Marcia Thornton Jones's Blog, page 66

Book Review: THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM by Holly Goldberg Sloan

 

After reading COUNTING BY 7'S  a few years ago, I was excited to read this latest middle grade book from author Holly Goldberg Sloan. It was an absolute gem! And since we are focusing on "Alive Settings"...it doesn't get much better than an elephant living in the neighborhood.

My review for this book appears after the blurb below, just in time for Children's Book Week!

Here's the blurb from the publisher:

It's been almost a year since Sila's mother traveled halfway around the world to Turkey, hoping to secure the immigration paperwork that would allow her to return to her family in the United States.

The long separation is almost impossible for Sila to withstand. But things change when Sila accompanies her father (who is a mechanic) outside their Oregon town to fix a truck. There, behind an enormous stone wall, she meets a grandfatherly man who only months before won the state lottery. Their new alliance leads to the rescue of a circus elephant named Veda, and then to a friendship with an unusual boy named Mateo, proving that comfort and hope come in the most unlikely of places.

A moving story of family separation and the importance of the connection between animals and humans, this novel has the enormous heart and uplifting humor that readers have come to expect from the beloved author of Counting by 7s.

Here's my review:

Sloan has written a story of hope and patience, teaching us that when we reach out to others with love and kindness, we get back so much more than we ever expected. Animals have a great deal to teach us about the important things in life. This book  is a pure joy to read and hard to put down. It will stay with you for days afterwards. I can picture it on the big screen like THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN. A five-star winner.

Escaping to Rome by Jody Feldman

Rome!
The email, in part, asked me if I’d ever been to Rome.

I had, twice.

And would I consider writing a book set there.

To revisit that city, even in my imagination? YES!!!

But as I write this story, even with all the online resources, even with maps that let you virtually walk down any street, this is hard. It’s hard to remember the scents, the sounds, the sense of the uneven pavement beneath my feet.

And yet, there’s so much I remember in my heart. While I may not be able to completely recapture it all in the words I’m putting to the story, I can only hope it will be enough, at times, to transport you there.

Setting! By Debbie Poslosky

 

The dictionary states that “setting is the place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place.”  Way back when, when I  was in school, we were taught in our writing class that we needed a one sentence setting-just like the definition-nothing more.  And we would redo our setting until it met that standard.  However, as I grew I began to finally understand how books could touch me and change how I think, understand, respond, and grow as a human being, but most importantly grow into myself. 

The power of the written word has been debated, censored, and embraced throughout history.  And I found that the books or writings I was drawn to, had a well developed setting! Far more than one sentence, and that settings could change as the characters grow!   The word choices, the structures of the sentences helped me to truly visualize what I was reading so I could see it in my mind’s eye. 

When I taught 4th and 5th graders, movies were starting to come out about the books that were popular.  Our class would have a movie afternoon from time to time.  Always, the children wanted to watch those movies. Some students had already read the book, some had not or could not attempt to read it.  I was always firm about never watching a movie about a book until we read the book together as a class.  And the kids always taught me so much about their brains!  My top notch group of readers typically had already read the book and moaned about how they really didn’t want to have me read it aloud again!  But I hung tough.  A couple books that come to mind are Shiloh and Because of Winn-Dixie.

I found that even my “best” readers really never thought about the setting and how that impacted the characters.  By pointing out the details of a well-written setting that are often missed by students, they could begin thinking about why the author chose THIS setting for THIS book and why the story might not work in other settings, or even in their own lives.  And the process of perspective would begin.  Often I would have them close their eyes as I read the settings in the books and little by little the students began to see the power of setting as just one element of writing, reading, or telling a story!  It began to show up in the writing they were doing, too. 

We discussed that authors are very intentional about everything they write--every word, picture, title, etc.  Sometimes it is easy to notice, but oftentimes it is not, and that for me, is one of the most enjoyable parts of reading!  I, myself, got to put my own thinking into the story and try and predict or validate or change my thinking, and it was so powerful. 

At the end of each book the question was always: What did the author want us to learn from reading this book? And, how has reading this book changed or confirmed my thinking?”  Then I would let them watch the movie.  And my favorite part of that was listening to some of them discuss how they liked the way the author did better, or asking why did they take out that part? It was so good!  So, once again, I take my hat off to all of you authors who craft these amazing books and stories that reach hundreds of people and by doing so you help them grow and learn that, they too, may have these same issues and here is another way to figure it out. Setting. Important in books and important in life!

CAHOKIA -- A Vivid Place -- by Jane Kelley

An enormous dirt mound and a circle of tall wooden poles are sandwiched between a building supply company and a trailer park.

Looking East into Cahokia

Looking West to a different kind of mound
This place has captured my imagination almost more than any other. 

Many people are unaware of it. If you drive on the highway that passes through the site in Southern Illinois, you might assume that mound is just another landfill. I've seen other massive hills that were just grass-covered garbage.

Few people have even heard of Cahokia, even though it is one of only 24 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the United States. Cahokia isn't even its original name. When French trappers came to the place in the 17th Century, they named it Cahokia after the tribe who lived there at the time. But the people who had built the place had abandoned it hundreds of years before then.  

Archaeologists, who often had to rush their work ahead of highway construction crews, have been able to learn a lot about Cahokia. People began moving there around 700 CE. By 1100 CE, the city was about 6 miles square. The population is thought to have been larger than London was at that time––14,000 people. They hunted, fished, grew corn, and devoted a lot of time to constructing over 120 mounds out of earth. Some of these mounds were for burial. The largest was not. 

Monks Mound is the largest human-made mound north of Mexico. It is 100 feet high. Its base (13.8 acres) is larger than that of the great pyramid in Egypt. And it was made by people digging dirt and carrying it  basket by basket by basket. To make all the mounds in Cahokia, people had to lug nearly 55 million cubic feet of dirt. 

An artist's rendering of how Cahokia looked.

The ring of tall, wooden poles west of Monks Mound was built to mark the places where the sun rose and set on the equinoxes and the solstices. In front of Monks Mound was a 40-acre plaza. This was a place for ceremonies and feasts. It had been carefully leveled so that people could play a game called Chunkey. 

Chunkey player made out of flint and clay found in Cahokia.
One player rolled a specially carved stone disc. Others threw spears to predict the spot the disc would stop rolling. This highly competitive sport continued to be played by tribes throughout North American hundreds of years after Cahokia was deserted. 

Yes. Deserted. For reasons no one knows anymore, the people, who labored so long to build this city, left it. No other tribes tell the story of what happened. We will never know for certain.

So why am I so fascinated by Cahokia? I do love mysteries. Everyone does. Our brains keep puzzling over questions we cannot answer. And there are many at Cahokia. Why did so many people come together to make this city? Was it a charismatic leader? Was it an astronomical phenomenon? Was it innovations in agriculture? Was it the game of Chunkey? And why did everyone leave after a few hundred years? Recent studies have disproved the theory that it was environmental disaster. There didn't seem to be any enemies. So then why? 

Cahokia fascinates me for another reason. It reminds me of the importance of context. The more I learned, the more intrigued I became. The mounds are far more remarkable when you know when and how they were made.

The people who built Cahokia may not have written anything down with words. And yet they left behind wooden poles, mounds of dirt, and carved stone discs. From those pieces, a civilization comes into view. Basket by basket by basket.

Many stories in other places remain hidden to us. Hopefully, just as in the case of Cahokia, we will stop destroying what we don't understand. There is so much to learn--if we dig.

Setting

The most alive setting I’ve encountered in my writing was in a short film script I wrote last semester. It was about an old man and a sea turtle and took place in one location: the beach. Having the story set in one location allowed me to focus on its interaction with my characters. I made a point to emphasize things like beach grass drooping when my protagonist was sad. The weather also became a crucial part of the story - something often overlooked as contributing to setting. I tend to be more character/dialogue focused, so this script was a great way to incorporate the setting more than I have in the past.

alive Alive ALIVE!

We turn our thoughts this (most alive!) month to Most Alive settings:

IRL: #lakelife ! We are new to living on a lake, and neither of us grew up visiting lakes. It's taken a few seasons for us to learn all the joys of lake living. The view alone is enough to make me feel alive. And kayaking, fishing, tubing, swimming, wildlife-watching, and fire-pit fellowship are everyday activities for us now. It's wonderful and inspiring!

Other places where I've been overcome by alive-feelings:

La Jolla, CA
Yosemite Valley, CA
Cape San Blas, FL
Badlands, SD
The Enchanted Highway, ND – I love North Dakota's stark beauty so much I used it as the (dystopian) geographical setting in my newest novel D-39: A Robodog's Journey. (Side note: the D-39 model robodog is made by a company named Dog Alive™!)
When it comes to alive-settings in books, I can conjure quite a few! But here are my knee-jerk responses.

Classic children's literature: Narnia
Contemporary children's literature: Hogwarts
New (2021) middle grade novel: Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

Isn't it interesting that all are FANTASY? The power of imagination, yes?

Wishing you all the alive-feelings today!--- Irene Latham is a grateful creator of many novels, poetry collections, and picture books, including the coauthored Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship, which earned a Charlotte Huck Honor, and The Cat Man of Aleppo, which won a Caldecott Honor. Irene lives on a lake in rural Alabama.

Some Thoughts on Setting

 

On my book blog, Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, I often ask novelists how important setting is in their writing. And often they respond that setting is like another character. It affects the plot, the characters, the essence of the book.

 

Setting can be as broad as a country or a city, or as narrow as a house or a room. It can be a boarding school, or a haunted house, or a ship. If presented well, it sears itself into a reader’s mind.

 

Lately I’ve been playing around with the idea of writing a picture book or two. So I’ve been thinking a lot about illustrations and the role they play in a book’s setting. I was lucky to have a wonderful friend, Rob Lunsford, illustrate my middle grade novels.

 

So many of the books I read as a child had remarkable illustrations or cover art that shaped how I imagined the setting. Collaborations between writers and illustrators can be magical.

 

To root the reader in a particular setting, it’s important to get the details right. Especially if you’re presenting historical settings, as I’ve done in my books. I’ve visited the homes of the early presidents I write about, and have pored over guidebooks that include photos of each room and what furniture might have been there.

 

In addition, dialogue can help enhance the setting. I tend to use a lot of dialogue in my books, and I try to make the present-day characters speak in a totally different way from the historical figures. I’m currently starting the research for another middle grade novel, set in the early 1950s, and am reading novels from the period to get a sense of the slang kids would have used.

 

Whatever kind of reader or writer you are, there are so many ways to make a book’s setting come alive for you. Happy reading!

 

--Deborah Kalb

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To Read... Or Maybe Not.

By Charlotte Bennardo

So where do you D.E.A.R.? It's Drop Everything And Read month here at Smack Dab. I thought about this and read my colleague's posts. They have excellent stories and suggestions where to DEAR. Looking at my own life, I've read in airplanes, on the beach, in a park, in the car, on the lawn, in a garden, when I'm supposed to be sleeping, and other suitable places. 

Photo courtesy of Yaroslav Shuraev of Pexels

But... there really are places you shouldn't drop everything and read. Here's my list of 10 random places you should never Drop Everything And Read:

    1. While you're skydiving. (Keep both hands ready to open that chute!)

    2. While you're scuba diving. (Book gets too wet anyway.)

    3. While you're downhill skiing. (Hitting a tree really hurts.)

    4. While you're driving. (Keep your eyes on the road!)

    5. While you're cycling. (Broken bones hurt- trust me, I know.)

    6. While you're at the dinner table. (Nothing makes moms madder.)

    7. While you're working at a job. (Bosses frown on that.)

    8. While you're taking a math test. (You have to pass this test!)

    9. While you're in a wedding party. (You have things to do, and on time.)

    10. While you're mountain climbing. (It's dangerous enough, don't add to it!)

Some places though, are a matter of personal opinion...

    1. When in the bathroom. (No sense wasting time!)

    2. When family visits. (They're just going to talk for hours.)

    3. When you're sitting on the bench during a game. (You haven't played the last three games anyway.)

    4. When your parents take you to an expensive professional sports game. (But the teams are the worst.)

    5. During a boring movie in a theater. (You didn't want to see it anyway.)

    6.  During your sister's bridal fitting. (She's only tried on 50 dresses...)

    7. When your grandad repeats his favorite fish story for the gazillionth time. (Yep, the fish was this big!)

    8. When you're supposed to be watching the grill or the oven. (Just one more chapter...)

    9. During your little brother's music recital. (How long is this going to last?)

    10. While everyone's cowering in the basement because of a tornado warning. (What else can you do?)

There are many great places to Drop Everything And Read- so take advantage of them. There are just too many great books that you need. 

Drop Everything and Read

 I learned about DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) when I was teaching middle school. I loved it then and still think it's a great idea. Now that I'm writing for a living, I rarely find time to do any reading just for pleasure. Usually, I'm reading something for an article or trying to study another style or see what is happening in publishing. But every once in a while, I run across something that causes me to throw that out the window and read just because I really, really want to dive into a particular book. 

That happened earlier this week when I heard about this new title:

"You can retake your photos...but what if could redo moments in your life too? With one magical app, Zoe is able to do just that! A smart and funny twist on time travel from New York Times bestselling author Jen Calonita, for fans for Disney's Zapped and The Swap."

 I mean, hello! You had me at time travel! I ordered it as soon as I heard about it. Sometimes you just can't wait for the paperback release!

Last night I read only the first chapter, but I really had to fight the urge to stay up all night and devour the entire book. I immediately connected with the protagonist, even though it's been...well, a while...since I was a tween. Already I can't wait to see what happens!

Also, what a great cover, don't you think?

Ginger Rue's latest book, Wonder Women of Science, is co-authored with rocket scientist Tiera Fletcher, who is currently working with NASA on the Mars mission. The book profiles a dozen amazing women (besides Tiera!) who are blazing new trails in their respective STEM fields.  

 

 

Barefoot Dreams - Seriously, Get This Book (Holly Schindler)

We're going to feature author Alda Dobbs in a few months, but I had to give an early shout-out to this one. 

I recently received an ARC of Barefoot Dreams, and dug in as an author. I can't help it; it's how I start reading every book. My mind is usually going on warp speed as I try to take in all the choices each writers makes. About character. And setting. And the ways they draw readers in. But it didn't take many pages before I was reading for pure pleasure. 

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A post shared by Holly Schindler (@hollyschindler)

I love this book. I love it because it is important and timely and smart. I love it because it is based on family history. I love it because it is so well written. 

Do yourselves a favor. Snag a copy. I think you'll find yourselves reading for pleasure too.