"When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead

Title: When You Reach Me
Author: Rebecca Stead
Published: July 14, 2009
Awards: Newbery Medal (2010)
Genre: Children's Literature

Sticking with finding quality children's and young adult literature for the classroom, I'm reviewing another Newbery Medal winner from author Rebecca Stead.

Since 12-year-old Miranda can remember, it's always been Miranda and Sal. Sal and Miranda. The two best friends help each other navigate the streets of 1970's New York City. They know who to trust, like Belle the grocery store cashier, and who to avoid, like the "laughing man" who lives on their corner. Then one day things change. Sal gets punched for seemingly no reason, and subsequently shuts Miranda out of his life. As if that wasn't strange enough, soon Miranda begins to receive mysterious notes from a stranger who claims to know about a deadly accident that will occur sometime in the future: an accident he can prevent, but only with Miranda's help.

The novel is wonderfully realistic with it's themes of friendship, first crushes, and quirky families. Making the novel even more believable is the rich historical detail from the 1970's. For example, Dick Clark hosting the game show that Miranda's mom is entering and the lingering distrust of African Americans. At the center of it all is a dangerous mystery of fantastic proportions that Miranda needs to solve! Fans of A Wrinkle in Time will love this book (but I won't tell you why)!

When You Reach Me is a great addition to any classroom library. My copy even had 10 pages of discussion suggestions and activities for teachers! But readers young and old will get swept up in the mystery and will root for Miranda as she learns more about her world and herself.

Kaylee says:

"Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

Title: Moon Over Manifest
Author: Clare Vanderpool
Published: October 12, 2010
Awards: Newbery Medal (2011)
Genre: Children's Literature, Historical Fiction

As I get closer to completing my degree, I'm starting to seek out excellent trade books to include in my classroom library. You really can't go wrong with including the Newbery Medal winners and honorees on your shelves, so when Moon Over Manifest came my way, I had a feeling it was going to be good. I was not disappointed!

Abilene Tucker grew up on her father's stories about living in the little town of Manifest, Kansas. So when he ships her there on a train to live with an old friend while he takes a railroad job, she's disappointed to discover that it's just a dried-up old mining town. Things take a turn for the exciting, however, when Abilene finds an old cigar box filled with mementos and letters. The letters send her and her two new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on a real-life spy hunt despite being warned to "Leave Well Enough Alone." Working off a debt to the local diviner Miss Sadie, Abilene hears more stories from Manifest's past, which is one filled with unique characters and lingering secrets. The secrets unravel one by one as Abilene knits together the town's history and her father's role in it. Eventually, she begins to see her own story being woven into the seams.

Moon Over Manifest was a great read! I was hooked from page one! Abilene is wonderfully tomboyish and full of practical "survival" wisdom garnered from years of living on the road with her father. My personal favorite is, "Anyone worth his salt knows, it's best to get a look at a place before it gets a look at you," which she utters right before jumping off of a train.

The historical detail included in this book was rich and beautiful. Taking place during the Depression in 1936, author Clare Vanderpool paints the town in a way that makes you really feel as if you were living during that time.

I was fascinated with trying to piece together Manifest's history along with Abilene. The story is presented in four ways: Abilene's narration, Miss Sadie's stories from the past, Hattie Mae's News Auxiliary, and the letters from the mystery box. Each piece reveals more and more of the secrets hidden within the town, and it will keep you guessing.

The novel was a heartwarming and (sometimes) heart wrenching story of love and loss told in the voice of a young girl who just wants to know where she fits in. It is truly deserving of the Newbery Medal that graces its front cover. I would highly recommend it to readers young and old. Teachers, this is one for your classroom library!

Kaylee says:

"The Midnight Visitors" by Juliet David

Title: The Midnight Visitors
Author: Juliet David, Illustrated by Jo Parry
Published: September 2, 2015
Genre: Children's Literature

Confession time: I am a Christmas fanatic! I love preparing for this special season by decorating my dorm room, shopping for presents for my loved ones, and setting my sights on the coming Christ Child with my daily Advent devotions and midweek church services. 

I'm kicking off the the holiday season here at Bookmarks and Coffee Mugs with a review of Juliet David's new children's book The Midnight Visitors. 

The story follows Miriam the cow as she settles into her her cozy barn for the night. However, she is unable to fall asleep because visitors keep knocking at the door, asking to be let in. First comes a happy family of rabbits and then a lone fox named Freddy. Once they've drifted off to sleep, they are wakened once more by the innkeeper as he escorts a young couple to the barn. Miriam notices right away that the lady is going to have a baby! Once more, the animals fall asleep, and when they wake up again, there's a beautiful baby boy lying in Miriam's manger! Soon shepherds arrive at the stable after hearing about a special child from an angel and kneel before the baby. Miriam knows that this baby is special and she says that she'll never forget that special night before drifting off to sleep for good.

On the surface one assumes that this is going to be a cute retelling of the nativity story from Luke 2. And it is. Still, there are some serious issues about this particular children's book that I can't seem to get over. First, while the illustrations are lovely, the cover image is misleading. I though that the fox was going to be the main character. He's not. Instead it's Miriam the cow who doesn't appear anywhere on the cover. Second, in the scene where Freddy arrives at the stable, Miriam agrees to only let him in if there is absolutely no hunting in the barn. Remember, at this time the rabbit family is already inside. I'm all for kids understanding the predator/prey relationships that exist in the animal kingdom, but I don't want to find it in a children's book about the birth of Jesus. Third, there are places within the text where the vocabulary is beyond what a child of 4, 5, or 6 can understand. For example, the word "bedraggled" is used to describe the donkey on which Mary and Joseph arrive. Miriam also says "What a cheek" in response to a comment made by the innkeeper. No child is going to get that.

The book does have a few redeeming qualities in the charming illustrations and the fact that the second half focuses more on the arrival of baby Jesus and the visiting shepherds rather then the animals who just want to get some shut-eye. But with the three points mentioned above in mind, I have to give this one 2/5 coffee beans.

Kaylee says:

I want to know what your favorite Holiday children's book is! Share it with me in the comments below! One of mine is The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg!

"Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type" by Doreen Cronin

Today is a bit of a "Wacky Wednesday" here at Bookmarks and Coffee Mugs! Let me explain. On the fourth Wednesday of every month, I'll post something "wacky!" By wacky, I mean something out of the ordinary for this page. It could be a tutorial, a bizarre picture I found that week, or perhaps something that's requested by you all! Subscribe to keep up with the craziness!

As today is the inaugural "Wacky Wednesday" post, I have a wacky review for you! Meet my best friend Zach! He is a piano extraordinaire, Taylor Swift enthusiast, pizza connoisseur, and all-around funny guy. He has a very special book that he would like to share with you. Take it away Zach!

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type is a story that some claim to be "The greatest story ever told" (Unke, 2015). Some have referred to it as "A monumental children's book" (Radue, 2015). Some have called it "Oh, yeah, I think I read that one time. Is that about cows that type?" These people are not wrong. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type is the greatest story ever told about cows that type.

For those of you who either live under a rock or simply haven't lived at all, let me break it down for you. Farmer Brown (he's a human) has a whole bunch of cows (they are not humans) that like to type on an old typewriter that he left in the barn. The trouble starts when the cows start making demands via typed notes nailed to the barn door (where the cows learned spelling, grammar, and sentence structure will forever be a mystery to me). When their demands are not met, they start to leave super passive-aggressive notes saying that they will withhold their milk. It's Blackmailing 101, really. Various other barnyard creatures decide to get in on the cow' blackmailing scheme and some other stuff happens, I think, and eventually the animals and Farmer Brown reach an agreement.

What's great about Click, Clack, Moo is that it has something for everyone - kids like the pictures, adults can relate to both the animals and Farmer Brown, and the typewriter makes old people feel nostalgic. It's a delightful story that will leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling almost like being wrapped in an electric blanket. While it may not have the greatest moral lesson to be teaching our children - be very stubborn until you get your way - it does have the most cows that can type, which I think is something that's lacking from most literature these days. Click, Clack, Moo fills the hole in my bookshelf just as well as it fills the hole in my heart.

Zach says:

Check out Zach Unke Piano to learn more about Zach's amazing music and to order your copy of his new CD "How Sweet The Sound!"

Comment below with your suggestions for future "Wacky Wednesday" posts!!!