MORE 'REVIEWS' POSTS
Starcross by Philip Reeve, illustrated by David Wyatt. Bloomsbury. $16.95. On shelves October 12th. They say science fiction for kids doesn’t sell. They say a lot of things, but this particular belief is pretty widespread. Space may be the final frontier, but as far as kidlit publishers go, literary reaches for the outer limits aren’t […]
(CONTINUED FROM PART ONE) I was shocked when I came to the undeniable conclusion that my favorite character, despite my best intentions, was the bespectacled Myrtle. Myrtle is a difficult character to love sometimes. She insists on deviating as little from the norm as possible, but simply thrives when she’s no longer limited to the […]
Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie by Joel Stewart. Holiday House. $16.95. On shelves now. Someday, somewhere, someone will create a database of picture books that work best when you read them aloud. Maybe one already exists, but how extensive is it? What I really want is a listing that continually updates as each […]
The Broken Bike Boy and the Queen of 33rd Street by Sharon G. Flake. Jump at the Sun (a Hyperion imprint). $15.99. I’m probably the laziest person I know when it comes to reviewing books. I’m okay on the reading part, and I’m just ducky at putting a book in my To Be Reviewed Pile. […]
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis. Frances Foster Books (an imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux). $18.00. Totalitarian regimes make for good children’s books. They just do. What could be more inherently exciting plot-wise than a world in which you never know who to trust? Where children report parents to […]
(CONTINUED FROM PART ONE) The comic book bloggers have been calling this book a picture book graphic novel, and have claimed “The Wall” as their own. It’s a very interesting take. At first glance I just assumed that this story was similar in its layout and structure to the Galileo and Darwin books Sis has […]
(CONTINUED FROM PART ONE) Illustrators often end up with the short end of the stick when it comes to critiquing the books they work upon. Because I had read (and greatly enjoyed) the Stephen Mitchell book of poetry for children, “The Wishing Bone”, I had seen Mr. Tom Pohrt’s work before. His images aren’t flashy […]
Genies, Meanies, and Magic Rings by Stephen Mitchell. Illustrated by Tom Pohrt. Walker Books for Young Readers. $16.95. Give Stephen Mitchell a looksee. Stare long and hard at him for a while. Really take him in. Why? Because, my friend, you are in the presence of a very smart man. A man who realized something […]
The Owl and the Pussycat By Edward Lear Illustrations by Stephane Jorisch Part of the Visions in Poetry Series. KCP Press (an imprint of Kids Can Press) I’ve no beef with Edward Lear, but I’ve no particular love of him either. Best known for his sweet nonsense poems, Lear often comes off as a slightly […]
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. Bloomsbury (British edition). $34.99. Big honking multi-pronged spoiler alert. But you knew that anyway, did you not? I’ve known Harry Potter for eight years now. Eight years is a long time to know anyone, fictional or not. Since I first met him, Mr. Potter has remained […]