_Dash_ by Kirby Larson

Young Mitsi is like any other girl in America after the attack on Pearl Harbor--except she's a Japanese-American. Dash explores the plight of the Japanese-American in WWII America from the eyes of Mitsi, a girl who loses her friends, her home, and her dog, Dash, when she and her family are shuttled off to internment camps.

While this is not a completely believable and realistic story since it seems that all subplots are tied up nicely and happily, it is a good introduction for younger readers to some of the tough stuff in World War II. A 10-year-old probably isn't ready for all the ugly facts quite yet, but this book gives lots of hooks to hang knowledge on down the road.

With the idea of friendship permeating the entire book, I think this book would be right up most girls' alleys. Best of all, Mitsi is the kind of girl that most of us would like to have as a friend.

This probably doesn't deserve any major awards, but it's not a bad book at all. It will especially appeal to kids who love dogs.

_Out of the Dust_ by Karen Hesse

This is a Newbery Medal winner, and I did like it. Through poetry, Hesse chronicles a year or so in the life of Billy Jo, a 14-year-old girl living out the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma. It’s not a pretty story; it’s a tale of hardship and sadness. But in the end, there’s hope and healing.

My biggest caution is that I wouldn’t recommend this to a child much younger than the 14 of the main character. It is emotionally intense in some spots.

_The Memory Bank_ by Carolyn Coman and Rob Shepperson

This is one of those books I just grabbed randomly from the library shelf. It sat in our library book tote for awhile and was then picked up and pored over by our three not-yet-readers. They loved the pictures. When I finally picked it up, I also enjoyed looking at the pictures before I started reading it.

Then I started reading it. It definitely has the feel of Matilda (by Roald Dahl) in that Hope's parents are just about as miserable at parenting as parents can be. They leave Hope's younger sister, Honey, on the side of the road simply for breaking the "no laughing" rule and tell Hope to forget about her. Somehow Hope finds herself being questioned at the World Wide Memory Bank because she wasn't depositing enough memories.

For me, the story went downhill from there. To be blunt, it was boring. I kept getting the feeling that the whole book was an allegory for something, but I simply didn't care enough to try to figure it all out. It had something to do with memories, forgetting, dreams, hope, and parenting.

I suppose there's nothing in this book that shouts, "Keep away!" But there's not much compelling either. Except the pictures are nice.

_Rules_ by Cynthia Lord

On the surface, this book reminded me of the many, many books I read as a pre-teenager that dealt with finding a friend and fitting in. Certainly, I figured, there would be a healthy portion of teen angst and wishing for that first kiss. I was sure the main character, Catherine, would be so totally embarrassed by her entire family and only want to hang out with her friends.

But that's not how Rules reads. You see, Catherine does want to make friends with the new girl next door. And she is a bit jealous of the fact that her whole family life revolves around the needs of her autistic brother, but she is no shallow teeny-bopper. She is a realistic character with depth and compassion. I liked her a lot. I would have liked to have her as a next-door neighbor.

This novel also gives some insight into what life with an autistic loved-one is like. Only one character seems a bit one-dimensional, and he is an antagonist who makes fun of Catherine and her brother.

Overall, I thought this was a good read. The main character was a good role model for girls, not too concerned with fitting in and very concerned about doing the right thing. I would recommend this book for a girl in the 11 and up age range.

_Ladybug Girl at the Beach_ by David Soman and Jacky Davis

When my oldest daughter was but a wee babe and crawling about on the floor, she enjoyed eating ladybugs. While I found ladybug remnants in all three older brother's diapers, she had, by far, the most.* That, plus the fact that lots of people bought her ladybug-themed clothing, sort of caused me to associate her with ladybugs.

This spring when she turned 5, she received another ladybug gift-- a book by David Soman and Jacky Davis. Ladybug Girl at the Beach is one of several books about Lulu, aka Ladybug Girl, a young girl who loves wearing her ladybug outfit. This girl reminds me of my daughter. Headstrong. Sensitive. Energetic. Enthusiastic.

In this particular book, Lulu joins her family for a day at the beach. She just knows she loves the beach, even if she's never been to it. Once she sees the big waves, however, she's not quite as excited. Over the course of the day, Ladybug Girl learns to overcome her fear.

This is a fun picture book. My daughter wanted to read more like it, so we checked a few out at the library. I like that each book teaches a nice lesson (about being brave, saying you're sorry, etc.) without hitting you over the head with it. Best of all, they can open discussion with your own girl about important topics. My own daughter isn't often receptive to such talks, but using these books as a starter, she was immediately engaged.


*Please note that our rural, woodsy location puts us in the way of seasonal invasions of both ladybugs (or Asian lady beetles, to be more precise) and stinkbugs. We try to keep them vacuumed up, but we don't always win the battle. There are just that many of them.

_A Gathering of Days_ by Joan W. Blos

This is a Newberry one. It's subtitle is "A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-32." The front cover clarifies this by telling us it is "a novel by Joan W. Blos." That's good to know.

Anyway, to be honest, it's kind of hokey. I really doubt that even in 1830 a 14-year-old girl would write this formally in a journal. Then again, maybe she would, but it's a bit difficult at first to "bond" with Catharine Cabot Hall, the main character. Later, I tried to pretend I wasn't reading a "journal," and that helped me enjoy the story without dwelling on what a lame journal it was.

The issues of slavery, adapting to a step-parent, and death of a loved one are prominent in this novel. As a plus, nothing jumped out at me as majorly offensive or inappropriate. I guess I would recommend A Gathering of Days, but I do wish a Newberry Medal meant that it was completely delightful literature. 

And really, I guess it's not as bad as I make it out to be. When I was younger, I probably would have enjoyed reading it more than I do now.

_The Secret School_ by Avi

Ida wants to teach school when she grows up. She studies hard and works hard on the farm at home in Colorado. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond her control threaten her chance to be promoted in school. They say, "Where there's a will, there's a way," and Ida has a will.

This story, while no great literary masterpiece, is a good read with nothing I found objectionable. Ida and the other characters are good role models with several desirable character traits. While the main character is a 14-year-old girl, my 8-year-old boy enjoyed reading it, too.

_Raggedy Ann Stories_ by Johnny Gruelle

Legend has it that when I was a little, little girl, my family was driving from our home in California to my grandparents' house in Seattle. My parents were good parents, trying to teach me that the big city before us was called Seattle. They pointed out the front windshield and tried to teach me a new word, "Seattle, Seattle, Seattle."

Evidently, my little (less than 3 year old) mind only saw my Raggedy Ann doll on the dash, and to this day, her name is Attle.

I still have Attle, but for Raggedy Ann Stories, she came off the shelf in the top of the closet. I held Attle in my lap while my oldest daughter held her own Raggedy Ann, and over the course of a couple of weeks, I read the stories for bedtime.

These stories are delightful stories from a time past. My daughter and I liked them. If you or your little girl have one of the dolls, take the time to have a tea party and read a story from this book together.

Part-time Princess by Deborah Underwood

When my daughter was born, I wanted no part in the Disney princess nonsense. Sure, I like the movies and all, but I have concerns about what the princesses do for a girl's body image and her ability to fend for herself. So I was not going to have any of that princess stuff in our house.

I realize now that resistance is futile. In addition to gifts and hand-me-downs, we've caved and bought a few such coloring books and nightgowns. The girls love princesses.

Last week, however, I found a better princess alternative in Part-time Princess by Deborah Underwood.  This regular girl by day and princess by night digs pink, sparkles, frills, and tea parties, BUT she also is one awesome firefighter who fences, plays with frogs in the Royal Mud Puddle, and dances with trolls.

While she does dance with a handsome prince she may marry when she grows up, right now she's just too busy being a girl.

Did I mention she has an awesome relationship with her mother?

This picture book illustrated by Cambria Evans is fun, but also has a good message. So much in our culture pushes girls to either be pink and frilly or to be sporty and achievers. This books lets girls have it all; Part-time Princess shows girls they can be feminine and fun and accomplish important things (and get along with their mothers).

If you don't want to buy it, at least check it out at the library.

Pardon Me

I'm sorry if I do not post often to this blog. You see, my girls aren't reading yet, but my boys are, so I'll be focusing more on reviewing books for them.  Of course, if I come across something in my reading that begs to be discussed on this blog, discuss it I will.

The Petticoat Party series by Kathleen Karr

The series written by Kathleen Karr has four books: Go West, Young Women!; Phoebe's Folly; Oregon, Sweet Oregon; and Gold-Rush Phoebe. The books are historical fiction focusing on the life and times of one Phoebe Brown, a girl in her tween/early teen years traveling with her family on the Oregon Trail and later seeking her fortune in the California gold rush. The recommended age on the back is 10 up.

Gee, you'd think, with a title like The Petticoat Party, this series would be a no-brainer for a sure pick for girls. While the main character is a girl and there is some historical value, that's about all this book has going for it. And the list of reasons my daughters won't be reading it is long.

I first picked up the books at the library when my son (age 8) asked if they were okay for him. I was in a hurry and glanced at the cover. Hmm. . . not your typical boy book, I thought, but sure--it looks fun and historical. The next evening, after he had finished the first book and started on the second, he told me I should read them. I decided to read the back; I had time for that. And there was my first surprise:

"But just when twelve-year-old Phoebe Brown is sure she can't stand another day of her father and the other bossy male members of the wagon train, tragedy strikes. . . . They're going to change Manifest Destiny into Wo-manifest Destiny. . . no matter what it takes."  "Meet the first feminists of the frontier."

I needed to investigate this one further, so that night, with sleeping babe in arms, I read Go West, Young Women! and was appalled with what some on Amazon raved over and thought was funny. It isn't just a book that says, "Rah, rah!" for girls. It is a book that completely bashes and makes fun of almost all males.  I think, putting the best possible construction on it, that the humor flops. The characters are weak. The motivations that drive the plot seem forced. The description is pathetic. It just isn't good literature.

To top it off, it's not the great feminist book that it wants to be. Half of the women are just as pathetic as the men. Phoebe, the protagonist, isn't a strong female character; she has spunk, but no personality. The narrative is from her point of view, and she fixates on her chest and the provocative bodies of the Kennan twins, two girls who are boy-crazy and run off with Indian braves at every chance. She also notes repeatedly that her own older sister is overweight and dwells on it, making fun of her even. She only notes that her sister becomes beautiful when, starving due to running out of supplies on the trail, she loses a lot of weight. This attitude about body image is not one I want my daughters to pick up.

My advice is not to bother with these books; I didn't even bother to finish the series. The first three books were more than enough for me.