Saraswati’s Way

Saraswati’s Way
by Monika Schroder
J SCH

Akash, although poor, has lived a happy life with his family in a small town in the desert area of India and has been able to study those 12 years with the village scholar enough to know that he has a great talent and love for mathematics. His desire to study further is thwarted by the death of his father and the betrayal of his relatives who sell him into slavery. Akash has always thought that the gods would provide for him. Akash questions the gods, particularly Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and patroness of mathematicians, and Ganeshe the god of good fortune. The gods do not seem to be offering any chances of a better life to Akash, so the boy takes matters into his own hands.
Akash escapes a work camp and flees to Delhi where he lives with a group of homeless boys. He makes a living by selling trash and recyclable items. While running errands for a salesman he knows named Ramesh, Akash often passes a school where he sees students studying. He watches them with envy.
When Akash earns a few coins, he hires a tutor, only to discover that he knows more math than the teacher. That tutor refuses to return his money even though he has nothing to teach him.
Akash befriends several of the street boys who direct him to other jobs. He barely escapes getting drawn into the drug trade. Akash longs to further his education, but there are things he is unwilling to do to earn money. His older friend Ramesh notes how hardworking and honest Akash is and offers him opportunities to work for him and his fellow business people in the area.
Can someone who is no more than a beggar earn a scholarship to a good education? To find out if hardworking, honest Akash can make his way to his goals in a harsh world, you must read Saraswati’s Way.

Watch the book trailer below:


J’Ann Peacock Alvarado

A Long Walk to Water

A Long Walk to Water
by Linda Sue Park
J PAR


Salva’s story begins when he is 11 in 1985 in southern Sudan among the Dinka people. War comes to his village while he is in school and he flees alone into the brush. Nya’s story begins in 2008, also in Sudan, where she is 11 years old and has to walk 8 miles daily to bring water to her family of the Nuer tribe. Each chapter tells a part of Salva’s story and a part of Nya’s story with nothing to connect the two young people together except for the country of their birth. They are two young Sudanese people of tribes that are traditionally enemies to each other.

Salva sees much cruelty and death on his march to find sanctuary and safety in his war-torn land. He makes a friend along the way, only to lose him to the attack of a lion. He searches for his family, finding his uncle, who he loses to a group of bandits. He is truly one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Salva is forced to flee through a crocodile infested river when driven from a concentration camp in Ethiopia. He walks from Sudan to Ethiopia to Kenya always searching for safety. It is a miracle that he survives.

Nya walks for hours every day carrying water to her family. There is no time in her life for any other thing; no play, no education, no enjoyment. She walks barefoot through hard, rocky, thorny ground, without complaint, carrying water for her family.

Then a strange man comes to Nya’s village with machinery and a crew of workers. He is there to do a service that will forever change Nya’s life for the better. He has come to drill a well for her village. He is a strange grown man with no tribal markings on his face. Nya’s curiosity gets the best of her. She must find out who this man is, what tribe is he from and why he is in Sudan drilling for water for all the people there.

To find out how Salva’s life is saved and to learn the connection between Nya and Salva, you must read A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, based on the true life story of Salva Dut of Sudan.

You can watch Linda Sue Park discuss the story here:


Reviewed by J’Ann Peacock Alvarado

Olivia Goes to Venice

Olivia Goes to Venice
written and illustrated by Ian Falconer
Call Number E FAL

Olivia is back and this time she and her family go on vacation in Venice. The latest in the Olivia series is once again a book both children and adults can enjoy.

Falconer briefly pokes fun at airport security by having Olivia searched for weapons by two TSA agents. Olivia smiled and was “very pleased.” Olivia is so exhausted after the flight that she does not notice the beautiful view outside her hotel window. After a night at the hotel, Olivia and her family tour the sites of Venice, frequently stopping to purchase gelato (Italian ice cream). Olivia is so enamored of the palazzos off the Grand Canal that she wants to live in one. The family takes a gondola ride on the second day of the trip. Later, Olivia searches for the perfect souvenir, with disastrous consequences.

The beautiful illustrations incorporate stylized photos of Venice and give the story a sense of place. Falconer also captures jet lag in a hilarious illustration of Olivia sleeping at the hotel by drawing x’s for Olivia’s eyes. Falconer’s depiction of the number of pigeons at Piazza San Marco is spot-on (see illustration below).

Olivia’s latest adventure is once again a pleasure to read. It reminded me of my trip to Venice several years ago.

Simon and Schuster created a brief video in which Ian Falconer discusses the inspiration for Olivia Goes to Venice:


Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

Zombiekins

Zombiekins

Written by Kevin Bolger

Illustrated by Aaron Blecha

J BOL

Who can resist the cutely creepy Zombiekins, the titular character of Kevin Bolger’s wacky new book? I couldn’t. When I saw the cover of Zombiekins, I knew I had to read it.

Stanley Nudelman and his friend Miranda are fourth-graders living in the town of Dementedyville. As the story opens, Stanley and Miranda are walking home from school when they see that the eccentric Widow Imavitch is having a yard sale. While perusing the items for sale, Stanley finds a toy called Zombiekins in its original packaging. The Widow Imavitch tells Stanley that Zombiekins is full of surprises and advises him to read the instructions on the back of the package. When Stanley purchases the “freaky” toy, the Widow Imavitch gives him a bag of taffy that might “come in handy.” Naturally, Stanley discards the package shortly after leaving without reading the instructions.

There is a full moon that night. When the moonlight shines into the playroom, Zombiekins comes to life

Stump!—scri-i-i-i-i-itch… Stump!—scri-i-i-i-i-itch… Stump!—scri-i-i-i-i-itch…

and attacks Stanley’s sister’s toys. Among these toys is Schlemmo, a “furry orange toy far too adorable to be called a monster.”

The next day Stanley takes Zombiekins to school. Mr. Baldengrumpy, Stanley’s teacher, shows a film called Our Neighbor, the Moon. The moonlight from the film awakens Zombiekins. He bites Stanley’s tattle-telling do-gooder classmate Felicity and escapes. Within hours, half the school has been transformed into Zombies. Stanley must find the courage he has never had before and find Zombiekins and figure out a cure for the Zombie plague before his teacher notices there is a problem and gives him detention.

Aaron Blecha’s illustrations fill in some gaps in the text. They also serve to clarify and even contradict the text. Bolger’s sense of humor can be rather sarcastic and understated, though the story is over-the-top in wackiness.

Zombiekins is a wacky spoof of the zombie genre. For instance, there is a scene where Stanley and Miranda are trapped in the teacher’s lounge trying to keep zombies from breaking in. Stanley is concerned about hiding in a room with only one way out. Miranda reassures him, “Oh they always find you. But trust me, this is just the way it’s done.”

Zombiekins is not for those who get grossed out easily. Nothing is too offensive, but this is a zombie book, so there are going to be some gross scenes here and there. The storyline starts to get repetitive towards the end. However, Zombiekins is an entertaining, ridiculous read. I will be reading the sequel when it comes out.

Recommended for fans of Captain Underpants, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Bunnicula, and books by Daniel Pinkwater.

The video below is a trailer for the book Zombiekins

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

Heart of a Shepherd

Heart of a Shepherd
by Rosanne Parry
J PAR


A few weeks ago, I was asked several questions about finding good Christian literature for children. I recommended the usual: C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series (some of the best Christian literature for any age) and Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind: The Kids series (which, if it is anything like the adult series, is truly awful and I cringe to recommend it, but that is what people want). I’ve also been recommending Roseanne Parry’s 2009 novel Heart of a Shepherd, which had been on my reading list for some time. I finally sat down to read Heart of a Shepherd, with my fingers crossed that it is worth recommending to other children. It is.


Ignatius “Brother” Alderman, a sixth-grader, lives on a ranch in rural Oregon with his father, paternal grandparents, and four older brothers. At the beginning of the story, Brother’s father, who is in the army reserves, is deployed to command his battalion in Iraq. His oldest brother is sent to an Army base in another state, and his other brothers head off to school miles away. This leaves Brother, his two grandparents , and hired hand Ernesto, to keep the ranch running smoothly.


Brother works hard on the ranch tending to his sheep and his other chores. He doubts whether he was called to either a rancher’s life or a soldier’s life, the traditional vocations of his family. One day while tending to his sickly sheep, Ernesto tells Brother that he has “the heart of a shepherd.” Brother grows into his role as “man of the house” and earns the respect of his brothers. He learns how to handle difficult situations with prayer, strength and resolve. When a fire comes and threatens the Alderman family and ranch, Brother is able to do what needs to be done, though it is not easy (or quite believable.)


Author Rosanne Parry is the wife of a Desert Storm veteran. Her experiences helped her to write a poignant novel about those left behind when a loved one is sent to war.


Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

I'm Your Bus

I'm Your Bus

by Marylin Singer

E SIN

School buses with personalities and smiling faces rush through the city carrying children to school and back.  This story is cheerful and light, told in verse, and repeats the refrain "You can always count on us.  // Daytime, nighttime I'm your bus." 

The humorous illustrations by Evan Polenghi, of buses with eyes in their front windshields, fit the mood of the book perfectly.

Reviewed by J'Ann Alvarado

The Last Best Days of Summer

The Last Best Days of Summer
By Valerie Hobbs
J HOB

Lucy Crandall has spent the summer working as a helper for Eddie Munch, a thirteen year old with Down Syndrome. But with summer almost over and her annual visit to her grandmother's lakeside cabin approaching, Lucy decides she would rather go to the pool with her friend Megan instead of working with Eddie.

Megan and Lucy have fun at the pool and afterwards go to the Recreation Center. A cute boy from school, Justin, offers to get Lucy a soft drink. As he is walking back to the table, the cup in his hand, Eddie bursts into the room yelling,"Lucy, Lucy." He knocks into Justin, spilling the drink all over him. Justin walks off disgusted.

Lucy goes by the Munch's the next day to tell them she is going to visit Grams. Lucy leaves with her parents for the trip to Crescent Lake California where her grandmother lives. Meanwhile, Eddie is at home upset that he can't see Lucy. He decides he will go too and sneaks out of the house. He walks all the way to downtown. He sees the bus station and goes in, buys a ticket, and boards a bus headed for Northern California.

To discover what happens to Eddie on his journey to find Lucy, read this book, you'll be glad you did!

Reviewed by Carolyn Falk