The Duchess of Whimsy: an absolutely delicious fairy tale

The Duchess of Whimsy: an absolutely delicious fairy tale
By Randall de Sève; illustrated by Peter de Sève

The Earl of Norm is completely smitten with the flamboyant Duchess of Whimsy. The only problem is the duchess herself is smitten with all things extravagant, exciting, and extraordinary...and the earl is just about the most "norm-earl" person one could meet. The duchess considers him a complete bore and much too ordinary...but could there be more to the earl than his seemingly mundane appearance suggests?

Perchance related to the well-known "Fancy Nancy," the duchess is a bright and memorable character, as is her humble earl. Although the text was perhaps a bit over-the-top for younger children, the story itself was still fun in concept, and the illustrations were absolutely delightful. Peter de Sève's work really shines in this beautiful book.

Thanks a lot, Emily Post!

Thanks a lot, Emily Post!
by Jennifer LaRue Huget
Schwartz and Wade Books, 2009. Unpaged. Picture book.

When a well-meaning mother decides her dear little children would be much improved by adhering to the rules of etiquette in a book by Emily Post, the children are unsurprisingly reluctant--until they hatch a brilliant plan in which their mother must follow Emily Post's rules, also.

With utterly charming, personality-packed watercolor illustrations and a hilarious story, this story is a complete success. With the "ghostly" scenes portrayed in blue monotones, the past and present aspects of the book are clearly defined, working well together. The deviousness of the children is sure to illicit laughter as well as the mother's attempts to counter their plans. Added to all this, there is a biographical account at the end of the book about the real Emily Post and the etiquette book she did indeed author. Altogether, this book makes a wonderful story.

The Midnight Charter

The Midnight Charter

by David Whitley

Roaring Book Press, 2009. 319pgs. Juvenile Fiction

Mark and Lily meet in Count Stelli's Tower where Lily has lived since she was sold out of an orphanage and Mark has been sold by his father to pay for a plague cure. The Count is an astrologer, the greatest in all the land of Agora, a self-contained city based entirely on the barter system. Contracts are drawn up for every action and anyone who cannot sell himself and his talents to a willing master becomes a debtor and debt means death. Count Stelli takes Mark as an apprentice, setting him on a path to economic power in the city; Lily leaves the tower with Dr. Theophilus, the Count's disowned grandson and joins with him to found a clinic and an almshouse, though giving help for free causes an uproar in the strict economy of Agora. But Mark and Lily's paths will converge again because of the Midnight Charter an ages old compact that may set them against each other to the destruction of the city or the salvation of their society. The Midnight Charter is a thought-provoking look at individual worth and societal norms. Filled with heroes, villains, madness and much sense, it should appeal to thoughtful readers, twelve and up. (Although not part of an announced series, it could certainly continue if the author chose, which I hope he will.)

Food for Thought: The stories Behind the Things We Eat

Food for Thought: The Stories Behind the Things we Eat

by Ken Robbins

Roaring Brook Press, 2009. 45 pgs. Juvenile Non-Fiction

With regard to food, most of us know what we like and don't think much beyond that. But thanks to Ken Robbins kids and their parents can now know that oranges originated in China, where Chiquita Banana came from (modeled after Carmen Miranda by the United Fruit Company), that the word "catsup" came from the Chinese word for a sauce made from pickled fish brine, kat siap, and that grenades got their name from pomegranates, being about the same size and shape. A short, sweet, and fascinating read, Food for Thought combines eye-grabbing pictures and sprightly text in a book to please all ages.

The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance

The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance
Candle Man: Book One
by Glenn Dakin
300 pages
juvenile fantasy
New York : Egmont USA, 2009

Theo lives an extremely secluded life. His guardian, the butler and the maid are the only three people Theo has ever known. He is kept within three rooms in the mansion. His only outside excursions are to the neighboring cemetery on his birthday. His guardian says he has a very rare and mysterious disease so keeping him isolated from the outside world is necessary for his own safety. As Theo grows older he begins to question this because he feels fine except for when he has his treatments in the Mercy Tube, then he feels horrible. One particular birthday he discovers a mysterious package with his name on it at the cemetery. This is only the beginning of a chain of strange events that change his life forever. As the mystery of his illness unfolds, Theo's world is turned upside-down and he has no idea who to trust.
An engaging new fantasy hero has arrived. Theo is an appealing, innocent young man who has been dealt a bad hand in life. I absolutely loved the beginning of this book, then things got a little iffy for me. The bad guys are rather a silly lot. They didn't quite mesh with me at first, but only for a short while. The characters never got less silly, but it worked into the story. In a way, the silliness kind of distracted the reader away from the violence that was going on as the story climaxed. Yes, there is violence, but it is not overly abundant or descriptive. Overall, an exciting story that will grab you. As usual, I am now annoyed I have to wait another year to read book two.

Lunch Lady

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute
Lunch Lady #1
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
juvenile graphic novel
New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2009

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians
Lunch Lady #2
by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
juvenile graphic novel
New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2009

What do you get when you cross James Bond with a cafeteria worker? Why the Lunch Lady, of course! Not only does she serve a fabulous pizza (with gravy), but she can wield those fish stick nunchucks like a pro! Lunch Lady and her trusty partner, Betty, are on the case when the new substitute teacher piles on the kids homework for no reason. Three kids happen to uncover their secret and unwittingly become involved in a battle with an evil teacher. In book two the kids overhear the nasty librarians plan to overtake the world. You must read this to find out what dangerous weapons the librarians used, they gave me some ideas that's for sure! These graphic novels should be a big hit with kids, teachers and librarians alike. The text is minimal and the panels carry the story and the action. The art, done in black, white and yellow, is fun and eye-catching. Look for book three soon, Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta!

How Oliver Olson Changed the World

How Oliver Olson Changed the World

by Claudia Mills

Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2009. 104 pgs. Intermediate.

Oliver Olson was a sickly child and his parents have become so protective of him that he is not even allowed to do his own homework. All that changes when his third-grade class is assigned to do a diorama of the solar system. Oliver knows his parents will never let him go to the Space Sleepover, but when he is teamed up with talkative Crystal to build the diorama, he manages to do his own work (including a tiny Pluto on the outside of the box trying to get back in) and then gets up the courage to confront his parents about the sleepover. They let him go (if he doesn't drink soda and agrees to brush his teeth for two full minutes), and Oliver at last sees the beginnings of a long-wished-for independence. Great little story, well told.

Over in the Hollow by Rebecca Dickinson

picture book - 2009
illustrated by S. britt

It's two days past Halloween, but I just saw this book today and had to write about it! It's a Halloween version of "Over in the Meadow" and it's GREAT! Rhyming books are my favorites because of their value in language and phonemic awareness development.

Over in the Hollow counts up to 13 with various Halloween characters and their offspring.

Over in the hollow,
in a coffin on the floor,
live a pale grandpa vampire
and his little vampires four.

Each character and little ones do some action unique to them. For example, the vampires "bite". You'll also find bats who flap, witches who zoom, Frankensteins who stomp, and werewolves who howl, among other things. Britt's illustrations are full spread, bold, fun, and bright (even though they're all set at night). This is a fabulous read aloud, bouncy with rhythm! Don't wait until next Halloween to read it, though. Get it now!

River of Dreams: the Story of the Hudson River

River of Dreams: the Story of the Hudson River

by Hudson Talbott

Putnam's, 2009. Unpaged. Juvenile Non-Fiction.

Talbott's beautifully illustrated capsule history of the Hudson River Valley begins with the glaciation that created the riverbed, takes the reader through the Mahican and Lenni-Lenape Indian days on the river, through the Dutch and British settlements, to the role activities along the Hudson played in the American Revolution. Talbott's timeline winds along the river itself and text and illustrations provide a rich reminder of the culture of the region, from Washington Irving's Headless Horseman to the Hudson River School of American painting. The latter stages of the book are devoted to the horrific pollution of the Hudson and its redemption thanks to Franny Reese and Scenic Hudson, an association of people dedicated to the preservation of landscape and wildlife, which essentially gave birth to the modern environmental movement. The text is somewhat marred by the inexplicable omission of "the homeless" from Emma Lazarus' famous quotation on the Statue of Liberty, but on the whole this is a fascinating history of one of the great American rivers and what happened on and about it.

Dino-Hockey by Lisa Wheeler

picture book 2007
illustrated by Barry Gott

Lisa Wheeler is one of my very favoritist authors! Even though it's a 2007, Dino-Hockey is new here at the library and I give it a strong recommend! Whether you're a hockey or dinosaur enthusiast, or just a fan of good writing, you'll enjoy this one. Written in rhyme, as most of Wheeler's books are, Dino-Hockey is a terrific read-aloud, packed with wonderful vocabulary. In addition to dinosaur names, there's lots of words used in hockey but not necessarily exclusive to that sport: puck, referee, check, boards, penalty, face off, etc. The story is fun, loaded with action. Barry Gott's illustrations add to the appeal of this book. The pictures help tell the story but the added little details in the background make the reader linger longer over each page. Take extra time to notice the "DHL" insignia on the ice and the items in the hawker's tray. How about the shards of ice coming off the players skates? Nice touch, Barry.
Dino-Hockey is an excellent choice for bedtime stories or a classroom read-aloud.
Keep it up, Lisa!