Review: Crayola

http://www.crayola.com/

Children's Website; Marketing Tie-ins and Activities

Grades: 1-4

First Accessed: November 28, 2008

The art supply company's tie in website, including activities and marketing.

My Thoughts:

I didn't really care all that much for this site. It was not organized in a kid friendly fashion, being hard to navigate and relying heavily on text. It seemed to be a thinly disguised attempt to sell products to children. The opening page is mostly ads, with a sidebar that directs users to various sites...parents, educators, children. The coloring pages are nice, when they load, but the tools to color them online aren't even as good as the ones on the PBS site. They were difficult to use and limited. It was very frustrating!

I had had high hopes for this site, since the company's products all foster creativity, it would seem like the site should have had great visual impact and been innovative. Its not. It looks like a website template that I can get through Microsoft Office. Also, there were a lot of issues, at least on my end, with getting various features to load. Several coloring pages crashed. Worst of all...there were pop-ups. I HATE POP-UPS! On top of which, they should be ILLEGAL on kid's sites.

The Thoughts of Others:
No Critical Reviews Available

Review: PBS Kids

http://pbskids.org/

Children's Website; Games/Entertainment

Ages: 3-8

First Accessed: November 26, 2008

The companion website to the Public Broadcasting System's children's television programming, including games and other entertainment options.

My Thoughts:

I thought that this website is ideal for younger children. There is absolutely NOTHING objectionable on it, or anyway to access possibly objectionable material from it. Also, a lot of the site uses imagery and audio, rather than text, to direct users. This is great for children who are either beginning or non-readers. I loved the formatting, with the wheel of fortune style menu that directs kids to the various pages for various shows...especially since it is character faces rather than titles that differentiate the tabs.

The PBS kids island section is a game section, that children can either use as a trial or register for. It is chock full of educational games that work on math, literacy, and concepts like opposites. Kids can earn points/tickets, and thus budgeting and money skills. There are activities, like coloring pages, on the various show sites, and videos and interviews with various characters. Overall it is a good supplement to the television shows, a nice educational tool (without kids knowing it is an educational tool), and executed with the high standard of quality that one can expect from PBS.

Thoughts of Others:
No Critical Reviews Available

Review: Storyline Online

http://www.storylineonline.net/index2.html

Children's Website; Streaming Storytimes

Grades: Preschool-2nd

First Accessed: November 24, 2008

A collection of online streaming videos featuring Screen Actor's Guild members reading picture books.

My Thoughts:

This is an absolutely amazing website. It has some VERY famous people reading picture books in video format. (Jason Alexander, Elijah Wood, Melissa Gilbert, Sean Astin, etc.) As professional actors, the quality of the reading is amazing. Also, the movement between the book illustrations (some of which have been animated, andthe actors themselves, is very smooth and well done. Also, the books that have been chosen are titles that will appeal to children, and are a wide mix of award winners, new classics, and just plain fun! (A Bad Case of Stripes, Stellaluna, Polar Express.)

One of the neatest features of this site is the ability to either merely hear the story, or to see the text along with the reading. This is great for encouraging literacy in children. Early readers can gain experience reading along with the actors. There are even activities to go along with many of the stories. However, my favorite feature was quite simple: each story clearly tells you how long the video runs. This is very important if you want to use one for a storytime or in a classroom setting. (Or as a bedtime story...you wouldn't want the kids staying up later than they ought to!)

Thoughts of Others:
No Critical Reviews Available

Review: Yahooligans

http://kids.yahoo.com/

Children's Website; Search Engine

Grades: 2-5

First Accessed: November 22. 2008

This is a child friendly version of the yahoo search engine. It including areas for browsing, games, and research.

My Thoughts:

I thought that this was a great website. It was very user friendly, and the format and colors would appeal to a younger crowd. However, unlike other children's sites, it does rely a lot on text, rather than icons and pictures to direct users to different access points. I appreciated that it had homework help, as well as the "Ask Earl" section. I also really liked that there was a tab for parents to use to help them monitor their children's web behavior, as well as help their children navigate this particular browser.

The games were fun, and diverse, much like their counterparts on the regular yahoo site. Also, the featured movies and entertainment information was definitely geared to the elementary-tween crowd. That, though, might be the downfall of the site. A lot of the information and features seemed to be hoping to latch into the tween population, but tweens are just fickle enough that they won't use this site based solely on the "kids" label. Overall, I think this site would make a great homepage for a family or child-use home computer. It also would be a good resource for elementary school teachers to use to introduce kids to research. However, aside from the games, I don't think that a lot of kids will go to it independently.

Thoughts of Others:
No Critical Reviews Available.

Review: Dealing with Dragons

By Patricia Wrede

Harcourt; 2002; 240 pages

Tween Fiction;

Grades: 5-9

ISBN: 978-0-152-04566-1

Cimorene is not your normal princess. She is not typically pretty, she likes to swordfight, and the only thing she can cook is Cherries Jubilee. So, she runs away from home to live with a dragon, and does NOT want to be rescued! While living with Kazul, her dragon, the wizards try to steal dragon magic, and it is up to Cimorene to save the day!

My Thoughts:
This is an absolutely enchanting and amazing book! It is a wittily written novel that takes a new spin on the fantasy genre. For example, the witch character Morwen cannot be melted with water, but wizards can...provided the water is soapy. Also, the wizards are not magical, but rather their staff leaches magic from the magical beings around them. The characters are all fully developed, the action moves along at a quick pace, and the plot takes unexpected by pleasant twists and turns. I was glad to learn that it was the first in a series because I was definitely not tired of Cimorene, Kazul, and Morwen at the end.

I felt that this was also a great book for tweens, since it is too advanced for younger kids, but doesn't have ANY objectionable material, such as what is often found in the cutting edge teen literature. Most importantly, Cimorene is a great role model for tween girls who are having to adjust physically, emotionally, and socially to the world around them. She is a strong woman, who embraces being herself, and positively influences the environment and people that surround her.

The Thoughts of Others:
Sally Estes wrote a review for Booklist in 1990. She also had a positive reaction to the book. She noted Wrede's "witty playfulness" and summed the book up as "a decidedly diverting novel with plenty of action and many slightly skewed fairy-tale conventions that add to the laugh-out-loud reading pleasure and give the story a wide appeal."

Kirkus Review's 1990 opinion of the novel praised the feminist viewpoint, which it noted was not carried out with a heavy hand. It appreciated that "both Cimorene and her dragon are firmly drawn, tough-minded females who refuse to conform to stereotypes (being female doesn't prevent a dragon from becoming king)."

Review: Knight

By Christopher Gravett; Photographed by Geoff Dann

DK Publishing; 2004; 72 Pages

Juvenile Non-Fiction; Single Topic

Grades 2-5

ISBN: 0-7566-0696-9

An in-depth look at all aspects of typical life for a medieval knight, this book discusses everything from how to knights donned their armor to a time line of chivalric history. The text is accompanied by photographs of artifacts and re-enactments.

My Thoughts:
I thought that this book was outstanding. The text is simple, yet rich in details. (For example, armour weighed 45 to 55 pounds, women often married at fourteen, and castles had holes in their stone ceilings so that fires could be put out from above!) More importantly, at least to the modern child's short attention span, the formal text itself is incredibly brief. The majority of the information is delivered via blurbs or captions to the remarkable photographs. This also would aid reluctant readers. The text is chunked in such a way that it is neither overwhelming nor daunting. Both the author and the photographer did a good job in picking subjects (specific suits of armor, ancient weaponry, artwork) that would appeal to children. This book makes history fun!

The best aspect of this book though was the photography. I feel that having the pictures be photos rather than illustrations aids in children's grasp of history as reality. Had the book merely had drawings of knights and ladies, many children could have equated it to the overabundance of illustrated fairy tales and fantasy works. The photos really bring home the fact that knights were real, that they really fought, and that they really wore armour. (I particularly enjoyed the double-page spread that depicted how a knight went about putting the armor on. It was truly an involved process.) I am interested now in looking at some of the other historical eyewitness books in the series, and am confident that I can recommend them to kids doing research, or who are merely interested in learning more about the world around them!

The Thoughts of Others:
I was actually unable to find any critical reviews of this particular edition/eyewitness title. However, overall the series is highly respected. I know that, if you count circulation statistics as a review source, we can't seem to keep any of the eyewitness books on the shelf. This one is particularly popular, with an astronomical circulation rate.

Also, for a very non-critical review, I would like to point out that this book was actually recommended to me by a 3rd grade boy when he found out I wanted an eyewitness book for homework. Peyton said, and I quote: "You should get the knight one. Its my favoritest! There are swords and stuff."

Review: An American Plague

The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

By Jim Murphy

Clarion Books; 2003; 165 pages

Non-Fiction; Award Winner: Newbery Honor Book, National Book Award Finalist, Robert F. Sibert Medal Winner

Grades: 6-12

ISBN: 978-0-395-77608-2

This book relates the tale of how the Yellow Fever crippled our nation's capital of Philadelphia. Political bigwigs, such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, along with pioneering doctors and a fearful populace were all caught up in the horrific epidemic that changed history.

My Thoughts:
It is obvious why this book has won so many awards. I thought that this was a very well executed, and very interesting book on a topic that I generally do not enjoy reading about. I am not a fan of sickness, or reading about sickness, or reading about the often barbaric practices of early doctors, or reading about political intrigues and ramifications. Yet, for some reason, I really enjoyed this book. For one thing, Jim Murphy is an outstanding writer. The mere mechanics and style of the text pulls the reader in. At the same time, he handles the subject matter in a mature and yet kid-friendly manner. Also, it is beneficial for students to read works like this early in their school careers since it introduces them to several standard non-fiction practices: citation, primary documentation, and quotation. (And does all of this without being dry or boring.)

The book is full of facts that kids will enjoy, especially the section on bleeding people. I think they will be intrigued by the fact that this is still an incurable disease as well. All though the time period and setting won't be familiar to the kids, some of the people described in it will be: George Washington, Dolly Madison, Benjamin Franklin. I think having them in the book helps make it more accessible to children. In addition, the artwork throughout the book does a good job of supporting the text. (Keep in mind though that this is meant for older children, so the artwork is secondary to the text.) I also really liked the facsimiles of newspapers and publications from the time. They added visual interest, but also made for fun reading...especially the bits that had nothing to do with the story at hand!

The Thoughts of Others:
Publisher's Weekly reviewed An American Plague in 2003 and liked how "Murphy injects the events with immediacy." It doesn't seem like it is a history book. Their reviewer also praised the comprehensive nature of the text, liked the photos and appreciated the recommended resources and cautionary note.

Kirkus's Review in 2003 called this book "a mesmerizing, macabre account that will make readers happy they live in the 21st century." They highly praised the prevalence of primary sources, as well as how the "powerful, evocative prose carries along the compelling subject matter."

Review: Healing Stories

Picture Books for the Big and Small Changes in a Child's Life

By Jacqueline Golding, Ph.D

M. Evans; 2006; 343 pages

Paperback; Reader's Advisory

Adults

ISBN: 978-1-59077-097-9

A readers' advisory text which suggests various picture book titles, with accompanying bibliographic information and brief annotation, that address major events and developmental milestones in a child's life such as death, natural disaster, and separation anxiety.

My Thoughts:
I appreciated this book for what it was, a fairly specific book of reader's advisory. I think it would especially be useful having it available to parents in the children's section or reference section of the library. However, I would not recommend it as a book for individuals to go out and buy on their own. (Whereas I think that every reader should have a full set of Nancy Pearl's books on their shelves!) I liked that it only included picture books. I also liked that it included annotations. Most times titles alone will not aid a staff person or parent in determining whether the book will address their particular issue or event.

The thing I liked most was the diversity of the texts suggested. Each section included "classic" works, as well as at least one from the last 10 years. (Some were very current considering that the reference itself is a couple years old.) A great example of this is the section on Illness of Another Person. It listed both Now One Foot, Now the Other by Tomie dePaola (which I remember fondly from my childhood) and Singing with Momma Lou from 2002. Both books deal with aging grandparents.

The Thoughts of Others:
Blair Christolon reviewed this book in 2006 for School Library Journal. He felt that the book would be a great resource for "either for bibliotherapy or for theme-building for storytimes." Favorable comparisons were also drawn between this work and A to Zoo, citing the annotations in Healing Stories as very helpful.

Library Journal also reviewed the work in 2006. Reviewer Kari Ramstrom wrote that "Healing Stories empowers parents to promote development and healing...in a fun, helpful manner. She was disappointed though because while the titles suggested were useful in the categories available, she felt that other topics (such as injury or special needs) should have been included.

Review: Cat with the Yellow Star

Coming of Age in Terezin

By Susan Goldman Rubin with Ela Weissberger

Holiday House; 2006; 40 pages

Juvenile Non-Fiction; History/My Choice

Grades: 3-5

ISBN: 978-0-8234-1831-6

The story of a girl who grew up in the Terezin concentration camp during WWII, and how art, opera, and friendship helped her survive.

My Thoughts:
I initially picked up this book because I had studied the art program at the Terezin concentration camp while taking a study abroad course in Prague as an undergraduate. The book far surpassed my expectations, and I feel that it is a great introduction for young readers to a very difficult topic. The subject matter is hard. People suffer, people die. The writers seem to take the view that children are resilient, and that while they need material at their level, they do not need to be sheltered from realities. Yet, even though the book is bleak, the messages of hope, perseverance, and the indomitability of the human spirit are inspiring. Readers will be able to identify with the main personages. By using children to put faces onto the events, modern children are provided with something familiar while trying to grasp events that will seem foreign.

One of the best things about this book is not the text though, its the artwork. There are TONS of photographs, both of the children and of the locations. Young readers need the visuals to be able to mentally visualize what is being described. Due to the time period almost all of the photographs are black and white, yet the book is full of color. Samples of the childen's artwork that was created in Terezin are interspersed throughout the text. It is awesome. I highly recommend this book, especially to people doing units on the holocaust or a unit on art.

The Thoughts of Others:
Booklist ran a review of the book by Hazel Rochman which appreciated above all how honest the book is. Rochman wrote that "there's a hopeful message about the power of music, art, friends, and teachers, but the account never denies the fact that transports were always leaving for the death camps and some of the prisoners did not survive."

Teri Markson's review for School Library Journal found the book "rich in detail, yet not overwhelmingly dire...a book about remembering, and the importance of sharing one's stories with the next generation, and the next." She truly liked the work, and was especially enamored with the amount of quotes and sources of information used.

Review: Black and White Airmen

Their True History

By John Fleischman

Houghton Mifflin; 2007; 160 pages

Juvenile Non-Fiction; History

Grades: Fifth and Up

ISBN: 978-0-618-56297-8

A story of race and segregation during WWII. Two young men, one white and one black, grew up in the same neighborhood, were in the same grade, and both flew in WWII. Yet, despite all of their similarities, the two do not meet until decades after the war.

My Thoughts:
I did not find this book to be at all engaging, which is a shame since the premise is such a good one. Both topics, WWII aviation and segregation in America, have always been of great interest to me. The fact that, despite my preexisting interest in the subject matter, I was still hard-pressed to slog through this book does not bode well for juvenile readers. The text is clunkily written and devoid of the fascinating tidbits and real life connections that could have made it stand out. The text is formatted into chapters and a narrative, rather than subheadings or fast facts. I worry that it will not hold a young reader's interest...I worry that it won't hold an older reader's interest.

The pictures scattered throughout the book are great, but I would have appreciated it if a few had been larger. Also, especially considering the content, maps and more exact diagrams showing the different kinds of planes would have been helpful. Not every child reading this book, if any even attempt to do so, is going to have a mental image for P-39s or where Sicily is in relation to the US. There is also a lot of references to instruments and instrument panels but nothing really showing them.

The Thoughts of Others:
Kirkus's review in 2007, partially agreed with me. They thought the appeal would be limited to fans of WWII, and wished that more resources had been offered. They did like the pictures though, saying that the "photographs, maps and...variety of other illustrations offer visual appeal to an otherwise uninspiring text."

John Peters, when he wrote a 2007 review for Booklist, completely disagreed with me. He was enthralled by the book and its coincidences. He felt it was a "stinging indictment" of air force discrimination. He summed it up as a "double portrait, which, though slightly unfocused, is often thrilling and consistently absorbing."

Review: Invention of Hugo Cabret

Written and Illustrated By Brian Selznick

Scholastic; 2007; 533 pages

Juvenile Fiction; Realistic Fiction; Caldecott Award

Grades: 3-6

ISBN: 978-04-39813-785

Hugo's father has been killed in a fire, and his uncle has disappeared. Left on his own to take care of the train station clocks, Hugo embarks on a journey of discovery. While repairing a clockwork figure that is his only link to his father, Hugo makes connections with a filmmaker, a fellow orphan, and the world around him.

My Thoughts
This was a very interesting book. It is definitely not a picture book, yet it won the Caldecott Medal...and rightly so. The artwork, though black and white, is amazing. There is depth and detail that is almost photo-realistic. Also, towards the end of the book, the drawings are intermingled with actual stills from old silent films. The pictures are also integral to the text. They are not illustrations, they are the text. I would be reading along, and then there would be a series of 4 or 5 full spread pictures that would pan across a scene, or zoom in on important actions. Each set was like a single frame of a film. It was amazing. Then the text would pick up again, only it wouldn't pick up where it left off, it would pick up where the pictures left off. It was innovative, unique, and totally enthralling.

I think that kids will love this book. The story line is interesting. Since it has a male protagonist, it will appeal to both boys and girls. Also, movies are such a huge part of modern culture that a book that addresses their beginnings will intrigue children. As will the whole notion of clockwork and mechanisms in our technological, micro-chip society. The writing is well done, the pictures are flawless. It will challenge younger readers lexically, but the pictures won't hinder older kids. (The size of the book alone will make any reader, young or old, feel like they have accomplished something upon completion.) I heartily, and without reservation, recommend this book to everyone...child and adult.

*Sidebar: I saw this at my library as an audiobook. Which literally shocked me. I am normally a huge proponent of audio and e books, but in this case I am not. DO NOT GET IT AS AN AUDIOBOOK. The pictures are integral to the text. You will not get the same experience.

The Thoughts Of Others:
Publisher's Weekly's 2007 review found the book to be "an artful blending of narrative, illustration and cinematic technique, for a story as tantalizing as it is touching." They appreciated the use of movies both in the plot and in the illustrations. They saw the book as more of an experience than merely a read.

Kirkus also reviewed the book in 2007. They drew comparisons between the book and silent films, seeing the illustrations as they pan and zoom as traditional film storyboards which often told the story better than text alone ever could have. They also liked that the book was "an homage to early filmmakers as dreammakers."

Review: On The Wings Of Heroes

By Richard Peck

Dial Books; 2007; 148 pages

Juvenile Fiction; Historical Fiction

Grades: 3-5

ISBN: 978-0-8037-3081-6

Davy's life changes as he gets older and watches his world change. His older brother goes off to war, his father faces hardships at his filling station, his mother takes a job, and his grandparents move in.

My Thoughts:
This was a very good introduction to the hardships that those on the homefront faced during the early years of WWII. Told from a child's perspective, the story brings out the aspects of rationing and war that children would be able to identify with. For example, Davy compares Halloweens before and after the war started. He points out how kids move into town when their mothers get jobs in the factories. The era and the quirks that go along with it are put in terms that modern day children will understand. It also centers more on relationships and people than it does on events or impersonal facts.

Richard Peck is a very good writer. His story is not only historically accurate, but it is engaging. He gives the historical facts, without getting bogged down in them. I think that this book would be a great way to interest kids in the genre. The read is fairly simple, nothing that the average third grader couldn't handle. The story is interesting enough to both encourage gifted second graders and still intrigue older elementary students. Also, the book is not obviously lower level, so slower or reluctant older readers would not be embarrassed to be seen reading it.

The Thoughts of Others:
Sheldon Fogelman of Publisher's Weekly thought in 2007 that this book was a "delicious mixture of humor, warmth and local color." He praised the characterizations in particular. He also appreciated the realism of the child's perspective.

Booklist's 2007 review by Michael Cart stated that "all in all, there remains no more genial guide for a trip down memory lane than the redoubtable Peck." He noted the episodic nature as engaging to children. The rich description was also impressive.

Review: Cinderella Skeleton

By Robert D. San Souci; Illustrated by David Catrow

Silver Whistle/Harcourt, Inc.; 2000

Picture Book; Fantasy

Grades: 2-5

ISBN: 0-15-202003-9

Cinderella Skeleton loses more than just her shoe when she attends the Halloween Ball in a verse retelling of the classic fairy tale.

My Thoughts:
Since this is another David Catrow book, I was predisposed to like it. Luckily, I was not disappointed. The illustrations evoke a spookily twisted, and yet elegant world. For all her grotesque skeleton-ness, Cinderella is beautiful. The stepmother and stepsisters are wickedly deviant and disturbing. I loved that rather than losing her slipper, Cinderella Skeleton loses her whole lower leg! This means that in order to try on the shoe, the would-be brides must also remove their whole lower limb!

The book is written at a level that allows it to be used with older students than I normally would recommend with a picture book. It would work really well as part of a poetry or folktale unit for upper elementary. The verse is well written, and full of tongue-in-cheek double meanings. It might be over younger kid's heads, but the familiar storyline and intrigueing illustrations will allow them to follow along. (This is a good way to introduce students to new vocabulary, since the students will be able to infer meaning from context and the pictures.) The illustrations are bright and active enough for young readers, with rich details and interesting juxtapositions for older readers. It reminded me a lot of the film Corpse Bride...and I mean that in a good way.

The Thoughts of Others:
School Library Journal published a review in 2000 by Susan Hepler. Hepler loved "this darkly humorous and spooky" story as much as I did, and agreed that older elementary kids would appreciate it. She felt that the hard part would be displaying it where the older kids would find it...rather than in the picture book area.

The 2000 reviewer for Kirkus Reviews compared the book to the Tim Burton Film Nightmare Before Christmas and recommended it to fans of Burton. I can also see the similarities. The reviewer though did not feel that the work was derivative, and instead felt that it was unique enough though to stand on its own.

Review: The Fairy Tale Detectives

By Michael Buckley; Illustrations by Peter Ferguson

Abrams; 2005; 312 pages

Juvenile Fiction; Mystery

Grades: 3-5

ISBN: 978-08-10993-228

Sabine and Daphne are orphan sisters who are sent to live in Ferrysport, New York with their grandmother. There are just two problems: they thought that their grandmother was dead, and this old lady seems to think that fairy tales are real.

My Thoughts:
This book has a great premise: kid detectives in a modern world populated by fairy tale creatures. Also, the incorporation of the Grimm brothers as historians and not mere writers is inspired. The only problem was its execution. The story is uneven. It starts out feeling like the Lemony Snicket books about downtrodden and persecuted orphans. Then it moves to a fractured fairy tale from Rocky and Bullwinkle. It ends with a Benedict Arnold moment and a Bobbsey Twins resolution.

The book itself was well-written. The prose was nice. However the storyline was so uneven and convoluted that the text itself could not redeem it. The illustrations were well done though. The pictures were scattered throughout, but were vague enough and rare enough that readers can still rely on their own imaginations. I would recommend this book to readers who are fairytale fans, or children who enjoy mysteries that are fairly predictable. I would not recommend it to reluctant readers.

The Thoughts of Others:
Booklist published a review by Gillian Engberg in 2005. Engberg had a apathetic reaction to the book. She felt that the"novel gets bogged down in labored world building and sometimes stilted prose." She thought that over all it was redundant and derivative, although the characters would pull fans.

Sharon Grover, in 2006, reviewed the book for School Library Journal. She agreed with Engberg that "readers well grounded in their fairy tales will get the most pleasure from recognizing the characters." She also pointed out that the author does a good job of inserting vocabulary lessons.

Review: New Socks

By Bob Shea

Little, Brown and Company; 2007; 40 pages

Picture Book; Wildcard

Ages: 2 - 7

ISBN: 978-0-316-01357-4

Leon is pleased as punch with his new orange socks. When wearing them he feels unstoppable!

My Thoughts:
This book makes my top ten for picture books ever. It is about socks, and I knit socks. The socks are orange, which is my all time favorite color. I read it to my family (all adults), I read it to the boys I babysat (3 and 4), and I read it to my friend (25). Everyone enjoyed it for different reasons. That is what I most appreciated about this book: its broad based appeal and versatility.

The exciting illustrations will catch the eye and hold the interest of even small children, while the brief text will not be too much for them. (Honestly, I think this would translate wonderfully into a board book.) At the same time, the pictures are hip and slick...not too baby-ish for older readers. Again, the simplicity of the text is such that it can also double as an easy reader. I think that beginning readers would be able to read it independently or to a parent. The graphic design style screams to be made into a flannel board for story time. The plot translates well into a story telling rather than reading format. (I plan on incorporating it into a family story time I am doing on knit goods: hats, mittens, scarves...and now socks!)

The Thoughts of Others:

Publisher's Weekly gave the book an overall good review - pointing out the exciting illustrations and over-the-top antics as positive. However, they summed up the review with a word of warning, fearing that "like its title product, it [would be] unlikely to seem fresh after repeated use."

Joy Fleishhacker's review for School Library Journal was also enthusiastic, as she raved about the illustrations and pacing. She drew connections between this book and the Mo Willems "Pigeon" series, suggesting it as a read-a-like.

Review: Hooray for the Golly Sisters

By Betsy Byars; Illustrated by Sue Truesdell

HarperCollins; 1990; 64 pages

Easy Reader; Short Chapter; Series

Grades: K-2

ISBN: 0-06-020899-6

May-May and Rose continue in their quest to become vaudeville stars in the Wild, Wild, West.

My Thoughts:
I had not realized that there were additional installments of the Golly Sisters series. My sister and I had the first one when we were younger. We enjoyed them because the sisters were blonde and brunette (like us), and May-May was similar to our last name. (Also, Golly was a word that we were not allowed to say as children, so we felt like we were being naughty whenever we read it.) When I came across this second volume, I immediately picked it up. I think that, as far as easy readers go, it is a great book. Is it great literature? No. Is it very interesting to me as a 25 year old? No. Would I recommend it to a 6 year old who is just starting to read independently? Absolutely.

The text was clearly laid out, with a limited number of words per page. It would not be overwhelming to young readers. The book contains multiple stories to give readers the feel of chapters without actually using a chapter system. Also, the vocabulary was limited, with many words being repeated multiple times throughout the work to build up recognition and confidence. I appreciated the amount of dialog that was present. Many easy readers seem to be more expository. The conversations help move the story along, but also teach kids to recognize the punctuation cues and learn to follow dialog. The pictures do a good job of illustrating the story, and help decode the text. As is important with easy readers though, the pictures on their own do not tell the story. The text has to be read in conjunction to understand what is going on. This may be an older book, but it still holds up!

The Thoughts of Others:
Sharron McElmeel, for School Library Journal, pointed out that the "varying levels of humor make the title appealing to slightly older, less able readers as well." This is important because some older readers are embarassed to be seen reading easy read books. The faux chapter system and subject matter will encourage them.

Kirkus Reviews 1990 look at the book extolled the illustrations over the text. They felt that "Truesdell's zany characterizations and lively humor almost steal the show."

Review: Don't Say That Word

By Alan Katz; Illustrated by David Catrow

Margaret K. McElderberry Books; 2007; 40 pages

Picture Book; Rhyming Text

Grades: Preschool - 3rd

ISBN: 978-0-689-86971-6

Michael tells his mom about the exciting events that happened at school, while she steers him away from using offensive or crude language.

My Thoughts:
Aside from the fact that I have never met a David Catrow book that I didn't like, this is a great book, especially for boys. The text follows Michael, in rhyme, as he tells his mother about his day at school. At the end of each stanza, the rhyme scheme leads kids toward the inevitable crude word, which is never actually printed. Instead of the word, Michael's mother interrupts with the title refrain: Don't Say That Word! This format is turned on its head at the end of the book, when Michael interrupts his mother. The illustrations, brilliantly executed as always, also help lead little readers/hearers toward the appropriate "bad" word. (For example, in the stanza about boogers, Michael is picking his nose, while in the stanza about passing gas, little bubbles are popping in the bathtub.)

This is a great book for storytime...as long as you are familiar enough with the children and parents to be sure that they won't be offended. I read it aloud to the children of some friends. The little boy shouted the bad word every time, while his sister shouted the mother's refrain. I should note that some of the words in the book are not appropriate in all families. This can either offend, or open discussion. I loaned it to another friend who saw it as a good opportunity to discuss bad language with her son, and why their family didn't use certain words. So while I highly recommend this book, especially to be added to library collections, I also highly recommend parental review before handing it over to kids.

The Thoughts of Others:
School Library Journal pointed out in their review that "allowing kids to talk about 'naughty' words can remove the power associated with them."They also recognized that the author and illustrator clearly had fun putting this book together.

Publisher's Weekly also agreed with me that "readers will be able to supply each missing word with gusto (booger, fart, burp, etc.), though those a tad less daring may choose to keep silent, rather than risk voicing a 'bad word.'" They also praised the illustrations and text.

Review: Runny Babbit

A Billy Sook By Shel Silverstein

HarperCollins; 2005; 89 Pages

Juvenile Non-Fiction; Poetry

Ages: 4(read aloud to) -10 (independent reading)

ISBN: 0-06-025653-2

A posthumous book of poetry centering on a single character, Runny Babbit, and his world of mixed up phonemes!

My Thoughts:
Of course I loved this book. Not only does this book center around a rabbit main character, it also derives most of its humor from wordplay. In fact, to be honest, many of the poems, if read straight, are really not all that amusing. However, with the first sound of many of the words swapped, hilarity ensues. Some of the themes, such as knitting and reading, were personally intriguing as well. The book is not as diverse in meter, theme, and length as other Silverstein books. In fact, to some extent, I would not recommend sitting down and reading it straight through in one go. It's humor holds up better in smaller chunks.

This is a good book to introduce children to poetry. The poems are short, cleverly illustrated, and entertaining. This would also be a good book to use as a public speaking or recitation exercise. The poems beg to be read aloud...I would venture that they HAVE to be read aloud in order to be properly enjoyed. The intricate phoneme swaps would encourage children to enunciate and pay close attention to their words, while the poems are brief enough to keep recitation from being an ordeal.

The Thoughts of Others:
Lee Bock of School Library Journal in 2005 wrote that "children will love these clever poems and without prompting will probably create their own, unaware that they are focusing on a key reading skill: phonemic awareness."

Kirkus Reviews published a review of Runny Babbit in March of 2005. They enjoyed it overall, but felt it "plays too long on a single trope."

Review: Waiting for Benjamin

By Alexandra Jessup Altman; Illustrated By Susan Keeter

Albert Whitman & Co.; 2008; 32 pages

Picture Book; Realistic

Grade: K-4

ISBN: 978-0-8075-7364-8

Alexander finds himself getting increasingly frustrated with his younger brother Benjamin's behavior, until he is diagnosed with autism. At first giving into jealousy of all the attention Benjamin receives, Alexander learns patience and to appreciate Benjamin's small accomplishments.

My Thoughts:
I was initially excited to come across this book, since there are not very many books with autistic characters, and the few that do exist tend to portray the savant aspect of autism. I have a cousin who is autistic, and so am always looking for information. However, while this book is a step in the right direction, portraying a more typical autism experience, it still fell short. I worry that in some ways the book is still depicting stereotypical autistic behavior: the silence, the staring, the compulsive movements. It also shows Benjamin making rapid steps toward improvement once he is diagnosed. (And it doesn't ever explain why Benjamin's therapists come to the house rather than his going to their office...or why he gets to have 2 at once!)

In addition to story flaws, the technical aspects are not quite right either. The text explains the reactions of a fairly young older sibling. Alexander is a character that many 4 or 5 year olds would identify with. However, the text is written at a much higher level. It also discusses emotions from an abstract viewpoint that is beyond the developmental understanding of that age group. However, most older children will not identify with Alexander as much...recognizing the infantile nature of his jealousy and pettiness. In addition, most younger children will be turned off by the less than engaging illustrations while older children will be turned off by the presence of illustrations in the first place. I am glad that books are beginning to made available on this topic, and can only hope that better ones will follow this one soon.

The Thoughts of Others:

School Library Journal's Wendy Smith-D'Arezzo reviewed this book earlier this year. She pointed out that the progress Benjamin makes is not always realistic, and that the whole story's message is obvious. She did feel that it would work as a preliminary introduction for young children who have an autistic sibling.

Children's Literature's Karen Leggett saw the book as a "good icebreaker to help siblings and other youngsters understand autism and express their own feelings more openly."