No room to share some thoughts with you; the holidays are fast approaching, and you’ll find an extra book review to help you find great kids’ books for holiday gift-giving and sharing.
Books to borrow
The following books are available at many public libraries.
“Twerp” by Mark Goldblatt, Random House, 275 pages
Read aloud: age 9 and older.
Read yourself: age 10 – 11 and older.
Sixth-grader Julian Twerski really isn’t a bad kid. He’s just a kid who has made some mistakes, bullied some kids and has gotten caught up doing some wrong things with his buddies. But when he makes a very big mistake and is suspended from school for a week, things look grim.
When Julian returns to school, his English teacher proposes a deal — Julian can get out of writing a report on Shakespeare if he keeps a journal on the circumstances that led up to the incident that got him suspended and to also describe the incident itself.
At first Julian thinks this is a great idea. But as he continues with his journal, he faces self-examination, soul-searching and telling the truth in his journal. Ultimately, Julian decides he must do what he can to make things right.
Snippets of wisdom abound in this absorbing novel of a bully, hope and redemption. Masterfully written, this thought-provoking story is, as the back cover states, “A good book about a bad deed.”
“Shooting at the Stars: the Christmas Truce of 1914,” written and illustrated by John Hendrix, Abrams, 40 pages
Read aloud: age 8 – 12.
Read yourself: age 8 – 9 and older.
This moving story is told through letters to home written by a young British soldier during World War I. The young man describes many of the difficulties he encounters, and in a subsequent letter, writes of an unexpected, rare event that happened on Christmas Eve: a momentary truce from fighting.
The German forces began singing carols and had even lit tiny Christmas trees with candles and lanterns along the front line. It was the Germans who invited the Allied forces to join in a day of celebration and peace, and they did, with merriment, gifts and goodwill toward each other, until Christmas evening when each had to return to their own trenches and wait for the war to begin again.
An excellent blending of fact and fiction of the true event of the Christmas Truce during WWI, this choice exudes the kindness and humanity people possess, even in the most difficult of times.
Librarian’s choice
Library: Hamburg Public Library, 35 N. Third St., Hamburg
Library director: Chelsea Williams
Children’s librarian: Becky Hartman
Choices this week: “Truck Full of Ducks” by Ross Burach; “Boy: Tales of Childhood” by Roald Dahl; “Maniac Magee” by Jerry Spinelli
Books to buy
The following books are available at favorite bookstores.
“How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?” by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen, Candlewick, 2023, 32 pages, $18.99 hardcover
Read aloud: age 4 – 8.
Read yourself: age 6 – 8.
Santa is supposed to be a rather portly fellow, and children may wonder how it is he manages to go down the chimney. Does he shrink himself? Maybe he stretches out like taffy and steps in one leg at a time?
But if there isn’t a chimney, how does Santa get into the house? Does he flatten himself out like a sheet of paper and slide himself under the door? He certainly would carry doggie treats which would explain why dogs never bark at him. And does he wear night-vision goggles to help him see? There are just so many questions!
Fortunately, author Barnet and illustrator Klassen present many ideas that will fire a child’s imagination. The hilarious possibilities of Santa’s talents for showing up on Christmas Eve undetected are further enhanced by the very funny illustrations, making “How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney” one of the funniest, most clever Santa stories ever!
“Runaway Pond” by Nancy Price Graff, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, Candlewick, 2023, 40 pages, $18.99 hardcover
Read aloud: age 4 – 8.
Read yourself: 7 – 8.
In the early 1800s, a small village in the wilderness of Vermont was located on the bank of a beautiful body of water, Long Pond. The pond was a source of nourishment and happiness, and the villagers enjoyed watching the reflections change on the water with the seasons.
One late summer, rain began to fall hard for days on end. The pond began to rise, and when it flooded the village dock, the residents began to worry. The water raced along wildly and more fiercely than anyone had ever seen. The villagers knew someone had to warn their neighbors downstream to get to higher ground immediately, and the only one who could accomplish that was the village’s footrace winner — Spencer Chamberlain.
Based on a true story, this lavishly illustrated and sensitively written story is ultimately about changing landscapes and how something beautiful can transform into another thing of beauty.
Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children’s literature. She can be reached at [email protected].