Undefeated by Steven Sheinkin

Jim Thorpe was the son two mixed American Indian/European parents. He attended the Carlisle Indian School which had as its purpose to eradicate the "Indian" part of its students. Jim hated school and often ran away, until he was recruited to be on the school's track team.  From there he joined the football team and under the coaching of Pop Warner, the team became one of the best collegiate teams in the country. Recognizing Jim's amazing athletic talent, Warner encouraged Jim to try out for the 1912 Olympic team.  He made it onto the team and ended up winning the gold in the pentathlon and decathlon. Soon afterward, his medals were stripped from him when it was discovered that he had played minor league baseball, and was therefore considered a professional instead of amateur athlete. He, nevertheless, went on to play professional baseball and then helped start the National Football League.

I have very little interest in sports in general, and football in particular, so the fact that I really enjoyed this book, even though it is rather long, is a testament to Sheinkin's writing skill.  Sheinkin talks about the effects of the cultural annihilation practiced at the Indian schools at the time.  He also explores the complicated relationship between Pratt, the head of the Carlisle School, Pop Warner, the coach, and the students like Thorpe.  He spends a lot of time describing how Warner helped football evolve from an unrestrained brawn brawl on the field to the complex and much safer game it is today.  It really was a fascinating read and I am sure I will be recommending it to the sports kids that come into the library. (2017, 280 p)

Me and Marvin Gardens by Amy Sarig King

Obe Devlin lives on the land his parents and grandparents lived on.  He feels connected to the land, and goes out to the creek every day to pick up trash and keep things nice.  As a new housing development grows on what used to be Devlin land, Obe mourns and tries desperately to hold on to everything he has lost.  Then one day he finds an amazing animal near the new subdivision.  It is unlike anything he or anyone else has ever seen before.  He instinctively feels that he must protect it, but as he learns more about the creature, he realizes that protecting it is going to be harder than he could have imagined.

This book is on our Newbery list, but only had one starred review.  I guess it is getting some buzz in the blogosphere and is on the Junior Library Guild list.  Part of its appeal is that it deals with a current issue, loss of green space because of development. There is also an element of wish fulfillment for adults reading the book (and these reviews and stars come from adult readers)  in that Obe is the kind of kid parents wish kids were "now days."  He prefers playing outside to inside, and doesn't follow the "in" crowd or play computer games.  I liked the book pretty well, but the animal that eats plastic and poops toxic waste was just a bit too much of a stretch for me.  It may be on our Newbery list, but I don't consider it a real contender. (2017, 243 p.)

The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barkley Moore

Lolly lives in Harlem, and is grieving because his brother has recently been killed in gang related violence.  Lolly struggles with anger and sadness, and his only relief is when he loses himself creating Lego structures.  For Christmas his mother's partner brings him a huge bag of Legos, and he uses them to create a magnificent Lego world in an empty room in a rec center where he spends time after school.  His Legos lead him to an unlikely friendship and his art gives him an anchor that helps him navigate the storms of his grief. 

This book got starred reviews everywhere this year.  It think it is because it feels like a really authentic look at life in the projects in Harlem.  In the book the social pressure for Lolly and his friends to join a gang is intense.  The ones that get through it are those that have something else to cling to, like Lolly's Lego art or his friend's violin playing.  I enjoyed this book and think it has a shot at he Newbery this year, but it didn't have the literary beauty of Clayton Byrd Goes Underground, and Beyond the Bright Sea.  My personal favorite, I'm Just no Good at Rhyming, is probably a long shot. (294 p. 2017)

The Wonderling by Mira Bartok

The main character in this story starts life with only a number as a name.  Number 13 is a groundling, a creature that is part animal and part human.  Number 13 has a fox's face, but is missing an ear.  He is friendly and hopeless in a Dickensian orphanage. Then he meets a new orphan, Trinket, and with her friendship, he finds the courage to take charge of his life and confront an evil that threatens the happiness of the whole country.

This was another very fanciful fantasy.  I think I liked the story better than either The Glass Town Game or Furthermore, because it isn't as random or outrageous as the other two. Both Arthur (Number 13) and Trinket are very likable characters and the ending is satisfying. Unfortunately the writing is a little uneven. Most of it was fine, but there were places that I thought to myself, "oh, that was worded awkwardly." Still, it would work well as a read aloud for a family with a variety of ages listening in, though, at 450 p. perhaps it is a little long for that. It is a good choice for the kids who like Redwall.  (2017)

The Dam Keeper

The dam keeper is a young pig who inherited the job from his father.  The dam he maintains doesn't keep water out, but instead keeps a dark and evil mist from invading his walled city.  He has maintained the dam so long, that people in the town have stopped appreciating the sacrifice he makes to keep them safe. Then one day a gigantic wave of mist slams into the city, and the Dam Keeper is swept into the deadly land beyond the city wall.

This is kind of a dark and brooding graphic novel that got some starred reviews this year. It is apparently based on a short film, but it is fine to read even if you haven't seen the film. The illustration is stunning, and the story is clearly the opener for a series. I am intrigued that they used kind of a rolly-polly pig as the main character.  It actually makes the whole story more suspenseful to juxtapose the goofy looking pig with the serious content.  I will be eager to see the next one when it comes out. (153 p. 2017)

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

Alice lives in the land of Farenwood where people get magical power from the land and the plants they eat.  In Farenwood color represents magical prowess, but Alice was born almost completely devoid of color, which makes her something of an outcast.  When Alice faces her 13th year and her "surrender" where she is supposed to be given a important task to complete for the community, she instead embarks on a journey with a village boy, Oliver, into the wildly magical land of Furthermore in hopes of finding her long lost father.

This is an intensely fantastical magical world, so much so that I was at first put off by it.  My old brain can't do the imaginative acrobatics it used to be able to do (or maybe I never was very imaginative). I almost gave up about 100 pages in, but I pressed on, and as I did I began to be more attached to the characters, and that carried me through to the end.  The book reminded me a little of the Glass Town Game I read a little while ago, or like Alice in Wonderland.  The magical elements were really random, without a lot of apparent rhyme or reason.  This book got starred reviews in Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus when it came out, I am guessing mostly because of the strong characterizations and creative use of language.  I read it this week because the sequel, Whichwood, is on my Starred Reviews list for this year.  I may have to take a break before I read the next one to give my imagination muscles a rest.(2016. 401 p.)

Patina by Jason Reynolds

Patty hates to lose.  She has lost a lot in her short lifetime.  She lost her father and later her home when her mother lost her legs to diabetes.  Now Patty and her sister live with their auntie, and Patty is starting to find friendship and purpose on an elite track team. Will her drive to win drive away the people who matter most?

This is a companion volume to Reynold's award winning book, Ghost.  Ghost appears in this book, but this book can also stand alone.  I liked this book and I think it deserved all the starred reviews it got, but I don't think it is quite as noteworthy as Ghost.  Even though Patina's life is complicated, she doesn't really have to work through any kind of major moral dilemma.  She learns to be a team player, but nothing like what Ghost went through.  Still, it was an enjoyable read, and a good choice for girls who like sports. (2017, 233p.)

The Real McCoys by Matthew Swanson

Moxie McCoy is a grade school age detective. She has read all of the Abigail Adams, Girl Detective novels multiple times and has the sleuthing thing down pat.  When the school's stuffed owl mascot, Eddie, is stolen, Moxie is on the case.  She is sure that if she solves the mystery she will get the top Eddie award.  But is she the best McCoy for the task?

This book has an interesting format.  Each page has illustrations and creative type setting, a little like the Geronimo Stilton books, but in black and white.  I would call it a "highly illustrated" book, but it isn't quite like a Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Dork Diary because the illustrations are more incorporated with the text.  It think it will be a good transition book for readers who are trying to move from graphic novels to more text dense literature.

Besides the format, the story is cute.  Moxie's eagerness is charmingly exasperating to all the adults in her life.  Under it all, she is is kind and lonely girl, looking for a friend.  I think the books multiple starred reviews are well deserved.  (2017, 322 p.)

Ashes to Asheville by Sarah Dooley

Fella and Zany are two girls that were raised as sisters.  Their mothers are a Lesbian couple who had wanted to be married, but didn't live where and when such marriages were legal.  When Mama Lacy dies, Mama Shannon is unable to get custody of Fella, since she is not a blood relation, so the family is broken up. The story begins when Zany, who is 16, comes to get Mama Lacy's ashes so that she can scatter them in their old home town as per their mother's dying wish.  Fella (age 12) comes along for the wild road trip.

Of course the whole purpose of this book is to show that families with same gender parents are still families.  It was written before the 2015 ruling that made all same gender marriages legal. It was an enjoyable read, with alternating funny and tender moments. Although some of their adventures are a little over the top, the personalities of the sisters are very believable and sympathetic. 

I think it is good that LGBT themes are no longer taboo in children's literature.  It helps children and parents learn about and come to grips with a new reality in our society.  The thing is, it is all out of proportion. Less than 5% of Americans identify as part of the LGBT community. Right now way more that 5% of characters in children's realistic literature are LGBT or have LGBT parents.  I guess they are trying to make up for lost time. (2017, 243 p.)

 

Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder

Jinny has grown up on a secluded island populated by nine orphans.  Every year a boat comes bringing a new child, and taking the oldest of the orphans away.  The new "oldest" orphan takes charge of the new child and teaches him/her the ways of the island.  When it is Jinny's turn to be the oldest, she is uncomfortable with her new responsibility, and begins to question the status quo of their life on the island, with disastrous results.

This is one of the books on our Newbery list, but I did not enjoy it at all.  The first half was fine, but as the story went on the main character got more and more whiny.  I found myself dreading listening to it, so I turned the playback speed up just so I could get through the end. The ending was artsy, and infuriatingly ambiguous. It reminded me of "The Giver" by Lois Lowry.  Actually, it is kind of like an anti-Giver. Both are Utopian societies, but one is civilized while one is more primitive.  In one the adults are in control and in the other there are only the kids.   Jonas is an unselfish, likable guy, while Jinny is a selfish, annoying girl. Anyway, I am finished and can go on to something I might actually enjoy.(2017, 269p)

I'm Just Not Good at Rhyming by Chris Harris

Ok, I just finished my new favorite book of the year.  Yes, this one has made it to top spot on Newbery hopefuls. This is a collection of poems that are amazingly clever and funny, reminiscent of Shel Silverstein for a modern audience.  Some of concrete poems but most (despite the title) are rhyming and actually have good meter.  One or two are rather touching, but most are silly or down right irreverent.  All are smart, and clever (oh so, so, so, clever).  Lane's Smith's illustrations perfectly compliment the tone of the poems, and there are several places where the author and illustrator exchange playful patter.  I totally want to do this for a Girls Read book club next year. (see previous post.) (2017, 221 pages)

(Carol, I if you still read my blog, Ghetty would love this book.)

Gustav Gloom and the People Taker by Adam Troy Castro

Guess what? I get to do parent/child book club at the library again!  This time I am doing the girl's group.  The person who was doing it before had scheduled to do Coraline next month.  I really disliked Coraline, thinking that it was way too scary.  So I asked if I could do another book.  My boss wanted me to do a book from the Horror genre so I looked through our pre-existing book club sets and chose this one.

Fernie's father is a safety inspector and is paranoid about everything.  In contrast, Fernie, her sister, Pearlie, and their mother are born adventurers.  When they move into a new house, Fernie's father is concerned about the dark spooky house across the street.  Its only (living) resident is a boy named Gustav who always looks sad.  One night Fernie's cat runs across the street and into the yard of the spooky house.  Fernie runs after it, and begins a creepy and sometimes terrifying adventure where she meets the People Taker,  his Beast, and makes a new friend, Gustav.

This was cute, with a sprinkling of scary and exciting.  It is a good mix of the three at an appropriate level for the age group I am working with (9-12 and their parent).  I plan to talk about elements of horror writing and illustrating, and I think we will do either shadow pictures or puppets for a craft. (226 p. 2012)

The Sands of Shark Island by Alexander Smith

In this second book in the School Ship Tobermory series, the happy crew head off for an adventure in the Caribbean.  There they swim, kite surf, and become involved with another exciting and dangerous rescue mission.

This is not on my Mock Newbery list, but it was a delightful break from the more "acclaimed" books.  Completely free from angst and full of wish fulfillment, this is just as delightful and frothy as the first in the series.  If I had three children, ages 7, 5, and 3 this is a book I would love to read aloud to them.  The kids in the book aren't perfect but they are respectful of their elders, and actually go to them for help.  Do you know how rare that is in children's lit? (2017, 243 p.)

Fault Lines in the Constitution by Cynthia and Sanford Levinson

This is an informational book that is getting a lot of attention this fall.  In it the authors talk about some of the provisions of the Constitution that have made it difficult for the government to run smoothly.  There are chapters on the Electoral College, the uneven representation in Congress, the difficulty in making amendments and others.  In each chapter they discuss how the provision started and specific troubles is has caused in modern times. They end each chapter, and the whole book, with ideas of how the Constitution could be improved.

In all honesty, I can't really see kids picking this off the shelf. What kid wants to read a 235 page book about the Constitution? I could also see a lot of conservative parents getting upset about this.  When I was young no teacher or textbook would have pointed out how badly the Constitution works. This book is practically calling for a its repeal.  Still, I feel like I understand the different provisions of the document much better than before I read this book.  The authors are really straight forward and clear in how they explained things.  If I were a parent of a 7th grader, I might bribe them over the summer to read this just because it would help them in all the rest of their social studies classes. (2017, 235 p.)

Out of Wonder by Kwame Alexander et alii.

In this book Kwame Alexander and two other authors write poems honoring other famous poets.  Some of the poems are "after the style" of the poets they honor, and some just say nice things about them.  The poetry is mostly free verse, and is quite good.  This one is also on our Newbery list, but we are wondering if it is ineligible because one of the three authors is Canadian.

Actually I am thinking it is a contender for Caldecott as well as for Newbery.  The illustrations bold and colorful and do a good job of suggesting the time period and personality of the featured authors, while still maintaining a common thread the holds the book together. (40 p. 2017)