Sarah, Plain and Tall

Author:  Patricia MacLachlan, 1985, Harper & Row
Newbery Award

Do you ever wistfully think of a simpler time?  In our world today, time moves so quickly, and we often long for open fields, blooming flowers, and the wind blowing across the open plains.  That is exactly what I picture when I read Sarah, Plain and Tall.  This story takes me back to a bygone era, one in which entertainment had to be discovered; it wasn't readily available.  Anna and Caleb lost their mother after Caleb was born, and they long for a woman to make her home with them.  Their father puts an advertisement in the newspaper for a wife (talk about a mail-order bride!), and lo and behold, Sarah Wheaton responds from Maine.  She leaves her brother and aunts behind to find a family who loves her dearly. 

Most children in my area read this book in the third grade; however, I do not believe I ever read it.  Some people in my children's literature class thought I would really enjoy the book, and I am so glad they recommended it.  I am a simple person, and I loved picturing Anna's and Caleb's home.  It was a classic, feel-good story, and I enjoyed reading about a hassle-free, plain and tall life. 

Noah's Ark

Illustrator:  Jerry Pinkney, 2002, SeaStar Books

Caldecott Award

The biblical story of Noah's Ark is arguably one of the best-known stories of all time.  God was angered at his people, so he sent a flood to destroy every living creature and plant on earth with the exception of Noah, Noah's wife, sons, sons' wives, and two of every animal.  When the waters finally receded, God sent a rainbow as a covenant that He would never again flood the earth.  It is a story of faith, trust, and deliverance, and Jerry Pinkney brings it to life in this children's book.

The pictures are extremely moving and detailed.  Every facet of the story is depicted with accuracy (as best as we know) through the fine artistic details and array of colors.  I admire Pinkney for taking such a well-known story and making it real for children in the 21st century.  If you are familiar with the story or have never heard of it, this book is a real treat for the aspects of history and faith.  I closed the book with a more vivid picture of the story in my own mind, and for someone who has heard the story all his life, I was impressed.

Woods Runner

Author:  Gary Paulsen, 2010, Random House
Rebecca Caudill Award Winner - Illinois (2012)

The Buddy Files: The Case of the Lost Boy

Author:       Dori Hillestad Butler, 2010, Albert Whitman & Co.
Illustrator:  Jeremy Tugeau
Monarch Award - Illinois (2012)

Imagine the loss you would feel if you were sent away from the people you love without means to contact them.  This is what happens to King.  King, a dog, is part of a modern American family.  Kayla, his owner, has gone away with her father to visit relatives.  Kayla's mother is a member of the National Guard.  King thought he would be visiting a kennel for the duration of their trip, but now he has ended up in the P-O-U-N-D.  King is adopted by a new family, and must adapt to his change of name and home.  King is now called Buddy, and he belongs to a school principal and her young son.  When the son goes missing, Buddy helps solve the case of the lost boy.

This is a nice read for advanced readers.  The chapters are relatively short, and the words fill up the small pages.  The story includes questions a detective might ask during an investigation.  This helps children understand the importance of thinking through problems.  I enjoyed the repetition of the word "pound."  The story is told in first person from King's (Buddy's) point of view, so he must not want to say the word aloud.  I thought it was an interesting story line, one that includes a broken family and a family with one member serving in the U.S. military.  These two families are reflective of the world in which we live today.  Families cannot always be assumed to include a mother, father, and children.  Sometimes, the family structures are non-traditional.

Overall, I admit it was not my favorite chapter book, but some children would find it very intriguing.  Children who especially love dog stories would "lap up" this book (pun intended).

All Stations! Distress!

Author:   Don Brown, 2008, FlashPoint (Roaring Brook Press)
Bluestem Award - Illinois (2012)

On the evening of April 14, 2012, the world will recognize that 100 years have passed sinced the Titanic began to sink in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean.  This book accurately portrays the events surrounding that fateful journey by allowing the reader to visualize exactly what happened.  The author uses direct quotations from passengers and crew members who lived to tell a tale of horror, distress, sadness, and for some, survival.  The illustrations, most likely created by the author himself, give a brief glimpse into the lives of Titanic passengers.  Some were prestigious and well-to-do; some were "poor, yet ambitious," traveling to America as immigrants at the beginning of a new century.  The pictures show men, women, and children of all different classes enjoying the amenities of a world-class luxury liner.

But that luxury liner would never make it to America.  The Titanic would hit an iceberg and sink two miles beneath the ocean's surface.  I enjoyed when the author mentioned specific people who were traveling on the ship.  For example, Isidor and Ida Straus, owners of Macy's Department Store, were ones who unfortunately perished.  This was new information to me.  I enjoy shopping at Macy's, and I had no idea that the owners of an iconic American store were part of the Titanic's guest list.  This is proof that literature work for children can be more than entertainment:  It can be factual. 

Children of all ages will enjoy reading this book.  I would even venture to say that adults will like it too.  Instead of probing through countless sources of information to find out the gist of what happened aboard the Titanic on April 14-15, 1912, one could start with this truthful, accurate account in a very interesting place:  A children's book.