PDF - Christian Library Journal

CHILDREN’S FICTION
Michael J. Rosen has written a captivating story
of how grandmothers make holidays
unforgettable in Thanksgiving Wish.
Thanksgiving was “Bubbe’s” special holiday.
Amanda looked forward to each part of the
sumptuous feast. Bubbe worked for weeks,
making one dish each day. There was her
famous maple applesauce, the tom turkey,
stuffing, chicken soup with matzo balls so light
they float, two kinds of potatoes, gelatin molds,
honey cakes, and enough pumpkin pies for each
family to take one home. Yet the best part of the
day came right before bed, when her
grandmother let her choose a wishbone for the
Thanksgiving wish. Whoever held the biggest
piece would have their wish granted as long as
they never told anyone what it was. When
Bubbe passes away, the pain seems the sharpest
at Thanksgiving. The family struggles to hold
up the family tradition, yet nothing is the same.
Bubbe is not there to share the Thanksgiving
wish.
John Thompson has dynamically illustrated this
story with brilliant paintings. The details and
expressions help to make the story jump right
off the page and into your heart. It is almost as
if you can smell dinner cooking. The story
builds until you can feel the struggles and
disappointments of each member of the family.
Especially when the youngest, Amanda, realizes
no one has saved the wishbones all year. They
won’t have their Thanksgiving Wish. There is
even a bit of a surprise ending when the secret of
Bubbe’s wish is revealed.
Stories this captivating about the Thanksgiving
holiday are few. It is a beautiful expression of
family love and traditions, all of those things for
which we are most thankful. The fact that this is
a Jewish family adds a sense of multiculturalism
to the story. This book is a must for any library.
Marcia Snyder, Librarian, Missoula, Montana
You’ve got a friend, written by Joni
Eareckson Tada; illustrations by Jeff
Meyer. LCCN 99020931. Wheaton, Ill.:
Crossway Books, 1999. ISBN 1581340605,
HBB, $14.99.
F. Friendship--Fiction; Angels--Fiction; Wheelchairs--
Fiction; Physically handicapped--Fiction; Bicycles and
bicycling--Fiction. 32 p. Elementary.
Benjamin Brewer sits in his wheelchair
watching the neighborhood kids play, and
remembers the days when his legs worked like
theirs. Rather than make an effort to join in the
fun, Ben remains lonely. Tony, Ben’s neighbor,
is also lonely. He rides his bike alone,
remembering the days when he and Ben were
best friends. Ever since Ben got hit by the car,
Tony doesn’t feel like a very good friend
because he isn’t sure how to act around Ben in
his wheelchair, so Tony remains lonely. Two
angels are sent to help both boys realize
friendship takes many forms, and to help both
boys feel they have worth to each other still.
When Tony decides to enter the neighborhood
bike race, a hole in his tire dashes his plans. But
Ben has gotten good at fixing holes in tires—
since keeping his wheelchair in good repair is
now an important skill. Ben offers to fix Tony’s
tire, and completes the job just in time for Tony
to enter the race.
Lively pastel illustrations by Jeff Meyer portray
Joni Eareckson Tada’s touching story You’ve
Got a Friend. Young readers will learn that God
gives us each special gifts in addition to the gift
of friendship. Friendship is an unusual gift
because it works two ways—we each have a
need to feel wanted and to have friends, but
most importantly, God wants us to share our
ability to be a friend of others. By bringing
sunshine to someone else’s day, our own paths
are showered with sunshine, and this is the
message that Tada’s story tells and Meyer’s
illustrations show. Not only do Ben and Tony
learn a lesson in You’ve Got a Friend, but the
angels sent to help guide the boys together learn
something too—all things, even small things
like a porch railing nail, are part of God’s
blueprint for our lives. This is a great book to
begin discussion on faith, friendship, handicaps,
and reaching out to those in need.
Lisa Wroble, Freelance Writer/Library Aide, Plymouth, Michigan
The Zero-G headache, by Robert Elmer.
(AstroKids; 2.) LCCN 00009972.
Minneapolis: Bethany Backyard, Bethany
House, 2000. ISBN 0764223577, PAP,
$5.99.
F. Space stations--Fiction; Christian life--Fiction;
Science fiction. 103 p. Elementary.
The second in the AstroKids series by author
Robert Elmer, The Zero-G Headache is written
from the point of view of DeeBee. She is a tech
wizard and is working on creating her own
drone. However, complications occur and her
drone experiences a major meltdown. DeeBee
worries about how she will complete the drone,
as it is a project for school, and she knows her
teacher will never give her an extension to fix
the problem. Not that she would have time for
it anyway. DeeBee finds out her cousin Phil is
coming for a visit. She considers him a music
geek since he is gifted in music. The whole
space station is in an uproar when a famous teen
band decides to land on the station for repairs to
their ship. Mir announces that Zero-G will
perform, but that is not true. DeeBee comes to
the rescue when she helps the band and they
agree to do a concert. However, before they can
fulfill their commitment, a power surge destroys
their equipment. Phil saves the day when he
accompanies the group, former classmates of his
from the music colony, on an antiquated violin
while they sing their latest hits.
Occasional illustrations by Paul Turnbaugh add
visual effect to the story. A unique feature of the
series is the historical background author Robert
Elmer gives the reader at the end of the books
about space travel. He also includes useful
websites for those interested in finding out more
about the solar system, planets, and space
missions. Finally, he concludes the book with a
coded message the reader has to search for
throughout the book. The added information at
the back of the book will whet the appetite of
most readers for finding out more about space
travel.
Eileen Zygarlicke, Freelance Writer/Editor, Grand Forks, North
Dakota
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