‘Books’

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COUNTING ON GRACE

Inspired by a famous Lewis Hine photograph, Elizabeth Winthrop’s latest book is set in a Vermont mill town in 1910, when child labor was common, and a bright, eager girl had to struggle to receive an education. Against a backdrop of callous mill owners, national calls for labor reform, and a family that can barely make ends meet, Winthrops protagonist, the courageous 12 year old Grace Forcier, strives to balance the needs of her family, the call of her true self, and her profound sense of right and wrong.

Wendy Lamb Books/Random House, ISBN # 0-385-74644-X

Paperback Yearling, ISBN # 0-553-48783-3

“Winthrop’s compelling story vividly captures the mill experience. Much information on early photography and the workings of the textile mills is conveyed, and history and fiction are woven seamlessly together in this beautifully written novel. Readers won’t soon forget Grace.”
–Starred Review, School Library Journal  (more…)

THE CASTLE IN THE ATTIC

Winner of The Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award
and The California Young Readers Medal

Ten year old William can’t wait to play with the mysterious castle his housekeeper, Mrs. Phillips, has given him. For years she has been telling him about the old stone and wood model with its drawbridge, moat and the finger-high knight to guard the gates. And now it is his.

But when William learns that Mrs. Phillips is going back to England to live with her brother, he vows to find a way to keep Mrs. Phillips with him forever. And when he breaks the spell cast on the tiny silver knight, he suddenly knows how to do it.

But William’s big idea turns out to be the worst mistake of his life!

This is an enthralling story of magic and fantasy, which weaves the everyday problems of growing up into the age-old battle between good and evil. William’s quest takes him on a journey to a land where he must fight a ferocious dragon, a wicked wizard and worst of all, the darkness within himself.

“A satisfying quest fantasy with a strong element of modern realism which will appeal to a wide range of readers.” -School Library Journal (more…)

THE BATTLE FOR THE CASTLE

A Sequel to THE CASTLE IN THE ATTIC

When William turns twelve, he wonders if Jason is still his best friend. In the past year, Jason has grown a foot while William is still a shrimp. When Jason challenges William to “jump the trains,” William is terrified. How else can he prove himself to Jason?

William has the chance when Mrs. Phillips sends him the magic token that can once again transport him back to Sir Simon’s castle in the Middle ages, this time with Jason. There they must face a dangerous army of rats and their gigantic leader.

Once William was a hero in the castle. Now it’s up to him to destroy the rats and save the kingdom in the final battle for the castle.

“Likable characters, swashbuckling heroics and goofy culture clashes…charms aplenty.” -Publishers Weekly

Holiday House, 1993
Bantam Paperback, 1994
Unabridged Audio Book, Listening Library, 1997 (AlA Notable Recording)
As twelve year old William battles to save the castle, he discovers that there is more than one way to become a hero.
“a beautifully blended mixture of fantasy and adventure” – Booklist

ISBN: 0823410102
Audio ISBN: 0807281891

DUMPY LA RUE

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST ILLUSTRATED Book

Dumpy La Rue wanted to dance
“Pigs don’t dance,”
said his mother.
“They bellow, they swallow,
they learn how to wallow.

But Dumpy La Rue
was a pig
who knew what he wanted to do.

He twirled in the sty,
raised his snout to the sky,
spread his hooves far and wide,
and pretended to fly.

The whole barnyard gathers around and in no time, hooves are stomping, wings are flapping, and feet are stamping out a beat. This romping, rhyming story combined with Betsy Lewin’s exuberant illustrations will have you dancing a jig with this passionate pig! (more…)

THE RED-HOT RATTOONS

Here they are, my five tap dancing rats who tiptoed out of the pages of DUMPY LA RUE (thanks to my amazing illustrator, Betsy Lewin) and marched right into a comic fantasy novel of their own. Their names are Benny, Fletcher, Ella, Woody and Monk and as the Rattoons, a jazz and tap group, they travel to Rat Hollow, the rat community that pulses with a life all its own beneath the streets of New York City.

But when Rat Hollow turns its back on them, the Rattoons break the law and take their act aboveground to dance for humans in front of the Metropolitan Museum, only to find that danger assails them from every direction. Will Monk survive the treacherous trip through the museum fountain? Will Fletcher escape the ferocious jaws of Napoleon, the nastiest rat catcher in Central Park? With the cards stacked against them, how will the Rattoons ever realize their dream of a tap dancing life? In the end the Rattoons are forced to put their trust in Oliver String Bean Bailey, the legendary impresario and the only human ever to learn ratspeak. (more…)

SQUASHED IN THE MIDDLE

ALA NOTABLE Book, Bank Street College BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR Selection, Starred Selection, Booklinks, Best New Books for the Classroom!

Daisy’s father was chopping carrots. Her mother was talking on the phone. Her big sister was chasing her little brother around and around the kitchen. Being a middle child is not easy. Nobody EVER listens to Daisy, even when she tells them she’s going across the hall to spend the night with her best friend, Rosa.

With humorous text and bold, colorful illustrations, the book captures the frustrations of one child trying to be heard over the noise of a boisterous, well-meaning family. (more…)

DOG SHOW

WHEN HARVEY HEARD ABOUT THE BONESPORT DOG SHOW, HE WAS VERY EXCITED. FRED THE BASSET HOUND WAS NOT. HARVEY PLANNED FOR MONTHS. FRED HOPED IT WOULD NEVER COME.

Harvey entered Fred in every class — short dogs, dogs with spots, droopy-eard dogs, and more. By the end of the show, Harvey was miserable and Fred was so tired and hot his tongue was hanging out. Still Fred loved Harvey. He dragged him back in front of the judges for the last event of the day. Fred knew they would win this one…

With droll illustrations by an award winning New Yorker illustrator, this picture book will have young readers roaring with delight at the antics of both the dogs and the people.

A Selection of the Children’s Book of the Month Club (more…)

THE BIGGEST PARADE

Harvey was excited when the mayor appointed him parade chairman.

He loved parades.

Fred did not.

Fred doesn’t want to be in the parade – not in the beginning, not in the middle, and not in the end. Not on the baseball float, and certainly not dressed as the founding dog of Bonesport. But Fred loves Harvey, so he wants to make him happy. And even though Fred isn’t in the biggest parade Bonesport has ever seen, he’s proud to play the most important role!

This is MARK ULRIKSEN’s second picture book, his first being Dog Show. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker and lives in San Francisco with his family. (more…)

THE CHRISTMAS STOCKING

“Dream your dreams, my child, and knit them into the wool.”
A long time ago a girl named Claire learned to knit by her mother’s side. As the mother knit mittens, scarves and all sorts of clothing for the wealthy people of the town, Claire set about knitting stockings to keep her toes warm. Claire, her mother and father, you see, were poor. They lived in a stone hut, with little wood to burn and meagre food to eat. So Claire knit stockings and–with Christmas approaching–heeded her mother’s words to knit her Christmas dreams into the wool.

Soon Claire became known as the stocking girl–with many orders for stockings to fill. One such order ensured her a handsome payment. Enough to fill her family’s hut with light and food. But as she trudged through the snow to deliver the stockings on Christmas Eve, Claire was stirred to share her knitted dreams with someone truly in need. (more…)

SHOES

There are shoes to buckle
shoes to tie
shoes too low
Which pair of shoes fits you best?

An enduring classic. Slip into this book and tap your feet to the jaunty rhymes. The comical, full-color illustrations and the whimsical verse are sure to delight the very young – and anyone else with a sense of rhythm and a pair of lively feet.

“Preschool story hour groups will be clapping hands and checking out each other’s footwear after hearing this rollicking paean to shoes.” -Starred Review, School Library Journal (more…)

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