Reading Victory

Children’s book reviews by Tacoma writer Rebecca Young appear monthly on Families.

“The Way of the Willow Branch” by Emery Bernhard - The time frame is more immediate, but this would be a fitting book to read along with “The Pebble in My Pocket.” It answers the question: “What happens to a willow branch after a storm knocks it off its tree?” The branch is picked up by a dog. His master tosses it into a river. A beaver tries to use it for a dam, and an osprey adds the branch to its nest. Eventually the branch ends up in the ocean, where it becomes driftwood. A boy finds it on the beach and turns it into a mobile, which Mother hangs over his bed. There it “floats on the soft nighttime air, always home and always on its way.” Attractive illustrations are by Durga Bernhard. Directions for making a driftwood mobile are included. (Harcourt, Brace & Company, ages 4-8, 32 pgs. $15.)

“The Pebble in My Pocket: A History of Our Earth” by Meredith Hooper - You might never look at a pebble the same way again after reading this book. “Where did you come from, pebble?” a little girl asks the round, brown stone in her pocket. Turn the page and be transported back 480 million years. A volcano is erupting, the lava spills out onto the land. As it cools it forms a thick skin of new rock. We are shown the changes in the rock over the next millions of years, as it cracks off cliffs, tumbles into rivers, washes into the sea and back onto a beach crowded with other pebbles. Dinosaurs walk on the rock and a baby mammoth’s foot pushes it deep into a heap of stones. A cave boy throws it at a rat. Mankind and geologic forces march on and the pebble goes through more changes, until finally the little girl picks it up for her pocket. Rich illustrations by Chris Coady and a timeline at the back of the book complement Hooper’s fine science work for youngsters. Do you suppose a dinosaur ever stepped on that pebble you picked up last week? (Viking, ages 5-11, 36 pgs., $14.99.)

“The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963” by Christopher Paul Curtis - This wonderful first novel was a Newbery Honor Book this year. It is the funny and touching story of a close-knit black family in Detroit, told from the point of view of fourthgrader Kenny Watson. The first chapters are mostly humorous. Big brother Byron, an “official juvenile delinquent,” kisses his reflection in the side car mirror on a frigid winter day - and gets his lips stuck. That’s just the beginning of the scrapes Byron gets into, and super-bright Kenny is often involved by association. One day Dad comes home with an Ultra-Glide record player for the family’s “Brown Bomber,” and makes many other mysterious improvements to the old family car. Soon Momma announces that the Watsons are heading to Alabama to drop Byron off for a summer with Grandma Sand (hopefully to mend his ways). In Birmingham, the story turns serious as Kenny nearly drowns, and little sister Joetta is almost caught in the bombing of the Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church, where four little girls are killed. Both of these events affect Kenny profoundly, and he’s only able to heal with the loving help of his family. Curtis is adept at dialogue and anecdote. His wonderful characters leave the reader rooting for a sequel. (Delacorte Press, ages 10 and up, 210 pgs., $14.95.)

“Mountain Wedding” by Faye Gibbons - The Widow Searcy is fixing to marry the Widower Long - if only their kids would quit fighting so the preacher can get a word in edgewise. There are a lot of Searcys and even more Longs, and not one of the children is happy about the wedding. The mean faces and angry words threaten to become a full-scale brawl.

But a swarm of bees takes after the mules. And the mules are hitched to a wagon piled high with Long and Searcy belongings. The animals gallop off, spilling household items everywhere. The Longs and Searcys are united in pursuit. As they rescue their own and each other’s belongings, the children warm to each other. By the time the perspiring preacher catches up, the two families are ready to join hands in one big circle for a wedding ceremony. This rollicking, funny and touching story is greatly enhanced by the energetic illustrations of Seattle-area resident Ted Rand. His Searcys are short, plump and red-headed. The Longs are tall and thin with dark hair. He does a great chase scene and is marvelous with the assorted animals in the story. (Morrow, ages 4 and up, 32 pgs., $15.)

“The Story of the Olympics” by Dave Anderson - Perhaps watching the Summer Olympics on television will pique your child’s interest to such an extent that he or she will want to learn more about the world’s oldest athletic extravaganza. This is a fine book to place in the hands of an older child. Dave Anderson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning sportswriter, traces the history of the games from ancient Greece to modern times. (Even the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan debacle is included.) Anderson’s writing style is lively and exciting. He focuses heavily on the people involved in the games, in a fascinating combination of history, politics and sport. Many action photographs and a clean, clear layout make this an attractive volume. (Beech Tree Books, ages 10 and up, 160 pgs., $9.95.)

“OLYMPICS!” by B.G. Hennessy - Here’s a book for the younger set. This picture book does a good job describing the Olympics in simple language. Hennessy portrays the preparations, both by the athletes and the host city; the pageantry; the excitement of competition, and the emotions felt by the athletes. Michael Chesworth has provided bright, lively illustrations. (Viking, ages 4-8, 32 pgs., $14.99.) Illustration