The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

Most recently I finished The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin.  In some ways it reminded me of Charles Frazier's writing (author of Cold Mountain and Thirteen Moons, both recommended reads...even if you already saw the Cold Mountain movie...books are always better! Ahem.)  My husband loves books where it shows what it means to be a man, dealing with struggle and pain and loss. This book is one I intend to have him read for those reasons, but also because the main character, Talmadge, has a quietness about him that made his simple life choices in the face of turmoil all the more poignant. 

Here is the synopsis from Amazon: 

"At the turn of the twentieth century, in a rural stretch of the Pacific Northwest, a reclusive orchardist, William Talmadge, tends to apples and apricots as if they were loved ones. A gentle man, he's found solace in the sweetness of the fruit he grows and the quiet, beating heart of the land he cultivates. One day, two teenage girls appear and steal his fruit from the market; they later return to the outskirts of his orchard to see the man who gave them no chase. Feral, scared, and very pregnant, the girls take up on Talmadge's land and indulge in his deep reservoir of compassion. Just as the girls begin to trust him, men arrive in the orchard with guns, and the shattering tragedy that follows will set Talmadge on an irrevocable course not only to save and protect but also to reconcile the ghosts of his own troubled past."

Kate DiCamillo - Mercy Watson series

I'll admit it. I love reading books aloud that require using different voices for the characters. Granted, I could do this with any book, but some give me excellent raw material.

Enter in Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson series. Who would have thought a simply-written series of books about a toast-loving pig would have both me and my kids giggling with delight?

Chris Van Dusen's bold, bright renderings of Mercy and the people who love (and hate) her make this series something between a comic and a chapter book.

Never Smile at a Monkey by Steve Jenkins

I have written about Steve Jenkins before.

I love his work. Why? This book made my kids scream. Every page offered one new thing you should 'never do' (like smile at a monkey) and why you should not.

Every suggestion is a true and backed by amazing animal facts. My kids asked after every page if each of the animals lived in Indiana (Hey look! Built-in geography lessons!) so they wouldn't accidentally touch, poke, or smile at the animals in the book.

Jazzy in the Jungle by Lucy Cousins

Jazzy in the Jungle follows a mama lemur who is trying to find her baby in the rainforest.  My middle child loves this book because I encourage him to guess if the eyes peeking through the pages' holes are those of the baby lemur, Jazzy. With each turn of the page, I was able to introduce new jungle animals to him until we finally reached the happy reunion of mama and baby Jazzy.

The Gardener by Sarah Stewart

I mentioned The Friend, the first book I read by Sarah Stewart, on here a few months ago. It made me cry. 

Yesterday I read another of her books which did the exact same thing. In fact, my husband walked in, saw me crying and read the book for himself. Stewart's husband, David Small, offers poignant pictures in this simple story told through the letters of a girl living away from her family during the 1930's.  When she is sent to live with her uncle, a baker in the city, she is determined to make the stern man smile. She finds a secret place where she can plant the flowers she loves and with the help of new friends, makes it beautiful.

If you're looking for an uplifting, beautifully told story, I recommend The Gardener.

Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth

Wyeth's Something Beautiful really is a beautiful book. Chris K. Soentpiet's realistic pictures show a young girl's search for something beautiful in her inner city world. In  her search she learns how others are able to find beauty in spite of the hard life and harsh surroundings of the city.

This was a fantastic way to introduce the idea of beauty in simple things: a piece of fruit, a smooth stone, a smile and helping others.  I hope to reintroduce this book as my children grow and are able to grasp the idea of beauty on different levels.

Jungle Drums by Graeme Base

I've mentioned Graeme Base before as an author who does more in his books than just write a cute story and pair it with illustrations. He always goes beyond the simple story to a deeper meaning and his pictures invite you to observe more than what your eye initially sees.

Such is the case with Jungle Drums, a story about a warthog who thinks he and his fellow warthogs pale in comparison to the other jungle animals with their feathers and stripes and spots. When he receives a pair of magic drums that will grant his wishes, what happens is a  feast for the mind and eye.