A Strong Right Arm

 

A Strong Right Arm. The Story of Mamie "Peanut" Johnson. By Michelle Y. Green.  

I choose this book as part of the Bluestem nominated books for 2014.  I don't think I would chosen it on its own but it is actually a great short biography of one of only three females that played on the Negro Leagues.  An inspirational tale that shows how hard work, determination, and faith can make dreams come true.  Mamie narrates the story and her short career as a professional baseball player in a male dominated sport during difficult and trying times.  Her positive attitude is palpable throughout the book and her dreams go on as she plans to rebuild Miller's Field and continue promoting the Negro Leagues Baseball.

Pie

 

Pie by Sara Weeks.
Alice has grown up around her beloved aunt Polly and her famous pies-winner of the prestigious Blueberry award 13 consecutive years! But after she dies unexpectedly Alice receives a very unexpected gift as part of her will. This book is a fast read with a good mix of adventure and mystery, and a whole bunch of pie recipes to make you want start baking right away.

More Award Nominees

Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls.
Eleven year old Sam knows he is dying but before that happens he wants to accomplish everything he has always wanted to do. It all started with Mrs. Willis's idea of writing a book, Mrs. Willis is Sam's home school teacher, and is always looking for ways to engage Sam and his side kick Felix.  Soon Sam and Felix start to find ways to make Sam's dying wishes come true. Felix finds a way for Sam to go to a pub, kiss a girl, and have a drink- everything a teenage boy wants to do. Throughout the book Sam finds ways for his family to deal with his death.  I am sure you will find yourself pondering the same questions Sam's wonders about- why do kids get sick? why do they have to die? what happens after you die?  Hard to finish without tearing up.



Legend by Marie Lu.
This boy-girl fighting to survive a dystopian world ruled by a republic using viruses against their own people reminded me of the Hunger Games trilogy. Enough said about dystopian worlds, harsh realities, love and romance against all the odds. I enjoyed the story even with the predictability factor. 



 
I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat History's Strangest Cures by Carlyn Beccia.
We had lots of fun reading and trying to guess which was the correct cure for common illnesses like sore throats or fevers. In the past, people have used all sorts of strange remedies, like wearing a necklace made of live worms to using leaches to bring down a fever.  The illustrations and layout made the guessing game even more fun with a spread from three to six possible cures to one page followed by a page with the correct answers.

Waiting for the Magic

Waiting for the Magic

Patricia MacLachlan, Illustrated by Amy June Bates. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2011.

This Bluestem nominee is the lovely story of four dogs, a cat, a boy and his sister, and how they saved their family. After their father leaves them without saying why or whether he is ever coming back, their mom takes them to a shelter with the intention of adopting a dog to cheer them up. After meeting Neo, Bitty, Grace, Bryn, and Lula the cat their mom decides to take everyone one home. Their little house is now full of dogs, with dogs and cat selecting a family member as their main companion. Slowly they start to learn about each dog’s personality as we can hear them talking, however, for this to happen you have to believe that magic surrounds you and to do that you have to know who you are and what you are willing to fight for in order to save your family. I loved the sketch like pencil illustrations, their softness and details support the story as it leads the reader to believe in the magic surrounding us.

Emily's Fortune a Bluestem Nominee with possibilities

Emily's Fortune by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2010. 

Emily has been sheltered all of her life living in big Ms. Luella’s house until her crazy driving kills her and her mom. Now all Emily has is little Rufus, her little pet turtle as she is trying to figure how to get to her Aunt Hilda’s house.  Traveling by stagecoach is not fun especially when you have never done anything outdoors or been wild. Moreover, there are the Child Catchers and her evil Uncle Victor trying to get her after finding she has a large inheritance from Ms. Luella.  During her travels, Emily meets Jackson, also an orphan who will try to teach her how to survive in the Wild West, but can she really trust him?  Could he be working for Uncle Victor?    

This historical fiction is a great read for American Girl followers.  I liked this book a lot more than I thought I was going to and found myself cheering Emily and little Rufus.  Naylor does a fantastic job at creating remarkable characters with distinct personalities and traits. The book includes lovely sepia drawings and each chapter end with big bold cliffhangers. Check it out at our library. 

Award Winners continued...

Here are a few more award nominated books.


 










I, Emma Freke by Elizabeth Atkinson, Carolrhoda Books, 2010.  Emma is an unusual 11 year old, taller than most with fiery red hair.  Her family lives up to their "freaky" name.  Donatella, her mom, acts more like an older sister, which leaves poor Emma in charge of their store and living arrangements. Her dad is MIA and until now she only has one friend. 
Emma has never felt like she belonged  but all that changes when she finds out that there is a whole side of her family she never knew. When she meets the other Freke at their annual Family Reunion she starts to see that there is a lot more to her than just her odd name.  I loved Emma's  transformation throughout the book from self-doubting to self-confident.  This book will be a great read for both boys and girls dealing with change and acceptance.

 
Calli Be Gold by Michele Weber Hurwitz, Wendy Lamb Books, 2011. Another book about an 11 year old girl dealing with a family situation.  I wasn't hook onto this book right away with the story dragging on until the last chapters when you can see the Gold's transformation. The best way to describe Calli's family is to say they are overachievers. Their goal is to excel at everything they try.  They reach for the gold just like their last name.  The family calendar is crowded with post it notes for all of Calli's siblings  extra curricular activities...except for Calli, she hasn't found her passion yet and not for lack of trying.  She hates the family competition but doesn't know how to make them stop.  Truth be told all of them are tired but can't imagine giving up or admitting that they would rather do something else. What would it take for this family to change? I enjoyed the ending of this book when we are all given permission to just be who we are.

 
Close to Famous by Joan Bauer, Viking Children Books, 2011. This is a sweet story about struggling dreams and how to make them come true. Foster McFee's dreams of becoming a chef and she has the goods- cupcakes- for it to be a reality. Her mom dreams of being the lead singer instead of back-up. Her friend Macon wants to be a documentary filmmaker once he gets his first camera. And Miss Charlenna just needs to believe she can be the actress she once was.  Their little town is full of dreams and they will all  have a chance to make them come true when the town is put on the map big time. 

This week's Bluestem achievements

This past week was a slow reading week with only a few Bluestem books completed. 


The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies, Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2007. This is a great read for a hot summer day. Evan and his younger sister, Jessie, have always been good buddies. But everything changes the summer before fourth grade when Evan discovers that Jessie, a math whiz, will skip 3rd grade and move on to 4th grade with him.  Evan is furious and they start arguing and competing about everything. Things start to escalate to war proportions and with only a few days left before school starts they decide to settle things off by setting a lemonade stand and seeing who will be the first one to earn $100 . It’s an all-out war as they try everything—including dirty tricks—to get the most cash. Can they resolve their problems with each other…or will fourth-grade be a disaster?  



Seaglass Summer by Anjali Banerjee, Wendy Lamb Books, 2010. I liked this story a lot more than I thought I was going to, it turned out to be inspirational sort of story and one that I would love to see kids reading and relating to.  Poppy Ray is our main character; she is eleven-year-old and full of confidence, already knowing she is going to be a veterinarian, just like her Uncle Sanjay when she grows up.  Granted, she has never had a pet because of her mom’s terrible allergies. This year for her summer vacation she convinces her parents to let her go to Nisqually Island off the coast of Washington State where her Uncle lives and work with him at the Furry Friends Animal Clinic.  Her lack of experience won’t stop her from trying to help but she would soon realize that there is a lot more to being a veterinarian than cuddling fuzzy puppies & cats.  In her journey, she discovers suffering, scary emergencies, quirky owners, and lots of gross stuff.  Will Poppy ever be able to stay cool in the face of  pain, learn to handle animal emergencies, cope with heartbreaking cases of abandonment, and deal with persnickety owners? Is she truly meant to be a veterinarian?

Road Trip Listening Adventures

Last week it was spring break and we decided to get away for a few days and enjoy the semi-spring weather. In preparation for the trip, I decided to check out some audiobooks to make the best of our two hour drive. I used to listen to audiobooks all through grad school thanks to my hour long drive to and from school, it was great and I missed it. Here are the titles we listened too:

 
Wonder by  R. J. Palacio, Books for Young Readers, 2012. This is a double nominee both on the Bluestem and Caudill list and after listening to it I can see why. It is an amazing book. We loved  the story, the characters, the growing and transformation that takes  place throughout the book. It is a powerful book. There were moments when we found ourselves parked on the hotel parking lot listening to Auggie's (August Pullman) story without been able to stop.  Auggie is a 5th grader born with a facial deformity. All of his life his parents and sister have protected him, but this year, his parents decided that he should attend school like every other kid. This is a terrifying thought for Auggie, and while some of his fears will come true, there will be lots of ways his new friends will surprise him.  Readers, or listeners in this case, get to experience Auggie's life through his experiences but also through those close to  him with alternating chapters told by his family and friends.


Time Warp Trio #1 Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Sciezka, illustrated by Lane Smith, Puffin Books, 2004.  I loved the humor on this book and can see why boys loved this series. The audio was engaging and entertaining with the language descriptive enough to allow you to imagine this three "amigos" traveling through time.


 Clementine by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Marla Frazee, Disney-Hyperion, 2006.  I liked the main character and her enthusiasm. She is that happy, outgoing, confident little girl that I wasn't. Overall we enjoyed listening to Clementine's not so good week from principal's office visits, awful haircuts, and pigeon relocation. 

2014 Award Nominations Challenge

This is a year of challenges for me,  all of them good and positive in their own way, for example I have challenged myself to run a 5K,  grow a vegetable garden, and read more.  Okay, that last one is not really a challenge since I already love to read. So I decided to truly make it a challenge and read all the 2014 award nominated in our state.  In Illinois, we have four main award groups ranging from Kindergarten to high school grades including picture books, non-fiction, and YA novels. The Monarch books are for K-3 children books, the Bluestem  comprises books for 3 through 5th grade, Rebecca Caudill books for Young readers (4-8th grade), and the Abraham Lincoln for high school students.  Last year, I managed to read most of the Abe Lincoln , a good portion of the Monarch books, and a few Bluestem. Sadly, my Rebecca Caudill books list went untouched.

The combined lists total 82 books! The good news is that I have already read some of them- Yippee. I will update these lists as I read the books and post short reviews and links to the our library catalog so you can check them out.