Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Calling All Cars! By Sonia Sander Scholastic Inc., c2010. 31 pages. Easy Reader. Three crooks rob the Lego City bank and make off with the money. A concerned citizen calls the police and they look for clues and watch the surveillance cameras. After asking witnesses, they put the call out for a red van, and an officer spots it. A chase ensues, including squad cars, motorcycles, and a helicopter. They eventually catch and arrest the crooks, find the money, and return it to the bank. Case closed! Perfect for new reluctant readers. Very few sentences, and lots of action and bright colors. I especially enjoyed the Lego people, scenery, and vehicles. More Lego City Adventures books are on order!

Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Spring Babies By Erica Silverman Harcourt Children's Books, 2010. Unpaged. Easy Readers. Kate is a young girl who takes care of her farm, especially her best friend, talking horse Cocoa. In the first chapter, they witness the birth of a new calf on the farm. Next, Kate and Cocoa try to train it, with no luck, as Cocoa just wants to spring and buck like the little calf. Chapter 3 features a visit from Kate’s friend Jenny who brings a new puppy to play with, making Cocoa quite jealous. The book ends with Cocoa waking Kate because he hears ghosts calling in the stable. They discover it is only more spring babies – sweet baby owls. A perfect fit for early girl readers who love horses and may be transitioning from My Little Pony picture books to Saddle Club chapter books.

Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same! By Grace Lin Little, Brown, 2010. 43 pages. Easy Reader. This book features 6 short stories. In “The Haircuts,” the girls go to get their bangs trimmed. Ling is always able to sit still, so her hair is cut in a perfect line. Ting is the opposite – she wiggles and sneezes and gets a very different cut than Ling. My favorite story is “The Magic Trick.” Ling wears a magician’s hat and tries to do a magic card trick for Ting. She has Ting pick one and put it back. She says her magic words, waves her wand and reveals the card! The only problem is, Ting doesn’t remember her card! The adventures continue, with the girls making Dump-Lings and Dump-Tings, learning to use chopsticks, going to the library, and having a picnic. This is a sweet book about the fun of being unique. Geared to girls, however, boys will love it for Ting’s silly and forgetful mistakes and messes. Well-deserves the Geisel Honor Award it won this year.

The Chiru of High Tibet: A True Story by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Linda Wingerter Houghton Mifflin, 2010. Unpaged. Nonfiction. Chiru live in only one place in the world, Chang Tang, the northern plains of Tibet. Because the high plains of Tibet are so cold, chiru wool is the warmest and finest in the world and is in great demand. Unfortunately, the wool cannot be sheared, leaving the animals alive because the animals would die of cold without their wool, so chiru are becoming endangered as they are killed for their shahtoosh, the most beautiful wool of all. Jacqueline Briggs Martin tells not only the chiru's story in this fine picture book, but the story of the men who are working to save them: chiefly, George Shaller, but four other men who hiked dangerous trails in the Kunlun Mountains to find the chiru calving grounds so they could be protected by the Chinese government. A few quibbles aside, this is an excellent introductory volume for young children...

Ocean Commotion: Life on the Reef by Janeen Mason Pelican Publishing, 2010. Nonfiction picture book. This book tells the story of a hermit crab who wakes up to find that she has almost doubled in size during the night, and her shell is now way too tight. As she searches for a new shell to call home, she runs across a variety of reef animals and fish. The hermit crab first finds a glass jar that seems as if it will work, but it soon breaks against an abandoned boat anchor. She then goes through several adventures until she finds a suitable shell. The illustrations are bright, colorful and beautiful, and at first glance Life on the Reef could easily be mistaken for a picture book, however, it is in the nonfiction section. Throughout the text are bolded words that are defined in an illustrated glossary, and the author includes quotes from oceanographers and a letter from herself to the reader on coral bleaching and ocean acidification. A very fun read read with a bit of ec...

Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes: Unforgettable Experiments That Make Science Fun By Steve Spangler Greenleaf Book Group Press, c2010. 155 pages. Nonfiction. This book is perfect for science fair projects or winter days when you are stuck inside. Steve Spangler has been featured several times on The Ellen Degeneres Show because of his crazy antics, and his humor makes this a stellar book. Each experiment in this book has a supply list and step by step instructions, as well as stunning photos of the process. Spangler also includes tips on how to take the experiment further, and the science principles behind the results. For some, there is a section on real world applications. My personal favorite chapter is entitled "Don't try this at home...Try it at a friend's home!" This chapter has experiments of the dangerous and messy variety. There is an experiment called "Burning Money," where you can coat a bill in rubbing alcohol and water, and then light it o...

Unraveling Freedom : the Battle for Democracy on the Home Front During World War I by Ann Bausum National Geographic, 2010. 88 pages. Nonfiction. On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson addressed Congress, making a dramatic appeal for the United States to enter the war between the Allies and the Central Powers in Europe. He stated, "...the world must be made safe for democracy." Ironically, the President, so intent on securing freedom and democracy abroad, failed to prevent the unraveling of freedom in his own country. This book does an excellent job chronicling the little known, but horrific, events that took place in the United States during World War I. The Espionage and Sedition Acts of 1918 greatly expanded federal powers; authorities could apprehend suspected enemies, stifle criticism of the war effort and censor information sent through the mail. As a result, over half of the German language periodicals went out of business. Even editors of publications written ...

Ten Big Toes and a Prince's Nose by Nancy Grow, Ill by Stephan Costanza Sterling, 2010. Unpaged. Picture book. Can a beautiful princess with giant feet and a charming prince with a huge nose ever find true love? They can and do when they finally find each other. This is a lovely picture book about looking past superficial imperfections to see the person beneath. It is written with fluid, fairytale prose complete with a comforting repeated rhyme, "I am what I am and that's all right with me./ I don't have to be different, I just have to be." Costanza uses rich colors with muted edges to give the illustrations a soft, mythical feeling. This is a great way to remind children no matter what is on the outside, it is what is on the inside that counts.

The Secret River by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon Atheneum, 2011. Unpaged. Picture Book. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' The Secret River was originally published posthumously (and in a longer version) in 1955 and won a Newbery honor award in 1956. The Dillons' breathtakingly beautiful illustrations for this new edition should put them in immediate contention for this year's Caldecott award before we even catch our breath from the announcement of last year's winner. The Secret River is the story of a young girl named Calpurnia and her dog Buggy-horse. When hard times come to the forest, Calpurnia follows Mother Albirtha's advice and follows her nose to the secret river where she catches fish--enough and the spare!--for her family and their friends, even after she has fed an owl, a bear, and a panther on her trip back home. Hard times become "soft times" thanks to Calpurnia's trip into the forest but when she tries to go...

The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter Feiwel & Friends, 2010. 288 pages. Fiction. This book has a great title, a great cover, and is a very engaging read. It tells the story of Otto, Lucia and Max Hardscrabble through the eyes of one of them, though we never find out which. They live in Little Tunks, England with their somewhat odd father, Casper. Their mother disappeared under suspicious circumstances five years earlier, and ever since then the people of Little Tunks have avoided the children. The narrator does admit that the children are an odd bunch. Otto, the oldest at 13, doesn't speak, but communicates in a type of sign language that only Lucia and Max can understand. In addition, Otto has worn the same scarf around his neck since his mother's disappearance which he refuses to ever take off, even to sleep. When the three children find a letter that indicates their mother might be alive, they head off to London, and then to Kneebone Castle in Snoring by the Sea. There they ...

Boys Without Names By Kashmira Sheth Balzer + Bray, 2010. 316 pages. Fiction. Gopal and his family leave their Indian village in search of a more prosperous life in Mumbai. The transition isn't easy for Gopal. He misses the rural life, and experiences difficulty finding employment in the city. He is desperate to provide money for his family, especially after his father mysteriously disappears. A stranger offers Gopal a job working in a factory. He then drugs Gopal with tea and takes him to a home where he is imprisoned for the majority of the book. The home is basically a sweatshop, where he and a few other young boys are put to work decorating picture frames for international sales. The conditions are awful, but Gopal remains optimistic. Kashmira Sheth is a consistently wonderful author. Her books ( Keeping Corner is my favorite) allow you to escape to India in every way. Both guys and gals will be interested in the suspenseful story of Gopal's imprisonment. My only c...

The Boy in the Garden by Allen Say Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010. Unpaged. Picture book. A little boy visits a famous garden. In the garden he sees a crane and tries to sneak up on it. It stays still and finally he realizes that it is a statue. He is embarrassed by his mistake and runs to hide in a little tea house. While there he sees a beautiful woman and discovers that she is the crane woman from a well known Japanese folk tale. She gives him a coat and he takes the role of the woodcutter in the story. Then he wakes up and realizes it has all been a dream. This book is illustrated in the same realistic style as Say's Caldecott winner, Grandfather's Journey (Houghton Mifflin, 1993) . The illustrations are carefully crafted watercolors done with translucent greens, yellows and rosy gray tones. The choice of colors and composition gives all the illustrations a restful, calm feeling. This is a lovely introduction to another culture.

The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery by Steve Sheinkin Roaring Brook Press, 2010. 337 pgs. Biography. Most of us know from Elementary School that Benedict Arnold was the great American traitor of the Revolutionary War, a man who would come to symbolize treason throughout the history of our country. But few know of General Arnold's extraordinary contributions to the Revolution before he turned coat. Sheinkin's biography for older elementary students and younger teens reveals how Benedict Arnold's courage and determination carried him and his bold though suffering soldiers into Canadian and northern States' campaigns which not only advanced but may have saved the Revolution. George Washington was one of his many admirers who relied upon his bravery and military judgment. Unfortunately, Arnold's flaws loomed as large as his virtues: he was justifiably angry with real and imagined slights from the Continental Congress; he was...

Keeper By Kathi Appelt Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2010. 399 pages. Fiction. Keeper is a 10 year old girl who was abandoned by her mother when she was 3. She lives on the Gulf Coast of Texas with her guardian, Signe. Legend in the Gulf Coast is that mermaids gather in the waters on the night of a blue moon. Because Keeper believes her mother is a mermaid, she sails out to sea one blue-moon night to try to find her. Keeper is accompanied by a seagull and a dog. Her night on the sea is sometimes mystical, and definitely adventurous. Keeper is ultimately a likable book, though not right for reluctant readers. It is quite long, and includes many narrative points of view (both animal and human). The language is soothing and melodic, which parallels the surroundings in which Keeper lives. A warning for parents: As told in flashbacks, Keeper's neighbor, Mr. Beauchamp, has an overall innocent romance with another young man.

Ora the Sea Monster By Cari Meister Illustrated by Dennis Messner. Stone Arch Books, 2010. 31 Pages. Easy Reader. Ora is a sea monster with two wings, four arms, and six toes on each foot, and who can't speak. She only comes out of the sea when she is looking for treasure- her favorite thing in the world. One day, a boy sees her and asks her for help in fighting a dragon at his castle. Ora indicates that she will do it in return for, you guessed it, treasure! She defeats the dragon with her fire breath, and is rewarded with a golden horn. The weird world in which Ora lives is animated, bright, and interesting. Overall, a fantastically fun read for new readers. The creatures are like something out of "Yo Gabba Gabba," and the stories are very clever! Parents will like the ideas for helping their young readers (the first page in the book) and the short list of new story words. There are three books in this series: Ora the Sea Monster Three Claws the Mountain Mon...

Cooking With Henry and Elliebelly By Carolyn Parkhurst Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino Feiwel and Friends, 2010. Unpaged. Picture Book. Henry is the star of his own imaginary cooking show, along with his 2 year old sister Eleanor (Elliebelly). This episode features raspberry-marshmallow-peanut butter waffles with barbecued banana bacon. Yum! Their show even has a theme song and commercials. Henry is as patient of a brother as he can be, considering he has a very rambunctious toddler assistant. Ellie's interruptions are written big and bold, and in red ink. Mom even speaks up from time to time "off-camera" in speech bubbles. This is a stellar picture book that will literally make you laugh out loud. Yaccarino's illustrations are full of life and a perfect complement to Parkhurst's characters and dialogue. If you've ever had toddlers, siblings, or been a kid yourself, this is a must check-out. I am big fan of Lauren Child's "Charlie and Lola"...

Sneezenesia By Deb Lucke Clarion Books, 2010. Unpaged. Picture book. This is a sure-to-please book for fans of Tedd Arnold's Parts series- although this one is actually less boogery than you'd expect! It's a fun tale about a boy in a grocery store who sneezes so hard, he forgets his name. He sneezes so hard, he forgets what his mother looks like. He sneezes so hard, information and knowledge start spewing from his nostrils, including an entire hanky's worth of presidents! I love the exaggerated, colorful illustrations. The first page is the perfect picture of what a sneeze feels like- the boy is hunched over, arms flailing about, as the world around him rushes past. This is a fantastic book that spews all kinds of facts, while still keeping it fun and lighthearted.

Socksquatch By Frank W. Dormer Henry Holt, 2010. Unpaged. Picture book. Poor little Socksquatch only has one sock, but he wants two warm feet! He asks all his friends for help but no one seems to have a sock his size--one of his friends just has bare furry feet and another wears bandages. Luckily, one of his friends finally comes to his rescue with the perfect sock! This is a cute, funny story with very limited text and great illustrations of friendly monsters. This book would make an excellent read-aloud and is sure to capture the heart of any little monster.

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan illustrated by Brian Floca Roaring Brook Press, 2010. 48 pgs. Nonfiction. On one level, Ballet for Martha explains artistic collaboration--the choreographer, the composer, the set artist, the dancers, the musicians, working together to create a performance. But expanding from there, this lovely book is also about America in its beginnings, about the loveliest and most lyrical American ballet music ever composed which will start playing in your head the minute you open the book, and about what kind of genius and hard work it takes to create something so beautiful. Ballet for Martha richly deserves the Sibert honor award it received last week for the best non-fiction works for children.  Postscript:  The recorded book of Ballet for Martha has what the book lacks; i.e., the lovely, lovely music.  And what the recorded book lacks are the splendid pictures.  For best results, rea...

Flora's Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall, illustrated by Matt Phelan Clarion, 2010. Unpaged. Picture Book. Flora has had it with her little brother Crispin, who has spilled her paints yet again. A tired mother sends them both outside despite Flora's protest that "the wind is very strong and will blow me away." Flora's not really worried because of her "super-special heavy-duty red boots" but Crispin with only his old purple boots has not such protection and flies into the sky. Even though Flora finds Crispin no end annoying she instantly sheds her boots and spreads her coat and takes off after him. The clouds, the rainbow, and eagle, and even the moon want Crispin to stay with them but he is Flora's brother and she must take him home. Even the wind wants him to stay, but takes both children home when Flora politely declines. In the end, the two sit side by side at the kitchen table eating chocolate chip cookies, and, in the end, Flora likes Crisp...

Meet Mammoth by Ian Fraser ill. by Mary Ann Fraser 64 pages Tarrytown, N.Y. : Marshall Cavendish, 2010 Ogg and Bob are quite the pair of cavemen! Bob is good of thinking of things to do, and Ogg is good at solving the problems they encounter as a result of Bob's ideas. Their latest brainstorm involves capturing a mammoth to keep as a pet. That is only the beginning of their adventure, once captured it is a whole other story how to actually live with a mammoth. Meet Mammoth is the first in a brand-new series for beginning chapter book readers. The brightly illustrated pages add to the humor of the story. But be warned, this book will not teach reader's proper grammar, just Caveman-type grammar.

Scarum Fair poems by Jessica Swaim ill. by Carol Ashley 32 pages Honesdale, Pa. : Wordsong, c2010 This ghoulish book of poetry is a perfect pick for Halloween, or any other time you are in the mood for something creepy. The fun begins as a group of children enter the gate of Scarum Fair . Each subsequent poem depicts the various attractions of this unique fair through descriptive poetry and colorfully bizarre illustrations.

Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst ill. by Lane Smith 113 pages New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, c2010 "There once was a girl named Lulu, and she was a pain. She wasn't a pain in the elbow. She wasn't a pain in the knee. She was a pain - a very big pain - in the butt." So begins the tale of young spoiled Lulu, who desires nothing more than a pet Brontosaurus for her birthday. She does not handle the situation very well when her parents tell her no, and mean it, for the first time ever. She eventually decides that since they obviously are not going give her what she wants this time, she will go find a Brontosaurus all on her own. Her adventurous trek through the forest is anything but easy, as she encounters numerous frightening beasts. However, the determined young girl will let nothing interfere with her plans. Yet when she finally finds her dream pet, the result is not exactly what she planned. Will she be the same little girl when all is ...

When Jack Goes Out by Pat Schories Honesdale, Pa. : Boyds Mills Press, c2010 Jack's nightly ritual of being tied out in the yard by his doghouse is anything but normal tonight. After his little boy returns to the cozy little house, Jack gets some surprise visitors. At first, hesitant, Jack quickly joins in as they embark on some wonderful adventures through the backyard. Eventually, the little visitors depart leaving a little dog free of his restraints and his boy quite bewildered. This wonderful wordless picture book sparks the imagination of little ones who excitedly will tell the story in their own words. The adorable illustrations have a slightly retro look to them which adds a magical element to the story.

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night By Joyce Sidman Illustrations by Rick Allen Houghton Mifflin, 2010. 29 p. Juvenile nonfiction/poetry. This recent recipient of a 2011 Newbery Honor couples really good writing with lovely illustrations. Sidman has written 12 poems about the night in a forest. Some are about animals, and others are about trees or the moon. Some of the poems are rhymed and metered, while others are free verse or concrete poems. The rhyming poems are lush and lyrical, with careful attention to meter and form. The free verse poems show sensitivity to the sound and rhythm of words. Each of the poems is accompanied by a beautiful illustration done using the technique of etching. The artist puts down color, and then covers it with a black overcoat. Then he (Rick Allen in this case) scrapes away some of the black to reveal the color beneath. It is a good technique for a book about the night because it emphasizes the interplay of light and dar...

Velociraptor and other Raptors and Small Carnivores by David West Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2010. 32 pages. Nonfiction. If you have a young dinosaur lover at home, this book is for you. The pictures are colorful, exciting, and as realistic as dinosaur pictures can be. Even though the dinosaurs featured are carnivores, the gore factor is thankfully (as least for me) limited--they are mostly shown hunting, chasing, or preparing to eat their victims. Each two page spread features a particular raptor or other small carnivore, with the picture covering both pages. The accompanying text is divided into two sections: one short paragraph in large print with enough information to satisfy a less intense reader, and if you want to know more, there is another more detailed paragraph. Something I really liked was on each page there is a small picture of each dinosaur next to either a person or cat (or both) that shows the size comparison. We will be getting more books in this s...

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park Clarion Books, 2010. 128 pages. Fiction. "A Long Walk to Water" is an amazing book. It is based on the true story of Salvo, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, whose stories have been told for older readers, but rarely for children. Park does a masterful job of making a heartbreaking, violent and horrifying story accessible and appropriate for 10-12 year olds. She tells Salvo's story simply and clearly, focusing on his courage and his ultimate triumph. As an 11 year old Sudanese boy, Salvo is suddenly plunged into the middle of a brutal civil war. He is sitting at his desk in school when there is the sound of gunfire. His teacher immediately urges the boys to run--not home, but "into the bush...They will be going into the villages. Stay away from the villages--run into the bush." Obeying his teacher most likely saved his life, but Salvo spent the next eleven years walking, running, and surviving. At 22, Salvo is chosen to co...

Hereville: How Mirka Got her Sword by Barry Deutsch Amulet, 2010. 141 pgs. Graphic novel. Mirka, "yet another troll-fighting 11-year old Orthodox Jewish girl," resists learning the womanly arts pushed upon her by her long-nosed stepmother Fruma (a good woman, but stubborn), because what she really wants is to fight dragons. Engaging in dialectics with her stepmother, "who will argue about anything," she manages to avoid improving her skills by claiming that her dropped stitches were ordained of God and not to be messed with. After a series of supernatural experiences give her the opportunity to claim a dragon-slaying sword from a troll by besting him in a challenge, she is horrified to learn that the challenge is: who can knit the best sweater? Mirka's sweater is an unholy mess, while the troll's is not only immaculately well-made, with ribbing at neck and wrists, but shows a lovely floral pattern as well. Unluckily for Mirka, losing the contest mean...

Moonshadow: Rise of the Ninja by Simon Higgins Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2010. 336 pages. Fiction. There are few things as cool as a ninja, and this book is about some very cool ninjas. Moonshadow is an orphan in medieval Japan who has been chosen and rigorously trained by the Shogun's secret spy organization, the Grey Light Order. He is amazingly quick, strong and resourceful, and extremely skilled in weaponry, especially in sword fighting. Moonshadow has also been trained in the ancient skill called the eye of the beast: he can see through an animal's eyes--see what the animals sees--and even control the animal's actions. All these skills prove vital as he tackles his first assignment, to steal from the plans for a dangerous weapon from an angry warlord that wants to overthrow the Shogun and plunge Japan into war. In addition to his small army of samurai, the warlord has hired four dangerous assassins to protect the plans. As if this weren't enough, unkno...