Friday, December 31, 2010
Suggestions Welcome!
Is there a book that you would like me to review? Do you have a favorite you'd like to share? Please feel free to leave a comment on this post and tell me! I welcome all suggestions!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Dear Whiskers by Ann Whitehead Nagda

I am a mouse.
I live in your desk.
When Jenny's fourth grade class is assigned to write letters to second graders, Jenny's a little excited about it.
But then she picks a funny name for her pen pal: Sameera. What kind of a name is Sameera? Jenny's best friend Richard had picked a boy named Eric. Smart, fussy Susan had a pen pal named Daniel. Really nice ordinary names.
Worse, the fourth graders are supposed to pretend to be mice writing the letters. What do mice write letters about? What do mice do? Jenny really hates this part of the project.
And, worst of all, Sameera never writes back! Doesn't she like Jenny's letters? Maybe she thinks "Whiskers" is a dumb name for a mouse. Or maybe she hates Jenny.
Jenny has two choices: try talking to her pen pal, or trade her in for a different second grader. But there's something Jenny doesn't know yet about Sameera...
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Father and Son Read-Aloud Stories retold by Robert Gould

Lara Gurin's artwork appears to be based on photographs, creating a combination of fantasy and reality that perfectly balances the stories they illustrate.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Postman Always Brings Mice by Holm & Hamel

At least, you used to be.
But that was before Sir Archibald, the Director of MI9, Britain's most secret counterspy agency, and your human ever since you were a young kitten, was foully poisoned before your very eyes.
Now, a mix-up in customs and baggage claims dumps you, not in Norway on the trail of the vile villain who did the deed, but in an animal shelter - in New Jersey! To be adopted by an American family and misnamed "Mr. Stink."
The indignity!
And yet, in the midst of your plans to resume your quest, you discover that not everything is as it seems. Not even in a quiet little American neighborhood...
Labels:
cats,
chapter book,
friendship,
Holm and Hamel,
mice,
mystery,
pets,
Postman Always Brings Mice (The),
series,
spies
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Harvey Moon, Museum Boy by Pat Cummings

What do you get when you mix one mischevious kid, one frightened lizard, and a museum full of amazing things?
A story that you've got to read to believe, and a punchline that will have you groaning and laughing!
Labels:
adventure,
Harvey Moon Museum Boy,
humor,
illustrated fiction,
museums,
Pat Cummings,
pets,
series
Saturday, April 24, 2010
April Wild! Book Club
Well, the weather was so nice that no one came for the book club this month. Unless we get a whole flood of friends for the May 22 get-together, we might have to let this program go and find a different way to enjoy and share stories.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Who Were They Really? by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Have you ever wondered how Peter Rabbit got his name, or how Alice had so many adventures in Wonderland?
Ms. Pfeffer has collected the true stories behind these favorite characters, including pictures both of their authors and of their subjects. (Did you know that the real Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends are in New York City? They live at the Donnell Library.) You might be surprised at where some of the stories have come from, and the lives of the people who inspired them.
Labels:
animals,
family,
friendship,
grief,
loss,
nonfiction,
pets,
photographs,
Susan Beth Pfeffer,
Who Were They Really
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Otto Runs for President by Rosemary Wells

Otto, on the other hand, is just a really good listener. While Tiffany and Charles are putting up banners and bumper stickers, Otto asks the kindergarteners about blankets. In the middle of pep rallies and pancake breakfasts, Otto quietly passes out homemade cookies.
It looks like a real close race heading into election day - Otto and his best friend Melanie have their fingers and toes crossed. Who do you think will win?
---
Our book kit includes a CD with the story narrated by Diana Canova. She has a great range of voices, making each character stand out. And the pep band background music definitely completes the story! There's two versions on the CD - one with page turn signals and one without. Great for sharing as a family, or for a young reader to practice on his or her own!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
March Wild! Book Club
Well, we were a little short on Wild! today - no one came to hang out and talk about books!
Our next get-together is Saturday, April 24 at 1 pm. Remember, everyone in grades 2-6 is welcome to spend some time relaxing and chatting about stories with other book-lovers!
Our next get-together is Saturday, April 24 at 1 pm. Remember, everyone in grades 2-6 is welcome to spend some time relaxing and chatting about stories with other book-lovers!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

One day, a peddler who sells caps - gray caps and brown caps and blue caps and red caps - goes out into the country to take a nap. He sits down under a big tree, falls asleep, and when he wakes up - all of his caps have disappeared!
Who could have took them? And how will he get them back?
---
If you enjoy this story, you'll like the sequel: Circus Caps for Sale. It's an equally fun romp, though I much prefer the original!
Labels:
Caps for Sale,
Esphyr Slobodkina,
humor,
illustrations,
monkeys,
picture book,
series
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

Two page spreads illustrate each artist's answer to the old joke, each one different from the next. (I won't tell you those answers; it would ruin the surprise!)
Some best-known artists include Mo Willems (Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus; Knuffle Bunny; the Elephant and Piggy books), Tedd Arnold (the Fly Guy! books), David Shannon (No, David!; How I Became a Pirate), Jerry Pinkney (The Little Red Hen; The Lion and the Mouse), Harry Bliss (Diary of a Spider; Diary of a Worm), Lynn Munsinger (What Mommies Do Best / What Daddies do Best), and Judy Schachner (Skippyjon Jones).
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen

Imagine a world of swords and spears, honor and treachery, heroes and villains. Imagine four mouse guards - Lieam, Kenzie, Saxon, and Sadie - who each find pieces of the puzzle. A forbidden map, a shadowy meeting, a mouse who claims to be a hero of legend. A war coming, mouse against mouse rather than against their natural predators.
This vibrantly-colored comic book story tells a tale of bravery and sacrifice, friendship and suspicion. It's probably better for older readers because of the subject matter.
Labels:
adventure,
comics,
courage,
David Petersen,
fantasy,
illustrations,
mice,
Mouse Guard,
series
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The Master Spy Handbook by Rain Newcomb

I'm on a mission at the moment: the Network wants me to find out what criminal mastermind extraordinaire Felicia wants with a whole shipment of Spy Wars video games. Not too tricky for a trained spy like me, but if my teachers at the Spy Academy found out what I was doing, I'd be put in detention. If I'm lucky.
Fortunately, I've got a lot of experience doing this, and I don't like to brag but I'm pretty good. Felicia - and the Academy - won't suspect a thing until the Network arrests her!
Well, I suppose if you wanted to tag along I could show you a few tricks of the trade, give you a few tips, things like that. Okay, okay, sure - I'll tell you how to do everything I do on this mission, all right? Just remember - be careful, and don't let my notebook fall into the wrong hands, got it?
Labels:
Master Spy Handbook (The),
mystery,
nonfiction,
Rain Newcomb,
secrets,
spies
Saturday, February 27, 2010
February Wild! Book Club
We had a special guest today - Miss Liz, who is going to school to become a children's librarian, came to the Book Club! She said she'll be here next month too.
We had a small group - Sasha, Miss Liz, and Miss Jennie. But that's okay - we had a lot of fun!
Sasha read Geronimo Stilton and the Gold Medal Mystery by Geronimo Stilton. She really liked the pages that showed the flags of all the countries that participated in the Olympics. Geronimo is her favorite character in the book so far - she hasn't quite finished, but she's really looking forward to it.
Miss Liz read Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis. She said Elijah was her favorite character - he's a young boy, the first one born in a little village formed by freed and runaway slaves. One of the men is trying to save money to bring his family up from the South, but someone else in the village steals it. So it's up to Elijah and a friend to find that person and bring the money home! The book is pretty exciting, and it's written by a Michigan author!
Miss Jennie brought two books: Bones and the Dinosaur Mystery by David Adler and The Master Spy Handbook by Rain Newcomb. Both of them are about detectives! Miss Jennie particularly liked the illustrations in the book about Bones, as well as Bones' friend Miss Sally. And the spy handbook was really useful - there were all sorts of tips on secret codes, disguises, and spy tools. Plus, there was a mystery to solve along the way.
Remember, everyone in grades 2-6 is welcome to join us for next month's meeting: March 27 at 1 pm. See you then!
We had a small group - Sasha, Miss Liz, and Miss Jennie. But that's okay - we had a lot of fun!
Sasha read Geronimo Stilton and the Gold Medal Mystery by Geronimo Stilton. She really liked the pages that showed the flags of all the countries that participated in the Olympics. Geronimo is her favorite character in the book so far - she hasn't quite finished, but she's really looking forward to it.
Miss Liz read Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis. She said Elijah was her favorite character - he's a young boy, the first one born in a little village formed by freed and runaway slaves. One of the men is trying to save money to bring his family up from the South, but someone else in the village steals it. So it's up to Elijah and a friend to find that person and bring the money home! The book is pretty exciting, and it's written by a Michigan author!
Miss Jennie brought two books: Bones and the Dinosaur Mystery by David Adler and The Master Spy Handbook by Rain Newcomb. Both of them are about detectives! Miss Jennie particularly liked the illustrations in the book about Bones, as well as Bones' friend Miss Sally. And the spy handbook was really useful - there were all sorts of tips on secret codes, disguises, and spy tools. Plus, there was a mystery to solve along the way.
Remember, everyone in grades 2-6 is welcome to join us for next month's meeting: March 27 at 1 pm. See you then!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Bones and the Dinosaur Mystery by David A. Adler

Which is a good thing, because mysteries can appear in the strangest places - like in the museum Bones and Grandpa are visiting. Grandpa's friend Sally is with them, and Sally and Bones buy some neat dinosaur things at the gift shop. Bones really likes his blue plastic T-Rex.
But an hour later, after snacks and walking through the outer space exhibit, the T-Rex is gone! Detective Bones is on the case, and this time it's personal.
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