A Clatter of Jars - an audiobook review

A Clatter of Jars by Lisa Graff
Read by Ellen Archer
2016, Listening Library

Quirky magical realism.
Read my full review at AudioFile Magazine.

A Clatter of Jars is Lisa Graff's follow up to 2013's, A Tangle of Knots.  I reviewed A Tangle of Knots in 2013, and declared, "If you read no other middle grade fiction book this year, you will have made a good choice." The magic doesn't wear off in A Clatter of Jars, a deftly woven, magical realism story set in the same world as the preceding book, where many people possess Talents - from the mundane (ability to understand frogs) to the powerful (telekinesis).  I particularly enjoyed this story because it features a boy who we may assume has some sort of spectrum disorder, and it has a subtle Lord of the Rings reference.

I often tell kids at the library that it's OK to start with a second book in a series if the first book is unavailable. (I don't like to see them go home empty-handed!)  Most authors do a fine job of catching the reader up on prior events.  However, because of the rich details of the world Lisa Graff has created, A Clatter of Jars is best read after A Tangle of Knots.


An audio excerpt from A Clatter of Jars and my review for AudioFile Magazine may be found here. [http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/114587/a-clatter-of-jars-by-lisa-graff/]

Exploring the Seasons - a review

As regularly as the swallows depart from and return to San Juan Capistrano, teachers will soon flock to classrooms and libraries.  Sooner or later, they will seek the books on seasons.  I will be ready.

DeGezelle, Terri. 2012. Exploring Fall. North Mankato, MN: Capstone.

Crisp and attractive photographs, single-page "chapters," minimal text in simple font, a pleasing buttery yellow color, and a generous 11" x 9" size, are the hallmarks of this Exploring the Seasons series.

 

Each book contains eight chapters.  The first is specific to a season ("Season of Change" for fall, "Hot, Hot, Hot" for summer), and the rest follow a predictable pattern ("What Causes Seasons?," "Water in Fall," People in Fall," etc.)  The text is simple and easy to follow,

 

Lakes and ponds get cold in fall.  But oceans have built up warmth over the summer. The warm water makes hurricanes more common in fall.
 

and is accompanied on the facing page by a full, or larger-than-full page photograph or illustration.  With enough scientific data to cover necessary standards, the Exploring the Seasons series is nevertheless, attractive enough to appeal to young readers or listeners. A word count , grade level and Early-Intervention Level are included on the last page.  (255, 1, and 21 respectively)

 

Each title also contains a Glossary, Read More, Internet Sites, and Index.

 

Because Capstone Press' target audience is beginning, struggling and reluctant readers, these books have a target age range of 5-7, but will be equally useful as preschool read-alouds to accompany storybooks on the same topic.

 

Note:

See more posts related to science, technology, engineering and math at STEM Friday. 

Dog Days

Kinney, Jeff. 2009. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days. New York: Amulet.

It's Dog Days as in the dog days of summer (the timing of this book's release could have been better) and Greg Heffley is looking forward to some quality indoor time, but unfortunately, his Mom's idea of the perfect summer vacation does not include horror movies, video games and TV. In Dog Days, Greg woefully recounts his misadventures at Rowley's country club, the public pool, his summer job, and the cabin at the beach. Rodrick, Manny, Gramma, Mom, Dad, the Jeffersons, and Fregley, all make appearances in this latest installment of the Wimpy Kid series. However, the true stars of Dog Days are Greg and his Dad, who learn that father-son bonding may not be the same in every family. Sometimes hating the same comic strip is all that you need.

Dog Days may not have as many "laugh out loud" moments as earlier installments, (Rodrick Rules is still my favorite) but it remains comic genius, hilarious sketches seamlessly integrated into the story, often acting as the "punchline" in place of words.

Usually, I can relate to Mrs. Heffley. In Dog Days, I completely empathize with Greg. As a child, I also dreaded the trip to the "public pool," although my experiences (thankfully) were not the same as Greg's,

"I didn't want Manny to have to walk through the shower area and see the things I've seen. So I got a towel out of my bag and was gonna put it over Manny's eyes when we walked past the shower guys. But in the two seconds it took me to get my towel, Manny was gone. And you'll never believe where he went."

You'll have to imagine the sketch of the diminutive Manny, whistling and washing in the men's shower, surrounded by hairy knees and ankles!

"I knew I had to rescue Manny, so I closed my eyes as tight as I could and went in to save him... When we got to the other side, Manny seemed fine, but I don't think I'll ever totally recover from that experience."

And although I never watched a movie with "the muddy hand," I do remember one with a charred, black hand, and can completely relate with Greg's feelings in this passage,

"My new fear is that the hand is gonna crawl up on my bed and get me in my sleep. So lately I've been covering my whole body with the blanket and leaving a hole so I can breathe. But that strategy his its OWN risks. Rodrick got into my room today, and I had to spend the morning trying to wash the taste of a dirty sock out of my mouth."

And finally, I have to agree with Greg on this one,

"There's this comic about a dog called "Precious Poochie," and it's been running for about fifty years. The guy who wrote it died a long time ago, but they're still recycling his old comics. I don't know if they're funny or not because, to be honest with you, most of them don't even make sense to a person my age."

Well, Jeff Kinney does make sense to a person of Greg Heffley's age! In fact, based on the phenomenal interest in his books, he makes sense to kids of all ages - from 9 to 99.

Check out The Diary of a Wimpy Kid website for the Dog Days Event Kit.

Dandelion Wine

Bradbury, Ray. 2007. Dandelion Wine. Narrated by Colonial Radio Theatre on the Air, et al.
Blackstone Audio, Inc.

I downloaded Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine, thinking that I was choosing Bradbury's classic 1957 novel - a bittersweet recollection of 12-year-old protagonist Douglas Spaulding's magical summer of 1928 in Green Town, Illinois. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by a full-cast dramatization of the story by the Colonial Radio Players, narrated by Jerry Robinson. No expense seemed to be spared in the creation of this audio play - the large cast, sound effects, and orchestral soundtrack were flawless.

I wondered how the venerable Mr. Bradbury would rate the audio rendition, and was answered by the post-play narration. Mr. Bradbury, himself, dramatized Dandelion Wine.

This audio version is a new way to enjoy one of America's timeless classics! At only 114 minutes (2 discs on CD), it's hard not to find the time.

Carl's Summer Vacation

Day, Alexandra. 2008. Carl's summer vacation. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

This is another in a series of books about Carl, the lovable Rottweiler. In this nearly wordless picture book, Carl and Madeleine are sent off for a nap so that they'll be ready for the evening's fireworks, however, while Mom and Dad think they're napping, Carl and Madeleine are enjoying a summer adventure. They canoe (and tip over!), pick berries (and run from skunks!), swing, slide, picnic, and even play baseball! Mom and Dad just can't understand why they're too tired to watch the fireworks.

This is a delightful story, however, the illustrations are the true charm of this book that has a decidedly "old-fashioned" look and feel.