Picture Book Blog Tour - Ann Redisch Stampler

Kid Lit Frenzy is honored to be kicking off the Picture Book Blog Tour for Ann Redisch Stampler.  Ann has written numerous picture books over the years and last year entered the scene as a debut Young Adult author with her book, Where It Began (Simon Pulse, 2012).

The Picture Book Blog Tour is featuring Ann's newest picture book The Cats on Ben Yehuda Street that was released in January of this year and The Wooden Sword which was released in 2012.  There will be 10 stops in this blog tour and you can get more information from Read Now Sleep Later where Ann's books will be featured tomorrow (March 19, 2013).  Scroll down to read my thoughts on each of the books.   

The Cats on Ben Yehuda Street written by Ann Stampler; Illustrated by Francesca Carabelli (Kar-Ben Publishing, January 1, 2013)

This book is absolutely charming, and cat lovers will adore it.  Mr. Modiano owns a Fish Shop on Ben Yehuda Street in Tel Avi.  Mrs. Spiegel is his neighbor and the owner of two cats.  Each day, Mr. Modiano brings a fish up to Mrs. Spiegel and each day, after he leaves, she gives the fish to her cats to enjoy.  Then one day, her dear Ketzie goes missing.

The writing in this book is both perfect for the story and for young readers who will enjoy the humor and seriousness of the tale.  The repetitive format of the text will provide readers with the ability to join in on guessing what will happen next.  Both Mr. Modiano and Mrs. Spiegel are quirky in their own way.  The two cats, Ketzie and Gatito are unique as well.  Though, I wasn't surprised by the ending of the story, I was certainly pleased with how things work out when Ketzie disappears.

Francesca Carabelli's illustrations work well in complimenting the tone of this book.  There is a certain sense of fun and humor that is conveyed by her depiction of each of the characters.  This story works on several levels because of how well Stampler's text works with Carabelli's pictures.   

The Wooden Sword by Ann Stampler; Illustrated by Carol Liddiment (Albert Whitman & Co, March 1, 2012)

Whereas, there is a certain sense of fun and humor in The Cats on Ben Yehuda Street, Stampler displays a more serious note in The Wooden Sword.  Her retelling of the classic Afghani Jewish folktale is pitch perfect.  I have spoken with Ann several times about this book and have always been struck about her desire to get this one "just right" from both the text to the illustrations.  I have admired her diligent efforts in capturing the cultural setting for this folktale too.

As I read, The Wooden Sword, I was drawn to the faith of the poor Jewish shoemaker in the face of the challenges presented by the Afghani Shah.  The folktale works perfectly in our world today.  For many, challenges come constantly in the decisions that we face each day and in wondering how to deal with loss of jobs or other things.  The Jewish shoemaker remains faithful and optimistic through it all and shows great wisdom in how he deals with some difficult decisions.

Carol Liddiment's illustrations work to compliment and highlight Ann's storytelling.  Readers will find this story fulfilling and an excellent addition to classroom and school collections on folktales. 

Information about Ann Redisch Stampler:
Ann Redisch Stampler loves folk tales! She is an award-winning picture book writer, most recently receiving the National Jewish Book Award for The Rooster Prince of Breslov. She also writes for young adults.

From her website: In terms of the facts of my life, I was born on the East coast and raised mostly in the West, and live in Los Angeles where my husband, Rick, and I raised our two children. I studied English literature, psychology, and law, all of which still interest me. But I have always wanted to be a writer, and I feel extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to fulfill that dream.

Where to find her: Picture Book Website | YA Website | Twitter | Facebook

Blog Tour Stops:

Tue - March 19 - Alethea at Read Now Sleep Later 

Wed - March 20 - Gail at Nightengail Art 

Thu - March 21 - Danielle at There's a Book

Fri - March 22 - Wendy at Noodling with Words 

Sat - March 23 - The Cats on Ben Yehuda Launch Party at Children's Book World, Los Angeles

Mon - March 25 - Julie Rowan-Zoch 

Tue - March 26 - Joanna at Miss Marple's Musings 

Wed - March 27 - Niki at Daydream Reader 

Thu - March 28 - Cynthia at Teaching in Cute Shoes 

Fri - March 29 - Colby at Sharpread

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA - 3/18/13

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey. Jen & Kellee from Teach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.


Here's what has stood out from the pile...

Wordles by Amy Krouse Rosenthal; Illustrated by Serge Bloch  (Chronicle Books, June 1, 2012) - Last year Krouse Rosenthal did Wumbers and this year we have Wordles.  Look for this one coming in June.

Born to be Giants: How Baby Dinosaurs Grew to Rule the World by Lita Judge (Roaring Brook Press, 2009) - How does Lita Judge go from something like Red Hat or Red Sled to doing something like Born to be Giants? Amazing.  Enjoyed this book a lot.

The Buffalo are Back by Jean Craighead George; Paintings by Wendell Minor (Penguin, 2010) - Minor's paintings are beautiful and the story of the Buffaloes and their importance to the environment is beautifully captured in this book.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente; Illustrated by Ana Juan (Feiwel & Friends, May 2011) - I know in some places this one is marked for Middle Grade but the language is fairly sophisticated in this one.  This book is as if Alice in Wonderland, and The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and The Phantom Tollbooth had a love child.  If you have students who have read and loved the classics, then they will love this one.

Currently reading:

Ghoulish Song (Zombay #2) by William Alexander (Simon & Schuster, March 2013) - I loved the first book in this series (Goblin Secrets) and excited to be starting the sequel. 

Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy by Emily Bazelon (Random House, February 2013) - This is one that I'll be reading for awhile. 

So, what are you reading?

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Louisa May's Battle

Author: Kathleen Krull
Illustrator: Carlyn Beccia
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Source: Personal Copy
Audience: Grades 3rd to 5th
Nonfiction * Women's History * American History * Famous Authors

Description on GoodReads:
Louisa May Alcott is best known for penning Little Women, but few are aware of the experience that influenced her writing most-her time as a nurse during the Civil War. Caring for soldiers' wounds and writing letters home for them inspired a new realism in her work. When her own letters home were published as Hospital Sketches, she had her first success as a writer. The acclaim for her new writing style inspired her to use this approach in Little Women, which was one of the first novels to be set during the Civil War. It was the book that made her dreams come true, and a story she could never have written without the time she spent healing others in service of her country

My thoughts on the book:
One of my favorite authors when I was in 5th grade was Louisa May Alcott.  I read and loved Little Women, Little Men, Jo's Boys, and Eight Cousins.  However, I never really bothered to look into who Louisa May Alcott was or what influenced her as a woman and writer.  Recently, I read the biographical picture book Louisa: The Life of Louisa May Alcott by Yona Zeldis McDonough (Henry Holt, and Co., 2009) I found the book fascinating and the historical information interesting.

In Louisa May's Battle: How the Civil War Led to Little Women, Kathleen Krull focuses on Alcott's experiences as a nurse during the Civil War and how it influenced her as a person and also as a writer. Krull brings to life Alcott's experience from the train ride to the her travels on a ship to her experience tending soldiers.  Unfortunately, Alcott wasn't immune from the illnesses facing the men and boys she was caring for.  Several weeks in, she became ill with Typhoid fever.  Alcott was never quite the same after her illness, but when she was well enough to consider work again, she began revisiting her writing with more success than she had before.

The combination of Krull's text accompanied by Beccia's paintings make this book a success for me.  Krull provides additional sources at the end as well as some additional information of Women in Medicine.  This is a great addition for any classroom or school library, and a wonderful book to celebrate Women's History Month.  

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA 3/11/13

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey. Jen & Kellee from Teach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.

Here are some of my favorite books from this past week:

Louisa May's Battle: How the Civil War Led to Little Women by Kathleen Krull; Illustrated by Carlyn Beccia (Walker Books for Young Readers, March 2013) - I love Louisa May Alcott and Kathleen Krull's work.  Krull writing about Alcott -fantastic!  Just in time for Women's History Month.

Miss Moore Thought Otherwise: How Anne Carroll Moore Created Libraries for Children by Jane Pinborough; Illustrated by Debby Atwell (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, March 2013) - Fascinating story about the woman who created libraries for children including the Children's Room at the New York Public Library. 

The Longest Night: A Passover Story by Laurel Snyder; Illustrated by Catia Chien (Schwartz & Wade, February 2013) - Laurel Snyder has created a beautiful story for and about Passover. 

A Sweet Passover by Lesléa Newman; Illustrated by David Slonim (Abrahms, 2012) - This one is truly a "sweet" Passover story.  I want to try the recipe at the end.

Red Hat by Lita Judge (Simon & Schuster, March 2013) -  The Red Hat from The Red Sled finds a place in Judge's latest book. 

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Egmont, January 2013) - Check out my review and giveaway here.

So, what are you reading?

Book Review - Nobody

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: Egmont USA (January 22, 2013)
Form: Hardcover, E-Book
Source: ARC for review
Audience: Young Adult
Fiction * Action/Adventure * Science Fiction

Description from Egmont USA:
There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Nix is a killer. Claire is his target. But from the moment he sets eyes on her, everything changes, because only the two of them can truly see each other – and two Nobodies are more than twice as dangerous as one.

My thoughts on the book:
When I was asked to provide a review of this book, I agreed based on the premise.  The concept that there were these "Nobodies" who could be used as assassins just seemed intriguing.  Once I actually picked up the ARC of the book and started, I wondered if it was all going to make sense.

Barnes has created a world where there are four different kinds of people - Normals, Sensors, Nobodies, and Nulls.  There was initially a lot of explanation of who all these individuals were based on an energy theory.  I have to admit I found myself having to read and re-read some sections trying to understand the "science" behind it. However, once I simplified it and realized that Normals were every day individuals, Nobodies were individuals who basically were not seen by Normals, Nulls were able to be seen and influence others (very much the exact opposite of Nobodies) and Sensors were able to recognize Nobodies and Nulls, then I was able to move on and the book moved quickly despite being nearly 400 pages.

Nix is a 17 year old Nobody who has been raised and trained by the Institute.  Claire is 16 and has been raised in the world of Normals and is unaware of what she is.  When Nix is sent after Claire to terminate her, he believes her to be a Null.  For Claire, Nix is the first person who can really see her. Initially it was a bit difficult to connect with Nix and Claire which I felt was normal considering that for both teens, their lives lacked connections to others.  As the book proceeds and the relationship between Nix and Claire develops, the readers connection to the two main characters grows as well.

As I mentioned earlier, despite the length, the book actually reads quickly.  I found myself drawn into the story and wanting to know more about the Institute and Sensors and the conspiracy that surrounds/involves Nix and Claire.  I recognize that there are a lot of mixed reviews out there regarding Nobody and I wondered what I would think.  However, after the first couple of chapters, I found myself completely drawn into the story and not wanting to put it down.  I would encourage readers who are intrigued by the concept of the book to pick it up and give it a try.
 
Check out this video of Jennifer Lynn Barnes talking about her writing process:

More about the author:

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the author of the popular Raised by Wolves series. A former competitive cheerleader, teen model, and comic book geek, she wrote her first book at the age of nineteen. She just completed her PhD in developmental psychology at Yale University and has returned to her native Oklahoma to teach at the University of Oklahoma.

You can visit her online at www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com or follow her on Twit­ter @jenlynnbarnes or on Tumblr.

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.


Thank you to Egmont for sponsoring a giveaway of Nobody and Every Other Day.  Please enter below:

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