Author: Janet Dawson

Glamourpuss by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by David Small

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Scholastic Press

Summary:  Unlike other cats, Glamourpuss isn’t expected to catch mice or rid the closets of moths.  Her one and only job is to be glamourous, and she excels at it.  She’s shortened her “Meow” down to a single syllable, “Me”, which works nicely when she asks her mirror, “Who is the most glamourous of us all?”  Glamourpuss’s reign over the household comes to an abrupt end one day when her owner’s sister comes for a visit and brings her dog, Bluebelle.  Bluebelle’s tricks and adorable outfits charm everyone until the day Glamourpuss discovers Bluebelle in her room, devouring her cute clothes. Glamourpuss realizes Bluebelle hates these clothes and really only wants to be…glamourous.  A friendship ensues and harmony is restored for all.

Pros:  A fun and funny story with a good message about misleading first impressions.

Cons:  The glittery pink cover will probably turn off boy readers, many of whom would actually enjoy this story

The Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects by Paul B. Janeczko, illustrated by Chris Raschka

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Veteran poetry anthologist Paul B. Janeczko has collected 50 poems about objects from nine periods in history, starting with the early Middle Ages and going to the present.  There are familiar selections such as “My Shadow” by Robert Louis Stevenson and “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams, as well as lesser-known writers like Chinese poet Bai Juyi and Vietnamese emperor Le Thanh Tong.  The introduction gives the reader a brief overview of the different historical periods.

Pros:  This reminded me of my college Norton anthologies, traveling through time with literature.  Except that I actually enjoyed reading this book.  Norton would also benefit greatly by adding Raschka’s illustrations.  Kids will be motivated to look for objects in their world that can serve as inspiration for their own poems.

Cons:  With the exception of Pablo Neruda, all the poets after the Renaissance are British or American.

Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary by Gail Jarrow

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Calkins Creek

Summary:  Everyone’s heard of Typhoid Mary, but who was she really?  Uncovering her identity was a medical mystery that began in the summer of 1906.  The detective was Dr. George Soper, a sanitation engineer who helped control a typhoid epidemic that swept through the town of Ithaca and Cornell University.  When a wealthy family on Long Island was sickened with typhoid, they hired Soper to figure out what had caused the outbreak.  He eventually tracked it to Mary Mellon, their former cook.  Not only that, but he was able to trace several other outbreaks to her.  The book chronicles her capture and confinement on an island off of Manhattan for most of the rest of her life. The reader will also learn about typhoid, its role in history, and how it has gradually been eliminated from most of the western world.

Pros:  I had heard of typhoid and Typhoid Mary but knew nothing about it.  The lack of sanitation in the U.S. less than a century ago was pretty appalling.  Celebrities like Abigail Adams, Wilbur Wright, and Stephen Douglas all died of typhoid.  Although this book is nonfiction, it reads like a novel.

Cons:  You may find yourself looking askance at your tap water.  And you will surely nag your children more to wash their hands.

A New Friend (The Adventures of Sophie Mouse, Book 1) by Poppy Green

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Little Simon

Summary:  Spring has arrived, and Sophie’s mouse family is ready to leave the house.  She and her little brother Winston are starting school, along with Sophie’s best friend Hattie the frog.  On the first day, the students are startled to learn that their newest classmate is a snake.  Owen seems nice enough, but none of the others have met a snake before.  They’re so unfriendly to him that he decides not to come back to school.  A few days later, Sophie and Hattie are playing in the woods when Sophie falls down a hole. Owen is nearby and his long tail proves just the thing for rescuing Sophie.  Their new friendship is enough to get Owen to give school another try.

Pros:  This is a charmingly illustrated series perfect for beginning chapter book readers.  I felt as though I had landed in a 117-page Marjolein Bastin greeting card.

Cons:  I worry about Owen functioning in a classroom full of bipeds.  Even a simple act like taking off his baseball cap seemed like it would be a challenge.

Cat and Bunny by Mary Lundquist

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Balzer and Bray

Summary:  Cat and Bunny have been friends since birth.  They love playing together, especially their Made-Up Game, which has rules only the two of them know.  But one day other kids want to join in, and Bunny lets them.  Cat is hurt, and goes off by herself.  A kitten comes along, and the two of them start a new Made-Up Game.  When Giraffe finds them and asks to join, Cat says, “Of course!” and before long all the kids, even Bunny, are enjoying the new game.

Pros:  This is a great introduction to friendship that is simple enough for preschoolers to understand.

Cons:  All the characters look like kids dressed up as animals except for the kitten which is…well, a kitten.  What’s up with that?

Raindrops Roll by April Pulley Sayre

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Beach Lane Books

Summary:  Gorgeous photographs illustrate simple text about the rain.  First a storm is brewing and tiny animals take cover.  Then the rain begins (“Rain plops/It drops/It patters/It spatters), and finally, it stops.  But even after the rain storm is over, the drops remain, magnifying, reflecting, revealing, until slowly they dry up in the sun.  The last two pages offer “A Splash of Science”, explaining more about some of the photographs.

Pros:  This is a fabulous introduction to rain and water.  It’s also a book that encourages the reader to slow down and observe the natural world.

Cons:  Keep a towel and umbrella handy while reading.

Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary:  In the opening scene, Stella and her younger brother Jojo see nine members of the Ku Klux Klan burning a cross in the distance.  The reader is immediately drawn into Stella’s world, the segregated town of 1932 Bumblebee, North Carolina.  She is part of a loving family and tight-knit community who endure many hardships.  The KKK burns a neighbor’s house down, her friend Tony is beaten by two white men, and her mother is permanently crippled by a snakebite that the white doctor refuses to treat.  But there are happy times, too, like the visit from a traveling storyteller and the day the entire town escorts Stella’s father and his two friends to vote in their first election.  Through it all, Stella works hard on her writing as she struggles to record what she sees and hears.

Pros:  Based on the lives of the author’s father and grandmother, this is a fascinating historical novel about the harsh realities of the segregated South during the Depression.  The love and community spirit are every bit as powerful as the difficulties Stella and her friends and family encounter.

Cons:  Be sure to discuss this book with kids as they read it.  Some of the events could be disturbing.

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena, illustrated by Christian Robinson

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Summary:  CJ and his nana have a Sunday morning routine.  After church they walk to the bus stop, board the bus, and take a ride.  The book follows them on their bus ride one Sunday.  CJ wishes he didn’t have to go.  He’s envious of his friends who have cars, and who get to go home after church.  But every time he complains, his nana points out all the good parts of their day.  The rain is giving the thirsty trees a drink.  The bus breathes fire and the friendly bus driver can pull a coin out of CJ’s ear.  The dirty city just makes the rainbow in the sky seem more beautiful.  By the time they climb off the bus, CJ is glad to be going to the soup kitchen with Nana to help serve the friends who look forward to seeing them every week.

Pros:  The text is brief, but the writing is beautifully descriptive (“The outside air smelled like freedom, but it also smelled like rain, which freckled CJ’s shirt and dripped down his nose.”).  Nana is an inspiring character who gently points out the good in everything without being annoying.

Cons:  The guy with the tattoos really should give up his seat on the bus to Nana.

My Pen by Christopher Myers

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Disney-Hyperion

Summary:  “All you need is your imagination,” declares the cover of the book.  Christopher Myers then goes on to explain all that his pen can do.  It can ride dinosaurs, put an elephant in a teacup, and tell stories in the margins of the pages.  Sometimes it makes mistakes, but it can draw a new face every morning.  “There are a million pens in the world and each one has a million worlds inside it,” concludes Myers.  “Let those worlds inside your pen out!”

Pros:  A fabulous celebration of creativity and imagination.  The illustrations may be Caldecott-worthy.  Kids will be inspired to get out their pens and see what they can do.

Cons:  If you’re expecting a story with this book, you’ll be disappointed.  It’s more of a creative jumpstart.

Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball by Howard Bryant

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Philomel Books

Summary:  Each chapter of this book stands alone, chronicling the history of a player or team.  The first section, “Spring”, tells the stories of individual players from Babe Ruth to Rickey Henderson.  “Summer” moves on to teams, like the 1914 Boston Braves and the 1998 New York Yankees.  Finally, “Fall” recounts some of the more amazing World Series.  Don’t worry, Boston fans, both the 1975 and 2004 Red Sox made the final cut.

Pros:  Not being a huge baseball fan, I thought I would just read a few of the chapters. I got hooked with the first story of Babe Ruth and ended up reading the book cover to cover.  Even the most avid fan will likely learn something new from this book, and will undoubtedly enjoy reliving favorite baseball memories.

Cons:  It seems like a no-brainer to have lots of pictures in each chapter.  Instead, there are a mere 18 photos, all stuck at the end of the book.