MORE 'REVIEWS' POSTS
Black and White Airmen: Their True History by John Fleischman Houghton Mifflin $20.00 Ages 12 and up Fun Fact: If you want to get the attention of a class of sixth graders, tell `em about a book where a guy blew a metal rod through the top of his skull and lived. That’ll wake the […]
(CONTINUED FROM PART ONE) A co-worker of mine pointed out that for some kids, certain sections are going to grab their attention more than others. There are definitely child readers out there for whom air battles and combat via planes is going to be the primary focus of their interest with this book. Other kids […]
Mary and the Mouse, the Mouse and Mary by Beverly Donofrio Illustrated by Barbara McClintock Schwartz & Wade (a Random House imprint) $16.99 Ages 4-8. I’m way behind on this one. I got a nice review copy at ALA this year and then *poof*! It disappears before I can get it home to review. Ah […]
(CONTINUED FROM PART ONE) Now a more peculiar part of what I liked about this book was the appearance of the mice themselves. Most illustrators avoid accurate representations of mousey feet because they look… well, they look a bit unappealing. With their long soles and tiny toes at the end, mice have really really weird […]
Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell Illustrations by Jonathan Bean Henry Holt and Company $17.95 Ages 9-12 It’s easy to become jaded. Read enough children’s fiction and it all begins to swim and swirl about in your head. Was that the middle grade novel about a girl who likes a boy with […]
(CONTINUED FROM PART TWO) There are also some convenient plot devices that raised an eyebrow but weren’t really distracting. Apparently when you shrink, your clothes shrink along with you (as opposed to in "The Dark Ground" by Gillian Cross). Also, Jonell requires that you remember some pretty minor characters from the beginning of the book […]
The Wizard by Jack Prelutsky Illustrated by Brandon Dorman Greenwillow (a Random House imprint) $16.99 For ages 4-8 It seems like such an obvious notion that I’m more than a little shocked that other publishers haven’t dived into the idea first. Step One: Locate a book of children’s poetry. Say, "Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your […]
(CONTINUED FROM PART ONE) I enjoyed the at odds setting of the story too. Dorman places his action at the end of a suburban cul-de-sac. The title page shows your average everyday houses, ending in a ramshackle skeleton of a hut with a tall stone tower just behind. It makes you wonder how the Wizard […]
Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson Random House $15.99 Ages 9 to 14 I am a traitor to my sex. I must be. All evidence clearly points in that direction. If 2007 is remembered as anything, for me it will be the year of Boy Books That I Adored While My Female Friends Slowly Shook Their […]
Another Book About Design: Complicated Doesn’t Make It Bad by Mark Gonyea Henry Holt & Company $19.95 Ages 8-12 Combining the terms "good design" and "children" often sends me into fits of mild hysteria. There is nothing in this world that I find funnier than adults creating tasteful/mindless toys, games, and books for kiddies that […]