April, 2011

“Molly’s Family” by Nancy Garden         

At school Molly draws a picture of her family to hang on the wall.  She draws herself, her dog and her two mommies.  When other kids tell her that a family can't have two mommies she gets upset.  This is an adorable picture book which spreads the message that not all families are the same.  It speaks of tolerance and acceptance of others, even if their living situation is different from your own.

“Siberian Education:  Growing Up In A Criminal World” by Nicolai Lilin         

Nicolai grew up in Transnistria, a city on the border of Ukraine and Moldova, settled by the Siberian criminal clans.  Growing up he is taught a specialized style of honor, where every situation has its own set of requirements.  His childhood is marked by violence, but also filled with a strong sense of community and an odd sense of right and wrong.  Although Nicolai is a gifted storyteller and an excellent writer, he often diverted in the middle of one story to tell three or four others.  I found this a bit distracting, but overall his story was interesting enough to hold my attention.  Overall, I rate this book a 4 out of 5.

“Heirs of Mars” by Joseph Robert Lewis         

Mars is less than idea for humanity to survive and as the population dwindles, its populous face more and more difficulties.  In order to combat this, clone of dying people are create and inserted into mechanical beings.  Further, a second group of mechanical beings have been sent by their "mother" to destroy the clone network.  This story follows a number of characters who are struggling to live and survive on the planet.  I am not a big fan of science-fiction, but I really enjoyed this book.  The characters are interesting and engaging and the plot is fast-paced and entertaining

"The Summer of the Swans" by Betsy Byars         

Sara lives with her aunt, older sister Wanda, and mentally challenged brother Charlie.  After Sara takes Charlie to the lake to watch the swans he decides to try and find them again when he can't sleep.  Instead, he becomes lost in the woods, far from the comfort and security of home.  I found the most interesting part of the book the scenes from Charlie's point of view.  It was interesting to see what he focused on and how his thoughts were organized.  Overall, I thought Sara was a bit whiny and irritable, however, kids may find her relatable.

"All Kinds of Friends, Even Green" by Ellen B. Senisi         

Moses and his classmates are given the task of writing about a friend.  Moses considers classmates, neighbors, parents, even teachers, before deciding to write about Zaki, his neighbor's iguana.  Zaki has missing toes and has been forced  to find ways to compensate.  Moses has also been forced to compensate, because of his disabilities due to spina bifida.  Despite his disability, Moses participates in all of the class activities.  The pages themselves were filled with a collage of images and colors, which I thought was a bit distracting.  It may be difficult for a younger child, especially one who is just learning to read, find where sentences begin and end.  Otherwise, I thought this was a wonderful book, one that should be included in all public and school libraries.

"Deliver Us From Evie" by M. E. Kerr         

Parr's sister Evie dresses in masculine clothes, likes to fix machines and finds herself crushing on Patsy, the banker's daughter.  Despite the stigma of being labeled as a lesbian, Evie find strength in herself and moves away to live with Patsy.  Overall, I thought the characters and storyline was overly stereotypical.  I'm not sure if a teenager would respond better to the book, but I found it to be a bit slow and static.

"The Long Journey Home" by Margaret Robison         

I have not read Running with Scissors or Look Me In The Eye.  Therefore, this is my first look at the Robison family.  I found the book to be extremely self-indulgent.  Margaret is not able to accept blame for anything in her life; rather she spends most of the book blaming others for her problems. First her mom, then her husband, then her therapist.  I also found myself thinking that she was neglecting her children.  I don't know any parent who would just accept that their 15 year old son was having an affair with a 30 year old man.  While the writing style isn't bad, the plot-line is slow and rambling.  Overall, I could not recommend this book to anyone.

"Eli Remembers" by Ruth Vander Zee and Marian Sneider         

This picture book is a wonderful introduction to the holocaust.  It begins with Eli wondering why his great-grandmother lights candles for the Jewish New Year.  In order for him to understand, his family takes him to the Lithuanian village were his great-grandmother lived as a child.  Then, they drive through the forest to the pit, where 80,000 Jews, including her father and siblings, were shot dead by the Nazi's.  Well illustrated, the pictures contrast the boy's home life with the bleak forest.  Overall, this is a wonderful book, appropriate for all ages.

"The Burning Sky"  (Halcyon #1) by Joseph Robert Lewis         

Heralded as a work of alternate fiction, this book looks at an Earth which has never recovered from the ice age.  Consequently, political powers and religious beliefs are turned up-side down.  Taken from the point-of-view of multiple characters, this story follows Taziri, a pilot and marshals as they chase killers across land and sea.  Together, they unravel and foil a vast conspiracy against the Queen.  I would have liked a map at the beginning of the book so that I could more easily picture the areas that the characters were traveling through.  However, overall I thought the book was well written and the characters were interesting and dynamic.

"The Devil's Arithmetic" by J. Yolen         

Hannah is tired, and even embarrassed by, her grandfather's ranting and ravings about the Nazi's and the holocaust.  Unsympathetic, she does not want to attend family functions.  However, during Passover Seder, when she is chosen to open the door to welcome the prophet Elijah, she is transported to a village in Poland.  Shortly afterward, she is captured by the Nazi's and is taken to a death camp.  At the camp she meets Rivka, a younger girl who teaches her how to survive.  When Rivka is chosen to be sent to the gas chambers, Hannah takes her place.  As the gas chamber door closes, she is transported back to her grandparent's apartment.

     I have mixed feelings about this book.  I thought it was well-written, but I wonder how authentic Hannah's experience was.  I know that every concentration camp was different; however, my understanding is that children under the age of 15 were immediately sent to the gas chambers.  I'm sure there were exceptions, but to have a camp full of children, who merely hid in the garbage pile during inspections, seems more fiction that fact.

"Friedrich" by Hans Peter Richter         

Hans and his best friend Friedrich have grown up together in the same building in Germany.  However, Friedrich's family is Jewish.  As Hitler comes to power, Friedrich's dad is forced to quit his job and Friedrich is kicked out of school. things change for Friedrich and his family.  Friedrich's father is forced to quit is job, because Hitler does not allow Jews to own a business.  While Hans joins the Hitler youth, he is forced to keep his friendship with Friedrich a secret.  When  Friedrich's mom is killed by the Nazi's and his father is sent to a concentration camp, Hans and his family try and help Friedrich.  Although the book is slow in places, it is worth a read.

"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley         

This classic by Mary Shelley was one of my favorites as a teenager.  After re-reading it, I still feel the same.  This book is the story of Dr. Frankenstein and the monster that he created.  Immediately repulsed, Dr. Frankenstein rejects the monster, leaving it to roam Europe on its own.  After hiding near a family, the monster learns how to talk and communicate and realizes that he is missing companionship.  When Dr. Frankenstein refuses to create a companion for him, the monster begins killing his family.  Overall, this is a book well worth reading.

"The Land of Painted Caves" by Jean M. Auel         

I have been a faithful reader of Auel since I discovered Clan of the Cave Bear at a garage sale.  I was extremely excited to discover that she was writing another book and couldn't wait to get my hands on it.  Auel's storytelling and plot lines continue to be interesting and intriguing.  At times I found the book to be extremely repetitive.  She described Ayla's accent and the capacity of the horses over and over.  However, despite the repetition, I did enjoy this book.  It was a good ending to the series and tied up many lose ends.

"Shadow Spinner" by Susan Fletcher         

Crippled as a young girl, Marjan lives with Chava and Eli, a caring couple who has hired her has a maid.  One day Chava takes Marjan into the Sultan's palace to sell jewelry.  Quickly bored, Marjan begins telling stories to the children of the harem.  Her story catches the attention of Shahrazad, the sultan's bride.  Shahrazad, desperate for new stories to tell the Sultan, brings Marjan to live in the harem.  This is an exciting tale, one filled with adventure and intrigue.  It brings to life the fabled story of Shahrazad and the Sultan from an interesting perspective.

"Surface in Heaven" by Joseph Fullam         

Maher and Jules are two teenagers living on the planet Juniper.  However, Maher's parents tell him that he and Jules are really from the planet Sarvesarian.  I found this book a bit hard to read.  Although the concepts were interesting, the writing was choppy and did not flow in a logical order.  Overall, I could not recommend this book to a friend.  I hate to give new authors a bad review.  Fullam's ideas themselves are interesting and I'm sure his writing style will improve as he continues to write novels.

"Touch Wood:  A Girlhood in Occupied France" by Renee Roth-Hano         

Renee and her family flee their home in Alsace to take up residence in Paris as the Nazi's invade France.  As the Nazi's tighten their grip on the city, Renee and her family are forced to wear yellow Stars of David, announcing that they are Jewish.  When close friends are picked up by the police, the family decides that Paris is no longer safe for the children.  Renee and her two sisters are sent to a home managed by Catholic nuns, where they hide that they are Jewish.  Rennee's feelings of jealous and anger are easy to understand and many children will relate to her.

"Hosni the Dreamer" by Ehud Ben-Ezer 

Hosni is a shepherd for the sheikh.  Rather than spend time with the other shepherds, Hosni listens to the elders' tales of faraway places and longs to travel.  When the sheikh takes his sheep to the city, he brings along his shepherds and gives them a gold dinar.  Rather than buying food or exotic items, Hosni spends his money on words of wisdom.  On the way home, Hosni is ridiculed for wasting his money on words.  However, those words soon save him.  Well written and beautifully illustrated, this is an engaging and interesting folk tale.

"The Garden of Abdul Gasazi" by Chris Van Allsburg         

While Alan is caring for a dog, it runs away into the forbidden garden of Abdul Gasazi, a magician.  Alan chases after the dog but is unable to find him amidst the strange and eerie garden.  Reluctantly he knocks on Gasazi's door, only to be told that the dog has been turned into a duck.  A unique blend of magic and illusion, I believe most children would enjoy this tale.

"Figs and Fate:  Stories About Growing Up In The Arab World Today" by Elsa Marston         

This is a delightful collection of five modern-day short stories from Arab teenagers living in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Iraq.  It serves to break down stereotypes while showing that children all over the world have similar dreams, hopes and ambitions.  This book would be a good way to teach children tolerance and acceptance for other cultures

"Star of Fear, Star of Hope" by Jo Joestlandt        

In 1942, in Nazi-occupied France, Helen invites her best friend, Lydia for a sleep over.  During the night, strangers tap on the door, calling out strange passwords.  Word reaches the family that Jews are being rounded-up and arrested.  Lydia, fearing for her family, rushes home.  Upset, Helen says "You're not my friend anymore!"  Sadly, she never sees Lydia again.  For the rest of her life, Helen regrets the last words spoken between them, and hopes "with all my heart" that Lydia has survived.

     This is a powerfully written book.  One that reminds us of the importance of friendship and partings.  It also is a good starting point for discussions regarding the Holocaust, without providing the gory and horrific details.  Overall, I highly recommend this book.

"The Fight of our Lives" by Bennett and Leibsohn        

Since September 11, 2001 America has been involved in an international war on terrorism.  Bennett and Leibsohn ask the question whether we are fighting to win the war, or practicing to surrender.  Thought provoking, this is an interesting book for anyone interested in current events and the war or terror.  Although a bit repetitive at times, it is well written and engaging.  Overall, I would rate this book a 4 out of 5.

"The Other Victims: First Person Stories of Non-Jews Persecuted by the Nazis" by Ina Friedman         

While six million Jews were killed by the Nazi's, five million belonging to other groups were also killed.  Blacks, clergy members, Jehovah's Witnesses, Poles, Gypsies and homosexuals are counted among that number.  Their stories are not as widely known, yet just as powerful and moving as the stories of the Jews.  Each chapter begins by giving a factual blurb about a particular group.  Then an individual story is told.  Quite moving, this is an interesting collection of stories of survival amidst horrible circumstances.

"Golem" David Wisniewski         

In 16th century Prague, rumors that the Jews are sacrificing gentile children begin to spread.  As a result, the populous begin targeting and harming the Jews.  Renowned scholar Rabbi Loew creates a clay Golem to protect his people from harm.  The Golem begins by tracking down those spreading the rumors and targeting Jews and turning them over to the authorities.  However, when the gates of the ghetto are stormed, the Golem grows to enormous height and violently defeats them.  The stark illustrations are powerfully created and convey a sense of the morals of good and evil, right and wrong.  This book is wonderfully written and illustrated, making it extremely appealing to younger children.

"The Librarian Who Measured the Earth" by K. Lasky         

This picture book relates the story of Eratosthenes, a librarian, historian and mathematician.  Around 200 B.C.  As a child, he loved to ask questions and explore science and math.  As an adult, Eratosthenes became a tutor to the son of King Ptolemy II of Egypt, where he succeeded in estimating the circumference of the Earth.  The author attempts to explain his mathematical concepts in easy-to-understand language however, I suspect that it would still be too complex for young children.

“Mischling, Second Degree: My Childhood in Nazi Germany” by Koehn         

Well written and engaging, this is the story of Ilse, a German girl during World War II.  Although her parents do not believe in the Nazi rhetoric, they are forced to "play along" to survive.  Ilse, the youngest member of the family, does not know that her grandmother is Jewish, making her a Mischling, second degree, and subject to deportation to a concentration camp.  Her family does everything to protect her, even having her join the Hitler Youth.         

Most books about World War II are written from the perspective of the Jews, or other victims of the Nazi's.  This book provides insight into German culture and humanizes the German people.  It shows that they were motivated by the same kinds of fears, hopes and false rationalizations that we all face.

"New World Orders" by Talbot         

In the 1960's a group of wealthy and powerful men decide to form a secret organization.  The organization has determined that it is too late to stop global warming from destroying the planet.  As such, their goal is to develop the technology and gather a group of genetically superior individuals to abandon earth and seek a new existence elsewhere.  In the 1980's Jack Crowley, a tabloid journalist, begins to uncover the conspiracy.         

This book was very interesting and intriguing at first.  However, I became a bit frustrated as the characters stopped investigating and allowed 10 years to pass before seeking more information.  When this happened a second time, I was ready to stop reading the book.  However, it was well written, easy to read and quite enjoyable overall.