The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

2009 Newberry Honor Book

If you want to pick up a sappy and sweet animal story, put this book down. The Underneath may come off that way, thanks in part to its adorable cover, but it is much darker and dramatic than you realize.

Appelt follows two distinct stories in this book, set on the same land in the Louisiana Bayou, thousands of years apart.

The first follows a calico cat--expecting kittens any day--that has been abandoned in the woods by a family that once loved her. Scared and alone, she is not sure where to go until she hears the song of a lonely hound dog, Ranger--doomed to end his days on the end of a chain attached to a sagging porch. She is attracted by his "blues", and understands his song as no one has ever done so before. She decides the best place to have her babies is under that sagging porch. The only problem is that the porch belongs to Gar Face, an evil man who mistreats Ranger, and if he were to find Mama and kittens, would surely use them as alligator bait.

The second story is about Grandmother Moccasin--an ancient reptile forced to live over a thousand years in a clay jar--doomed by her own selfishness and hatred. Grandmother gives us an opportunity to meet the native people that lived a thousand years ago, and learn about their belief of shape-shifting. We also see from Grandmother all of the reptiles and birds that existed then, and still do today.

This is a very intense story. Very early on in the book, a major character is brutally eliminated, and there is no comfort that "everyone will be all right in the end". Not for the faint of heart, and even though I cringed through a lot of the events in the book, sadly, people and animals exist this way every day. Extreme animal cruelty and hatred is included in this book, and perhaps may be a book best to be read together, or kept out of the hands of more sensitive kids.

Appelt's lyrical writing style makes you feel like you're floating through the bayou, and her words are poetic. Most chapters are a few pages long, so short attention span is not a problem here. David Small does some wonderful illustrations here (he's a favorite of mine), but the cover is deceiving of the content.

I am actually quite surprised that this review has come out in support of the book. I will give one final word on this. All favorable reviews I have found on this book were written by adults. I have not been able to find one from a child or teenager.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

2009 Newberry Medal Winner

I don't know if I am getting more squeamish, or if books are getting more graphic...

Between The Graveyard Book and the Underneath (my next title to review), I am beginning to think I am losing my edge. I expect something weird and off the wall with Gaiman, but he does realize he is writing for kids, doesn't he?

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the story, but I'm just not sure if I would hand this to a younger reader.

Within the first chapter, Nobody Owens--or "Bod" for short--is the sole survivor when his family is brutally murdered. An ancient group of men has marked him for death, and the only way he can survive is to hide from "the man Jack" in a forgotten graveyard.

The ghosts take Bod under their wing, and raise him as if he were there own. He encounters Romans that came to England during the invasion, his "parents" are from a century past, and gains much of his advice from a forgotten poet. Bod's adventures grow as he does, and they culminate in a final battle against the man who has pursued him since he was a baby.

While very lyrical, this book gets quite intense. Beware to all that are squeamish--the first chapter is fairly bloody. There are many light moments in the story, but Gaiman is able to keep the suspense tightly under control even in those moments. My favorite part of the story is the Danse Macabre--where the living and the dead come together in one night to dance and revel. I burned right through this section.

Parents and teachers, please proof this one before you hand it off to the kids. Like I said, it is definitely not for the sensitive child. However, if you have a Goosebumps loving, scary-movie watching, imaginative kid, you may consider this title. Bravo to the ALA for considering this title at all, let alone giving it the top honor.

A long delay...

Sorry for the long delay between posts. Even though I haven't been writing, I still have been keeping up with reading. Hopefully, in the next few days, you will see a large increase of posts. Coming soon--Newberry winners from this year: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, the Underneath by Kathi Appelt, and Savvy by Ingrid Law. Also, Charlotte's Web, Walk Two Moons, and many more! Hope you come back and check them out!

Belle Prater's Boy by Ruth White

1997 Newberry Honor Book

Sometimes a story will come along, and you will be so wrapped up in the plot, you won't notice it's over until the last chapter. This is not one of those books. However, this is a book that is so humorous and enchanting in its lack of plot, you won't realize it's over until the very end.

Belle Prater has disappeared without a trace. There is no evidence of foul play, and no indication that she might have run off with someone else. She simply vanished off the face of the earth! Belle did leave behind a son, though--Woodrow.

Woodrow is cross-eyed and funny looking, but when he comes to live with his grandparents in Coal Station, his cousin, Gypsy discovers she longs to have his quick wit, the ability to make anyone laugh, and his way to charm out of any situation.

Told from Gypsy's point of view, in her Appalachain dialect, this is a coming of age story for boys and girls alike. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the anecdotes of all the kids in Coal Station. There never really is a solid plot here, it is just short incidents throughout the school year following Woodrow's arrival.

I would find this to be a great read aloud book-if you're brave enough to try the dialect-and certainly would grab a reluctant reader from the beginning. I enjoyed this as an adult, and have used a few of the jokes from it on grown-ups, and they laughed just as hard as the characters in the book.

A great well-rounded read for everyone. I enjoyed it so much, I have added its sequel "The Search for Belle Prater", and White's other title "Tadpole" to my short list of books to be read.

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

2002 Newberry Medal Winner

I don't quite know why I put off reading this book. I have picked it up at least 2 dozen times and read the back, and for some reason I just kept putting it back down again. I am so glad I "resigned" myself to reading it.

Tree-Ear, an orphan living under a bridge in a potter's village, looks forward to the days he can sneak behind the house of Master potter Min and watch him throw a pot. He is fascinated by the way that Min can take a lump of clay and transform it into a instrument of use and beauty.

One day, when Tree-Ear sneaks behind the house, Min is not there. Tree-Ear sneaks into the yard to admire the works in progress. When Min startles him, Tree-Ear breaks a valuable piece. Tree-Ear proposes that he may work off his debt by serving the master potter. What follows is a lesson in patience, for Tree-Ear assumed the potter would show him the trade that he covets. Instead, Tree-Ear finds himself hauling wood for the kiln and harvesting the clay for his master's use.

News comes to the village that an emissary from the Royal Palace will be arriving with the intent to comission several artists' works. As a consequence, Tree-Ear finds himself on a dangerous journey of both body and spirit.

I hope this summary works, because I certainly labored over it. This one is tough, since you can either give too much or too little. I'm not sure which is better.

I found that I really appreciated this story. Too many times, authors try to force feed kids "lessons" in their stories. This one hands them to the kids without their even knowing it. Even I got a great lesson in patience. Several chapters into the book, I said to myself, "This had better pick up". Well, I pushed through it, and even though the pace didn't increase in the story, my interest certainly did. Imagine--a kid, 12 or 13 at the oldest, homeless and hungry, has the opportunity to possibly improve his own life and the lives of those close to him. The conflicting emotions that Park is able to communicate--"pride and shame", for example, are all that a kid experiences in daily life.

I recommend this title for the seasoned reader, unfortunately, I am afraid a reluctant reader would not be caught soon enough. However, for all those kids wanting to make a transition from lighter series to more "grown-up" stuff, this is a good choice. It is briefer than a lot I have read from the Newberry list, but its content makes it a good choice.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

2000 Printz Honor Book

It was an honor to read this book. I had all but forgotten about it, I had never even glanced at the back of it even though I had shelved it at the store a dozen or so times. Then, (and I'm a little embarrassed to admit this) I caught a made-for-tv movie on Lifetime based on the story.

I was so impressed, I had to pick up this title.

Melinda, the main character, is introduced at the beginning of the school year, an outcast--scorned for breaking up a party at the end of summer by calling the cops. The story continues through the school year, all told in first person, but yet Melinda hardly ever speaks herself--not to her old friends, not to her teachers, and not to her parents.

As the book progresses, you experience the situation that caused Melinda to call the police that fateful night, and understand why she won't speak. Anderson does such an accurate job at depicting the teenage angst that comes from tragedy, you will find it hard to breathe at points in this book.

I will give a small caveat...this is definitely NOT for the Newberry set. It's quite intense in places, and I probably wouldn't give it to anyone younger than a very mature middle schooler or high schoolers. If you have a teenager, this is a great way to start a conversation about a tough subject.

This book is about recovery after rape (this doesn't spoil anything). It's a topic that is not discussed frequently enough in a generation that experiences it far too often. The details are discussed in an abstract way, but you feel the fear and panic that Melinda feels. One of the most stunning statements I read was actually in the interview with Anderson following the story, where she states that most boys who read the book are suprised that sexual assault is such a problem for girls. They don't think it's any big deal until they follow Melinda's point of view.

To wrap up, this should be a must-read for all high school age kids and adults. I cried when I watched the Lifetime movie, and cried even harder while reading the book. In the end though, Melinda gives me hope that you can overcome even the worst situations.

Finally, as an addendum, I will recommend the Lifetime movie, starring Kristen Stewart as Melinda, especially for the reluctant reader. It is so close to the original story, I didn't even mind adding the movie poster to this post.

I'm Back!

Hooray! I've come back to the land of the living. It has been quite some time since I've posted, due to very frustrating dial-up internet. We now have wireless, so I am back in business.
Stay tuned for more posts.