Ten Flashing Fireflies by Philemon Sturges and Anna Vojtech. Preschool level. DONE
This dimly-lit book shows children delighting in catching that perpetual favorite summer bug - the firefly (which I insist is a lightning bug). This was on a list of summer reads for preschoolers. Thumbs up.
This dimly-lit book shows children delighting in catching that perpetual favorite summer bug - the firefly (which I insist is a lightning bug). This was on a list of summer reads for preschoolers. Thumbs up.
Disney's Little Mermaid Read-Along. Children's Fiction. 1st - 3rd grade level. Comes with book, cassette, and CD-ROM. DONE.
I like that this set held by my library is flexible. I was able to use both the cassette and the CD at different times. It doesn't fully utilize the CD-ROM to add games, etc. but that isn't supposed to be the focus anyway. It is supposed to help children read better by learning to recognize words and sounds, which it does well. I will have to check out more in this series.
Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill and Laura Huliska-Beith. Ages 3-6. DONE.
Mean Jean is the class bully. How will new kid Katie Sue interact with the bully? The text is sing-songy, like chants on a playground and the author makes up some words. This is a pretty entertaining book with a suprising and satisfying ending.
One Tractor: A Counting Book by Alexandra Siy and Jacqueline Rogers. Ages 3-5. DONE.
A boy plays with his toys outdoors and imagines adventures featuring little pretend people in and around his toys. The lettering is large and clear and the pictures give a soft, outdoorsy feel to the book.
Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner. YA Fiction. DONE.
I didn't know anything about this book when I checked it out. It is really, really sad. Sorrow over the main character's dead sister permeates the book. The book is set after a devastating war between humans and faeries where people have tried to banish magic, but it keeps coming back. Can 15 year old Liza find peace about her sister's death? Can they fight the magic or should they give in? Recommended for those into teen girl angst. This is one of those books I didn't want to put down. I had to know what would happen about baby Rebecca and her family. Fortunately it was short - 247 pages.
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Adult fiction. DONE.
Jodi Picoult does it again. Ask 10 readers which one is their favorite Picoult and you will get 10 different answers. These contemporary, American novels have a way of drawing in a wide variety of readers with modern dialogue and ethical topics. In this case, Anna is conceived to be an organ donor for her big sister, Kate. By age 13, she has had enough, however, and sues to be medically emancipated from her parents. It is heartbreaking. It is warm. It is impossible to put down! I did not guess the ending at all. (I didn't guess the ending of Nineteen Minutes either).
Disney Fairies Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure: A Read-Aloud Storybook by Lisa Marsoli and the Disney Storybook Artists. Ages 7-8. DONE.
Why does this say "read-aloud" it is WAY too long to read all at once. Maybe take 2 or 3 nights to read it.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom: My First Reader by Kirsten Hall and Viviana Garofoli. Ages 2-5. DONE.
This is a good book for a beginning reader or any young child that enjoys vehicles. A little boy plays with his toy cars. That's all, but for the purposes of this book, that's enough. This is a very simple, quick read.
Anna's Table by Eve Bunting and Taia Morley. Ages 3-7. DONE
Anna collects things from her outdoor adventures (rocks, bones, feathers) and keeps them on her bedroom table to remind her of nature's wonders. Not recommended for the pack rat in the in the family, but for the rest of us it is a fine book.
Buried Treasure: All about Using a Map: Beastieville. by Kirsten Hall and Bev Luedecke. Ages 4-7. DONE.
Like Dora the Explorer, these characters learn to use a map. Luedecke has a style all her own with cartoon characters that could be Hallmark greeting card critters. Her pictures remind me of Suzy's Zoo.
The Scholastic web site says "every home and school with Preschoolers through first graders needs a set of Beastieville books in their library". I don't know that I would go that far, but it looks like this might be a set worth exploring. The book has a vocabulary list in the back, questions for the reader, and "let's talk about it" for comprehension testing.
Dora's Perfect Pumpkin: Ready-to-Read: Nick Jr. Dora the Explorer by Kirsten Larsen and Victoria Miller. Ages 4-6. DONE.
The back of the book says it is "level 1, starting to read, simple stories, increased vocabulary, longer sentences". Cool rebus icons show words like "pumpkin" and have the word "pumpkin" printed under them so students can read and identify the picture. I should find more rebus books to read. It reminds me of my "Highlights for Children" magazine childhood...
Ladybug at Orchard Avenue: Smithsonian's Backyard by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld and Thomas Buchs, narrated by Alexi Komisar. Audio plus book. Ages 4-7. DONE.
This nonfiction book follows the life of a ladybug. Illustrations are good, but the text and narration were boring. My audience lost interest and so did I.
Wild Wild Sunflower Child Anna by Nancy White Carlstrom and Jerry Pinkney. Ages 4-5. DONE.
This was on a list of books to encourage reading and love of nature. You can see the joy and curiousity on the main character's face. You can tell that she is a nature girl and loving life! I don't know if this book won any awards, but it is so joyful that it should have. Both the author and artist are famous, so it may have.
Relatives Came by Cynthia Ryland and Stephen Gammell. Audio cassette and book. Ages 4-7.
I wanted to tell you the name of the narrator, but it is not listed on the cassette or in our catalog. I heard it on the tape, but do not have that information in front of me. This is a Caldecott Honor book. I work with genealogy and have been to a number of reunions, so this book will go on my list of books for genealogists to read.
This is a hearty, earthy, funny book exaggerating what the author remembers about families visiting each other in the summers. It isn't a tall tale, but it reads like one. The author remembers so many people hugging and hugging and hugging some more, then laughing, sleeping on the floor, etc.
You never know which part is going to matter most to a child audience, however. The characters in the book are visiting from Virginia, so the narrator has a southern accent. My audience of Ohio children kept asking why she was talking funny and were distracted by the Virginia drawl. I thought that the accent was appropriate and the narrator did a good job. Everyone has their own opinion...
Sea Change by Aimee Friedman. YA fiction.
This is a romance/fantasy book set in current day New York and Georgia. I don't know how to say much more about this without giving away the ending. The main conflict is figuring out if Leo and maybe even Miranda (age 16), are merfolk, or if it is just Miranda's imagination. I was not really satisfied with the ending, but it did make some internal sense. I don't even know if I should recommend it or not, based on the ending.
Too Much Garbage by Fulvio Testa. Ages 3-7.
This is a precautionary tale about the problems of making more and more garbage. The text is simple and easy for a new reader to tackle. The pictures are rather Salvadore Dali-ish and the cover has an entertaining picture of a toilet being tossed out of a window. This was on a list recommended by our park system.
Limited Collector's Edition Disney Fairies TinkerBell and the Lost Treasure: A Read-Aloud Storybook adapted by Lisa Marsoli, art by the Disney Storybook Artists. Ages 7 or 8.
I don't know why they said this is "read-aloud". It is way too long to read aloud in one sitting. My library put it in with the preschool books, but there is far too much text for preschoolers. Once children are reading on their own, this is probably a fine book. The illustrations and story are fine, but I think this was advertised and cataloged incorrectly.
Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman and Pamela Zagarenski. Ages 3-6.
The author writes about the colors of the seasons. This is probably a good book for teachers to use to inspire students (adult or children students) to write poetry about seasons. The artist uses pictures that look like cutouts. For some reason I could not explain to my child audience, the people and animals all wear crowns. It is amusing to look through the book to find all the tiaras, diadems, coronets, etc. I suspect the artist also hid some other things that I didn't find the first time around. Is that a whale in the background? Why is there a wagon wheel in the tree? I don't know but it is kind of funny to see it there. This was another on the parks reading list.
In the Woods: Who's Been Here? by Lindsay Barrett George. Ages 3-7.
Apparently I am not such a great naturalist because I am not able to guess "who's been here" without reading the book 3 or 4 times . I don't recognize animal tracks or scat or claw marks. I think George will forgive me, however. I am sure she would like to know that I learned something from this series of realistic fiction books. It has a read-more-about-it dictionary in the end talking about birds, squirrels, etc. I always give bonus points to books that have a map in the front or back showing where the characters have gone so this one scores(think of Billy from Family Circus). I see that this book uses the same brother and sister team as another book in the series (Cammie and William). Once again, this was on our local park system's reading list.
Ready-to-Read Level 1 Robin Hill School Class Mom by Margaret McNamara and Mike Gordon. Ages 4-6. DONE.
The pictures are cartoony and perfectly fine. I can not say the same for the text. The plot was not so good. Nia says her mother will be class mom and make cupcakes, but then Nia is ashamed that her mother might do something "Spanishy/Mexicany" instead of the regular American way, so she doesn't tell her mom. What happens next doesn't make sense and there doesn't seem to be any moral at all for the daughter's bad behavior. The author should read "Funny in Farsi" for some real life ideas about children of immigrants. Firoozeh Dumas is a much better writer. Then maybe the author can read some Judy Blume to find out about how kids think.
Stella Princess of the Sky by Marie Louise Gay. Ages 4-7. DONE.
This was recommended by our park/library reading club. Wise older sister Stella tells little brother Sam about the stars, camping out, lightning bugs, etc. Delightful dialog and sweet interaction between the children make this a winner. I see that there are other Stella and Sam books, so I will have to get on hold for another in the series.
Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young. Caldecott Honor Book. Boston Globe Horn Book Award. California Children's Media Award. Ages K-3. DONE.
A take on the old lesson about different people (in this case mice) perceiving an elephant different ways depending on their experiences. The pictures are simple and bright, using ripped and cut paper.
I think I reviewed his book Lon Po Po already.
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George. YA Fiction. DONE.
This is in the YA section, but children over about age 8 or adults could read it. This is a retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses tale. I wonder why she didn't call it Princesses of the Midnight Ball? It does focus on the eldest sister, but all the princesses are mentioned. George's books are cleverly told with her own spin.
