It is human, perhaps, to try to forget the past when the memories dredge up feelings of guilt and shame. The danger is that in sweeping our ugliness under the rug, we will never learn from our mistakes, and the suffering of the victims will never heal. Fern Schumer Chapman’s mother, Edith Westerfeld Schumer, was born in the tiny German town of Stockstadt am Rhein, into one of only two Jewish families at the time of the Holocaust. She and her sister were sent to America to live with an aunt and uncle they had never met when Edith was only twelve years old. She never saw her parents again. Only later did she learn that they died in two different concentration camps.
In 1996, German artist Gunther Demnig began an activist art project in Berlin called the Stumbling Stones (Stolpersteinen) Project. Demnig places a square, brass marker—about the size of a hand—in the street in front of a victim’s home or place of business. The marker is deeply inscribed with the person’s name, date of birth, and their fate. Since he conceived of it, the Stumbling Stones Project has spread to many cities in Germany, as well as France, Poland, Italy, Denmark, and Austria. Although he has met with opposition, “Demnig’s team embosses 450 Stumbling Stones each month,” and they have placed markers in over 1,000 cities.
Stumbling on History, besides giving a factual account of the project, tells Chapman’s personal story of traveling with her mother to Stockstadt am Rhein to participate in a historical ceremony. The book is laid out in picture book format, but the amount of text is best suited to older children and adults who, like me, have never heard of this beautiful and significant art project. This inspiring story is accompanied by many large photographs on every page, both historical and contemporary. Chapman has produced a volume that will help children to recognize both the enduring tragedy of Nazi violence and the profound impact that a small work of art can have on an individual’s life.
Disclaimer: I read a library copy of this book, which I had specially bound for our library. It can be hard to get, even though it was published in 2016, but the paperback is on Amazon. Well worth it. Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not reflect those of my employer or anyone else.
Laurence—not Larry, never Larry—invented a two-second time machine that he wore on his wrist in school. When he ran away from his parents and boarded a bus to watch a rocket launch, the scientists recognized his genius and never forgot him.
Life, by Cynthia Rylant and Brendan Wenzel
My son grew up on the heartwarming “Henry and Mudge” series by Cynthia Rylant, which is still just as popular as ever. She has also written the “Mr. Putter and Tabby” series and many stand-alone titles, such as the Caldecott Honor book, When the Relatives Came. When I had the opportunity to hear Brendan Wenzel describe his process (above) for the illustrations in Life, he owned that he was very aware of the honor of working with an icon in children’s literature.
After the Simon & Schuster breakfast at Book Expo, Mr. Wenzel kindly took the time to sign my copy of his book. Artists are the best for autographs. Here is Brendan Wenzel’s “signature” in my copy of Life.
For the first time this year, the Boston Globe- Horn Book Award winners were announced at the end of SLJ’s Day of Dialog, and Sydney Smith won an honor for his illustrations in Town Is by the Sea. Immediately following the announcement, we attendees boarded the elevator to go upstairs to the book signings. Just as the door was about to close on our full elevator, Sydney Smith rushed up and said, “Is there room for me?” We all said yes, and when the door closed, we yelled, “Congratulations!” and “Yay!” It was probably the best elevator ride ever. Once we arrived on the tenth floor, I was the first one in line for an autograph, so I will share with you the lovely drawing Sydney Smith whipped up in an amazing few seconds for the very first Town Is by the Sea to be autographed after it won a Boston Globe-Horn Book award.
Blade Morrison is the son of an aging rocker, living a privileged, unhappy life with his father and sister after his mother died. His dad continues his destructive habits well past the age of coolness, showing up now and then with young bimbos on his arm, and Blade’s sister seems obliviously happy to follow in his footsteps. Even though Blade pours his heart into song lyrics and finds comfort in his guitar, he struggles to lead a normal life, excelling in academics and crushing on the flirty but distant Chapel.
When she was just a little girl in Mexico City in the 1600s, Juana Inés wanted to read all of the books in her abuelo’s library, but her mother said that she was too young. She asked endless questions, and skipped along making rhymes all day long. When her older sister went to school at her neighbor’s house, Juana begged to go, too. Her parents relented, and soon Juana was studying everything she could find and writing poems for her mother’s birthday. Later, living with her aunt and uncle in the big city, she kept her tutor busy teaching her Latin and many other languages. At fifteen, she became a lady-in-waiting at the palace, writing poems and riddles for the amusement of the court, amazing scholars with her learning, and reading as much of the royal library as she could. Eventually, the young woman decided to become a nun, changing her name to the now well-known Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.
Frank’s mum is away, her cat is missing, and her father is embarrassing in the way that only preteens’ parents can be. While she is riding her bike around to put up posters of her cat, the school bullies begin harassing her, a situation made even more painful through familiarity. Surprisingly, Frank is rescued from her tormentors by Nick Underbridge, but rather than being grateful, Frank is now afraid that other kids will think that she is friends with huge, flat-faced Nick, the class misfit.
EatReadSleep 