MG Novels – Page 61 – Susan Uhlig

Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Sweetgrass Basket

Posted on December 14, 2009June 15, 2019 by Susan Uhlig

You thought you had it tough?

Try early 1900s when you are forced to leave your father and go to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School where people look down on you!
In Sweetgrass Basket (Dutton, 2005) by Marlene Carvell, Mohawk sisters, Mattie and Sarah, are sent away after the death of their mother. This novel is told in verse and from both girls’ viewpoints. It’s hard for them to have to think in English and to give up their culture, but it’s harder knowing they can’t see their father.
Thanks to Readergirlz for introducing me to this historical novel!
Marlene Carvell was inspired to write this story based on her husband’s great-aunt’s experience. Read more about the author at Readergirlz and on the Strong Nations site.

MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Lovable Characters – The Last Invisible Boy & The Year the Swallows Came Early

Posted on October 5, 2009June 24, 2019 by Susan Uhlig

I really like books where the characters are not only lovable, but that they stick with me long after I finish the last page. These two books did that for me.
The Last Invisible Boy (Atheneum, 2008) by Evan Kuhlman is an illustrated novel. 12-year-old Finn Garrett believes he is disappearing from the grief of his father’s death–not that he’ll tell you what happened to his dad. But as he says, “This book…It’s a runaway bus so anything can happen.” Expect funny and sad moments. Definitely worth the read. Go to Evan’s website to learn more. I must check out his book, Wolf Boy, too.

swallows early The Year the Swallows Came Early (The Bowen Press*, 2009) by Kathryn Fitzmaurice “Things that look just right come undone quicker than the last day of summer,” says 11-year-old Eleanor “Groovy” Robinson, who loves cooking and plans to go to culinary school when she is older. She and her friend Frankie have to deal with a number of things that go wrong one eventful summer–the year the swallows came early.
Watch an introduction by this debut author at her website: http://www.kathrynfitzmaurice.com.
*Imprint of HarperCollins

MG Novels, So Many Good Books, YA Novels

New-to-me Author – The Humming of Numbers and The Farwalker’s Quest

Posted on August 27, 2009 by Susan Uhlig

HummingCover I love it when I discover a new author with multiple books. I started with reading The Humming of Numbers (Holt, 2008) by Joni Sensel. To Aidan, living creatures hum different numbers. He doesn’t think his gift is from the devil, but since he’s a novice in Celtic Abbey, he doesn’t dare mention it. A girl is brought to the monastery for punishment. She hums eleven. Aidan is fascinated as he’s never met someone who hums of more than ten. His fascination gets him in trouble and he’s put in charge of Lana, who some accuse of being a witch. The Viking raiders come. To rescue the captives, he and Lana get caught up in a scheme which uses both of their talents. I enjoyed Joni’s story very much, and found myself wondering what number I hum. (This is a YA title.)
FWQCoverSmall Then I moved on to The Farwalker’s Quest also by Joni (Bloomsbury, 2009). In this believable fantasy world, 13-year-olds face a test to see which trade they belong to. Ariel believes she’ll become a healer liker her mother and Zeke, a Tree Singer like his father. But after she finds the telling dart and the Finders show up, Ariel fails the test and is labeled Fool. Both she and Zeke end up on an unwelcome adventure where Ariel discovers her true trade. I’m pleased to say Joni has written more in this world – The Timekeeper’s Moon comes out next March, and she’s at work on a third!
Joni (pronounced Johnny) Sensel lives near Mount Rainier in Washington state. She volunteers as Co-Regional Advisor for SCBWI Western Washington, does corporate writing, and was one of the members of the debut writers, Class of 2K7. Go to www.jonisensel.com for more info.

Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Got voice? – Penny from Heaven & Elijah of Buxton

Posted on May 27, 2009 by Susan Uhlig

Penny from Heaven (Random House, 2006) by Jennifer L. Holm definitely has good voice. It’s 1953 and Penny can’t go swimming because of the fear of polio. She lives with her mom and Pop-pop and Me-me, but spends a lot of time with her dad’s side of the family. Nonny still doesn’t speak good English and Uncle Dominic lives in his car, but the food is great at her grandmother Falucci’s house. Readers will learn along with Penny how her father died and why the two families don’t have much to do with each other.
This book is a 2007 Newbery honor book. Author Jennifer L. Holm also won a Newbery honor for her first novel, Our Only May Amelia. Read about her other books here.
If you’ve ever read any Christopher Paul Curtis, you’ll expect his historical novel Elijah of Buxton (Scholastic Press, 2007) to have good voice. You won’t be disappointed. From the humor of hoop snakes to serious business of freed slaves saving money to buy their family member’s freedom, this story flows.
Fra-gile Elijah is 11 and the first free born child of freed slaves in the community. Everyone remembers how as a baby he throwed up on Frederick Douglas, but by the end of the story Elijah accomplishes something else that he thinks they’ll be remembering instead.
Memorable story!
Christopher is a great speaker, too. If you ever get a chance to hear him, go! Here’s his website.

MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Ethan, Suspended

Posted on May 27, 2009 by Susan Uhlig

ethansuspended Not only is Ethan, Suspended (Eerdmans, 2007), but author Pamela Ehrenberg keeps the reader in suspense about why he is suspended.
Ethan is sent from Philadelphia to DC to spend the week with the grandparents he barely knows. Then he discovers his grandparents have signed him up for school and bought him school uniforms. Turns out he’s the only white kid in the whole middle school.
I found myself empathizing with this flawed character, worrying about him fitting in at school and what’s going to happen to his family. Definitely a good read.
This is the author’s first published novel. Read about her here where you can check out info on her second novel, Tillmon County Fire, that came out this spring. I’ll be reading it soon . . .