Sturdy for Common Things

Review: One Came Home

One Came Home

by Amy Timberlake

Find it at: Your library | Amazon | Indiebound

Published: Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House (January 8, 2013)

Recommended reading age: 9 & up

In a nutshell: Okay… I don’t typically include excerpts from books I’m reviewing unless I come along a noteworthy passage that is just too good not to share. This is one of those times. These are the opening lines for One Came Home:

“So it comes to this, I remember thinking on Wednesday, June 7, 1871. The date sticks in my mind because it was the day of my sister’s first funeral and I knew it wasn’t her last —which is why I left. That’s the long and short of it.

But surely, you’d rather hear the long than the short.”

 

With a strong opening like that, I knew this book was going to be a page turner. I was sold from the very beginning.

It’s 1871 in the town of Placid, Wisconsin. Quick-tongued and honest to a fault, Georgie Burkardt has a business savvy way with working the family shop, and is a dead shot with a riffle. Her older sister, the beautiful, wild-at-heart, Agatha, has gone missing and later found dead by the sheriff  in another county. In refusing to accept that the mangled body that was buried was her sisters, Georgie sets out on a quest with Agatha’s old beau, Billy, to learn the truth of Agatha’s disappearance in hopes of finding her alive.

The curious element in this story is Placid is along the route of an enormous pigeon migration. Hundreds of thousands of pigeons. The imagery of this phenomenon in Placid reminds me of what it must have been like when swarms of grasshoppers occupied the plains during The Great Depression. Except this is a swarm of birds, and we all know where there are birds there is a good amount of bird poop. Their appearance is threaded throughout Georgie’s story and what you would think would be a bizarre element, fits seamlessly.

One Came Home will keep you wondering whether Georgie’s sister is truly is six feet under or if there’s a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel. I found myself wavering back and forth throughout the read wondering if Agatha was really dead or not, but in my heart I was rooting for Georgie’s sake that she wasn’t. The most enjoyable part of the book for me was the playful and endearing relationship between Georgie and Billy, as well as the the slight crush Georgie starts to harbor on Billy- which she also curses. Oh, and the horses! But I don’t want to give too much away about that scenerio – You’ll have to experience that for yourself. Pure comical. When I first started writing this review, I wanted to write about how much it reminded me of True Grit, but for young readers, but then I saw BookPage beat me too it when I came across the author’s website. Guess I wasn’t the only one with that reaction. If there was a grit lit genre for kids, file this book amongst the selected titles. It was not an action-packed western (an assumption I had before reading), but the pace was a steady trot, the historical storytelling vibrant, and the stubborn character of Georgie Burkardt unforgettable.

Don’t take my word for it: ” One Came Home is a great historical fiction, with lots of heart and soul poured into the characters. A touching story that really shows a young girl coming into her own as she struggles with loss and embarks on a life-changing adventure.” – review by The Book Monsters

Extras: Learn more about author Amy Timberlake here. There’s also a wonderful interview that goes into the inspiration behind One Came Home on Shelf Elf.

 Source of book reviewed: My local library!

30 Weeks

This week marks 30 weeks.

The homestretch.

Little girl is growing and has a lot more growing to do. We’re still teeterting back and forth between names. There are a few standouts, so now all we need to do is buckle down and make a decision. Like L, she’s an active little thing. Will doesn’t know how I sleep at night with her constantly moving around all the time. All I know is that I’m getting a whole heck of a lot more sleep than I will come 10 weeks from now! The countdown is on. Soon our family of 3 will be 4.

Postscript: For those folks out there on the interweb who aren’t from around here, you can see why they call Kansas the “Sunflower State”. This picture was taken a week ago on a farm 15 minutes outside Lawrence. In mid-August, I stalk the farm’s Facebook page to see when the field is going to be in bloom. Golden fields for miles. It’s a magnificent sight.

Reading Together

***Reading Together is a sampling of books I’m currently reading aloud to L, my toddler daughter. Since I work in the children’s room of a public library, I’m always bringing home stacks and stacks of books to share together. Old and new. These are our favorites. Some of which have been read over and over and over again…. Times thirty. To the tenth power.***

It’s hard to believe that this series is going to expand beyond the books L and I are reading together to include books that I’ll be reading with her baby sister as well. Until that time comes, here is what we’ve been reading together in no particular order.

What are you reading together with your children/patrons/students? Please share!

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

I remember purchasing Chowder when it first came out and thinking… This illustrator has something. Something special. Years later and a Caldecott Honor under his belt, Peter Brown is turning out terrific picture books.

Night Light by Nicholas Blechman

A counting book about transportation vehicles and how many lights they have when it’s night. Pages flip from night to day. Can you guess which vehicle has 8 lights in the dark?

The Story of Fish and Snail by Deborah Freedman

Deborah Freedman’s latest picture book! A story about friendship and books in the library. There is a lot to love in this sweet and beautifully illustrated book.

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywelt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

Duncan’s box of crayons have a bone to pick! He arrives at school to find a stack of letters from each crayon color upset by the way it’s being used. This is a book both kids and adults will find themselves chuckling at.

It’s a Firefly Night by Dianne Ochitree, illustrated by Betsy Snyder

This was a fast favorite of ours over the summer months, especially when the fireflies started to come out at night in mid-June. A sweet, short story about a little girl and her dad who catch fireflies one night.

The Happy Owls by Celestino Piatti

If you aren’t familiar with Celestino Piatti, please check him out. His illustrations are gorgeous. This is one of two children’s books he authored and illustrated. A group of birds cannot seem to understand why the owls are so happy. The key is to revel in the simple things in life.

A Funny Little Bird by Jennifer Yerkes

A little bird that is only visible  because of it’s eye and beak tries to decorate itself with various items in failed attempts to attract friends. But when a hungry fox comes along, this funny little bird learns to embrace it’s unusual characteristic and makes new found friends in the process.

Actual Size by Steve Jenkins

A book about the size difference between various animals. Each illustration is the actual size of the animal or animal part.

Hank Finds an Egg by Rebecca Dudley

A whimsical, wordless picture book. I wrote a full review of this gem here.

Nugget & Fang by Tammi Sauer and Michael Slack

Nugget and Fang are best of friends until Nugget goes to school and learns about a shark’s diet. Fang tries to convince his friend that he isn’t out to eat him in this story of an unlikely friendship.

Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Kevin Cornell

The best counting book that has come out all year in my opinion. It’s funny and interactive too!

Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss

L is just starting to get into Dr. Seuss books, and this was her gateway read.

What Happens When… Delphine Chedru

The French are so cool; especially French illustrators like Herve Tullet and Delphine Chedru. What happens when a balloon floats up into the sky? Or a sock gets stuck behind the radiator? This book explains it all.

The Moon Jumpers by Janice May Udry, illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Nighttime play before bedtime. This book reminds me of childhood summers. An oldie, but goodie.

Penny and her Marble by Kevin Henkes

L is a fan of Kevin Henkes’ Penny books. This is his latest and by far his best in our opinion.

Monkey Ono by J.C. Phillipps

This story is a whole lot of silly fun! We were sorry to have to return Monkey Ono back to the library. Poor little guy always has ideas that turn into “oh-no’s”!

Jamberry by Bruce Degen

A rhyming good time book with colorful illustrations about a bear, a boy, and lots of berries.

Hello in There by Jo Witek, illustrated by Christine Roussey

A good chunk of new sibling books focus on negative feelings associated with a new baby entering the family. This books talks about a little girl’s excitement towards her new sibling and all the things she is going to teach and show him/her as her mother’s belly grows. It’s a lift-the-flap, too! Within each page the mother’s belly grows, and you can peek inside at quirky illustrations of baby.

Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea

First of all, we really enjoy reading Bob Shea’s books. And this one is pretty much all the awesome and a great way to teach kids about jealousy. The grass always seems greener on the other side, but if you take a look inside you’ll find you don’t have it so bad afterall.

Crictor by Tomi Ungerer

Everyone’s favorite pet snake! A classic about a teacher and her pet boa constrictor.

Silence by Lemniscates

Beautiful Book Alert! The illustrations in this book are lovely and so is the message it carries about listening to the world around you.

Girl with a Gator by Sean Bryan, illustrations by Tom Murphy

L has started telling jokes lately. One of the jokes is: “What’s on your head? A (fill-in-the-blank with something weird, like “Pickle Car”)! Hahahahah!!!” It was time to check out this book anyway, and we have also been reading the companion books: A Boy and His Bunny and a Bear and His Boy.

Murrilla Gorrilla by Jennifer Lloyd, illustrated by Jaqui Lee

A new easy reader series about a silly gorilla detective that isn’t the most observant of detectives. I believe the second book in the series has been published, and another on is on the way.

The Big Balloon Race by Eleanor Coerr, illustrated by Carolyn Croll

Ariel wants to be a famous aeronaut like her mother, and is waiting for her chance to one day travel in a hot air balloon. She finds she gets the opportunity to soon enough when she falls asleep in her mother’s hot air balloon basket the day of a race.

The Black Rabbit by Philippa Leathers

We read a lot of The Black Rabbit over the summer months. A little rabbit wakes up, wanders outside, only to find a big, black rabbit is right behind him. He spends the day trying to escape this monster rabbit.

Once Upon a Northern Night by Jean E. Pendziwol, illustrations by Isabelle Arenault

Beautiful Book Alert, Round 2! The illustrations and prose in this book are stunning. While a child sleeps, a parent paints a picture of the winter’s night. I sobbed when I read the dedication.

When Mermaids Sleep by Ann Bonwill, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

This was another one of those books we read night after night after night over the summer months. A goodnight lullaby to various mythological creatures. Mermaids, fairies, dragons, oh my!

Little Bear series by Elise Holmelund Minarik, illustrated by Maurice Sendak

I know I’ve talked about reading a few of the books above over and over again, but I think the Little Bear books win the prize for the most read. I haven’t read them for quite some time and am always amazed by how wonderful they are. True treasures of children’s literature. We likey.

What books are you reading together?

Featured on Red Tricycle

How cool is that?

The pencil topper craft I created for Back-To-School Storytime last year was featured on Red Tricycle!

Hop on over and check it out!

And so it begins… Read Across Lawrence for Kids

It all started yesterday….

Read Across Lawrence for Kids (RAL Kids) is a month-long library program designed for kids to get on the same page with other kids in the community by reading the same book at the same time, and then coming together to enjoy a variety of activities and events built around a shared adventure in reading. Translation: Thousands of kids all across Lawrence will be reading the same book whether it be in school or on their own time, and also have a whole heck of a lot of fun doing it!!

The Book

This year’s celebrated pick is the Newbery Honor winning Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm, a hilarious and heartfelt middle grade read that takes place during The Great Depression in Key West. The selection was announced back in May (you can read more about that process here) and ever since preparations have been underway. The library, the kids, and the teachers and school librarians are over the moon that this book and author Jenni Holm are the stars of our RAL Kids month!

The Kick-Off

To kick things off yesterday, we threw a beach party. Yes, Kansas has no beaches, but we made our best go at it. The kick-off was the first opportunity for kids to pick up their free copy of Turtle in Paradise. There was also live music (provided by my wonderful co-worker Michael), sandwiches provided by Jimmy John’s (donated!), Mrs. Fields Cookies (donated!), beach volleyball (without the beach), a book selfie booth (see below), and a table to pick up information about the program from (a.k.a the parent hangout).

But the party didn’t end there… the Lawrence Outdoor Aquatics Center was gracious enough to allow all participates of RAL Kids to swim for FREE that day! All they had to do was show the cashier their book.

I have to say… I was a little bummed that we didn’t giveaway all 500 books in the hour. A somewhat lofty goal, I know, but that’s what I had hoped for. On the upside we did have a great turnout and gave-away about 350 books AND will have left over books for the families who were away during the Labor Day weekend. Best part? I took Little L to the pool that afternoon and saw tons of smiling faces on the kids who were at the program. I even caught a couple reading while at the pool! Lawrence, Kansas may not have sandy beaches, but we made do.

The Events

Here’s what’s planned for the rest of the month via blurbs I wrote for the library calendar:

Design Your Own Turtle in Paradise T-shirt: Show off your Read Across Lawrence for Kids style by making a Turtle in Paradise t-shirt using all kinds of crafty, cool methods such as magazine transfers, bleach pens, and sandpaper. Bring a plain t-shirt!

 Flavors of Key West: Enjoy an ice cream making demonstration by Lawrence’s own ice creamery, Sylas and Maddy’s. Learn how to make “cut-up”, a Key West specialty!

 Diaper Baby Gang 101: How do you burp a baby? How much does a babysitter make an hour? Does the Diaper Baby Gang’s Secret Formula really work? Learn the in’s and out’s of babysitting with a specialist from Lawrence Memorial Hospital. We’ll also be talking about the entrepreneurial side of babysitting (i.e. $$$).

 Free Family Movie Matinee of Annie: Main character Turtle’s favorite thing to read is Little Orphan Annie, an extremely popular comic that appeared in the funny pages back in the day. It’s hard to come by this comic nowadays, so Lawrence Public Library and Liberty Hall teamed up for a FREE showing of Annie, the famous flick inspired by the Little Orphan Annie comic strip!

 Hurricane a Comin’!: The famous hurricane of 1935 makes a big appearance in Turtle in Paradise. Learn the science of what a hurricane is and participate in activities with a couple of UKanTeach students from the University of Kansas. You’ll also experience the excitement of Lawrence’s famous, the one-and-only indoor hurricane, at The Sandbar. (Yes, I’m hosting a event for kids at a bar. But it’s more of a family pub AND it’s a super cool place. Tropical fish tanks, kitschy nautical decor, and there is an indoor hurricane to boot!)

 Cool Comics: Do you like comics as much as Turtle does? Astrokitty Comics & Games will be visiting the library to talk about cool comics from yesterday and today. Be prepared to draw because you’ll learn how to create your own comic as well!

 Secret Book Club: The featured book of September’s Secret Book Club is our Read Across Lawrence for Kids book, Turtle in Paradise. Discuss the book and enjoy themed activities.

Kansas to Key West: How Kids Had Fun During the Great Depression: The Great Depression was… well… depressing. So, what did kids do for fun? Explore different games and toys of the time and learn how to craft some of your own at The Watkins Community Museum of History!

**FEATURED EVENT** Read Across Lawrence Author Talk Finale: Meet our Read Across Lawrence for Kids author, the three-time Newbery Honor winning, New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Holm in a virtual author talk on the big screen in the Lawrence Arts Center auditorium! Learn about Jennifer Holm’s personal inspiration behind Turtle in Paradise, what it’s like to be a writer, and what she’s currently working on. We will also be raffling away prizes and conclude with a slice of key lime pie in celebration.

 Downtown Lawrence Treasure Hunt: The hunt is on!  Attempt this Read Across Lawrence for Kids Treasure Hunt by picking up a sheet at the Children’s Room or Teen Zone desk and navigate your way through Downtown Lawrence in search of Black Caesar’s Treasure. Those that complete the hunt will not only find the treasure, but be eligible to win tickets to the Real Pirates exhibit at Union Station.

 Read Across Lawrence for Kids Exclusive Ice Cream Flavor: Make sure you stop into Sylas & Maddy’s to try the exclusive Turtle in Paradise flavor offered throughout the Read Across Lawrence for Kids Month!

 The Beauty Of It…

RAL Kids is really a story about the collaboration between the public library, Lawrence’s schools, and local businesses to give area kids an enriching and engaging literary experience. 1200 books were ordered. 700 of those books went to the schools and 50 area classrooms are incorporating the books in their curricula for the month. The school teachers and school librarians are the backbone of why this program is as popular as it is. It is a privilege to work with Lawrence’s teachers and school librarians, and this collaborative effort serves as a constant reminder of why Lawrence is such a special place.

The local businesses, the university, the hospital, the history museum, and all the partners and sponsors that have come together to either support the program financially, provide services, and be eager to help in in any way they can are also other reminders that it’s the community that makes this town so great. Compassionate people who care about the library and the city’s young people. Pure awesome.

The Extras

I put together this handy-dandy Read Across Lawrence for Kids Parent & Educator Resource Guide which has online resources as well as a Great Depression book list. This guide was given to all teachers and librarians participating in the program and is a handout that is available at the library’s kids’ room desk. Downloadable version of this guide: RAL Kids 2013 Resource Guide

My amazing co-worker, Molly Wetta (a.k.a queen of flowcharts and all things teen), has put together a read-alikes guide for Turtle in Paradise! (Click to enlarge)

Join the conversation or follow along the progress of RAL Kids via Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest using the hashtag #RALKids. I’ll be updating the #RALKids storify website on a regular basis as well!

Here’s to a great month ahead!!