Book Thoughts- Tortilla Sun by Jennifer Cervantes

“Because …………….. magic”

I had been hearing some buzz about a book titled “Tortilla Sun” and was excited to see that the author Jennifer Cervantes was going to be in town for a book signing.  I am always wary of reading a book that has received too many glowing reviews because I think it is difficult for anything to live up to the hype. I am happy to say that in this case I was not disappointed.

From the jacket flap:

Sometimes you can’t see the magic. You just know it’s there because you can feel it.

When twelve-year-old Izzy discovers a beat-up baseball marked with the partially obscured phrase “Because…………magic,” she is determined to figure out the missing words. Could her father have written them? What secrets does this old ball have to tell? Her mom certainly isn’t sharing any– especially when it comes to Izzy’s father, who died before Izzy was born.

Before she can learn more, Izzy is told that she is going to spend the summer with her grandmother in New Mexico. When Izzy arrives in the rustic adobe village, she finds herself in a place where the wind whispers secrets and her nana plucks magic herbs in the moonlight. Even chocolate-eyed Mateo is convinced there is ghost treasure buried in the hills. Could this strange place hold the keys to all that Izzy has been searching for?

With a belly full of homemade tortillas, the help of new friends, and a cat who thinks she’s a dog, Izzy finds herself on an adventure to connect the hidden pieces of her past. And just maybe she will discover the missing words that change her life forever…but only if she can learn to create a few words of her own.

This debut novel is a heart warming story, sprinkled with just a little bit of magic. Jennifer Cervantes does a wonderful job of drawing you into the adobe village in New Mexico and taking you along with Izzy as she learns more about the mystery of her father, and learns a little about herself along the way. Her dialog is crisp and clear, I can imagine being in the room with Nana and Izzy.

I was especially touched by the chapter titled “Some Threads are Shorter Than Others,” and found myself wiping tears as Izzy’s Grandmother explained the pending death of a character.

I look forward to reading more stories from this author and trying out the tortilla recipe in the back of the book.

Enjoy!

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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Book Review- SLOB by Ellen Potter

I have a special place in my heart for “gadget boys” I have two of my own and I love when an author includes this trait in a character. When I saw that the main character for the book Slob by Ellen Potter (Philomel, 2009) was an inventor I took a break from my usual diet of picture books to check it out, and I was not disappointed.

Here is the description of the book:

Twelve-year-old Owen Birnbaum is the fattest kid in school. But he’s also a genius who invents cool contraptions— like a TV that shows the past. Something happened two years ago that he needs to see. But genius or not, there is much Owen can’t outthink. Like his gym coach, who’s on a mission to humiliate him. Or the way his Oreos keep disappearing from his lunch. He’s sure that if he can only get the TV to work, things will start to make sense. But it will take a revelation for Owen, not science, to see the answer’s not in the past, but the present. That no matter how large he is on the outside, he doesn’t have to feel small on the inside.

With her trademark humor, Ellen Potter has created a larger-than-life character and story whose weight is immense when measured in heart.

This book combines humor and heart is a very realistic way. I alternated between laughing out loud and hurting for Owen as his life careens out of control. I loved the references to old television shows and any book that pays tribute to “The Fonz” is a winner in my book. The ending kept me guessing and was a thoughtful resolution for a truly touching story.

Just as an aside, my husband found the book on the kitchen table one morning after breakfast and began reading, we then had to take turns reading the book until I was able to finish it and hand it off to him. Now son#2 is reading the book and thoroughly enjoying it. We do love “Gadget Boys” around here,  maybe because we are surrounded by them.

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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Book Review: When Stella Was Very, Very Small

For the final meeting for our “Picture Book Party” writing group we were given the following assignment:

Bring a book to share (published since 2000, if possible) that is a great example of exactly the type of book you want to write. Make it the book you admire, the book that typifies what you’d be really proud to have YOUR name on.

This assignment was more difficult than I expected. As I began reviewing books for this assignment I felt a little like Goldilocks; some books were too long, some too short, I was trying to find a book that was “just right”.

I discovered my “just right” book at my local library:

When Stella Was Very, Very Small (Groundwood Books, 2009)by Marie-Louise Gay

Stella is a little girl with red curly hair a big imagination. This story begins when she was very,very small, and shares how she views her world; her sandbox a desert, her backyard a tropical jungle, her bathtub an Olympic-sized swimming pool. As Stella grows, her perspective of her world changes and in the end she helps her little brother, see the world as she did.

I loved the sweetness and humor of this book. The watercolor illustrations are the perfect compliment to the text and had me laughing out loud on certain pages. In the spirit of the assignment I would be proud to have my name on a book like this.

I am happy to see that there are other Stella books written by this author and I am looking forward to checking them out as well.  This is a great book to read at the end of the day or when you are looking for a few moments of quiet giggle time together.

Happy reading,

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

P.S. Thanks to Andrea Zimmerman (our mighty leader) for hosting a great Picture Book Party.

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Book Review- Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

I was introduced to “Clementine” when Melissa Manlove, associate editor at Chronicle Books, spoke at our September SCBWI meeting. I was instantly intrigued by the first page as the main character described her “not so good of a week”. I rushed out and got a copy to find out where author Sara Pennypacker would take this truly humorous beginning, and I was not disappointed. I have found that it takes a special gift to entertain children and adults at the same time and not every author can do it.  How many of us try to skip pages or edit stories during evening story time to rush things along. When my boys were younger and we sat down to read at the end of a busy day was I tempted to say “Once upon a time… the end ” just to get through a particularly  tedious book.

Clementine is a girl with a good heart and talent for trouble. Here is the description from the back of the book:

Clementine is having not so good of a week.

• On Monday she’s sent to the principal’s office for cutting off Margaret’s hair.
• Tuesday, Margaret’s mother is mad at her.
• Wednesday she’s sent to the principal… again.
• Thursday, Margaret stops speaking to her.
• Friday starts with yucky eggs gets worse.
• And by Saturday, even her Mother is mad at her.

Okay, fine. Clementine is having a DISASTROUS week!

This story is a great to read aloud. My niece loved Clementine’s antics and I found my self chuckling along as well. The illustrations by Marla Frazee are the icing on the cake, they are humorous and touching they actually help you feel and experience Clementine’s horrible week.

I will definitely be checking out the other books in the series.

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk.

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Looking at things with a little different perspective

As a mom I  try to teach my boys to look at things from both sides of an issue. I am constantly reminding them to look at a situation from the others persons perspective. I think this helps reduce misunderstandings and makes them a little more tuned into others around them. Note I say I try to do this and I am not sure if I have succeeded but I will continue to plug away at it.

That is why I was pleased when I happened upon the book “Daft Bat ” written by Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Tony Ross at our local bookstore the other day.

Here is the synopsis:

Is Bat batty—or does she just see things a little differently?
The trouble begins when Bat moves into the neighborhood. All the animal children want to welcome her with a special gift—but then Bat shocks them by asking for an umbrella…to keep her feet dry! Soon, it’s clear to everyone, from little Lion Cub to tall Giraffe Calf, that she always gets things upside-down and wrong-way-round. Only when Wise Owl suggests a change of perspective does everything become clear to Bat’s young friends. And kids get to share Bat’s unique viewpoint, too, when they flip the book over to read the upside-down text in this cleverly formatted book.
Adorable animals, and an important lesson charmingly taught, will make this story a favorite.

I loved this book! It was a great way to share the message that things aren’t always as they seem and it’s always good to look at things from the other persons (or bats) perspective. The pictures are fun and colorful, a quick and easy read for the end of the day.

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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Book Review- Let’s do Nothing by Tony Fucile

On a trip to my local bookstore I ran across the book, “Let’s do Nothing” by Tony Fucile.

Here is the synopsis:

Frankie and Sal have already played every sport and board game invented, baked and eaten batches of cookies, and painted a zillion pictures. What’s left to do? Nothing! Ten seconds of nothing! Can they do it? Can they act like stone statues in the park? Can they simply hold their breath and not blink an eye? With a wink to the reader and a command of visual humor, feature film animator Tony Fucile demonstrates the Zen-like art of doing nothing…oops! Couldn’t do it!

I loved the humor in this book and the illustrations are fun and colorful.  As a mother of two imaginative  boys I really felt like the author tapped into that energy. I will be putting this on my list of books to give for Christmas.

Suzanne  Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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