A "nook" review of Getting Air

Gutman, Dan. 2007. Getting Air. New York: Simon and Schuster.

I finally received my "nook," and checked out my first book, Dan Gutman's, Getting Air.  This book is several years old but I had three reasons for choosing it.

1. It caused some controversy in my library system, with some librarians thinking it should have been classified as a young adult (YA) title
2. Because it's an older title, it was cheaper! (As a librarian, I'm not used to paying to read books)
3. I was hoping that the choice of a survival story combined with the coolness factor of my new nook would entice my son to read it (no luck there)

In any case, this is my first "nook review."  As for the nook itself, I've read its pros and cons, its comparisons to Kindle, and its possible negative impact on libraries. Here's my quick take on it:
My initial reaction is that using an e-reader takes a little getting used to.  The fact that your physical interaction with the words takes place on a touch screen separated from those words is, at first, a bit disorienting.  The ability to choose font type and size is great.  The interactive dictionary is cumbersome, but less so than getting up and going to the bookshelf for the Merriam Webster.  Yes, the page turns a bit slowly (more so than the Kindle?), but not nearly as slow as the three seconds that I've read in various posts. It's too soon to see how the e-readers will affect libraries.  There are many free books available - mostly the same titles that one would find at Project Gutenberg - classics and older texts out of copyright protection.  The nook allows for uploading of these types of books and also, if I can believe the blogosphere, books can be downloaded from some public library sites for checkout.  My library, offers access to e-books via NetLibrary, but for viewing only, not downloading.  I will continue looking into the possibility of free library content on the nook.  The Kindle, which has fewer free books available and no library compatibility, at least makes them (the free books) easier to locate.  For me, the best features of an e-reader are

• the ability to tote around literally hundreds of Harry Potter-sized books in my purse
• owning a book that opens up to the page where I left off
• the ability to make notes and highlights that don't ruin the book
• the, at least perceived idea, that e-books might be good for the environment (do e-readers create toxic waste? I don't know)
• and the changeable font size is pretty cool as well

Now for the book!  (spoiler alert)
Getting Air is the story of three 7th grade boys on their way to a skateboarding convention. The main character is the good-natured, Jimmy, who is accompanied by his younger sister, Julia, as well as his two friends. The plane is hijacked by religious radicals and they find themselves crashed in a remote Canadian forest with a female flight attendant, and an elderly woman knitter.

While it is mostly a book about the boys, girls should enjoy it as well. The younger sister, Julia, age 11, turns out to be the most resourceful of the bunch, due largely in part to her reading habit and many years in Girl Scouting. Getting Air touches on serious topics - religion, fanaticism, hijacking - and contains some grim content - murder and death - but yet, Dan Gutman manages to handle the topic with his customary light hand and touch of humor. (The boys use the plane's outer shell as a "half pipe" course)

The story may not be completely convincing, but it should appeal to young boys in particular.  The suggested ages for this book are 9-12, however, parents and librarians should use discretion in suggesting this title for young readers. I would offer this book to readers in 6th grade and up.

Come Fly With Me

Ichikawa, Satomi. 2008. 2008. Come Fly with Me. New York: Philomel.

This is the story of a stuffed dog and a wooden plane that decide to take flight from their balcony to go "Somewhere." Woggy and Cosmos travel through the skies, encountering birds, clouds and rain on their way to the "White Dome" that they can view in the distance.

The paintings of Paris are beautiful and the expressions of Woggy, the doggy, are particularly endearing, but the story was not engaging. Although the illustrations of Paris are beautiful, particularly the view from Montmartre of a rainbow over the Eiffel Tower, it is disappointing that the reader is never aware that the story takes place in France. Only the distant Eiffel Tower in the story's conclusion offers a clue. Even the author's note makes no mention of the "White Dome", Montmartre, or its significance in Parisian history - a pity.

The story line is perhaps a bit too simple, " A magnificent city and a beautiful rainbow!' says Cosmos. 'What a surprise.' "The best part of going Somewhere,' says Woggy, 'is surprise.' 'No, no,' says Cosmos. 'The best part of going Somewhere is sharing it with friends.'

Use this title for its beautiful illustrations or for use in a themed storytime about planes or France. For a great storyline, choose another book.

Up Close books

Just received four new books - Fire Engines Up Close, Fighter Planes Up Close, Heavy Equipment Up Close, and Submarines Up Close. All are by Andra Serlin Abramson (Highlights for Children) and published by Sterling in 2007.

Wow! What kid would not want to look at these?! They are 15' tall, almost 1' across and they include multiple double fold-out photography pages. Each book contains at least one "full-size" photo - a fighter plane ejection button, the gauges on a nuclear sub, gears on a forestry vehicle, the levers on a pumper truck.

Short paragraphs with bold headlines break up the text into readable segments, but it's the photos that take center stage in these books. Very cool!