One Book One Valley

One Book One Valley is reading Roland Merullo's Talk Funny Girl. A talk and signing by the author will be held in North Conway Village on October 24th at 7pm at the Lutheran Church of the Nativity, across from White Birch Books. Discussions are going on during October and early November at locations throughout the Mount Washington Valley. Visit the One Book One Valley Calendar for details.

Book of the Week #1

The Talk Funny Girl: A Novel by Roland Merullo (NY: Crown Publishers, 2011)

Anita Shreve called this "One of the best novels I have ever read. A book for the ages." Set in a made-up version of rural New Hampshire this novel tells the story of Marjorie, a girl whose family is so isolated from society that they speak their own dialect and who are sinking deeper into economic ruin and the world of a sadistic cult leader.

"I am a grown woman now, married and raising children, and happy enough most of the time. Underneath that happiness, though, showing its face every now and again, is a part of me still connected to a time when I was a girl living with her parents in the New Hampshire hills. That girl was not treated well, and when anyone is hurt like that--especially a child--the hurt burrows down inside and makes a kind of museum there, with images of the bad times displayed on every wall. Some people try to forget the museum exists and keep their mind occupied with drink or drugs or food, or by staying busy with work, or they chase one kind of excitement after another, while the memories fester there in the dark. I understand all that, and I don't lay a judgement, as we used to say, over any of it. Some people use their own hurt as an excuse for hurting others, or for soaking in self-pity, or for a sharp anger that knifes up through the surface whenever something reminds them of what happened long ago. Some people spend thier lives trying never to do what was done to them." (p.1)

Book of the Week #23

Mercy Snow by Tiffany Baker (Grand Central Publishing, 2014)

"In the tiny town of Titan Falls, New Hampshire, the paper mill dictates a quiet, steady rhythm of life. But one day a tragic bus accident sets two families on a course toward destruction, irrevocably altering the lives of everyone in their wake.
June McAllister is the wife of the local mill owner and undisputed first lady in town. But the Snow family, a group of itinerant ne'er-do-wells who live on a decrepit and cursed property, have brought her -- and the town -- nothing but grief.
June will do anything to cover up a dark secret she discovers after the crash, one that threatens to upend her picture-perfect life, even if it means driving the Snow family out of town. But she has never gone up against a force as fierce as the young Mercy Snow. Mercy is determined to protect her rebellious brother, whom the town blames for the accident, despite his innocence. And she has a secret of her own. When an old skeleton is discovered not far from the crash, it beckons Mercy to solve a mystery buried deep within the town's past." --publisher's blurb

Set in a N.H. mill town this novel reminded me of both The Talk Funny Girl and Empire Falls.

Ladybug Nominee

A Couch for Llama

Author/Illustrator:  Leah Gilbert

ISBN: 978-1454925118

Publisher: Sterling Children's Books (February 6, 2018)

The Lago family really loves their couch. It’s perfect for reading, snuggling, playing, and jumping. But all good things must come to an end, and, one day, the family realizes the time has come to replace it. As they drive home with their brand-new bright-red couch, though, it gets knocked off the top of their car into a field . . . where a llama tries to make sense of this new thing. At first confused—It doesn’t talk! It doesn’t taste good! It doesn’t budge!—the llama soon realizes how comfy the couch is and settles right in. Can the family get its furniture back—and keep llama happy, too? Leah Gilbert has written and illustrated a warm picture book that touches both the heart and the funny bone. 

About Leah Gilbert

From a small town in Wisconsin on Lake Michigan, Leah Gilbert took her love of art and books to school earning a bachelor’s degree in illustration and graphic design.  She then moved to Colorado and spent a decade as a designer for a greeting card company. Still living in Colorado in the Denver area, this is her debut picture book.

Website: leah-gilbert.com

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/BKkOsHHZxnA

Big Ideas: Problem Solving & Compromise

Questions: 

• Talk about making concessions or adjusting your position or opinion to reach a settlement or an agreement.
• How might you investigate an item you have never seen before?
• What are some things to take into consideration when transporting a couch? (Science-Math)

Vocabulary:  Piled, Brayed, Stubborn

Activities & Crafts:  Reminder “L” is for Library and Llama

• llama mask 
• footprint llama 
• llama stick puppets  and more llama puppets 
• cardboard llama
• Coloring sheet for December 9 - National Llama Day

Companion Titles:

• A great companion title full of positive affirmations: Llive Llaugh Love, Llike a Llama by Alena Tkach (Pop Press, 2018)  

• Stay calm with Be a Llama and Stay a Little Calmer by Sarah Ford; illustrated by Anita Mangan (Spruce, 2018)

• Therapy Llama: Rojo: the Perfectly Imperfect Llama by Shannon Joy Hendrickson (Mascot Books, 2016)

• South American culture and folklore:

o   The Llama’s Secret: A Peruvian Legend by Argentina Palacios Ziegler; illustrated by Charles Reasoner (Troll Communications, 1993)

o   Maria Had a Little Llama (English/Spanish) by Angela Dominguez (Henry Holt, 2013)

o   Tales of Latin America: Retold Timeless Classics edited by Paula Reece; retold by Peg Hall; illustrated by Margaret Sanfilippo (Perfection Learning, 2000)

• Any book in the Llama Llama series by Anna Dewdney is sure to please the llama lovers. It begins with Llama Llama Red Pajama (Viking, 2005)

• Silly and about cutting hair: When Your Lllama Needs a Haircut by Susanna Leonard Hill; illustrated by Daniel Wiseman (Little Simon, 2018)

• Need some llama poetry? Try The Llama Who Had No Pajama: 100 Favorite Poems written by Mary Ann Hoberman; illustrated by Betty Fraser (Harcourt Brace, 1998)

• Get crafty with Crafty Llama by Mike Kerr; illustrated by Renata Liwska (Bloomsbury, 2018)   

• Educational resource: Living Wild: Llamas by Melissa Gish (Creative Education, 2018)

 Other Links and Resources: Ages and Stages: Learning to Resolve Conflictby Scholastic 

This is one of ten titles nominated for the 2019 Ladybug Picture Book Award. This info sheet post was created by Deborah Dutcher, Youth and Adult Services Librarian, NHSL and Karen Landsman,  Library Media/Tech Integration Specialist, Hooksett School District.

Q&A: Marty Kelley

Marty Kelley

There are a lot of wonderful writers living in our state. As the Director of the NH Center for the Book  I get the opportunity to talk to many of them. This interview series of Q&As with New Hampshire authors here on Book Notes lets me share that experience a bit with my blog readers. 

If someone hasn't read your work yet, where should they start?
I guess it depends on who that person is. I've written books for a wide range of audiences. Older readers would probably enjoy the dark humor in Twelve Terrible Things or the nuttiness of my first chapter book, Fame, Fortune, and the Bran Muffins of Doom. Younger readers generally get a kick out of my early picture book, The Rules.
 
When did you first think of yourself as a writer?
I've always loved to write. I thought of myself primarily as an illustrator for the longest time, however. It wasn't until my third or fourth book was published that I actually started thinking of myself as a writer.

How did you end up living in NH?
I was born in Manchester and grew up mostly in Milford. I went away to Boston and Toronto and Orlando for college, but wound up living in New Boston, twenty minutes from where I was born. I love it here.
 
Where do you like to write?
It depends what I'm working on. Chapter books get done on a laptop. I like to sit in my living room and work when the weather is bad, but during nice weather, I sit outside on our back porch to write. Picture books get written in a sketchbook. I can work on those anywhere and I frequently take it out and write notes or ideas wherever I happen to be.

How important is place in your writing?
My agent tells me that I need to focus on setting and place more in my writing. I tend to enjoy writing dialog more and can neglect the setting, opting to let the reader fill it in for himself. None of the books I've done are tied inextricably to their setting, though it is certainly an important element.

 

What do you do when you aren't writing?
I love to hike in the White Mountains. I draw and paint. I visit anywhere from 50-75 schools each year to talk about creating books. I also play drums and perform music shows with my good friend Steve Blunt, a wonderful children's musician. I stay pretty busy.
 
What's the best piece of advice (writing or otherwise) you were ever given?
Fail early, fail often, and fail spectacularly, but learn from each failure.



What books do you love and what about them speaks to you?
I love funny books that are a bit dark. Roald Dahl is a favorite author of mine. The Witches and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are amazing books that work on many levels. They tell wonderful stories full of humor, but with an element of very real danger in them.
I'm also a huge fan of David Sedaris, Chuck Palahniuk, Terry Pratchett, and Christopher Moore; writers who can combine humor with strong storytelling and great characters.

What are you working on now?
I'm working on final edits for my next chapter book (as yet untitled) about two boys who think they have super powers and try to use them to rescue the neighbor's dog. I also just finished up the dummy for a very simple, fun picture book that was definitely born from the super hero theme in the chapter book. It's about a young boy who finds a cape and uses it in an extraordinary way.

 

What do you want to share that I neglected to ask about?
I think you covered it all!

You can learn more about Marty's work at www.martykelley.com

Ladybug Nominee Profile

The Man Who Didn't Like Animals by Deborah Underwood and LeUyen Pham (Clarion Books, 2024)

There once was a man who loved his tidy home and who didn’t like animals. Then, one day, a cat appeared. The man and the cat both liked napping and watching the rain and eating dinner precisely at six.

Well, maybe this one animal could stay.

Next came a dog . . .

This bighearted and funny tale with delightful artwork from Caldecott Honor artist LeUyen Pham celebrates the joy of embracing new perspectives.

About Deborah Underwood

Deborah Underwood is the author of  New York Times bestsellers The Quiet Book, The Loud Book, Here Comes the Easter Cat and Outside In. Deborah grew up in Walla Walla, Washington, but now lives in Northern California with her cat Bella. Her website is: https://www.deborahunderwoodbooks.com/

About LeUyen Pham

LeUyen Pham is a children's book illustrator and author who was born in Saigon, South Vietnam. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California, with her artist husband Alexandre Puvilland, two children and cat named Sardine. She has illustrated and written more than 120 books, including Outside Inside, Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn and Lunar New Year Love Story. Her website is: https://leuyenpham.com/

Activities & Links

• Check out this Read Aloud at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBoSbmAFiDU&t=2s
• Here's an interview with Deborah Underwood, author of "The Man Who Didn't Like Animals": https://www.mariacmarshall.com/single-post/2019/10/28/the-picture-book-buzz-interview-with-deborah-underwood
• Here's an interview with LeUyen Pham, illustrator of "The Man Who Didn't Like Animals" about her illustration process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRSm9TVOk1E
• Creative Writing & Drawing exercise: Have children write or draw about an animal they love and what they would share with it.
• Reflection exercise: Have children talk about a time they changed their minds about something new (food, a book, a place), mirroring the main character's growth.
• Here's a link to the song "Old MacDonald" that this book is based off of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaQk_sds7Ek 

Suggestions for Further Reading

• Check out the other 2026 Ladybug Longlist titles featuring Animals at: https://nhbookcenter.blogspot.com/2026/01/ladybug-longlist-animals.html
• Don't Worry Wuddles by Lita Judge, a 2024 Ladybug Longlist title and Llama Destroys the World by Jonathan Stutzman & Heather Fox, a 2022 Ladybug Longlist title are both fun books about animals that you can count on. 
• For more books by Deborah Underwood, consider Outside In, a 2021 Ladybug Nominee Finalist title, or Interstellar Cinderella, a 2016 Ladybug Nominee Finalist title. 

This is the last of nine titles nominated for the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award. We will issue a pdf voters guide featuring all the titles by Labor Day.

Margaret Atwood on "The Publishing Pie: An Author's View"

This talk is both thought provoking and funny. Well worth watching.

Reader's Resources: Mark Athitakis’ American Fiction Notes

Mark Athitakis’ American Fiction Notes: A blog by Mark Athitakis on (mostly) U.S. novelists and short-story writers features, as one might guess from the lenght of its title, long-form writting about American fiction. What you can't tell from the title though is what good long-form writing it is. Posts are often insightful, have lots of links to other stuff you might have missed, and make it clear how thoroughly Athitakis knows his books. I often find his writing to be quite funny, but that is a really subjective thing and might just be me.

Athitakis has been publishing this blog since 2008 and it includes discussions about specific books; comments on what others have said about books; collections of interesting bits of book talk; and interviews with authors. It doesn't generally include actual book reviews, but it does have an explanation of why they aren't included. Specific authors who are mentioned in posts are linked from the side panel, so it is easy to see everything Athitakis has said about a specific writer (Mark Twain and Joyce Carol Oates both seem to come up a lot.) A listing of upcoming D.C. area author events is also maintained on the site.