Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
I LLI N S UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN PRODUCTION NOTE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Large-scale Digitization Project, 2007. University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science K/_6P Books make ereat eifts, but Dick- ing the perfect books for your favorite youngsters can be daunt- ing. Let the expert staff of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books help you navigate the book- store wilderness full of shiny new children's books. SUpdated and expanded from last year's edi- tion, the Guide Book to Gift Books contains annotations for over 225 of the best books for giving (and receiving) and is available as a downloadable PDF file that you can print out and use for every holiday, birthday, or other gift-giving occasion on your calendar this year. Listed books have all been recommended in full Bulletin reviews from the last three years and are verified as currently in print. Entries are divided into age groups and include au- thor, title, publisher, and the current list price. To purchase, go to: www.lis.uiuc.edu/giftbooks/ THE B UL LE T IN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS April 2004 Vol. 57 No. 8 4F~ A LOOK INSIDE 311 THE BIG PICTURE I, Jack by Patricia Finney; illus. by Peter Bailey 312 NEW BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE Reviewed titles include: 321 * Magic Thinks Big written and illus. by Elisha Cooper 326 * Nicolaus Copernicus: The EarthIs a Planet by Dennis Brindell Fradin; illus. by Cynthia von Buhler 336 * Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look; illus. by Anne Wilsdorf 342 * The Tarantula Scientist by Sy Montgomery; illus. with photographs by Nic Bishop 349 * Music for Alice written and illus. by Allen Say 354 PROFESSIONAL CONNECTIONS 355 SUBJECT AND USE INDEX EXPLANATION OF CODE SYMBOLS USED WITH REVIEWS * Asterisks denote books of special distinction. R Recommended. Ad Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. M Marginal book that is so slight in content or has so many weaknesses in style or format that it should be given careful consideration before purchase. NR Not recommended. SpC Subject matter or treatment will tend to limit the book to specialized collections. SpR A book that will have appeal for the unusual reader only. Recommended for the special few who will read it. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (ISSN 0008-9036) is published monthly except August by the Publications Office of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and distributed by the University of Illinois Press, 1325 S. Oak, Champaign, IL 61820-6903. REVIEWING STAFF Deborah Stevenson, Editor (DS) Betsy Hearne, Consulting Editor and Faculty Liaison (BH) Elizabeth Bush, Reviewer (EB) Timnah Card, Reviewer (TC) Karen Coats, Reviewer (KC) Janice M. Del Negro, Reviewer (JMD) Krista Hutley, Reviewer (KH) Hope Morrison, Reviewer (HM) Reviewers' initials are appended to reviews. OFFICE STAFF Molly Dolan Krista Hutley Hope Morrison SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1 year, institutions, $75.00; multiple institutional subscriptions, $70 for the first and $50 for each additional; individuals, $50.00; students, $15.00. In countries other than the United States, add $7.00 per subscription for postage. Japanese subscription agent: Kinokuniya Company Ltd. Single copy rate: $7.50. Volumes available in microfilm from ProQuest, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Complete volumes available in microfiche from Johnson Associates, P.O. Box 1017, Greenwich, CT 06830. Subscription checks should be made payable to the University of Illinois Press. All notices of change of address should provide both the old and new address. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, University of Illinois Press, 1325 S. Oak, Champaign, IL 61820-6903. All inquiries about subscriptions and advertising should go to University of Illinois Press, 1325 S. Oak, Champaign, IL 61820-6903, 217-333-0950; toll free 866-244-0626. Review copies and all correspondence about reviews should be sent to Deborah Stevenson, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 501 E. Daniel St., Champaign, IL 61820-6601. Email: [email protected]; phone: 217-244-0324. Visit our homepage at http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/puboff/bccb Periodicals postage paid at Champaign, Illinois © 2004 by The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois Drawings by Debra Bolgla. This publication is printed on acid-free paper. Cover illustration by Sheila Moxley from I, Jack ©2004. Used by permission of HarperCollins Children's Books. APRIL 2004 * 311 THE BIG PICTURE I, Jack by Patricia Finney; illustrated by Peter Bailey Stories revealing the inner lives of animals are an old staple in children's literature, and some of its best-known classics have treated the subject. Characters such as Black Beauty or even 101 Dalmatians' Pongo and Missis seem to have a more elevated approach to life, though, than the animals most of us know and love, and one can't help but think that more authentic representation is needed. And now it's here. Jack, author and narrator (the book is, according to CIP information, by jack the dog as told to Patricia Finney), is a yellow Labrador Retriever, and apparently Labs write with all the squirmy, blissful exuberance you'd expect: "Hi! HI THERE! Hello! HI, FRIEND!! I am Jack! Look at me! Here I am. I like you. Do you like me? I am JACK. BIG DOG JACK!! Hi! Can I smell your ... ? Oh. Sorry." Jack excitedly introduces readers to his human pack (mother, father, and the kids Terri, Pete, and Mikey, also known as Packleader, Pack Lady, and the apedog puppies), then goes on to tell the saga of his love for Petra, the beautiful Samoyed next door with the prissy owners, and his struggle to be with her as he wishes (aided and abetted by the kids in Jack's pack, who open the fence so the two can be together) and then to support her in her pregnancy and mother- hood. The humans don't understand what's going on as Jack keeps darting off to be with Petra in the abandoned building where she's holed up, but it's Jack who saves the day-well, blunders around in a way that improves things-when his Packleader injures himself in an accident in that abandoned building, just before its demolition begins. The narrative in this British import is perfectly pitched. There's just enough human understanding to advance the plot and to make Jack's viewpoint understandable (a dog-to-human glossary is included for those who need addi- tional assistance) but Jack's world remains earthily, comically doggy. He's much more focused on human body language than human verbal expressions (the former he reads with keen accuracy, but he braggingly repeats the verbal assessment of his humans that "I am very Thick. I am very very Thick"). His life is arranged according to canine priorities and ruled mainly by his love for his pack, his interest in food, the exciting things he can smell, and the wonders of pee and poop (Jack gets very sad when people shut him out of the bathroom, noting that Packleader "is doing a lovely long Wet Message. Why will he not let me smell it? It must be a very wonderful Message, full of Bigness and Loudness"). Changes in font size convey the emphasis that would ordinarily be expressed in extra canine bounce or shamefaced wilting to the floor; disdainful footnotes from the family cats, who refer to Jack (with some justice) as "the Big Yellow Stupid," run throughout, offer- 312 * THE BULLETIN ing their own sardonically funny view of the multispecies household and cross- cultural confusion. Often books that achieve a truly clever narrative voice find it difficult to give it sufficient plot to justify a novel, but Finney gives Jack adventure enough to be worth talking about as well as even a bit of character development (formerly a dog who throws up in fear at the snarl of a little terrier, Jack bravely joins in the defense of his pack in the face of the marauding "metal monsters" of the demoli- tion crew), without turning Jack into a Lassie-esque superdog ("What is a 'Lassie'? Food, maybe?"). Dynamic little line drawings scattered through the text add to the allure this will have for young readers, but it would also be a hilarious readal- oud for those willing to shed their inhibitions and run with-well, not the wolves, but a somewhat dorky and very lovable Lab. (Imprint information appears on p. 325.) Deborah Stevenson, Editor NEW BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ADOFF, JAIME Names Will Never Hurt Me. Dutton, 2004 [14 4 p] ISBN 0-525-47175-8 $15.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 7-10 A year after the shooting death of a student, Rockville High is still edgy and troubled, riven by student factions and hampered by incompetent administration. Some students are nonetheless pleased with the status quo: Ryan's football triumphs satisfy his demanding, abusive father, and his status gives him access to pretty much any girl he wants; Mark, self-nicknamed "Floater," relishes his power as school snitch and manipulator of events. Others, however, suffer from the bully- ing and abuse: biracial Tisha is constantly harassed about her identity, and Kurt is repeatedly derided as "Dirt" and physically bullied. Headings provide time and place orientation for the comments from each of these voices (plus that of a televi- sion reporter doing an anniversary-of-the-tragedy piece, the occasional choral com- ments of various other students, and a few fly-on-the-wall scenes).