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MUMBO JUMBO

POETRY AND HAIKU

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Desser-Herchan, in her debut with illustrations by Salisbury, offers an eclectic mix of poems about childhood.
Desser-Herchan organizes her diverse collection of poems into three chapters: “A Little Levity,” which features whimsical poems on a variety of topics including ketchup preferences, the contents of a child’s pocket and a little girl’s imaginative language of sounds called “Mumbo Jumbo.” In the brief second chapter, “A Hint of Haiku,” Desser-Herchan provides exactly what the title describes: e.g., “Bashful sun appears / Rain-filled puddles, blue sky clear / Bugs afloat on leaves.” Yet the book’s strength lies in the sentimentality of the third chapter, “Grains of Growth,” which features poems having a warm maternal viewpoint. (Desser-Herchan dedicates her varied compilation to her son, crediting him as the inspiration for much of her work.) For instance, in “Rainbow Rider,” a poem in the third chapter, a young boy coloring a fox asks his mother whether a fox must always be brown; the narrator, ruminating over how her answer will impact the child’s future creative expression, turns the question back to the child—“What would make you glad?”—giving him free artistic license. Desser-Herchan employs a similarly caring tone in “Believe”: “As sure as skies are shades of blue / As sure as horses neigh not moo / As sure as doves billow and coo / I believe in you.” Using a mixture of watercolor and ink, Salisbury’s images vary in how they relate to the poems. Illustrations in “Mumbo Jumbo” and “Brothers to the End,” for instance, both clearly depict the topic and storyline, whereas in another poem, “Stranger in my House,” it’s difficult to discern what’s going on between the subjects. Nevertheless, the treatment of other characters, like the mother and son together in “The One and Only,” is more clear and endearing. Bright colors and a simple san serif font complement the poems’ overall playfulness. A brief final section, “The Gifting Page,” adds a nice touch, allowing young readers to ceremoniously pass the book on to a younger child.

The quality of poems and illustrations varies throughout, but overall, the warm, maternal wisdom offers several valuable lessons.

Pub Date: March 21, 2014

ISBN: 978-0989716604

Page Count: 64

Publisher: TULU Publishing

Review Posted Online: Aug. 7, 2014

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JUPITER STORM

In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.

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A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.

Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.

In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.

Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0

Page Count: 212

Publisher: Plum Street Press

Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018

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BROTHERS IN ARMS

BLUFORD HIGH SERIES #9

A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.

In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.

In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.

A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004

ISBN: 978-1591940173

Page Count: 152

Publisher: Townsend Press

Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013

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