Elvis: The Story of the Rock and Roll King by Bonnie Christensen

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Henry Holt

Summary:  This picture book biography focuses on Elvis Presley’s early years, growing up in extreme poverty in the south.  From a very young age, Elvis was drawn to music, and he was surrounded by a wide range of influences.  Even though his town was segregated by race and class, the music of jazz, blues, and gospel was everywhere.  When Elvis was 13, his family moved from Mississippi to Memphis, and he learned to play guitar.  A few years later, he managed to get a recording session with Sun Records.  It was turning into a disaster, when Elvis started singing “That’s All Right”, a Delta blues song he infused with country and gospel.  That song became a hit, and Elvis Presley was on his way.

Pros:  Kids today may see Elvis Presley as something of a joke, and this story really humanizes him, portraying him sympathetically as a nervous kid who loved music.

Cons:  Elvis looks a lot better in these illustrations than he did when I saw him in the candy aisle at Walmart last week.

The Question of Miracles by Elana K. Arnold

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Sixth-grader Iris is miserable about her family’s move from sunny California to rainy Corvallis, Oregon.  Her father has decided to turn their new house into a self-sustaining “homestead”, her mother is wrapped up in her new job, and Iris is having trouble making friends.  Worst of all, she is still grieving for her best friend Sarah, whose death was the impetus for the move.  Then Iris meets Boris, a Magic-playing, self-centered classmate with no table manners, who unexpectedly turns out to be a friend.  Even more unexpectedly, she finds out that his death-defying birth was a miracle, in the process of being documented by the Vatican.  If miracles are possible for Boris, might there be a miracle that can help her connect with Sarah again?  Recommended for grades 4-6.

Pros:  This book delves right into the big questions about God, life after death, and who gets a miracle in life.  It is a quiet, reflective book that could engender a lot of discussion.

Cons: I kept waiting for something big to happen.  It never did.

How to Draw a Dragon by Doug Florian

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Published by Beach Lane Books

Summary:  “Drawing a dragon isn’t hard/Drag a dragon to your yard.”  So begins this rhyming treatise on how to draw every part of a dragon, from its bumpy head to its claws that also like to draw.  Each rhyming couplet is illustrated with what looks like a child’s drawing of a kid sketching a dragon, often with the dragon’s assistance.  Recommended for ages 4-8.

Pros:  The rhyme is catch and funny, but the pictures are what make this book such a winner.  Kids will want to try their hands at sketching a dragon after reading this.

Cons:  Upon reaching the last page, you may be unable to resist the urge to draw a dragon.

Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin solved a Mystery That Baffled All of France by Mara Rockliff illustrated by Iacopo Bruno

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  When Benjamin Franklin was in France to get support for the American Revolution, he became intrigued by the new process of mesmerization.  An Austrian doctor named Franz Mesmer was wowing Europeans with his new technique, which he claimed could people into a suggestive trance.  He would then tell them what to do, which was usually healing themselves of diseases.  Franklin arranged to have a demonstration with Mesmer’s assistant.  Using the scientific method, Ben blindfolded patients and was able to prove that their reactions to “mesmerization” were actually caused by their own minds.  Franklin reported his findings to the King of France, and soon after, Mesmer left the country.  Recommended for grades 2-5.

Pros:  Not only is this book packed with information about Benjamin Franklin, 18th-century science, and the scientific method, but it is presented in a way that is both interesting and aesthetically pleasing.  The text is in different fonts, with words of varying sizes, and occasional sidebars to explain related concepts.  The illustrations are both beautiful and amusing.

Cons:  The author’s note, while fascinating, was a bit overlong for the average 21st-century attention span.

Meet the Dullards by Sara Pennypacker and Daniel Salmieri

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Published by Balzer and Bray

Summary:  The Dullards enjoy such activities as staring at their unplugged TV and watching the paint dry (a mix of beige and gray).  When they catch their children reading books about the circus, they decide it’s time to move to a duller neighborhood.  But the new place has all kinds of pitfalls, like a neighbor who brings an applesauce cake made with chunky applesauce and uses sentences that end in exclamation marks.  When they discover their children playing circus outside, it’s time to pack up and move back again.  That night, the parents rest easy in their old boring house while the children run away to the circus that’s in town.

Pros:  The humor starts on the cover (“Extra boring edition!”) and continues on every page.  The cartoon-like illustrations perfectly render what the dullest family in the world would look like.

Cons:  Somehow, I was expecting more of a twist at the end.  It was, honestly, a bit dull.

My Life As A Gamer by Janet Tashjian and Jake Tashjian

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Published by Henry Holt

Summary: Derek is back, this time getting a chance to pursue his love of video games. His father arranges for Derek and his friends to be part of a focus group to test a new video game, Arctic Ninja, before it comes out on the market. This makes Saturdays a lot of fun, but during the week Derek is stressing about the upcoming state standardized tests. He’s got a new tutor to help him, but when he tells her some of the top-secret details about Arctic Ninja, he suddenly finds himself in hot water. Derek starts experiencing some familiar feelings of failure, and it’s up to him to figure out how to turn things around.  Recommended for ages 9-12.

Pros: Another winning entry in the “My Life” series. Derek Fallon is Greg Heffley with a heart…and a brain. Short chapters, a large font, and lots of comic-type illustrations will attract Wimpy Kid fans.

Cons: Readers of a certain age may be put off by an icky romance developing between Derek and his friend Carly.

Queen of the Diamond : the Lizzie Murphy Story by Emily Arnold McCully

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Published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Summary:  When Lizzie Murphy was growing up in turn-of-the-century Rhode Island, girls didn’t play baseball.  But Lizzie’s brothers played, her father had played, and she wanted to play, too.  She became batgirl for her brother’s team and carried her father’s old ball and glove everywhere.  At one game, both teams realized no one had brought a ball.  Lizzie had her ball, but refused to lend it unless they’d let her play.  After a star turn at first base and four hits, she was a member of the team.  She continued to play into adulthood, making a living on the Warren, Rhode Island semipro team, and was the first person of either gender to play on both the National and American Leagues’ all-star teams.  She even got a single off of legendary pitcher Satchel Paige while playing on a Negro League team.  She finally retired from baseball in 1935, at the age of 40.  Recommended for grades 1-3.

Pros:  An interesting and little-known story about a woman athlete who refused to give up her dream despite enormous obstacles.  Emily Arnold McCully doesn’t disappoint with either the story or the illustrations.

Cons:  Too bad Lizzie didn’t blaze a trail into MLB for other women.

Monty’s Magnificent Mane by Gemma O’Neill

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Published by Templar

Summary: Monty the lion usually lets his meerkat friends play with his magnificent mane.  But one day they go too far with their braiding and decorating, and Monty has had enough.  He stomps off to the water hole, where a crocodile lures him closer by complimenting him on his mane.  The crocodile tries to take a bite, but only gets a mouthful of mane.  Monty runs away, the crocodile in hot pursuit, only to realize too late that he’s led the crocodile right to the meerkats.  With a tremendous “ROAR!”, Monty scares off the crocodile, and is happy to let his friends play in his mane once again.

Pros:  A nice story about friendship and loyalty, with magnificent illustrations.  The two-page spread of Monty’s roar is suitable for framing.

Cons:  I read this to several classes of kindergarteners and they seemed a bit lukewarm about it.  I liked the pictures better than the story.

All the Answers by Kate Messner

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Published by Bloomsbury USA Children’s

Summary: Ava’s sweating it out through another math quiz when she hears a voice giving her the right answer. She’s surprised that no one else can hear the voice, but is grateful that it helps her ace the quiz. Eventually she discovers that the voice is coming from the pencil she found in the junk drawer as she was rushing to get ready for school. She and her friend Sophie learn how to use the pencil to uncover answers about the people around them. At first it seems great but then, as so often is the case with magic, complications arise. Ava discovers that knowing people’s secrets isn’t always for the best and learns that she really is brave enough to make it through the tough times in her life on her own. Recommended for grades 4-6.

Pros: Fans of Wendy Mass’s Willow Falls book will enjoy this realistic fiction story with a little magic thrown in.

Cons: Unfortunately, this is just a realistic story with a single magical element. It doesn’t quite come up to the level of Wendy Mass or Lisa Graff’s A Tangle of Knots in weaving magic through the whole story with a big wow at the end.

Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Stick and Stone are all alone until one day when Stick sticks up for Stone against the bullying Pinecone.  They become best friends, exploring the world together, until one day a hurricane blows them apart.  Fortunately, Stone finds his friend, stuck head-down in a puddle, and is able to affect a rescue (“You rock, Stone,”).  Together, they make a perfect 10.  Recommended for preschool – grade 3.

Pros:  A delightful story of friendship.  The illustrations perfectly complement the rhyming text.

Cons:  I would have liked to see some redemption for Pinecone.  It is merely hinted at on the last page.