ALL THE BROKEN PIECES by ann e. burg

all the broken pieces

by ann e. burg

Scholastic Press, 2009

review copy provided by the publisher

We don't review YA books here very often, but this is one you won't want to miss.

This novel in verse shows the reader the ways that war breaks people, and the ways that they work to put the broken pieces back together.

Told in first person from the point of view of Matt Pin, a twelve year-old Vietnamese American boy who was airlifted out of Vietnam and adopted by an American family, the story weaves the threads of Matt learning to play the piano and joining the baseball team with his memories of his younger brother in Vietnam having his feet and hands blown off by a land mine. A variety of perspectives on war can be found in the course of the story: Matt's father feels guilty because he went to medical school instead of Vietnam. Matt suffers from the racism of a teammate whose brother was killed in Vietnam and from Vietnam Veterans who resent the reminders of the war in Matt's Vietnamese features. Matt and his piano teacher (a vet who takes him to a veterans' support group) help with the healing of a vet who becomes Matt's baseball coach, and this new coach helps to heal the rift between Matt and his teammate.

The parallels between the Vietnam War and all of the current global conflicts would make this an excellent read aloud or shared reading for a middle school or high school literature or social studies classroom. For those of us who grew up during the Vietnam War and lived in it without really learning about it, this book is an important education.

LUCKY BREAKS by Susan Patron

lucky breaks

by Susan Patron

illustrated by Matt Phelan

Simon and Schuster, 2009

review copy was purchased with my own money

I can't wait to hand this book to my student who read The Higher Power of Lucky at the end of the year last year. She'll love it! Lucky is the kind of character, and Hard Pan (population 43) is the kind of place that stay with you.

Maybe every girl on the brink of turning eleven needs to read this book. Not since Sandra Cisneros' story eleven have I seen this age described so eloquently. (I'm not going to link to any of the online copies of Cisneros' story--they are all violating copyright, so I'll let you find them for yourself if you don't already know the story. It's from Cisneros' book Woman Hollering Creek.) Here are the lead paragraphs of lucky breaks:

"Eleven. Lucky thought from her seat at the back of the school bus, eleven, eleven, eleven, and the idea of it the sound of it threw off sparks in her head. You start with one, two, three: those clunky one-syllable beginner-ages like wooden blocks that toddlers play with. Keep going and you get to eight, nine, ten: the plodding steps you have to climb until, at last, you arrive. Finally, finally, you reach the best age, the one that, when you say it out loud, sounds like a little tap dance or a drumroll.

...She pictured 11 as a swinging double door, a saloon door in an old Western; you push the sides open, bam, with both hands and stride through before they flap shut again, your childhood behind you." (p.1-2)

This is a book that will satisfy readers who read for plot. In the first chapter, we learn (from Miles, who is about to turn six) the story of two miners from about a hundred years ago who loved the same woman who was tragically killed in their fight for her. A piece of her brooch is supposedly at the bottom of an abandoned (or condemned?) well. The story captures Lucky's imagination, and any reader worth their salt is going to know that sooner or later, Lucky will be down that well looking for the missing piece of the brooch and it's a good thing that the book is titled lucky breaks. It would be interesting to use this book in a literature circle or grand discussion and have readers focus on all of the things that break (literally and figuratively) in the book.

This is also a book that will satisfy readers who read for characters. Lucky's friend Lincoln is fully developed in this book. He is still complicated and quirky and constantly tying knots, but he is also mature and stable, which are both lucky breaks for Lucky. A new character is also introduced -- Paloma, who becomes Lucky's first best friend who is a girl.

And finally, this is a book that will satisfy readers who read for setting. Hard Pan, the desert around it, and the sky above it are beautifully described. Matt Phelan's small sketches help readers visualize the vastness and the emptiness of the desert landscape. In this interview, Susan Patron shares that the setting of a fictional former mining town in California's Eastern Sierras was the initial inspiration for Lucky's stories.

The third book in the series is promised for 2010. YAY!

DRAGONBREATH by Ursula Vernon

Dragonbreath

by Ursula Vernon

Dial Books, June 2009

Grades 3 and up

Review copy provided by the publisher

What do you read after you've read all the BABYMOUSE books? DRAGONBREATH!

You'll notice some similarities -- the dream sequences in color (green for this book), the imaginative but bumbling main character (Danny Dragonbreath cannot yet breathe fire), the school bully (in this case, a Komodo dragon named Big Eddy) and the intelligent sidekick (Wendell, the green iguana).

And there are also differences -- DRAGONBREATH is a hybrid graphic novel/novel, there is no conversation between the main character and the narrator, and at 146 pages, DRAGONBREATH will take a bit more stamina from the reader.

Danny Dragonbreath is the only mythical creature at the Herpitax-Phibbias School for Reptiles and Amphibians. He is also an incredible procrastinator, turning in a science paper which he writes in less than 15 minutes and which he's hoping his teacher will grade on length and not content, seeing as he completely made up the sea creature featured in his paper -- the Snorklebat. Danny is not so lucky. He gets an F on his paper and must rewrite it by the next day. Luckily, Danny's cousin is a sea serpent who takes Danny and Wendell on a deep sea tour to gather facts for the rewrite. Adventures with a shark and a giant squid ensue, but Danny gets enough good material for an A on his paper.

The next DRAGONBREATH adventure will be ATTACK OF THE NINJA FROGS, but what I really want to know is what happens to the predatory potato salad that Danny uses to get back at Big Eddy in the cafeteria.

A ferocious predator, what the common potato salad lacks in bone structure, it more than makes up for in viciousness. A school of potato salad can skeletonize a cow in under two weeks, assuming that the cow doesn't get bored and move.

The last we see of the potato salad, it is oozing down into a storm drain. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of it!

NANA CRACKS THE CASE! by Kathleen Lane

Okay, I have been totally amused by the new book NANA CRACKS THE CASE! by Kathleen Lane. The story begins with Nana looking through the local newspaper for a job. She quickly finds one that sounds perfect for her:

It did seem that Nana had all of the qualifications necessary to be a detective. Not only did she own the various wigs mentioned in the ad, "but, " Nana said, "I must admit that I can also, when necessary, be a bit sneaky."

Nana is quite an amusing character--full of spunk and humor. Along with her grandchildren Eufala and Bog, she goes off to find a thief.

This is a short book--about 100 pages. It has a plot that will be easy for middle readers to follow. And the writing made me laugh throughout the book. From finding her orange and black spotted wig to going into a Lavatory instead of the Laboratory, Nana is full of fun surprises.

I have been looking for new mysteries and I like this one. A fun, beginning kind of mystery/detective story in which Nana has to find a thief. I was thinking that this would be a series because it certainly lends itself to a great one--a fun character that you want to read more about and a great concept--Nana looking for new jobs or Nana as detective. So, I am hoping that more stories about Nana are on their way.

2 New Series for Transitional Readers

I am excited about two new series that are just out. Both will appeal to transitional readers and I think both will appeal to boys as well as girls.

MAX DISASTER is by Marissa Moss. I think that this book was released a few years ago but seems to have been redone this year. The format is a bit different but it is going to be a great series. I picked up MAX DISASTER #1-ALIEN ERASER TO THE RESCUE yesterday and read it today. I am a big fan of Marissa Moss and love the Amela Books. This series is a similar set up but with a different twist. Max begins the book by saying, "This is a book I found that's perfect for writing scientific stuff in. There's a girl in my class who keeps a notebook of stuff about EVERYTHING in her life. SUPER BORING! I would never, I mean, NEVER do that, but suddenly, I have so many great ideas, I need a place to record them." So this book becomes a science journal and much more for Max. He shares inventions, comics that he writes, and experiments that he tries. The color graphics as well as the humor will make it a hit with kids. As much as Max doesn't want to write about all that is going on, he does write throughout this first book about the tension he is feeling between his parents. Dealing with that while doing all of the other things he does in a day, makes this a pretty realistic book. I think kids will enjoy it and I am anxious to pick up the next book in the series. (2 more come out this fall too.)

HORRID HENRY is the other series that I am excited about. I have 4 of the books but I think that there are 8 available right now. Horrid Henry is quite horrid. He is the oldest of 2 boys. His brother is "Perfect Peter" but Horrid Henry is always gettting into trouble. These books are each less than 100 pages long. There are some illustrations throughout but not necessarily on each page. Each book consists of 4 chapters or stories about Henry. Each chapter stands pretty much alone as a short story which makes this a great choice for kids new to chapter books. The books are funny and cause kids to laugh out loud. Horrid Henry is horrid but not really. He is a pretty likable character and his behaviors are usually pretty typical of kids his age. Thee books were originally published in the UK and are also a TV show there. They were so popular there that they recently began publishing the series in the US. This is a fun new series.

4 Professional Books on Nonfiction/Inquiry

It is funny how fast my pile of to-read professional books is getting lately. I am just finishing TEACHING THE NEW WRITING and will review it soon. I have also just added BLOGS, WIKIS, PODCASTS, AND OTHER POWERFUL TOOLS FOR CLASSROOMS by Will Richardson to my shopping cart. I am on a huge learning curve when it comes to technology and what that means for our elementary classrooms. So I have added a huge new topic to my professional reading life. But I do have a few books that I have ordered and spent some time with that I want to read over the next several weeks. These are the books that I am hoping will help grow my own thinking. I find that much of my professional reading comes from online sources lately. I get lost finding articles and blog posts so I haven't committed the the professional "book" reading that I've done in the past. Thank goodness it is summer so I can catch up on a few. These are the 4 on top of my stack right now. I am looking for ways to create a great library environment next year-one that invites inquiry, collaboration, and student ownership of learning. So my focus for the next few weeks is connected to that specific goal.

I am also excited to read COMPREHENSION AND COLLABORATION: INQUIRY CIRCLES IN ACTION by Stephanie Harvey and Harvey Daniels. I am excited to see how the thinking of these two experts have come together when thinking about small-group projects around inquiry. I worry that we have gotten so far away from students' own questions in school. I love that this book is for all levels. Early in the book, the authors say, "This book is for everyone who teaches because the big ideas and processes of education, the really big ones, truly do apply to all learners. From Pre-K to college, we are in the business of teaching thinking. And that's something we are never done with: we don't start children off thinking in the primary grades and then assume we're finished. Nor do we hold off on thinking until middle school, give them a couple good years of instruction, and then shut down, figuring they're now ready for anything." We teach thinking all year, every year: we teach students how to listen, view, read, gather, and engage with information; we make sure students acquire cognitive strategies, weigh ideas, develop judgement, and build knowledge; and just as important, we help them to remember, care choose, and take action." Can't wait to read more!

Another book that is connected a bit to the one above is SCIENCE AS THINKING: THE CONSTANTS AND VARIABLES OF INQUIRY THINKING by Wendy Ward Offer. I was excited to receive this book when I did a workshop with the PEBC in Colorado last week. I learn from every single piece that any of the teachers associated with them write. The work is amazing and has influenced so much of what I do with kids. In the library position, I am thinking hard about kids taking charge of their own learning and creating a place in the library where this is possible. From what I can tell after a pretty lengthy preview, the author uses a workshop model for her science teaching. The blurb on the back hooked me immediately. It says, "Inquiry is how we learn about the world. Every day we ask questions, gather evidence, make observations, and draw conclusions. SCIENCE AS THINKING shows how powerful instruction can connect the natural curiosity students bring to class to the science curriculum. No matter what my content, I have always learned a great deal from science teachers--inquiry is their content and I am excited to learn more from this book.

Finally, I would like to spend more time with NONFICTION MENTOR TEXTS by Lynne Dorfman and Rose Cappelli. I loved the authors' first book, MENTOR TEXTS and was even more excited about this one--focusing on nonfiction. So much of our students' world is filled with information. Nonfiction is such a key to the ways they gather and communicate information. This book focuses on the writing of good nonfiction with the use of good mentor texts. I am thinking that this will help me in several ways. The tie in to 21st Century Skills is key. If we want our kids to be able to synthesize and communicate information, having great models for this type of communication is key. This book is packed--with not only lessons and booklists, but also so much to think about when it comes to communicating information. I can't wait to dig in.

I love the new Lucy Calkins Series "WORKSHOP HELP DESK". I love the size and focus of these little books. I picked up the first four and am amazed at how much they have packed into each one. The one that I am most anxious to read is "A QUICK GUIDE TO BOOSTING ENGLISH ACQUISITION IN CHOICE TIME" by Alison Porcelli and Cheryl Tyler. I have always believed in Choice Time and have seen how much students learn when given time to explore, inquire and discover. I love the idea of this book--the fact that it focus on this time as a way to boost English acquisition. Like I said, I love the focus of these books. A way to look deeply at a very small topic. The photos throughout the book were the first things to draw me to this book. The play factor is huge and I am hoping to build more time for this into the library next year.

I Don't Want a Posh Dog by Emma Dodd

I am a fan of Emma Dodd. I think her books, especially DOG'S COLORFUL DAY, are adorable. But I DON'T WANT A POSH DOG! has a different look and I didn't even realize it was one of Dodd's when I decided that I needed it.

Dog books in classrooms and in the library are quite popular. It seems that there are always a few kids shopping for dogs. Or dreaming of a new puppy. In this book, a little girl is thinking about what kind of dog she wants. But instead of telling us what she wants, she tells us all of the things that she doesn't want in a dog (posh, bouncy, growly, etc.). Each page highlights a colorful illustration of a dog to go along with the words. The text has a rhyme and rhythm to it which will make it a great read aloud.

This book is pure fun! The end pages are filled with dog biscuits and every dog is quite lovable (even the snooty, attitudey dog!). Kids will love the concept as well as the humor. So excited to add this one to the library:-)

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

by Grace Lin

Little, Brown and Co.

on shelves July 1, 2009

ARC received, compliments of Grace, at the Dublin Literacy Conference

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a magical book that explores the power of story. It is about sacrifice, friendship, faith, the transformation of a journey, and the joys of home. More than anything, it is about thankfulness -- about learning that one's fortune does not need to be changed; that fortune is more than gold and jewels.

Minli's mother, Ma, is full of bitterness and discontent about their hard life in the shadow of Fruitless Mountain. Minli's father, Ba, on the other hand, tells stories to easy their hard life. Minli believes in the possibilities of Ba's stories and wants to do what she can to ease Ma's discontent, so she listens to a talking goldfish (just like the ones in Ba's stories) and runs away from home to ask The Old Man of the Moon to change her family's fortune.

Along the way, Minli meets many characters, including a dragon who also has a question for The Old Man of the Moon and who comes along with her. You'll be reminded of The Wizard of Oz, but Minli is no Dorothy -- she is much smarter and more resourceful.

At a crowded market, Minli must find the King. She notices an old beggar man that no one is helping, and she buys him a peach. Experienced fairy tale readers will know at once that she has certainly done the right thing, and probably found the King in disguise.

She has indeed found the King, who helps her by giving her what she's looking for -- a "borrowed line." This "borrowed line" comes in the form of the King's family treasure -- a page "borrowed" from the The Old Man of the Moon's Book of Fortunes that has a line of text that changes depending on the situation. (Thus, the "borrowed line.") The line tells the King, "You only lose what you cling to," and he realizes that, "...by choosing to give you the line, I do not lose it." (p.140)

At the same time that Minli is in the King's walled courtyard getting "the borrowed line" that she needs to present to The Old Man of the Moon, the Dragon is at the city gates making friends with the stone lions. Dragon learns that the city the lions are charged with guarding was once in danger of breaking apart because of political turmoil. The Old Man of the Moon gave them a string to tie around the city if it seemed it would split. The city eventually recovered, but they still had the string, which the Dragon recognizes must be "the borrowed line" that Minli is searching for.

When Minli and the Dragon reunite, they resume their journey to The Old Man of the Moon with not one, but two "borrowed lines!" As they travel into the mountains, Minli is attacked by a Tiger. Dragon saves her, but is seriously injured. Minli races to a nearby mountain village to get help, and the story of how the village came to be there connects back to the city and the King that Minli and the Dragon just left.

You'll have to read the rest on your own to find out how all the stories are masterfully woven together, and how Minli's journey parallels the "journey" of her parents, especially Ma's. You'll have to read it on your own to appreciate the "perfect pitch" of Grace Lin's (fairy tale/fable/ modern/ancient/timeless) voice in this book.

This is a book you'll want to read aloud in grades 3-6, but which is also eminently readable by 3-6th graders. (One of my students, who also got an ARC at the Dublin Literacy conference, read it the Sunday after the conference and made a sign-up sheet for her classmates to borrow it from her -- she didn't get the book back until May, and it had been read by at least a dozen other 4th graders!) This book will also be great for Grand Discussions, Literature Circles, and partner reading.

Keep your eye on this one -- it's a real pearl of a story!

Grace's blog -- gracenotes

Grace's website

the online launch site for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Grace's recent blog tour

June Mosaic

This month began with outdoor theater and the end of the school year.

There was an MG event and a fish-a-thon, and fun with "The Moniques."

Food seems to have featured strongly this month: fish and chips, omelet, chips and salsa, pastries, mutant strawberries, and Thai beef salad.

The yucca bloomed (those are little white moths to the right of the stamens!), and the prickly pear bloomed, and the lilies bloomed (and smelled positively heavenly). None of which were in my garden!

Willie Morris makes two appearances, as do mom's cats.

We were visited by two therapy dogs while mom was in the hospital -- this happy golden and a wheezy American Bulldog.

For me, meadowlarks are an iconic bird of the eastern high plains. It was a particular tragedy to find one dead in the gutter on Main Street. It likely fell off the grill of the vehicle it was not quick enough to fly away from.

There are now 180 photos in my Project 365 set.

The Blue Sweater

I read THE BLUE SWEATER: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR IN AN INTERCONNECTED WORLD by Jacqueline Novogratz a while ago. I just haven't had time to share it. I first heard about this book on Seth Godin's blog and was happy to receive a copy after filling out the form requesting one. I feel terrible that it's taken me this long to review, but I wanted to give this book the time and energy that it deserves. And I figure it is summer, so many of us have a bit more time to read.

THE BLUE SWEATER is a great story about so many things. Jacqueline Novogratz is one of those people I would love to meet. Someone who is spending her life making a difference in the world. Someone who has a vision of what could be. She is founder of the Acumen Fund which I didn't really know about until I read this book. She is someone who wants to make a difference but also someone who understands banking and financing. She believes in people and believes that in empowering them in authentic ways. Her organization supports entrepreneurs in developing countries and THE BLUE SWEATER chronicles much of her work. In the book, we meet many people--people from all over the world who are committed to the things that Novogratz is committed to. We also meet the people who are the entrepreneurs and hear many amazing stories.

For me, this book was one about people and relationships. Jaqueline Novogratz is not successful because of her banking background. Although that piece is important to her work, what struck me was her undying belief in people and the ways in which she build real relationships with people. That seemed key to me.

I love stories about people who are doing things that matter to them. People who use their passions to make a difference in the world. This is one of those stories.

Since reading THE BLUE SWEATER, I've followed some of the work of Acumen and continue to be impressed and excited about their work. As a teacher, one of the video clips that really struck me was the one called "Kids Put the Fun in Acumen Fund". On Take Your Daughter/Son to Work Day in 2009, Acumen hosted a great day for kids where they were active in learning so much that is part of the organization. The way that the organization ran this day for children is another indication to me that the work has a vision.

Now that I have read the book and discovered the work of Novogratz, I have learned so much from her. I keep up with some of the work on the Acumen Fund blog, follow Novagratz on Twitter, and have read more of her work. I was also thrilled to see her TED TALK from 2006. And then again in one from 2007. An amazing person who is committed to an important cause. This story is an amazing one no matter what your cause. It is the story of how connected we all are and what a difference we can make when we believe in people. Put this one on the top of your stack. It is a great story that is an important one to know and one that will stay with you for a very long time. So much packed into one book.