A Is for Elizabeth by Rachel Vail, illustrated by Paige Keiser

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Feiwel and Friends

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Summary:  Elizabeth is excited to be in second grade and getting homework, just like her big brother Justin (from Vail’s Justin Case series).  But she’s dismayed when she finds out the homework–posters showing everyone’s names–will be displayed in alphabetical order, meaning that bossy Anna will get to go first, like always.  When Anna tells Elizabeth “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me,” Elizabeth decides to make her poster by gluing sticks and stones to form the letters of her name.  She also uses a phonetic (sort of) spelling, which means her name now starts with a double A. The poster doesn’t come out quite as she planned, and when she has to show it to the class, she deflects attention from it by staging a protest against alphabetical order.  The whole class gets involved in the discussion, and their wise teacher leads them to a decision about how to make sure everyone gets to go first sometimes. First in a four-book series. 128 pages; grades 1-3.

Pros:  Junie B. Jones fans will enjoy meeting this spunky narrator who deals with difficulties in a very second-grade way.  Short chapters and plenty of illustrations make this a good first chapter book.

Cons:  I’m normally a fan of short chapters, but many of these are only a few sentences, which felt just a bit too choppy.

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The Peculiar Pig by Joy Steuerwald

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Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

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Summary:  “A different sort of piglet” appears in the pigpen one spring morning.  She’s brown instead of pink; she barks instead of oinks; and she digs with her paws instead of with her snout.  The other pigs comment on these differences, but Mama Pig loves all her children the same, and she names “her shining little one” Penny.  One day, when the pigs are out playing, they come across a snake in their path. Penny uses some of her growls and barks to scare it away.  Finally, her piggie siblings are impressed, and start trying to figure out how they can bark and growl too. 32 pages; ages 3-6.

Pros:  Adorable illustrations of baby animals provide an easily accessible story about what it’s like to be different than other members of your family.  This could easily lead to discussions about adoption or other issues where kids may see themselves as different from their siblings.  I didn’t mean to do two pig books in a row, but if you want to have a piggie storytime, you are all set.

Cons: How are no humans noticing what’s going on in the pigpen?

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A Normal Pig by K-Fai Steele

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Balzer + Bray

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Summary:  Pip considers herself a pretty normal pig.  She likes doing art, hanging out with her family, and dreaming about what she might do when she grows up.  Then one day a new pig comes to school–you know the type–and starts making fun of Pip’s lunch and art. When she asks if Pip’s mother (who is gray, unlike the other pink pigs) is her babysitter, Pip has had enough.  She goes home and demands a “normal” lunch. Her parents’ wise response is to take her to the city the next weekend, where she sees pigs of many different colors, speaking a variety of languages, and eating all sorts of food.  When Pip calls the food “weird”, another pig responds, “Maybe it’s weird for you, but not for me. I like it.” Pip tries this line out the next week in school, and soon even the new pig wants to trade lunches. By the final page, Pip is back to feeling “pretty normal” once again.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A great be-yourself message that may give kids some ideas about how to deal with those who think that being different is somehow uncool.

Cons:  The new pig appears extra big on one page, but not on any of the others, which slightly confused me the first time I read the book.

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The Strangers (Greystone Secrets book 1) by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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Published by Katherine Tegen Books

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Summary:  Chess, Emma, and Finn Greystone, ages 12, 10, and 8, live with their mom in Ohio.  One day they hear on the news that three kids in Arizona have been kidnapped. As the story unfolds, they learn that these three children have exactly the same names as them.  And exactly the same birthdays. Their mom seems especially disturbed by this bizarre coincidence, and the next day she abruptly announces that she is going on a business trip and isn’t sure when she’ll return.  She arranges them to stay with a woman named Mrs. Morales and her daughter, Natalie, people who are pretty much strangers to the three children. When the kids discover their mom left her computer and phone at home, and that the phone has been programmed to send texts to Mrs. Morales about the trip, they begin to suspect that their mother has disappeared and may never return.  As they delve further into the mystery, they discover some horrifying secrets about their family that could put all of them–as well as Natalie and her mom–in serious danger. A cliffhanger ending paves the way for book #2. 405 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  Like the best books by Margaret Peterson Haddix, this one is a total page-turner, keeping the reader guessing as one bizarre clue after another is revealed.  Kids not quite ready for The Hunger Games may enjoy the glimpses of a dystopian world toward the end of the book.

Cons:  Developing realistic characters doesn’t seem to be Haddix’s greatest strength.  I found preciously cute Finn especially annoying.

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Linus the Little Yellow Pencil by Scott Magoon

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Disney-Hyperion

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Summary:  Linus is excited about entering the big art show, but Ernie, his eraser, won’t stop critiquing his work.  Ernie tells Linus his lines are too curvy, his stick figures aren’t good enough, and before long, Ernie has convinced Linus that he shouldn’t enter the art contest, and that he’s not really an artist at all.  When Linus heads for the pencil sharpener, he meets Smudge waiting in the darkness, unable to draw. He encourages Linus to let the eraser erase and to find his path by drawing it. Newly inspired, Linus starts working with Ernie to create enough amazing art to fill a wall at the art show.  The large crowds that attend the show agree: Linus and Ernie’s work has the most heart. 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Cute illustrations, lots of plays on words, and a nice message about not letting your inner critic shut you down.

Cons:  The end seemed like a little bit of an anti-climax, and I wasn’t really sure I had “gotten it”.

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Liberty Arrives! How America’s Grandest Statue Found Her Home by Robert Byrd

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Dial Books

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Image result for liberty arrives byrd

Summary:  The idea for the Statue of Liberty began in France in 1865 when Édouard de Laboulaye, a wealthy French judge who admired America, dreamed of presenting the United States with a gift for the 1876 centennial.  He enlisted sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi who specialized in large creations. Little did the two of them realize it would take more than two decades before their dream would finally come to fruition–and Laboulaye wouldn’t live to see it.  Part of the reason for the slowdown was the logistics of constructing a 151-foot statue and shipping it to the U.S.; the other part was money for covering the cost of creating the statue, shipping it, and building the base for her to stand on. Joseph Pulitzer finally solved the problem by challenging Americans to donate through his newspaper, the World, and approximately 121,000 people sent in $102,000.  On October 28 , 1886, Liberty Enlightening the World–more commonly known as the Statue of Liberty–was dedicated in New York Harbor.  Includes a diagram showing measurements of different parts of the statue; a timeline; a bibliography of books for adults and children and online sources; and Emma Lazarus’s poem printed on both endpapers.  40 pages; grades 2-6.

Pros:  This oversized book offers a wealth of fascinating, engagingly written information about the origins of the Statue of Liberty, all illustrated with Robert Byrd’s detailed watercolors.  Fun for browsing, and plenty of facts for research.

Cons:  The small, dense text may be a bit off-putting to kids.

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Mr. Penguin and the Lost Treasure by Alex T. Smith

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Published by Hodder Children’s Books

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Image result for mr. penguin and the lost treasure amazon

Summary:  Mr. Penguin has invested his life savings into a new business: becoming a Professional Adventurer.  He’s just beginning to feel nervous about his quiet office when the phone rings. It’s Miss Bones, owner of the Museum of Extraordinary Objects, and she’s on a quest to save her falling-down building.  She and her brother have learned there may be treasure buried on the grounds, so Mr. Penguin and his trusty (spider) sidekick Colin go off on their first adventure. They find plenty of it at the museum: an underground jungle, an alligator, and jewel thieves.  After more than one narrow escape, Mr. Penguin and Colin manage to solve the mystery, recover the treasure, and get the thieves behind bars. A ringing phone on the final page indicates this won’t be Mr. Penguin’s last adventure! 203 pages; grades 2-4.

Pros:  Fans of Dog Man and Inspector Flytrap will enjoy this longer, but just as zany, illustrated chapter book.  Filled with plot twists, narrow escapes, as well as a protagonist who’s likely to be a step or two behind the reader, this is a promising start to a new series.

Cons:  I wasn’t a huge fan of the illustrations or the black and orange color scheme.

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Jada Sly Artist and Spy by Sherri Winston

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  Jada is moving back to New York City after several years spent in France.  She’s dealing with the recent death of her mom in a plane crash, but she can’t accept that her mother is gone.  In fact, she’s sure she has seen her on more than one occasion, although her father assures her that’s just part of her reaction to grief.  New York seems full of strange characters, though, and Jada enlists the help of four new friends to try to figure out who they are and what is going on.  By the end of the story, they’ve revealed everyone’s true identities and learned the truth about Jada’s mother. The epilogue sets up the next book in the series.  272 pages; grades 3-5.

Pros:  Illustrated with Sherri Winston’s artwork, this story has plenty of plot twists and nefarious characters to keep kids turning the pages.  Jada and her friends are a bit smarter and more worldly than the average fifth grader, but that’s all part of the fun, as they go undercover and discover truths that elude the adults around them.

Cons:  Jada’s father’s new relationship with his assistant Cécile seems a bit odd when we learn (spoiler alert) that her mother is actually still alive.

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Give Me Back My Bones! by Kim Norman, illustrated by Bob Kolar

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick

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Summary:  A pile of bones on the ocean floor slowly reassembles itself into a pirate with the help of some sea creatures.  “Help me find my head bone, my pillowed-on-the-bed bone, the pirate’s flag-of-dread bone–I’m scouting out my skull.”  He continues working his way down, each rhyme ending with the name of the bone he’s seeking: from mandible and clavicle all the way to tibia, fibula, and phalanges.  At last, he’s ready to don his pirate’s hat, and climb aboard his shipwrecked ship where he’s sure he’ll find treasure–”I feel it in my bones!” The endpapers show the separate bones on the front and a labeled skeleton on the back.  40 pages; ages 4-9.

Pros:  Although this has the feel of a preschool-to-primary-grade picture book, older kids would find this a humorous introduction to different bones.  The rhymes are catchy and the skeleton is oddly endearing. It could even be a nice alternative to traditional Halloween reading. Great fun!

Cons:  Back matter about the skeleton with additional resources would have been useful.

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The Line Tender by Kate Allen

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Dutton Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  When a fisherman friend accidentally catches a great white shark, Lucy and Fred are among the first to go see it.  Fred is excited by anything having to do with science, and Lucy has a connection to sharks because her late mother studied them and even swam with them.  The two of them are working on a field guide about the wildlife they find in their hometown of Rockport, Massachusetts, and they plan to include information and drawings of the shark.  When tragedy strikes, though, the field guide project is put on hold, and Lucy must deal with another huge loss in her life. Fortunately she’s surrounded by community–her dad, neighbors, teachers, and friends–who each offer her a chance to heal in their own unique ways.  When Lucy gets the opportunity to help continue the shark research her mother started, she realizes it’s a chance to move forward into her new life. 384 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  The beautiful writing, memorable characters, and moving story make this award material for sure.  Kate Allen captures the feeling of summer on the Massachusetts shore, with just the right amount of nostalgia for the 1990’s.  Lucy’s drawings of different sharks grace the beginning of each chapter.

Cons:  Out of 37 non-graphic middle-grade books that I’ve read this year, ten feature a main character dealing with the loss of a parent and/or sibling.  That’s a lot, isn’t it? When I got to the Bridge to Terabithia moment of this book, I almost gave up and  chucked it into the library book drop.  I’m glad I persevered, but I wonder how many 11- and 12-year-old readers will.

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