Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You

Just this afternoon during my lunch break I finished Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You by Hanna Jansen (translated from the German by Elizabeth D. Crawford) --I knew for certain that I must post about it quickly as it is such a stunning, important book to recommend to you all. Jansen bases the novel on the real life experiences of her adopted daughter, Jeanne, who lost her home and entire family within the span of a few days during the Rwandan genocide when she was just eight years old. It is included in our Young Adult collection, but I think it should also be a part of the adult selection so as to increase its chances of people getting their hands on it. I first heard of it while looking for titles to update our human rights book lists and while the thought of reading about a young Tutsi girl who survived the Rwandan genocide seemed somewhat daunting and something that I knew I'd have to emotionally/mentally prepare for, I also felt that I needed to read this book. And what a rich, deep read it turned out to be --so worth it! Jansen begins each chapter with a journal-like entry addressed to Jeanne, documenting her thoughts and experiences in writing the book that we now read. We learn how much the author relies on her daughter for support in her writing, getting wonderful, little glimpses as to what Jeanne's life is now like with her new family in Germany. What this does, in fact, is reassure the reader that Jeanne will be okay, that she survives, she lives, and she finds love and trust again after having every reason to turn herself away from such things forever. It makes reading about this horrifc experience bearable, even beautiful. Jeanne is the ultimate testament to the human will to live.

A Family Tradition

I recently read Pass It Down: Five Picture-Book Families Make Their Mark by Leonard S. Marcus, currently shelved with new non-fiction. As a librarian still fairly new to children's literature, I found it quite interesting and helpful to learn how some very famous picture book authors and illustrators came into their careers and how their children ended up following suit. Discussed are Donald Crews, Ann Jonas, and thier daughter, Nina Crews; Clement and Edith Thacher Hurd and thier son, Thacher Hurd; Walter Dean Meyers and his son, Christopher Myers. Jerry Pinkney and his son, Brian Pinkney; Harlow and Anne Rockwell and their daughter, Lizzy Rockwell. What a fun way to grow up!

The Thirteenth Tale

The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield is a very satisfying gothic story in the manner of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights. The story is more contempory though difficult to tell when it takes place (maybe 1960s?). I listened to it on my iPod and found myself losing track of time -- on the treadmill, doing housework, gardening. It is really several stories entwined into one sweeping saga.

First there is the tale of Margaret, a young woman who works in her father's antiquarian bookstore She reads mostly 19th century fiction and biographies and writes the occasional essay for publication. She harbors a secret tragedy from her past. A letter arrives the most popular novelist of the day whose pen name is Vida Winter. Miss Winter wants Margaret to write her true biography. Margaret who had never read any of Miss Winter's books hesitates to get involved.

Second, is Miss Winter's story as told to Margaret of the feral twins, Emmeline and Adeline, their mother, Isabelle; their uncle, Charles; the housekeeper; the governess, and the gardener; the strangeness, the neglect and the fateful, the secrets and the tragic fire that destroyed Angelfield estate, the family home.

Third, the story of Margaret and Vida Winter -- the revealing of their pasts, the intersecting and weaving of their stories, the forging of a bond, the unfolding secrets, the developing friendships.

Just when I started to think I had the story figured out it would take a new twist and I would have to rethink where it was going. This isn't a YA book by definition but we do have it in our YA collection. There is violence but not graphic, no sex, no inappropriate language. The emotional issues are complex. I don't think I would recommmend it for a precocious preteen. The themes are mature.

Two Picture Books Worth Noting

There are two picture books in the current crop of new books that I think are worth noting.



Stick by Steve Breen is about a little frog who wants to do everything by himself. This leads him on a remarkable adventure. The story is told mostly through the illustrations. There are few words. It is a delightfully funny story and the illustrations are terrific -- simple but evocative. Note the expressions on faces and some of the detail shown in various reflections -- in the rearview mirror, on the water, in the shiny paint on the side of a car. The author and illustrator won the Pulitzer Prize for his comic strip "Grand Avenue."



Allison, he used to live and work in New Jersey -- alas, no longer. He would have been great for the festival in September.



Sky Sweeper by Phillis Gershator and illustrated by Holly Meade is a completely different sort of book. It is about Young Takeboki who needs a job and finds one as Flower Keeper in a temple. He is encouraged to find a better job, to make more money, to visit faraway places and to marry. But he finds fulfillment in his sweeping and gardening. The illustrations are collages using Japanese papers -- beautifully done. Very Buddhist!



The author was a children's librarian in Brooklyn -- but apparently now live in the US Virgin Islands.

Laughing out loud

You've got to read The Shivers in the Fridge by Fran Manushkin. It had Linda and me giggling out loud Tuesday night. I'm not going to give away the ending but I think this will be my new favorite for reading to second graders!

Looking for it? For the next few weeks it'll be in my office on the shelf behind my desk just under the "old lady who swallowed a fly".
Enjoy!

Reading YA before and after the Teen Book Bash

As time for the Teen Book Bash approached, I turned my attention to the authors we 'd be hosting and spent time reading fairly well crafted but predictable books.
That said, I must confess that I had stay up late to finish Fix by Leslie Margolis the night before the bash. Did I know how it would end? You bet, but I really wanted to see how she would get us there. That's where the craft comes in. Well done Leslie!

The chance to speak with Patricia McCormick about SOLD, was priceless. Did you know that her next novel is from the point of view of a girl whose brother is killed in Iraq? That women certainly tackles the hard subjects. I can't really say I look forward to reading it, but I guess the better expression is "I won't miss it!"

What did you learn? Who did you talk with?

Jan