In a society where a woman's place depends upon whom she marries, Buran, fourth of seven daughters born to a merchant of Baghdad, realizes that her lack of dowry makes a good marriage unlikely; worse, even her own childhood playmate refuses to have her. She decides to take matters into her own hands. If it is necessary to be a male in order to succeed, she will be a male. She disguises herself as a boy and joins a caravan traveling to the coast. Once there, she slowly but surely builds a successful business and even falls in love. Unfortunately, the young man she loves has no idea Buran is actually a woman.
Based on a traditional Arabic tale, this is a story of adventure and romance which will appeal to readers ages twelve and up, and Buran will become a favorite "strong woman" character. The Magical Adventures of Pretty Pearl (1983), by Virginia Hamilton.
Long ago, a god child in Africa decided to come down from the heights and investigate strange goings-on among the humans. People were taking other people captive and sending them away from Africa. Pretty Pearl, the god child, convinces her brother, John de Conquer, to come with her; and, disguised as albatrosses, they follow a slave ship to Georgia where they watch the sufferings of the slaves for centuries. At last the time comes for Pearl to take human form herself, and to try to help the darker peoples. She has three rules and four spirits to accompany her. Readers familiar with The People Could Fly will recognize many story threads; and characters such as John Henry will be familiar to all, although perhaps in somewhat different guises.
In what is perhaps her most ambitious book, Virginia Hamilton uses literary fantasy to create an over-arching mythology which brings African-American legend and folklore together. It will be best appreciated by readers ages 11 and up. A House is a House for Me (1982), by Mary Ann Hoberman.
This picture book begins with a list of familiar animal homes (hill, hive, hole), adds human dwellings (castle, igloo, pueblo), child dwellings (treehouse, box, under-the-table), and then "houses" for inanimate objects (glove for hand, stocking for knee), and finally, houses for ideas (a book for a story, "my head. . . for a secret"), all delivered in infectiously rhythmical, rhyming text which gathers speed as it tumbles along. Betty Fraser's artwork both illustrates and expands the text; the author and illustrator together provide reader and listener with a riot of images for ear, eye, and imagination. Many readers and listeners will be tempted to add their own suggestions.
Word-lovers ages 3 and up will thoroughly enjoy Mary Ann Hoberman's invitation to think about houses; for an extra treat, listen to Fred Penner's musical adaptation ("A House is a House for Me"). Amy's Eyes (1985), by Richard Kennedy.
Amy was left in a basket on the orphanage steps, accompanied only by a Navy Captain doll and a note saying her father would return for her. As she grew, the Captain became her main companion. She read to him every day from Mother Goose and the Bible; and one day, while repairing the Captain's ears, she accidentally poked the doll in the head with her needle. He came to life, began to grow, and went off to sea. After awhile his letters stopped (they had been stolen by the wicked--well, read the book). Amy began to turn into a doll. At last the Captain returned, and their adventures began as the Captain (now alive) and Amy (now a doll) set off to find a sunken treasure.
Remarkable for its inventiveness and language, Richard Kennedy's fantasy is epic in scope as he explores life, death, hope and despair while Amy and the Captain participate in a great adventure. This one is for readers ages 11 and up. Angus and the Ducks (1930), by Marjorie Flack.
No list of picture books about curiosity would be complete without Marjorie Flack's small four-legged hero: Angus the Scottish terrier is curious about the world around him, but his curiosity is largely held in check by a leash, fastened to him at one end and to SOMEBODY ELSE at the other. One day Angus escapes the house, the leash, and SOMEBODY ELSE and investigates a noise he's wondered about for ages: "Quack! Quack! Quackety! Quack!!" Needless to say, a small Scottie is no match for large ducks, but will this stifle his curiosity forever? Read the sequels, Angus and the Cat and Angus Lost to find out!
A perfect match of text and pictures, Angus should be introduced to young listeners as soon as they know what dogs and ducks are.
Truckers (1989), by Terry Pratchett.
Only four inches tall,the nomes had lived quietly and invisibly, "in the corners of the world," as the author says. Then the motorway went through their quiet countryside and life became difficult and dangerous. Their numbers dwindled. Food ran low. Led by Masklin, Grimma, Torrit, and Granny Morkie, they took a dangerous gamble and hitched a ride on a lorry. When the truck stopped, they found themselves at The Store--Arnold Bros (est. 1905)--and discovered they were not the last nomes on Earth.Unfortunately, the Store was slated for demolition and the Outside Nomes (as the Store nomes called them) realized they would have to save their recently-discovered kin. This time, however, they would not hitchhike on a lorry. This time, they would steal it.
Terry Pratchett's little people are not cute, cuddly, or magical. Some are clever, some are not. Some are good, some are not. Some are useful, some are not. They're an endangered species trying to exist in a world overrun, and seemingly run, by humans. There is one other important fact about nomes: according to The Thing, which identifies itself as a Flight Navigation and Recording Computer, the nomes are not actually earth creatures at all. They came from the stars, and now it's time for them to go back to their starship.
Truckers tells of the first stage of their journey. The story is continued in Diggers and Wings. The series is a terrific fantasy adventure for readers ages 12 and up, and would make a good readaloud for ages 10 and up.
Brookie and Her Lamb (1961), by M.B. Goffstein.
When Brookie tries to teach her lamb to sing and read, he can only say "baa." So she gives him music where all the songs say "baa" and books where all the words say "baa" ("he liked them very much"), a cozy warm place with straw and pillows, and a scratch behind the ears.
This simple picture book, with its minimal text and line drawings of a small girl with a pet lamb who is loved just for what he is, will appeal to ages 2 1/2 to 5.
Have Spacesuit, Will Travel (1958), by Robert Heinlein.
When Clifford (Kip) Russell wins a spacesuit instead of a trip to the Moon, he's disappointed; but he grows fond of the suit (called Oscar) as he tries to get it in working order. Then one astonishing night he receives and responds to signals through Oscar's radio and finds himself directing a space ship landing. The ship is being piloted by an alien called Mother Thing and a young human girl named Peewee, both on the run from evil aliens who want to invade the Earth. Kip is hardly surprised when the aliens show up and take him, Mother Thing, and Peewee prisoner. The prisoners are carried to a secret base on the Moon, and from there to Pluto. Now Kip, Peewee, and the Mother Thing (a sort of intergalactic cop) must escape and stop the evil aliens.
Robert Heinlein's story is primarily an adventure tale, but today's readers may be surprised by the amount of scientific detail as Kip lovingly restores Oscar and as our heroes travel the solar system and far beyond. The author provides a handy mnemonic device for remembering the order of the planets, and every librarian can thrill to paragraph 2 on page 201 (the middle of chapter 9 if you aren't reading the Scribner edition of 1958). Good reading for science fiction lovers ages 12 and up.
The Broken Blade (1997), by William Durbin.
Pierre's father is a voyageur, one of the brave and hardy French-Canadians carrying trade goods and furs up and down the waterways from Montreal to the Pacific. When Charles La Page is injured and cannot make the annual trek in the summer of 1800, thirteen-year-old Pierre signs on in his father's place. The trip is 2400 miles long, from Montreal to Grand Portage and back. "Pull your own weight and don't complain," his father says, but it's no small task: the next three months are filled with physical hardship and danger. Pierre leaves home a boy, and returns a young man.
Readers in search of historical adventure, and particularly those of us from the Great Lakes region, will find this an exciting and satisfying journey into the past. Recommended for ages 11 and up.
Tangerine (1997), by Edward Bloor.
How can twelve-year-old Paul be a super soccer player when he is legally blind? How can he be courageous in his friendships and in emergency situations but absolutely terrified of his football star brother? These are just some of the questions readers 10 years old and up will enjoy answering in this funny and creepy novel that takes place in a most unusual neighborhood in Florida.
What's So Funny, Ketu? (1982), by Verna Aardema.
A folktale about Ketu, a happy man, but one who has a hard time keeping a secret! When he rescues a snake, who then rewards him by giving him the ability to hear animal speech, he is warned never to tell a soul his secret or he will die on the spot. Barely able to conceal his laughter as he listens to the chatter of Mosquito and Rat, Ketu laughs aloud as Cow hurls insults at his wife for taking the milk which rightly belongs to Calf. When his wife becomes angry, blaming him for laughing at her and preventing the cow from giving milk, Ketu confesses his secret ability and promptly falls dead. The snake reappears, muttering about "snoopy people who will not leave well enough alone," and brings Ketu back to life.
Recommended for ages 6 through 10, this is a good read-aloud and a good read-alone.
Roger's Umbrella (1982), by Honest Dan'l Pinkwater.
Comic geniuses Daniel Pinkwater and James Marshall team up to present the ultimate story about an insubordinate inanimate object. Roger's umbrella is completely out of control. It turns inside out; it opens when it shouldn't; it gets him into trouble by making him late all the time. Then, one day, it lifts him up and carries him away. Luckily for Roger, three remarkable old ladies know how to talk to umbrellas.
This picture book is appropriate for anyone who has ever had a running battle with an inanimate object, but preschoolers as young as 3 will enjoy it.
The Silent Stranger (1997), by Amanda Benton.
Fans of frontier life will find this mysterious tale interesting. Twelve-year-old Jessie finds a frightened boy in the barn one night. The family cannot understand why he will not speak and they wonder where he comes from. They begin to care for him but circumstances leave Jessie and her brother alone to run the farm, and that's when he begins to care for them. When Jessie and her brother are threatened, he is the only one who can help. This story is filled with fascinating details of farm life during the 1812 war in New York.
Recommended for readers 10 and up.
Sea Fever (1963), by K.M.Peyton.
Matt, whose father has recently drowned, must now support a family of six by fishing from his family's old boat, the Fathom. Matt has the support of the fishing community, with the exception of Beckett, a taciturn and dishonest bully, who later risks Matt's life as he intentionally tries to lose a yacht race which Matt, as a crew member, desperately wants to win. Matt's friendship with the son of the yacht's owner is his one solace during this difficult period of his life. As both boys come to terms with themselves, each is able to change and mature in his own way.
Well-drawn characters and vivid descriptions of Essex village life make this novel a good choice for ages 11 to 14.
P.S. Longer Letter Later (1998), by Paula Danziger and Ann Martin.
Elizabeth and Tara are furious with Tara's "spacey" parents who moved her far away, breaking up an exquisite friendship. Through their funny and sad letters, we learn that Tara's parents are finally getting their life together just as Elizabeth's "perfect" family begins to fall apart. This story came about when two well-loved children's writers decided to see what would happen if they each picked a character and started to write a story by exchanging letters with each other. They never knew what would come next!
Ten-year-olds and up will enjoy this story of true, long-distance friendship.
Last revised 17 January 1999