Catch-up Post 4: Children's Fiction

I Am in a Book by Mo Willems

• Another glorious addition to my favourite series of readers, the Elephant & Piggie books.  In this metafictional story, Elephant and Piggie realize that they have a reader, and consequently have the power to make someone else say whatever silly words they want.  Their only fear is what will happen when the book ends... But don't worry.  They have a solution that everyone should be happy with: "Will you please read us again?"

Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst

• Lulu hates to hear the word, "No."  She screams and screams until her parents give her whatever they want, but when she asks for a brontosaurus for her birthday they will not budge.  She sets out to get one for herself, only to learn that the brontosaurus has other ideas.

Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee

• Three short episodes about two friends, featuring imagination, colourful socks, and a golfish.  Good for new readers.  

How to Be a Pirate, by Cressida Cowell

"How to Be a Pirate" is Cressida Cowell's second "How to Train Your Dragon" book.  Like the first, it is funny and good-natured.  I considered reading the whole series, but decided that I should keep the rest for when I really need a relaxing, amusing read (in between the next heavy teen novels).  I loved this book like I loved the first, and like the first my only significant issue was the lack of female characters.  I don't think a single girl or woman was mentioned in this book, not even Hiccup's mother Valhallarama.  I'm a little perplexed by this.  I know that research suggests that boys are much more interested in books that feature male protagonists, but this doesn't explain why there should be no female characters at all in an entire novel.  Nevertheless, I laughed a lot at this book and read with great joy.  When I have the time, I'll certainly be reading the rest of Cowell's novels.

The Maze of Bones, by Rick Riordan

The Maze of Bones is the first book of The 39 Clues, a hybrid creation from Scholastic Books.  Conceived as a book series, card game, video game, and contest, it's a very slick production.  Scholastic has stated their intention to draw reluctant readers to the books through the games, and while I'm sure that happens once in a while, it just feels like a highly designed marketing scheme to me.

Scholastic recruited a number of children's authors to write these books, which has the side-effect in library-land that the books aren't filed together on the shelf.  The first book is written by children's lit superstar Rick Riordan, with further volumes by heavyweights Gordon Korman, Margaret Peterson Haddix and a handful of others.

The Maze of Bones is a mystery adventure series, part Da Vinci Code and part Harry Potter.  The protagonists are orphans seeking to live up to their birthright,  out-think their relatives and competitors, and crack a code to find a treasure that could change the world.  Plot-holes include: several minors jetting across continents with no recognizable adult supervision, and poorly explained animosity between members of the four family groups.  Most characters are quite superficial, and everyone seems to solve obscure clues far too easily and at exactly the same pace.   I'm glad that it's inspired kids to keep reading, but I think I'll be reading the Wikipedia entries to see what I'm missing in the rest of the series.

Ivy + Bean, by Annie Barrows

Last week I read the first three books in the Ivy + Bean series.  They're remarkably popular with 6 to 9 year old girls in my neighbourhood and I wanted to know what I was peddling.

Ivy and Bean did not expect to like each other.  Ivy is quiet and bookish while Bean can't sit still or stay out of trouble.  However, they both have active imaginations, like a good adventure, and are willing to break the rules.  They are an inseparable pair who have fantastic fun together, whether making magic potions, chasing away ghosts, or digging up dinosaur bones.

The stories are light and warm.  Ivy and Bean have just the right mix of naughtiness and niceness that readers can identify with and yearn to emulate.  I'll be interested to see how they stand up over time, but I suspect they'll be on our shelves for a good while.  They're a great post-reader, early-chapter book level that kids love and parents won't object to. 

The Elephant and Piggie books, by Mo Willems

I'm on the hunt for stories that can be adapted into puppet plays.  They're fun to tell at storytimes or class visits.  Mo Willem's Elephant and Piggie books have potential.  They're short, funny, entirely told with dialogue and actions, and usually feature two speakers.

So far, "Pigs Make Me Sneeze!" looks most promising; it's ready-made for audience participation.  I'm halfway through reading/rereading the rest to see which others feel ripe for retelling.

Books in this Series (So Far):
Today I Will Fly!*
My Friend is Sad *
There is a Bird on Your Head!*
I Am Invited to a Party!*
I Love My New Toy! *
I Will Surprise My Friend!*
Are You Ready To Play Outside?*
Watch Me Throw The Ball!*
Elephants Cannot Dance!*
Pigs Make Me Sneeze!*
I am Going!*
Can I Play Too?*

* Titles I've read

How to Train Your Dragon, by Cressida Cowell

I hesitate too long before reading popular children's lit, fearing that I'll find it shallow or bland.  I know I'm a critical reader, but I really want to like books.  I just need them to be well written, believable (for whatever world they're placed in), and respectful enough of the reader not to leave gaping plot holes.  It's maddening how often a book fails to meet those criteria.

I was relieved and delighted by how much fun I had reading How to Train Your Dragon. The absurd humour, simple pen and ink illustrations, ridiculous adults, and underdog nature of the protagonist are joyfully reminiscent of Roald Dahl.  I was willingly charmed into forgetting that Hiccup's thoughtfulness and creativity were always going to save the day where his fellow vikings' dumb brute strength could not.  Hiccup's achievements are well won and the story is a  playful well-paced romp. 

My only question: Where are all the girls and women?

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters, by Lenore Look

My love for Alvin Ho continues.  Reading the first novel was a revelation.   Last month I presented it at a booktalking workshop with other childrens' librarians, and post-talk feedback suggests that my joy was emanating from me in waves.  I'm pleased that I've succeeded in spreading the word to a few locally-influential folks.  I want to see these books in many little hands.

This second outing is like easing into a warm bath.  I know what to expect, but still leave the book warm, happy, and refreshed.  Alvin is still afraid to speak in school, but less afraid of girls (or at least his friend Flea), still cries regularly (and feels better afterward), still hilariously afraid of just about everything (school, heights, night, camping, bears, aliens, etc), and still makes a few humorous misinterpretations with his siblings (like the nature of credit cards).  Alvin's tough little sister Anibelly features prominently in this book, to great effect.  I wouldn't be surprised if she earns herself a spinoff series in a couple years.

There are a few stylistic differences between Alvin's banter in this book and the first novel.  I found his repeated phrases charming the first time around, and I miss them here.  However, I imagine they could have grown old quickly and Lenore Look may be attempting to avoid that.

I expect I'll talk these books up a fair amount as Summer Reading Club progresses, and will be looking forward to the release of the third episode in September

Uh-oh, Cleo, by Jessica Harper

First chapter books need to be very well done, or else they bore me tremendously.  There's nothing wrong with Uh-oh, Cleo.  It's a simple story about a little girl with a big family, and a trip to the emergency room for stitches.  The author does a fair job at laying out distinct personalities without relying too heavily on stereotype, but it's not the book for me.  I feel like I should appreciate the little songs and rhymes the mother invents for her children, but Frances just does that so much better.

I'll keep it in mind in case a parent asks me for a story about going to the doctor or the hospital.

Gruffen, by Chris d'Lacey

An early chapter book, just beyond the level of a reader.  Shallow story, with inexplicable magic clay molded and kilned to create magic dragon helpers.  I certainly hope that d'Lacey's other series, the Last Dragon Chronicles, written for older readers, is more substantial than this.

This book may appeal to girls who have completed the even-shallower  Rainbow Magic Fairy series.  The first in a series.

Half-Minute Horrors

An anthology of 70+ very short scary stories and comics by a who's who of children's, teen, and adult authors including Neil Gaiman, Lemony Snicket, Holly Black, Margaret Atwood, Kenneth Oppel, etc.  I was hoping to find a story or two that I might want to read at the beginning of a Summer Reading Club program this year, but after finding myself so easily creeped out, I decided not to spring these on anyone without their prior consent. 

Stories range from three lines to three pages long, and as might be expected, it takes some skill to create a sense of place, tension, and conclusion in that space.  Some are markedly stronger than others, and not always by authors that one would expect to languish or excel.  Certain common tropes become repetitive, so I would not recommend reading the book in a single sitting.  A perfect book for summer campfires or Hallowe'en frights.

Amelia Bedelia, by Peggy Parish

Amelia Bedelia makes fun of the arbitrariness of the English language, and how silly it would be if we interpreted everything we were told literally.  Amelia Bedelia is constantly doing the wrong thing, believing she's doing what she was instructed.  I imagine this is particularly amusing to young children who are still learning homonyms and confusing grammatical rules.  Amelia Bedelia herself is well-meaning but daffy, and readers can take outraged joy in knowing better than she does but being unable to correct her.

There are 12 original Amelia Bedelia stories by Peggy Parish, with another 15 to date written by her nephew Herman Parish.

Poppleton series, by Cynthia Rylant

Poppleton the pig moves out to a small town where he meets some good friends with whom he has some good friendly adventures.  Each book includes three chapter length stories.  They're reminiscent of Frog and Toad, but not quite so slapstick silly, and include a larger cast of characters.

The stories are generally charming, but Poppleton and his friends don't particularly captivate me, so apart from a couple stand out stories I'm unmoved.  However, I suspect an army of young readers may disagree with me on that score.  I would happily recommend these to new readers who are somewhat less jaded than I.

Titles
Poppleton*
Poppleton and Friends*
Poppleton Everyday*
Poppleton Forever
Poppleton in Spring*
Poppleton in Fall
Poppleton Has Fun*
Poppleton in Winter

* Titles I have read

Frances the Badger series, by Russell Hoban

Russell Hoban's Frances stories are written at approximately the same reading level as Frog and Toad, but while Frog and Toad titles include a handful of short episodes, each Frances story takes up a whole book.

Frances stories are a little didactic, each involving a particular childhood problem such as going to bed, learning to accept a new sibling, or celebrating other people's birthdays without sulking that it isn't your own.  My favourite story is Bread and Jam for Frances which is the least moralistic of the bunch. 

Frances herself is charismatic and true-to-life.  She invents silly songs throughout the day, which I quite adore.  They define her character, and remind me of my own daily childhood compositions, or the way my three year old nephew revels in wordplay.  She acts intermittently stubborn, jealous, selfish, mopey, confused, happy, and loving just like any other preschooler or kindergarten aged child.

Titles:
Bread and Jam for Frances
A Baby Sister for Frances
Bedtime for Frances
A Birthday for Frances
Best Friends for Frances
A Bargain for Frances

Frog and Toad series, by Arnold Lobel

Readers/First Chapter books are very popular in my library.  This month I decided to read/reread some of the classics of the genre, the better to recommend them to our young readers.

I was also looking for stories that I could adapt for my storytimes, telling them with puppets or the felt board.  Frog and Toad stories are made for this.  They are short, memorable, funny, and touching.  I love the gentleness of these tales.  Life is very calm and problems are never too big that a good friend can't help overcome them. 

Titles:
Frog and Toad are Friends
Frog and Toad Together
Frog and Toad All Year
Days with Frog and Toad

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, by John Boyne

This book irritated me more than other in ages.  The nine year old protagonist's naivete about who Hitler is, let alone the Jews, is not believable.  The conclusion is too neat, and would never happen.  The little boy in the camp would never invite anyone to visit him in there, seeing what he has seen.  The author's referral to the story as a "fable" sounds to me like an excuse for suspending plausibility.  This book has been very successful, but I cannot entirely understand why.

Found, by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Two boys discover their adoptions are nowhere near ordinary and attempt to uncover the truth.  This science fiction mystery will appeal to both boys and girls (as the third protagonist is a sister).  Many clues turn out to be red herrings, but the kids' persistence, ingenuity, and loyalty take them far. The siblings relationship is convincingly teasing, maddening, and loving. 

 Spoiler: The sequel will add historical fiction to the mix of genres.  Time travel books tend to be little too far-fetched for my own preference, particularly when the characters all accept it too easily, but this has been a popular novel and I'd be interested to hear how readers enjoy the back-in-time follow-up.

The Thieves of Ostia, by Caroline Lawrence

As a one-time student of Greek & Roman Studies, I've been thrilled to see this series inspire several children in my branch to learn about Roman culture and mythology.

The Thieves of Ostia is the first book of the seventeen-volume Roman Mysteries series.  It introduces a group of four friends who work together to solve the mysterious death of a pet dog.  I found the story to be predictable, but enjoyable, populated by likeable but fairly flat characters.  As this book represents Lawrence's first foray into novel-writing, I'm curious about whether her writing is stronger in later volumes once she's had a chance to develop her craft.

Ruby Lu, Brave and True, by Lenore Look

Ruby Lu, Brave and True was Lenore Look's first chapter book.  Since I fell in love with Alvin Ho a couple weeks ago, I've wanted to check out her previous series.

Comparatively, Ruby Lu feels like an early effort.  The narrative style  doesn't read as smoothly as Alvin Ho.  Ruby herself is curious, funny, and a realistic blend of brave and nervous, but she's not as convincingly complete or disarming as Alvin is.  Visually, the illustrations in Alvin Ho accentuate the text more dramatically than those in Ruby Lu.  Then again, I was thoroughly smitten with LeUyen Pham's clean expressive style, so I may not have given illustrator Anne Wilsdorf a fair chance.

In summary, Ruby Lu is promising, where Alvin Ho is stellar.  I love how Lenore Look's writing has grown over the last five years.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things, by Lenore Look

Alvin Ho is utterly charming.  Funny, sweet, and touching; it's a rare book that inspires so much affection in me.   LeUyen Pham's simple but emotive line drawings accentuate the text wonderfully.  I'm thrilled to see that Look & Pham have collaborated on another two Alvin Ho books after this one.

Alvin is a superhero and aspiring gentleman at home, but has never spoken a single word in school.  This has not helped him gain any friends, at least not the kind he wants.  Flea, a girl with a cool pirate eye-patch, has not figured out that he is "allergic" to girls, and gaily translates his terrified facial expressions for their teachers.  She is a fantastic character herself, brave, tough and loyal.  I'm hoping to see more of her in the next books.  Alvin fumbles through home and school life, learning through painfully funny accidents and misunderstandings.  Throughout it all, his parents are there to sort him out, calm him down, and set him straight.

I'd recommend this book to shy children, brave children, and everyone else.  In my city, it's a bonus that the protagonist is asian-american, particularly when the book doesn't make a big deal out it.  Children's literature needs more books like this.

The Spiderwick Chronicles, by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black

Last year I thoroughly enjoyed reading Holly Black's dark and gritty teen fiction, so in my push to read more children's novels I picked up all five books in The Spiderwick Chronicles.  I didn't have terribly high expectations as they have the look of a publisher-commissioned series, but I was proven delightfully wrong.

The plot components are familiar: parents divorce; children are unhappy at moving; old house is a little creepy; strange events happen; children are blamed; children discover truth but don't tell adults; children brave adventures; children are victorious; parent apologizes for disbelief.

I get a little bored when I'm fairly sure I know how a book/series will play out, but there was enough that was new or interesting to keep me reading these.  More importantly, there's plenty to keep young readers engaged.  The Spiderwick Chronicles is written for children who are just starting to read novels, but are capable of tackling stories a step beyond the series fiction I was looking at earlier this month.  Each book has a familiar narrative arc and is short enough that it shouldn't intimidate readers, but doesn't scrimp on the rare words.
 
I've been wondering whether Spiderwick was conceived as a single novel or as a series.  My inner cynic suspected the publisher chose this format to increase book sales or to compete with A Series of Unfortunate Events.  Whatever the case, it works as it is.  Older readers may gobble up all five novels at once, while younger readers can work through one at a time.