"The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin

Here is a review of another Newberry Medal winner.

The Westing Game
Author: Ellen Raskin
Age Level: 10+ years
Newberry Award: 1979

What do a judge, a podiatrist, a restauranteur, a dressmaker, and a high-school track star have in common? They are all potential heirs to Sam Westing's fortune. Sam Westing, the industrialist who founded Westing Paper Products Corporation, after a thirteen-year disappearance has finally returned to his mansion on the hill - only to be murdered. Now his heirs have been gathered together for the reading of the will. Each heir is assigned a partner and the teams receive clues that will help them to solve the mystery of who dunnit? Only the pairs who can reach the correct solution in the allotted time will inherit Westing's millions.

I first read this book when I was in fifth grade and I loved it! When I reread it for this review, I happily discovered that this mystery is as entertaining for adults as it is for children. The mystery is cleverly crafted and challenging, leading the reader through several twists and turns before the final solution is revealed. A highlight of this book are the characters and the personal development that they experience over the course of the novel. Knowing that they are important to the reader, Ms. Raskin thankfully provides a brief update on what each of the characters is doing years after the mystery is solved. I would highly recommend this book!

A note to parents and teachers: This book does not lend itself well to being read aloud since it jumps around so much. Also, while the publisher assigns this a targeted age range of 8 years and up, I would suggest that it is more appropriate for 10 years and older.

Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary was one of my favorite authors when I was growing up.

If you are looking for books with a male protagonist, you can read about the adventures of Henry Huggins and his dog, Ribsy. Although these books were written in the 1950s and 60s and are a bit dated with regard to social and economic issues, the characters are timeless and many of the themes and lessons are still relevant today.
Henry Huggins
Henry and Beezus
Henry and Ribsy
Henry and the Paper Route 
Henry and the Clubhouse
Ribsy

Another popular series focuses on the lives of Ramona Quimby and her older sister, Beezus. These books span a greater time period with the first being published in 1968 and the last one going to print in 1999.
Beezus and Ramona
Ramona the Pest
Ramona the Brave
Ramona and Her Father
Ramona and Her Mother
Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Ramona Forever
Ramona's World

Newer editions have been given updated illustrations. In my opinion, the original illustrations better capture the era about which Ms. Cleary was writing. If you can, I would recommend trying to find an older edition at your local library.

If you want to learn more about this wonderful author, be sure to read her two-part autobiography: A Girl from Yamhill followed by My Own Two Feet. Also click here to visit a fun website dedicated entirely to Beverly Cleary and her books.

"The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

A friend asked me to review this book, which has been quite popular.

The Mysterious Benedict Society
Author: Trenton Lee Stewart
Genre: Mystery/Adventure
Age Level: 9+ years

The adventure begins when an orphan, Reynard (Reynie) Muldoon, responds to an intriguing advertisement in the paper. After surviving a battery of strange and difficult tests, Reynie finds himself in a room with three other children. These gifted children decide to form a team that will embark on a dangerous mission to save the world. They call themselves The Mysterious Benedict Society and the children soon discover that each one of them brings very special talents to the operation. The children go undercover as students at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened where strange events are occurring and a bizarre plan to take over the world is unfolding. Can the children discover a way to stop the evil Mr. Curtain before it is too late?

This was probably the most captivating beginning to a children's novel that I have ever read. The first few chapters were very entertaining. Although the end of the book was not quite as engaging as the beginning, it was still an enjoyable read overall. I would recommend it.

"Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli

Here is a review of another Newberry Medal winner.

Maniac Magee
 Author: Jerry Spinelli
Age Level: 11+ years
Newberry Award: 1990

This novel is essentially a tall tale about a boy who does his part to ease the racial tensions between blacks and whites in the town of Two Mills. Jeffrey Magee is orphaned at a young age and spends the next several years literally running, trying to find a place he can call home. He lives with his aunt and uncle for some time, but runs away from these feuding guardians. Next he finds himself in the racially divided town of Two Mills, Pennsylvania where he is taken in by a black family by the name of Beale. After performing several amazing feats, like making an inside-the-park home-run bunt with a frog, surviving Finsterwald's backyard, and untying Cobble's Knot,  he is nicknamed Maniac Magee. However, the presence of a white kid in the middle of East End is not accepted by everyone and he runs out of town to protect the Beales. He spends some months living in a bandshell at the zoo with an elderly man named Earl Grayson. He feels that he has finally found a home, but Grayson unexpectedly dies. Maniac is forced to run again. This time he ends up with the McNab family from West End - a family that is the antithesis of the Beales. After gradually winning the respect of his rival, Mars Bar Thompson, Maniac can finally return "home".

Like most characters from tall tales, Jeffrey 'Maniac' Magee certainly ranks among the most likeable and memorable. The author effectively draws his readers in and generates genuine concern for Maniac in his quest for his true home. Mr. Spinelli has also done an outstanding job of introducing the serious theme of racism while including enough humor to prevent the tone of the novel from becoming too somber. While the subject matter and character interactions were at times a little raw, overall this was an enjoyable read that could spark some very good discussion.

"Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

Here is a review of a very recent Newberry Medal winner.

Moon Over Manifest
Author: Clare Vanderpool
Age Level:  10+ years
Newberry Award: 2011

Abilene Tucker has spent the first twelve years of her life on the road with her father, Gideon. When he gets a job working for the railroad in Iowa, he decides to send Abilene to live with a friend in Manifest, Kansas. This "town with a rich past and a bright future" is the one place that Gideon felt he could call home. Abilene misses her father and can't understand why he has suddenly sent her away. Her desperate search to find some evidence of his former life in Manifest leads her to the home of Miss Sadie, the diviner. It is there that she learns about Manifest's rich past and a boy named Jinx. In the process of learning about her own roots, Abilene also helps the people of Manifest remember their story.

In her Acknowledgements page, Ms. Vanderpool writes, "All writers strive to create a good story with colorful characters, a vivid setting, and interesting plot twists and turns. But the elusive element is voice." In my opinion, the author has accomplished all of these things. This novel includes multiple narratives, which can sometimes be confusing, yet Ms. Vanderpool was able to weave them together fairly effortlessly and both story lines were entertaining. The characters were believable and several of them were quite memorable. Most importantly, Ms. Vanderpool seems to have captured the voice of those who suffered through the Great War, the trials of immigration, and the Great Depression.

This was a book worthy of the Newberry Medal and I would highly recommend it.

"A Year Down Yonder" by Richard Peck

Here is a review of another Newberry Medal winner.

A Year Down Yonder
Author: Richard Peck
Age Level: 10+ years
Newberry Award: 2001

This novel is the sequel to Mr. Peck's A Long Way From Chicago. Although it can be read and understood on its own I would highly recommend the first book as well. In this story, Mary Alice is 15 and has been sent to live with her grandmother yet again. This time she will stay for an entire year due to her family's continuing struggles to get their feet under them at the end of the depression. The chapters are filled with amusing anecdotes of rural life in general and Grandma Dowdel in particular.

I thoroughly enjoyed both of these books. Mr. Peck has a great sense of humor that is very refreshing in modern youth fiction. His characters are well-developed, believable, and captivating. This is another wonderful sample of historical fiction, my favorite genre. I would highly recommend this book.

Fun New Finds

My children received two books for Christmas that have become some new favorites in our household and I just had to share them with you.

The first one was perfect for my 19-month-old son who loves trucks. It is called Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker. Written in verse, this story takes place at a construction site where a variety of vehicles are getting ready to say goodnight at the end of a long work day. It is a sweet story with fun pictures that my son asks to read over and over.

The second book is titled Press Here and was written by Harvé Tullet. Each page of this interactive book asks the reader to press the dots, shake the pages, tilt the book, and more. My children have enjoyed this book quite a bit and giggle each time we read it. I highly recommend it!