booktalk tuesday

The Wanderer by Sharon Creech

IndieBound Description: "The sea, the sea, the sea. It rolled and rolled and called to me. Come in, it said, come in."

Thirteen-year-old Sophie hears the sea calling, promising adventure and a chance for discovery as she sets sail for England with her three uncles and two cousins. Sophie's cousin Cody isn't sure he has the strength to prove himself to the crew and to his father. Through Sophie's and Cody's travel logs, we hear stories of the past and the daily challenges of surviving at sea as The Wanderer sails toward its destination -- and its passengers search for their places in the world.

My Thoughts: I love this book! The perfect book to read before going on a grand journey. It's so beautiful, I love how the stories are slowly rolled out like ocean waves. I might like this better than Walk Two Moons (which will be featured here soon) which won the Newbery (but both are amazing). Studying the structure of this book really helped me with my novel...Sharon Creech is my literary idol!

booktalk tuesday

Things have gotten rather busy here as I am adapting to life with a Rain Dragon. So, my niece Lily has taken over some of my Booktalk Tuesday reviews! Today, she is reviewing the early reader Poppleton in Spring, by Cynthia Rylant.

Welcome, Lily!

booktalk tuesday

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

IndieBound Description:

Few stories are as widely read and as universally cherished by children and adults alike as The Little Prince. Richard Howard's new translation of the beloved classic-published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's birth-beautifully reflects Saint-Exupéry's unique and gifted style. Howard, an acclaimed poet and one of the preeminent translators of our time, has excelled in bringing the English text as close as possible to the French, in language, style, and most important, spirit. The artwork in this new edition has been restored to match in detail and in color Saint-Exupéry's original artwork.

My Thoughts:

I know some people hate this book and find it overly sentimental and bordering on trite. But I don't find it that way, I think it is charming and lovely, poetic and beautiful. I'm not 100% sold on this new translation but I love the restored artwork.

booktalk tuesday

Heidi, by Johanna Spyri

IndieBound Description:

Heidi is five when she is sent to live with her grandfather in his lonely hut in the Alps. She quickly grows to love her carefree life with him in the mountain air, and the old man comes to love her, too. They are both unhappy when Heidi is sent away again, to a family in town, but she soon manages to get home to her Alps - and to share her happiness with her new friends.

My Thoughts:
Such a classic! It made me long to drink goat's milk...but when I finally did, I wasn't as enamored by it as Heidi was. Regardless, a  book that everyone should know!

booktalk tuesday

The Trumpet of the Swan, by EB White

IndieBound Description:

Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.

Louis tries everything he can think of to win Serena's affection -- he even goes to school to learn to read and write. But nothing seems to work. Then his father steals him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love?

My Thoughts: Recently, a school told me that they chose Where the Mountain Meets the Moon as their One Book, One School choice. They were particularly pleased with it because it was one of the few books they had chosen that they felt confident that all ages, from K-5, could really enjoy. "The only other book we felt that way about was 'The Trumpet of the Swan,'" the librarian told me. I found that to be extremely high praise!!

booktalk tuesday

The Saturdays, by Elizabeth Enright

IndieBound Description:

Meet the Melendys! The four Melendy children live with their father and Cuffy, their beloved housekeeper, in a worn but comfortable brownstone in New York City. There's thirteen-year-old Mona, who has decided to become an actress; twelve-year-old mischievous Rush; ten-and-a-half-year-old Randy, who loves to dance and paint; and thoughtful Oliver, who is just six. Tired of wasting Saturdays doing nothing but wishing for larger allowances, the four Melendys jump at Randy's idea to start the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (I.S.A.A.C.). If they pool their resources and take turns spending the whole amount, they can each have at least one memorable Saturday afternoon of their own. Before long, I.S.A.A.C. is in operation and every Saturday is definitely one to remember. Written more than half a century ago, The Saturdays unfolds with all the ripe details of a specific place and period but remains, just the same, a winning, timeless tale. The Saturdays is the first installment of Enright's Melendy Quartet, an engaging and warm series about the close-knit Melendy family and their surprising adventures.

My Thoughts: I completely adore the Melendy books. It's strange, I love them more than Elizabeth Enright's award winning books (even though I did enjoy those too). There's something about the characters that I really relate to. There are only 4 Melendy books (I'll post about the other ones on other Tuesdays) but I wish there were more!

booktalk tuesday

The Adventures of Nanny Piggins, by RA Spratt

IndieBound Description:

The woman was not a woman. She was a pig. A common, pink farm pig. The type bacon came from.

"Good evening, I am Nanny Piggins," said Nanny Piggins the pig.

When stingy Mr. Green planted a Nanny Wanted sign on his front lawn for his three children, he had no idea his ad would be answered by a pig. Yes, a pig. A fabulously sassy and impeccably dressed pig as a matter of fact! With her insatiable urge to eat chocolate (and feed chocolate to everyone she loves), her high-flying spirit, and her unending sense of fun, Nanny Piggins takes Derrick, Samantha, and Michael on a year of surprises, yummy treats, and adventures they'll never forget.

Paired with Dan Santat's charming illustrations, comedian and children's TV writer R.A. Spratt's wildly funny debut novel will have adults and kids alike laughing and rooting for the feisty porcine nanny and her three lovable human charges.

My Thoughts:
After a couple of fantasy and sci-fi books, I thought I'd recommend something that is just a lot of fun. This book will make you laugh and laugh!

booktalk tuesday

The Girl with the Silver Eyes, by Willo Davis Roberts

IndieBound Description:

Katie Welker is used to being alone. She would much rather read a book than deal with other people. Other people don’t have silver eyes—and other people can’t make things happen just by thinking about them.

Katie has a hard time making friends because of her telekinetic powers—the people around her just don’t understand. Katie knows she’s different, but she would never try to hurt anyone. When she finds herself in trouble, Katie seeks out other kids who have silver eyes like hers. But can her newfound friends help her? Should they use their special powers? Will they be forced to?

This beloved classic from Willo Davis Roberts, originally published in hardcover in 1980, is now available as an Aladdin paperback and will enthrall a new generation of eager readers.

My Thoughts:
This was one of my first forays into a "sci-fi" genre, but I didn't know it at the time. I loved the idea of having special powers and this book is one of the best books written about that. I'm so glad it was reissued and with this mysterious cover!

booktalk tuesday

The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley

IndieBound Description:

Robin McKinley's mesmerizing history of Damar is the stuff that legends are made of. The Hero and the Crown is a dazzling "prequel" to The Blue Sword.

Aerin is the only child of the king of Damar, and should be his rightful heir. But she is also the daughter of a witchwoman of the North, who died when she was born, and the Damarians cannot trust her.

But Aerin's destiny is greater than her father's people know, for it leads her to battle with Maur, the Black Dragon, and into the wilder Damarian Hills, where she meets the wizard Luthe. It is he who at last tells her the truth about her mother, and he also gives over to her hand the Blue Sword, Gonturan. But such gifts as these bear a great price, a price Aerin only begins to realize when she faces the evil mage, Agsded, who has seized the Hero's Crown, greatest treasure and secret strength of Damar.

My Thoughts:
This was one of the first real fantasy books I ever read and I adored it. But I also wished I knew how to pronounce Aerin. Was it like Erin?  Or Air-ee-rin?

booktalk tuesday

Hannah West in the Belltower
by Linda Johns

IndieBound Description:
In this first book of a lively new mystery series, 12-year-old Hannah West and her mother move into Seattle's swanky high-rise, the Belltown Towers. As they're getting settled, someone tries to steal a valuable piece of artwork from one of their new neighbors.

My Thoughts:
I've been longing to write a mystery and have been reading many to get an idea of how to do it. This mystery series featured a great character--Hannah West is a spunky, smart girl who also happens to have been adopted from China. I love how her racial heritage is identified and is a feature but not a main focus of the story.

booktalk tuesday

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott

IndieBound Description:

Follow the adventures of four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, in this lively retelling of a much-loved classic tale. The sisters fall into one scrape after another, as tempers flare, illness strikes and their lives are filled with new experiences and loves.

My Thoughts: One of my favorite books...I reread this after I visited Orchard House, a trip I recommend in conjunction with the reading of this book!

booktalk tuesday

The Railway Children, by Edith Nesbit

IndieBound Description:
When Father goes away unexpectedly, Roberta, Peter, Phyllis, and their mother have to leave their happy life in London for a small cottage in the country. The children seek solace in the nearby railway station, and make friends with Perks the Porter and the Station Master himself. But the mystery remains: where Father, and will he ever return?

My Thoughts:
I just recently read this book and really liked it! I'd never read any E.Nesbit books before and I'll have to read more. It is definitely a nostalgic book, capturing kids of that time & culture. I don't think any modern, American children would every docilely accept the mother's request to not ask any questions why their father had been taken away (as well as not do their own investigation).  But I think back then, kids accepted that adults had their own world that did not effect theirs...

booktalk tuesday

Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfeild

IndieBound Description:

In the tradition of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Little Princess come Noel Streatfeild’s tales of triumph. In this story, three orphan girls vow to make a name for themselves and find their own special talents. With hard work, fame just may be in the stars! Originally published in 1937.

My Thoughts:
Noel Streatfeild is one of my favorite authors, right up there with Lucy Maud Montgomery. I loved all the "Shoes" books and this new, beautiful  covers are done by uber-talented friend Alissa Imre Geis.

booktalk tuesday

Chocolate Fever, by Robert Kimmel Smith
Description: Henry loves chocolate so much, it practically runs through his veins. Chocolate cake, chocolate cereal, chocolate syrup, chocolate milk, and chocolate cookies—and that’s just breakfast! Still, it comes as a shock when he suddenly breaks out in chocolaty brown spots and is diagnosed with . . . Chocolate Fever. And, rather than be poked and prodded by doctors, Henry runs away, starting the adventure of a lifetime. But at the end of it all, the question remains: Is there a cure for Chocolate Fever?

My thoughts:

I thought this would be a fun read for Valentine's Day--what is the day without chocolate? This is a fun book, a light lesson on the dangers of excess!

booktalk tuesday

Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis

IndieBound Description:

A Celebration of the First Edition!

They open a door and enter a world. NARNIA ... the land beyond the wardrobe, the secret country known only to Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy ... the place where the adventure begins. Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the Professor's mysterious old house. At first, no one believes her when she tells of her adventures in the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund and then Peter and Susan discover the magic and meet Aslan, the Great Lion, for themselves. In the blink of an eye, their lives are changed forever. Enter this enchanted world countless times in The Chronicles of Narnia.

My Thoughts:
This is my favorite of the Narnia books (some of the latter ones bothered me because of how the unlikeable people of Calormen were of a veiled Asian culture, and don't even get me started on "The Last Battle!"). But this one is charming without any reservations.

booktalk tuesday

Zen Shorts, by Jon J. Muth

IndieBound Description:

Jon J Muth, author of the best-selling book, THE THREE QUESTIONS, has crafted another profound and winning picture book.

"Michael," said Karl. "There's a really big bear in the backyard." This is how three children meet Stillwater, a giant panda who moves into the neighborhood and tells amazing tales. To Addy he tells a story about the value of material goods. To Michael he pushes the boundaries of good and bad. And to Karl he demonstrates what it means to hold on to frustration. With graceful art and simple stories that are filled with love and enlightenment, Jon Muth -- and Stillwater the bear -- present three ancient Zen tales that are sure to strike a chord in everyone they touch.

My Thoughts: This is not a middle-grade novel, it's technically a picturebook--but I think it is so appropriate for a middle grade audience. The Zen stories in this book (which also inspire my own writing) are perfect for the older child to think, ponder and discuss.

booktalk tuesday

Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look

IndieBound Description:

Most days the best thing about being Ruby is everything. Like when she's the star of her own backyard magic show. Or when she gives a talk at the school safety assembly on the benefits of reflective tape. Or when she rides the No. 3 bus all the way to Chinatown to visit GungGung and PohPoh.

And then there are the days when it's very hard to be Ruby. Like when her mom suggests Chinese school on Saturdays. Or when her little brother, Oscar, spills all of Ruby's best magician secrets. Or when her parents don't think she's old enough to drive!

Join Ruby Lu on her first adventure and discover your own best things about her!

My Thoughts: I love the Ruby Lu books! I admit I am a tad jealous of Lenore Look and her ability to write these books, as well as the Alvin Ho books. When I met her a long time ago, I was hoping some of her brilliance would rub off...

booktalk tuesday

The Case of the Goblin Pearls by Laurence Yep

Indiebound Description:

What would you do if your famous movie-star aunt asked you to be a jar of ointment in Chinatown's New Year's parade? And what if disaster struck in the middle of the parade and someone stole the priceless Goblin Pearls right in front of you? Worse still, what if your great-aunt still thought she was the famous action heroine Tiger Lil and decided to catch the thieves? What else could you do but become her sidekick?

Lily is excited when Auntie Tiger Lil comes to San Francisco to arrange the Lion Salve float and marching unit for the New Year's parade. Most famous for the Tiger Lil series of action movies, she's now dabbling in publicity, and the Lion Salve account could finance her movie comeback. The float is sure to be the centerpiece of the parade, especially since Miss Lion Salve will be wearing the ancient Goblin Pearls that day.

The Goblin Pearls have always been trouble, and the day of the parade is no exception. When they're stolen in broad daylight, Tiger Lil isn't about to let some punks ruin her plans -- if the cops can't catch the thieves, she will. But everything is not what it seems, and Tiger Lil and Lily soon find themselves in the middle of a plot worthy of one of Auntie's movies. Will this be the end of Tiger Lil and her trusty sidekick, or will they live to sleuth another day?

My Thoughts:
A fun read to prepare for the Chinese New Year! I love mysteries and this is a good one!

booktalk tuesday

Dumpling Days, by Grace Lin

Sorry for the shameless self-promotion! But I'm so excited about having a new novel just come out, I couldn't resist! And here's the brand new book trailer:



 Hope you like this one!!

IndieBound Description:


There was no day that dumplings couldn't make better.

Pacy is back! The beloved heroine of The Year of the Dog and The Year of the Rat has returned in a brand new story. This summer, Pacy's family is going to Taiwan for an entire month to visit family and prepare for their grandmother's 60th birthday celebration. Pacy's parents have signed her up for a Chinese painting class, and at first she's excited. This is a new way to explore her art talent! But everything about the trip is harder than she thought it would be--she looks like everyone else but can't speak the language, she has trouble following the art teacher's instructions, and it's difficult to make friends in her class. At least the dumplings are delicious...

As the month passes by, Pacy eats chicken feet (by accident!), gets blessed by a fortune teller, searches for her true identity, and grows closer to those who matter most.

booktalk tuesday

A Girl Named Faithful Plum: The True Story of a Dancer from China and How She Achieved Her Dream By Richard Bernstein

IndieBound Description: In 1977, when Zhongmei Lei was eleven years old, she learned that the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy was having open auditions. She'd already taken dance lessons, but everyone said a poor country girl would never get into the academy, especially without any connections in the Communist Party of the 1970s. But Zhongmei, whose name means Faithful Plum, persisted, even going on a hunger strike, until her parents agreed to allow her to go. She traveled for three days and two nights to get to Beijing and eventually beat out 60,000 other girls for one of 12 coveted spots. But getting in was easy compared to staying in, as Zhongmei soon learned. Without those all-important connections she was just a little girl on her own, far away from family. But her determination, talent, and sheer force of will were not something the teachers or other students expected, and soon it was apparent that Zhongmei was not to be underestimated.

Zhongmei became a famous dancer, and founded her own dance company, which made its New York debut when she was in just her late 20s. In A Girl Named Faithful Plum, her husband and renowned journalist, Richard Bernstein, has written a fascinating account of one girl's struggle to go from the remote farmlands of China to the world's stages, and the lengths she went to in order to follow her dream.

My Thoughts: This is the book that I reviewed for the NYTimes!!