Gertie's Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley

I'm really drawn to a book by its cover.

And when I first saw the cover of Gertie's Leap to Greatness (illustrated by Caldecott Honor Winner Jillian Tamaki), I knew I would be reading this book.

Image courtesy of Macmillan Kids

The color palette makes the book feel like a trek into the past -- reminiscent of any Beverly Cleary book.   There's a comfort promised from the beginning.

And Gertie takes over from there. In the beginning scene, she rescues a bullfrog with a kitchen tool - on a mission to have the best summer speech on the first day of school.  This opening lets readers see just what Gertie is about: determination, spunk, and a kind of surprising originality that we look for in the people around us.

The main character of of this middle grade work of realistic fiction, Gertie is starting her fifth grade year. She lives with her Aunt Rae while her father is away working on oil rigs. Gertie's mother left their family, and this fuels Gertie's drive to excel, outshine, and compete -- in every way possible in the fifth grade.

The plot moves forward in Gertie's pace -- steady and fast. Beasley's writing is the soundtrack for Gertie's movements, actions, and thoughts. We move forward with her, watching her survive, endure, and rise above all of the daily ups and downs of a fifth grader. But complicating things is the fact that Gertie's mother still lives in their town --- though she is planning on moving and starting a new life with a new family.

This need to show her mother what she's missed out on -- is what motivates Gertie to do what she does.

I admired Gertie's focus. And it makes me think of children who --- despite challenges and setbacks and less than perfect home lives -- continue to go on and strive and do --

Gertie's Leap to Greatness is a rich novel -- skillfully paced, smartly unfolding. And Gertie is that character that we won't forget -- that character that we will see and recognize in those who are themselves -- with joy and resolution.

Gertie's Leap to Greatness by debut author Kate Beasley is set for release on October 4, 2016 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (imprint of Macmillan).

Author Kate Beasley 

Photo courtesy of Macmillan Kids 

Busy Weeks, A Few Books

Beginning-of-the-year and Book Fair have kept me fairly busy lately, so blogging has been last on my priority list. But I have missed it very much. I miss the reflection and the feeling of accomplishment that blogging provides. So with this post I hope to get back in the routine.

I'll start by posting some titles I've been reading lately -- no reviews, just my thoughts:

Middle grade:

Did you love Holms' TURTLE IN PARADISE as much as I did? If so, then you must read FULL OF BEANS which takes us back to this world and introduces us to Turtle's cousin Beans. 

I read this one on a return flight, and was completely swept away in this touching story of a girl and a dog both looking for a home -- both needing one another. Grab your box of tissues before reading! 

Two things attracted me to this title: the fact that Gordon Korman wrote it and the cover. In this book, a boy obsessed with video games goes too far in his singular focus on playing his favorite game and he must cope with the consequences. Great storyline filled with unexpected events! 

I always enjoy reading Byron Barton's picture books -- I love their simplicity, vividness and use of scale. This one is a bilingual book and has a funny twist at the end. 

Recently I tried a new recipe for the second time. It still wasn't great-tasting. But because I read The Cranky Ballerina, I realize that this is okay. I am a better reader than I am a cook. This one's about finding your passion and how when we are doing what we love, we are truly happier.



In my library, I am getting back to my regular schedule after book fair wrapped up last week. This week I will review book care, procedures, and talk about finding books that are "just right" for independent reading. I also plan to get library centers and Makerspace started.

What books are you reading and what are you focusing on in your library?

The Haunting of Falcon House by Eugene Yelchin

Although I do enjoy a variety of genres, I am not as quick to pick up a thriller-- unless, that is,  I know the work of the author.  

I recall Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener and Kenneth Oppel's The Nest. Both made me hang on every word (and jump a little). Both were very well-written. But I knew Auxier's work as well as Oppel's so I was willing to push past fear to enjoy the story.

That is the case with The Haunting of Falcon House (Henry Holt/Macmillan, 2016). I know the work of Eugene Yelchin: Breaking Stalin's Nose (Newbery Honor Medal 2012) and Arcady's Goal. Both of these books engaged my imagination and attention, and I would reread both today. Happily. 

The cover drew me in first. The deep red background and gilded font evoke images of royalty -- daunting castles with thick velvet curtains, opulent crowns and gowns, and all that accompanies being a king, queen, or, in this case, Prince Lev, the royal figure in the center of the story. With his eyes turned to see something out of the corner of his eyes, and his and the dark hands reaching up behind him, readers are compelled to open the book and turn to the first page. 

Yelchin begins the story with background: an author's note with a tale from his childhood. The inspiration for the book came from drawings he found as a boy and kept until he was an adult. Yeltsin found the drawings in St. Petersburg, drawn by Prince Lev-- who Yelchin made the main character of the book. The sketches are interspersed throughout the pages, helping carry the narrative Yelchin so eloquently pens. Readers will stare at the pages in hopes of understanding them, wanting answers, and turning to Yelchin to answer them within the story. 

The Haunting of Falcon House is both mystery and coming-of-age novel. Prince Lev has been sent to Falcon House to assume his place as patriarch of the family lineage. But he is greeted with gloominess and uncertainty, and despite his dreams of taking over the bloodline and assuming his place, he must first understand exactly what is happening in Falcon House. There will be many questions, but Yelchin's narrative gives readers a reason to wait for answers. 

At the end of the story, Yelchin provides an afterword, and more notes/references.

Read more about Yelchin's books for children here.