Who Will Win?

By this time tomorrow, we will know the winner of the 2012 Newbery. We will also know the winner of the Bizarro Newbery! I have created a medal this year! Here it is on last year's Bizarro Winner.

Cybils VS Newbery

I wonder if people place money on ALA winners in January.  May be I should fly out to Vegas and put some money down on my picks! Who would your money be on? I am about ready to tell you who my money would be on!

I also wonder if The Cybils can be used to determine the ALA winners.  Let's look to the past to see if we can predict the future.  

One thing that The Cybils rely on is kid appeal- and I promise you that not all past ALA winners have that going for them.  Also, Cybils may be nominated by anyone. After nominations, a group of revered book bloggers read the books and vote on a winner for each category.  The winners of The Cybils are announced on Valentine's Day- after ALA announces their winners. 

To bring you up to speed, this is a little information of each award:

From The Cybils Website: (Children's & Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards)

Our purpose is two-fold:

-Reward the children’s and young adult authors (and illustrators, let’s not forget them) whose books combine the highest literary merit and "kid appeal." What’s that mean? If some la-di-dah awards can be compared to brussel sprouts, and other, more populist ones to gummy bears, we’re thinking more like organic chicken nuggets. -We’re yummy and nutritious. Foster a sense of community among bloggers who write about children’s and YA literature, highlight our best reviewers (and shamelessly promote their blogs) and provide a forum for the similarly obsessed. 

From The Newbery Manual:

In 2008, ALSC membership voted to change the committee composition, beginning with the 2010 committees, to eight elected, six appointed, and one appointed Chair. New committees are chosen every year. Members meet at ALA Annual Conference and Midwinter Meeting to discuss books that have been published during the year and to vote for the award winners. All members of the Association for Library Service to Children are eligible to serve on the Newbery and Caldecott awards committees. The only restrictions are that a person must agree to be present at the summer and midwinter meetings at which discussion takes place and at which the selections are made. 

The Bizarro Newbery was developed by me, last year, when I wasn't happy with the winners selected by The ALA. I nominated them, I read them and I voted for them. I looked for kid appeal and Kelly Butcher appeal. 

Here is a comparison of the awards from 2006 to last year. What do you think? Why the very noticeable difference between the winner from The Cybil middle grade division and The Newbery?  Does one winner influence the other? Do book bloggers know something about the reading habits of kids that Newbery Committee members don't? I can't wait to see how this year pans out! Can we use The Nerdies to predict any of the 2011 winners?

Madame Butcher Predicts the Future

Ahhh.... so you come here looking for answers. You want to know which book will become the 90th book to win The Newbery. Well, come in. Sit for a spell and Madame Butcher will give you her predictions. 

Madame Butcher has read many fabulous books this year, so it is difficult to select just one. Would you be satisfied if Madame Butcher gave you the names of 6 books that she favors?

Yes?

I thought so.

Ah... it is coming to her... she, she... she sees a young girl fleeing Vietnam with her family in an overcrowded ship. Yes, yes. It is clear to her now. Inside Out and Back Again may be the winner of The Newbery award very soon. 

Wait! Another vision! It's a girl in the streets of Afghanistan. She is teased, ridiculed... An American soldier approaches. Ah! Words in the Dust is also a book that Madame Butcher predicts as the 2012 Newbery winner.

Birds... birds! So many birds. Not just any birds! The most beautiful birds painted by John James Audobon. My friend, these birds speak to Madame Butcher and tell her that Okay for Now is a possibility. Yes... trust the birds.

What is this? A baby adrift at sea? A baby with no eyes? Could it be? Yes... yes! Peter Nimble! Of course! That brave young boy is the one! Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes may soon steal himself a Newbery Medal! 

Who is this Spock I see peering back at me in my magical crystal ball?  Such odd ears!  He speaks... shh! Yes- he speaks to Madame Butcher! He says "Live long and prosper... and Marley Sandelski is the boy you have been waiting for." The vision is gone now... but, Warp Speed is the book that may take the Newbery.

Madame Butcher grows tired, friends. She doesn't know if she can go on. She needs... rest... Of course shI promised you 6 titles and you will leave with 6 titles. Be patient with an old gypsy woman! Let her gaze deeper into the magic ball... gazing... deeper and deeper... Miss Kanagawa. Do you recognize her name, friends? Yes, Madame Butcher  thought you would. She sends friendship and peace to all who visit and she knows a secret. Want to hear? Come closer... closer. The Friendship Doll is the 6th title you desire. 

Leave at once! Madame Butcher must rest- the magic makes her sleep. What it that? Yes, she does have a favorite from this list? No! She will not reveal the winner! You must return in January for that morsel. And bring cookies... gypsies love cookies! 

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Book Talk: Hidden

I am so impressed with the books that are coming out for tweens this year. Tweens (kids 8-12) are a special group of kids. They are pretty much done learning to read and most of them are now reading for pleasure. You can tell  that I have tweens in the library because you will see them flocked around me asking me for a great book to read. It's like a pre-game huddle and I am the QB. I grab books from the shelf and give a quick booktalk- then the kids fight over who gets to check out the books. : ) I have been blown away by the quality of books that are available for these kids so far this year. The Newbery Committee is going to have a very difficult time selecting a winner this year.  A book that I am sure will be fought over in The Lemme Library is Hidden by Helen Frost.

8 year old Wrenn is sitting in her mom's gold mini-van when she hears a gunshot. She quickly hides in the backseat as a man enters the van and speeds off. The man has stolen the van without knowing that there is a child in the backseat. Wrenn finds herself alone, scared and unintentionally kidnapped. Each time the kidnapper opens the door that leads into his house, Wrenn gets a glimpse of his family- his wife  Stacey and 8 year old daughter Darra.  When Stacey learns that there is a stolen car in her garage, she gets a black eye. When Darra hears on the news that there was a little girl inside that stolen car, she is told to turn off the news. Darra has a feeling that the girl is hiding in the garage and worries about what will happen if her dad finds her- so she is determined to find her and help her escape. Wrenn does escape and the police are lead to the house and the man is arrested. 

Flash forward 7 years and it seems that Wrenn has grown up to be a happy, well-adjusted teenager. She is just settling into camp when she notices a new camper who is not at all happy to be there. When the new girl runs off, her mother calls after her and to Wrenn's surprise and terror, the camper is Darra- the daughter of the man who kidnapped her 7 years ago.

The 2 girls end up in the same cabin and in the same activities. They are forced to deal with feelings that they have been hiding all these years. Darra is angry- angry at Wrenn for getting her dad arrested and causing her parents to get divorced. Wrenn is overwhelmed with emotions from anger to terror- she didn't even know she felt that way until now. 

That is all I will tell you about Wrenn and Darra. This story begs to be unfolded by the reader and not the reviewer. 

At one time, Darra is out on a glass bottom boat- the kind of boat that you can look through and see right into the water. She sees all of these sunken ships that are resting on the bottom of the lake.  She realizes that no matter how calm the water looks, you never know what is hiding just under the surface. That passage sums up this novel perfectly. Children (and adults) are walking around this great big world with a whole lot of stuff on their minds- issues from their past, problems they have now and worries about the future. Just because someone puts on a happy face and looks calm on the outside doesn't mean there isn't a hurricane brewing on the inside.  This book will inadvertently teach kids to stop and think about other people before they pass judgement. An example from my experience- I am not quick to judge a rude store clerk because you never, ever know what they are going through. May be they just flunked a test or their grandma died or their parents got divorced today. You just never know- you should give people the benefit of the doubt- and I think that is a message that kids will walk away with after reading Hidden. 

Hidden is a free verse novel written in alternating chapters. Free verse novels are great for tweens. The spacing of the text on the page is perfect, providing plenty of white space. Kids tend to get overwhelmed by too much text. The second I open a book with lots of small words, they freak out! I love that a tween reader can pick up a book with great substance and not be impeded by the text. And- lots of kids who can relate to this book may be reluctant readers... I will say that I have to talk to my students about a novel written in verse before I just hand it to them. I explain that it looks a little different, but it reads just like a book. Helen Frost worked extra hard on this free verse novel, because upon further reading, kids will discover a hidden story within the story. I would hand this book to any student grades 4 and up. Because the main characters are girls, boys may hesitate to pick it up, unless you can sell them on the great story.  I dare the Newbery Committee to snub this book!

Book Talk: Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier 

(August 2011).

Picture if you will a newborn baby boy placed in a basket and left to sail the ocean alone. When he is finally rescued by sailors his eyes have been pecked out by a raven. The sailors kill the raven and turn the baby over to the local authorities. The baby is given a name- Peter Nimble-and nothing else, and sent into the world to fend for himself. He lives for a time with a mama cat and her kittens, until they are discovered and thrown into the ocean in a burlap bag to drown. Peter manages to untie the bag and make it to safety. Having nobody to care for him, Peter learns to survive on his own. Although he is an infant- and a blind infant at that- he starts his career as a thief. By the age of 3, Peter had become a true menace to society. His talents were discovered by Mr. Seamus- a beggarmonger (a man who trains orphans to beg and steal and turn their booty over to him in exchange for "food" and "shelter"). Mr. Seamus always wanted to become a thief- but he was too clumsy to follow his dream. When he met Peter, he decided to sell off his other beggars and train Peter to become an expert thief.  In fact, Peter became an expert at picking locks because Mr. Seamus locked all of Peter's meals inside an old sea chest- if he wanted to eat, he had to pick the lock.

When a mysterious haberdasher (a man who sells men's hats and ties and such)  comes to town, Peter's skills as a thief are put to the test. The boy steals a box of magical eyes from the haberdasher. The first time he touches the eyes, he knows that he must try them. He puts in the eyes and is instantly transported to a mysterious land. As it turns out, Peter had been summoned to help save The Vanished Kingdom. Using the fantastic eyes, he must set out on a fantastical quest where he befriends a part man, part kitten part horse creature, meets a dogfish bigger than a whale and gets stranded in the desert. I can't give away much more, because it will ruin the story for you- and you know I won't do that! But, I will tell you that you will read about swashbuckling, sword fighting, evil Kings, talking ravens and killer apes!

I can tell you that this is a quest that reminded me of so many great quests I have read- including The Wizard of Oz. Peter is a little bit like Dorothy who gets whisked away to a magical land where he must go on a journey to find the answers to his questions and to discover who he truly is and where he truly belongs. In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy meets many memorable characters that help her along the way. Peter meets characters that help him on his quest as well (instead of The Cowardly Lion, we have Sir Tode)- and some that try to stop him from completing his quest (Instead of The Wicked Witch of the West, we have King Incarnadine).  And like Dorothy, what Peter was looking for might have been with him all along. (Instead of ruby slippers we have... um, can't tell you!)

This a fast paced adventure that will appeal to kids grades 4-8 (boys will devour this books, but girls will love it as well). I love a good adventure story, but what made me fall in love with this book was the storytelling that took place in it. Yes, all authors have a story to tell, but not all authors weave a story in the magical way that Mr. Auxier did here. As I read, I was transported to my favorite books- The Princess Bride, Peter Pan, The Hobbit, The Tale of Desperaux... The language in Peter Nimble is delicate and would roll off your tongue if you read it aloud to your child (which you should!). The narrator coaxes us through the story, and respects us enough as readers to not interrupt the flow of the story or condescend us the way some narrators can. In fact, I missed the narrator when he wasn't speaking directly to me!

When the book ended, I was not only left with the satisfaction a great story brings, but with the idea that each one of us is important and can make a difference in the world. The idea that we need to embrace our talents and be who we are- not what people want us to be. The idea that we can learn from our past. but our past doesn't define us in the present. And the idea that people need people to love and to love them- that family is a bigger treasure than anything you will find in a sea chest. Indeed, this is a book that could quite possibly steal The Newbery right out from under all of the other books I have read so far this year.

*The book includes art done by the author.

See also this great review of Peter Nimble by Betsy Bird (of Fuse8)

2012 Newbery Watchlist: Updated!

Only 6 months until ALA awards another Newbery Medal. With my 0 for 1 record in predicting the winners, I am on a quest to get it right this year- or at least award my Bizzaro Newbery correctly!   Here are some titles that I want to read ASAP! If I had a time machine, I would use it to go into the future and buy these books.  Does anyone have one I can borrow? (A time machine that is). Now, my opinion of these books being contenders may change after I read them! I will keep you posted!

In no particular order:

1. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick (Sept 13, 2011): Relates the stories of twelve-year-old Ben, who loses his mother and his hearing in a short time frame and decides to leave his Minnesota home in 1977 to seek the father he has never known in New York City; and Rose, who lives with her father but feels compelled to search for what is missing in her life. Ben's story is told in words; Rose's in pictures.(Follett)

2, No Ordinary Day by Deborah Ellis (Sept 13, 2011): Valli has always been afraid of the lepers living on the other side of the train tracks in the coal town of Jharia, India, so when a chance encounter with a doctor reveals she also has leprosy, Valli rejects help and begins an uncertain life on the streets.(Follett)

3. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu (Sept 27, 2011): Hazel and Jack are best friends until an accident with a magical mirror and a run-in with a villainous queen find Hazel on her own, entering an enchanted wood in the hopes of saving Jack's life. (Follett)

4. City of Orphans by Avi (Aug 15, 2011): In 1893 New York, thirteen-year-old Maks, a newsboy, teams up with Willa, a homeless girl, to clear his older sister, Emma, from charges that she stole from the brand new Waldorf Hotel, where she works. (Follett)

5. The Only Ones by Aaron Starmer (Sept 13, 2011): After leading a solitary existence on an island, thirteen-year-old Martin discovers a village filled with children who live without adults after their families and friends disappeared one afternoon, but after meeting a mysterious boy who can talk to animals Martin thinks he can find a way to reunite the children with their families. (Follett)

6. Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos (Sept 13, 2011): In the historic town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Jack Gantos spends the summer of 1962 grounded for various offenses until he is assigned to help an elderly neighbor with a most unusual chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses. (Follett)

7. The Boy at the End of The World by Greg Van Eekhout (out now): Born half-grown in a world that is being destroyed, Fisher has instinctive knowledge of many things, including that he must avoid the robot that knows his name.(Follett)

8. Hidden by Helen Frost (out now): Years after Darra Monson's father stole a minivan with Wren Abbott hiding in the back, the girls come face to face at summer camp and together they try to work through what happened to them and the impact it had on their lives.(Follett)

Books I HAVE read that are contenders:

1. Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry

2. Horton Halfpott: Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset by Tom Angleberger

3. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

4. Saving Zasha by Randi Barrow
5. Sparrow Road by Sheila O'Connor 
6. The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson
7. Warp Speed by Lisa Yee
8. Words in the Dust by Trent Berry *This one may be on the mature end for a Newbery
9. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by John Auxier (Aug 1, 2011) Review to Come!! 

What do you think of my list? Would you add any? Take any away? Let me know!

Book Talk: Warp Speed

My name is Marley Sandelski and pretty much get my butt kicked on a daily basis.  The kids at Rancho Rosetta Middle School are ruthless. I get punched, spit on shoved into my locker, chased and taunted and nobody does anything about it. If anyone stands up to the bullies, they will get killed. So, we just grimace and bear it. 

I use to be best friends with Standford- until he became a star jock. He completely sold me out. He doesn't even look in my direction any more. I hate him. The only people I can count on are the other geeks in AV Club, I mean Technical Sciences Class. We pretty much run this school- without us, there would be no way teachers could plug in their own DVD players. I can't wait for 6th period because I know that for that short while, I won't get beat up. 

Teachers have asked if I'm ok- even my mom and dad have asked. But, I just smile and say that I'm fine. Heck, my mom is blind and she even knows something isn't right. You can't get anything past her. She can see my misery better than the stupid principal of Rosetta Middle School. He is such an idiot- he thinks that bracelets that say "Be a buddy not a bully" will keep kids like me from getting pulverized. Duh. Now when I get my butt handed to me, the bully says- "Wanna be my buddy?" 

My best friend is Ramen- yes, Ramen like the noodles. I am stuck with him because we are both geeks, I guess. He's ok, except he has this very unhealthy obsession with Star Wars. I HATE Star Wars. I'm what you call a Trekkie. I can name all of the characters, episodes and quote lines from every show from TOS (The Original Series). I guess I rely on Star Trek to help me through life. Like if I need good luck, I carry my Captain Kirk action figure with me. After school when I need to decompress, I put on my Spock ears. If I am in a sticky situation, I ask myself "WWSD?" (What would Spock do?)  Star Trek has gotten me through some rough times. I even keep my own Captain's Log where I record everything that occurred during the day.
Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse in my life, they do. My AV Club teacher, Mr. Jiang is out for 2 weeks and all the AV Club kids are stuck taking Home Science Class. (On the upside, I met the most beautiful girl in the world, and I may be in love).  The richest kid in town threatens to close down my family's theater, The Rialto if I don't do his homework. The Gorn have really stepped up their butt kicking and now chase me through town every day. And- the track coach has seen me run and wants me to join the track team. Did I mention that the new kid Max wants to narc out all the bullies on my behalf? I don't think I can take much more of this. What WOULD Spock do? I wish I knew. 

Warp Speed is by Lisa Yee (F YEE)
I think we have a Newbery contender on our hands here folks.
From my perspective, not Marley's, this book should be required reading for all kids going into jr. high. My heart ached for Marley. I was disgusted by the ignorance of the adults (except his parents) in this book... I thought "Am I this blind? Can I be making a difference?" I must confess that this is the first book of the Rancho Rosetta books that I have read. I just returned from the library with Millicent Min (I thought Marley and Millicent would make a good couple.) I would pair this book with Surviving Brick Johnson by Laurie Myers.


Now- to the kids who might be reading this blog: It is not ok to bully anyone. You might have your own problems, but preying on other kids won't help. And, if you just stand by and watch a bully without helping, you are just as bad as the bully. If you are being bullied, or abused (Like Digger) you need to find someone you can trust. A teacher, a friend, a librarian... someone that you can ask for help. We can't help you if we don't know what is going on. Trust us- most of us are a little brighter than the teachers in Warp Speed... at least I hope we are. If you want to do some reading on bullying, try these sites:
Stopbullying.gov
Dealing With Bullies
It's My Life from PBSKids
For Parents: Helping Kids Deal With Bullies 
And, you can always email me at butcher.kelly@iccsd.k12.ia.us

Book Talk: Inside Out and Back Again

I have been on a roll this week!  I have been lucky enough to pick up 3 gems at the Iowa City Public Library.  As it turns out, all 3 books are related to war and how innocent people are affected by the decisions that other people make.  The powerful messages and characters in these books make them wonderful prospects for the 2012 Newbery Medal... now, remember you read it here first!  The third book I read this week was Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai.  This is a historical fiction novel written in verse (it looks like a poem but it doesn't rhyme, and it reads like a regular book.  You just have to get use to the short lines and breaks.)  

You will have to endure a short history lesson before you get to the book talk- if you don't need it, scroll down! : )

Do you know very much about The Vietnam War?  Did you know that as the Vietnam War ended tat over 150,000 people fled the country looking for a safe place to live?  Why would people want to leave Vietnam?  Here is the simple answer:

Before World War II, Vietnam belonged to France.  A man named Ho Chi Minh didn't the fact that Vietnam belonged to France and wanted Vietnam's independence.  During World War II, The Japanese came into Vietnam and took over after Germany defeated the French.  When this happened, Ho Chi Minh declared that Vietnam was free- but when The British and Chinese came to Vietnam to rescue the Japanese soldiers, fighting broke out.  France took over the southern part of Vietnam and fought against Ho Chi Minh in the North. 

Eventually, the United States got involved and supported the South (They wanted to stop Communism).  The war lasted a very long time and many people were killed- including innocent civilians.  

The war ended when Ho Chi Minh took over Saigon, the capitol city in South Vietnam.  When this happened, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people fled the country.  Many of them went to a base in Guam where they were then assigned to a country.  Vietnamese people who came to The US were assigned to cities throughout the country- the US government wanted to spread our new immigrants out so they could be more like Americans, instead of putting them all together by themselves.  (Looking back, people now realize it would have helped them more to let them stick together instead of separating from their countrymen).  For a family to be assigned a city, they had to have an American family sponsor them. 

Vietnamese Refugees on a ship headed to Guam

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai tells the story of Hà, a ten year old girl living in South Vietnam as Saigon falls.  Her father is a soldier who has been missing for 9 years. Because her father was a soldier, her family is given a spot on a Vietnamese Navy ship as it flees the country.  With a small bag full of extra clothes, little food and a mouse bitten doll, Hà escapes with her family.  As the ship sails down river, they hear the sounds of bombs as Saigon is attacked.  The living conditions on the ship are dire, very little food, not much clean water, cramped spaces and tense nerves.  When one of the ship's engines dies, the circumstances go from bad to worse.  After 2 weeks at sea, the ship is spotted by The United States Navy and towed to Guam (a territory of the US in The Pacific Ocean). 

Hà's family consists of her 3 older brothers and incredibly strong and resilient mother.  Her oldest brother is able to speak English, so once in Guam he begins translating for people.  The family lives in a tent together until the mother is asked where she would like to relocate her family.  She could choose Paris, where relatives were known to live, or she could go to Canada with her brother-in-law who accompanied them on the trip.  As she is waiting to make a choice, a man behind her tells her to go to America where the boys are sure to get jobs and the US Government will pay for her children to go to college.  She chooses America.  

The family is flown to Alabama where they live in more tents.  The US Government has decided that all refugees must stay in the camp until they are sponsored by an American family.  Hà and her family are not chosen- there are 5 of them and that is a lot of mouths to feed.  Hà's mother learns that changing her religious belief to Christianity will speed up the process, so she does and is sponsored soon after.  An American cowboy takes them to his house with the promise that Hà's oldest brother will work for him as an auto mechanic.  The family arrives at the Cowboy's house (Hà thinks he is a cowboy because he wears a cowboy hat and she is certain he has a horse somewhere!).  When they arrive, the cowboy's wife is not happy and they are told to "stay out of the neighbor's eyes" and they are forced to stay in the basement.  

Weeks later, Cowboy moves the family into a small house and enrolls Hà in school.  Now- imagine how you would feel if everything you know has been shaken up- you have left your country, you don't speak English and you look different than everyone else.  How would you feel?  Hà is scared- Pink Face is a bully who torments her daily.  She is insecure- in Vietnam, she was very, very smart- but in Alabama, she is stupid... the class clapped for her when she said her ABCs.  The food is different, the people are different and the customs are different- Hà doesn't know where she fits in. She finds that learning English is very difficult and almost gives up until a friendly neighbor, Miss Washington, offers to tutor her.  Miss Washington teaches her more than English- she teaches her kindness and acceptance.  She stands up for Hà when she can't stand up for herself and she helps her find her voice.  

This is a beautiful story of how 1 family overcomes all odds that are stacked against them and start a new life in a foreign country.  The book does a remarkable job of capturing exactly how that little 10 year old girl felt.  I found myself feeling anxious as she was chased home by the bully. I was saddened when her family mourns the loss of her father.  I was overjoyed when she and her brothers find a place where they belong.  The story is full of wonderful imagery that allows the reader to experience the smells, tastes and sites of Vietnam, and then Alabama.  It would be a great novel to use when teaching visualization!  

When kids pick up a book about people fleeing a war torn country and landing in The United States- they usually think of "happily ever after"... that the family arrives and gets a job and a house and builds a new life.  This book tells it like it is.  Although Hà and her family are so grateful for everything they receive, they don't like pity and they don't like charity.  They work hard for what they have.  Because of the Vietnam War, immigrants are discriminated against- many Americans blamed these innocent people for the death sons in the war.  The sad truth is that people like Hà and her family were victims too.  They didn't want to give up their lives and move to Alabama.  They didn't want to start the war.  They didn't want American soldiers to die.  All of those things were decided for them by some man years ago.  The book ends with the hope of a bright future for Hà and her family.  

I loved this book and would recommend it for any child in grades 4-8.  I didn't know the book was written in verse until I got it home from the library.  (I don't peek at books- it ruins it for me.  I like to be surprised... it is just like opening a present!)  I must admit that this is the first free verse novel I have ever read- and it won't be my last.  I hope that kids aren't thrown off by the way the type looks on the page.  It looks like a poem, but it reads like a book.  Kids without knowledge of The Vietnam War will enjoy this book as well as those that know a lot.  This would be a great fit in any unit on family, war/peace or bullying/character education and equality.  I wouldn't hesitate to use it as a read aloud for a mixed 3-4 classroom.

The author of this book, Thanhha Lai is a poet and professor who lived the story of Hà.  Her family of 10 escaped Vietnam in 1975 and lived in Alabama.  This is her first book for children, and it could be her first Newbery Winner too.  Good luck, Ms. Lai!  I'm rooting for you just like I did for Hà!

Book Talk: Saving Zasha

Now we have a Newbery Contender for 2011!

Yes, Saving Zasha by Randi Barrow is one to watch.

This book takes place in Northern Russia not long after World War II has ended.  The country is still suffering the effects of the war- very little gasoline and food, and many of the men are still missing or dead from their battle against Germany.  The people of Russia are so angry with Germany that they have banned all things German, including dogs, namely, German Shepherds.

When Mikhail is out in the woods one afternoon, he finds an injured soldier and his dog- a German Shepherd named Zasha.  Mikhail helps the man onto his horse and back to his home where his mother, little sister Rina and older brother Nikolai run to his aid.  They get the man inside and clean him up and help him get comfortable.  When Mikhail's mother tries to shoo the dog from the house, the man puts up a fight and the dog is allowed to stay by his side.  Zasha is still by his side in the morning.  Mikhail discovered that the man died during the night.

The family decides that they must take the dead man into town and explain what happened to the police.  The children agree, but want to keep the dog.  Their family has been so sad and lonely since their father went missing during the war.  Their mother concedes and the dog is allowed to stay with them.  However, they must keep Zasha hidden.  People are not allowed to have dogs after the war, and a German Shepherd would be killed on site.  Nikolai tells his family that he saw a Russian soldier shoot and kill 2 German Shepherds in the street.  He also believes that the man they tried to save died trying to protect his dog.

When they arrive at the police station, they tell their story, leaving out the part about the dog.  While they are there, Irina, a newspaper reporter arrives, followed by the editor's nosy and snooty daughter, Katia.  Immediately Katia is in the middle of the discussion of the dead man.  She announces that she will investigate and find the story his death.  This makes Mikhail very nervous, because Katia is one of his least favorite people and he doesn't appreciate her sticking her nose into his business.

Once back at the farm, the family must decide how to keep Zasha and the family safe.  The boys find several hiding places to keep Zasha in case of an emergency.  The family falls in love with her, and she seems to bring happiness to all of them.  The boys spend time training her and she catches on quickly. As promised, Katia does investigate the death of the mystery man and ends up at the farm on several occasions.  Her guess is that the man had a dog and he was killed trying to protect it.  She tells Mikhail that she found dog hairs on the dead man's coat.  She took a sample of the hairs and discovered that the dog is a German Shepherd.  She suspects that Mikhail is hiding the dog and tells him that anyone found with a German Shepherd will be considered a traitor and the dog will be killed.

When a truck carrying 2 dog thieves show up at the farm, Mikhail and Nikolai know they have to do something more to protect Zasha.  When the dead man's wife shows up, they know that they have to tell the truth about the dog.  When a mysterious soldier claims to be opening a dog kennel, they think they have found the solution to their problem.  Mikhail will stop at nothing to keep Zasha safe.  He promises her that he will never, ever leave her... will he be able to keep his promise?

During World War II, dogs were used by the Russians in the war effort.  Dogs carried messages through battle fields, dogs were used to guard prisoners and sniff out lost soldiers.  One of the most disturbing jobs that dogs held was to carry a bomb strapped on their back, approach a German tank and blow it, and themselves up.  Russia deployed of 40,000 Anti-Tank dogs during WWII.  Once the German soldiers caught on, they were ordered to shoot all dogs on site.   Because of this, dogs disappeared from Russia.  When the government realized this, they decided to make a Russian Super Dog, and set up an official government office (The Red Star Kennel) in Moscow to take charge of breeding this super dog.  In 1955, Russia had created The Russian Black Terrier, also known as the Russian Pearl.  This dog weighed between 80 and 100 pounds and stood 2 and 1/2 feet high.  The Black Russian Terrier is a working class dog that loves to play with children and is protective (not aggressive).  Many breeds were used to create this Super Dog, including Rottweiler, The Giant Schnauzer, Great Dane and German Shepherd.  Anti Tank Dogs were trained in Russia until 1996. Randi Barrow explains that this book is a work of fiction that was inspired by the events following WWII in Russia. 

Kids at Lemme School love to read books about dogs, and they get mad at me when the dog in the book dies!  I know that this book will fly off the shelf and will appeal to any child that is an animal lover.  This book is great for tricking an unsuspecting child into reading a historical fiction book!  They will learn something at the same time they enjoy a fabulous story and they won't even realize it!  This book sends a powerful message about what man is capable during war and how innocent lives are taken in the process.

Book Talk: Words in the Dust

I have been on the look out for books that just might win the Newbery in 2012 (or my Bizarro Newbery!), so I picked up Words in the Dust by Trent Berry at the public library.  Wow.  Just... wow.  This book took me on an emotional roller coaster that didn't stop until the end.  I was happy, angry, curious, outraged, inspired and devastated.   

Words in the Dust is the story of Zulaikha, a 13 year old girl living in Afghanistan.  The story takes place just as the Taliban are losing power.  It is important to know, that during this time, the people had very little freedom, the government was in complete control of the people.  It is even more important to know that women and girls were treated horribly- HORRIBLY.  Girls were not allowed to go to school, in fact, it was a crime for them to have books or to write words.  Women were not allowed to work outside their home, but forced to work inside the home.  Women and girls were not allowed to leave their home without covering all but their eyes (even though the temperature can climb into the 100's).  Women were denied access to health care and not allowed to travel without being accompanied by a male relative. Women were treated like property- they belonged to their father or husband.  A young girl of 15 could be married off to a man she never even met.  It was not uncommon for men to have many wives.  

Now that you know all of this, you can imagine the obstacles and horrors that Zulaikha faces on a daily basis.  What makes things worse for Zulaikha is the fact that she was born with a cleft lip- that means that her top lip didn't grow properly, and there is a large gap when she closes her mouth.  Her teeth stick out and it is hard for her to chew- she can't keep food in her mouth without tipping her head back.  When you add this disfigurement to the fact that she is a girl, her life is miserable.  Oh- and another thing, her mother died years ago and she her father's 2nd wife treats Zulaikha terribly. 
Whenever Zulaikha goes to the market, she is subject to ridicule.  There is one boy, Anwar, who makes it his goal to tease and torment her, calling her Donkey Face and threatening her with physical violence.  During one trip home from the market, Anwar chases her.  He almost reaches her when a large tank full of American soldiers rounds the corner and distracts Anwar and his bully friends.  Zulaikha is very frightened by the soldiers- The American soldiers had just arrived and she didn't know they were in her village.  The soldiers look right at her, she drops her chadri (cloth that covers her face) and they see her cleft lip. We learn later in the book that the soldiers have taken a special interest in Zulaikha and offer to give her surgery that will fix her lip.  She is thrilled to think that she will finally be as beautiful as her older sister Zeynab, and she may get a good husband and make her father proud.  
While Zulaikha is rescuing her brother from Anwar, she gets caught climbing the Citadel walls and must run from a police officer.  While running, she meets a woman by the name of Meena who saves her from the police.  It turns out that Meena was friends with Zulaikhas mother.  Zulaikha's mother was killed by the Taliban for having books and knowing how to read.  Meena offers to teach Zulaikha to read.  After working with Meena for several months, Zulaikha is invited to live with a female professor in a larger village in Afghanistan.  If she does this, she will be able to go to college someday.  She knows that her father will never allow her to go to school- he finds it silly for girls to get an education when they will only be married and have sons.  
Zulaikha's older sister marries a very rich and powerful man with 2 other wives.  Zeynab has looked forward to being a wife her entire life, but she soon learns that being a wife is a terrible fate.  Zulaikha senses that something is wrong with her older sister, but is powerless to help her.  It is not until it is too late that Zulaikha is taken seriously.
Zulaikha is faced with many things that she cannot change and cannot control.  She has never known a life when she was treated with respect, appreciation or love.  All her life she has only known hard work, fear and disappointment.  The sad part about Zulaikha's story is that she is one of millions of Afghan women that endure this life day in and day out.  Although the Taliban is no longer in power and things are changing, changes are happening very slowly- especially for women.  Arranged marriages are still the norm for women and 54% of girls under the age of 18 are married.  Even though women are allowed to receive an education, only 5% of Afghan women can read.  With these startling statistics, there is hope- schools for girls are being reopened, and women are enrolling in universities. Women are returning to their old jobs as teachers, doctors and civil servants. Radio and television broadcasts in Kabul once again feature woman commentators.  
When I think about my life as a woman, I realize how fortunate I am to live in a country where I am seen as an equal to men and my opinions and strengths are seen as valid and taken seriously.  I look at my daughters and I can't imagine them living the life that Zulaikha and Zeynab did.  My daughters have access to clean drinking water, adequate food, excellent education and health care and their futures hold endless possibilities.  This book also opened my eyes to the fact that the women and civilians in Afghanistan are victims of the Taliban terrorists just as those impacted by 9/11.  When you discriminate against these innocent people, place blame on them, accuse them, we all lose.  Afghan's are peace loving people who have been destroyed by  hateful men and shouldn't be lumped into the same group with them. 
I was delighted to learn that the author of this book, Trent Reedy is a native Iowan.  He grew up in Dysart, Iowa and attended the University of Iowa.  After graduating, he enrolled in the Armed Forces to help pay for his tuition.  He was called to active duty on a peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan where he was inspired to write this book.  You can visit his website and learn the story behind the story.   
Words in the Dust would make a great addition to a unit on human rights, war and peace or the middle east.  I hesitate to hand this book to a child under the age of 12.  All of the graphic events in the book are written beautifully, not frivolously, but could be upsetting to younger children.  The names of characters and Dari words used in the book would be difficult for younger readers- although there is a glossary in the back of the book, it would take a strong reader to make it through the book with so many unknown words.  The issue of an arranged marriage of a 15 year old girl to a 50+ year old man is hard for anyone to take, so I imagine it would be very difficult for younger readers.  With that said, it is a wonderful book that should not be missed.  Newbery?  May be!  We'll see!
To learn more about the struggle that women face in Afghanistan, there are many sites on the web you can visit, including these:
Womenforwomen.org
Unicef 
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan