Picture Book - Ode to an Onion: Pablo Neruda and his Muse by Alexandria Giardino

Illustrated by Felicita Sala

2018 Cameron Kids, Petaluma, CA

HC $17.95

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.27 - 128 ratings

My rating:  5 Love, love, love...
Endpapers: Thick ONION SKIN!

1^st line/s:  "Pablo was hard at work, writing a long, sad poem.  His pen whirled.  the pages piled high."

My comments: Within this very cool picture book is the story of a friendship/relationship, how to begin thinking about a poem, and beautiful words.  It ends with Neruda's actual "ode to the Onon" (in both English and Spanish!) and a paragraph about Pablo and Matilde's relationship.  Outstanding biography!

Goodreads: A poetic, beautifully illustrated picture book inspired by Ode to the Onion by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904–1973).  Pablo has a lunch date with his friend Matilde, who shows the moody poet her garden. Where Pablo sees conflict and sadness, Matilde sees love and hope. The story is less a biography of Neruda and his muse, Matilde Urrutia (1912–1985), and more a simple ode to a vegetable that is humble and luminous, dark and light, gloomy and glad, full of grief and full of joy—just like life.
A Junior Library Guild Selection.

Picture Book - She Made a Monster by Lynn Fulton

How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein
Illustrated by Felicita Sala

2018, Alfred A. Knopf

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.02 - 396 ratings

My rating:  3.5

Endpapers:  Dark Green

Illustrations:  Mostly black & white with small amounts of faded-out color

1^st line/s:  'Two hundred years ago, on a wild, stormy night, in a beautiful house on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland, a young woman named Mary sat at her dressing table.  She and her friends were staying in the house for the season, visiting Lord Byron, the famous English poet.  Mary could hear the others still talking downstairs while she brushed her hair by candlelight, thinking of stories: stories she'd read, stories she'd heard, stories she wanted to tell."

My comments: Not only is this a book that can be used to introduce Frankenstein to a high school class, but also for elementary kids to get an introduction to the actual book - not the movie - of Frankenstein.  In my opinion it's a little choppy, but interesting and fairly easy to follow.  The pictures are dark, but so is the story of Frankenstein, so....

Goodreads: On the bicentennial of Frankenstein, join Mary Shelley on the night she created the most frightening monster the world has ever seen.
          On a stormy night two hundred years ago, a young woman sat in a dark house and dreamed of her life as a writer. She longed to follow the path her own mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, had started down, but young Mary Shelley had yet to be inspired.
          As the night wore on, Mary grew more anxious. The next day was the deadline that her friend, the poet Lord Byron, had set for writing the best ghost story. After much talk of science and the secrets of life, Mary had gone to bed exhausted and frustrated that nothing she could think of was scary enough. But as she drifted off to sleep, she dreamed of a man that was not a man. He was a monster.
          This fascinating story gives readers insight into the tale behind one of the world's most celebrated novels and the creation of an indelible figure that is recognizable to readers of all ages.

PICTURE BOOK - Louisa May & Mr. Thoreau's Flute by Julie Dunlap & Marybeth Lorbiecki

llustrated by Mary Azarian

2002, Dial Books for Young Readers

Out-of-print, but available used at still reasonable price

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 3.93 - 30 ratings

My rating:  4

Endpapers:  Beige

Illustrations:  Lovely woodblock prints

1^st line/s:  " ' Jump, I dare you!' "

My comments:  Based on facts garnered from journals and letters of Louisa May Alcott and Henry David Thoreau, the authors craft a lovely story showing Alcott's roots -- and her feisty personality.  This story takes place when "Louy" is seven, the oldest of four daughters, and shows quite clearly her life of chores, love of nature, and beginnings of her writing prowess.  There's lots of text, but interesting and insightful.  Mary Azarian's gorgeous woodcuts accentuate the story beautifully.

Goodreads:  Louisa May Alcott is fascinated by her Concord neighbor Henry David Thoreau. He carries a flute in his pocket and a pencil behind his ear, and he takes the children of the town on nature excursions. 
     Writing is difficult for Louisa, so she admires the way Mr. Thoreau can jot down a few lines in his notebook when a thought occurs. Through their friendship, will Mr. Thoreau be able to help Louisa find her own inspiration?
     The exquisite woodcuts of Caldecott Medal winner Mary Azarian transport readers to nineteenth-century Massachusetts to discover a friendship between two of America's most beloved authors, and their search to find their own inner voices. 

Series Synopsis - Robert Crais

Robert Crais

born June 20, 1953
raised in Louisiana 
adopted - only child
I'm guessing he now lives somewhere in the L.A. area

Robert Crais has written (or helped write) scripts for many tv cop series and has penned many unproduced (and a few produced) tv pilots.  

He writes with tongue-in-cheek humor and puts a huge value on friendship.  His mysteries have everything I look for - I need to be kept guessing.  And his photos make him look gorgeous.  A nice plus!

Robert Crais has quoted that he doesn't think his books need to be read in order.  I agree.  I've skipped around with them and have had no trouble at all.  I WILL read them all, though.  I adore Elvis Cole and am super fascinated by Joe Pike.

He says he will not sell the movie rights to Elvis Cole.

Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series:
1 - The Moneky's Raincoat (1987) The title comes from a Basho haiku included in the front of the book
2 - Stalking the Angel (1989)
3 - Lullaby Town (1992)
4 - Free Fall (1993)
5 - Voodoo River (1995)
6 - Sunset Express (1996)
7 - Indigo Slam (1997)
8 - L. A. Requiem (1999)
9 - The Last Detective (2003)
10 - The Forgotten Man (2005)
11 - The Watchman (2007)
12 - Chasing Darkness (2008)
13 - The First Rule (2010)
14 - The Sentry (2011)
15 - Taken (2012)

Non-Series novels:

Demolition Angel (2000)

Hostage (2001) (Made into a 2005 film starring Bruce Willis)

The Two Minute Rule (2006)

Suspect (2013)

The Boy on Fairfield Street - Kathleen Krull

How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss
illustrated by Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher
Dragonfly Books, 2004
48 pages
paper $7.99 purchased
Endpapers: pale green with various Seuss drawings

1- This is a well-written, somewhat lengthy-for-a-picture-book biography, more like a short story.
2 - This is really interesting.
3 - This is very informative.
4 - The illustrations are expressive, with one bordered painting on each double-page spread.
5 - Included at the bottom of each page of text is an actual Dr. Seuss drawing.
6 - At the end of the book are four more full pages of additional biographical information and a bibliography of his books.

This is a topnotch book. Ted Geisel was a "goof off" who was told that he would never be an artist. Huh!

This will showcase a weeklong unit in my class, including some of his famous books. I bet the kids'll love it.