Sheila Welch, our book reviewer, has compiled her list of recommended books for the Holidays. Time to curl up on the couch with some hot chocolate and a good book…
Here are three books that were published within the last two years and one that will be coming out in 2013.
Katherine Applegate is well known for creating the popular Animorph books. In THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, illustrated by Patricia Castelao, Applegate goes inside the head of a captured gorilla who lives in a cage. Ivan seems fairly content at first, but gradually he realizes that the living conditions at this shopping mall are far from ideal. When a baby elephant is added to the circus act at the Big Top Mall, Ivan is determined to help give her a better life. Sweet, sad, heartwarming, and inspiring describe this lovely book for ages eight to fourteen.
The cover of Sara Pennypacker’s SUMMER OF THE GYPSY MOTHS is charming but misleading. A pastel blue sky and two carefree ‘tween girls on a beach conjure up a story of comfort and bliss. But readers will soon discover that these two girls, Stella and Angel, both have difficult past lives. This summer, their foster mother, Stella’s great aunt, dies suddenly. The girls decide to pretend she’s still alive, so that they’ll have time to figure out their own futures. They conspire to mislead the adults in the neighborhood and manage remarkably well -- for a while. Told with a light touch, this story will appeal to readers ages nine to fourteen.
THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL by Shannon Hitchcock is based on a true story from the author’s grandmother’s life during the early 1920s. Saying goodbye to her beloved sister when she dies of TB is hard enough, but fourteen-year-old Jessie then takes over the role of mother to her infant nephew. Hope and love shine through in this realistic, ultimately uplifting tale of a loving family that’s appropriate for readers ten and older.
If you’re looking for a newer (2011) holiday book, THE MONEY WE’LL SAVE, written and illustrated by Brock Cole is a great choice. Back in a time before the existence of indoor plumbing or supermarkets that sell frozen turkeys, Pa goes to the outdoor market and buys a baby turkey. He insists the family will save money by fattening the bird for Christmas dinner. But Alfred, as the children name him, causes one near disaster after another -- all shown in exuberant pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations that enhance the story dramatically. Both text and pictures are a treat for all ages.
Sheila Kelly Welch is a mother, grandmother and retired teacher. She’s been writing all her life and counts among her children’s fiction books Little Prince Do-It-All and A Horse for All Seasons. Sheila's most recent book, WAITING TO FORGET, published by namelos, has been selected by Bank Street College and Pennsylvania School Library Association for their lists of best-books-of-the-year.
You can learn more about Sheila on her web site.
