Ranger's Apprentice: The Early Years - The Tournament at Gorlan by John Flanagan

I loved the Ranger's Apprentice series. I wanted to go to lunch with the characters and have them for my best friends. John Flanagan writes strong women characters and well developed men characters.

So, of course I had to buy the new prequel that came out last year (new and not from a thrift store) My copy of The Tournament of Gorlan was signed by the author. It's been a few years since I read the last RA book, so I'd forgotten a few things. This book takes us back to when Halt became a Ranger and shows his fun friendship with Crawley.

I enjoyed seeing Halt meet Pauline for the first time and be completely flustered because Halt is usually unflappable. The battle scenes were exciting. I wish there had been more scenes with Pauline.

I'd hoped to see more dimension in Morgorath. I want to know why he is so mean. What made him so awful. Flanagan does a great job showing how deceptive and manipulative he is, but why is he this way? What made him Morgorath. I hope the next book gives us this part of his makeup.

If you are a Ranger's Apprentice Fan, you will like this book, but you may want to read the short story this is based on in the Lost Stories as a refresher. Reading this book makes me want to reread the entire series, especially the first one as Morgorath is in that one.

Throwback Thursday: The Blue-Nosed Witch by Margaret Embry

This Halloween treasure was published in 1956. I found it in a thrift store for 75 cents and it's in incredibly good condition.

The Blue-Nosed Witch by Margaret Embry is about a young witch named Blanche who struggles to be on time because of her tendency to get distracted.  Halloween is coming and the witches plan to fly to Dead Man's Bluff at Midnight. If she is late, she is in danger of being kicked out of Scurry 13.

She has a blue nose that glows, which fascinates the kids she meets.

She sets her alarm clock ahead by an hour and a half, to make sure she gets there on time. One of the other witches, sets Blanche's clock ahead by two hours, so Blanche gets up and gets ready way too early. This gives her time to find trick-or-treaters and get into a little trouble. Will she make it to the launch on time?

This is a cute book for ages 6 to 10. Carl Rose's illustrations add dimension to the story.

If you'd like to contribute to our book drive for NICU babies, here is how you can help.

1. You can order books for your own children from an online Usborne book party and the proceeds will go to purchase books for the NICU. I've received over $350.00 in free books for the NICU from people buying books for their own families through my web link. Usborne is really good to their hostesses, and they have great board books for babies. Click on the link: Usborne book sale to benefit NICU The books you order will be shipped directly to your home. You can then give them to your children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews. The free books from the hostess benefits go to the NICU.

2. We have set up a baby registry at Amazon.com with many books listed for the NICU babies. Some of these books only cost 2.50. Many of these are classics that all children should have. Click on this link if you'd like to help provide books for the NICU: Catherine Crosby Building Lifelong Readers Book Registry. If you order books for us, they will be shipped directly to me, and I will package and send them to the NICU. English and Spanish books are both needed as some of our babies' first language is Spanish. It is important for these little ones to be proficient in their first language.

Brother Eagle, Sister Sky by Chief Seattle and Susan Jeffers

Brother Eagle, Sister Sky is Chief Seattle's wonderful speech/letter to Washington illustrated by Susan Jeffers.

"How can you buy the sky? How can you own the rain and wind?" asked the great Chief Seattle over one hundred years ago.

I taught this speech to my eighth grade students before I knew there was picture book that illustrated it. Granted his words are beautiful and create wonderful imagery in the readers mind.

"My Father said to me, I know the sap that courses through the trees as I know the blood that flows in my veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, and the great eagle, these are our brothers."

This is a speech all should read. Here is a copy of it. Chief Seattle's speech.

My only complaint with the book is that is does not contain his speech in its entirety, but it is a great teaching tool, and Susan Jeffers' illustrations are wonderful.

Teen Tuesday: Soldier X by Don Wulffson

Written by Don Wulffson and published in 2001, Soldier X is a work of fiction based on the lives of two remarkable people. Yes, I like WWII stories even though they are sad and sometimes hard to read.

Wulffson tells the story of a very young German soldier, Erik Brandt, who will turn sixteen right before he reaches the battlefield. The story begins on March 21, 1944 as Germany is losing the war and sending boys to the battle front. Erik never wanted to be in the Hitler Youth and is not a Nazi, but he must do as he is told in order to stay alive.

I struggled to get into this story, but once I was in, I couldn't put it down. Erik Brandt is half German and half Russian. He speaks French and English passably, but is proficient in German and Russian. He is sent to the front as a soldier and interpreter. After a violent battle, his regiment is overtaken and he finds himself badly injured behind the enemy lines of the Russian army.

He quickly decides that he will follow the orders he was given before the battle to use his head to stay alive. He trades clothing with a dead Russian soldier and is taken to a hospital. He pretends to have amnesia and hopes he will not be found out and killed as a German spy.

I love the lesson of this book - that we must see beyond the uniform, language, color, or nationality of people and care about one another. This was the first book I've read about a German soldier. I know that many were promised safety and food for their families who were starving if they enlisted. There were German soldiers who were good men. This story tells about one of them.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes

Keven Henkes is a favorite children's storybook author and illustrator. He writes about issues that resonate with young children. His storybook, Chester's Way was published in 1988.

This story tells about Chester who likes doing things a certain way - every single day. His best friend is exactly like him. "Chester wouldn't play baseball unless Wilson played, and they never swung at the first pitch or slid headfirst."

But then Lilly moves into the neighborhood and she has her own way of doing things. When she tries to play with Chester and Wilson, they tell her they are busy. They avoid her because she is just too different.

One day some bullies come and yell "personal remarks" at Chester and Wilson, and out jumps Lilly dressed as a "fierce-looking cat with horrible fangs and a water pistol" to defend them.

Chester and Wilson realize that being different isn't such a bad thing. They get to know Lily and they like how different she is. She encourages them to step outside their comfort zone. "Chester and Wilson taught Lilly hand signals. And she taught them how to pop wheelies."

Kevin Henkes' books teach kids how to deal with their problems using humor, fun illustrations, and common sense. He is never heavy handed or didactic. His characters (while illustrated as animals) are kids being kids. He  portrays females and males in a positive way.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

Dancing on Broken Glass by KA Hancock

Yes, I read another adult book. This one is for February's book club meeting. Dancing on Broken Glass by KA Hancock is the most emotionally heart wrenching book I've read since Patrick Ness's A Monster Calls. 

This book will make you cry, unless you have no heart, then feel free to read it around other people. I cried like a baby. At one point in the book, the main character, Lucy, has to make a huge decision. I was so overcome with nerves, I had to put the book down for two days. This one scene made me rate this book a star lower than I would have. I felt I'd been taken emotionally hostage, and in reality, I felt this scene didn't fit with the belief system of the main character. However, I've never been in her situation, so maybe she would have ended up in that place.

Hancock tells the story of a couple who have decided it is unfair for them to have children. Lucy has a family history of cancer, and her husband Mickey has bipolar disorder. They want children, but Mickey remembers being a child and seeing his mother sick with Bipolar Disorder and how hard it was on him, and Lucy took care of her mom when she died of cancer. They don't think it is fair to put a child through that.

Fate steps in and gives them a hand of cards they didn't plan for. This book is about faith, love, and helping one another.

A quote I loved:

"When I was little, my father told me about death. I couldn't sleep one night, and he told me these three secrets so I wouldn't be afraid. He said death wasn't the end, and it didn't hurt, and if I wasn't afraid, I'd have some warning of when it was going to happen. (254)"

Hancock dealt with Mickey's bipolar disorder in a sensitive way. I could tell she knew what she was talking about. She didn't do a disservice to him, which happens often when mental illness is portrayed in movies - she didn't Hollywoodize it. Mickey had a better support system than what is realistic for most people with mental illnesses. I think she went more for how things should be instead of how things really are considering the current social stigmas, the inability of insurance companies to care or pay, and family to be understanding.

I could also tell that she'd dealt with death - she got that part right as well.

If you need a good cry, this is the book for you. It is simultaneously one of the saddest yet most hopeful books I've read.

Throwback Thursday: Anne Frank A Portrait in Courage by Ernst Schnabel

Published in 1958, Ernst Schnabel's account of Anne Frank's life and death was researched and written about ten years after her death in the Belsen death camp. Schnabel found and interviewed forty-two people who knew Anne or crossed paths with her at some point in her young life.

Anne Frank A Portrait in Courage is not only about her courage and upbeat attitude, but it also tells about the courage of those who helped her and others like her. I have read her friend Lies' account in Alison Leslie Gold's biography Reflections of a Childhood Friend. Miep Gies, along with Alison Leslie Gold, wrote an autobiography called Anne Frank Remembered. Because I've read both of these books, it was interesting to read Schnabel's interviews with them.

This book was translated from German, and at times things get lost in the translation. However, this book is well worth reading. He has excerpts from Anne's diary and excerpts from logs and journals of the Nazis.

This book is currently out of print and is expensive to purchase second hand. I was lucky to find my copy at a thrift store for a dollar.

This story fills me with such sadness that humans could treat other humans so horribly. By the end of the war, Belsen is described as a place without order, without food or water, and without compassion. Survivors who had been to both said it was worse than Auschwitz.

This important book shows a realistic picture of the girl behind the diary, of her family, and her dreams. He makes her come alive to the reader and the reader then mourns for the unfairness and brutality of her death.

The book makes me want to be a better person and help make our world a kinder place.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

NICU Thank Yous

We've been so blessed to have people bring new and gently used (like new) books for the babies in the NICU. Parents are happy to get the books and some have commented that they wish they had known the information on the insert we give with the books when they had their first child. We give each baby five books because it is a good start to creating an avid reader.

Here is the insert in case you are interested:

One of the best gifts you can give your baby is to read to him or her every day.  It is never too early to start reading to your baby.

Advantages of reading to your baby:

 Time spent reading to your baby is time spent cuddling and bonding.
 Your baby loves to hear your voice.
 Hearing your voice helps your baby develop listening skills.
 Reading to your baby will increase your baby’s vocabulary.
 Reading to your baby increases his or her attention span.
 Babies who are read to do better in school.
 Your baby will better understand story structure.
 Reading to your baby helps create a lifelong love of books.

When you read to your baby, point out colors, animals, shapes, facial expressions, and things to find on the page. Make the sounds the animals make and use different voices for different characters. Count items and find letters of the alphabet. Be willing to be silly and have fun while you read. Surround your child with books. In the beginning they need books that are durable – board books. This allows your child to handle books without worrying about damaging them.
We hope your baby enjoys this complimentary collection of storybooks.

We received a thank you from a baby: 

*Photo used with parents' permission.

Owen is being read to even before he comes home from the hospital, which means he has begun his literary journey and is on his way to a better attention span and is acquiring language skills. Click on the picture to read the note in larger font.

Thanks for the donations:

In the last month, the following books have arrived for the babies from generous benefactors. I thank everyone who helps us continue this project.

At the Bloggess.com, she encouraged people to give books to others, and Anne Marie, picked our cause to give to. Thank you, Anne Marie.

My friend Kathryn, bought books from Usborne for her grandchildren to help us earn free books, and then she bought the sale books and gave them to the NICU. Thank you, Kathryn.

My friend Shannon, brought me two boxes of books. These were new enough and the right level to go to the NICU. The rest of the books were given to a book exchange at Roy Elementary for kids who desperately need books. Thanks, Shannon.

My friend, neighbor, and partner in book buying obsessiveness, is Michelle. Once a month, we make the rounds of several thrift shops and buy too many books (only because we are out of shelf space). She is always on the lookout for books for the NICU. Here are her recent contributions of new and used books. Thank you, Michelle.

If you'd like to contribute to our book drive, here is how you can help.

1. You can order books for your own children from an online Usborne book party and the proceeds will go to purchase books for the NICU. I've received over $350.00 in free books for the NICU from people buying books for their own families through my web link. Usborne is really good to their hostesses, and they have great board books for babies. Click on the link: Usborne book sale to benefit NICU The books you order will be shipped directly to your home. You can then give them to your children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews. The free books from the hostess benefits go to the NICU.

2. We have set up a baby registry at Amazon.com with many books listed for the NICU babies. Some of these books only cost 2.50. Many of these are classics that all children should have. Click on this link if you'd like to help provide books for the NICU: Catherine Crosby Building Lifelong Readers Book Registry. If you order books for us, they will be shipped directly to me, and I will package and send them to the NICU. English and Spanish books are both needed as some of our babies' first language is Spanish. It is important for these little ones to be proficient in their first language.


Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Preteen Tuesday: Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke

Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke is a wonderful fantasy book for younger readers. Not too young because the lexile measure is 900L, but if you have a young, proficient reader, this is a great starting fantasy.

Igraine is the daughter of magical parents, but she doesn't want to be a magical princess. Instead, she wants to be knight, wear armor, and defend the defenseless. Her older brother is learning to be a great magician, but he still has a way to go. Her parents are fantastic magicians, but unfortunately, as the story begins, they accidently turn themselves into pigs and can no longer do magic unless they have the hair from a red-headed giant.

That isn't the only problem. A neighboring lord has decided he wants their magical singing books and attacks their castle. Igraine and her magical brother (who isn't magical enough yet because he is young) must rally to save the castle.

This book never gets too dark. The story is light and fun with a little bit of danger. Cornelia Funke's illustrations add to the story and bring her characters to life.

Wordless Wednesday: April Wilson's Magpie Magic

Published in 1999, April Wilson's Magpie Magic: A Tale of Colorful Mischief has wonderful colors and pictures that are in black and white until the artist goes to work with color pencils. The artist draws a magpie - a noisy trouble making bird. This magpie is no different, and as soon as the artist finishes drawing it, it flies off the page.

In an effort to coax it back, the artist draws bright red cherries. The bird thwarts the plans of the artist until the artist is quite upset with the Magpie.

Wordless books are wonderful for helping a child's ability to observe and tell a story. The drawings in this book only show the hands of the artist and the bird and its antics, but the hands show so much emotion. Hands are not easy to draw, so for April Wilson to use the hands to show the personality and moods of the artist is pretty amazing.

You will love the art in this story and how fun the story is.

This is one of my favorite wordless books. See more of April Wilson's amazing art Here.


Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Each Little Bird that Sings by Deborah Wiles

Published in 2005, Each Little Bird that Sings by Deborah Wiles was a National Book Award Finalist. I enjoyed her book Love, Ruby Lavender, and this one was even better.

I fluctuated between giving it four or five stars because I wanted it to be a series or go on longer. I wasn't ready for it to be over. I love the characters. I thought their names were a bit goofy, but they work. Comfort, the main character, is the middle child with an older brother and a younger sister. Her older brother is kind, helpful, and organized. Her little sister is adorable and calls her Fumfort.

Comfort and her family live in and run the town mortuary. She has been to many, many funerals. She writes life notices because they should celebrate the life of the person, not the death.

Comfort has an annoying younger cousin, Peach, and he is a pain. He cries too much, acts annoyingly, and she hates him. She has a dog named Dismay that is the perfect funeral home dog. He brings people peace when they are dismayed or sad. Her best friend, Declaration, is being rude to Comfort, and her rudeness causes a whole lot of trouble for Comfort and her family.

This book is about dealing with grief, relationships - both friends and family. Comfort provides several lists of how to act at a funeral, what to say to the bereaved and what not to say.

This book will make you cry, but it also has a hopeful message. The author has experienced the pain of death and it shows in this book - she got the grief part right.

NICU update: We were able to give 365 books to babies born too soon or born sick in 2015. That means we helped 73 babies gain the gift of literacy. Thanks to everyone who helped our project. I appreciate it more than you know. If you'd like to donate books, please click on This Link and scroll to the bottom of the page for ways to help.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

My sister, Christy, asked if I'd read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon. She said she enjoyed it, and it's been in my TBR pile for a while, so I moved it up to the top of the list and read it over the weekend.

This first person narrative is told from an autistic young man's point of view. Christopher is a math whiz animal lover who finds that someone has murdered the neighbor's black poodle with a garden fork in the opening pages. He gets arrested after a police officer tries to touch him. Christopher freaks out and hits the cop, so he is now on caution. The story is set near London, England, and as always, I love the terminology, spellings, and slang from that area.

He is determined to find the killer even though his father has told him to mind his own business. He doesn't like to be touched and won't eat anything that is colored yellow. He loves anything that is the color red. He has a pet rat but would like a dog. In his investigation, he discovers that his father has lied to him about some big things. He needs to feel safe but no longer trusts his father.

This book will make you laugh and cry. As an educator, I enjoy a character that has learning differences and loved his teacher, Siobhan. She is kind, understanding, and works hard to help him succeed. We see her role in his life when he self-calms and works to figure things out. I was also glad she kept him from putting math problems in the bulk of the story.

This book shows how hard it is on a family when a child has a chronic condition. This book contains some language and adult situations but would be okay for an older teen. The Lexile measure is 1180L and contains math vocabulary and words many American readers may not have heard because they are from Great Britain. I think most teachers will appreciate Christopher and his way of looking at life.

NICU UPDATE:

During 2015, we gave 365 books to babies born too soon or born sick. That means 73 babies each received five books to help them on their path to becoming book lovers. Thanks for all your help with this project. I appreciate it more than you know. 

If you'd like to donate books, check out this link, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on the links for ways to help the littlest of babies. 

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

Throwback Thursday: Dealing with Death: Badger's Parting Gifts by Susan Varley

Badger's Parting Gifts written and illustrated by Susan Varley was published in 1984. This beautiful book tells about Badger who is getting old. He is no longer able to run or play and knows he must soon die.

"Badger wasn't afraid of death. Dying meant only that he would leave his body behind and, as his body didn't work as well as it had in days gone by, Badger wasn't too concerned about that. His only worry was how his friends would feel when he was gone. Hoping to prepare them, Badger had told them that someday soon he would be going down the Long Tunnel, and he hoped they wouldn't be too sad when it happened."

Badger dies, and his friends are very sad. This book shows the grief process. "In bed that night, Mole could think only of Badger. Tears rolled down his velvety nose, soaking the blankets he clung to for comfort."

The seasons change, and Badger's friends begin remembering and talking about all the things they learned from Badger. They realize that these things were parting gifts that they could pass on to others.

"As the last of the snow melted, so did the animals' sadness. Whenever Badger's name was mentioned, someone remembered another story that made them all smile."

At some point, everyone will experience the loss of a loved one. This book gently teaches about death, grief, and healing.

Read to a child today, even if that child is you.

Max the Brave by Ed Vere

A few months ago, Barnes and Noble had Max the Brave by Ed Vere on sale, so I bought a copy for each of my married children. This fun picture book was published in 2015 and tells the story of Max the cute kitten. However, Max doesn't want to be seen as cute; he wants to be seen as brave because he chases mice - or at least he would if he knew what a mouse looked like.

Max sets out to find a mouse to chase, but he gets tricked and ends up chasing a monster.

Kayana, my six-year-old granddaughter, laughs and laughs when she reads this book.

The illustrations are fun and the words delightful. The Lexile  measure is AD390L. AD means adult directed, so you want to read this one with your child.

Read to a child today, even if that child is you.

Teen Tuesday: Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher

This Teen Tuesday is for older teens. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher was published in 1993. The characters are seniors in high school. There is language and older teen situations in the story: abuse, sex, mental illness, suicide attempt, abortion. The Lexile measure is 920L, which should make this a fairly quick read for the intended audience.

The story is a first person narrative told from Eric Calhoune's point of view. He is a swimmer and is large for an athlete. Kids call him Moby (as in the great white whale). He was fat all through school and is now beginning to get into better shape.

His best friend all through school is another outcast - Sarah Byrnes whose name fits with the fact that her face and hands were horribly burned when she was three years old. Her father refused to allow her to have reconstructive surgery, so she has had to create a tough interior to match her tough exterior.

As Sarah tries to deal with her abusive father, she stops speaking and is sent to a hospital. Eric is determined to help her. The blurb on the back of the book says, "The truth of Sarah Byrnes's horrific past finally catches up with her, and she stops speaking. It is Eric's mission to help her find a way through the pain. But uncovering the truth is a dangerous thing to do - when someone else doesn't want it uncovered."

I like that the adults in the book are not idiots (at least most of them). I love Eric's teacher and coach Mrs. Lemry. There is one good school administrator and one horrible one, but Crutcher writes the horrible one so that the reader can see why he is the way he is. Eric's mother is well written. Crutcher shows the dangers of trying to be perfect and expecting perfection from ourselves or others. He also shows how hard some decisions are and that sometimes there isn't one right answer to a problem.

This book will make you think about what you believe in new ways. It is a book about respect, loyalty, friendship, and doing what is right even when it is hard or costs you.

My only complaint is Crutcher using an allusion to one of his own books. When a writer refers to his own work or himself in the body of a story, it always throws me out of the story. If a reader loves a writer's work, they will read more of it. Allusions should be to other works that connect with your own. Crutcher does this as well, and does a good job of it, although I think some of the allusions in this book may be a bit dated at this point.

Overall this is a book worth reading.