This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2019. Adult historical fiction.

When young Odie O'Banion, his brother Albert, his friend Mose, and little Emmy leave their Lincoln Indian Training School in 1932 Minnesota, they take a canoe down the Mississippi River. The first about a hundred pages have set up their relationships, their struggles, and what leads them to take such drastic measures. This is a quest book with adventure, friendship, love, and the unexpected. Kruger writes beautiful descriptions of land AND people. He places the reader right in the middle of these children and makes us root for them. If you have not read any of Krueger's other works, treat yourself to Ordinary Grace, too.

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten. Translated by
Marlaine Delargy. Soho Crime, 2018.

This petite book has several stories about the eccentric 88-year-old Maud. Maud lives alone in Sweden and manages her life very well. Readers may raise an eyebrow or just laugh aloud at her adventures and the ensuing murders that seem to give Maud no qualms. From a former student to a neighborhood antiques dealer, no one is safe when this little old lady is around.  The perfect gift for a mystery loving friend to slip into her purse!

Emily Writes by Jane Yolen

 Emily Writes: Emily Dickinson and Her Poetic Beginnings by Jane Yolen. Illustrated by Christine
Davenier. Christy Ottavino Books, Henry Holt and Company, 2020.

Of course, we don't really know how early Emily Dickinson began to write poems. But, Yolen has found inspiration for this picture book in Spring, 1934, where in Amherst, Massachusetts, a very young Emily might have scribbled on scraps of paper from her father's trash basket. Yolen has done her research and uses information known about Emily's life as well as words that have been used in real poems that Dickinson wrote. The result is a charming imaginative story. The softly colored illustrations add to the childlike appeal.  An author's note, examples of some of Dickinson's poems, and a bibliography are at the back of the book.

Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliott

Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc. By David Elliott. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. Historical fiction.

This fascinating novel in verse tells the story of the Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc. The flame, the sword, and a sewing needle all get their own voices to help tell what happened. Other poems feature each of her parents, the royalty, Saint Michael, and Joan herself, among other voices. Readers may gain a better knowledge of the history and as well as the people of the times. They will certainly have new understandings of the very sad and human nature of Joan's part in history as well as the many different kinds of poems that can be written. Some of the poems such as the arrow are shape poems. It would be interesting to have high schoolers do a readers' theatre with some of the selections. Definitely a good choice in teaching point of view!

"Who can say why some arrive and then depart forgotten while others fashion history?" page 14

Haunting the Deep by Adriana Mather

Haunting the Deep by Adriana Mather. Alfred E. Knopf, 2017. Young Adult fiction.

It's hard to imagine a novel that can combine both witches in Salem and the Titanic, two of my favorites, but this one does! A typical high school story of girl wants to fit in and find love, but with some magical twists, the book includes a main character who "dreams" of being on the HMS Titanic itself. Set in modern day Salem, Samantha Mather lives with her father, after the mysterious death of her stepmother who was a witch. School chums include some of The Descendants who claim ancestry among the witches of the renowned Salem trials. Samantha has ties to the minister Cotton Mather AND a couple who survived the tragedy of the great ship's sinking. Teens will appreciate the young love, the clique of girls, and the high school scenes amidst the big dance that has a Titanic theme. Interestingly enough, the author herself explains her own family's connections with history in notes at the end.

Mananaland by Pam Munoz Ryan

Mananaland by Pam Munoz Ryan. Scholastic, 2020. Children's chapter book. Reviewed from galley provided by publisher.

This is such an important book! While Ryan told a girl's story of an immigrant family in Esperanza Rising, this is a boy's story on the other side of the Rio Grande. While the country is not defined, it could be anywhere south of the United States. In both books, Ryan draws readers into the lives and dreams of characters who long for more for themselves and their families. With so many of our students in similarly uncertain situations, this book will resonate with many who often do not see themselves in books. 

Max's mother disappeared when he was a baby. He wants to know more about her, but his father and grandfather have not shared much with him. Now, almost twelve, he longs to play futbol (soccer), but he does not have a birth certificate. He has grown up with the legends and stories of a seemingly magical bridge and a stone tower that has its own mysteries. A strange gatekeeper has led brave travelers into new futures. Will Max be brave enough to discover more? His own journey leads him into the future. Yet, Max is firmly grounded in the present of friends, soccer, and chores. Definitely a book about discovering, being brave, loving your own family (whatever shape that family takes), helping others, and building on your own past, the path to tomorrow is a compelling one.

Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo

Beverly, Right Now by Kate DiCamillo. Candlewick, 2019. Children's chapter book. 

This is the third novel about Raymie Nightingale, Louisiana Elefante,, and  now Beverly Tapinski. Each of the girls has her own story, but this trilogy speaks to the power of family, friendship, and being yourself. Now, Beverly, always sort of crusty on the outside, but soft hearted, has run away from home. She ends up in Florida staying with a quirky old lady, Iola; making a new friend, Elmer, who works at the typical small town dollar store type of place, and working rather unexpectedly at a seaside diner. DiCamillo is a master at drawing readers into the simply told, but always complicated lives of her characters. Beverly's dog died and she is full of grief. She misses her friend Raymie. She wants so much to be independent, but longs for someone to love her. Start with Raymie Nightingale, move on to Louisiana's Way Home, but don't miss Beverly, Right Now.