Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift’s “Chocolate Pilot”

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Mrs.N

Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift’s “Chocolate Pilot” by Michael O. Tunnell

After World War II ended, a Soviet blockade around the city of Berlin meant it was very difficult for the residents to get the supplies they needed.  An airlift was engineered and the Allies were soon dropping food and provisions to the German people.  One pilot was particularly moved by the plight of the children and ended up starting a massive operation to drop candy, via parachute, to the children of Berlin.  This book tells the story of this morale boosting act of kindness.

I loved the premise of this book.  I hadn’t known about this, and I’m a sucker for stories of kindness particularly in wartime or the aftermath of war.  The book does have lots of photographs and bits of memorabilia from the time.  Unfortunately, it just isn’t packaged as slickly as many modern non-fiction books and for that reason may not capture children’s attention.  I think this book might be of greater value to teachers or parents to use with children rather than as an independent reading book simply because while the subject matter is fascinating and the book is simple enough, I just don’t think it’s flashy enough.  I kind of want it to be republished in a more user-friendly format.

I would suggest this as a non-fiction reading option for Grades 4 and up.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – Some photos show shirtless German boys.  The pilot was a bachelor and sometimes received perfumed handkerchiefs.  The fact that a couple could not have children is mentioned.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – A child explains that Allied bombers killed some children’s parents and siblings.  A letter to the pilots mentions that some pilots must have lost their lives.  There is a mention of the bombing raids and how children were forced to take shelter to stay safe.  Later candy dropping operations took place in “war-torn” Bosnia and Herzegovina, a place where “age-old ethnic hostilities…erupted into civil war”.  A historical note about World War II has some facts about the war, including that 20 million Russians were killed, that the Soviets were merciless as they marched on Germany and that Hitler shot himself.  Also in the historical note is information about the Cold War and the Berlin Wall, specifically explaining that the wall was manned by guards with machine guns who stopped anyone who tried to cross.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – There’s some brief discussion of the outcome of World War II but it mostly focuses on the “sides” rather than the happenings of the war. There is a hospital that treats polio patients mentioned.  One little girl gives away her teddy bear in thanks.  Missions were flown to refugee camps.

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The Candymakers

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Mrs.N

The Candymakers by Wendy Mass

I was really looking forward to reading this because it’s written by Wendy Mass, whose books I generally enjoy and also because my students were really excited about it when it came out.  But once I started reading, I was filled with dread.  There was a candy factory.  There was a contest.  I was having unpleasant flashbacks to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. After I got over that, there was the fact that it just wasn’t anything special.  A boy is the son of Candymaker.  He is excited to enter the candy inventing contest.  Will he win?  His father and his grandfather before him won and he’s certain to be a disappointment if he doesn’t follow in their footsteps.  It’s a perfectly reasonable premise for a story, but distinctly lacking in spark. But I soldiered on through the first section which follows the story of Logan, the candymaker’s son.

However, it doesn’t take long for the whole story to gain interest and dimension.  The second section follows a different contest entrant, Miles. Mass has plenty of tricks up her sleeve and from that point on, you are forced to continually re-evaluate what you thought was true.  Requiring a high level of inference skills, The Candymakers will absolutely get readers thinking about the story and questioning what they were sure was true.  It’s a great opportunity for book discussion or teaching because of the skills necessary (inference and prediction especially) to make sense of the story.

I am an absolute sucker for any book that turns the reader’s perspective upside down and this was no exception. Kid tested by my students, I would say that this would be a hit with fourth grade readers and above.  Some advanced third graders might be able to manage it, but would likely benefit from discussions about how the truth of the story shifts.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – Max jokes that Logan has a way with charming girls.  Daisy is reading a romance.  There’s some discussion as to whether a girl is pretty, but both boys admit they don’t usually spend time thinking about girls.  One boy liked a girl once, but she moved away.  A boy repeatedly thinks a girl is pretty.  One boy teases a girl that a boy likes her.  A boy hugs a girl out of relief.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore –One boy keeps talking about what will happen in the afterlife.  A queen bee dies, which depresses the other bees.  A girl playfully kicks a boy in the shins.  A child potentially witnessed a death and is traumatized by it.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – A character is haunted (not in the ghost sense, rather in the emotionally scarred sense) by a past tragedy.  Another character has disfiguring scars.  A character has lost a parent.

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The Candy Shop War

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Mrs.N

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

Although Nate is new in town, it’s not long before he’s found a group of new friends.  And it’s not much longer before the four of them are embroiled in a dangerous scheme.  After stopping in to a brand-new candy shop and sampling its delicious wares, the children are recruited by the proprietor, Mrs. White, to do a few favors for her.  In exchange for their efforts (and partially to help them in their missions) they will receive candy that has magical powers.  Who could resist such an offer?  But as their involvement with Mrs. White grows deeper, the children begin to have misgivings about their new benefactor.  Can they trust her?  Why isn’t she running these increasingly dangerous errands herself?  Is there anyway to extricate themselves from her schemes before it is too late?

This was a great adventure book for middle grades. The magical candies were cleverly planned and used and the plot was well developed.  But I think my favorite part was that the children weren’t stupid.  As the book progresses the children consider and weigh the risks of their situation. They are aware that they should not blindly trust adults and eventually question their circumstances.  They don’t all come to the same conclusion (or the safe conclusion) but the fact that they consider all these things makes them more likable and the book more enjoyable.  Nate even goes to his dad for help (it doesn’t work) but I like the idea that the characters seek help from trustworthy sources.

Two tiny complaints:
Misinformation:  a kids says he knows everything about the presidents and shares that Thomas Jefferson and James Madison both died on July 4, 1826.  But it was Adams that died the same day as Jefferson, not Madison.  Young readers will not know this, and will learn incorrect information.
Cover gripe: The descriptions of the children make it sound like Trevor is not white (his skin is described as olive and when he takes the pills that change your race he becomes white), however the cover depicts four white children.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – There’s joking about whether a girl is someone’s girlfriend or fiancee.  A boy asks a girl out, calling her a “hottie.”  A boy gets teased about liking a girl.  People joke about their wedding.
Profanity – “idiots,” “wuss,” “retarded,” “jerk,” “heck,” “morons,”
Death, Violence and Gore – A man has a briefcase full of weapons which includes Mace, crossbows, knives, brass knuckles, toxins, boomerangs, throwing stars, truncheons, slingshots, tranquilizer guns, explosives and tear gas.  A curse makes it so any harm a man inflicts on others is automatically inflicted upon himself.  There is quite a bit of hand to hand combat with resulting injuries.  People are injected with a neurotoxin that makes muscle movement excruciating.  Tear gas is used.  Nate considers going out to play with whoever is outside as a “good way to get stabbed by a hobo.” A girl is bleeding after a bike accident.  Kids throw dirt and rocks at each other.  A boy is bleeding from the mouth after being hit by a rock or dirt.  People are able to give each other powerful electric shocks.  The kids are threatened by a man with a crossbow.  Someone is given a “weapon” that creates fireballs.  A task requires digging up a grave.  When the coffin is opened, there is a skeleton with a collapsed skull. Guns are fired, possibly at children.  A woman hurts a child, but the manner in which she hurts him is unclear. A man who was dying of a terminal illness is turned into a strange sort of person fish hybrid that is very disturbing to look at. Someone throws a table at someone else. A barn is set on fire. A wooden indian enters a kid’s bedroom carrying a tomahawk.  The Indian and the kid struggle; there is a physical fight with tackling, heads through windows, etc. A teacher is locked in a closet. A person’s eye is shot out.  A kid is shoved in the trunk of a car. People are put in straitjackets and their mouths are duct taped closed.  A man tells a kid that he is supposed to kill him, but he won’t.   Someone is tied up to a chair.  Gelatin and vines trap people in place. A vehicle deliberately rams another flipping it upside down.  A person is injured in the incident, bleeding from the head and might die if an attempt is made to leave. A spider bite kills a family pet. A man is killed. Another man dies and almost immediately becomes a pile of rotted human bones.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – A man’s job sometimes takes him to “seedy bars”.  A strange man approaches the kids and people wonder if he is drunk or on drugs. A local store sells liquor and cigarettes.  The custodian smells of cigarettes.
Frightening or Intense Things – A car is stolen from a main character’s family.  A person has a plan to entirely erase the identity of another person.

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The Chocolate Touch

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Mrs.N

The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling

John Midas loves chocolate above all else.  One day he discovers a mysterious coin, and quickly thereafter, a previously unseen candy shop.  Using the magic coin to buy chocolate (what else), John unwittingly begins an adventure.  The chocolate he has purchased is quite unusual.  Once he’s eaten it, everything he puts into his mouth turns to chocolate.  After awhile, these effects amplify, so that anything that his mouth even touches turns to chocolate.  While at first John can only see the benefits of having chocolate flavored toothpaste and bacon and eggs, after awhile his special gift begins to cause him problems.  But it is when he turns his beloved mother to chocolate that John finally becomes desperate to find a cure.  Much like King Midas (of Greek Mythological fame), John learns that his greed can have nasty effects.

This is bound to be a hit with children in the primary grades.  For independent reading, it’s likely on level for beginning of the year third graders, with advanced readers being able to tackle it much soon, as it has nothing particularly complicated or mature in it.  The chocolate theme is one most children love and the humor in the book keeps the moral light.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – None.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – John threatens to fight someone until he is dead.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – John eats a tube of toothpaste, which while not a drug, would probably warrant a call to poison control.
Frightening or Intense Things – John accidentally turns a person into chocolate.

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Mrs.N

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

As I have admitted previously on this blog, I didn’t actually like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a child.  And that’s even before I saw the Gene Wilder version of the movie with the horrid orange Oompa Loompas that are the stuff of nightmares.  It’s something I always felt a bit embarrassed and guilty about because it was so universally loved that I thought perhaps the fault lay with me for not enjoying it.  So I’ve been dreading picking it up again.  But I had to.  How could I possibly run a month of candy filled book reviews without the ultimate in candy books?  Simply not possible.  So I buckled down (with all the enthusiasm of someone facing a root canal) and read it.

There are the most delicious mouth-watering descriptions of fantasy candy that you will ever read.  It’s marvelously impressive.  There are also a great many terribly behaved children who succumb to shall we say, interesting, fates. I can see why this bothered me so much as a child.  First off, I never was very fond of children characters who misbehave (see: Ramona).  Secondly, I was far more likely to be disturbed than entertained by the fates that befall them while in the factory.  For all my dislike of them, I can’t say I was comfortable with the comeuppance, nor Wonka’s cavalier attitude toward it all.  Finally (and of course this is due to the existence of a sequel) the book does seem to leave off a smidge unfinished.

Because Dahl is a generally beloved author, his books are often suggested to children who are far to young or simply not yet ready (either in terms of comprehension or content) to truly enjoy them.  While some children would fully enjoy this as a read aloud as young as second grade, others will struggle to read this independently in fourth grade.  I think you need to know whether or not your audience would be comfortable with the possible creepiness (and come now, we must admit, Dahl tends toward the creepy) and whether or not the difficulty level was acceptable.  I would say for independent reading, it would probably be for very advanced third graders, or for fourth graders.

As a final word of caution, you may want to review the story of the Oompa Loompas and decide how you feel about it…see my comments below.

Possible Human Trafficking/Exploitation – Look, you can’t think everything was on the up and up with regards to the Oompa Loompas. Wonka says he “imported” them from Loompa land and makes a big fuss about how awful their lives were there and how much they wanted cacao (which of course is the bean that produces chocolate). Wonka did ask the chief before bringing them to his factory, but he pays them in beans and in fact, shipped them in containers with breathing holes punched out fully admitting that he “smuggled” them in. There’s also mention of how they prefer to wear their jungle clothes – the usual combination of skins, leaves and nudity. (I can’t say that the “orange face” used in the movie does much to improve the situation either – especially since the book describes their skin as rosy white). They also play drums. And of course, Wonka uses them to test his experiments, which don’t always go well. He’s continually giving examples of how the Oompa Loompas came to harm while testing his products.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – Oompa Loompa children go about naked.
Profanity – “Good Heavens,” “heck,” “cripes,” “nincompoop” “heck,” “ass,” “shut up,” “oh my sainted aunt,”
Death, Violence and Gore – A man robs a bank to get money to buy candy bars.  A machine rips the filling out of a woman’s mouth.  Grandma says a girl needs a spanking.  A boy enjoys watching shows with gangsters and machine guns and owns 18 toy guns himself, which he fires when excited. A child is sucked up a pipe. There is genuine concern that he will, possibly being sliced up by knives, ground to bits, boiled and turned to food. Someone suggests that an annoying child needs a kick in the pants. Another child swells up enormously. It is possible that the cure for this will kill the child. A story is told of a woman who will not stop chewing and chews her boyfriend’s nose and eventually bites off her own tongue.  Someone is determined to be “a bad nut” and thrown down the garbage chute which ends in the incinerator, but of course, maybe it won’t be lit and death isn’t imminent.  Others follow.  Someone gets shrunk down and will possibly be stretched to see if a return to normal size is possible.   There’s a reference to people’s eyes popping out and ending up all over the floor. In a song, cannibals eat a girl named Penelope.  Bit of a spoiler, but in the end, most of the people whose situation seemed dire are alive, if a bit changed for their adventure.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Wonka says the Oompa Loompas are drunk on Butterscotch and soda. He also refers to Buttergin and tonics. Most children will not pick up on the references to scotch and soda or gin and tonics as alcoholic beverages.
Frightening or Intense Things – The Buckets are very poor and always hungry.  After a family member loses a job, it is reported that they began to starve.

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Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Mrs.N

Stink and The Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker by Megan McDonald

This is definitely a book for the candy-minded.  It starts in a candy store filled with all sorts of amazing treats.  Stink’s sister Judy begs him to buy her some candy, while Stink only has eyes for the Super-Galactic Jawbreaker. Sadly, the Jawbreaker is a huge disappointment.  Stink shows a bit of initiative and writes a complaint letter to the company.  What happens next triggers a letter-writing campaign on an epic scale.  But can there be anything wrong with writing so many letters?  With humor, a positive moral and plenty of candy, this is a great choice for young readers.

Incidentally, Stink is the younger brother of Judy Moody who is the star of her own extremely popular series.  The Stink books are aimed at a slightly younger and well, male-r, audience.  Judy makes plenty of appearances in this book, so if you’re trying to find a compromise read-aloud for a set of siblings, this may well fit the bill.

Stink features nice large font, which is a big winner for readers transitioning to chapter books, as well lots of pictures. There are even some cartoon sections thrown in.  Adults will love that Stink throws around plenty of useful information, like the proper format for writing a letter.  The book is also peppered with idioms (and includes a list at the back).  This is ideal for second grade readers or third grade readers that aren’t quite on level.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – None.
Profanity – “idiot,” which is not used as an insult, just something someone misheard.
Death, Violence and Gore – Stink accidentally punches his friend in his face while trying to readjust his pajama shirt.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.

 

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The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Mrs.N

The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop by Kate Saunders

When the Spoffard family finds itself in possession of a relative’s house/chocolate shop, twins Oz and Lily aren’t quite sure what to think.  When they discover that the new place includes magic, a talking cat, and talking rat they are intrigued.  But they really didn’t anticipate that the cat would recruit them to be secret agents.

Their mission is to stop a rogue family member who is trying to create an immortality potion (and of course, deliver it into the hands of evil).  But the stakes become much higher when Oz is captured during their very first outing.

On the surface, there’s a lot to like about The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop. Magical chocolate, magical animals, kids who get to go on adventures, evil relatives that are evil more in the rubbing your hands together and cackling way rather than in any sort of scary way… but unfortunately, it just sort of fell flat for me.  Most bad guys were poorly thought out and developed, which makes the story harder to go for, and the rehabilitation of others is so complete it’s nearly unbelievable.  I kept expecting (maybe hoping?) for an evil twist.

But what really concerned me wasn’t the actual murders or kidnapping, it was the things in the story that weren’t really supposed to be too scary which I thought were pretty upsetting (and might even be more so to parents reading this aloud than to children).  Towards the end of the book, some action hinges around whether or not the life of the twins yet-to-be-born sibling can be saved.  Infant death is a really scary and touchy topic.  It happens, and of course, the families that survive it should see their experiences reflected in books, but not as a sort of plot device.  We also learn that Lily and Oz were meant to be triplets, but one was “lost” (I’m going to assume in utero).  And all of a sudden they have a revelation that the voices they’ve been hearing/feeling since early childhood belong to this dead triplet.  I’ve certainly read about that sort of thing in the woo-woo-ier parts of the internet, but it’s an odd choice in a children’s book.

My final complaint is the parents.  Not so much that they are completely oblivious to their children’s whereabouts most of the time, but rather their treatment of their daughter.  Lily has dyslexia and struggles in school.  She also has some other issues which point to other psychological concerns (needing to follow certain routines slavishly before bed, etc.)  The parents handle this by engaging tutors that Lily hates in order to help her in school.  But also, even better?  Her father calls her “Nutella” as a sweet little pet name, because he thinks she’s “nutty.” You know, as in crazy.  While I love encountering characters with learning disorders (and even more serious disorders) who are competent in other things and have normal relationships with people, I am aghast that the model of a parent light-heartedly mocking these issues is used in this book.

This would be fine for third and fourth graders, but I’d steer clear of offering it or reading it aloud to any children who’ve suffered a infant death in the family and I’d talk about how horrid the father is with any child who has a learning disorder.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – Mother has a new baby on the way.  Dad kisses Mum.  Uncle Isadore was in love with his brother’s girl. A character has an ex-wife.
Profanity – “stupid,” “damnation” which is used in the phrase “eternal damnation,”
Death, Violence and Gore – A great-uncle has died and left someone a house.  Evidently it was assumed he died with his brothers years prior in a tram accident.  Lily believes that the house might be haunted.  Pierre might have been murdered.  A man tackles another man and bashes his head.  A boy is kidnapped.  A rat wishes an army of rats would tear a man limb from limb.  In trying to kill an immortal rat, a man burned him in a fire all night. There is a ghost elephant.  The rats swarm to eat a “big dead thing” and Lily is afraid they mean her brother.  It’s really just a giant dead rat.  A gun is held to a boy’s head.  A boy’s throat is gripped.  Someone is killed with poisoned chocolate.  Another person is carrying a gun.  There was an explosion (likely a bomb) on a subway line.  An immortal character is threatened with Prometheus’s fate – having his entrails ripped out daily.  A vision shows the new baby in a coffin.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – a rat smokes a cigarette. The rat has been drunk in the past.  Isadore (an adult) drinks whiskey.  Isadore repeatedly offers wine to a child, but the child refuses.  Isadore is accused of getting drunk.  The rat once went to a party that had a whole case of gin.  Isadore offers rum to a child.  Isadore drinks an entire bottle of rum.
Frightening or Intense Things – Someone sold chocolate that makes you immortal to the Nazis.  But evidently the person’s magic wasn’t good because the Nazis died anyway.  Right now, they’re worried he’ll sell this chocolate to a terrorist gang. A boy in Caydon’s class set fire to a shed.  There are goblins.  They’re not particularly scary the way their written in the book, but I don’t know, maybe someone has a terror of goblins.

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The Sweetest Spell

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Mrs.N

The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors

In the Flatlands, Emmeline is considered unnatural due to her curved foot.  When a soldiers come to take her father away and a flood devastates her town, she has no choice seek a new life elsewhere.  In the rest of Anguland her people are looked down upon as the lowest of the low and yet she finds a family who is willing to over her comfort and care.  It is while she is in the care of these people that she meets their handsome son Owen and also learns of her gift.  Emmeline can turn churn butter into chocolate.  This special power does not lead to happiness for Emmeline however, as she is kidnapped and held hostage.  While Emmeline hopes her ability will save her father and maybe her people, she has no way of realizing exactly how much it will change the whole kingdom.

It’s a wonderful thing to have a book where the main character has some type of physical difference.  Moreover, of all of the things that get “fixed” about Emmeline, this is never one of them.  It is part of who she is throughout the whole book.  Additionally, toward the end of the book we meet a highly sympathetic character who is gay.

The only thing I really would have liked to see done differently is that Emmeline herself has very little to do with her eventual rescue.  She does not seem helpless throughout, but it would have been nice to see a bit of extra initiative.

Like many fairy tales, there’s not much sexual to worry about, the only action you’re privy to is a kiss.  There are a few other allusions to sexual desire, listed below.  There is slightly more violence, but it is not done in a very disturbing way.  I would recommend this for teens and some tweens even.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – At the opening of the book, the main character describes her own birth, how she was pushed out.  There is a husband market where girls bid on men.  One of the men who will be up for bidding spends time building a cottage while shirtless.  A girl spreads a false rumor that a boy tried to kiss her.  The crowd shouts “virgin” at a shy man in the husband market.  A girl poses as her father’s wife.  A man talks about the milkmaids breasts spilling out of their tops.  His mother once caught him half-naked with a milkmaid. A woman gazes at a man’s bare chest. A chieftain wanted to share a queen’s bed. A father tells his son to take a wife, but warns him away from a specific girl and tells him not to get her with child.  A man wants to kiss a woman. A man spent hours kissing a girl. A woman dreams of a man being in her bed at night their legs entwined.  A man trades kisses, smiles and who knows what for food and drink.  A marriage is arranged. A powerful man is gay.  There is kissing.
Profanity – “bastard,” “damned,” “piss off,” “hell,”
Death, Violence and Gore – The baby is left in a field to be killed by predators.  People talk about how most unwanted babies die like they are supposed to, possibly due to wolves.  Sometimes at the husband market a woman murders someone.  Some girls throw pebbles at Emmeline. Tax evaders are hanged.  Emmeline’s mother passed away.  A man is known to beat his children.  Several potential brides get into a fist fight over a man.  A war breaks out and all unmarried men are expected to go.  The river rose and many people died in the waters.  A girl stays with a cow as it lays dying. A man likes to fight (boxing type fighting it seems, but with bare fists?)  A man thinks about what will happen to a cow if it dies and the vultures come.  A man’s sister died. A woman has a gash on her leg that needs medical attention.  In a fight, a man is nearly strangled to death and breaks a rib. Rotting corpses flowed down the river after a flood. An invader slaughters many of the queen’s chefs and threatens to slit the throats of the rest.  Blood ran in rivers down the corridors.  A man is beheaded.  A queen is killed.  A man is stabbed.   A woman is bound and kidnapped in the night.  A girl was raped and then drowned herself.  A woman is slapped across the face.  A hanging is described, the victim’s bulging eyes, soiled pants, tongue dripping blood. A skull is mounted on a sign.  There are lepers and the policy is to burn lepers.  A lepers face is badly disfigured.  A leper dies and is found dead.  A man uses a sword to kill two soldiers, one he stabs, the other’s throat is slit.  Men are forced to work as slaves in an environment with bad air. They look like skeletons and cough up blood. A man holds a knife to another’s throat, pricking it so it bleeds.  A man is punched repeatedly in the jaw.  A man plans to knee another in the groin and punch another in the throat.  A man has a missing eye and there is seepage from the empty socket.  According to one man, forest spirits eat human flesh.  A country is invaded and its people were massacred. Men are to fight to the death.  If one doesn’t kill the other, another man chooses the winner and kills the other.  There are a lot of threats of death.  One man asks others to kill him.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Emmeline’s father goes to the tavern to drink ale.  Many men drink, one swigging repeatedly from a flask.  A fighter is drunk.  Two people share a jug of ale.
Frightening or Intense Things – The girl’s mother is told that she is stillborn, and she is taken away by the midwife because she has a “curled foot.” Emmeline is found barely alive by a riverbank.

 

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The Candy Corn Contest

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Mrs.N

The Candy Corn Contest by Patricia Riley Giff

Richard’s teacher is holding a contest.  Whoever guesses how many candy corns are contained in the jar can take the whole thing home. Of course, there has to be some type of academic incentive, so she lets them make one guess per page read.  And then chastises them for even considering reading “baby books.”  I sit in not so silent judgment of this teacher for coming up with an incentive plan that is devised to make your struggling readers feel bad about themselves, so I can’t say I’m thrilled with that aspect of this book.

Richard is equally preoccupied with the contest and his upcoming sleepover.  The contest situation has become more fraught than he originally thought as he gets himself into a predicament involving the candy corn.  The sleepover has its own problems, centering around sleeping arrangements and a classmate that wets the bed.  Richard makes a lot of bad decisions in this book, but they’re nothing that he can’t recover from.

What I did like about the book is that Richard makes bad choices throughout, but they’re the kind of bad choices that could happen to many kids. The story (especially considering the classwork and the classmate that wets the bed) is probably best for kindergarten or first grade students, however, children at those ages who are strong enough readers to handle this independently, won’t have a deep connection to Richard and his fellow struggling readers. Because of that, it might do better as a second grade read.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – None.
Profanity – “shoot,”
Death, Violence and Gore – Richard thinks about hitting someone in the nose.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.

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I Want Candy!

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Mrs.N

Let’s just cut to the chase shall we? Are October and Halloween really about ghosts and goblins, witches and vampires? Is that really the payoff these days? Or is it candy…bags and bags of the sweet stuff…chocolate bars and gummy things, peppermint patties and (sadly) sugar-free gum!

Back in my day (so you know, slightly after dinosaurs and long before xboxes or iPhones) one of the very best parts of trick or treating was the swap. After my friends and I returned, we’d upend our pillowcases or plastic pumpkins or whatever bags we had onto the floor. The first step was the critical sort. You had to sort through all of your candy, ostensibly looking for razor blades or opened and therefore definitely poisonous packages, but really, to create the all-important hierarchy of the Halloween haul. You had to pile up your precious peanut-butter cups away from prying eyes and snatchy fingers. You had to create a reject pile of the zero-value raisins and apples and worse yet, Mary Janes (unless you knew some freak that liked Mary Janes…if you did, that would be awesome. Maybe you should check before you go out). Then you had to deal. What could you get for a pile of jolly ranchers which you were indifferent to but your friend adored? Whose mother would let them eat pixie sticks and therefore would fork over a Hershey bar for your multicolored straw stash? Whose dopey little brother could you con into taking your Necco wafers or Tootsie rolls? It was a time honored tradition and I’m sad that it seems to be falling out of favor.

Of course, now that I’m a grown-up there is no Halloween candy in my world. But there are plenty of books which are ready to talk about the sweet stuff. Worst case scenario? I’ve gotten your little cherub all riled up about the upcoming candy situation. Best case scenario? Someone will have a virtual stomachache by the time the holiday rolls around.

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