June 2001

Book of the month:

Esperanza Rising, by Pam Munoz Ryan

--MG historical fiction. I'd never heard of the so-called 'voluntary repatriation' of Mexican and Mexican-American farm laborers during the Depression and am grateful to this title for introducing it in such a well-written, personal manner through the story of Esperanza and her family. Chapter titles are named for fruits and vegetables, a touch I found both charming and moving.

· Half-Magic, by Edward Eager. Middle-grade. My daughter is participating in her school's "Battle of the Books," so I've been re-reading some of the titles with her. One of my all-time fantasy favorites: Four children find a magic coin that grants wishes--sort of. A great summertime readaloud.

· The Book of the Banshee, by Anne Fine. One of England's best-known children's authors, and recently named "Children's Laureate" there. Funny contemporary MG portraying a girl's difficult adolescence through the eyes of her younger brother. I especially liked the scenes depicting the boy and his other sister, a four-year-old, a relationship not often seen in children's fiction. Another good YA read by this author: Flour Babies, in which a boy must take care of a bag of flour as if it were an infant.

· Stuck in Neutral, by Terry Trueman. Printz Honor title for 2001. Part of the function of literature--in my opinion, of course--is to give voice to those who have none. This book gives voice to a severely handicapped boy, a victim of cerebral palsy who has no muscle control--he can't even direct his eyes. A slim book with a lot of ergs per page. Don't skip the author's note at the end.

· Hard Love, by Ellen Wittlinger. YA must-read, Printz Honor book for 2000. John is one of the realest characters I've met in quite a while--a boy who tries to deal with his feelings of alienation by producing a homemade magazine, and meets a fascinating girl along the way. A story of unrequited love, with the realness carried through right to the lasst page.

PLUS two adult titles I read this month and can't resist recommending:

· The Professor and the Madman, by Simon Winchester. A book about the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary? It may sound like a snooze, but trust me on this one--whether you're a nonfiction lover, a history buff, a word maven, or simply a story lover, I think this nonfiction tale will have you riveted. For me it was a two-sitting read. (Published in England as The Surgeon of Crowthorne.)

· Pot on the Fire, by John Thorne. The latest from my favorite food writer. I'm obsessed about the role of food in culture, history, people's daily lives; Thorne goes everywhere in his kitchen and takes me with him. I love his meditations on breakfast; the potato in Irish cuisine; not one but two essays on rice... he's quirky and opinionated and a terrific writer.