Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Once by Morris Gleitzman Henry Holt, 2009. 163 pgs. Juvenile fiction/Young Adult Felix has been in a Polish orphanage for three years and eight months when he gets a whole carrot in his watery soup and thinks it is a message from his parents that they are coming back for him. Felix doesn't know he is Jewish until the Mother Superior changes his name in front of the Nazis who have come to burn books at the school, and when his bookseller parents don't show up, he leaves the orphanage to look for them. Hunting for food, Felix comes to a farmhouse where all the chickens and their owners have been killed; a young girl survives and Felix hoists her on his back and takes her to the city where they accidentally fall in with a group of people headed for the death camps. Felix and Zelda are spared by a man named Barney whom Gleitzman has modeled after Janusz Korczak, the Polish doctor who gave his life caring for Jewish orphans during World War II. Hidden in the basement of a war...

boom! by Mark Haddon Random House, 2009. 195 pgs. Fiction One wonders what with all that "stiff upper lip" stuff how the Brits continue to be so much funnier than we are, but Mark Haddon's new children's book reinforces that truth in spades. When James' sister claims she overheard the teachers at their school talking about sending him to a "special school" for kids with problems, James and his friend Charlie come up with a scheme to hide a walkie-talkie in the teachers' break room to find out if James really has to shape up. What they hear instead is Mr. Kidd and Mrs. Pearce talking to each other in a language not resembling anything spoken on earth. Their oblique attempts to find out what is going on fail, so Charlie approaches Mr. Kidd directly and repeats one of the alien words--Spudvetch!--to startling effect. Mr. Kidd's eyes suddenly glow neon blue and the boys take off without looking back. Soon after, Charlie disappears and scary guys with...

Theodore Boone: Kid Laywer by John Grisham Dutton, 2010. 263 pgs. Fiction. John Grisham's highly-anticipated "thriller" for kids is interesting and well-written, but not as thrilling as one might have expected. Theodore Boone is the only child of lawyer parents. His mother is a divorce lawyer and his father is a real estate lawyer, his Uncle Ike is a disbarred lawyer, and Theodore wants to be a trial lawyer. From this platform, Grisham launches a tutorial for his young readers about how the law works. Because Theo is pals with the judge, he wangles good seats for his Government class at once-in-a-lifetime murder trial at the Strattenburg courthouse. Although most everyone thinks Mr. Duffy is guilty of killing his wife, the state's case is circumstantial and it looks like the husband will walk. But Theo, a paragon of a boy who tutors a Latino boy at the homeless shelter, finds out from Julio that his cousin who works at the golf course saw Duffy enter the house at the ...

Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kastner Barnes and Noble Books, 2004 (reissue from 1929). 192 pgs. Fiction. Emil rides the train to Berlin to take some very hard-earned money from his mother to his grandmother. Because he has it in an envelope pinned inside his suit coat, he thinks it is safe, but he falls asleep sitting in a train compartment with a man with a bowler hat, and when he wakes up, the money is gone! Because he and his friends had recently drawn a mustache and a red nose on the Grand Duke Charles's monument in his village, he doesn't dare go to the police in case he is a Wanted Boy, so he leaps off the train at the wrong station and follows the thief. Emil's adventures as he collects an army of children to help him bring the Bowler Hat Man to justice are classic children's fare. Contemporary kids may be brought up short by the casual and benign tyrannies of children working/playing together, not that real kids don't boss each other around, but in much ...

The Thirteenth Princess By Diane Zahler Harper, 2010. 243 pp. Juvenile chapter book. A sweet and gentle retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, this book was a delight to read. Little Zita is the youngest daughter of the king but works as a servant in the castle, not discovering her birthright until her thirteenth birthday. After this discovery, she begins a secret relationship with her sisters, the twelve older princesses, although still shunned by her father, who views her as his ultimate failure to produce a male heir. Zita becomes involved in what appears to be a strange enchantment that chains her sisters from speaking to suitors and is slowly draining them of their vitality every day. She determines to discover and break the spell that binds them. With the help of a kindly witch, a young stable boy, and his soldier brother, Zita undertakes the overwhelming challenge of rescuing her sisters from the clutches of their dark enchantment. This is a lovely story that I truly enjoy...

100% Pure Fake: Gross Out Your Friends and Family with 25 Great Special Effects! by Lyn Thomas Juvenile Nonfiction 48 pages Toronto : Kids Can Press, c2009 100% Pure Fake is 100% Pure Disgusting and 100% Pure Perfection! It is the perfect book for practical jokers, Halloween parties and reluctant readers who love anything with a huge gross factor. You will learn how to make everything from fake blood to fake (and edible) poop. Many more lovely things can be made right in your own kitchen with just a little help from a grown-up.Warning: Do not read this while you are eating, just before you are going to eat, or right after eating. Some of the photos are that realistic!

Daisy and the Trouble with Zoos written and illustrated by Kes Gray chapter book 207 pages London : Red Fox, 2008 One of my favorite picture book characters is now the star of her own chapter book series. Daisy, of Eat Your Peas fame is celebrating her birthday by going to the zoo with her mom and two best friends. The best part of the whole day is that her mother arranged so she could help the Zoo keeper feed the penguins! Who could ask for a better birthday? Daisy gets over-excited and hits a couple of snags throughout the day. Thanks to her ever-patient mother and great friends, she survives even if the zoo doesn't. This is a fun read with great illustrations for 2nd grade and up. The only problem I had was the use of a lot of British slang yet no glossary to explain them to those of us not familiar with such terms. I had to google a few just to understand what kind of sandwich she chose for her birthday luncheon. But all-in-all a cute little chapter book and I definitley recom...

Turtle in Paradise By Jennifer L. Holm Random House Childrens Books, 2010. 191 pages. Chapter book. Turtle's mom has a new housekeeping job for an older woman who can't tolerate children. Jobs are scarce so the only solution is to send Turtle to stay with an Aunt and numerous other relatives that she has never met in the Florida Keys. Resilient and capable Turtle takes it in stride and is even pleasantly surprised to find a fairly comfortable place with boy-cousins Kermit, Beans, Buddy and their best friend Pork Chop. She knows that life is nothing like Hollywood portrays in their movies, Shirley Temple indeed! Turtle definitley feels more connected with Little Orphan Annie in the funny papers and wishes for a Daddy Warbucks to come and sweep her away to a life of riches. Living in Florida gives young Turtle many new experiences, yet she clings to her dreams and yearns for the perfect life with her somewhat fanciful mother. Two-time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer Holm has done i...

We the Children (Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School) by Andrew Clements Atheneum, 2010. 143 pgs. Fiction. Ben Pratt is running to class when he's stopped by Old Man Keane, the janitor who has slipped on the stairs and broken his ankle. Keane doesn't want Ben's help--just wants to hand him an ancient gold coin with a message from the school's founder: "First and always my school belongs to the children. DEFEND IT." When Mr. Keane dies later that day, Ben realizes saving the school has become his job, a nearly impossible task since the grounds and buildings have been sold to an amusement park conglomerate, and are slated to be torn down when the school year ends. Ben shares his secret with his friend Jill and together the two try to figure out the instructions on the back of the coin: "If attacked, look nor'-nor'east from amidships on the upper deck." Their investigations are complicated by the sinister (and as it turns out, bogus) ne...

Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman Clarion, 2010. 166 pgs. Fiction Meggy Swann, a cripple, is sent up to London by a mother glad to be rid of her to her father, an alchemist, who expected a boy. So obsessed with his work he scarcely acknowledges her, Meggy's father leaves her to make her own way in their cold house with scant food. With only the companionship of her goose, Louise, Meggy makes a life for herself, finds some friends, discovers her father's indifferent involvement in an assassination plot and saves someone else's life. In Cushman's practiced hands, Elizabethan England comes to life in all its ghastly splendor and one comes to admire the ". . . ugglesome crook-leg" who doggedly makes the best of a nearly fatally disheartening situation.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan Hyperion, 2010. 514 pgs. Fiction. Carter and Sadie Kane's adventures with Egyptian gods, goddesses, and magicians employs the same formula as his wildly engaging and successful Percy Jackson series, and what a terrific recipe it is. Carter has spent most of his young life traveling with his archaeologist father, while his younger sister Sadie lives with their grandparents in London. When their father takes the two children together for a private tour of the British Museum, locks the curator in his office, and starts chanting over the Rosetta Stone, all Perdition and a fiery god-like character with lots of attitude break loose. Julius Kane is imprisoned in a golden coffin, and Carter and Sadie are rescued from the police by their Uncle Amos who whisks them away in a magic Egyptian boat to his mansion in Brooklyn (as opposed to Manhattan where other forces are at work). A breakneck series of adventures follow as brother and sister make their way to Pho...

Shark VS. Trains by Chris Barton; illustrations by Tom Lichtenheld Little, Brown and Company, 2010. Unpaged. Picture book. Who will win? Shark and Train are at odds to see who is the best and strongest. However, it all depends on where they are fighting. For instance, in the ocean, Shark definitely has the advantage, but on the railroad tracks, it’s a different story. But those are the obvious answers. Other questions arise, such as who is the best at going off a high dive, sword fighting on a tight rope, or being an amusement fair ride. This book is hilarious and sure to be any little boy's favorite. The pictures are fun, full of color and emotion, and depict the battle between the two with great imagination. I wonder if the two will ever be friends….this book is definitely a winner!

The Fathers Are Coming Home By Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Stephen Savage Simon & Shuster, 2010. Unpaged. Picture book. Don't wonder at the fact that you may have never heard of this Margaret Wise Brown title. She wrote it in 1943 as a tribute to all the fathers serving in WWII, but this is the first time The Fathers Are Coming Home has been published. It's classical Brown style; simple, repetitive, poetic text, interesting characters who appeal to children, a sweet, heartwarming book coupled with wonderful illustrations by award winner Savage. You'll recognize his art from Polar Bear Night . What else can be said? Brown just had the right touch. A perfect choice for your personal collection.

We Planted a Tree by Diane Muldrow; illustrated by Bob Staake Golden Books, 2010. Unpaged. Picture book. This is a story about two families who live in very different parts of the world planting trees and how their lives are affected and bettered by these trees as they grow. The trees provide shade, fruit, fresh air,richer soil, and all kinds of wonderful benefits. "We planted a tree, and that one tree made the world better." I really enjoyed the simple text about how much enjoyment and use something as ordinary as a tree can provide. We see them every day but often don't appreciate them for all their amazing benefits. I also loved the bright, simple, engaging illustrations--they tied in perfectly with the text, keeping it fresh and from being too heavy. Altogether, a wonderful reminder to enjoy the wonders of the earth and to appreciate their many uses!

LMNO Peas by Keith Baker Beach Lane Books, 2010. Unpaged. Picture book. Gleeful little peas fill the pages of this cheerful, rhythmic alphabet book, cavorting around and careening off colorful oversized letters. They peas have a multitude of various careers and occupations that they delightedly share with the reader. The alphabet letters are all appropriately painted with textures or scenes appropriate for the occupations discussed, such as letter K being painted like a river for the kayakers. Children will love spotting all the little peas and will enjoy all their funny antics. This is a fun and entertaining book to read to children who are learning their alphabet!

Pantaloon By Kathryn Jackson; illustrated by Steven Salerno Golden Books, 2010. Unpaged. Picture book. Pantaloon the poodles just adores pies, pastries, and cakes, so when the Baker advertises for help, Pantaloon is the first to apply--but Baker won't even give him a chance! Pantaloon tries a number of different ways to get the job but just ends up antagonizing Baker even more. Finally, Pantaloon gets a chance to redeem himself by managing the whole shop while Baker is out of commission. Read the book to find out whether or not Pantaloon will be successful! I absolutely loved the chic, retro illustrations in this book--they reminded me of picture books I grew up reading. The colors are sharp and vibrant and Pantaloon is quite adorable! The story is charming and fun as well. Altogether, this books makes a very enjoyable read!

Farm By Elisha Cooper Orchard, 2010. Unpaged. Picture book. Elisha Cooper's spare, evocative drawings and prose are perfectly suited to the subject of the family farm. Some animals have names, some don't. Breakfast and Biggie, the roosters, walk among cows with no names, and the boy and girl do chores, and stop for burgers and shakes in town. Homer the dog seeks the cool concrete of the barn floor, and as the planting and harvest seasons progress, the farmer drives his tractor for planting and then takes the combine into the field to harvest the corn. Farm may be more an evocative book for someone who has lived on a farm than an introduction to farm life for kids, but in either case, it is a gentle, lovely book.

Dinosaurs Eye to Eye By John Woodward DK Publishing, 2010. 96 pp. Juvenile nonfiction. Dinosaurs Eye to Eye has a cover that makes you want to pick the book up. Luckily the inside is just as fascinating. Each spread in the book is about a particular dinosaur. There is a little information about the dinosaurs, but the picture is the main focus of each page. They are computer images that make you feel as if the creator has actually seen some of these creatures in real life. I also enjoyed the fast facts section where the reader can quickly find out information about each dinosaur such as where we have found fossils, when it lived, its diet and how big the dinosaur was. Any dinosaur lover will eat this book up and will want to look through it time and time again. Lastly, have you ever wondered what you would last see if a dinosaur decided to have you for dinner? Make sure you check out pages 50-51! It’s my favorite.

The Case of the Pop Star's Wedding By Barbara Mitchelhill; illustrated by Tony Ross Stone Arch Books, 2007. 67 pp. Intermediate chapter book. Damien Drooth is here to prove that he really is a supersleuth!! The Case of the Pop Star’s Wedding is the second book in the series of Damian Drooth Supersleuth, but it is not necessary to read them in order. Damien is ecstatic when he finds out that his mom is catering his favorite pop star’s wedding. The best news of all though is that when he finally gets to meet the star she puts him in charge of making sure nobody steals the presents, including a beautiful diamond necklace. Will Damian be able to save the day and not ruin the entire wedding? Read to find out! This was a fun, short detective stories. It is definitely an intermediate book that I would recommend.

Kyle's Island By Sally Derby Charlesbridge, 2010. 191 pgs. Fiction. Kyle's father has left their family to do some things he has always wanted to do, to "find himself." Angry and hurt as he is, Kyle finds solace in his family's annual trip to his Gram's cottage at the lake. But Gram has died, and Kyle's mom needs to sell the lake house because she can't afford the upkeep. Kyle alternates between happiness in the pleasures of the lake and bitterness at knowing this will be his last summer there. He takes a job rowing a neighbor out to fish, trying to make enough money to pay the cottage taxes and save it, but what he learns during the summer from his sisters, his brother Josh, his mother, and his neighbor Tom is worth more than the five dollars a morning he gets for rowing the lake. Kyle's Island is a gentle book, maybe too slow-moving for lots of kids, but rich with experience and comfort for children of divorce or abandonment, for anyone who need...