The Life and Times of Benny Alvarez - by Peter Johnson

This book was so much better than I expected.  It's all about a seventh-grade boy with an odd family, and ailing grandfather, and a curse: The cutest girl in his school is out to get him.  The final challenge: A poetry contest.  Yes, this seems a bit odd, but it totally works in this creative and captivating story.

Meet the Alvarez family: Benny's energetic younger brother Crash, his negative and oddball dad, his overly optimistic mom, his lovable big sister (who makes the best chicken noodle soup on Earth), his spaz dog Spot, and Benny himself, who his mom calls "Mr. Negativity."  It's true that he looks at the world as a glass half-empty, but in his mind, if you're expecting the worst, it's hard to be disappointed!  When a combination of surprising events happen, Benny is forced to finally decide whether he's going to be negative or positive, as his future and friendships hang in the balance.

The plot is tight, though this is far from an action/adventure book.  It's a school/family/friendship story about a believable and likable kid with everyday problems, who finds his own inner strength (with a little help from friends and family) to save the day at the end.  There's poetry, heavy use of a thesaurus, lots of humor, a bit of blushing (well, it's not Benny's fault he can't ever seem to look Claudine in the eyes!), and some more serious topics too.  It's a rewarding read that will touch both your funny bone and your thoughtful side.

The Dreamer - by Pam Munoz Ryan & Peter Sis

This is the beautiful, sad, hopeful, lyrical true story of the childhood of poet Pablo Neruda.  It's a story of courage, of a boy who never fit in, whose father was embarrassed of him, and who is never allowed to be what or who he wants to be.  He hangs in there, though, and eventually finds his own way, never losing hope, and never giving up on his dreams.  This biography focuses on Neruda's childhood and his unusual interests in nature and words, which anyone who has read his excellent poetry would have expected.  It's a guide for young poets, hopers, dreamers, and misfits.

This book is a physical pleasure to read.  Peter Sis filled it with amazing drawings in his typical pointillistic style, which is as much a selling point as the writing.  Poetry is mixed in throughout the chapters, and there is a short collection of Neruda's poetry at the end.  The writing is in dark green ink, Neruda's favorite color to write in, which is unusual and strangely calming to read.  This is such a wonderful book, it makes me happy just to think about it, which is something.