Book Club Mom’s Short Reviews of Recommended Reads – April 2023

Weldome to a new feature on Book Club Mom: Short Reviews of Recommended Reads. I hope you’ll take a look!

Born in a Treacherous Time by Jacqui Murray: I dove into this prehistoric story, Book 1 of Murray’s Dawn of Humanity trilogy, and wow, what a great portrayal of a world we can only imagine. Set 1.8 million years ago on the savannas of East Africa, we meet Lucy, an early human female from the Man-who-makes-tools group. Tragic events break up Lucy’s group and she joins another group, toolmakers, but different from her people. Pregnant, Lucy mourns the loss of her forever pairmate, Garv, but like all others, she must carry on in a world that is dominated by hunting and survival from starvation, attacks, extreme weather, volcanos and earthquakes. Lucy’s keen instincts, excellent hunting skills and knowledge of healing herbs and techniques prove an asset, yet other members resent her. They must all work together to survive, however, as they face many perils, including the ominous presence of Man-who-preys. Murray makes it easy to picture what life may have been like during this period, full of violence, but with equal amounts of emotional and social aspects.

Wonder by R. J. Palacio: Here’s a book you just have to like for its feel-good story and message. Fifth-grader Auggie Pullman has been born with a severe facial deformity, one that has required many surgeries. Previously home-schooled, his family enrolls him in a private middle-school in New York City. Not many people can say how Auggie feels to be so disfigured, to be stared at, made fun of, and worse. He has felt it all, yet he remains remarkably upbeat. Palacio does a nice job presenting Auggie’s character, through his own words. She continues the story through other characters’ narrations, giving us a wider perspective. Most interesting of these points of view is that of his older sister, Olivia, who has always loved and protected her brother, but begins to push away from that role. Olivia has lived in the background at home, with necessary attention being given to her brother. The overall message of kindness is perfect for readers ages 8-12.

Well Behaved Wives by Amy Sue Nathan: I enjoyed this historical fiction story set in the prestigious Jewish neighborhood of 1960s Wynnefield, Philadelphia. It begins as Ruth and Asher Applebaum, newly married, move in with Asher’s parents, Shirley and Leon. Shirley, stung that the couple eloped, sets her mind on making Ruth, a confident and career-minded New Yorker raised by her father, into a well-mannered woman of society. That means looking your best, saying the right things and supporting your husband’s career. Ruth has other ideas. A recent graduate of Columbia Law School, she plans to study for the bar exam and begin a career helping battered women. The problem? Asher has not told his parents about Ruth’s plans. Shirley arranges for Lucy to attend grooming classes, led by Shirley’s close friend and socialite, Lillian Diamond. Together, with three other young women, they become the “Diamond Girls.” Ruth discovers that she may be able to help one of her new friends escape dangerous circumstances and she soon learns that these older women have a lot more to them than she thought. Light reading, a little heavy on the message, but an interesting story.

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Books from the sea

Read and reviewed

Summer is a great time to read books about water and the sea. Take a look at this mix of classic tales, popular fiction and nonfiction:

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
What happens to a group of young British schoolboys when their plane is shot down and they land on deserted island in the Pacific?

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
The classic Hemingway story of Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman who has not caught a fish in eighty-four days

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
Light historical fiction and romance written into the history of the Titanic’s voyage, its passengers and the disaster’s aftermath

The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
A story of a lighthouse keeper and his wife, who live alone on an island off Western Australia

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Fast-paced, coming-of-age fantasy tale for adults about the mysteries of life, death, nature, the past, and the present

We Are Water by Wally Lamb
A rotating narrative about abuse over time and generations, and its range of effects

The Cay by Theodore Taylor
Touching coming-of-age story about an eleven-year-old American boy living on the island of Curaçao during World War II

In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
True survival story of the whaleship Essex, attacked and sunk by an eighty-five foot sperm whale in the Pacific

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Read but not reviewed

Billy Budd, Sailor by Herman Melville
A classic Melville story about the battle between good and evil

Jaws by Peter Benchley
Gripping suspense novel about a killer shark off a Long Island beach

Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Ahab takes on a killer whale.  Classic story inspired by the whaleship Essex

Gift from the Sea by Ann Morrow Lindbergh
Meditations about love, marriage and family written by Charles Lindbergh’s American wife

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Old-time classics

The Happy Return by C.S. Forester

Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian

Shōgun by James Clavell

Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini

Do you have any favorite tales about the sea?

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Book Review: Tommy’s Mommy’s Fish by Nancy Dingman Watson

Hi Everyone! In honor of Mother’s Day, I’m sharing this updated post from 2014 about a book that was a favorite with my kids and made me sentimental about my own childhood. It was published in 1996, but you can still get it online and maybe at your library!

Tommy’s Mommy’s Fish
by
Nancy Dingman Watson

Illustrated by Thomas Aldren Wingman Watson

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

When my kids were little, we found this book at our local library. It was on display and there was something that pulled us to it. We loved the cover picture of a young boy on the beach, holding a fishing rod, dog at his side.

In this special story, Tommy lives with his family on the ocean beach and he wants to give his mother a birthday present, all from him. His older brother and sisters are busy making their own gifts for their mother. Cammie is making a bayberry candle, Caitlin is making beach-plum jelly and Peter is cutting a pile of locust logs to fit the fireplace. They let him help. “You can help me, and we can give it to her together,” Caitlin offers. Cammie and Peter make similar offers, but Tommy says no, “I wanted it to be a present all from me,” he tells us.

Tommy is determined to give his mother something special and decides to catch her a fish, “And it isn’t going to be any little old sand dabber or a funny-looking thing like a goosefish or a sea robin. It’s going to be a STRIPED BASS.”

Tommy stands at the surf with his pole and waits. Gulls pass, the sunlight fades, the moon makes a “bright golden path over the water.” Tommy knows that patience is best when he finally hooks a big fat silver bass, but who will win the battle in the surf?

My kids loved this picture of the fish. The artwork in this book is terrific!

Little boys love pictures that are a little bit scary!

I love this book for a couple reasons. First, the story is just plain nice. I love family stories with dynamics between brothers and sisters. I love how these kids aren’t buying their mother anything, they are thinking of things to make, things that she will like. The second thing I like is the hard-to-explain, but very real way the book makes me feel, especially when Tommy faces the big fish. I don’t want to spoil the story, but I love Tommy’s narration of this moment.

So if you’re looking for a nice “old-school” kind of book, with a warm family feel, check this out, even if there aren’t any little ones around!

Nancy Dingman Watson

Nancy Dingman Watson (1933-2001) was an American author of more than 25 children’s books, novels and poetry books, including Blueberries Lavender, When Is Tomorrow and Tommy’s Mommy’s Fish, which was illustrated by her son and re-released in 1996.

Ms. Watson was born in Paterson, New Jersey and grew up in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. She attended Wheaton College and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College. She married Aldren Watson in 1941 and made a home in Putney, Vermont where she spent thirty years raising eight children. In the sixties, Ms. Watson wrote for the column “One Woman’s View.” She was a two-time finalist in the Allen Ginsburg poetry competition, and wrote an award-winning musical, Princess! Later in her life, she sailed across the Atlantic with her second husband, Dutch sailor Fokke Van Bekkum, in their 32-foot sailboat.

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Book Review: Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! I originally posted this review in 2014 and I’m sharing an updated version today. Such a terrific children’s book!

Make Way for Ducklings
Written and illustrated
by
Robert McCloskey

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Here’s a simple story about Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, who settle in Boston to raise a family. Mrs. Mallard causes quite a stir when she leads her eight ducklings through the streets of Boston, across town to meet Mr. Mallard on the pond in the Public Garden!

This is a wonderful picture book for little children and for young elementary school kids. The illustrations are great, and they complement McCloskey’s warm and humorous story. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard aptly name their cute ducklings Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack and, of course, Quack and the way they scamper through the pages will make you smile.

Here’s one of my favorite pictures from the book, but they’re all great!

How cute!

Make Way for Ducklings was published in 1941 and received the Caldecott Medal in the same year. Despite the years, I think the appeal of this book is timeless.

Robert McCloskey

Robert McCloskey (1914-2003)

Robert McCloskey was an American writer and illustrator of children’s books. He was the first person to be awarded the Caldecott Medal twice, once in 1941 for Make Way for Ducklings, and also in 1957 for Time of Wonder.

McCloskey was born and raised in Hamilton, Ohio. Before becoming an artist, he had a great many interests. He studied music and played the piano, harmonica, drums and oboe. He loved mechanics and electronics and spent a lot of time as a child inventing different gadgets, including elaborate lightings for the family Christmas tree. He discovered art in high school and won a scholarship at the Vesper George School of Design in Boston. McCloskey also studied art at the National Academy of Design in New York. McCloskey wrote and illustrated eight of his own books, and illustrated twelve additional children’s books.

He married Peggy Durand, daughter of the children’s author, Ruth Sawyer. They settled in upstate New York and spent summers in Maine and raised two daughters.

Books by Robert McCloskey:

Lentil (1940)
Make Way for Ducklings (1941) Caldecott Medal
Homer Price (1943)
Blueberries for Sal (1948) Caldecott Honor
Centerburg Tales (1951)
One Morning in Maine (1952) Caldecott Honor
Time of Wonder (1957) Caldecott Medal
Burt Dow, Deep Water Man (1963)

Thanks to Wikipedia and the The New York Times for this information.

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Joan Walsh Anglund, artist, poet and children’s book creator

Last week, I read that Joan Walsh Anglund passed away on March 9 at age 95. One of my favorite books as a young girl was A Friend Is Someone Who Likes You. When I was in Kindergarten, I bragged that I could read it, and soon found myself at the front of the class at story time. I didn’t really know how to read it or anything else, but I knew most of the book by heart. I stumbled through a few pages, but the pictures carried us through and no one seemed to care. I like to think it was because the story and pictures are so nice.

A Friend Is Someone Who Likes You was published in 1958 and was selected as one of the New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books that year.

You can read my review here and Anglund’s obituary in Publishers Weekly here.

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New York Public Library’s Top 10 Checkouts of All Time

Image: Pixabay

Did you see the New York Public Library’s Top 10 Checkouts of All Time? They published the list this month to mark their 125^th anniversary. I bet you know all ten of these books. Six of them are children’s books, but what about Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown? It didn’t make the list, but it made Honorable Mention and here is how the library explains it:

By all measures, this book should be a top checkout (in fact, it might be the top checkout) if not for an odd piece of history: extremely influential New York Public Library children’s librarian Anne Carroll Moore hated Goodnight Moon when it first came out. As a result, the Library didn’t carry it until 1972. That lost time bumped the book off the top 10 list for now. But give it time.

Years ago, libraries weren’t even open to children and, as explained in this recent Washington Post article, Anne Carroll is credited with “introducing an entire generation of children to libraries in the early 20^th century.” She just wasn’t a fan of Goodnight Moon and a couple others.

Here are the Top 10 Checkouts:

1. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
2. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
3. 1984 by George Orwell
4. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
6. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
7. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
8. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
9. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
10. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Thanks very much to K. for sending me this article!

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A backyard rabbit’s nest and Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

We’ve had a very busy bunny in our yard lately. One morning this week, she had my pansies for breakfast and that evening, I spotted her out back, working hard. What on earth was she doing, digging a hole in the middle of our yard and lining it with mud and grass? I wish I’d taken a picture of her when I went out to visit her, but she quickly hopped away and only returned after I’d left.

I did get a picture of her work, which I’m now sure is a nest. I don’t know if she’s still making it ready for babies, or if she decided on a better place. But I took a peek this morning and there are no little bunnies in there. I hope she makes this the place, though. My pansies may suffer, but I’d like to see some little ones hopping about.

It’s a cozy little place and it reminded me of one of my favorite children’s books,  Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Garth Williams. Here’s an early post from my blog:

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I think everyone knows the classic children’s book, Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown, but do you know about Home for a Bunny? It is just one of Brown’s many books, but it became one of our favorites here. And the illustrations are as great as the words in this nice story about a bunny looking for a home.

But there’s more to this story than you think. Brown has a way of stating the facts plainly and although the bunny looks sweet and innocent, he knows the realities of nature when he searches for a place to live. He doesn’t belong with the birds or the frogs or the groundhog. He would fall out of a nest, he would drown in a bog, and the groundhog tells him bluntly, “No, you can’t come in my log.” He’s safe at last when he finds a place where bunnies live.

Somehow, in just a few words, Brown and Williams show how all the creatures know where they belong and they accept it. And these words are balanced nicely with illustrations that are both realistic and sweet.

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Margaret Wise Brown

Margaret Wise Brown

Margaret Wise Brown (1910 – 1942) was an American author of children’s books. She led a short, but very successful career writing over a hundred children’s books, most notably, Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Brown was born in Brooklyn, New York and attended school in both Switzerland and the United States. She earned a degree in English at Hollins College, in Roanoke, Virginia and began her writing career while working at the Bank Street Experimental School in New York. Her first book, When the Wind Blew, was published in 1937.

Brown died unexpectedly, of an embolism, after surgery for appendicitis. Brown was an interesting character, who had a quirky personality and several tumultuous romantic relationships. You can learn more about these details from the following links.

Harper Collins biography
Britannica biography
Slate.com article

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Garth Williams

Garth Williams

 

Garth Williams was a well-known American illustrator of children’s books, including Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, and the Little House series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

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The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden
by
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Illustrated by Tasha Tudor

Rating:

Classic children’s books don’t get any better than this story about a spoiled, but frail and lonely ten-year-old orphan girl who is sent to live on a vast English moorland manor, with a reclusive uncle she has never met. In a delightful transformation, fresh air, exercise, surprise friendships, returned health and the newfound wonders of a secret and neglected garden are the springtime magic that brings Mary Lennox and her new family together.

Mary has lived a privileged life in India, waited on by her Ayah and knowing nothing about good manners or other people’s feelings. Her parents have died of cholera and now she must learn how to be kind to others and do things for herself. She’s been warned that her uncle has little interest in children. In fact, Archibald Craven is determinedly away when Mary arrives at Misselthwaite Manor and she is left in the care of the housekeeper, Mrs. Medlock, and the young housemaid, Martha Sowerby.

There are many secrets at Misselthwaite, including long corridors, hundreds of unused rooms and strange noises in other parts of the house. She’s told to stay in her own rooms when indoors, so Mary explores the outdoors where she finds many gardens and meets the groundskeeper, Ben Weatherstaff, and a friendly robin. When the robin flies to the top of a tree in an enclosed garden with no apparent door, Mary knows she must find a way in.

Once discovered, it’s a secret Mary longs to share with someone she can trust. And when she meets Dickon, Martha’s younger brother, she knows he is the perfect friend to tell. Dickon knows all about gardens and the creatures on the moor and has a magic about him that makes him glow with happiness. As the two children plant flowers and clear out the weeds, Mary learns about the unbearable unhappiness the garden represents to her uncle. And the alarming cries in the night reveal another secret about the manor.

As Mary befriends the people in her small world who struggle with their own problems, she entrusts them with her secret and learns that the greatest joy comes with helping each other. It’s a delightful story in which goodness rises to the top of much loss and sadness. The author does not shy away from these realities; she tells of them plainly and shows that faith and a little bit of springtime magic are no match for Misselthwaite’s troubles.

There is more to tell, but some secrets are better enjoyed first-hand. I recommend The Secret Garden to all readers, young and old, who enjoy books about children, friendship and the joys of finding a way out of unhappy times. I especially enjoyed this Tasha Tudor Edition, published in 1962 by Harper Collins. The artist’s illustrations are beautiful and give the reader a wonderful picture of Burnett’s story.

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I read The Secret Garden as part of my library’s Summer Reading Challenge to read a children’s classic.

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Book Talk – The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Image: Pixabay

Welcome to a new and occasional feature on Book Club Mom called Book Talk, home to quick previews of new and not-so-new books that catch my eye.

I read The Secret Garden many years ago and it’s a book I remember loving as a girl. Written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, it’s considered a children’s classic. First published in 1912, the story has been adapted to many film and stage versions, including a Broadway musical in 1991.

The Secret Garden is the story of Mary Lennox, a young girl living in India, whose family dies of cholera. Mary is sent to England to live with a widowed uncle on his large estate, where she is left by herself much of the time. Lonely and with few friends, Mary discovers a key to an abandoned walled garden and her life begins to change, as secrets about her uncle and his family are revealed.

Frances Hodgson Burnett, Image: Wikipedia

Burnett was a British novelist and playwright and, in addition to The Secret Garden, is the author of Little Lord Fauntleroy (1885-6) and A Little Princess (1905). Burnett wrote constantly, as a young girl, and later to support her family. She was born in England in 1849, moved to America as a young woman, was married and divorced twice, had two sons and lived the last years of her life on Long Island, New York. She died in 1924 at age 74.

One of the BINGO squares on my Libraries Rock Summer Reading card is to read a children’s classic, so I chose The Secret Garden. I remember how good I felt when I first read this story, so I’m looking forward to feeling the same!

Have you re-read any of your childhood favorites?

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The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt, Illustrated by Adam Rex

The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors
by
Drew Daywalt
Illustrated by Adam Rex

Rating:

I don’t review a lot of children’s books, but I couldn’t resist a post about this new picture book by Drew Daywalt. It’s already a New York Times best seller. We recently purchased it at the library where I work and the children’s librarians love it. So do I!

Daywalt is an American filmmaker and writer. He began his career writing and directing short films and horror films on the YouTube channel Fewdio. He is also the author of the award-winning The Day the Crayons Quit and its sequel, The Day the Crayons Came Home.

The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors is a great story about the backyard game every kid knows, usually played to decide something important, such as who is in charge or who gets to go first.

Daywalt’s story brings the three players (Rock, Paper and Scissors) to life in the Kingdom of Backyard, the Empire of Mom’s Home Office and the Kitchen Realm. They are undisputed champions in their own domains, but winning has been too easy and each yearns for a worthy opponent. The match is on once they meet each other. It’s a good natured contest, and it ends with a feel-good message, perfect for teaching a lesson about competition and friendship.

Hilarious from start to finish with terrific illustrations by Adam Rex, this story will engage both young and older children who know all about the game and the power struggles that go on in their neighborhood backyards. Adults will also appreciate Daywalt’s clever story and subtle humor, as well as Rex’s imaginative and colorful illustrations.

I wish my kids weren’t mostly grown because they would have loved this book. But maybe I’ll check it out anyway. You never know…

Interested?  Visit these links for more information.

Amazon
Publishers Weekly review
Kirkus Review
Wikipedia

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