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

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

One Crazy Summer

One Crazy Summer
by Rita Williams-Garcia
Amistad, 2010. 224 pgs.
Reading Level: ages 9-12
Hardcover: $15.99

Annotation: As three young sisters set off to visit a mother they barely remember, they can’t imagine the craziness that awaits them.

Summary: Delphine (11), Vonetta (9), and Fern (4) are going to visit Cecile in Oakland, California this summer. Cecile is the woman who gave birth to them, but they never refer to her as their mother because what kind of mother leaves her toddlers and newborn child to fend for themselves? However, their Pa insists they meet her and so they leave the familiarity of New York for the glamour they feel sure is waiting for them in California, home to movie stars, Disneyland and all sorts of amazing adventures. But when Cecile barely acknowledges them at the airport, won’t cook them dinner and never allows them into her kitchen, they know this summer is not going to be what they expected. With no warmth and lots of crazy talk, Cecile sends them to the Center each morning for breakfast, angrily reminding them not to return until dark. At the Center the three black sisters encounter “The Panthers”, a black power movement formed to ignite a revolution and give power back to the people. Charged with the care of her younger sisters, Delphine is wary of becoming involved in such a dangerous cause, but somehow they are pulled into it anyway. But it is through this experience that Delphine and her sisters will finally come to know and understand the woman who is their mother.

Evaluation: One Crazy Summer is a smashing success. Told from the perspective of 11-year-old Delphine, who is equal parts naiveté and wisdom and robust enough a character to ensure that she’ll make a permanent home in your heart. It’s beautifully written with a prodigious sprinkling of humor and the prose will knock you out of your seat. Jacqueline Woodson writes, it “absolutely blew me away.” Williams-Grace presents real characters, real problems and real resolutions. Fantastic research, coupled with engaging characters and a intriguing plot make this book an important addition to the civil rights literature and a must read for everyone.

Significance: Set during the civil rights movement, One Crazy Summer highlights “The Black Panthers” organization and their operations during this tumultuous time period. The book emphasizes an important era in history and highlights the significant contribution that children made and can make in changing our world for the better

Personal Choice: Not only had this book won the Coretta Scott King, but it was also a Newbery Honor and so I knew it had to be something special. I wasn't disappointed in the list and this is now one of my top 5 recommendations for children.

Awards: Coretta Scott King Winner, 2011 / Scott O'Dell for Historical Fiction Winner, 2011/ Newbery Honor Award, 2011 / National Book Award for Young People's Literature Finalist, 2010

The Dreamer

The Dreamer
by Pam Munoz Ryan
illustrated by Peter Sis, read by Tony Chiroldes
Scholastic Press, 2010, 384 pgs.
Reading Level: ages 9-12
Hardcover: $17.99

Annotation: Far from being siple-minded, Neftali is merely dreaming up ways to use the beautiful words that he collects.

Summary: Shy and timid, Neftali Perez likes to read books and collect every interesting thing imaginable (including the words which he writes down on scraps of paper and saves in his dresser). However, Neftali is not strong and this, along his constant daydreaming, infuriates his father who runs the household like a tyrant. Neftali and his brother, sister and stepmother all jump whenever the train whistle sounds the impending arrival of this formidable man. Constantly battling his father's demeaning negativity, Neftali continues to dream and to write, winning school contests and penning love notes the neighborhood bully forces him to write to the prettiest girl in the village. A trip to the sea brings further conflict and Neftali is pulled between disgust for his father--who forces the children to swim in the cold, choppy waters until he blows his whistle--and the beauties of sitting on the sand and listening to the waves swoosh out to sea. But Neftali's uncle is sympathetic and a positive role model. As a newspaper man he encourages Nephtali's writing and introduces him to the plight of the native Mapuche people. In the end, despite his father's glowering opposition, Neftali is offered an internship at his uncle's newspaper and his first published essay is only the beginning of a long career for Chile's most beloved poet and politician.

Evaluation: To be successful, a book about the famous Pablo Neruda should be as beautiful as Neruda's poetry. Luckily, The Dreamer is just such a book. In a gorgeous collaboration, Ryan supplies the prose while Sis illustrates the book and introduces three magical drawings done in a pointellist style found at the beginning of each chapter, foreshadowing what is to come. Ryan's prose is rhythmic and poetic and a perfect compliment to the life of Neruda. While the biography is fictionalized, the magic and imagery Ryan use conveys a life of beauty and Nephtali / Neruda emerges as a sympathetic character the reader yearns to protect and champion. In short, Ryan manages to convey the wonder of a inquisitive, sensitive mind and demonstrates that dreaming isn't always a disdainful waste of time.

Significance: The book is a beautiful, magical--although fictionalized--introduction to the younger years of Pablo Neruda and it demonstrates that even with severe oppostition to your goals, if you perservere you can achieve wonderful things. In a society where doctors, lawyers and businessman are trumpeted, it is refreshing to see that the product of dreams isn't always measured by money. Moreover, the book fosters an interest in Neruda that will hopefully lead children to examine the beauty of his poetry.

Personal Choice: I fell in love with Pablo Neruda after watching Il Postino--which tells the story of a simple postman who learns to love poetry as he delivers Pablo Neruda's mail each day.

Awards: Pura Belpre Winner, 2011 / Children's Notables for Older Readers

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
by Jacqueline Kelly
Henry Holt & Co, 2009. 340 pgs
Reading Level: ages 9-12
Hardcover: $16.99

Annotation: Calpurnia and her grandfather begin a scientific journey to discover a new species and end up building a lasting friendship.

Summary: Calpurnia Virginia Tate, known as Cally V to family and friends, is unconcerned with the normal feminine pursuits of her time. Growing up on a Texas cotton farm at the turn of the century means she should be baking pies, knitting and tatting, practicing the piano and generally learning how to comport herself as a young lady. But the great wide, outdoor world holds more wonder for Calpurnia than the promise of a "coming out" and so when brother Harry gives her a notebook to record her many observations, thus begins her career as a naturalist. Calpurnia's grandfather is scientist himself, always puttering about his laboratory at the back of the house and collecting specimens down by the river. When Calpurnia shyly reveals her interest in the great Darwin, a surprised Colonel Tate begins to take notice of his only granddaughter and the two begin practicing science together. They spend long, magical hours of exciting exploration, trying to create a recipe for distilled pecans, nurturing a caterpiller into a beautiful butterfly (which regretfully turns out to be a mammoth moth) and hoping that they really have discovered a new species of vetch. While the two naturalists patiently wait to hear back from the experts in Washington, Calpurnia and her six brothers romp and sweat in the magnificent Texas heat, experiencing all the glories and trials that a large family on the edge of the frontier were wont to have.

Evaluation: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is one of those rare treats that warms your heart and gladdens your soul. With prodigious research that creates a well-fleshed novel, Kelly explores the precocious character of Calpurnia Tate. Calpurnia is eminently lovable and your fondness for her will grow like the weeds she and grandfather are always documenting. Kelly nails the dialect and Calpurnia's voice is true. You'll delight in her first taste of coca-cola, her 3rd place ribbon at the town fair and each entry in her scientific journal. Excerpts from Darwin's Origin of Species grace the beginning of each chapter, encapsulating the events to come. Every encounter with her brothers, best friend Lula, her mother or Viola the cook add vibrant color and another enjoyable moment in Calpurnia's rich and varied Texas life. But it is the growing relationship between grandfather and granddaughter which tops off this solid read with a sweetness that mimics the apple pies Calpurnia is learning to bake. Deeply satisfying, Kelly's novel is a downright charmer and you'll want to rush out and buy your own copy. Highly recommended, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is destined for the classics list.

Significance: Ever the budding feminist, Calpurnia proves that girls can do more than just pursue housewifery skills, they can actually become scientists.

Personal Choice: A good friend, whose reading tastes I trust and admire, highly recommended the book and I'll be forever grateful.

Awards: Newbery Honor, 2010 / IRA Children's Book Award / IRA Teachers' Choices / CPL: Chicago Public Library Best of the Best / Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Choice Award Master List / North Carolina Young Adult Book Award / Texas Lone Star Reading List / TN YA Volunteer State Book Award ML / Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award Master List