Books in Brief for Children and Teens

Number One

Anthony and the Girls by Ole Könnecke. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 32 pages; ISBN: 0374303762; Ages: 3-6.)

Here comes Anthony. He's cool. He's strong. He can jump high. He has a really big (toy) car. He can slip down the slide headfirst, eyes closed. But the girls—playing in the sandbox—pay no attention. Anthony gets mad. He tries to build a really big house made out of a stick, a chair, a shovel, and a tiny pail. It collapses. Anthony cries. Finally! The girls look. They give Anthony a cookie. He's happy now. And, he gets to play with the girls in the sandbox.

The teachers here at the Oasis smiled knowingly when they read Anthony and the Girls. It's a story we see played out daily on the playground: Boy tries to get attention by parading his possessions or performing silly stunts. Girls pay no attention. However, if a boy (or anyone) cries or appears to be hurt, everything stops. Girls rush to victim to provide aid and comfort. A gender stereotype? Yes. A playground reality? Yes.

Anthony and the Girls is a fun, funny book. The illustrations are spare and reminiscent of the early Curious George books. We took the book into a Kindergarten classroom for storyhour. It was, as expected, a hit.

The Picnic (Green Light Readers, Level 1) by David K. Williams; Illustrated by Laura Ovresat. (Green Light Readers/Harcourt; 24 pages; ISBN: 015205782X; Ages: 4-6.; Guided Reading Level: D-E; Reading Recovery Level: 4-5.)

Todd, Kim, Mick, and Rick get ready for their picnic. They toss a salad, pop some corn, pass this, pack that, and off they go. Sentences are short and rhythmic. The black typeface is large and surrounded by lots of white space, perfect for the beginning reader.

Ovresat's illustrations are colorful and whimsical and provide visual clues to the text. Two age-appropriate activities are included. An excellent choice for the classroom library.

Sally Jean the Bicycle Queen by Cari Best; Illustrated by Christine Davenier. (Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 32 pages; ISBN: 0374363862; Ages: 4-8.)

I can pop a wheelie, I can touch the sky,
I can pedal backwards, I can really fly!
I'm Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen,
Just me, myself, and I!

This is the story, a fictional biography really, of Sally Jean Sprockett At one she "sat in a seat on Mama's bike and watched the world go by." At two she got a tricycle "with streamers that swished and horn that went 'Onk! Onk!'" At four she flew down the sidewalk on her yard-sale bike she named Flash. At eight she had grown too big for Flash. Mama and Papa wished they could buy a new bike, but, there were bills to pay. So Sally Jean takes a job at her neighbor's junkyard where she obtains a few parts for a new bike. In order to raise money to purchase the bike, she goes into business fixing . . . bikes, of course! "But by the end of the summer, she'd earned only enough money for two measly tires."

Sally was discouraged, but she didn't give up. Suddenly, inspiration hits. She will make a bike from recycled junk! She worked and worked . . . and worked some more until she created Lightning, her new bike.

Sally Jean is a lively tale with an important message: Sometimes you have to work hard and be creative to reach your goals. 

Davenier's sprightly cartoon illustrations—done in pen-and-ink and watercolors— are "just right" for this fast-paced, fun tale. Highly recommended.

City Beats: A Hip-Hoppy Pigeon Poem by S. Kelly Rammell; Illustrated by Jeanette Canyon. (Dawn Publications; 32 pages; ISBN: 1584690771; Ages: 4-8.)

Ever wonder what the city looks like from the perspective of a pigeon? Wonder no longer. City Beats offers readers a pigeon's-eye-view of city life through poetry and art. Here, for example, is what it's like when the sun goes down:

Evenings cool—
So are we,
Jazzophone jukes,
Jumps, jives.

Rapping, rocking,
Rhythms, rhymes,
Bopping beats,
Streets alive.

Both author and illustrator have done an outstanding job of capturing the energy and vitality of the city. Rammel's bee-boppin' verse is enhanced by Canyon's illustrations—photographs of polymer clay sculptures—which nearly burst off the page. Readers will find themselves poring over the intricate artwork. Highly recommended.

Iris and Walter and the Substitute Teacher by Elissa Haden Guest; Illustrated by Christine Davenier. (Harcourt; 44 pages; ISBN: 015205376X; Ages: 6-9.)

Note: The Iris and Walter series is a favorite among the teachers here at the Oasis. The reason: They contain everything that educators look for when choosing easy-reader chapter books. The characters are believable. The vocabulary is "just right." The dialogue—which tells the story—sounds natural. The stories are never didactic and have loads of child appeal.

Miss Cherry is sick and the children are getting a substitute. This was worrisome, as they have never had a substitute before. Iris and Walter are amazed when the new teacher walks in—its Iris's grandpa! The first day goes splendidly. Iris gets to be grandpa's special helper. On the second day, however, Iris begins to feel slighted. She doesn't get to pass out the apples, or tell a story, or hold grandpa's hand when they go outside. When grandpa asks her what's wrong, Iris tells him that it's hard having him be her teacher. Fortunately, the day is almost over. On the way home, Grandpa and Iris stop by the Rainbow Cafe and order their favorite ice cream. Iris is happy that "Grandpa was her grandpa again."

Davenier's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to this charming tale.

Maggie's Amerikay by Barbara Timberlake Russell; Illustrated by Jim Burke. (Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 40 pages; ISBN: 0374347220; Ages: 6-9.)

This is the story of Maggie McCrary and her Irish family who immigrated to the United States in 1898 and settled in New Orleans. When Maggie's little sister falls ill with the fever, Maggie's mother must quit her sewing job to care for her. With only Maggie's father's income from his pushcart to support the family, Maggie looks for a job herself. She ends up writing an African American man's "rememberings" for which she earns two dollars. In doing so, gains an understanding of the many people who "have suffered mightily to live in this county." She also realizes that, at heart, the Irish and the African Americans are not as different has she once had thought.

Russell brings to life the sights and sounds and vibrancy of nineteenth-century New Orleans. Burke's detailed, realistic illustrations, done in what appears to be acrylics or oils, capture the character's emotions as well as a true sense of the place and time. Highly recommended.

Landed by Milly Lee; Illustrated by Yangsook Choi. (Frances Foster Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 40 pages; ISBN: 0374343144; Ages: 8 and up.)

Lee Sun Chor was twelve years old when he sailed with his father from China to San Francisco. Sun's father was a merchant who owned a store there and was thus allowed to enter the country. Because of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, however, Sun was detained at a facility called Angel Island where he had to undergo tests to prove that he was truly his father's son. To make sure that he would pass the tests, he had begun to study everything about his village, his home, and his family genealogy before he left China. Even though his father had prepared him well, Sun worried that he might not be able to answer the interrogator's questions accurately. The one thing Sun had trouble with was figuring directions. If he failed the tests, he would be denied entrance to America.

Sun remained on Angel Island for weeks before he was called to be tested. He was able to answer all the questions asked except those concerning directions. "'Which direction does you bedroom face?'" the interrogators asked. "Sun tried to think, but his mind was blank. 'I don't know,' he said. They asked again, but Sun could not answer. . . The questions went on and on." He was told he must return the next day. Still, he could not answer the questions about directions. On the third attempt, with the help of his brother's compass, Sun passed the tests. He was then reunited with his father. He had "landed."

This tale, based on a true story, is a fascinating one, filled with details of Chinese life, Sun's passage to America, and the detainee facility at Angel Island. Choi's full-page illustrations—done in muted tones—capture the drama of this compelling story. An appended author's note offers historical background about Chinese labor and immigration during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Highly recommended. District-wide purchase encouraged.

Georgia, 1521-1776 (Voices of Colonial America) by Robin Doak with Robert Olwell, Ph.D., Consultant. (National Geographic; 112 pages; ISBN: 0792263898; Ages: 10-14.)

Note: When it comes to publishing quality nonfiction, National Geographic tops the list. Their series, Voices of Colonial America, is a perfect example of why this is so. Each book in the series is thoroughly researched, well-written, and handsomely designed with the student reader in mind. We strongly encourage district-wide purchase.

Divided into eight chapters, this book takes readers on an historical journey from Georgia's colonial period up to the American Revolution. Over time, Georgia was home to a Native American population, prosecuted Protestants, the poor, pirates, and patriots. Readers will learn about the state's missionary beginnings, its formation as a "buffer colony," between British South Carolina and Spanish Florida, its establishment as a debtor's colony, a royal colony, and, eventually, its creation as the fourth state in the Union.

Doak offers a fascinating look at Georgia's history and cultural diversity. Liberally interwoven are eyewitness accounts, quotes, profiles, maps, and art reproductions. Solidly researched, superbly written.

Included: timeline, resource list, quote sources, index. Highly recommended.

New York, 1609-1776 (Voices of Colonial America) by Michael Burgan with Timothy J. Shannon, Ph.D., Consultant. (National Geographic; 112 pages; ISBN: 0792263901; Ages: 10-14.)

In the introduction, Timothy J. Shannon notes: "Colonial New York was . . . a place distant from our own, but its legacies for modern America remain apparent in the opportunities we pursue, the values we share, and the liberties we embrace." After reading New York, 1609-1776, one cannot help but agree with that idea. After all, it was here that the famous Zenger Trial took place, its verdict helping to contribute to a free press. And it was here too that the Sons of Liberty opposed the much-hated Stamp Act of 1765 imposed by the British.

Burgan does an outstanding job of weaving together a fascinating narrative, complete with details, context, first-person accounts, well-chosen quotes and anecdotes. Lavishly illustrated (as only National Geographic can) with maps and artwork of the period.

A timeline, list of resources (including websites), quote sources, and a comprehensive index are appended. A perfect choice for history buffs as well as researchers. Highly recommended.

Mandela: The Rebel Who Led His Nation to Freedom by Ann Kramer. (National Geographic; 64 pages; ISBN: 0792236580; Ages: 8-12.)

Mandela begins with some salient facts:

Nelson Mandela is the world's most famous South African. He led the struggle for equal rights in South Africa, spending 27 years in prison for his beliefs. In 1994, he became the first black president of South Africa.

How does one go from being a prisoner to being a president? This fascinating, fact-filled biography tells the tale.

The book is divided into four sections, each eight to ten pages in length: Early Years, A Serious Student, In Prison, and Mr. President. While each chronicles Mandela's life, his story is interwoven with information about the country, the people, and the politics of the area. This not only gives context to Mandela's story, but makes this book a solid resource and reference.

Mandela is beautifully designed. The black-and-white and color photographs which illustrate the text are well-chosen and well-placed. A continuous time line runs along the bottom of the pages. Interesting factoids are placed in small sidebars and woven throughout. For example, in the section on prison, we learn that "Mandela exercised every day in his tiny cell. He ran in place for 45 minutes, did 100 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, and 50 knee bends."

A glossary, bibliography, and index are appended. Highly recommended. District-wide purchase encouraged.