Here Comes the Strikeout!
July 2009
By Leonard Kessler
Ages 4-8
This book combines America’s classic sport with a great message:
The only way to improve your skills is through hard work.
When a young boy gets discouraged about his strikeout streak, his mother reminds him that he is good at
many things and can improve his batting skills if he commits to working at it.
With the help of a good friend, the boy gradually makes headway and, in time,
is able to share his lesson with others.
Read this book to your children a few times, and soon they will be able to read it back to you!
Reviewed by A. Rodriguez
DIAMOND WILLOW
July 2009
By Helen Frost
Ages 9-12
Remember the animated movie, Mulan, about a brave Chinese woman whose ancestors send a dragon to watch over her? Similarly protective ancestors appear in the book, “Diamond Willow,” about a teenager, Willow, who risks her life in a quest to save her dog (who isn’t your ordinary canine). This time, ancestors appear as typical animals in the wild, keeping watch over the protagonist and trying to ensure her safety during a harsh Alaskan blizzard. (At the heart of Frost’s story is the Athabascan Indian belief that all creatures have protective spirits.)
Can Willow, Kaylie and the dog survive the bitter cold as they travel to Willow’s grandparents’ house? Will Willow discover her family’s secret? Read this wonderful book, written in diamond-shaped verse form, and enjoy this creative story.
Reviewed by A. Rodriguez
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
July 2009
By Susanna Clarke
Young Adult
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is like Charles Dickens meets JK Rowling. Dense foot-noted prose makes this novel seem more like historical fiction than fantasy, but committed readers will find the same delight in the intricacy of Clarke’s version of the world that so many have found in Rowling’s Potterverse. Filled with traditional Victorian, quintessentially English, characters, this story introduces many and varied strands and yet weaves all the plotlines together in the end. Though it may take more than a fortnight for your initial reading, this novel is completely original and clever, and well worth the time and effort.
Reviewed by A. Rodriguez