Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Who and what is the book about (back-of-the-book blurb): A stunning modern-day fairy tale – Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it’s up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” Breadcrumbs is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

Where and when does it take place: Breadcrumbs is neatly divided into two sections – the first takes place in a midwestern suburb in the present day; the second section is set “in the woods,” an enchanted and timeless forest ruled by a woman made of ice.

What would I say to a friend who asked me about it: Breadcrumbs is a wonderful middle grade novel which – while giving nods to several fairy tales and fantasy books – is unique in its exploration of changes in the lives of the young protagonists. Hazel and Jack have been best friends for ages; now in their upper elementary years, Jack seems ready to let go of their shared fantasies and spend more time with his male peers. Hazel, always more creative and individual than her classmates, has found shelter and support in Jack’s friendship, and has little interest in spending time doing (stereotypical) activities with other girls. Aside from the changing rhythms of their childhoods, Hazel and Jack have both experienced more abrupt changes in the past few years – Hazel’s parents have divorced, and her Dad is remarrying; Jack’s mother suffers from depression (referred to as a ‘sadness’ in the novel).

When Jack disappears into the mysterious woods, Hazel knows he’s in trouble, and that only she can save him. Once she crosses beyond the tree line, the real magic kicks in. Just like in the outside world, things are not always as they appear; Hazel has to assess people’s motivations, learn who she can trust, and ultimately rely on her own strength and the power of friendship. Because we are always with Hazel, and never alone with Jack, we see more of her growth as a character. She is a strong female protagonist, and a positive, encouraging model for young readers.

Why did I read it: Breadcrumbs got a lot of pre-publication attention, which brought it to my attention. While I don’t often review middle grade (or young adult) books because I feel I’m not the target audience, and can’t give the “best” (most accurate, most insightful) review, I decided to take the plunge with this novel.

A few favorite passages: I marked several passages, enjoying the subtle references to The Chronicles of Narnia, A Wrinkle in Time, and the Harry Potter series, among others, while noting “hey, I should re-read (or, in some cases, read for the first time) that book!”

This is the opening paragraph of the novel, which so neatly sets the stage for what is to come:

It snowed right before Jack stopped talking to Hazel, fluffy white flakes big enough to show their crystal architecture, like perfect geometric poems. It was the sort of snow that transforms the world around it into a different kind of place. You know what it’s like – when you wake up to find everything white and soft and quiet, when you run outside and your breath suddenly appears before you in a smoky poof, when you wonder for a moment if the world in which you woke up is not the same one that you went to bed in the night before. Things like that happen, at least in the stories you read. It was the sort of snowfall that, if there were any magic to be had in the world, would make it come out.

And this sage observation from an adult in the suburbs (before Hazel followed Jack into the woods):

“I believe that the world isn’t always what we can see. … And I believe that goodness wins out. … if someone’s changed overnight … you have to show them what’s good. You show them love. That works a surprising amount of the time. And if that doesn’t save them, they’re not worth saving.”

What else can I add: Breadcrumbs was selected as NPR’s Backseat Book Club pick for December 2011; middle grade listeners were invited to read the book (along with their parents), to discuss it among the family, ask questions and submit observations to NPR, and to send in photos of themselves reading. This is a fantastic program, and a great way to engage families (and classrooms) in conversations about books … and whatever else it may lead to.

Anne Ursu is also the author of the Cronus Chronicles (The Shadow Thieves, The Siren Song, and The Immortal Fire), and teaches in an MFA program in Writing for Children. You can find her on Facebook and on Twitter. Breadcrumbs was named a finalist in the 2011 Cybils (Children’s and Young Adults Blogger’s Literary Awards).

Drum City written by Thea Guidone, illustrated by Vanessa Newton

Drum.

Bowls and buckets,

cartons and cans,

barrels and bins,

and pots and pans,

mops on pails,

and rusty old rails -

a frolicking, rollicking

ruckus of rumbling

drums.

We absolutely love the rhythm, rhyme, and sense of empowerment in Drum City. Vanessa Newton’s illustrations are bright, detailing a city which may be New York, but isn’t named. I especially enjoy the facial expressions – children are joyous, adults are confused/curious, and a bit slower to join in – but they do!

Mel and Jen snuggle with "Pig" from "If You Give a Pig a Pancake" at the Family Trees exhibit at the Concord Museum

Subway Story by Julia Sarcone-Roach

We learn of the fans that keep passengers cool on summer days in the city, the fun Jessie has as she rounds a curve heading toward an underwater tunnel, and watch the passage of time as Jessie’s headlights are replaced by newer models, her doors and windows are upgraded, and her exterior is covered by graffiti (then repainted). My Boston-bred younger kids have never been to New York, but they connected with the subway cars we’ve ridden in Boston, and the excitement of driving the Mass Pike as it dips below Boston Harbor (with one of them turning to the other to state ominously “we’re underwater now!”).

After many years, Jessie is retired to a holding yard for the summer months; her overhead fans no longer keep passengers cool enough, so air-conditioned cars run the routes during the summer. Jessie looks forward to the change of seasons, when the air gets cooler and she is back on the tracks.

One fall, however, Jessie is not returned to service. She sits in the yard waiting to ride the rails again; and waits; and waits. Finally, Jessie is removed from the yard and brought to a maintenance bay. There her seats are removed, along with doors, windows, and her engine, until nothing is left except her frame.

Along with a dozen other “empty” cars, Jessie is put on a barge and towed out past the harbor into the open ocean. There a crane nudges the cars one by one into the ocean. Jessie is scared, but a small shimmery fish comes to say hello. This little fish stays, and soon others follow, building their homes in Jessie’s shell of a car, and attracting other (bigger!) fish. The fish swim in and out of Jessie’s windows, coral grows on the support poles, and Jessie enjoys the company. Her new home underwater is just as busy and vibrant as her previous life above-ground had been.

This picture book, written and illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach, reels the reader in. We begin in the 1960s, with a shiny new subway car and the promises of the future that are displayed at the World’s Fair. The sense of time is strong, and we readers appreciate the history lesson and the subtle changes as time passes. What comes as a surprise is the grand repurposing of Jessie and other subway cars as artificial reefs. This is “reduce, recycle, reuse” on a grand scale; the message is shared quietly, but with great impact.

An Author’s Note at the back explains that Sarcone-Roach was inspired to write the book after a visit to the New York Transit Museum, where she learned that subway cars brought to the City for the 1964 World’s Fair had been retired and “reefed” off the Delaware coast in the early 2000s. She explains that, around the world, older subway cars have seen new life as artists’ studios, work spaces, shelters, and restaurants. Many, like this fictional Jessie, have been reused as artificial reefs.

My kids really liked the story and the personality of Jessie. They were a bit concerned that she was “littering” when she went to live in the ocean, which led to a discussion about “where does all the garbage go,” recycling vs. reusing, and the ultimate goal of reducing our waste. We went back to the pages where Jessie is in the service bay, and saw that pollutants (oil, gasoline) had been removed, as well as smaller parts that might become dislodged and harm marine life. In the end, we agreed that this was a smart way for Jessie to spend the last of her years.

Julia Sarcone-Roach’s illustrations are striking – soft yet detailed, using light and shadow to give depth. Can you see the title in red on the cover – it’s detailed in tiny squares, like the mosaics in many subway stations. The passage of time is shown in the fashions of the passengers, from the 1960s to the present day. We smiled at women wearing white gloves on the subway and the cat’s eye glasses in those early years. My favorites are the pages near the end, when Jessie is underwater and – in time lapse, as we turn pages – we see her transform from an empty lonely shell to a home for hundreds of fish and plants.

My one plea to publishers – please include information about the art on the jacket flap!  I don’t have the knowledge to say if these are watercolors, acrylics, or another medium. I do know that they’re very attractive!

Never Forgotten by Patricia C. McKissack; artwork by Leo & Diane Dillon

She Is Too Fond of Books’ review: Before I talk about this beautiful book itself, I want to share what inspired Patricia C. McKissack to write this tribute to those who were captured in the slave trade. McKissack indicates that she often wondered about the grief-stricken family and friends who were left behind when loved ones were kidnapped (or “Taken” with a capital “T”). She wondered about mourning rituals or commemorations honoring those whose fates were unknown. McKissack was unable to find information about any specific ceremonies that address the situation, but she felt  certain that these captured people were loved and missed.

She turned to African folklore and history, pulling the Mother Elements of Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind as characters in a free-verse story. Dinga is a blacksmith in Mende (West Africa); his daily work is made possible by earth, fire, water, and wind. When Dinga’s wife dies in childbirth, he opts to raise his son alone – aided by the Mother Elements and the people of his village.

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson

Back-of-the-book blurb: The story of America and African Americans is a story of hope and inspiration and unwavering courage. But it is also the story of injustice; of a country divided by law, education, and wealth; of a people whose struggles and achievements helped define their country. This is the story of the men, women, and children who toiled in the hot sun picking cotton for their masters; it’s about the America ripped in two by Jim Crow laws; it’s about the brothers and sisters of all colors who rallied against those who would dare bar a child from an education. It’s a story of discrimination and broken promises, determination and triumphs.

Kadir Nelson, one of this generation’s most accomplished, award-winning artists, has created an epic yet intimate introduction to the history of America and African Americans, from colonial days through the civil rights movement. Written in the voice of an “Everywoman,” an unnamed narrator whose forebears came to this country on slave ships and who lived to cast her vote for the first African American president, heart and soul touches on some of the great transformative events and small victories of that history. This inspiring book demonstrates that in gaining their freedom and equal rights, African Americans helped our country achieve its promise of liberty and justice—the true heart and soul of our nation.

She Is Too Fond of Books’ review: Heart and Soul is an illustrated history book targeted for middle grade readers – but it goes beyond that mission, in many ways. Set to read like a letter from a grandmother to the younger generations, it opens with this poignant statement (Prologue):

Most folks my age and complexion don’t speak much about the past. Sometimes it’s just too hard to talk about  … [but] You have to know where you came from so you can move forward.

The book continues with short chapters discussing the role of African Americans throughout of nation’s history – yes, roles that will make the reader angry at the injustice, and proud of the accomplishments. Nelson (in the voice of the elderly grandmother) takes the reader from the “birth” of nation in 1776 through the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

That’s 200 years of history in 100 beautifully illustrated pages; each chapter is about eight pages long, split evenly between full-page text and full-page illustration. I read the book aloud in several sittings to our younger (7 and 9 years) children; our 13-year-old read it on his own. The short chapters break up the dense text, and make a natural stopping point for discussion.

Nelson make the story personal to the fictional narrator. At the author’s breakfast during the recent NEIBA Fall Conference, Nelson explained that he was inspired to write the history after reading an interview with a 100-year-old African American woman who voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 elections. He began to speak to his own family members and dug deeper to hear of slaves in his lineage, descendants of native Americans, and people who migrated north to escape Jim Crow and to look for work. The emotion of Nelson’s personal connection comes through in the words of the narrator – this isn’t simply history, this is a family (and a nation’s) story.

The Epilogue continues the letter from the grandmother, telling the children:

Our centuries-long struggle for freedom and equal rights had helped make the American promise of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness a reality for all Americans. We have come a mighty long way, honey, and we still have a good ways to go, but that promise and the right to fight for it is worth every ounce of its weight in gold. It is our nation’s heart and soul.

Kadir Nelson dedicates this beautiful book:

For my family … and for every American family whose invaluable contributions and stories have helped stitch the grand quilt of these United States.

Illustrations (painted) are vivid and expressive; Nelson fills the page  - these are not simply accents to the written word, they are an integral part of the story. Some of the illustrations are made to look like family photographs from an old album or scrapbook, rather than depicting historical events; this furthers the connection of Heart and Soul as a family story, with Americans being one very large family.

Kadir Nelson received Caldecott Honors for two previous works: Henry’s Freedom Box (Ellen Levine) and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom (Carole Boston Weatherford).

Heart and Soul has most of the tools you’d expect from a reference book: illustrations are captioned, there’s a timeline (1565 – 2009), an extensive bibliography, and a complete index. The only piece I didn’t find is a table of contents – perhaps starting the book as a story/letter makes it more inviting to young readers.

Highly recommended for the home, school, and public library.

The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot written by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by Mark Fearing

Back-of-the-book blurb: GREEP BOINK MEEP! The three little aliens are happily settling into their new homes when the Big Bad Robot flies in to crack and smack and whack their houses down! A chase across the solar system follows in this out-of-this-world version of the classic Three Little Pigs tale. Margaret McNamara (How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?) and Mark Fearing (The Book that Eats People) have created a humorous and visually stunning story that kids will adore—and that will introduce them to the planets and the solar system. The endpapers even include a labeled diagram of all the planets.

She Is Too Fond of Books’ review: I hadn’t read the jacket flap before settling in to read this fun picture book with my 7-year-old. We saw the cover art – Big Bad robot’s intimidating legs, and the very expressive faces on the aliens (each with a different reaction – confused, scared, and angry)  - and thought it would be a fun/funny book to read.

It wasn’t until we got to this page that I realized it was a derivative of the familiar tale:

“Little alien! Little alien!” bleeped the Robot. “Pull over! PULL OVER!”

“Not by the wheels of my trusty space rover!” cried Bork bravely.

“Then I’ll crack and smack and whack your house down!” meeped the Robot.

My son was laughing out loud at the Robot “bleeping” and “meeping” his words, and really enjoyed the greep, boink, meep, peedily, deep, ork, eep eep sounds that accompanied it (as an aside, he now insists on being a robot for Halloween this year, and is practicing his greep).

Sometimes you have to hit me over the head with a moon rock to get my attention, but once I realized this is a retelling of The Three Little Pigs, I really appreciated how clever it is.

The three little aliens are Bork, Gork, and Nklxwcyz (I say “nixle-wix”); Bork and Gork’s answers to straw and stick houses are riding a space rover on Mars and surfing the rings of Saturn on a satellite. Nklxwcyz chooses the finest space debris (boulders, stardust, solar panels, and a telescope) to build a sturdy home on Neptune. This, of course, was the ultimate demise of the Robot, who exploded when he couldn’t fit down the chimney.

Mark Fearing’s illustrations are bright and expressive  - the three little aliens have distinct personalities, which shine through in their clothing and faces. McNamara’s text and Fearing’s intergalactic details help readers learn a bit about the planets as the aliens make their way to their new homes (Venus is “too hot,” Earth is “too crowded”). An author’s note explains “this is not a science book, but there is a little bit of science in the aliens’ travels” and tells of the illustrations:

Mark Fearing researched the planets so that he could depict them as accurately as possible, and based their coloration on photographs provided by NASA. All eight planets are shown on the endpapers, though the distance between them is not to scale.

An enjoyable, laugh-out-loud book, with some sneaky learning opportunities; highly recommended.

Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Tim Bowers

Back-of-the-book blurb: A bass-playing rooster searches for just the right band to perform with in the upcoming barnyard talent show. From their swing to their scat, these jazzy animals drive the barnyard wild in this rollicking, rhyming, and rhythmic story.

She Is Too Fond of Books’ review: Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band looks like an innocent children’s picture book, but it’s really a great way to get everyone – children and the adults who read with them – tapping their toes and learning about the history of jazz as they read this tale of music, friendship, and can-do spirit.

Acoustic Rooster has practiced his bass guitar all summer, gearing up for the big Barnyard Talent Show. When the contest is announced, Acoustic Rooster sets out to find a band to join – he meets Thelonious Monkey, Mules Davis, Ella Finchgerald along the way:

Mules Davis led an orchestra
that featured three cool cats.
Ella Finchgerald had a trio
but Rooster couldn’t scat.

Rooster was feeling kind of blue,
then heard a baby grand.
“I have a great idea,” he said.
“I’ll start my own jazz band.”

Never discouraged, he heads to the riverbank to visit his piano-playing cousin, Duck Ellington. Duck takes him to the Cotton Club where Bee Holiday buzzes a swinging tune. Rounding out the band – literally – is a porcine Pork Chop on percussion. The group practices for their big debut, and play with all their souls at the talent show. Although Rooster’s band doesn’t win top prize at the talent show, he is buoyed by the friendships of his bandmates, heart-felt compliments from the other musicians, and a love of music that lifts his spirits.

Kwame Alexander’s simple A-B-C-B rhyming cadence is catchy and fits well with the musical subject. Vibrant painted illustrations by Tim Bowers add further dimension to the characters, with fun details like the shades on Mules Davis and the Hawaiian print shirt that Pork Chop wears.  I was pleased when my younger daughter recognized Tim Bowers as the illustrator of Memoirs of a Goldfish.

Appendices list a musical vocabulary/glossary, give brief bios of the real-life counterparts to some of Acoustic Rooster’s friends (Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holiday, and offer a jazz timeline from the 1700s to the present day.

Not only is Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band a smart addition to any home, school, or public library, it’s also a fun “coffee table” type book for adults interested in jazz – sure to be picked up and passed around when guests are over.

I hope you enjoy this video of Kwame Alexander talking about Acoustic Rooster and his visit to a bookstore on publication day – he’s got quite a personality! He also reads the first few pages of the book, so you’ll get an idea for the rhythm of the words.