Book Reports

I went to visit my mom and my sister. On the way, I stopped at a booksellers' warehouse and picked up several boxes of books for my sister's bookstore. Was that ever fun! I got to look through the boxes and take some books as my fee for the delivery service!

There were so many good ones! I decided to quickly read one of them and return it to my sister, because I didn't want to be such a book hog and take all of what I really wanted. I brought home three, and I read one and returned it right away. It was written in verse style, so there was sparse print per page and was therefore easy to read quickly and finish in less than a day.

The book was Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate. It was written for kids, I think. I don't know for sure, though, because I loved it, too! It's a story about a boy who comes to America (Minnesota, to be specific) from Sudan and tries to figure out a new life for himself. Many of his family members died, so he is dealing with grief and loneliness in addition to figuring out a new culture and climate. The book is so touching! I just loved it and was sad I had promised to give it back! There are many people with whom I wanted to share this book. If you run across it, read it! It'll be quick, and it will touch your heart.



Sometimes I like to buy kid books at my sister's store, then I send them to Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. Today I bought two:
50 Below Zero by Robert Munsch (they'll be able to relate to this weather at Rosebud)
and
Smelly Socks by Robert Munsch.

Here's what the back cover says about Robert Munsch: "R.M. is a storyteller and bestselling author of many books for children...He doesn't even write down a story until he has told it a hundred times or more! R.M. wrote Smelly Socks for a girl named Tina who came to a storytelling wearing brightly colored socks -- and got in a book!"

I bet being in an audience with Robert Munsch is a stitch! Good storytellers are priceless.

Oh... and one fun note about Smelly Socks... the illustrator, Michael Martchenko, drew the book to depict native people. It will be perfect to send to Rosebud for that reason! I love to find books with characters that look like the people who will read them. The book is dedicated to Tina F, Hay River Dene Reserve, Katlodeeche First Nation. What a great find!