A lovely place to play...

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

An excerpt:

     The attic was a lovely place to play. The large, round, colored pumpkins made beautiful chairs and tables. The red peppers and the onions dangled overhead. The hams and the venison hung in their paper wrappings, and all the bunches of dried herbs, the spicy herbs for cooking and the bitter herbs for medicine, gave the place a dusty-spicy smell.

     Often the wind howled outside with a cold and lonesome sound. But in the attic Laura and Mary played house with the squashes and the pumpkins, and everything was snug and cosy.

~ from Little House in the Big Woods,

written by Laura Ingalls Wilder

When I was growing up, I, too, thought our attic was a lovely place to play. We did not store food in our attic, however. Ours was filled instead with boxes and bags of all sizes. Each one contained cast-off, long-forgotten items. I loved poking through them, looking for "treasure". My mom also kept her guitar in our attic. I spent many a day sitting next to our attic window, watching dust particles floating through the sunshine and strumming on that guitar, making up little songs to go with the tune.

I was in elementary school when I first read the Little House books. I remember reading the passage above and thinking that the sight and smell of all those foods would make an attic even more wonderful to play in. The image has stuck with me ever since. Does Laura and Mary's attic sound like a place you would like to play in?

A world where there are Octobers...

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.com

An excerpt:

     October was a beautiful month at Green Gables, when the birches in the hollow turned as golden as sunshine and the maples behind the orchard were royal crimson and the wild cherry trees along the lane put on the loveliest shades of dark red and bronzy green, while the fields sunned themselves in aftermaths.

     Anne revelled in the world of color about her.

     "Oh, Marilla," she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it? Look at these maple branches. Don't they give you a thrill -- several thrills? I'm going to decorate my room with them."

~ from Anne of Green Gables,

written by L. M. Montgomery

I agree wholeheartedly with Anne -- I'm SO glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. I've decided in the last few years that this is my favorite month. (Though I like all the seasons and months!) I love the beautiful colors everywhere, the crunchy leaves underfoot, the delicious foods we eat this month (at our house we eat all kinds of dishes made with pumpkins or apples, along with chili and different kinds of soups), our tradition of apple-picking, and, of course, anything to do with Halloween! How about you -- do you agree with Anne?

Puppy love

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

An excerpt:

     I suppose there's a time in practically every young boy's life when he's affected by that wonderful disease of puppy love. I don't mean the kind a boy has for the pretty little girl that lives down the road. I mean the real kind, the kind that has four small feet and a wiggly tail, and sharp little teeth that can gnaw on a boy's finger; the kind a boy can romp and play with, even eat and sleep with.

     I was ten years old when I first became infected with this terrible disease. I'm sure no boy in the world had it worse than I did. It's not easy for a young boy to want a dog and not be able to have one. It starts growing on his heart, and gets all mixed up in his dreams. It gets worse and worse, until finally it becomes almost unbearable.

~ from Where the Red Fern Grows,

written by Wilson Rawls

I am more of a cat person than a dog person myself, but puppies sure are cute and hard to resist! I can understand this kind of "puppy love", having felt it when I was younger, only for a kitten. I wanted one SO badly. I had to wait many years, but my dream finally came true when our family adopted the best cat ever, Hobbit. :) How about you --  have you ever experienced puppy love?

Sky full of wings...

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

An excerpt:

     All those golden autumn days the sky was full of wings.  Wings beating low over the blue water of Silver Lake, wings beating high in the blue air far above it.  Wings of geese, of brant, of ducks and pelicans and cranes and heron and swans and gulls, bearing them all away to green fields in the south.

     The wings and the golden weather and the tang of frost in the mornings made Laura want to go somewhere.  She did not know where.  She only wanted to go.

~ from By the Shores of Silver Lake,

written by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I go walking at a nearby forest preserve several days each week.  When I'm there, I always pass by a small lake that attracts all kinds of birds and other wildlife.  Now that it's fall, I often see the sky there filled with wings.  Flocks of birds stop at the pond for a break on their way south. When the birds are rested and take to the skies once again, I feel like Laura.  I want to go somewhere, too.

Living "Les Miz"

Ultimately, I'm going to blame it on a book.  This book, in fact:

Les Miserables, 

written by Victor Hugo, 1862

This French historical novel -- considered "one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century" -- follows the lives of several different characters between the years of 1815 and 1832, particularly the life of ex-convict, Jean Valjean.  Major themes of the novel include justice, grace, and love.

I started reading this book when I was in college, but I'm pretty sure I never finished it.  I'm planning to give it another try, though.  My 17-year-old daughter recently read it from beginning to end, and absolutely loved it!  (She had read -- and enjoyed -- a highly abridged version of the book for a class in middle school.  My parents gave her the copy shown above this past Christmas, which is also abridged, but much less so, and she liked this version even more.)

In 1985,  Claude-Michel Schonberg, Alain Boublil, and Jean-Marc Natel turned the story of Les Miserables into a musical, known affectionately as Les Mis or Les Miz.  Just a few years later,  I attended the Broadway production of Les Miz as part of a theater package for college students.  I immediately fell in love with it.  I bought the soundtrack to the musical and listened to it ALL the time.  (I'm sure if you asked my housemates from that time, they would concur.)

Earlier this month, students at my daughter's high school performed seven shows of Les Miz.  They were amazing.  I'm not saying that just because my daughter played five different characters in it:

Emmalie as a constable, April 2013

Emm as a female Montparnasse, April 2013
She also played a factory worker,
a townsperson,and a serving girl.

or because my seven-year-old played a street urchin in it:

Ben, April 2013

or even because I helped paint 90% of the set.  The cast and crew were all SO talented and they worked SO hard to create a show that audience members will never forget.  Amazing, I tell you.

You may be wondering why I'm mentioning all this on a blog about children's books.  Well, it has to do with the lapse between this post and my last, over a month and a half ago. (And also the smaller gap before that, which lasted for two weeks.)  Ever since the auditions in November -- and especially for the last two months -- our family has been living and breathing Les Miz, from morning till night. Between set builds and rehearsals (and school, work, and daily life), we've had NO free time.  Blame it on the book. ;)

For me, no free time meant not having any time to read (gasp!) or write, among other things.  At first, I thought surely I would at least be able to keep up with this blog.  I was wrong.  I've really missed it, though, and I'm glad to be back.  I'm still getting back into the swing of things now that Les Miz is all over, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to find the time to make (mostly) daily posts once again.  And I'm hoping that my readers will return to join me on this blog journey....

The window panes were covered with frost...

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

An excerpt:

     The snow kept coming till it was drifted and banked against the house.  In the mornings the window panes were covered with frost in beautiful pictures of trees and flowers and fairies.

     Ma said that Jack Frost came in the night and made the pictures, while everyone was asleep. Laura thought that Jack Frost was a little man all snowy white, wearing a glittering white pointed cap and soft white knee-boots made of deer-skin.  His coat was white and his mittens were white, and he did not carry a gun on his back, but in his hands he had shining sharp tools with which he carved the pictures.

~ from Little House in the Big Woods,

written by Laura Ingalls Wilder

One of the things I remember clearly from my own childhood is searching for new pictures from Jack Frost every winter morning.  We lived in an older house, and many of our windows would be covered in frost around the edges on cold, cold mornings.  The image of Jack Frost in my head was similar to that of Laura's above.  I was always impressed by his beautiful artistry!

Delight and Wisdom: Books for Poetry Fans

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Robert Frost has said, "[A poem] begins in delight and ends in wisdom."  I've read several books of and about poetry over the last few months and thought I'd share the ones that have delighted me and helped me grow in wisdom.

First, a few for younger readers:

Sky Songs,

written by Myra Cohn Livingston

and illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher, 1984

This book contains fourteen of Livingston's poems about the sky -- the moon, the stars, sunsets, and more.  Accompanied by Fisher's beautiful paintings, it is a delight to look at as well as to read.

***

Peaceful Pieces:

Poems and Quilts About Peace,

written and illustrated by Anna Grossnickle Hines, 2011

This treasure of a book features 28 poems about peace (from peace in the home to world-wide peace) and gorgeous quilted artwork, all created by Hines.

***

Voices in Poetry:

Maya Angelou,

text by Patricia Kirkpatrick

and poems by Maya Angelou, 2004

Containing several of Angelou's poems, this book also provides a basic biography and personal photographs of the famous poet.  It is a great introduction to Angelou's life and words for young kids.

***

Oops!,

written by Alan Katz

and illustrated by Edward Koren, 2008

Silly poems and drawings fill this book, provoking giggles (or groans!) on every page.

***

Understanding Poetry:
Puns, Allusions, and Other Word Secrets,
written by Jennifer Fandel, 2005

This book explains puns, allusions, and the importance of word choice while providing examples of each with poetry from e.e. cummings, Ogden Nash, Langston Hughes, William Carlos Williams, and more.  I stumbled across this book at our library, and added it to my pile of books to check out without really looking at it.  Later on, I was very glad that I had brought it home!  I found the text quite interesting, filled with useful information.

***

I found the next two in the young adult section of our library:

Poems From Homeroom:

A Writer's Place to Start,

written by Kathi Appelt, 2002

Another book that I casually plucked off the shelf and ended up loving, this one contains more than 25 poems by Appelt (mostly free verse, but there are also a few in specific forms -- haiku, sestinas, etc.) of topics teenagers can relate to, such as first crushes, homecoming dances, passing notes, tattoos, and more.  After sharing her poetry, Appelt then describes the inspiration behind each poem.  She also offers several questions to spark writing ideas for her readers.

***

The Watch That Ends the Night:

Voices from The Titanic, 

written by Allan Wolf, 2011

A haunting, richly-textured novel in verse, this story of The Titanic is told through 24 distinctive voices, from the captain to the lookout to a gambler to a millionaire to a Lebanese refugee to the iceberg itself.  I'd read many glowing reviews of this book online and couldn't wait to read it myself.  I was not disappointed!  Though I recommend all of the books in this post, The Watch That Ends the Night is my favorite by far.  (It is now on my "to buy" list.)  I think it would appeal to many readers out there, even those who don't typically read poetry.

***

And these are from the adult nonfiction section of our library:

How to Read a Poem

and Fall in Love With Poetry,

written by Edward Hirsch, 1999

This "scholarly but very readable" book, which explores poetry and the emotions behind it, is brimming with examples of writing from poets around the world and through time -- Emily Bronte, Sylvia Plath, Walt Whitman, Wislawa Szymborska, Juan Gelman, and so many more. Hirsh also offers advice on understanding and appreciating poetry.

***

The Poetry Dictionary,

written by John Drury, 2005

A very useful reference book for teachers, students, and writers, this dictionary contains expressive and thorough definitions for the language of poetry, from "abstract language" to "voice".  It also offers many examples of both classic and contemporary poetry, to illustrate the terms.  I think this must be the first dictionary that I've read from beginning to end!

***

The New Comprehensive 

American Rhyming Dictionary,

written by Sue Young, 1991

This collection contains over 65,000 rhyming words, phrases, and colloquialisms -- a helpful resource for anyone who works with language.  Up until this fall, I had never even heard of a rhyming dictionary.  Then, while reading different poets' blogs, I came across several references to them.  After thumbing through one at a bookstore to see what it was like, I decided to ask for a rhyming dictionary for Christmas.  My parents gave me this one!  I've read the introduction and the section on "how to use this book", and have flipped through the rest.  I haven't actually used it yet, but I know that it will come in very handy next time I'm in need of a rhyme!

***

Have you read any of the books above?  If so, what did you think of them?  What are some of your favorite books of or about poetry?  I'm always looking for recommendations!

November had come...

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

An excerpt:

     November had come and the crops were in. The walls of the cheerful kitchen were hung with garlands of dried apples, onions, and corn. Up aloft from the beams shone crookneck squashes, juicy hams, and dried venison.

     Mrs. Bassett bustled to and fro, flushed and floury, for today was Thanksgiving.  Tilly, the oldest daughter, was briskly grinding spices as Prue kept time with the chopper.  The twins, Roxy and Rhody, sliced away at the apples while Seth and Solomon shelled corn for popping.

~ from An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving,

written by Louisa May Alcott

Just reading this makes me hungry... and eager for Thanksgiving dinner!  I like all the details Alcott uses, and the picture she paints in my mind with her words.  She offers sights, sounds, and even smells in just two short paragraphs.  Reading this also inspires me to try writing about my own family's Thanksgiving -- I'll have to keep this passage in mind later this week!  How would you describe holidays at your house?

A Feast of Books for Thanksgiving

Image courtesy of NYPL's Digital Gallery

I don't know about you, but I am really looking forward to a big Thanksgiving feast next week.  Yum. :)  In preparation for the holiday, my seven-year-old Ben and I have been feasting our eyes on Thanksgiving-themed books.  I wrote about some of our favorites in a post last November, and wanted to share some others with you this year:

The Thanksgiving Story,

written by Alice Dalgliesh

and illustrated by Helen Sewell, 1954

In this book, Dalgliesh tells the story of one Pilgrim family and their journey from England to Plymouth Rock, concluding with the feast of celebration a year later for the colonists and the natives who'd helped the newcomers survive hunger, cold, and sickness.

I found this to be a well-written story of historical fiction -- easy to understand, yet interesting and informative.

***

Over the River and Through the Wood,
lyrics written by Lydia Maria Child
and illustrated by Brinton Turkle, 1975

Back in the 1840's, Child wrote a poem about traveling to her grandparents' on Thanksgiving Day; the poem was later turned into the now-famous song.  I still remember singing "Over the River and Through the Woods" with my sister every year when we were growing up, as we rode in our car on the way to our own grandparents' home for the holiday. (And we really did go over a river and through some woods to get there.) This book includes the lyrics to the song, the sheet music, and several illustrations -- black and white ones facing the lyrics and also several two-page color spreads.

While all the other books mentioned in this post are ones that I found at the library, this one sits on our bookshelf here at home.  I bought it from Scholastic Books back when I was in second grade or so.  I remember wanting it so that I could always have a copy of all the lyrics to the song.  I know that I brought it along in the car more than once, so that my sister and I could regale our parents with every single verse over and over again.  I'm sure they appreciated that.  

Note: I had the book sitting out for this post, and Ben picked it up to flip through.  He was thrilled to see all the verses printed there, and immediately began singing them. My parents would probably call that karma.... ;)

***

A Turkey for Thanksgiving,

written by Eve Bunting

and illustrated by Diane de Groat, 1991

Mrs. Moose is getting everything ready for a Thanksgiving Day feast with friends, but she's missing one thing -- a turkey.  She asks her husband to go find one for her, which he does.  Turkey, understandably, wants nothing to do with the holiday dinner.  When Mr. Moose brings him home anyway, Turkey is relieved to discover that Mrs. Moose wants him at her table, not on it.

This is a tender, humorous book.  Ben and I especially liked the pleasant surprise at the end!

***

Gracias the Thanksgiving Turkey,

written by Joy Cowley

and illustrated by Joe Cepeda, 1996

Miguel's father, a long-distance truck driver, sends his son a live turkey, asking him to fatten her up for Thanksgiving. Miguel names the bird Gracias.  He takes good care of the turkey, even taking her for walks around the streets of New York on a leash, and quickly becomes attached to the large bird.  How will Miguel keep his new amiga from becoming Thanksgiving dinner?  (This book also contains a short glossary of Spanish words used throughout the tale.)

Ben and I loved the colorful, expressive pictures in this book. We also enjoyed how the amusing story unfolds and how it is finally resolved at the end.  

***

Turkey Pox,
written by Laurie Halse Anderson
and illustrated by Dorothy Donohue, 1996

Charity and her family rush around, getting everything ready for Thanksgiving dinner at Nana's.  Charity itches and itches (and scratches and scratches), but doesn't think anything of it until the family's in the car, on their way, and suddenly her parents realize that she is covered with chicken pox.  (Or is it turkey pox?)  Sadly, the family returns home, thinking they will have to celebrate Thanksgiving without Nana or her wonderful roast turkey.  Lucky for them, Nana refuses to have her holiday spoiled by a few spots....

This story had Ben and me giggling on almost every page! From the comical illustrations to Aunt Imogene's wacky dialogue to Nana's clever prank at the end of the book, this is a fun book to read aloud and start the holidays off with a smile.

***

This is the Turkey,

written by Abby Levine

and illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye, 2000

In this cumulative rhyming book, Max and his family get ready for their Thanksgiving feast.  Everything is turning out perfectly -- until a silly mishap puts the roast turkey out of commission.  Will Thanksgiving be ruined?  Of course not. Family, friends, and thankfulness save the day.

Both Ben and I were entertained by this story.  I especially liked how Levine tells it in "The House That Jack Built" style, but with a twist.  I also liked the gentle message that things don't have to go perfectly to have a special day.

***

A Plump and Perky Turkey,

written by Teresa Bateman

and illustrated by Jeff Shelly, 2001

When the people of Squawk Valley find themselves without a turkey for Thanksgiving, they come up with a plan to lure one to town.  They advertise for a turkey model to come help them out with an arts and crafts show... and Pete the turkey takes the bait.  Pete poses while the townspeople paint pictures of him and sculpt likenesses of him out of clay, but then manages to disappear before he is captured, leaving the town with only shredded wheat for Thanksgiving dinner.

This rhyming story is a bit of a tongue twister at times to read out loud, but its goofy plot and illustrations make it worth trying!

***

Thank You, Thanksgiving,

written and illustrated by David Milgrim, 2003

In this simple yet inspiring book, a young girl is thankful for the world around her.

I think reading this story with a loved one would be a great way to introduce the concepts of Thanksgiving to toddlers and preschoolers.  Though Ben is quite a bit older than that now, he (and I) still appreciated the main character's attitude of gratitude as well as Milgrim's charming illustrations.

***

The Memory Cupboard:

A Thanksgiving Story,

written by Charlotte Herman

and illustrated by Ben F. Stahl, 2003

When Katie and her parents visit Grandma for Thanksgiving, Katie accidentally breaks the special gravy boat her mother and uncle gave Grandma when they were young.  Katie feels awful, but then Grandma -- who knows what's really important -- shows Katie her memory cupboard.  Inside, the cupboard is filled with items that have broken over the years, yet remain cherished memories.

With rich illustrations that convey a loving family, this is a heartwarming story.  It emphasizes the truth that "things are just things.  People are more important...."  

***

Pilgrim Cat,

written by Carol Antoinette Peacock

and illustrated by Doris Ettlinger, 2004

Faith, a young girl sailing from England to the New World aboard the Mayflower, spots a stowaway cat.  Naming him Pounce, she quickly befriends the cat.  Through storms, illness, and a long, hard winter in a new land, Pounce stays by Faith's side.  When he disappears the next summer, Faith is devastated.  Where can Pounce be?  Don't worry -- Pounce eventually turns up again, and Faith has much to be thankful for at harvest time.

Though the story is fictional, Peacock infuses it with historical facts, making the Colonial period come alive in readers' minds.

***

The Firefighters' Thanksgiving,

written by Maribeth Boelts

and illustrated by Terry Widener, 2004

It's Thanksgiving Day and the firefighters at Station 1 are getting ready to celebrate.  The alarm sounds several times throughout the day, however, and each time they must leave their cooking unfinished.  Then one of the firefighters gets hurt and is rushed to the hospital.  It turns out that he'll be okay -- but will the firefighters ever get to enjoy the holiday?

Before we read this book together, Ben didn't realize that firefighters (and many others) must work on holidays.  The story sparked a conversation about all the people in our community who deserve our support and heartfelt thanks.

***

An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving,

written by Louisa May Alcott

and illustrated by James Bernardin, 2005

The Bassett family is "poor in money, but rich in land and love".  They are in the middle of preparing Thanksgiving dinner when they receive news that Mrs. Bassett's mother is very ill.  When Mr. and Mrs. Bassett leave to take care of her, young Tilly decides to surprise her parents by completing the meal before they get back.  The other children help, but no one knows exactly how to make the various dishes.  Dinner doesn't turn out quite as expected, but there remains much to be thankful for.  The book includes a recipe for Apple Slump.

This is a shortened version of Alcott's holiday tale, originally published in 1881.  I have not read the original, so I don't know how the two compare, but I felt that this text was just right for a picture book setting.  Filled with warmth and gentle humor, this book makes a great addition to any family's Thanksgiving reading list.

***

Over the River:

A Turkey's Tale,

based on the lyrics written by Lydia Maria Child
 and illustrated by Derek Anderson, 2005

Like the book Over the River and Through the Wood shown at the top of this post, this book is based on the poem/song lyrics written by Child in the 1840's.  In Anderson's version, however, a turkey family is traveling to Grandmother's house (along with a horse who literally carries a sleigh), while fleeing from a young hunter and his dog.  Song lyrics and music are included on the book's endpapers.

The playful pictures in this book kept Ben and me chuckling throughout.

***

Beauty and the Beaks:

A Turkey's Cautionary Tale,

written by Mary Jane Auch

and illustrated by Mary Jane and Herm Auch, 2007

Beauty (owner of the beauty shop The Chic Hen) and her chicken friends gossip about Lance, the conceited turkey who is the only one invited to the farmhouse feast.  When Beauty later discovers that Lance is going to be the main course, however, she hatches a zany plan to save him.

Bad puns and silliness abound in this eggcellent story.  In addition, the illustrations (photographs of elaborate chicken mannequins) are fascinating -- Ben and I loved all the tiny details.

***

We Gather Together:

Celebrating the Harvest Season,

written by Wendy Pfeffer

and illustrated by Linda Bleck, 2006

This nonfiction picture book explains the fall equinox and various traditions around the world related to the harvest season, including the Jewish Sukkot, India's rice festival, Pongol, Japan's Moon Viewing ceremony, and America's Thanksgiving.  The book also provides instructions for various activities and recipes.

Ben and I found this to be an intriguing, entertaining book, filled with kid-friendly information and vibrant illustrations. I even learned a few things myself!

***

Have you read any of the books above?  If so, what did you think of them?  Are there any other Thanksgiving-themed books that you recommend?  I would love to hear about them!