The Balcony by Jane Delury

THE BALCONY by Jane Delury is a novel in stories. The centerpiece is a manor house in near Paris which provides the background for over a hundred years of events, primarily in the life of one family.  Debut author Delury has chosen to not tell the story in chronological order, rather inviting her readers to make connections as the chapters flit from 1992 to 1890 back to 1980 and so on. The characters include Henri, a Resistance Fighter, his troubled sons named Guy and Jacques, two grandsons and a great-grand-daughter, appearing at different stages in their lives as well as a young au pair who is attracted to her employer, an alcoholic academic. Somehow, there’s quite a sense of foreboding and melancholy throughout these well-written stories. Personally, I would have preferred a few more happy memories for the deftly developed characters. THE BALCONY by Jane Delury received a starred review from Kirkus.

Writing Radar by Jack Gantos

WRITING RADAR by Newbery Award winner Jack Gantos is a highly entertaining introduction to creative writing tips and techniques.  Gantos intersperses his Writing Tips with drawings and humorous stories based on ideas from one of his own 200 journals.  Some key advice for young writers? Importance of reading; Be a good listener; Action and emotions are both important; Inspiration (try story starter maps) and good writing habits (which he outlines) are a team. Having been a creative writing professor for 20 years, visited over a thousand schools, and published picture books, novels and short stories across ages from preschool to high school, Gantos is an ideal mentor and WRITING RADAR received starred reviews from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal (“A must for aspiring writers”). The last suggests this title for grades 4 through 8, but writers of all ages (including teachers and librarians) will eagerly reach for blank paper and be enamored with Gantos’ suggestions and stories. As he says about reading, “when I finish the last page that book remains the same, but I am changed forever.”