KETURAH AND LORD DEATH by Martine Leavitt

Keturah is the storyteller of her village, entertaining her friends with her fantastical tales. One day she follows the fabled hart into the forest and loses her way. After going in circles for several days, Keturah accepts that death is near. When she meets Lord Death, she tries to buy some more time by telling him a story of true love. He agrees to let her return to her village, on the condition that she find true love by the end of the day. When this does not happen, she returns to Lord Death, who is enchanted by her beauty and storytelling ability, and continues to allow her to return to the village to help her friends. Finally Keturah realizes that Death has been with her since she was a small child, and she returns to the forest to be his bride.

When I first picked up this book and began to read, I did not think I would like it, since fantasy is not usually my thing. However, Keturah’s love for her village and her unfolding discovery of her love for Lord Death are what really make this a powerful tale. As we follow Keturah’s progress, we find ourselves rooting for her, but for Lord Death as well, as we see his softer, more humane side emerge when Keturah is near. This is a very unique book, and I highly recommend it.

WHAT HAPPENED TO CASS MCBRIDE? by Gail Giles

Cass McBride is one of those "perfect" popular girls who has everything going for her, until one day she makes the mistake of picking on the wrong guy. When David Kirby asks Cass out, she turns him down politely enough, but turns around and writes a note to a friend making fun of him. When David hangs himself, and his brother Kyle reads the note Cass wrote, he blames Cass for David's death. Kyle drugs and kidnaps Cass, burying her alive and torturing her for days. As the story unfolds, we learn more about why Kyle and Cass each behave the way they do, as well as the real reason for David's suicide.

This book is suspenseful from beginning to end, told from alternating points of view including tht of Cass, Kyle, and Ben, the detective investigating the kidnapping case. Particularly impressive is the way that Cass attempts to manipulate Kyle as he continues to come back and "confess" to her. At times, the captive seems more powerful than her captor. Although the content is disturbing, the fast pace and psychological drama will keep reluctant readers interested.

THE WALL: GROWING UP BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN by Peter Sis

In this autobiography, Peter Sis reveals what it was like growing up and living in Communist Czechoslovakia during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Having loved to draw from an early age, Sis was forced to keep his drawings hidden so that he and his family would not get in trouble with the government. Sis grew to love music, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys. Eventually he immigrated to the United States. Now, when he travels back to Czechoslovakia with his family, it is hard for them to imagine how different things were during the years Sis was growing up.

This is a brief, but informative overview of what life was like growing up in a Communist country before the Berlin Wall came down. The illustrations were interesting, done in black, white, and red to indicate the Communist presence. Sis used a variety of bright colors to illustrate Western influences. I found this book easy to relate to because it was written in the autobiographical style. Excerpts from the author’s journal help to further convey what life was like for the author and his family during those dark and challenging times.

CROSSING BOK CHITTO: A CHOCTAW TALE OF FRIENDSHIP & FREEDOM by Tim Tingle

In this Choctaw tale, Martha Tom, a young Choctaw girl, ventured across Bok Chitto, the river that separated Choctaw land from slave country, to pick blackberries. She used the concealed stone path that only the Choctaw people knew about. On the other side, she happens upon a slave church service, where she meets a young boy named Little Mo, who guides her back to the river. One night Little Mo learns that his mother is going to be sold to another plantation owner. With the help of the Choctaws, he leads his family to freedom.

Based on stories told to the author on a trip to Bok Chitto, this tale uniquely captures the spirit of Choctaw Indian life and honors their customs. This is an interesting and enlightening multicultural tale of kindness and friendship. I would enjoy sharing this story with my elementary students.

COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS by Douglas Florian

This informative book of poetry provides information about the planets, the moon, comets, galaxies, constellations and other bodies in the night sky. Starting with three poems about the universe, the galaxy, and the solar system, respectively, the author then goes on to provide a poem for each planet, from Mercury nearest the sun to Pluto, now a dwarf planet. Poems are also provided for comets, constellations, and black holes.

I enjoyed the poems in this book, which were much more kid-friendly than long, detailed paragraphs about the different space objects. I particularly liked the one about Pluto, which “was admired…but one day it got fired.” This is a fun way to help kids remember the identifying characteristics of each celestial body

MARVELOUS MATTIE: HOW MARGARET E. KNIGHT BECAME AN INVENTOR by Emily Arnold McCully

As a child, Mattie Knight loved to design and invent things for her family, including kites for her older brothers. When Mattie was eleven, her mother moved the family to Manchester, New Hampshire to work at the textile mills. While in New Hampshire, Mattie invented a safety device for the textile machine. When she was grown, Mattie invented a machine to make a square-bottomed paper bag. When a man tried to steal her plans, Mattie had to fight to prove that the design was hers. Paper bags like the ones she helped create remain in use today.

This was a short, interesting biography written in a narrative format. As a librarian, I am always looking for good biographies about women. This one, in particular, is good, because many teachers often plan units on inventors and inventions. An author’s note at the end would also prove useful for classroom research, with additional dates and facts about the life of Margaret E. Knight.

WHAT YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT BEDS, BEDROOMS, & PAJAMAS by Patricia Lauber

True to its title, this Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee provides all sorts of little known facts about beds, bedrooms, and pajamas, following their development from the Stone Age to present day. Interspersed with humorous conversation portrayed through comic bubbles in the illustrations, children will learn new facts and be entertained by this creative work. The homes of the wealthy, the poor, and the emerging middle class are described and illustrated in detail.

I was a big fan of the colorful illustrations. I am not usually a big fan of trivia books, but I liked the fact that this one focused on a specific theme. This made it possible for the bed and bedroom trivia to be discussed in more depth, from a historical standpoint.