Archive for June, 2009

Faith, Hope and Ivy June

June 28, 2009 at 11:52 am · Filed under Ages 10 - 12, Ages 12 - 14, Ages 14 and Up ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

faithhopeivyjuneFaith, Hope and Ivy June, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (ages 10 and up)

Ivy June and Catherine were selected to be an ambassadors to each other’s neighborhoods: 1 wealthy and 1 poor.  This is the story of how everyone, wealthy or poor, has more in common than they thought.

My favorite part was when Ivy June comforted Catherine while her mom was sick.  Then, Ivy June’s grandpa was stuck in a mine that was flooded. Catherine helped keep Ivy June company.  Ivy June and Catherine became friends over the incidents with their family members.  This would be a good book for ages 11+ because it is a story about friendship and the similarities that are found when you don’t expect them.

This was one of my favorite books.

Sam, age 12

Faith, Hope and Ivy June, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Delacorte Press, $16.99

emmajeanEmma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love, by Lauren Tarshis (ages 10 and up)

 

A second in the Emma-Jean series, this book is about 7th grader who likes to help other people.  Emma-Jean decides to help a girl by the name of Coleen who is looking for love in 7th grade.

My favorite part of the book was when Coleen decided to stand up for herself.  She finally chooses not to be pushed around by Laura, the bossiest, and most annoying, girl in the class.  I think this is good for other kids my age because it is very suspenseful.  It is also about a girl our age going through problems that we are going to have someday too.

I wish this book never ended.

Catherine, age 12

Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love, by Lauren Tarshis, Dial Books, 2009, $16.99

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Maryam’s Pick of the Day — Shug

June 28, 2009 at 8:47 am · Filed under Ages 10 - 12, Ages 12 - 14 ·Tagged , , , ,

shugShug by Jenny Han (ages 10 and up)

This story is about Annemarie, or Shug, as she is known by her family. She’s twelve and it seems nothing goes right in her life, not since she realized that she loves her best friend Mark who likes her older sister Celia. Shug is the only girl who still wears a one-piece swim suit, the only girl without a boyfriend, and the only person her English teacher, Ms. Gillybush, hates. Middle school was supposed to be a great new time in life, especially with her friend Elaine, but now it seems even Elaine is making different friends from Annemarie. Not to mention Jack, a boy who just gets on Annemarie’s nerves and vice versa. How on Earth is she going to make it through middle school now? This book is a good summer read for a middle-schooler worried about how middle school will end up so they know that it won’t end up so bad.

Shug by Jenny Han; paperback; $5.99; Simon & Schuster

Best wishes and Happy Reading,

Maryam

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Fairest: A twist on the familiar tale of Snow White

June 27, 2009 at 10:46 am · Filed under Ages 10 - 12, Ages 12 - 14 ·Tagged , , , , ,

Fairest book coverFairest, by Gail Carson Levine (10 & up)

Aza doesn’t feel beautiful. With her fair, pale skin, blood red lips, dark hair and big bones, she attracts stares when people look at her and eyes averted in embarrassment when they don’t.  Some patrons of her family’s inn don’t even want her serving their food or cleaning their rooms.  Aza does have one thing that sets her above the rest of the people in her kingdom of Ayortha — a beautiful singing voice.  Her family says that she was singing as a babe.  This is a great asset to have in a kingdom like Ayortha where any everyday activity can inspire a song and even weddings are performed in song, but what Aza really would like is to be beautiful, to be admired when looked at, to be the kind of beauty that would inspire a song herself.  A chance encounter with a visiting duchess and a journey as her companion to the kingdom’s castle for the wedding of the king and his new queen may just get Aza her wish, or it could thrust her into court intrigue and place her in one of the most dangerous situations of her life.

Gail Carson Levine creates another winner of a story in this novel that is based on the tail of Snow White.  Aza  is a rich character with a depth of feelings and thought.  The background given for the lead up to the fairytale that we are all familiar with creates a rich foundation for the action that is to follow.  Levine manages to make every character central to the story sympathetic in some way; even the queen, who has her own frailties.  A wonderful strong girl character story for those enjoy fairy tales and would like to imagine more to the story or for those who long for fairy tales to be about something beyond just being pretty while you wait to be rescued.  Aza’s independence and ability to hold her own throughout the story is an inspiration to free thinking girls everywhere.

Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine; Harper Trophy, 2006; $6.99; ages 10 & up

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Patrick’s Pick of the Day 06/20/09

June 20, 2009 at 11:39 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6, Ages 6 - 8 ·Tagged , , ,

Panda & Polar Bear coverPanda and Polar Bear, by Matthew Baek (ages 3-6)

A panda bear and polar bear live side by side at the zoo, but never meet due to the big white cliff that separates them. One day polar bear wonders what might be beyond the white cliff. The curious polar bear winds up slipping down into the panda bear’s den and lands in a mud puddle that make him look like he has the same markings as the panda. The two bears play together, but soon polar bear misses his family. But how will he ever get back up the cliff? And when he does, will panda still want to be his friend even though they are different?

A very cute and clever book about mistaken identity and friends that last no matter if you are near or far, the same or different. Readers will get a kick out of how polar bear becomes “disguised” as a panda bear. The message about friendships continuing whether you live near or far is quite nice. The illustrations are soft watercolors that vary from covering the pages fully to being just part of a page as a single illustration or multiple illustration that follows the story’s action.

Panda and Polar Bear, by Matthew Baek; Penguin Books for Young Readers, 2009; $16.99

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Maryam’s Book of the Day

June 14, 2009 at 8:57 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6 ·Tagged , , ,

yay, you!Yay, You! by Sandra Boynton

Your child will remember the Sandra Boynton books, Barnyard Dance, Snuggle Puppy, Party Monsters, and more as the first books read to them as a kid, so why not get them a Sandra Boynton book now that they are graduating.  This book has the same colorful drawings and the same rhyme scheme that will always be remembered as the Boynton book style and it is inspirational for your grad who is just starting out in life.

Yay, You! by Sandra Boynton; $14.95; Simon & Schuster

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Patrick’s Pick of the Day 06/13/09

June 13, 2009 at 10:28 am · Filed under Ages 14 and Up ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

My Most Excellent YearMy Most Excellent Year, by Steve Kluger (ages 12 & up)

Anthony (TC) Keller, Alejandra (Ale) Perez and Augie Hwong all recount their most excellent year through diaries, instant messages, and emails.  It is the year that best friends and “brothers” TC and Augie experience their first loves (TC with Ale and Augie with a boy named Andy), Ale finds her nitch in life as a performer instead of a diplomatic ambassador as her parents hope, and they all befriend a young, deaf orphan named Hucky.

The best part of My Most Excellent year is the character of Augie Hwong.  Augie is a confident and secure young gay man who easily accepts himself and is accepted and embraced by both his friends and parents.  He experiences just as much excitement and anxiety with his first love as the other characters, sharing with them his ups and downs along the way.

Ale and TC are also both good, strong characters.  Ale is intelligent and strong willed.  She is a very positive girl character.  TC’s character has depth beyond just “wanting to get the girl.”  He takes up various causes, including one of Ale’s, and makes a concerted effort to break through to an initially untrusting Hucky.

Due to the various means used to tell the story and the similarity in some character’s names, getting used to the flow takes a little bit of effort. Once you do, though, you are rewarded with multi-dimensional characters and a good plot.

My Most Excellent Year, by Steve Kluger; Dial Books, 2008; 12 & up; $8.99

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Megan’s Book of the Day 6/12/09

June 12, 2009 at 9:07 am · Filed under Ages newborn - 3 ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

All of Baby, Nose to Toes, by Victoria Adler, illus. Hiroe Nakata, Ages 0-3

51En3eKo6SL__SL500_AA240_Baby’s got bright little eyes, a neat little nose, and a plump little tummy! Mommy and Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa, and even Big Brother love every inch of this sweet little baby! Told in fun, lilting rhyme, this adorable picture book lovingly describes the cute ears, dancing legs, and tapping toes that make a “good enough to eat baby. Sweep me off my feet baby.”

Victoria Adler’s delightful rhyme is clever enough to engage and amuse parents, and simple and concise enough to capture your little one’s attention. Hiroe Nakata’s watercolor illustrations are bright and imaginative, capturing beautifully a wriggly, giggly bundle of joy! Don’t miss an opportunity to share this lovely read-aloud with your child!

All of Baby, Nose to Toes, Victoria Adler, Hiroe Nakata, Dial Books, June 2009

Come check out this and other fantastic books for itty-bitties at Hooray for Books! Also, give us a call if you need a quick suggestion: 703-548-4092.

Enjoy a good book today!

–Miss Megan

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Haley’s book of the day! 6/9/09

June 9, 2009 at 11:54 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6 ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

imagesCAVCBB1E I Love My Pirate Papa, by Laura Leuck, Ages 3-7

This week is pirate week here at Hooray for Books!  With our own gang of local pirates invading the ship each day during pirate camp (real training on how to be a true pirate :) , I decided a pirate-inspired Father’s Day book could not be more appropriate!

I Love My Pirate Papa tells the tale of a young lad and his pirate dad who love to spend their days sailing the high seas together.  Papa likes to teach his son the ropes by showing him how to climb the stays, shimmy up the mast, and dig for buried treasure.  The inseparable pair do everything pirates normally do, but pirate papa is quick to remind his little buccaneer that while pirateering is his job and his plunders are special, the people in his life are what he treasures most!  In mind of Father’s Day, this book makes a great gift for dads to read aloud with their own little one and cannot be matched for its sweet ending, creative style, and bright illustrations.

I Love My Pirate Papa, Laura Leuck, Harcourt Inc., $ 16.00

Come into the store and visit us soon!

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Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

June 6, 2009 at 10:29 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6 ·Tagged , , , , ,

Bark George CoverBark, George, by Jules Feiffer (ages 3-6)

George’s mother is trying to get him to bark and he does everything but.  A trip to the vet reveals the reason why.  A hilarious and imaginative book filled with various animal sounds.  Great for reading aloud, naming animals and their sounds.  Jules Feiffer’s illustrations float on the page, so the emphasis is placed on the characters of George and his mother (along with some other supporting characters).

Bark, George, by Jules Feiffer; HarperCollins, 1999; $17.99

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Megan’s Book of the Day 6/5/09

June 5, 2009 at 10:28 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6 ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Moon Rabbit, by Natalie Russell, Ages 3-6

Natalie Russell’s sweet tale is coupled beautifully with simple, imaginative sketch illustrations. Russell’s little rabbits are entirely lovable, and her depictions of the hustle and bustle of the city and the tranquil calm of the park are both colorful and engaging. Curl up with your little reader and Moon Rabbit for a storytime all about the joys of home and friendship!

Moon Rabbit, Natalie Russell, Viking Children’s Books, pub. May 2009

Keep reading!

–Miss Megan

Need more book recommendations? Call us at Hooray for Books: 703-548-4092!

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