Avi - The Library of Author Biographies by Michael A. Sommers

Two of my favorite novels to plan to use in the classroom are written by Avi: Nothing But the Truth and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. I chose to read Avi's biography in hopes to learn more about the background behind these books, but I did not learn much new from reading the biography. I had known that Avi had a learning disability, and I found this interesting relating to the population of learning disabled students that I have taught. I did learn from the biography that Avi was always an avid reader, and the literary background of his mother and father and extended family must have paved his way for pursuing authoring books. I am grateful for Avi's persistence in writing in spite of all the negative feedback he had received as a young writer. He has proved his talent at weaving a complex plot with rich characterization and gripping action. I appreciate the implied rebelliousness in some of his characters. Middle school students have lots with which to relate in Avi's books in dealing with issues of growing up and making choices. The biography emphasizes Avi's interest in historical fiction for middle schoolers. He thoroughly researches his characters and setting before finalizing his books, and he finds a lot of pleasure in the research phase of his writing process. There was limited background in the biography for the books I would like to read by Avi, but I know I can research reviews on his books before reading them. The source notes and bibliography at the end of the biography were helpful, and I appreciated the note about the website for the publisher for undated biographical information on Avi.

Mole Music written and illustrated by David McPhail

The picture book, Mole Music is a story about a mole who learns to play beautiful music on his violin while above ground marvelous effects are shown from the music emanating from the roots of the oak tree above Mole's house. The story embodies the theme showing how music enriches, comforts, and enlivens our lives with its beauty and harmony. Mole realized that his life was satisfying but humdrum. He was inspired one night when he was relaxing in front of the TV listening to a man playing a violin. He decided he wanted to play beautiful music, too. Mole ordered a violin in the mail, and upon receiving it he persevered in practicing steadily. After a month he began to play a simple song, and as years went by he played more beautiful music. While he was imagining and wishing he could play for large audiences of people and wishing he could change the world and “melt hearts” with his music extraordinary events were occurring above ground: The oak tree above its roots sticking through Mole’s ceiling was growing and thriving. The tree was providing a peaceful perch for many birds, opposing armies were making peace with each other, and presidents and common people were finding peaceful solitude or shelter under and around the oak tree above Mole’s home where he played his beautiful music. The inviting aura around the tree above ground seemed to attract people and birds, and at the end the soldiers were contentedly sleeping in and around the tree while Mole played one last song below before going to sleep and pleasantly dreaming. The book is an inspiration to aspiring young musicians, and it invites them to work with the same tenacity and verve as Mole as he seeks to develop his musical skill for the pleasure of others.

In Flight with David McPhail - A Creative Autobiography

David McPhail has loved drawing since he was a child, and he has been doing it as long as he can remember. His drawings seem to show rough edged sketching with pencil or ink, and he creates shadowing in his figures with just a few pencilstrokes. The result of his drawings appear mostly lifelike, but I notice that his drawings of people are slightly disproportionate, in that the heads are somewhat larger in proportion to the bodies. McPhail relates with a very clear image to the reader on page 5 of his autobiography that pictures just "dance" through his head and are "fuzzy and out of focus" until he draws them. He can then see them. The illustration on page 5 shows fuzzy colored drawings superimposed on a sloppy draft of a page of writing. It seems to show as he describes in his biography that the pictures come into his head when the writing becomes clear. He relates that the stories he writes find him, "not the other way around." Because of this he likes to always have his writing tools handy, so he can quickly get a story down when it comes his way. The autobiography describes his early books mostly about bears and pigs. He shares with the reader the communication he has with his editor in a form of argument back and forth until both are satisfied with his stories. He reads his story over and over many times before beginning his illustrations, so he can quickly sketch with the story clearly in his head. He draws a picture from many angles and perspective before he decides which one best fits his story, so he draws numerous illustrations before deciding on the final ones to go on the pages of the dummy book. He illustrates mostly with watercolors and ink. He has written and illustrated about fifty books, and he has illustrated fifteen more. His goal is to write one book every year or two. He loves getting paid to do what he loves best.

A Fine White Dust by Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant reveals the depths of the protagonist's soul in this book more than other books I have read by this author. I was drawn to read this book to see how a seventh grader may perceive the rich experience of making a commitment to become a Christian. Rylant portrays Pete as a vulnerable sponge ready and willing to soak up everything the Preacher Man has to say to him. Pete highly respects this Preacher who is in town for a series of evangelistic meetings. After being saved by the things preached by the Preacher Man Pete experiences new feelings and a new and different outlook on life. He comes to realize a chasm of differences with his best friend, Rufus who is an atheist. As the book progresses the reader begins to think that Pete will give up everything and follow the Preacher Man in his travels, but the story ends with Pete being "stood up" by the Preacher Man in favor of a young girl who the Preacher Man prefers to take with him. Pete felt let down and discouraged, but Rylant has a way of making the reader hold out hope that Pete is still a changed young man in spite of the deception of the Preacher Man. Rufus remains steadfast and loyal to Pete throughout the book, and he even stays up all night waiting for Pete to return from his wait to escape town with the Preacher Man. At the end of the book Pete questions Rufus about his belief in God, and his response to Pete gives the reader hope that perhaps Pete's influence on Rufus may eventually bring about a good turn for Rufus. This realistic fiction work is a deep perceptive view into the life of a seventh grader at the age where he is questioning his own purpose and station in life.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Curtis

This historical fiction book set in the 1960s takes the reader from a hilarious narrative of nonstop mischief with Byron, Kenny's older brother to their close call with tragedy in the horror of the church bombing in Alabama. Kenny, the bookworm narrates the story throughout the book. His older brother Byron gets in so much trouble his parents resort to sending him off to spend a summer with Grandma in Alabama. At first the reader laughs at the one-of-a-kind pranks that keep Byron ticking and his little brother packing away the memories. Byron inceasantly teases his younger brother, but Kenny copes and watches his brother challenge the rules of society. Byron makes burning toilet paper parachutes in the bathroom . Kenny and his little sister Joetta cringe as their mother gets ready to burn Byron's finger to teach him a lesson. Byron deals with the bully who painted his brother's lost gloves with black shoe polish. He appears in front of his mother with an Afro resulting in a shaved head as punishment. Kenny portrays Byron as a fool, and between the lines the reader can almost witness him gloating as Kenny's parents finally resort to planning to drive Byron to Alabama to endure some Grandma remedy. The book takes a sudden turn in mood when the family arrives in Alabama. Kenny ventures into a forbidden water hole and almost drowns after he has a vision that will later push him to become a hero for his little sister. Byron's character changes as he becomes a helpful older brother to Kenny. The climax occurs when the family is startled with a huge blast that turns out to be the bombing of a church where Joetta was attending church school. When Kenny fears Joetta missing and finds a black shoe like the one she left the house in we see a new heroic side of Kenny appear. He shows a big brotherly side at the end of the book when he invites Joetta into his room with a new compassionate side to him. The family pulls together in the wake of the tragedy, and they vicariously suffer with the families who lost loved ones in the bombing.

The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton

This captivating mystery about a significant historical time of the Underground Railroad was a book that was very hard to put down: Truly an all-nighter, because so many deep issues were intertwined with the plot. Set in the 1960's this book centers around a young black protagonist named Thomas Smalls. Thomas Smalls and his family moved to Ohio to rent an old house dating back to the time of the Underground Railroad. Thomas never felt accepted in the new town, and even the folks at church did not seem to welcome the Smalls. At the beginning of the book the reader wonders if someone was breaking into the house to rearrange furniture for some strange reason. Being a curious young boy Thomas must investigate. Finding strange tin triangles stuck in the door jams who would think that these must be part of a puzzle for Thomas to try to solve? Strange things are happening to the Smalls throughout the book. The strange Darrows family seem to try to scare the Smalls out of the house. The reader wonders if the Darrows are in cahoots with Pluto, the eccentric caretaker of the old house. The high point of the book seemed to be the practical joke played on the Darrows to scare them off, yet later in the book after Thomas had discovered a secret tunnel and passageway under the house the reader discovers two Plutos. A rich and valuable treasure awaits Thomas beneath the house that connect him to his past and to learn gems of knowledge about the Underground Railroad. This book is a must-read, and the true twists and turns of the novel must be saved for those who have not yet picked up this book.

Missing May by Cynthia Rylant

This book was a puzzling yet celebratory experience for me. The first half of it just did not reach me, because it forced me to face again my father's death about a year ago. I just did not want to read on at that point. But Cynthia Rylant is true to her down-to-earth way of touching readers in that part of the soul that says, "Yeah, I've experience that, too." The last half of the book came around to giving me a huge hug to affirm that my circle of grief had been completed much in the same way as Summer's had. There was a tremendous healing effect of that good long cry and allowing a living loved one to feel needed and to be healed by feeling needed. A couple of full circles of grief interlocking and becoming strengthened by them.
I could only wonder if May and Ob were the aunt and uncle that Rylant grew up with after losing her mother and father. Summer was always cautiously looking on and worrying about Ob, yet she always shared thoughts that let me believe she was ready to be the caretaker of him and their trailer home. Cletus was the nonconformist who turned out to be the character who enabled Summer and Ob to process through losing May. He was have been a comfort to Ob as an optomistic conversationalist who knew how to draw out a person's thoughts in conversation. Though Summer found Cletus annoying in his propensity for being overly observant and collecting things he must have earned her respect by the end of the novel. Perhaps when she became acquainted with Cletus's parents she was able to see him in a different light. The climax was clearly when Ob decided to turn the car around to follow through with the original plan to visit the capitol building. That must have been the point when Ob realized that his sole purpose in life was to be needed by Cletus and Summer. At the end of the book Summer must have finally realized how much Ob had wanted to "fill May's shoes" in caring for Summer. The italicized narrative of May speaking to Summer's conscience was touching and seemed to mirror the feelings Ob must have conveyed to Summer through his embrace to comfort her and to wipe away her tears. I wonder if the book were to continue if Cletus would eventually become an adopted member of Ob's home.

The Van Gogh Cafe by Cynthia Rylant

This tiny book is a powerhouse of little miracles that really seem to convince the reader to recognize the little things in this simple little cafe and its effect on the community. It was strange to me to see the whole book written in present tense. It almost felt like it was narrated by a newspaper reporter. Nonetheless the effect was fitting for the type of book it was. It was like looking at a living museum. Clara must have been a quiet, observant little girl for the things she noticed. The poem on the napkin was the most captivating miracle in the way that Marc's poems came true in someone else's life. I laughed at the image of all the pigeons sitting on the roof and then jumping onto the truck bound for California. This book was light reading, and it swept me off to a place I decided I wanted to imagine and see. Our family used to frequent a little restaurant during our summers in Indiana. All the waitresses knew us on a first name basis, and the same neighbors came often to the restaurant as we did. I just remember the overwhelming friendliness and homey feeling about the place. I imagined the Van Gogh cafe in this way. Once again Cynthia Rylant crafts the wonder and curiosity of a little girl seeking validation and meaning in the people and events around her.

Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman

This little novel is packed with themes! It would be a mighty tool in the classroom for exemplifying themes in literature. One of the themes may be: Gardens yield not only fruit to feed souls, but gardens also yield generosity and compassion in encouraging weary souls to hope. If only that little Vietnamese girl knew the impact her little garden had on so many lives. She truly did honor her father in starting a garden. Her garden inspired Wendell to avoid complaining and to get busy with better things. The reader wonders what she would say to the people gathered on that once-empty lot at the end of the book. Fleischman crafted a unique plot bringing 13 diversified people together to develop a powerful place of beauty and life amid the muck and downtrodden slums of the city. Gonzalo made a very perceptive statement when he said that older people get younger when they come to the United States. But his statement yields a negative connotation connecting youth with vulnerability. The garden became a healing solution for his father who was out of his element when he first came to the United States. Assertive Leona tried to appeal to the authorities about cleaning up the lot that had been discovered by the neighbors for gardening. Smiling Sam added cheer and optimism to the garden community. As others discovered the potential power of growing things in a garden the reader's heart melts with compassion as Nora brought hope and vitality back to Mr. Myles in his wheelchair as she accommodated a garden place for him to tend. No longer was he a

salmon traveling upstream.

The garden renewed hope in an unwed mother and
to all the rest of the community of gardeners over time. At the end of the novel the reader is assured that another season of community building and healing is about to begin as the little girl again digs a spot to plant her beans.

The Islander by Cynthia Rylant

This short novel is a fantasy of a young boy, Daniel who lives with his grandfather on an island called Coquille off the coast of British Columbia. Daniel initially struggled with fitting in and feeling a part of the island community, but he found a mermaid comb and witnessed a brief visit by a mermaid along the beach one day. Curious, he returned to the beach and stayed there past his curfew just to witness another visit. Later in the book Daniel tries to communicate with the mermaid by leaving a message in a bottle on a rock on the beach. He did not see the mermaid again, but he received a message from her through an otter who threw Daniel a shell from the water one day. To Daniel's surprise the shell held a key. Throughout the rest of the book Daniel wore the key around his neck. As he helped rescue birds with his grandfather after a huge storm Daniel discovered that the key quivered at times. Daniel made the connection that when the quivering was strongest he was standing near a living bird or animal that was in need of rescuing. In his rescue efforts with his grandfather he also found a sense of belonging as he helped island neighbors and they helped him after his grandfather died. The story ends happily, because a child he helped rescue because of the quivering of the key turned out to become his girlfriend in later teenage years soon after his grandfather died. Daniel threw a message out to sea in a bottle thanking the mermaid for providing him the family that the islanders had become to him. This book was a thought-provoking escape into a fantasy world that made me hear the waves beating on the beach.