Bless This Mouse

Lowis Lowry, 2 time Newbery winner, is an author who you always have to check on.  This year's new book by her is very different from her past winners, Giver and Number the Starts, but worth reading.  I read this book in just a few hours, but all of them were on airplanes.  We had to switch planes in Philadelphia on our way from DC to Minneapolis, and one of the flight attendants on the 1st plane told me that I had to finish the book before I got off the plane.  He was joking, but, coincidentally, I did finish it before we reached our destination for the day.  I think this is the sweetest chapter book I've ever read.  It was written in a way and about a topic that would suggest that it was a children's book (and could someone please explain to me why SO many children's books are mouse stories), but the length was that of a chapter book.  It was a nice break to read a cute, sweet mouse story instead of sad and tragic stories like I have read recently.  I don't think this will bring Ms Lowry a third Newbery winner, but it is worth reading and interesting to see how one author can write so many different kinds of books.

Rating:

****

Messenger

This book is a GREAT companian to The Giver and Gathering Blue.  Throughout the whole book the first two books were tied up and I felt like the loose ends of the first books were tied up perfectly.  I liked how Gabrial and Jonas/Leader were both mentioned in this book, I felt it brought in the fact that this book was a companion to The Giver, but I thought that because Kira and Matt (now Matty) were such main parts of the book and their names hadn't changed like Jonas's had that this book went better with Gathering Blue than The Giver.  Also, until the very end of Gathering Blue, you don't get a possible reference at all to The Giver.  I really liked these books and their plots individually, and the 3rd book did tie up loose ends from the 1st 2 books, but I think that The Giver really stands alone and Gathering Blue and Messenger are companian books.  What do you think?

Rating:  ****

Gathering Blue

Sometimes people like to compare books in series and focus on the one they like best, for me I like to look at each book on its own.  It can help me be interested in a book if it is by an author I like, but some authors I love have written a book or two I don't like at all.  I read Gather Blue, because it was a gift (from one of my dad's students), a recommendation and from an author I love, boy am I glad I did.  I loved reading about Kira's futuristic world that could possibly existed at the same time as the world of Jonas (from the Giver).  Gathering Blue worked really well as a companion to The Giver (SPOILER ALERT) and I liked how at the end there was a mention of a boy that could possibly be Jonas at the end (in the author interview in the back of my copy Lois Lowry noted that "there is a reference to a boy with light eyes at the end of Gathering Blue.  He can be Jonas or not, as you wish.").  Like The Giver this is a book that makes you think on many levels, I recommend it to older elementary and middle school readers and I really think you should read The Giver first.

Rating: *****

We need libraries!

Do you have any plans for Sunday afternoon? If you live anywhere close to Indianapolis, Indiana, you can meet two-time Newbery Medal winning author Lois Lowry. She is going to speak at the Glendale Branch of the Indianapolis Library. I have talked my parents into taking me; it didn’t take that much “talking into” because it is LOIS LOWRY, amazing! Did I mention that I LOVE libraries? Libraries bring the coolest speakers and programs. There has been lots of talk about closing libraries because of the economy (including the Glendale Branch); I think this is a horrible idea. In a bad economy people need libraries more than ever; for books, to use computers, to learn things and to enjoy great programs. At a library you can get all of that for free. We need our libraries! So, yeah for Libraries and yeah for the Indianapolis Public Library having Lois Lowry on Sunday!

Number the Stars

The Holocaust and WWII are such horrible parts of our history, so it seems odd to enjoy a book about them. But I did enjoy it, in fact, Number the Stars made it into my top ten Newberys. This is really a story about the relationships between friends and families (especially sisters). Annemarie and her family help stand up for Ellen and her family when things start going horribly wrong. I think that children (and adults) should read books about the Holocaust so that we make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.


Rating: *****

The Giver

When I read this book I was amazed about how deep it is. The little boy goes through so much pain because of his job/role in the society. Many adults would like this book, but most children under the age of 12 would have a really hard time understanding it. The Giver would be a great book for winning the young adult equivalent to the Newbery, but, instead, it won the Newbery, for being a great book for children. It is one of those books that makes you think while you’re reading it, after you read it, and while you’re rereading it. This book is similar to The City of Ember, children don’t get to choose what job they want, and it made me think about social justice. When I read other books, I like to see how many connections I can make with this one. The Giver is a book to make you think.


Rating: *****