Ark Angel

Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz, 2006

Oh the places you will go, Alex Rider!

Ark Angel is the latest chapter in the saga of Alex Rider. I do not want to give away too much in case you have not read the previous books but be warned, "spoilers" follow. If you have not read Alex Rider vols. 1-5 then hie yourself to a library and begin now.

Book 5 ended abruptly and very "Ian-Fleming-ly" with Alex on the ground, hit by a sniper's bullet. Ark Angel picks up soon afterwards with Alex recuperating in the hospital. There he befriends another patient, the lonely son of the multi-millionaire, Nikolei Drevin. Drevin is the developer of the Ark Angel space hotel project.

As usual, Alex is embroiled in the events that follow against his will. Only Alex, however, has the unique skills and talents to combat the evil plot and danger that unfolds.

Horowitz is at the top of his game in this sequel, the action is nonstop. The book actually contains several mini lessons in physics which make some of the predicaments almost believable. They are always fun.

While booktalking with some 5th graders, I mentioned that I had read this book and a young fan asked fearfully, "So, is Alex alright?" He cannot wait to get this book.

This is going on the "Gotta Have It" list.

Chaucer's Blog

Thanks to Child_Lit for this link to: Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Blog

Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman, 2006

I was intrigued by this book because of the story's opening premise: Julie's favorite book is Pride and Prejudice. She is dismayed when her best friend, Ashleigh discovers the book and adopts it as her latest passion. Ashleigh assumes the speech patterns, dress and mannerisms of Jane Austen's heroines and integrates them into her daily life. When she decides she wants to search for her "Mr. Darcy" she enlists Julie to help her crash a dance at the nearby private boys' school. Julie thinks of it as the "Snoot School Dork Dance" but they search out period dresses, learn to dance the quadrille and plan to get into the dance.

At the dance Julie meets her "Mysterious Stranger," the boy she has seen around town, who is a student at the school. Parr is a really nice guy and Julie is smitten. Unfortunately, Ashleigh has decided Parr is her Mr. Darcy and she keeps trying to convinice Julie that Parr's friend, Ned, is Julie's Mr. Bingley. Julie is torn between her interest in Parr and her friendship with Ashleigh.

I liked Julie very much. An only child, she lives with her mother and visits her father who left to marry the "IA" or Irresistable Accountant. Julie is like so many kids who are the victims of divorce. She is trying to keep some semblance of a relationship with her dad so she keeps her feelings to herself.

Shulman writes with a eye to Austen with her use of capitalization and tongue-in-cheek humor. This is a very lighthearted read. Entling no. 3 told me it was really "fun."

Foxtrot on an Odyssey

I read Foxtrot every day. This week, Peter is studying for a test on The Odyssey by listening to it while he sleeps. He is having very interesting dreams.

Brilliant!

The Lady Rona remarked recently that she recalls the names of the 50 states by singing the Animaniac's 50 States and Capitals song (.wav file here.) I have complained, frequently and often, that my favorite cartoons were only available on VHS.

Now I read that "Animaniacs - Volume 1 will escape from the water tower on July 25th." Also Pinky and the Brain - Volume 1 will be available.

This is great news! Narf!

Fair enough

Odd how close these goofy internet quizzes can be.

You are a Black Coffee

At your best, you are: low maintenance, friendly, and adaptable At your worst, you are: cheap and angsty You drink coffee when: you can get your hands on it Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

The Third Carnival of Children's Literature

When I started Book Moot about two years ago, I could not find many blogs about children's literature. Now just look at the length of the blogroll! It seems like every day I find a new one. My newer additions are GottaBook, Students for Literacy Ottawa, Magic of Books, Wands and Worlds and Farm School.

Today also sees The Third Carnival of Children's Literature hosted by Sherry at Semicolon. The focus this month is Poetry. Sherry has done a great job of organizing the submissions!

Poetry and the very young

As I pondered a submission to the Third Carnival of Children's Literature, I realized that I do not talk much about poetry. That is so odd because there is nothing more pleasant or pleasing to read with kids than poems or rhymes. My keenest memories of my own mother reading to me are when she read poems. Poetry just flows off the tongue and I always enjoyed reading it aloud to my own kids.



We recently gifted a new mother-to-be with My Very First Mother Goose by Iona Opie, illustrated by Rosemary Wells. When we asked her if there was a bookcase in the baby’s room, she said there was one in the closet. We told that met the minimal standard but she needed to acquire one to be placed in plain sight, ASAP.

I wonder how many folks think of a bookcase as required "baby room" furnishings along with a changing table and crib? Were Treebeard and I just odd?

A while back, to go with a family member's nursery “theme” of Winnie-the-Pooh, I found some letters, decorated with the Shepard Pooh characters (not Disney) that sit on a dresser to spell out the child’s name. Only, I did not buy my niece’s name.
I bought four letters, R – E – A – D.
It is such a pain having a librarian as an aunt.

I loved reading Mother Goose to children. It stood me in good stead when I started as a school librarian because I could recite them from memory, all of them, even the obscure ones. I always felt like the kindergarteners who could say them along with me were going to be AOK with reading. The children I worried about were the ones who had the “Jack and Jill, who? / Humpty Dumpty did WHAT? ” look on their faces.



Goodnight Moon flows like poetry. That is a book that always invited a, “read it again, please?” and I never minded. I can recite that one from memory too.

Music and children's literature

Read Roger: Singing Our Song
Roger Sutton is pondering popular songs with allusions, lines, imagery etc. from children's books. The comments are full of suggestions. I love blogs and the community of ideas they attract.

Reading aloud is fun!

I've spent the past three days subbing at a local elementary. I had fun with great kids and some great read alouds.



The Wolf who Cried Boy by by Bob Hartman, illustrated by Tim Raglin, 2002

This twist on the fable, The Boy who Cried Wolf, is great fun to share with kids. The young wolf does not appreciate his mom's cooking. He is tired of sloppy does, three-pig-salad and lamburgers. He really wants some "boy" for dinner but his dad tells him they are hard to find in the woods these days. Over the next two days, little wolf cries "Boy!" in an attempt to get his parents to comb the forest for the non-existent meal and therefore delay dinner. Later, when an entire boy scout troop comes marching through the forest, the little wolf cannot get his parents to look, even as one creeps into their cave and sits on their sofa.

I Wanna Iguana by by Karen Kaufman Orloff, illustrated by David Catrow, 2004

Teachers can look to this story as a great example of persuasive writing. Young Alex is trying to pursuade his mother to let him adopt an iguana. In a series of hilarious notes between Alex and his mother, a negotiation of the terms and conditions of pet ownership is hammered out. There is a "money" page (the point where the whole class bursts out in raucous laughter.) David Catrow illustrations are wonderfully comic. One young listener observed, "That kid is really weird looking." The last page evoked a class wide, arm pumping "Yesssss..." along with Alex. Great fun!

Gator Gumbo by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Sally Anne Lambert, 2004

This Cajun-style version of the little red hen has a real twist at the end of the story. There are wonderful rhythms and repeats that invite listeners to chant along with the story. Kids who are used to "happy, clappy" endings were open-mouth when has some of the characters come to a very bad end! I love cautionary tales!