Deborah Hopkinson

Children's & YAPicture Book

And away we go!

Review by Deborah Hopkinson

Philip C. Stead, author of the 2011 Caldecott winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee, brings his considerable talents to this fanciful story of a boy who goes in search of adventure. Sitting on his roof one night, Sebastian decides that there’s nothing very interesting to see on his street: It is definitely time for a change. What spells adventure more than a journey in a hot air balloon, especially one constructed from Grandma’s afghans and patchwork quilts?

Of course, as all intrepid travelers know, packing well is essential. After all, when you meet real bears, you want to be able to share a pickle sandwich together. And when your afghan has sprung a leak, it’s advisable to have knitting needles on hand so that three helpful sisters can help with repairs. And when the wind picks up, well, then everyone will want to pile in to see where the balloon will go next.

With its large format and appealing pastel and oil paintings, Sebastian and the Balloon is a perfect choice for story time—and for all young readers ready to undertake their own flights of imagination. As Sebastian knows, all it takes is to chart your course, check the breeze, cut the strings and float free.

 

Deborah Hopkinson lives near Portland, Oregon. Her most recent book for young readers is The Great Trouble.

Philip C. Stead, author of the 2011 Caldecott winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee, brings his considerable talents to this fanciful story of a boy who goes in search of adventure. Sitting on his roof one night, Sebastian decides that there’s nothing very interesting to see on his street: It is definitely time for a change. What spells adventure more than a journey in a hot air balloon, especially one constructed from Grandma’s afghans and patchwork quilts?

NonfictionNature

Fighting to save our feathered friends

Review by Deborah Hopkinson

Michele Raffin was a suburban California mom who’d finally signed up to join a gym when, to her dismay, her personal trainer was extremely late for their session. When he finally arrived, he had a good reason for the delay: He’d come across a wounded bird by the side of the freeway. In what would become a life-changing moment, Raffin met that dove and tried to save it. And though it didn’t survive, she found herself a few days later responding to a newspaper ad seeking someone to rescue another dove. Her course in life was set.

Today Pandemonium Aviaries (her kids chose the name) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to breeding bird species that hover on the edge of extinction. Through Raffin’s fascinating account, we get a glimpse of the challenges of breeding wild birds in captivity. We follow her story of how one bird led to another, and another, and we learn what it takes to bear the responsibility for hundreds of living creatures.

Along the way, we meet some endearing personalities including Sweetie, a tiny quail left in a paper bag at a supermarket on its way to become someone’s dinner, and Oscar, a flightless Lady Gouldian finch with an indomitable will to survive.

As Raffin (and her family) become increasingly committed to rescuing and caring for birds, they realize that their charges require ever more specialized knowledge and care. Slowly but surely, and not without some heartbreaking setbacks, Raffin takes her place in the rarefied world of aviculture. Her sanctuary is now known for its success in breeding vulnerable species such as the lovely blue Victoria crowned pigeon of New Guinea.

Packed with dramatic incidents and unforgettable characters, both avian and human, The Birds of Pandemonium is the engaging story of one woman’s journey and her commitment to conservation.

 

 

This article was originally published in the October 2014 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Michele Raffin was a suburban California mom who’d finally signed up to join a gym when, to her dismay, her personal trainer was extremely late for their session. When he finally arrived, he had a good reason for the delay: He’d come across a wounded bird by the side of the freeway. In what would become a life-changing moment, Raffin met that dove and tried to save it. And though it didn’t survive, she found herself a few days later responding to a newspaper ad seeking someone to rescue another dove. Her course in life was set.
YA FictionYA

Out of a bad dream

Review by Deborah Hopkinson

BookPage Teen Top Pick, October 2014

Following the success of her best-selling adult novel The Interestings, Meg Wolitzer brings her considerable talents to her first young adult title, Belzhar. Wolitzer returns to a subject that occupied her as a senior in college, when she was completing her first novel: the poet Sylvia Plath.

“Big changes happen to young people when no adults are around,” notes Wolitzer, and that is certainly true for Jam Gallahue and the other students in Mrs. Quenell’s Special Topics in English class at The Wooden Barn, a boarding school for “emotionally fragile and highly intelligent teens.” It’s a last resort for Jam, who fiercely loved British exchange student Reeve Maxfield for 41 days, and has been unable to recover from his death.

Jam and the other students don’t know why they’ve been selected for Mrs. Quenell’s class. And they certainly don’t know what to make of the antique journals she hands out, along with the assignment to write in them twice a week. Even more puzzling is their teacher’s instruction to “look out for one another.” But soon after beginning her journal, Jam has no choice but to turn to her classmates for support, because what she experiences while writing is both frightening and exciting. The journals have the power to transport them into a world of the past—a world they call Belzhar, after Plath’s most famous work, The Bell Jar.

Enlivened by humor, memorable characters and a page-turning mystery only revealed in its final pages, Belzhar explores the role of trauma in young lives. Fans of E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars need wait no longer for another novel to capture their hearts and minds.

 

Deborah Hopkinson lives near Portland, Oregon. Her most recent book for young readers is The Great Trouble.

This article was originally published in the October 2014 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Following the success of her best-selling adult novel The Interestings, Meg Wolitzer brings her considerable talents to her first young adult title, Belzhar. Wolitzer returns to a subject that occupied her as a senior in college, when she was completing her first novel: the poet Sylvia Plath.
NonfictionMedicineBiography

Medicine’s quirkiest visionary

Review by Deborah Hopkinson

While there’s something fascinating about old medical equipment and collections of oddities, it’s harder to truly appreciate the reality of life before modern surgery, let alone the ostracism and pain faced by individuals who suffered from conditions routinely corrected today. In this compelling biography of Dr. Thomas Dent Mütter (1811-1850), Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz brings a poet’s sensibilities to the life of an American surgeon who was at the forefront of advances in medical education and reconstructive surgery.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s medical college, Mütter was a brilliant and inventive teacher who introduced Socratic methods into his lectures, unusual for his time. He also became known for tackling complex surgical cases.

One of the most compelling aspects of Dr. Mütter’s Marvels is the inclusion of detailed accounts of actual surgeries Mutter performed. In one instance, the young surgeon tries to repair the severe cleft palate of 25-year-old Nathaniel Dickey, whose face is literally “split down the middle.” The surgery is made even more dangerous and difficult because it is being done without anesthesia—if Nathaniel vomits, for instance, the delicate surgical work could be ruined. Similarly, Mütter undertook to help women whose disfiguring burns in all-too-common household fires left them as “monsters” in the eyes of society.

Sadly, Thomas Mütter died at 48. His legacy lives on at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, which includes his own collection of unusual medical specimens, as well as exhibitions dedicated to exploring and preserving medical history. Dr. Mütter’s Marvels is both an insightful portrait of a pioneering surgeon and a reminder of how far medicine has come.

 

This article was originally published in the September 2014 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

While there’s something fascinating about old medical equipment and collections of oddities, it’s harder to truly appreciate the reality of life before modern surgery, let alone the ostracism and pain faced by individuals who suffered from conditions routinely corrected today. In this compelling biography of Dr. Thomas Dent Mütter (1811-1850), Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz brings a poet’s sensibilities to the life of an American surgeon who was at the forefront of advances in medical education and reconstructive surgery.
Children's & YAPicture Book

A dog’s best friend

Review by Deborah Hopkinson

These days it seems dogs are everywhere. We have dog detectives (Spencer Quinn’s delightful Chet and Bernie mystery series for adults), lost dogs (Chris Raschka’s Caldecott-winning A Ball for Daisy) and even, apparently, dogs with blogs. So, do kids (and adults) need another dog book? The answer, as any dog lover will tell you, is a resounding yes, especially when the book is created by the talented David Ezra Stein, who won a Caldecott Honor for Interrupting Chicken.

The hero of I’m My Own Dog is a cocky, independent and supremely confident creature (not unlike many 5-year-olds, come to think of it), who is totally the boss of his own life. “If someone told me, ‘Sit!’ I wouldn’t do it. Even if they said, ‘I’ll give you a bone.’”

One day, though, our intrepid hero finds an itchy spot on his back he simply cannot reach on his own. Fortunately he finds a fellow at the park willing to scratch it for him. When “the little guy” follows him home, the dog takes pity on him. He gets a leash to lead his new friend around, and takes him to the park to show him things like squirrels and how to throw a stick. (Dog lovers, is this starting to sound familiar?)

Dogs, notes Stein, “make an excellent metaphor for a story about independence and love.” And as I’m My Own Dog reminds us delightfully once again, dogs also make excellent best friends.

 

Deborah Hopkinson lives near Portland, Oregon. Her most recent book for young readers is The Great Trouble.

These days it seems dogs are everywhere. We have dog detectives (Spencer Quinn’s delightful Chet and Bernie mystery series for adults), lost dogs (Chris Raschka’s Caldecott-winning A Ball for Daisy) and even, apparently, dogs with blogs. So, do kids (and adults) need another dog book? The answer, as any dog lover will tell you, is a resounding yes, especially when the book is created by the talented David Ezra Stein, who won a Caldecott Honor for Interrupting Chicken.

YA NonfictionYA

Riveting Russian history for teen readers

Review by Deborah Hopkinson

The talented and versatile Candace Fleming, who writes novels and delectable picture books as well as groundbreaking nonfiction for young readers, shows why there’s so much excitement about nonfiction in children’s literature these days. The fall of imperial Russia and the fascinating story of the Nicholas II and Alexandra might seem more suited for a college history class. But in Fleming’s capable hands, readers will find themselves caught up in one of the most intriguing—and sometimes heartbreaking—stories of the 20th century.

Fleming reveals that her own fascination with the famed imperial family and the murders of Nicholas and Alexandra and their five children compelled her to undertake the project. “After some reading and research, I came to realize, more than anything, that I needed to find the answers to the question that kept nagging me: How did this happen?”

In tracing the complex answer to this question, Fleming deftly provides a portrait of the Romanovs and their times. The book is designed with young readers in mind. Historic photographs help make an unfamiliar time period vivid and real, and throughout the narrative, sections titled “Beyond the Palace Gates” illuminate the external events and the historical context that led to revolution and the fall of Russia’s last tsar.

Fleming’s meticulous research is documented in impeccable source notes and an impressive bibliography, making this a model for student researchers. All this and compelling storytelling make The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia stand out as a must-read for teens, and, of course, their curious parents.

The talented and versatile Candace Fleming, who writes novels and delectable picture books as well as groundbreaking nonfiction for young readers, shows why there’s so much excitement about nonfiction in children’s literature these days. The fall of imperial Russia and the fascinating story of the Nicholas II and Alexandra might seem more suited for a college history class. But in Fleming’s capable hands, readers will find themselves caught up in one of the most intriguing—and sometimes heartbreaking—stories of the 20th century.

Children's & YAMiddle Grade

History and mystery in a touching tale of friendship

Review by Deborah Hopkinson

Sam Angus, author of the World War I historical novel Soldier Dog, takes readers to World War II-era Great Britain in her new novel. Like other children, Wolfie and his older sister Dodie have been sent by their caretaker to the countryside to protect them from London bombing raids. Their beloved Pa has returned safely from the war, but their joy is short-lived, as Pa is being held and tried for cowardice.

While Pa tries desperately to prove his innocence, the shadow of suspicion follows the children to the countryside. They are turned out of their first home, but not before Wolfie finds an abandoned foal he fights to keep alive. Hero becomes the light of the young boy’s life, and when Hero and other ponies mysteriously disappear, Wolfie is determined to find his horse again.

Angus intertwines Wofie and Dodie’s story with actual events from World War II, as well as facts about the Exmoor pony, one of Britain’s native breeds that was often used as pit ponies in mines. Fans of War Horse will enjoy this heartfelt coming-of-age story.

 

This article was originally published in the July 2014 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Sam Angus, author of the World War I historical novel Soldier Dog, takes readers to World War II-era Great Britain in her new novel. Like other children, Wolfie and his older sister Dodie have been sent by their caretaker to the countryside to protect them from London bombing raids. Their beloved Pa has returned safely from the war, but their joy is short-lived, as Pa is being held and tried for cowardice.
NonfictionHistory

Travel back to Charles Dickens’ London

Review by Deborah Hopkinson

At the age of 12, when his father was imprisoned for not paying his debts, Charles Dickens was sent to work in a factory. He walked to his job, to his meager lodgings, to find his dinner in a market stall and to visit Marshalsea prison, where the rest of his family was living. Dickens never lost this habit of walking. And as Judith Flanders reveals in her stunning new book, The Victorian City: Everyday Life in Dickens’ London, the sights, sounds and smells of the city that infuse his novels were not simply the work of a brilliant imagination but “the reportage of a great observer.”

No mean observer herself, Flanders packs her narrative with intriguing details that bring the Victorian streets alive. She begins, as working people did, in early morning, when long lines of carts and costermongers converged on Covent Garden. Weaving a tapestry as colorful as a market flower display, Flanders not only describes such things as changes in transportation but takes us right into the streets, to battle the mud and to be smothered in dust.

The Victorian City is social history at its finest, a must-read for Dickens fans or anyone who loves London. It reminds us why this time period is endlessly fascinating to read about, but probably not a place we’d really want to live.

 

This article was originally published in the July 2014 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

At the age of 12, when his father was imprisoned for not paying his debts, Charles Dickens was sent to work in a factory. He walked to his job, to his meager lodgings, to find his dinner in a market stall and to visit Marshalsea prison, where the rest of his family was living. Dickens never lost this habit of walking. And as Judith Flanders reveals in her stunning new book, The Victorian City: Everyday Life in Dickens’ London, the sights, sounds and smells of the city that infuse his novels were not simply the work of a brilliant imagination but “the reportage of a great observer.”
Children's & YAMiddle Grade

Unearthing spooky secrets in the garden

Review by Deborah Hopkinson

From the title of Jonathan Auxier’s fascinating, original (and more than a little creepy) version of a Victorian ghost story, one might suppose that The Night Gardener is, like The Secret Garden, a sweet, perhaps a bit sentimental, coming-of-age story. And while the novel does share some elements with the classic tale, including orphans (Molly and her little brother Kip); a creepy mansion; spoiled children (Penny and Alistair Windsor); and somewhat magical growing things, The Night Gardener is decidedly darker—in the most delicious and delightful way.

When Irish orphans Molly and Kip arrive to work at the Windsor estate, they find a family out of sorts, a father in financial trouble, curious muddy footprints and, of course, a mysterious room at the heart of the house. As Molly and Kip seek to free the Windsors and themselves from the malevolent presence that stalks the family, they find unexpected sources of courage and allies, including an old storyteller.

This is exactly the sort of scary, spooky story kids love.

 

Deborah Hopkinson lives near Portland, Oregon. Her most recent book for young readers is The Great Trouble.

This article was originally published in the June 2014 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

From the title of Jonathan Auxier’s fascinating, original (and more than a little creepy) version of a Victorian ghost story, one might suppose that The Night Gardener is, like The Secret Garden, a sweet, perhaps a bit sentimental, coming-of-age story. And while the novel does share some elements with the classic tale, including orphans (Molly and her little brother Kip); a creepy mansion; spoiled children (Penny and Alistair Windsor); and somewhat magical growing things, The Night Gardener is decidedly darker—in the most delicious and delightful way.
Children's & YAPicture Book

An elephant seal with a mind of her own

Review by Deborah Hopkinson

It’s an accepted fact that elephant seals (who can weigh between 2,000 pounds for females and 8,000 for males) live their lives by and in the ocean, where they eat squid, cuttlefish and even small sharks. But as a young boy named Michael and the rest of the friendly folks in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, find out, there are always individuals—whether humans or seals—who prefer doing things exactly their own way.

One of these independent souls was a southern elephant seal that chose to leave the ocean, paddle up the warm Avon River and make her home in the city of Christchurch—on the soft grass, in the cool mud and even by the side of the road. So regal and lovely was the silvery brown seal that her friends decided to name her Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas.

When kindly humans, who (naturally) believed they knew best, attempted to haul Elizabeth back to her “natural” habitat, she simply put them right, returning not just once, but twice, to her adopted city. Eventually the townspeople erected a sign: “SLOW. Elephant Seal Crossing,” so that whenever Elizabeth chose to park herself near the road, she’d be safe from traffic.

Based on a true story (with a photo of the real Elizabeth) and graced by Caldecott-winning artist Brian Floca’s delightful illustrations, Lynne Cox’s heartwarming tale of one unusual elephant seal is sure to delight anyone who understands that following your heart almost always leads you to the very place you are meant to be.

 

Deborah Hopkinson lives near Portland, Oregon. Her most recent book for young readers is The Great Trouble.

It’s an accepted fact that elephant seals (who can weigh between 2,000 pounds for females and 8,000 for males) live their lives by and in the ocean, where they eat squid, cuttlefish and even small sharks. But as a young boy named Michael and the rest of the friendly folks in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, find out, there are always individuals—whether humans or seals—who prefer doing things exactly their own way.

Children's & YAMiddle Grade

Trying her hand at seclusion

Review by Deborah Hopkinson

Suzy’s summer begins with an emergency: Mrs. Harden, her neighbor and honorary grandmother, suddenly collapses. Thanks to the quick thinking of Suzy's little brother, Parker, who calls 911, Mrs. Harden is whisked to the hospital and is soon on her way to a full recovery.

But while all ends well for Mrs. Harden, the incident is just the beginning of Suzy’s troubles. First, there’s the neverending onslaught of attention Parker receives as the town's littlest hero. Parker is featured in the newspaper, receives balloons and stuffed animals, and is invited to ride with the mayor in the 4th of July parade. And then Parker tops off his stint as the most obnoxious younger brother on the planet by managing to get himself lost on the very day Suzy and her dad have baseball tickets to celebrate her 12th birthday.

The only good thing about Suzy’s summer, she decides, is choosing Emily Dickinson as her character in the Tween Time library program. As it turns out, impersonating the reclusive poet becomes the perfect way to express her dissatisfaction with the world. As Emily, Suzy wears white dresses, rarely leaves the house, hides from her best friend Alison, and avoids a conversation with her friend Gilbert. But Emily Dickinson is also the poet who wrote, “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers— / That perches in the soul.” And before summer’s end, Suzy finds a way to soar.

Written in easy-to-read, accessible free verse, Eileen Spinelli’s story of a rollercoaster summer is perfect for young readers who may find, like Suzy, that trying on other roles is one way to feel better about being yourself.

 

Deborah Hopkinson lives near Portland, Oregon. Her most recent book for young readers is The Great Trouble.

Suzy’s summer begins with an emergency: Mrs. Harden, her neighbor and honorary grandmother, suddenly collapses. Thanks to the quick thinking of Suzy's little brother, Parker, who calls 911, Mrs. Harden is whisked to the hospital and is soon on her way to a full recovery.

NonfictionMemoir

Charming letters home from a nanny

Review by Deborah Hopkinson

Nina Stibbe was 20 years old in 1982 when she moved to London to become the live-in nanny for Mary-Kay Wilmers, editor of the London Review of Books, and her sons Sam and Will (whose father is film director Stephen Frears). There was no convenient phone, so Nina began sending quirky, funny letters home to her sister to report on her job.

Now, more than 30 years later, Stibbe has published these letters, mostly unchanged. The result is a collection of entertaining, if not downright hilarious, vignettes of daily life and the comings and goings of a fascinating community. Nina gets to know playwright Alan Bennett, stage director Jonathan Miller and well-known biographer Claire Tomalin, among others.

Stibbe describes her home (“Most of the plates we use for food, and mugs, are antique. Some chipped. Some nice, some spooky”) and her bright, irrepressible charges (“Will is worried about nuclear war. . . . Sam is envious of all the attention Will’s getting over the nuclear war anxiety. He says he’s got an anxiety too, he can’t say what it is, only that it’s a lot worse than Will’s.”). She also chronicles in a matter-of-fact way Sam’s trips to the hospital resulting from serious health issues.

While Nina is a keen observer, we also trace her own coming-of-age journey. Nina finds love not far away and is also encouraged by her new family and friends to set her sights high and pursue an education. When asked, “So have you got all the books on the syllabus?” Nina ruefully admits to her sister: “I didn’t even know what a syllabus was.”

Life as a nanny in this family is never dull. And neither is Stibbe’s heartfelt and funny memoir, which reminds us that while days with children may seem ordinary, helping them grow is one of the most extraordinary things we can do.

 

This article was originally published in the May 2014 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Nina Stibbe was 20 years old in 1982 when she moved to London to become the live-in nanny for Mary-Kay Wilmers, editor of the London Review of Books, and her sons Sam and Will (whose father is film director Stephen Frears). There was no convenient phone, so Nina began sending quirky, funny letters home to her sister to report on her job.

Children's & YAYA FictionYA

Love separated by the Berlin Wall

Review by Deborah Hopkinson

In her searing new novel, National Book Award finalist Beth Kephart paints a vivid picture of a divided Berlin and the wall that separates friends, lovers and families.

It’s 1983, and Ada scrapes out an existence in West Berlin. Her world is full of secrets: A childcare worker by day, she spends her nights roaming the city armed with a can of spray paint. Her best friend is hiding a pregnancy, and a little boy in her care is also harboring a secret, a dangerous and terrible one. But perhaps Ada’s greatest secret is Stefan, the boy on the other side of the Berlin Wall whom she loves and begs to cross over, and to do it now.

For his part, Stefan must balance his desire for freedom and to be with Ada with his responsibilities to his grandmother. He knows full well the consequences of a failed escape attempt, and so he makes lists of all the tiny things that could go wrong. Then he meets Lucas, and his plans start to become reality.

Inspired by a trip the author took to Berlin in 2011, Going Over is told in alternating chapters by Ada and Stefan, giving us a glimpse of life on both sides of the Wall. Kephart gets under the reader’s skin, raising questions and leaving us unsettled, unsure. And that, in the end, is just what graffiti artists are after.

 

Deborah Hopkinson lives near Portland, Oregon. Her most recent book for young readers is The Great Trouble.

In her searing new novel, National Book Award finalist Beth Kephart paints a vivid picture of a divided Berlin and the wall that separates friends, lovers and families.

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