Paul and His Ukulele - a review

As a ukulele-playing librarian, I would be remiss if I didn't have a post about this new release from Ripple Grove Press.
(Spoiler alert, I couldn't resist)

Paul and His Ukulele
By Robert Broder
Illustrated by Jenn Kocsmiersky

With charming watercolor illustrations by Jenn Kocsmiersky, Paul and His Ukulele follows Paul, a gentle and lanky fox, from childhood to adulthood, from mountains to cities— accompanied all the way by his music and his ukulele,

"Pick. Pluck. Strum."

At its essence, Paul and His Ukulele is a love story.  Paul is in love with his music, and, with the help of

"a happy bit of happenstance,"

the singer, Clementine, in whom he finds someone to share his love in their new store, Mi & Uke.

Aww....

Enjoy the trailer. 😊

Under a Painted Sky - an audiobook review

Under a Painted Sky, a debut YA novel set in 1849,, was recommended to me by an adult library customer who said his mother enjoyed it.  I was happy to receive an opportunity to review this unique historical fiction, adventure, romance novel for AudioFile Magazine.  A link to my review is below, as well as the official book trailer. The review contains an audio excerpt.  Enjoy.

Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee.  Read by Emily Woo Zeller.
Tantor Audio, 2015.  10.25 hrs.

A link to my review for AudioFile Magazine:  http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/102637/

The Secret Sky: A Novel of Forbidden Love - an audiobook review

My review of The Secret Sky as it appeared in the February, 2015, edition of School Library Journal. Author Atia Abawi is of Afghani descent and was a CNN correspondent in Afghanistan. Her insight into the life of a young Afghani girl is invaluable.

Young Adult
ABAWI, Atia. The Secret Sky: A Novel of Forbidden Lovein Afghanistan. 7 CDs. 7:45 hrs. Recorded Bks. 2014. $77.75.ISBN 9781490627403. Playaway, digital download.Gr 9 Up-- This story is told through the alternating viewpoints of three young Afghanis--Fatima, a Hazara girl on the cusp of womanhood; Samiulla, a teenaged Pashtun boy disillusioned by the "religious" teachings of radicals; and Rashid, a believer in the harsh justice and rhetoric of Islamic fundamentalists. On the path to the well, Sami and Fatima meet by chance, sparking a platonic affection that will place the young people, their families, and their village in danger. In a land where every action is scrutinized and measured, their blossoming relationship is a sinful affront to propriety that cannot be accepted. Abawi does not shy away from the frank realities of a woman's life in Afghanistan. Scenes of torture and murder may disturb sensitive listeners; however, they make the couple's faith in the possibility of a better life all the more poignant and miraculous. The employment of a narrator of each gender, Ariana Delawari and Assaf Cohen (both Arabic speakers with believable accents), heightens the distinction between the sexes that permeates every aspect of every waking hour for rural Afghanis. VERDICT A perfect choice for libraries seeking topical and diverse titles

 Copyright © 2015 Library Journals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.

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Firelight - an audiobook review

Jordan, Sophie. 2011. Firelight. Read by Thérèse Plummer. Brilliance Audio.

Following is my review of Firelight, the first in a romantic, inter-species trilogy, which I reviewed for School Library Journal. The review appears in the May 2012 journal.

Firelight (unabr.). 8 CDs. 9:42 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2011. ISBN 978-1-4558-5815-6. $49.97.

Gr 9 Up--Jacinda is a draki, a modern-day descendant of the dragons of old, surviving in the misty mountains of the Pacific Northwest in the first title (HarperCollins, 2010) in a trilogy by Sophie Jordan. She's not just any draki--Jacinda is a fire-breather, the only one born to her pride in generations. Armed with her particular talent and the innate ability of all draki to shift or manifest into human form, Jacinda is special, powerful, prized. But her power and desirability have a cost. She is too important to the survival of the pride to be trusted with her own decisions. When Jacinda is promised to the pride's alpha male, her mother flees with Jacinda and her twin sister. They attempt assimilation in a small Nevada town, hiding from the pride. But when Jacinda finds a forbidden love in Will, a human in her suburban high school, she places her entire family in danger. Thérèse Plummer is cast perfectly as Jacinda. Her youthful voice switches seamlessly between Jacinda's self-absorbed, anxious inner musings and her more confident audible declarations. She is equally adept at portraying Jacinda's determined mother, long-suffering sister, the brooding alpha male, Cassian, and the tortured voice of Will. This fiery inter-species romance, fraught with anxiety and anticipation, will leave fans scrambling for the next title in the series.

Copyright © 2012 Library Journals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.


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Hear an excerpt from Firelight.


Firelight news:

• Vanity announces that Mandalay has purchased the film rights for Firelight.
• Hidden, the final book in the series, will be released in September 2012.

Note:
... struggling to adapt to posting via Mac. Last night I suffered the #bluescreenofdeath on my laptop, so my posts may be scarce while I wrestle with the fallout.  Not too pleased with Kaspersky right now.

Three Rivers Rising

Richards, Jame. 2010. Three Rivers Rising: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood. New York: Knopf.

This book debuted in April 2010 to well-earned, rave reviews. In sparse verse, author Jame Richards, tells a story of devoted high society sisters, Celestia and Estrella, Whitcomb, their coldly calculating, businessman father, a miner's son, Peter, Maura, the wife of a Pennsylvania railroad engineer, and Kate, an obsessive-compulsive young widow struggling to find a purpose in life. Their lives become intertwined due to the tragically preventable Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood of 1889. Chapters of free-form verse alternate between the voices of the six characters.  An author's note separates the facts of the actual flood from the story. More than 2200 people died in the flood, including entire families.

The Johnstown Flood is the backdrop, but Three Rivers Rising is foremost a story of society, class, and first (or forbidden) love.
Highly recommended for grades 8 and up.


A reader's guide is available for teachers, librarians and book clubs.

The aftermath of the Johnstown Flood.

(Photograph from Wikimedia Commons, originally taken by an employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.)

Information about the flood and its victims is available from the Johnstown Area Heritage Association.