The Seventh Most Important Thing (Shelley Pearsall)

 

I really enjoyed this book. It also made for a great discussion for our Children's Lit book club. 

I think it would be a great book to read with Middle School kids. Some of the themes (death, alcoholism, redemption, being on probation) are pretty big. It's recommended for grade 4-9 but I don't think I'd read it to grades 4 or 5. I loved that it is actually historical fiction and there really was a man who created this representation of heaven that is currently displayed at The Smithsonian. Fascinating! There is a lot of symbolism in the book which is easy find lots of examples to wrap your head around the concept.  (the number 7, the power of art, perspective, trash versus treasure, healing after loss, etc.)

Goodreads says:

It was a bitterly cold day when Arthur T. Owens grabbed a brick and hurled it at the trash picker. Arthur had his reasons, and the brick hit the Junk Man in the arm, not the head. But none of that matters to the judge—he is ready to send Arthur to juvie for the foreseeable future. Amazingly, it’s the Junk Man himself who offers an alternative: 120 hours of community service . . . working for him.

Arthur is given a rickety shopping cart and a list of the Seven Most Important Things: glass bottles, foil, cardboard, pieces of wood, lightbulbs, coffee cans, and mirrors. He can’t believe it—is he really supposed to rummage through people’s trash? But it isn’t long before Arthur realizes there’s more to the Junk Man than meets the eye, and the “trash” he’s collecting is being transformed into something more precious than anyone could imagine. . . .

Inspired by the work of American folk artist James Hampton.

Paul the Peacock (Tilly Matthews)

 

Great friendship story! People matter more than stuff.

Goodreads says:

Paul has everything. He has the biggest nest, the most loyal friend, and of course, the most beautiful feathers in the forest. But as you can guess, he’s not the humblest of birds… In fact… Paul is a selfish, rude, and arrogant peacock who isn’t very nice to his friend Norris the Loris and the other animals in the forest. He’s pampered by everyone around him, and never has to shake a feather. Then, one evening, "after another long, tiring day of being perfect", there is a huge storm. Paul loses everything (including his precious feathers). He has to go on an adventure through the forest to try and retrieve his most prized possession. He sets off to find his feathers and ultimately discovers something even more important… This hilarious story with comic deadpan moments and vivid, expressive illustrations conveys an important message about kindness, friendship, and humility. Follow Paul as he’s brought down to earth from his treetop penthouse and learns to appreciate the friends he’s lucky to have around him. This is a fantastically funny fable that gently shows young readers how to be less materialistic, and more modest and mindful of other people’s feelings.

The Madness of Crowds (Louise Penny)

  

I had to make a map of all the characters when I was reading this book.  There was a lot!! I learned, however, that if I had read some of the previous books it might have been less painful because some characters come up again and again. I'm almost tempted to go back and read some of her previous books - except that I need a little time to recover from this one. There was so much in this book - so many themes, so many characters....so many pages! LOL 

*add in jpeg of my list of characters

Apparently, the awful studies on people and animals that the story refers to really were something that happens in Canadian history.

While I was reading it, I would look up videos of Louise Penny now and then. I really like her. She is very down to earth and a really good speaker. It seems like her crowd is older folks. Maybe that's me now. I loved the fact that it's set in Canada and that she's a loved Canadian author.

I loved that this was set just after the pandemic. It made for some good discussions at book club - contagion, belief in false theories, the lemming effect. It takes 100 pages in before the murder that the book is centered around actually happens....and then at the end, there is 100 or so pages or circling around the suspect. 

Goodreads says: 

You’re a coward.

Time and again, as the New Year approaches, that charge is leveled against Armand Gamache.

It starts innocently enough.

While the residents of the Québec village of Three Pines take advantage of the deep snow to ski and toboggan, to drink hot chocolate in the bistro and share meals together, the Chief Inspector finds his holiday with his family interrupted by a simple request.

He’s asked to provide security for what promises to be a non-event. A visiting Professor of Statistics will be giving a lecture at the nearby university.

While he is perplexed as to why the head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec would be assigned this task, it sounds easy enough. That is until Gamache starts looking into Professor Abigail Robinson and discovers an agenda so repulsive he begs the university to cancel the lecture.

They refuse, citing academic freedom, and accuse Gamache of censorship and intellectual cowardice. Before long, Professor Robinson’s views start seeping into conversations. Spreading and infecting. So that truth and fact, reality and delusion are so confused it’s near impossible to tell them apart.

Discussions become debates, debates become arguments, which turn into fights. As sides are declared, a madness takes hold.

Abigail Robinson promises that, if they follow her, ça va bien aller. All will be well. But not, Gamache and his team know, for everyone.

When a murder is committed it falls to Armand Gamache, his second-in-command Jean-Guy Beauvoir, and their team to investigate the crime as well as this extraordinary popular delusion.

And the madness of crowds.

What We'll Build (Oliver Jeffers)

 

This is really beautiful...and so much symbolism in the doors and building. Love it. 

Goodreads says:

What shall we build, you and I?
We'll build a watch to keep our time.
I'll build your future
and you'll build mine.

A father daughter story.

Maple and Rosemary (Alison James)

 

A happier tale than The Giving Tree. It actually would be interesting to read each of them side by side and discuss the differences with kids. 

Learning, growing, loving. It's wonderful how the tree and the girl enjoy time together.

Goodreads says:

A touching story about a sugar maple tree who finds a lifelong friend when a young girl comes to seek comfort in its branches.

For the longest time, Maple was on her own, ignored by the cedars and the pines. All she wanted was a friend she could talk to. Then one day, Rosemary climbs into her branches, sad and searching for a friend of her own. Together they form a bond as real as roots.

Through the seasons and across a lifetime, Maple and Rosemary tells a story of true friendship, one in which the experiences we share become a part of who we are.

Alison James’s spare, eloquent text is accompanied by luminous illustrations that capture the shifting seasons in all their glory, by Jennifer K. Mann, creator of the much-acclaimed picture book, The Camping Trip.

Rabbit, Duck and Big Bear (Nadine Brun-Cosme)

 

The ending seems surprising....the animals run about having fun...but they realize they each need a little quiet meditation time as well. 

Goodreads says:

A picture book about three best friends who do everything together, until they each realize that sometimes having time alone can be nice too.

Rabbit, Duck, and Big Bear are best friends. They do everything together and go everywhere together except for one place. They never go down the long and winding path together.  
 
But this winter, when Rabbit, Duck, and Big Bear go skating on the frozen pond, Rabbit loses control and barrels straight down the path. What she finds there is one of the most beautiful places she has ever seen, but to her surprise, Big Bear and Duck both admit they sometimes go there when they want to be alone. And while she sits in the quiet calm, Rabbit begins to understand why. In this story rich with social emotional learning, young readers will see the importance of balancing time with friends and time spent on their own. 
 
Nadine Brun-Cosme and Olivier Tallec perfectly pair to create a fun story with lovable characters and an important message. This book is the ideal read-aloud to help little ones wind down before quiet time.

What Can a Mess Make (Bee Johnson)

 

A lovely book for kids and mom's....especially to help us mom's remember that there is magic in the mess making.

Goodreads says:

In this gorgeously illustrated rhyming picture book, two sisters spend their day playing at home and leaving joyful, cozy messes in their wake.

Kitchen clatter.
Milk and juice.
Syrup splatter.
Chocolate mousse.
Bowl of berries―
Red and blue.
A mess can make a meal for two.

From a cozy breakfast together to crafts, fort-building, kitchen spills, and bedtime rituals, these sisters make tons of messes.

Imaginative, playful, forgiving, delicious messes.

And their messes make a day full of possibilities.

With bouncy rhyming language and warm illustrations, What Can A Mess Make? inspires readers to embrace their imaginations, linger in the beautiful messes on every page, and make some messes themselves.