The premise of this story is that humans have ceased walking the earth and rabbits have taken over, rabbits that talk and wear clothes and live in burrows and have a deep history. It is an idyllic existence. But it is suddenly threatened by an evil that came from ‘burrowing too deep’ in the earth, leaving rabbits transformed into half metal creatures who carry out the will of the Gorm. Podkin is one young lazy and careless rabbit who is called, with his fierce sister and baby brother at his side, to fight the Gorm. This is his first story, the story of how he lost his ear and gained a mission.
I thought this book was thrilling and I didn’t mind that it stands on the shoulders of giants — Wind in the Willows, The Hobbit, Redwall, and Watership Down. Just a delight. Recommended for kids 3rd – 6th grade (if not prone to nightmares.) I loved reading this book and, despite its horrific metal enemies, found it strangely comforting. So glad that more books in the series are available! Read it out loud to someone looking for deep and heroic adventure told with a bit of humor and lots of endearing characters.
I have also (now) finished The Gift of Dark Hollow (#2) and The Beasts of Grimheart (#3) and they more than live up to Podkin One Ear, the Legend Begins! Great series.
Thrilling story of a National Geographic filmmaker who lives with captive wolves for 6 years in order to capture on film the intimate relationships in a wolf pack. The filmmaker and his veterinarian girlfriend and then wife, narrate the story so that you feel that you, too, lived with the wolves, gained their trust and were given access to their lives and ways. (3rd grade through 8th grade)
Gorgeous, elegiac book in which award-winning nature writer Sy Montgomery takes you on a dream safari with the world’s foremost expert on wildebeest, the keystone species for the whole Serengeti. The details of how the wildebeest shape and share the African plain are fascinating. Along the way, you also get to learn about many of the wildebeests’ fellow migrators and also the predators that eagerly await their arrival. Ms. Montgomery also shares short information about other migrations of different creatures across the world to give some perspective. Poignantly, she has a section on how the bison herds looked to John James Audubon on the Great Plains before their migration was ended forever. Sy Montgomery is one of our greatest nature writers and this book reflects her mature skills. A word of caution: this book is heavy with the weight of poaching, species loss, human encroachment on animals’ ecosystems and also includes frank discussion of animal mating and anatomy. Don’t share it with children younger than 4th grade. And a caveat: there is only one Black African conservationist in this whole book; a missed opportunity. mm
Fantastic story of a queen in exile as told by a young girl raised in the nunnery that is her prison. Thrilling and full of unexpected twists and turns, this gorgeously illustrated graphic novel is a joy to read. This story is based on the early life of Queen Elizabeth I, and her kingdom of Albion is clearly modeled on England. The author loves history; and you will be so glad she does! Can’ t wait for the next installment.
I cried at the end. This book is beautifully written, really funny in places and a wonderful story of how family is who you invite on your “bus.” Coyote and her dad Rodeo have been riding around the country in a yellow school bus called YAGER, for 5 years. And Coyote has followed all the rules about not talking about their past or bringing up the names of family they’ve lost or even speaking their own (real) names. But then she gets a call from her grandmother that changes everything. A race against time, an exploration of grief, a celebration of how hard and how joyful life can be, this is one of the best of the year. And don’t take my word for it — Mr. Brian thinks so too!
This is a magical collection of short stories. Each piece is inspired by an Asian myth, legend or tale. There’s a wonderful mix of genres and time periods from sci-fi with androids to a feast with ghosts in present day. While each story is a quick read; each one pulls you into its right away. Whatever, you’re in the mood for you’ll find a story to match it. An added bonus after each story there’s additional insight into the myth, legend or tale behind it.
Introducing Emily Dickinson to middle grade readers using Emily’s own words from letters and poems, this book focuses on her early years and friendships, but also includes the rest of her life. Ms. Goddu shares the cultural context of Emily’s time, but, as a reader, you also feel you know Ms. Dickinson well by the end. I love the author’s restraint — no made up dialogue, no theorizing about mysteries, just presenting what we can know of Emily from her letters as clearly and deeply as she can. Biography beautifully done, for middle grade readers and adults interested in a personal introduction to Emily.
Fun, wry, ridiculous love story set in the LA world of bookstores, quiz shows and freeways. Nina Hill is a wonderful introverted anxious young adult character whose whole life is disrupted during the course of the book. An only child, she finds out she has a family about which she never guessed. A bookstore employee, she finds out her job is on the line. And of course, there’s that very sweet, persistent, un-bookish guy on the opposing quiz team!
Martha Tom, a Choctaw girl, crosses the river and befriends Lil’ Mo whose enslaved family works on a plantation in the Southeastern United States in the early 1800’s. Soon after, Lil’ Mo’s family is threatened with forced separation. Told with humor, warmth and heart, this story has a climax based on Choctaw folklore, told with magical realism. Fascinating and compelling.
Tom Tingle is an Oklahoma Choctaw who’s traveled back to Mississippi to learn stories from those members of the tribe that resisted relocation. This story is influenced by those tales. Whites, Blacks and Native Americans have in our past joined together to support all “good people” and, Mr. Tingle implies, we can do it again.
