Picture Book - When Lightning Comes in a Jar by Patricia Polacco

Illustrated by the author

2002 Philomel Books

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.34 - 6.25 ratings

My rating:  
Endpapers:  Deep pale orange

1^st line/s:  "Today is my family reunion!  I can hardly wait."

My comments: A young Patricia Polacco recalls their annual family reunion that includes jello salads and meatloaves, baseball games and croquet matches, photo albums and picture taking, stories told by the elders, catching fireflies, and spending special time with cousins, aunts, and uncles.  Then we see how those same family traditions continue as an older Patricia Polacco becomes one of the elder storytellers.  Lovely story: as usual with tots of text.

Goodreads:  It's family reunion time! Trisha and her cousins can hardly wait to see one another again. They can't decide what they like best: the great feast (with zillions of meatloafs and gazillions of Jell-O salads), the softball game, the storytelling . . . the yearly rituals go on and on. But this year, Gramma has a new surprise in store: She promises to teach the grandchildren to catch lightning in a jar. Lightning in a jar! Trisha can't wait to find out what she means. It's a secret she will pass down to her own grandchildren one day, along with the family stories handed down with love through all the generations.

PICTURE BOOK - The Trees of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco

Illustrated by the author

1996

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.32 - 754 ratings

My rating:5

1^st line/s:  "At our farm just outside Union City, Michigan, we didn't celebrate the same holidays as most of our neighbors....but we shared their delight and anticipation of them just the same."

My comments:  This is a wonderful way to introduce and/or remind non-Jewish children about Hanukkah, and a lovely way for Jewish kids to hear a new telling of a Hanukkah tale.  Nobody beats Patricia Polacco's storytelling OR illustrations!

Goodreads:  Trisha loves the eight days of Hanukkah, when her mother stays home from work, her Babushka makes delicious potato latkes,and her Grampa carves wonderful animals out of wood as gifts for Trisha and her brother. In the middle of her family's preparation for the festival of lights, Trisha visits her closest neighbors, expecting to find them decorating their house for Christmas. Instead they are all bedridden with scarlet fever. Trisha's family is one of the few who has been spared from the epidemic. It is difficult for them to enjoy their Hanukkah feast when they know that their neighbors won't be able to celebrate their holiday. Then Grampa has an inspiration: they will cut down trees, decorate them, and secretly deliver them to the neighbors, "But what can we decorate them with?" Babushka asks. Although it is a sacrifice, Trisha realizes that Grampa's carved animals are the perfect answer. Soon her living room is filled with trees -- but that is only the first miracle of many during an incredible holiday season. 
Based on a long cherished childhood memory, this story celebrates the miracle of true friendship.

PICTURE BOOK - Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco

Illustrated by the Author

1990 Philomel Books

32 pgs.. - 4830 ratings

Goodreads rating:  4.35

My rating:  5

Endpapers:  Dark Red

1^st line/s:  "On sultry summer days at my grandma's farm in Michigan, the air gets damp and heavy."

My comments:  I see absolutely no reason not to give this book a "5" rating.  It's wonderful.  Sometimes Polacco's books are really heavily texted, this one is not quite so.  And there are, of course, her wonderful illustrations.  A special grandmother-granddaughter relationship (I love that!), and a cool way to help the child be not so afraid of thunder as well as helping her realize that not everything is quite as scary as it seems.  Lots of great things in one beautiful picture book - plus a recipe that looks like a lot of fun to make, which adds some tomato the the chocolate flavoring....magic....

Goodreads:  Grandma consoles her frightened granddaughter by telling her that the dark clouds of the impending storm are nothing more than the ingredients for a Thunder Cake

BOARD BOOK - Mommies Say Shhh! by Patricia Polacco

Illustrated by the author

2005 Philomel Books, Penguin
Board Book, $6.99

17 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 3.8 - 264 ratings

My rating: 4

My comments:  Yippee, a Patricia Polacco board book!  My favorite (though 'wordy') picture book writer has a book for little ones!  This 17-page board book,shows one family on their farm with all sorts of animals and is primarily written to show the sounds they make.  (I've never seen dogs who say, "buff, buff, buff," but if you don't like that you can use your own woofs or arfs.)  There are a lot of fun things happening on each two-page spread, and you can even hunt for the different family members as you proceed from page to page.  Fun!

Goodreads:  Goats say “maa-maa-maa.” Birds say “cheep-cheep-cheep.” Horses say “neigh-neigh-neigh.” Rabbits say nothing at all! But when all of these animals get together and raise a honking, braying, neighing ruckus, what does Mama say? “Shhhhhh!” Now available in this adorable board book, Patricia Polacco’s fun-filled collection of animal sounds and beautiful rural landscapes is a perfect readaloud for beginning readers. They’ll want more-more-more.

PICTURE BOOK - Tucky Jo and Little Heart by Patricia Polacco

Illustrated by the author

2015 Simon & Schuster

48 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 4.54

My rating: 4 (or a little less)

1^st line/s:  "I was born in Allen, Kentucky, on October third, nineteen hundred and twenty four.  I grew up like any backcountry boy in Kentucky.  Tougher than last year's jerky and faster than a scared jackrabbit.  I could whittle and carve just about any kind of stick or wood and I could sneak up on just about anything.  Came in right handy for huntin'.  My pa taught me how to use a shotgun when I was knee-high to a grasshopper."

Based on a True Story

Lesson plan with questions and activities

My comments: I'll begin by saying that I'm a HUGE Patricia Polacco fan.  I've read almost all of her many wonderful books. They're not picture books for four year olds.  They're almost always geared to an older reader.  This one especially, for many reasons.  Lots of text - a typical trademark for Polacco, which I particularly enjoy as a fourth and fifth grade teacher.  A higher level of vocabulary and more complex storyline.  Always a plus for me!  I had two problems with this book.  First, some of the vocabulary and explanations about this particular war and setting could probably not be answered correctly by me or many adults sharing the book. It needed a short afterword, or something with more in-depth explanation of some of the added information that didn't belong in the main text of the story. It included an epilogue which included a little more information about the two protagonists, but nothing more.  And second, the ending left too many questions for me. Joe must have been about 85 by the time he was reunited with Little Heart.  That would have made her in her early 70s. At least.  She was still nursing? How on earth did she end up in the same hospital where he happened to be?  In MICHIGAN? I needed more information on these two points. It makes me skeptical.  However, that's adult skeptical, probably not most-kid skeptical....

Goodreads:  Friendship, loyalty, and kindness stand the test of time in this heartwarming World War II–era picture book based on a true story from the beloved author-illustrator of Pink and Say and The Keeping Quilt.
     Tucky Jo was known as the “kid from Kentucky” when he enlisted in the army at age fifteen. Being the youngest recruit in the Pacific during World War II was tough. But he finds a friend in a little girl who helps him soothe his bug bites, and he gets to know her family and gives them some of his rations. Although the little girl doesn’t speak English, Tucky Jo and Little Heart share the language of kindness. Many years later, Tucky Jo and Little Heart meet again, and an act of kindness is returned when it’s needed the most in this touching picture book based on a true story.

PICTURE BOOK - Mr. Wayne's Masterpiece by Patricia Polacco

Illustrated by the author

2014, G.P. Putnam's Sons

HC $17.99 Borrowed from TPPL

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 4.16  (234 ratings)

My rating: 4

Endpapers: Solid Red

Dedication:  In loving memory of Thomas Wayne and Joseph Tranchina

Preface:  "It was another September.  All new classes, and a teacher I already knew I was going to live - my English teacher, Mr. Tranchina.  He was funny and really cool!  He woke something up in me.  By the third week I was reading like a crazy person -- more than I ever had -- and writing, poems and stories and essays.
     But then one day he asked us to read an essay on our families in front of the whole class."

1^st line/s:  "My worst nightmare had come true when, after a few days of school, Mr. Tranchina asked me to read my essay out loud."

My comments:  I wonder if Patricia Polacco has journals she kept from her childhood and young adult years?  Her memories seem so strong!  However, even with a flickering memory, a clever writer can embellish the remembered details and craft a story...and Polacco is the master of this.  So many of her wonderful picture books are based on her own memories, and here's another.  
     I love the idea that PEOPLE can be masterpieces, which is the premise of this story - taking a very shy girl and teaching her how to come out of herself on stage, and ultimately speaking in front of a very large crowd.
     This is a great model for teaching writing to kids, AND for kids with stage fright.

Goodreads:  In this inspiring true story, beloved artist Patricia Polacco conquers her fear of public speaking, allowing her to discover her remarkable voice. A wonderful companion to Thank You, Mr. Falker and The Art of Miss Chew, it celebrates the lifelong impact of a great teacher.
        Speaking in front of an audience terrifies Trisha. Ending up in Mr. Wayne’s drama class is the last thing she wants! But Mr. Wayne gives her a backstage role painting scenery for the winter play. As she paints, she listens to the cast rehearse, memorizing their lines without even realizing it. Then, days before opening night, the lead actress suddenly moves away, and Trisha is the only other person who knows her part. Will the play have to be canceled? It won’t be an easy road—when Trisha tries to recite the lines in front of the cast, nothing comes out! But Mr. Wayne won’t let her give up, and with his coaching, Trisha is able to become one of his true masterpieces.

PICTURE BOOK - Fiona's Lace - Patricia Polacco

Illustrated by the author

2014 Paula Wiseman; Simon & Schuster

HC $17.99

40  pgs.

Goodreads rating: 4.03

My rating: 4

Endpapers: solid bold green background with intricate last recctangle almost covering the entire page

Illustrations: ah, Patricia Polacco......

1^st line/s:  "Many years ago my father's family lived in a small, poor village a few miles from Limerick in Ireland.  Everyone in the village depended on the textile mill that was soon to close.  Most of the vilagers were unsure of their futures.  But Glen Kerry was their home and all that any of them had ever known."

My comments:  Another lovely family story from Patricia Polacco with many themes and at least one strong moral.  Most of Polacco's stories come from family stories, and within the book itself there is usually some sort of oral story-telling.  This is very strongly of that sort - a piece of the lace that is the second protagonist in the story is framed on the wall in Polacco's home.  This is also a very vibrant immigration story.

Goodreads:  An Irish family stays together with the help of Fiona's talent for making one-of-a-kind lace in this heartwarming immigration story from the New York Times bestselling creator of The Keeping Quilt.

          Many years ago, times were hard in all of Ireland, so when passage to America becomes available, Fiona and her family travel to Chicago. They find work in domestic service to pay back their passage, and at night Fiona turns tangles of thread into a fine, glorious lace. Then when the family is separated, it is the lace that Fiona's parents follow to find her and her sister and bring the family back together. And it is the lace that will always provide Fiona with memories of Ireland and of her mother's words; "In your heart your true home resides, and it will always be with you as long as you remember those you love."
          This generational story from the family of Patricia Polacco's Irish father brims with the same warmth and heart as the classic The Keeping Quilt and The Blessing Cup, which Kirkus Reviews called "deeply affecting" in a starred review, and embraces the comfort of family commitment and togetherness that Patricia Polacco's books are known for.

Illustrator Spree - Patricia Polacco

Birthday: July 11, 1944
Lives: in Michigan, I'm guessing.  She was born in Lansing.
          I have been a huge fan of Ms. Polacco for many years.  She's been writing - and illustrating - children's books for over 25 years and has written dozens and dozens of them.  Her stories are in-depth and fascinating, many based on true events from her own life. They are delightful and complete short stories, which I like to use to introduce my short story unit to my fourth graders as well as when I'm teaching both my memoir and historical fiction genre units.

Born and raised in Michigan, Patricia Polacco had a serious learning disability that prohibited her from learning to read until she was 14.  Hah!  Look at her now!  Bravo!

Her website includes all sorts of stuff for teachers and kids as well as an address and instructions about sending books for her to sign!  What a wonderful woman.

I've read a lot more than I've actually written a review for, so I think one of my goals for 2014 is to reread/read as many as I can find and add them to my blog.  That's a goal I'm really looking forward to!

Wow!  And every single one of them is AMAZING!!! I've read almost all of them, but I haven't reviewed too many.  So here I go!

Applemando's Dreams (1991)
Art of Miss Chew, The (2012)
Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair (1996)
Babushka Baba Yaga (1993)
Babushka's Doll (1990)
Babushka's Mother Goose (1995)
Bee Tree, The (1993)
Betty Doll (2001)
Blessing Cup, The (2013)
Boat Ride With Lillian Two Blossom (1989)
Bully (2012)
Bun Bun Button (2011)
Butterfly, The (2000)
Chicken Sunday (1992)
Christmas Tapestry (2002)

Clara and Davie (2014)  It's always fun to curl up with a new Patricia Polacco.  This one is a biography!  It's an insightful look at Clara Barton as a child, based on first hand knowledge from Polacco as she is related to the Bartons and is retelling a story that she knows. 


Emma Kate (2006)

Fiona's Lace (2014)  Polacco chronicles another family story - that of her great-great (I think) grandmother, who came as a child from Ireland knowing how to make beautiful lace.  It's an immigration story as well as the story of a family's love and perseverance in really tough times.



For the Love of Autumn (2008)
G is for Goat (2003)

Gifts of the Heart (2013)    A new Patricia Polacco!  As Christmas approaches, Trisha and Richie discover they have no money to purchase gifts for their family.  Enter Kay Lamaty, the new housekeeper, who teaches them that making your own gifts - and the amount of love that goea into it - makes Christmas even more special.A s much as I liked this, the story didn't "enchant" me as hers usually do.  That's not to say I didn't like it, but it didn't grab me and yell "hurrah".

Ginger and Petunia (2007)
Graves Family, The (2003)
Graves Family Goes Camping, The (2005)
I Can Hear the Sun (1996)
In Enzo's Splendid Gardens (1997)

In Our Mothers' House (2009) Told in the first person by the eldest of three adopted children, we watch her (she happens to be African American), Will (Asian American) and Millie (red-haired and freckled) grow up being raised by two mothers - Meema, a short, stout, pediatrician who loves to cook and sew and Marmee, a tall, thin organized fixer-upper who is a paramedic. Through 48 pages we watch the family grow, thrive, have fun, and love each other. It handles a neighbor-woman, unhappy with their relationship, lightly and well (because, unfortunately, the world has to deal with bigots and homophobes). This is a totally delightful story of a wonderful family and two mothers that will...and DO....do anything for their children. 

Junkyard Wonders, The (2010)  Patricia Polacco does it again - and of all her books - I do love 'em all - this is at the very top of my list. Why? It's about a very special teacher, which I think (as a teacher) is very cool. It's about a group of kids who are who they are -- they've had no choice in the matter. Whether they've got diabetes, tourettes, visual and/or physical handicaps, learning difficulties, they are all put into the same class. And they bond. They shine. They care about each other. And they're smart and special.
          This story is about how five kids - our author; Patricia Polacco, Thom, Gibbie, Jody, and Ravanna, prove the genius definition. It applies to all of them.  At the end - as an afterward - PP tells what became of her "tribe."  Simply wonderful storytelling.

January's Sparrow (2009) This story begins and ends in the voice of January, a black runaway slave that was captured, tortured, and put to death for his actions. Two days later, his adopted family, the Crosswhites, decided to run when they discovered their sons were to be sold away from them. The youngest was a girl named Sadie, and most of the story is told from her point-of-view. It's not an easy story. It tells of violence and hatred and ridiculous laws. It also tells of compassion and caring that travels well beyond the usual bonds of friendship.
          The Crosswhite family makes it safely to Marshall, Michigan, which is free. However, they are still runaway slaves and can be arrested and returned to their owners if they are caught. Marshall is a friendly town of blacks and whites living together, so they decide to stay and rest for awhile. Seasons come and go until they'v been there for four years, and a new baby girl has been born to the family. But then....yup....they are found by their viscious owner.

John Philip Duck (2004)
Just In Time, Abraham Lincoln (2011)
Just Plain Fancy (1990)
Keeping Quilt, The (1988)
Lemonade Club, The (2007)
Luba and the Wren (1999)
Meteor! (1987)

Mommies Say Shhh!! (2005)
I read the board book of 17 pgs, wonder if there's a 32-page companion?  This is a book about a farm and farm animals and the things that farm animals say.  Hardly any words (which is not the "usual" Patricia Polacco, but full of her illustrated masterpieces!





Mr. Lincoln's Way (2001)

Mr. Wayne's Masterpiece (2014)
      I wonder if Patricia Polacco has journals she kept from her childhood and young adult years?  Her memories seem so strong!  However, even with a flickering memory, a clever writer can embellish the remembered details and craft a story...and Polacco is the master of this.  So many of her wonderful picture books are based on her own memories, and here's another.  
     I love the idea that PEOPLE can be masterpieces, which is the premise of this story - taking a very shy girl and teaching her how to come out of herself on stage, and ultimately speaking in front of a very large crowd.
     This is a great model for teaching writing to kids, AND for kids with stage fright.

Mrs. Katz and Tush (1992)
Mrs. Mack (1998)
My Ol' Man (1995)
My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother (1994)
Oh, Look! (2004)

Orange for Frankie, An (2004) What a moving Christmas story!  I was actually a little teary at the end.  Based on a true story, as many of Ms. Polacco's are, this one was told by her grandmother and based on her grandmother's youngest brother.  It is a story from a hundred years ago, still being kept alive and honored by her entire family.  It is full of pictures of America's past. A large, hard-working family enjoys a simpler Christmas than we're used to, one steeped in traditions and hard work.  A completely lovely "short story," illuminated by Patricia Polacco's incredible art.  Loved it.

Picnic at Mudsock Meadow (1992)
Pink and Say (1994)
Rechenka's Eggs (1988)
Rotten Richie and the Ultimate Dare (2006)
Some Birthday! (1991)

Someone for Mr. Sussman (2008)  A young man tells the story of his Bubbie, who is a matchmaker in New York City. One of her clients is Mr. Sussman. But Mr. Sussman has no idea what he wants in a wife. He comes up with idea after idea, and after each one Bubbie complies - herself. But nothing makes him happy - perhaps because Bubbie goes so overboard. At the end, of course, Mrs. S. realizes his perfect wife was right there under his nose the whole time - Bubbie

Something About Hensley's (2006)
Thank You, Mr. Falker (1998)

Thunder Cake (1990) Another wonderful memory from Polacco - this time when an approaching storm at her grandmother's farm in Michigan terrorizes her, her Babushka shows her how to make a thunder cake, all the while assuring her and calming her through her fears.

Tivkah Means Hope (1994)

Trees of the Dancing Goats, The (1996)
Another memoir, told about "Trisha's" growing up on a farm in Michigan, when one winter all their neighbors, all Christian, came down with scarlet fever.at Christmastime.  Since they were unable to chop down and decorate trees, and even unable to cook for themselves, Grampa and Babushka cut down trees and decorated them with the handmade painted animals that Grampa had made for Hanukkah and delivered baskets of food containing chicken and latkas.  On the eighth night of Hanukkah, when the neighbors were finally back on their feet, they arrived with thanks and a hand-carved menorah, decorated with some of Grampa's carved animals.

Tucky Jo and Little Heart (2015)
     Based on a true story, we follow a 16 year old Kentucky boy go off to the Pacific during World War II.  While there he meets and takes care of a small native girls with whom he creates a strong attachment and remembers for all the rest of his life.

Uncle Vova's Tree (1989)
Welcome Comfort (1999)

When Lightning Comes in a Jar (2002)
     A young Patricia Polacco recalls their annual family reunion that includes jello salads and meatloaves, baseball games and croquet matches, photo albums and picture taking, stories told by the elders, catching fireflies, and spending special time with cousins, aunts, and uncles.  Then we see how those same family traditions continue as an older Patricia Polacco becomes one of the elder storytellers.  Lovely story: as usual with tots of text.

Patricia Polacco's Fantabulous Website

Patricia Polacco Curriculum Guide

Patricia Polacco on FaceBook

PICTURE BOOK - Clara and Davie - Patricia Polacco

Illustrated by the author

2014, Scholastic Press

HC/ Cover is a duplicate of the jacket

32 pages

Goodreads rating: 4.03

My rating: 4 - A really good book

Endpapers: Both are different; the front is a lovely painting of the Barton farmhouse in the wintertime, the back is acolorful closeup of the hands, joining...

Title Pages (two-page spread:  Font only on the right, a huge nosegay of flowers on the left - something that Clara was famous for)

Illustrations:  I wont' go into any detail - it's Patricia Polacco!

1^st line: "On a cold, blustery morning in North Oxford, Massachusetts, a blizzard was threatening and bearing down hard.  It was Christmas Day 1821.  Mama was expecting her fifth child.  Ten years had passed since her last baby.  Mama's health was fragile."

My comments:  It's always fun to curl up with a new Patricia Polacco.  This one is a biography!  It's an insightful look at Clara Barton as a child, based on first hand knowledge from Polacco as she is related to the Bartons and is retelling a story that she knows.  I'm looking forward to pairing this with the Barnes & Noble/History Maker series biography of Clara Barton that I use in my 4th grade classroom.  A great addition to the genre!

Goodreads:  From bestselling author Patricia Polacco's family tree -- the true story of young Clara Barton.

          Animals and flowers were Clara's best friends. She had a special way with critters and found joy in the beauty that sprang from the soil. But whenever Clara talked, her words didn't come out right. As hard as she tried, she could not get over her lisp.
          Clara's older brother Davie understood that his sister was gifted. When folks made fun of Clara's stilted words, Davie was always at her side reminding her that she had a talent for healing creatures. 
          Davie told his sister, "Some day you are going to be a very great lady." And that's exactly what happened. Clara Barton became one of the most famous medical practitioners of all time, and founded the American Red Cross. 

Gifts of the Heart - Patricia Polacco

Illustrated  by the author

2013, Putnam Juvenile

HC$17.99

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 4.13 (39 ratings)

My rating: 3/a very nice story

Endpapers: Rust

Illustrations: Wonderful Patricia Polacco's, which need no further description, do they?

Title page: The page BEFORE the title page shows a front vies of the two children as they look into a store window.  There is also the first page of text.  When you turn the page to the title page, you see a full two-page spread of the back of the children's heads as they look into the shop, with snowflakes falling onto their heads.

1^st line/s:  "Richie and I huddled together and pressed our faces into the cold glass of the Hudson's store window.  Everywhere we looked was a dazzling array of wondrous toys for Christmas.  Then my eyes fell on the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen: a delicate ballerina doll, her hair drawn up in a nest of perfect curls held there by a halo of tiny blue flowers.  Her slippers were gold, like polished stars.  How I longed to have her!"

My comments:  A new Patricia Polacco!  As much as I liked it, the story didn't "enchant" me as hers usually do.  That's not to say I didn't like it, but it didn't grab me and yell "hurrah".

Goodreads:  Beloved author-illustrator Patricia Polacco’s holiday story is a wonderful ode to the magic of family, Christmas, and giving the right kind of gifts—gifts filled with love.  Richie and Trisha want to buy Christmas gifts for their family, but they don't have enough money. Enter Kay Lamity, a new housekeeper . . . but is that all she is? She comes into their lives like a whirlwind, brimming with positive energy and a can-do attitude. Kay not only straightens them out when it comes to whether or not Santa Claus is real, she teaches them something about gifts: the just-good-enough kind that come from the pocketbook and the unforgettable kind that come from the heart. Because of Kay, Trisha and Richie—and the family—have a Christmas morning they will never forget.  Celebrating the joy of homemade gifts, Patricia Polacco introduces readers to a new character who is truly a force of nature in this story reminiscent of Christmas Tapestry and An Orange for Frankie. This is a magical Christmas story the author swears is true, right down to the sleigh tracks on the farmhouse roof!

An Orange for Frankie - Patricia Polacco

Illustrated by the author

2004 Philomel

HC $16.99

40 pages

Goodreads rating: 4027 (332 ratings)

My rating: 5

Endpapers: Front:  an aerial view of the house, outhouses, and landscape during a winter storm/ Back: the same storm, looking at the house from the front, in the evening, and its close surroundings

Title Page:  Double-page spread - a train stopped in the middle of a snowstorm on the middle of nowhere

Illustrations:  trademark Patricia Polacco

1^st page:  "Every time I peel an orange and inhale the scent of it and feel the mist that sprays from its skin, I think of a very special Christmas and a flaxen-haired boy who lived many years before I was even born."

My comments:  What a moving Christmas story!  I was actually a little teary at the end.  Based on a true story, as many of Ms. Polacco's are, this one was told by her grandmother and based on her grandmother's youngest brother.  It is a story from a hundred years ago, still being kept alive and honored by her entire family.  It is full of pictures of America's past. A large, hard-working family enjoys a simpler Christmas than we're used to, one steeped in traditions and hard work.  A completely lovely "short story," illuminated by Patricia Polacco's incredible art.  Loved it.

Goodreads:  The Stowell family is abuzz with holiday excitement, and Frankie, the youngest boy, is the most excited of all. But there's a cloud over the joyous season: Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and Pa hasn't returned yet from his trip to Lansing. He promised to bring back the oranges for the mantelpiece. Every year there are nine of them nestled among the evergreens, one for each of the children. But this year, heavy snows might mean no oranges . . . and, worse, no Pa!

This is a holiday story close to Patricia Polacco's heart. Frankie was her grandmother's youngest brother, and every year she and her family remember this tale of a little boy who learned--and taught--an important lesson about giving, one Christmas long ago.

The Junkyard Wonders - Patricia Polacco

Philomel Books, 2010
$17.99
48 pages
Rating: 5
Endpapers Aqua-azure

Patricia Polacco does it again - and of all her books - I do love 'em all - this is at the very top of my list. Why? It's about a very special teacher, which I think (as a teacher) is very cool. It's about a group of kids who are who they are -- they've had no choice in the matter. Whether the've got diabetes, tourettes, visual and/or physical handicaps, learning difficulties, they are all put into the same class. And they bond. They shine. They care about each other. And they're smart and special.

On the first day of school, Mrs. Peterson shares with them the following definition of GENIUS:

"Genius is neither learned nor acquired.
It is knowing without experience.
It is risking without fear of failure.
It is perception without touch.
It is understanding without research.
It is certainty without proof.
It is ability without practice.
It is invention without limitations
It is imagination without contstraints.
It is ... extraordinary intelligence!"

This story is about how five kids - our author; Patricia Polacco, Thom, Gibbie, Jody, and Ravanna, prove the genius definition. It applies to all of them.

At the end - as an afterward - PP tells what became of her "tribe."

Simply wonderful storytelling.

January's Sparrow - Patricia Polacco

Philomel Books, 2009
$22.99
96 good-sized pages
For: grades 3/4+
Rating: 5
Endpapers: Pale, shimmery, sage green

When I was in college, the main owrk for passing my social studies methods course was creating a curriculum about the Underground Railroad. I read and researched every children's book I could possibly find. That was .... a number of years ago ... but I have added occasionally to that curriculum. This book has to one of the best of any of them.

This story begins and ends in the voice of January, a black runaway slave that was captured, tortured, and put to death for his actions. Two days later, his adopted family, the Crosswhites, decided to run when they discovered their sons were to be sold away from them. The youngest was a girl named Sadie, and most of the story is told from her point-of-view. It's not an easy story. It tells of violence and hatred and ridiculous laws. It also tells of compassion and caring that travels well beyond the usual bonds of friendship.

The Crosswhite family makes it safely to Marshall, Michigan, which is free. However, they are still runaway slaves and can be arrested and returned to their owners if they are caught. Marshall is a friendly town of blacks and whites living together, so they decide to stay and rest for awhile. Seasons come and go until they'v been there for four years, and a new baby girl has been born to the family. But then....yup....they are found by their viscious owner.

What brave people. Not just the family, but the people of the town. Apparently the town is only a dozen miles away from where Patricia Polacco herself lives, and she'd always heard stories about this family. One of the Marshall, Michigan middle school teachers did most of the research for the book. A destination for one of my upcoming summer trips? I've only spent a short amount of time in Michigan....

Okay, I'll admit to springing a few tears at the end of this long read. It's more than a picture book. I can't get through Polacco's fabulous Pink and Say without crying, and this is a wonderful addition to her collection.

In Our Mothers' House - Patricia Polacco

Published: 2009
Philomel Young Readers/Penguin
$17.99
Rating: 5
48 pages
For: K-12
Endpapers; Azure

Told in the first person by the eldest of three adopted children, we watch her (she happens to be African American), Will (Asian American) and Millie (red-haired and freckled) grow up being raised by two mothers - Meema, a short, stout, pediatrician who loves to cook and sew and Marmee, a tall, thin organized fixer-upper who is a paramedic. Through 48 pages we watch the family grow, thrive, have fun, and love each other. It handles a neighbor-woman, unhappy with their relationship, lightly and well (because, unfortunately, the world has to deal with bigots and homophobes). This is a totally delightful story of a wonderful family and two mothers that will...and DO....do anything for their children.

Outstanding storytelling, setting, and illustrations, Patricia Polacco! You never disappoint!

A more comprehensive review than mine can be found at Library Voice (a Connecticut librarian)

Someone for Mr. Sussman - Patricia Polacco

For: Older kids
Published: 2008

A young man tells the story of his Bubbie, who is a matchmaker in New York City. One of her clients is Mr. Sussman. But Mr. Sussman has no idea what he wants in a wife. He comes up with idea after idea, and after each one Bubbie complies - herself. But nothing makes him happy - perhaps because Bubbie goes so overboard. At the end, of course, Mrs. S. realizes his perfect wife was right there under his nose the whole time - Bubbie.

There are many Jewish references and information. Polacco's great illustrations and a really fun story work well together to create a great read.