Magic Spell by Julie Paschkis

~ 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

~ 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

~ 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.  

The Banana-Leaf Ball: How Play Can Change the World by Katie Smith Milway, illustrated by Shane W. Evans

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Kids Can Press

Summary:  When Deo is forced to flee his home in Burundi, he gets separated from his family and eventually ends up in a refugee camp in Tanzania.  Life there is difficult and sometimes scary, with a bully named Remy who forces the other kids to hand over their meager possessions to him.  Deo tries to make a soccer ball from banana leaves like the one he had back home, but Remy discovers it and takes it away.  One day, a man comes to camp with a leather soccer ball and starts organizing the kids into teams.  Deo and Remy end up on the same team and work together to score the winning goal.  It’s the beginning of a friendship; that and the soccer games sustain Deo until he is able to return home to his family and a chance to coach kids from his village.  Includes information and photos of the real Deo (see above); information about organizations that help kids learn how to trust each other and play together; and a paragraph called “What You Can Do”.  32 pages; grades 2-7.

Pros:  Another excellent entry from Kids Can Press’s CitizenKid series, introducing readers to other young people from around the world and showing them ways they can make a difference.

Cons:  The small font and large amount of text on each page may make this a more challenging read-aloud book.

The Quilts of Gee’s Bend by Susan Goldman Rubin

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  In 1845, plantation owner Mark Pettway moved his plantation to Gee’s Bend Alabama.  When the Civil War ended, the former slaves from that plantation stayed and formed a community that still exists today.  The women of Gee’s Bend have made quilts for generations, primarily to keep warm in the drafty cabins they lived in on the plantation, but also as a form of creative expression.  The history of this community and their quilts includes a visit from Martin Luther King, Jr. and participation by many in the Civil Rights movement.  The quilts were “discovered” in the 1960’s, and the women formed a collective that for a few years produced items to be sold in Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue.  In 2002, art collector Bill Arnett helped organize a quilt exhibit at New York City’s Whitney Museum, attracting record-breaking crowds.  The acclaim has helped the women to see their work as an art form that reflects the history of their unique community.  Includes instructions for making a quilt square, bibliography, and index.  56 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  The story is fascinating, but the real attraction of this book is the gorgeous full-page color photos of the quilts.

Cons:  The photo on page 8 appears to have been mislabeled with the wrong date.

A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting by Joe Ballarini, illustrated by Vivienne To

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Katherine Tegen Books

Summary:  Kelly is desperate to earn money to be able to go to the summer camp of her dreams, so she reluctantly agrees to a babysitting job.  The parents warn her that Jacob is prone to nightmares and afraid of the dark.  Sure enough, when bedtime comes, he’s convinced that monsters are lurking.  The only problem is, he’s right.  When one of them abducts Jacob, Kelly is introduced to the world of the babysitters, a group of mostly girls trained in the art and science of protecting kids from monsters.  As her night goes on, she finds herself in increasingly horrifying situations, but also discovers a strength and power she never suspected she had.  Readers brave enough to make it to the last page will be anxiously awaiting the sequel.  352 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This blend of scariness, humor, and kid (particularly girl) empowerment will be a big draw to fans of Rick Riordan and R. L. Stine.  This is sure to be a popular read in the coming school year.

Cons:  May be too scary for some.

Now by Antoinette Portis

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary:  A girl introduces the reader to all her favorites: “This is my favorite breeze.  This is my favorite leaf.  That is my favorite cloud because it’s the one I’m watching.”  Nature, eating, drinking, singing, and losing a tooth are all enjoyed as the book continues.  She concludes with “This is my favorite now because it’s the one I am having with you.”  32 pages; ages 3-6.

Pros:  A simple but effective reminder or enjoying the present moment.  This goes well with the author’s book Wait from last year, which has a similar message.

Cons:  I don’t think I can really have a favorite worm, no matter how “present” I am.

Two Truths and A Lie: It’s Alive! by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrated by Lisa K. Weber

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Walden Pond Press

Summary:  “Two truths and a lie” used to be a dinnertime staple in our family, as I tried to ensnare my hapless young children into believing a convincing-sounding falsehood about my day.  The co-authors of the first entry in this series use their powers for good, telling three brief tales from the natural world, only two of which are true. For instance, in the first section, there are stories about a plant whose roots sometimes resemble a person, a forest whose trees all sprout from the same root system, and the secret lives of plants (how they learn and communicate).  Turn to the back to learn that the first one is false, although it’s based on pictures that can be found on the Internet.  Other chapters delve more into plants, then move on to animals and humans.  These authors are serious about doing good research, as they include a research guide and a 17-page bibliography.  Also includes an index.  176 pages; grades 3-7.

Two pros and a con:  This is a great resource to use to encourage critical thinking, particularly about what can be found on the Internet.  Both the writing style and illustrations are easygoing and engaging.  The story about the headless chicken that lived for years is just gross, although (spoiler alert) true.

Lights, Camera, Middle School (Babymouse: Tales from the Locker) by Jennifer L. Holm, illustrated by Matthew Holm

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Random House

Summary:  Our little girl is growing up:  Babymouse has started middle school, and she finds some of the universal difficulties: bad cafeteria food, mean girls, and difficulties managing her curly whiskers.  Things start to look up, though, when she joins the Film Club and is chosen to direct the club’s first movie.  Backed by a remarkably supportive group of friends, Babymouse dives into the process with her usual enthusiasm, extracting herself from one embarrassing situation after another.  The final screening is an unexpected hit with the middle school crowd, but when Babymouse is introduced as the director, she trips over her new dress and falls on her face as she tries to get onstage.  Typical.  Much of this new series is a regular chapter book, but there are plenty of illustrations, as well as occasional comics.  208 pages; grades 2-6.

Pros:  Babymouse fans will cheer at the advent of a new series, and the format will allow readers to move up a notch from the graphic novels.

Cons:  Librarians will have a tough time deciding whether to shelve this with graphic novels or regular fiction.

Around the World in a Bathtub: Bathing All Over the Globe by Wade Bradford, illustrated by Micha Archer

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Charlesbridge

Summary:  “Bath time!” says the mama.  “No, no!” says the boy.  “Yes, yes!” says the mama.  This scenario is repeated throughout the book in different countries, and with the no’s and yesses in different languages.  In Japan, family members bathe in age order in a large square tub called and afuro.  In Alaska, the family enters a steamy maqil.  Some day, a weightless mother may be chasing her floating child for a bath on board a space station.  From the Ganges River in India to the hot springs of Himalayan valleys to a muddy volcano in South America, kids resist taking baths, but often don’t want to get out once they’ve gotten in.  Includes two final pages of additional information on bathing in all the places mentioned in the text.  32 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  An unusual geography lesson based on a universal experience kids will be able to connect with.  The illustrations feature a multicultural cast, with the bathtub scene reminiscent of a similar one in Ezra Jack Keats’ The Snowy Day.

Cons:  Naked kids on almost every page will be sure to elicit a lot of giggling at storytime.