Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom, by Carole Boston Weatherford and Michele Wood

     Box, written by Weatherford and illustrated by Wood, won the Newbery Honor Award, given for exceptional children's writing and illustrating. Don't be put off by the reference to "children" - books that won the Newbery Award or Honor are exceptionally good books, no matter who they are written for!

    Henry Brown was born into slavery in Richmond, Virginia in 1815. This makes his story very important for many reasons: his history is local, Richmond history; slavery is the "peculiar institution" that shaped our nation, not just then, but every day up to and including the present. Every person in this country today is affected by our slave history, whether we are aware of it or not; it's a real life story, with both good and bad choices and people in it. In Henry's case, choices that were often out of his control changed his life in remarkable, sometimes heart wrenching ways. As a pup now calling Richmond, Virginia my home, I feel deeply the importance of this story. If we do not learn about and from our past, we will repeat it.

    Box appears to be a picture book, but really lives in the Biography section of the library. It is based on Henry Brown's own book, which he wrote and published in 1849, just before leaving the United States out of fear of being returned to slavery if he stayed. You see, to escape slavery and find his wife and children, he built a wooden box and had himself mailed to Pennsylvania, a free (or non-slave) state at that time. The time he spent in a small wooden box wasn't long, in the larger scheme of a lifetime, but it nearly killed him just the same.

    A powerful, yet short, book, and beautifully illustrated, Box stayed with me long after I finished it. If you, Reader, are also in Richmond, you can view an artist's rendering of Brown's box near the riverfront in Shockoe Bottom. After reading this short book and viewing it's accompanying artwork, you won't be the same afterward. A brilliant and important book. 5 paws.

Gather, by Kenneth M. Cadow

     Author Cadow's first book, Gather is the story of Ian, short for Dorian (named after Dorian Gray?), a teenager growing up in rural Vermont. Ian's mom is a drug addict, his dad left his life long before, and Ian is living on farmland that has been in his family for generations. He loves the farm and the surrounding land, and he knows it like the back of his hand. But trying to keep his mom sober, safe and working as well as trying to navigate high school proves to be a lot for Ian. He'd much rather be outside doing something productive with his hands and Gather than inside, trying to manage classrooms and bullies. 

    Gather, the name of this book, is also the name of the stray dog that wanders into Ian's life early in the story, and becomes Ian's best friend. But this isn't a dog book, or really a book about the dog, which makes the reader wonder at using the dog's name as the title. If someone came into the library and asked for a "dog book", Gather wouldn't be the first book I would mention (or even the second) - as a dog book, that is. It is a very good book, winner of the Printz Honor Award and a National Book Award Finalist. But it's isn't a "dog book", it's a book with a dog in it.

    Gather, the book, reminds me a lot of a 1950s book Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. Written long before I was even a wee pup, I remember it being raw and real and honest, with language a teenager would use if she or he was really examining the world around them and reporting very honestly what they saw and felt. At that time, this was new and exciting for a young reader like me! That is what Gather is, a newer version of Catcher in the Rye. I don't think it will hold a place in history like Catcher has, but it's pretty solid. The language is strong, but realistic coming from Ian's mouth and mind. Not everything goes wrong for Ian, but plenty of things don't end well. 

    I would recommend this to any 8th grader, or more mature 7th grader, wanting to read some realistic fiction that is more real than most. A lot of windows in this story, and a few mirrors as well. It took me a while to really fall into Cadow's writing style, but once I did, this was hard to put down. I look forward to his next book. This one is a solid 4 paws and a wag!

The Beatryce Prophecy, by Kate DiCamillo

     The Beatryce Prophecy is not author Kate DiCamillo's latest book, but the latest one I have come across and read. It was published in 2019, which means I'm a few books behind with her, but oh, what joy to read DiCamillo's writing! This is probably the 6th or 7th DiCamillo book I have read over the years, and every single one made me happy to have read it after I was finished. This book is no exception, and in fact, this may be my favorite DiCamillo book yet!

    Beatryce is a girl who finds herself in a monastery, covered in dirt, laying next to a very spirited goat, in the barn, not knowing who she is or where she has come from. Brother Edik, the monk who discovers her in the barn, also learns she has a very dangerous secret, one that has her being hunted by soldiers of the king. Brother Edik shaves her head to help her blend with the rest of the monks, but when word spreads in the monastery of her secret, she is sent out into the woods and told never to return. What transpires changes the lives of everyone - Beatryce, Brother Edik, the goat...the entire kingdom!

    DiCamillo asks near the end of this book whether this story is taking place in the past or the future. No matter, because whenever it is taking place this book is magic! DiCamillo is a master storyteller, and her writing will absolutely put hope and joy in your heart! Artist Sophie Blackall's drawings further enhance the beauty of this book. I love this story, and almost started it over as soon as I finished the last page. Treat yourself - more than once, even - and read this (or any!) DiCamillo offering! 5 paws!

Fighting Words, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

     In Fighting Words, sisters Della (twelve years old) and Suki (seventeen years old) have just landed in another foster home. Their mom is incarcerated (in jail) for drug use and related issues. Both sisters have been abused for quite a long period of time, until something happens that gets them placed in foster care. Nothing about this story is easy, or necessarily nice, but it is a story that author Bradley has real life experience with. This book is interesting, intense, and very, very well written. I don't know how anyone can write of abuse, especially abuse of children, with clarity and poise and such real-world words and feelings and in such an engaging way, but Bradley does it.

    I have read a few of Bradley's books, as she is one of my favorite authors of historical fiction. Fighting Words is not historical but very realistic, and was awarded the Newbery Honor the year it was released, 2020. I found it to be a very difficult subject to read about, but so well written that I couldn't help keep reading. I was bummed when the book was finished, but so happy at the strength of the sisters...I recommend this tough book to anyone. 5 paws!

The Storyteller, by Brandon Hobson

     This is the first book for teens by author Hobson. According to the author info at the back of the book, he has written four books for adults, one of which was a National Book Award finalist (a pretty big deal for a book and author!). He currently teaches creative writing at a university in New Mexico, and is a member of the Cherokee Nation Tribe.

    I mention all of this because it all relates to this book, The Storyteller. Ziggy, the main character, is trying to find his mom, who disappeared many years before, as apparently many Cherokee women do. The book is full of Cherokee beliefs and folktales, which is much of the charm of the story. The downside of this book is that it reads like it was written by a 7th grader, not by someone who used to teach 7th grade English. My human has also taught English in all the middle grades, and I have read my fair share of stories and papers. Nothing wrong with any of them, but very few rise to the level of a published author. 7th graders are still developing story, and often don't do well with character voice, transitions, dialog, etc. 

    The Storyteller is just like an okay story written by a middle school student. So much of the dialog and descriptions are very, very basic. It feels as though author Hobson didn't know how to write for kids, instead of like kids. If this book were written by a middle school student, I would consider it incredible! But because it was written by an author who is considered for book awards, I expected more. 

    If you want to read exceptional stories where Native beliefs, people, ideas, and folklore are well represented and discussed, consider any book by Joseph Bruchac, Michael Dorris, Sherman Alexie, or Eric Gansworth...but I don't think this book is worth your time. I am hopeful that Hobson's next book for teens gets better, and it won't take a lot to be better. But with this one, he leaves me wanting more...a lot more. 2 paws and wag (for effort).

The First State of Being, by Erin Entrada Kelly

     Newbery-winning Kelly submits her newest, latest book, and like her others, it is full of science!. But unlike Hello, Universe and We Dream of Space (my favorite of hers!), The First State of Being deals with time travel. In this sense it dips its toe into fantasy as well as science fiction, which she works pretty well.

    In this new release, Michael Rosario meets a strange new boy hanging out at his apartment complex. Strange for the way he's dressed and strange for the way he acts (like someone is following him, when there doesn't appear to be anyone there). Ridge is different, that's for sure. You'd dress and act differently, too...if you were from the future!!! While Michael is trying to navigate his own life, he becomes part of Ridge's life, too. Is this new kid a little crazy, because he can't really be from the future...can he?

    Kelly again creates a wonderful cast of characters - Michael, his babysitter/crush Gibby, Ridge, Mr. Mosely, the custodian at the apartment complex - and a believable, realistic setting. But she also relies on transcripts of sorts, to share information from the future, which is a little like using text messages in a book to make a story work. That drives me a little crazy, to be honest, and seems a little...easy. That doesn't mean this isn't a good book, because it is, and Kelly is a strong storyteller. First State of Being takes place a few months before the calendar turned to the year 2000, which was a pretty big deal in many places of the world. no one knew if computers were going to make that transition from 1999 to 2000 without shutting down. That would mean everything in the world that uses computer technology to function - and that is a lot of things! - might stop in January 1st, 2000. This setting added an exciting element to the story as well.

    This books reminded me of The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty, who is another good science fiction writer. Both books are good - not quite great - but still worth your time, especially if science interests you in any way. 4 paws! 

The Mona Lisa Vanishes, by Nicholas Day

     The first book for teens by author Nicholas Day, and if you like historical fiction, even just a little bit, you'll be entertained by this one! The Mona Lisa Vanishes tells the story of one of the most famous paintings in the world, the painting of Mona Lisa. Painted way back in the 1500s, the painting was stolen in 1911. At the time, it wasn't a very famous painting at all. In fact, it was described as a bit boring. But then it was stolen, and would become something so much bigger than it had ever been...very, very famous!

    Day jumps back and forth, from the making of the painting - the artist, Leonardo da Vinci, the believed model - to the theft from the Louvre in France and the subsequent investigation. It took years to find the thief, and even when he turned himself in, people didn't believe he was the thief! It is a fun, fascinating tale, one most of you will really enjoy! And, like all good historical fiction, you'll learn a lot along the way!

    Fans of my blog know I love non-fiction and historical fiction writer Steve Sheinkin. Day isn't quite at that supreme level of storytelling - yet! - but if he continues on this trajectory (or path), he might be. He is certainly someone I will watch and read again in the future. Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Medal for the best informational book...give this book a try - it's a page turner! 5 paws!