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Mayday, Mayday, Mayday! The Children's Book Review (call sign TCBR) is declaring a reading emergency. The weather is clear and suitable for reading outside.

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I was feeling sad. It doesn't matter why. I wrote part of a story then I didn't have a next, and so I went to take a walk. To think this inchoate tale of mine through. To cast about for a "then...." I wasn't planning to write another word, but I don't believe you can leave a story hanging on the edge of its own cliff. You have to have something to return to—tomorrow, next week, next year. You have to have some dangling threads.

I went to a patch of woods, stood by a creek, took photographs, made notes, gave myself a place to begin again.

Then I came home and chose from this stack of books and read.


Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin is the book I chose. Count me now among the crowd of admirers of this simple-seeming book. It's the story of a girl who loves homonyms (which are in fact called homophones), a girl who loves rules, a girl whose single dad may not be well-equipped to handle her quirks, her needs. Against the odds, this girl's dad does, for her, something that seems right and good—brings home a dog she names Rain. But after a superstorm separates the girl from the dog, she learns loneliness, worry, and how to handle the truth. How to be bigger than one's own needs. How to see the world as others do.

How do we teach our children integrity? We give them books like this one—Rain Reign.

How do we write well, whenever we will write again?

By reading the right books. By burying our sad in another's art.

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Rose is a high-functioning autistic fifth grader who loves homonyms and her dog, Rain. When her father lets Rain out one stormy night, Rose begins to search for her missing dog — which sets off a chain of unexpected events. A candid, sophisticated, empowering read. Books mentioned in this post Rain Reign Ann M. Martin [...]

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The Prologue of the first book in the Family Tree Quartet warns us that sometimes, as the title says, it is Better to Wish than to know what is in the future.

Abby's story starts in 1930 when she is 8.  We learn that times are tough but that her father works hard.  Abby's mother still grieves for the two children she lost.  Abby has a good friend, Orrin, that her father doesn't want her to play with.  This first chapter sets the stage for the challenges Abby faces as a girl coming to age in the Depression.  Her father's intractable ideas about people and their worth, her mother's inability to stand up to her husband, the fact that under it all these are people who are just trying hard to do their best, all these things make Abby's choices hard but understandable.

This book sees Abby from childhood through adulthood, from carefree days to brave decisions.  It's a lot for one 200+ page book to do.  Martin does it well.  Her language does not burden young readers with all the concerns that an adult reader will glean.  The book has just enough introspection for the audience which is girls between the ages of 11 and 14.

I look forward to reading the other books in the quartet.

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Kristy Thomas, Claudia Kishi and Mary Anne Spier are coming to an eReader near you. Scholastic will release the first twenty volumes of the The Baby-sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin as eBooks on December 1, 2012.

Each eBook will feature its original book cover created by artist Hodges Soileau. This venture marks the first time the popular young-adult series will be available in digital format. Fans can also go to the official Baby-sitters Club Facebook page to access previews of the new eBooks, quizzes, polls, images and memorabilia.

Here’s more from the release: “[The series] was supposed to debut in 1986 and end in 1987, and to consist of only four titles. Instead, it ended 15 years later, with four additional related series, approximately 250 titles, spawned a TV series as well as a movie, and prompted girls around the world to start their own baby-sitters clubs. The Baby-sitters Club became the first children’s series to appear on the USA Today bestseller list and was named one of the ‘Books of the Century’ by the New York Times Book Review.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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When Pearl Littlefield starts fifth grade she is assigned an essay on her summer vacation.  Sigh.  Her summer was nothing like she expected.  Her teacher asks for an outline and Pearl's first item is
I.  My dad got fired.

Set in New York City, Ann M. Martins' Ten Good and Bad Things about My Life (So Far), follows Pearl's family as they cope with two work at home parents, one of whom is also looking for a job. 

Pearl's older sister, Lexie, out-matures Pearl at every turn. 

Day camp was already paid for but Lexie ends up being Pearl's CIT. 

Pearl has a falling out with her best friend.  And then Pearl causes a horrible accident!

The whole family goes on a "staycation".

And then, Pearl, with the brilliant help of her best friend who forgave her, starts a business! 

I love this family.  I love the way they take care of each other.  I love the way they fight and make up.  I love Ann M. Martin and her books.

There are a lot of adventures of the believable everyday kind, a lot of humor, a lot of age-appropriate behavior, a lot of fun and some ahhhh! moments, too.

Pearl makes some observations that seem a bit too mature for a fifth grade girl.  However, as an oldest sister I have noticed that my younger sisters seemed more mature than I was at every stage.  Maybe having an older sister ups the ante on maturity.  I, not having an older sister for most of my life (do foster sisters count? I have an older one of those) wouldn't know.  AND, letting a ten year old have revelations in a book for other ten year olds is sometimes part of the point.

Anyway, I give this book a healthy 4 stars out of a possible five.  I read the ARC and maybe the finished copy will be a five of five.  Ann M. Martin still has her writing- for- kids chops.

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When I started this blog - back in the Cretaceous period - I was not the only contributor.  I was also clueless as to how one goes about announcing that this post or that were written by someone else.  Blog posts that mention textbooks, school, Oriental Medicine - all with authority - were written by some of my very good friends.

This was in the percolating stage of blogdom before a purpose and direction were more fully formed.  Oh wait, that's still now. 

I just feel the need to let the wider readership know that a lot of the posts herein during year one and two are not mine.  So don't be confused.  I was not working in a library, going to school, practicing Oriental Medicine in three different states all at the same time.  I am awesome, truly, but not....spoiler alert...I am not a superhero.  Sigh.

Read Ann M. Martin's latest yesterday.  Ten Good and Bad Things about My Life (So Far).  I liked it.  So in honor of that book here is my list of 10 good and bad things about my life today.

1.  It is pouring down rain.                 Good                   &                     Bad
2.  I am still in my pjs.                        Good
3.  It is after 12 noon.                          Good!                                    But also bad
4.  My office is a mess                                                                           Bad.
5.  I need  to exercise.                            ???                                            !!!
6.  I am not a superhero.                      Thank goodness!  No pressure.
7.  Some people do not know #6.  ;)                                                  they are very demanding.
8.  I do not practice Oriental Medicine                 Probably good!
9.  I do not have a pet.                          Good - no work                          Bad - pets are sweet!
10. I have to go to the drs. with Dad           Good, someone has to.        Bad, I want a healthy Dad

Tomorrow, I will review Ten Good and Bad Things About my Life (So Far).    We've come a long way since The Babysitters' Club (a fun series indeed!)

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• “Jarrett Krosoczka is one of 25 hottest children’s authors in the nation.” So said Henderson City Mayor Andy Hafen when presenting Mr. Krosoczka with the key to the city.  I’ll just say that again.  The mayor of a city mentioned Jarrett being part of my old The Hot Men of Children’s Literature series when presenting him with that city’s key.  Geez o’ petes.  Looks like I’m going to have to restart that series one of these days (though I KNOW I did more than just twenty-five!).  Credit to The Las Vegas Review Journal for the image.

• In my children’s room we have two copies of Florence Parry Heide’s The Shrinking of Treehorn.  It is regularly requested throughout the system, though sometimes difficult to find thanks to its small size (it will occasionally meander over to our Little Books Shelf when it’s in a wandering mood).  Thus it was with sadness that I learned that Ms. Heide passed away recently at the age of 92.  We should all reread Treehorn (or any of her other works, for that matter) in her honor.

• Wow.  I am in awe.  Here we have a really amazing and worthwhile piece over at Teach Mentor Texts charting a teacher’s changing attitude towards Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back.  From initial disgust to grudging appreciation to possible enjoyment.  It’s a testament to keeping an open mind after a first reading, and the amount of self-awareness at work here is amazing.  Folks sometimes tell me that my reviews of picture books are far too long, but I think this post makes it infinitely clear how there is to be said about the power of that format.

• Remember that picture book manifesto that aired recently?  Well at Fomagrams there’s a piece from David Elzey called of picture books and amnesiacs that gives that document a thorough once over.  Everything from the statement on “robust criticism” to the relative honesty or dishonesty of “tidy endings” is examined thoroughly.  Today I appear to be linking to posts from folks unafraid to use their brains.  A nice trend.

• Is 90% of everything crap?  Jonathan Hunt says so, sparking a variety of different comments from his regular readers.  Heavy Medal is always good for thoughts of this sort.  In fact, I recently decided that the site has given me a chance to examine my own personal Newbery book prejudices.  Prejudices, I would add, that most committee members share, but prejudices just the same.  More on that when I tally up the final predictions at the end of the year, of course.

• Speaking of the Newbery, is it a good or bad idea to find out as much as you can about a book before rendering a final decision about its worth?  I ask this because Jules recently had 6 Comments on Fusenews: “A sort of child’s Jane Eyre.”, last added: 11/2/2011