Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jen Hill

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Roaring Brook Press

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Summary:  When Tanisha spills grape juice on her new dress, the narrator tries to be kind (“Purple is my favorite color”), but Tanisha is too upset to appreciate the gesture.  The narrator wonders what she could have done differently, and reflects on what it means to be kind.  She thinks of kind acts she’s done in the past, like bringing a neighbor cookies or helping around the house.  Sometimes it’s easy (saying thank you), but it can also be hard (sticking up for someone when others are unkind).  In the end, she decides to paint Tanisha a picture, knowing that small kindnesses can lead to much larger ones.  The final illustration shows that her efforts have not gone unappreciated by Tanisha.  32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  A good addition to the character education bookshelf.  Kindness is explained in terms even the youngest reader can understand and discuss.  It’s not clear if the narrator is a boy or a girl, making his/her experiences universal.

Cons:  Tanisha is clearly having a bad day, but she seems a bit ungrateful.

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This Is It by Daria Peoples-Riley

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Greenwillow Books

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Summary:  When a young girl sees a sign reading “Auditions Today” outside a dance studio, she gets a pep talk from a shadowy muse.  The silhouette of a similar-looking girl tells her, “Stand up tall./Arch your back./Hold your head high.”  The two of them dance off to Central Park and other places around New York City, the shadow reminding the girl of her love of dancing in free verse: “Listen to the hum of your heart’s song./It will never lead you wrong./Dance on top of this city at the center of the universe.”  The last page shows the girl soaring through her audition.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Dance aficionados will love the ballet, and others will be inspired to follow their dreams.

Cons:  Well?  Does she get the part?

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Girl Running: Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Micha Archer

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

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Summary:  Bobbi Gibb had to wear a skirt to school, and she wasn’t allowed to join the track team.  But when she got home, she headed outside to run as much as she liked.  Bobbi grew up near Boston, and after seeing the Boston Marathon one year, she decided to train.  Running in nurses’ shoes (there were no women’s running shoes at the time), she sometimes covered 40 miles in a day; yet her application for the marathon was rejected with a letter saying “women are not physiologically able to run twenty-six miles”.  Undaunted, Bobbi bought herself a baggy sweatshirt and some boys’ running shoes and snuck into the 1966 race.  Other runners cheered her on, as did spectators along the course.  Despite painful blisters from her new shoes, Bobbi crossed the finish line after three hours and twenty minutes, 124th in a field of over 400 racers.  The final page shows Bobbi leading other female runners across a field emblazoned with the names of other women winners of the Boston Marathon.  Includes an afterword and brief bibliography. 32 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  Readers will be inspired by Bobbi’s hard work and perseverance in challenging the status quo and achieving her goal.  Unique mixed media collage illustrations often include place names to show the routes that Bobbi ran when she trained and in the marathon.

Cons:  A photo or two with the afterword would have been a nice addition.

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Seeing Into Tomorrow: Haiku by Richard Wright biography and illustrations by Nina Crews

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Millbrook Press

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Summary:  Twelve haiku poems by Richard Wright are illustrated with collage photographs of African American boys in nature.  Wright’s biography is divided into two parts: an introductory page at the beginning of the book and a more detailed three-page one at the end that concludes with an invitation to the reader to write their own haikus.  The poems are deceptively simple: easy for kids to understand (“So insistently/A crow caws in a spring field/That I want to look”), yet small masterpieces of word artistry. Includes a list for further reading.  32 pages; grades K-5.

Pros:  A perfect introduction to both Richard Wright and the art of haiku, with beautiful photographic collages by Nina Crews (whom I just learned is the daughter of Caldecott illustrators Donald Crews and Ann Jonas), and an age-appropriate introduction to Wright’s life.

Cons:  No photo of Richard Wright.

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The Great Dictionary Caper by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Eric Comstock

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Published by Simon and Schuster

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Summary:  When the words in a dictionary get bored, they decide to have a parade.  There’s the onomatopoeia marching band (“Clang”, “Crash”, “Boom”), the showy action verbs who jump and spin, and the palindrome family reunion, featuring Mom, Dad, and Bob.  When non-rhyming words angry and orange feel left out, and unruly interjections keep interrupting, Noah Webster has no choice but to herd all the words back into his dictionary.  Words can spin out of control, Mr. Webster says, and Mr. Roget has no choice but to agree (“Yes. True. Verily”).  Includes a glossary that defines all the different categories of words.  40 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  Teachers will find a wealth of information about words presented in a fun way that will have kids thinking up their own examples.

Cons:  Without some adult assistance, this book may not be too engaging to kids.

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The Idea Jar by Adam Lehrhaupt, illustrated by Deb Pilutti

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Published by Simon and Schuster

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Summary:  “This is my teacher’s Idea Jar.  We keep our story ideas in it.”  The narrator explains how ideas can be about anything.  They can be used to create stories that are told, drawn, or written down.  There’s no such thing as a bad story idea.  But if the ideas stay in the jar, they can get bored and rowdy.  So it’s important to keep them under control by using them in stories, where they want to be.  On the last few pages, the class works together, starting with one idea, then weaving in others to create one big story.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The story jar is sure to find a home in many classrooms.  This would be a good read-aloud to encourage young writers.

Cons:  It looks so easy…just pick an idea, and you will be able to create a story.

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Checked by Cynthia Kadohata

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Atheneum

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Summary:  Conor’s life is all about hockey, his dog, and his dad.  During the year he turns 12, he rises from a peewee AA team to AAA and learns what it’s like to go from being the best on the team to struggling to keep up.  In addition to team practices and games, he does intensive exercise routines and gets private coaching, all of which is a financial strain for his policeman father who made it to the NHL for three weeks and hopes for a professional career for his son.  When Conor’s beloved Doberman Sinbad is diagnosed with cancer, Conor is forced to decide between some of his hockey extras and Sinbad’s $7,000 treatment.  During the course of the year, Conor is also forced to deal with some of his feelings about his maternal grandparents, who moved away after his mom died but now want to be back in his life.  By the end of the book, Connor has developed a greater understanding and compassion for those around him and taken a big step forward in the process of growing up.  404 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  Hockey fans and dog lovers will enjoy this slice-of-life story of approximately a year in Conor’s life.  He is a positive and resilient kids with a distinctive voice and caring heart.

Cons:  400+ pages is a lot for a story that tends to meander without any big climactic punch.

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The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates and Juniper Bates

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Simon and Schuster

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Summary:  A child in a yellow slicker takes a big, friendly red umbrella out on a rainy day.  This umbrella helps everyone stay dry, no matter if they are tall, hairy, plaid, or have four legs.  It likes to gather people (and other creatures) in and give them shelter.  “Some people worry that there won’t be enough room under the big umbrella.  But the amazing thing is, there is always room.”  On the final page, the sun has come out, and the umbrella has expanded to cover an entire park.  40 pages; ages 4 to those old enough to serve in the United States Congress.

Pros:  The illustrations are charming and show a wide diversity of humans and other living things; the message could lead to some interesting discussions for all ages.

Cons:  Maybe back matter would take away the opportunity for discussion, but I couldn’t help thinking there could be some good resources after the story.  Also, it was written by a mother and her 7th-grader daughter; I would like to know how they got the idea and carried it out.

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Elmore by Holly Hobbie

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Published by Random House

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Summary:  Elmore loves his cozy home inside a maple tree, but he’s lonely.  He can’t understand why he has trouble making friends until he overhears some animals saying, “He’s too prickly.  It’s hard to be around him.”  What’s a porcupine to do?  When Elmore’s uncle comes by for a visit, he tells him he should treasure his quills rather than wishing them away.  This gives Elmore an idea, and he gets to work gathering up the quills around his house and tying them into bundles.  Next, he sets up shop giving away his genuine quill pens.  The neighbors love them, and before long, he is receiving friendly notes from all over.  40 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  Elmore is a lovable character, and the portrayals of his tree house are cozy; his story gently reminds readers of the importance of appreciating yourself and reaching out to others to make new friends.

Cons:  While Elmore receives many friendly notes by the end of the story, he still doesn’t seem to have any in-person friends.

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Bad Princess: True Tales from Behind the Tiara by Kris Waldherr

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Scholastic

Amazon.com: Bad Princess: True Tales from Behind the Tiara eBook: Waldherr, Kris, Waldherr, Kris: Kindle Store

Summary:  For centuries, princesses have captured the public’s imagination.  From the “princess wars” between Henry VIII’s daughters Mary and Elizabeth to the 21st century obsession with Kate Middleton, princesses have long been in the public eye.  This book looks at some of history’s “bad” princesses who have been surrounded by scandals ranging from divorce to murder.  Many are European, but there are also appearances by other nationalities like Hawaii’s Princess Ka’iulani and Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, a Dubai sheikha who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in tae kwon do.  Sidebars give interesting additional information about real-life princesses and their fairytale counterparts.  The book ends with a tournament of historical and storybook princesses (you’ll have to find out for yourself if Diana or Cinderella takes it all) and a princess board game.  Includes resources for further reading.  128 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  A heavy dose of history is handled with a light touch, complete with pink-tinged black-and-white illustrations and plenty of humor.  

Cons:  So many princesses to keep track of.

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