Today I Will

October 12, 2009
From inspiration to confession, here are three books to enlighten and entertain.
Today I Will: A Year of Quotes, Notes, and Promises to Myself
Eileen and Jerry Spinelli
, illus. by Julia Rothman. Knopf
, $15.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-375-84057-9

This small and elegant gift book spotlights 366 quotations from children's books, one for each day of the year. The Spinellis use excerpts from works by such authors as Tomie dePaola, Donna Jo Napoli, Avi, Roald Dahl and Madeleine L'Engle as springboards to provoke contemplation and positive choices. For March 18, a line from Linda Trice's Kenya's World
(“ 'What is that music?' Kenya asked. 'It's jazz,' Daddy said. 'Jaaaazz' ”) is followed by a suggestion to give “America's music” a try. While readers may find some sentiments corny (on giving: “Inside me is a miracle waiting to happen... I could give for a thousand years and never use up half of my heart”), the advice offered is genuine and inspiring. Ages 10–up.

October 1, 2009
Gr 5-8-In a departure from their usual works, the Spinellis turn their skills to inspiring readers with quotes and promises for every day of the year. There is a single-page entry for each day, and each one begins with a quote from children's literature. For example, the quote for November 4 is, "When he was in school he longed to be out, and when he was out he longed to be in," from Norton Juster's "The Phantom Tollbooth". A quote for December 5 is from Dr. Seuss's "The Lorax": "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot nothing is going to get better." Anne Frank's birthday on June 12 is commemorated with a quote from "The Diary of a Young Girl": "In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart." Each quote is followed by an explanatory note. Each note is then summarized into a short promise on which readers can reflect. For example, "The Lorax" entry tells readers to find one thing they care about and ask how they can make it better. The book covers a vast array of topics and themes, from serious to silly, and is inspiring and helpful. This is a book that that kids can dip into throughout the year."Kristen Oravec, Flint Hill Middle School, Oakton, VA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2009
Grades 5-8 The popular husband-and-wife authors join together in this new direction for both: an advice book. Arranged in a chronological format, with one page dedicated to each day of the year, the book features three sections in each daily entry: a quotation from a childrens book, a short passage of advice, and an affirmation. March 29, for example, features a quote from Paula Foxs novel Western Wind (1993): You cant take words back . . . They sit there like big damp frogs. The following advice speaks about regret for something that was said, and the closing affirmation is, Today if I feel myself about to release a word Ill regret, Ill bite my frog. Subjects cover a broad range of topics, including contacting grandparents, buckling seatbelts, resisting peer pressures, and turning off the TV. Readers can dip in at random and read a page per day or as many as they choose. The advice, while often humorous, is practical and age appropriate. Young book lovers will delight in the quotations (as will teachers and librarians), and fans of the Chicken Soup series will eat up this appealing offering.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2010
The Spinellis dispense advice on topics including homework, siblings, and the environment. Each entry begins with a quote from a children's book followed by a paragraph of advice and a "promise" readers can make about the topic at hand. It's a tad condescending, but receptive readers will find many tidbits for reflection in this compendium of common sense and wisdom.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)