Monday, November 16, 2009

Winter Tales

Halloween is past and Winter is creeping in. New books feature winter in all it's glory. Of course Christmas is very present on the bookstore shelves. So in the coming weeks you will find several reviews of Christmas books. But for now we'll just stick with stories set in the cold.


"The Geezer in the Freezer"
By Randall Wright
Illustrted by Thor Wickstrom
For ages 3 – 8

Thanksgiving is upon us, so its time to stock up the refrigerator and freezer. While you're at it be sure there are no geezers resting on rump roasts in the sub-zero. Randall Wright takes children on a ridiculous adventure in Aunt May's basement. From a little fright to giddy laughter this not-so-tall tale finds a lost love frozen to holiday pies and ice cream stored in the freezer. Only a young boy knows the truth for even his Aunt May doesn't believe what he has seen.

"Geezer" begs to be read aloud and in character. Children will laugh out loud as you work your way through corned beef hash, snow crabs and chili beans on your way to defrosting the freezer and warming up the geezer.


"The Magician's Elephant"
By Kate DiCamillo
For ages 8 – 14

Kate DiCamillo has such a poetic touch with her storytelling. She reaches into her bag and pulls out another fairytale, of sorts. In this tale of magic, hope, loss, and home, a 10-year-old boy named Peter Augustus Duchene is in search of something to cling to — a little hope. When a fortuneteller imparts information that his sister is still alive, Peter knows he must find her. Unfortunately, the fortuneteller also told him to follow the elephant and there are no elephants anywhere near the town of Baltese. At least not until a mostly forgotten magician performs powerful magic and an elephant drops through the ceiling of the opera house.

This haunting tale winds the stories of a magician, an elephant, a police officer, a feverish soldier, an orphan boy and several others into a tapestry of fate that will cast a spell of wonder on you. Not as dark or heavy as "The Tale of Despereaux," young readers will still recognize DiCamillo's deft wordsmithing as they travel through the somber atmosphere in search of a little light. Although some young readers will struggle to maintain interest in the thoughtful story others will not want to put it down.


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