The Juvie Three, by Gordon Korman, is a piece of fiction which reached out and grabbed me. So much so, that when I finished it, I reached out and grabbed my thirteen-year-old son, thrust the book into his hands, and said, "Read this." I left no options.
Was it because of a strong anti-crime message? No. Was it because of a strong anti-gang message? No. I made my kid read it because it is a GOOD book. The characters are well-written and their stories as individuals and their story as a trio are all compelling.
Gecko, Arjay, and Terence are all juvenile offenders. Gecko drove the get-away car for his brother's gang, Arjay accidentally killed another boy--the eyewitness testimony of biased others said it was intentional--and Terence is a gangsta wannabe who planned a heist perpetrated by others. They are sprung from their various places of incarceration to live in a sort of half-way house run by Douglas Healy. He understands them in ways they never thought possible, and is determined to show them that they can have a better life than the one they were bound for. There is a fly in the ointment in the form of a nasty social worker riding herd on this special project, and if one boy messes up, all three will have to go back to jail.
Gecko and Arjay are happy for the opportunity to escape lock-up and they are determined to play by the rules. Terence has no such ambition. He immediately begins trying to ingratiate himself in a local gang. On his way to the fire escape late one night to meet his new contact, he is set upon by Gecko and Arjay. Douglas hears the commotion and comes to investigate. He is accidentally knocked off the fire escape and hits his head. The boys manage to drop the unconscious man off anonymously at a hospital emergency room.
Terence is all for cutting and running, but Gecko and Arjay prevail upon him to stick around. They all continue going to school and their community-service job. Gecko finds a way to volunteer at the hospital to keep tabs on the comatose Douglas. When Douglas awakes, the boys' situation turns from precarious to imperiled. Their guardian has amnesia and the social worker is coming for an inspection in seven days.
Gordon Korman excels at writing books that kids, especially boys, love to read. This one is no exception.
Friday, March 26, 2010
A Picture Book for Bigger People
Help Me, Mr. Mutt!: Expert Answers for Dogs with People Problems, by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel--Mr. Mutt is a "Canine Counselor" for dogs with issues. From the dog on a diet to the dog in costume to the incessantly barking dog, this book covers all manner of dog troubles and Mr. Mutt's uniquely canine way of dealing with them. To the dog on a diet, he offers this advice: "Dogs require at least eight servings per day of scrumptious food. Your People do not understand this, so you have to take matters into your own paws." He then goes on to describe various methods of doing so.
The constant barker is confused. Every time he barks, his people yell, "Don't bark!" But "Then they tell me, 'Do a trick! Speak! Speak! For a treat!' Doesn't speak mean bark?" Mr. Mutt's advice? "Have some fun. the next time your people say 'Speak!' look them in the eye and let out a big 'MOOOOO.'"
The text and the illustrations contain subleties only appreciated by the older reader. Jokes abound, but one needs a certain frame of reference (i.e. experience as a pet owner) to fully understand everything. Definitely a fun book!
The constant barker is confused. Every time he barks, his people yell, "Don't bark!" But "Then they tell me, 'Do a trick! Speak! Speak! For a treat!' Doesn't speak mean bark?" Mr. Mutt's advice? "Have some fun. the next time your people say 'Speak!' look them in the eye and let out a big 'MOOOOO.'"
The text and the illustrations contain subleties only appreciated by the older reader. Jokes abound, but one needs a certain frame of reference (i.e. experience as a pet owner) to fully understand everything. Definitely a fun book!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
"Read All About It!"
Read All About It!--Tyrone Brown is a pale, freckle-faced boy with unruly hair in this charmingly illustrated offering from Laura Bush and Jenna Bush. Tyrone is not a fan of reading. When his teacher reads aloud from various books, he finds other things to do, such as drawing on his shoe or making paper airplanes. One day, Tyrone sends a paper airplane flying into the chalkboard and realizes none of the other students have even noticed, so enthralled are they by the book in Ms. Libro's hands. He narrates, "So I listened. And the strangest thing happened: I actually liked story hour. And then my whole world turned upside down..." (emphasis Tyrone's). During further storytimes, as he begins to pay more attention, characters begin to appear in the classroom, drawing the attention of the students. This device culminates in the pig from Charlotte's Web taking up residence in the classroom. When Ms. Libro finishes the book, the pig disappears. Tyrone and his friends go looking for him all over the school.
I liked the look of the illustrations by Denise Brunkus, but I had an issue with certain of the details. Ms. Libro has a book list on her board. The list is different on every page, which is great. What is not great is the age-inappropriateness of the titles, given the apparent age Ms. Libro's class. They appear to be in about third or fourth grade, and Tyrone is shown doing basic Algebra in math class. So why do "Clifford the Big Red Dog," Curious George," "Frog and Toad Together," "The Cat in the Hat," "If You Give a Pig a Pancake," and "Olivia" appear on the lists? They are all fine, fine books. Classics even. Don't get me wrong. But what are they doing on a book list for third-graders?
Other than that nit-picking detail, I thought the book was a very nice read and fun to look at.
I liked the look of the illustrations by Denise Brunkus, but I had an issue with certain of the details. Ms. Libro has a book list on her board. The list is different on every page, which is great. What is not great is the age-inappropriateness of the titles, given the apparent age Ms. Libro's class. They appear to be in about third or fourth grade, and Tyrone is shown doing basic Algebra in math class. So why do "Clifford the Big Red Dog," Curious George," "Frog and Toad Together," "The Cat in the Hat," "If You Give a Pig a Pancake," and "Olivia" appear on the lists? They are all fine, fine books. Classics even. Don't get me wrong. But what are they doing on a book list for third-graders?
Other than that nit-picking detail, I thought the book was a very nice read and fun to look at.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Manners and Math
Two picture books on the list are The Lion's Share, by Matthew McElligott, and Nobunny's Perfect, by Anna Dewdney.
The Lion's Share takes place at a dinner party given by Lion. Ant is invited for the first time and she is certain to be on her best manners. She is shocked at the behavior of the other guests, as each proves to be more rude and uncouth than the last. When it is time for dessert, the other animals' greed in each taking half of what's left after the others have gone before leaves her with nothing but a crumb to share with her host. Not wishing to appear ungrateful or rude, she offers to bake the Lion a cake of his own for the morrow. He graciously accepts, and the other animals decide that Ant is trying to make them look bad, so they each offer to make twice as many cakes as the animal before them. They wind up looking very foolish. The illustrations in this book are softly drawn and boldly colored. The expressions on the animals' faces clearly express their discontent and greed. A good book for sparking discussions of manners (and math!)
Nobunny's Perfect is a rhyming book in which gently drawn, round-faced bunnies are shown playing and eating. They begin nicely, but their behavior breaks down as one after the other is made sad or mad by circumstance or other bunnies. The text points out each bad behavior and in the middle of the book says, "Nobunny's perfect,/that is true--/but aren't you glad/this isn't YOU?" The author then goes on to show how one should behave with others. A cute book, but not very subtle. Definitely for pre-schoolers.
The Lion's Share takes place at a dinner party given by Lion. Ant is invited for the first time and she is certain to be on her best manners. She is shocked at the behavior of the other guests, as each proves to be more rude and uncouth than the last. When it is time for dessert, the other animals' greed in each taking half of what's left after the others have gone before leaves her with nothing but a crumb to share with her host. Not wishing to appear ungrateful or rude, she offers to bake the Lion a cake of his own for the morrow. He graciously accepts, and the other animals decide that Ant is trying to make them look bad, so they each offer to make twice as many cakes as the animal before them. They wind up looking very foolish. The illustrations in this book are softly drawn and boldly colored. The expressions on the animals' faces clearly express their discontent and greed. A good book for sparking discussions of manners (and math!)
Nobunny's Perfect is a rhyming book in which gently drawn, round-faced bunnies are shown playing and eating. They begin nicely, but their behavior breaks down as one after the other is made sad or mad by circumstance or other bunnies. The text points out each bad behavior and in the middle of the book says, "Nobunny's perfect,/that is true--/but aren't you glad/this isn't YOU?" The author then goes on to show how one should behave with others. A cute book, but not very subtle. Definitely for pre-schoolers.
Friday, March 19, 2010
"Into the woods, it's time to go..."
For those of you who don't get the reference, Into the Woods is a really fun stage musical by Stephen Sondheim. It melds together several different fairy tales, and the main theme is: go out to face your problems (giants), don't sit around and wait.
Scat, by Carl Hiaasen, epitomizes this philosophy. Nick Waters is a student at the Truman School. His biology teacher, Bunny Starch, stays behind at the end of a field trip to Black Vine Swamp to search for a student's asthma inhaler. She doesn't return. Nick and his friend, Marta, have reason to doubt the headmaster's assertion that Mrs. Starch has been called away on a family emergency. They actively investigate, bringing themselves into contact with a mysterious man named Twilly, who claims to be Mrs. Starch's nephew. He warns them off of looking for her, but something about the situation doesn't sit right with Nick and Marta. They continue their search.
The situation they uncover is bigger than either one of them could have possibly imagined. As the book jacket states:
Scat, by Carl Hiaasen, epitomizes this philosophy. Nick Waters is a student at the Truman School. His biology teacher, Bunny Starch, stays behind at the end of a field trip to Black Vine Swamp to search for a student's asthma inhaler. She doesn't return. Nick and his friend, Marta, have reason to doubt the headmaster's assertion that Mrs. Starch has been called away on a family emergency. They actively investigate, bringing themselves into contact with a mysterious man named Twilly, who claims to be Mrs. Starch's nephew. He warns them off of looking for her, but something about the situation doesn't sit right with Nick and Marta. They continue their search.
The situation they uncover is bigger than either one of them could have possibly imagined. As the book jacket states:
Nick and Marta will have to reckon with an eccentric eco-avenger, a stuffed rat named Chelsea, a wannabe Texas oilman, a singing substitute teacher, and a ticked-off Florida panther before they really begin to see the big picture.I really enjoyed this book. The only other Hiaasen I've read was Hoot, and that was a while back. My sixth- and seventh-grade kids had recommended this one to me previously, but it wasn't until it popped up on the SCBAN list that I made time to read it. I'm glad I did! The characters are well drawn, and the action is well paced.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Non-Fiction Picture Books?
Why, yes! There is such a thing! This morning I read Seabiscuit the Wonder Horse, by Meghan McCarthy, and Two Bobbies: a True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival, by Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery, illustrated by Jean Cassels.
Seabiscuit tells the story of an ugly, unappreciated horse. He is wild, lazy, angry and stubborn. A racehorse who hated to run, he seemed doomed to a life of losing. But Charles Howard, a millionaire with an eye for potential, thought Seabiscuit just might be more than he seemed. He also thought that about "Silent Tom" Smith, the horse trainer he hired for his stables and he thought that about John "Red" Pollard, the jockey he hired to ride Seabiscuit.
Up until Mr. Howard bought Seabiscuit, the horse had lost every race he'd ever run. After training with Silent Tom and Red Pollard, he began winning. Mr. Howard wanted there to be no doubt that Seabiscuit was the fastest horse ever, so he challenged the most famous horse in the world, War Admiral, to race against Seabiscuit.
Meghan McCarthy's cartoon-like illustrations are a fun counterpoint to her text. The horses are all a little pop-eyed, with Seabiscuit the worst. He also has a nervous grin in almost every picture, showing he knows how unattractive he is and hoping you'll forgive him for it and like him anyway. I promise, you will. Especially after you read the Author's Note in the back.
Two Bobbies is much less fun, and more moving, given that we are all familiar with Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Jean Cassels illustrations are realistic, and beautifully rendered. A dog and a cat survive the hurricane together, and show up at a construction site four months later, hungry and tired. The dog has a long length of chain attached to her collar. One of the construction workers, Rich, trims the chain, but leaves enough to drag the ground because the cat seems to like following the jingle. After a week, the construction boss shows up an demands the animals be removed from the site. Rich takes them to the Best Friends Animal Society, where the two are split up. They are named Bobbi and Bob Cat for their bobbed tails. Bobbi howls and barks all night, and Bob Cat paces his cage. Eventually, the shelter volunteers put the two in a larger cage where they touch noses and seem very happy to be reunited.
The volunteers soon realize that Bob Cat is very special, and Bobbi even more so. A search for their families turns up nothing, so the Best Friends Animal Society arranges to have their story told on national television. Hundreds of people contact Best Friends wanting to adopt the two. They find a home. The authors' note in the back gives a few more details which very young children will probably not understand, but grown-ups and older children will have much to think about.
Seabiscuit tells the story of an ugly, unappreciated horse. He is wild, lazy, angry and stubborn. A racehorse who hated to run, he seemed doomed to a life of losing. But Charles Howard, a millionaire with an eye for potential, thought Seabiscuit just might be more than he seemed. He also thought that about "Silent Tom" Smith, the horse trainer he hired for his stables and he thought that about John "Red" Pollard, the jockey he hired to ride Seabiscuit.
Up until Mr. Howard bought Seabiscuit, the horse had lost every race he'd ever run. After training with Silent Tom and Red Pollard, he began winning. Mr. Howard wanted there to be no doubt that Seabiscuit was the fastest horse ever, so he challenged the most famous horse in the world, War Admiral, to race against Seabiscuit.
Meghan McCarthy's cartoon-like illustrations are a fun counterpoint to her text. The horses are all a little pop-eyed, with Seabiscuit the worst. He also has a nervous grin in almost every picture, showing he knows how unattractive he is and hoping you'll forgive him for it and like him anyway. I promise, you will. Especially after you read the Author's Note in the back.
Two Bobbies is much less fun, and more moving, given that we are all familiar with Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Jean Cassels illustrations are realistic, and beautifully rendered. A dog and a cat survive the hurricane together, and show up at a construction site four months later, hungry and tired. The dog has a long length of chain attached to her collar. One of the construction workers, Rich, trims the chain, but leaves enough to drag the ground because the cat seems to like following the jingle. After a week, the construction boss shows up an demands the animals be removed from the site. Rich takes them to the Best Friends Animal Society, where the two are split up. They are named Bobbi and Bob Cat for their bobbed tails. Bobbi howls and barks all night, and Bob Cat paces his cage. Eventually, the shelter volunteers put the two in a larger cage where they touch noses and seem very happy to be reunited.
The volunteers soon realize that Bob Cat is very special, and Bobbi even more so. A search for their families turns up nothing, so the Best Friends Animal Society arranges to have their story told on national television. Hundreds of people contact Best Friends wanting to adopt the two. They find a home. The authors' note in the back gives a few more details which very young children will probably not understand, but grown-ups and older children will have much to think about.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Golllllly!
At first glance, The Gollywhopper Games, by Jody Feldman, is strictly an homage to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl. The basic plot is certainly similar: boy competes with less-deserving children for a prize which will set his family on the path to prosperity. There are other similarities, but the main device used in Gollywhopper is puzzle-solving.
Gil Goodson's father was fired from his position at Golly Games for suspected embezzlement. When the verdict of "not-guilty" was handed down at the trial, many of the people in town thought Mr. Goodson had merely gotten away with the crime. Eighteen months after his father was fired and a year after he was acquitted, Gil is still suffering slights and bullying at school and around town. Some still consider him the son of a thief and a cheater. The real embezzler has never been identified.
When Golly Games announces a major contest to celebrate its 50-year anniversary, Gil is determined to compete. The rules state contestants may not be the children of Golly employees or of someone who has worked for Golly in the last year. Gil's father was fired over a year ago, so Gil is eligible. He prepares himself for the games by compiling a file of Golly trivia covering its entire history. He studies it until he has it practically memorized.
The day of the games, Gil lines up with thousands of others outside the local stadium hoping for a place in the competition. Of course, he gets in. Then, he has to answer multiple trivia questions to earn a spot as a semi-finalist, then as a finalist. Of course, he makes it to the final ten, then the final five. His team-mates in the final ten competition includes the son of another former Golly employee who left the company at about the same time as Gil's father; the son of a wealthy man who "bought" an instant-win ticket so his son didn't have to stand in line; the daughter of an over-protective mother; and a seemingly dim-witted girl who is using the Games as her opportunity to get noticed on television.
They compete against another five-member team for the chance to be the final five. Each of Gil's team-mates contributes their own special talents, skills, and knowledge to solving the five puzzles which will propel them to the final round. Once there, they are eliminated one by one until there are only two players left. A spectacular twist recalls the other three for an unexpected, "do-over", winner-take-all round.
Readers are invited to solve the puzzles along with the contestants, although we don't have all information for some of them. I saw the answer to the BIG puzzle long before the mystery was solved by the characters, but did not feel cheated or otherwise let down by the foreknowledge.
I found myself leaning forward, urging Gil and his team-mate/competitors on as they figured their way to the end in a battle of wits which could end in the exoneration of Gil's father and certainly in untold riches for his family. And that's the difference between The Gollywhopper Games and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Charlie just kind of sat back and waited to see what would happen. Charlie got lucky. Gil pursues, solves, and takes an active approach toward resolving his family's dilemma. Gil doesn't just finish first; he wins.
Gil Goodson's father was fired from his position at Golly Games for suspected embezzlement. When the verdict of "not-guilty" was handed down at the trial, many of the people in town thought Mr. Goodson had merely gotten away with the crime. Eighteen months after his father was fired and a year after he was acquitted, Gil is still suffering slights and bullying at school and around town. Some still consider him the son of a thief and a cheater. The real embezzler has never been identified.
When Golly Games announces a major contest to celebrate its 50-year anniversary, Gil is determined to compete. The rules state contestants may not be the children of Golly employees or of someone who has worked for Golly in the last year. Gil's father was fired over a year ago, so Gil is eligible. He prepares himself for the games by compiling a file of Golly trivia covering its entire history. He studies it until he has it practically memorized.
The day of the games, Gil lines up with thousands of others outside the local stadium hoping for a place in the competition. Of course, he gets in. Then, he has to answer multiple trivia questions to earn a spot as a semi-finalist, then as a finalist. Of course, he makes it to the final ten, then the final five. His team-mates in the final ten competition includes the son of another former Golly employee who left the company at about the same time as Gil's father; the son of a wealthy man who "bought" an instant-win ticket so his son didn't have to stand in line; the daughter of an over-protective mother; and a seemingly dim-witted girl who is using the Games as her opportunity to get noticed on television.
They compete against another five-member team for the chance to be the final five. Each of Gil's team-mates contributes their own special talents, skills, and knowledge to solving the five puzzles which will propel them to the final round. Once there, they are eliminated one by one until there are only two players left. A spectacular twist recalls the other three for an unexpected, "do-over", winner-take-all round.
Readers are invited to solve the puzzles along with the contestants, although we don't have all information for some of them. I saw the answer to the BIG puzzle long before the mystery was solved by the characters, but did not feel cheated or otherwise let down by the foreknowledge.
I found myself leaning forward, urging Gil and his team-mate/competitors on as they figured their way to the end in a battle of wits which could end in the exoneration of Gil's father and certainly in untold riches for his family. And that's the difference between The Gollywhopper Games and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Charlie just kind of sat back and waited to see what would happen. Charlie got lucky. Gil pursues, solves, and takes an active approach toward resolving his family's dilemma. Gil doesn't just finish first; he wins.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
The USPS has gone to the dogs
In October of 1888, it actually did. A stray terrier-mix dog found his way into the Post Office at Albany, New York one rainy night. The postal workers found him the next morning and never did call the pound to take him away. Dog and workers adopted each other and a mascot was created.
Owney, the Mail-Pouch Pooch, by Mona Kerby, is a fictionalized account of a true story. Ms. Kerby's picture book includes an Author's Note and Bibliography at the end of the book to highlight the origins of the story. There are also two photographs of Owney.
I am not ashamed to say, reading Owney's story aloud to my children made me weepy. I managed not to crack, only allowing the faintest sheen of tears in my eyes and the barest tremor in my voice. The care and attention lavished on this stray dog was certainly noteworthy and, as Ms. Kerby points out, newsworthy. Newspapers of the time followed Owney's exploits.
Yes, a dog can have exploits. After he had been with the post office for a while, Owney hopped a mail train and vanished for weeks. Upon his return, he was unable to tell his human friends where he had been, so (in case he decided to wander again) they attached a note to his collar asking the Railway Postmen to attach their depot tags to his collar so they could track his wanderings.
Ms. Kerby tells Owney's story with obvious affection, and my children were spell-bound. Need I say more? Oh yes, I'd better mention the pictures, seeing as Owney is a picture book! The pen-and-watercolor illustrations by Lynne Barsch are bright and happy and uncluttered.
An outstanding book.
Owney, the Mail-Pouch Pooch, by Mona Kerby, is a fictionalized account of a true story. Ms. Kerby's picture book includes an Author's Note and Bibliography at the end of the book to highlight the origins of the story. There are also two photographs of Owney.
I am not ashamed to say, reading Owney's story aloud to my children made me weepy. I managed not to crack, only allowing the faintest sheen of tears in my eyes and the barest tremor in my voice. The care and attention lavished on this stray dog was certainly noteworthy and, as Ms. Kerby points out, newsworthy. Newspapers of the time followed Owney's exploits.
Yes, a dog can have exploits. After he had been with the post office for a while, Owney hopped a mail train and vanished for weeks. Upon his return, he was unable to tell his human friends where he had been, so (in case he decided to wander again) they attached a note to his collar asking the Railway Postmen to attach their depot tags to his collar so they could track his wanderings.
He rejected efforts to remove any of them, though. The postal workers bought a harness which wrapped around his back and chest in order to distribute the weight of the tags. Owney enjoyed the jingle of all his tags! Ms. Kerby doesn't say how many tags Owney collected in the course of his life, but on his round-the-world trip (sponsored by his human friends) in 1895, he collected over 200 new tags in 132 days.It wasn't long before Owney hopped another train. The next time Owney showed up in Albany, he had so many tags hanging from his collar that he could barely lift his head.
Ms. Kerby tells Owney's story with obvious affection, and my children were spell-bound. Need I say more? Oh yes, I'd better mention the pictures, seeing as Owney is a picture book! The pen-and-watercolor illustrations by Lynne Barsch are bright and happy and uncluttered.
An outstanding book.
Chapter Book, ahoy!
Regardless of the title of this post, this book is not about ships, pirates, or the Navy. It is, instead, about a girl whose father is in the Army. He gets sent on a Tour of Duty for 100 Days and 99 Nights. Written by Alan Madison, 100 Days is in the first person, and tries hard to sound like the language and thoughts of a seven or eight year old girl. Think a more intelligent Junie B. Jones.
Unfortunately, the voice used by Mr. Madison didn't ring true for me. I have known many seven and eight year old girls (and boys, for that matter), and none of them would have used the words "possessions" or "Southern drawl", nor would they have made observations about their mothers' "weak smile." There were many of these grown-up sounding turns of phrase and use of vocabulary which interrupted my suspension of disbelief.
Esmerelda Swishback McCarther, Esme to everyone, is our protagonist. In addition to her Army-sergeant father, she has a reporter mother and a little brother, Ike. In her travels around the world with her family, Esme has acquired an extensive "bedzoo" of stuffed animals covering the alphabet from A to Z.
At school, Esme learns about the "Home Front" of WW II, and wishes there was something she and her classmates could do to help. They discuss and discard many ideas before settling on a few that they feel will make a difference to help the troops fighting overseas. The kids and their families accomplish quite a few of their goals, thanks to Esme's inspiration and persistence.
However, even when she has a bad dream and can't go back to sleep, Esme still cannot voice her feelings to her mother. Her mother tells her she's a hero for all she's done and for how brave she's been and that she deserves a medal. Esme says,
On the whole? A nice book. But, with all its flaws, not one which deserves the South Carolina Book Award, in any category.
Unfortunately, the voice used by Mr. Madison didn't ring true for me. I have known many seven and eight year old girls (and boys, for that matter), and none of them would have used the words "possessions" or "Southern drawl", nor would they have made observations about their mothers' "weak smile." There were many of these grown-up sounding turns of phrase and use of vocabulary which interrupted my suspension of disbelief.
Esmerelda Swishback McCarther, Esme to everyone, is our protagonist. In addition to her Army-sergeant father, she has a reporter mother and a little brother, Ike. In her travels around the world with her family, Esme has acquired an extensive "bedzoo" of stuffed animals covering the alphabet from A to Z.
When her father gets his orders to go away for three months, Esme and her family are saddened. Her mother...--except for X because there is no animal I have found that begins with that troublesome letter. The only words I know that even start that way are xylophone, x-ray, and x-actly.
Without Daddy there to guide the family through its daily routine, the family feels out of sorts. Ike gets into a fight at school with his best friend, and the principal calls Esme into her office along with Ike. Ms. Pershing "would prefer not to worry your mom about this. Is this something you two can solve?" (Honestly, can you imagine a principal saying this to an eight-year-old and her five-year-old brother?) At any rate, during their walk home from school, Ike admits he "broke his duty" when he broke the rules. This leads both children to confess to each other how much they miss their dad....must have been crying and looked like she was going to start to cry again, but she didn't. It was her duty not to cry in front of us. So I did my duty and I didn't cry in front of Ike, and since I didn't--Ike didn't.
At school, Esme learns about the "Home Front" of WW II, and wishes there was something she and her classmates could do to help. They discuss and discard many ideas before settling on a few that they feel will make a difference to help the troops fighting overseas. The kids and their families accomplish quite a few of their goals, thanks to Esme's inspiration and persistence.
However, even when she has a bad dream and can't go back to sleep, Esme still cannot voice her feelings to her mother. Her mother tells her she's a hero for all she's done and for how brave she's been and that she deserves a medal. Esme says,
Her mother doesn't prompt her to finish, instead saying, "Before you know it he'll be the one tucking you in." Eleven pages later, he is."I don't want a medal. I just want..." And I stopped, barely letting "want" dribble out. I figured that saying what I wanted wasn't necessary and wouldn't be at all brave.
On the whole? A nice book. But, with all its flaws, not one which deserves the South Carolina Book Award, in any category.
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