OUT OF SLAVERY: THE JOURNEY TO AMAZING GRACE by Linda Granfield

Granfield, Linda. Out of Slavery: The Journey to Amazing Grace. Illustrated by Janet Wilson. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2009. ISBN# 978-0887769153. $15.95. Grades 4-7. Picture book—nonfiction.

Originally published in 1997 as Amazing Grace: The Story of the Hymn, Out of Slavery was selected as a nonfiction best book by Quill & Quire (a Canadian award). This historical account of the slave trade focuses on ship captain John Newton during the mid-1700s. Granfield’s writing is descriptive, rich, and engaging. She uses vivid metaphors and a relatively high level of vocabulary, with many interesting historical facts and details that older elementary age readers would probably find fascinating. Clearly Granfield conducted extensive research for this book, including Newton’s Journal of a Slave Trader. However, she does not sugarcoat the story and she presents information about the reality of the slave trade that could be disturbing for some readers, presenting information such as babies that were born on a ship were often “tossed overboard.” Somewhat ironically, devout Captain John Newton prays for the Lord’s help to “deliver his cargo of 207 African men, women, and children to be sold in the marketplaces of the West Indies.”

Eventually he decides to find a “more humane calling” and becomes a minister, writing sermons and a book of hymns, including “Amazing Grace” (which had a different title at the time). Additionally, he wrote a pamphlet entitled “Thoughts Upon the African Slave Trade” in which he decided in retrospect that slavery should be banned. Newton worked to abolish slavery in Britain and the British colonies, which actually occurred the same year he died in 1833. Additionally, readers will probably feel relieved by the relatively happy ending.

Wilson has won many awards for her illustrations and her work in Out of Slavery captures the tone and advances the story. For example, the first page shows the ship African during a fierce storm in 1752. She captures the movement of the “vicious, glitter tipped waves” and shows the ship pitched sideways as “the masts strained and moaned in the relentless winds.” Many of the illustrations depict horrendous situations, but of course, this book is presenting a horrific time period in human history.

According to Wilson, Out of Slavery is a companion book to In Flanders Fields, in which she used a similar artistic style. She says, “some readers miss the fact that I've depicted the same boy on his forced journey from Africa. Also, the inspiration for the image of the captives in Africa came from reading a diary of a slave driver of the time [Newton]. He wrote about seeing Africans with tears streaming down their faces as they walked.” The paintings were done in oil on canvas.

I highly recommend Out of Slavery for any reader who wants to learn more about the realities of slavery. This is an honest account of human greed and suffering. Considering the fact that slavery still exists in the world today (although it is more covert) perhaps this book will inspire others to help make a difference.

--Cynthia McDaniel

MICRO MANIA: A REALLY CLOSE-UP LOOK AT BACTERIA, BEDBUGS, AND ZILLIONS OF OTHER GROSS LITTLE CREATURES by Jordan D. Brown

Brown, Jordan D. Micro Mania: A Really Close-Up Look at Bacteria, Bedbugs & the Zillions of Other Gross Little Creatures. Morganville: Imagine Publishing, 2009. ISBN-13: 978-1936140473.

I don't know if this book is fascinating, disgusting, or just downright amazing. I knew I was "Never Alone" (Chapter 1), but I'm not sure that I wanted to know more about my "Trillions of Close Personal Friends" in Chapter 2 or the "Pets and Pests" found in Chapter 3. I was perfectly fine not thinking about "Creatures of the Kitchen" in Chapter 4, and, frankly, I'd rather not know all the "Places Germs Hide...and How [I] Can Seek Them"—even if Chapter 5 was helpful. (By the way, be sure to microwave your sponges on a consistent basis; similarly, did you know that the bathroom stall closest to the door has fewest number of bacteria and germs?)

I actually used Chapters 4 and 5 in a Linguistics course focusing on teaching English as a Second Language and can attest to the richness of the resources within Micro Mania. My professor's initial reaction was, "Oh, it's only a picture book." After flipping through a few pages, however, she was talking excitedly about what a great text it was. She was more excited than I was!

Chapters 6, 7, and 8 ("Swimming with Plankton," "Give My Creature Life!" and "Learning to Love the Little Guys"—which I should probably re-read) move the focus away from the more personal sphere to the world at large. Still, the bright illustrations, factoids, computer graphics, experiments, and home projects make Micro Mania an incredible resource—as long as you aren't germaphobic!

I strongly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Stephanie Ashley

CHILD OF THE MOUNTAINS by Marilyn Sue Shank

Special Feature: Review by a Middle School Student

Shank, Marilyn Sue. Child of the Mountains. New York: Delacorte Press, 2012. ISBN: 978-0-385-74079-1. $16.99 US, $18.99 CAN.

Child of the Mountains is a story about hardship and the perseverance of love for one’s family. Lydia, the main character, faces many challenges throughout the story, particularly figuring out how to get her mother out of jail.

It all starts when Lydia’s little brother, BJ, gets sick. He has a disease called cystic fibrosis, which makes it hard for him to breathe. They find out that the hospital will treat BJ free of charge as long as they can study him and his disease. The family jumps at the chance to help BJ and other kids with the disease. As Lydia and BJ’s mother is going over the paperwork, the nurse tells her to just sign it and not to worry about reading it. She signs it, only hoping that the doctors will help her baby boy. Everything seems to be going all right; BJ has to travel back and forth to the hospital, but he still gets to spend time with his family. Then tragedy strikes: Lydia’s grandmother dies. The family is devastated, but soon recovers and keeps trying to help BJ. When BJ’s condition worsens, Lydia and her mother go to the hospital to see him before he dies. But the nurses will not let him leave. So Lydia and her mother decide to break him out of the hospital. Once they get home with BJ, he dies. Lydia’s mother is accused of murdering BJ, and is sent to jail after an unfair trial. Lydia is sent to live with her aunt and uncle. Her teacher, Mr. Hinkle, and his fiancee, a lawyer named Mrs. Parker find out about her mother’s unfair trial and decide to help Lydia. They get Lydia’s mother another trial and this time it is fair. Lydia’s mother gets to go free and they both move back to their old house.

The author writes the story from Lydia’s point of view like it is Lydia’s diary. She writes it in the mountain dialect of West Virginia, which makes it difficult to understand at first, but also makes you feel like you are truly present and listening to Lydia and her family members. The author also talks about what is really happening to Lydia at that moment and Lydia’s thoughts and memories she has of her brother and grandmother, which makes the plot more interesting. Overall, the book was well written and a very intriguing story. The reader laughs at BJ’s antics and cries about the tragedies that happen to Lydia’s family.

Reviewed by Caroline Melancon, 7th grade

A BOOK ABOUT DESIGN: COMPLICATED DOESN'T MAKE IT GOOD by Mark Gonyea

Gonyea, Mark. A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn’t Make It Good. New York: Henry Hold & Company, 2005. ISBN: 978-0-8050-7575-5. $21.95.

On one hand, this is a children’s nonfiction book. Gonyea takes complicated ideas of design and uses simple shapes, bold colors, and humorous layouts to explain graphic design to children. He addresses the relationship between objects, diagonal versus straight lines, contrast, usage of letters, color, and balance.

On the other hand, this book makes a fabulous joke gift for adult designers, who would more acutely appreciate the humor Gonyea weaves into his deceptively simple narration. An (adult) freelance web designer friend to whom I read this book remarked, “That would make a great Christmas gift” for our mutual friend, another web designer who majored in graphic design.

While still remaining entirely appropriate for children, Gonyea subtly pokes fun at every poorly-designed poster that filled its free space with complicated funky fonts, WordArt and clip art pictures.

Reviewed by Marisa Behan

THE STONE CHILD by Dan Poblocki

Poblocki, Dan. The Stone Child. Random House Children’s Books, 2010. ISBN-13: 9780375842559. $7.99.

Special Feature: Review by an elementary school student.


The Stone Child is a supernatural horror story. I picked this book out because my friend suggested it to me. She handed me the book and I locked into the thoughts of reading it when I saw the milky white stone child, surrounded by a dark forest, gazing down upon her thick stone book.

The main characters in the book are three young kids, Eddie, Harris, and Maggie. Eddie is very inquisitive and is determined to complete his mission. Harris is the silver-tongued yet warm-hearted character. Maggie is the brainy person who demands education. I relate to Eddie the most because when something strange happens I demand answers just like he does.

The three kids try to unravel the mystery of the author Nathaniel Olmsted’s disappearance. A very important and terrifying event in the story is the discovery of The Woman in Black. I felt pity for these kids because I thought the end was near for them. I have read the book by Susan Hill and the title character spares no one.

I connect to this book because just like Nathaniel I love to study symbology and mythology. My favorite part of this book is the details the author uses to describe the town of Gatesweed where the story takes place, such as, “Out the window, Eddie watched as they passed a crooked iron fence on the left side of the road. Dead vines were wrapped around the rusty spikes, as if the woods were trying to drag the fence down into the dirt”(12).

Throughout this book the feeling is dark. I’ll never forget when Eddie is walking through the town and he sees the big words spray painted on the back of the book store, “THE WOMAN IS WATCHING.” This book does not fail to deliver a thrill to those seeking it.

Reviewed by Malcolm Young, 5th grade

THE GIRL BEHIND THE GLASS by Jane Kelley

Kelley, Jane. The Girl Behind The Glass. Random House Children’s Books, 2011. ISBN-13: 9780375862205. $16.99.


Special Feature: Review by an elementary school student.

The Girl Behind The Glass by Jane Kelley is a book that is abundant with mystery. This book attracted me to it because the front cover looked mysterious and sinister. It seemed like the perfect one! I took it home and read it immediately. The main characters in the book are 11-year-old twins Hannah and Anna, along with a peculiar creature. Hannah is a curious and clever girl who loves to read. She can also hear a voice that others can’t. Anna is a smart and likable girl who also loves books. The creature is a lonely and determined soul. I can relate to Hannah and Anna because I absolutely adore books! I am like the creature because it cares for others and has a light temper. The overall plot of the book is to get back at a lady named Mildred because she really mistreated the creature when they were young. One of the important events in the book is when Selena, the twins' sister, senses that something is lurking in her closet. Another critical event is when someone’s life is in serious danger and Anna finally hears the voice that Hannah has been hearing. This book definitely made me feel curious and sometimes worried. I love getting that nervous feeling when something spooky is about to happen!

I had a lot of favorite parts, but, overall I enjoyed the part when the twins planned to scare Selena. They terrify her and she becomes completely freaked out! I connected to the book because I have a sister and we like to play pranks on each other just like Hannah and Anna do to Selena. This book made me realize that it is important to do the right thing. It doesn’t matter who it is or what it is, it just always feels good to be nice, even if you really dislike that person.

The Girl Behind the Glass starts out kind of slow, really picks up in the middle and in the end leaves you hoping that there will be a second book! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys spooky stories with a cheerful twist. When you pick up this book, prepare yourself for a great read!

Review by Sydney Korovec, 5th grade

HARNESS HORSES, BUCKING BRONCOS & PIT PONIES: A HISTORY OF HORSE BREEDS by Jeff Crosby and Shelley Ann Jackson

Crosby, Jeff, and Shelley Ann Jackson. Harness Horses, Bucking Broncos & Pit Ponies: A History of Horse Breeds. Plattsburgh, NY: Tundra Books, 2011. $19.95 US, $21.95 CAN. ISBN: 978-0-88776-986-3. Ages 9-14

As a young horse lover and avid rider, I would have loved this book—so much horse minutiae and gorgeous pictures to boot!

A husband and wife team, Jeff Crosby and Shelley Ann Jackson take their readers on a comprehensive tour of horse breeds around the world. The book is loosely divided into categories by the horse breed’s intended purpose: rapid transit, military advantage, horsepower, equine entertainment, and feral horses. They detail not only common and well-known breeds such as Arabians, Shetland ponies, and Clydesdales, but also more unusual niche breeds such as the Kiso from Japan and the Basotho from South Africa. Each breed is given its own page, with stunning pastel illustrations of the horses in action.

Marisa Behan

THE ACCIDENTAL HERO by Matt Myklusch

Myklusch, Matt. The Accidental Hero. New York: Aladdin, 2010. ISBN 9781416995623. $6.99. Ages 9-12. 468 pp.

Growing up in an orphanage named St. Barnaby’s Home for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten, and Lost does not inspire a kid to have much hope or fun in life. Jack Blank has spent the whole of his life at St. Barnaby’s, where he is not only the most disliked and picked upon child, he doesn’t even know who he is. The last name Blank only came about because he always had to leave the field for last name blank when filling out forms, and to top it all off, according to his school aptitude tests, his highest career aspiration is to become a toilet brush cleaner. Yet, Jack is not without spirit. He is creative and imaginative despite all efforts to beat it out of him, thanks to the comic books he smuggled out of the trash. Then one day, Jack is attacked by a Robo-Zombie, just like a character in one of his comic books and everything changes. All of a sudden a mysterious agent appears to take Jack to an island called the Imagine Nation, where it seems Jack was born. In the Imagine Nation, Jack realizes that his favorite comic book characters are real. The citizens of Imagine Nation range from superheroes, warriors, aliens, robots, and ninjas to inventive scientists and technologists. In the Imagine Nation, Jack discovers that he too has powers and in learning his identity realizes that the distinction between hero and villain is not as clear it seems in comic books.

Incorporating elements of comic books, medieval legends, fantasy and science fiction, the world Matt Myklusch created in the Imagine Nation is vast and inventive. The book moves slowly at first due the enormity of genres and concepts Myklusch needs to illustrate in order to establish the background and describe the many facets of the landscape of the Imagine Nation, but after that readers will find themselves engaged in both the storyline, which is in solving the mystery of Jack’s identity, and the intricacies of the Imagine Nation itself.

One of the concepts detailed in the book that I really enjoyed is creativity and the power of the imagination. The agent who takes Jack to the Imagine Nation tells him that he has to truly believe before he goes there:

All the fantastic, unbelievable things in this world start in the Imagine Nation. It’s a real place, but you can’t get there if you try to keep one foot in the real world when you go. Only people who believe in the unbelievable are able to see the island. To find it, you have to believe that there’s a place out there where the impossible is possible. You have to believe it deep in your heart. If you can’t do that, you won’t recognize it when you see it. Even if it’s staring you right in the face.

The agent tells Jack it is the influence of the Imagine Nation that led to time periods like the Age of Exploration and the Enlightenment, and that many long ago writers, artists and world changers came from the Imagine Nation. But it is not the same anymore with less people being able to find the Imagine Nation and becoming less adventurous. It parallels our modern times, where children do not read as much and there is less creativity in schools. It is thanks to books like The Accidental Hero, and other fantastical and imaginative stories that reading is beginning to regain popularity. Along with supporting the renewal of creativity and imagination, this book also stresses that a person’s future is what they make of it. Overall, this is an enjoyable book.

Joyce Myers

THE WHITE BALLETS by Rajka Kupesic

Kupesic, Rajka. The White Ballets. Plattsburgh, NY: Tundra Books of Northern New York, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-88776-923-8. $19.95 US $21.99 CAN. Ages 9-12

The White Ballets is equally as much a work of art as a storybook. The book itself is stunningly gorgeous. All of the pages are edged with gold, and the illustrations are richly made in paint and gold leaf. The art is reminiscent of an illuminated fairy tale storybook and fits well with the elegant tales of dance told on the pages.

Kupesic retells the plot of three ballets: Swan Lake, Giselle, and La Bayadère. Her writing style is graceful and clear. The three stories are separated by full-page spreads written in the author’s voice explaining her paintings, which encourages readers to flip back to the earlier pages and examine the art in detail.

The White Ballets makes a beautiful gift for the young ballerina in your life. It belongs on display on a table or upright on a shelf – as elegant and gorgeous as the fairy tale ballets it retells!

Marisa Behan

Review: ALIEN INVADERS by Lynn Huggins-Cooper

Huggins-Cooper, Lynn. Alien Invaders. Illus. Bonnie Leick. McHenry, IL: Raven Tree, 2010. ISBN 0-9724973-9-8. $16.95.

This very funny perspective on bugs as the real aliens is deadpan right on both in words and eye-popping illustrations. I have it in this non-fiction section because everything said in it is true, but it is really unclassifiable, as it is imagination at its best. In pithy prose, insect and other wildlife conservationist Huggins-Cooper homes in on suspicious bug traits that give us regular folk the creeps, like “They watch us with camera-like eyes. Are they taking pictures?” Or, “I hear them whisper in secret languages. I see them dance strange dances.”

How is this funny?

The art elevates the already excellent text onto a higher level. Actually, this is my first time seeing Bonnie Leick (‘Like”)’s art and I’m stunned. The “They set up camp in our gardens” painting is 3-D and must be, the observer concludes, done digitally. Yet, the book’s flap states Leick’s medium is watercolor. Well, hats off! The art for the “Are they taking pictures?” page ought to be framed. It reminds one of the 3-Dish photos of Dogs!, and are all the more impressive for being as hilarious and memorably peculiar, yet done with paint.

I’m forwarding this to an American Library Association friend to ask she look at it for the Caldecott.

Alida Allison

Review: THE LISTENING TREE by Celia Barker Lottridge

Lottridge, Celia Barker. The Listening Tree. Markham: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2011. ISBN 9781554550524. $11.95. Ages 9-12. 168 pp.

The Great Depression was rough for farmers in the Saskatchewan Prairie like Ellen Jackson’s father. After four years of drought with no crops and no end in sight, he must leave the farm, going west to find work and support his family. Ellen and her mother must leave, too, or starve. They head to the big city of Toronto to stay with her Aunt Gladys. A shy child, Ellen is used to small town life where her best friend is the only other girl in her grade. In Toronto, she can’t possibly just go outside and meet the other children in the neighborhood like everyone expects her to. The big elm tree in front of her window becomes her solution—she can crawl into the tree, hide among the leaves and branches, and just observe the other kids for a while, getting to know them before actually meeting them. But one night while hiding in her tree, Ellen overhears two men talking and planning trouble for her next-door neighbors. She has to make a decision: stay in her comfort zone and do nothing, or step up, rising above her fear to do the right thing.

The story parallels Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden. Not only is Ellen herself actually reading The Secret Garden, she thinks of her listening tree as her “secret garden,” a place of beauty that is all her own where she can be herself. By the end of The Secret Garden, the main character finds she no longer needs the garden; likewise, Ellen eventually overcomes her shyness and also finds she no longer needs the listening tree.

In addition to being a story about a young girl’s courage, the book details life during the Great Depression. It was a time where families had to separate to earn money. Men left home to find jobs to feed their families; women, who had been stay- at- home caretakers, had to go out and find jobs. Children could no longer be carefree. Older children had to stay and mind their younger siblings. For everyone, food and clothing were scarce. At one point, the only food Ellen and her mother have is oats actually meant for their horse, but the oats remain whereas they’ve had to sell the horse.

The Listening Tree depicts life during one of history’s most difficult economic times, yet it is a moving story of how good life can be especially in tough times, when you are with people who love you and whom you can trust.

Joyce Myers

Review: THE ADVENTURES OF SIR LANCELOT THE GREAT and THE ADVENTURES OF SIR GIVRET THE SHORT by Gerald Morris

Morris, Gerald. The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great. Illus. Aaron Renier. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-618-77714-3. $15.00 
-- The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short. Illus. Aaron Renier. Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-618-77715-0. $15.00. Ages 9 – 12

These two books are part of a larger collection called The Knights' Tales. Author Gerald Morris takes the stories and characters of Malory's La Morte D'Arthur and other Arthurian works and adapts them for elementary aged boys. He weaves the enormous corpus of Arthurian literature into short, easily digestive, often hilariously funny narratives. Each book centers around one character's adventures. As a medieval studies major, with a sizeable knowledge of Arthurian literature, Morris impressed me with his accuracy.

In Sir Givret the Short, Givret becomes a knight of Arthur's Round Table by virtue of his smarts, despite the fact that he is small of stature and lacks any real skill with a weapon. The tale is cute and believable, as Givret manages to save the day on multiple occasions using only his wit.

In Sir Lancelot the Great, Morris brilliantly manages to make many sticky issues of the Lancelot legend, such as his possibly illegitimate birth, his relationship with Guinevere, and his vanity, completely appropriate for children. Lancelot in this tale is comically obsessed with keeping his armor shiny, he cherishes his daily afternoon naps, and refuses to accept a lady's tournament token – all while maintaining his status as the greatest fighter in all the land.

Overall, Morris' tales are absolutely delightful. I enjoyed every moment of reading them and will pass them along to the first 11-year-old boy I meet! Morris has written an extensive collection of Arthurian children's books – if they are all as good as these two, I would like to read them all!

Marisa Behan

Review: WORDS IN THE DUST by Trent Reedy

Reedy, Trent. Words in the Dust. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2011. ISBN 0-545-26125-8. $17.99, $20.99 CAN

I should have known, after reading Katherine Paterson’s hearty endorsement in the introduction, that this book would be dangerous for my sleep. I couldn’t put it down and stayed up into the wee hours of the morning finishing it!

Words in the Dust, Reedy’s first young adult novel, is inspired by a real girl he met while serving in Afghanistan. The main character, Zulaikha, has a cleft lip; in traditional Afghanistan, she’s always been the brunt of jokes and shame.  But writing provides her the opportunity to express herself beyond the limits of her disfigured appearance and to remind herself of her deceased mother. When American solders enter her village, they offer her cosmetic surgery, her older sister gets engaged, and she begins to take secret reading lessons with an older woman named Meena – her dreams have all come true. But Zulaikha learns that fulfilled wishes are not as simple as they seem, and life is often very complicated.

The text is filled with relatable, engaging characters. There are moments of intense action and suspense, such as the flashback to Zulaikha’s mother’s murder by the Taliban, as well as moments of heart-rending sympathy, such as the scene of the tragedy that befalls Zulaikha’s sister. Zulaikha deals with difficult adolescent issues like self-identity, bullying, and fairness, as well as larger adult issues of freedom, like women’s rights, honor killing, arranged marriage, and war.  Zulaikha is a positive example for young girls: her choices are not easy, and she manages to pass through challenges with sincere grace and maturity.

Marisa Behan