Moon Over Manifest

Moon Over Manifest
by Clare Vanderpool
Delacorte Press, 2010. 351 pgs
Reading Level: ages 9-12
Hardcover: $16.99

Annotation: Abilene searches for traces of her father in the rich history of the town of Manifest.

Summary: It's been just the two of them since Abilene can remember. Her mother left her father, Gideon, and her when she was just a toddler. But when Gideon gets a job on a railroad as she nears her twelfth birthday, he declares it unfit for a girl and sends her off to spend the summer in Manifest, Kansas--the town he grew up in. Abilene's to stay with Shady, the town preacher and an old friend of her father's. When she arrives, she's forced to attend the last day of school, although Abilene can't see the point as she won't be here come fall, but the teacher gives her an assignment anyway--an essay exploring the meaning of the town's name and it's significance. Thrusting that chore to the back of her mind, throughout the summer Abilene finds adventure and friendship in Manifest and visits Miss Sadie, the town's occultist, nearly everyday. Piece by piece Miss Sadie unravels Manifest's glorious, complicated history, focusing on the antics of Ned and Jinks, who were two of the town's most engaging, spirited boys. However, the town seems to hold lots of secrets and Abilene yearns to learn more about her father, but no one seems to want to talk about him and Miss Sadie's stories hold no mention of Gideon. Even though she's perplexed by her father's absence from history, Abilene comes to love Manifest and slowly starts to understand the town's nuances and eventually discovers the truth of her father's past. So when summer ends Abilene has more than enough material to write her essay, because she's learned all of Manifest's secrets and can now tell them from the perspective of someone who belongs.

Evaluation: As a debut author, Vanderpool has written the loveliest of books. Set in the great depression the book alternates between present day 1936 and the town's past in 1918. The backstory is revealed through old newspaper clippings and Miss Sadie's reminiscences until the two eras gracefully intertwine and their secrets made "manifest". An intriguing plot provides lots of pent up curiousity and keeps the story moving, but the real treasure is Vanderpool's characters. Abilene is naive and spunky, dignified and endearing. The rest of Manifest's population is ripe with a well-fleshed supporting cast, from Miss Sadie the occultist and Shady the preacher and saloon keeper to Sister Redempta the schoolteacher and Hattie Mae, the town reporter. All have their place and contribute to the book's full-bodied charm. It's delicious and funny with an excellent voice. The historical setting is spot on and it's not difficult to imagine the place nor the time period because Vanderpool has evoked it so naturally. However poor economically, Manifest is rich in relationships and you'd count yourself lucky to live in such a close knit community.

Significance: Moon over Manifest explores the complicated history of small town life, how living so closely produces a necessary interdependence that provides an opportunity for love and the possibility of hurt. Even when an entire town offers holds no blame, it's often hard to forgive oneself.

Personal Choice: I can never resist the allure of alliteration.

Awards: Newbery Award Winner, 2011 / Spur Award for Best Western Juvenile Fiction from the Western Writers of America, 2011 / Top Ten Historical Fiction Novels (ALA), 2011

They Called Themselves the KKK

They Called Themselves the KKK: the Birth of an American Terrorist Group
by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 172 pgs.
Young Adult Nonfiction / Advanced Children
Hardcover: $19.00

Annotation: The Ku Klux Klan began life with 6 men, but grew into an unweildy, racial hate group dedicated to terror and vigilante violence.

Summary: After the Civil War, the South was a hotbed of chaos. Freed slaves, economic disruption and general uncertainty led to great fear and indignity on the part of the white population. As part of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Reconstruction Act, blacks were given freedom and the opportunity to own land, worship together and go to school. This didn't sit well with many people in the South. In a small, Tennesse town 6 white men congregated, with the words, "Boys, let us get up a club." And from that the nefarious Ku Klux Klan was born. Some people believe it began with only mischievous intentions but other scholars emphatically claim it had evil designs from the very beginning. The small club grew, at one point citing nearly half a million members and including high ranking officials from nearly every Southern county. The organization was built on secret handshakes, sworn oaths and ghostly costumes. Their activites ranged from terrorizing the black community to trying them in vigilate courts involving violent whippings, rape, lynching and all manner of despicable acts. The Klan's fear and hatred sought to keep the black community from voting, holding land or in any way acting "uppity" and their persecution extended to any white man who espoused racial equality. After a time, the federal government finally intervened, holding trials and issuing fines, but the sheer amount of malevolence went largely unpunished. The South continued to experience racial inequality for more than a century after the Emanicapation Proclamation ended and each despicable act is a blot on a nation founded on freedom for all men.

Evaluation: With clear prose and methodical development, Bartoletti exposes the true nature of the Ku Klux Klan. She augments the exposition with time appropriate cartoons and sketches that appeared in the local papers and journals of the era. Personal accounts from both the Klan members and their victims appear with frequency and pictures of former slaves help personalize the narrative. Told with cool precision, the book still captures the horror of the Klan's deeds. Figures for the price of slaves, wages and land are given in their original form, but are then extrapolated to the present day's dollar worth to give modern perspective. A timeline of major events at the back of the book offers a succint overview and this large, informative book is a must have for any youth library. This book succeeds in educating youth so that they might understand their country's unfortuante past and help become part of the ongoing fight against racial inequality, hate crimes and the evil that still exists in the hearts of ignorant men.

Significance: The terrible regin of the Ku Klux Klan is a blight on American history, but its sordid past is an important point of study. It is necesary that we remember the atrocities of the past so that we might learn to never repeat them. Illuminating the deeds of evil men helps stamp out ignorance and brings a small amount of justice to the people they terrorized. While it would be nice to think the Klan's influence is dead, the book cites 932 hate groups still in existence as of 2009.

Personal Choice: It's like books about Nazi Germany. The subject matter is gruesome, but there is a compelling need to learn about what incites people to turn into pure evil. I knew little more than rumor about the KKK and was both hesitant and intriqued to gain a more solid understanding of this racist hate group.

Awards: Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist, 2011 / ALA Notable Children's Book, 2011 / Horn Book Fanfare Selection, 2011 / CCBC Choices, 2011 / Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year, 2011 / Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, 2010 / School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 2010 / A Washington Post Best Book of the Year, 2010 / Booklinks Lasting Connections Selection, 2010

Departure Time

Departure Time (Vertrektijd)
by Truus Matti
translation by Nancy Forest-Flier
Namelos, 2010. 214 pgs.
Reading Level: 10-14

Annotation: Trying to make sense of her father's accident, a young girl is pulled between the real and the surreal.

Summary: Matti writes a double story, with the same protagonist at the heart of each one. In the first, finding herself alone and confused on a bare plain in the middle of a thunderstorm, the young, unnamed girl seeks cover in an abandoned hotel. Met by a sleepy, yet hospitable fox and a cantankerous rat, the girl finds shelter and friendship with the fox, if not the rat. Gradually, the rat comes to trust her, but mysterious piano playing from an indecipherable source and the rat’s work on an old bus consume her days while she tries to remember just what she’s doing there and what her purpose is. In the second story, the girl is despondent over the accident that took her father. With her mother overcome by grief and their move to a new home, the girl is weighed down by the apprehension that her actions might have caused her father’s death. Despite the love of her grandmother and her father’s friend, Mr. Malakoff, the girl remains convinced she is somehow responsible for this horrible tragedy.

Evaluation: With increasing clarity, the two disparate stories intertwine and with each successive chapter, the reader begins to understand the interdependence of each. Matti writes with a melancholy pen, but there is a sweetness that surrounds this vulnerable protagonist and it’s a beautiful thing to see her mature as she interacts with the fox and the rat--coming to terms with her father’s death and her younger self. The rat and the fox add touches of humor and ingenuity to the tale and the girl is a bit like Alice as she navigates through her own Wonderland, occupied by talking animals and upside down affairs. The pacing is just right, with just enough mystery to keep the reader guessing and just enough exposition for it not to be overwhelming. However, the story has such a sophisticated structure and relies so heavily on nuance that I’m wary that young readers will have a difficult time parceling out the significance and the relationship between the two separate narratives. I really liked the Matti’s style myself though, and it pays a distinct homage to St. Exupery’s “The Little Prince”, as both adolescents are taught life lessons from the lips of a talking fox.

Significance: Departure Time covers several important themes. It discusses the difficulty of losing a parent and the common feelings of guilt and responsibility. But, the story is also one of discovery, of the journey we make through adolescence and the ability and opportunity we have to look back on our live and realize how we’ve matured. It’s about forgiveness of self and forgiveness of other people, even when they’re gone from our lives.

Personal Choice: It was something to do with the book being published orginally in Dutch. I just love the Northern Barquoe school of art and the cover's airmail edging was enticing. Not to mention that one of the characters was a talking fox so, I was hooked.

Awards: Batchelder Honor, 2011 / ALA Notable, 2011 / USBBY Outstanding International Honor, 2011 / CCBC Choices, 2011

Turtle in Paradise

Turtle in Paradise
by Jennifer L. Holm
Random House, 2010. 208 pgs.
Reading Level: ages 9-12
Hardcover: $16.99

Annotation: Promising her a bit of paradise, Turtle's mama sends her down to Key West during the depression.

Summary: When Turtle's mama finds a job as a housekeeper to a woman who doesn't like children, the only solution is to ship Turtle and her cat, Smokey down to Key West to her sister's family. But when Turtle arrives, she learns the letter heralding her coming hadn't made it and that she's an unwelcome surprise. Unwelcome to her three nasty boy cousins that is. Turtle's known a lot of mean kids in her day so she's prepared. But she's not prepared for the shabby strangeness that greets her, completely different than her mother's glowing accounts of a picture-perfect paradise. The island is full of run-down buildings and people with strange nicknames, there's scorpions to contend with, new foods like alligator pears and "cut-ups" and her cousins won't even allow her into the diaper gang--a trio of boys who babysit the "bad" babies on the island in return for candy. The island has it's good points though, Slow Poke lets her come sponging with him, there are new flavors of ice-cream to try and Turtle finds out her grandma's still alive, contrary to what her mama told her. And when Turtle finds a treasure map in her grandma's piano, it might just be the break she's been looking for and a way out of this so called paradise.

Evaluation: Blending a prodigious array of historical research and the lure of a charasmatic orphan, Turtle in Paradise is an indubitable success. Superb characters and local color mingle easily and the story relies equally on both. Turtle is one spunky little girl and her approach to life is just like her name, she's got a hard shell, but there's a softness to her underbelly that years of hardship can't quite erase. And through the grace of good writing, Turtle eventually learns that not all kids are terrible and not all adults are sweet.

Holm's is a superb visualist and her similies and metaphors spice the writing with flavorful ingenuity. Some of my favorites were, "It's so hot that the backs of my legs feel like melted gym, only stickier." And, "Mama keeps hers(hair) long as a good dream, cuz that's the way Archie likes it." Also, "Truth is, the place(Key West) looks like a broken chair that's been left out in the sun to rot." The result is just as fresh as the ripe alligator pears found on the island. It's a must-read for everyone and comes with a high recommendation from yours truly.

Significance: Turtle's vision of paradise shifts as she learns that living on Easy Street in a Sear's house called The Bellewood is really no contest for the true paradise that comes from living with your family in a tiny ramshackle house on a poor island in the Keys.

Awards: The Golden Kite Award Winner, 2011 / Newbery Honor Award, 2011

Breaking Night

Breaking Night: a memoir of forgiveness, survival and my journey from homeless to Harvard
by Liz Murray
Hyperion, 2010. 334 pgs.
Adult Fiction with YA Interest
Hardcover: $24.99

Annotation: When finding food and a place to sleep are top priorities, suddenly school doesn't seem so important.

Summary: Liz Murray had an unorthodox childhood. Her parents were drug addicts who could barely survive till next month's government check, so feeding their two children was an afterthought at best. With her dad in and out of jail and her mother in and out of the psych ward, Liz struggled just to find enough food to survive each day. Her hair was lice-ridden and the stench of her unwashed body and squalid clothing caused the other school children to ridicule her. Needless to say, it didn't make for a pleasant learning experience and so with no one who cared, Liz decided to skip most days, only showing up to take the end of year tests. She managed to pass on to the next grade each year due to her excellent reading skills honed from years of devouring her dad's collection of true crime novels--which he would check out at the library under numerous aliases and never return. Abused by her mother's friends and neglected by her parents, at one point Liz is even carted off to a state run girl's school where she suffered the mean-spirited bullying by some of the other girls. Returning home, Liz finds that nothing has changed. Finally, forced out of her house at fifteen, Liz became homeless, riding the trains all night, sleeping in friends' apartments or random stairwells. Scavaging food and sleeping arrangments was always a challenge, but Liz found a family in other troubled youth and with the help of her friends she managed to survive.

After AIDS claimes her mother, Liz remembers her mother's dream for her to finish high school and so she goes searching. She hears of an alternative high school that just might accept her and after being admitted, resolves to finish all 8 semesters in just 2 years. Still homeless, she lugs her books and other scant belongings along with her and with the help of her makeshift family of friends she studies like a demon, earning top grades and a leadership position in her school. During a special school trip to Boston, she discovers the magic of Harvard and with encouragement from her teacher, decides to take a long shot at a school most students wouldn't dream of, let alone a homeless girl. But even if she's accepted, Liz would never be able to afford college; however, with nudging from her guidance counselor she applies for a hefty New York Times scholarship. The scholarship is based on the answer to one simple question, "What challenges have you had to overcome in life?" and with that Liz begins writing her life story, because every day was a challenge and every night was a misery.

Evaluation: Liz Murray's story is heartwrenching, but she tells it with a compelling voice. Her prose is clear, readable and ultimately uplifting. With a childhood that cannot really be described as such, because Liz did not have the good fortune to actually be a child, she uses her experiences to propel her forward, rather than as a means to justify failure. Although many individuals would be reticent to reveal such personal indelicacies, Liz instead shares her memoir with candor and her words and accomplishments prove immensely inspiring. I had a hard time putting the book down and am grateful for Liz's courage and her resilient spirit. I found the following passage especially thought provoking. Liz writes, "I was always seeing myself through the eyes of adults, my parents, caseworkers, psychiatrists, and teachers. If I saw a failure in their eyes, then I was one. And if I saw someone capable, then I was capable." A beautifully expressed sentiment with a cautionary tale for all adults who work with youth. But what was written for adults will resonate with teens, especially those coming from troubled backgrounds themselves. Without doubt, Breaking Night is a triumph of will and a true light to the world.

Significance: Liz's story demonstrates that with hard work and intense determination, anyone can overcome the challenges their circumstances would appear to dictate. She excelled with help from some dear friends and excellent teachers. She proved that the responsibility for her future rested with her and not with her past. Liz demonstrates yet again that education has real power to change lives. But, perhaps an even greater achievement than Liz's eventual graduation from Harvard was her ability to honestly forgive both of her parents for their addiction and neglect and that is what makes the book an inspiring read for everyone.

Personal Choice: Although a bit long, the title was an immediate draw and I couldn't wait to find out more about Liz's personal triumph.

Awards: Alex Award, 2011

A Time of Miracles

A Time of Miracles (Les Temps des Miracles)
by Anne-Laure Bondoux
translation by Y. Maudet
Delacorte, 2010. 180 pgs.
(originally published in French, 2009)
Young Adult Fiction / Middle Readers
Hardcover: $17.99

Annotation: Koumail and his adopted mother struggle through the turbulent Caucases on his way to reclaim his French citizenship and reunite with his birth mother.

Summary: Born a French citizen under the name of Blaise Fortune, Koumail now resides in the Republic of Georgia with Gloria, the woman who saved him from a horrific train accident which injured his mother. Gloria rescued Blaise from the train, slipping him from his mother's bosom as she whispered his name, but Gloria was forced to flee the scene before she found out what happend to the woman. Since then, the two impoverished souls have been a comfort to one another, but with the collapse of the Soviet Union, unrest and fighting break out and Gloria feels it is now time to begin their journey to France--to reclaim Blaise's rightful heritage and find his birth mother. Along the way Koumail meets many friends and endures endless hardship. As they travel from refuge to refuge, slowly moving across Europe, Koumail begs for the story of his mother and his rescue time and again and with each telling Gloria reveals more details.

With each step of their journey Koumail learns more about life, meets both evil and good and looks forward to meeting his mother. But as the two are forced to keep moving by the encroaching army and lack of food, they find themselves again walking to their next refuge with Koumail trying to imagine his feet belong to another child, because if they are not his, he will not be able to feel the deep cold and the bleeding soles that remind him of his suffering. Gloria's hacking cough is a worry to Koumail, but she assures him she will not die until he has no more need of her. Struggling to navigate their way through a war-torn country, the two finally find themselves at the end of their journey and the French border is so close, but both Gloria and Koumail might not be able to make the crossing and Koumail can't imagine a life without her. And when Koumail/Blaise ultimately discovers the truth about his family, what will he do?

Evaluation: A Time of Miracles is a magnificant book and Bondoux does a remarkable job as she takes us on a journey of discovery. The tragedy of life in the Caucasus is artfully laced with experiences of exquisite compassion and rather than being ponderous and depressing, the beauty of Gloria and Koumail's souls offer a resplendant hope that people can indeed triumph. The mystery of Koumail/Blaise's past is divulged piece by piece so that the reader's attention is cleverly kept and each of Koumail's experiences offers another look at a desperate childhood, made bearable by human kindness. One of my favorite sentiments as taught by Gloria reads, "Never despair of human beings. For every person who lets you down, you'll meet dozens of others who will help you". The translation is quite good and the book is recommended for sophisticated middle readers or young adults.

Significance: There is a wider world of suffering and heartbreak that some readers can only imagine, but the power of the human spirit to triumph over them both and the beauty and strength of a mother's love make each experience a miracle. Koumail is like each of us, struggling to find out who he is and wrestling with the discouragements and the triumphs that define our being, no matter what our parentage.

Personal Choice: A Time of Miracles was originally published in French and because I speak the language, I felt a certain kinship with the book. And because it was published in the U.S. on my exact birthday, it was doubly auspicious and certain of making my 'to-read' list.

Awards: Batchelder Winner, 2011

Clementine's Letter

Clementine's Letter
by Sara Pennypacker
illustrated by Marla Frazee
Hyperion, 2008. 150 pgs.
Reading Level: ages 5-10
Hardcover: $14.99

Annotation: After finally getting the hang of 3rd grade, Clementine might lose her teacher to an archeological dig.

Summary: Clementine is no stranger to the principal's office and she and Mrs. Rice are old friends. But for once, she's only being sent to retrieve her for a special announcement. Except it turns out to be the worst announcement in Clementine's life. Mrs. Rice tells Dr. D'Matz's third grade class that she's nominated their teacher for a special archaeological dig in Egypt, which means he'll be gone for a whole week and potentially the rest of the year. Clementine is dismayed because she and Mr. D'Matz have finally come to an understanding and she's actually liking school now and definitely not looking forward to a substitute. Just as Clementine predicted, Mrs. Nagel comes in and starts being mean to her and changing all the rules around. So when her class is asked to write letters to the nomination committee deciding Mr. D'Matz's fate, Clementine decides to make sure her letter will keep Mr. D'Matz right where she wants him--in her class as her teacher. But will her mischievous letter ruin her relationship with her favorite teacher?

Evaluation: Coming third in the series, Clementine's Letter is a delightful story and you haven't already, you'll fall in love with Clementine's precocious personality and tender heart. There's lots of humor and Clementine's voice is well written and thoroughly likeable. Pennypacker creates a cast of peripheral characters that complement Clementine and add spark to a charming tale of unintentional mischief.  The bond between Mr. D'Matz and Clementine is sweet and the story will conjure up fond memories of your own favorite grade school teacher.  Frazee's illustrations capture Clementine's spunk and the story and the images are a perfect pairing. It's sure to be a hit with kids of all types and temperaments, but it is especially suited for those children who find themselves in trouble at school more often than not.

Significance: Pennypacker teaches us that when you love someone, sometimes you have to let them go.

Personal Choice: Admittedly, the cover lured me in and I fell in love with Clementine's adorable curly, red hair which reminded me of little orphan Annie. Both girls have a zest for life and the gumption to make things happen while performing large acts of charity for the adults in their life.

Awards: Christopher Winner, 2009