Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Something horrible has happened! One night when Ethan went to bed he discovered that the scary monster under his bed, Gabe, has gone on vacation! How is he ever going to sleep without Gabe? So Ethan decides to take drastic measures… he sneaks out of bed and knocks on his floorboard to get a new monster. That’s when things really went downhill. The new monsters that came didn’t have claws, were girls, used fingernail polish, were funny and had too many other problems. Find out how Ethan comes to grips and goes to bed without Gabe… or does he? The illustrations in this book were fun and used excellent colors to draw the reader’s attention to where it should be. The combination of the story and the illustrations are sure to make children laugh out loud and overcome their fears of the monsters that hide underneath their bed.

Read it, Don’t Eat It by Ian Schoenherr is a must read book for any new library user (or those who can't remember the library rules). The words are basic and simply teach basic rules of the library. One of them is simply don’t eat the books! (You would be surprised how often this really does happen to poor library books!) Other rules include borrowing and returning books, don’t tear the pages, don’t be loud in the library and be careful with the books around the water. The most important rule though is once your done make sure you get another. Check it out to make sure you are following the rules of the library and see how the cute animal illustrations are doing the same.

picture book by Bill Cochran illustrated by Steve Bjorkman Harper Collins 2009 Divorce changes everything. Bill Cochran has done a great job of letting kids know that having divorced parents is not bad, it's just different.....and it's just another fact about you, like your favorite food, where you live, how you answer the phone.....all just facts. Cochran also honestly addresses some of the sadder parts of divorce. Like what it actually feels like to be told about divorce, how divorce can hurt, especially at night, and how it's normal to want your parents to stand together at your games. Validating and honest, yet upbeat. Highly recommended for purposes of empathy and understanding as well as bibliotherapy.

by Raymond Bial Houghton Mifflin Non-fiction picture book 56 pages 2009 From 1892 to 1954 more than twelve million immigrants entered the United States through the portal of Ellis Island. Today more than two million visitors visit Ellis Island to follow in the footsteps of their ancestors who came mainly from Western and Northern Europe: England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. Bial has captured how immigrants must have felt as they entered the New York Harbor, sailing past the Statue of Liberty. Actual photographs of various immigrant faces are combined with photos of new displays documenting luggage, shoes, toys, and other precious belongings that were carefully selected and brought to this country. Informative and complete, Bial even shows the parts of Ellis Island that are currently awaiting restoration. The $160 million project was funded by many donations. More than twenty million Americans contributed to the ...

You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! Jonah Winter and Andre Carrilho Schwartz & Wade, 2009. unpaged. Juvenile nonfiction. Know this going in: Sandy Koufax is my favorite pitcher of all time. So if you never heard of Sandy Koufax, better check out this stylish, evocative new picture book about the greatest southpaw pitcher of all times. Beginning with a holographic cover that shows Koufax's powerful motion to the plate, the conversational text and extremely cool pictures tell the story of the Jewish kid from Brooklyn who played basketball, but could throw a baseball as hard as a pro. Koufax almost gave up after several wild seasons, but in a pre-season game against the Twins, after he has walked the bases full, catcher Norm Sherry gives him some advice that gets him throwing strikes and the rest is history. Baseball lovers should love this book; if you don't know snot about baseball, this is a good place to start.

When the Whistle Blows Fran Cannon Slayton Philomel, 2009. 159 pgs. Juvenile fiction. The whole of this book is greater than the sum of its parts. Narrated by Jimmy Cannon, a young boy growing up in an Appalachian railroad town, the story takes place on successive Halloweens (his father's birthday) beginning in 1943 and ending with his father's death in 1949. Jimmy loves steam trains and wants to be a railroad man like his father and his older brothers, but his passion is thwarted by the advent of diesel engines and his father's steadily pushing him in a different direction. But most of the book is about what it was like to grow up in Rowlesburg, West Virginia in the 40s--from Jimmy and his friend hucking rotten cabbages on Halloween night at . . . the wrong car to their winning effort in a football game against the hated Kingwood Stags. Sorrow doesn't pass the small town by, either, when a boiler blows on the 7049 out of Tunnelton and fathers, sons, and brothers die. T...

Daisy Dawson and the Secret Pond by Steve Voake ill. Jessica Meserve 87 pages Grade 2-4 Somerville, Mass. : Candlewick Press, 2009 Daisy Dawson has a special gift that no one else has. She can talk to and understand animals. Daisy has a camera and she loves to take candid photos of everyone and everything around her. Now she has a special project for school that she can use her camera for. With the help of Boom, the dog, and three rambunctious squirrels, Daisy sets out to take pictures of some otters. When a sudden rainstorm hits it makes their return home a little treacherous. This is the second Daisy Dawson adventure. She is an adorable little girl with a tendency to always be late to school. Who could blame her when there are so many interesting animals to talk to on the way to school? The black and white illustrations are a perfect match with the fun story.

Biography PIcturebook Alfred A. Knopf 2009 I was surprised to learn that Jacques Cousteau, world know explorer, ecologist, scientist, photographer, author and researcher, started out as a "weak and sickly boy." Growing up in France, he was encouraged to swim in order to build up his strength. As a teenager Jacques was in a car accident and was told that he would have to wear arm braces for the rest of his life. Defying these difficult beginnings, Jacque and his crew developed diving equipment and underwater cameras. They made movies and television shows that exposed and shared the underexplored world of the seas with everyone. The story is simply told, beautifully illustrated and serves as a wonderful informational book, biography, and inspiring story for all ages.

Juvenile Fiction 271 pages 2009 The year that the swallows came early to San Juan Capistrano, Eleanor "Groovy" Robinson was 11 years old. It was also the year her father went to jail. The real blow to Groovy, though, is finding out why he was sent to jail and who called the police to report him. It's here that Groovy has to deal with anger, frustration, ruined plans, and whether or not forgiveness is the right thing. Groovy herself is an interesting character; spunky, loyal, and a great cook! She's in charge of meals at home while her horoscope-checking mother runs the local beauty salon. While dealing with her own concerns about her father, Groovy also tries to help her best friend, Frankie, cope with the reappearance of his mother who is overdue to come back home by several years. A sweet story, a possible Newbery contender, about faith and hope and the struggle that forgiveness can be.

Picture Book 2008 illustrated by John Manders Here's a new picture book, perfect for, and well ahead of, Halloween. It's the story of Little Baby Mummy who talks his Big Mama Mummy into a game of "Hide and Shriek". Little Baby Mummy proceeds to go out and hide in various spooky places; the graveyard, the deep, dark woods, the slithery swamp, the shivery cave, and a creaky, squeaky tree. At each place, he encounters an equally spooky creature; Bones, the skeleton, Glob, a blobby, Jabba-the-Hutish kind of thing, and Drac (I think you can guess what he is). Little Baby Mummy isn't too scared, until he comes face to face with the last creature, a fearsome, brutish thing. I won't tell you what it is, you have to read the book. His mummy comes to the rescue and all ends well. The illustrations, by John Manders, are done in gouache (pronounced gwash), which is an opaque kind of water color. The pictures are fun and lively. I really like the Glob. A fun Hallowee...

Highway Robbery Kate Thompson Greenwillow Books, 2009. 118 pgs. Juvenile fiction. Hungry and cold in the streets of London, a young beggar boy is startled by the sudden arrival of a gentleman on a great black horse who promises the lad a golden guinea if he will hold onto the animal until he comes back. The boy is touched by the man's kindness and manages to hang onto the horse against all odds--and potential thieves until the king's guard shows up, claiming the horse belongs to the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin. Then the horse and boy become bait in a trap as the soldiers await Turpin's return. When Turpin doesn't return, the soldiers close in on the boy to take the horse away so he leaps on Black Bess's back and they make a run for it. At least, that is the story the boy tells but Thompson's surprising little twist at the end of the book makes one wonder what really might have happened. A short, exciting story, especially good for reluctant readers of requi...

Billy Twitters and his Blue Whale Problem by Mac Barnett illustrated by Adam Rex Disney Hyperion New York 2009 Picture Book Billy has been told and told and told to clean his room, brush his teeth, and eat his peas. If he doesn't, his parents have threatened to buy him a blue whale. But Billy is not worried because he knows the blue whale is the largest animal in the world. It's not like it could be delivered to his house. However, one morning Billy feels something is looking at him through the kitchen window. Sure enough, his parents have finally bought the whale. And yes....it was delivered to his house. Kids will have fun learning about all the dos and don'ts of blue whale care as Billy takes his new charge to school. Adam Rex's illustrations greatly enhance the story, which has a memorable surprise ending.

Where the Steps Were by Andrea Cheng 143 pages age 9-12 Honesdale, Pa. : Wordsong, c2008 Pleasant Hill School is scheduled for demolition at the end of this school year. Miss D.'s 3rd grade class writes in verse what happens during that final year. They learn about Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln and Rosa Parks. The lives of these historical figures gives them strength to deal with the trials of their daily lives as well as the impending change to a new school. It was fascinating to me how much you can learn about characters from such short verses. The characters were well developed as were their families and friendships. Every novel I have read by this author has been thought-provoking but accessible to upper elementary age children.

Happenstance Found The Books of Umber: Book One by P.W. Catanese 342 pages age 10+ New York : Aladdin, 2009 His first memories are of waking up in a dark underground cave. He knows things but has no memory of who or what he was before gaining consciousness. A group of adventurers discover him and are instructed to call him Happenstance by a mysterious voice in the darkness. There is a note addressed to Lord Umber who is the leader of this group. He is a well-respected, wealthy man in the harbor city of Kurahaven. A merchant, explorer, inventor, and chronicler of the strange and unknown, Lord Umber is enthusiastic about this mysterious boy put in his charge. Then a stranger arrives in the city looking for a boy that matches Happenstance's description. What does this Creeper want and will he reveal the mystery of the boy's past? And who is Lord Umber, really? The Books of Umber promises to be an enticing blend of fantasy and post-apocalyptic science fiction. The characters are ca...

Historical Fiction 2009 217 pages Homer P. Figg lives in Swamp Pine, Maine, in 1863. His older brother, Harold, is sold to the Union Army (illegally, Harold is only 17) by their cruel guardian, Squinton. Homer takes it upon himself to go in search of Harold and straighten the whole mess out and bring his brother safely home before he's killed in the Civil War. During his search, Homer's adventures take him from Maine, down to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and everywhere in between. He meets up with some interesting characters, including an outspoken abolitionist, a Confederate spy, and a tattooed lady, and actually lends a hand to the Union Army at the Battle of Gettysburg. Does he find Harold? You'll have to read it to find out. Philbrick fills this wonderful story, which Homer himself narrates, with humor, wisdom, danger, devotion, and unpredictable twists and turns. Homer's voice is distinctly boyish, regional, and honest, except when he's fibbing, which is . ...

Picture Book illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski 2009 A Beauty! Softly flowing verses about all different colors and how they change throughout the year coupled with whimsical, detailed illustrations done with mixed media, make Red Sings from Treetops a keeper! Zagarenski and Sidman are an award-winning team who have created another winner. I like that Sidman doesn't confine certain colors to certain seasons. For example, white is often thought of as a winter color only. But here, "In SUMMER, white clinks in drinks." Red is well written with lively, eye catching pictures, and a true Caldecott contender.

Troll's Eye View: A Book of Villainous Tales Edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling New York: Penguin, 2009. 200 pgs. J SS Troll's Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling's anthologies lie somewhere on the creepiness scale between Neil Gaiman (9-10) and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (six-ish). In this most recent collection, a number of well-known authors have been commissioned to retell fairy tales from the villain's point of view. As with most collections, this one is a mixed bag, but most of the stories are charming or chilling, and always slightly disorienting. One of my favorites is Garth Nix's "The Unwanted Guest," a retelling of Rapunzel in which the witch is trying to ditch Rapunzel but can't get her out of the tower because of the "protection of guests" clause. "The Goose Girl" is cynically told from the viewpoint of the wicked handmaiden; the Three Billy Goats Gruff from the troll living under the bridge. Michael Cadnum...

Don't Lick the Dog: Making Friends with Dogs by Wendy Wahlman 2009 How Many Cats? by Lauren Thompson 2009 Both of these picture books are great rhyming read-alouds with wonderful, be it very different, artwork. Dogs reads like a fun manual for kids about how to behave around dogs you don't know. Wahlman gives some real, practical advice about what to do and what not to do when first meeting dogs. Stand still and let dogs come to you to smell your hand or sniff your shoe. Wahlman's illustrations are funky, stylized, and colorful. She brings out emotion in the faces of the dogs and the children. And she obviously knows dogs. All the various breeds are easily recognizable. Cats is a counting book. Goes up to 20 by ones, then back down by clusters; by 5's, 3's, 4's, etc. It starts at the beginning with zero, which most counting books don't do. How many cats are here to play? Zero, zilch. None today. The illustrations, by Robin Eley, who obviously knows ...

Princess of the Midnight Ball By Jessica Day George Bloomsbury, 2009. 280 pgs. Juvenile/young adult fiction. In a lovely fairy tale retold, twelve princesses are cursed to dance every night in a mysterious otherworld. A former soldier, working as a gardener in the royal gardens, works together with the eldest princess in an attempt to break the spell and free the sisters. The challenge is even more difficult than imagined as they are up against a deeply cunning and manipulative foe. Rediscover an old story told by a fresh new voice in P rincess of the Midnight Ball . This book was interesting and captivating; it is an excellent choice for any reader who loves other fairy tales by authors like Shannon Hale and Gale Carson Levine. It's written in a way that can appeal to both adults and children alike.