I’ve so many books I want to write about but I’ve been really pressed for time. Here are a few gems we’ve been poring over this past month.

February Reads - Chapter Books

Dear Whiskers by Ann Whitehead Nagda is an endearing story – Bear loved it and we finished it in one sitting! Jenny’s fourth-grade class is assigned a second-grade class to write to as part of their English lessons. Each student is to assume the identity of a mouse and their second grade pen-pals are to write back to their mice friends. While all her classmates receive interesting letters, Jenny’s mouse, Whiskers, receives a disappointing one-liner (her second-grader refuses to play along) and then no further replies. Jenny discovers that her pen-pal, Sameera, is from Saudi Arabia and doesn’t speak English well. She tries to help but Sameera seems reluctant and indifferent. Jenny pushes on though and learns more about her younger friend’s religion and culture.

We had a blast with Dominic, another book we got through in one sitting. My kids love William Steig’s mad flights of fancy! This book tells about a heroic dog who travels in search of adventure. He meets with various characters with whom he forges deep bonds of friendship. It’s hilarious though that some of the names don’t really match with who/what they are. Bartholomew Badger (a pig!) is old and sickly. Dominic cares for him in his final days and he inherits the pig’s vast wealth, only to find the Doomsday Gang (oh how my kids love that wicked name!) “who robbed, ravaged, cheated, attacked innocent creatures at large and travelers especially, and did all sorts of damaging mischief.” He helps characters like Matilda Fox (a goose!!), Barney Swain (a hog who was robbed before his wedding) and eventually rallies all the oppressed creatures to rise against the Doomsday Gang. Dominic is completely likeable – heroic, philosophical, kind and generous.

Blue Willow by Doris Gates is a sweet book set in the 1930s about Janey Larkin, a ten-year-old daughter of an itinerant farmer. She longs to put down roots somewhere – so she can have a friend and attend regular school instead of makeshift camp school. Most of all, she wants a home where she can hang her most treasured possession – a blue willow plate that her mother had given her before she died. Things go well for Janey in San Joaquin Valley, California initially but then her stepmother falls ill and her father cannot work. She is then faced with losing her beloved willow plate.

My husband, who also loves History, is fascinated with many things Japanese. When I told him about The Samura’s Tale by Erik C. Haugaard, he urged me to order it. When it arrived though, Mars beat him to it and she’s been absorbed with the book. Set in 16th century feudal Japan, the story is about Murakami, whose parents are murdered by Lord Takeda’s soldiers. Kidnapped, he is then called Taro and becomes a servant in Lord Akiyama’s household. A cook named Togan befriends him but he too is murdered. Taro then decides that he will become a samurai and regain his family’s honour.

Another book by William Steig that Mars enjoyed – Abel’s Island. Abel (Abelard Hassam di Chirico Flint) is a mouse who, in trying to rescue his wife Amanda’s scarf, gets blown away during a storm. He is stranded on an island. Stripped of the comforts and leisure that his inherited wealth afforded him, Abel has to rely on his ingenuity and resourcefulness to return to his beloved wife. It takes him a year but he does rise to the challenge :)

I found The Defender by Nicholas Kalashnikoff quite compelling. Simply written, it is about Turgen, an old Lamut man who lives close to the Yakut people in Siberia. The Lamut are mountain folk while the Yakut live in the valley with their domesticated animals. Turgen is a healer and has an affinity with the mountain rams which he protects. The shaman, jealous of Turgen, spreads rumours about him, saying he consults with the devil who takes the form of the ram. Turgen’s loneliness after his wife and child’s deaths is compounded when the villagers shun him. Only Marfa, a poor widow and her two children offer him friendship. Turgen’s life slowly changes – his kindness gains him a family, returns him the good will of the village and even a heartfelt apology from the village shaman.

I’ve got loads more books to review but… in shaa Allah, another day :)

1. The Nine Lives of Montezuma by Michael Morpurgo
This chronicles the life of Montezuma, a ginger tom with a white patch on his throat. He has to fight for his life from the outset – as a newborn, he survives despite attacks from a barn owl, the attempts of a farmer to drown his siblings and abandonment from his neglectful mother. He is rescued by the farmer’s son, Matthew, and becomes a permanent and much-loved fixture in the household.

What follows are the many brushes Monty has with death. First, he gets his head stuck in a tin before hurling up a tree and falling in a pond. Then, he becomes involved in a violent fight with the farm dog, Sam, over Sunday roast left-overs. Next, he is stranded in a snowdrift and a brutal fight with a rival tom. He watches over Matthew who grows up and takes over the farm. But all creatures must face death and Montezuma dies, leaving behind fond memories…

2. Under the Hawthorne Tree by Marita Conlon-McKenna
I discovered this gem quite by accident and almost gave it a miss. I bought it for a mere 50 rupees (SG$1!!). This award-winning novel deals with the the Great Irish Famine that ravaged Ireland in the 1840s. The story centres around the O’Driscolls, the average Irish family who are tenant farmers, dependent on potatoes as their main source of food. Tragedy strikes in the form of “the Blight” – a disease that destroys the potato crops – and what ensues is extensive starvation.

Eily (who is 12), Michael (10) and Peggy (7) O’Driscoll have coped with heartbreak upon heartbreak. Their parents left to find work but have gone missing and their baby sister Bridget is dead and buried under the hawthorne tree. Their village is devastated and farmers are being evicted by the landowners. Surrounded by disaster and the threat of being sent to the workhouse, the children are determined to survive and stay together.

Armed with nothing but courage and love, they embark on a perilous journey across Ireland to find their great-aunts, Nano and Lena, whom they have only heard about in their mother’s stories. The children sleep in the open and forage for food in the wild and in the farms of dead tenants. They are confronted with death at every turn. They see bodies of those who died with no one to mourn or pray over them and they see the living dead – those so traumatised that they are but shells of their former selves.

When the O’Driscoll children arrive in Ballycarbery, they see the ships loaded with food bound for England. It is a painful and bitter pill to swallow – the landlords were making money while their countrymen were falling dead from starvation. And indeed, that is the irony of those horrific years – it was only the potato crop that failed; wheat, oats and meat were in excellent supply but they were shipped out to England. It is said that a million and a half people died during these dark years and another million emigrated.

Read about how Eily, Michael and Peggy push every fibre of their being to stay alive and find a better home. This book is part of a trilogy – the other books in the series are Wildflower Girl and Fields of Home. I haven’t read these, but if you have tell me about them! The book has also been made into a film and study guides are available at O’Brien Press.

Update: We found Wildflower Girl in a little bookshop in Islamabad! It is good… review later in shaa Allah…

3. The Akimbo books by Alexander McCall-Smith
Alexander McCall Smith was born in Zimbabwe was educated there and in Scotland. A Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh, he is a best-selling author of adults’ books but proves that he is equally adept with younger audiences. I was told about his books by a fellow homeschooler who adores books. We went on a hunt and were rewarded with a box set that was in perfect condition!

The set features Akimbo and the Elephants, Akimbo and the Lions and Akimbo and the Crocodile Man. (There is another book out there Akimbo and the Snakes that we have not read, so if you see it, give me a shout OK?)*

Akimbo is a young, adventurous African boy who lives in a large game reserve where his father is a head ranger. He is passionate about animal conservation and goes through great lengths to protect them. In Akimbo and the Elephants, Akimbo helps to bring down an elephant poaching ring. In Akimbo and the Lions, he helps to raise a lion cub and becomes attached to it. However he knows that Simba belongs in the wild. It is a heartbreaking moment when he releases Simba. (Oh how Ms M cried!) In Akimbo and the Crocodile Man, our resourceful friend is given the chance to accompany John the Crocodile man who is doing research on a batch of crocodiles. During a trip, John is attacked by an angry croc. It is a race against time as Akimbo braves dangerous waters to get help for his friend. Ms M loved the bit where Akimbo hotwires a truck, drives it and barely misses crashing into a tree!

I loved this series just as much as Ms M did. The descriptions are simple and yet incredibly detailed and will transport you to the beautiful African continent. We finished each book in one sitting and liked the charming black and white illustrations by Peter Bailey. I’d recommend this for both boys and girls who are getting into chapter books.

* Update: We have read Akimbo and the Snakes – nice stuff!

OK more in Part 3 – kids are hankering for breakfast!

A nice sister made a comment about my blog in an email (I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that someone actually reads my blog hehe…) She said that she too cannot imagine a world without books. I really love it when I meet someone who shares a passion for books.

Here are some chapter books Ms M and I have enjoyed…

1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A beautiful, if painful, coming-of-age story. Set in fictional small town in Alabama, the story talks about life in Depression-hit America. It starts out with an affectionate description of the sleepy southern county. Scout and her brother Jem are raised by their widowed father Atticus and their housekeeper, Calpurnia. Their summers are consumed by grand plans to lure the recluse Arthur “Boo” Radley out of his spooky home. The ladies meet for missionary teas and “bathed before noon, after their three-o’clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum.” As the story progresses, this charming facade is dismantled to reveal ignorance, fear, hypocrisy and prejudice.

Atticus Finch is called on to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. He is eventually found guilty and, “tired of taking white man’s chances”, attempts to escape and is shot to death. What I love about this story is how the author deftly shows that everyone is human and multi-faceted. Mayella is a pitiful figure, driven by loneliness and abuse; Mrs Dubose, a bigot who screams insults at the Finches, is also a courageous woman who kicks her morphine addict and dies “beholden to nothing and nobody”.

Ms M really enjoyed this book and while I am really strict about her watching any movies or TV, I did let her watch the movie starring the late Gregory Peck (he WAS Atticus, wasn’t he?). The language in the movie was more toned down so it is suitable for children.

2. Number The Stars by Lois Lowry
This is set in Denmark, during the second World War. We see what life was like through the eyes of 10-year-old Annemarie Johannesen. The Danes suffer from food and fuel rations and the menacing presence of the Nazis at every street corner. On 29 September 1943, word got out that the Nazis were going to round up the Jews and send them to death camps. Annemarie had already noticed some of her Jewish neighbours disappearing. And so begins the mission to save their neighbours, the Rosens. Ellen Rosen poses as the Johannesen’s daughter and they travel to Gilleleje, a seaside town. There, the Resistance and the brave fishermen have arranged to transport the Jews to Sweden.

3. Misty of Chincoteague by Margeurite Henry, illustrated by Wesley Dennis
All the events in this book are true although they didn’t happen in the order they were written. Legend has it that a 16th century Spanish galleon carrying horses bound for South America was caught in a violent storm near Assateague Island. After escaping from the hold, the horses swam to the safety of the island. Wild with freedom, the horses adapted to their new surroundings and over the years, became a hardy breed.

Every year on “Pony Penning Day,” the men of neighbouring Chincoteague round up as many ponies as they can and bring them across the water to sell. Paul and Maureen Beebe long to have ponies of their own that they never need sell. They have their hearts set on the elusive Phantom. Paul is finally old enough to join the round-up and in the months preceding the big day, he and Maureen work hard to earn the money for their own horse. Paul not only manages to round up Phantom, but also her colt, Misty. The children struggle with their desire to own the lovely Phantom and their regret at confining such a beautiful untamed spirit. An evocative tale of dreams that come true and which must eventually be let go… A Newbery Honor Book.

4. The Wreck of the Zanzibar by Michael Morpurgo
I discovered 3 of his books in a second-hand bookstore in mint condition, each going for only 125 rupees (that’s about SG$3!). Needless to say, I grabbed them. His books are said to be for children aged 8 onwards but his stories are compelling and clearly, for all ages. This story unfolds in 14-year-old Laura Perryman’s diary entries and watercolor illustrations in 1907 and 1908. Laura longs to row the island gig with the men and pilot ships through the dangerous waters around the Scilly Isles. Her father, however, adamantly refuses to let her. Life on Bryher Island is harsh – the storms have destroyed the islanders’ homes and boats and food supplies are running out fast. The family faces even more bleak days – Laura’s wanderlust twin brother, Billy, runs away with a ship following a fight with their father and their cows, which provide both food and income, fall sick and die in a storm. They pray for a shipwreck, so they can salvage its cargo. Laura finally manages to realise her dream in the story’s dramatic and surprising ending… This book won the Whitbread Children’s Novel Award.

5. Billy The Kid by Michael Morpurgo
Some may not like the adult themes in this book, but this allowed Ms M and I to have a rather fruitful discussion about handling disappointments and one’s purpose in life later on. So, I would advise you to use your judgement. Eighty-year-old Billy is sitting on his favourite park bench and reminisces about his life. As a child, he dreamt of playing football (OK, soccer, you Americans!) for Chelsea FC. He gets what he wanted too, until World War 2 takes place. Billy’s late father, who had died after WW1 due to lung problems sustained in battle, had told him never to fight in any war but when his younger brother Joe fights and dies, Billy feels he cannot stay away.

He joins up as a medic and tastes first hand the pain and horrors of war. A serious injury to his legs means the end of his soccer career and upon returning to England, he finds that his mother, step-father and sister have been killed in the Blitz. Broken in spirit, Billy turns to the streets and drink. A kindly couple later take him in and while it is a long and slow process, Billy eventually succeeds in his search for peace. I enjoyed the football scenes and the ending, which was nothing short of touching. This book made Ms M cry quite a bit!

More in Part 2 in shaa Allah … Kids are up!

Stories of the Prophets by Ibn Kathir (on-going)

Malcolm X : A Fire Burning Brightly by Walter Dean Myers & Leonard Jenkins
Pompeii: The Day A City Was Buried by Melanie & Christopher Rice (DK)
Usborne’s Enclyclopedia of World History (on-going)
Voyages of Discovery – Viking Explorers by Luidi Prunetti (McGraw-Hill) (on-going)

Animal Talk from Singing Birds & Fireflies by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Australia The Gift by Steve Parish
Fire! (DK)
Kangaroos & Marsupials by Lionel Bender
Koala Kate Talks Ablout Koalas by Denise Burt
Longman’s Inquizitive books: Bushfire
Longman’s Inquizitive books: The Desert Gallery
On The Trail from Animal Tracks & Traces by Kathleen V Kudlinksi
People & Animals: Work & Leisure by Barry Silkstone
The Magic School Bus Chapter Book: Amazing Magnetism
The Magic School Bus Chapter Book: Expedition Down Under
The Magic School Bus Chapter Book: The Giant Germ
The Magic School Bus Chapter Book: The Truth about Bats
The Magic School Bus Chapter Book: The Wild Whale Watch
The Magic School Bus Chapter Book: Twister Trouble
Travelling Through Time (DK)

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

A Bargain for Frances by Russel Hoban & Lillian Hoban
Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping by Peggy Parish & Lynn Sweat
Best Friends for Frances by Russel Hoban & Lillian Hoban
Beryl’s Box by Lisa Taylor & Penny Dann
Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban & Garth Williams
Bread & Jam for Frances by Russel Hoban & Lillian Hoban
Days with Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel
Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel
Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel
Koala Lou by Mem Fox
Miss Lily’s Fabulous Pink Feather Boa by Margaret Wild & Kerry Argent
Mom Can’t See Me by Sally Hobart Alexander
Possum Magic by Mem Fox
The Gold Coin by Alma Flor Ada
The Pudding Like a Night on the Sea by Ann Cameron

DK Readers
Beastly Tales
Dinosaur Detectives
Disasters At Sea
Free At Last: The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Horse Show
Outback Adventure: Australian Vacation
The Story of Anne Frank
The Story of Muhammed Ali
Zeppelin

I found this book while book hunting in Singapore last March… Bear was a wee month-old baby and was fussing up a bit at the bookstore so I almost missed this treasure.

Beautifully written by Alice McLerran and illustrated by Eric Carle, The Mountain That Loved A Bird is a beautiful tale that made my daughter cry buckets! This book is good for kids 10 and above but if your preschooler enjoys a long story, then this is a keeper.

In this story, a lonely stone mountain lives in the middle of a desert. It is barren and thus, has never had company nor experienced anything beyond heat and cold. It has not much to see either – only the movement of the sun, the course of the moon and the stars when the skies were clear.

A small bird named Joy stops by one day. The mountain feels her sharp claws and her soft feathers and, overcome with amazement, asks her to stay. Unfortunately, Joy cannot comply – there is nothing that can sustain her there. However, she promises to make annual visits in spring and to name her daughter Joy, who in turn will name a daughter Joy and so on so that the mountain will always have a friend visiting once a year.

Ninety-nine springs come and go. Each time the separations become harder to endure. One day, unable to tolerate the loneliness, the mountain’s heart breaks. His tears are a stream which slowly but surely transform it and the land surrounding. Joy brings a seed and over time, the tears become tears of hope and happiness. Eventually, Joy brings not a seed, but a twig. Instead of her usual farewells, she tells the mountain that she has come to stay.

Eric Carle’s signature collages are simply superb! You will find that the pictures become wonderfully vibrant as the story progresses. There are other versions of this book that you can check out on the author’s site.

I am presently trying to develop a unit study on this book in collaboration with a few other homeschooling mums. Make du`aa that I complete it in shaa Allah, OK?

Offhand I can think of a few lesson ideas:

• friendship & loyalty
• keeping promises
• hope
• birds
• mountains
• climates
• water, streams etc.
• seeds
• colours

You can also read Eric Carle’s The Tiny Seed as an accompaniment.