Published in 1993 in Australia as Stradbroke Dreamtime, these 27 stories by an honored Aboriginal writer are divided into ``Stories from Stradbroke,'' memoirs of the author's childhood in the 1920s and '30s on Stradbroke Island off the Queensland coast, and ``Stories from the Old and New Dreamtime,'' Aborigine myths and new stories told in traditional styles (it is not always possible to tell which are which). The ``Stories from Stradbroke'' are most memorable: the taboo shooting of a kookaburra, how a dog caught a shark, left-handed Oodgeroo's miseries in school, the immense pet carpet snake that preyed on Mother's chickens and was even found once in the baby's crib. Aborigine beliefs and values (respect for the earth and its creatures, collective responsibility for the individual) are apparent in the stories, as are discrimination against Aborigines and a strongly male-dominated social order. Half of the ``Dreamtime'' stories are pourquois tales, most of them relating to trees and other plants. There are also creation myths and a lyrical account of how Oodgeroo reclaimed her tribal heritage by writing its stories. Bancroft is an Aboriginal painter and textile designer who combines the conventions of traditional Aboriginal art (humans and animals shown as outlined silhouettes, backgrounds filled with patterns of lines, circles, or dots) with a lushly contemporary palette (aqua, lime, coral, lavender, and peach). Verbally and visually, a rich experience. (Autobiography/Folklore. 8+)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-688-13296-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1994
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay.
Renowned Latin American writer Alvarez has created another story about cultural identity, but this time the primary character is 11-year-old Miguel Guzmán.
When Tía Lola arrives to help the family, Miguel and his hermana, Juanita, have just moved from New York City to Vermont with their recently divorced mother. The last thing Miguel wants, as he's trying to fit into a predominantly white community, is a flamboyant aunt who doesn't speak a word of English. Tía Lola, however, knows a language that defies words; she quickly charms and befriends all the neighbors. She can also cook exotic food, dance (anywhere, anytime), plan fun parties, and tell enchanting stories. Eventually, Tía Lola and the children swap English and Spanish ejercicios, but the true lesson is "mutual understanding." Peppered with Spanish words and phrases, Alvarez makes the reader as much a part of the "language" lessons as the characters. This story seamlessly weaves two culturaswhile letting each remain intact, just as Miguel is learning to do with his own life. Like all good stories, this one incorporates a lesson just subtle enough that readers will forget they're being taught, but in the end will understand themselves, and others, a little better, regardless of la lengua nativa—the mother tongue.
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-375-80215-0
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
With comically realistic black-and-white illustrations by Selznick (The Robot King, 1995, etc.), this is a captivating...
Nicholas is a bright boy who likes to make trouble at school, creatively.
When he decides to torment his fifth-grade English teacher, Mrs. Granger (who is just as smart as he is), by getting everyone in the class to replace the word "pen'' with "frindle,'' he unleashes a series of events that rapidly spins out of control. If there's any justice in the world, Clements (Temple Cat, 1995, etc.) may have something of a classic on his hands. By turns amusing and adroit, this first novel is also utterly satisfying. The chess-like sparring between the gifted Nicholas and his crafty teacher is enthralling, while Mrs. Granger is that rarest of the breed: a teacher the children fear and complain about for the school year, and love and respect forever after.
With comically realistic black-and-white illustrations by Selznick (The Robot King, 1995, etc.), this is a captivating tale—one to press upon children, and one they'll be passing among themselves. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-689-80669-8
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1996
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