How
about that! President Barack Obama and his daughters visited the
Politics and Prose bookstore on upper Connecticut Avenue in DC last
Saturday and bought 21 books, one of which was Jinx!
I
am, of course, stunned, thrilled, and honored. I've voted for several
Presidents but this is the first time a President has voted for me.
The
news story about this calls the President's shopping list "eclectic."
Since that's not terribly informative, I'm going to take a look at
each of the children's books the President and his daughters chose.
(I'll leave it to someone else to do the adult books.)
Picture
Books:
Moonday
- by Adam Rex
This
book, written and illustrated by the author of The True Meaning of
Smekday, answers the question "What do you do when the moon
lowers itself into your backyard?"
Journey
- by Aaron Becker
A
lonely girl draws herself out of her room and into an adventure. A
New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2013.
Harold
and the Purple Crayon
- by Crockett Johnson
Classic
picture book about a boy who goes for a walk in the moonlight,
creating a world as he goes with his purple crayon.
Books
for newly-independent readers (grades 1 to 3, ages 6-8)
Lulu
and the Brontosaurus
- by Judith Viorst and Lane Smith
In
this chapter book, a rather spoiled girl named Lulu seeks a
brontosaurus for a pet. But when she finds one, things don't turn out
quite as she expected.
Ottoline
and the Yellow Cat
- by Chris Riddell
Ottoline
and her silent guardian, Mr. Munroe investigate the mysterious
disappearance of several well-to-do dogs. Plenty of illustrations
help tell the story.
Middle
grade and YA (ages 9 and up)
Heart
of a Samurai
- by Margi Preus
In
1841, 14-year-old Manjiro and his fellow fishermen are shipwrecked
off Japan, rescued by a passing ship and taken to America. This book
won a 2011 Newbery Honor.
Flora
and Ulysses
- by Kate DiCamillo
Sucked
into a vacuum cleaner and rescued by a girl named Flora, a squirrel
acquires superpowers. This book was chosen as a Best Book of 2013 by
Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Amazon, and was on the
National Book Awards Longlist.
Jinx
- by Sage Blackwood
Abandoned
in a sentient forest, a boy named Jinx must cope with wizards,
witches, trolls, and his own mysterious powers. This book was chosen
as a Best Book of 2013 by School Library Journal, Kirkus, and
Amazon.
Half
Brother
- by Kenneth Oppel
13-year-old
Ben bonds with the baby chimp, Zan, that his scientist parents bring
home to raise, but his parents seem to regard Zan as just an
experiment.
I
assume these books are destined for young relatives and the children
of friends. Some common threads run through the selection:
-
There's a lot of fantasy here.
-
Most of the books deal with venturing forth, often in search of
something unusual.
-
Many of the books have a theme of coming to terms with people or
creatures different from ourselves.
-
Change is a theme in most of these books, including coping with
change, and our ability to bring about change.
Anyway,
it's a great selection all in all (if I do say so). I hope the young
recipients enjoy them.
