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.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

1959 Newberry Medalist

I don't know why I was surprised that I enjoyed this so much, but for some reason I was.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond is the story of Kit, a priveliged girl who grows up on a plantation in Barbados, who after losing her grandfather is forced to flee to Connecticut into the safety of her aunt's home. The only problem is that it's 1687, and her aunt is a Puritan, and is already struggling to survive with her disapproving husband and two daughters--one of which has a disability.

Kit struggles to find her way in the restrictive society, but an indulged girl from an island nation is not going to do well any way you look at it.

She finally finds a kindred spirit in Hannah Tupper, who is rumored to be a witch. When Kit's loyalty to Hannah is stronger than her concern over her own image in the town, she meets with trouble and is accused of being a witch herself.

This is quite interesting, I have to admit, and I really enjoyed it. I think that this too, is for middle school and up, and unfortunately, I believe that boys probably won't enjoy it much--or at least give it a fair enough chance.

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt

2005 Newberry Honor Book
2005 Printz Honor Book

Prejudice and intolerance are the elephant in the room in this novel by Gary Schmidt. Turner, the new

preacher's son arrives in Maine with less than a warm welcome. Baseball isn't played the same way as it had been in Boston, and he thinks that the local boys' habit of jumping off the cliffs into the ocean is crazy. The only person who befriends him is Lizzie Bright Griffin, the pastor's daughter on Malaga island--which was colonized by freed slaves.

Turner finds himself in trouble when he discovers that the well-to-do white men in his town plan to force the Malaga inhabitants off the island in order to build a resort.

Receiving no help from his father, Turner takes it upon himself to try and save the residents

of Malaga island--with tragic results.

I have to say, that I didn't grow up with a strong example of racism, and at points in this book, it shocked me. It certainly doesn't encourage anyone to become racist, but because of the mature tones of this book, I would encourage middle school or higher on this one. However, a very important story that should be learned by everyone.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

1979 Newberry Honor Book
Now, I know that I have done nothing but gush about every book that I've covered so far. Well, that is about to change, but I leave the blame on my shoulders, and my own shortcomings in taste.

The Westing Game is a puzzle mystery that involves an apartment building and its residents, a few outsiders, a very wealthy man, and his last will and testament.

The average amazon review is 4 1/2 stars out of five, and in order not to discourage your reading, I will give you an amazon reader review:

The years pass, and still a must-read, May 30, 2000
Reviewer: Ilana - See all my reviews'The Westing Game' was my favorite book as a pre-teen, so when I returned to it years later, my expectations were low. Was I wrong! This book might be accessible to younger readers, but no one who loves a mystery with incredible characters should miss this for the world.
While the plot centers around a less than run-of-the-mill whodunit, the book mainly focuses on the characters: each unique, bizarre, and ultimately endearing. The author manages to make them quirky without making them caricatures. The developing relationships between the 'heirs' as they attempt to unravel the mystery, is, I think, far more important than the mystery itself; they also develop in their sense of identity. These are all themes any adult can appreciate, woven into the story with humor and sly understatement, yet in effect deeply moving.
The plot is complex and suspenseful, layered so impenetrably that at least one surprise at the end is inevitable. Yet even when wrapped in the most logical of puzzles, the author never loses the human touch. There are many scenes portrayed with hilarious, touching absurdity; and Raskin is dead-on with her take on human nature, even when her depiction seems exaggerated.
Read it for a good chuckle--but in the end it may be more than that.

I hope this helps. I am just not into the mystery genre. I also didn't enjoy Chasing Vermeer at all, and everyone raves about that one.