Christmas Books!

This is the first year in many that I've been home with enough time to kind of get ready for feeling Christmas-y. Working at the library definitely helps, especially since this year I was able to participate in Christmas Around the World. This is a program where we invite kindergarten classes in the city to come and listen to stories, sing songs and build gingerbread houses, (actually graham-cracker houses). I also did a school-age program, and participated in the city's light-up festival earlier this month, where I read stories to kids under a big tree in the lobby of our building.
Some of my favorite Christmas books for these programs were:


Merry Christmas Big Hungry Bear -by Don & Audrey Wood

A book with very few words, and where the illustrations and a child's interaction with the book tell a lot of the story.




The Santa Trap -by Jonathan Emmett

I thought this story was pretty funny, but it really is for a more mature child. Bradley is a very naughty boy who only ever gets socks from Santa. Finally he decides to build a trap for Santa Clause, so that he can steal the whole sack of toys. Some of the traps he sets are pretty dark and dangerous; this boy intends not only to trap Santa, but also to do him harm! (He trains tigers to attack, and prepares a guillotine in a door frame). Fortunately, like any Christmas book Bradley gets what's coming to him... socks and antiseptic.


And a Flannelgraph based on The Cobweb Christmas -by Shirley Climo

The kids loved the repetition in this story, and the actions I did with them while telling the story:
"Tante would Nod her head, Rub her hands together and Say..."
This is a really nice story about Christmas Magic and the tradition of tinsel.

I also brought some Christmas picture books home from the library. I got the idea for this from a little book that suggests all kinds of things to help get people in the Christmas spirit. I thought this was such a good idea, since for one thing I love childrens books; but also because when I was younger we always had books that only came out at Christmas-time and we got to rediscover them. I stood them up under our tree and they really look great!
Some of the ones I chose were:


My Penguin Osbert -by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

After a few disappointing Christmas gifts, a little boy decides that he will be very specific in his request to Santa Claus. And finally he gets the gift he wants: A penguin named Osbert. But owning a penguin isn't all the fun one might think.






Christmas Eve Magic -by Lucie Papineau

A Christmas Carol is retold for children in this story about a spoiled and very sad little orphan boy.




Olive the Other Reindeer -by Otto J. Seibold

After hearing a traditional carol on the radio, Olive the puppy begins to believe she is a reindeer. Not only that, but as it's Christmas she is needed at the North Pole!







The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus -by Frank L. Baum

Beautiful illustrations! But I thought the story itself was a little boring. There is a lot of text, and there is hardly any conflict. Every chapter in this story contributes to an explanation for our Santa Myths.



And one that came in new at the Library, which I really liked but was always checked out was:

The Snow Globe Family -by Jane O'Connor

Two families dreaming about snow. One in a house in the world, another inside the snow globe on the mantle. The family within the snow globe reminisce about days when snow storms would rule their days and they could go sledding on giant snow drifts. Now, the snow globe lays forgotten, except a little rustle of snow when somebody accidentally nudges the the globe. Until a new addition to the family outside the globe becomes fascinated by the little house and gentle little flakes.

Umbrella Summer

Title: Umbrella Summer
Author: Lisa Graff
Age: 9-12
Rating: 4/5

Summary: Annie loves to ride her bike, and when she does she always makes sure to wear her helmet, and her elbow pads, her knee pads and her ankle braces. She used to like to have fast races with her best friend, but now they have turtle races. Annie is very cautious, because after her brother died unexpectedly a few months previously, you just never know what could happen.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this. For such a heavy subject as grief, I was preparing myself for feeling low following my reading. But Annie is only 10 years old, and even though so much has happened and she helps to lighten the story by being 10 and trying to live her life as normally (albeit as safely) as she can.

I would recommend this for a child who is grieving, or worrying about their own death. While there is so absolute answer for these stresses there is a gentle reassurance throughout that it is okay to talk about death and grief, that in itself can help alleviate worry and sadness.

A Northern Light

Title: A Northern Light
Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Age: 15+
Rating:3 or 4/5

Summary: Mattie loves to read and she really loves to write. And she's really good at it. Mattie dreams of being a writer and going to college, the only problem is... well there are a lot of problems. With Three younger sisters and a farm to help run, Mattie needs to find a way to earn the money to go to college and the courage to actually go.

Thoughts: I bought this novel two or more years ago at a library sale. I'm not sure what first attracted me to buy it. The cover was beautiful; the story seemed set in a northern locale (which I'm quite partial to); it was fifty cents. I moved to another province almost immediately after purchasing it, and it went into a box, and stayed in my mom-in-law's garage for all that time. While it lay in that box, I've been tempted to borrow from libraries or friend's bookshelves whenever I saw it -but resisted since I already owned it. At bookstores I would find myself picking it up and turning it over, reminding myself I already owned this one. Clearly I was attracted to this novel

Now I've finally read it.

Mattie loves words, they are powerful -something she repeats to herself and others throughout the novel. She chooses a new word from the dictionary every day, and applies that word to situations she finds herself in, or to feelings she has.
Mattie is discovering what it means to be a woman in the 19th century, in the woods, on a farm. Not only that, but what it means to be a smart woman. The things she realizes that she wants out life seem to be ever dimming possibilities as we progress through the novel. This would have been quite depressing, except that there was always a very persistent hope that urged me to continue reading. Mattie was a smart girl and I couldn't give up on her even though she seemed to be giving up on herself.

I think what I most liked about this book, was:
1. The way the story was slowly unfolded -through a meandering time line.
2. The hope that seemed to come through the story even at the most despairing times.
3. Mattie's self discovery and the awakening she was experiencing to the world around her.

And I can't deny it. There's a strong feminist voice throughout this novel that strongly appeals to me. I'd recommend this novel to young women who like historical fiction, realistic fiction and mystery (the novel is actually based on a true murder at a hotel in 1906 -I didnt' mention it in the summary because you'll figure that out from the back description of the book).

*Something that irks me about this book? The story often points out that Abby is more suited to homelife, and she encourages Mattie to attend college -but Mattie never seems to have considered how her leaving might make it nearly impossible for Abby to have dreams she'd like to follow someday too.

The Shadow Children

Title: Among the Hidden
Series: The Shadow Children
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Age: 9-12

Summary: Luke is a Shadow Child, an illegal third child. If he were ever discovered his family could be tortured and killed. But Luke has been lucky, his family's farm borders a forest where he can roam with little concern about being seen. Until the government bulldozes the woods and begins to build rows upon rows of houses there. Will he ever be allowed outside again? Luke begins to despair until one day he spies a shadow of a face in a window next door.



Thoughts: These were pretty quick reads for me. There's a lot happening in each book. The plot seems to stall mid-way through the series, but Haddix makes up for it by telling the story from other characters' points of view (a nice change from Luke's perspective).

The reading level is about for grade 4 but the series would appeal to readers of older grades too. There's a lot of neat ideas presented -and there's always a feeling of suspense and danger for the characters.

This series is a good introduction to Dystopic literature for tweens, and one to keep in mind for reluctant readers (Boys and Girls).

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Title: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Author: Grace Lin
Age: 8-12
Rating: 4/5

Summary: Minli is distressed by how hard her parents work, and they only ever have just enough to eat. So after hearing a story from her father about the Man in the Moon, Minli decides she will journey to find him and ask how she may change their fortune. Along the way she meets many friends who help her realize how lucky she already is.

Assessment: This is a sweet simple story about recognizing the value in one's life; Family, Friendship, Love, Faith and Trust. This would be best as a bedtime read, it is made-up of of many short tales within the novel, and each has a happy end or at least a satisfying twist to make you smile.

I really enjoyed the traditional Chinese style of the storytelling, and the accompanying colour illustrations are charming and help add to the imagination of the reader.

This would be a really nice book for an adult to share a-loud with a child.



This illustration accompanies my favorite short tale in this novel. The imagery created in this particular story about the moonrain made me want to close my eyes and dream right then. But I'm glad I didn't because I was able then to absorb this painted picture and read the end of the chapter.

Recognition: Newbery Honour Book

Mimus

Title: Mimus
Author: Lili Thal
ages: 13+
Rating: 5/5

I've got myself in a silly dilemma.
I first read this novel about a year ago, I'd picked it up at library sale a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. The story was really engaging and I cared a lot about the characters. The novel is very well written and the plot is suspenseful.

My dilemma is that despite knowing how important weeding is at the library, and how even if a book is good -if it's not circulating it's got to go. Well, I recently saw this book on the weeding cart and almost immediately put a hold on it and checked it out. I am ignoring certain principles to try to save one book. But is that even possible? My hold and signing-out of this book only boosts the circulation statistic by one. That will make no difference. I suppose my only hope is that I can hang onto it past the weeding schedule, and if this novel makes it through without getting pulled, I will make an effort to recommend it to as many people as possible.

Summary: Prince Florin and his father The King are invited to sign a peace treaty with the neigboring kingdom. But they are ambushed, the King is thrown into the dungeon and the Prince is made the apprentice to the court jester. Mimus, the Master Jester, is cruel but complex and takes his art seriously.

This is not a book for under 12. Florin's experiences and feelings are intense, he is humiliated, betrayed, starved and beaten. But it's not all gloom. There are also by turns, scenes of kindness and redemption, loyalty and hope. Mimus is actually one of the best teen books I've read in a long time, even now a year after I've read it. Check it out.

*I've labelled this under fantasy, but there is no magical aspect. It does take place in medieval times though.

Big Red Tub

Title: Big Red Tub
Author: Julia Jarman
Illustrator: Adrian Reynolds
Ages:2-5
Rating: 4/5

This is a story about two kids taking a bubble bath when it is made more interesting when animals start joining in the tub!

I read this for my 2year old storytimes, and this is a book that was well received by all three groups. There is good repetition every couple pages, with words that are easy to make fun (Splash, Splash Splash!), and there is a sense of anticipation each time there is a knock at the door (who could it be this time?!)
The story is a bit long for 2's but I shortened the story by about five pages -up until the tub sails twice around the world!

I followed this story up with an action and rhyme activity about bathtime.

Alanna: The First Adventure

Title: Alanna -The First Adventure
Series: Song of the Lioness
Author: Tamora Pierce
Age: 9-14
Rating: 3/5

About: A young girl with some magical abilities does not want to be trained to become a Lady -she wishes to become a warrior-knight. Disguising herself as a boy she rides to the palace and begins her grueling training. This book spans 4 years of her training.

Thoughts: I picked this one up because I've been hearing about it for years and so many people remarked surprise when I said I'd not read it. I was actually more attracted to the Protector of the Small series but was advised that I should read this one first. This is a pretty quick and easy read. I like how Alanna challenges herself to be better than everyone by training and working hard. Reading about her triumph is satisfying, and yet while she works so hard her success seems easy. Whatever she puts her mind to -she wins it.

There is a lot of action, one thing seems to happen right after the other without warning. This might be a good suggestion for a young reader who is easily bored while reading -particularly girls since this is definitely a girl power story.

This is a book for 9-12 year old readers for sure. I gave this book 3/5 because I thought that the story moved way too quickly without enough character development. True Alanna comes through a lot throughout the story, but the writing was too simple and the story was so straightforward that I was almost bored with it. *Spoiler ahead* While I didn't guess what would happen next, I didn't feel there was much suspense as Alanna prevailed against even the darkest evils without much effort. This I could forgive except that she never questions how easily she conquers such evils and never really pursues developing her Gift -even though she does seem to have a natural very powerful control over her magical abilities.


Title: In the Hand of the Goddess

Alanna is getting older and life is getting more complicated. Some of her friends who know her secret are acting differently around her; she is curious to learn how to act like a woman; and she has a new pet with its own special abilities. As she gets older she also has to face her fears.

This one was very quick to get through. Again Alanna ages quickly, she jumps from 15 to 18 and finally becomes a knight. The Ordeal was pretty anti-climactic especially after it had been built up to be a great source of fear for her.


Title: The Woman Who Rides Like a Man

About: Immediately following the events in the second book, Alanna rides out towards the desert to start her adventures as a knight. And almost right away she is taken by the Bazhir and must prove herself worthy of their respect and protection, if she can't she will die.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this book a lot more than the initial two. We get to know Alanna better, which I liked -and her relationships with Jonathan and George are explored a lot better.

The Moorchild

Author: Eloise McGraw
Ages: 9-12
Rating: 4/5

I was initially drawn to this book because of the cover. It was appealing because the girl looked so unusual, her bony fingers and her wild hair. I can't help it -the cover or the title is what will often initially draw me to a book.

The story about a girl who is half human and half fairy -a changeling, interested me almost right away. I wasn't convinced though that I should read this immediately. There are soo many books on my list right now that I consider at a higher priority, but a woman I work with saw it on my desk and gushed about it, I figured I would give it a try.

I really enjoyed reading this story. The writing was quite good, and the story was well told. What I really liked in this story was reading about how Saaski/Moql was different from other people. She didn't hate the children for being cruel to her, but she didn't love anyone either -the Folk part of her just couldn't understand these feelings. She tried hard to be a good daughter and to do what she was told, but she would make mistakes and not understand what it was. This is a good story for any child who has ever felt different from the crowd.
I liked the development of her character, some of her growth is a determined decision while some is more slowly understood.

Neat: This book has a reader's guide at the end.

*Spoiler*
The "climax" was overall uninteresting to me, though I get that Saaski's retrieval of the original child was the right way to close the book. It was totally expected.

Change it is a comin'

This blog started out as a class assignment, and so unfortunately it's been neglected since I graduated. But I like the idea of having a blog about books, even if I'm the only who uses it.
So if I'm going to use this blog more often I'm changing the format of my entries. They won't be as formal or maybe as long (though I guess some may be longer), and maybe the entries won't always be about books.. we'll see.

Adele and Simon

Title: Adele and Simon
Author:Barbara McClintock
Ages: 8 and up
Rating: 4/5

A brother and sister make their way from school to home through iconic places in the city of Paris. As they go, the little brother becomes distracted and misplaces several items of clothing -then find them somewhere in the illustration!

A beautifully illustrated and charming look-and-find. The illustrations are quite detailed, with a lot of people on each page going abou their business or helping to look for a lost item. The colours have a nostalgic feeling to them, which helps bring the reader to an earlier time in Paris.

Sunny Side of the Street

Title: The Sunny Side of the Street: Sing-a-long with John Lithgow
Creator: John Lithgow
Ages: 6-9
Rating: 4/5

Assessment: The music on this CD are energetic and toe-tapping! Some songs are silly, like "I'm a Manatee" while some are reminiscent of an older time like "On the Sunny side of the Street" or "Lullabye in Ragtime."

I was surprised by how impressed I was with the music of this CD. I was able to pick out several different instruments, and John sings with different partners who have beautiful voices. I was however disappointed that for a sing-a-long only a few of the songs actually had children singing along.

BONUS: The CD has a multimedia feature, where when played on a computer kids can watch an episode of Paloozaville -a TV show where John Lithgow is mayor!

Lithgow, J. (2006). The Sunny side of the street: Sing-a-long with John Lithgow. New York: Razor & Tie Direct.

Kidsclick.org

Title: Kidsclick
Creators: School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) at Kent State University
Ages: 8 & up

Assessment: This website was created by librarians to be a safe search engine for children.

The main page has many headings with popular categories to help narrow searches, unfortunately once navigated away from the main page the results are not displayed in a very appealing way. Furthermore the site itself does not appear particularly inviting.

You can find the website at:
http://kidsclick.org/

Field Guide to Dinosaurs

Title: The Field Guide to Dinosaurs
Author: Nancy Honovich
Illustrators: Marc Dando and Ryan Hobson
Ages:7-9
Rating: 3.5/5

Plot: Follow Jackson Foster and his paleontology students on an expedition across the U.S. and Canada looking for fossils.

Assessment: This field guide describes the dinosaur fossils the fictional Jackson Foster and his team find, as well as the time period and what the landscape would have been like to allow each dinosaur to thrive.

The author provides enunciation guides for the names of each dinosaur as well as illustrations of what the dinosaur might have looked like. Accompanying each dinosaur entry is a diorama figure that readers can put together and create their own dinosaur scenarios.

Honovich, N. (2008). The Field guide to dinosaurs. San Diego: Silver Dolphin Books.

10 Kings & Queens who Changed the World

Title: 10 Kings & Queens who changed the world
Author: Clive Gifford
Illustrator: David Cousens
Ages: 10-12
Rating: 5/5

Plot: Learn about 10 famous Kings and Queens from history and why they are so important.

Assessment: Each monarch is described with a little information about the state of their countries at the time of their birth, how they rose to power and the significant events they instigated or are known for.

The story of each King or Queen is expanded upon with interesting knowledge bubbles, which are accompanied by colourful and vivid graphic novel style animation.

Gifford, C. (2009). 10 Kings and queens who changed the world. New York: Kingfisher.

Kidsread.com

Title: Kidsreads
Creators: Various members of the Book Report Network
Age range: 8-12

Assessment: This is a great place for kids of any age to find out about their favorite books, series and authors. Kids (and kids at heart) can get some great book recommendations here as well, the book synopses make each book exciting. I wonder though whether the publishers of the website only make good reviews, and if so -does this reflect the quality of the book?

The site is a kid friendly place, where the content and language assumes a child audience.

My favorite part of this site besides the book recommendations and reviews, is the Book clubs link. There is helpful information about starting book clubs along with book club reading suggestions and questions.

Some of the sites currently appear under construction, but the site is certainly still browseable and helpful. The best part is that aside from the links for parents or teachers and librarians, each page is written for children.

Find the site at:
http://www.kidsreads.com/

The First of Octember

Title: Please try to Remember the First of Octember!
Author: Dr. Seuss
Illustrator: Art Cummings
Ages: 4-6
Rating: 4/5

Plot: The first of Octember is a magical time, where anything you want is YOURS!

Assessment: This is a fun imaginative story or long poem. The words sound good in a readers ears, and the illustrations just help to spur the imagination!

Some nonsense words may be frustrating for some readers who try to link the words with things from real life. At the same time, the nonsense words can help to reinforce the sounds that different letter combinations can make.

Seuss, Dr. (1977). Please try to remember the first of Octember! Toronto: Random House of Canada Ltd.

Loose Tooth

Title: Loose Tooth
Author: Lola M. Schaefer
Illustrator: Sylvie Wickstrom
Ages: 3-5; or Reading level 1
Rating: 4/5

Plot: A little boy wakes up one morning with a loose tooth, and he can't wait for it to come out!

Assessment: The illustrations tell the story as well as the simple text. The sentences are very short often only 4 or 5 words long. There is a lot of repetition so children can recognize a word they've read previously.

This is an experience that young children in this reading age will begin anticipating, or can begin relating to.

Schaefer, L. (2004). Loose Tooth. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Young Cam Jansen

Title: Young Cam Jansen and the Library Mystery
Author: David A. Adler
Illustrator: Susanna Natti
Ages: 4-6; or Reading Level 2
Rating: 4/5

Plot: Mr. Jansen, Cam and Eric stop by the library on their way to the supermarket to check out some books. When they get to the grocery store, Mr. Jansen can't find the long shopping list. Can Cam help him out?

Assessment: This is a fun story that will get kids to think about what they are reading as they read it, because they are trying to solve the mystery too.

The sentences are quite short, and the words tend to have between 1-3 syllables which are great for learning to read.

There is a neat activity when you first open the book to test your memory!

Adler, D. (2001). Young Cam Jansen and the Library Mystery. New York: Viking.

Dream Stealer

Title: The Dream Stealer
Author: Gregory Maguire
Ages: 9-12
Rating: 3.5/5

Plot: The village of Miersk is being threatened by a figure many thought was just a story -the Blood Prince. That is until two children, who still believe in the stories, decide to take the fate of their village into their own hands.

Assessment: This is an interesting modernization and joining of popular folktales of the Grimm genre, and it certainly sets the imagination running. I love the idea of moving a town onto a train!

This is a story that focuses on how children can make a difference. The children in this story are among the most brave in their entire village, but they both still really want someone to acknowledge it.

The story takes place maybe around the 1930s or 40s, in a small rural village in Europe. This is a good story for older children who might stick with the story even though they do not relate to the environment.

Maguire, G. (1983). The Dream stealer. New York: Clairon Books.

Voices in the Park

Title: Voices in the Park
Author: Anthony Browne
Ages: 5-9
Rating: 5/5

Plot: Four different people visit the park, and you can enjoy four different views on what happened there.

Assessment: This is an interesting way to get children to think about different people are, and how people see situations differently. This would be a good story to share with a child and talk about how different each section of the story is.

This is the kind of story that a child (or adult!) can come back to again and again, as they may notice something new about it each time.

Browne, A. (1998). Voices in the Park. New York: DK Publishing Inc.

Jeremy Draws a Monster

Title: Jeremy Draws a Monster
Author: Peter McCarty
Ages: 3-8
Rating: 5/5

Plot: Jeremy is bored and lonely, so one day he takes out his fancy pen and draws a monster.

Assessment: This would be a fun story to read out loud, as the story is simple and could easily be made interactive between the reader and the child audience. Similarly, this would be a good book for an older child who is learning to read because the sentences are short, and the words are not too difficult.

McCarty, P. (2009). Jeremy draws a monster. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Beanstock

Title: Beanstock -A Groovy new spin on Jack & the Beanstalk
Creators: Judy and David Gershon
Ages: 2-6
Rating: 4/5

Plot: On his way to sell their family cow, Jack meets a Wizard. The Wizard gives Jack some magical and MUSICAL beans in exchange for the cow.

Assessment: This a fun new version of Jack and the Beanstalk. The story telling is energetic, the characters are silly and the music adds an exciting element to a familiar story. This is a CD kids will want to dance to!

Bonus: Put the CD in your computer and see a music video, print colouring pages, or play games!

Gershon, J. & D. (2001). Beanstock: A groovy new spin on Jack & the Beanstalk. Scarborough, Ontario: Warner Music Canada Ltd.

Jellaby: Monster in the City

Title: Jellaby: Monster in the City
Author: Kean Soo
Illustrator: Kean Soo
Ages: 8-12
Rating: 3/5

Plot: The story of where Jellaby comes from continues as Portia and Jason take him to Toronto. What they find there is not what any of them were expecting.

Assessment: My expectations for this second book were not satisfied. The questions that were raised in the first book were never really answered. The reader does not find out where Jellaby comes from, or what happened to Portia's dad.

The main strength in this conclusion to the story of Jellaby, was the focus on friendship and loyalty. Each of the three new friends become close, and help to heal the loneliness they each appear to feel.

Soo, K. (2009). Jellaby: Monster in the city. New York: Disney Hyperion Books.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Author: Jeff Kinney
Illustrator: Jeff Kinney
Ages: 10-12
Rating: 4/5

Plot: Greg has just entered middle school and he begins his quest to be popular and famous. But its tough being popular when when everyone is a nerd but you!

Assessment: Greg's journal/diary entry style writing gives the reader a special view into Greg's special perspective on his life. But what makes the book so funny, is to see how obvious it is -to everyone but Greg, that he is the source of all his trouble.

The drawings accompanying Greg's descriptions are funny and really add a different dimension to the story.

This would be a great series to recommend for a reluctant reader -especially for boys. The stories are funny and have many elements that kids would be able to relate to. The illustrations help to break up the story, and the text that is easy enough that it would be a good recommendation for someone who is disinterested in reading because they have trouble with their reading.

Kinney, J. (2007). Diary of a wimpy kid. New York, Amulet Books.



Title: Rodrick Rules

Plot: Greg has a new diary to record the events of his year. But one thing keeps coming up, and its something he doesn't want to remember. Unfortunately for Greg his brother Rodrick knows all about his secret and he is not about to let Greg forget it!

Assessment: This next book in the series is written in the same manner, from Greg's unique perspective.

As the series progresses readers get a better look at how Greg perceives his parents. He sees them as biased towards the younger brother Manny, and oblivious to their family life. While this is part of the self-centered personality of the hero and makes up some of the humour, some parents may not appreciate Greg's seeming lack of respect for his parents.

Kinney, J. (2008). Diary of a wimpy kid: Rodrick Rules. New York: Amulet Books.



Title: The Last Straw

Plot: Greg has high hopes for the summer, but his Dad seems to have other plans for him... Military Academy. Can Greg convince his Dad that he's not as wimpy or as lazy as he seems?

Assessment: Another funny installment in Greg's Diary. While he is trying to avoid Military Academy, I thought that part of Greg's efforts was just in trying to impress his dad. In the end, they do kind of bond and Dad thinks his son is brave for trying to protect him from embarrassment -which is funny and a happy ending!

Kinney, J. (2009). Diary of a wimpy kid: The last straw. New York: Amulet Books.

Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid

Title: Stink: The incredible shrinking kid
Author:Megan McDonald
Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds
Ages: 7-9
Rating: 4/5

Plot: Stink is the shortest kid in class. Every morning get his sister Judy to measure him to see how much he's grown, until one night she measures him and he's shrunk a quarter of an inch! Stink tries to think of ways to make him taller.

Assessment: The writing in this novel is simple enough that a young reader could enjoy this story, while the subjects are mature enough to appeal to an older reader who may have a lower reading level.

The comics at the end of each chapter, drawn by Stink, help to break up the text for children who are new to chapter books.

McDonald, M. (2005). Stink: The incredible shrinking kid. Toronto, Candlewick press.

Love that Dog

Title: Love that Dog
Author: Sharon Creech

Plot: Jack is writing poetry because his teacher is making him. He doesn't like poetry, he just doesn't get it -people write about things that don't make sense. So Jack writes about what is happening in class, and he writes about his dog Sky.

Assessment: This poetry written as though by Jack, expresses a lot of feelings that children as they get older feel about poetry. That the combination of words is often confusing or that the point of the poem is not clear. But as the reader progresses through the book, Jack's appreciation for poetry grows -which is pretty amazing.

Jack's perspective on poetry and life made me laugh and cry. It really shows how poetry or journal writing can help children deal with their thoughts and feelings.

Creech, S. (2003). Love that dog. HarperCollins Publishers.

The Boy Who Ate the World

Title: The Boy Who ate the World: (And the girl who saved it)
Author: Don Gillmor
Illustrator: Pierre Pratt
Ages: 5-8
Rating: 4/5

Plot: Herman Oof is a giant who is very hungry. He eats 140 hamburgers for lunch and drinks oceans when he's thirsty. That is until Sarah gets an idea to save the Earth.

Assessment: This is a funny story about excess. Herman eats so much it starts to negatively affect the people on earth. This story can be read two ways. On one hand it is about a giant who eats the world and becomes the moon. While on the other hand it is about our society's over consumption. Mr Off tellingly rebukes a scientist who fears there isn't enough food on earth for Herman, saying "this is the world, there will always be something left."

Gillmor, D. (2008). The boy who ate the world: (and the girl who saved it). Scholastic Canada, Ltd.

The Princess and the Goblin

Title: The Princess and the Goblin
Author: George Macdonald
Illustrator: Arthur Hughes
Ages: 8-12
Rating: 3/5

Plot: Princess Irene lives in a castle with a lot of servants, but no mother or father. One day while exploring the castle Irene finds her great-grandmother, meanwhile inside the mountain a young miner overhears a plot to kidnap the princess.

Assessment: The narration style of this novel is one of the most entertaining parts of the story. Often the narrator is a character of the story all its own, and gives the reader the feeling of an orally told story rather than a print one.

With magic and goblins and trickery, this story seems set to captivate readers, however Princess Irene and Curdie are often so morally good or so polite -even correcting the adults who care for them, that they become annoying. The characters (including the narrator) are too often trying to teach children proper manners that the story often slows almost to a stop.

Macdonald, G. (1972). The Princess and the Goblin. Toronto, ON: Puffin Classics.

The Tale of Despereaux

Title: The Tale of Despereaux
Creators:Will McRobb, Gary Ross, Chris Viscardi
Ages: 5-8
Rating: 4/5

Plot: Despereaux is not like other mice. He doesn't skitter, or cower, and longs to be a hero. Which is lucky for Princess Pea who needs a hero to save her and the kingdom from a world without sunshine.

Assessment: The narration of the movie makes this tale have a read-aloud story quality. It is lightly playful, as we see right from the start when the narration doesn't quite match what the characters show us.

Kids get to see how a handful of seemingly unrelated characters or events can affect others. There is a clear message about how one's actions and words can hurt others, although it may be more difficult to grasp for younger children.

This is a good movie to show that bad guys are not always evil, and that sometimes even "good guys" can hurt people.

This movie is based on the book of the same name by Kate Dicamillo!

A Prairie as Wide as the Sea

Title: A Prairie as Wide as the Sea
Author: Sarah Ellis
Ages: 9-12
Rating: 5/5

Plot: Ivy Weatherall and her family are moving to the prairies of Canada from England. The day before she leaves, her aunt gives her a diary to record her adventures.

Assessment: The diary format allows readers to feel that they are able to become an intimate part of Ivy's life. Her diary is where she confides her feelings and secrets, and therefore into the reader.

This is an great way to get children (particularly girls) interested in Canadian history. Ivy describes many aspects of typical life as a young girl growing up on the prairies in the early 20th Century, something that is reinforced by the historical photographs at the end of the novel. This novel also has a certain quality of relevance even today, as it shows some intolerance for new immigrants.

If you liked this book, you should try others in the Dear Canada series. Or:
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
My Story series by Scholastic (for boys)

Ellis, S. (2001). A Prairie as wide as the sea: The immigrant diary of Ivy Weatherall. Toronto, On: Scholastic Canada Ltd.

U

Title: U
Creators: Gregoire Solotareff & Serge Elissalde
Ages: 6-9
Rating: 3/5

Plot: Mona is a lonely princess until one day U the unicorn appears. With U by her side, Mona grows up to be a happy and beautiful, though selfish teenager. Life is made more interesting when the Wewe's move into the forest nearby, especially as Mona finds she has feelings for the guitarist in the family.

Assessment: The film is lovely to watch as the colours are very bright, although the animation seems somewhat dated. The characters are lovable, except of course Mona's parents who are quite rude!

The story progresses really quickly, and I was often confused as to what the plot was or where the story was going.

Note: This film is in French, but may be played with the optional English subtitles.

Elissalde, S., & G. Solotareff. (2007). U. Montreal, QC: Prima Linea.

Breadwinner

Title: The Breadwinner
Author: Deborah Ellis
Ages: 9-12
Rating: 4/5

Plot: When Parvana's father is arrested there is nobody left to look after her family. In Afghanistan women are not allowed outside without a man. And so Parvana becomes a boy so that she might make enough money to feed her family, and with this new freedom Parvana learns that life is not easy for anyone anymore.

Assessment: Deborah Ellis' writing is honest as she reveals Parvana's frustration at being kept indoors because she is a girl, fear of the Talib, and hope for the future. Ellis is also forthright about what happens in Afghanistan and writes about violence against men and women by the Talib but also by family members against eachother.

This is book that I would recommended with care to an older or more mature child. Younger or more sensitive children may not be ready for the content in this book.

If you enjoyed this book keep reading about Parvana and Shauzia in the rest of the trilogy: Parvana's Journey and Mud City.

Ellis, D. (2000). The Breadwinner. Toronto: Groundwood books.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Title: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Author: Brian Selznick
Ages: 9-12
Rating:

Plot: Hugo winds the clocks in the Train Station in Paris, but he accomplishes this in secret. But the even bigger secret is his father's invention. Hugo doesn't know the secrets it holds, but if he can fix the invention then maybe he can feel close to his father again.

Assessment: This is an interesting unique novel. The illustrations tell as much of the story as does the text. I don't often prefer reading graphic novels, because I find that I get much more out of a story with text. However, this novel is put together in such a way that I sometimes felt the text was supplement to the illustrations.

Selznick, B. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Jellaby

Title: Jellaby
Author: Kean Soo
Ages: 9-12
Rating: 4/5

Plot: Portia is lonely and having a tough time at school, until she meets a big purple baby monster in the forest. She names her new friend Jellaby and promises to help him find his family.

Assessment: This story touches on feelings of abandonment, as all three of the main characters seem to have lost touch with one or both of their parents. Portia and Jason both try to give the impression that they are tough, but we see their vulnerability at various points throughout the story. This is a two part story and I can't wait to read the next installment to find out more about the characters and whether they will find out where Jellaby comes from.

The illustrations are cute, and are often sweet or laugh out loud.

Soo, K. (2008). Jellaby. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children.

Swan Lake

Title: Swan Lake
Author: Margot Fonteyn
Illustrator: Trina Schart Hyman
Ages: 5-8
Rating:

Plot: Prince Siegfried must choose a woman to marry, but he cannot find a woman to love. Until one night, standing beside a lake he witness a wonderful transformation of a swan into a beautiful princess. Prince Siegfried vows to break the woman's enchantment and marry her.

Assessment: The narration by Margot Fonteyn helps to translate the ballet from the stage to paper. She effectively relates the wonder of Prince Siegfried towards Odette, and the Swan Princess' despair over her plight.

The smooth flowing lines of the Princess' and the maidens' dresses add a lightness and grace that almost gives the reader the impression they could blow off the page if the wind were too strong. The darkness of the night backgrounds help to make Odette shimmer with a feeling of magic and beauty.

Fonteyn, M. (1989). Swan Lake. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.


Author: Anthea Bell
Illustrator: Chihiro Iwasaki
Ages: 5-8
Rating: 3/5

Assessment: The writing in this version of Swan Lake is targeted towards a younger or more immature audience than that of Margot Fonteyn's. The story is simplified and as a result seems somewhat fragmented. The ending is has been altered to give the story a happy ending for more sensitive readers.

The watercolour illustrations are light and delicate giving the story a dream like feeling. The use of white space in the illustrations almost seems to encourage the reader's imagination to finish the artwork and imagine the action beyond what the pages are showing.

Bell, A. (1988). Swan Lake. Saxonville, MA: Picture Book Studio.

Hana's Suitcase

Title: Hana's Suitcase: A true story
Author: Karen Levine
Ages: 9-12
Rating: 5/5

Plot: A suitcase arrives for display at a children's Holocaust museum in Japan, but nobody knows to whom it belonged. Fumiko Ishioka, the curator, embarks on a journey to discover the previous owner of the suitcase. All she knows is a name, Hanna Brady.

Assessment: The journey of curator Fumiko Ishioka creates suspense for the reader as only parts of Hana and her history are revealed to us, just as Fumiko only discovers a little at a time about Hana.

The photographs found throughout help readers to better appreciate that the Holocaust affected real children, who had hobbies and friends. Even though the Holocaust happened a long time ago, children recognize that Hana was a regular little girl who didn't think what was happening was fair.

The story quality of this book, as well has having a heroine that children can identify makes learning the story of the Holocaust more tangible and a more approachable subject.

Levine, K. (2002). Hana's Suitcase: A True Story. Toronto, On: Second Story Press.