MAY 19, 2010
Nathaniel Fludd Beastologist: Flight of the Phoenix by R. L. LaFevers
Set in 1928, 10-year-old Nathaniel is living with his governess, Miss Lumpton, when a lawyer informs them that Nathaniel's parents' airship crashed on the ice in the North Pole. Their bodies were not among those found. While Miss Lumpton will receive "a tidy sum", Nathaniel will now go to live with his last surviving relative and beastologist, Phil A. Fludd, who it turns out is his aunt. Prevented from joining his parents on previous adventures, Nathaniel is unprepared to join his aunt on her current trip to Arabia to watch the hatching of a phoenix. Nevertheless, she insists that he is long overdue to begin his Fludd training as a beastologist and hoists him into her propeller plane. Excitement ensues when something becomes clogged in the propeller as they fly high above the ground toward Arabia and Nathaniel is sent outside the relative safety of his seat to remove the hazard. Here he finds a gremlin named Greasle hiding out in the propeller along with her brother Oiliver. Oiliver, unfortunately, gets thrown overboard before Nathaniel realizes what is clogging the propeller. Not to worry. Oiliver has big feet and will land just fine, assures Greasle. Camp is quickly set up in Arabia following a camel ride to the specific oasis where the phoenix is expected to live out his remaining moments before bursting into flame. But almost as quickly, Aunt Phil is taken away by the local Bedoins, leaving Nathaniel alone with a gremlin to ensure that the ashes of the phoenix don't burn out before the bird is able to rise again. This is the first book in a series about the newest Fludd in a long line of Fludd beastologists. Readers in grades 3-5 will enjoy this, as will younger children who may hear it read aloud. The Pizza and Pages group enjoyed this book and several astute listeners were able to pick up on clues scattered throughout the story that will undoubtedly reappear in subsequent books. Black and white illustrations are included to help young readers visualize the characters and location. Also, a glossary is provided at the back of the book.
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MAY 18, 2010
Invisible Stanley by Jeff Brown
In this story, we again meet up with Stanley Lambchop, the hero of "Flat Stanley." However, this time, Stanley is not flat, he is invisible! Due to eating fruit by the window during an electrical storm, Stanley has become invisible. At first, Stanley enjoys being invisible because he can avoid bullies, and he can even help Phillip, a shy man, propose to his girlfriend. His family doesn't like that they can't see him, so they tie a balloon with a happy face to his wrist. Stanley is quite the novelty once again, and appears in the newspapers and on television. Stanley even becomes a hero when he saves the day by catching two tricky bank robbers. However, he is tired of being invisible, and wants to become a solid boy again. Will he be visible once again? Will the pretend thunderstorm work? Read this story to find out. Recommended for readers in grades 2-3.
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MAY 18, 2010
The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis by Barabara O'Connor
Popeye lives in the small town of Fayette, South Carolina. Nothing ever happens there. All summer long, Popeye just stares at the water stain on the ceiling, wondering what to do. He is bored with listening to Velma, his grandmother, recite the kings and queens of England. He does like learning the vocabulary words that Velma teaches him, but he is still bored, bored, bored!!
Then, one day, adventure happens. On a walk with his dog, Boo, Popeye discovers the Holiday Rambler, a large motor home stuck in the mud. As if the Holiday Rambler wasn't enough of a find, Popeye meets all six children who live in this vehicle. The eldest of these children, Elvis, dares Popeye to join the "Spit and Swear," club, and when he does, Popeye is elected senior vice president of the club. However, the club doesn't last long, due to Elvis's mother, who objects to such language.
Popeye and Elvis become fast friends, and they both have many adventures together. They find Yoo-Hoo boats floating down the river, with mysterious notes attached to them. They meet an interesting little girl who shows them the dog cemetery. They hide from Elvis's siblings, and they listen to Elvis's mom write country-western songs. How long will these adventures last? Will the motor home ever get out of the mud? Read this delightful little story to find out! Recommended for readers in grades 3-6. This book received starred reviews from both School Library Journal and Kirkus.
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MAY 14, 2010
Wiggle and Waggle by Caroline Arnold
This is a delightful story of two worm friends doing what worms do, digging tunnels under the ground to prepare the earth for plants. They have some wonderful adventures all the while informing us of the way worms work. Wiggle and Waggle do stop to have a picnic in the rain and enjoy a good swim in a puddle. When they get back to work, they make tunnels that spell out their names, Wiggle and Waggle. The last page contains some interesting worm facts and information on how worms help plants grow.
A darling story is interwoven with some facts to make this a perfect selection for readers in grades K-2 and a fascinating read aloud book for preschoolers who enjoy facts along with fantasy.
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MAY 12, 2010
Three Cups of Tea (Young Readers Edition) by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin
"The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share tea, you are family, and for our family, we are prepared to do anything, even die."
While returning from a failed attempt to climb K2, Greg Mortenson became lost in the Pakistan mountains, eventually arriving in the village of Korphe. After months of mountain climbing, he was nursed back to health by Haji Ali, the village chief who Greg would eventually promise to repay by building a school. He had noticed during his recovery that the children sat outside in the cold doing their lessons using sticks dipped in mud. He faced many adversities while trying to fulfill his promise, including no money to buy supplies, corrupt individuals trying to keep his supplies, no way to get the supplies across the river to Korphe, no labor to help build the school... but each obsticle found a solution leading "Dr. Greg" to find his life's work of building more schools for areas in Pakistan and Afghanistan where there had been none. This adaptation of the adult bestseller does not lose its impact on the reader. The hardships he and his family face everyday, including death threats and even a kidnapping, add to the appeal of the story. I found it hard to put down. This edition includes a timeline, glossary, who's who, and discussion questions that might be used by parents or teachers who wish to talk further about the book. Updated photos are included, as well as an interview with Greg's 12-year-old daughter, Amira. Highly recommended for readers in grades 5-8 (older readers can move on to the original book) who are interested in other cultures, volunteer work, charity, and helping to promote peace by providing education to those who are excluded from its luxury. This book is truly inspirational, and the man who began with nothing to accomplish everything that he has deserves to win the Nobel Peace Prize, in my opinion. This shouldn't be missed.
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MAY 4, 2010
Good Dog, Aggie by Lori Ries
This book is a humorous look at a boy and his dog. Ben wants his new dog, Aggie, to sit and stay. These are two basic commands every dog should know. After a try at dog training with Aggie at puppy school, Aggie gets dismissed. Ben decides he will teach Aggie himself. Aggie creates quite a stir in public which will keep you laughing at this dog's antics. Mr. Thomas encourages Ben to have patience and see the best in Aggie. Mr. Thomas is a man who is visually impaired and "sees" things from a different perspective. Will Aggie ever learn? Read and find out what happens to Aggie. This book is a sequel to
Aggie and Ben. Both books are written for transitional readers coming into chapter books in grades K-2. This book is also, delightfully suitable as a read aloud chapter book for preschoolers.
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MAY 3, 2010
The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
This book is the first in a series written by multiple authors. 14-year-old Amy and 11-year-old Dan Cahill join their Cahill relatives following the funeral of their beloved grandmother Grace to learn that their family is one of the most powerful in human history, and that almost every famous person from the past has a connection. All family members attending are given a choice: one million dollars or the first clue to restore the family's power. Eight teams form and choose the clue... Amy and Dan, gorgeous cousins Ian and Natalie Kabra, Madison, Reagan, and Hamilton Holt along with their parents, Mary Todd and Eisenhower, who all look like G.I. Joe figures, teen star Jonah Wizard and his father, old Alistair Oh from Korea, former spy Irina Spasky from Russia, and the Starling triplets, Ted, Ned, and Sinead who resemble an Ivy League lacrosse team. The first clue reads "RESOLUTION: The fine print to guess. Seek out Richard S_____." With little trouble, all teams decipher this clue linked to Benjamin Franklin (who knew he was part of the Cahill clan?) and begin the race to solve the Cahill family mystery. Fast moving action, clues, and not a little family back-stabbing makes this adventure hard to put down. Math, geography, history, and science are also intertwined in the stories allowing kids to learn something without even realizing it. This will appeal to readers in grades 3-6 who enjoy mysteries, suspense, and solving puzzles, and boys especially will gravitate toward this series. A related website is full of additional puzzles, information about the books, and author interviews that shouldn't be missed at www.the39clues.com. One additional puzzle kids will want to solve is the extra clue hidden in the misnumbered pages of the book....hint a=1.
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APRIL 27, 2010
January's Sparrow by Patricia Polacco
Children's author, Patricia Polacco, has graced us with another captivating historical fiction book. This book retraces the Crosswhite family's escape from Kentucky to Marshall, Michigan in the 1840's. As a slave family, they wanted to live in a free state. Marshall, Michigan seemed to be just that until the "paddy rollers" came to fetch "fugitives" (run away slaves) back to their original plantations. The main character is the youngest child, Sadie, in the Crosswhite family. Sadie holds on to all hope through a wooden sparrow made for her by someone special. She had to leave that sparrow behind in their escape. However, the wooden sparrow shows up at the door of their new home in Michigan.
Due to the realistic illustrations and the slave dialect of the era, this book is most suitable for readers in grades 4-6. However, the family bonds, friendships and struggle for freedom could make for interesting discussion as a family read aloud book with children grades 2 and older.
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APRIL 22, 2010
Funny Business: Conversations with Writers of Comedy Compiled by Leonard Marcus
What is it precisely that amuses us - that makes us laugh? For twelve different but highly thought-provoking answers, consult
Funny Business, Leonard Marcus's fascinating conversations with twelve accomplished children's authors. The theories that they share about what constitutes humor are as unique as can be imagined. They cite such influences as childhood experiences, careful observation of children and other adults, and book characters who almost seem to speak for themselves. Especially enlightening are their varied approaches to work and the time they all spend on successive drafts and revisions. Many acknowledge indebtedness to their editors. Reprinted copies of manuscript pages which accompany each chapter, as well as childhood photos of the authors augment their responses to the carefully presented questions posed to each. This is not in itself a humorous book, but rather an insightful one in which twelve authors such as Jon Scieska, Louis Sachar, Carl Hiaasen, Dick King-Smith, Christopher Paul Curtis, Beverly Cleary and others recount their very distinct and interesting approaches to the writing process. Middle school students and those who are older and their teachers will find these interviews interesting and informative.
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APRIL 16, 2010
Dying to Meet You and Over My Dead Body by Kate Klise
Dying to Meet You and Over My Dead Body, are two very entertaining stories. In the town of Ghastly, Illinois, at 49 Old Cemetery Road, resides the ghost of author, Olive C. Spence. She has vowed to haunt her house until her stories are published. Enter in ghost researchers, Diane and Les Hope, who want to make lots of money with ghost hunting. Olive sees right through them, and refuses to make them an appearance. Upset that Olive won’t cooperate, the Hopes leave on a tour to dispel the myths of ghosts. While on their tour, the Hopes leave behind their 12 year old son, Seymour Hope. Seymour is quite happy that his parents are gone, and is actually very good friends with Olive. Told through a series of letters, and newspaper articles, the reader learns of Ignatius B. Grumply, a children’s mystery writer who has writer’s block. Even though the relationship starts off rocky, Olive, Seymour, and Iggy do become good friends. All of them collaborate on a book together, and it becomes a best-seller! The illustrations are quite humorous, especially Olive, as all we can see of her are her glasses and apron.
Puns abound in this “grave” story, and it will make the reader chuckle. Perfect stories for Halloween, or anytime you want to scare up a good book, this series would be best for those students in grades 3-6. Recommended for those readers who are “dying,” for a good book.
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APRIL 13, 2010
Sand Castle by R. A. Montgomery
This book is about you. You are the main character. You can fill in your name in the book when it talks about you. You live on a beach in Hawaii, pretty nice so far. You have built your biggest and best sand castle today. At the dinner table your parents tell you a big storm is predicted to come to the island tonight. Your concern is your beautiful sand castle. Your parents say you can build another one. It is this one that is special. What do you do? Do you wait until morning and survey the damage? Do you leave your warm, dry bedroom to check out what is happening on the beach? Should you go explore the sunken ship or the haunted cove down by the beach? These are options in the ten possible endings the book will offer you.
Sand Castle is a book in the series
Choose Your Own Adventure written for the younger reader. You have options as to how you want your story to end. You can read the book in all endings and decide your favorite. Remember you are the main character. Most suitable reading for children in grades 1-3.
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APRIL 13, 2010
Eidi by Bodil Bredsdorff
Winner of the 2010 Batchelder Award, this book is the second in the
Children of Crow Cove series. Readers who enjoyed "Crow Girl" (reviewed here in February) will not be disappointed in this sequel. Eidi, the young girl who Myna had brought back home with her in the first book, is the protagonist in this story. It is a few years later and Eidi's mother has just given birth to a baby boy. Feeling there isn't enough room for her, she leaves Crow Cove hoping to over-winter with friend Rossan and help him spin his wool into yarn. Upon her arrival, though, she learns that Rossan is planning a trip to the Eastern Harbor where he hopes to sell his wool. Traveling with him, they stay with Rossan's sister in town. But a sudden sickness leaves Rossan unable to complete his duties. Eidi steps in to sell his wool and takes on some weaving with a rich man in town named Bandon, while Rossan recovers. It is at his house that she encounters a mistreated boy named Tink. Gradually, she learns of Bandon's heartache, and of Tink's, and makes a decision that affects them all. Recommended for grades 4-6. The sparse text makes this attractive to reluctant readers, but the depth of the story will interest those who enjoy historical tales or those set in small communities with family ties and seemingly uncomplicated lives.
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APRIL 1, 2010
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
This is a wonderfully sweet story set in Texas in 1899. Eleven-year-old Calpurnia Tate is not interested in sewing, knitting, cooking, or playing piano. But she is interested in science. After her oldest of six brothers gives her a notebook, Calpurnia writes down observations and questions she has. Why the big yellow grasshoppers were living while all the small green grasshoppers seemed to be dying, is the first question she considers and the one that leads to a special bond with her grandfather. No one else dared to enter his laboratory. But Grandaddy seems pleased with her interest and begins to fill in the gaping holes that are becoming obvious in her education. Things like Darwins' theories about evolution. Against a backdrop of the arrival of the new century, including the likes of seeing an automobile, and the location of a telephone in their town, Calpurnia's joint discovery of a new plant species with her grandfather looms large as she questions her role in society. This book recently was a recipient of a 2010 Newbery Honor Award. Highly recommended for readers in grades 4 and up. This was hard to put down.
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MARCH 29, 2010
Alive in the Killing Fields: Surviving the Khmer Rouge Genocide by Nawuth Keat with Martha E. Kendall
Unlike the extensive Holocaust literature available to young readers, little has been written about the atrocities committed by the Communists called the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the 1970's. Years later, Cambodian, Nawuth Keat first shared his life story and that of his frequently murdered countrymen with his college professor, Martha Kendall, and then with her help it was published to reveal to young readers everywhere how one person's courage and determination allows him to escape starvation, privation, and random violence. When he was nine years old in 1973, his hometown was attacked by Khmer Rouge ruffians taking the lives of his mother, baby sister, and three other relatives. Despite being shot three times he survives by playing dead. For the next three years he hides out in the jungle with his dad. After his father is taken prisoner, Nawuth stays with his older sister, her husband, and others of his family - subsisting somehow by working in the rice paddies and stealing or trapping in order to live. Eventually the family escapes their work crew and walks for days to reach a U.N. Refugee camp where arrangements are bought to enable Nawuth to emigrate to a safe haven with a sponsor / family in the United States. This clearly remembered life story should interest both junior and senior high school students. The time line which is appended (p. 128-9) is immensely helpful - perhaps some of its information could have been included in the introductory material.
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MARCH 27, 2010
Winter's Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again by Julianna Hatkoff, Isabella Hatkoff, and Craig Hatkoff
A baby dolphin has caught her tail in a crab net. A local fisherman helps to free the dolphin from the net. The fisherman calls the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The dolphin is transported to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Here, she can be rehabilitated. This is a tale of a tail. It is the true story of Winter, who was rescued and was given a prosthetic tail. With this new tail, Winter can swim up and down the way a dolphin is supposed to swim. Without this tail, she swam from side to side, which was damaging her spine. Winter has inspired many people, including those who need prosthetics.
This tender story of Winter, accompanied by photographs of her recovery, will be sure to amaze the reader. This story is brought to us by the same team that wrote about Owen & Mzee. Written at an upper grade level (gr. 5-7), this story is also a good read-aloud for the primary grades. This book is recommended for those who enjoy a heart-warming story.
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MARCH 25, 2010
Wild Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff
In an intriguing example of parallel development, author Patricia Reilly Giff introduces readers to two "wild girls." The first is the daughter of a Brazilian horse trainer who is left with relatives at age 8 in Sao Poalo after her mother's death and her father's and brother's move to New York. The other "wild girl" is a filly born in South Carolina but destined to live and race in New York state. After a five year wait, Lidie travels to the United States where sadly her father and brother treat her like the little child they left behind; the language barrier at school seems insurmountable; and her first attempts to cope end in disasters. She befriends the filly which has come to live and be trained by her father, and somewhat predictably together they prove their worth to everyone involved. This novel will interest those who face similar "moving" challenges and especially to those middle grade students who love horses.
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MARCH 24, 2010
Louisa: The Life of Louisa May Alcott by Yona Zeldis McDonough
A wonderful story of a well known children's author is interestingly depicted and illustrated in this new biography. We are all familiar with
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Much of the substance of
Little Women came from Louisa's own life and family. Growing up in the northeastern part of the United States in the era of the eighteen hundreds, Louisa's family may have been a bit unconventional. They believed in a strong education for girls. Louisa developed and was encouraged to continue with her passion of writing from a young age. She often did other jobs to support herself and her family. Her passion remained constant. She loved to write. Read this book and discover events from her life that are a part of her stories. This book contains quotes by Louisa May Alcott, some of her poetry and her famous New England Apple Slump recipe. This book is most suitable for readers in grades 3-5.
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MARCH 24, 2010
The Day-Glo Brothers by Chris Barton
With the subtitle, "The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors", the reader quickly realizes what this book is about. The use of the eye-popping fluorescent colors on the cover doesn't hurt either. This very short, but very entertaining non-fiction picture book tells of the two brothers' invention of those glowing colors - orange, yellow, and green that have become commonplace today. Growing up, Bob wanted to be a doctor and Joe wanted to be a magician. Interesting that these two career paths would lead to the discovery of glow-in-the-dark colors, but the combination of Bob's involvement in an accident that left him recovering in a darkened basement, and Joe's desire to spice up his magic act with something called fluorescence, they built their own ultraviolet lamp. With this lamp they could detect substances that glowed in the dark. They experimented with these substances and soon had a paint that would glow in the dark. Unfortunately, it didn't glow in the light, and that was their next challenge. By accident, while providing fluorescent posters and billboards for customers, they invented colors that glowed both at daytime and nighttime. New uses for these colors quickly became apparent in items like buoys, guiding planes at night into airports, as distress signals on the sea, and then in more ordinary products like magazine covers, construction cones, hunting vests, and even paintings. This interesting biography has a high vocabulary reaching into sixth grade, but will appeal to readers as young as 6, if read aloud. Additional information on fluorescence is provided at the back of the book. This would be useful in units on inventions. A nice touch was the use of black and white illustrations for the period prior to the use of fluorescent colors, with increasing brightness as discoveries are made, until the last pages where everything pops off the page with glowing colors. This was a fascinating story about a little-known discovery, and adults who remember when these colors did not exist, and even those who do, will find it interesting as well.
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MARCH 24, 2010
Pharaoh's Boat by David Weitzman
When the pharaoh Cheops died, his pyramid was complete and filled with everything he would need in his afterlife. What he did not have was a boat to provide safe passage there. Two boats were ordered to be built by Cheops' son, the first to "guide Cheops safely through the dark, perilous underworld of night, and the other to carry him up across the sky to embark on his eternal journey with the sun". This brief book in picture book form is two stories in one. The first involves the creation of the two boats for Cheops by expert Egyptian shipbuilders. The detailed description of the unique techniques used at the time are truly fascinating, not to mention the lengths gone to disassemble the ships and carefully place them in boat pits next to the pyramid where they were preserved for literally thousands of years. The second story involves the discovery of the boats and the challenge of Ahmed Youssef Moustafa, a restoration expert for the Egyptian Antiquities Service, to fit all the pieces together again without any instructions. It took years to solve this puzzle, and even more to build and reassemble the boats multiple times to ensure that they were built correctly.
I remember loving anything to do with Egypt while in 6th grade, and this probably hasn't changed much with children today. This book will attract students and teachers alike. End papers and a double-page spread of the completed boat ensure lots of visual interest, and the information is substantial for such a thin book. It's also interesting to note the the illustrations for the story of the boat being built are drawn in the traditional flat hieroglyphic style, while the illustrations for the discovery of the boats in modern times are more three dimentional. This has a very high vocabulary level due to the unusual Egyptian names, but the illustrations will be enough to coax younger readers to check this out. Recommended for readers in grades 5 and up.
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MARCH 23, 2010
Mouse and Mole, Fine Feathered Friends by Wong Herbert Yee
Mouse and Mole go bird-watching. Each time a bird draws near, Mole steps on a stick, or a leaf, creating a lot of noise, and scares the bird away.
Through Mouse’s quick thinking, the two friends disguise themselves as birds, and build a nest. While sitting in the nest, many birds come and sit on their branch, and sing their songs. In this way, Mouse and Mole are able to observe the birds at a close distance. When the day draws to a close, Mouse and Mole go home. Mole has made some beautiful drawings, while Mouse has written some clever poems. They decide to make a book together.
This is a sweet, simple story of cooperation, ingenuity, and perseverance. Nicely illustrated by the author, the simple text will be just right for those readers who are graduating from the beginning readers to early chapter books. Recommended for students in grades K-3.
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MARCH 17, 2010
Mud-Puddle Poodle by T. T. Sutherland
From the series
Pet Trouble is this enchanting but very realistic story of a family with four brothers and one youngest sister who are in the process of choosing a dog for their new pet. Each brother wants a different breed. Rosie just wants a little fluff ball. The little sister, Rosie, wins out and the family gets a cute poodle puppy. Rosie has one thing in mind. She sees a little puppy, white, fluffy, with pink bows as her ideal pet for the family. Rosie likes things clean and orderly. The new addition to the family, Buttons, is anything but clean and orderly. Rosie's expectations have to be altered a bit to accept her new little fluff ball and come to appreciate Buttons. If you are thinking about getting a dog or another dog in your family, you will enjoy this book.
Mud-Puddle Poodle is most suitable for readers in grades 1-3.
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