Geraldine by Elizabeth Lilly

August 4, 2018August 4, 2018 ~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary: Geraldine does NOT want to move. But her parents insist, the family moves, and Geraldine’s father takes her to her new school. It soon becomes obvious that Geraldine is the only giraffe at her school, and for the first time in her life, she’s shy. It’s hard to hide when you’re nine feet taller than your classmates, but she does her best. One day at lunch, she goes to her usual tree hiding spot, but someone else has gotten there first–Cassie, a girl who has her own reasons for feeling alienated. The two spend lunchtime together, and a friendship begins. The next day, Geraldine pulls Cassie into the cafeteria, and the two give each other confidence to talk to some other kids. Her problems aren’t completely over, but Geraldine feels a lot happier and more sure of herself at her new school. 40 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros: A cute story about fitting in while remaining true to yourself. Kids will love the watercolor illustrations and seeing how many contortions Geraldine manages with her long neck.

Cons: It feels like a story that’s been told before–although maybe not with a giraffe.

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

Unsinkable: From Russian Orphan to Paralympic Swimming World Champion by Jessica Long with Hannah Long

August 2, 2018 ~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

Image result for unsinkable jessica amazon

Summary: Jessica Long started life in Siberia as Tatiana Kirillova; she was adopted by the Long family at the age of 13 months. Born without fibular bones, Jessica underwent surgery shortly after arriving in the U.S. to remove both legs below the knee. She learned to walk with prosthetics, and soon became active in a variety of sports. Swimming eventually won out over the others, and Jessica began competing as a Paralympian. She has participated in Paralympic events in Athens, Beijing, London, and Rio de Janeiro, winning 23 medals to make her the second-most decorated Paralympian of all times. She tells her story as a series of life-changing moments (“The moment I won my first gold”, “The moment I lost my confidence”, etc.), that cover the highs and lows of her life and athletic career. Jessica has enjoyed working as a model, and the text is illustrated with many photos of her, her family, and her friends. Looking at her Facebook page, it seems as though she is making plans to compete in Tokyo in 2020. 112 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros: Jessica tells her story in a chatty, upbeat style that, along with the many photos, will appeal to upper elementary and middle school readers. Even her struggles with anxiety, OCD, and bulimia are covered with a pretty positive spin.

Cons: The format of life-changing moments, which were not in exact chronological order, made the story seem a little disjointed. Also, not a con, but a heads-up that Jessica and her family are devout Christians, which is sometimes mentioned in the story, particularly “The moment I found peace”.

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

Life According to Og the Frog by Betty G. Birney

August 1, 2018 ~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons

Summary: Room 26 has a new pet: Og the Frog. Og started his career as a classroom pet in Room 27, but George the bullfrog was something of a bully, so Og got moved next door. He enjoys watching the kids (whom he calls “big tads”), thinks Mrs. Brisbane is a pretty great teacher, and is intrigued by his excitable hamster neighbor, but Og sometimes wishes he was back in the swamp. He was “frognapped” by a fisherman, then given to the man’s grandson who is a student in room 27. A herpetologist from a nearby nature center visits the classroom to tell the kids more about Og, and she informs them that Og can’t be released back into the wild (he may have picked up human germs that he would spread to other frogs). The kids–and Og–have to decide if it’s best for him to stay in the classroom or if he should move to the nature center. Of course, Og ends up staying in school, and readers can hope to hear more from the new frog in the future. 160 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros: Fans of the Humphrey series will be clamoring for a new book about a frog who is every bit as endearing as Room 26’s hamster is. Og is a poet, and kids may be inspired to try to match some of his rhymes; they’ll also learn a bit about frogs and conservation.

Cons: I was hoping Og and Humphrey would find a way to communicate, but all Og hears from Humphrey is a bunch of squeaking.

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

Giants, Trolls, Witches, Beasts: Ten Tales from the Deep, Dark Woods by Craig Phillips

August 1, 2018May 22, 2021 ~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Allen and Unwin

Summary: Each of the ten folktales tells the story of an underdog, often a child or teen, who defeats some sort of a monster…witches, nixies, giants, and other monsters. The introduction describes how folktales were passed down through telling, eventually being published in books which often had few or no illustrations. The graphic novel format of this book allows readers to see all the action, characters, and settings that are often from different cultures. The table of contents tells which country each story is from. 192 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros: An excellent addition to folktale collections. Kids will love the graphic novel format; the stories are quick reads (15-25 pages with lots of pictures) with beautiful artwork and plenty of action.

Cons: It would have been nice to have more cultural diversity. With the exception of “Momotaro” from Japan and “The King of the Polar Bears” from America, all the stories are European.

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

Rosetown by Cynthia Rylant

July 31, 2018 ~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Beach Lane Books

Summary: Flora’s fourth grade year gets off to a rough start; her parents have recently separated, her dog died not too long ago, and the kids in her class seem a lot smarter and more confident than they did in third grade. Flora is quiet and sensitive, and loves spending hours reading at Wing and a Chair Used Books, where her mother works three days a week. As the year goes on, Flora makes a new friend, Yuri; gets a new cat, Serenity; and discovers her talent for writing. When spring comes, her family changes once again, this time in an exciting new direction, and Flora is grateful for everything that has happened to her in the previous year. 160 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros: A quiet, introspective book about a quiet, introspective girl growing up in 1972 in the small town of Rosewood, Indiana. The characters are memorable, especially Flora, Yuri, and Miss Meriwether, the book store owner.

Cons: Readers seeking a lot of humor/action/adventure may be disappointed.

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

Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart

July 30, 2018 ~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Scholastic Press

Summary: On page 1, Brodie is waking up in a new place, vaguely aware that he has died. He soon learns that he is in a sort of purgatory, waiting to move on to the mysterious Forever, but still able to return to Earth as a ghost…with the risk of losing his soul. As his memories of his previous life slowly return, Brodie realizes that his beloved boy Aiden is in danger, and that it’s up to Brodie to save him. Accompanied by the lovable and loyal, if not too bright, Tuck, Brodie returns to Earth to help Aiden. The two dogs are pursued by four hellhounds, dogs who have lost their souls and feed off of the souls of “good dogs” to stay alive. They’re assisted by Patsy, the ghost of a streetwise stray cat who is down to her last bit of soul. It’s a struggle to the end, but Brodie succeeds in his mission, and the human-canine bond is celebrated in a moving final chapter. 304 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros: Animal lovers will take Brodie, Tuck, and even Patsy to heart, and between the hellhounds and Aiden’s evil father, there is plenty of action to keep them reading to the end.

Cons: Brodie’s “good dog” status was hammered home just a bit too hard. And Dan Gemeinhart? He needs a better editor to eliminate some of the rhetorical question and answer format of his narration.

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

The Dinosaur Expert (Mr. Tiffin’s Classroom series) by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by G. Brian Karas

July 29, 2018 ~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Schwartz and Wade

Image result for dinosaur expert mcnamara amazon

Image result for dinosaur expert karas

Summary: Kimmy loves science, collecting rocks, leaves, shells, and even owl pellets. But her favorite collection is her fossils. So she’s excited about her class’s field trip to the natural history museum and eager to share her dinosaur knowledge with the other kids. But when Jake tells her, “Girls aren’t scientists”, and backs up his statement with photos of male fossil hunters, Kimmy is suddenly less interested in sharing. Mr. Tiffin notices, and leads Kimmy to an exhibit about Zulma Brandoni de Gasparini, a female paleontologist who discovered a dinosaur that was named for her (Gasparinisaura Cincosaltensis). Even Jake is impressed, and Kimmy regains her confidence and enthusiasm for dinosaurs. “When I grow up, I want to be just like her,” Kimmy says at the end of the trip. “I think,” replies Mr. Tiffin, “you already are.” Includes profiles of seven women paleontologists, including one who discovered a fossil from a new species of pterosaur when she was only four years old. 40 pages; grades K-3.

Pros: Another charming tale featuring Mr. Tiffin working his magic with another member of his class. There’s plenty of dinosaur information woven into the story for fossil fans.

Cons: I hope Jake gets his own story so we can learn why he’s so obnoxious.

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

How Are You? Como Estas? by Angela Dominguez

July 28, 2018September 9, 2021 ~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Henry Holt and Co.

Image result for how are you como estas dominguez amazon

Summary: In this follow up to How Do You Say? Como Se Dice?*, Angela Dominguez’s two giraffes meet up with an ostrich. They immediately start asking questions in English and Spanish: How are you? Are you shy? Are you hungry? The ostrich answers no to everything. Finally, she reveals how she is feeling: She is excited because she has two new amigos! *(If anyone knows how to do accents or upside down question marks in Google Docs, please email me!) 32 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros: The cute animals will appeal to the very youngest readers, and older kids will have fun learning some Spanish (or reading it for their friends if they already speak it).

Cons: A list of all the phrases or words from the book in both languages would have been a nice addition at the end.

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

The Creature of the Pines (The Unicorn Rescue Society, book 1) by Adam Gidwitz, illustrated by Hatem Aly

July 26, 2018 ~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Dutton Books for Young Readers

Summary: From the team that brought you The Inquisitor’s Tale comes this new series for the early chapter book crowd. Elliot Eisner is bummed to be starting school three weeks into the school year. That ends up being the least of his concerns after he meets a girl named Uchenna. The two of them get paired up on what turns out to be the weirdest field trip he has ever been on. Their class travels to New Jersey’s Pine Barrens with their chronically flustered teacher Miss Vole and the strange and perpetually grumpy Professor Fauna. They wind up rescuing a small dragon-like creature that turns out to be a Jersey Devil. After they return to school, the creature gets loose and ends up in the home of the evil billionaire Schmoke brothers. Elliott and Uchenna are forced to seek out Professor Fauna for help. The rescue complete, he invites them to join the top secret Unicorn Rescue Society, setting the stage for more escapades with mythical creatures in the next books of the series. 192 pages; grades 3-5.

Pros: A unique and promising start to a new series, with plenty of deadpan humor, one-of-a-kind characters, and magic action. Short chapters, a fast pace, and plenty of illustrations will appeal to reluctant readers.

Cons: As a New Jersey native, I would have appreciated some back matter about the Jersey Devil.

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

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: