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January
slipped past without the snow of some New England winters,
but February promises cozy nights to snuggle fireside with
a great book. We have no shortage of suggestions as more and
more new and accomplished authors deliver great fiction and
nonfiction. We suggest the passion of reading for Valentine’s
Day. Not only do we have love stories and recipes for romantic
suppers lining our shelves, but we also have cards and short
books that say just the right thing. One such book is Sandol
Stoddard Warburg’s 1965 I Like You (0395071763) .
With animated pen and ink drawings, each page shows two friends
playing together or missing each other when they’re apart.
As the book jacket says, “Here is the book…Romeo would have
given Juliet…Charlie Brown would have given Snoopy; and you
can give to some very special friend.” While the writing
is simple enough for a four-year-old, the meaning is deep
enough to touch the heart of any adult. For ideas about what
to give your special somebody, we suggest the following:
Judy
M. writes: I’ve read just about everything written
by southern writer Kaye Gibbons whose style is so simple
yet so very eloquent. Ellen Foster (0375703055)
has lingered in my mind, and the sequel, The Life All
Around Me by Ellen Foster (0151012040),
is an absolute joy to read. Right from the first page, when
15-year-old Ellen writes to Derek Bok telling him why he should
let her come to Harvard even though she’s a bit young, the
reader will be instantly drawn into her extraordinary life
in rural North Carolina. Gibbons uses enough flashbacks to
her first Ellen Foster that the reader can enjoy this
new novel all by itself.
Alice
writes: Olga Grushin has gotten a lot of publicity
for her debut, The Dream Life of Sukhanov (0399152989).
The Russian-born author tells the tale of a 56-year old man
trying to cling to the life he’s known as his country changes.
Sukhanov came to a position of power as editor of the Soviet
Union’s periodical “Art of the World” by way of denouncing
the Western artists he truly loved and admired. Now, haunted
by his dreams and disdained by his family, his life is unraveling.
Grushin’s compelling tale enlivens, with sophistication and
surrealism, the dissolution of the USSR and the story of a
man who sold out in order to succeed in the old Communist
regime.
My
father just finished Jonathan Harr’s The Lost
Painting (0375508015)
in record time for him. His conclusion, “You should read this.
You’d love it. Your mother would love it, too.” Translation:
“Harr’s nonfiction reads like a story. You’re never bogged
down in the descriptions and details that define most of the
books I read.” Seriously though, it’s on my to-read list.
The author of A Civil Action (0679772677)
leads readers on an adventure about a missing Caravaggio masterpiece,
a painting that has been presumed lost for over 200 years.
Also,
I gave a friend of mine 740 Park (0385512090)
by Michael Gross. He loved it and told me, “The
book’s pinnacle and build-up is the same as the building—with
the top penthouse and prize gossip saved for John D. Rockefeller,
Jr's home and biography. His apartment—the largest, with the
best view, sold for the most money—ruled over the other apartments
and added to the allure of the building. All other floors
and apartments are secondary. Scandal is mixed with gossip,
fact with fiction, history with society pages. It’s kind of
a People Magazine article inside of an American History
lesson on politics and capitalism. It’s almost as exciting
to read about those who were denied entry into the co-op as
those who lived there.”
Next
up for book group, on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13th
FROM 7-8 p.m., we will discuss Ron McLarty’s The
Memory of Running (0143036688).
The premise of the novel is both poignant and humorous: In
the wake of his parent’s fatal accident, Smithson Ide, a 43-year-old,
279-pound supervisor at a GI Joe factory, travels across the
country on his old Raleigh bicycle to retrieve the body of
his beautiful, mentally disturbed sister. We take this trip
in flashbacks and in the present, learning about Bethany’s
descent into schizophrenia, Smithy’s lonely life and the East
Providence neighborhood away from which he is pedaling. The
prose is casual—almost stream-of-consciousness—and we’re introduced
to a character who, Stephen King said, “is worthy of a place
on the shelf just below your Hucks, your Holdens, your Yossarians.”
Dede
writes: I’m a member of the Winchester Reads committee,
and we’re beginning our search for the 2006 town-wide read.
Last year’s The Kite Runner (1594480001)
was a great success, and we’re hoping to come up with another
winner this year. Please leave your suggestions with any of
the staff at BookEnds.
In
other news, if you read Maile Meloy’s Liars and
Saints (0743261984),
you will want to read her new novel, A Family Daughter
(074327766X).
She continues to write about the complicated and fascinating
Santerre family. Publisher’s Weekly said, “Meloy shifts
point of view fluently, and though her characters weather
all sorts of melodrama, the novel itself feels light—poignant
and affecting, meaningful yet somehow weightless.”
Two
book groups have read Shirley Hazzard's The Great
Fire (03124235886)
and have been very enthusiastic, so I thought I would give
it a try. It is a wonderful novel—beautifully written and
intelligent. Set in Japan and Hong Kong at the end of
World War II, two battle-scarred and weary young men—one British
and the other Australian—must now decide how to live the rest
of their lives. Winner of the 2003 National Book Award, Ann
Patchett said this book is “brilliant and dazzling…a book
that is worth a twenty-year wait."
As
you can see, customer recommendations are always helpful,
and we discover many books that might otherwise be overlooked.
Another such book is Ted Kooser's Local Wonders
(080327811X).
Kooser is our current Poet Laureate, but in this book of essays
about his midwest home state, he delights us with his prose.
He lives in Nebraska—“Willa Cather territory” as I call it
and what jaded folks call “fly-over country.” You'll never
call it that again after reading this homage to the land and
the people he loves. This is one of those sneaky books that
stays with you and makes you look at nature in a whole new
way. He could have a wonderful conversation with Barbara Kingsolver.
FROM THE CHILDREN’S
ROOM:
Dede
writes: For middle school readers, I recommend Julian
Houston's New Boy (0618432531).
The author lives in Brookline and is a judge in the Superior
Court of Boston. In this, his first novel, he tells the story
of an African-American teenager whose parents send him from
his home in Richmond, Virginia to an all-white boy’s boarding
school in New England at the beginning of the civil rights
struggle. This novel is based on the author’s own experience
at the Hotchkiss School.
Pat
writes: With Valentine’s Day upon us, there are plenty
of wonderful old as well as new books available. One new title
is You and Me (0399244719)
by Martine Kindermans. In
the tradition of Guess How Much I Love You, the Belgian
author and artist introduces us to a mother goose and gosling
as they travel over mountains and across beaches, from forests
to prairies, the mother assuring her child that “all we need
is you and me.” Pink and orange illustrations provide a pale
and delicate background for this picture book with simple
text in rhyme, perfect for children aged three and up.
Tiger
Can't Sleep (067006078X)
by S.J. Fore is a new and fun bedtime story with cheerful
and colorful illustrations. In his nice cozy bed, a young
boy is trying to sleep, but wait, what’s that noise coming
from his closet? A tiger is eating potato chips—and not very
quietly. Who can sleep with that crunch, crunch, crunch? The
tiger promises to be quiet, but finally, the boy, frustrated
and unable to sleep, discovers that the tiger is afraid of
the dark, and he invites him to come sleep in his bed. Now
for some sleep, but wait, what is that noise coming from under
the covers?
With
simple but charming illustrations, Lost and Found
(0399245030)
by Oliver Jeffers is a wonderful, sweet story for preschoolers
about friendship and feelings. A boy tries to help a lost
penguin find his way home, only to discover he must come from
the South Pole. Through good weather and bad, they row there,
telling stories all the way. After leaving him at the South
Pole, the boy realizes that the penguin may not have been
sad and lost but just lonely. Rowing back to find his friend,
the boy discovers that the penguin is trying to find him,
using his umbrella as a boat.
Isabel
writes: Duck and Goose (037583611X)
is a new, adorable picture book written and illustrated by
Tad Hills. Duck and Goose meet on either side of a
polka-dotted ball and decide that this orb is an egg, and
inside is a small bird that needs protection. After squabbling
over ownership, they learn to share. With gentle yet animated
paintings throughout, this book should be required reading
for every preschooler!
Three
sisters wake up to a snow-covered world and set out for a
day of fun in Andrea Cheng’s
new picture book, The Lemon Sisters (0399240233). An elderly neighbor is watching the girls’ joy, reminiscing about her own
sisters who moved away long ago. She teaches the girls to
make a special lemon snow treat, a lesson that brings joy
to young and old alike. With unique watercolor and collage-like
illustrations, Cheng leads the reader through a charming story
about the bonds of sisterhood.
Megan
Whalen Turner has written a three book series, beginning
with 1996 Newbery Honor Book The Thief (006082497).
Loyal student reviewer Perry, aged 13 ¾, loved her new book,
The King of Attolia (006083577X).
She wrote, “I was sooo excited to see this book! It’s been
years since this author has come out with a new book in this
series, and I was not disappointed. It was terrific book!
Read the other two first, though…In the second book, Eugenides,
the best thief his country has seen in decades, falls in love
with the cruel but beautiful queen of…an enemy country. Now,
they are married…What happens when you put a brilliant, sarcastic
thief haunted by his past on the throne of an enemy country?”
I
have been rooting for Markus Zusak’s I Am the
Messenger (0375830995)
for quite some time, and now the Australian author was just
awarded with a Printz Honor, a respected award for young adult
books. My son wrote a review for the book last year. He said,
“This highly original book is one you really can’t put down…
Even though the premise itself is fantastic, what sets the
book apart is its characters…I recommend this book to anyone
in high school or above who wants to read something different
and fast-paced…” Stay tuned for Zusak’s next book, The
Book Thief (0375831002),
due in March: it’s my new favorite.
Judy writes: The
popular children’s author of The Magic Tree House series
and Tales from the Odyssey, Mary Pope Osborne,
has written an excellent nonfiction account, Pompeii:
Lost and Found (0375828893). The
book narrates the events of August 24, 79 A.D. when Mt. Vesuvius
destroyed the city of Pompeii. Osborne describes the everyday
life of the people, craftsmen and slaves who lived there at
the time. Through the excellent frescoes of illustrator Bonnie
Christensen, Osborne gives details on the homes, gardens,
gyms, baths, schools and ordinary objects used by the citizens
of Pompeii. This is an informative and entertaining source
about the ancient city for elementary school children.
Lois
Sachar, author of Holes
(044022859X),
has a new novel for middle school readers. Small
Steps (03857733143)
tells the story of Armpit and X-Ray after their stay at Camp
Green Lake (as seen in Holes). Armpit is living with
his parents in Texas and has befriended his younger next door
neighbor, Ginny, who has cerebral palsy. Armpit is trying
to get his life on track by taking small steps, but X-Ray’s
hustling and Armpit’s involvement with teen-idol Kaira DeLeon
almost “trip” Armpit up and cause him to take steps backwards
in his attempt to straighten out his life.
Marilyn writes: Two
of our student reviewers really enjoyed the second book in
the Childern of the Lamp series,
The Blue Djinn of Babylon (0439670217)
by P. B. Kerr. Alyssa H. wrote, “I loved this book!
It is every bit as good as the 1st!…The author’s
matter-of-fact style of writing is welcoming and enjoyable.
His ideas of djinni are really cool, and the adventures of
John and Philippa (the twin djinn from the 1st
book) are awesome! Though you know it’s not real, this book
seems almost possible and is really fun! Both guys and girls
will like this book.” Stephanie S. agrees, “This was a fabulous
book…very original…I would recommend this book to a ton of
people because boys and girls would like it. It’s good for
ages 9 and up.” The first book in this series, Children
of the Lamp: The Akhenaten Adventure (0439670209)
is available in paperback.
Student
reviewer Liza P. writes that Sharon Draper’s Copper
Sun (0689821816)
was “a wonderful, thrilling and heart-wrenching piece of historical
fiction. As a young girl growing up in tribal Africa, Amari
had all that she could wish for. But her perfect life was
suddenly shattered when a group of slave traders raided Amari’s
village, ripped her from her family and sent Amari on a disturbing
voyage on a slave ship across the Atlantic, to be sold in
the Carolinas. Follow Amari through her trials and tribulations
as she struggles to escape slavery and finally find her freedom.
With a cast of unique, lovable and unforgettable characters,
this honest, eye-opening novel is great for anyone aged fourteen
and up!”
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