A Pup Called Trouble: A Review

Congratulations to Rosi Hollenbeck who won OOTHAR THE BLUE and Cathy Ogren who won MAY I COME IN?


A Pup Called Trouble (Kathy Tegan Books, 2018) by Bobbie Pyron is an engaging story that 3-5th grade students or older reluctant readers will enjoy. Based on true stories of coyotes who live in New York's Central Park, the book is told mostly through the point of view of the aptly named coyote, Trouble. Pyron, who makes her home  in the Utah mountains, spent four days roaming around Manhattan imaging how the city would smell, sound, and look to a lost coyote pup. Those four days became the backbone for this story. 

Although the child reader may not recognize herself in the story, Trouble’s desire to experience what his parents have forbidden is very child-like. Pyron sets up this identification at the beginning of the book when Trouble’s parents take him to see a tractor for the first time. Whereas his siblings fear the loud noise it makes, Trouble responds:

“It sounds huge,” Trouble exclaimed. “It sounds exciting! Can we go see?” (p. 16) 

After he sees Makers (humans) for the first time, he bombards his mother,

[Trouble] raced in circles of excitement. "Can we see more tomorrow?" (p. 21-22)

"No, she snapped. "Nothing good comes from Makers."

Swift shivered with fright. Pounced moved closer to his father, and Star trembled. 

Trouble's eyes glowed with dreamy curiosity. (p. 21-22)

Inevitably, the pup’s curiosity gets him into trouble. The reader sees and feels what happens when Trouble hides inside a truck. "...a loud, low growl rumbled to life beneath Trouble's feet. It grew louder and louder, shaking the floor and the walls and the ceiling of the shelter. Then, to Trouble's horror, the Beast lurched to life."(p.30). 

He finds himself in a "stone forest [which] rose so high it cut the wide blue expanse to wedges and slivers of white (p. 33). His senses are accosted by strange scents, sounds, and sights--not the least of which is the Makers "looking intently at a small something [they] held in their hands." At one point he is surrounded by Makers of all sizes. "Trouble leaped to his feet, spun in circles looking for the cover of forest, trees, bushes, anything where he could hide. Nothing. Everything was hard. Solid. Unforgiving." (p. 33)

Although Trouble admits that he's lost in this strange world, his curiosity drives him further and further from the truck that brought him to the city. When a crow named Mischief spies Trouble and takes an interest in him, there are great opportunities for fun and games as the two ride a subway, scare New Yorkers, and cause general mayhem. 

Mischief introduces him to other animals living in Central Park and Trouble falls in love with a poodle named Minette. As a result of these friendships, Trouble begins to lose his homesickness and begins to start liking his new life. His friends are alarmed and arrange for him to visit the "Place of the Once Wild." At the city zoo Trouble's eyes are opened to see what he risks losing. 

Ultimately, it is the fact that his friends band together to save him from the consequences of his poor decision that helps Trouble return home. The "good friends help friends stay out of trouble" moral-of-the-story is subtly and sweetly woven into a book that boys and girls will both enjoy. 

Once again, I can't part with this book! My animal loving granddaughters will love it! 

Bobbie Pyron is the author of five award-winning, critically-acclaimed middle grade and young adult novels including A DOG'S WAY HOME, THE DOGS OF WINTER, and LUCKY STRIKE. She lives in Park City, Utah with her husband, dogs, and occasional moose.

SCAR: A Review and an ARC Giveaway

Congratulations to Linda Phillips who won THE HIRED GIRL audio CD. For those of you who know that Linda and I are best writing buddies, I can assure you that this was not rigged and the winner was chosen through random.org!

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Sixteen-year-old Noah Daniels is a patriot with a problem. Lame since childhood, Noah wants nothing more than to take arms up against the British as his father did. But his childhood injury holds him back--both mentally and physically--until the day in which all of his abilities are tested and proved. 

SCAR: A Revolutionary Tale (Calkins Creek, 2016), J. Albert Mann's first young adult historical novel, is short but powerful. Spanning the course of just three days, Mann artfully alternates between Noah's present predicament--he is wounded and is caring for a young wounded Indian--and the events leading up to it. 

The reader is immediately drawn into the story in the first lines:

Their screams blind me. I run. Fast. So fast that I run right through my limp. There is nothing I can do for them now--not for Dr. Tusten, nor for Mr. Jones or Jon Haskell, not for any of them. Even as I dodge a blur of trees and rocks and branches, the scene under the ledge replays in my mind, Dr. Tusten shouting at me to run, that hatchet...

My lame foot catches a rock and I meet the ground. Hard. The musket ball in my stomach shoots searing pain straight up into my teeth. 

This can't be happening. 

I dig my forehead into the hemlock needles and suck in the familiar smell of soil--I wish I could go back three days in my life, just three days... (p.7).

Even though the reader doesn't know the protagonist's name, there are enough clues in these opening paragraphs to set up the story and provoke questions: "Why is this boy running? What happened three days ago?" And even more importantly, "What's going to happen next?"

Through the use of alternating chapters (present story and events that happened three days prior) the reader slowly understands the backstory: Noah's father's patriotic fervor before he died; his mother's reluctance to let Noah become a part of the Continental Army; Noah's self-assessment as a "crippled farm boy;" Noah's longing to have his own farm; his infatuation with the new girl in the settlement, Eliza Little; and his fear and hatred of the Iroquois Indians who recently joined forces with the British.

After he is wounded, Noah stumbles upon a young injured warrior:

The brightness of the stars has always seemed cold to me. I frown and look back at the boy who has become my patient. The white light of the moon catches on the shiny scar running down his cheek....Scar. I will think of him as Scar.

My father named everyone. (p. 21)

Faced with the choice of helping him or abandoning him, Noah uses his newly-acquired "medical" training to try and help him. 

Without thinking, I pick up his hand in mind and look up at the sky between the branches of the hemlock trees. Why is it that when we want answers we know we can't have, we turn our faces to the sky? Maybe it's all those stars. Maybe just comparing our concerns to their twinkling masses shrinks our problems.

Scar squeezes my hand.

I'm afraid to look at him. I know that he knows he's dying.

He squeezes my hand again.

I look down. His eyes are like the stars, full of twinkle. (p.45)

Earlier in the story, Noah faced another choice: Was he going to join the men going to battle, or would he use his lame foot as an excuse not to go? Despite knowing that his mother would want him to stay, he remembers her admonition: "Don't let others shoulder a responsibility that is yours." (p. 82)

Later when Dr. Tusten, who has observed his lame foot, questions his decision to join the militia, Noah responds: 

If I were to ask these men sweating in the hot sun right now, each of them would own a good reason to stay behind, just as you believe I do." I wave over at Mr. Jacobson. "That men has six children to feed. And the Reverend has a portion of his flock to put to rest after yesterday. And Jon Haskell's wife is sick with fever." There is no shortage of pain and suffering in the lives of poor farmers, and I could have gone on, but instead I turn back to him. "And you, sir, you're standing before me, even though I'm sure that you must have a wife and children to think about. I will follow this militia, Dr. Tusten, whether you agree with my decision or not." (p. 93)

The book ends on an ambiguous note. In an email exchange Jennifer Mann said, "Every reader brings their own ideas to that end." You'll have to read SCAR, which launches tomorrow, to find out for yourself. An Epilogue and "About the Characters" provide more information about the battle and the combatants on both sides. 

From the Author

Since I'm always interested in how authors get their ideas (particularly when it comes to historical fiction!) I asked Jennifer how she became interested in the Battle of Minisink Ford. She responded:

On a weekend hike behind a friend’s home in the Upper Delaware River Valley of New York, I came upon an old wooden marker stating some small fact about a battle I’d never heard of. The second marker I came upon kind of changed my life. It was a simple wooden plaque drilled into the side of a rock ledge. It read:

Hospital Rock. Here on July 22, 1779, Lt. Col. Benjamin Tusten, a physician, and seventeen wounded militiamen under his care were trapped and killed by Joseph Brant's raiders.

A simple walk in the woods had brought me to a place where eighteen men had died. I started running up and down the trails looking for more markers. The markers told the story of The Battle of Minisink Ford, an obscure Revolutionary War battle. I didn’t know it then (or maybe I did), but I was to walk that trail literally and figuratively for many years to come as I undertook the challenge of writing my first novel of historical fiction. Standing there in the woods that day, I felt a deep need to discover who those eighteen men were and why they had died on a summer day in the shadow of a lonely rock ledge. In the end, I did find out “who” they were, but not “why” they died. That question never gets answered.

To be entered in the drawing for this ARC, leave me a comment by Friday, April 8. If I don't have your contact information, PLEASE include that also. This book would be a great classroom resource for grades 4-7 or as an addition to a home or school library. 

This review originally appeared on LitChat.

Multi-Racial Read #19: Just an Overnight Guest- And a Giveaway!

Congratulations to Linda Phillips who won Kathy Erskine's book Seeing Red.

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It's been awhile since I've reviewed a multi-racial book and Just an Overnight Guest by Eleanora Tate fits the bill--but from a different perspective than the other books I've reviewed as background for writing Half-Truths.

The only thing wrong with nine-year-old Margie Carson's life in the small town of Nutbrush, Mo. is that her trucker father isn't home to spend enough time with their family. 

That is, until Mrs. Carson decides that 4-year-old Ethel needs to stay in their "gray-shingled one-story house [which] fit only Daddy and Momma and Alberta and me--there was no place in it for Ethel." (p. 29).  

Margie's reasoning goes like this: 

"If Ethel were clean and nice and regular white, or clean and nice and regular Black--or just plain nice--folks would say, 'Ain't it sweet about Miz Carson keeping Miz Mary's girl.' They sure wouldn't say that the way she is now!" (p.27) 

While Margie puzzles over how her mother and Ethel's mother know one another, 13-year-old Alberta gives hints that Margie just can't quite figure out. But that's only part of Margie's problem. From the moment that her mother drops her off--allegedly just for the weekend--Ethel is a handful: 

"They came into the kitchen and right away Ethel started jumping around. Same ole dirty face. Same dirty hands. Dirty red shirt and too big sandals that flopped when she walked. She climbed unto a kitchen chair, jerking at the tablecloth, and one of Momma's best plates shattered on the floor." (p. 29)

Margie's anger knows no bounds as she faces the humiliation of Ethel wetting the bed Margie is forced to share with her, Ethel calling Mrs. Carson "my Momma," and her own friends' scorn. 

But when Ethel tells Margie that her "toys" are her mother's empty beer bottles and bottle caps, Margie begins to understand the life that Ethel has lived. Although a wise neighbor advises Margie that she's not the baby anymore, it takes several major growing-up moments before Margie makes room in her heart for Ethel. 

"I wondered what it would be like in my life to have a real younger sister. Course, she wouldn't be anything like Ethel. A regular sister would be all Black and not trashy. Her parents would be Momma and Daddy. Not Miz Mary and somebody. Who in the world was Ethel's father after all? The way they went around whispering, they had to know! It finally hit me that everyone knew how he was but me! I had a right to know, too. After all, his kid was in my bed." (p. 110-111)

I won't spoil the ending but suffice it to say, readers will empathize with Margie's struggles and appreciate the decision she makes in the end. 

First published in 1980 by Dial, Just an Overnight Guest was made into a television movie in 1983; here is a clip from that production:


Although the book is recommended for ages 9-12, because of the nature of the story I personally would suggest a slightly older reader. (Caveat: I'm a very conservative reader and Eleanora told me that 8-year-olds have read this book and liked it!) Like the Boy in the Striped Pajamas that also features a young protagonist, I think the content of the book requires a more mature reader. The characterization, character's voices, and historical accuracy are spot on and lend themselves to a good read-aloud in an upper elementary or middle school classroom.

The sequel to Just an Overnight Guest is Front Porch Stories at the One-Room School which was original published by Bantam/Skylark Books in 1992.  

To enter to win my gently-used autographed copy of Just an Overnight Guest, please leave me a comment (and your email address if I don't have it) by 8 AM January 1. Who will be my first giveaway winner in 2015?

Ann Eisenstein and a Giveaway: Fallen Prey

Congratulations to Linda Andersen who won a copy of "Call Me Oklahoma!" on last week's blog.

Before I introduce this week's guest blogger, I want to tell you about a writer's service: Grammarly.com is just what the name says it is--an online plagiarism and grammar checker; and proofreader. I tried it out and was amazed to find the number of errors in one sample chapter. I think using Grammarly's Plagiarism check would keep me from hearing an editor say, "Hmmm...this sounds familiar..."  My worst nightmare!

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"I am dedicated, determined and desirous to empower, enable, and encourage children."  Ann Eisenstein

Ann is a psychologist, consultant and teacher; she has been trained by the FBI Citizen's Academy, is a recent graduate of the Richland County Sheriff's Citizen Academy, and a presenter for NAMI. After retiring, she decided to take a stab at writing. At the time she was mentoring a young fifth grade boy who she calls "G". 

Ann says, "G’s class was in the FBI Junior Special Agent Program. The main focus of this program is to help students improve their performance and their attendance in school.  Through his involvement in this program, I began to witness a change in G’s behavior. He became more involved in school, his work, and our relationship. He also became more outgoing with his peers. I was so proud of him!

"A germ.  A seed. A nugget. Planted. It took root, and inspired, I decided it was time to start writing. I chose an main character, Jamie, and titled the book Badge Boy. I stared at the page – it was pretty blank. 

"But I had an idea: I called the Special Agent in charge of G’s JSA program, told him I was writing a book and asked if I could interview him. Surprisingly, he agreed. I was on my way to the FBI. Gates, guns and grit."

In this way Ann combined her love for writing and all things detective! 

Following Hiding Carly, her first book in the Sean Gray Junior Special Agent series, Ann's second book Fallen Prey was released this fall from Peak City Publishing. Here is the blurb:

Twelve-year-old Junior Special Agent Sean Gray is in a race against time. Could there be a connection between his testimony in the trial of an international child kidnapping ring and his mysterious accident?

While the sheriff’s department and the FBI are investigating, his new friend, Gabby, gets caught in the web of an online predator and disappears. She’s been missing for more than 48 hours, and the authorities have not been able to find her.

Sean goes undercover to bait the mysterious hunter. But when he becomes the prey, how will he rescue her?

I'm hooked! Don't you think a young reader you know would be also?  Here's your chance to win this book:

1. Leave me a comment with your email address (if you don't think I have it).

2. Post this giveaway on your social media of choice for two chances to win. Tag me/and or let me know which you did.

3. Enter by December 27!

AND you can say you heard it here first: The third and final book in this series, Deadly Exposure, will be released in Spring, 2014! Yeah, Ann!!

Ivy in the Shadows and a Giveaway!

I'm interrupting my mini-series on Dear Senator since I just finished reading Ivy in the Shadows by Chris Woodworth and have another copy to give away. 

Upper elementary and middle school girl readers will enjoy this true-to-life story of a 12-year-old girl.  Ivy is learning how to deal with her mother's failed marriages, assuming more responsibility for her younger brother J.J, navigating the waters of changed school friendships, and figuring out Caleb, the boarder her mother takes in to help make ends meet. 

Like many children in families, Ivy learns about life by eavesdropping. She listens to her mother's discussions with her best friend, "Aunt" Maureen and finds out about their love lives and about her step-father. But eavesdropping only works some of the time. When she incorrectly pieces together the information she hears Caleb telling J.J., her faulty conclusions lead her down the wrong path. 

I appreciate how Chris Woodworth portrays a young girl trying to figure out who is telling the truth, who to trust, and how appearances aren't always what they seem to be. There are strong messages on the importance of honesty, facing the consequences of false assumptions, admitting when one is wrong, and the characteristics of a true friend. 

I also loved Ivy's voice, which you get to hear right from the opening paragraph:

Some say you get your best education in school. Others say it's through life. I got my best education early on eavesdropping at Mama's feet while she talked to my aunt on the telephone. (p. 1)

Thanks to Joy Peskin, Chris's editor, of Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, I am giving away an autographed copy of Ivy in the Shadows. So, for those of you who didn't win a copy back in February when I posted the backstory about this book, here's another chance!

Here are the giveaway rules:

• Post this blog on your social media site of choice OR become a new follower of this blog. 
• Either way, leave a comment with your email address (if you are new to my blog) with what you did.
• I will draw a winner's name on Monday morning, June 3. 

Thanks for entering!

Eggs

What happens when a 13-year-old girl who invents a non-existent father and lives with a palm-reading wacky mother befriends a 9-year-old boy who is mourning his mother's death? You end up with a sometimes explosive, rocky friendship that bonds two lonely children together in their need for love and acceptance. In this another "I-read-this-because-I love-the-author" book, Jerry Spinnelli's new book, Eggs, will not disappoint readers from 4th grade through middle school. Teachers can use Eggs to begin a discussion of how these young characters say "I hate you" to one another, but just like people in real life, their actions really say, "I want to be your friend." I am impressed with Spinnelli's consistent ability to paint a visual image and show characters through their dialogue and actions. I regularly use Misha from Milkweed in seminars where I show teachers how an author "shows" rather than "tells about" a character—another way in which teachers can also use this book. I may just have to add Primrose, a main character in Eggs, to my teaching repertoire. (Little, Brown, and Young Readers, 2007)

The Castle Corona

I have to admit it. I began listening Sharon Creech's new book, The Castle Corona with skepticism. Not another mistaken-identity-orphan book, I thought. But Creech's power as a "wordsmith" (yes, you have to read the book to find out exactly who that is) won me over and I happily recommend this humorous book to upper elementary students. The short tale that takes place "long ago and far away" has similar themes to other books I have recently reviewed. Like Enter Three Witches: A Story Of Macbeth, the reader discovers the consequences of misunderstood actions. More gently than Carolyn Cooney's rendition of the Shakespeare tragedy (and appropriate to a younger audience) the reader also sees how wanting what one cannot have can shape a person's thoughts, dreams, and actions. And like Keturah and Lord Death, The Castle Corona skillfully weaves together several stories within a story. It makes me hopeful that storytelling is not a lost medieval art!

I hope that the girls and boys who read this book will think about the simple words of wisdom sprinkled throughout the book and consider pearls such as "When one has nothing, then nothing can disappear" and "A thief steals to get what he does not have." Teachers could use this book as an example of how to infuse a story with a moral without hammering the reader over the head with it. (Harper Collins, 2007)