Children's Books, and Other Cool Stuff

  Author Spotlight October 2021     Book Review - “No Dinosaurs Allowed” was a great book with a strong message for children. The Illustrations were simple and well done. The idea that public places are for everyone even Dinosaurs, was interesting. I also liked how the story arc came to a full circle. The few minor issues this book had are some forced Rhyme in places and No character growth. It definitely is a fun read for two- to six-year-olds. Overall, I will give this book four stars. Biography Deborah is a writer and nursing professor who lives in New York with her family and the incorrigible Chewy Belle who is one of the main characters in her chapter book “The One-Eyed Pug”. Deborah holds a PhD in nursing and has taken myriad writing classes. Deborah refers to herself as an eclectic author as she writes in several genres.  She published her first award winning children’s books “Same Inside Different Outside” and “The One-Eyed Pug” in 2017.  She has also p...

  Author Spotlight 2021 Book Review “Ishkabibble unafraid”- I read this book and overall found it was an interesting idea and a good play on the famous saying that kids are told “That monsters live in their closets or under the bed.”   That concept made this book surprising and rather interesting. The illustration by Jack Foster were incredibly good and used simple colors and shapes to bring the main character to life. Yet. I found that the book had several forced rhymes and might be confusing for some children. It also lacked what we call a story arc where the main character goes through a full circle and grows in some way. In general, this book could be fun read, but it certainly needs some development and clarity. Also, many picture books I have read while working as a free-lance book reviewer for Scholastic for two years were not written with moral lessons but written to be just fun stories.   I would give this one three stars.        ...

Middle Grade Readers 1) One Dog and His Boy - Written by Eva Ibbotson, Published by Scholastic Inc. New York, NY 2014. Hal is just an ordinary kid with a large dream of owning a dog. On his birthday Hal is allowed to choose a pet that is when Fleck becomes a part of his life and an adventure begins after Hal finds him gone on Monday. Together with a girl named Pippa Hal rescues Fleck and running away is his only option, made trickier when Pippa announces that she and the other dogs want to come along. It not only teaches your children about the power of friendship and love  but it takes them on a journey through life. I highly recommend this book for your middle graders. Get out and pick up a copy today. 2) The Path of Names - Written by Ari Goelman, Published by Scholastic Inc. New York, NY 2013. Dahlia Sherman loves magic tricks, math and video games. She is not so found of campfire songs or lighting storms or mean girls her age. When she is placed in...

Picture Books Rip Van Winkle - Retold and illustrated by Will Moses, based on Washington Irving's book. Philomel Books a division of Penguin Putnam Books for young readers. New York 1999. This book is based on a  classical folk tale about a man who goes into the woods and falls asleep waking up many years later to a new world. This classic tale is retold with a combination of wonderful illustrations and words. It is probably better suited for the older child because of complex words and storyline. This new version brings a wonderful story back to our modern world. The storyline and sophisticated crafted words make it more suited for an older child.     Patti Cake and Her New Doll - Written by Patricia Reilly Giff and illustrated by Laura J. Bryant. Published by Orchard books New York an imprint of Scholastic Inc. 2014. The book describes one day in a life of a little girl named Patti and her home companions m...

What makes you think about when you hear the word Reference Books. A dusty pile of books that are never used standing on a library shelf? The books that are used often but cannot be taken out. Actually there is much more to them than that. I used to work in several libraries and worked closely with this collection. From cataloging them to placing them on the library shelves. Reference book play an important role in any library. In this update I decided to dedicate a post to Reference Books.   Reference Books   "Scholastic Children's Dictionary- This book was put together by  many people. Scholastic Books Inc. Published USA 2013. This Dictionary is a wonderful tool for both children and adults. It is full of wonderful illustrations and detailed word meanings. It is divided into many sections and covers everything from Thesaurus to different facts. It is very easy to follow and is a wonderful reference tool not only for ...

It has been a cold and snowy winter so far. I really hope that you take the time to purchase these picture books and share them with your young children by your fireplace. Please have fun and enjoy that special moment with them. Picture Books "I Want my Hat Back"-  Written and Illustrated by Jon Klassen published by Candlewick  press 2011 Somerville, MA and a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor book. A Bear's hat is stolen, but who has done it? He searches everywhere by talking to several of his animal friends. Have any of them seen it? This sounds like a simple concept for a story, but it is much more then that. What makes the book unique are the words and Illustrations.  The hat is hidden in the story and your child has to find it. They have to look carefully. It can be used as a game for them, and this makes the book fun. Get a copy today.  "The Very Beary Tooth Fairy"- Written   by Arthur A. Levine and Illustrated...

Welcome to my new update for my blog. In this post, I will be looking at three books where Teenage girls overcame large obstacles and grew into women of power. Please enjoy my reviews. Young Adult Books “Story of a Girl ”- This book was written by Sara Zarr, National book Award finalist published by Little Brown and Company 2007 New York and Boston. In this book the main character Deanna Lambert was caught by her father while she was making out with an older boy from school. She has been humiliated not only by her dad, but later by her classmates. She thought her life would be ruined forever. In this book, Deanna struggles to gain respect from others and move on with her life. Only by using the power within helped her grow into a beautiful woman. Girls can find this book very helpful in guiding them through their teenage years. The novel is realistic fiction at its best. The author succeeded making this book great, with the help of very intense emotional language, dialogue...

Another Summer is coming to an end. Sports, camps, rest and everything in between. Your kids were given reading lists of books to read and I had my own list of books to read. In this post I will share them with you. I believe books open a door to the imagination, it leads us to way of escape. It is kind of like a lazy summer day where many of the civilians relax. Sitting on a porch with you faithful dog by your side. Looking out on a lake or just hanging out. Taken a family vacation or just spending more time with your life's partner. Books are just like that for your children or yourself. Please enjoy this list and share your commends with me by contacting me.  Picture Books "The Day the Stones Walked" - This book was written by T.A. Barron and illustrated by William Low. Published by Philomel Books a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 2007. This is a very unique book it takes place in Easter Island a very different setting. Summary: "Pi...