Happy fall!  We just got back from the Texas Book Festival.  A grand time was had by all.  My favorite was seeing Mac Barnett in a bunny suit...  and hearing Jon Scieszka and Mac read "Battle Bunny" together.  But it was only a brief break from school work.  Last week, I had an assignment due that covered three areas - Fantasy, Poetry and Multicultural.  I will share Poetry and multicultural today and leave Fantasy for another because - it's complicated...

Boris by Cynthia Rylant, published by Harcourt in 2005.  

Why "Boris"? I like cats and I enjoy Cynthia Rylant’s writing.  And Boris is, indeed, a wonderful cat.  Big and gray and, when the author finds him, living in a cage with his sister.  She adopts both of them and takes them home.  Written in free verse, this collection of 19 poems describes different aspects of Boris’ personality and his many feline antics.  It’s a very honest slice of Rylant’s life, with Boris as the focal point of seasons changing, neighbors coming and going, and households moving.  I think my cat would enjoy watching other cats on TV but I’m not sure about spinnies…  If animals are a part of your life, I think you would enjoy “Boris”.  Or a teacher could read one of the poems in class; there are several that would resonate with teens even if they are not owned by an animal.  PS - It’s a poignant book in places but it’s not a sad book.

The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich, Hyperion 1999

This story takes place on an island in Lake Superior in 1849.  The main character is Omakayas, a 7 year old Anishinabe or Ojibwa Native American girl.  The story begins with the rescue of a baby girl from an island. It then jumps to Spring and introduces us to Omakayas and her family as they start construction on their summer home - a birchbark house.  The story makes a full circle through the seasons of the year and gives readers a glimpse into what life may have been like for a Native American family in upper Minnesota circa 1847.  Erdrich is Ojibwa and was inspired to write The BIrchbark House while doing family research with her mother.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book!  It has been on my list of books to read for many years and I am so glad I finally read it.  Louise Erdrich incorporates a lot of Native American language and lifestyle into the book, including folklore!  The use of the Native American language sprinkled throughout the book might make it challenging for some readers which is why it would make a perfect read aloud.  There is a glossary included in the back to help translate words but the meaning is not difficult to discern because of the way the book is written.  I especially enjoyed how Omakayas and her family used everything - down to storing food in the intestine of the moose!  There are also three more Omakayas books - “The Game of Silence”, “The Porcupine Year” and “Chickadee”.  Highly recommended!