Archive for March, 2009
March 30, 2009 at 3:09 pm · Filed under Ages 10 - 12, Ages 12 - 14, Ages 14 and Up ·Tagged 10 and up, Alison Goodman, book review, children's book, Chris Bradford, Dragoneye, Eon, Hooray for Books, Hyperion, series, Viking, Way of the Warrior, Young Samurai
Readers ages 10 to 15 who like adventure, personal challenges, and a hint of mystery should get their hands on Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior, by Chris Bradford. Although the cover of the book looks somewhat fearsome, the story has characters with whom you can readily identify – boys and girls who care strongly about bravery, honor and loyalty. For more about the book, see my review in the Spring ’09 edition of Kids’ Next, Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers – which I’m proud to say also contains reviews by Hooray For Books! co-owner Trish Brown and senior staffer Megan Graves.
For girls ages 12 and older who simply can’t get enough adventure, Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, by Alison Goodman, is a must-read. Eon has been undergoing grueling training in hopes of being selected as an apprentice to one of the 12 energy dragons that keep the world from chaos. What few people know, however, is that Eon is actually a teenage girl – and no females are allowed to practice dragon magic. In fact, if her secret is revealed, it means certain death.
Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior by Chris Bradford, Hyperion Books for Children, $16.99
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman, Viking, $19.99
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March 30, 2009 at 10:01 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6, Ages 6 - 8 ·Tagged Dan Hanna, Deborah Diesen, Farrar Straus Giroux, happy, pout-pout fish, rhyming text, sad
The Pout-Pout Fish, by Deborah Diesen, pictures by Dan Hanna
This wonderful book somehow escaped my attention until it was mentioned by a customer as her child’s favorite book. We love to hear your recommendations! The pout-pout fish says “I’m a pout-pout fish with a pout-pout face, so I spread the dreary-wearies all over the place.” All the sea creatures make suggestions to try to bring him out of his misery, but it’s not until a beautiful female fish plants a big smooch right on his lips that the pout-pout fish figures out how to be happy. The rhyming text is fun to read, and the comical illustrations are very expressive.
The Pout-Pout Fish, by Deborah Diesen, Farrar Straus Giroux, $16.00; ages 2 and up
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March 29, 2009 at 11:14 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6, Ages 6 - 8 ·Tagged If..., imagination, possibilities, Sarah Perry
If… by Sarah Perry (all ages)
Another great book for the imagination. This book sparks other stories — if dogs were mountains or if lightning made rhinos — with its wonderful illustrations and surreal possibilities. Each page can be read as the beginning point for a variety of made-up bedtime stories; the stories are limitless. Even read as is, the pictures and possibilities are enjoyable for child and adult.
-Happy Reading and Best Wishes
If… by Sarah Perry; Getty Publications, $16.95; hardcover
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March 28, 2009 at 2:21 pm · Filed under Ages 3 - 6, Ages 6 - 8 ·Tagged Alphabet, concepts, Kipper, Mark Inkpen
Kipper’s A to Z: An Alphabet Adventure, by Mark Inkpen (ages 2-7)
This is a cute addition to the category of alphabet books. Kipper and his friend Arnold the pig are looking for animals to fit in their box. They find some big and some small, each corresponding to a letter of the alphabet. The illustrations are on white background, making them stand out, and the text is large, which makes this book perfect for reading to a group. The letters of the alphabet are the largest type size, making them easy to point out. The book also contains alliteration which helps to reinforce the letter concept (i.e., interesting insect inside). A zebra appears periodically throughout the story asking if it’s his turn yet. Kipper and Arnold keep telling him “not yet,” until they reach the last two letters of the alphabet and tell him “Yes” (for Y) and “Z is for Zebra.” Mick Inkpen has done a wonderful job moving beyond “B is for books.”
Kipper’s A to Z: An Alphabet Adventure, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; $7.00
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March 27, 2009 at 9:21 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6 ·Tagged ages 3-7, children's picture books, environment, gardening, Peter Brown, spring, The Curious Garden
The Curious Garden, by Peter Brown, Ages 3-7
Liam loves exploring the old railroad tracks near his home! When he discovers a neglected patch of plants in his favorite stomping ground, Liam takes it upon himself to nurse the dying garden back to health. As water, sunshine, and love wake the garden up, it joins Liam’s exploration of the dull, gray city. Suddenly color and greenery are springing up everywhere, and the oldest, drabbest, most forgotten places are alive with springtime blossoms! Children will be delighted with this lovely tale of a tiny garden–and boy–who change everything around them with their infectious spirit!
Author and illustrator Peter Brown’s brilliant graphics capture beautifully the contrast between the muddy, smog-ridden tones of the story’s opening and the bright, cheerful burst of color that comes with the garden’s advance! With simple, sparing text, this picture book is a lovely marriage of visual art and gentle storytelling. Young readers will be charmed by this fantastic story that comes just in time for spring!
The Curious Garden, Little Brown, $16.99
Keep growing readers!
–Megan
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March 25, 2009 at 10:19 am · Filed under Ages 12 - 14, Ages 14 and Up ·Tagged adventure, AGES 12-18, book review, children's books, DEAN HALE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, Hooray for Books, humor, Independent Bookstores, NATHAN HALE, RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE, SHANNON HALE
Rapunzel’s Revenge, by Shannon and Dean Hale
You may think you know the story of Rapunzel and her long, beautiful hair, but you’ve never heard it quite like this. Rapunzel was living a pretty happy life with her mother, Gothel, until she finds out the truth: Mother Gothel isn’t her real mother, she’s an evil witch with the power to make plants grow, or die, at her fingertips. When Rapunzel finds out the truth, she is thrown into a magical tree tower that has been bewitched by Mother Gothel. Gothel’s growth magic is so strong that it makes Rapunzel’s hair and nails grow super fast. With nothing to do but think, Rapunzel spends the next four years locked in the tower reading, training, and plotting her revenge. Her hair gets so long that she can use it as a lasso, and one day she decided to break free.
Rapunzel has a plan: find and free her real mother and then make Gothel pay for everything she’s done. With the help of her new friend Jack, she tackles a wild boar, kidnapping gangsters, the terrifying Devourer, a pack of ferocious coyotes, and a giant water serpent. Armed with nothing but her long braids, Rapunzel finds courage, adventure, friendship, and love in a world tormented by Mother Gothel and her evil sorcery.
Rapunzels Revenge, Bloomsbury Publishing, $14.99; ages 12 and up
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March 24, 2009 at 1:42 pm · Filed under Ages 3 - 6, Ages 6 - 8 ·Tagged ages 4-7, Asia, circus, j.c. phillipps, ninja, wink
Wink, the Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed, by J.C. Phillipps
“It was the happiest day of Wink’s life when he was accepted to the Summer Moon School for Young Ninjas.” Wink is sure he’ll be a great ninja. Master Zutsu tries to teach Wink the ninja arts, but Wink’s desire to be noticed gets him into trouble with every lesson, until the Master kicks him out of ninja school and sends him home to his grandmother. Wink finally finds a place where his ninja skills are admired and his flamboyance is a plus, making both Master Zutsu and Grandmother proud.
This is a great book about finding your niche and using your talents to their best advantage. It’s also very funny! The exuberant illustrations are cut paper collage with an Asian flavor — who can resist Grandmother’s curtains?
Wink, the Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed, Penguin, $15.99; ages 3-7
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March 22, 2009 at 8:41 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6 ·Tagged ages 2 & up, Barbara Lehman, Museum Trip, wordless book
Museum Trip, by Barbara Lehman
Museum Trip is about a boy who goes to the museum–no, it’s about a boy who can shrink–no, it’s about a boy who gets an award because he can solve mazes–no, it’s about…
Museum Trip is a wordless story by Barbara Lehman and the story can change everytime you read it. This story is great for your preschooler to “read” to you and great for the imaginative adult as well.
Museum Trip, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $15.00
-Happy Reading and Best Wishes
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March 21, 2009 at 1:34 pm · Filed under Ages 3 - 6 ·Tagged animals, concepts, counting, flowers, garden, Kim Parker, spring
Counting in the Garden, by Kim Parker. Ages 3-6
Spring has never sprung quite so beautifully as it does in Ms. Parker’s lovely watercolor-illustrated book. We count 1 through 10 in the garden, encountering different animals along the way: 4 Bunnies, 7 Birds, 9 Inchworms. The illustrations are double page and the animals are just as colorful as the garden around them. Children and adults alike will enjoy finding the creatures mentioned in the text on each page, sometimes hidden among the garden flowers. The flowers in the garden are awash with bright and vibrant hues that run the spectrum of colors. At the end of the book there is a recap of the numbers 1 through 10 that could be used to count aloud together. An excellent book for those looking for something new for spring, in concepts or animal books.
Counting in the Garden, Orchard Books, 2005; $16.95
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March 20, 2009 at 10:07 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6, Ages 6 - 8 ·Tagged ages 3-7, children's books, Kate Feiffer, mothers and daughters, My Mom Is Trying To Ruin My Life, review
My Mom Is Trying To Ruin My Life, by Kate Feiffer, Ages 3-7
Emma is convinced that her mom is trying to ruin her life! Why else would she do such shocking, embarassing things in public? Her mom kisses her all over her face! She surprises Emma at school! And she talks way too loudly! What’s a daughter to do? Stop her mother before she goes too far, that’s what! Emma hatches a brilliant plan to pedal her bike far away from her mother’s life-ruining plans. But she discovers a slight hitch: if her mother isn’t around, who will feed her? Who will tuck her in with a bedtime story? Who will chase bad dreams away? Emma makes the enlightening discovery that maybe her mom’s actions are just another way of saying “I love you.”
Kate Feiffer’s sparkling humor is accompanied beautifully by Diane Goode’s simple, colorful illustrations. This is an adorable, humorous read for moms and daughters to enjoy together–and a great warm up for Mother’s Day!
My Mom Is Trying To Ruin My Life, by Kate Feiffer, $16.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; ages 3-7
Keep reading!
–Megan
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