Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Plain Kate by Erin Bow Scholastic, 2010. 314 pgs. Fiction Katerina Svetlana is named after her mother, who died giving birth. Her father, Piotr the woodcarver, calls her plain Kate and she is soon known as Plain Kate, after the butcher's witticism, because she is "plain as a stick." But her father calls her Kate, my star. Piotr teaches his daughter to carve and she is on her way to becoming a master when her father dies of a strange sleeping sickness that plagues her town and the country round about. In a magical land, Kate has no magic but her skill. Still, she is so good her neighbors think her a witch and drive her away, but not before a real witch comes along and she trades him her shadow for the promise that she won't have to travel alone. He gives her a talking cat. Kate falls in with gypsies who also find reason to hurt and abandon her and she is rescued by the witch who takes her upriver in a terrible quest to avenge his dead sister and bring her back from...

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Adventure of the Red-Headed League Adapted by Vincent Goodwin Magic Wagon, 2010. 48 pages. Graphic Novel. A man with bushy red hair and beard comes to Sherlock Holmes with a baffling story concerning the mysterious Red-Headed League. Eight weeks before, the man had been shown an advertisement from the League recruiting red-headed men to be handsomely paid for menial work. He had been admitted into the League and hired to copy sections of the encyclopedia for four hours each day, but after eight weeks the doors were suddenly locked and the League dissolved. (Of course, before the red-headed man even told his story, Holmes had accurately deduced that the man was a freemason recently returned from China, and had lately been doing a lot of writing.) The man wanted to know who was behind this prank and why. Holmes takes the case, and with the admiring Dr. Watson documenting it all, masterfully solves it. This is one of six Sherlock Holmes adv...

How to Talk to an Autistic Kid By Daniel Stefanski Free Spirit Pub., c2011. 43 pages. Nonfiction. This is a lighthearted book that teaches about interacting with children with Autism. Daniel Stefanski, a 14 year old Autistic boy, has penned a book that is both informative and humorous. There are many great tips throughout. For example, Stefanski offers insight on how to deal with an Autistic child's tendency to dominate conversations, or who have a hard time interpreting social cues. He advises to simply be honest and use kind words in communicating. This book stands out among the many Autism/Aperger's books out there, because it humanizes the disorder. Stefanski gives an insider's view on how children with Autism see the world, and does so in accessible language. Although Autistic children experience sensory overload and social awkwardness, they also experience the joy of friendship and heartache of bullying- making them no different than any other children. I was enli...

 Amazing Tricks With Everyday Stuff by Steve Charney Capstone Press, 2011 (24 p) Kids love to learn little tricks they can do for their friends and family. This book contains instructions for eight simple tricks kids can learn by themselves. Charney begins the book with some basic instructions for young magicians, like the importance of practice and simple showmanship suggestions. Then he explains how to do each trick with a few simple instructions printed in large font. Each instruction is accompanied by a color photo of a child doing the trick, so it is really clear what the junior magician is supposed to do. The tricks, if not spectacular, are clever and can be effective if done well. Best of all, they don't require any special props. This is just the right level for Cub Scouts or Girl Scouts.

Three by the Sea by Mini Grey Knopf, 2010. Unpaged. Picture Book A dog, a mouse, and a one-eyed cat live in a beach hut by the sea. The dog does the gardening, the mouse cooks, and the cat cleans house; that is, until a fox representing the Winds of Change Trading Company shows up to sow discord: why does the dog only plant bones in your garden? he asks. Why do you always have to have cheese fondue for supper, and are you sure that cat isn't sleeping more than cleaning? Soon the friends are at each other's throats and the mouse decides to leave. The cat has an uneasy feeling and walks up the beach and suddenly hears a desperate squeak! The mouse is drowning! The cat can't swim but goes to the mouse anyway. They will both drown unless . . . along comes the dog. The friends are reconciled but don't go quite back to normal as the Winds of Change Trading Company has blown in some good differences as well. Mini Grey has done it again with a lovely book about friendsh...

The Secret Life of Ms. Finkleman by Ben H. Winters Harper, 2010. 247 pgs. Fiction Mr. Melville is not a particularly beloved history teacher at Mary Todd Lincoln Middle School, except when he assigns a Special Project when his students can choose any question relating to their own lives and answer it--for credit. Bethesda Fielding takes on a school mystery for her SP--what's up with Ms. Ida Finkleman, the quiet, mousy, essentially invisible band and chorus teacher. Everyone knows a little something about the other teachers, but no one knows anything about Ms. Finkleman. Imagine the studentbody's surprise when Bethesday unearths evidence that Ms. Finkleman was once a punk rocker--Little Miss Mystery of Little Miss Mystery and the Red Herrings. Well, that changes everything. Suddenly her students respect her and the principal asks her to take charge of the annual Choral Corral because she is so tired of losing humiliating bets to the principal of Grover Cleveland Middle Scho...

Mitchell's License Written by Hallie Durand Illustrated by Tony Fucile Candlewick Press, 2011. Unpaged picture book. Mitchell is an adorable and rambunctious toddler. He gets his "Remote-Control Dad Driver's License" when he is three years, nine months, and five days old. Mitchell's dad happily accommodates him as he hops into the driver's seat (Dad's shoulders) and inspects the car from tires (feet) to engine (belly). Their nightly ritual is to have a wild ride and end up parked in bed. This is an excellent book that celebrates the fun of being father and child. Tony Fucile's illustrations are comical and expressive, and are a perfect complement to Hallie Durand's creative story.

Walls within Walls by Maureen Sherry HarperCollins, 2010. 349 pgs. Fiction When Mr. Smithfork hits the bigtime with his video game, the family moves from their cozy Brooklyn neighborhood to a high-rise in Manhattan. The kids hate it. But things look up when they are horsing around and knock the heater grille out of the wall--behind the grille is a painting of a giant eyeball. Further investigation leads to coded clues and a breakneck chase around the landmarks of New York City in search of a lost inheritance. Lucky for the kids the elderly lady who should have received the treasure lives in the apartment beneath theirs and is a helpful adult to accompany them so their parents don't find out what they are up to. Lucky for Patrick, the youngest, who is usually left out of his older brother and sister's schemes, he is the only one who can fit between the false wall of their apartment and the real wall where the clues are hidden. Lucky for kids who like the 39 Clues series or Bl...

The Unicorn Princess by Babette Cole Bloomsbury, 2010. 148 pgs. Fiction. "What if your perfect pony dream came true?" Cole asks at the beginning of this sparkly and sparkling first book in the Fetlocks Hall series. Penny Simms' dream does come true when she is accepted on scholarship to Fetlocks Hall Academy. Penny will miss her family very much, but the chance to ride and care for ponies any day, any time, is too much to resist. As Penny makes rapid progress toward passing her A exam she finds out that not only ponies but unicorns have an interest in Fetlocks Hall and she discovers that if she passes the exam to become a Unicorn Princess, she can help save the Academy from the three wicked pony-abusing brats whose cheating their way into A-exam passage will give them Powers for Evil. As the newly-crowned Unicorn Princess, Penny does all she needs to do to save Fetlocks from the bad kids, but the bad kids' parents were the major donors to the school. Will F...

Tall Story By Candy Gourlay David Fickling Books, 2011 295 pages. Fiction. Sixteen year old Bernardo has lived with his aunt in the Philippines his whole life, while his mother, stepfather, and younger sister Andi live in Great Britain. He is finally granted citizenship and comes halfway across the world to live with them. Bernardo has many growing pains to grapple with, including living with a full-time sister, learning a new culture, and being 8 feet tall! In his old village in the Philippines, the people hailed this giant boy as the prophesied, legendary figure who will save their town. So, Bernardo has some guilt about leaving, especially after a massive earthquake devastates the community. Candy Gourlay has written a very memorable book. Her use of Tagalog and British terms and customs provide for a unique tale. The characters all deal with culture shock and family conflict, but they still have a lot of love and patience for each other. Tall Story is written from both Bern...

There Was a Crooked Man Retold by Russell Punter Illustrated by David Semple EDC Pub., 2010. 32 pages. Easy Reader. There Was a Crooked Man is a fantastic retelling of the classic rhyming story. David Semple's illustrations are appropriately angular and silly. No detail is ignored- everything is crooked, right down to the cat's square whiskers! New readers will love the story of the old man who lives in a crooked world, and whose cat wreaks havoc on his dinnertime plans. An appropriate choice for early readers, as there is only one short sentence per page and the story is funny and easy to follow. There are several puzzles in the back, including a vocab challenge and look-and-find pictures.

I Must Have Bobo by Eileen and Marc Rosenthal Atheneum, 2011. Unpaged. Picture Book. When Willy wakes up, Bobo is missing. "I must have Bobo!" he cries because Bobo is his go-to guy--or stuffed monkey, as the case may be. But someone else must have Bobo, too. Namely, Earl the Cat. Earl and Willy do battle over who has Bobo for the rest of this delightful picture book. Attack and counterattack, stealth and deceit, nothing out of bounds because both Earl and Willy MUST HAVE BOBO!

Never Smile at a Monkey by Steve Jenkins Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2009. Unpaged. Nonfiction. You wouldn't know it from the title, but this is a scary book. Everyone knows not to play with a black widow or anger a rattlesnake, but why not smile at a monkey? Or collect a cone shell? You will find out in this book, which is about animals that might seem harmless, but actually can be quite dangerous, and even lethal. The large illustrations are vibrant, and there is just enough information on each page to cause alarm. For example, on one page is the advice, "NEVER caress an electric caterpillar." The explanation is: "This colorful caterpillar will turn into a harmless brown moth. But until that happens, look out! If your skin touches its hairy bristles, you'll feel an intense burning sensation. Without immediate medical attention, weakness, severe illness, and death can follow." Well, that is all fine and dandy and thanks for the advice,...

The End of Time The Books of Umber: Book 3 by P. W. Catanese 421 pages juvenile fantasy/science-fiction New York : Aladdin, 2011 Umber and his crew of faithful followers return for the thrilling conclusion to the Books of Umber. As Umber is trying to cope with his ever increasing mood swings, his role in Kurahaven is called into question. He is besieged on all sides by opposition. As the kingdom is in turmoil from the palace to the sea, Umber realizes that he may not be the only one of his kind around. Happenstance discovers the depth of his feelings for Sophie at the same time he learns all that he must sacrifice in order to reach his full potential. Could the arrival of a vicious ruler from afar be the end of Umber's dreams? A non-stop series of events keeps the reader turning pages faster and faster, hoping that they will never reach The End of Time . A beautiful farewell to an amazing collection of characters!

Octopus Soup by Mercer Mayer unpaged picture book Tarrytown, NY : Marshall Cavendish Children, 2011 A young octopus leaves home-sweet-home to explore the world. Almost immediately his actions get him into trouble. As he flees from a growing number of pursuers the young octopus ends up on a frog's face, in a melon display and in a soup pot. Will his innocent adventure end in tragedy? Or will this young explorer decide that the ocean floor is the best place for him? Mercer Mayer has delivered a fabulous wordless story to be enjoyed by all. The main story is amazing, but be sure to look at the details and read all the signs as some of the funniest moments are hiding in the backgrounds!

Midway Monkey Madness DC Super-Pets! by Sarah Hines Stephens ill. by Art Baltazar 48 pages intermediate chapter book Mankato, Minn. : Picture Window Books, 2011 Beppo the Super-Monkey is enjoying an outing at the carnival when the evil Gorilla Grodd ruins everything. The nasty ape is using his super strength to free all the animals from the sideshow. You can imagine the chaos and fear that is running through the crowd! Beppo does everything in his power to distract Grodd, but not before he releases an angry lion! Thankfully the Wonder Twins, Zan and Jayna, arrive with their monkey Gleek! Are their combined efforts enough to capture the animals, save the people and stop Gorilla Grodd? This action-packed beginning chapter book is full of bright and colorful illustrations that are sure to capture young-reader's attention. The DC Super-Pets series is great for reluctant readers or to read aloud to young children. As an added bonus, each book ends with a glossary page and a joke page. A...

It's Not About the Hunter! Veronika Martenova Charles ill. by David Parkins 56 pages Toronto : Tundra Books, c2010 Three friends are raking leaves and discussing their Halloween costumes. Lily shares that she will be dressed as Little Red Riding Hood. This launches a discussion of the various versions of the fairy tale each child has heard. The diverse tales are all based on original folktales from France, Italy and China. The transitions between tales are a little awkward but will probably not bother the early readers that these are aimed at. It's Not About the Hunter! is one of five volumes in Charles' newest Wonder Tales series. This is a great series for advanced easy readers or very beginning chapter book readers as the basic sentence structure utilizes common vocabulary. The black and white illustrations on each page are a great addition to the stories. The other titles in the series are It's Not About the Apple!, It's Not About the Pumpkin!, It's N...

Lucy the Good by Marianne Musgrove ill. by Cheryl Orsini 131 pages intermediate realistic fiction New York : Henry Holt, 2010 Is Lucy a good or bad egg? Well, it depends on whom you ask. Lucy herself is convinced that her teacher, her Tante Bep, and her classmates think she is bad. This is partly due to Lucy's inability to control her temper! She realizes that screaming and yelling and throwing things doesn't do any good, but she feels like her feelings have to explode out of her in some manner. Through trials at home and at school, lovable Lucy finds the path to being a "good" egg. This simple chapter book is brimming with Lucy's energy and emotions. There are sure to be many young readers out there that will learn along with Lucy how to control their temper, better enabling them to get along with others. Lucy the Good is an ideal stand-alone title for those that enjoyed the Junie B. Jones series, yet are looking for something a little more "grown-up".

Only One Year Written by Andrea Cheng Illustrated by Nicole Wong Lee & Low Books, 2010. 98 pages. Realistic fiction. Sharon and Mary's two year old brother David (Di Di) leaves to spend a year with their grandparents in China. Their parents send him to China because they both work long hours, and believe Di Di will be better off with family than at a stranger's daycare. The book follows the sisters as they adapt to a year without their brother. Overall, this is an ideal book for readers who are new to chapter books. The plot is simple, and the characters aren't multidimensional. Nicole Wong provides lovely pen and ink drawings that lend more heart to an already sweet story. I appreciated that the author (Andrea Cheng) included an author's note, explaining about the real-life custom upon which this story is based.

Really, Really Big Questions About Space and Time Written by Mark Brake Illustrated by Nishant Choksi Kingfisher, 2010. 63 pages. Nonfiction. "BANG! And so the universe began." Mark Brake's addition to the Really, Really Big Questions series addresses those pressing inquiries you have about space and time, and even some you've never thought of. You might be curious to know if space is smelly. Well, you'll find "that very much depends on where you stick your nose." The humor lends itself well to the interesting content. Brake also uses different fonts and bright colors to keep the reader visually interested. Nishant Choksi's mid-century style illustrations add to the action and adventure you might otherwise only find in a comic book. What would ordinarily be a boring topic is actually exciting while still being informative. Fight the temptation to skip the glossary, index, and further reading section. They are not to be missed!

I'm Getting a Checkup Written by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by David Milgrim Clarion Books, c2009. 32 pages. Nonfiction picture book. I'm Getting a Checkup is a good choice for nervous first timers. David Milgrim's illustrations are perfectly suited to the subject matter. They are sweet cartoons with not overly-bright colors, and have a calming effect. A bonus is that the characters are all culturally diverse and always smiling. The mischievous bunnies in every scene bring comic relief- especially when they start making exam-glove balloons. Marilyn Singer has a gift for simple rhymes and child-friendly language. However, on the opposite page from each little poem is a paragraph (sometimes quite long) explaining medical procedures. It feels disjointed. This is the one fault with this book, as no child wants to hear that the arm band so sweetly and rhythmically described before is actually a blood-pressure cuff called a "sphygmomanometer." Perhaps these sect...

Look! A Book! Written and illustrated by Bob Staake Little, Brown, 2011. Unpaged picture book. "HERE'S a CRAZY SEEK AND FIND With images of every kind! So many objects, big and small. Let's see if you can find them ALL...." Bob Staake's latest work, Look! A Book! is a welcome addition to the picture-puzzles genre. Before the reader begins their hunt, Staake gives a sneak peak through holes in the pages, as well as rhyming clues. This book invites you to dive into a sea of vivid, retro-inspired illustrations, and each scene is more adorable than the one before. There is so much to see and discover, that I suspect this one will be requested at bedtime over and over. But don't fear- parents who are weary of I Spy will really enjoy the expressive drawings and inside jokes. In the scene where museum creatures escape into the big city, a billboard reads "Eat Chocomeal. Kids love it! (Moms not so much)"

Tales of Famous Heroes by Peter and Connie Roop Scholastic, 2010. 106 pages. Nonfiction picturebook. This fun and informative book introduces seveteen individual heroes plus the Tuskegee Airmen. Even reluctant readers will be pulled into these remarkable tales. Each famous hero has an introductory two-page spread with a stylized caricature of the hero (see the cover) and a quote. A short, but interesting, four page biography then follows, accompanied by several illustrations. Both men and women are represented, as are various ethnic groups and nationalities. Even though each biography is short, they leave you with an appreciation of each hero's courage and contribution.

Goblin in the Bush by Victor Kelleher ill. by Stephen Michael King intermediate chapter book 75 pages North Sydney, N.S.W. : Random House Australia, 2010 Gibblewort, the grouchy goblin, grows quite tired of the constant rainy weather in Ireland. His solution is to mail himself to the supposedly dry and sunny Australia. After a day and night of encountering strange and bizarre Australian creatures, he isn't so sure Ireland is such a bad place after all. This new-to-the-US intermediate chapter book series is filled with black and white illustrations that add an extra touch to these entertaining tales. First and second grade boys in particular will enjoy the antics of this rambunctious little Irish goblin.

Selling Hope by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb juvenile historical fiction 215 pages New York : Feiwel and Friends, 2010 Thirteen-year-old Hope is the assistant in her father's small-time Vaudeville magic act. During May of 1910, the troupe is performing in Hope's hometown of Chicago. The headlines are filled with speculation about the impending pass of Halley's comet. As part of a grand scheme to get her father fired and return to her normal life in Chicago, Hope creates "Anti-Comet Pills". With the help of fellow vaudeville act, Buster Keaton, she gains a desperate yet faithful following. Preying upon the fears of the public doesn't seem to bother her, at first. The complex characters and relationships make for a fabulous historical fiction novel.

Strange Creatures: The Story of Walter Rothschild and His Museum written and illustrated by Lita Judge unpaged picture book biography New York, N.Y. : Disney/Hyperion, c2011 "He was nearly the richest boy in the world, but that's not what made him unusual". Walter's father was the Queen of England's banker in the mid 1800's. He fully expected Walter to follow in his footsteps. Painfully shy young Walter had other ideas. He was most comfortably at home in the gardens, collecting a variety of wildlife. When he was only seven-years-old, his governess took him to see a circus parade. This was Walter's first exposure to exotic animals: "He was so excited, his feet hopped, his knees wobbled, and words started swarming in his mind". Thus began his dreams for his own museum with live animals as well as animal specimens. No matter what his parents said, Walter continued to plan and acquire a vast collection of creatures. His father eventually had his way ...

The Goodbye Cancer Garden Written by Janna Matthies. Illustrated by Kristi Valiant. Albert Whitman, 2011. Unpaged picture book. Young siblings Janie and Jeffrey are faced with the news that their mother has breast cancer. They watch as she undergoes surgeries and chemotherapy, and later loses her hair. Jeffrey gets the idea to plant a "Goodbye Cancer Garden" to mark the time as Mom's treatment goes on. They work on it together as a family that spring. By the time the fruits and vegetables have grown in the fall, Mom is much better. They are able to say "Goodbye, Cancer!" as they celebrate Mom's health along with the bounty of their garden. Janna Matthies handles this topic with sensitivity, and uses age-appropriate language. I love that this family never dwells on the seriousness of cancer. Rather, they celebrate what they've got and work together to nurture their garden. Kristi Valiant's illustrations are in keeping with the sunshiney tone of ...

Angel in My Pocket By Ilene Cooper Feiwel and Friends, 2011. 278 pages. Fiction. This story centers around a group of students at a performing-arts school in Chicago. They each have their own set of life's worries. Bette's mother has passed away, and Bette becomes withdrawn and isolated because of her grief. Joe is a latchkey kid with a single mom, and their family has come upon hard times financially. Andy and Vivi are twins. Andy cares for and protects his sister, who has started homeschooling because of uncontrollable asthma and subsequent weight gain from the medicine. These four are not strongly connected, but become so after a mysterious angel medallion finds its way into each of their pockets. The coin brings luck and guidance to whoever is holding it. I liked this book because it has an uplifting, hopeful message. Ilene Cooper's smooth writing features believable situations and honest characters. This is a realistic novel, but has just the right amount of magic ...

The Triangle Fire of March 25, 1911 was New York's deadliest work-place fire until 9/11. It occurred in a sweatshop, the Triangle Waist Company, that occupied the eighth and ninth floors of a ten story building. One hundred and forty six people died within minutes, mostly young women between the ages of 14 and 27 who were recent immigrants from Italy and Russia. Though the fire and the events surrounding it are described in well documented detail, it is not the only focus of this book. Marrin pu ...more Flesh and Blood So Cheap : the Triangle Fire and Its Legacy Albert Marrin Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2011. 192 pages. Nonfiction. The Triangle Fire of March 25, 1911 was New York's deadliest work-place fire until 9/11. It occurred in a sweatshop, the Triangle Waist Company, that occupied the eighth and ninth floors of a ten story building. One hundred and forty six people ...