By now you should have received an email from my new website about my review of THE NIGHT WAR by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. (It'll come from WordPress). If you didn't, please check your spam box or if you have a Google account, it might have gone to your "Social" folder.
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Add this book to your TBR pile--it's terrific!
Although I moved to WordPress for my new website, I'm still having issues with sending out blog notifications. Here's this week's post on the new Emotional Amplifier Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. There's still time to enter their giveaway--but submit your response today!
My web designer and I hope that you'll be receiving notifications through WordPress rather than Blogger very soon. We're working on it!
As I mentioned last week, I've moved from Blogger to WordPress. The transition hasn't gone as smoothly as I'd hoped it would. You should have received an email from my new site with a link to this review but if you didn't, here is this week's book review.
Salt to the Sea is a wonderfully written multi-POV upper MG/YA/adult novel about a little-known huge event in WWII.
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Twenty years ago, Ravendale Middle school caught fire and Jane Wright was lost forever. No one ever found out how the fire was started, leaving Jane’s ghost to wonder about the mystery of her death. Was it really an accident? Would she ever find the person who started it so she could finally be at peace and cease haunting the school grounds?
Middle-schooler, Kate Sablousky, moves to the town of Ravendale and discovers she has inherited her Jewish grandmother’s ability to see ghosts when she makes friends with a strange girl at school who no one else can see. Can Kate help her new ghostly friend find the answer to the mystery behind her death?
I felt heartbroken, and I’d only just met Jane.
Well, would I even call it that?
We couldn’t have met because she couldn’t be real. My stomach churned, picturing her poor mother and father with no real answers about what led to their daughter’s death.
I’d never believed in the concept of closure. I probably didn’t have real “closure” from the fact my dad left Mom and me, but I’d learned to find peace with it. I doubted the Wrights had been able to find that peace. (p.46)
I enjoyed the fast-paced writing style and description of details. Even though the story carries with it some very heavy and sad themes, I liked that it had a satisfying conclusion that brings the plot all together. In horror stories, the main characters seem to always get themselves into terrible situations because of their own stupidity; but Kate was aware of danger which was refreshing to have a clever character who had a sense of self-preservation.
As a Christian, I personally don’t enjoy stories where they fantasize the afterlife or use it as a concept for world building. Since the story was set in our world, that made the extra afterlife process feel strange to me.
At one point in the story Jane tells Kate:
… “maybe you could help me. I’m stuck here. I can’t… pass on.”
… “And yes, I need your help,” Jane continued. A moment of silence made her plea all the more terrifying before she resumed.
“I don’t know why I died.” (p.52)
In the story Jane cannot rest in peace until she has solved the mystery behind her death, which was also symbolic of the way grief can hold you hostage and unable to move forward. Even though I personally don’t like afterlife concept stories, it gave me a good opportunity to talk with my family about worldviews in stories, and how to view ghosts stories and hauntings.
Life’s not just the here and now.
Tears welled in my eyes. I’d misunderstood Bubbe’s saying all this time. She was trying to prepare me. In case I was like her. In case I ever saw people like Jane. (p. 47)
I recommend this middle-grade book by Caitlin Alexander for anyone who loves a quick-read book series and enjoys scary mysteries.
On the Monarch site, they have book ratings which is super helpful for knowing what exactly is in a book, I recommend checking it out as it would be informative and help you decide if the book is for you.
Who knows? Maybe Jane will capture your interest and you can solve the mystery along with Kate and her ghostly friend.
I returned Jane’s smile. She didn’t strike me as much of a rulebreaker, but she knew the school better than I did. I wanted to know more about her. (p.33)
Congratulations to Rebecca Wheeler who won THOMAS JEFFERSON'S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE.
Beth Anderson is no stranger to my blog. Her outstanding nonfiction biographies find little-known stories within a historical character's well-known life. Thomas Jefferson's Battle for Science: Bias, Truth, and a Mighty Moose! (Calkins Creek, 2024) is her latest contribution to her other great curriculum resources for grades 2-5. The engaging illustrations by Jeremy Holmes amplify the text and pull readers of all ages into the book.
IN TIME, new truths overshadowed Buffon's biased ideas. The land that Thomas loved wasn't a terrible, unhealthy place. It wasn't better or worse than the Old World. JUST MEASURABLY DIFFERENT.
Ben and Scout by Denise Minnerly is the story of two dogs that are best friends and are always together, despite the greatest olds. It is a story about loss written for young children.
Ben is old and sick. Scout is young and has only a superficial understanding of Ben’s condition, so when Ben dies, Scout struggles with great loss. Will he ever see his best friend again? Is Scout all alone? In the story, Scout struggles with depression and anxiety: he eats less, and he begins to shed a lot. Then Scout starts having dreams about Ben. In them, Ben says that he will always be with him, and this encourages Scout. Soon his hair grows back - the same color as Ben’s hair was. And he sees it as a confirmation that Ben is still in his heart.
Loss is real. Anxiety and depression - the after-effects of loss - are also very real. Ben and Scout does a nice job of introducing young children to these difficult concepts. The illustrations are also well-done and fun. They are simple and reinforce the ideas in the book.
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Ben & Scout is inspired by Denise’s pets and their enduring love for one another. It’s so painful to lose a pet we cherish and books that discuss these topics can become part of the healing process. This book is serving an animal rescue project, Pilots to the Rescue. Forty percent of the total book sales will be donated to helping rescues find their forever home.
If you are interested in being an ARC (ARC = advanced reader copy) reader like Janelle, then I have books for you! My publisher, Monarch Educational Services, invites you to read their K-12 clean-reads books before they come out. If you feel that the books merit it (and we hope you do!) they ask that you post your positive review on Goodreads and Barnes & Noble. Save the review and when the book is published you can share it on Amazon too.
Interested? Go to https://bit.ly/ARCMONARCH to sign up!
Talking Story is live! Here is your chance to not only win LET'S BUILD A TRAIN or PRAIRIE BOY but also A GRAND IDEA by Megan Hoyt and NICK AND TESLA by Bob Pflugfelder.
You can access the newsletter here. Read Megan Hoyt's backstory for her picture book about Grand Central Station, find other book recommendations, and discover how to build a roller coaster!
If you're a home school educator or librarian tell me in the comments and I'll enter your name twice! U.S. addresses only. Giveaway ends April 20.
Did I hook you with that title? Did you think this blog post was going to be about how to create a picture book? Homonyms can be clever--and difficult for English language learners!
In this case, I'm using "building" as an adjective. The spring issue of Talking Story is coming out next week and Rebecca Wheeler and I are featuring books that are about building. We have four great giveaways and I'm introducing two of them here.
HOW DO BROWN FIELD ANTSHIDE IN WHITE QUEEN ANNE'S LACE?WHEN DOES THE HARVEST MOONCHANGE SHAPE?WHAT MAKES THE PRAIRIEFEEL LIKE HOME?
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Here are some upcoming writing events that might interest you or the teen in your life.
When I moved to Matthews, NC a few years ago I was delighted to discover Matthews Christian library walking distance from my home. Of course, I introduced myself to the librarian, Tiffany Slack, and told her about my passion for books and writing.
Recently, Tiffany contacted me and asked if I would be willing to participate in their 25th anniversary celebration. She asked if I would talk about getting published since many of their patrons ask about that.
It just so happened that had been my topic at a recent workshop for a library in the Charlotte Mecklenburg system, and so I replied with a proposal.
And just like that, this is going to happen in May!
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It is always an honor for me when an author allows me the privilege of sharing the cover of their book with the world. This time, I'm giving you a first peek at my friend Linda Phillips' new cover for the re-release of her YA novel, CRAZY.
Isn't it stunning?
It's hard to believe that this poignant novel about mental health, family relationships, and art has been out for ten years. Here is the review that I posted in June 2014.
Recently I chatted with Linda on why Eerdmans decided to re-release CRAZY and her hopes for the book.
I wouldn't have believed that a book about matter and energy would be read by the picture book crowd, except that my third-grade and kindergarten grandkids are studying physics at school right now. Go figure. At their age, I would have had no idea that a catapult uses a fulcrum---or even what a fulcrum was--let alone build one for a class project!
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| Eleanor's 3rd-grade catapult (with some help from her dad). |
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| Her younger brother, Caleb, enjoyed the catapult too. |
But I digress. PUSH-PULL MORNING (Astra Books for Young Readers, 2023) written by Lisa Westberg Peters and illustrated by Serge Bloch is a fun-filled exploration of physics for young readers. And because the narrator's new dog is the star of the show, even kids who might not gravitate to science will be won over too. After all, who can resist a book with a dog that is physics-friendly?
Using the unique vehicle of poetry, Lisa Westberg Peters tackles ideas that aren't easy to explain.
Take the concept of Matter that is shown in the first poem, "Stuff in Common." The narrator comments on the fact that although he is different than his new pet, his dog's wet nose, floppy ears, and clicky claws are all made of
zillions of wiggly molecules and
jillions of jiggly atoms.
Me too!
My new dog and I
are made of the SAME
wiggly-jiggly stuff.
From there, the reader discovers the Phases of Matter.
Similarly, a dog clearly demonstrates the concept of Force in "Push-Pull Morning." How? Think about how your dog pulls on her leash to go outside or to greet another dog; how your dog has to be pushed inside the vet's office and how she pushes against your leg when she wants attention.
Clever, huh?
There are poems about inertia (picture a dog who'd rather nap than go for a walk); gravity (will a dog go down a playground slide?); magnetism (a dog contemplates how a bone can be stuck to the refrigerator door); energy, friction, and electricity.
My generous dog
gives me electrons
on cool, dry days.
She rolls around on the carpet
Her fur picks up electrons
until she is extremely negative.
Using activities that are familiar to young children and with the help of a super-smart, friendly dog, Lisa Westberg Peters brings physics into the realm of common everyday experiences.
All I can say is that I would have liked my high school Chemistry and Physics classes if I'd had this book as a youngster. I'm thankful--and a bit jealous--of my grandkids!
The human body… more like the heroic body!
The Human Body: An Alien’s Guide, written by Ruth Redford and illustrated by Leandro Cunha, is a graphic novel about human biology. This book features two aliens, Zag and Zog, who go on an adventurous mission to learn about the human body.
I read it to my 5-year-old brother, Noah-Austin.
REVIEW
I recommend this book for kids in grades 3-4 since it is interesting, fun, and an easy read. Zag and Zog break down the human body into percentages:
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| “The alien has three big eyes and the other guy looks like an oval!”- Noah-Austin White |
The aliens fly through seven systems of the body on their spaceship.
In the skeletal system, the curious aliens learn about the bones of the body, cartilage, how bones can heal themselves, and the joints' functions.
I taught Noah-Austin about his funny bone.
“Why is an alien in the body? They should be on the moon right now!”
- Noah-Austin White
Zog talks like an alien: "That’s it? Do they ever just feel zorpy?” he says when the two learn how many muscles the face uses.
The two aliens discover the nervous system and learn about electric signals sent to the brain notifying the brain what action it needs to perform. They also discuss how nerves are needed in different places for different movements.
In the circulatory system, these cool little monsters learn about blood, blood cells, germs, blood vessels, arteries, the heart, and blood clots.
The cells mistake them for enemies and start to attack them! Luckily, the extraterrestrials escape.
In the immune system, they learn about oxygen, carbon dioxide, lungs, mucus, viruses, and, infected cells. But real trouble awaits in the digestive system.
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| “The stomach mush looks like poop.”-Noah-Austin White |
In the digestive system, the one-eyed and three-eyed aliens are educated about the process of how the body digests food, the small intestine, the large intestines, feces, heartburn, stomach ache, urination, infections, and lots more! Then, the aliens start to get trapped by the stomach acid made when the human experiences heartburn, but they find a way out (phew!) without any chaos, or digestion drama in the mix.
”Why does he have so many arms?” Noah-Austin asked.
Lastly, in the endocrine system, the spacelings learn about puberty, hormones, the pituitary gland, the pineal gland, the parathyroid, the thymus gland, the pancreas, the adrenal glands, and the thyroid glands. I had no idea these were such things--I can’t even pronounce them! The octopus-like aliens also discover how emotions affect hormones.
I find this story fascinating because the facts are formatted in a way that’s easy to understand. This story differs from other biology books because it is a graphic novel and kid-friendly. I also enjoyed how in each system the aliens don’t only learn about the parts of the body, but they also have an adventure/exploration!
I recommend THE HUMAN BODY: An Alien's Guide to any kid who wants to learn about human biology. I love this book because it helped me learn a lot of important information quickly. The illustrations helped me better understand what the parts of the body look like, and the cartoony art style gave it a fun feel.
Brooke Leela-Ann White is an 11-year-old 5th grader who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has written two books, “ Cupcake the Lying Unicorn” and “Cookie Cat and the Tagalongs”. When Brooke isn’t reading or writing you’ll probably spot her sewing, scootering, swimming, or studying. This is Brooke’s fourth book review, She has been dreaming about becoming a book reviewer ever since she could read!
By now you should have received an email from my new website about my review of THE NIGHT WAR by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. (It'll com...
