The Crossover and We’re Going On A Bear Hunt

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New and Fabulous

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander. Recommended for Grades 6-12. I LOVE this book! The story revolves around basketball. But underneath it all, it’s really about family. Twin boys are stars of their middle school basketball team, mentored by their father, a former professional basketball player. When one of the boys falls for his first girlfriend, spending more time with her and less time with his brother, the relationship between the twins becomes strained as the other twin struggles to find his place in the new configuration of relationships.

The plot kept me interested from beginning to end. But it is the writing that is one-of-a-kind. The way it is told had me from page one. Written like a long poem, the word choices are delicious. And the rhythms add a musical quality that intensified my experience of the narrative. Listen to this: “My shot is FLOWING, Flying, fLuTtErInG OHHHHHHHH, the chains are JINGALING ringaling and SWINGALING Swish.”

I am not the only one who loves this book. The Crossover won top honors: the Newbery Award and the Coretta Scott King Award. A great read.

Oldie but Goodie

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury is another book that has rhythmic appeal. It is targeted at little ones, ages 2-5. Frankly, I read this to my kids from infancy. The writing style is a natural for reading out loud to baby with exaggerated dramatic emphasis. Example: Lines such as “We can’t go over it. We can’t go under it. Oh No. We’ve got to go through it. Swishy swashy. Swishy swashy. Swishy swashy.” I like to read the original book version because I enjoy creating my own rhythms and cadences. But you can buy an interactive version that gives you sound cues. I haven’t read this version so I can’t give you a review but you might want to check it out. There is also a great reading by the author on You Tube that you might enjoy.

What did you think of these books? Do you have other poetic books to recommend?

Mummy Cat and The Witches

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New and Fabulous

Mummy Cat by Marcus Ewert, illustrated by Lisa Brown tells of a cat’s love for his owner who used to be a child-queen in ancient Egypt but now is a mummy buried in a pyramid. The cat, too, has been mummified for 100 years but now comes back to life as the book describes, “Deep within this maze of stone, a creature wakes up all alone…” The tone reminds me of Vincent Price’s monologue in the Thriller video I blogged about earlier this week. Shiver.

So there’s a spooky element to this story – a mummified cat coming to life. But it also has a sweet (though melancholy) side to it. The cat deeply loves and misses his mummified girl owner. And he carries around this undying hope that they will be reunited. There’s the Halloween yin/yang again.

An added bonus in Mummy Cat is the history lesson that’s baked in – as the cat walks around the tomb he sheds light on traditions of ancient Egypt.

Pegged for Grades 1-4. A good pick for Halloween reading.

Oldie but Goodie

What’s Halloween without a little Roald Dahl? And The Witches is perfect for the occasion. It’s a fantasy about a group of witches who are out to rid the world of children by turning them all into mice and letting mice-phobic humans take care of the rest.

The boy hero of the story is out to foil the witches. But first he has to figure out who’s who. You see, these witches disguise themselves to look like ordinary ladies – it might be enough to make you take a closer look at some of the (seemingly) innocents walking around your neighborhood (tee hee).

The author is a master at creating horrifying scenarios (like children being turned to stone). But it’s his sense of humor that sets him apart. For example, the witches in this tale are all wig-wearing baldies who are constantly scratching their scalp-itch.

Pegged for Grades 3-7. Great fun!

What did you think of these books? Do you have other Halloween books to recommend?