MORE '2012-REVIEWS' POSTS
The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau By Michelle Markel Illustrated by Amanda Hall Eerdmans Books for Young Readers $17.00 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5264-6 Ages 4-8 On shelves now I’m not ashamed to say it, though perhaps I should be. Still, it’s true. Though I grew up in the middle class with a good education and a stint […]
Goblin Secrets By William Alexander Margaret K. McElderry Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) $16.99 ISBN: 978-1-442434523 Ages 9-12 On shelves now I think it is time to declare the birth of the clockwork children’s novel. If you have been watching the literary trends over the last decade or so, you will note that […]
Lester’s Dreadful Sweaters By K.G. Campbell Kids Can Press $16.95 ISBN: 978-1-55453-770-9 Ages 4-8 On shelves now When writing a picture book it can sometimes be a good idea to take a universal childhood annoyance and then build upon it in a satisfyingly ridiculous manner. And kids, let’s face it, are often annoyed. They have […]
National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry: 200 Poems with Photographs That Squeak, Soar, and Roar! Edited by J. Patrick Lewis National Geographic $24.95 ISBN: 978-1-4263-1009-6 Ages 7-12 On shelves now Animals make for good poetry. That’s just common sense. When humans get misty eyed and start thinking their great grand thoughts, they tend to be […]
All the Wrong Questions: “Who Could That Be at This Hour?” By Lemony Snicket Illustrated by Seth Little, Brown and Company $15.99 ISBN: 978-0-316-12308-2 Ages 9-12 On shelves October 24th Last year I was running a bookgroup for kids, ages 9-12, when the subject of children’s books adapted into films came up. We talked about […]
Creepy Carrots! By Aaron Reynolds Illustrated by Peter Brown Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers $16.99 ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3 Ages 4-8 On shelves now A children’s librarian is half media specialist, half psychic. It isn’t enough to have to know the books in your collection. You have to know what that pint-sized patron standing before […]
Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature’s Undead By Rebecca L. Johnson Millbrook Press (an imprint of Lerner) $30.60 ISBN: 978-0761386339 Ages 9 and up On shelves now There’s this podcast I like to listen to called RadioLab, which is essentially just a show for people who like kooky science but are still a little foggy […]
A Boy and a Bear in a Boat By Dave Shelton $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-385-75248-0 Ages 9 and up On shelves now First off, I like it. I think it’s important to make that note right upfront. Particularly since I’m probably going to break out terms like “bizarre”, “peculiar”, “odd”, “weird”, and “eerily strange” (or “strangely […]
Jonathan & Martha By Petr Horacek Phaidon Press Inc. $14.95 ISBN: 978-0-7148-6351-1 Ages 3-7 On shelves now Ever tried to write a picture book before? Blooming bloody hard work they are. Synthesizing a point down to as few words as possible without sacrificing story or character is akin to trying to cram a muffin into […]
Little White Duck: A Childhood in China By Na Liu Illustrated by Andres Vera Martinez ISBN: 9780761365877 Graphic Universe (an imprint of Lerner) $29.27 Ages 9-12 On shelves now. It’s funny to think about, but the fact of the matter is that we’re still in the early days of the graphic novel memoir for children. […]