A Single Shard

A Single Shard
By: Linda Sue Park
Copyright: 2001
Pages: 160
Reading Level: 9-12

"Tree-ear's eyes filled with tears. He bent to pick up another piece of laundry. Ajima meant something like "Auntie"; it was a term of great affection, reserved only for older kinswomen. Tree-ear was kin to no one, and yet Min's wife wishes for him to call her Aijima. He did not even know if he could say the word.
"Well Tree-ear?" The gentle teasing had returned to her voice. "Do you agree to my conditions?"
Tree-ear nodded. He spoke from behind the clothes that flapped on the line. "I agree," he said, then faltered. His voice fell to a whisper. "I agree- Aijima."

A Single Shard is the story of an orphan boy, Tree-ear, who lives under the bridge with his friend Crane-man. Crane-man gets his name because he only has one good leg to hobble around on. The two live under the bridge, and have to search for food to survive. Every so often Tree-ear goes to watch Min, one of the greatest potters in the town. As Tree-ear has learned the days are he works at the wheel. However this day was different. Min had gone back inside, and Tree-ear decided to take a closer look. After picking up an ornate box, Min reappears startling Tree-ear and he drops the box to the floor. Tree-ear is a very honorable person, and offers to work off his debt, as he can't pay.
Min finally agrees, and Tree-ears journey of hard work begins. Tree-ear, chops wood, gets the clay for the pots, and drains the clay. He repeats this process week after week. In the hopes that Min will one day teach him. Min's wife takes very good care of Tree-ear, and feeds him and his friend Crane-man, as well as clothes him in the cold winters. There friendship grows into a strong bond, and she eventually asks him to call her Aijima, which means something like Aunt in our culture.
One day Tree-ear hears that the Emissary is coming and is going to commission someone to create pottery for the royal family. Tree-ear knows that Min is the best in the village, but one night secretly finds out that Kang has found a new technique to create designs. Crane-man gives Tree-ear great wisdom not to tell Min till Kang reveals it to the world. So he doesn't and the Emissary decides to hire Kang, but comes to Min to ask him to try the new technique because he knows his work is much better. Min being to old to make the journey Tree-ear offers.
On Tree-ears journey he is robbed, and the vases are shattered. The title of the book comes in the play here. When Tree-ear picks up a single shard from the beautiful vases and shows it to the Emissary. With the shard and the story of how it became that way, Min is hired. Once they return Min's wife is joyful to see he has returned safely. But when he goes to Min with the wonderful news he is not as happy. For he has bad news for Tree-ear. While he was away Crane-man passes, and they find him holding the Monkey Tree-ear has made for him.
However the story has a happy end, as Min and his wife bring Tree-ear into there home. Mins wife gives him a new name, and Min teaches Tree-ear how to use the wheel.

Recommended to: Children interested in culture. Either if this is there own culture, or another.
Problems: It shows the horrible conditions that Tree-ear had to live in, and what many homeless children have to face.
My Reaction: I will admit it was very slow getting into the story, but once I was involved in Tree-ears life I couldn't put it down. Read right through it. I think this book does a wonderful job at describing the element of father to son traditions. And tying culture into such a beautiful story. It also shows the importance and love felt when you feel like you belong.

A Year Down Yonder

A Year Down Yonder
by: Richard Peck
Copyright: 2000
Pages: 130
Reading Level: 9-12

"You old busybody buzzard," he growled at Grandma.
"How'd you get in?"
"Your kitchen door's in the yard, you ossified old owl-hoot," Grandma yelled, returning fire. "I come to rob you blind."

A Year Down Yonder is a story of a 15 year old girl going to live with her grandma. Mary Alice's father had lost his job, and they couldn't afford to have her living with them anymore. So Mary Alice, a girl from Chicago goes to Illinois to live with her Grandma Dowdel. She has spent every summer down there before, but this time it was for the whole year, and Mary had no idea what was in store. In school she right off the bat makes an enemy, luckily Grandma Dowdel takes care of her.
Mary Alice learns that Grandma though has "Eyes in the back of her heart", she can also be ruthless. Especially with the poor boys trying to play there Halloween tricks. Mary Alice also learns to cook from her Grandma, often with other people pumpkins and pecans. Through out the story Grandma is constantly doing little things of service, and we see that she truly cares about those close to her life.
Mary Alice early on makes a friend Ina-Rae, and for Valentines Day we see a little bit of Grandma coming out of Mary Alice. They decide to play a trick on Carleen Lovejoy. The day of Valentines day Ina- Rae finds on her desk three love letters. We later find out they are from the one and only Mary Alice, but Carleen doesn't know this. Mary Alice eventually works up the courage to ask out the cutest boy in school, Royce McNabb. The Sunday he comes over things go less than planned and an unexpected guest drops in on Maxine Patch who was "naked- nude" posing (for the artist Arnold Green.) Maxine Patch comes running down the stairs with only a large snake wrapped around her. That seems to be the end of Mary Alice's and Royce's study date. However at the end of the year party they manage to sit together on the hayride. And years later they are married.

Recommended to: I think this is a fun read for anyone. Most people can relate to spending time with Grandma. I know mine is often mean but I know she has "Eyes in the back of her heart."
Problems: In the book the bully of the town has a child and abandons it during the school play, so this may be something parents need to discuss with there children.
My Reaction: This is such a fun book. Its a quick read, and doesn't dwell on details. Its just one fun story after another. Also would be a fun one to read with your daughter or granddaughter.

Tony Hawk

Discover The Life of A Sports Star: Tony Hawk
By: David and Patricia Armentrout
Copyright: 2005
Pages: 24
Reading Level: 8-12

This is a very simply but effective biography.Tony Hawk is a skateboard legend. This book celebrates his life and achievements. Shows he was a goal driven hard worker, achieving the 900. When no one thought it was possible. It also describes he is a happy family man, while still achieving his dreams.
Many argue that we should portray both the good and bad about the people who are going to be our children's role models. However I disagree, many people don't have major issues. So searching out those to prove they are real people isn't always helpful to children. However I love that in this book they talk about all the practice Tony Hawk has to do to become as good as he is. And it also talks about his first competition. At his very first competition, even after lots of practice he ended up failing, and leaving before it was over. It then goes on to say how choose to learn form the experience and grow and build from that.

Recommended to: Skateboarding enthusiast, as well as little boys just looking for someone to look up to.
Problems: None, this is a simple biography however its extremely appropriate for the age level.
My Reaction: I really liked it, enjoyed the layout and content, it always has lots of really neat photography's.

Ella Enchanted

Ella Enchanted
By: Gail Carson Levine
Copyright: 1997
Pages: 240
Reading Level: 9-12

"I want to be your forever and beyond, but you write that you are too young to marry or too old or too short or too hungry- until I crumple your letter up in despair, only to smooth them out again for the twelfth reading, hunting for hidden meanings."

Ella Enchanted is a story of a baby blessed with a curse. The Blessing of Obedience. As a young girl her mother passes away, leaving her with the one command to never tell anyone of the curse. At her mothers funeral she meets Prince Char and there friendship begins. Ella's father is a merchant and is rarely home, so him and Ella don't really have any sort of relationship. Ella's cook, Mandy soon tells her that she is a fairy, but can only do little magic. Which doesn't involve bringing her mother back to life, no matter how Ella pleads. Ella is soon sent to Finishing School. Where she meets Areida, who has an Ayorthian accent. The soon become good friends, and Areida even teaches Ella Ayorthian. Ella easily picks up languages, and knows how to say several things in many languages.
The trouble with Ella's curse starts when she meets Hattie, who is Dame Olga's daughter along with Olive. Hattie discovers that Ella must do anything she commands, but doesn't know why. As she is shipped of to Finishing School with these two, Hattie makes her life often miserable. And the final straw is when she commands Ella to never be friends with Areida ever again.
Ella devises a plan to run away when she sees that Lucinda and her father might be at a Giants wedding. She escapes in the middle of the night, taking Hattie's wig with her. On her journey she has two very pleasant day but then runs into Ogres and they read her thoughts and know she must be obedient. So they take her with them till they can find more food, to make the meal complete. At night she tries to run away, but after being commanded to stay she is overwhelmed by the curse and cannot leave. Knowing how persuasive Ogres can be she learns there language. In the morning she is able to charm them back to sleep convincing them they are to full to eat her as well.
The Prince soon rides up, and they capture the sleeping Ogres.
Prince Char sends Ella with an escort to Giant Ville for the wedding. She makes it in time and finds Lucinda. However she becomes very frightened when hearing how she is constantly turning those who reject her gift into squirrels. So she pretends to only speak and understand Ayorthiana. Lucinda commands Ella to be happy about her gift, and so Ella becomes ecstatic to follow orders. And is even thrilled when her father reports that she will have to marry a wealthy man, to solve there money problems.
However when the Wealthy Man appears to have lost everything, her father turns to marrying Dame Olga himself. At the wedding Ella escapes from Lucinda, and Prince Char finds her hiding. They bond by searching for hidden passageways, and sliding down railings.
There friendship becomes more when they continually write letters to one another. However when Prince Char confesses his love, Ella realizes she cannot be with him. Because it would be bad for the kingdom. Not being able to tell Char the truth, she writes him pretending to be Hattie. She writes him telling him that she has already wed, and was only playing with the Prince as a form of entertainment.
Both heart-broken, they stop writing. However when news of a Formal three day Ball is announced, Ella cant help but go. Hidden by a mask. She can't stand seeing the Prince with all the other girls, and introduces herself. Quickly winning him over. Eventually on the third night, Hattie overcome with jealousy rips off her mask. She is revealed, and runs home unable to face Char. In the process losing the very glass slipper her and Char found in the abandoned castle.
Prince Char arrives at her house with the slipper saying he will marry the woman who it belongs to. Both sister try with no luck. Ella refuses to marry Char knowing the curse who destroy the kingdom somehow. However in rejecting the Prince she overcomes the curse. "When you asked for my hand a few minutes ago, I was still too young to marry." I looked up at him and saw a smile start. "I'm older now, so much older that not only can I marry, but I can beg you to marry me." I knelt and took his hand.
He didn't let me kneel before him. He pulled me up and kissed me again. I took that to signify his consent.
The End

Recommend to: Everyone! Maybe boys might not enjoy this as much. But it still has adventure and mystical creatures. Maybe I'm bias but I think this a book everyone would love.
Problems: It shows a broken family, where the Dad is never around. And a evil step-mother.
My Reaction: Loved this book. So fun with all the languages, and thinking up all the things the curse makes Ella do. So detailed. I absolutely loved Prince Char's letter. I'm a sucker for Romance.

Killer Dinosaurs

KILLER DINOSAURS
by: Andrew Goldsmith
Copyright: 2006
Pages: 32
Reading Level: 8-12

"Fright Factor:
The sight of this killer charging at you would probably frighten you to death."

Killer Dinosaurs, is the ultimate Non-Fiction Dinosaur book. Its layout is so fun with information on one side of the page. A big picture in the middle, and on the other side is Extreme Scores. Which scores each area like Mobility, body mass, jaw power, fright factor, hunting skills, and give a "Total Score" out of 50. It has the top 10 frightening Dinosaurs, and then it has additional ones which were close, but didn't make the cut. They also have an area for Stats making it fun for boys to compare and talk about. As any good non-fiction book it also has a glossary of words you might not know.

In its introduction it also talks about why they rated those key things why body mass is important to a Dinosaur, or how there hunting skills were rated. Based on in a pack, or alone. Waiting for the ambush or constantly on the prowl. Another neat feature of this book is pictures of real fossils and bones found and included in the book. Bringing to life the knowledge just learned.

Recommended to: All Children, but especially little boys. Its a super fun informational book, about everyone's favorite thing. Dinosaurs.
Problems: Some of the things it rates might make children scared.
My Reaction: Favorite Non-Fiction book so far, it took a subject with is always fun to learn about. And made it more fun and exciting.

Louella Mae, She's Run Away!

Louella Mae, She's Run Away!
By: Karen Beaumount Alarcon
Illustrated by: Rosanne Litzinger
Copyright: 2002
Pages: 32
Reading Level: 4-8

"Fetch the ol' hound dog!
Fetch all your kin!
Louella Mae's run away again!

She's not in the cornfields!
She's not in the hay!
Where, oh where, is Louella Mae?"

Louella Mae, has run away. This cleaver rhyming book is the search for Louella Mae. They look in the cornfields, and the hay. They call the neighbors, and the kin, to find Louella Mae. No luck, so they "round up the horses", and "hitch up the team". They look by the stream, the tree, and the barn. They then go into the forest and find a great big bear, a deep ditch, and a well. The look on the ridge, and the bridge, and then they give up and decide Louella Mae really is gone. The get inside the house and find Louella Mae, the pig, hiding in the tub.
This book is so cleaver, because the whole time you are thinking they are looking for a little girl Louella Mae. Or at least that is what I thought, So I was very surprised to find that it was pig that cause all that trouble and searching.

Recommend to: Everyone, this is a great bedtime story because the rhymes are silly and soothing.
Problems: At one point in the illustrations there is a little girl falling out of the wagon, and throughout the book the little girl is some what ignored. Its a little sad.
My Reaction: Loved it, I picked it off the shelf when I saw the title. My name is Martha Mae, so I love the name. And I feel even more in love when I found out it was a pig, not the little girl I was expecting. I also was very interested to read another children's book by Karen Beaumont. It was similar but the illustrations were so different it felt completely new. Having the publisher always pick the illustrator makes me wonder what they would choose. Because both seemed to fit perfectly for the writing. Yet they were both completely different.

Move Over, Rover!

Move Over, Rover!
By: Karen Beaumont
Illustrated by: Jane Dyer
Copyright: 2006
Pages: 40
Reading Level: 4-8

Move Over, Rover! Is a fun story of Rover the dog and some unlikely friends. The story starts with Rover sitting in his dog house wishing he had friends to play with, in the wonderful sunny weather. It then begins to pour and there is lightening. So as Rover is sleeping the Cat comes up and says, "Move over, Rover!". Rover lets her in, and soon Raccoon comes over and says "Skit-scat, Cat! Move over, Rover!" so they let him in.Then squirrel, and Blue Jay, Snake, and Mouse come along. And each time they let them in, except Mouse. They have a "full house" by the time mouse gets there. Then they all smell an awful smell and "scamper, scurry!" from the doghouse. Then we see skunk all alone in the doghouse, sleeping right through the storm.
After the storm has past all the animals come back out from there new hiding places, and wonder where Rover is. We then see Rover in his doghouse.
"...chewing on a bone.
Soaked and sopping,
tail flip-flopping,
happy he's alone!"

Recommended to: All animal lovers, or any children at all. The animals are so fun.
Problems: Maybe parents might feel its teaching to be rude, since the animals demand to be let inside the doghouse. But at the same time it teaches sharing.
My Reaction: The illustrations are beautiful in this book. And it was fun to go back to the first page and find all the animals I didn't see the first time. Many of the animals are hidden in the grass or leaves so look close, to find them all.