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NEW CHILDREN'S BOOKS RECOMMENDED BY KATHLEEN ODEAN
picture books | novels
| poetry and non-fiction
Indigo's Star by Hilary McKay. Ages
10-14. 2004
If you don't know Hilary McKay's books, and you like books that
are funny and warm-hearted, it's time to start reading her. Since
Indigo's Star is a sequel to Saffy's Angel, you might want to read
that first, although it's not absolutely necessary. Both are about
an eccentric British family in which all the children are named
after paint colors, since both parents are painters. The father's
usually gone and the mother's out in the shed painting, so it's
a household run by teenagers and children, and their friends --
people you wish you knew in person. In this book, Indigo is being
bullied by kids at school but when he joins forces with a boy visiting
from the U.S., life gets much better for both of them. I laughed
out loud more than once reading this. Also try The Exiles and Dog
Friday by McKay, both laugh-outloud funny, too.
Runaway Radish by Jessie Haas. Illustrated by Margot Apple.
Ages 6-9
“When Radish was a round, red, bouncy young pony, his little
girl’s name was Judy,” begins this novel for readers new
to chapter books. Radish teaches Judy how to ride and to treat a
horse well. The strong-minded pony and equally strong-minded girl
don’t always agree, but they come to appreciate each other.
Then Judy grows too tall for Radish, and he starts over with a girl
named Nina. When Nina outgrows him, Radish ends up at a riding camp
where he enjoys breaking in more new riders. The old-fashioned pencil
drawings on nearly every page extend the human and equine personalities.
Loser by Jerry Spinelli. Ages 9-12
By the time Donald Zinkoff has reached fourth grade, the other boys
have labeled him a “loser.” But Zinkoff doesn’t realize
it. He plows through life, clumsy and enthusiastic and sometimes
courageous, cherished by his parents. Spinelli, with his characteristic
exaggeration, raises questions about our emphasis on winning as
he follows Zinkoff through elementary school and into middle school.
This compelling character study may inspire readers to reevaluate
how they judge their fellow students and whether winning matters
more than caring does.
Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath. Ages
9-13
In the spirit of Pippi Longstocking, eleven-year-old Primrose Squarp
relates the events in her life after her parents are lost at sea.
Certain that they will return, Primrose endures her new living situations
with dry wit as she moves from the care of one eccentric adult to
another. She finds refuge at The Girl on the Red Swing, a restaurant
in her small Canadian town where everything is served on a waffle,
and collects recipes, given at the end of each chapter. Children
will enjoy the breezy recipes, abundant humor, and the fact that
Primrose seems wiser than the adults around her.
Minuk: Ashes in the Pathway by Kirkpatrick Hill. Ages
9-13
In an 1890s Alaskan village, narrator twelve-year-old Minuk contrasts
her traditional Yup’ik Indian culture to that of newly arrived
white missionaries. Focusing at first on daily life, the novel effectively
conveys customs of the Yup’iks located in forested areas rather
than near the sea, with fascinating details about food, clothing,
hunting, and family arrangements. During the course of a year, Minuk
matures as she questions her culture, including its subordination
of women, but also grows in appreciation of its close community
and well-honed traditions. She casts a critical eye, too, on missionaries
as she works for them and learns English, seeing their strengths
and weaknesses. The leisurely pace and optimistic tone abruptly
change when an influenza epidemic, foreshadowed by descriptions
of an earlier smallpox tragedy, ends Minuk’s secure way of
life. An afterword supplies more historical information, followed
by a plug for American Girl products.
Spring-Heeled Jack by Philip Pullman. Ages
9-13
Humor and melodrama prevail in this jaunty illustrated novel from
the recent Whitbread Prize winner and author of the Dark Materials
fantasy trilogy. Set in Victorian England, the fast-moving tale
features an old-fashioned superhero, Spring-Heeled Jack, who dresses
like the devil but acts like a guardian angel, saving the helpless
from evildoers. After many twists and turns, he rescues three siblings
who have run away from a Dickensian orphanage only to stumble into
the den of a vicious villain. Each action-packed page integrates
comic-strip panels into the text, adding a strong visual appeal
and emphasizing the tongue-in-cheek humor.
The Beastly Arms by Patrick Jennings. Ages
10-13
There’s something strange going on at The Beastly Arms, a nearly
deserted apartment building owned by the mysterious Julius Beastly.
When eleven-year-old Nicholas “Nickel” Dill and his mother
move in, Nickel ventures out of their apartment at night, accompanied
by his kangaroo rat, Miriam, and armed with his beloved camera,
to solve the puzzle. The unexpected discovery of what inhabits the
building’s many other floors changes Nickel’s life in
a wonderful way. His friendship with Inez, an outgoing classmate,
and his warm relationship with his mother, a photography instructor
and waitress, add depth to Nickel’s character in this long,
quirky urban tale.
Daughter of Venice by Donna Jo Napoli. Ages
11-14
Sixteenth-century Venice springs vividly to life in this entrancing
historical novel. Filled with fascinating details, the story follows
the fate of fourteen-year-old Donata, who expects to be sent to
a convent, since traditionally only one daughter in a noble family
marries. Rebelling at the restrictions that surround her, Donata
seeks adventure and education, and finds them, along with romance
and greater understanding of her world. Napoli takes on a lot, writing
about commerce, Judaism, and a host of other issues, but the strength
of the plot and characters ties it all together into an outstanding
novel.
When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park. Ages
12-15
As she did so effectively in her Newbery Award winner, A Single Shard,
Linda Sue Park makes Korean history emotionally compelling in this excellent
novel. Chapters alternate between Sun-hee and her older brother, Tae-yul,
as Korea suffers under harsh Japanese rule during World War II. They are
forced to give up their Korean names and many of their possessions, spend
their school days bombarded by propaganda, and lose contact with their
beloved uncle, a resistance fighter. In a startling climax, Tae-yul makes
a patriotic decision that could change the family forever. An informative,
gripping read.
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© 2003, Kathleen Odean, all rights reserved.
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