Month: March 2015

Gingerbread for Liberty! How a German Baker Helped Win the American Revolution by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Christopher Ludwick was from Germany, but he loved his adopted country of America.  When the Revolutionary War began, he decided to close up his Philadelphia bakery and do what he could to help General Washington.  Not only did he become the head baker for the Continental Army, but he helped woo the German soldiers to the American side.  The author’s note tells that the money Ludwick left in his will to educate needy children in Philadelphia is still used today to give out $200,000 in grants each year.

Pros:  A fun story that tells of a little-known but important contributor to the American fight for independence.  The cut-paper illustrations will make kids smile.

Cons: It’s a little hard to tell what would be the best audience for this book.  It seems to be written for fairly young kids, but readers would appreciate the story more with some background knowledge of the Revolution.

Amazing Stardust Friends: Step Into the Spotlight! By Heather Alexander, illustrated by Diane Le Feyer

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Scholastic, Inc.

Summary:  Marlo’s mom has just taken a new job as the chef for a circus.  So the two of them get to live on board the circus train, where Marlo meets the Stardust Girls, three 8-year-old girls who perform in the circus as a clown, acrobat, and animal trainer.  Of course, Marlo wants a chance to perform, but it takes her awhile to learn what her own unique talent is to make her a Stardust Girl.

Pros:  This is a new Branches series from Scholastic, aimed at readers transitioning to chapter books.  It’s my favorite so far of the “girl” series.  The girls in the story are hard-working, dedicated performers.  And throwing in a little glamour doesn’t hurt.

Cons:  If a reader doesn’t want to run away and join the circus after finishing this book, you might want to consider checking comprehension skills.

Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Zachariah OHora

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  On the first page, the Bunny family arrives home to find a baby wolf on their doorstep.  Mama and Papa immediately fall in love with the cute little cub, but their young daughter Dot exclaims, “He’s going to eat us all up!” a refrain that continues throughout the book.  But Mama and Papa don’t seem to hear her as they coo over him and snap photos of Wolfie’s every move.  Wolfie grows into a toddler who adores his big sister.  One day, the parents send the two of them out to get more carrots (now Wolfie’s favorite food).  When Wolfie opens his mouth at the grocery store, Dot is sure her prediction is coming true.  But he’s not looking at her…he’s looking at the gigantic bear in front of him.  Dot’s reaction saves the day and cements the brother-sister bond between them.

Pro:  This is an unusual and highly entertaining take on sibling rivalry.  The picture of Wolfie in a bunny suit is priceless.

Cons:  I can’t help wondering how this family dynamic is going to work out over time.

Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall

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Published by Greenwillow Books

Summary:  What happens when a blue crayon gets a red label?  Everyone thinks he’s red.  His teacher thinks he needs more practice, the scissors think his label is too tight (“One snip should do it”), his grandparents think he needs to wear a warm scarf.  But no matter what he tries, it doesn’t work. He just can’t make those strawberries and hearts look the way they’re supposed to. Finally, he meets a new friend (Berry), who asks him to make an ocean for his boat.  And it’s perfect!

Pros:  This is a great story that kids can read at their own level of understanding.  My first thought was that it was about gender identification, but it could be about embracing yourself in many different ways.  School psychologists and social workers should definitely check this one out.

Cons:  The first time I read this, the message seemed a little heavy-handed, but I don’t think kids would see it that way.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Fish In a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

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Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Summary: (266 pages)  Ally has made it all the way to all the way to sixth grade without learning to read.  Her father’s in the military, and she’s gone to seven schools in her life, too many for teachers to figure out that she has dyslexia.  School is a nightmare for her, and the kids tease her for being dumb.  When her teacher goes out on maternity leave, Ally’s nervous about the substitute, Mr. Daniels.  But he turns out to be an amazing teacher, able to see the gifts that each kid contributes.  He draws Ally into the class and actually thinks she’s smart and artistically talented.  Will he be able to get her the help she needs to make it in school?

Pros:  Ally’s a great kid, and you will cheer her on with every hard-won success.  The story is fast-paced and engaging, with a whole host of interesting characters.

Cons:  The characters sometimes seemed one-dimensional and like stereotypes.  The mean girl.  The quiet, scientific boy who gets picked on.  The amazing teacher who is able to finally help Ally.  Too many events in the story were predictable.

Smick by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Juana Medina

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Published by Viking Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Smick is a dog who likes to chase sticks.  When he sees a chick, he wants to chase that, too.  The two become friends, and Smick has a new sidekick…or sidechick, as the case may be.

Pros:  Minimalist in text (the story is told with only 15 different words) and pictures, this book could be used in many different ways with kids.  They could add to the story by looking at the pictures.  Beginning readers could read a whole book themselves.  It would lend itself to a quick readers’ theater.  The bold line illustrations and wordplay add to the appeal.

Cons:  If you’re trying to fill class time with a book, look elsewhere.

P. Zonka Lays An Egg by Julie Paschkis

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 Published by Peachtree Publishers

Summary:  All the hens in the henhouse lay eggs on a very regular basis.  They’re proud of their accomplishments, and can’t understand why P. Zonka refuses to produce anything.  Instead, she wanders around admiring the flowers and the sky.  Finally, the other hens call her on it and insist that she try to lay an egg.  To their surprise, not only does she lay one, but it is beautifully striped and patterned with many colors.  P. Zonka never becomes a regular egg layer, but when she does lay one, it is always beautiful and unique, and the hens treat her with new respect.

Pros:  This is a story that celebrates dreamers and artists.  The productive, hardworking citizens of the henhouse are seen as a bit bossy and self-righteous, while the one who seems to be doing nothing is actually fully engaged in an artistic process.  On another level, this story and its illustrations are a good introduction to pysanka egg decorating.

Cons:  The message seemed a little bit heavy-handed to me.

Seeds of Freedom: the Peaceful Integration of Huntsville, Alabama by Hester Bas, illustrated by E. B. Lewis

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Published by Candlewick

Summary:  While other southern towns were rocked by violence during the civil rights movement, Huntsville, Alabama worked hard to integrate peacefully.  Known as “the space center of the universe”, Huntsville had a bit more of a national reputation as a place where rockets were being designed and built.  But life wasn’t as good for all its citizens, and they decided to take some of the actions that were taking place in other cities across the south.  There were lunch counter sit-ins, marches, and demonstrations.  When a dentist’s wife and baby daughter were put in jail, Huntsville found itself in the national headlines.  The town had more at stake, with the threat of losing federal funding.  Slowly, businesses started to allow blacks, then the hospital, bowling alley, and movie theater.  School integration proved a little rockier, but on September 9, 1963, the first African-American child entered a white public school without incident.

Pros:  This is an inspiring story of dignity and courage demonstrated by both blacks and whites in Huntsville.  The uglier side of integration isn’t ignored, but the main theme is planting seeds of peace and what it took to make them grow in Huntsville.  The present tense voice lends an immediacy to the story, more than 50 years after it unfolded.

Cons:  While this is in picture book format, there’s quite a bit of text.  Kids in the primary grades would need a good deal of guidance to get through it.

Big Bad Detective Agency by Bruce Hale

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Published by Scholastic

Summary:  When the houses of the three little pigs are trashed, there’s only one suspect:  Wolfgang, the big bad wolf.  He swears he didn’t do it, and the sheriff decides to give him one day to prove his innocence before putting him in jail.  Ferkel, the fourth little pig, is eager to play detective, and Wolfgang reluctantly agrees to team up with him.  They talk to Cinderella, Jack (of the beanstalk story), Hansel and Gretel, and others, but everyone seems to have an airtight alibi.  Time is running out.  Will the real culprit be found before Wolfgang gets sent to jail?

Pros:  From the author of the Chet Gecko mystery series, this is the first in a new series that would be good for third and fourth graders.  Plenty of action and humor will keep readers engaged until the last page.

Cons:  Another children’s book based on the story of the three little pigs?

Draw What You See: The Life and Art of Benny Andrews by Kathleen Benson, illustrated by Benny Andrews.

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Published by Clarion Books

Summary:  Born in 1933 to sharecropper parents in Plainview, Georgia, Benny Andrews started drawing at the age of three.  He was able to finish high school, attend college, and eventually studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.  He worked as an artist and a teacher, illustrated children’s books, was an activist to get museums to include more works by artists of color, and started a prison art program.  In 2006, he traveled to New Orleans to help children to use art to express what they had seen.  In an age of abstract art, Andrews believed in the power of “drawing what you see”, focusing his work on people and scenes from his own life.

Pros:  Not only does this story bring to life a man who contributed to the world in many positive ways, but it’s illustrated with his own works.  Since Andrews died in 2006, it doesn’t appear that he actually illustrated the book, but the artwork chosen vividly illustrates the text, and provides many examples of his interesting work.

Cons:  This seems to be the only biography in existence about this interesting and inspiring artist.