Watermark Teacher Feature – August 22, 2007

In this issue:

BOOK NEWS

Fresh Titles: Elephant & Piggie, Clementine, and great teen titles

UPCOMING EVENTS
 

Laura Moriarty reading & signing: Friday, August 24.
KMUW Literary Feast. Friday, September 7.
Robert Collins book signing. Saturday, September 8.
Watermark's Teacher Appreciation Day. Saturday, September 15.
Jon Scieszka author event. Wednesday, September 27.
Jan Brett book signing. Sunday, October 21.

FEATURED BOOK REVIEWS

* Gail Carson Levine’s heroic fairy novels for middle-readers

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Greetings and salutations,

How does it feel to be back in school? Refreshing—like one of those lime-soda commercials filled with mist and citrus? I hope so, but if not, just wait for the seasons to turn: no one can resist the onrush of autumn. I can almost hear the approach of pumpkin weather.

Watermark’s slate is filling up with fall author events, including several for noted children’s authors. Be sure to look below for the newly announced dates for John Scieszka and Jan Brett. Also, take note that Bev Buller has been so kind as to agree to participate in our annual Teacher Appreciation Day on September 15 with a signing of her new biography of William Allen White: "From Emporia: The Story of William Allen White." It will be a day of book-centered excitement! I hope to see you there.

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FRESH TITLES

One can never have too much Elephant & Piggie

“I Am Invited to a Party!” (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems (Hyperion, 9781423106876, $8.99) This beginning-reader book shows Piggie and Gerald the Elephant as they get the pre-party jitters: What kind of party will it be? How should they dress? The answers are hilarious and wonderfully visual as Mo Willems unleashes his cartooning talent on two great children’s characters: Read a review
 

A picture book buzzing with humor

“Diary of a Fly” by Doreen Cronin, illus. by Harry Bliss (Joanna Cotler, 9780060001568, $15.99) Doreen Cronin follows her kid-favorite picture books “Diary of a Worm” and “Diary of a Spider” with this new title that tracks the summery days of little Fly, a tiny insect with big dreams. Fly is convinced she can be a super hero: after all, she can already fly, stick to walls, and see in all directions at once. Can super strength be far behind? It’s up to her buddies Worm and Spider to dash her hopes—or encourage them. The clever words and illustrations here tell a light, fun story with a swarm of laugh-worthy bug jokes.

Move over, Junie B. Jones; it’s time for Clementine

“Clementine” by Sara Pennypacker, pictures by Marla Frazee (Hyperion, 9780786838820, $14.99) Clementine is a peach, a plum, the absolute apple of my eye. She’s a chapter-book protagonist to reckon with—and to laugh with. In this, her first book, her adventures include waging a war on pigeons and surviving a best-friend spat that involves art scissors and unfortunate hair cuts. It makes a perfect pair (pear?) with “The Talented Clementine.” Orange you glad you heard about it?
Read a review


Smart & sassy teen novels

“Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature” by Robin Brande (Knopf, 9780375843495, $15.99) This first novel for young adults takes on the embattled subject of teaching evolution in a high school biology class. The narrator, Mena, tries to find a way to embrace both her religious faith and her newfound love of science. Brande’s writing is funny, authentic, and sweet, and Mena’s quest to think her own thoughts is quietly and kindly challenging: Read a review


“Naomi & Ely’s No-Kiss List” by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 9780375844409, $16.99) Levithan is among the best young-adult authors writing today, and his second team-up with Rachel Cohn is a strong story of two joined-at-the-hip best friends who need to learn to stand apart as they go through their freshmen year of college. It's a funny, irreverent tale told in multiple voices: Read a review


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UPCOMING WATERMARK EVENTS


Sidewalk Sale this weekend!

Laura Moriarty Reading & Signing. Friday, August 24. 7:00 p.m.

Laura Moriarty is a novelist who resides in Lawrence, Kansas, and her first novel, “The Center of Everything,” has been a favorite of the Watermark staff since its release in 2003. Moriarty will return to Watermark to read and sign copies of her brand-new novel “The Rest of Her Life.” It’s a family drama focused on the difficult relationship between a Kansas woman and her teenage daughter. Bestselling novelist Jodi Picoult says, “Moriarty’s honest novel about an ordinary family whose life changes in one extraordinary moment resonates like an emotional tuning fork." You can visit Moriarty's Web site at: www.lauramoriarty.net  or read a review by Watermark’s Sarah Bagby here: http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0807-010.html


KMUW Literary Feast. Friday, September 7. 7:00 p.m.

The September book will be “Crashing Through: A Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man Who Dared to See” by Robert Kurson. It’s the real-life story of a man who, after being blind for much of his life, regains his sight via surgery and has to re-train his brain to process visual information. Literary Feast participants will enjoy dinner together, with a special themed menu, then take part in a book discussion over dessert.

Tickets are available at the Watermark book counter or by calling (316) 682-1181. Places are limited, and we recommend purchasing your ticket in advance. Read more about the book, author, and menu on the KMUW Web site: http://www.kmuw.org/LiteraryFeasts.html


Robert Collins Book Signing. Saturday, September 8. 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Robert Collins will be at Watermark to sign his new book, “Jim Lane: Scoundrel, Statesman, Kansan.” As the life of U.S. Senator James Lane unfolded on the Kansas frontier, so too did his saintly and dastardly deeds. Some called him a murderer while other affectionately called him a good politician. In this new biography, Collins tells the largely forgotten life story of this controversial figure. It will be interest of great interest to anyone seeking a historical perspective of the “Bleeding Kansas” era.


Looking ahead…

Watermark's Teacher Appreciation Day. Saturday, September 15.

Watermark invites local teachers to come enjoy special discounts, free give-aways, and book-centered programming. We’re planning informational sessions on local and regional titles for young people, on how to select great graphic novels for libraries and classrooms, how to improve students' reading comprehension, and more—including a roundtable lunchtime discussion on young-reader books and book signing by author Bev Buller, author of the new biography "From Emporia: The Story of William Allen White."


Jon Scieszka author event. Wednesday, September 27.

Children’s author Jon Scieszka (creator of the “The Stinky Cheese Man”) will appear in Wichita at a Watermark event promoting his wacky new picture-book “Cowboy & Octopus,” illustrated by Lane Smith. Time and place will be announced when final.


Jan Brett book signing. Sunday, October 21. 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Beloved writer and illustrator Jan Brett is returning to Wichita with a new book: “Three Snow Bears.” At her Watermark book signing, 275 signing tickets will be distributed to first-comers at the door (not in advance) on the day of the event. Time and place will be announced when final.

For a full listing of Watermark events, including book clubs and art openings, visit the Events page of our Web site at: http://www.watermarkbooks.com/events.html

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FEATURED REVIEWS: Fairy Books by Gail Carson Levine


“Fairy Haven & the Quest for the Wand” by Gail Carson Levine, illus. by David Christiana (Disney Press, 9781423101000, $17.99)

The umbrella of “Disney Fairies” shelters a whole line of chapter books, bookmarks, fairy Shrinkydinks, punch-out lantern activity books, books-with-charming charm bracelets attached, fairy-drawing kits, and more. But undoubtedly, the jewels in the fairy queen’s crown have to be Gail Carson Levine’s two inviting middle-reader novels, the newer being the freshly released “Fairy Haven & the Quest for the Wand.” Conquering all my initial doubts, I recently opened its snazzy blue cover to find that Levine, the author of “Ella Enchanted,” is one fine storyteller, and her contributions to the world of Peter Pan and Tinker Bell are more than just sweet tie-ins for pastel toys: they’re poignant and clever fairy tales sprinkled with some of the same magic dust that made J. M Barrie’s original story a classic.

“Fairy Dust” finds a group of Never-Land fairies on a vital mission: obtain a magic wand to pacify a vindictive mermaid who wants to flood them out of house and home. The waters rise, and things get a bit desperate as the fairies go questing forth and then return home victorious, but the story’s most interesting moments dwell on the effect the wand has on its winners: each fairy catches a case of “wand madness” and finds herself (or himself) unable to resist making short-sighted and selfish wishes. And it’s in conjuring these homemade calamities that Levine’s tale-spinning really shines.

“Be careful what you wish for” is a tried-and-true motto, to be sure, but Levine handles it beautifully as she applies it to her cast of plucky, appealing characters. The results are often quite heartbreaking. A still-smarting Tinker Bell wishes comeuppance upon Peter Pan for his fickleness in replacing her with Wendy Darling, whereas Love-struck Terrence wishes Tink would adore only him. Both soon realize that in making such cruel demands, they’ve each become harder-hearted and less lovable. Wand madness also grips the aloof and snotty Vidia, whose only pure joy is being the fastest flyer in Never Land. When she steals a wish for unlimited speed, she quickly encounters the tragedy of having no wants left to satisfy: once granted its greatest desire, her small heart is left feeling completely empty.

Levine strews these breath-catching moments among the rollicking turns of a story filled with friendship and bravery, close calls and narrowly averted disaster. Like Peter Pan himself, her fairies have awfully grand adventures, and their exploits capture much of the wonder and peril of childhood wish-making.


“Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg” by Gail Carson Levine, illus. by David Christiana (Disney Press, 9780786834914, $16.99)

After enjoying the pleasant surprise of “Fairy Haven,” I pulled from the shelf Levine’s earlier book “Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg.” It’s the story of how a new, one-of-a-kind fairy arrives in Never Land just in time to help the other fairies weather a freak hurricane (Levine seems to like including a natural disaster; maybe she’s a tornado chaser in real life?). Young Prilla wants desperately to discover her special talent and find her place, but the topsy-turvy circumstances of the storm get in the way.

Once again, Levine is at her best when peering into the bright hearts of her cast of small characters. Though each fairy has a set talent, like being an animal-handler or a skilled baker, the story’s most resonant moments arrive when those individuals must learn to grow beyond their usual talents. Tough, gutsy Tinker Bell finds it within herself to nurse friends wounded by brutal storm winds; selfish Vidia takes a reluctant shot at being a team player; and the real star of the tale—sweet, weepy Rani—learns to take charge as she leads a team to rescue them all.

Like its sequel, “Fairy Dust” is an adventure story stocked with characters that are sure to fascinate young readers. They exist in a fantastic miniature world of leaf handkerchiefs and friendly animals, but they struggle with real questions of honesty, courage, and kindness—questions of great interest to young people still learning to navigate the tricky waters of friendship and growing up. Levine provides such readers with excellent fairy heroes: brave but fallible, funny, sometimes cruel, and in the end, quite lovable.

Recommended for ages 8 to 12.

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Past reviews and archived issues of Teacher Feature can be read on-line on the Watermark Web site at: http://www.watermarkbooks.com/teach.html

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Later educators,

Mark David Bradshaw

 

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