Do You Know a Football Genius?

I do -- Troy from Tim Green's book Football Genius. I heard Tim Green speak at the Anderson's Children's Literature Breakfast last Saturday. The ex-NFL player, now a lawyer and children's book author, talked to us about he started his writing career. He told us how he modeled his main characters, Troy and Tate, after his own children, how he read chapters aloud to his children and their classmates asking for their help in making the book appeal to kids. Green is an energetic speaker and had us laughing at his early writing problems. His books read the way he speaks to audiences -- a winning style. Chapters are short so the action moves along quickly. Troy and his single-parent mom are each dealing with problems in their lives. Troy is a second-string quarterback on his football team because the coach's son Jamie is first-string and Jamie is a lousy football player. Troy's mom is dealing with a new job as PR assistant for the Atlanta Falcons. Troy does a few stupid things that, unfortunately, get his mom in trouble at her job. Oh, yes, and Tony is a football genius because he is able to figure out what opposing teams will do before they do it. If you are in the mood for a great football and family story, try Tim Green's Football Genius or the other of his books we have at Lakeview, Football Hero.

An Animal Story with an Historical Twist

A Nest for Celeste, by Henry Cole, tells the story of a mouse looking for a home. Celeste, a very accomplished and self-sufficient mouse, is chased out of her snug mouse hole by two large gray rats. Now she has to find a new home and avoid the family cat. Visiting in this house outside of New Orleans are John James Audubon and his assistant, Joseph, who are observing and drawing the local birds. Add to this mix a hurricane and Celeste is having a difficult time. The story is based on an historical event where Audubon did stay at a New Orleans plantation while preparing his famous book on birds. What really makes the story come alive are the incredible pencil drawings that illustrate the book. Henry Cole has been an illustrator for many years before writing this book, his first.

A New King Arthur Book

In a beautifully written novel in verse, Lisa Ann Sandell tells the story of Elaine of Ascolat, the Lady of Shallot from the famous poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Song of the Sparrow is Elaine's story as she joins her father and brothers in the war camp of Arthur after her mother is brutally murdered by invading Saxons. Growing up with only men and warriors around her, Elaine finds a place for herself tending to the wounded and mending torn clothing. When Lancelot brings Gwynivere to camp to marry Arthur, Elaine rejoices for she now has a girl to be her friend. Unfortunately Gwynivere is cold and cruel. It isn't until both girls are captured by the Saxons that they make any kind of bond together. In a daring escape from the Saxons the girls are able to warn Arthur of a coming attack leading to a victory for the Britons.

A Continuing Trend

Over the last few years I have noticed a number of young adult books where the author has taken classic fairy tales and folktales or works of literature and retold, updated, or found a new slant. Three of the new books we prepared for check-put this week fit in this new trend.

Belle, by Cameron Dokey, is from the Once Upon a Time series where classic fairy tales are retold. Belle, of course, is the story of Beauty and the Beast. Not the Disney version, but a beautifully told romance about true love.

Birdwing, by Rafe Martin, is a continuation of the Grimm fairy tale "The Six Swans." The tale tells of six brothers transformed into swans and how their sister has to remain silent and sew six shirts to change her brothers back. The spell was broken except for the youngest brother who remained with one arm enchanted as a wing forever. Martin's story tells what happened to this brother after the end of the fairy tale.

Enter Three Witches, by Caroline B. Cooney, is a different view of the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Creating a minor character, Lady Mary, Cooney tells the murder of the King of Scotland and the rise to kingship of Macbeth from the sidelines. Each chapter begins with a quotation from the play.

If you are interested in these retold fairy tales or works of literature, you can get a list from the Lakeview IPAC by typing "Based on Fairy Tales of Legends" or "Based on Works of Literature" and searching them as a subject. Lakeview has quite a nice collection.