Three Great Books

I read three great young adult/children's books over the Christmas holiday.  All three were review copies or were received free at the AASL conference this fall.

The first was A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck (2009). This book features the irrepressible Mrs. Dowdel who first appeared in Peck's A Long Way from Chicago. This story finds her helping out the Barnhardts, a Methodist minister and his family. Bob, our narrator, recounts the adventures and mishaps of the family and their colorful neighbor in this delightful book.


I loved this book. It made me laugh aloud, and I found myself constantly reading passages to my poor husband. These characters will stay with you long after you've read the book.

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Richard Peck autographed the book for me at AASL!

The second book was The Magician's Elephant by Kate DeCamillo (2009). This is a magical book about the power of belief. Set in a fictional country plagued by a cold and gray winter, Peter encounters a fortune teller who says that his sister, long believed dead, is alive and that an elephant will lead him to her. This preposterous prediction seems unlikely until a magician accidentally conjures an elephant that falls through the roof and into the lap of a noblewoman. Peter's quest to find and then free the elephant so that he can be reunited with his sister brings him into contact with an odd assortment of characters. Each is memorable, and each is, in his or her own way, seeking an "elephant".

 

Finally, I read Laurie Halse Anderson's powerful Wintergirls.  This young adult novel deals with the oft-covered subject eating disorders,  but Anderson's storytelling, lyrical language, and character development make this a an important work of young adult fiction.  Lia, a high school senior, is struggling with anorexia and sometimes cuts herself to feel the pain of being alive.  Her father and mother are both too immersed in their own careers to pay any attention to her.  Her stepsister and stepmother aren't able to offer her the support she needs.  When her oldest friend Cassie dies alone in a motel room after leaving 33 voice mails for her, Lia begins to spiral out of control.  Haunted by Cassie's ghost and her own demons, Lia struggles to find a reason to stay alive.

Laurie Halse Anderson autographing my

book at AASL.