Blended by Sharon M Draper

"When I play the piano, I rock! It would be nice if the rest of my life came together like some kind of magical musical symphony. But, nah, not usually."

"Daddy ... Do you think people think I'm Black or white when they see me? Am I Black? Or white?"

Eleven year old Izzy/Isabella has a lot to cope with in her daily life. Dad is Black, mum is white. Mum and Dad are now divorced. The judge at the court, a man who has never met Izzy, says she must live one week with Dad and one week with Mum. This means Izzy constantly has to juggle her possessions, bedrooms, rules, relationships and even her identity. Dad now lives with Anastasia and her son Darren. Mum now lives with John Mark.  Izzy gets on well with Anastasia and especially well with Darren and she really likes John Mark but Mum and Dad cannot stop fighting especially on change-over day which happens every week.

Her one consolation is music. Isabella has real talent and passion. She is preparing for a big concert and when she practices the problems of every day life disappear. At school, though, the students are faced with some difficult conversations about race and injustice. Izzy experiences aspects of this in her daily life because she is mixed.  

This book packs a wallop right at the end - do not jump ahead but be prepared to stay for the whole ride because even though you might guess something dramatic might happen I guarantee you will not, in a million years, guess this ending.

I loved the honesty of Isabella as she navigates her complex life. I want to thank Darren for the kindness and love he gives to Izzy. And I would love a set of Mum's t-shirts - they sure are fun. If you look at the labels I have assigned this post you will see the way this Middle Grade novel (I would say for ages 10+) explores so many important issues. I do love the cover but don't be fooled into thinking this is a gentle story. 

Most people have probably already seen Blended especially in the US but I had to wait for the paperback copy to arrive here in Australia.  Hardcover US novels are way too expensive ($41!). 

You can hear Sharon M Draper reading a few pages of her book from Chapter One here. Here is the piece Izzy has been preparing for her big concert - Sonatina in C Major, op. 36, no. 1 by Clementi. When Izzy's dad proposes to Anastasia a man in the restaurant comes across with a violin to play this piece by Mendelssohn. Read this review by Ms Yingling for more plot details. Here is an interview with Sharon M Draper about her book. Colby Sharp talks about Blended. 

What begins as the story of a lively young piano player caught between two new families inexorably becomes a piercing interrogation of everyday racism that culminates in a terrifying, all-too-believable confrontation ... Kirkus Star review

I am a huge fan of Sharon M Draper.  Take a look at these books:

Stella by Starlight

Out of my Mind

After reading Blended you might look for The Watson's go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis or One Crazy Summer. 

One Crazy Summer

My Own Lightning by Lauren Wolk

The year is 1944. Annabelle, her two brothers, mother, father, grandparents and Aunt live on a farm in rural Pennsylvania. Everyone works hard - the children and adults - they are a good team. As a result everyone enjoys the rich produce produced by their farm including strawberries and peaches! 

It is Summer and Annabelle has walked over the the school house to help her teacher with some cleaning. On the way home there is a huge storm and Annabelle is struck by a bolt of lightning. 

"I was standing there, rigid with fear, when suddenly the air fizzed around me, as if I'd been dipped in wasps. In an instant, those wasps stung me all at one, every inch of me, inside and out, and I knew nothing at all except a sizzling pain in my head, a sharp dreadful heat, a sharp emptiness in my chest, and a kind of ending."

As she gains conscientiousness she feels rough hand pushing her chest. Later she feels her father carrying her home and oddly her every sense is heightened. Things smell stronger, noises are louder, her skin feels sensitive to all kinds of touch. 

"I could small the rain as I'd never smelled it before: both clean and tarnished, like hot meal and plowed dirt and pond rot all mixed together.  ... the smell of the people. Their end-of-the-day sweat. A sweetness that brought to mind my grubby little brothers. A sourness that was, perhaps, the scent of my grandmother, who was unwell."

Even more strangely, Annabelle now seems to have a deeper sense about animals especially dogs. She can sense how they feel. This is important because this is how Annabelle comes to meet her neighbours and helps her find three lost dogs and an old loved dairy cow. 

This is a story about healing. Terrible things happened to Annabelle and her friend Toby last year. She rightly blames Betty (but she is gone now) and Andy. Andy still lives nearby. Annabelle wants to hate him forever but somehow he keeps showing up. Perhaps Annabelle needs to stop and listen to Andy with her heart. Bad things are happening to this boy and yes he has done some terrible things but surely there can now be a way to find forgiveness.

My Own Lightning is the sequel to Wolf Hollow and while it will be good for readers to meet Annabelle and have some understanding of the dreadful events in this first book but I am going to say you can read My Own Lightning first and then go back to Wolf Hollow. Reading My Own Lightning first might actually be a good idea because Wolf Hollow is so harrowing (but nevertheless wonderful) if you read My Own Lightning you will experience a resolution to all that pain. Read this review for more plot details of Wolf Hollow. 

Lauren Wolk's writing is powerful, honest and profound. Read these exquisite text samples:

"Above us, the branches trimmed the sun so it lay in patterns on the road, a tawny ribbon of soft summer dust and worn-out stone, the whole day so perfect that the birds made up new songs about it as we passed by."

"As I looked at her, I wished I were a painter. Though I would have had to be a good one indeed to capture the look in her eyes. Hard and sweet at the same time."

"I could imagine that hitting Buster (in a truck) must have been an awful thing for them both. And I knew that even the best people sometimes looked for someone to blame when things went wrong."

When an author describes a character it sometimes only takes one word or a short phrase to alert the reader that something is amiss:

"He had a well-trimmed moustache, though no beard - which was unusual in these hills, where the two usually went hand in hand - and green eyes, my favourite kind. A big man, especially across the shoulders, with a barrel chest, like a lumberjack. Except he was dressed more like someone from town, in clean, tidy clothes, his cuffs buttoned, the kids of hat my father wore to church. The word gentleman cam to mind but his eyes were curiously flat, and I had a vague suspicious that he might not be quite what he seemed."

Compare this with Dr Bloom:

"He didn't smell like a flower, either. He smelled far to clean to be anything wild. And he didn't look like a flower either. He had parched brown hair, eyebrows that looked so much like caterpillars that I expected them to crawl off his forehead, and a thick shiny scar that ran down the side of his face. But none of that mattered as much as his kind eyes and soft voice."

I recommend this book for readers aged 11+. If your young reading companion is a dog lover please be aware (spoiler alert) the descriptions of dog fighting in this book and the wounds inflicted on these innocent creatures is quite graphic and disturbing. 

Written with warmth, Wolk’s complicated characters keep readers guessing. Annabelle learns tough lessons about making assumptions and building trust on the path to forgiveness. Kirkus

This is a journey of the heart that takes us through the pain of someone else's life and shows us that what people show us isn't even half of who they really are.  Powerful lightning indeed. A Book and  Hug

We often talk about the first lines in a book but in this book the lines that made me sigh with happiness come right at the end. 

AND the food in this book is scrumptious. I loved reading about a family who enjoyed delicious meals prepared with love and care.

"I helped put supper on the table: sliced beets we'd canned the year before, mashed sweet potatoes with butter and cracked pepper, hot buns stuffed with roasted carrots, and thick crusty slices of applewood bacon. ... but save room for dessert. My mother made a strawberry pie with shipped cream."

"Potatoes ... steaming quietly in a bowl in the sink, cooked and soft waiting for someone to peel away their loosed skins. So I did that, dicing them in a second bowl, adding in chopped onion, celery that I had sliced into little green boats, boiled eggs I diced in the palm of my hand, mayonnaise whipped up with cream, salt, pepper, all of it folded carefully together so the potatoes would keep their cut, a bit of Hungarian paprika sprinkled on top. ... (I) added a platter of cold fried chicken, a bowl of dilly beans we'd canned the year before, a basket of warm rolls."

I would like to suggest this very old Australian novel as a companion read (sorry this might be very very had to find). Here are a set of different covers

I was curious about Andy's favourite book Honk the Moose and delighted to discover it is a real book. I was a Newbery honour book in 1936. 

Here is the US cover for My Own Lightning:

Badger books by Moritz Petz illustrated by Amélie Jackowski

I will begin with The Bad Mood! Badger wakes up in a bad mood and he decides everyone needs to know he is feeling miserable. Along the way he meets many of his forest friends. His bad mood means he treats each of them with awful and angry words, bad manners and unkindness. Eventually his bad mood lifts but when he sets off to talk to his friends again he discovers they are all now in a bad mood. What can Badger do? 

Blackbird has the perfect solution. He flies off and tells everyone - "Party tonight! ... Everyone who is in a bad mood is invited. Come to the clearing at moonrise for a bad mood party."

At the party Badger is able to ask his friends to forgive him and then everyone has a happy evening.

In the second book poor Badger is having a dreadful day. Everything seems to be going wrong. His favourite cup is smashed, his pencils are missing, then he trips over his wheelbarrow.  Badger decides to visit his friends only to discover each of them is having a bad day too. Badger repairs Racoon's clothes line, he finds a lost ball for Stag, and he puts a bandage on a scratch for Squirrel. When Badger returns home he is in for a terrific surprise. Squirrel has repaired his broken cup, Stag has found the missing pencils and little Mouse has baked a fresh cake.

These books would be perfect to share with preschoolers aged 3+. 

Amélie Jackowski was born in Toulon, France. Her best-known picture book, The Bad Mood has been translated into over ten languages.

Moritz Petz is the pen name of Udo Weigelt. He was born in Germany and today lives in Switzerland. The Bad Mood! was originally published under the title Der Dachs hat heute schlechte Laune! in 2004. The Day everything went Wrong was originally titled Der Dachs hat heute einfach Pech in 2015.

I am also keen to see these two books by Udo Weigelt:

The third book in this series featuring Badger will be published early next year:

Only a Donkey by Celeste Walters illustrated by Patricia Mullins

 

The animals of the farm treat the small donkey with contempt. Donkey dreams about a journey to a special place - a place of magic. When he sets off the next morning the farm animals follow him but their harsh words continue. As they walk along the grumbling and unkindness grows. They are even unkind to one another. 

"He's too muddleheaded to be on his own.' And all the animals laughed."

"They yowled and they growled and they stamped and they spat ... "

But the donkey says one powerful word - WAIT. The donkey has bought the animals to a statue. It is a statue of a humble donkey. Now the story voice changes.  The statue donkey speaks. He is the donkey who worked with Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick. Together they carried hundreds of soldiers to safety at Gallipoli. The statue can be seen near the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne.

Image Source: City Collection Melbourne

Blurb: At the farm, the donkey is teased by the other animals - especially the bull! Then one night the donkey has a magical dream. The following day they all set out on a most amazing journey. This uplifting story of humility, courage and compassion weaves in the heroic Anzac legend of Simpson and the Donkey.

Next week, when I visit the Book Bunker at Westmead Children's Hospital, I will have the chance to read a picture book to the children from the hospital school.  I am excited to do this but also fairly nervous because we never know who is coming until the children arrive and they can be aged as young as five up to eleven.  Anzac Day falls two days before this visit so the Book Bunker coordinator suggested I should read an ANZAC book.  There are plenty to choose from but finding one that covers such a huge range of ages is tricky.  

Tonight I reread The Anzac Puppy by Peter Millett illustrated by Trish Bowles and Anzac Ted by Belinda Landsberry. I think Anzac Ted might be too complex for a short session. I am not sure if there would be time to scaffold words like foe, ridicules, and woes.  The Anzac Puppy is a heartwarming story but again I am not sure about reading it to the youngest children. Here are two text extracts:

"Trapped in their grimy prison, Sam and Freda shared everything they had ..."

"The long cold nights at the front soon turned into long, terrifying months."

I think I will share Only a Donkey by Celeste Walters illustrated by Patricia Mullins with the children next week. If you want some other picture books based around the story of Simpson and his donkey these books are sure to be found in Australian Primary school libraries:

Here is my earlier post about ANZAC Day books and my Pinterest collection which contains some newer titles.

A Mystery in the Forest by Susanna Isern illustrated by Daniel Montero Galán translated by Jon Brokenbrow

Deer follows his daily routine. He crosses the river and goes to an isolated part of the forest to collect seasonal produce - oranges, pears and apples in Winter; strawberries, cherries and apricots in Spring; blueberries, raspberries, plums and figs in Summer; and grapes, chestnuts, walnuts and hazelnuts in Autumn. Deer loves to cook and his neighbours enjoy the delicious smells wafting from his kitchen. 

When his cooking is complete, Deer shares his treats at a huge outdoor table with all of his forest friends.

"They share a snack, laugh, and chat until the sun sets, and the first crickets begin to chirp."

At this point you could stop reading this story and ask the question what will happen now? How will Susanna Isern make her story interesting? Can you think of a complication?

Someone has been watching Deer. When he reaches the forest on an Autumn morning he finds a scene of destruction and back at home it is clear he has been robbed - his secret recipe book is missing. Who is the thief? Why has this happened? And most importantly how should or will Deer react when he finds the culprit?

This lovely book about forgiveness shows that friendship can form even in the most unlikely situations. Kirkus star review

Susanna Isern is a writer, psychologist and mother of three. She is the author of over 60 children's books, which are available all over the world and have been translated into over a dozen languages. Susanna lives in Santander, Spain. Susanna Isern is a psychologist BUT even though this book has a "message" or moral it is done with such a light touch there is no sense that she was writing with an agenda or that she wanted to teach her young readers "a lesson". Take a look at this post about another of Susanna's books - The big book of Superpowers. You can see art by Spanish illustrator Daniel Montero Galan here. 

I would use Shelter by Celine Claire illustrated by Qin Leng as a companion read with A Mystery in the Forest.

A Mystery in the Forest (Spanish title Un misterio en el bosque) is the second book by Susanna Isern and Daniel Montero Galán in the series Whispers in the Forest. I am very keen to read the first:

Here are some other books by Susanna which I have added to my own "to read" list:

Potato Pants by Laurie Keller

Potato Pants!  Wait a minute potatoes don't wear pants or do they?  The title tells you this will be such a funny, funny book and yes it is!!

"Potato is excited because today, FOR ONE DAY ONLY, Lance Vance's Fancy Pants Store is selling POTATO PANTS"

Potato rushes down to the store. There are huge crowds of potatoes outside. Potato rushes inside and then stops. There is an eggplant in the store. This is not Eggplant Pants Day! To make things even worse this is THE eggplant who pushed potato into a trash can yesterday. Eggplant won't leave the store so Potato decides to see if someone else is selling potato pants today or perhaps they might be selling spud slacks, tater trousers or even yam chaps. All of this means Potato has been distracted and so by now there is only one pair of potato pants left on the rack!  Oh no they are gone too. 

THAT EGGPLANT RUINED EVERYTHING IT'S HIS FAULT I DIDN'T GET POTATO PANTS ... IT'S NOT FAIR

Perhaps Potato needs to talk to Eggplant. And wait a minute has anyone bought the display pants from the store window?

In this video Colby Sharp talks about this book. He mentions Seven Habits of Highly effective People and that this book is perfect for "seek first to understand and then to be understood".  Colby says, and I agree, "kids all over the world should read this book" - it is such a laugh. Here is a video of the whole book.

Here are some ideas for class displays and here is the teachers guide from the publisher Macmillan.

Two Sides by Polly Ho-Yen illustrated by Binny Talib

"... sometimes people say that we're like chalk and cheese. Or pens and peanuts. Or penguins and pencils. Or any two things that are quite different from each other."

This is a story about two friends. Lula and Lenka. They are best friends but they are also very different from one another.

Think about your own close friend. Now think about these pairs:

• Loud or quiet
• Extroverted or shy
• Always running late or punctual
• Dog or Cat
• Disorganised or organised
• Summer or Winter
• Messy or tidy

Yes these girls are different but they are also best friends until The Day That Everything Goes Wrong. Can Lula and Lenka find the key to their friendship again?

Make sure you linger over the end papers in this small volume. They are a perfect way to show how Lula and Lenka are different.

How can an author show two voices? In this book Polly Ho-Yen uses a combination of font and bold type. Lenka speaks quietly so her font is a pale. Lenka is bold and loud and so is her font.

This little book is part of the Stripes series published by the Little Tiger Group.  The publisher says:

Each story has a unique voice, and encourages children to think and see the world differently, helping to develop empathy, tolerance and understanding.  They celebrate difference, collaboration, exploration, extraordinary acts of kindness, unlikely unions and loving relationships, challenging stereotypes and empowering children with the tools they need to make sense of the world and see it through different eyes.

Here is another book illustrated by Binny which I mentioned in 2018.

Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltzberg

This is going to be a day I will never forget.

Back in 2008 I wrote my first post for this blog and I mentioned Crazy Hair Day. This year I visited a tiny rural school here in NSW and Crazy Hair Day was one of my chosen books to share with this group of children aged 5-10. This is a book that appeals to every age. Yesterday I was talking about some favourite books and I again mentioned Crazy Hair Day.  I thought it was time I talked in more detail about this little gem.

Stanley is so excited because today is Crazy Hair Day. His mother helps to wrap, dip and spray his hair. As Stanley says "I am a work of art!". The final flourish of Halloween hair spray is just perfect.

Stanley bounces along to school. He knows this will be a great day. His class really enjoy celebrations like this. They have already had Twin day, Sixties day, and Pyjama Day. You have probably guessed what is going to happen. As Stanley walks along the hall towards his class he hears his teacher, Mr Winger, say some terrible words:

"And remember,' Mr Winger was saying, 'Crazy Hair Day is ... Next Friday."

Making things even worse it turns out today is also class picture day. Stanley runs down the hall and hides in the bathroom.

I love the emotional arc of this story.
Happy anticipation - today will be great
Despair - he has the wrong day
Boredom - hiding in the bathroom time moves slowly
A laugh or two when Stanley invents a race to flush all the toilets
Reconciliation - Stanley and his best friend Larry need to heal their friendship
Problem solving - Is there a way to help Stanley feel he is part of this class and to take away the pain of this day?
Happiness when Stanley re-enters his class and discovers the kindness of his friends and wonderful teacher.

The repeated parts of this story also add to the fun when you read this book aloud:

Stanley rolled the elastic bands in is hair. 
He gently tapped the tops of his spikes.
This is going to be a day I will never forget.

You can hear the song here but be warned it may lead to an ear worm it is just so catchy. Barney Saltzberg is an illustrator and a talented musician. I have this album of children's songs.

You can see and hear the author Barney Saltzberg reading the whole book here. He explains the inspiration for this book:

"I was talking to some students at a school one morning before the bell rang, and a boy came up to us with his hair dyed orange and blue and with big spikes," the author-illustrator recalls. "Somebody looked at him and said, 'Crazy Hair Day is tomorrow!' The boy looked horrified, blurted out something, then ran the other way. I felt terrible for this boy and wondered how it could possibly turn around into a better situation."  I wanted Crazy Hair Day to show how Stanley might come to terms with feeling so out of place and realize he still belong to a larger group of friends, even though he looked different. Of course, I didn't want to hit anyone over the head with a 'message', so I tried to plant the seeds through humour." 

There are two other books where you can read about Stanley Birdbaum and his best friend Larry Finchfeather. I love these names. Can you also see a link with Mr Winger?

Blue sky, yellow kite by Janet A Holmes and Jonathan Bentley

Walking along the beach the other day I saw a family flying kites.  I stood still and watched the group for a long time.  There was a strong breeze but even the youngest child kept his kite in the air. Flying kites to me represents happiness and freedom.  It is an activity we want to share with others. Those brightly coloured scraps of paper or silk soaring high connected only by a string or two continue to fascinate us.

Take a close look at the way the title of this book Blue Sky Yellow Kite is presented.  Sky and Kite are in flowing italics just like swooping kites.  You can also see just how windy it is by the way Daisy's hair is billowing behind her.

Daisy sees a kite.  She runs towards it.  William is flying the kite.  He shows Daisy how to control the kite but ...

Daisy runs with the kite ...
She does not look back once ...

Having the kite all to herself does not give her happiness.  She hides the kite and she can't sleep. Finally Daisy returns the kite and draws the word sorry on the path to William's house.  This is the turning point in the story. William could keep his kite and never see Daisy again but Janet A Holmes let's us see a different possibility - forgiveness.  William brings a box over to Daisy and it is filled with fresh kite making materials.  Now they can fly a pair of yellow and red kites together.

I would pair this book with Miss Lily's fabulous Pink Feather Boa.  I mentioned the CBCA notables list last week.  Blue Sky Yellow Kite has made the Notable Picture book of the Year list. This book does deal with some big emotional issues of guilt and forgiveness but I wonder if it might be better on the Early Childhood list.  I would share this book with children in Years 1 and 2.

If you want to read more picture books about kite flying I suggest The Sea-Breeze hotel and The tiny Kite of Eddie Wing.  Here is an activity where you can make the kites for yourself and here is lesson you could use with a preschool or Kindergarten group.

It is William’s generosity of spirit that brings them back together and highlights the importance of understanding and sharing—and that two children flying kites together is much more fun than flying one alone.