Synopses & Reviews
In a gray and gloomy village, all of the animals—from dogs and cats to fish and snails—disappeared years before. No one talks about it and no one knows why, though everyone agrees that the village has been cursed. But when two children see a fish—a tiny one and just for a second—they become determined to unravel the mystery of where the animals have gone. And so they travel into the depths of the forest with that mission in mind, terrified and hopeful about what they may encounter.
From the internationally bestselling author Amos Oz, this is a hauntingly beautiful fable for both children and adults about tolerance, loneliness, denial, and remembrance.
Review
"From the whispered tales of a local monster to the brash, spunky heroes on a quest, internationally acclaimed Israeli author Oz litters his story with fairy-tale tropes that give this narrative a fable-like quality; the atmosphere is intriguingly secretive and shadowed, but the prose is measured and accessible and the length manageable....There is plenty to discuss here, making it a useful classroom companion when tackling issues of historical and contemporary conflicts." —
The Bulletin "It's through Matti and Maya's willingness to challenge everything that Oz channels hope."—
Publishers Weekly
"Oz creates palpable tension with a repetitive, almost hypnotic rhythm and lyrical language that twists a discussion-provoking morality tale into something much more enchanting." —Booklist
Praise for Suddenly in the Depths of the Forest from the UK: "If you're a reader... you'll be prepared simply to be enchanted. You'll recognize no one, and see only yourself." —The Guardian "Both a children's fable and an allegory for adults. It may be a fast read, but it has enormous resonances." —The Independent Praise for Rhyming Life and Death: "From the prodigious Oz comes a delightfully elusive...story of imagination, talent and the transitory nature of fame...Stamped with Oz's charm and graceful skill in creating rich characters, this is a must for any fan." —Publishers Weekly "Hilarious and profound, Ozs tale of a mischievous taleteller ponders the eroticism of stories and the mysterious ways language and literature bridge the divide between inner and outer worlds; and it helps us make some sense, however gossamer, of life and death. A slyly philosophical novel." —Booklist
Review
"Sensitive, intuitive, restrained . . . will take its place with the books that endure."--Saturday Review
"Written with rare intuition and pictured with warm sympathy and charm."--The Horn Book
"No young person . . . will ever forget it."--Book Week
Review
- A Junior Library Guild Selection
- A Winter 2012-13 Kids' Indie Next List Pick
- Kirkus Best Children's Books of 2012
- Booklist's Editors' Choice list for 2012
- NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, 2012
and#8220;[A] perfect snowflake of a book. . . this is a book about a young womanand#8217;s deep connection to nature and her family, but also the thrilling reward of pitching in together to create something magicaland#8221;
and#8212;New York Times Book Review
and#8220;Snug and elegant, evocative and fun, Ellen Bryan Obed's memoir from her childhood winters in Maine skates along in an aesthetic pas de deux, as you might say, with Barbara McClintock's graceful black-and-white drawings.and#8221;
and#8212;The Wall Street Journal
"Evocative and at the same time marvelously real, this is as much about expectation and the warmth to be found in family and friends as it is about cold ice . . . Everyone will find this a small gem."
and#8212;Booklist, starred review
"Irresistible."
and#8212;Kirkus, starred review
"This is a celebration of play, of winter, and of imagination . . . in an icy collection whose overarching quality is warmth."
and#8212;Horn Book
"Like a souvenir from a bygone era . . . Today's readers will marvel at the old-fashioned amusements, chronicled with folksy charm."
and#8212;Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Delicate pen-and-ink illustrations enhance the action, emotions, and humor of each short description of ice and frost goings-on. . . . [A] brief but unforgettable volume."
and#8212;School Library Journal, starred review
"The rituals and humor connected with a timeless childhood experience unspool seemingly without effort from author and artist in this intimate volume."
and#8212;Shelf Awareness, starred review
and#8220;This is a joyful, spirited gem of a book, as bracing and glorious as a perfect stretch of ice.and#8221;
and#8212;Newbery Honor author Joyce Sidman
"A book like this one doesnand#8217;t come along every day. Would that they did.and#8221;
and#8212;Betsy Bird, Fuse#8 blogger
"Obed's prose is crystalline: clear, pure, and entrancing. But the real subject of the book is not ice, but happiness; a happiness so contagious that readers of all ages will close the book with a sigh."
and#8212;Laura Amy Schlitz, Newbery Medal winner of Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village
"Ellen Bryan Obed's prose transported me to my own childhood of all kinds of ice-some very dirty and bad, others grand and ethereal-nevertheless, all full of adventure, reminding me, too, of the great joy of winter. The beauty of Obed's prose is matched perfectly by McClintock's art. Who else could make a chilly subject look so warm? It is a marvelous book."
and#8212;Chris Raschka, Caldecott Medal Winner of The Hello, Goodbye Window
"Twelve Kinds of Ice is a wonderful book. Ellen Bryan Obed's storytelling voice is magical, and with Barbara McClintock's delightful and evocative art the book creates an atmosphere as sharp and fresh as the winters of childhood and as satisfying as our happiest memories."
and#8212;Reeve Lindbergh, author of Our Nest
Review
"A gentle, affectionate take on familiar middle-grade issues and the joys of reading."
and#8212;Kirkus
"Tender . . . Cheng credibly portrays Anna's budding maturity."
and#8212;Publishers Weekly
"Cheng's telling is as straightforward yet sympathetic as her self-contained main character; and Halpin's often lighthearted pencil-and-wash sketches both decorate and enrich this perceptive novel."
and#8212;Horn Book
"Readers are led to discover the extraordinary within the ordinary, and to witness how kindness can draw trust and create confidence in a hesitant child."
and#8212;School Library Journal
"This is a remarkably pithy and nuanced portrait of a fourth-grader and her world, and the streamlined simplicity of Cheng's writing and the brief page count make it accessible."
and#8212;Bulletin
"The Year of the Book was a pleasure to read and more. This is a novel to treasure and share with every middle-grade reader you know."
and#8212;New York Times Book
Synopsis
Wanda Petronski, a little Polish girl in an American school, is laughed at because she always wears a faded blue dress, until her classmates learn a lesson. “Sensitive, intuitive, restrained.”--
Saturday ReviewSynopsis
A restored edition of a classic, award-winning book about prejudice and understanding.
Synopsis
Eleanor Estesand#8217;s The Hundred Dresses won a Newbery Honor in 1945 and has never been out of print since. At the heart of the story is Wanda Petronski, a Polish girl in a Connecticut school who is ridiculed by her classmates for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. Wanda claims she has one hundred dresses at home, but everyone knows she doesnand#8217;t and bullies her mercilessly. The class feels terrible when Wanda is pulled out of the school, but by that time itand#8217;s too late for apologies. Maddie, one of Wandaand#8217;s classmates, ultimately decides that she is "never going to stand by and say nothing again."
Synopsis
Wanda Petronski, a little Polish girl in an American school, is laughed at because she always wears a faded blue dress, until her classmates learn a lesson.
Synopsis
Award-winning illustrator Barbara McClintock renders Ellen Obedand#8217;s timeless text in a wintery scape for young readers. Warm icy hands on this fine winter read.
Synopsis
and#8220;This is a joyful, spirited gem of a book, as bracing and glorious as a perfect stretch of ice.and#8221; and#8211;Newbery Honor author Joyce Sidman
With the first iceand#8212;a skim on a sheep pail so thin it breaks when touchedand#8212;one familyand#8217;s winter begins in earnest. Next comes ice like panes of glass. And eventually, skating ice! Take a literary skate over field ice and streambed, through sleeping orchards and beyond. The first ice, the second ice, the third ice . . . perfect ice . . . the last ice . . . Twelve kinds of ice are carved into twenty nostalgic vignettes, illustrated in elegantly scratched detail by the award-winning Barbara McClintock.
Synopsis
This fully illustrated chapter book follows Anna, a young Asian-American girl, as she navigates relationships with family, friends, and her fourth-grade classroom, and finds a true best friend.
Synopsis
In Chinese, peng you means friend. But in any language, all Anna knows for certain is that friendship is complicated. When Anna needs company, she turns to her books. Whether traveling through A Wrinkle in Time, or peering over My Side of the Mountain, books provide what real life cannotand#8212;constant companionship and insight into her changing world. Books, however, canand#8217;t tell Anna how to find a true friend. Sheand#8217;ll have to discover that on her own. In the tradition of classics like Maud Hart Lovelaceand#8217;s Betsy-Tacy books and Eleanor Estesand#8217; One Hundred Dresses, this novel subtly explores what it takes to make friends and what it means to be one.
About the Author
Ellen Bryan Obed grew up on a six-acre farm in Waterville, Maine, where she and her siblings waited for the first ice as most children wait for summer or Christmas or a birthday.andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Ellen now lives with her husband in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. There they experience many kinds of ice coming each winter to area streams, lakes, and ponds, and to the nearby Piscataquis River.
Award-winning illustrator Barbara McClintock's art has enhanced many children's stories with fanciful costumes and incredible charming details. She is the author and illustrator of several books for children, including The Fantastic Drawings of Danielle, The Battle of Luke and Longnose, and Dahlia. She lives in Connecticut.