Kristen’s Picks

Posted on 01/24/2012

From magical chalk to wizards to monsters that will eat your peas for you, the term “fantasy” covers a wide range of children’s books. If your kids are learning about genres in school, at some point they’ll be looking for a good fantasy.  What else is there besides Harry Potter? Plenty!

For the youngest readers:

Chalk by Bill Thomson (Marshall Cavendish, 2010) Oh, Bill Thomson, your photo-realistic art gets me every time. This is a gorgeous wordless picture book. I love that the illustrations fill the entire spread – for group read-alouds or one-on-one, readers feel like they’re falling into the scene. Thomson’s chalk takes Harold’s purple crayon to the next level. Whatever is drawn, comes to life. So, if a kid draws a dinosaur….! Wordless books are especially good for readers learning English as a second language. The story can be in whatever words they choose, and all are successful readers.
Doodleday by Ross Collins (Albert Whitman & Co., 2011) Mom warns Harvey not to draw on Doodleday, but Harvey just can’t resist. His doodles come to life, and he doodles bigger and bigger things to stop his creations. In the end, a doodle of Mom puts everything right. It’s so fun to compare Doodleday with Chalk, or the classic Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson, all stories where drawings come to life. These are great fantasies for the picture book crowd. Just make sure to have plenty of art supplies on hand once the stories are done!

For the transitional readers:
Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude written by Kevin O’Malley and illustrated by Kevin O’Malley, Carol Heyer, and Scott Goto (Walker & Co., 2005) This is the perfect book to show that picture books aren’t just for the little guys. A boy and a girl make up a story to satisfy a school assignment, and they take turns telling what happened. “Every day Princess Tenderheart would play with her eight beautiful ponies…” the girl begins, until a horrible giant starts to steal the ponies. Princess Tenderheart cried and cried until the boy interrupts “I can’t take it anymore. I’ll tell the story from here.” Along comes a cool motorcycle dude to save the day, until the girl jumps in to have her say in the story. I love the collaborative storytelling by the kids in the book, and the ending leaves the door open to the sequel, Once Upon a Royal Superbaby by the same team.

Knights of the Kitchen Table written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith (Viking, 1991) This is the first book in the Time Warp Trio series. Joe gets “The Book” from his magician uncle for his birthday. When Joe and his buddies, Fred and Sam, open it up, mist rises and suddenly the boys are face to face with The Black Knight. With short chapters, cool illustrations interspersed, and plenty of action, this is great even for kids who don’t love reading chapter books. The adventures continue in this series with titles like: Your Mother Was a Neanderthal, Summer Reading is Killing Me, and 2095.  A spin-off television series and the tie-in graphic novels will bring more fans to this fold.

For the older readers:
Gregor the Overlander  by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, 2003) Before there were The Hunger Games, there was Gregor. This is the first in a five-book series by the author of the popular Hunger Games trilogy. It’s perfect for upper elementary and middle school kids who want action and adventure but aren’t ready for the author’s other series. Gregor sees his toddler sister, Boots, fall down a grate in their laundry room and follows her down to a city below the one he lives in, a city populated by giant rats, cockroaches, and bats as well as humans. His quest to save his sister and himself becomes entangled with the fight raging between the rats and the humans as he learns that he may be the Overlander a prophecy has foretold could change the fates of them all.
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz (Dutton, 2010) This one is so deliciously dark, even your most jaded thrill-seekers will be drawn in. Gidwitz takes Hansel and Gretel and sends them down a dark, winding path through the old Grimm stories. In the author’s words: “a word of warning: Grimm’s stories – the ones that weren’t changed for little kids – are violent and bloody… so if such things bother you, we should probably stop right now.” Not scary enough to cause nightmares, just slightly shivery served with a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor. I’ll guarantee that most fourth and fifth graders will be hooked.

The Promise of Adventure

Posted on 01/23/2012

THE UNWANTEDS by Lisa McMann (Aladdin, 2011)

The day of the Purge has finally arrived and Alex knows he’ll have to say goodbye to his family once and for all. It’s the way things are in Quill when a child reaches the age of thirteen. Alex’s twin brother, Aaron, is one of the “Wanteds.” Bright and strong, he’ll go straight to university the day after the Purge.  Alex, on the other hand, is “Unwanted.” As soon as the announcements are made, Alex and the other Unwanteds will board a waiting bus that will take them to their deaths.

But Elimination is not at all what Alex had supposed and he and the other Unwanteds find themselves on a journey that pits Wanteds against Unwanteds and brother against brother.

This exciting new middle grade dystopian series will have readers clamoring for more.

BOOKSPEAK: Poems about Books by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Josee Bisaillon (Clarion Books, 2011)

More than simply poems about books, BOOKSPEAK is about all the ways readers connect to the magic of books.  Every teacher and librarian should have a copy! There’s a poem from the point of view of a book cover. A poem written by “Index.” Even a poem in three voices called “The Middle’s Lament.” 

It’s time. Let the books speak!

SEA OF DREAMS by Dennis Nolan (Roaring Brook Press 2011)

As the sun sets, a young girl heads home for the night, leaving behind a glorious turreted sandcastle. The waves roll in, a light appears in the window, and an amazing story begins. Children will enjoy pouring over the richly detailed illustrations. And even better? This wordless book carries readers away to a dreamy world where the story is theirs to create.

Chinese New Year!

Posted on 01/22/2012

On January 23, 2012, millions of people around the globe will be celebrating the arrival of the first new moon of the year, a celebration known as Lunar New Year or more commonly, Chinese New Year. It is a time where families and friends gather to enjoy feasts and festivals with fireworks, dragons, and lanterns. A time to welcome in a new season of hope and promise. Whether or not you celebrate this holiday, the stories found in the following books are worth celebrating. Gong xi-gong xi! Xin-nian Kuai le! Happy New Year!

BRINGING IN THE NEW YEAR by Grace Lin (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2008)

A charming read aloud that jumps to life with bright illustrations and lively prose. Follow one Chinese American family as they experience bringing in the New Year with traditions that promise hope, happiness, prosperity and friendship. Sweep out the old year. Get-rich dumplings. And wake the dragon! Parents and educators will find an informative author’s note in the back matter brimming with extras.

A NEW YEAR’S REUNION: A CHINESE STORY by Yu Li-Qiong, illustrated by Zhu Cheng-Liang (Candlewick Press, 2011)

Maomao’s father works away from home and only comes home at Chinese New Year. There’s so much to do when he arrives home and at first, Maomao doesn’t recognize him until a barber gives him a haircut. Then Maomao and her parents carry out New Year traditions like—making sticky rice balls, listening to the “pop” of fireworks, and watching the dragon dance on Main Street.  After a week of memories, Maomao’s father must return to work again but not before Maomao gives him a “good luck” gift that she hopes they can bury together—next Chinese New Year—in the rice balls. Winner of the prestigious Feng ZiKai Chinese Children’s Picture Book Award in 2009, this poignant story is sure to resonate with every child who misses a loved one. The Illustrations will touch your heart.

THE RUNAWAY WOK by Ying Chang Compestine, illustrated by Sebastia Serra (Dutton Children’s Books, 2011).

Young Ming is sent to the market in Beijing to trade eggs for rice so his mother can make a dish for the Chinese New Year’s feast but instead he comes home with a rusted old wok. As the family worries what they’ll eat for dinner, the wok promises Ming’s mother that if she’ll give him a spit and polish, he’ll return the favor and bring back enough treats for the neighborhood to share. Will the magic wok deliver on his promise or will the poor families of Beijing have nothing to eat for Chinese New Year? Humorlessly crafted by Compestine and vibrantly illustrated by Serra, The Runaway Wok is a delightful original folktale loosely based on Robin Hood. An author’s note provides insight into the inspiration for the story as well as a Stir-fried Rice recipe. Yum!

For readers looking for “meatier” reads, try Grace Lin’s newest novel Dumpling Days (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2012) or The Year of the Dog (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2005). They have just the right blend of Chinese New Year traditions mixed with hilarious antics from Paci Lin and her sisters. Stories about friendship and family that readers will treasure!

The Other Felix by Keir Graff

Posted on 01/19/2012

Graff’s intriguing The Other Felix is a metaphorical menagerie exploring the fine line that divides the dream world and its counterpart. The story unfolds as Felix, a isolated, somewhat lonely school boy, experiences nightmares so authentic that he’s unsure where reality ends and fantasy begins. In the dream world, Felix not only encounters fearsome gnashing and snarling monsters, he also meets his alter-ego, a boy also named Felix who is physically identical, yet his nature wildly juxtaposes his own.

In The Other Felix, while the author weaves an intriguing tale of dark verses light, he also probes deeply to understand the nature of fear by taking an honest look at the monsters that live within us all.  Graff touches on important issues such as bullying, thievery, happiness, friendship, and the strength required to ‘turn the other cheek’ in the face of violent confrontation…valuable lessons for all people, young and old, to comprehend.

This is the type of book that should be read once for story and then again for the meaning underlying within each carefully crafted phrase. To further enhance The Other Felix reading experience, a Discussion/Activity Guide has been created complete with a craft project artistically depicting the difference between the two altered states.

“If you only fight them with your hands, or with arrows and rocks, you can’t win. But you have something that makes you more powerful than they are….Happiness is more powerful than unhappiness,” said the Other Felix (110).

Peck’s Picks

Posted on 01/18/2012

Two children’s librarians and one children’s writer must choose their favorite Richard Peck books for young readers.

JEANETTE LARSON picks: GHOSTS I HAVE BEEN. Published in 1977, this is one of Richard Peck’s earliest books and it followed the first book about Blossom Culp, The Ghost Belonged to Me, and his highly successful books for teens. Written for slightly younger readers, Blossom Culp is a delightfully rambunctious and intelligent girl who discovers that she has the gift of “second sight.” This, along with her family situation and poverty, makes her something of a social outcast in Town Bluff, an early 20th century town that is a fictionalized version of Peck’s hometown.

Although she is used to seeing the Unseen, Blossom is shocked when she realizes that she is seeing herself among the passengers aboard the Titanic…and the ship is sinking. Can she help a young boy who has been left by his parents to drown? Can she use her paranormal powers to change history? Of course not, but this is a scary story that will appeal to readers who enjoy mystery, humor, adventure, the paranormal, and a little romance.

Peck has said that the past is his favorite place and he fills the story with historical information without making the book feel weighted down with lots of facts. This was one of the first books I recall reading that included the Titanic, and it inspired my interest in reading more about the ship and its fateful journey.

KRISTEN REMENAR: “If your teacher has to die, August isn’t a bad time of year for it.” I read this first line of THE TEACHER’S FUNERAL by Richard Peck to a crowd of fifth graders. There was a collective intake of breath, a glancing around to make sure the teachers were smiling, and then the waves of laughter.

When the one-room schoolteacher Miss Myrt Arbuckle dies, Russell Culver thinks his dream has come true. No more school! For who could they find to replace Miss Arbuckle in time for school to start in this tiny, backwoods Indiana town? Russell’s older sister, Tansy, that’s who. If Russell thought school was painful before, what would it be like being taught by his bossy older sister?

This is one of my favorite books by Richard Peck, and I love sharing it, especially with kids who haven’t discovered how fun historical fiction can be. The description of the departed school marm is fantastic: “she was hard of hearing in one ear, no doubt deafened by her own screaming. And she couldn’t whup us like she wanted to… she had arthritis in that elbow.” I asked my fifth graders if they’d like being taught by an older sibling who had the school-appointed power to “whup ya”. After enthusiastically responding in the negative, I think all those kids had a bit more appreciation for their teachers. They most certainly had appreciation for one of the all-time master writers, Richard Peck, because “The Teacher’s Funeral” flies off the shelf every time I share it.

ANN JACOBUS:  It’s cheating a little, but I pick anything by Richard Peck with Grandma Dowdel in it. So far, that would be three books: A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO, A YEAR DOWN YONDER and A SEASON OF GIFTS.

Grandma Dowdel had me from the moment she deftly deflects bully Mildred Burdick (who’s harassing her granddaughter Mary Alice), first by giving her some buttermilk and cornbread, then hiding her boots and shooing her stolen horse back to its owner so Mildred has to walk five miles home barefoot. When GD sneaks onto neighbors’ farms in the dead of night for a few pie ingredients, or vanquishes the stuffy Daughters of the American Revolution tea party, or better yet, pulls out her shotgun to chase off unscrupulous traveling preachers, we’re rooting for her. But when she uses her taciturn cunning to get the foolish town people to cough up (scarce) money for veterans, to get the bank to rescind an old lady’s foreclosure, or slyly matchmakes, she reveals her generous, do-gooder spirit and we love and admire her.

Bonus pick: My sister read ARE YOU IN THE HOUSE ALONE in late 1978 and still hasn’t gotten over it.

Flights of Adventure

Posted on 01/17/2012

Tales of fantasy and adventure ignite the imagination. The following books take us from Denmark to India and then on to Russia.  We re-see stories through several sets of eyes:  illustrations vary but the love of adventure remains universal.

THE FLIGHT OF THE MERMAID with art by Bhajju Shyam text by Gita Wolf and Sirish Rao. This exquisite book was created by Tara Books, a worker-owned independent publisher based in Chennai, India, 2009.

This book combines the story-telling magic of Hans Christian Andersen with a most unusual and pleasing form of illustration done in the traditional style of the Gond Tribes. The result is amazing and will intrigue both older readers and child listeners.  The worlds of sea, land, and air are interwoven. Look closer. Discover more. The story presents in metaphor several classic human dilemmas:  what is the cost for going against cultural norms?; how does one choose between two worlds or two cultures?  What is more important, love or independence?

A word about Tara Books from India – they are beautiful  –  the feel of the paper, the detail of design, even hand-stitching of the bindings!  These books present English classics through a different set of eyes.

For a chance to win a copy of THE FLIGHT OF THE MERMAID, simply contact Nancy via her website by clicking HERE. Be certain to type MERMAID GIVEAWAY in the subject line

SPARK THE STONE MAN  written by Asya Pekurovskaya, illustrated by Olga Titova, was published by Pekasus, Factory of Animated Dreams, 2011. It is the first of a six-book series that combines old world story-telling with modern graphic illustrations. Spark, the young hero, is torn between two worlds, Granite Mountain and Lemon Drop Valley.  The reader follows Spark into a mixed-up reality. Similar to Alice’s experience in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, Spark must figure out – what is real, what can he change or even control? , where is he going?  The reader is soon aware that “something is very wrong here.”

A few words about the author and illustrator: Asya Pekuroyskaya, the author of this fantasy series, was born in Leningrad (now St. Peterburg), Russia. She received an M.A. in literature from Leningrad University and then completed a doctoral program in literature at Stanford University.
Book illustrator, Olga Titova, is an animation illustrator who has produced a number of animation films. For her contribution to “Canterbury Tales” she received the British Academy Award and was nominated for an Oscar. She lives and works in Moscow.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Posted on 01/15/2012

ReaderKidZ is pleased to celebrate Dr. King through several of the wonderful books that capture the boy, the man, and the pastor who inspired us to stand up and lead with words, not fists.

MARTIN’S BIG WORDS: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Bryan Collier (Hyperion Books for Children, 2001)

This simple, yet powerful, text by author Doreen Rappaport is a story of a young Martin who believed his mother when she told him “you are as good as anyone.” He learned – in spite of the “Whites Only” signs posted in his town – there were good words and he used those words to inspire people everywhere to stand up for the equal treatment of all. To march for freedom. To fight with peaceful words.

Told through watercolor and cut paper collage, Brian Collier’s illustrations are exquisite, allowing readers to truly connect and experience the story. Martin’s Big Words is perfect for ages 5 and up.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARTIN LUTHER KING by Jean Marzollo, illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Scholastic Press, 1993)

Another wonderful read-aloud describing King’s life, death, and accomplishments is Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King. Geared towards younger students, Marzollo’s careful consideration in choosing just the right words to highlight King’s life include sentences such as, “His dream was that people everywhere would learn to live together without being mean to one another,” and rich details like “His body was put in a simple farm cart and pulled slowly by two mules to a cemetery.” Brian Pinkney’s scratch board and oil pastel illustrations elevate the story and are infused with emotion and light.

MARCH ON! THE DAY MY BROTHER MARTIN CHANGED THE WORLD by Christine King Farris, illustrated by London Ladd (Scholastic Press, 2008).

Martin Luther King Jr.’s sister, Christine King Farris, takes readers on a journey as she recounts the events leading up to and culminating in the day of the great March for jobs and freedom in Washington. Her passionate story-telling skills place the reader in the patchwork of people standing at the Lincoln Memorial. The reader feels she is with King as he prepared his speech, met with the six most respected civil rights leaders of the time, heard the hymns from the crowd, the chants “Amen!”, “Glo Be!”,“Ha’ Mercy!”, and delivered his speech urging America to move forward and find freedom. It’s a glimpse into King’s world and all that he held near and dear in his heart. London Ladd’s acrylic paintings are gorgeous throughout, rich in color and energy. This book should not be missed! For ages 9 and up.

MY UNCLE MARTIN’S WORDS FOR AMERICA by Angela Farris Watkins, PhD, illustrated by Eric Velasquez (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2011)

Martin Luther King Jr.’s niece eloquently reminds readers that before King came along, America was a very different place. There were no African American judges, astronauts, Hollywood directors, or Presidents. There were laws – “Jim Crow” laws – that prevented African Americans from exercising their civil rights. Watkins demonstrates, not only the power of her uncle’s words and actions to bring about change, but also the role the people played. Rich and colorful pastel oil illustrations bring justice and beauty to the pages.

Readers may also enjoy a more intimate read in My Uncle Martin’s Big Heart, by the same author/illustrator team. (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2010). Both books for K and up.