Clever Katya retold by Mary Hoffman illustrated by Marie Cameron

This tale begins with two brothers. Dimitri is rich while Ivan is poor. Each has a horse. One is a stallion and one is a mare. They graze in the same field and of course in time a new foal is born. This birth is the essence of their dispute. Who owns the foal? The brothers decide to ask the Tsar. 

"The Tsar knew perfectly well that Dimitri had no claim on the foal but he decided to have a bit of fun at the brothers' expense while indulging his fondness for riddles at the same time."

He sets four riddles:

What is the fastest thing in the world; what is the fattest; what is the softest; and what is the most precious. He tells the brothers they have one week to present their answer. 

Dimitri asks his neighbour and her answers are fastest - her husband's horse, fattest is their pig, softest is the quilt she has just made and the most precious is her baby grandson.

Ivan asks his seven-year-old daughter Katya - fastest is the wind, fattest is the earth that gives us food, softest is a child's caress, and the most precious thing is honesty.

The Tsar appreciates the wise answers from Katya but he also knows he has not been especially honest himself. He sets another challenge. He wants to meet this young girl but she cannot come on horseback or on foot, she must not be dressed or naked and she cannot bring a present but she must not be empty handed. Katya solves in this in a very ingenious way using a hare, a fishing net and a partridge. And yes there is that all important 'and they all lived happily ever after' ending. 

The subtitle of this book is "A Fairy Tale of Old Russia". The original title was The Wise Little Girl. This is one of those delicious stories which you might have encountered before where a powerful ruler sets a series of riddles and a very clever young child is able to solve each one and save a life. These stories are always so satisfying. You might find a couple of old junior novels in your local or school library called Smart Girls and Smart Girls forever by Robert Leeson. 

The first thing you will notice when you open up this book is the way every page is framed with a rich pattern rather like a magic carpet. You might also notice each page begins with an illuminated letter which echoes the framing. Sadly, this beautiful book is now very old (1998) and so it is out of print. I picked it up in a library partly because I saw the author name and partly because the cover looked very inviting. 

You do need to know I am a huge fan of Mary Hoffman. I read her book The Colour of Home to groups of Grade Six students in my school library for decades and every time I was moved to tears and the students were silent as the story unfolded.

The Colour of Home

The Counter Clockwise Heart by Brian Farrey

Opening sentence:

"It was the coldest winter morning ever on record in the empire of Rheinvelt when the people of Somber End awoke to find the Onyx Maiden in their tiny village."

And the scene continues:

"As tall as a two-story house, a maiden made entirely of rough, dappled onyx loomed over the roundel. Adorned in armor, she appeared to be in the midst of a battle. Her right arm was thrown backward read to strike with a cat-o'-nine-tails cover in spikes. Her wild hair, blowing in an unseen gale, reached out in all directions, like a demonic compass rose. Most terrifying of all was her face - frozen in a permanent angry scream."

The people of Somber End are simple folk. Their lives have always been a struggle but now life is getting even harder. Naturally the people blame the bad times on the statue which they name the Maiden. The rulers of Rheinvelt - Imperatrix Dagmar and her wife, Empress Sabine, send emissaries far and wide seeking an answer to this mystery. All they learn is that:

"One day, the Maiden would waken and bring a terrible reckoning. Not just to Somber End, but for all throughout the empire."

Then one day a young boy stands at the foot of the statue. In his imagination she is not frightening she is powerful. He begins to talk to the statue telling her his hopes and dreams. He does this for over a decade - every day and over time the fortunes of Somber End change. Fast forward and now the boy, Guntram, has grown into a man and the village people call him their guardian. He is summoned to the castle. 

Many years before this, actually on the night the Maiden appear, a baby also appeared encased in the walls of the castle. The Empress and Imperatrix decide to raise him as the prince of their empire but there are two problems. The Imperatrix dies which causes everyone, especially Prince Alphonsus enormous grief and secondly, the Empress discovers Alphonsus has a clock in his chest and it has begun to run backwards.

Meanwhile on the edge of the village there are the Hinterlands which legend says are filled with monsters. There are also Hexen Woods which are home to a terrible sorceress known as Nachtfrau. 

Alphonsus has one good friend in the castle - the huntress Birgit Freund. Alphonsus orders her to seek the clockmaker responsible for making his clock heart. He is sure there will be terrible events or perhaps even his own death when the clock finally stops. 

Now enter the next important character - Esme. She is a Hierophant - a magical race who are now exiled in the cold north. Esme has been able to pass through the enchantment that holds the Hierophants. Her mission is to destroy Nachtfrau - but she also a Hierophant but more importantly she is Esme's mother.

So, things are all set for the classic clash of monster and hero except monsters come in many forms one of whom is that young boy, Guntram. His desire for power is now out of control and nothing will stop him. Alphonsus has clearly connected with the Maiden, she has now come back to life and Guntram is determined to kill the Prince - his jealousy knows no bounds.

It is interesting the way magic works in this story. Performing magic has consequences - this is called the Balance. There is also a magical box that provides prophecies BUT it tells one truth and one lie each time and so the questioner is left to decide which path to follow or how to interpret the advice.

The well-developed setting lends an otherworldly historical atmosphere. ... Laced with ethical questions and examples, this is a thought-provoking coming-of-age story. Kirkus

Here is a review in the New York Times.

Bookseller blurb: Time is running out in the empire of Rheinvelt. The sudden appearance of a strange and frightening statue foretells darkness. The Hierophants—magic users of the highest order—have fled the land. And the shadowy beasts of the nearby Hinterlands are gathering near the borders, preparing for an attack. Young Prince Alphonsus is sent by his mother, the Empress Sabine, to reassure the people while she works to quell the threat of war. But Alphonsus has other problems on his mind, including a great secret: He has a clock in his chest where his heart should be—and it’s begun to run backwards, counting down to his unknown fate. Searching for answers about the clock, Alphonsus meets Esme, a Hierophant girl who has returned to the empire in search of a sorceress known as the Nachtfrau. When riddles from their shared past threaten the future of the empire, Alphonsus and Esme must learn to trust each other and work together to save it—or see the destruction of everything they both love.

I picked this book at a local bookshop which was sadly closing down. The cover didn't really appeal to me but the endorsements on the back cover lured me in. I am very glad I found this book. Yes, it does contain the usual tropes of fantasy/quest stories with the race to thwart evil and hideous monsters and misunderstandings about who to trust and who might betray our hero and of course magical powers. And we have seen this idea of using a clock to create the story momentum - a literal race against time. But there is also a delicious tension in this story. I truly wanted the 'bad man' to be killed and I kept hoping this would happen much earlier in the story. I just wanted someone to eliminate that dreadful man - Guntram Steinherz later known as the Margrave. He is one of the most loathsome characters I have ever encountered in a middle grade (ages 10+) book. The scenes where he tricks The Empress and also lies to betray Alphonsus made me gasp and there were several times when I had to put this book down and re-enter the real world for a while for respite. I also nearly skipped to the end to check he was finally dead and that Alphonsus and Esme were safe.

I do recommend The Counter Clockwise heart. It is an engrossing story with a clever imagined world and characters that you will really care about. 

Minus the steampunk layer this book reminded me of this:

Cogheart

And these:

The Ogress and the Orphans

The Girl who drank the Moon

The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate

"So, what amazed you today, sweet girl?"

"What filled you with wonder? What made you feel awe?"

Creed of the herd - "An elephant alone is not an elephant."

You are sure to have met Ivan (The One and Only Ivan) and perhaps Bob (The One and Only Bob) and if so I am sure you will really want to get your hands on this third book where we find out more about Ruby and how she came to be at the shopping Mall with Stella, Ivan and Bob and later how life is going for Ruby with the other elephants at Wildworld Zoological Park and Sanctuary. 

Publisher blurb: Ruby’s story picks up a few months after the events of The One and Only Bob. Now living in a wildlife sanctuary, Ruby’s caretaker from the elephant orphanage in Africa where she grew up is visiting. Seeing him again brings back a flood of memories both happy and sad of her life before the circus, and she recounts the time she spent in the African Savannah to Ivan and Bob.

Listen to Colby Sharp talk about this book - his enthusiasm is wonderful. "I couldn't stop reading it but it was also hard to read at times ... It's just amazing what reading can do."

Applegate deftly tempers themes of grief and loss with compassion and humor as Ruby finds her place in the herd. ... Certain to steal hearts. Kirkus

Do you like the idea of book sets - I do. I am so happy to have all three of the books in this series sitting side by side on my shelf - The One and Only Ivan, The One and Only Bob and now The One and Only Ruby. The covers all work together really well but oddly the spine on the newest book has a slightly different format.

Here are some text quotes from The One and Only Ruby.  I highly highly recommend this series for readers aged 9+. My post labels will give you some idea about the themes in this book - animal conservation, the ivory trade, animals in captivity and elephants. 

"Elephants use our tusks for all kinds of things. They help with eating and digging and playing and some times even fighting. They are so important that when your tusks arrive, elephants hold a special ceremony to celebrate the occasion."

"When I was a baby, I had a mom, too. I guess that's true of most babies. I don't have one anymore. I haven't had much luck when it comes to moms."

"Floppy running is the best kind of running because it happens when you are feeling good about the world and like you could almost fly if you weren't an elephant and also had some wings, because they would for sure help. When you floppy-run your ears and trunk and tail go wherever they choose. Your legs just kind of floats in the air and your feet skip along like they just heard a really good joke. Watch a baby elephant sometime. They love to floppy-run."

"There's a word elephants have for those who take care of us. We call them sentinels. A sentinel is someone who looks out for you. It can be someone who's part of your herd, of course, but it could be anyone. Sentinels can be your caretakers or your friends or your teachers or your neighbors. They look out for you. They understand you. They try to help you."

"We are not our best selves without kindness. ... We are not our best selves without wonder ... We are not our best selves without courage ... We are not our best selves without gratitude."

Read more plot details for The One and Only Ruby at The Book Muse. 

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Bob

Butterfly eyes and other secrets of the meadow by Joyce Sidman illustrated by Beth Krommes

 

A top-drawer blend of art and science.  Kirkus

What is it? What am I? Who is he? What are we?

This book consists of a series of poems each of which ends with a question. Then readers turn the page and see the answer and perhaps confirm their own guess. You will see dew, a rabbit and a fox, the spittlebug, milkweed and monarch butterflies, snake and toad, goldfinch and hawk. All creatures of the meadow. 

So this book is an interesting blend of poetry, guessing game riddles and non fiction. Here is a set of teaching ideas.

I have found another favourite illustrator - Beth Krommes. Her scratchboard work in this book is so appealing. I would love to see some of her originals. Here is an image from the end papers of Butterfly eyes:

This book was published in 2006 and so it may be difficult to purchase but perhaps you will be lucky and find a copy in a library (as I did). You can see inside this book here. And here are other books by Joyce Sidman. Here is an interview about writing poetry with Joyce Sidman.

Sixteen poems describe the multitude of meadow denizens that stake a claim in that particular kind of land. Each poem describes a creature, though it’s up to the reader to guess that animal/plant/insect’s identity. Two pages of poetry showing a hint of the thing being described lead into two more pages of factual information. ... Some poems are funny, some are mysterious, and most leave you ah-hankerin’ for more. At the end kids will also find a Glossary of those terms that might have escaped their comprehension earlier in the book. Fuse #8

An Apology to My Prey by Joyce Sidman

I am deeply sorry for my huge orbs

of eyes, keen and hooded,

that pierce your lush

tapestry of meadow.

And my wins: I regret their slotted tips

that allow such explosive thrust;

their span that gathers wind

effortlessly, and of course their

deadly, folding dive.

Let me offer an apology, too,

for my talons, impossibly long

and curved, sliding so easily

through fur and feathers,

seeking, as they do,

that final grip.

And last, of course, the beak.

It does tend to glitter, I know –

a merciless hook,

a golden sickle poised over

your soft, helpless heart.

I’m sorry. For you, that is.

All this works out quite well

For me.

What am I?

A New Green Day by Antoinette Portis

This book by Antoinette Portis contains a series of poetic riddles. Here are a few:

"Morning lays me on you pillow, an invitation, square and war. Come out and play!" (sunlight)

"I'm a sweet sucked smooth in the river's mouth. Let me roll in your pocket." (pebble)

"I'm a chorus of a million tiny voices. Come and splash in my song." (rain)

Blurb: "Over the course of a summer's day, voices from the natural world pose a series of riddles to a curious little girl and, so too, the reader."

This book would make a beautiful addition to a Primary School or Preschool library. In this video Antoinette talks about her book which she created many years ago during a picture book writing course. Here is a audio interview with Antoinette. You could use this book with a group of older students to explain or explore the use of page turning and a pace. Here is a set of teaching ideas from the publisher.

Simple, poetic, and fun. Kirkus

Here are some other books by Antoinette Portis:

With a group of older children I would pair this book with Leaf Stone Beetle.

The friendship riddle by Megan Fazer Blakemore

 

The Friendship Riddle is a very long book and at times the reading felt like a marathon but if you can put in the effort the final scenes are rewarding.  Oddly this is another book about spelling bees.  I seem to have read quite a few lately - perhaps this is a new genre.  It is also about solving cryptic puzzles and reminded me of Mr Lemoncello's library.  At the heart of this book though is our need for friendship and the importance of truthful communication as our friendships ebb and flow.

Here are a few books I have read recently with competitions including spelling bees :

Ruth had a best friend but now the girls have reached middle school Charlotte has made friends with one of the 'cool girls' called Melissa.  She no longer talks to Ruth.

"It's not like she ditched me or we had a fight.  It's like all this shifting and sorting out happened.  Like we were dumped into a colander, and all of us small, less interesting pieces fell through and left the big, juicy berries inside.  Charlotte is a berry.  Me, I'm a lone world.  I'm that hawk flying above it all, the quiet observer on the sidelines. And that's the way I like it."

Ruth is an avid reader of a book series called Taryn Greenbottom by Harriet Wexler.  This is a fictitious book series and I did like the way Megan Frazer Blakemore wove it through this book. Here is one of the riddles found by Ruth.  There are twelve in total.  They are found in a random order and this help keep the plot moving forward.

The Friendship Riddle will be added to our senior collection for our Grade Six students.  It does discuss issues of puberty and same sex relationships and probably will have more appeal to girls.

You can read a little more about this book on the author web site.  I agree with the comments here from Ms Yingling.  Jen Robinson liked this book and she makes some interesting observations in her review.

A Lottie Lipton Adventure : The scroll of Alexandria by Dan Metcalf

We have three of the six books from this series A Lottie Lipton Adventure in our school library.  These are simple mystery books perfect for younger readers.  Each installment features young Lottie, who lives in the British Museum with her uncle, using her detective skills.

"She had lived in the museum ever since her parents had died in an accident during an archaeological dig in Egypt. Her Great Uncle, Professor Bertram West, had sworn to take care of her and and returned to England from Egypt to take a job at the British Museum."

There are five chapters and about seventy pages in each book plus a series of puzzles and cryptic codes which readers are invited to solve before Lottie reveals the answer and more of these to enjoy at the end of each book.

In The Scroll of Alexandria, the crazy museum director Sir Trevelyan Taylor declares he plans to sell all of the books in the museum library.  Lottie, her uncle Bert and Reg the caretaker set off to prove the collection must be preserved by order of King George III.

Lottie opens a small box that arrives with an Egyptian mummy in The Egyptian Enchantment.  She releases twenty shabtis into the museum but because she has only read half the spell these little doll like creatures race around the museum creating chaos. Shabtis are supposed to work as servants in the afterlife but these ones are out of control.

You can read more about each book on the author web site.