Posts Tagged ‘historical fiction’

Poetry Friday: a Review of LOVING VS. VIRGINIA

Thank you, Michelle Barnes of Today’s Little Ditty, for hosting the book giveaway for Loving VS. Virginia. I was excited to receive a copy of this beautiful book in the mail, and even more excited to read it.

Patricia Hruby Powell (check out her website for images from the book) portrays the love story of Richard and Mildred Loving through breathtaking verse that alternates between the voices of Mildred and Richard. Shadra Strickland illustrates the story with a style of illustrative reporting common to the time period called visual journalism. Interspersed between the text and illustrations are reproductions of documents and photographs that highlight important moments in the larger story of segregation and Civil Rights. As these elements come together, the story weaves an inspiring ode to the power and determination of love in the face of overwhelming prejudice an discrimination.

Even though Mildred and Richard grew up in the heart of segregated Virginia, their community of Central Point was different. Here’s how Mildred (sometimes known as Bean) describes it at the beginning:

If I stop and watch
I see young and old–
Indians, Negroes, Whites–
all mixed together.

Everyone likes each other
in our neighborhood.
Everyone dancing
TOGETHER.

Whites and coloreds–
we go to different schools–
to different churches,
drink from different water fountains.
But our section is different.

My world is right here
in Central Point.
That’s what it’s called.
Central Point,
the center
of my universe.
My family.
My world.

This is the place where RIchard and Mildred want to stay to raise their children, but the hatred enforced by segregation won’t allow it. Just five weeks after their wedding, they are arrested, face trial, and are banished from the state. As I read, I was shocked again by the hatred the Lovings faced. I struggle to understand how anyone could hate another based on race or religion or orientation. As I read, I also worried at how relevant these issues are still today. While we have made some progress (the Supreme Court did strike down Virginia’s law banning their marriage), we still have a long way to go. Many of the attitudes underlying segregation and prejudice seem to be making a resurgence.

Books like Loving VS. Virginia are one way to fight against the resurgence of prejudice we are facing. Reading this book allows me and other readers to briefly enter into the lives of the people who lived this history and to learn from it. I hope that more and more places can become like Central Point where people of all kinds can come together to eat, dance, and live in community.

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Diane has the Poetry Friday Roundup today at Random Noodling. Stop by and see what poetry morsels are offered this week. 

Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Associates Program. If you decide to make a purchase by clicking on the affiliate links, including in the linked picture above. Amazon will pay me a commission. This commission doesn’t cost you any extra. All opinions are my own.

Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Even though I have read many glowing reviews of Nine, Ten (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2016), I was reluctant to start it. I was reluctant to revisit the events of September 11 even through the pages of a story. I am glad I did, though. Nora Raleigh Baskin has crafted a story that offers an introduction to this historical even that marks my life to readers who were not yet born when it occurred.

Baskin introduces us to four young people who don’t know each other. They live throughout the country, but their lives are about to intersect as one event impacts them all.

  • Sergio, a brilliant math student, lives with his grandmother and harbors a lingering anger at his father who only shows up when he wants something. His last appearance is too much for Sergio, who plays hooky from school the day before and meets Gideon, a New York firefighter. As he watches the towers smoke and then fall, Sergio worries about his new friend
  • Aimee struggles to fit in at her new school in California while missing her mom who now frequently travels with her new job. This time her mom is in New York City for a meeting at the World Trade Center. A call from Aimee keeps her from making her meeting on time.
  • Naheed was born in Columbus, Ohio, and has lived there all her life, but she feels like she sticks out ever since she began wearing her hijab. Trying to deflect attention off herself, she makes a classmate the target of student taunts. She knows that the right thing to do is to offer friendship to the awkward girl, but catastrophic news gets in the way.
  • Will still grieves the death of his father, killed in an accident along the side of the road over a year ago. He’s also not sure what to do with his changing feelings for Claire, a girl he has grown up with in the small town of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Now all of a sudden, he realizes that she is a girl.

Even though none of these four children lose someone close to them in the September 11 attacks, their lives will never be the same. By focusing on just the day before and day of the attacks, Baskin shows children today how this even impacted everyone. The ending, a glimpse of the memorial service one year later, once again brings the four children together in a chance encounter and reminds us that we each have the choice to make. Will we let this tragedy bring us together or drive us apart?

Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Associates Program. If you decide to make a purchase by clicking on the affiliate links, including in the linked picture above. Amazon will pay me a commission. This commission doesn’t cost you any extra. All opinions are my own.

Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper

I have loved every book I’ve ever read by Sharon Draper, and Stella by Starlight (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2015) is no exception. In fact, Stella may be my all time favorite character that Draper has created.

Even though Stella loves stories, she struggles to put her ideas into words on paper. So she stays up late at night to practice under the light of the moon and stars. One night while she is out late, she and her little brother witness the Ku Klux Klan burning a cross across the pond in the woods. Stella is almost convinced that she recognizes one of the horses (and its rider) from around town, but it is dangerous to give voice to what she saw.

Growing up in the little town of Bumblebee, North Carolina, Stella lives in a segregated world in the 1930s. The rise of Klan activity threatens to stir up more trouble in her town, but not everyone is of one mind. There are acts of hatred that Stella must find the courage to confront–the home of a friend and neighbor is burned by the Klan, a doctor refuses to help a woman–Stella’s mom–bitten by a snake, white men beat a black boy for no reason.

But there are also acts of courage and hope. Stella rides to town with her father and a few other men to witness them register to vote. Stella finds a scared child hiding from the fire. Stella keeps practicing her writing and learns that she can find power in her words. Finally, Stella has the opportunity to save the life of someone she has every right to resent.

My only disappointment with the story is with that last scene by the pond. After rescuing a white girl from drowning in the pond, Stella learns some surprising truths about the girl’s life. It’s not as easy as it looks from the outside. Even though questions are raised, they are not resolved. Stella offers to take the girl home and ask her parents what to do, but we don’t get to see that conversation. I wanted to hear what her parents would say.

Woven throughout the story are samples of Stella’s writing as she struggles to capture her thoughts in words. Those selections are among my favorite throughout the pages.

Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Associates Program. If you decide to make a purchase by clicking on the affiliate links, including in the linked picture above. Amazon will pay me a commission. This commission doesn’t cost you any extra. All opinions are my own.

It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas

I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that books set in the 1970’s–my childhood–are considered historical fiction. Am I really that old? Even though I did grow up during the 70’s, I still learned about history from reading It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel (Clarion Books 2016) by Firoozeh Dumas. I don’t remember the gas lines from the shortages. I vaguely remember seeing the count of days the hostages had been held in Iran and remember the joy at their release. I certainly didn’t know any of the history of Iran that led to the revolution and overthrow of the Shah. Even though this novel is set amidst serious history that raises serious issues still today, Dumas has written a story filled with warmth and humor.

There are so many things I love about this book. Here are just a few:

  • Zomorod–known as Cindy in her new school–is a narrator with a strong and distinctive voice. She loves and worries about her family even as she is embarrassed by them, especially their struggles with the English language and American customs. She wants desperately to fit in at her new school in Newport, California, and cringes at the ever worsening news from Iran which puts her even more in the spotlight. Her teachers want her to give special reports on Iran since she must be an expert, but she wants nothing to do with it. She does, though, want to protect her parents from the hatred that some in the neighborhood direct towards them.
  • Carolyn, Howie, Chris – Zomorod/Cindy’s friends are the best. These girls are smart, funny and determined. They are all part of the same Girl Scout troop and work together to earn badges and go camping. (Yes, I was a Girl Scout, too.) Even when Zomorod pushes them away, they remain steadfast friends. They even take on the role of detectives to see who has been leaving threatening messages and dead rodents on Zomorod’s door.
  • The bullies are more than just a one-dimensional character. There are two people who torment Zomorod, but both are revealed to have more going on. The original Cindy is Zomorod’s first friend, but as soon as they start middle school, Cindy turns on Zomorod in order to enhance her own social standing. Brock appears to be your typical dumb jock who throws food at her in the cafeteria, but Zomorod learns that he is much smarter than he lets own. In fact, Brock comes to play an important role in stopping the hatred that some in the condo association show.
  • Strong families are the norm. this is not one of those books where the parents are absent or horrible. Not all the families are perfect, but they hang together through it all. Zomorod’s mother has never gotten over her homesickness for Iran (and the family she left behind), but wants what is best for Zomorod. Cindy’s parents welcome Zomorod and reach out to her family to make them feel a part of their new country. Even Brock’s dad shows that untypical families can be strong, too.

Even though this story takes place in the 1970’s, it relates to today. We are still dealing with some of the same issues. Our history with Iran certainly plays out today. So does the mistrust some feel about immigrants who might look and speak differently. This is one of my favorite books from 2016. I hope it has a wide audience and wins many fans.

Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Associates Program. If you decide to make a purchase by clicking on the affiliate links, including in the linked picture above. Amazon will pay me a commission. This commission doesn’t cost you any extra. All opinions are my own.

Fool’s Girl by Celia Rees

Violetta appears to be the young and beautiful apprentice of a Fool, who entertains passersby on the streets of London, but appearances can be deceiving.. She is really of noble birth, forced to flee her homeland when it is attacked from without and betrayed from within. She and the Fool–Festus, who is not foolish at all–weaving a web to catch the playwright Shakespeare, who will provide the means for them to steal back the sacred relic at the heart of the country and one day return to rule their country.

Celia Rees has spun the story behind the story with The Fool’s Girl (Scholastic 2010). The young Shakespeare is still struggling to establish himself in the precarious theater world of England. He is captivated by Violetta’s story, which Rees lifts from Twelfth Night. (Or is it Shakespeare who steals the story from Violetta?) As Violetta and Festus reel him in, Shakespeare finds that he is no longer in charge of the story, but caught up in a web of intrigue whose strands are being pulled by the highest political powers. He must get every word and action just right, or it could be the end of the Globe Theater and more.

Even though its inspiration is from Twelfth Night, The Fool’s Girl is an original tale filled with romance and danger. The story roams from the beautiful shores of Illyria (where Violetta lives a charmed childhood before her country is ripped apart) to the slums of London (where Violetta is streetsmart), the village of Avon (where Mrs. Shakespeare rules the homestead) and deep into the forest of Arden (where Violetta discovers a mysterious haven).

Through all the twists and turns of the story, Violetta remains strong and determined. I love that she doesn’t just let fate unwind but takes control of her own destiny wherever possible. While she would love a happy ending with her childhood friend Stephano, she will not let romance interfere with what she knows is right. There is no taking the easy way out for this girl, but can she pull all the threads of her story together before the evil Malvolio succeeds in destroying her and all she loves once and for all?

Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Associates Program. If you decide to make a purchase by clicking on the affiliate links, including in the linked picture above. Amazon will pay me a commission. This commission doesn’t cost you any extra. All opinions are my own.

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Amazon affiliate link

Rose Justice is an American pilot who is flying planes for the ATA in England near the end of World War II. When she flies an Allied fighter plane from Paris back to England, she is captured by the Nazis. Rather than treating her as a prisoner of war, the Nazis send her to Ravensbruck as part of a transport of French political prisoners.

A companion to Code Name Verity, Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein stands alone as a powerful novel set against the backdrop of World War II on the home front in England and in a Nazi concentration camp. I listened to this one, narrated by Sasha Pick, thanks to the Sync YA summer downloads. Pick does an excellent job narrating (I loved the accents and voices for the different characters), but I do want to go back and read a text version. I know one reading of any kind is not enough to enjoy all this book has to offer.

I love so much about this book. Let me count the ways!

  • Rose herself. Rose is a little bit brash (from her youth and American optimism) and a little bit naive. (While her fellow pilots and prisoners endured the hardships and horrors of World War II, Rose was back home near Hershey, Pennsylvania, competing in canoe races, singing Girl Scout Camp songs and playing basketball.
  • Flying! I have my pilot’s license and love any story that takes to the air. Rose’s flying goes beyond anything she could have imagined back home stateside. In particulary, she learns–and later attempts–taran, the practice of using your airplane to ram another. While risky, it could be survived if the pilot was skilled and lucky enough. Taran shows up again and again, both literally and symbolically. I love how Rose and Irena (a fellow prisoner and Russian fighter pilot) use their hands in flight to give each other courage.
  • Poetry. Not only does Rose fly airplanes, but she also writes poetry. She also quotes extensive poetry, especially poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay. The poetry is the main reason I want to read the text. I want to see the poems on the page and savor each word. Poetry gives Rose a voice when she cannot trust her own.
  • Survival. The prisoners at Ravensbruck are not passive victims of Nazi cruelty and brutality. From their initial processing to their eventual escape, Rose and her fellow prisoners engage in acts of rebellion. While they cannot stop the Nazi’s murder of millions of prisoners, they can “organize” needed supplies and hide some prisoners (the rabbits) scheduled for the gas chambers. Rose’s “family” in Ravensbruck even says grace before eating their meager rations. They look out for each other the best they can and grieve for those who are killed.
  • I learned more. I have read a lot of books, both fiction and nonfiction, about the Holocuast and thought I knew quite a bit. I learned even more about the horrors of medical experiments conducted by the Nazi doctors. The girls and women from a Polish transport underwent many operations that left them lame. Those who survived were protected by their fellow prisoners. They were ingenious in finding ways to get their story out, even when the world could not believe them.
  • No easy answers. Many of the characters are complex and even difficult to like. Rose is certainly flawed as she puts her foot in her mouth and just doesn’t get things. The German pilot who flies her to Ravensbruck is kind. He gives her chocolate bars and even lets her fly the plane. The German prisoner who leads Rose’s work detail (the worst kind of work leader) was one of the guards who held down the rabbits for their operations, but she also provides extra vitamins for the girls on her work crew. Roza, the most unforgettable of the rabbits, is demanding and insulting and incredibly brave.
  • A glimpse of life after the war. I am so glad Wein did not stop the story with Rose’s escape from Ravensbruck. She goes on to show how difficult it is for Rose to reenter life after experiencing the horrors there. At first, Rose cannot bear to wear clothes or leave her hotel room as she writes down her experiences. She does go on with her life, but she is forever changed. She promised the rabbits that she would share their story with the world, but she finds that she cannot speak of it. When she writes poetry and stories, she finds that the editor doesn’t want the ones that detail the horror. It is too much for readers.

If you have not read Code Name Verity or Rose Under Fire, what are you waiting for? Both books give a heart-poundng, page-turning account of life in the middle of World War II. Whie the stories are very different, both build almost unbearable suspense that makes me glad I live in a time and place where peace mostly prevails.

What stories from World War II or the Holocaust would you recommend?

Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Associates Program. If you decide to make a purchase by clicking on the affiliate links, Amazon will pay me a commission. This commission doesn’t cost you any extra. All opinions are my own.

Revealed by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Amazon affiliate link

Margaret Peterson Haddix creates a heart-pounding conclusion to The Missing series with Revealed. I’m just relieved that we didn’t have to wait for 36 (the number of missing children kidnapped from history) for the end–and to learn which missing child from history is tied to Jonah Skidmore.

If you have missed this series, it starts with Found–where Jonah and his annoying little sister Katherine learn about a mysterious plane that appeared 13 years ago–filled with babies. Each of the babies was a missing child from history who had been kidnapped out of time in order to be adopted (and make the kidnappers Gary and Hodge very rich) in the future. It’s an exciting adventure that lures in even readers who don’t think they like science fiction. It starts in the present day with mysterious events, and Haddix weaves in the sci-fi elements gradually so that we are able to (sort of) understand it along with the teenage characters.

But it’s not just science fiction. With each of the subsequent books in the series, Haddix explores famous missing children from history as Jonah and Katherine travel back to fix time and to save the lives the missing children have in the present. They travel to 14th century England, Roanoke Island and the Hudson River in the 1500s, the fall of the Russian czars in the early 20th century, the home of Albert Einstein in Germany before World War II, and finally, to the kidnapping of the Linbergh baby in America. With each visit to the past, new complications with time arise and Gary and Hodge keep a step ahead of the time agents.

In this last book, Jonah is stranded by himself to save not only Katherine and himself, but all  of time itself. Charles Lindbergh appeared in his living room to kidnap Katherine. Then Jonah’s parents have reversed their ages back to 13–along with JB and Angela. The other 35 children from history have disappeared. It seems that Gary and Hodge are back with one last plot to make their fortune by selling famous babies in the future. If they succeed, everything and everyone that Jonah loves will be destroyed.

Once again I am amazed at the twists and turns that Haddix weaves into this final plot. I had long suspected that Jonah might be the Lindbergh baby. I was right–and surprised (but I won’t tell you how). Jonah learns that he can depend on himself to make the right decisions even when he doesn’t understand all there is to know about time travel. Heck, even the time agents learn a thing or two when Jonah follows his heart to do what is right.

If you haven’t yet discovered this series, check it out. You’re in for the ride of several lifetimes as you explore history from the ancient past to a possible future where time travel can happen.

Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Associates Program. If you decide to make a purchase by clicking on the affiliate links, Amazon will pay me a commission. This commission doesn’t cost you any extra. All opinions are my own.

Dodger by Terry Pratchett

Amazon affiliate link

A long time ago in a library far away from where I live now, I discovered the books of Charles Dickens. I devoured Oliver Twist and A Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield and all the other books that lined that shelf. Yes, I was that teen who not only willingly read the classics assigned in class, but I also looked for them on the shelves for fun.

When SYNC YA offered Terry Pratchett’s Dodger (read by Stephen Briggs) as one of their free audio book downloads this summer, I was doubly excited. I had been introduced to Terry Pratchett by a long ago student who eagerly explained Discworld to me, but I never got around to reading any Pratchett boooks even though they sounded like my kind of book. And then, well, Dodger.

I was not disappointed. I love Pratchett’s Dodger. He is quite a rascal, but has a generous heart. He also has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. (Some might think it’s the wrong place at the wrong time when he goes for a shave from Sweeney Todd, but it always works out for Dodger.) His adventure begins when he comes up out of the sewer and finds two thugs beating a young woman. He fights off the thugs and can’t get the young woman out of his mind. As he earns her trust, he creates a plan for her escape from a deadly trap. Somehow he transforms from geezer tto hero with every adventure.

I enjoyed the secondary characters as much as I did Dodger. The mysterious young woman–known as Simplicity (though she is not simple at all) has as much spunk and nerve as Dodger. I want to know more about Solomon Cohen–the Jewish jeweler who took Dodger in and tries to keep him on the straight and narrow (or at least a straighter and narrower way than the streets might influence). I suspect Solomon has had quite a few adventures of his own.

Some of the characters are recognizalbe figures from literature and history. I already mentioned Sweeney Todd. Mr..Charles Dickens himself takes quite an interest in Dodger, though his constant scribbling makes Dodger nervous. I learned the inspiration behind several other characters from the author’s note at the end. (I love an auther whose author’s note on historical references and slang vocabluary can make me snort.) Charles Dickens’ friend Henry Mayhew and his wife care for simplicity. Dodger finds himself on the same side of the law as the “Peelers” or new cops under Robert Peel. Angela was indeed one of the most independent and wealthiest women in England. Even Benjamn Disreali makes an appearance or two (though he would have liked missing the tour through the sewers).

Dodger leads readers (or listeners) on a fun romp through Victorian England–especially the underbelly. I’m glad I don’t live on London’s streets and hunt for coins in the sewers, but I enjoyed visiting while I listened. Now I’m even more interested in exploring Discworld.

Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Associates Program. If you decide to make a purchase by clicking on the affiliate links, Amazon will pay me a commission. This commission doesn’t cost you any extra. All opinions are my own.

Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool

Happy Pi Day! today is an extra special Pi Day since the date (3-14-15) gives five digits of pi instead of the usual three. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than to share a book that weaves a story of Pi throughout a quest for two boys–and even more characters they meet along the way–to find their way home again.

Disclosure: Amazon Associates Link

 Jack Baker has lost his bearings after the death of his mother. Instead of letting him stay in Kansas where landmarks show up against the sky, his father, a Naval officer before and during World War II, drops him to find his way alone at the Morton Hill Academy for Boys in Cape Fealty, Maine.

Jack narrates the story of his friendship with Early Auden, “the strangest of boys,” in a voice that is both matter of fact and heartbreaking. Jack makes a half-hearted attempt to fit in with the other boys, but there is too much he doesn’t know (rowing, the sea, school legends), and too much that they don’t know (grief, homesickness, lostness). Instead, Jack finds himself drawn to the mysterious Early.

Early rarely shows up to class. He has a workshop in the basement. He listens to Mozart on Sundays, Louis Armstrong on Mondays, Frank Sinatra on Wednesdays, Glen Miller on Fridays and Billie Holiday when it’s raining. When he looks at Pi, he sees colors and textures. He is convinced that Pi is lost and shares the story revealed in the numbers with Jack as they work together to build (or rebuild) a better boat. Jack even learns to row in a straight line with Early as his coxswain shouting out directions.

When Jack’s father doesn’t show up as planned for fall break, Jack joins Early on a quest to find Pi–and Early’s dead brother Fisher–and bring him home before he disappears completely. As they journey deeper and deeper into the Maine wilderness, they encounter characters that offer help and harm: loggers/pirates, a gruff woodsman and outdoor guide, a lonely old woman, an ugly girl who turns out to be beautiful and the biggest grizzly bear on the Appalachian Trail. Will they ever find their way home again?

I love the way Clare Vanderpool weaves together multiple stories in Navigating Early (Delacorte Press 2013). Both Jack and Early bounce between their past and present stories. Each of the characters they meet has a story as well. Then there is the story of Pi, that only Early can see in the numbers. Each of the stories and the characters within them connect in surprising ways. I will be thinking about this book for some time to come and looking at the connections in my own life in a new way.

Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Associates Program. If you decide to make a purchase by clicking on the affiliate links, Amazon will pay me a commission. This commission doesn’t cost you any extra. All opinions are my own.

The Picture Books Are Coming!

Did you know that November is National Picture Book Month? I didn’t until Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts shared her plans to read #bookaday–and share out on her blog–for the month. I decided to join in the fun.

When it comes to middle grade and young adult literature, I can list hundreds of books on hundreds of topics and genres and by hundreds of authors. But when it comes to picture books, not so much. I’ve been seeing the pictures books shared by other readers and have wanted to explore this format more.

I headed to the children’s room in our  public library and quickly became overwhelmed. All those thin books sticking out at odd angles up and down the shelves. Where do I  even begin? I sat down at one end of the shelves and began browsing. (Of course, I didn’t write down any of the titles I discovered through IMWAYR or other blog posts.) Even so, it didn’t take long to create a stack of books to bring home.

I discovered some familiar friends among the authors. Some wrote books that I enjoyed reading to my daughter when she was younger. Other were authors I recognized from their books for middle grade or young adult readers. The picture books did not disappoint.

hello red foxHello, Red Fox by Eric Carle – My daugher (and me, too) loved Eric Carle. We had board books and hardback and paperback picture books. As soon as she saw Hello, Red Fox, she recognized Carle’s distinctive artwork. I was surprised there was another Carle book that we hadn’t read. Little Frong invites his friends to his birthday party, but Mama Frog thinks they are the wrong color! Using an optical illsusion based on the color wheel, the reader helps Mama Frog “see” the right colors. As a kid, I loved these illusions. I enjoyed the concept even now, but my eyes are getting old! It’s hard to stare at the colors page after page.

louise the adventure of a chickenLouise, The Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo and Harry Bliss – How could I go wrong with a story by Kate DiCamillo? Louise is a brave chicken who yearns for more adventure than she can find in the hen house and farm yard. She discovers pirates sailing over the seas, lions rampaging at the circus, mysterious strangers lurking at a bazaar. After each adventure, she is glad to return home…until the next adventure calls.

holly & ivyThe Story of Holly & Ivy by Rumer Godden and Barbara Cooney – Godden’s The Diddakoi was one of my most treasured books from my grandmother’s library. Discovering The Story of Holly & Ivy was like having tea with an old friend. The magic of Christmas wishes brings together three unlikely characters on a cold Christmas night. The oprhan ivy wishes for a family of her own, so she sets out for Appleton to find the grandmother she is sure is waiting for her. Holly wishes to leave her perch in the toy store window so she can be some little girl’s Christmas doll (even if the scary owl Abracadabra says impossible). Mrs. Jones wishes for a child and decorates a tree even though she’s not quite sure what she’s hoping for this Christmas.

strega nona's giftStrega Nona’s Gift by Tomie dePaola – Of course I remembered Strega Nona. This one turned out to be another Christmas story. (I’m really not trying to rush the season, but I do love Christmas stories.) Strega Nona is cooking and cooking and cooking for all the feasts through the month of December in her village of Calabria. She even cooks a feast for the animals, but something goes wrong when Big Anthony can’t resist the goat’s treat. What will it take to set the world right again?

I have even more great picture books to share tomorrow. What picture books should I be looking for to read next? Let me know your suggestions in the comments.

1 2 3 11