2013 reviews

Tag: 2013 reviews

January 1, 2014 by Betsy Bird

Review of the Day: Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild By Peter Brown Little, Brown and Company $18.00 ISBN: 978-0-316-20063-9 Ages 3-7 On shelves now. Here’s a fun exercise to liven up a gloomy day. Find yourself a copy of the picture book Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. Now turn to the publication page. It’s the green one opposite the title page at […]

January 1, 2014 by Betsy Bird

Review of the Day: Journey by Aaron Becker

Journey By Aaron Becker Candlewick Press ISBN: 978-0-7636-6053-6 $15.99 Ages 3-8 On shelves now. I’ve encountered something new and exciting at this late stage of the game. For years I’ve been reviewing picture books written for children. Working with them on almost a day-to-day basis as a children’s librarian, I did not doubt that my […]

December 24, 2013 by Betsy Bird

Review of the Day: The Silver Six by AJ Lieberman

The Silver Six By A.J. Lieberman Illustrated by Darren Rawlings Graphix (an imprint of Scholastic) $22.99 ISBN: 978-0-545-37097-4 Ages 9-12 On shelves now Ambition. It’s not a term I usually associate with children’s graphic novels. Your average everyday children’s comic is not particularly ambitious. There are so few of them out there that you can’t […]

Review of the Day: Written in Stone by Rosanne Parry

December 4, 2013 by Betsy Bird

Written in Stone By Rosanne Parry Random House $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-375-86971-6 Ages 9-12 On shelves now Finding books of historical fiction for kids about Native Americans is an oddly limited proposition. Basically, it boils down to Pilgrims, the Trail of Tears, the occasional 1900s storyline (thank God for Louise Erdrich), and . . . yeah, […]

Review of the Day: Herman and Rosie by Gus Gordon

November 30, 2013 by Betsy Bird

Herman and Rosie By Gus Gordan Roaring Brook (an imprint of Macmillan) $17.99 ISBN: 978-1596438569 Ages 3-7 On shelves now New Yorkers are singularly single minded. It’s not enough that our city be rich, popular, and famous. We apparently are so neurotic that we need to see it EVERYWHERE. In movies, on television, and, of […]

Review of the Day: Jumping Penguins by Jesse Goossens

November 18, 2013 by Betsy Bird

Jumping Penguins by Jesse Goossens Illustrated by Marije Tolman Lemniscaat $19.95 ISBN: 9781935954323 Ages 6-11 On shelves now. Here’s a puzzler for you. See what you think. There’s been a lot of talk lately about nonfiction for kids and the importance of highlighting those books that adhere strictly to the truth. That means no invented […]

Review of the Day: Rose by Holly Webb

November 12, 2013 by Betsy Bird

Rose By Holly Webb Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.) $6.99 ISBN: 978-1-4022-8581-3 Ages 9-12 On shelves now. Like a bullet whizzing past your ear, I shudder when I consider how close I came to never hearing about Holly Webb’s mesmerizing, charming, purely delightful Rose. It’s an innocuous little book. Doesn’t draw a lot […]

Review of the Day: Happy Punks 1 2 3 by John Seven and Jana Christy

November 6, 2013 by Betsy Bird

Happy Punks 123: A Counting Story By John Seven and Jana Christy Manic D Press $15.95 ISBN: 978-1-933149-67-7 Ages 3-6 On shelves now Here is how, as of the date of this review, Wikipedia defines the term “punk culture”. Ahem. “. . . largely characterized by anti-establishment views and the promotion of individual freedom.” Now […]

Review of the Day: When Thunder Comes by J. Patrick Lewis

October 30, 2013 by Betsy Bird

When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders By J. Patrick Lewis Illustrated by Jim Burke, R. Gregory Christie, Tonya Engel, John Parra, and Meilo So Chronicle Books $16.99 ISBN: 978-1-4521-0119-4 Ages 10 and up On shelves now Poetry is of the people by its very definition. Though sometimes considered the property of the elite […]

Review of the Day: Ghost Hawk by Susan Cooper

October 23, 2013 by Betsy Bird

Ghost Hawk By Susan Cooper McElderry Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) $16.99 ISBN: 978-1-4424-8141-1 Ages 9-12 On shelves now How do we best honor our literary heroes? Particularly those who not only live but continue to produce works of fiction within our lifetimes. Like whole swaths of women and men my age, I […]

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