Tibet: Through the Red Box

Tibet: Through the Red Box. Peter Sis. (1998). 64p. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Awards and Honors: Caldecott Honor

Review:
Sis weaves a complicated, rich and multi-layered story in Tibet: Through the Red Box. When Peter Sis was a child, his filmmaker father was sent to Tibet via China to document the building of the first modern road into the country. The project was to take two months but tragedy separates the elder Sis from the road crew and the trip stretches into years. During this time Sis's father kept a journal of the magical and mysterious things that he experienced. After he returned home to Czechoslovakia, he would often tell Peter about his amazing experiences, but Peter was never allowed to touch the journal which was kept in a red box on a shelf in his father's study. Many years later when Sis is grown and living in America, he receives a brief note from his father telling him that the box is now his... Tibet: Through the Red Box tells the story of Sis's father's time in Tibet through his father's diary entries, interspersed with Sis's own retellings of the stories his father told him as a young child, intricately detailed mandalas, maps, recreations of diary pages, and beguiling full-spread illustrations. The effect is an absolutely haunting blend of fantasy and reality which will captivate readers.

Opinion:

I'm a fan of Sis's children's books so I thought I knew what to expect from Tibet: Through the Red Box, but I was seriously blown away by this book. I haven't stopped recommending it to people since I've read it. Unfortunately, this is one of those books that tweens won't necessarily come across while they're browsing the shelves, and even if they do the picture book format suggests that it is a book for a much younger child.

Ideas:
I've been toying with the idea of creating a "picture books for older readers" shelf in my library. This is definitely a book that I would add to that collection.

The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin

The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin. Peter Sis. (2003). 44p. New York: Farrar,  Straus & Giroux.

Awards and Honors: 
American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association Notable Children's Books, New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Books of the Year, New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Books of the Year, Amazon.com Top 10 Editors’ Picks: Children, Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, Parents' Choice Award Winner, John Burroughs List of Nature Books for Young, National Science Teacher's Association-CBC, Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children, Horn Book Magazine Fanfare List, Kirkus Reviews Editor's Choice, Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books of the Year, School Library Journal Best Books of the Year

Review:
A wondrous and detailed look into the life and work of famed naturalist and father of the theory of natural selection, Charles Darwin. In inimitable Sis style, this book takes on an almost scrapbook-like quality, featuring highly detailed illustrations, panels within panels, diary pages, maps, and a double gate-fold panel, while it illuminates Darwin's personal and professional life. Sis does an excellent job of balancing his own dreamlike aesthetic with the facts and figures of Darwin's life, while managing to steer clear of inflaming the religious controversies surrounding Darwin's work.

Opinion:

This is a spectacular picture book for older readers, packed with incredible detail and fact.

Ideas:
Picture books for older readers really deserve more attention. I'd feature this book in a library display spotlighting great illustrated books for older readers.

Center Court Sting

Center Court Sting. Matt Christopher. (1998). 140p. New York: Little Brown.

Awards and Honors: none

Review:
Hot-tempered middle schooler Daren McCall plays basketball on his school's team. He's talented, but his quick temper often gets him in trouble both off and on the court. When his outbursts begin to interfere with his team's success and with his friendships, Daren is forced to take a hard look at his behavior and change the way he interacts with others. The story carries a strong message of team work and good sportsmanship.

Opinion:

I chose to read Center Court Sting because although I have often recommended Matt Christopher's books to kids and parents who are looking for stories which feature team sports, I have personally never read a sports fiction book for tweens. Though I wouldn't say that I'm a huge fan of the genre, these books are popular for a reason with boys who enjoy sports.

Ideas:
Creating a display of sports fiction during championship or finals seasons would be an attention getting way to promote the library's collection.

The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung Fu Cavemen from the Future

The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung Fu Cavemen from the Future. Dav Pilkey. (2010). 176p. New York: Scholastic Press.

Awards and Honors: none

Review:
Ook and Gluk, two caveboys, must save their hometown from the evil Goppernopper Enterprises, a corporation from the year 2222 which is set on plundering the natural resources of Caveland, Ohio. When Ook and Gluk are transported to the future, they are taken under the wing of a martial arts master, where they learn Kung Fu in order to destroy Goppernopper Enterprises and save the day. Pilkey writes and illustrates this story, which features plenty of his trademark humor in graphic novel format.

Opinion:
Misspellings galore, rude language and potty humor... This is a book that kids love and adults will cringe at. The premise of the story is that it is written by two elementary aged kids, George Beard and Harold Hutchins, hence the deliberate misspellings and poor grammar. Although I have to wonder how all the misspellings in the book might negatively affect kids who have trouble spelling in the first place, I did enjoy the book for its humor, even if some was a a bit over the top.

Ideas:
The humor and graphic novel format make this is a great book for reluctant readers.

Boys Over Flowers

Boys Over Flowers: Volume 1. Yoko Kamio. English adaptation by Gerard Jones. (2003). San Francisco, CA: Viz Media.

Awards and Honors: none

Review:
When working class teenager Tsukushi Makino is accepted into an elite high school, Eitoku Academy, she immediately feels out of place. Things get worse for her when the popular boy's clique, the F4, decides that they want her out of their school. The group mercilessly bullies her and at first Tsukushi is scared, but she eventually decides to fight back. Further complicating matters, Tsukushi's bravery causes her popularity amongst her classmates at Eitoku Academy to rise, and she begins to develop a crush on one of the members of the F4. The first volume in the series leaves off with Tsukushi striking an uneasy truce with the F4, but with problems developing with the girls at Eitoku Academy.

Opinion:

I am not a big reader of manga, so unfortunately I don't have much to compare this book with. The soap opera type serial did not appeal to me, though I know it is popular with many older tweens in my community. I would personally hesitate to recommend this book to younger tweens, because the bullying scenes are pretty intense.

Ideas:
This shojo manga series has also spawned a popular Korean television drama. Manga has great appeal to the community that I work in, and I think it would be cool to make a display of Korean DVDs and the books or manga that inspired them.

Have You Met My Ghoulfriend?

Have You Met My Ghoulfriend? (Mostly Ghostly Book #2). R.L. Stine. (2004). 136p. New York: Delacorte Press.

Awards and Honors: none

Review:

Eleven-year-old Max has a hard time at school, he's bullied by his older brother and threatened with boarding school by his father. Compounding Max's problems is the fact that he is being haunted and no one in Max's family believes him. Nicky and Tara are two new ghosts who are trying to get Max to help them out how they died and where their parents are. Unfortunately, an evil ghost named Phears is trying to use Max to get to Nicky and Tara, which is making Max's life even harder. Max tries to protect Nicky and Tara from Phears, but when he doesn't cooperate, the evil ghost sends a ghoul to possess Max and force him into turning over the two young ghosts.

Opinion:
I can't say that I was a fan of this book. The writing was repetitive and lazy, the characters were stereotypical and unimaginative, the dialogue was clunky, and most importantly the book just wasn't scary. 

Ideas:
I don't think that I would recommend this book at all. 

Babymouse: Heartbreaker

Babymouse: Heartbreaker. Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. (2006). 94p. New York: Random House Press.

Awards and Honors: none

Review:
Babymouse: Heartbreaker is the fifth book in the graphic novel series by brother and sister team, Jennifer and Matthew Holm. In this installment, indomitable Babymouse faces one of the most dreaded institutions of middle school- the school dance. Valentine's Day is coming up and Babymouse decides that she really wants to attend the dance. The only problem is she doesn't have a date. So Babymouse tries as hard as she can to get boys to notice her, to comically lackluster effect. As always, Babymouse refuses to be defeated and she ends up attending the dance, even though it doesn't play out exactly as she had originally imagined. As with all the Babymouse series, this book has plenty of laughs as Babymouse deals with the trials and tribulations of middle school life.

Opinion:

The Babymouse series with its spunky, imaginative heroine is one of my favorite recent discoveries. In a genre that is heavily dominated by books which appeal to boys, Babymouse stands out as a great graphic novel choice for tween girls.

Ideas:
I'd use this book in a book display featuring books with pink covers (Meg Cabot's Princess in Pink, the Pinkalicious series, etc.). 

Ruby Lu, Brave and True

Ruby Lu, Brave and True. by Lenore Look. illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf. (2004). 112p. New York: Atheneum Books.

Awards and Honors: none

Review:
Ruby Lu is an eight-year-old Chinese American girl growing up with her mother, father and baby brother, Oscar. Ruby loves reflective tape, doing magic, and playing with Oscar. She doesn't love her mean neighbor, Christina; going to Chinese school; or the impending arrival of her Chinese cousin, Flying Duck, but Ruby handles each dilemma with exuberant panache. Each chapter in this book, the first in a series, reads like a separate short story.

Opinion:
Ruby Lu is like the Chinese American equivalent of Judy Moody. I appreciated her individuality, but I didn't love the book. The language felt disjointed at times, and an unfortunate chapter in which Ruby drives herself to school (virtually without consequence) marred the book for me.

Ideas:
Working in a majority Chinese American community, I'm always on the lookout for books which feature Asian American characters. 

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School and Other Scary Things

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School and Other Scary Things. by Lenore Look. (2008). 172p. New York: Random House Books.

Awards and Honors: none

Review:
Alvin Ho is an eight-year-old antihero of sorts; he's terrified of most things, he goes mute in school, and he has a terribly hard time making friends. Consequently, everyday life is pretty hard for Alvin, but he is nonetheless determined to make friends and to become a "gentleman". At home Alvin is the middle child, stuck between cool older brother Calvin, and sassy little sister Anibelly. The book details Alvin's adventures, from taking piano lessons to seeing a psychologist. LeUyen Pham's pen and ink illustrations add additional levity to his trials and tribulations.
 

Opinion:

This was a book that I did not immediately fall in love with. At the outset, Alvin is not a particularly likeable character: he's neurotic and mean at times (especially to Flea, his only friend at school). But, as the book develops so does Alvin, and I eventually began to really enjoy Alvin's story and to root for him. The addition of historical facts (Alvin lives in Massachusetts) about Henry David Thoreau and the Revolutionary War enriches the book.

Ideas:
I'd like to make a bibliography of tween books with male characters.

Sports Illustrated Kids

Sports Illustrated Kids. monthly magazine. published by Time, Inc.

Review:
Sports Illustrated Kids is a kids version of the popular monthly sports magazine, Sports Illustrated. The magazine is full of colorful, attention-grabbing photographs of sports stars, athlete profiles, news articles and playing cards. The content is similar to the adult version of the magazine, though the articles are slightly shorter, there is a greater emphasis on humor, and the magazine contains kids' artwork, picture puzzles and word games. Still, the vocabulary and writing style definitely put this magazine at an older tween level as far as the reading level.  

Opinion:
At my library, this is one of the most popular magazines amongst our tween patrons. The bright, photo filled pages have a lot of kid appeal, and the content draws in children who might be reluctant readers. There are not many magazines which appeal to tween boys, and this is definitely one of them.

Ideas:
I have an Olympics book display in my library, and I've added Sports Illustrated Kids to it.