Month: May 2019

A Green Place to Be: The Creation of Central Park

/ Sara Gentry

Although I have traveled to many areas in the contiguous United States and various countries in Europe, I have never been to New York City. After reading A Green Place to Be: The Creation of Central Park by Ashley Benham Yazdani, I would love to visit the Big Apple and see this world-famous park.

Yazdani does a wonderful job of bringing to life the historical account of Central Park’s inception and construction. She includes interesting facts without bogging down the reader with too much technical terminology or trivial information. The illustrations are full of life, making the historical scenes appear fresh and present. From the broad, lush landscapes to the complete survey of the various bridges inside the park, the detailed illustrations are a feast for the eyes, welcoming multiple readings.

I recommend A Green Place to Be for readers who are looking for a beautifully illustrated slice-of-history story. It will probably be best for ages 6-10, though I do think artists of all ages will enjoy the beautiful illustrations.

Poetree

/ Sara Gentry

Poetree, written by Shauna LaVoy Reynolds and illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani, is a sweet friendship story that melds a love of poetry and a love of nature. Young Sylvia writes poems that she then takes to her friend, the birch tree. She never imagined the tree might write back.

And so begins the origin of the Poetree. In what appears to be a magical exchange of verse, Sylvia leaves poems with the tree and receives poems in return. When Sylvia finally discovers the truth behind her leafy pen pal, she has difficulty hiding her disappointment, but soon finds she may have made a new and unexpected friend after all.

Maydani’s lovely illustrations create a serene and gentle mood. Young readers would enjoy creating poems and illustrations of trees, flowers, birds, and other natural scenes after reading this lovely story.

I think Poetree is best for ages 4-8, though older kids will likely enjoy the story as well. There are many useful teaching tie-ins, including the topics of poetry, nature, and friendship.

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster

/ Sara Gentry

Jonathan Auxier’s Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster is my favorite book of 2018 (adult or children’s), and one of my favorite children’s novels of all time. The themes are timeless, the story is riveting, and the writing is beautiful. I believe this book will stand the test of time – a modern classic indeed.

Nan Sparrow is a chimney sweep in Victorian London. Although she is old by chimney sweep standards (not yet a teenager), she is one of the best in the business. She knows how to navigate the treacherous flues in London homes, and has managed to stay unscathed in a profession that regularly claims the lives of its young workers. Until the day she gets stuck.

When a fellow sweep uses the “Devil’s Nudge” tactic of lighting a fire in the chimney to, shall we say, encourage her to break free, Nan finds herself trapped in a chimney fire and figures death is imminent. She blacks out, and when she wakes, she is not injured … and not alone. A creature made of ash and soot, called a golem, has rescued Nan, and is, in fact, her monster.

As others have noted, Sweep has a Dickensian feel to it, highlighting the terrible and brutal conditions that children endured as chimney sweeps. I honestly had no idea that children were used in this way,  and I suspect many contemporary readers share this ignorance. I commend Auxier for not shying away from the disturbing truth, but rather mining for the glimmer of hope in a hopeless existence.

Sweep received a lot of accolades, and it deserves every one. I would have gladly bestowed all the stars and awards it could possibly earn. I highly recommend this book for ages 10 and up, though 12 and up may be more appropriate for sensitive readers.