Published: November 09, 2009 05:45 pm      

11-10 Good Reads: books

EDMOND — ‘ROAD TO TATER HILL’

BY EDITH M. HEMINGWAY

Loss is an early lesson for Annie Winters during the summer of 1963. When “Road to Tater Hill” begins, Daddy has left for Germany with the Air Force. Annie and Mama are staying in the rural North Carolina home of Grandma and Grandpa, just like Annie does every summer.

But this summer, Mama brings baby Mary Kate into the world and 11-year-old Annie finally has a little sister she has prayed for. When baby Mary Kate dies a day later, the Winters’ lives are shattered and Annie is left to witness her mother’s downward spiral into depression.

When Annie feels her family’s pain so fiercely that her throat closes with emotion, she escapes to the quiet stream in the woods where she has dubbed a rock her “rock baby.” It is during these escape trips into the woods of the Appalachian Mountains that Annie makes an unlikely friend in an elderly woman, Miss Eliza.

Miss Eliza is ostracized from the community, having just served a 30-year jail sentence for killing her husband. As Annie becomes her quiet confidant, Miss Eliza explains that her husband’s murder was an act of self-defense, and that she too has mourned the loss of an infant.

Edith M. Hemingway blends the experience of childhood grief and healing with the rare gifts that flower from unlikely intergenerational bonds.

Ages 9-12.



‘RING OF FIRE:

CENTURY QUARTET BOOK 1’

BY P. D. BACCALARIO

The four-part “Century” series follows 12-year-old Elettra from Rome, Harvey from New York, Mistral from Paris, and Sheng from Shanghai as they search for four ancient objects of power — each one of which is connected to one of the four elements: fire, earth, air and water.

When the four children meet by happenstance one snowy night in Rome, they soon realize that they all share the same birthday — and it’s not just any day, but Feb. 29th: leap year.

That same evening, they encounter a strange man who leaves a briefcase in their possession before he is murdered. By opening the briefcase, they unleash the first in a series of clues that will lead them all over Rome, from dusty libraries to dark catacombs, in their quest for the mysterious Ring of Fire — an object so powerful that, according to legend, not even a Roman emperor could control it.

Originally published in Italian, this mystery offers a multiplatform reading experience: a strong cast of international characters and high-paced action are paired with a color insert brimming with maps and clues to supplement the story. Each novel in the series takes place in a different international city, giving readers an opportunity to experience the world’s diverse cultures and traditions.

Ages 10-13.



‘WHAT WAS I SCARED OF?’

BY DR. SEUSS

“What Was I Scared Of?” was originally published in Dr. Seuss’s “The Sneetches and Other Stories” and has been reissued as a glow-in-the-dark picture book.

Dr. Seuss’s silly story features a narrator who is frightened and followed by a pair of empty green pants in the woods (which are equally terrified of the narrator). Children will learn a lesson about tolerance and fear through the narrator’s realization at the end: “I was just as strange to them as they were strange to me!”

Throughout the book, glow-in-the-dark ink enhances the narrator, the pants and moon images. This is the first Dr. Seuss book with a glow-in-the-dark effect.

Ages 6-9.



‘FIND MY FEET!’

BY SALINA YOON

This interactive board book features six animals that are missing their feet. With the turn of a wheel, children are challenged to match the feet to the correct animal. The hunt for the right match is just challenging enough as colors are used as a helpful hint for finding the correct feet.

Children will learn about animal identification, animal sounds and colors.

Ages 0-3.



NOTE: E-mail dpeery@edmondsun.com to have your name entered into a drawing for the following titles: “What Was I Scared Of?” and/or “Find My Feet!” Deadline is 10 a.m. Nov. 16. Winner will be notified by return e-mail. Winner is responsible for picking up the book at The Edmond Sun.