Splash Award

Susan, was kind enough to send me some blog love with the Splash Award. Thank you Susan. The Rules:
1) Put the logo on your blog/post.
2) Nominate up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress or inspire you.
3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4) Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.
5) Remember to link to the person from whom your received your Splash award.
My nod list is short and dear I say it, sweet
1. Toni's for Sew Transformed, She's the reason why I started my blog and it always makes me happy when she has a new post.
2. Mary Ann for Great Kid Books - A California Librarian, its always a treat when I visit her site and find a new review.

3. Apryl for Women like Sports - Apryl kind enough to let me sport vent and not delete the post.
4. Author James Preller I love fan mail Wednesday

5 Nexgrl for Ghetto Library Tales She makes me laugh

I am making this a pressure free pass. So you can nominate others if like or not.

Mighty Casey James Preller Matthew Cordell

Mighty Casey by James Preller, illustrator Matthew Cordell I've been a very bad bad blogger. I like to check my site stats to see if and why people visit. For the past few weeks people have found their way to my blog searching baseball poems for the post a did a while back on Gene Fehler new book Change-Up Baseball Poems. I saw the hits for baseball poems, I was like cool I'll post my Might Casey review, give the people what they want. Somehow the weeks past no post. Luckily people still want baseball poems, so though this is late its not to late.
Now on to Might Casey
There is something very loveable about this team from page one. The Delmar Dogs are taking a team photo, no ones playing attention to the camera. One kid is watching a butterfly, one is sniffing his shoe that appears to have an odor, and another is reading a comic book. The Delmar Dogs are a pretty awful baseball team they do try. Still winless and down 5 runs, the teams worse player Casey Jenkins will not give in

On a team that was truly

awful, one player stood out

little Casey Jenkins was

the worst by far no doubt

It's unkind to speak ill

of a batter who can't hit

So, um, gee that Casey

he sure coud chew and spit

Inspired by Casey the team gives it their all. Turns out to be a good game with a play at the plate. Preller's words are fun and silly. The various mishaps The Delmar Dogs get into are sure to keep young listeners entertained. I know they'll laugh out loud when they see the left fielder peeing in the out field. (it really does look like pee) or another player climbing a tree. Cordell's illustrations are great, he gives life to the Delmar Dogs. From the beginning Cordell establishes who each player is in the team photo. I am in love with the illustrators detail. When a player taps his cleats clean. "tap tap" appears above the bat and you can also see the dirt falling from the shoes. I know its a little thing but it adds so much. Everytime a player swings, words appear above the bat like "Pop, Ding, Whop, or Ting" Reminding me of the old Batman cartoons on televison. Prellers text and Cordell's illustrators are a perfect fit. For kids who say they hate poetry they may change their minds after reading/hearing Mighty Casey. It makes a perfect read aloud. Ages 4up

Say The Word Jeannine Garsee

Say The Word by Jeannine Garsee When Shawna was seven her mother left her father for Fran. 10 yrs later Shawna gets a call from Fran, her mother's had a stroke. Though she hasn't seen her mother in years Shawna takes the earliest flight from Cleveland to New York. Shawna mother dies in the hospital and she replays their rocky relationship. Shawna's mother being a lesbian wasn't the reason for the distance it was caused by Shawna's mother caring more about her art then Shawna's health. Though Shawna's parents hated each other, her father takes over because he can. Shawna's father is very domineering, constantly putting her down in front of others and calling her stupid. He refuses to respect the burial wishes of a woman he once loved. Shawna's mother never changed her will, again her father takes advantages. Forcing Fran to sell her New York apartment. Fran and her sons, Arye and Schmule have no other choice but to move to Cleveland to live with a family member. This part of the story is very sad. Garsee shows what can happen when a partner in a Same Sex couple dies and the other partner has no rights. Shawna's relationship with her best friend Lee Lee is one of my favorites. When Lee Lee comes out, Shawna must confront her feelings about gay people. Does she hate gay people because her mother left her behind or did her father's family poison her with all their negative talk. Shawna and Lee Lee's relationship wasn't a quick fix, making the novel that much more believable. One thing I loved about Say The Word is Garsee never forgets the story. Sometimes authors will include issues or causes in their books but they'll overlook little things like a story line or a plot and the book becomes hard to read. Say The Word is so far from that, Garsee has written a great novel and given Shawna a wonderful voice.

The author was kind enough to share from Say The Word on her site. Its a great scene and once you read it you'll want the book even more. An excerpt

Babe Ruth And The Baseball Curse David A Kelly

Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse by David A. Kelly Illus.by Tim Jessell This is an excellent early chapter book for baseball fans. It opens with the 2003 playoffs and the Red Sox 5 outs away from the World Series. They lose to the Yankees again, the author takes this has an opportunity to go back in baseball time. He talks about Babe Ruth as a child, how he got his nick name, and what type of person he was on and off the field. As well as Ruth's success with the Red Sox, and all the heartbreaking loses after they sold him to the Yankees. There are only a few illustrations sprinkled throughout the book but they're wonderful. A nice clean classic look enhancing the story. Two of my favorites are the Cardinals player slide into home from the 1918 World Series and from the 1986 World Series when the ball rolls past Buckner. (though I may be a little biased) The author does an excellent job with this book, all the facts are there. The book includes the 2004 Playoffs, between the Yankees and the Red Sox. There's enough suspense in that series for its own book. There was almost a riot in one game, its the first time ever a team has come back from 3 games down to win a 7 games series, and Curt Schilling pitching with a bloody sock. Budding baseball fans will love Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse. For parents who are baseball fans it would make a great bedtime read for older kids. Ages 5up

Jolted Arthur Slade

Jolted: Newton Starker's Rules for Survival by Arthur Slade Slade is an awarding winning YA Canadian author. Jolted was originally published in 2008. It is now available in the United States, thank you Random House. Jolted was so much fun I couldn't stop reading.
14 yr old Newton Starker, is the last male Starker alive. The Starker's family is cursed, to be struck by lighting. Newton's father isn't in danger, its from his mother side of the family. When lighting kills Newton's mom, he gives up the safety of the family dome to attend Jerry Potts Academy of Higher Learning and Survival . Newton's determined to find a way to beat the lighting. The academy teaches the students to survive very dangerous situations like a plane crash or being left in the desert. Its a very interesting school, the students are required to wear Kilts because Jerry Potts, was half Scottish. Interspersed thoughout the book are emails from the headmaster to the students and excerpts from the Academy's Survival Handbook.

Take it as your mantra. But what does it mean? The eyes of any large animal contain a certain amount of water. It may be necessary to drink it, especially if you are trapped in the desert and your camel has just died. Pluck out the eyes and suck out the liquid. Squeamishness is weakness. The eye is always half full" (arc)

This book is filled with a lot of interesting characters. There's Newton evil great grand mother, who once killed lighting all seniors in the home celebrate. Newton first friend Jacob, is always writing a not so good novel. There's Violet the girl he challenges to a duel for disrespecting the Starker name. Though Newton gives Violet choice of racquetball, fencing or chess, she chooses boxing and knocks him out. Than there's Josephine Newton's very smart pig who can find anything. Like Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series chapter names are perfectly fun. Jolted is a joy from the very beginning. I loved Newton desire to find a way to defeat what has killed his family for generations. After Newton's great grand mother is struck, his father ask if he'd like to return to the dome. Newton refuses to give up and allow the lighting to win. Slade's humor is both silly and smart.

"After a lunch of ham sandwiches and coleslaw, Newton and Jacob rushed to their class, Mercantile Fitness and Survival 9. The academy buildings were in no way connected, so they were forced to go outside. It was part of the Potts plan to invigorate the students bodies and minds. In the classroom Newton sat and carefully blew his nose into a handkerchief." (arc)

I highly recommend Jolted and its reclutant reader friendly. Finally kudos to the author for adding a little diversity.

Jacob Edward Clarke was fourteen and from Halifax, Novia Scotia. His mother was from the Mi'kmag First Tribe; his father was black. In 1857, his father's ancestors had escaped slavery and come to Canada on the Underground Railroad. His grandmother had been Scottish. He wasn't certain with which bloodline he should identify, so he chose to honor all of them. (arc)

More Reviews
A Fair Substitute For Heaven
The Written World