Month: August 2015

Big Top Burning: The True Story of an Arsonist, a Missing Girl, and the Greatest Show on Earth by Laura A. Woollett

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Published by Chicago Review Press 

Summary: On July 6, 1944, the big top of Ringling Brothers Circus caught fire and burned to the ground in ten minutes. 167 people died, including 59 children under the age of ten. This carefully researched book tells the story of many of the people who were at the circus that day and what happened to them when the fire broke out. It also looks at two questions that arose in the aftermath of the tragedy: did a troubled 15-year-old circus employee named Robert Segee set the fire? And who was Little Miss 1565, a little girl whose body was recovered from the fire but who was not identified by any relatives? In the years since the fire, Little Miss 1565 has been almost definitely identified as Eleanor Cook, but the cause of the fire remains classified as “Undetermined”. Grades 5-8.

Pros: This is a meticulously researched book, with 18 pages of notes and citations. It’s also a well-written, gripping account, both of the fire, and the detective work that continued on the case for decades.

Cons: 59 kids dying in a fire at the circus?  Probably not a subject for everyone.

Dory and the Real True Friend by Abby Hanlon

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Published by Dial Books for Young Readers

Summary: Dory is back in this follow up to last year’s Dory Fantasmagory. She’s getting ready for her first day of her school; older siblings Violet and Luke warn her to leave her imaginary friends at home and focus on the real kids. She listens to their advice—sort of—and decides that a girl named Rosabelle would make a good best friend. Not only is Rosabelle a princess, but she lives in a castle and rides a dragon. Of course, Luke and Violet assume Rosabelle is another figment of Dory’s imagination, but Dory persists and she and Rosabelle combine their imaginations to create a grand finale of epic proportions. In the end, Dory introduces her amazed brother and sister to the human Rosabelle. Grades 1-3.

Pros: I didn’t quite jump on the Dory bandwagon with the first book, but this one pretty much won me over. Junie B. Jones fans will get a good chuckle out of Dory’s first forays into school and friendship. The plentiful illustrations add a great deal to the fun.

Cons: Some readers might find Dory a bit too weird.

Wrap-Up Wednesday: Making a Difference

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Can one person make the world a better place?  Read one of these books to see the answer is a resounding yes!

Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrated by Sean Qualls.  Published by Random House.

Growing up in Ghana with only one leg that worked, Emmanuel refused to believe he couldn’t do what all the other kids could do.  He learned to walk to school, play soccer, and ride a bike.  Eventually he rode that bike from one end of Ghana to the other to raise awareness about disabled people.  His work led to the passage of the Ghanaian Persons With Disabilities Act in 2006.

The Red Bicycle: The Extraordinary Story of One Ordinary Bicycle by Jude Isabella, illustrated by Simone Shin.  Published by Kids Can Press.

Even a simple act like donating your old bicycle can help people thousands of miles away.  Follow the story of this bike, donated by an American boy, as it travels to Burkina Faso for multiple reincarnations.

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March by Lynda Blackmon Lowery.  Published by Dial Books.

The youngest person on the Selma march, Lynda Blackmon Lowery wanted to show Governor George Wallace her injuries from the beating she received at the Bloody Sunday protest on March 7, 1965.  “You have a voice, too,” she tells readers.  “And with determination, you can be a history maker, just like me.”

One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of Gambia by Miranda Paul, illustrations by Elizabeth Zunon.  Published by Millbrook Press.

When Isatou Ceesay first encountered a plastic grocery bag in her Gambian village, she thought it was a light, strong alternative to the baskets she usually carried.  Years later, the bags were choking the goats who ate them and attracting mosquitoes as they festered in the trash.  Isatou got the idea to crochet the plastic into purses she and other women could sell to make money for improvements in their village.

Rude Cakes by Rowboat Watkins

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Published by Chronicle Books 

Summary: It’s the classic battle, cake versus cyclops. In this quirky story, a rude cake never says please, thank you, or I’m sorry. One night, while resisting his parents’ demands to go to bed, he’s plucked from his house by a giant cyclops. It looks like the end for this cranky confection, but it turns out that the cyclops just wants him for a hat. Furthermore, unlike the pouting pastry, the cyclops and its friends are models of polite behavior. The cake eventually gets the hang of things, and asks to please be returned to bed. The final page shows the contrite cupcake at last sharing and generally being a model of politeness for his friends.  Ages 3-8.

Pros: A decidedly original take on manners. This will elicit some giggles for sure.

Cons: It took me a second to recognize the flying saucer-shaped protagonist as a cake.

Nooks and Crannies by Jessica Lawson

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Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Summary: When Tabitha Crum gets a weekend invitation to the estate of the mysterious Countess of Windermere, she thinks it will be a fun interlude before her despicable parents drop her off at the orphanage. Five other children have been invited, and at their first dinner, the Countess reveals that all six were adopted by their parents. One of them is her long-lost grandchild, heir to a fortune. The lights go out, somebody dies mysteriously, children start disappearing, and Tabitha has to use all of her best detective powers to figure out what is going on…before it’s too late.  Grades 4-7.

Pros: Agatha Christine meets Roald Dahl in this old-fashioned page-turner. Tabitha is a lovable character, unfortunately stuck with the worst parents to disgrace the pages of a children’s book since Matilda Wormwood’s. She’s also a fan of detective fiction, and with her sidekick Pemberley the mouse, is able to puzzle out the many twists and turns this story takes. The grand finale is completely satisfying, with all loose ends neatly tied up and a happy ending for those who deserve it and just desserts for the ones who don’t.

Cons: Tabitha’s reactions to her horrible parents occasionally seemed a little to kind to be true.

I Yam a Donkey! Story, pictures, and bad grammar by Cece Bell

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Published by Clarion Books

Summary: A donkey declares, “I yam a donkey!” and a yam tries to correct his grammar. “I am a donkey.” “You is a donkey?” asks the donkey, and the rest of the book is an unsuccessful attempt to get things straight. The argument eventually attracts the attention of a carrot, turnip, and a bunch of green beans, all of whom are used as examples in the yam’s unsuccessful grammar lessons. Grades K-3.

Pros: This book is funny. Period. Don’t try to extract any educational value. The bright cartoon illustrations and comic bubble dialog will appeal to kids and the ridiculous arguments will have them rolling with laughter.

Cons: The vegetables get eaten. Sorry.

Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrated by Sean Qualls

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Random House Children’s Books 

Summary: “In this world, we are not perfect. We can only do our best,” says Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah. When Emmanuel was born, his right leg was deformed. Growing up in Ghana, he learned to use his left leg well enough that he could hop the two miles to school, play soccer on crutches, and ride a bike. His mother was his biggest supporter, and when she died, her final words to him were, “Don’t give up.” Emmanuel used these words to inspire himself to pursue his dream…riding a bicycle from one end of Ghana to the other. Wearing a shirt reading “The Pozo” (meaning “the disabled person”), he completed his ride of over 400 miles. He’s continued to raise awareness about the disabled in his country, and was instrumental in the 2006 passage of the Ghanaian Persons With Disabilities Act. Grades 1-6.

Pros: An inspiring read for anyone to pursue their dreams, no matter what the odds.

Cons: Four miles of hopping a day.

Mad Scientist Academy: The Dinosaur Disaster by Matthew McElligott

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Published by Crown Books for Young Readers 

Summary: It’s the first day of the Mad Scientist Academy for Ken the Frankenstein Monster, Thora the Insect, Tad the Tadpole, Scarlet the Vampire, Wolfgang the Werewolf, and Nicole the Robot. Their teacher Dr. Cosmic greets them with the news that their school pet is a dinosaur, then leads them on a Jurassic Park-style tour of the school’s dinosaur exhibit. The dinosaur models are all quite lifelike, but harmless unless someone activates them, which, of course, someone does. The kids use their cool school handbooks to acquire the dinosaur knowledge they need to safely navigate their way to the off switch. At the end they meet their class pet, Oscar the ostrich, and learn why Dr. Cosmic called him a dinosaur. These kids are sure to be back for another lesson in science. Grades K-3.

Pros: Dinosaur information presented comic-book style with a school full of monsters=a sure-fire hit.

Cons: Still trying to figure out if this book should be shelved with picture books, nonfiction, or graphic novels.

Sadie’s Story by Christine Heppermann and Ron Koertge, illustrated by Deborah Marcero

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Published by Greenwillow 

Summary: In this first installment of new series Backyard Witch, Sadie is feeling lonely when her two best friends go on vacation without her. When she sees smoke coming from her playhouse chimney, she’s sure the house is on fire. Turns out a witch by the name of Ms. M has taken up residence. She’s looking for her best friend Ethel, who has recently turned into a bird, and her cat Onyx, who went after Ethel and disappeared. Sadie joins Ms. M in her search, and learns a good deal about birds and birdwatching in the process. She helps Ms. M find Onyx, but Ethel’s whereabouts remains a mystery, and in the end, Ms. M leaves to pursue a lead on her in Mexico. Sadie’s friends return around the same time, and the book ends with Sadie about to tell them about her adventures. Grades 1-4.

Pros: This beginning chapter book would appeal to fans of Ivy and Bean or Judy Moody. The end material offers some enthusiastic information about birdwatching.

Cons: Sadie seemed like a slightly more passive heroine than Judy Moody or Clementine.

Wrap-Up Wednesday: American History

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Love history? Hate it?  Doesn’t matter.  Just about any kid will be able something to connect with in one (or more) of these books.

The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale.  Published by Harry N. Abrams.

You know those 11-year-old boys who really love history?  Give them Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales, impeccably researched graphic novels.  The Underground Abductor, the story of Harriet Tubman, is number five in the series.  (And don’t worry, girls will like them, too, especially this one.)

A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Sophie Blackall. Published by Schwartz & Wade.

This is one of my all-time favorite books of the year.  The concept is simple: four families from different time periods in American history make a dessert called blackberry fool.  But the execution is so cool, with loads of details about period clothing, technology, and social norms.  It’s a book to be savored, just like the treat it describes.

Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery That Baffled All of France by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno.  Published by Candlewick.

Oh, that Benjamin Franklin!  What eighteenth-century pie didn’t he have a finger in?  This book tells the story of how he debunked mesmerism, a practice the was sweeping France when Franklin was over there drumming up support for the American Revolution.  It’s also a good example of the scientific process, and has amazing illustrations to boot.

The Founding Fathers!: Those Horse-Ridin’, Fiddle-Playin’, Book-Readin’, Gun-Totin’ Gentlemen Who Started America by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Barry Blitt.  Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

If you want in-depth information about the founding fathers, look elsewhere.  If you want a book chock-full of interesting facts and tidbits about George, Ben, John, Thomas (and a few others you might not be familiar with), set aside a good chunk of time to spend with The Founding Fathers.