mechanisms by which children in difficult situations construct their own truth and reality is remarkable. I have an undergraduate degree in Psychology and have spent my career to this point working with children who have emotional disorders. I have worked with children in very sad and scary circumstances. I know from these experiences that children are survivors. They make due with what the world throws at them. Rylant's courage in sharing her inner most doubts and heart break is a testament to her own survival instinct. I would like to thank her for sharing her story with us. I will enjoy her books on a whole new level because of it.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 By: Christopher Paul Curtis

This is one of those books that I have been meaning to read forever and just never quite got around to it. I am glad I was given this opportunity. I listened to the book in the car. Since I commute an hour a day and more on Mondays it seemed like a good idea. Lavar Burton narrated the book. You probably know him as the blind character Jordy from Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also hosts The Reading Rainbow on PBS. Anyway, He did a wonderful job with this novel. His acting ability really brought the characters to life. I enjoyed listening to the story very much. Of course, the narrator's voice isn't the only thing I enjoyed. The way this story is woven is incredible. The Watsons live in Michigan. They have three children. The mother of the family grew up in Alabama but, has not been home in 10 years. Thus, even though the family is aware of the civil rights movement and understand its importance, they have not experienced it first hand. For most of the book we are allowed to get to know the family. They are all likable. Even the oldest son, who is a bit of a bully, has his redeeming qualities. There is a lot of humor in the book. The reader is given many chances to see the personalities of each character in a variety of situations. The family is just like any other family and we feel connected to them. The fact that we, the reader, get to know the family so well makes the second half of the story all that much more devastating. We are almost as surprised by the church bomb as the Watsons themselves. In fact when I read the part where the explosion is heard I didn't think of what it could be right away either. The reactions by each family member to this horrific tragedy are moving. The way in which Curtis has constructed this story makes it a much more personal experience for the reader. We have studied the Civil Rights movement in school. But, some how we are separated from it. Much like the Watsons were separated from it by geography. Because we are walked through this families experience and have the chance to understand them we feel it in a much more personal way. I am glad I finally read this book.

Bull Run By: Paul Fleischman

This is the third book we have read now that devotes each chapter to a different person or event. As with the other two this one is very well done. I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing a situation from many different perspectives. Bull Run gives the reader the opportunity to see one battle through the eyes of 16 people. Eight of whom are Northern and eight of whom are southern. The voices are male and female, young and old, black and white. It is the most complete picture of the Civil War that I have encountered in any one place. Fleishman is able to bring the humanity out of this battle and teach us a lesson about the true nature of war. It is suggested in my addition that this work could be done as a readers theater. The author even breaks down the characters by name, Northern or Southern, and gives the page numbers for each character. I think that this would make a wonderful play for a drama club in middle school. In fact my husband is in charge of his middle schol's drama club and I intend to pitch it to him.

Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra By: Andrea and Brian Pinkney

This picture book by husband and wife team Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney won a Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King Award in 1998. It is the story of Duke Ellington. The text is written with the slang and dialect of the time and place where this great jazz musician grew up. Words like "homebodies" and "kickin'" as well as phrases like "hot - buttered bop and lots of sassy - cool tones" and "when the joint started to jump" give the reader a front row seat. It is also a good way to get kids of all ages interested in an era other than their own. A great conversation could be started about slang and how the youth of every generation has it's own language so to speak. The illustrations are done on scratch board with luma dyes, gouache and oil paint. Almost all of the illustrations are full bleeds, none are confined to a frame. All of the illustrations compliment the text beautifully. When the text compares the playing of the sax to the tail of a kite in the wind the painting shows the sax player in the park with a kite flying by. When the author says that "Duke painted colors with his band's sound", the painting shows beautiful colors streaming out of the instruments with Duke as the artist. These illustrations are the perfect compliment to the language used by the author. Together the text and illustrations of this book are a great way to introduce children to many topics. From biographies and history, to jazz and slang.

Rapunzel By: Paul O. Zelinsky

This classic fairytale retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky won the Caldecott Medal in 1997. It is easy to see why. The illustrations are oil paintings. The style is Italian Renaissance. Each illustration is framed so that they look as if they could all be hanging in a museum. The story is also well written. It is truly an important piece to have in any collection of fairy tales. However, what I found even more intriguing than the actual story were the three pages of research at the end. Paul O. Zelinsky was able to uncover a broad history of this tale that spans the countries of France, Italy and Germany and dates back as far as 1634. The story has taken on many forms and names. He shares with us many interesting facts. For instance, the original story had the pregnant mother craving parsley (petrosine) and the daughter's name was then Petrosinella. The antagonist also ranges from a sorceress to a witch to a fairy. She is sometimes motherly to the girl and sometimes treats her as a prisoner. Zelinsky states that he has tried to bring together the most appealing aspects of all of the forms of the tale. I think he has done a marvelous job.

Inch By Inch By: Leo Lionni

As you all know by now I am a huge fan of Eric Carle. I have also always enjoyed Leo Lionni's work. So I was not surprised to find out that Eric Carle was inspired by the work of Lionni and actually credits him with inspiring him to create children's books and for using graphic design to speak to children. The two were friends. Both artists worked for the graphics department of major publications (Carle for New York Times, Lionni for Fortune Magazine)and in the field of advertising. The similarities in their work are obvious. Both used their love of nature to inspire their stories. Both used collage as a main technique. And both used a lot of white space in their illustrations to draw attention to the important aspects of the piece. The major difference between these authors are the color palate of choice. Carle uses bright, vivid colors that are not necessarily true to nature. Where as, Lionni sticks to the more natural, muted tones that one would most likely see in nature. Inch By Inch is Lionni's second book. The story is about an inch worm that finds himself in a precarious situation. He is about to be eaten by a robin (every worm's worst nightmare I am sure). He is no ordinary worm however and he is able to convince the bird not to eat him by explaining to the robin that he is useful. "I measure things" he tells the bird and then proceeds to prove his worth by measuring the robin's tail. He is not eaten. Instead he is taken to a place where "other birds need to be measured". In this way Lionni is able to introduce children to the distinguishing characteristics of many different species of birds from the extraordinary beak of the toucan to the flamingos tremendously long legs. At the end of the book the inch worm is able to escape by playing to the vanity of a nightingale. This book reminds me of many of the traditional fables we all read as we were growing up. In fact Lionni has been called Aesop for the 20Th century. Leo Lionni is an author who deserves our attention. And Inch By Inch is a book that is worth reading.

Knuffle Bunny By: Mo Willems

Now that I am a blogaholic I find myself wanting to know more about my favorite authors. I don't know why it never occurred to me before. My daughter Sarah and I have truly enjoyed the books Mo Willems has written. Mo has his own blog and responds to emails and questions posted there. What a great way for Sarah to begin connecting her favorite stories to the real people who wrote them. Anyway, on with my response. Knuffle Bunny is an adorable book for preschoolers and their parents. It is a story about a daddy, his daughter and his daughter's favorite toy. The three of them take a trip to the laundry mat and the toy is lost. Anyone who has children knows how traumatic the loss of a favorite toy can be for a young child. Of course, in "typical" fashion. The daddy doesn't even know why Trixie is upset (she can't speak yet). As soon as the Mommy sees them she asks "Where's Knuffle Bunny?". The whole family races back to the laundromat and Daddy, in heroic fashion, finds Knuffle Bunny. The illustrations are wonderful. The characters are done in a cartoon fashion as is the style of this author. The rest of the illustrations are photographs of Mo's actual neighborhood in Brooklyn New York. The combination of drawings and photos make a very unique visual experience. The fact that the Main character is based on his daughter and the story takes place in his neighborhood gives it another neat dimension. Mo Willems won a Caldecott for his Pigeon book (which I also love), I think he should have won one for this one as well.

Let's Go Home: The Wonderful Things About a House By: Cynthia Rylant Illustrated By: Wendy Anderson Halperin

This is a wonderful picture book to share with your students or your own children. The theme is one of Mrs. Rylant's favorite; appreciate where you are and who you are with. This book screams the sentiment, "Home Is Where The Heart Is". The text in this book walks us through the rooms of a house starting with the front porch and ending in the attic. Each room has two or more pages devoted to it. The main focus of the text is not the room itself however,but the goings on in each room. That is what makes the room special. That is what makes a house a home. The illustrations in this book are remarkable as well. Every single page is a full bleed. Many of the pages are done in a style that is similar to a scrap book with lots of little snap shots of life in that room. The colors are warm and inviting and there are so many things to see on each page that you could read the book several times and see something different each time. The style is folkish and the medium is water color. I loved sharing this book with my daughter. We were able to have a wonderful discussion about our home and our family as well as her grandparents house and the houses of other friends and relatives. We decided that although all the houses were different the thing that they had in common, the most important thing was that the people we love and who love us are there. I would like to share this book with students as well. I would like to use the book to spring board discussion about their homes. I recently came across a cool art activity in a highlight magazine that would go along well with this story. Essentially the student uses magazines and newspapers to find pictures of different rooms in a house or the things that go in a house. They are to draw the outline of a house including the rooms and then "decorate" the rooms with the pictures they found. I think this would provide some insight into what the child views as important in their homes. It would also mirror the style of illustration used by Wendy Anderson Halperin uses in this book. Here is yet another book that I MUST now purchase.

Yeh Shen: A Cinderella Story from China Retold By: Ai-Ling Louie Illustrated by: Ed Young

This story is a retelling of the oldest known version of the Cinderella story. The author has included research about the history of the story in the front of the book. According to this research it dates to the T'ang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.). The book is very well done and has received several awards: AlA Notable Book, IRA-CBC Children's Choice Book, and A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year Award. Like Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters Yeh-Shen uses text and illustrations to portray an accurate and respectful retelling of this ancient folk tale. This story has many similarities to the story of Cinderella that I as an American girl grew up hearing. There is a mean step mother,an ugly step sister, never ending chores, a magical helper, a ball, and a missing shoe. Differences between this story and the version Disney gave us include a fish granting wishes instead of a Fairy Godmother, one stepsister instead of two, and a King who is presented with the shoe as a gift instead of a prince who finds the shoe after chasing his true love from the ball. Although the text is written in English the pages are presented in blocks which give the book a similiar look to the book as it was written in Chinese. The illustrations are cone in colors and style that give them a very authentic feeling. There are almost no full bleeds in the book. The pictures are important to the story but, do not overwhelm the text. I found this to be an enjoyable and worthwhile read.

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters Written and Illustrated by: John Steptoe

This is an African Cinderella Tale. It is a Reading Rainbow book and it won a Caldecott Honor in 1987. John Steptoe does a wonderful job of relating this traditional African Folktale. The text of the story comes from a Kaffir Folktale written down in 1895 by G.M. Theal. The names of the characters come from the Shona language, Mufaro means happy man, Nyasha means mercy, Manyara means ashamed and Nyoka means snake. The illustrations were inspired by the people and places in and near Zimbabwe. The combination of text and illustrations results in a beautiful and respectful look at one aspect of African culture. The author thanks the people who helped with the research and dedicates the book to the children of South Africa. This is one of many, many variations on the tale of Cinderella. There are similarities: the good sister and the mean one, the seeking out of a wife by the prince, and the structure of the story ie: Once upon a time....... and they lived happily ever after. There are also differences: the prince magically changes shape to discover which girl is the most worthy, there is no evil step mother, and the Cinderella character does not need saving by a fairy godmother. The illustrations in this book add much to the story. Almost every page is a full bleed. The medium is pencil and watercolor. The illustrator chose deep rich colors and based each illustration on the customs, people and landscape of Zimbabwe. I enjoyed this story for both its look into the African culture and one of its fairy tales and as a welcome addition to stories where good triumphs over evil.

The Annotated Brothers Grimm Edited by: Maria Tatar Introduction by: A.S. Byatt

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fairy tales and especially to anyone who grew up on the Disney version of these tales. I have discovered and learned so much from this book that it is as if I am experiencing all of these stories for the first time. The book was based on the 7th edition of the Grimms Tales published in 1857. It includes many of the ones I was familiar with as a child (Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel and more) as well as ones that are not familiar to me (The Three Little Men in the Woods,Mother Holle and The Brave Little Tailor). In addition to these wonderful stories there are many, many annotations included with each tale. The author gives the history and back ground of the story, the cultural significance of the story and the psychological effects of the stories among other interesting notes. The illustrations in the book are reproduced from numerous artists and illustrators and are in color. Other things that make this collection such a must have are the original 1857 preface and two essays by Maria Tatar. One of the essays is about the life of the Brothers Grimm. The other is about the effects of these stories on culture. I am so pleased to own this collection. Of course the Grimms Fairy Tales speak for themselves. They are timeless and unforgettable. The way Maria Tatar has presented these stories is the amazing thing. She treats these stories as they should be treated, as valuable pieces of the human culture and psyche. She respects these works and shares her vast knowledge with us.

Sidewalk Circus By: Paul Fleishman

This is not my favorite picturebook. I am not quite sure why. Maybe because I have always had mixed feelings about the circus. It was also a little confusing to me why a wordless picturebook needed an author and an illustrator. No offense to either artist but it just struck me as odd. There are qualities about the book I did enjoy. First of all, my 4 year old has had two experiences with a "big city". One was a family trip to Manhattan and the other was a trip to Washington D.C. with her grandparents. Immediately that is where our conversation went. She pointed out all the things in the book that reminded her of those trips. Urban life is quite different from life in Gloucester County Virginia and I think that it is good that my daughter has been exposed to both at an early age. Another thing that was intriguing about this wordless book were the artist's use of the shadow to show what was going on in the imaginations of the children watching the spectacle of everyday life as they waited on the bus. The colors in this book are vivid and intense. The have an almost "circus" feel to them. The primary colors that you would expect to see in a circus are the most prominent colors in the paintings. My daughter has only one experience with the circus and not all of the stereo typical circus acts were present. So I found myself having to explain the ideas behind many of the illustrations. I think that many children will be lacking in the appropriate background knowledge necessary to fully appreciate this book. In my opinion this is one of those "children's" books that is more suited to adults.

The Scarecrow By: Cynthia Rylant

We can learn so much from this scarecrow. He is happy and content where he is. He enjoys and appreciates his life and the life around him. He does not long for greener pastures or think that he would be happy if only.... He knows that life is not perfect and somehow that is fine with him. I took a sense of satisfaction away from this book. It is ok to be who you are, where you are. You do not have to be the richest, the thinnest, the most famous, the smartest, or the most beautiful to be happy. You simply have to accept yourself for who you are and appreciate all that you have. I believe that if more people had this philosophy we would not need so many antidepressants and we would all feel more secure and peaceful in our lives. As my daughters grow into young women this is a philosphy I would like to share with them. Be the best you, you can be. That is as close to perfect as it gets in this life.

Seed Folks By: Paul Fleishman

WOW!! I truly enjoyed this novel. I have never read a book written in this way. When I first opened the book and discovered how the text was organized I thought it would be too choppy feeling for me. I was afraid that since each chapter was written by a different character I would have a hard time feeling connected to the story. Granted The Van Gogh Cafe was about a different event in each chapter but the main characters were constant throughout. After I finished reading the book I came to an important conclusion. The community garden was the main character in this story. The garden was the common ground and the people who came to the garden were connected to each other in new and wonderful ways because of this garden. I liked seeing how new people coming into the garden affected and were affected by the others in the garden. I loved the sense of community that was created in a city that hadn't had that feeling in a long time. This book would be an excellent vehicle for talking to kids about the things that make a community strong. The thing I liked most about the book however, was the last section. I don't believe it is included in all editions of the book but it was in mine. The last section was Paul Fleishman talking about the process he went through in writing the book. He gives us insight into how he, a Newberry Award Winning author, comes up with ideas for stories and how they "grow" from an idea into a book. It was wonderful to get that glimpse.

The Shadow of the Red Moon By: Walter Dean Myers

This is a High Point fantasy book from Scholastic. The story line involves a futuristic world that exists in the aftermath of a meteor strike. The world has been devastated by this event and the survivors have endured great hardships. Heavy layers of dust have settled over everything and because the sun was blocked by all the dust, it is dark and cold. There are two main tribes, the Fins and the Okalians. The Fins are all under the age of 18 due to a plague that has wiped out the adults. The Okalians live in a city surrounded by a crystal wall. The wall focuses what little warmth there is from the sun so that growing food is possible. It also keeps out the dust as well as the Fins. The Okalians believe that if they allow the Fins into Crystal City the plague would come with them and wipe out all of the Okalians adults. As the story begins the Fins are preparing to attack Crystal City. The Okalians are certain that if the Fins are successful in breaking through the wall it will mean the end of their civilization. Because of this fear the adults have decided to send children (because they are immune to the plague) in search of the ancient land. In this way they hope to reestablish their civilization away from the Fins. The adventure involves the trials and adventures faced by three of the children. As a fan of fantasy I was intrigued and interested to read this novel. As a teacher I was excited because the high point series is a high interest, low reading level series. I was hoping to find a fantasy that would appeal to kids who are several levels below their grade level in reading. This is a difficult task. There are few options for that population of students that do not patronize them or simply bore them to tears. I am also completely opposed to adapted works. I feel that changing great literature in that way is wrong. So as I began the book I was hopeful. Unfortunately my hopes were once again dashed. The book while not patronizing or necessarily boring was, in my opinion, poorly written. There was an obvious lack of attention to details in the story. For instance, the children were evidently sent out into this for boding wilderness with no supplies; no food, water, change of clothes, tents, matches or anything else that would be necessary to survive. The children were evidently sent out as individuals not in groups. The three main characters met by coincidence. The children do not even have a map. their only guidance is a book they all memorized that was supposed to tell them the way to the ancient land. The lack of detail extended to the society of both the Fins and the Okalians. There is no mention of friendships or school. We get only tiny glimpses into the make up of the each society. This lack of detail made the book flat for me. It was hard to connect the story to personal beliefs or experiences because as the reader we simply were not given enough to work with. I believe the author had good intentions. The themes in the story are important ones. The traditional themes of man against nature, man against man and man against self are all present. However, I think this is the root of the problem. The author tries to attack to main story lines all at once and therefore gives none of them the appropriate attention. The struggle of the children in the wilderness could have been good with more attention. The idea of racism and its effects on society as a whole might have been a valuable lesson. The main characters inner struggles of doubt and fear would also have been fine if there was more emphasis placed on those ideas. Sadly, all we get is a taste of each one. As a whole some students may enjoy this futuristic look at the world. However, as an example of quality literature it does not pass this reader's test.

Missing May By: Cynthia Rylant

I have never read such a sad book that made me laugh so much. I read this one with my 10 year old daughter and we both laughed outloud on several occasions. Once again Rylant manages to use simple yet poetic language to convey the heart of her characters. The themes of appreciation and acceptance run through this novel just as they did in previous works be this painter of words. The strength within the main character is amazing. She has survived heart wrenching tragedies and still has the capacity for love. She is a child in need of someone to take care of her and yet she cares for others. Bravo!!! I have to wonder. Has Cynthia Rylant ever done an advertising campaign for the state of West Virginia. If not she should. People would be moving there in droves.

Across Five Aprils By: Irene Hunt

This novel won a Newberry Honor in 1998. I listened to this on tape as opposed to reading it and it is a good thing. I would have never made it through otherwise. It was all I could do not to fast forward through a large part of the story. I will grant you that I am not a fan of historical fiction. History is something I have learned that I must accept, sort of like eating brussel sprouts, because it is important. However, I feel like reading historical fiction is a bit like putting chocolate sauce on those brussel sprouts in order to make them taste better, it just doesn't work. If I am going to learn about history I would rather focus on the real thing. There is quite enough real drama in the human existence without making up more of it. That is not to say that I hate all historical fiction. I enjoyed The Little House Series and the American Girl novels are well written. But this novel was almost unbearable. In my defense, because I am aware of my own bias, I have two other opinions in this matter to back me up. My husband has an undergraduate degree in history. He loves all things historic, especially the Civil War. When I told him I was reading Across Five Aprils and was not enjoying it he said, " well, that is a rather dry book". In class last Monday I mentioned my dislike of historic fiction and the novel in question. A classmate said, Oh, well that is a dry story. I rest my case. The story starts out fair enough. Irene Hunt focuses on an Illinois farming family. As you get to know them and their lives you are interested in them and their fate. However, about half way through the book Ms. Hunt decides to desert this family and begin a painfully precise account of many of the battles and leaders of the War between the states. It happened so suddenly that I thought for sure the tape I was listening to was missing a huge part of the book. I rewound the tape, tried both sides of the next tape and then went to the library to check the text. To my dismay the tape was not flawed. At the end of Chapter 9 the main character receives a response to a letter he had written to Abraham Lincoln without the knowledge of his family. The reader has been led to this point with great anticipation. The letter is received, read to the family and then never mentioned again accept in passing. We get no reaction from the family, no resolution to the problem that caused Jeth to write the letter in the first place, nothing. Cripes!!!! After that awful let down the reader, me, is left to struggle through to the end of the story. Even an expert on the Civil War would have had trouble keeping up with all of the facts that are thrown at us in lightning speed. It is almost as if, in the middle of the story Irene Hunt was body snatched and some extremely boring history professor replaced her. Now there is a story I would like to read. My apologies to Irene Hunt, Civil War fans and History Professors everywhere. I did not like this book.

The Van Gogh Cafe By: Cynthia Rylant

I am really falling in love with Cynthia Rylant. I can't believe I never knew about her wonderful talent before now. This book is another in the quickly lengthening list of her books that speak to me on more than one level. I am amazed at how much she is able to pack into this book of only 53 short pages. Magical things happen in this cafe operated by a father and daughter team. Unusual animals show up and have a marvelous effect on visitors, the owner takes to writing poetry which predicts the future, magic muffins heal injured children, and a movie star comes to wait for his angel to come and take him to heaven (Did anyone else catch the fact that the movie star is homosexual? I found this interesting). I am a fan of fantasy. It is definitely my favorite genre. This book is a fantasy, yes, but it is so much more than that. As I mentioned in class a theme I see in a lot of Rylant's work is having an appreciation of who and where you are, no matter where that may be. This book is the most wonderful example yet of that ideology. The Van Gogh Cafe is a place where magic happens but, it is also a place where people come to heal, rest and be taken care of. The cafe is magical even without its' magic. Marc and Clara have a deep love and appreciation for their little cafe. They put their all into it. You can feel that love in the way Clara describes it. She starts with the fact that it used to be a theatre and then "shows us around the place". The Hydrangeas painted on the walls in the bathroom, the porcelain hen, the Bless All Dogs sign (I love that I get that now)and the phonograph playing the song about being nice to come home to all make us, the reader, feel as welcome as the customers do when Clara pours them their coffee. The people who come to the cafe are sometimes changed in dramatic ways by the magic. But, everyone who comes to the cafe, magic happenings or no, has a sense of belonging and friendship that brings them back again and again. I was wishing that Solomon Slinger and his Angel could join Marc and Clara at the Van Gogh Cafe. What a wonderful family they would make. My favorite chapter was the last one. The writer who had given up on his dream receives the most magical gift of all, inspiration. The love that flows through the cafe gives him the courage and the will to write the book he always wanted to write. Here's the thing. I think that the writer in the last chapter is actually the narrator of this story. I think that the cafe's only magic was Clara and Marc and the love and friendship between them, the cafe and their customers. I think that this writer came to the cafe, received his inspiration and then wrote about this "MAGICAL" place. What do you think? This question is one of the reasons I love fantasy. Maybe you have a different interpretation.

The Tale of Despereaux By: Kate DiCamillo

I put off reading this book until the very last minute. I'm not really sure why but, this book has never appealed to me. I like to own Newberry and Caldecott Award books. However, when this one came out I made a conscious choice not to buy it which is saying something. Some women buy shoes. I buy children's books. Yes, I have always been a nerd. Now that I am older I am a little proud of my nerdom. Anyway, I digress.

It was, unfortunately, as I had feared. This is not "my kind" of book. The most unappealing aspect of the story was the voice in which it was written. I have always enjoyed reading as an escape from reality. As a child when I was bored or lonely or both I would read to alleviate these feelings. I would be someone else, somewhere else for awhile. The author of Despereaux did not allow for that escapism. She refered to us, the "reader" throughout the book, requesting that we look up words, warning us of an approaching flashback, and asking our opinion of characters and events. These constant reminders that I was reading made it impossible to become emersed in the plot.

I have a great desire, a need if you will, to be reminded of the good in people. We see the weaknesses and ugliness of our species around us all the time. When I am reading for pleasure I do not want to be forced to stare directly into the faults that lie within each of us. That is not to say that I have a problem with villians or obstacles in storylines, these things are what make up a good story. However, by the end of the story I want everything set right with the world. The "bad guys" should always get their "come uppance" and the "good guy" while he need not be perfect must at least make significant personal growth at the conclusion.

In The Tale of Despereaux, we were surrounded by characters who were barely tolerable and who made no significant self discoveries during the book. The list of dislikeable characters is long, starting with Despereaux's own family all the way down to the castle cook. Despereaux himself left a little something to be desired. There were sparks of goodness in each character. But there was not enough "light" to make a difference in the "dark". Overall, I could not recommend this book as a great read. It left me a little cold.

The Dreamer By: Cynthia Rylant Illustrated by: Barry Moser

This is a story about God and his creation of the Universe. Cynthia Rylant has described God as an artist who is creating. As he goes through the process he dreams each new step and rests in between, very much like the book of Genesis. At the end of the story Rylant refers to people as artists as well. They are his children. The words are well crafted. The art is beautiful. However, it reminds me of another book I liked more, Draw Me a Star by Eric Carle.

The Dreamer would not be an appropriate book for school for obvious reasons. I am also inclined to think that if you are going to go so far as using the word God the text should stay more true to the words of the Bible. Having said this I am not a person who takes the Bible as a literal text. I simply mean to say that in my opinion she ventured too far from the story of Genesis to end the story by calling her artist God.

Eric Carle on the other hand gave us a very similar story without crossing that Bible/picturebook line. Although we can infer that his artist is God Eric Carle never actually uses that language. In addition I must confess that I am a huge Eric Carle fan. Something about his art is very appealing to me and I enjoy the voice he uses in his writing. I also very much like authors who do their own illustrating.

Bottom line, when faced with two such similar stories I would much prefer to share Draw Me a Star with the children in my life than The Dreamer.

When I was Young in the Mountains By: Cynthia Rylant Illustrared by: Diane Goode

This book moved me in a very unexpected way. My family is from east Tennessee. I grew up in Hampton however, we spent every holiday and summer breaks in Tennessee with my Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and Grandparents. I had not thought about those experiences for quiet a while. Reading this book with my daughter Sarah gave me the opportunity to share some of my life experiences as well as the life experiences of her grandparents.

I was surprised by how many things in the book were familiar to my childhood. My grandmothers fried cornbread and "soup" beans, the country store down the road, the old wood burning stove and the evenings spent on the front porch "snapping" beans are all wonderful memories. I will never forget the summer that my grandfather killed a black snake by chopping off its' head with a shovel. My cousins and I watched in terror as the snake continued to wiggle around without a head. I was lucky enough that my grandparents had in door plumbing. However, my mother has shared many childhood memories of out houses and baths outside in the big wash tub. These are things that Sarah and Emily have not experienced.

The text of the book reads like a poem with each stanza beginning: "When I was young in the mountains.". As I have stated in earlier blogs, I love to read these books aloud. The illustrations blend well with the theme and style of the book. The artist paints in a folk art style and uses muted, earthy tones. Each illustration has irregular boarders and looks like a memory.

I love the sentiment, style and artistry of this book. It is not a part of my personal library now but it will be very soon. I will consider it part of my family heritage and will share it with my kids, my grandkids and my great grandkids.

Searching for David's Heart By: Cherie Bennett

Searching for David's Heart is a realistic fiction novel by Cherie Bennett. It's audience is middle school students. The reader experiences the story from the perspective of the main character, Dee Dee, a twelve year old girl from a middle class family. After the tragic death of Dee Dee's brother David she embarks on a search to find his heart. This is a book that I have heard about for awhile but, have never made the time to read. One of the reasons I have put off reading it is that I knew it was sad. The premise of the story is that the main character's brother dies and his heart gets donated. She then goes searching for David's heart. Unlike Bridge to Terabithia, you know right from the start that someone is going to die. However, even though you are prepared for a death, the way in which David dies is almost as shocking as if you had not known he was going to die at all. There are many similarities between this book, Bridge to Terabithia and Tuck Everlasting. Once again we have two friends, a boy and a girl, who are lonely, dealing with bullies at school, and struggling with family issues at home. The friendship between Sam and Dee Dee in this book parellels the friendships in the other books. The friendship is the thing that gets them through all of their adolescent troubles. They stand together against all foes. Another common theme running through all three books is the loss of an important person. Granted the person who is lost in Tuck Everlasting doesn't die, can't die. But, the loss is just as complete as it would be if the person had died. There is a transformation of character in all three protagonists due to the effects of the signifigant person and the loss of that person. Finally, there is a struggle for independence from the family unit in all three storylines. The characters are searching to find who they are and what they are capable of as individuals. For the first time in their lives they are dealing with major issues on their own. They are discovering how terrifying it can be to grow up. And at the end of each story they find a new appreciation for their family. These themes link the three stories which are on the surface quite different. Afterall, Bridge is set in rural America in the 60's or 70's, Tuck is a fantasy set in the late 1800's and David's Heart is set in modern day suburbia. It is the timeless and universal struggles from childhood to adolescence and adulthood that link these stories and make them important to readers. This book is definitely worth the time and the tears.