EVERY SOUL A STAR

Posted on June 15, 2014 by annamarras

Did you know that some people call the total solar eclipse Nature’s Greatest Coincidence? During this phenomena, the moon and the sun look the same size from the earth. But the moon is 400 time smaller. Coincidentally, (or not), the sun circles the earth 400 times as far away as the moon. That’s why they seem the same size to us. If the moon were even a few miles smaller in circumference, it wouldn’t hide the face of the sun.

Middle Grade Fiction
Age Range: 8-12 years
Grade Level: 3-7
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Hachette Book Group
Text copyright © 2008 Wendy Mass
Cover photo copyright © 2008 Pat La Croix/The Image Bank/Getty Images

AWARDS

California Young Reader Medal
First Annual Homeschool Book Award

WHY EVERY SOUL A STAR IS A KEM GEM

KRISTI’S TAKE
EVERY SOUL A STAR took me on a stellar journey where I learned about individuality, friendship and astronomy. Wendy Mass weaves together three points-of-views to show us how it feels to be an outsider. Ally, the alpha girl, Bree, the beauty and Jack, who wants to hide in a box, learn that their uniqueness is what makes them radiate from the shadows of ordinary life. Wendy has channeled the mesmerizing energy of a solar eclipse into a fairy-tale ball, only there’s no magic or evil, just truth and hope that connects us universally. This is one of those books that I didn’t want to end because I had met three very dear friends, and without them, there was a void.

Favorite line
“And as streams of light fan out behind the darkened sun like the wings of a butterfly, I realize that I never saw real beauty until now.”

ELISE’S TAKE
The collision of celestial paths in a solar eclipse is a perfect backdrop for the meeting of three very different lives. In EVERY SOUL A STAR, Mass masterfully alternates between Ally, Bree, and Jack’s first-person perspectives and elicits a sympathetic response from her readers towards each. By the end of the story, I was invested in all three kids, their flaws, their insecurities, and their personal growth.

Mass’ description of the solar eclipse was also a highlight. My only opportunity to see a solar eclipse for myself was during second grade. We were forbidden to look outside (under threat of certain blindness!), so I was thrilled to “see” the big moment through this novel.

Tip: For extra glory, read Ally’s chapter 7 while listening to MPR showcase a very dramatic Buffalo Philharmonic.

MARRAS’ TAKE
In EVERY SOUL A STAR, Wendy Mass treads where few writers dare to go–into the galaxies of three fictional adolescent minds, in first person, and in present tense. What a brave soul. She shines as a psychological genius–a prerequisite for anyone who loves teenagers.

Mass camouflages astrophysics amidst entertaining character dialog and reflections. The subliminal lessons work so well, I’ve reserved August 21, 2017, the next mainland total eclipse, to camp in the middle of nowhere with a red flashlight and a telescope. If EVERY SOUL A STAR can ignite a late-in-life star-gazing passion in me, imagine the astronomically bright potential for a 13-year-old reader.

Favorite line
“I sure as heck won’t tell them that it used to belong to my dad when he was a baby and that he left it in my crib when he took off. And I definitely won’t tell them that I say good night to it every night before I go to sleep.

It’s just too pathetic.”

Every Soul a Star Book trailers by Maria M.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_Y5kIcl68w

Every Soul a Star Book trailer by Sarah Simmons

EVERY SOUL A STAR Resources

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GRANDPA GREEN

Posted on May 15, 2014 by annamarras

MacMillan Children’s Publishing Group calls Grandpa Green “the book grownups read to those still growing.”

Picture Book Fiction
Age Range: 5-9 years
Grade Level: Kindergarten-4th
Published by Roaring Book Press,
Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings
Ltd Partnership

Text and Illustrations
Copyright © 2011 by Lane Smith

Peek inside.

AWARDS

A Caldecott Honor Book
A New York Times Best Illustrated Book
A Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book
Silver Medal Society of Illustrators
An Amazon Best Book
Kansas City Star Top 100 Books
A Barnes & Noble Best Book
A School Library Journal Best Book
Seven Impossible Things Top Ten
A Time Out New York Kids Best Book
Junior Library Guild Selection
Starred Review by Publishers Weekly
Starred Review by School Library Journal

WHY GRANDPA GREEN IS A KEM GEM

KRISTI’S TAKE
GRANDPA GREEN ornamentally grows our imagination, and creates a place like paradise. This quiet story dedicated to a grandparent derives its energy from the wonderfully clever illustrations. What makes GRANDPA GREEN standout from other sentimental picture books that chronicle a life are the clever, conflicted, laugh-and-cry moments; especially the ending. GRANDPA GREEN reminds both the young and the old that there’s a resolution to every problem, even the ones that seem the most unfortunate.

Lane has created a masterpiece with humor and heART.

Favorite line
“But the important stuff, the garden remembers for him.”

ELISE’S TAKE
Using an art form within an art form, Smith has done it again. His illustrations of topiary designs are brimming with texture, humor, and profound depth as they explore pieces of a fictional gardener’s biography. While some shapes are immediately apparent, I found I could not rush through this book. Each spread demands that the reader pause, or else risk missing a visual surprise. A dramatic four-page gatefold at the ends elaborately reviews the entire story of the gardener’s well-lived life.

Smith’s quiet story explores a wide range of universal emotions, and undoubtedly sparks imagination and discussion across generations of readers.

MARRAS’ TAKE
Wowee! Wow! Wow! I want what Lane Smith eats for breakfast. Who else would have thought to narrate a story about a long and fulfilling life through a great-grandson’s guided topiary tour? Smith’s enigmatic illustrations and elegant silence drew me to one conclusion. Each page turn dazzled me with a new truth.

GRANDPA GREEN covers the three “r’s” of relationship, reverence, and remembering. The Ancient Greek symbol of regeneration and rebirth, GREEN, provides the perfect color scheme for a book about the generational gift of life–and the ultimate last name for Great Grandpa. This timeless and gentle book will bless generations to our great-grandchildren and beyond.

Favorite line (Kristi and I didn’t compare notes. Honest.)
“But the important stuff, the garden remembers for him.”

What do you like most about GRANDPA GREEN?

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Posted on April 15, 2014 by annamarras

Young Adult Fiction

Age Range:
12 years-adult

Grade Level:
Jr. High & up

Published by HarperCollins

Copyright © 1960 by Harper Lee

AWARDS

Pulitzer Prize, 1961
Alabama Academy of Honor, 2001
Honorary Doctorate, University of Notre Dame, 2006
Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2007

WHY TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD IS A KEM GEM

KRISTI’S TAKE
It’s no wonder that Harper Lee’s, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, is an American classic. Her coming of age YA novel addresses the moral nature of human beings through the eyes of innocent children. Thanks to a stranger coming to town, Dill, who brings all the thrill, we see both the good and the evil in Maycomb County.

Harper Lee has put into prose a warning to the reader: Beware of false accusations. The morally good Atticus, reminds us of this when he has a heart to heart with Scout, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” when discussing how Scout is teased about gender and cautions against using fists to solve problems. The novel weaves so many themes: small town, the south, social justice, community. But most of all, the true gems are the characters. And to use Atticus’ flattery, Lee’s spot-on dialogue is a marvelous moral compass for the reader to navigate our modern day cruelties, in a global world where the pull between good and evil still lurk in the night.

ELISE’S TAKE
Reading this book for the first time as an adult left me wishing that more adults would read it. It’s often talked about as a children’s book, and for good reason. Lee masterfully exposes bigotry and hypocrisy for the ugly diseases they are among the hearts of mankind and young Scout Finch provides a safe vantage point for such heavy topics.

However, MOCKINGBIRD is by no means a book leveled only at young readers. The narrator is a thoughtful, observant child within the story, but her musings as a narrator contain maturity that only time and experience can produce. Its tragically timeless themes aren’t going away any time soon. I found Lee’s tremendous, solo work a compelling refresher on decency and compassion towards my neighbor, no matter our differences.

Favorite line
“But I never figured out how Atticus knew I was listening, and it was not until many years later that I realized he wanted me to hear every word he said.” ~ Scout Finch

MARRAS’ TAKE
Harper Lee stands out as a pioneer writing genius who broke every rule of the story-telling trade. She held a floodlight to the ugliest social dynamics of her time and blew the cover off America’s more subtle snobbery. She dared to educate generations of adults through the narrative voice of a child. Then she did something even more absurd. She created a young protagonist, Scout Finch, who was astonishingly independent, wise, articulate—and female.

Recommending this book as a KEM GEM may seem like a no-brainer. But we’d do a disservice if we didn’t. If you haven’t read TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, slide it to the top of your bucket list. It’ll make you want to hug a defense lawyer, visit a shut-in, resolve a human rights violation, and become a better person—after you roll down the street in a tire.

Favorite line
“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” ~ Atticus Finch

One can see Lee’s influence in other written-for-adult, court room drama masterpieces; for instance, John Grisham’s A Time to Kill and Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men. In fact, I’m certain Matthew McConaughey studied Peck’s Atticus before playing Jake Tyler Brigance in A Time to Kill, the movie.

If you’ve read the book, I highly recommend watching To Kill A Mockingbird Movie (© 1962) the movie as well. You’ll see why Gregory Peck’s performance gained him the honor of the American Film Institute’s #1 hero in 100 years. And you’ll marvel that Mary Badham (Miss Jean Louise Finch) had no acting experience prior to her starring performance.
Random facts about To Kill a Mockingbird

In a 2006 survey of librarians, To Kill a Mockingbird ranked first in their list of books you should read before you die.
TKAM is loosely autobiographical. Nelle Harper Lee fashioned Atticus after her own attorney father.
Mr. Lee unsuccessfully defended a black father and son accused of a murder; rendering him unable to save them from execution by hanging.
The book character, Dill, (Charles Baker Harris), was inspired by Harper Lee’s neighbor and best friend, Truman Capote (Truman
Streckfus Persons).
Harper Lee served as research assistant for Truman Capote’s best-selling novel In Cold Blood.
Scout Finch continues to rank as one of America’s favorite movie tomboys.
Lee received support to write TKAM through the generosity and encouragement of bene-
factors, Michael and Joy Brown.
The 1960’s novel, translated in 40 different languages, has over 30 million copies in circulation.
Harper Lee loved the TKAM screenplay–a testament to her humility.
Miss Lee once threw her manuscript out a window–proof that she was, in fact, human.
A classic movie line: “Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passing.” ~ Reverend Sykes.
A fun surprise: the young Robert Duvall.

Please, share your TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD comments with us!

BINK & GOLLIE

Posted on March 15, 2014 by annamarras

Early Chapter Book Fiction

Age Range:
6-9 years

Grade Level: 1-4

Published by Candlewick Press

AWARDS

2011 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
Starred review in Publisher’s Weekly
Starred review in Kirkus Review

WHY BINK & GOLLIE IS A KEM GEM

KRISTI’S TAKE
Kate, Alison & Tony have struck gold! And like gold, it’s all about the chemistry between Bink & Gollie. There’s nothing more LOL than an ODD couple, especially when they journey into the essentials of every friendship: compromise, support and adventure.

I admire the way Tony has taken the unspoken, yet opaquely obvious dissimilarities between Bink & Gollie to an extreme by taking the time to illustrate even the finest details of a well placed hair bow or an untied shoe. The size, tidiness and gestures are in constant contradiction. Even the incidental characters leap from the page, both from the eager dialogue Kate and Alison have written as well as from the distant gaze, mouthfuls of popcorn or curled fins that are sketched. This early reader fiction will delight readers of all ages, at all times. And for this, I am certain, as even my nine and 11 year old admitted to their fondness of BINK & GOLLIE, and believe me, it’s not cool to admit you love a book your capabilities have exceeded, unless, it’s truly a GEM!

Favorite line
“It’s a compromise bonanza.”

ELISE’S TAKE
While not catalogued in my library’s picture book section, the three stories in BINK & GOLLIE are picture books in the truest sense. Picture books celebrate a perfect marriage of image and text. Tony Fucile’s faux pen-and-ink illustrations don’t just give us these two loveable characters and their homes. They also carry us through scene changes (both real and imaginary), and all three times they complete the story with a wordless image.

While Fucile sets a high standard, McGhee and DiCamillo show they can keep up with the text’s witty back-and-forth dialogue. They rightfully leave all of the narration to Fucile’s linework and allow the girls’ personalities to shine through hilarious conversations.

Favorite lines
“Hello Gollie,” said Bink.”Do I smell pancakes?”

“You do not,” said Gollie.

“Will I smell pancakes?” said Bink.

MARRAS’ TAKE
Sweet synergy! The magic in this book came in threes: three phenomenal friends created three subtly silly chapters for three times the fun.

BINK & GOLLIE delivers distinctive characters that reach out and grab hearts through intentionally sparse, yet plump and lively text. Fucile’s illustrations capture DiCamillo and McGhee’s real-life essence and charm–compatible and interesting, because they are different. They ARE BINK & GOLLIE in Fucile’s BINK & GOLLIE world. Fucile comes to life in the observant, scene-watching fish, Fred. We, the readers, can enter the pages through Fred, too, for a sweet, unpredictable ride.

DiCamillo and McGhee prove how the savviest writers leave ample room for the illustrator. Through trust, they were able to give BINK & GOLLIE more of themselves than they ever could have imagined.

Favorite lines
“Fish know nothing of longing,” said Gollie.
“Some fish do,” said Bink. “Some fish long.”

Award-winning Disney and Pixar illustrator Tony Fucile helped bring LION KING, RATATOUILLE, and THE INCREDIBLES to life. Both DiCamillo and McGhee are New York Times best-selling authors; and McGhee, a Pulitzer Prize nominee.

2010 Minneapolis Star Tribune article featuring Bink & Gollie

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MICK HARTE WAS HERE

Posted on February 15, 2014 by annamarras

Middle Grade Fiction

Age Range: 8-12 years

Grade Level: 3-7

Published by Yearling, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books

WHY MICK HARTE WAS HERE IS A KEM GEM

KRISTI’S TAKE
MICK HARTE is an example of Barbara Park’s great wisdom; she takes an awful outcome and creates a beautiful story about a fully dimensional 12 year-old boy. It is difficult to start a novel with the death of a boy, a sibling, a friend….unless, he’s a prankster. Mick’s trouble-making ways get you laughing from the start. His strong-will and propensity to tease kept me laughing, even though I was grieving right along with his polar-opposite sister, Phoebe. It is not until Phoebe shares her frustration about losing something that will never be returned, that I truly felt the weight of Mick’s death, right in the gut. But Barbara saved me, with utter wisdom, by suggesting that Phoebe, “Put him everywhere, why don’t you?”, just like God’s presence.

Barbara Park has aptly woven a story of past and present, through recollections of a boy’s relationship with his cowboy dog, Wocket; a mail carrier; a florist deliverer and a school assembly. MICK HARTE WAS HERE will stick with me, like printed letters in cement.

ELISE’S TAKE
One of my favorite aspects of Barbara Park’s writing is her ability to observe, and then word those observations in such a way that each reader can relate. Even in harsh, unfamiliar territory, such as the painful, sudden loss of a young loved one, we have a companion in Park’s characters.

Having lost a dear friend at age 15, I experienced first-hand Phoebe Harte’s emotions and questions. Zoe Santos was also a reminder of the priceless sympathy of a best friend.

Phoebe’s story is not only helpful for young readers needing assurance that they’re not alone in their grief. Its insights are poignantly enlightening for those who have thus far remained unscathed by the death of a peer.

Favorite lines
Zo picked up on the first ring. “H’lo?”

I didn’t say anything. She knew it was me, though. Me and Zoe sort of have a psychic thing going, sometimes.

“Phoebe?”

I nodded.

“You okay?” she asked.

I took a shaky breath. “No.”

She came right over.

MARRAS’ TAKE
When discussing favorite children’s books, my Black Sheep memoir friend, Davis, a drug addiction counselor, said his was the fictional middle grade novel, MICK HARTE WAS HERE. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the 1995 treasure was written by the author of the beloved JUNIE B. JONES series, recently deceased Barbara Park.

Park wrote this conversational story with such heart and humor, I’d swear narrator Phoebe Harte really was Park’s 13-year-old self. As a storyteller, Park knew and loved her audience. She tackled the complex subject of death candidly, yet compassionately, without being overdramatic or condescendingly romantic about the deceased person’s life. We felt Phoebe’s pain and we marveled in her hope. MICK HARTE WAS HERE is the perfect writer’s resource on how to be real. I can see why it was Davis’ favorite.

Favorite lines
But I can still remember the exact conversation I had with Santa Claus when I was in kindergarten.

He said, “Ho ho ho.”

I said, “Your breath smells.”

And he said, “Get down.”

EXCERPT FROM MICK HARTE WAS HERE

I don’t want to make you cry.
I just want to tell you about a story about Mick.
But I thought you should know right up front that he’s not here anymore.
I just thought that would be fair.

This recommendation is our tribute to Barbara Park who died of cancer November 15, 2013.

Please, share your MICK HARTE WAS HERE comments, too!

CLEMENTINE

Posted on January 15, 2014 by annamarras

Middle Grade
Fiction

Age Range:
7-10 years

Grade Level:
2 – 5

Published by
Disney-Hyperion Books

AWARDS

A New York Times Bestseller
2008 Rhode Island Children’s Book Award (Grades 3-6)
2008 William Allen White Children’s Book Award – KS (Grades 3-5)
2007 Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Winner
2008 Great Lakes Great Books Award Winner
Winner of the 2007 Josette Frank Book Award (Bank Street College Book Committee)
Winner of the 2007 Sid Fleishman Award (SCBWI.org)
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2006
A 2006 Child Magazine Best Book of the Year
New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
A 2006 Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A 2006 National Parenting Publication Gold Award Winner
A Book Sense Winter 2006-2007 Children’s Top Ten Pick
A 2006 Nick Jr. Family Magazine’s Best Book of the Year
A Miami Herald Best Book of the Year 2006

WHY CLEMENTINE IS A KEM GEM

KRISTI’S TAKE
Clementine always has “great ideas popping into her head.” She’s like a balloon, exalted up, and then POP, life deflates and she’s back to square one. Sara Pennypacker brilliantly invites the reader to share Clementine’s ups and downs, by showing the reader how the precocious Clementine thinks, through detailed action that is followed by the protagonist’s reflection.

If I had to draw a balloon to depict Clementine, it’d be orange. The balloon would have a happy face drawn with “sparkle glitter paint” on one side and a sad face on the opposite side, drawn in permanent Red marker. Around the entire drawing would be a window for the reader to look through.

I am in awe of Marla Frazee’s ability to capture Clementine’s energy. Her fine-lined sketches convey curiosity with a wrinkle in a shirt, swirl of a lock and lift of a brow. She makes the impossible look easy.
ELISE’S TAKE
CLEMENTINE felt like catching up with an old friend. I, too, had an oh-so-perfect neighbor girl, an “easy” younger sibling, an artist mom, and a dad who dealt with pesky animals* and their splat.

Sara Pennypacker’s descriptions give readers a colorful, hilarious view of Clementine’s world, and her daily, eight-year-old antics and frustrations.

Marla Frazee’s pen and ink drawings offer a visual treat on nearly every page. Her clean, graphic line carries Clementine’s energy through the story and, as with all of Frazee’s work, looks like she just whipped it up over breakfast.

This gem, just published in 2008, has the classic charm of a book that has already stood the test of time.

*Ours were cattle, not pigeons.

Favorite line
“Then we just sat there together watching the pigeons flock back to our building for the night. We listened to them cooing above us, sounding like a million old ladies with secrets.”

MARRAS’ TAKE
Spectacularful!

Writer friend Melissa quoted Clementine at a recent meet-up: “Someone should tell you not to answer the phone in the principal’s office, if that’s a rule.” Admiration spittle (mine) dribbled on my manuscript.

Sara Pennypacker created a believable, delightful protagonist in a universe where “Go for Wok?” leads to a sibling bonding ritual and magic marker heals hair disasters. Clementine’s thoughtful distractions amuse and disarm people of all ages–even her best friend’s older brother–a formidable feat for a third grader.

Marla Frazee’s wit and talent complements Sara’s. Her personality-packed illustrations lift Clementine to a whole new level of cute.

Favorite line
“… I carried the kittens into the bathroom and looked around until I found them beautiful names. Flouride and Laxative went to live with people who answered the Free Kittens, Hurry! ad my dad put in the paper …”

BOOK TRAILER (by Briana Bancroft)

Please, share your CLEMENTINE comments, too!

Anna Marras

Children’s Book Author/Dragon Slayer/Dreamer

Category Archives: Kidlit Gems

EVERY SOUL A STAR

GRANDPA GREEN

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

BINK & GOLLIE

MICK HARTE WAS HERE

CLEMENTINE

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