Cat Michaels, Writer
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Kid Lit Book Reviews

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"Two Kids," a middle grade coming of age tale, explores friendship, tween angst, and family tragedy

1/24/2015

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Two Kids
by Richard Levine
247 pages
Publisher: Firedrake Books LLC
ages 10+

Two Kids by Richard Levine. Review by Cat Michaels
Author Richard Levine introduces us to tween angst, camaraderie, and loss in his tale of friendship between tall, gawky DC Blau and shy Rob Cameron, who meet and become pals at a birthday party one summer in a Long Island town.

Characters, Narrative
Levine’s book follows their blossoming friendship during a yearlong period and introduces us to their families, neighborhood, and school.  The narrative ping-pongs between the two protagonists in their first-person voices, so readers understand both views of the same situation.  This technique allows readers to truly get into the minds of this tween boy and girl.  The back-and-forth arc flows through most chapters and is generally effective.  I was confused initially when the author added first-person views from other characters, but I understood as the book progressed (no spoiler given!).

The author’s narrative is strongest during internal monologues.  Rob’s recounting of a family vacation to North Carolina’s Outer Banks is a moving, sweet tribute to his father.  Likewise, his projection of a what-if future speaks volumes to adults and young readers about optimism and perseverance.  One of my favorite vignettes involves Rob’s unique way of helping a cash-strapped family remember their trip to Disney World as he also uncovers the depth of his father’s commitment to their town.

Levine brings a rich sense of place to his Long Island Sound setting, inserting kid-friendly escapades on the water and snippets of life in this close-knit community.  He also supplies enough action to keep tweens interested: baseball games, fishing trips, first dates and kisses, and family tragedies. 

The book would be stronger if it eliminated many clichés, nicknames, and acronymns.  These devices were often confusing and difficult to understand, especially beyond a certain age and outside a USA culture.  I don’t believe middle-graders would understand or appreciate most of them:
 
Wouldn’t want to meet a mamba, ’cause if an African mamba gets you, it’s as the man from Odd says, “Say good night, Gracie.”
Recommendation:
Two Kids provides upper-elementary and middle-school readers with relatable characters and a plot into which they can sink their teeth.  Be aware: since Two Kids deals with death, sensitive young readers who recently experienced a loss may be disturbed by elements of the book.


Disclosure:
I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


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"john Bloom and the Victory Garden" Powerful WWII book for boys - history, food, and coming of age

12/4/2014

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Kid Lit Book Review
John Bloom and the Victory Garden
by Leigh Shearin

195 pages 
Recommended Grades:
3-8


Author Leigh Shearin’s John Bloom and the Victory Garden, the first of her John Bloom Series, is a sure-fire win for boys in grades 3-8, history buffs, and foodies.  The author stirs these incongruent ingredients into a powerful tale that comes together like a perfect three-course meal, and it leaves the reader eager for more. 
[John] burst through the kitchen door and was greeted by a wave of warm, steamy air that was scented with onions and apples, bread, and some kind of meat. His mother stood with her back to him, her left arm down on the work surface, her right elbow up in the air, doing battle with a bowl of something on the counter. There was a bowl of pickled beets and a plate of bread on the kitchen table in the center of the room, waiting to be moved to the dining room. Best of all though, was a round platter piled high with fat, golden brown sausages that glistened with fat still bubbling on the surface. They were resting gloriously on a bed of steaming sauerkraut laced with thinly sliced, caramel-colored onions.
Several recipes of meals described in the book are printed at the end of the story, so children can actually make food that the ABCs ate.

On occasion, Shearin uses accented dialogue with some characters.  While she is adept at doing so, I find this literary device distracting, so I’m glad she keeps it to a minimum.  There is also a chapter that switches from John’s third-person voice to that of an adult character’s perspective.  The change is effective, but it could confuse some young readers. 

Recommendation
John Bloom and the Victory Garden - Part 1 is a trifecta of food, history, and boyhood.  I highly recommend this story for children (especially boys) in grades 3-8.  They’ll hunger for Part II of this series, Digging In, and be impatient for its debut in Fall 2015.
Narrative, Plot
The plot charts the transformation of John and his playmates.  Before the war, their world revolves around such activities as trading a prized rabbit skull for a freeze-dried earthworm.  After December 7, they create the American Boys’ Club (the ABCs) and dedicate their time to helping their beloved Appleside support the war efforts.

Shearin serves up the right mix of energetic, kid-centric dialogue with descriptive narrative, both of which focus on the ABCs and their 1940s coming-of-age era.  Readers are immersed in period details that bring history to life.  Leafing through photographs in Life Magazine.  Shopping at the Five and Ten.  Listening to radio broadcasts of President Roosevelt or Prime Minister Churchill deliver stirring wartime messages.  Waiting for letters from loved ones fighting overseas. (Imagine that: no email or Skype!)

Yet boys will be boys, and Shearin adds plenty of mischievous plot elements, like pranking the neighbors and devising secret talisman.

I dare anyone to read John Bloom and not develop a food craving.  The author injects mouthwatering bites from her culinary background that are rarely encountered in middle-grade books:
Book Cover: John Bloom and the Victory Garden, by Leigh Shearin ~ PowerfulWWII story for boys - history, food, and coming of age~ Review by Cat Michaels
Characters, Setting
The story is a time capsule of life in a small, northeastern U.S. town on the eve of Pearl Harbor and its aftermath during the winter 1942 as seen through the eyes of three fourth-grade boys.  

Shearin is inventive in her character descriptions.  For example, protagonist John Bloom wants a shiny, blue-and-white Schwinn DX bike for Christmas and can reach his front porch from the sidewalk in just five jumps--unless his shoelace comes untied.  He and friend Charles Anderson Slovinsky (Chewie) share a secret knock when visiting each other’s home: three raps on the front door signals an urgent, parent-free visit.  The third chum, Joe Riccio, comes from an Italian immigrant family, and they face possible internment due to Mussolini’s part in the war. 

John Bloom also introduces readers to a host of secondary characters who add richness and dimension to the story: the town Scrooge with a secret sweet tooth and a hoard of seed packets, a kindly farmer, a wise doctor, and more.

John’s hometown of Appleside, NJ, is another pivotal character in a very real sense.  Its rural backdrop underscores how the boys and townsfolk overcome adversity with optimism, humor, and resilience.  An Appleside street map by artist Katie Shearin (an author/illustrator dynasty in the making) prefaces the book and provides a strong visual image of the town readers will inhabit alongside John Bloom and his friends.


Disclosure:
I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Connect with Leigh Shearin
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  • Welcome!
  • Cat's Books
    • Just Between Sam and Me
    • Sweet T and the Turtle Team
    • Finding Fuzzy: A You-Decide Tale of a Lost Friend
    • Sweet T and the North Wind
    • The Magical Aquarium
  • Cat's Corner: Blogging About Books, Writing, and More
  • Author 101: Tips & Tricks for a Writer's Journey
  • Meet Cat
  • Author Visits
  • FREE STUFF in the Kids' Zone
  • Book Review Guidelines
  • KidLit Book Reviews
  • Contact Cat