Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

What a crafty tale with such unlikely props to wield such a welcome ending! Gor!
I could not have imagined when I began reading how a needle, a spool of thread, and soup could be the tools of victory. In spite of the fact that Miggery Sow's plans were foiled in her attempt to become princess, her antagonistic character highlighted the esteemed characters of Despereaux and the princess. Between the lines the reader could see a cool, calm, and collected demeanor in Despereaux as he ultimately played the hero in the story. The bravery and wit that sent him from the dungeon to the grand rooms of the castle were carried out with finesse that seemed unbeatable around other likely "wanna-be" heros in the story. I almost wonder if those early-opened eyes were symbolic of the wisdom that Despereaux applied to his adventures from the beginning. This book was an enlightening window into the fun of nonsense that books can provide to our imagination with fantasy. The rule about outlawing soup lightened up the plot just in time. The beginning of the story was somewhat dark and ominous in its predictions of doom for Despereaux, but in the end what a well-rounded mouse to have been so diplomatic with the rat! I wonder if the mice would finally take in Despereaux as the prodigal son.

The Great American Mousical by Julie Andrews Edwards & Emma Walton Hamilton Illustrated by Tony Walton

This fantasy was written by Julie Andrews Edwards who is none other than Julie Andrews who played in the Disney version of Mary Poppins! I was delighted to notice that the character she played in Mary Poppins seemed to have jumped right into the pages of this book. Her passion for theater and entertainment illuminated the pages like a spotlight on the stage. Several mice characters played in the cast and crew for the miniature Sovereign Theater in Times Square. The humans were concluding their final performance in the big Sovereign Theater while the mice were preparing to rehearse their New Years Eve performance in the miniature model of the theater in the basement. Edwards propelled the plot into a dual spin when the reader learns of two story problems to be developed in a parallel manner. The leading mouse lady, having been caught in a mousetrap is taken off in a truck and dumped into the snow across town in New York City. During her absence the plot thickens two-fold: The cast and crew struggle to adapt the mouse performance without her while mourning their loss, and at the same time Adelaide, the leading mouse lady finds her way back with an adventurous journey complete with meeting new mouse friends along the way. Each friend helps her further her journey home, and one of them accompanies her and results in the two of them falling in love. The reader is riddled with suspense and rejoices when Adelaide makes it back across the city and to the final act of the performance where she makes a surprising entrance on stage. Her appearance on stage astonishes and delights the mouse audience, and the reader begins to be satisfied that the problem has been resolved....BUT... Some interesting complications spice up the plot as it gains momentum. Ironically a baseball misplaced by a small boy early in the story serves as the means by which one of the mice learns the humans are talking about how the theater will soon be demolished. Yet at the end of the book that same baseball serves as a tool to roll down the stairs and to lure the small boy to retrieve his ball and to discover the miniature model of the Sovereign Theater that leads to the humans realizing the theater's worth and value thus their change of heart in cancelling the demolition plans. The reader is twice delighted and satisfied with the resolution to the story, and all seem to live happily ever after as the mice celebrate that the show will go on and their leading lady has been returned.

Movie - Bridge to Terebithia

The setting (place) seemed very appropriate and complementary to that of the book, and the characters in the movie seemed to fit the parts well. It seemed, however, that the setting should have been in earlier times with more of the "down home simplicity" to portray the characters and situations more in line with the author's purpose. The implications of modern conveniences seemed to get in the way of that simple-life feel. The monsters in the woods and their comical appearances added some levity to the story line, but they seemed to detract from the movie-watcher's sharing of Leslie's and Jess's imaginative creations. The movie producer seemed to have done an effective job of portrying Jess's grief and his surfacing from it by showing him as more assertive and passionate about sharing his Teribithia dream with young May Belle. Though there are expected differences between a book and the movie I think the theme was captured well in the movie to positively reflect that of the book.

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

Criss Cross is a realistic fiction Newberry Award Winner for 2006. The title Criss Cross seems to connect to the unique plot plan showing about four main characters each described and involved in mostly separate settings and events that only seldom "criss cross" events in common. The four main characters appear to be Lenny, Hector, Debbie, and Patty; and they are teenagers trying to find themselves and to relate to their peers. Hector appears to be in love with girls and wanting to impress his peers. Lenny is quieter and perhaps a bit more reserved, but he gets involved with some mischief by trying to teach a girlfriend, Debby how to drive his dad's truck. Patty is Debbie's close friend, and she seems to follow Debby's lead as they try to pursue boys. The novel seems to have no defined plot, and several different and unrelated things seem to be happening concurrently throughout the book. Occasionally when the characters interact the reader begins to think they will all meet together and share in an event by the end of the book. This does not happen, however Hector and Debby have a "criss crossing" moment at the end of the book when the reader begins to think a relationship is about to "gel." The reader is left hanging when these two characters go their separate ways, and the expected connections never happen. Although the author used the term "criss cross" periodically throughout the book in varied contexts the reader is left bewildered about the term's real purpose in the book. The author used some vivid imagery and figurative language occasionally throughout the book that seemed to add zest to the characters and scenes, but the absence of traditional plot was unsettling.

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Curtis

Bud, Not Buddy, 2000 Newbery Award winner is set during the Depression era in and around Flint, Michigan. The book falls into the genre of historical fiction due to its ties to the Depression and implications of the Civil Rights Movement. Young Bud was orphaned at age six, and the adventures he endures and shares with peers and new friends (young and old) compel the reader to want to jump into the pages and befriend him. Bud quickly acquires resourcefulness in his independent quest to search for his long-lost father, and along the way his charm and "guts" involve him in some unique situations: a short stay at a foster home with a mean-spirited bully spoiled by his mother, a few visits to a mission for free meals, a few nights sleeping under a tree near the library, a late-night walk along a road where Bud is picked up by a man in a car with a container of blood in the front seat, a visit to Hooverville and a chance to ride the rails with a pal to Chicago, and finally meeting some exceptional caring friends who are members of Herman E. Calloway's band. These events and situations shape Bud's appreciation and thankfulness in finding his home in an unlikely place. His journey to Grand Calloway Station taught him persistance and resourcefulness, but the reader is surprised to realize that the members of Herman E . Calloway's band and Callowy himself seem to learn valuable lessons of acceptance and nurturing through taking Bud into their fold. The book suggests several subplots that could be explored in greater depth through mini-research projects about jazz, picketing relating to Civil Rights, President Hoover's initiatives, and the Depression era characteristics. I was surprised toward the end of the book when Bud learns that Herman E . Calloway is his grandfather instead of his father. The story seemed to evolve and "come together" at this juncture of the story as the reader could tie in the character of Bud's mother more clearly at this point. This book is a captivating work with which middle school readers can relate and question their own values and resourcefulness while learning about essential characteristics of the Depression era.

The Blue Hill Meadows by Cynthia Rylant Illustrated by Ellen Beier

The title of this book turned out to surpise me in its connection to the story. The book is divided into 4 sections, each about the meaningful life memories and events of the Meadows famly comprised of Sullivan and Eva Meadows and their two boys Ray and Willie. The story seemed to be told through the actions of the youngest boy, Willie; but the story was told in third-person point of view. The 4 sections were each described as the four different seasons of the year, starting with summer when the Meadows' new dog gave birth to seven puppies. The next section was my favorite about the fall fishing trip with just Willia and his Dad sharing a special day together. I was inspired by Sullivan's use of corn, honey, peanut butter, and wheat bread mixed together for bait. It must have worked, because the story showed them catching several fish. The fishing story brought back special memories of times when I would go out in our family's 16-foot boat with my husband and two small children in the pre-dawn hours just to enjoy the tranquility and beauty of the colorful sunrise. I could almost smell the musty wood smell of the rickety country store where we stopped for beef jerky and sasparilla soda on the way home. I wonder if this is the type of place where Willie and his Dad shared grilled cheese sandwiches.
The whole book warmed my heart with memories of my childhood growing up in the country. Willie and his brother were looking for ways to make home-made sleds just like my sister and I used to do when we finally wound up with flattened cardboard boxes as sleds. Willie's lid to a washing machine beats that! In the last section of the book Willie is trying to outdo his brother in finding the perfect Mother's Day gift for his mother. Willie realizes she loves watching the wild rabbits out of her kitchen window, and I imagine his face looking triumphant when his mother sees that he is planting alfalfa, carrot, radish, and lettuce seeds around her favorite cherry tree to attract the rabbits. I can see my daughter's joy and pride in Willie's spirit in this section of the book, because my daughter began making me calendars with her poems and pictures every year. What a delightful gift for a mother to receive - a thoughtful gift made from the heart. The illustrations were strategically placed throughout the story to add to the visualization of the setting and the events. The pictures were small and softly painted with just enough detail and pastel effect to make the reader feel like one is looking through a window at scenes that revive appreciation of home and its warm beauty through all seasons.

Bridge to Teribithia

Starting out this book seemed to be just another book about a child's growing relationships with family members as well as peers and adults away from home. Leslie's character was a refreshing addition to the environment in which Jess and his family lived, and the reader delights in imagining what types of rapport will be built with Leslie's parents and the townspeople considering how unique that family is characterized to be in the book. I was surprised with how quickly Jess acquiesced to Leslie's strong skill with running and outrunning him at school. Jess must have needed the friend that Leslie became so quickly for him. Their relationship seemed indomitable even in the face of their peers unaccepatance of Leslie's unique character. Jess and Leslie seemed to have some memorable and special times together just living simply and enjoying being with each other. The coming-around of Jancie Avery after her bullying acts seemed to highlight Leslie's goodness even more. Throughout the first two thirds of the book I did not think much of the affinity Jess perceived for Miss Edmunds, and when he impulsively seemed to agree to go with her to Washington D. C. I was left wondering how he could make such a quick decision. There seemed to be so much detail left out when he left his house to leave with Miss Edmunds, and I was left hanging at this point. I can't even imagine the horror and guilt and remorse that must have welled up inside of Jess when he returned home only to learn that Leslie had died a tragic death at their special spot in the woods. At the end of the book, though Jess seemed to be healing from the loss of his best friend, and the love and caring for May Belle was so beautifully and touchingly restored at the bridge that Jess planned to memorialize Leslie. The highlight of the book for me was the end where Leslie's spirit seemed to live on in Jess through his heroic saving of May Belle and in his continuing his imaginative dream of Teribithia. Jess indeed characterized an inspiration to push on in the face of tragedy and to live more strongly towards considering others.

Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

How incredibly effective are the simple black and white illustrations in showing so many emotions in the curious adventures of Kitten's striving for the bowl of milk! I can see my own children's faces in the kitten as he determinedly leaps for his prize...yet falls in defeat. Each faux pas attempt in reaching the milk seems to drive the little explorer to try even more challenging feats in reaching his prize. And the huge full-page image of despair and hunger tickles the reader to want to share in the hunt with the kitten. This book is begging to be read aloud to a little child, and the words are marbles wanting to tumble recklessly and with delightful abandon to delight the reader and child with lucious language and laughing.

Mirette On the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully

An observant little Mirette is enchanted by the diversified actors who stay at her mother's boarding house in France. Doing her chores with the laundry she's captivated watching a border named Monsieur Bellini practice his high-wire walking over the clothesline of sheets. "Her feet tingled, as if they wanted to jump up on the wire beside Bellini." Despite her pleading to him to teach her his craft he refuses. We come to realize Mirette's drive to try this new skill of satisfying her feet's desire to rise to the wire. Taken with her tenacity to succeed on the wire Bellini concedes to train her. The simulated water colored illustrations marvelously highlight the plot development with rich, clear color that seems to mirror the bold daring of the high-wire performers. The growing bond developing between the artist and his protege lift us to the pinnacle of their partnership when Mirette artfully comes to his rescue in a beautiful moment of joining her teacher to amaze the audience with new wonder.

Mirette On the High Wire is a Caldecott Medal Winner.