“Zorgamazoo,” by Robert Paul Weston

“Zorgamazoo,” by Robert Paul Weston is a fantasy novel written in smooth, flawless verse.

The book begins with a delightful invitation:

Here is a story that’s stranger than strange.
Before we begin you may want to arrange:
A blanket, a cushion, a comfortable seat,
And maybe some cocoa and something to eat.

The main character in this poetical adventure is Katrina Katrell, a young girl with a strong sense of perception and the ability to see things that other people ignore.

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Review of "Zorgamazoo" by Robert Paul Weston

“If You Come Softly,” by Jacqueline Woodson

“If You Come Softly,” by Jacqueline Woodson is the story of romance between a Jewish girl and a black boy.

The two main characters are Jeremiah, a teenage boy attending a fancy prep school in Manhattan. Although he is one of the few black boys there he still feels relatively comfortable being who he his. Jeremiah's greatest worries are about his rich parents who have separated and just can't seem to get along. But Jeremiah's life is due to change when he meets Ellie.

Ellie is a Jewish girl who has her own family problems. She lives with her mother, who has twice abandoned her, so she doesn't really trust her. So when Ellie meets Jeremiah she choses to not tell her mother about him, in part just because she is shy, but to a large extent because she is afraid of what her response will be to the news that Jeremiah and her are romantically attached.

I felt that Jacqueline Woodson did a remarkably good job of approaching this rather delicate subject with careful balance, but also vivid clarity. “If You Come Softly,” has very well designed characters that the reader can commiserate with, no matter what race or color they are.

“If You Come Softly” is about how Ellie and Jeremiah must cope with other people's reactions to their relationship. Though it is not the best book I've ever read, it has a rather unique plot that not many other authors have dared to tackle.

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“Red Cap,” by G. Clifton Wisler

“Red Cap,” by G. Clifton Wisler is a historical fiction novel based on the life of a boy who lived during the American Civil War.

At the age of thirteen Ransom left home against his family's wishes to join the Civil War. At first the Union Army wouldn't accept him, but after lying about his age Ransom was finally accepted into the army as a drummer boy.

“Red Cap” does a good job of showing the reasons why most young boys left home to join the Civil War. Most of the youngsters around Ransom joined the army just to get away from home or to be with their friends. None of them are prepared for the reality of war.

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Review of "Red Cap" by G. Clifton Wisler

“Elijah of Buxton,” by Christopher Paul Curtis

“Elijah of Buxton,” by Christopher Paul Curtis is a Newberry Honor Award novel about a young boy living in a historic Canadian community for runaway slaves.

Eleven-year-old Elijah was the first child born in Buxton, Canada, a small settlement formed by runaway slaves who escaped over the border. Elijah is viewed by some as a symbol of the newfound freedom available in Buxton. At the same time, though, Elijah feels a little letdown about the fact that one of the community's favorite anecdotes is about Elijah as a baby throwing up on Fredrick Douglass, the famous escaped slave and Abolitionist orator.

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Book Review of "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis

“Hard Hit,” by Ann Turner

“Hard Hit,” by Ann Turner is a brief poetic exploration about a boy who loses his father to cancer.

Throughout “Hard Hit” Ann Turner writes in a rather distinctive style. Almost all her sentences are written on the right hand pages in lines that are four or less words long. Only in a few places does she use the left hand pages, and only to make certain key phrases stand out.

The main character is young Mark Warren. Compared with many other children, Mark Warren has a great life. He's a star pitcher for his high school baseball team, he has a great family with two parents, and Diane, the pretty girl in his class, seems to be on her way to becoming his girlfriend.

But then Mark's father is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This news completely changes the focus of Mark's life. Mark is willing to try anything, praying to God, even not fighting with his sister, if only his father will survive.

Then Mark decides that if he can pitch a no-hitter baseball game for his father than his father will get well. Mark works out his frustrations by practicing pitching all day while Diane and Mark's best friend Eddie help him fine tune his skills.

Mark works hard to pitch a no-hitter game but he can't seem to do it. For a while it seems that he won't have to. The chemotherapy that has been making his father so sick seems to have done the trick. CAT scans show that the tumor has shrunk and Mark's father regains some of his energy.

But then Mark's father has a relapse and the cancer returns, worse then ever. Mark is more determined than ever to pitch a no-hitter for his father, but will it make any difference in the end?

“Hard Hit” is a very touching book, even if its style is a little bit sparse. However, Ann Turner's words are honest and pure and their style is sure to appeal to anyone suffering from the loss of a close relative. “Hard Hit” is obviously designed specifically for that purpose, with addresses and contact information in the back for such organization as The National Center for Grieving Children and Families, and The American Cancer Society.

“Hard Hit” is a beautifully written book that many young readers can benefit greatly from.

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“Home of the Brave,” by Katherine Applegate

“Home of the Brave,” by Katherine Applegate is a realistic fiction novel about a young emigrant boy named Kek.

Kek emigrates to America to escape the brutal conditions and refuge camp life of his homeland. Kek arrives in the United States in winter, and to him this is a shocking surprise, for he is not used to either the cold, or the fact that all the trees have lost their leaves. In the cold of a Minnesota winter, Kek must get used to his new life in America.

Kek begins to make friends slowly but surely. First he meets Hannah, a girl who lives in foster care. Kek can connect with her, because his own father was killed, and no one has managed to find his mother yet. Kek is sure that she is still alive, though, and that someday she will come to America to be with him.

Then Kek meets an old woman named Lou. She lives on a rundown farm, and she has a cow. In Kek’s home country cows were very important, and Kek is saddened to see the old woman’s cow in poor condition because Lou can not take care of it. Soon Kek has a job taking care of Lou’s cow. He names the cow Gol, meaning “family” in his native tongue.

In the end Hannah, Lou, and Gol will help Kek adjust to his new life in America, and the pain and joy that he will experience along the way.

“Home of the Brave” is a brief book, written in a poetic style that reflects Kek’s simple sentences as he learns English. “Home of the Brave” is a sensitive story that covers many of the issues faced by new immigrants from third world countries, from misunderstandings of appliances, to the struggle to learn English, to racism.

Katherine Applegate’s “Home of the Brave” isn’t a particularly noteworthy book, but it is a reasonably decent read.

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“Replay,” by Sharon Creech

“Replay,” by Sharon Creech is a book about a small, dreamy boy in a large, outspoken family.

Twelve-year-old Leo loves to daydream. In his mind he is famous, big, or strong, but in real life his family calls him Sardine or Fog Boy. Leo feels that his family tends to forget him in the midst of their own boisterous dynamics, relationships, and projects. Leo is a dreamer, but the rest of his family doesn’t seem to appreciate this, and Leo doubts that they ever did or will.

But one day Leo goes up into the attic to escape the noise and confusion of his family. In a dusty box tucked away amidst the junk Leo finds a small blue book entitled “The Autobiography of Giorgio, Age of Thirteen.” Beneath the journal Leo finds a pair of scuffed up tap-dancing shoes. Giorgio is the name of Leo’s father, but Leo can’t believe that his father was ever happy enough to tap dance, and his father’s old journal is full of grand hopes and dreams that Leo can’t believe that his father ever aspired to.

Leo begins to explore his father’s life through reading the old blue journal. On those rare occasions when Leo finds that he has the house to himself he puts on the tap-dancing shoes and relives his father’s own early days.

Leo also takes a part in the school play. Not only does this give him a chance to achieve one of his dreams of performing, but it also pleases his father, who once wanted to be an actor.

Leo is determined to perform well in the play, even though he has the less than desirable part of an old crone. In addition, Leo is determined to uncover the secrets of his own father’s past: why he is so sad now, and why he abandoned all the plans and hopes that he wrote about in his blue journal so many years ago.

“Replay,” by Sharon Creech has a few distinguishing features that make it unique. First and foremost, the story includes the full text of the play “Rumpopo’s Porch,” by Bill Beeber. This is the play that is performed by Leo in the main story of “Replay.” “Rumpopo’s Porch” makes up about one-tenth of the content of “Replay.”

“Replay” also has a series of three interesting chapters that seem to be ‘replays.’ Each has the same basic structure: one of the children has an upcoming event, and the family is late. When the finally arrive, the star of the day plays their part and ends up getting injured. One of the Leo’s brother’s breaks his leg at a football game. Leo’s sister sprains her knee. Even his youngest brother manages to get hurt at a choir event.

The interesting part, when this really begins to play a major role, is on the night of Leo’s play. The chapter starts withe same format and structure as the three chapters in which Leo’s siblings get hurt at their own performances. Right from the start of the chapter the reader is just sure that Leo is going to ruin the play or get hurt. Whether he does or not, I’ll not say. You just have to read the book.

All things considered I would say that “Replay,” by Sharon Creech is well written book. Leo’s antics and adventures are both humorous and heartfelt, and it is this balanced mixture that makes a good book.

I would recommend “Replay” for the junior fiction audience.

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“Manolito Four-Eyes, The 2nd Volume of the Great Encyclopedia of My Life,” by Elvira Lindo

“Manolito Four-Eyes, The 2nd Volume of the Great Encyclopedia of My Life,” by Elvira Lindo is the second book of the “Manolito Four-Eyes” series. It continues the history of Manolito’s life and greatest moments.

Manolito is a ten-year-old boy living in Spain. He’s better known by his nickname, “Four-Eyes,” inspired by his thick glasses. Manolito loves playing with his friends in Hangman’s Park, a local hangout. Unfortunately, Manolito and his friends can always find some way to get in trouble.

The action starts with Manolito’s classic voice:

Boy, did I get chewed out the other day. My legs are still shaking from it. And I didn’t just get chewed out; I got the worst punishment in the history of rock and roll. When my mom was yelling at me, telling me all the different things I was going to suffer through over the weekend, I said “Could you please go a little slower? I wanna write this down.”

Manolito’s voice is honest and thorough as he tells the reader about how two of his friends came up with the idea to steal some candy from the local convenience store. Naturally, the three of them didn’t get away with it, and Manolito ended up paying the penalty.

Manolito’s life is a continual parade of mistakes and mishaps. At the crowded local pub, Manolito accidently cheers a player on the other soccer team playing against the local Barcelona team. Manolito and his friends take part in a local school program to turn trash into art. Of course, things don’t go quite as planned, and the art gets a little more competitive than necessary. When Manolito and his friends form the “Filthy Feet Gang” their mothers shut it down without hesitation.

My favorite chapter out of all of them, was chapter eight: “A Clear Conscious”. Manolito begins telling his tale:

By now, on every street corner in Carabanchel they’re talking about the crime I committed. A small piece of advice: if you want to keep a secret, go live in another neighborhood; in this one it’s impossible.

The funniest thing about it is I swear that I didn’t commit any crime, and to this day, no one believes me. I will being my terrifying story from the beginning of time….

The second volume of Manolito’s life is just as humorous and detailed as the first installment of the “Manolito” series. Manolito’s honest and thorough voice make this story worth reading. His youthful innocence and seriousness are sure to keep readers amused.

If you have read “Manolito Four-Eyes” then I definitely recommend that you read this second book in the popular Spanish series, and I would certainly keep my eye out for further developments as the series is translated from the original Castilian Spanish to English.

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“Every Day and All the Time,” by Sis Deans

“Every Day and All the Time,” by Sis Deans is a novel about a girl who must cope with the aftereffects of a deadly car accident.

Six months ago Emily Racine and her family were devastated by a car wreck. Each member of the family was effected in some way.

One of Emily’s legs was mangled, resulting in months of therapy and surgery that left her able to walk with a limp, but unable to do one of the things that she loved best: ballet dancing. But far worse than Emily’s fate was that of her brother Jon, who died that day, leaving a great hole in the Racine family.

Emily’s father was driving the family car when the accident occurred and he blames himself for the mistake. Now he has retreated to his office, the place where he wrote the best-selling books that made him famous as a writer. But Emily knows that her father isn’t writing another book. He’s spending his days in the office grieving and drinking far more beer than he should. Emily’s mother also blames herself, because she is a famous surgeon, and when the accident occurred she was away working on someone else’s child. She feels guilty that she wasn’t there to help her own son, and she hides her own pain by spending hours of overtime working at the hospital.

Emily has her own ways of coping with the accident. She spends her time in the basement, where she tries to practice ballet and restore her leg to the condition it was once in. But there is another reason why she likes to spend her time in the basement. In the old entertainment room where Jon and her friends used to hang out Emily can still talk to Jon and tell him about how things are going for her and her parents. Jon answers and tells her that he is fine and suggests things that she should do to help.

Somehow, Emily has a feeling that her parents and her psychotherapist would not want to hear that she still has contact with her dead brother, so Emily keeps it to herself. But then her parents make an announcement: they feel that their house is full of too many sad memories. They want to sell the house and move to another.

Emily can’t move, though, for doing so would be to lose her brother again. And so Emily decides to come up with a plan to turn realtors and home buyers away from the house. That way the Racine family can stay in their home, and Emily can continue to keep her brother living in the basement. As Emily carries out her increasingly elaborate plan, deep down she knows that eventually she will have to face the issues that really matter.

“Every Day and All the Time” is about how psychotherapy and dancing help Emily to accept her brother’s death and “move on” both emotionally and physically. Emily will never forget her brother, but she just needs to find a better way of dealing with his death.

I feel that Sis Dean’s book “Every Day and All the Time” is fascinating in the way that it shows each persons response to death. The different coping mechanisms of each member of the Racine family demonstrate how death affects the family. At the same time the book shows the difference between a healthy coping mechanism and an unhealthy one.

Sis Dean’s focus and depth of exploration on the subject of coping mechanisms makes “Every Day and All the Time” a sensitive and worthy book for young readers.

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“Penny from Heaven,” by Jennifer L. Holm

“Penny from Heaven,” by Jennifer L. Holm is a Newbery Honor Award book set in the 1950’s.

Eleven-year-old Penny’s life is full of contrasts. In a way she has two families. She lives with her mother and grandparents, but she also spends a lot of time with her father’s family. Penny’s father died years ago, and all she knows was that he died from some sickness.

At home with her mother Penny has to deal with her grandmother’s horrible cooking, her grandfather’s bad manners and old war stories, and the disgusting family dog, who is losing bladder control and makes messes constantly. Penny’s mother won’t even let her go swimming because she is afraid that Penny will catch polio at the pool.

When Penny goes to visit her other grandparents, though, everything is different. Her father’s side of the family is Italian, and they always welcome her with open arms, and plenty of deliciously rich Italian food. Her uncles all have interesting personalities, and give her gifts.

The two sides of Penny’s family don’t speak to each other much, even though Penny goes to visit her father’s family almost every day. Penny wishes that she could bring them together again, but she doesn’t know how to do it. And in the meantime, Penny’s mother is dating the milkman!

I felt that “Penny from Heaven” was a touching book. Jennifer Holm shows Penny going back and forth between her mother’s family and her father’s family. In some chapters everything seems to go wonderfully, and Penny is very happy. But in the next chapter disaster strikes. The back and forth swinging becomes more and more acute until the story’s ultimate climax.

The characters in “Penny from Heaven” are sensitive, with very real emotions. It is interesting to see the world of the 1950’s through their eyes. Small details such as the fear over polio and listening to The Shadow on the radio add to the flavor of the story.

I enjoyed reading “Penny from Heaven” and I’m sure that other young readers will as well.

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“Red Glass,” by Laura Resau

“Red Glass,” by Laura Resau is a fascinating novel about a teenage girl who lives along the border between the United States and Mexico.

Sophie's family often help strangers who stop by their home. Because they live along the border they often feed illegal aliens who sneak across the desert to gain entrance to the United States. They come in the dead of night, tired and thirsty. Sophie and her family again open their home when a group of Mexicans are found dead in the desert. There is only one survivor, a young boy named Pablo. For the first year of his stay with Sophie's family Pablo doesn't talk at all.

But gradually, Pablo responds to the love of his foster family and eventually he begins speaking again. Pablo tells them that he has relatives back in Mexico, grandparents who must be worrying about him. When Sophie's parents are able to contact Pablo's extended family it is the beginning of a journey that will take Sophie from her home into the heart of Mexico, through love, danger, and joy.

“Red Glass” is a well-written novel with plenty of interesting details about life in Mexico. Laura Resau writes with a well-informed voice. Her characters are strong and empathetic, willing to work for what is really important. The plot is interesting and the journey concept, though slightly worn, is presented in a refreshing manner.

I recommend “Red Glass” to readers who are interested in Mexican culture and life.

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“Call Me Kate,” by Molly Roe

“Call Me Kate,” by Molly Roe is a historical fiction story about a young Irish girl living during the Civil War era.

Kate McCafferty lives in the Patch, a small coal mining community. Most of the families of the Patch are Irish. For their entire, and sometimes tragically short, lives the men and boys work hard in the coal mines to make a living. Dangerous work conditions and unfair mine owners add to the difficulty of life in the Patch. Many of the Irish men are angry over their life and the racism shown against Irish.

With the start of the Civil War a new threat looms on the horizon. Poor Irish men are being drafted into the war effort because they don’t have the money to pay for an exemption. No concern is shown for their wives and children, who will have to suffer the loss of a spouse or father.

The Irish men of the Patch form a secret society called the Molly Maguires. Its goal is to fight the draft and protect its members from the draft. Kate’s friend Con becomes deeply involved in the effort, but Kate fears for his safety because the Molly Maguires seem to be headed toward disaster. Many of them have very angry and violent attitudes.

Then Kate learns of their ultimate plan. The Molly Maguires plan to blow up the train tracks and derail the draft train. Then the men of the Patch won’t be taken away in the draft.

Kate is afraid that this desperate plan will end with many Irish men, including her friend Con imprisoned. So Kate comes up with her own plan. By disguising herself and posing as a draft resister who was blacklisted by the mine owners, Kate infiltrates the Molly Maguires and attempts to bring about a peaceful solution to the problem.

Overall I would say that “Call Me Kate” is a decent book. Kate is an imaginative and strong heroine, and her personality really comes into action in the last few chapters of the book. However, the story takes a while to get to its climax, and for most of the first three quarters of the book Kate plays a minimal role, as she is far away from the theatre of action.

Despite the fact that this part of the book seems to drag on a little, it is full of strange gaps and breaks that ruin the flow of the plot. Many of the chapters have weeks or months of time between them, and they start with a brief summary of what happened in the interim time between. The flow of the book feels a little sacrificed as if portions of the story were edited out at the last minute.

Even if there are breaks in the plot, there are definitely no shortcomings in the excellent details that Molly Roe uses to enliven the historical scenes. I feel that the portrayal of Civil War era life is very authentic, and at the same time it subtly teaches much about how people worked, played, and thought in that time period.

“Call Me Kate” is a decent historical novel. I feel that it is a good education book, even though it is not as exciting or as polished as some other historical fiction I’ve read.

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“The Secret Voice of Gina Zhang,” by Dori Jones Yang

“The Secret Voice of Gina Zhang,” by Dori Jones Yang is a novel about a Chinese girl attending school for the first time in America.

When Gina and her family move from China to the United States her parents tell her that she will be able to learn English really fast, and that soon Gina will be translating for the adults in the family. Gina's hope is that this move will give her a chance to become a new person. At her old school in China Gina was shy and quiet. However, she is confident that here in America she will be brave and outgoing.

But when Gina attends school for the first time she finds that it is much harder than she realized. On the one hand Gina already knows the schoolwork that the class is covering. For her age she is much smarter than the other students. The problem is that Gina can't understand English. In ESL class, however, Gina finds that her throat tightens up and she can't seem to speak at all, even in Chinese, to one of the interpreters.

Gina's muteness frustrates everyone, her parents, teachers, and the other classmates. But one of the girls, named Priscilla is not turned off like the others. Priscilla is determined to befriend Gina even if it means that she has to do all the talking herself. Gradually Gina responds to Priscilla's openness and persistence until she regains her confidence and her voice.

“The Secret Voice of Gina Zhang” is a pleasant novel. Gina is a fascinating character, with an imaginative mind, but her shyness limits her from showing her potential to others. The contrast between Gina's quiet nature and Priscilla's constant talking make “The Secret Voice of Gina Zhang” interesting. I feel that Dori Jones Yang has created a wonderful novel peopled by sensitive characters. I recommend “The Secret Voice of Gina Zhang” to all young readers.

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