The Water and the Wild, by K. E. Ormshee

Every now and again a book comes along that renders me smitten. In this case, the book was unexpected.  It showed up on my front porch, which is something that doesn't happen so often these days. I was intrigued by both the cover and the title and since it was a weekend, I settled in.

There is not much that makes Lottie Fiske happy.  She is stuck living in the boarding house with Mrs. Hester Yates after her intended guardian passes away in his porridge.  Mrs. Yates is not much like her husband who was always doing things that were kind.  She finds Lottie a bother who doesn't help with the chores, and is more likely found cavorting in the garden with her imagination.

Two things do make Lottie happy, and they are the apple tree in her yard, and her best friend Eliot.  She has been putting her wishes in that tree for ages now and each year on her birthday she receives the trinkets she asks for. So when Eliot's health takes a turn for the worse, Lottie knows she needs to use her birthday wish for something more important than hair bows.

An apple tree gateway, a magical legacy, political intrigue and plenty of double crossing do not deter Lottie from trying to get what she needs in order to help Eliot. The problem is, Eliot's not the only one who needs what Lottie has come for.

Ormshee has written one heck of a charming story that had me right from the beginning. Setting, character, story and world building all come together in a way where readers do not see the strings. The writing itself is a pleasure to read, and I am planning on reading this aloud this summer to my own daughters. The book comes blissfully map free, but I find myself wanting to draw not only Lottie's journey, but the characters she meets along the way.  From her apple tree, to Iris Gate and especially the Wisps...I have them in my mind's eye, but want to put pencil to paper and give them more shape and look upon them.  While this book doesn't scream sequel (and you all know how much I adore the stand alone), I find myself wanting more of these characters.  For fans of the faery, friendship, poetry and a well spun yarn.

Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson

I was lucky enough to hear Jacqueline Woodson speak about and read from Brown Girl Dreaming during the School Library Journal Day of Dialog last spring.  If any of you have seen Woodson before, you know she is charming, and dynamic and funny.  She read a few poems from the book and spoke of her family and writing life.  Like the rest of the librarians, I waited in line to speak with Ms. Woodson and have an arc signed, but 10 minutes or so into the wait I knew this arc wasn't going to be for me to keep.  Instead, I had it signed for a student and gave it to her when I saw her next.   So like so many others, I waited for the book birthday to get my hands on the hard cover copy on the day of its' release.

I'm not sure I can add much to the conversation around this book, as I agree with the buzz.  Brown Girl Dreaming is more than a book or a memoir....it is a gift.  We follow Jacqueline and her changing family from Ohio to South Carolina and up to NYC and each poem is a revelation of sorts that brings the reader through the timeline of Woodson's life.  From the "how to listen" haikus to poems like "sometimes, no words are needed", "stevie", and "as a child, i smelled the air" I found myself closing the book to pause again and again.

I had posted a photo of "stevie" on Instagram and commented that I was swooning over this book, and a friend commented that her copy is so dog-eared that she isn't going to share it with her students.  It made me comment back that this is the kind of book you carry around with you.  I will take the dust jacket off, and place it in my school bag.  And when the world gets to be a little too much, I will open the pages and gift myself with a little bit of magic.

The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander

Fast talking basketball kid Josh lives for the game.  It makes sense since his father Chuck "Da Man" Bell was a player in his own right back in the day.  Chuck played the European League, but now stays home to take care of the house while Josh's mom is the Vice Principal at his school.  Josh's twin Jordan (JB) lives for basketball too, but things are starting to shift.

Miss Sweet Tea in her pink Reeboks has caught JB's attention, and Josh isn't quite sure how to be without JB.  He finds himself missing his brother's wisecracks and bets.  He's not used to being one.  Even on the court their flow has changed, and Josh crosses a line in a way that he wouldn't have even considered before.

Girls and basketball aren't the only things that the Bell family is dealing with.  Mrs. Bell is trying, trying, trying to get Chuck to deal with his health issues.  He is a man who likes his treats, he gets fired up over his sons' games, and he simply refuses to see a doctor despite his spells.

This story of the love of the game, shifting allegiances and family will take readers on a journey they are not likely to forget.  There's a rawness and realness to Josh both on and off the court.  Alexander's free verse brings the pace of the story up, but there are moments that give the reader real pause as well. For example in Basketball Rule #3 Alexander writes:" Never let anyone / lower your goals. / Others' expectations / of you are determined / by their limitations / of life. / The sky is your limit, sons. / Always shoot / for the sun / and you will shine."  And the poem Dear Jordan will leave you breathless.

The Crossover is a quick read, but it is a book that should and will be reread. Add this to your TBR pile, asap!

poetry speaks who i am: poems of discovery, inspiration, independence, and everything else...

I am a poetry girl. Ever since I was small, my dad used to get me at least one volume of poetry every year. It started with Dennis Lee's Garbage Delight, and ended with Barbara Bucknall's The Witch Poems. I've loved poetry all my life, but probably most ardently during my teen and tween years. And that is just where poetry speaks who i am is aimed.

In this eclectic mix, classic poets like Poe, Dickinson, Frost and Yeats meet up with contemporaries like Alexie, Alvarez, Giovanni and Koertge. The poetry itself mixes and mingles along topics like love, kisses, family, school, war, math and bra shopping! Yet it works. Editors Elise Paschen and series editor Dominique Raccah have managed to set every poem in the exact place where it needs to be, and there is a flow to this volume that gives a certain ease to reading.

The book also comes with a CD of several of the poems either read by the poet, or by a reader (as in the case of Yeats). The audio component is powerful, as the poems are heard as they were meant to be.

The end papers are filled with pages for readers to write there own poetry down. In the introduction, Dominique Raccah writes about the poetry books that she used to carry around that were filled with poetry by others and original works. poetry speaks who i am just might be that volume that inspires young poets to do the same!

Wonderful!

Hate That Cat

I think that this book may have finally gotten me over my fear of sequels for good. The times have changed and sequels seem to be inevitable, and these days, they are often as good, or better, than the first!

Jack is back and lucky for him, Miss Stretchberry has moved up a year as well. (I work in a school and have seen this happen...it's not as rare as you may think. My friend's son had his teacher for 1st, 2nd and 4th grade!). He is back to writing poetry, and even though Miss Stretchberry asks for more words about Jack's dear departed Sky, he has no more words about Sky. Instead, he sets his sites on the mean, fat, black cat that he sees at the bus stop.

There are more poems about poems and about poets as well. Walter Dean Myers is back, as are Christopher Myers, Edgar Allan Poe, Alfred Lord Tennyson, William Carlos Williams, T.S. Eliot, plus mentions of others. Jack's Uncle Bill makes sure that he tells Jack his opinion of the famous poets as well as Jack's own short lines.

Maybe the most poignant piece of the book is the exploration of the relationship of Jack and his mom. Jack's mom is deaf, and Jack wonders how words exist in her head. He wonders how she "hears" his poems. A favourite of mine is Jack's June 5th entry of "This is Just to Say" (pg. 124-125 arc).

Interestingly enough, the mean old cat ends up doing something nice for Jack and his family, and while Sky will never be replaced, perhaps Jack can spread some of his love after all.

Creech has done it again. This book seems so effortless. It is a fast read, and is perfect for reluctant and avid readers alike, but there is so much story...so much meat in the sparse words. I find myself amazed at these little books.