Category: favorites

Finding Lost

I recently turned to social media for book recommendations that took place in the Pacific Northwest. I was traveling to Seattle and wanted a good book for the plane with ties to where I was going. I looked through the recommendations I received and saw a Holly Goldberg Sloan book, “Finding Lost.” I had no idea she had a book that took place in the PNW but I was thrilled to dive in.

I would read anything Holly Goldberg Sloan wrote. Literally anything. Her voice, storytelling approach, word choices…she pulls the readers into her story because it feels real. You will read her books and feel like a good friend is telling you their personal story. You will be invested in their story, you will know these characters, you will laugh with them, you will identify with them, you will think of them as friends.

I boarded the plane, opened my book and couldn’t put it down. Hours later I was looking out the window, finished book in hand, still thinking about those characters. In “Finding Lost” we meet Cordy Jenkins who lives on the Oregon coast in the “boat house” of a large property where her mother is the property caretaker. Her father died in a boating accident and her mother is saving for a new beginning away from Oregon, the one place Cordy and her brother have called home. Cordy finds a hungry lost dog who she brings home. Her mom, who doesn’t want a dog, tells Cordy and her brother they will find the dog’s home. This little dog, who they name Lost, wins all of their hearts and guides their new beginning in an unlikely place, right there on the Oregon coast.

Now here is the reason I love Holly Goldberg Sloan books for readers of all ages. There are the obvious reasons–I love her stories, I love her characters, but what I really love are these passages that make me think. I’ve texted photos of passages from every one of her books to friends. Her words, while written appropriately for children, will give readers of all ages something to think about. I remember in one of her previous books she wrote about photo albums and how they tell one family member’s perspective. I still think about that today.

I can’t recommend this book enough. Definitely check out “Finding Lost.” If you haven’t read “Short” read that one too (it’s one of my all-time favorites). Just save her name, and when you see a book she’s written, read it. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

A Time to Keep

Earlier this week, I posted a photo on social media of a page from my favorite picture books, Tasha Tudor’s “A Time to Keep: The Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays.” I’ve revisited this book more times than I can count and when I opened it earlier this week to look at the February section, I was immediately pulled back in.

Tasha Tudor takes readers through the year, month by month. She makes the ordinary beautiful, special, and memorable. As a small child, I dreamed of climbing inside those pages, helping to make maple syrup, playing with the corgis, putting on plays in the carriage house, making candles for the upcoming year.

What I didn’t realize when I read this book when I was small, is that I learned from these pages that there is beauty in our own special traditions. They don’t have to be fancy or expensive; they just have to be meaningful to us. Celebrating these things as a family make us look forward to them.

While my family’s traditions look different than the ones in Tasha Tudor’s beautiful illustrations, I realize how important those rituals are to my family. I realize now that the way we talk about the year ahead and what we look forward to, stems from that book. Not that we are imitating what we see in the book, but rather that we look forward to our own traditions and how we make them special. I learned the value of tradition from those pages.

While I wouldn’t trade our traditions for someone else’s, I would still love to climb into that book and experience Tasha Tudor’s world. If you haven’t read this beautiful picture book, please check it out. It is honestly the most beautiful illustrations of family tradition (and if someone can figure out how to make a lit birthday cake float down a river like it does in the book, please share because I think I need to add that tradition).

The book I waited too long to read…

I was introduced years ago to Holly Goldberg Sloan books through a text message from a friend. She sent me a photograph of a page from “Counting by 7s” and said “you need to read this book.” That same friend texted me another page photo when reading “Short” because the writing is just that incredible that one page will draw you in. “Short” is on my list of the 10 best children books I’ve ever read.

So you can imagine any time I see a book written by Holly Goldberg Sloan, I need to read it immediately. Yet for some reason, I’ve walked past “Appleblossom the Possum” multiple times without picking it up. I didn’t expect a book about a possum to be as powerful a read as “Short” and “Counting by 7s.” I realized how wrong I was the moment I finally picked up a copy and started reading on a train ride into the city.

I could not stop reading except to dogear corners of pages and sending texts to friends about this book. I finished the book during my train ride, and I have three regrets. First, I regret waiting so long to read this book. Second, I wish I read it slower just to savor this story. Finally, I regret judging a book by its cover/title and thinking a book about a possum wouldn’t live up to books like “Short.” This book is just as amazing as Goldberg Sloan’s other books and what I love most about her writing is that each book is different and amazing in its own way.

Appleblossom is the smallest of her siblings, cautious, but also a little bit curious. A disagreement with her brothers over her curiosity about monsters (humans) leads to her falling down a chimney which starts this little possum on an awfully big adventure. I want to tell you more, but really, I want you to read this book and have the joy of watching this story unfold.

In addition to the story being captivating, I loved how the book covered the young possums learning appropriate possum behavior. It was like an introduction to sociology for children. The sociological concept that we are all actors learning our role in society was explained in a way that children would follow and understand…the young possums all learning possum behavior while bringing their own personalities into how they interpret those behaviors. This understanding of how we as humans (and possums in this case) learn and evolve in our roles was so well done throughout the book.

Holly Goldberg Sloan is one of the best children’s authors of our time. I will read any book she’s written, and I highly recommend you check out “Appleblossom.” Readers of all ages will enjoy this amazing story.

I’m back with a Halloween read

It’s been a while and I’ve missed sharing children’s books with all of you. For those new here, I write about favorite children’s and YA books (and why I think adults should read them too!). You may wonder why children’s and YA books. I have so many good memories of being read to as a child, reading books myself, and visiting my favorite characters in books. I love revisiting favorite childhood books and finding new amazing books to share.

Now that we are close to Halloween (my favorite holiday), I’m enjoying Halloween books. One book I love to reread this time of year is Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” It’s just scary enough without bringing on nightmares for a chicken like me.

I especially love that the story is local. I always enjoy when we can share books with children and bring them to life. The legend takes place in Sleepy Hollow, NY, a short drive from here. After reading the book with your child, visit Washington Irving’s home, Sunnyside or stop by the Old Dutch Church (yes, it is still standing) and while there you can visit Washington Irving’s grave out back. While there, cross the headless horseman’s bridge. To walk the steps of the story brings it to life in a whole new way. I have such great memories of my mom taking me to Sleepy Hollow and walking the same path Ichabod Crane walked in the legend.

I found an old copy of the legend on vinyl which is equally amazing. If you want more ways to bring it to life after reading, the old Disney cartoon is available on Disney+. For older readers, also check out Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow.”

Check back in next week when I share my favorite YA book that builds off of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

The one and only bob

Last week, Katherine Applegate released “The One and Only Bob” which follows Bob, the dog, from “The One and Only Ivan.” Ivan became one of my favorite characters and I wasn’t sure what to expect as we journeyed into Bob’s story.

If you haven’t read “The One and Only Ivan,” it is based on the true story of a gorilla named Ivan who spent over 20 years living in a cage in a shopping mall. The story is told from Ivan’s perspective. When I first read it, it was my first encounter with a story in “first person gorilla” but Applegate managed to capture this trapped gorilla’s voice in a way that was both authentic and believable.

In “The One and Only Ivan,” Bob, a stray dog, finds his way into the mall searching for food and squeezes himself into the gorilla cage to steal a piece of banana. He succeeds but also finds a friend in Ivan. He remains at the mall with Ivan and Ruby, an elephant also held in a cage in the mall, until rescuers save the gorilla and elephant.

One of the employees, whose daughter Julia often visited Ivan, Ruby, and Bob, takes Bob home and he becomes a part of their family. We begin “The One and Only Bob” with Bob living with Julia and her family. Julia’s dad has a job at the animal sanctuary where Ivan and Ruby now live and Julia and Bob are able to visit them often.

Bob is a tough little dog who had a rough life prior to living with Julia’s family. The entire story is told from his perspective. While Applegate captured the voice of Ivan so brilliantly, she managed to capture the very different, but equally entertaining, voice of Bob perfectly. Bob shares his view of the world as only a dog could see it.

While I read and found myself laughing out loud at times, it was this passage that made me realize Bob’s view of the world was more than just sharing his story, it was words of wisdom from a smart little dog.

Dogs ain’t perfect. But I’ll tell you one thing where we rule: tolerance.

For us, a dog is a dog is a dog. I see a Great Dane, I say howdy. I run into a puggle, it”s Glad to meet ya, how’s it goin’, smelled any good pee lately?

Go to a dog park and you’ll see. We are equal opportunity playful. You sniff my rear, I sniff yours.

You don’t see that with humans, obvious.y Constantly seeing differences where none exist. All those things like skin color? Dogs could care less. You think I won’t hang with a dalmatia ’cause he’s spotted? Or a sharpei ’cause she’s wrinkled?

I’m not saying I love every dog I meet. (Snickers comes to mind.)

But I’ll always give a dog the benefit of the doubt. Life is short. Play is good. And there are plenty of tennis balls to go around.

While it is challenging for many second books to live up to the first, “The One and Only Bob” is a great second book. Applegate’s talent for bringing animal voices to life is incredible and believable. Pick up a copy of “The One and Only Bob” to see what happens with all the incredible characters in “The One and Only Ivan.” You will laugh, you may shed a tear, you will be reminded of the importance of true friendship and perseverance.