Prairie Somethings

I recently read two very different middle grade books with a connection in the title.  Prairie Evers by Ellen Airgood is a novel about a girl whose first name is Prairie.  This story is realistic fiction with themes of friendship and family.  It is set in modern day New York State.  Prairie Thief by Melissa Wiley had similar themes of friendship and family, but has a bit of magic and is set in the 1800’s.  There are other little connections between the stories as well.  

• Each story features glimpses of farm or pioneer life. Prairie Evers lives on a plot of open land that allows her to raise chickens.  Prairie Thief is set on the Kansas prairie where the main character, Louisa and her father keep cows, chickens, and more. 

• Both show a tender side of friendship.  Prairie Evers makes friends with a shy classmate.  The two share secrets and smiles and eventually become as close as sisters.  Louisa in Prairie Thief finds a friend during an unusual situation.   Louisa and her friend new friend, Jessamine, conspire to help each other and hide a magical creature, too.

• In an unusual connection, both stories critically look at the parenting skills of a minor character.  It’s Prairie’s best friend who has a mother who is disconnected.  It’s an unusual situation that creates friction between the two friends, but also brings them closer together.  Meanwhile, in Prairie Thief, Louisa’s neighbor, Jessamine, has a step-mother who is pure nasty.  While this character is quite unlikable, she provides some comical parts of the story with her arrogant attitude.

• Best of all, the main characters in each of these stories were smart, resourceful young women.  They each showed that caring for your family and friends can be a sign of strength.

I enjoyed both books for different reasons.  I liked the pioneer spirit in Prairie Thief.  I also thought the minor characters in Prairie Thief were fun to get to know.  One character is a judge who decides young Louisa’s father’s fate, and he really surprised me.  Prairie Evers on the other hand is such a modern and fun story that really appealed to me as a teacher who loves to see adolescents show their personality and get to know themselves.  Prairie’s unique situation of coming from homing schooling to entering into a public school put an interesting twist on this.  I would recommend both books for grades 4^th to 7^th grade and would be fun read together.

How about you?  Have you read any stories lately with an unusual connection like this?

Love, Love, Love, Lions of Little Rock

I recently read The Lions of Little Rock by Kristen Levine.  If you haven’t read this book or heard about it yet, let me be the one to recommend it to you.  You won’t be disappointed.  It’s not often that a book comes along that marries historical content with heartwarming story on such a deep level like The Lions of Little Rock.  The story is set in the turbulent segregation fights of Little Rock in the 1950’s.  We meet 12 year old Marlee who is introverted and nearly friendless.  She finally finds a kindred spirit with a new student, Liz.  Readers will suspect the truth long before innocent Marlee, that Liz has a secret.  Marlee and Liz endure prejudice, bullying, and fight for their friendship. 

I loved so many parts of this book.  As an adult reader I was especially touched by the relationship between Marlee and her parents.  It’s hard to put my finger on why Marlee and her parents were so special, but author Levine has created magic in my eyes.  One part of the story has Marlee leaving a bible verse in her mother’s purse.  This simple act was so inspiring, and not in a religious way, but rather in a way that shows the connection that mothers and daughters can share (there is also some teen angst, ‘my mom just doesn’t understand me’ parts too).  The book also featured other family dynamics.  Marlee’s own parents don’t always agree, another friend is being bullied by his older brother, and sisters who were once close mature and become more independent. 

There are even more reasons that this book was one of my favorite recent reads.  The main characters are smart, interesting, and real.  The secondary characters are well developed, integral to the story, and interesting too.  The setting is unique, relatable, and assessable to the reading age level.  Overall the story is extremely well told, thought provoking, and IMPORTANT.  Good historical fiction tells a story dependent upon a different time period, showing difference in culture and experiences, but at its best historical fiction teaches readers important lessons, changes reader’s ideas, and reflects a story so strongly that the reader can’t help but make applications to their own lives.  Lions of Little Rock is that kind of book.

I am eager to see if other people liked Lions of Little Rock as much as I did.  I’ve avoided reading many reviews, but now I will seek them.  I also hope to see some buzz for Lions of Little Rock for book awards this year.  I HIGHLY recommend this book to MG readers, teachers, parents, book lovers, people who grew up in the 50’s and remember the civil rights fight, and anyone who enjoys quality books.

Bully + Additional Resources for Parents and Teachers

One of my absolute passions is teaching children, teachers, and parents about bullying and relational aggression.  When I saw  Patricia Polacco’s new book, Bully, I knew it was a must read.  Polacco usually creates characters with which readers make connections easily.  This is certainly true with Bully which introduces Lyla, a middle schooler moving to a new school.  Lyla wants to be like other girls with cell phones and facebook.  Even with savvy parents who are strict about technology rules, Lyla still becomes the victim of cyber-bullying.  Parents might not understand the ins and outs of cyber-bullying and this book is an excellent primer.

Fans of Patricia Polacco will appreciate her sensitivity and authenticity.  Lyla feels compelled to fit in, but is torn when she witnesses ‘mean girls’ at work.  The characters are insightful, but also deal with real life problems.  One character makes the comment that “[the bullies] aren’t happy unless they are putting someone else down.”  I was also interested in how the school authorities were portrayed in dealing with cyber bullying, as there is much debate within education as to how to deal with this ever growing problem.  This book would be an excellent read in upper elementary and middle schools or even with older students to start a discussion.  In fact Polacco ‘ends’ the story by giving options for the characters and asking what should be done.

Recommended for MG readers including teachers, parents, fans of Polacco, people who are against bullying, and those who want to learn more about cyberbullying.

Additional Anti-bullying Resources

One way I teach about bullying is by offering teacher and parent professional development courses on anti-bullying based on Operation Respect’s “Don’t Laugh at Me”.  For free information and resources from “Don’t Laugh at Me”.  

Take this quiz quiz to see how much YOU know about bullying.  One surprising fact: According to the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), fear of losing computer privileges is the main reason why kids don't let their parents know when they are being cyberbullied.

Over at Imagination Soup there is an excellent post about being a parent or teacher who helps stop bullying.  I love the header for the article which reads: Bullying 101, Stop, Listen, Help.

Storytime Standouts and Story Snoops each have prepared lists of books with antibullying themes. StorytimeStandouts has a great list for elementary and MG readers while Story Snoops lists YA books with the theme of cyberbullying for older readers.

Parenting.com also aims to educate parents and children about bullying with this informational post.  Several resources are listed as well as helpful tips for parents and antibullying videos to watch with your child.

As always, if you have comments or additional resources to share, 

leave me a comment here and I will add your ideas. Thank YOU!

The Humming Room

The Humming Room by Ellen Potter is a middle grade novel about a young girl named Roo.  Roo has had a hard life which has caused her to become introverted, tuning into nature more so than people.   She is alone too, until her mysterious uncle claims her.  Living with her uncle is an unusual situation.  He shows signs of indifference, kindness, and maybe even madness.  Her uncle’s house is also unusual.  She is isolated on an island living in a former children’s hospital.  Her life continues to be out of the ordinary when she meets a river boy, discovers a hidden garden, and learns that she is not as alone on the island as she thought.

Based on The Secret Garden, this modern update is intriguing.  I wanted to know more about Roo, the garden, and all of the other mysteries.  In fact I would have enjoyed a longer book with more background and details.  That being said, author Potter kept me reading without making the book too ‘strange’.  I liked the bits about the lore of the river and enjoyed meeting Jack on the river.  I just didn’t connect with some of the colder characters.  I wanted to feel sorry for them, but didn’t have enough invested in their background and story.  I also agree with many critics who have said that the story does end a bit abruptly, tying up all of the loose ends but not satisfying reader’s curiosities when it comes to all the characters.

I hope MG readers will enjoy this story about a girl who is a bit of an outcast.  Recommended for MG readers and readers who like classic books and The Secret Garden.