Lynn's Review of The Penderwicks at Point Mouette

The Penderwicks, including the four famous sisters - Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty - are growing up and on vacation again in the third book of the series. This time the family is going their separate ways - Mr. Penderwick, Iantha, and little Ben are off to England for a honeymoon, Rosalind is off to New Jersey with Anna, and the rest go with Aunt Claire to the Birches in Maine. The story focuses on Skye, Jane, Batty, and Aunt Claire along with Jeffrey on a new vacation and adventure. New friends are made, firegods are called, kisses are traded, noses are bloodied, love is surveyed, moose is stalked, and surprises are in store for all of the clan. It proves to be a thrilling vacation for them all!

What's not to love? Time and again, Birdsall proves that the Penderwick stories just don't get old. The characterization is so deep that the reader sees the girls talents as well as flaws. I loved the fact that Jane has writer's block and then uses the idea of the Love Survey to do background research for Sabrina Starr to fall in love. She is so over-the-top, I just can't wait to see what she will come up with next! Tough tomboy Skye surprised me the most with her overwhelming fear of being the OAP - Oldest Available Penderwick - while they are on vacation. I wasn't prepared for her insecurities as the OAP, since she has always been so confident. Finally, Batty has to break the stereotype of Penderwicks being musically challenged, a tall order for the youngest and smallest of the Penderwicks.

I wasn't surprised by the fact that The Penderwicks at Point Mouette was a leisurely read for me. I love the fact that it's a feel-good read that captures the innocence and exaggerated viewpoints of children growing up. The characters are real and relevant for generations young and old, and promotes the strength of family without being preachy. I can't wait for the final two stories!

Lynn's Review of The Penderwicks on Gardam Street

Who wouldn't want to be a part of the Penderwick family?

This sequel to The Penderwicks picks up right where the first one ended. We become more familiar with the Penderwick clan, as the Prologue explains the untimely death of their mom due to cancer. The sisters become wrapped up in a host of hilarious adventures, with the most important being their their father returning to the dating world. Adamantly against it at first, they finally realize what their mother wanted for them as a family, and in convenient fashion, their new next door neighbor, Iantha, turns out to be the ideal addition to the Penderwick family, along with her baby Ben. Of course, it's the happiest of endings that concludes the second book, and just like a fairytale, they all live happily ever after.

I thought this book was sweeter than the first, and I just love the way Penderwicks exemplify a strong sense of family despite the less than ideal circumstances. Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty form a strong bond and conduct their MOPS - Meeting of Penderwick Sisters - in order to protect the family and their father from dating in the Save-Daddy Plan. They strategically work together to make sure that the New Save-Daddy Plan goes off without a hitch, so that he goes on the date of their choice. They back each other up, like in the final soccer game when Jane passes off to Skye for the game winning goal. Things don't always go perfectly, but it seems to all work out in the end...with more than a few laughs along the way. Here's to the Penderwick Family Honor!

Lynn's Review of The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy

In Jeanne Birdsall's introduction to the Penderwick family, the reader is introduced to four sisters, their father, and a dog as they embark on a summer family vacation. Rosalind is the oldest and most responsible, taking the role of caregiver since their mother passed away. Skye is the fiery tomboy, Jane is the dreamy wannabe author, and Batty is the youngest and most shy. After their normal vacation spot is sold, the family finds themselves in a cottage that belongs to part of an estate, complete with a snooty landowner, Mrs. Tifton, and her son, Jeffrey, the perfect playmate for the children's adventures.

I absolutely loved this carefree and happy-go-lucky story. It is complete with an idyllic and nostalgic setting on the estate of Arundel. Jeanne Birdsall definitely has a talent for developing characters that readers can relate to. Girls will identify with one or all of the girls and their very different personalities. My favorite character was Jane with her Sabrina Starr character stories. I love how Jane dreams and narrates out loud, and feverishly writes every chance she can. I couldn't help but smile at the obvious annoyances that come from her sisters as a result. I can see myself as a little bit of Jane, (though I don't like to write as Jane does) and a little bit of Batty, since I am the youngest in my family, a shy observer, and get caught up in my thoughts. I can see my sister in the characters of Skye with a little bit of Rosalind too. When Skye encouraged Jeffrey to stand up to Mrs. Tipton about sending him to military school, it reminded me of my sister. My sister is the one who will protect and support others and won't hesitate to tell you exactly what is on her mind. Readers will also relate to the funny antics of Hound, the Penderwick dog, as he seems to eat and regurgitate everything in sight at the most inconvenient times.

Elementary and tween readers will be ready for more adventures with the Penderwicks, as long as Hound doesn't eat them first... :)

Lynn's Review of Flora's Very Windy Day

Jeanne Birdsall's first picture book is a pleasant tale of the windy adventure of Flora and her little brother, Crispin. After Crispin gets into trouble inside the house, they are both sent outside to play. Because it is a very windy day, Flora puts on her "super-special heavy-duty red boots" to keep her from blowing away, and she pretends to not be worried about Crispin and his regular old purple boots. As the wind begins to carry him away, Flora must kick off her special boots and sail off after him. Riding on the wind, Flora is tempted to give in to the requests of the dragonfly, sparrow, rainbow, cloud, eagle, man in the moon, and the wind himself to take her little brother away. Does she really want to get rid of him? Though he does make a mess of her paints and gets into everything at home, Flora realizes that she loves her brother, and only wants to make sure they both get home safely. At Flora's insistence, the wind brings them back home, and the story happily ends as they enjoy some chocolate chip cookies together.

I thought that this was a lovely story that children would find enjoyable. The repetitive text is appropriate for younger audiences. Birdsall repeats, "If the wind lets you," in response to Flora wanting to take her little brother back home. A lot of children can also relate to an annoying younger sibling, and the nuisance that they can cause. Likewise, most children will appreciate the fantastic imaginative journey soaring on the wind and back to the safety of home again, just in time for some chocolate chip cookies. Parents will most likely appreciate how the story models the resolution of a sibling relationship.

Lynn's Review of 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East

Naomi Shihab Nye goes back to her cultural roots with this collection of poems in 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East. As an Arab American, her struggles with the political and emotional effects of war are prevalent throughout the collection. She gives her perspective from the Middle East through her experiences growing up and visiting with family there.

Honestly, a lot of the poetry in this collection was difficult for me to understand, but I appreciated what I learned about Middle Eastern beliefs and traditions. Still, there were references that were incomprehensible to me due to my lack of experience and knowledge of the Middle East.

After reading Nye's poetry, I do feel as if I've literally had a taste of the Middle East. As our pecans or peaches influence our life here in Texas, the presence of fig trees, olives, and almonds provide a taste of Nye's homeland to readers. In Olive Jar, we are invited to an Arab kitchen on the West Bank, in the village of almonds and olives. As a guest, we are at the family meal where olives are the center of every table. As with many families, it seems as though the time spent around the table is a peaceful time that is cherished. Nye also uses olive as irony in the poem, Passing the Refugee Camp. Olives are a symbol of peace and are native to the Middle East; however, olive is also used to describe the color of American soldiers' uniforms, suggesting war and unrest.

Something I admire about Naomi Shihab Nye's writing is that it is so accessible and honest. She writes simply about things that she knows and loves, and makes you think that it is possible for you to put your own thoughts and feelings into your own poetry as well. She writes about what she is passionate about. Her vision of peace is very clear, as well as admirable, and reminds us all that it is the true meaning of what we all seek. In How Long Peace Takes, Nye gives analogies as to how much time we must wait for peace. So how long does peace take? Nye answers, "As long as the question - what if I were you? - has two heads." Hmm, it really makes you think about considering others' perspectives.

Lynn's Review of The Inner City Mother Goose

I was wondering why this book, based on Mother Goose nursery rhymes, was in a high school library and not in libraries for younger patrons. I quickly realized that it was because it is a modern interpretation that shows the effects of inner city life. It includes current society issues such as drugs, stealing, crime, and temptation. It became a banned book due to its honesty in portraying inner-city situations of the low-socioeconomic. David Diaz's dark illustrations depict the hardness and reality of those that struggle daily in these types of situations.

The paintings are harsh, with thick black outlines and shadows detailing facial expressions as the characters smoke, sell their bodies, pollute, worry, kill, and turn a blind eye. The demise of society is characterized with dark blues and grays and spotlights the resulting ugliness.

I was very surprised by this book. Even though the title hinted at its contents, I wasn't prepared for the honesty and straightforwardness of the subject matter, especially presented in the Mother Goose format. I also found it interesting that in Eve Merriam's 1982 introduction, she writes of suspecting that a particular verse having "a line that contained an extremely vulgar, if commonly used, thirteen-letter word" was to blame for the book being banned. When I came to that particular verse, I found it odd that the entire page was missing from the book, and I could see the torn edges from the binding. I found this book in a high school library, but it seems that someone at some point had done some censoring...

Lynn's Review of Diego: Bigger Than Life

In Diego: Bigger Than Life by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, the real-life story of Diego Rivera is told through poetry and accented with David Diaz's paintings. This Pura Belpre Honor Book details the honesty, talent, and passion of this controversial Mexican artist. He was also a social revolutionary for the Mexican Communist Party.

I wasn't aware that Diego Rivera was so controversial and was not only passionate about his murals but also about the women in his life. I was also surprised that the love of his life was Frida Kahlo, who was very much younger than he was. David Diaz's paintings are soft and glowing with brightness. Absent is the dark black outline present in the previous two books that I had read. The illustrations bring light and depth to the highs and lows in Diego's life. From the happiest times in his life such as when he met Frida to the saddest when his son Dieguito died, the graduation of intensity of color matches the mood. This is my favorite book that Diaz has illustrated because of the brightness of color and the softness of line as color melts into the next. I also appreciate how he paints with the profile view, giving a nod to the Mexican culture.