"The Family Book" by Todd Parr

2012, IL

Banned from an Erie elementary school's shelves because of a line that reads, "some families have two moms or two dads." The distric also banned everything furnished by GLSEN (Gat, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), including learning materials and various programs aimed at preventing bullying.

-Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read by Robert P. Doyle

I seriously adore the books by Todd Parr. My son is only two, so his attention span for reading is often short, but we can almost always make it through a book by Todd Parr. The illustrations are bright and cheery with lots of color so they are very appealing to a young eye. I also love that Parr doesn't always use color in the way you would expect. Sometime his people have green skin. Sometimes his dogs have purple fur. Since children also experiment when coloring, I find this a great aspect of his books. It's okay to color things the "wrong way!"

The Family Book follows the same formula as many of Parr's other books. Each page addresses something about families and how one family may be different from another family. He also focuses on the things that all families have in common. The wording and illustrations are simple, but filled with love. As always, the book closes with a short letter from Todd confirming the message of the book. I love this book because Todd embraces all of the pieces that can make up a family. I think it is easy for kids to become sad when their family appears different than their friends' families. Of course, no two families are completely alike, but at a young age, it is hard to see that. I feel that this book addresses how families are alike and different, but in a way that can be understood by readers of all ages and in a way that is comforting.

I have read many of Parr's books to my son, since he was a tiny little thing. Although many of the messages aren't things he is concerned with yet, I like that we are able to share the positive messages in the books. I hope that reading books like this will put him on the right track to accepting people how they are and knowing all of us have things in common and things that are different.

Happy Reading!

-Melly

"Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life" by Shelley Tougas

A life on the prairie is not all its cracked up to be for one girl whose mom takes her love of the Little House series just a bit too far.

Charlotte’s mom has just moved the family across the country to live in Walnut Grove, “childhood home of pioneer author Laura Ingalls Wilder.” Mom’s idea is that the spirit of Laura Ingalls will help her write a bestselling book. But Charlotte knows better: Walnut Grove is just another town where Mom can avoid responsibility. And this place is worse than everywhere else the family has lived―it’s freezing in the winter, it’s small with nothing to do, and the people talk about Laura Ingalls all the time. Charlotte’s convinced her family will not be able to make a life on the prairie―until the spirit of Laura Ingalls starts getting to her, too.

No surprises, this book caught my attention because Laura Ingalls Wilder's name is in the title. Based on the cover art, I could tell it wasn't a work of historical fiction, so whose life could Laura possibly be ruining? Turns out, it's Charlotte's. Charlotte is used to her family moving from place to place as her mom isn't always the most responsible of parents so it's not unheard of for them to skip town when the bills become to high. This time, they are moving to Walnut Grove, one of the many places where the Ingalls family lived. This time around, Charlotte's mother has a plan to write a novel and she feels that living in the same place as Laura will help her. So once again, Charlotte and her siblings, Rose and Freddy (fans of Wilder will see a theme here) have to make home in new town and at a new school. Because of her mother's obsession, Charlotte is less than pleased when her very first school assignment is to write about Laura. She titles her essay Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life, and this sets the ball rolling for her teacher to give her some extra help. She ends up having to volunteer at a museum dedicated to Laura Ingalls Wilder, further decreasing her love of the author and leading to even more problems in her life.

I'm torn on this book. While I chose to read Shelley Tougas' book because of the Laura Ingalls Wilder references, part of me wishes that there had be less of them. At times, it felt like a gimmick to attract fans of Wilder to the story, when the story as a whole has little to do with Wilder or her life. I feel like the story would have been more compelling if it had focused solely on Charlotte and her interactions with her family. Apart from this, I enjoyed the story. It was interesting to see how Charlotte handled the challenges in her life. She is used to her life, but because of her young age, she isn't ready to take care of her mother and siblings. I liked Charlotte's arc. She starts off somewhat frustrating at times, but learns about herself and how to become a good person. I also really liked seeing how she helped Rose and Freddy and how each of them became better people by the end of the novel. While I couldn't relate very much to Charlotte, Freddy and Rose, I've known people in similar situations and think that this book would have been appealing to them. As much as I love Wilder, I would have enjoyed this story far more if she was never mentioned, but instead if I could have just read the same plot without mention of anyone famous.

Happy Reading!

-Melly

"The Steps" by Rachel Cohn

I think this was the least heavy book I have read so far this year, both in content and in weight (only 144 pages).

Annabelle lives in New York City with her mother Angelina and her Bubbe.  Her father, Jack, lives in Australia with his wife, Penny, and her two children, Lucy and Angus.  Jack and Penny also have a daughter, Beatrice.  Confused yet?  Throw in Angelina's boyfriend Harvey and his son Wheaties, as well as Penny's ex Patrick and his son Ben.  Now are you confused?  Try being Annabelle.

The Steps by Rachel Cohn is the funny story of Annabelle's visit to Australia to meet the new half of her family.  She has little interest in meeting her new step-siblings and is infurriated to find out that they are calling Jack, Dad.  Even she doesn't do that!  Readers can go into this book somewhat knowing what to expect.  Annabelle is very angsty and doesn't like change.  Over the course of the book she begins to realize that she has a lot to learn about what really makes a family.  It isn't a revolutionary book or one that touches on topics never before seen in the young adult world either.  But it's the kind of book you can pick up and read anytime, anyplace, and sometimes you just need a book that will make you laugh.

Find Rachel on Twitter and Facebook!

Happy Reading!
-Melly