Dear Sister by Alison McGhee (with illustrations by Joe Bluhm) was a happy accident. It happened to be returned while I was working at circulation and when I flipped through it I was intrigued enough to check it out for myself. The book is written in a series of letters and drawings from a boy who has just been saddled  blessed with a baby sister. His parents want him to write to her so they can put it in her baby book but he has his own ideas of what to write. From the start, his letters and drawings are quite hostile and he makes a point of saying that the 'wardens' have forced him into contributing. Their relationship is typical of an older sibling who has no interest in catering to an annoying, screaming infant/toddler/preschooler. Their age difference is about 8 years which explains a lot of the animosity. He always refers to her as 'sister' because the name he had picked out for her (and which wasn't used) was so good that he'd hate to slip up and call her that because then she'd be sad that it wasn't her name. This is one of those perfect little books that shock you when you realize they're not more in demand. It felt totally authentic and the illustrations were absolutely fantastic. They were a mix of childlike drawings which aged up with the character and a few realistic looking pencil drawings from a third person standpoint. The whole story is heartwarming and the ending was so sweet that I actually cried. What a great little book! 10/10

A/N: I discovered that Joe Bluhm illustrated one of my favorite William Joyce books The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore and now I'm on a mission to find more of his work. No wonder I liked the drawings in this so much! XD

Source: Amazon.com

 

Source: Amazon.com

 

What's Up Next: I'm waiting on another volume of the Elfquest Archives so that I can hopefully do my reviews in one post. We shall see...

What I'm Currently Reading: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (reread)

These two books are not really scary.  A Brave Witch is about conforting fear and is wonderful because it has two girls.  A Boo! Book deals with what to do if you have a haunted book, and, therefore, should be read by readers everywhere.  Both have nice illustrations.

Maybe a Fox is a poignant, heartbreaking story of love and loss. I loved this book. The characters are beautifully written and its easy to feel their pain. I really hope to see this one as a Newbery contender or even winner. 

Jules has always looked up to her older sister, Sylvie and wished she was as confident as her. But then one day, Sylvie doesn't come back, just like her mother. It's just her and her father. Jules doesn't understand how she is supposed to move on without her sister. Then the fox appears, a symbol of luck. And their stories are intertwined through grief and nature. 

I loved how easily the authors were able to twine the fox and the child together. At first it seemed random but it closes out very nicely, and in such a heart wrenching way. Maybe a Fox reminds me of my favorite childhood books like The Bridge to Terrabithia and Where the Red Fern Grows. 

This is sure to be a favorite among schools and libraries. And while I loved it I don't think its the right book for every child out there as it is sad and it is about death. But for the right child and for the right reader, this is a beautiful story. 

Picture book about honesty and responsibility. But the kids will think it's about irresistible donuts and a young "sheriff" and his deputy (dog) who can't resist them. Wonderful ending -- wonderful double meaning of "case closed" at the end. Which case is closed? Where the missing donut went? Or how everyone suspected (or knew) just where the donut went?