Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

August 13, 2017August 13, 2017 ~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Candlewick Press

Summary: Jabari is full of bravado as he approaches the pool with his father and little sister, informing them that he will be jumping off the diving board today. “I’m a great jumper,” Jabari tells them, “so I’m not scared at all.” But when he gets to the bottom of the ladder, he has to think about what kind of special jump he’s going to do. Then he realizes he’s forgotten his stretching exercises! Finally, his dad tells him it’s okay to be scared and gives him some advice about how to handle it. Take a deep breath and tell yourself you’re ready. “Sometimes it stops feeling scary and feels a little like a surprise,” Dad says. Jabari loves surprises! He climbs the ladder, walks to the end of the board, takes a deep breath, and splash! He makes a truly spectacular jump. 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros: A great choice for summer reading, short but funny, with a bit of a lesson subtly inserted. The illustrations perfectly capture the feelings of the pool and the diving board.

Cons: I wish I had reviewed this when it first came out in May. Feels like those days at the pool are numbered.

Fresh-Picked Poetry: A Day at the Farmers’ Market by Michelle Schaub, illustrated by Amy Huntington

August 11, 2017 ~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Charlesbridge

Summary: A collection of 18 poems describes a farmers’ market from “Early Risers” through “Day’s End”. The poems vary somewhat in format, including one poem for two voices, and appear in a variety of ways on the page, sometimes weaving through the illustrations. Many of the poems are about the farmers’ produce, but there are also some about other features of the market, like the bakery, a musical duet, and Antonio’s Old-Time Sharpening, who will sharpen your dull knife or scissors. The last page gives five reasons to spend a day at a market, giving more information about the benefits of local food and a website to find a farmers’ market near you. 32 pages; grades PreK-3.

Pros: Not only a rollicking look at the bounty available at the farmers’ market, but a great introduction to poetry as well.

Cons: The rhythm of “Market Melody”, the poem about the musicians, felt a little clunky.

Henry and the Chalk Dragon by Jennifer Trafton, illustrated by Benjamin Schipper

August 10, 2017 ~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Rabbit Room Press

Summary: When Henry draws an amazing dragon on the chalkboard in his room, he’s almost sure he sees it move. Before he goes to bed, he tells his mom he’ll erase the dragon in the morning, and that’s enough to cause the creature to flee. When Henry wakes up the next morning, there’s a gaping hole in his door, and the dragon is nowhere to be seen. It eventually winds up at school with Henry and his friends, Oscar and Jade. The dragon has the ability to morph into different forms, and eventually Henry realizes they are all different pictures he has drawn come to life. Eventually, the dragon causes complete chaos throughout the school, and it’s up to Henry, Oscar, and Jade to use their unique creative gifts (art, science, and music, respectively) to tame it, and to get the school back to normal…or maybe a slightly improved version of normal. 240 pages; grades 3-5.

Pros: A fantastic adventure all brought to life by the kids’ imaginations. This would make a good read-aloud in an elementary classroom.

Cons: The message–you have to be brave to be an artist–at times overwhelmed the action of the story.

The Great Art Caper by Victoria Jamieson

August 9, 2017 ~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Henry Holt

Summary: GW the hamster and his class pet friends Sunflower and Barry are back for another adventure, this time in the art room. GW wants to make a special gift for his friend Carina, one of the girls in the classroom where he lives. The three pets sneak into the art room one night in search of inspiration. They find some, but before their projects are complete, they are attacked by Harriet and her minions. These evil mice have hatched a plot to sabotage the school art show, and they won’t let three pesky rodents get in their way. When GW finds out that Carina is one of the winning artists, nothing will stop him from taking down the mice and saving the day. There’s a happy ending in store for all, and a hint of another adventure ahead. 64 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros: I don’t usually review sequels, but I so loved The Great Pet Escape that I wanted to see what the furry friends were up to next. No disappointments, the humor is just as sharp as in the first book, and the pets are as irrepressible as ever.

Cons: Sunflower, who was hilarious in the first book, had a much smaller role here.

Jack and the Beanstalk and the French Fries by Mark Teague

August 8, 2017 ~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Orchard Books

Summary: The familiar story of Jack begins as usual when he trades the family cow for some bean seeds that his irate mother tosses out the window. The huge stalk grows, but then the story veers off into a new and humorous direction. Jack’s mother is thrilled with the free food the beanstalk provides, and Jack finds himself eating bean soup, bean salad, and other bean dishes three times a day. When he receives a bean bag and a slice of bean cake on his birthday, he’s ready to take a hatchet to the stalk. But the old man who sold him the seeds reappears and encourages Jack to check out what’s at the top of the huge plant. Jack takes his advice and discovers a giant’s wife, who is cooking…you guessed it, beans. The giant feels the same way as Jack does about beans, and the two return to Jack’s home in search of French fries. They plant a vegetable garden, which proves to be influenced by the presence of the beanstalk, and grows a plethora of large vegetables. Everyone–humans and giants alike–is thrilled with the new diet, which of course includes extra-large fries. 40 pages; grades K-3.

Pros: Mark Teague has produced another winning takeoff on a fairy tale. Kids will love the funny story and illustrations, and teachers will enjoy comparing it to other versions of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Cons: There’s no golden egg-laying goose.

Superstar by Mandy Davis

August 7, 2017 ~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by HarperCollins

Summary: Lester Musselbaum is starting fifth grade after being homeschooled by his mom all his life. His father was an astronaut who was killed in an accident when Lester was five. Lester loves science, especially astronomy, but is apprehensive about going to public school. He struggles in the first few weeks with a couple of mean boys, too much noise in the cafeteria, and a teacher who sometimes makes last-minute changes to the schedule. His inclination at such times is to run away, but he gradually learns other coping strategies. A girl named Abby becomes a friend, and a diagnosis of Asperger’s leads to an IEP that makes school a little easier for Lester to handle. There are still good days and bad days, but Lester begins to see his strengths and to use them to make his way in a new world. 336 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros: As I mentioned in an earlier post, I fear that “give this book to fans of Wonder!” is becoming a tired cliché. However, the comparison is inevitable in this engaging tale of a fifth grader with a difference that sets him apart from his peers. First-time novelist Mandy Davis does an outstanding job of portraying Lester sympathetically yet realistically. I read this book in less than 24 hours.

Cons: Teachers and other school personnel seemed unnecessarily nasty at the beginning of the story, although they improved as time went on.

Magic Spell by Julie Paschkis

August 6, 2017 ~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Summary: The Great Aziz can magically transform one thing into another with the flick of a wand and the changing of a letter. A dish becomes a fish, a rose becomes a hose, and a wire becomes a fire, while his adoring assistant takes care of the ensuing chaos. But when he turns her wig into a pig, she’s had enough and takes revenge by changing his hat into a bat. When beads become bears, however, the two magicians have to work together to avert danger. They learn to share the light each night…and everything turns out just right. 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros: Lots of word fun, illustrated with Paschkis’s somewhat impressionistic paintings. Kids could enjoy creating their own transformation by changing one letter to another.

Cons: The poor assistant never gets her hair back.

Far Apart, Close in Heart: Being a Family When a Loved One is Incarcerated by Becky Birtha, illustrated by Maja Kastelic

August 4, 2017September 13, 2023 ~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Albert Whitman and Co.

Summary: What does it feel like to have a parent in jail, and how do you deal with those feelings? The children in this book all react differently to their parents’ incarceration. They feel scared, angry, and confused. One girl wonders if it was her fault her mom went to jail. A boy’s mom begs him not to tell anyone about his dad, so he stops talking altogether. Another girl’s family is torn apart when her mom gets arrested and sent to jail, just like her dad. Kids are encouraged to share their feelings with other adults in their lives, and to try to stay in touch with their incarcerated parents through visits, or, if that’s not possible, phone calls and letters. One mom writes to assure her daughter that, “You and I may be far apart, but you’re always close to me in heart.” Includes an author’s note and tips for adults from the National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated. 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros: A useful and engaging book to help kids feel more accepting of having a parent in prison, and to learn how to deal with their feelings about it.

Cons: With nine kids featured, there were a lot of people to keep track of in such a short book.

Fergus and Zeke by Kate Messner, illustrated by Heather Ross

August 3, 2017August 3, 2017 ~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Candlewick

Summary: Fergus is a mouse who lives in a classroom and enjoys participating in all the routines and activities of Miss Maxwell’s class. When he hears they are going on a field trip to the museum, he can’t wait, and is disappointed to find out he won’t be joining them. Undaunted, he stows away in Emma’s backpack and rides on the bus along with the rest of the class. The museum is everything he expected and more, as he makes a new mouse friend, Zeke. Zeke is more of a daredevil than the rule-abiding Fergus, and he takes Fergus on a behind-the-scenes adventure that almost causes them both to miss the bus back home. They make it, though, and when the class gets back to school, they are amazed to see two mice instead of one in Fergus’s cage. 56 pages; grades K-3.

Pros: Readers not quite ready for the Humphrey books will enjoy this illustrated chapter book with endearing mouse characters and plenty of action

Cons: If I were Miss Maxwell, I’d be a bit more thorough in my investigation into how a second mouse mysteriously appeared in the classroom.