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Sturgis, Alexander. 2003. Dan's Angel: A Detective's Guide to the Language of Paintings. Illustrated by Lauren Child. (Published by Kane/Miller.)

Art appreciation. That's what this little book is all about. Mostly. Dan is a young boy who loves a good mystery. Loves being a detective. One day, by chance, he wanders into the art museum. He seems to be awed and a little overwhelmed with all the paintings he sees. He thinks they must tell stories, but he's not sure how to "read" the stories in the paintings. Luckily, he won't be alone on his journey. He first meets the angel Gabriel who steps right out of his painting--"The Annunciation" by Fra Angelico. Gabriel will act as his tour guide and together they will explore the stories of twelve paintings. (Eleven if you don't count "The Annunciation.") By having this dialogue--noting his observations out loud, asking questions, listening, etc.--he is able to grasp the stories of each painting. Other artworks examined include: Belshazzar's Feast by Rembrandt; Andromeda and Perseus by Piero di Cosimo; Madonna and Child with Saints by Campin; The Judgement of Paris by Lorrain; Devi Battles Buffalo Demon Mahisha; The Marquessa de Pontejos by de Goya; Soap Bubbles by Chardin; Venus and Mars by Botticelli; Sunflowers by van Gogh; Weeping Woman by Picasso; and Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist) by Pollock.

Overall, I liked it. Definitely one for older kids rather than younger.

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Morpurgo, Michael. 2008. The Mozart Question.

Don't let appearances deceive you. This book may not look like much. It's a small book after all. But it can pack a "wow" with the best of them. It's not a novel. It's not a picture book. It's definitely for older readers--upper elementary on up. What is it about? Well, even the book starts in a roundabout way.

The question I am most often asked is always easy enough to answer. Question: How did you get started as a writer? Answer: Strangely enough, by asking someone almost exactly that very same question, which I was only able to ask in the first place by receiving a dose of extraordinarily good fortune. I had better explain.

The Mozart Question is a story within a story. The story is framed around that of a reporter--a new reporter hoping for her big break--interviewing a famous musician. The inside story is that of the musician. It is that story that in my opinion is able to pack quite a wow.

Lesley is a new reporter. She's only worked at the paper for a little over three weeks. But when her boss is unable to get the story--get the interview--due to a skiing accident, Lesley takes her place. Her job? To go to the home of Paolo Levi. Her instructions: Don't mess up! And above all else DO NOT ASK HIM THE MOZART QUESTION. The problem? She doesn't know what "the Mozart question" is. So she can only hope that she doesn't ask it accidentally. When she arrives, he tells her she may ask one question. Nervous she goes for it heart and soul, "I wonder if you'd mind telling me how you got started. I mean, what made you pick up a violin and play that first time?" His answer stuns her, wows her if you will.

I hope you'll read The Mozart Question yourself so you can see just how magical this short, little book really is.

Another (recent) review of The Mozart Question.

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The Mats by Francisco Arcellana and illustrated by Hermes Alegre won the 1995 Philippines National Book Award for Children's Literature. The first American printing was 1999 by Kane/Miller.

The story of The Mats is simple yet powerful. I would say, however, that this picture book would be better for older readers than younger readers. This isn't a toddler and preschool friendly story. As some of the concepts, some of the meaning would be lost. That's just my opinion. Make your own judgment call. But this is as good a time as any to state my philosophy on picture books: NEVER EVER EVER read a picture book aloud to a child (or a group of children as the case may be) without first reading it yourself. Side tangent: Just because a book is packaged as a picture book doesn't mean that it is kid-friendly. There are picture books geared towards adults though they may be disguised and masquerading as a kid's book.

Anyway, back on topic, The Mats is a simple story. A family is waiting for the return of the father. The kids are eagerly awaiting his arrival. They know that he is bringing gifts. He's going to be bringing home a new mat for every member of their family. While they are waiting for his arrival, the narrator feels the audience in on the family's background. We're told about the family's mat. A mat that was a gift to the newlyweds. A mat that is reserved for special occasions. "Mama always kept that mat in her trunk. When any of us got sick, the mat was brought out and the sick child made to sleep on it. Every one of us had at some point in our life slept on it. There had been sickness in our family. And there had been deaths..."

After his arrival, and after the family meal, everyone gathers around to see each mat be presented or gifted. Each mat is to have a name of the family member. The children are told that they cannot use the mats until they are older and go away to the university. But they see that there are three mats remaining.

The revelation or realization that the mats are to memorialize the three sisters (or three daughters depending on your perspective) that had died young is heartfelt and moving. There is sorrow and joy in the remembering.

I liked it. I did. But this would not have been a picture book for me as a kid. I would weep at anything and everything. But I do recommend this book. It is beautifully done. The story was originally a short story.

Francisco "Franz" Arcellana was born in 1916 in Santa Cruz, Manila, the fourth of eighteen children. After studying philosophy at the University of the Philippines, he worked briefly as a journalist before becoming a teacher and a writer of fiction. Collections of his work include Selected Stories (1962), Fifteen Stories: Storymaster 5 (1973) and The Francisco Arcellana Sampler (1990). His stories have been translated into several languages. In 1990 he was declared a National Artist for Literature by President Corazon Aquino. He lives with his wife in Diliman, Quezon City, in the Philippines.

Hermès Alègrè was born in Daet, Camarines Norte in 1968. He set out to become an artist at an early age, drawing pictures on the sand which his playmates would often proceed to erase. Undaunted, he studied art in the Philippine Women's University. After receiving his degree in fine arts, he decided to paint full time. His first picture book, Bahay Kubo, was published in 1993. His work has appeared in over thirty galleries. He lives in Las Pinas, Metro Manila.

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Yamada, Utako. 2007. The Story of Cherry the Pig.

Originally published in 2002 in Japan, The Story of Cherry the Pig by Utako Yamada was published in America by Kane/Miller in 2007. It is a story about a pig who loves desserts. The theme of this one is in a way "To thine own self be true." It starts off simply, "Cherry the pig lived in a pretty little village known for its delicate willow treas and sweet, home-grown fruit." It continues, "Now all pigs love to eat, and Cherry was no exception. What she especially loved to eat though, was dessert." She doesn't just love eating desserts. She loves making them--baking them. She loves making people happy; she loves watching people enjoy what she has made. But Cherry's confidence took some time to build. And it was all thanks to a contest--a bake-off--at a local festival. The book is fun and more than a little delightful.

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The Girl with the White Flag: An Inspiring Story of Love and Courage in War Time was written by Tomiko Higa. It was translated into English by Dorothy Britton. It was first published in 1991. One of the more recent reprintings was 2003.

First sentence: I was born in Shuri, the ancient capital of Okinawa, which is now part of the city of Naha.

The Girl with the White Flag is the story of the author's childhood in war-time Japan. It begins by giving the reader ample background into the time and culture and place. We meet our heroine, a young girl who throughout the book spans the ages of five through seven. One of the first events she shares with readers is the death of her mother. She then relates what life was like with her father, two older sisters, and her older brother. This portion is hard to navigate. I think in some ways it is just as hard for modern readers to understand the family life--the harshness, the strictness, the discipline, as it is to understand the monstrosities of war and soldiers and starvation. (Or maybe that's just my take on it.)

About halfway through the narrative, the father disappears. He was on his somewhat routine mission of delivering food to the Japanese soldiers, but on this occasion he never returned home. The four children are left to fend for themselves. The American soldiers have just begun their invasion, their battle to capture this island. The children become refugees and the fight to survive has begun. The children ranged in age from 17 to 6. Somewhere along the way, however, two things happen--big things--that make this event even scarier: 1) Their brother dies one night from a stray bullet. 2) Within a few days of burying their brother, our narrator--the six/seven year old girl becomes lost--separated--from her sister.

The book recounts what it was like to be seven and alone and wandering in and out of danger. There was no safe place. Not really. Japanese soldiers weren't "safe." In fact, in her brief encounters with them she was almost killed. No, being near soldiers wasn't safe. The only "safe" soldier was a dead soldier. She did in fact scavenge around the dead soldiers looking for food.

Her will to survive was strong. Her stamina incredible in my opinion. The sights. The sounds. The smells. All surrounded her. Could have potentially traumatized her and paralyzed her into inaction.

If there is power in the Girl with The White Flag it is in its rawness, its simplicity, its boldness when it comes to being straightforward and honest. The story is incredible is powerful because it's true. Here is an eyewitness account of what it means to be seven and a refugee in a war zone. It can be brutal. It can be intense. But there is more to it than that.

127 pages.

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In today's edition of Travel the World, I am featuring Yellow Umbrella by Jae Soo Liu. This book isn't exactly new--the first American edition being published in 2002--and it isn't exactly unknown since it got some high praise when it first released including being named one of the New York Times Best Illustrated books of the year (2002). But it is new-to-me. Or relatively new-to-me.

I first read Yellow Umbrella last fall. I loved it. I really really loved it. But since it is a wordless picture book, I felt somewhat at a loss of what to say. But I've decided to be brave and venture forth into new territory. If my review doesn't do it justice, you'll just have to trust me that it is worth it. Worth finding and reading yourself.

The book Yellow Umbrella comes with a CD. For the full experience, readers are urged to listen to the CD while 'reading' or 'sharing' the book. An interesting concept in my opinion. A wordless picture book whose story is told by music--by melody--and by illustrations. It's a completely different experience than you might expect. It's all about mood and tone. I'm not sure everyone will love it. But I urge you to read and see for yourself. You might just find it as delightful as I did.



The CD is 27 minutes. The track needed for reading the story is a little over 7 minutes long. The rest of the CD are "extra" bits that make it just that much more fun of an experience.

Thoroughly appropriate for use as "art appreciation" or "music appreciation" or the more complex aspects of storytelling. It also makes for a great shared experience on a rainy day.


The publisher is Kane/Miller. It was originally published in South Korea.

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Last night I reread one of my favorite books of all time. A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh. I can't begin to count how many times I've read--either on my own or read aloud--this brilliant book. The characters? Christopher Robin. Winnie ther Pooh. Piglet. Rabbit. Owl. Kanga and Roo. And of course the ever-sullen Eeyore. They're so wonderful. So lovable. So perfect. The language? So beloved. So familiar. So right. I really couldn't imagine a world without Pooh. Pooh captures everything that is so right with the world. The innocence. The charm. The love. The kindness. There's just something so good, so pure about Christopher Robin and his chums.

Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it. And then he feels that perhaps there isn't. Anyhow, here he is at the bottom, and ready to be introduced to you. Winnie-the-Pooh.
When I first heard his name, I said, just as you are going to say, "But I thought he was a boy?"
"So did I," said Christopher Robin.
"Then you can't call him Winnie?"
"I don't."
"But you said--"
"He's Winnie-ther-Pooh. Don't you know what 'ther' means?"
"Ah, yes, now I do," I said quickly; and I hope you do too, because it is all the explanation you are going to get. (1-2)

Christopher Robin and his stuffed bear, Winnie-the-Pooh, love to be told stories. (I think everyone likes to be told stories.) Pooh especially likes to be told stories about himself because as Christopher Robin says, "he's that sort of Bear."

The first story about Winnie-the-Pooh starts off like this, "Once upon a time, a very long time ago now, about last Friday, Winnie-the-Pooh lived in a forest all by himself under the name of Sanders."

I just love that beginning. Don't you? It's silly; it's fun; it's just right. Once upon a time . . . about last Friday. Genius.

The stories themselves are very interactive. The narrator speaks to the child directly. I really think Pooh is the kind of story that is meant to be read aloud. And read aloud often. It bears much repeating. It only grows better each time it is experienced.

According to the 80th Anniversary edition of the book Winnie the Pooh has been translated into thirty-one different languages! Which makes him perfect for this Wednesday's edition of Travel the World.

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Zusak, Markus. 2006. The Book Thief.

The Book Thief may just be the hardest book I've ever tried to review. It is beautiful. Though it can be ugly. It is intense. It is powerful. It is memorable. The first thing you should know about The Book Thief? It is narrated by Death. This is fitting in many ways since the setting is Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Death is the narrator, and he never lets you forget it. But there are many players--many characters--in the story that Death is relating to his audience all these years later. One of them is a girl, Liesel, and is known by Death as 'the book thief.' These thefts provide some structure to the text. (The structure is one of the odd things about the Book Thief. It isn't chronological. Death doesn't tell a story traditionally. He has his own way of jazzing it up, arranging it so it suits his needs and purposes.) The language, the style, is unique. I think it is written in such a way that you either really love it or you really don't. (It's written in such a way that you could almost open it to any page, and find a sentence or two or a whole paragraph that you want to just lift out and let resonate with you for a time.)

This is how it begins:

First the colors. Then the humans. That's usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try. Here is a small fact: you are going to die. I am in all truthfulness attempting to be cheerful about this whole topic, though most people find themselves hindered in believing me, no matter my protestations. Please, trust me. I most definitely can be cheerful. I can be amiable. Agreeable. Affable. And that's only the A's. Just don't ask me to be nice. Nice has nothing to do with me. (3)

It continues:

People observe the colors of a day only at its beginnings and ends, but to me, it's quite clear that a day merges through a multitude of shades and intonations, with each passing moment. A single hour can consist of thousands of different colors. Waxy yellows, cloud-spat blues. Murky darknesses. In my line of work, I make it a point to notice them. As I've been alluding to, my one saving grace is distraction. It keeps me sane. It helps me cope, considering the length of time I've been performing this job. The trouble is, who could ever replace me? Who could step in while I take a break in your stock-standard resort-style vacation destination, whether it be tropical or of the ski trip variety? The answer, of course, is nobody, which has prompted me to make a conscious, deliberate decision--to make distraction my vacation. Needless to say, I vacation in increments. In colors. Still it's possible that you might be asking, why does he even need a vacation? What does he need a distraction from? Which brings me to my next point. It's the leftover humans. The survivors. They're the ones I can't stand to look at, although on many occasions I still fail. I deliberately seek out the colors to keep my mind off them, but now and then, I witness the ones who are left behind, crumbling among the jigsaw puzzle of realization, despair, and surprise. They have punctured hearts. They have beaten lungs. Which in turn brings me to the subject I am telling you about tonight, or today, or whatever the hour and color. It's the story of one of those perpetual survivors--an expert at being left behind. It's just a small story really, about, among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fish fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. (4-5)

Before the story gets underway, he invites the reader along for the journey:

Yes, often, I am reminded of her, and in one of my vast array of pockets, I have kept her story to retell. It is one of the small legion I carry, each one extraordinary in its own right. Each one an attempt, an immense leap of an attempt--to prove to me that you, and your human existence, are worth it. Here it is. One of a handful. The Book Thief. If you feel like it, come with me. I will tell you a story. I'll show you something. (14-15)

There is depth, substance, to these words, to this story. The descriptions. The details. The powerful sway of the words whether they're describing the beauty of love and family and friendship or capturing the ugly heaviness of hate, anger, and death. It's not an easy story to read. It's full of emotions. It's full of words. It's a book that at it's very heart and soul captures humanity in all its depths--the good, the bad, the ugly. Here is a book that captures what it means to be human.
One of the most memorable passages for me (224-236), and I hope this isn't much of a spoiler--is the hand drawn--hand written--portion written by "Max" for Liesel. I find it so powerful in its simplicity. So hauntingly beautiful. There is a second story specially written for Liesel by Max, this second one is found on pps 445-450. This is how that one begins, "There was once a strange, small man. He decided three important details about his life: 1) He would part his hair from the opposite side to everyone else. 2) He would make himself a small, strange mustache. 3) He would one day rule the world." (445)

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Daddo, Andrew. 2007. Goodnight, Me.

Originally published in Australia, Goodnight, Me is a charming bedtime story featuring an orangutan parent and child. The book follows the story of a baby orangutan as he/she is put to bed. First the feet, then the knees, then the tummy, then the bottom, etc. Each part of the body has to be given a sweet and gentle goodnight. For example, Bless you, nose! Can you smell the sleep? and Time to close, eyes. Can you see any dreams yet? The illustrations by Emma Quay and the text by Andrew Daddo are charming and sweet and soothingly gentle. I can easily see this one becoming a child's favorite.

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Daddo, Andrew. 2007. Goodnight, Me.

Originally published in Australia, Goodnight, Me is a charming bedtime story featuring an orangutan parent and child. The book follows the story of a baby orangutan as he/she is put to bed. First the feet, then the knees, then the tummy, then the bottom, etc. Each part of the body has to be given a sweet and gentle goodnight. For example, Bless you, nose! Can you smell the sleep? and Time to close, eyes. Can you see any dreams yet? The illustrations by Emma Quay and the text by Andrew Daddo are charming and sweet and soothingly gentle. I can easily see this one becoming a child's favorite.

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In today's edition of Travel the World, we are going to visit South Korea. Our book is New Clothes for New Year's Day. The author is Hyun-Joo Bae. The publisher is the fabulous Kane/Miller. In New Clothes for New Year's Day, a little girl--a beautiful little girl--describes for readers what she loves about celebrating New Year's Day. She loves many things, appreciates many things, but most of all she loves the new clothes she receives. She loves getting dressed up and looking her best. It's a simple story about the joy of celebrating life and traditions. The illustrations are nice as well. My favorite feature of the book is the helpful two page spread that discusses the traditional Korean New Year's Day celebrations. One page is text. The other is a diagram and illustration. I definitely recommend this one.

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Today I am reviewing several of the newer books in one of my favorite series. I absolutely fell in love with the characters of Charlie and Lola created by Lauren Child several years ago. In their first book, I WILL NOT EVER EAT A TOMATO, Charlie must help his sister Lola, who is a picky eater, overcome some of her issues with food. In their second book, I AM NOT SLEEPY AND I WILL NOT GO TO BED, Charlie must help put Lola, who is rather stubborn, to bed. Their third book, perhaps my favorite because it was the first one that I discovered, was called I AM TOO ABSOLUTELY SMALL FOR SCHOOL. Charlie must help Lola overcome her going-to-school jitters. Each of the books were fun, creative, and had a way of combining illustrations and text that were memorable and ever-so-charming. (Child does her own illustrations.) After the release of the third book, I discovered a new program. Someone had brought Charlie and Lola to life as a cartoon show on a cable network! Now with the success of the show, Charlie and Lola books are abundant with several hardback and paperback books being published each year.

Child, Lauren. 2006. But Excuse Me That Is My Book.

When their father tells Charlie and Lola that he is taking them to the library, this brother and sister team are happy. Lola has it all figured out. Today she will check out her favorite book in the whole world. It doesn't matter that she's checked this book out time and time and time again in the past. It is her favorite and her best. "But Charlie, Beetles, Bugs, and Butterflies is a very special book that is my favorite and I really need it. Now. Now. Now. Now. Now!" But when the pair arrive at the library, Lola is in for quite a shock. She discovers her book is "lost" and "completely not there!" Charlie, ever-patient, reminds her that this is a library and that lots of people check out books. But Lola is convinced that Beetles, Bugs, and Butterflies is HER book. Can Charlie convince her that she might like another book just as much? Or will this library trip turn into a disastrous fit? Funny as ever, Child once again illustrates a valuable lesson that relates with children everywhere.

Say Cheese by Lauren Child (2007) School picture day has never been so much fun as it is in Say Cheese by Lauren Child. Picture day is fast approaching as Charlie and Lola prepare to be their best. But Lola, like always, will need a miracle to get through the day all clean and tidy by the time it is time for pictures. Will Lola take that perfect picture? Can she resist the many temptations that will beset her before school, during art, during recess, and during lunch? You'll have to see for yourself what this duo ends up doing to get the 'perfect' picture for their mom!

Lauren's Child picture book, I Will Never Not Ever Eat A Tomato, has just been released in pop-up format. The original book was a great treat. Charlie and Lola are the unforgettable brother and sister duo. Lola is a picky eater, and it's up to her big brother Charlie to make sure Lola eats a nice, healthy meal. This book was one of the first in the cartoon series as well. So while the story may be a familiar one, it's a must-have in my book. Why? Well, the pop-ups are fun. They make Lauren Child's playful illustrations even MORE playful than before. (Which is hard to do, by the way!) The publisher of this one is Candlewick press.

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Funke, Cornelia. Inkheart.

I have mixed feelings about Inkheart. I loved the beginning. Loved it. I loved the ending. The last hundred pages or so were great. But the middle--well, not so much. This book is nearly 550 pages, and I just think it would have been better if it had been 375 or 425. But definitely not 550! The action could have been a little tighter, perhaps a little less description, perhaps one less chase scene. I don't know. I just found myself hopelessly stuck in the middle of the book thinking that there was no light at the end of the tunnel. The characters. I like the heroine, Meggie, and her father, Mo. And the other characters Eleanor, the aunt, Dustfinger and Farid were alright. And the bad guys were sufficiently and genuinely evil. But sometimes I felt it was just a bit too much. The writing style, when it was good it was good...but sometimes I did get a little bored. There was plenty of action, plenty of description, plenty of characterization. There was plenty of everything. I guess I'm saying I could have done with a little less of each of the above. I liked the book overall; I loved parts of the book. But I just can't say that I loved it completely or thought it was perfect. I would definitely recommend Inkheart to booklovers and fantasy lovers. Those that love getting lost in a good "once upon a time" type story.

The story itself....

Meggie is a young girl who loves to read. She's seriously obsessed. She even sleeps with books under her pillows. Her best friends are books. There's few things she loves more than a good book, a good story. Mo is Meggie's father. He loves books too. He mends them. He's a book doctor. But as much as he loves books, he knows they can be dangerous as well. He's hiding a secret. A big secret. One rainy night, the secret is forced out into the open. Meggie sees a man staring at the house, watching the house, waiting for something or someone. As soon as her father sees this man, you can begin to feel the danger, sense the adventure. Dustfinger. He has found them at last. Found them again. Dustfinger is one of those semi-likable semi-villains. Neither good, nor evil. Selfish, yet not heartless. He wants what he wants. But he doesn't necessarily want other people to suffer. He's full of longing and desire for something that is completely impossible. So he's hopelessly miserable. The secret? Well, Mo, her father, has another name. Silvertongue. Her father has a gift. Or a curse. Depending on your point of view. The 'gift' is something that he's ashamed of, something that he'd be rid of forever if he only knew how. A 'gift' that Capricorn and Basta--the villains--want to use for evil.

Inkheart is full of adventure, full of suspense, full of descriptions. It's exciting but long.

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Today's Travel The World brings us to Germany. The book is Princess Pigsty by Cornelia Funke. The publisher is Scholastic.

I just love Cornelia Funke's picture book, Princess Pigsty. Here is a princess that I can actually like for once! The story is of a royal family, of course, a household with lots of princesses. Isabella, our heroine, is the youngest of the bunch. Her older sisters are Druscilla and Rosalinda. The first few pages explain royal behavior. How the sisters are waited on hand and foot. How they have every luxury they could ever want or imagine. How perfect there life is. How they should be the happiest girls in the kingdom. But. (There's always a but in picture books like this...) But Isabella is not happy. No, not happy at all. One day she decides to do something about it. "I am tired of being a princess. . .I want to get dirty!. . . I don't want to smile all the time. . .I don't want to have my hair curled EVER again." And the list goes on and on throughout the text. She wants to have fun, get dirty, wear pants instead of dresses, actually interact with the world and learn to do things herself. When her father essentially asks what has come over her...what led her to throw her crown in the fishpond, she responds "Princesses don't do anything fun. Princesses don't even pick their noes. Princesses just stand around looking pretty. Yuck. I don't want to be a princess anymore!" Thinking that he can teach his daughter a lesson, he sends her off first to the kitchen and then finally the pigsty. The twist? He's the one that learns the lesson. Sometimes you've got to let kids be themselves. You can't always mold them into the exact image you want. (Some girls don't want to be girly-girls. They don't want to wear dresses with bows and laces. They might not want to wear pink tutus and take ballet and/or piano lessons.) The book ends with her compromising a little bit saying that she might wear a dress and crown occasionally, but that some lines aren't meant to be crossed. "Isabella never let anybody curl her hair EVER again!"

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Shanahan, Lisa. 2007. The Sweet, terrible, glorious, year I truly completely lost it.

Originally published in Australia, The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly Completely Lost It is a fun YA romance that many girls--from preteen to adult--will enjoy. (Okay, maybe not every adult will enjoy this one, but those young at heart just might!) Meet Gemma Stone. She's feeling a bit out of sorts since her sister announced her engagement. Her sister, Debbie, is marrying a boy she's only been dating for one month. Now, Gemma is being dragged to bridal fairs and made to try on ugly dresses--though I bet no one can guess what she ends up wearing!--and spending lots of time with her sister's future in-laws and her sister's three best friends/bridesmaids. To say she is wishing herself far far away is an understatement. Everything is "Debbie, Debbie, Debbie." And she is expected to drop everything so she can do all these 'favors' and 'errands' and what not for her sister. But in the midst of all the family drama, Gemma is making time for herself. She's got a crush on a guy named Nick. A guy who only acknowledges her existence when it's convenient for him. (Most often when he's trying to get a petition signed). Nick casually mentions to her that she should try out for the school play. The drama department is doing The Tempest by William Shakespeare. She gathers up her courage, and decides to be brave for once in her life and goes after what she wants. What does she want? Nick's attention and approval. What she gets? The attention of the school weirdo, Raven, a 'deliquent' sort who comes from a long line of troubled brothers all named after birds--Crow, Magpie, Raven, Sparrow, etc. But Gemma is about to learn that love is full of surprises and that first impressions can be way off the mark. Raven or Nick? Which one is worthy of her time and devotion?

This book is a super-fun romance novel that I couldn't help loving. From her family dramas to her boy troubles, Gemma is a narrator I enjoyed spending time with.

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Kostick, Conor. 2007. Epic.

Looking for a fast-paced science-fiction novel set on a distant planet? Looking for a novel that explores the depths of the video world? The fun of video gaming and virtual realities? Looking for a great dystopic novel? Look no further for all your needs than Conor Kostick’s novel Epic.

Generations ago, violence was banned on New Earth. Society is governed and conflicts are resolved in the arena of a fantasy computer game Epic. Everyone plays, from teenagers to senior citizens. If you win, you have the chance to go to university, get more supplies for your community, and fulfill your dreams; if you lose; your life both in and out of the game is worth nothing.

Erik and his friends are the up and coming in the game. When Erik takes a risk—makes a gamble—that no one else has ever made, then big things start to happen. The powers to be—Central Alliance—want to ensure that they remain in power for the duration. After all, a country hick shouldn’t be able to beat the system and change all the rules…

While Epic starts off a bit on the slow side, things begin to really pick up in chapter three when the game Epic is finally introduced and brought into focus. Erik, his friends, and their fantasy alter egos are great heroes and heroines, and the story is both interesting and enjoyable. I didn’t want to put this one down.

Here is how Kostick's idea/premise originated:

The growth of online gaming is extraordinary. In the Far East four million people subscribe to one game alone. In the US the two most popular online fantasy games have over 500,000 and 400,000 players respectively. And inevitably these huge virtual communities are having an impact on the real world, as players barter their powerful weapons, magic items, properties and even their long cherished characters themselves. One economist recently evaluated the entire real dollar activity of these virtual creations as being larger than the GNP of Bulgaria.

So the idea for Epic came about from wondering, what would it be like to live in a world entirely dominated by one game; where every human being had to log into the game and their wealth, their political voice, their future, was shaped by how well they were doing in the game? What would happen to those who became the games most powerful players, and thus the most wealth and powerful people in the world? Would they start to dominate the proceedings and protect themselves from challenges? And if you were born poor and had to make your way through the game from scratch, what chance would you have?

Teacher's Guide to Epic
Epic: Chapter One and Chapter Two

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Wahl, Mats. 2007. The Invisible.

This is an international book only recently translated into English and published in the United States. It has also apparently been made into a movie. Since I don't keep up with these things, I depend on statements such as "now a major motion picture from the producers of The Sixth Sense" to stay informed. I also happened to notice that the movie is being released on dvd soon--very soon. Did I love this one? No. But it was a good book. It is your somewhat typical ghost-narrator story where the ghost has not "passed" or "moved" on and he's still haunting this world...viewing his friends, his family, and in this case following the police detective on the case of this "missing boy." Hilmer Eriksson was a somewhat normal kid--a teen--who went for a simple errand on his bike and never came home. Now it is up to Detective Fors to investigate and discover the grim truth about what really happened that Saturday. What makes this book good is the writing. While I don't really go for ghosts as narrators, this one is an exception for me because the style is so good. I wouldn't say I loved it, but I enjoyed it far more than I expected. (Though I know I'm in the minority, I don't really get the whole ghost-narrator thing as done in Lovely Bones.)

It was on one of the first days in May that Hilmer Eriksson discovered he had become invisible. (1)

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White, Trudy. 2007. Could You? Would You?

Today's edition of Travel The World brings us back to Australia. The book of the day is Could You? Would You? by Trudy White. It is published by Kane/Miller. It is a book 'to tickle your imagination' and a book that Markus Zusak calls 'whimsical, beautiful and true.' High praise coming from such an accomplished author! This book isn't your typical book. It doesn't tell a story. Not really. It is a series of questions. One after another. The book is designed to be interactive. It is designed to be a starting place for thinking or discussing everything from the mundane and ordinary to the extraordinary. These questions are arranged thematically or topically. I will be posting a list of questions below to show some examples of what the text holds.

What is the best thing about you?
Could you recognize your family with your eyes shut?
How is your day different from your grandma's when she was little?
Would you like to be famous for doing something?
How could you make school better?
When do you feel loved?
Could you imagine waking up one morning as a baby again?
Would you eat a meal that a cat had cooked?

I enjoyed this book a great deal. Some questions are serious. Some questions are silly. But overall, the book is clever and fun.

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Today's edition of Travel the World brings us to the Netherlands. The book is Playing with Stuff: Outrageous Games With Ordinary Objects by Ferry Piekart and Lars Deltrap. The first American edition is 2004; the publisher is Kane/Miller.

Playing with Stuff is a strange little book. It is full of activities, crafts, games, etc. for children to play indoors and out with ordinary household items or "stuff." Some of the games, I think, would be a hit with children. I'm not sure all of the games would be a hit, however, with parents who would most likely have to clean up afterwards. I'll be specific. I'm not sure parents would get excited about the idea of their kids using rolls and rolls of toilet paper and playing "Robber Roundup" a game where the children first take rolls of toilet paper strips and make a confusing pattern weaving it up and down and around all the furniture. Most likely you've seen it in the movies--when a burglar breaks into a building there's usually high-tech security. Laser beams criss-cross the entire place and the slightest touch triggers the alarm: beep-beep-peep! Risky business. That's why real robbers practice. And you can too (even though you're not a robber). How? With lots of toilet paper of course! Another toilet paper focused game is Story Boardy where kids use rolls of toilet paper to make a game board around the house. Six squares of toilet paper equals one game square, and kids are encouraged to write on the toilet paper funny game instructions. And of course, the kids themselves are the players. While I'm not denying that it is probably fun to be your player in a board game and have things be life-sized, I am sure it would require quite a bit of set up time. And clean up time. But there are many, many other games that require less time and cleanup. For example, Calendar Caper just requires an old calendar, two game pieces, 2 markers, and dice. And Cheese Squeeze just requires a slice of cheese, a plate, and two straws. Both of those games sound like fun to me.

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In today's edition of Travel the World, I bring you When Mum Was Little written and illustrated by Mini Goss. This picture book comes courtesy of Australia. Kane/Miller is the American publisher; it was published in 2004.

As you can see from this bright cover, When Mum Was Little takes the young readers back to the psychedelic sixties--1969 to be precise. (Who knew that I could spell psychedelic without looking it up?) A little girl is asking her mother to tell her stories about when she was a little girl. And through words and pictures, today's young readers find out about this 'groovy' time. The text begins, My mum wasn't always a mum. She was little once, just like us. That was in the olden days. Things were different then. The picture shows a mom with three children gathered near. Closer observation of the illustrations show that this is a special occasion--the mother is turning thirty-nine. (For the record, at my house it doesn't take a birthday for "tell me a story about when you were...." to get started!) What are some of things the mom remembers and shares with her children? Roller skates, the moon walk, going to the hairdresser with her mom and grandmother, watching her mother get dressed to go out, the birth of her baby sister, going to the beach, buying candy when it was cheap, etc. The book ends with the mother telling her children that for really interesting stories they should ask their grandmother what life was like when she was a little girl. And I think the illustrations show a pause. Like a pause before a really long story. The grandmother has a look on her face like she is getting ready to talk, talk, talk!

What do I love about When Mum Was Little? Well, though it's set in Australia. I think it rings true for any time and place. I think it is natural for children to want to hear stories about when their parents were children. Stories about their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Growing up--and even to this day--there is nothing I like better than listening to family stories. "Tell me about the day I was born...." "Tell me about what you used to do...." I love to hear my mother talk about her childhood. Especially I love to hear about what she did when she went to visit her grandma! I also love to hear her tell stories on her brothers and sister! I think When Mum Was Little shows positive family interactions and a healthy love for family traditions. It will be easy to transition from reading this aloud to creating your own family story time. While the books intended age group is probably too small for any large-scale family tree/family history project. The sharing of simple stories, looking at photographs together, etc. would be quite appropriate. Especially if the parent could share pictures of what they looked like when they were the child's age!

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Today's selection for Travel the World is Millie Waits for the Mail by Alexander Steffensmeier. It was originally published in Germany in 2006. The American publication is 2007, and the publisher is Walker & Company.

Millie is a milk cow with one serious hobby. Her favorite thing to do? Scaring the mail carrier each and every day. As soon as the farmer is done with the milking, Millie stands on guard watching, waiting, and anticipating the arrival of the mail. "Every day Millie searched for a new hiding place...On the days the farmer didn't get any mail, Millie felt so let down." The mail carrier is one unhappy guy. He HATES delivering the mail to the farm. He HATES that cow. So he contemplates a way to tame his foe...Can Millie and the mail carrier ever get along? Is there a way for everyone to be happy at the end of the day? Read and see for yourself. This is one fun adventure!

Of course, everyone has heard about dogs chasing and scaring mail carriers. But this *new* twist on an old story is so clever, so funny, so enjoyable. It is really too fun to miss! It has earned two starred reviews--Publishers' Weekly and Kirkus Reviews.

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Today's edition of Travel The World takes us to France. Originally published in 1996, Tibili: The Little Boy Who Didn't Want to Go To School was first published in America in 2002 by Kane/Miller. The author is Marie Leonard. The illustrator is Andree Prigent. Set in Africa, Tibili is the story of a little boy who didn't want to go to school.

Tibili is a happy little boy who laughs all the time, morning to night. Sometimes, if he is not too tired from playing all day, he even laughs himself to sleep.

But the laughter stops when his mother tells him that he'll be starting school the next year.

So he tries to talk to the animals and find ways out of going to school. He gets a lot of advice, but it is the advice of a spider named Crope that catches his attention. The spider tells him to find the big red stone and dig for the Box of Knowledge. If he can open this Box of Knowledge, he'll have his answer. He goes, he searchs, he finds. But alas, he can't find the directions on the Box of Knowledge because he doesn't know how to read. Instead of being discouraged, frustrated, or angry, Tibili hides the box and rushes home to his mother to ask WHEN school is starting.

The message the boy learns, it seems to me is that school has a purpose. Learning to read has a purpose. Reading DOES open the Box of Knowledge. Other books with this theme include Lauren Child's I Am Absolutely Too Small for School. (It's another 'international' title as a matter of fact. England.)

While it is natural for children to have doubts, worries, and fears about starting school for the first time, parents can reassure their children in many different ways that everything will be okay.

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Today's edition of Travel the World takes us back to South Korea. While We Were Out is written and illustrated by Ho Baek Lee. This is his third picture book. The first American edition of this book was published in 2003 by Kane/Miller. Have you ever come back home to discover a big mess in your house? Have you ever wondered how it got quite so messy? Do you ever wonder what it is your pets do while your away? While We Were Out does just that. Based on a 'true' story of a pet rabbit let loose in the house, it follows the adventures of a bunny who gets into quite a lot of stuff--and makes quite a mess of things--while everyone is away visiting Grandma. The illustrations are just so fun. As the rabbit leaves some "surprises" for his family to discover when they return. Picking out these 'surprising' clues can be quite fun, I imagine, for young and old alike. I also imagine that teachers (and parents even) could use this book as a jumping off point to have kids write their own tales. I would imagine that every child with a pet has a few stories they'd love to share--both in words and pictures. And soon they'd be a whole classroom library of "While We Were Out" adventures for everyone to share and enjoy.

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Abdel-Fattah, Randa. 2007. Does My Head Look Big In This?

I have mixed feelings about Does My Head Look Big In This? My enthusiasm for the novel was not particularly consistent. (I liked the first third, I really liked the middle third, and I loved the last third.)

Amal Mohamed Nasrullah Abdel-Hakim is both your typical and untypical teen. As a Australian-Muslim-Palestinian, she feels she got "whacked with some seriously confusing identity hyphens" (5). To question one's identity is fairly typical--very standard--in YA literature. To deal with questions of race, prejudice, and faith is again fairly typical. But in most cases the race and faith in question is not Muslim (and Middle-Eastern). Hence why she is both typical and untypical. This makes the book good, but at times difficult to evaluate. Amal is a character that at the same time wants to be like everybody else, but she wants to be seen as special, unique, and one-of-a-kind. She wants to not stick-out in a crowd as being 'the Muslim' yet she is very proud of her culture, her religion, her faith. She wants to have it all. She doesn't want people to point, stare, and laugh. But she wants to be noticed. She wants to stand out. Again, I think that all teens--all people--go through a stage where they feel that the whole world is looking at them, staring at them, evaluating them, critiquing them, judging them, laughing at them, etc. I think every teen has the feeling that everyone is noticing them--watching for all the little flaws, waiting for them to make a mistake, etc. This sense of heightened awareness and the feeling that everything they do is more important that what it actually is. It is like going through life--your whole day, your whole week--like every moment could potentially be your most embarrassing moment ever. [Does that make any sense at all? What I'm trying to say is that they might be *imagining* the world is laughing at and judging them when really...no one is really paying that much attention.]

Amal is ready to wear the hijab. Inspired by an episode of Friends, where Rachel braves the crowd to perform Copa Cabana after an embarrassing walk down the aisle, Amal has made her decision. Her first day of school--in what is essentially her junior year in high school--will be the first day she'll wear the hijab (and be covered) in front of her classmates at McCleans Preparatory School. What the book does not mention until halfway through--and what really makes a difference in appreciating the novel--is that this school year is 2002. It has only been a year since the 9/11 attacks in America. (That anniversary is covered in the novel.) So this is when tension--global tension--is at an all-time high. This attack is still fresh, the wounds still on the surface. There has been no healing. So prejudice is in many ways more out in the open than one would naturally expect.

Amal doesn't know quite what to expect from her classmates--boys and girls--she doesn't know if she'll be teased, laughed at, ridiculed, called-names, etc. For the most part, her close circle of friends accept her. They're proud of her. Embrace her with open arms. It takes the rest of the class a few more days--to get used to this new image--before they're minds are made up one way or the other. But let's just say her circle of friends expands through the year, it is not that they're not kids who give her a hard time--there is the typical bully who likes to slander and ridicule and mock all the lowly students she deems unworthy--but she finds a great support system.

But this book is about more than being a Muslim. It is about being a teen. It is about being not quite grown-up and having growing pains. Of wanting more freedom than parents are willing to allow. It is about friendships. Amal hangs out with her friends. All the time. Friends are what her world revolves around at times. And the book does a great job in fleshing out these characters and their families.

So the issues faced are in many, many ways that of a typical teen. She is a teen with problems and issues that most kids can relate to and understand. But she is unique too. It's all a balancing act between being 'just like everyone else--especially your friends' and 'being yourself.' Which again I think is fairly normal stuff. At times Amal seems mature, and at other times immature. Sometimes she seems wise, sometimes she seems foolish.

Anyway, what annoyed me at times was Amal's behavior. At times she was disrespectful to her parents and to authority figures in general. And the same things that annoy me about other teen heroines--such as Georgia Nicolson--annoy me about Amal. She can be at times a bit whiny in spots. She can be disrespectful and sarcastic in her narration. But overall I do like her. And I did enjoy this book.

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In today's edition of Travel The World I am reviewing a wonderful, wonderful book called My Cat Copies Me. The author and illustrator isYoon-duck Kwon . The book was originally published in Korea as My Cat Copies Only Me in 2005. The first American edition of My Cat Copies Me was published in 2007 by Kane/Miller. Read more here.

My Cat Copies Me is the story of a girl and a cat. (Obviously.) The two are best of friends. And the text and illustrations show them doing everything together. The book opens with this little poem of sorts:

The book then shows how the cat copies the young girl. But the second half of the book--the biggest surprise of all--is how the girl comes to copy the cat. In her *imitations* of the cat she becomes braver, bolder, and more confident of herself. In other words, the cat helps her become less timid and shy. And helps her fit in and befriend other children. In some ways it is a book of friendship and love and play, but in other ways it's a book about changing and growing and becoming more confident, more sure, more aware.

I absolutely loved this book. Loved it. It was so incredible. I loved, loved, loved the illustrations. They're just so perfect. So right. I love how the cat and girl are drawn to resemble each other. Everything about this book is just so right, so perfect, so beautifully wonderful. I can't sing its praises enough!

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