Sharon Rudnitski
Children’s author
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Sharon’s Bookshelf
Sharon’s reviews of books for and about children, from the Ottawa Public Library’s website (www.library.ottawa.on.ca/english/readToLight/)
Great reads about kids, for adults
Vinny Grette’s favorite stories
Zodiac Girl: Recipe for Rebellion
Vinny’s pick this week
Greener Grass
Caroline Pignat
Fitzhenry and Whiteside 2008
What if you wake up tomorrow and there is nothing to eat? I don’t mean there’s no left-over pizza or fried chicken in the fridge. That’s true enough. But there’s no milk either—no cereal in the cupboard, no turnips or onions in the veggie bin, nothing waiting to be defrosted in the freezer. What would you do?
In Greener Grass we find out what the families of Ireland did in 1846, when the Grey Man came in the night and rotted all the potatoes in their fields. Living off the land, these people had nothing at all to eat without their crops. Starvation and illness marched in the wake of the blight the Grey Man brought.
How did they survive? Kit steals meat left on the plate of her employer in the big house. If caught at this, she would be hung. Young Mick eats worms. There are riots at the bakery. Yet when a morsel comes their way, they share it with those around them.
But this is no way to live. Greener Grass shows us how hope inspires people in the face of the worst odds. This moving tale brings the past to life. From Caroline’s vivid pen flows a message: with a little faith, we can find a way. First book of a trilogy.
The Book Thief
Markus Zusak
Borzoi book published by Albert Knopf 2005
In The Book Thief, words and writing help children survive in war-torn Germany. Well, some of them survive. For it’s Death who tells us this tale. So we know from the first page that story-time isn’t going to be too cheery.
Liesel is the book thief, and in the beginning she has no words. But Death reassures us, “the words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold them in her hands like clouds and she would wring them out like rain”. Liesel learns to read, then to write. She sends a letter to her mother. Then a whole bunch of letters, which she never sends—until much later. Leisel’s words are integral to the story of how ordinary Germans coped under Hitler’s fist.
Death asks how “the same thing can be so ugly and so glorious at the same time, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.” This comment pretty well sums up The Book Thief. For if there’s one true fact about this story, it’s that it’s brilliant. And ugly. And glorious. And damning.
The questions this story asks—about war, and love, and human cruelties, and the power of words—are likely too harsh for younger kids. But older ones may as well begin considering these issues sooner rather than later. And there is no more powerful place to start than The Book Thief, where “Death is haunted by humans.”
You can count on it, as surely as you can count on Death. You won’t be able to put the book down until you’ve read every last word.
••••••
Six-Legged Sex - The Erotic Life of Bugs
Great reads about kids, for adults
The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing
How to Talk so Kids will Listen...
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Vinny Grette’s favorite stories
Louis Sachar
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Year Published: 1998
First, the smelly runners of a famous ball player fall right out of the sky and smack Stanley Yelnets (Stanley spelled backwards) on the head. Then, Stanley ends up in juvie—a camp for young offenders—even though it wasn’t him who stole those shoes! Stanley and the other guys at camp find themselves digging holes in the desert, endlessly, with little to eat and even less to drink. Stanley's only friend, Zero, is the most pathetic boy in the entire gang. Life's the pits!
All this is because Stanley’s family lives under a curse. No matter how hard they work, their bad luck sees they get nowhere. But at least they have each other. Not Zero, though. He has nobody at all—until he meets Stanley, that is.
This funny story, stuffed full of hilarious people, keeps you reading. But it does more than that. It also makes you think. The kind of family you end up in has some fallout. But in the end you see how a kid can make it in life, no matter what, just by taking one little step at a time. This story’s punch pretty well hits you right between the eyes once you make all the connections. Try it. A Newbery-award winner.
Reviewer: Vinnt Grette Date Reviewed: May 15, 2007
Zodiac Girl: Recipe for Rebellion
Cathy Hopkins
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Year Published: 2007
Danu’s dad is more interested in old bones than in his own, real-live daughter. That’s what Danu figures. What else could it be? While her dad goes after some lame discovery half way around the world, she's stuck in an awful apartment with her unmarried aunt. Danu’s plots to get back home flop miserably. But help comes from an unexpected place—her horoscope!
Danu turns to the planets for advice after her new cell phone tells her she’s this month’s Zodiac Girl. She hardly knows what to believe... Her own planet, Jupiter, turns out to be Joe at the local deli!
When she can’t change where she lives, no matter how hard she tries, Danu finds she can change how she lives. Her recipes for fighting loneliness help Danu cook up a happy life for herself in her new place. Read this if you want to feel warm and toasty!
Reviewer: Vinny Grette Date Reviewed: May 15, 2007
Caroline Pignat
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Year Published: 2007 Red Deer Press
Hey, great book—even if the only connection to food is in the title! Egghead lets you in on the lives of three kids caught up in an
all-too-common classroom drama. Will Reid is more interested
in the goings-on of his ant colony than in the other kids. His struggle with Shane, the school bully,
is watched from a safe distance by two
classmates. How will Will’s friend Katie deal with her strange feelings for Shane’s
sidekick Devan?
The outcome of this familiar battle is far from ordinary. Caroline Pignat handles the unpleasantness
with humour and warmth. Egghead’s insight into the messes kids face at school makes
exciting reading for preteens and older. Parents and teachers should enjoy this book, too!
Reviewer: Vinny Grette Date Reviewed: June 15, 2008
Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior
Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson
Genre: General Non-Fiction/Documentaire général
Year Published: 2005
Animals are finally getting their due. Thanks to Dr. Pepperberg’s Grey African parrot Alex, scientists now think animals are a lot smarter than we once believed. Alex talks. And from what he tells us, we know he’s a lot like a normal 6-year-old kid. Alex recognizes many colors. He even asks questions, like “What color is Alex?” Now that he know’s he’s “grey,” guess what his favorite color is? If you guessed “grey,” you’d be right! But the biggest surprise is that Alex can spell. What has all this to do with autism? Read Temple’s book to find out. Fascinating.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: March 1, 2006
Marthe Jocelyn
Genre: General Non-Fiction/Documentaire général
Year Published: 2005
When they find themselves turned away by lovers and families, young women sometimes face a dreadful decision. Mothers, some still girls themselves, come to homes like Thomas Coran’s foundlings hospital in London, England. Here they leave their precious babies in the arms of strangers. Only misery pushes them this far.
Jocelyn looks back to the mid 1700s to put this sad social problem into historical context. She explains why Coran helped and what these children could have expected from institutional life. Her factual account helps shed light on a question that often goes unanswered—Why? A personal story.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: January 19, 2006
Kenneth Oppel
Genre: Fantasy/Roman fantastique
Year Published: 2004
Matt, a fatherless cabin-boy on the airship Aurora, faces hardships when pirates overrun his craft. Kate, a pretty passenger his own age with a passion for science, complicates Matt’s efforts to help his crew escape. Matt and Kate’s stories are interwoven as the duo tries to document the existence of the magnificent flying mammals noted in her grandfather’s log. But what is real and what is myth? And what roles do fathers play in a kid’s life, anyway?
Oppel creates a lovable hero in Matt, a boy who follows his dream in a Victorian-style fantasy land. Lots of action. GG award-winner.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: January 19, 2006
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Bill Bryson
Genre: General Non-Fiction/Documentaire général
Year Published: 2003
Who says God and science can’t coexist? Bill Bryson helps us see the big picture—even though our viewing station, Earth, is hopelessly boxed in by space and time. Getting here wasn’t easy and it’s far from certain that we’ll be sticking around much longer.
Bill guides us from the gargantuan to the minuscule with equal ease until we begin to realize just what a fluke life is. He helps us understand, perhaps for the first time, abstract ideas from some of the greatest minds our species has ever produced. And it’s awesome! Highly recommended for young and old.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: January 12, 2006
Kerri Sakamoto
Genre: Historical Fiction/Roman historique
Year Published: 2003
This poetic story about a Japanese girl’s discovery of her father’s past examines the connection between duty and love. All her life Miyo, with her many physical problems, has been her father’s duty. But before Miyo, Mas knew duty by another name, as a member of the special attack force in the Japanese army. There Mas found that as a Japanese born in Canada, he belonged nowhere.
With her sister Hana, Miyo uncovers her father’s secret—and learns that duty is born from love. This complex story provides insight into the motivation behind suicide warfare. Cherry blossoms cloak the action in scent and imagry.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: July 06, 2005
Cynthia Kadohata
Genre: General Fiction/Roman général
Year Published: 2004
Kira-Kira (kee`ra kee`ra): glittering; shining.
Katie learns this, her first word, from her older sister, Lynn. In fact Katie learns everything she needs to know from Lynn. But Lynn’s most important lesson is how to see glitter in ordinary things.
Born to Japanese immigrants in post-war USA, these sisters help one another find beauty in the face of hardship. This story tells of gain through loss—and optimism in spite of life’s harshest disappointments.
Newbery-prize-winner Kadohata captures the essence of racism, childhood, and mourning in this poetic middle-grade tale.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: March 21, 2005
Rachna Gilmore
Genre: General Fiction/Roman général
Year Published: 2000
Mina’s life takes a nose-dive when her granddad, Nanaji, comes from India to stay with her family. Mina resents his intrusion into her world. But when Ashley mocks his accent, Mina shifts her anger from Nanaji to her schoolmate. Mina’s revenge comes to a head during her family’s annual party honoring Holi, the festival of colors.
Award-winning writer Rachna Gilmore sheds light on what it’s like to grow up as part of a minority in Canada. And in so doing, she also illuminates some common growing pains everybody faces. Gentle but thought-provoking reading for pre-teens.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: March 17, 2005
The Tale of Despereaux, Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, some Soup and a Spool of Thread
Kate DiCamillo Year Published: 2003
Genre: Fantasy/Roman fantastique
For Newbery winner DiCamillo, stories are light. This one begins at the beginning with Despereaux—a smaller than usual mouse with sharper than usual abilities. Reader, an interesting fate awaits those who do not conform.
Everything cannot always be sweetness and light. Hearts can be broken and loves can be lost. Despereaux fights against darkness to find nothing is sweeter than the sound of someone you love calling your name.
You must read on to see what happens. It is your duty. And when the story’s done, DiCamillo hopes you will have found some light. Sweetly serious reading for kids.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: February 18, 2005
Christopher Paul Curtis Year Published: 1999
Genre: Historical Fiction/Roman historique
Here we go again. When Bud awakens with a pencil shoved up his nose as far as the letter R, he’s once more on the lam. This time he’s off to find his dad. His momma died 4 years ago when he was six so he’s had plenty of time to learn life’s little lessons—like if you’ve got to tell a lie, make sure it’s one that's easy to remember. See how Bud gets out of scrapes and downright danger as he unravels the mysteries behind his momma’s keepsakes. This Newbery winner tells warmly of families and hardship during the depression years.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: January 26, 2005
Frances Itani Year Published: 2003
Genre: Historical Fiction/Roman historique
Can you imagine a world without sound—or one where noise is so horrific it becomes deafening? Set in the early 1900s, this Canadian love story lets us in on worlds forgotten—or for those who hear—ones difficult to know.
At five, Grania awakens from fever to find only silence. Her Mamo, sister Tress, and later, her dearest Chim all figure in Grania’s determination to live life. People taken from her by unrelenting events never leave her heart.
Itani’s portrayal of Grania as a child under stress is unforgettable. Chim’s account of war’s noise and terror, shattering. Sure to inspire.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: September 02, 2004
Hold on to your kids: Why parents matter
Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté Year Published: 2004
Genre: General Non-Fiction/Documentaire général
Why are bullies terrorizing our schools? Why are teachers burning out? Why do kids run away from home? Today’s children are turning away from adults in record numbers and relying on friends for love and direction. Find out here why this situation is a recipe for disaster. And learn what to do about it.
Parents dealing with aggressive, rude, uncooperative kids shouldn’t wait for this popular book to become available at the library. Buy the book and start taking your kids back now. This message is important reading for parents and teachers—hard, sometimes repetitive, but worth the effort.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: August 02, 2004
Six-Legged Sex—The Erotic Life of Bugs
James K. Wangberg Year Published: 2001
Genre: General Non-Fiction/Documentaire général
Grandma was right. Birds and bees make great models for teaching about life. But today’s kids need more than the basics. And these six-legged beasties provide all the variety you need to discuss complex issues without getting personal. Wangberg brings new meaning to the insult, “You insect!”
Date rape drugs, dirty dancing, bondage, orgies and many other bizarre practices are part and parcel of a bug’s life. But others make faithful mates and loving parents. So cover any topic you like. You won’t feel embarrassed, as long as talk centers on the natural world of bugs. Humorous, accessible, educational.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: July 08, 2004
How to Talk so Kids will Listen and Listen so Kids will Talk
Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish Genre: General Non-Fiction/Documentaire général
Year Published: 1980
Would you like your family to thrive in a climate of respect? Wouldn’t it be nice to have kids that cooperated with you, without having to threaten them with timeouts, spankings or worse? This book tells you how to do all this and more. Learn some creative alternatives to “no” and name-calling. Then enjoy the independent, confident and happy people your children will become.
With a track record of more than 20 years and thousands of success stories behind it, this book is not to be overlooked. Its common-sense advice is easy to apply. Essential reading for parents.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: June 01, 2004
Jean Hegland Year Published: 1996
Genre: General Fiction/Roman général
Nell never knew just how much she consumed, until one day the lights went out in California. “Nothing lasts forever,” her sister Eva notes. As things turn from bad to worse, it’s only a can of gas that keeps Eva going. It reminds her of another way of life, which perhaps someday they can return to. Now, only the forest offers the girls what they need. It teaches them how to live as people did for 100,000 years before Edison invented the lightbulb. You never know when a book might be your last. Enjoy this one by coal lamp!
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: May 29, 2004
Sharelle Byars Moranville Year Published: 2003
Genre: General Fiction/Roman général
Ties that hold families together are invisible—unless you happen to be a field mouse called April. The purple ribbon she receives from her GranDora has bound April’s family together safely, as long as anyone can remember. When April has to raise her own family far from home, she copes with dangers she’d never before dreamed of. See how the family’s heirloom and working together help April’s daughter, Parsley Snowflake, bring the little family home.
Delightful drawings show the author’s love of nature and tradition. This gentle tale for younger readers is best enjoyed together by the fire.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: April 27, 2004
Karleen Bradford Year Published: 2001
Genre: General Fiction/Roman général
Sequel to Bradford’s award-winning Dragonfire, this story follows Catryn, the Seer of Taun, as she helps her friend Dahl, the King, meet his next challenge. As readers shift shapes and worlds with Catryn, they see that good and evil are basic elements of life. Each must be recognized. And people must decide for themselves how to weave them into their own tale.
This exciting story for boys and girls alike shows how partnerships between different cultures, races, and sexes shape our friendships and determine our lives. A Lord of the Rings for kids.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: April 20, 2004
Polly Horvath Year Published: 2003
Genre: General Fiction/Roman général
Named after a wrench by her mother during an argument, timid Rachet finds herself facing a summer alone with her strange aunts. Isolated and independent, the two old sisters welcome life’s surprises with humor and grace—including Rachet who arrives suitcaseless and with that thing on her back. When out-spoken and thoroughly modern Harper also turns up unannounced, things are never again quite the same at Glen Rosa. The girls put down roots, as easily as they do preserves, and help each other sort out an often baffling world.
This story’s about accepting one another, warts and all. Bittersweet.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: April 20, 2004
Joanne Harris Year Published: 2001
Genre: General Fiction/Roman général
A child is not a fruit tree. Mirabelle Dartigen understood that too late. There is no recipe to take a child into safe adulthood. And her daughter Framboise surely needed help when she fell in love with a German soldier during the occupation of France in WWII. The story is made the more astonishing by its presentation through a child’s eyes. No-one should have to choose between a life and a lie. And yet Framboise had.
This story is like a perfectly risen chocolate souffle—dark and irresistible. Cut yourself a slice and enjoy!
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: April 20, 2004
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Brian Doyle Year Published: 2003
Genre: General Fiction/Roman général
Martin O’Boy doesn’t have much going for him. His family is poor, his brother’s developmentally challenged, his father doesn’t care about him, and his mother is overwhelmed by it all. But his beautiful grandmother showed Martin what was important in life. And he has friends. So when things really start to go wrong, Martin can look after himself.
This story deals with child abuse. But Doyle’s facility in looking at life’s hardships with a child’s optimism and spirit serves him well in dealing with an explosive subject. This book is an important contribution to kids’ lit.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: April 20, 2004
The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing
Melissa Banks Year Published: 1999
Genre: General Fiction/Roman général
How we learn to act with other people, to get men to like us, to be a good girl, and most important, to attract the right mate—most of the advice out there is contradictory and confusing. What is a girl to do? She can start by reading this witty exploration of how we choose our life partners today, seen through the eyes of Jane, a young New Yorker. Jane’s warmth, her ironic views on what she experiences, her faithfulness to the people she comes to love, and her wry comments are charming and educational. Hilarious.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: April 20, 2004
Elizabeth Hay Year Published: 2000
Genre: General Fiction/Roman général
A child falls in love with a man, and the man is seduced by the intensity he has generated. Then his attention shifts to something else. End of story. So Hays describes her mesmerizing tale of Maurice Dove and his cataclysmic but accidental effect on the women he meets. We see Dove through the eyes of Norma Joyce, his most passionate admirer, who was first smitten at 8 years old—and never fully recovered.
The story shifts over 40 years from Saskatchewan to Ottawa and New York, imparting a vivid sense of place. Postwar Ottawa comes to life.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: April 20, 2004
Karleen Bradford Year Published: 1989
Genre: Adventure/Roman d'aventures
Families have survived on Windward Island for generations. A harshly beautiful land makes life satisfying there for Loren and Caleb, now the only boys left in the community. But their friendship is tested when new ways threaten Loren’s father, lighthouse keeper, with no job—and a move to the mainland seems unavoidable. Things get even worse when moody April arrives out of the blue from the city, to spend the summer.
This saga about a disappearing way of life should fascinate kids who have never ventured much beyond the mall. Lots of action.
Reviewer: Sharon Date Reviewed: December 09, 2003