Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Crinkleroot's Guide to Giving Back to Nature by Jim Arnosky G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2012.  48 pgs.  Nonfiction      Jim Arnosky's gentle old backwoodsman teaches kids simple things to do to restore nature while enjoying it.  Most of Crinkleroots ideas require a simple give and take.  "Sometimes giving back to Nature means helping provide food when an animal is hungry."  So if you put a birdfeeder in your yard, you can give the birds food.  Sunflower seeds for blue jays, grosbeaks, and chickadees; millet for pigeons, sparrows, and juncos, etc.  If you give to Nature by smearing peanut butter and sunflower seeds on a tree trunk, Nature may bring a woodpecker into your yard for dinner. Some of Crinkleroot's suggestions seem obvious:  pick up your trash, use your dead leaves and grass clippings to make compost, etc. Some ideas were new to me:  don't let your dogs and cats outside in the winter because they may keep birds a...

The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop By Kate Saunders Delacorte Press, 2013. 293 pgs. Chapter book. When the Spoffard family inherits an old house with an included chocolate shop inside, they have no idea what adventures await. Twins Oz and Lily find themselves in the middle of an intense hunt to find one of their ancient, immortal uncles and to put an end to his evil plans. With the help of some eccentric, talking animals and the guidance of a government division that deals with magical incidents, the twins must do everything they can to foil their uncle to protect their family and the entire world. This was a fun, action-packed story that will certainly charm fans of Brandon Mull's Fablehaven books or The Candy Shop War . Although the story and characters felt a bit forced and overworked, it's still sure to be a hit with kids who enjoy magical adventures!

                                                                Hereville:  How Mirka Met a Meteorite by Barry Deutsch Amulet Books, 2012. 125 pgs.  Graphic Novel      Mirka is back! ( Hereville:  How Mirka Got her Sword , 2010)  Once again "boldly going where no 11-year old Orthodox Jewish girl has gone before."  In this outing, Mirka goes to see her old friend (NOT) the troll who informs her that a meteorite* will hit the earth in 15 minutes and that he can't stop it.  Mirka nearly kills herself running to tell the witch who does manage to stop it in time, but in a way that will drive Mirka to the brink:  the witch ch...

A Good Trade by Alma Fullerton, illustrations by Karen Patkau Pajama Press, 2012. Unpaged.  Picture Book      Every morning Kato wakes at the break of dawn to carry his two jerry cans to the borehole to get water for his family.  It's a good long walk from home, but Kato goes cheerfully along, enjoying the beautiful dawn and the greenery.  Going back is harder with the cans full, one balanced on his head and one swinging at his side.  When his other chores are finished, Kato runs to the garden and finds one lovely white poppy.  Carefully picking it, he takes it into the village to the aid workers' truck, where he makes a really good trade, for himself and for his friends. A Good Trade is a lovely little book which communicates in a few pages the beauties and sorrows of Uganda. Her open-hearted, hard-working people and the beauty of the land are shown in both word and picture. The poverty of the village is also apparent, as is the uns...

Lulu and the Dog from the Sea by Hilary Mckay, illustrated by Priscilla Lamont Albert Whitman, 2013.  108 pgs.  Intermediate.      Lulu the pet-lover ("you can have as many as you want, but you have to clean up after them"), her family, and best friend Mellie are off on a vacation to the beach. The woman from whom they are renting a beach cottage warns them about the dog from the sea, who is a thief, a trash-can-upsetter, and a general nuisance.  Of course Lulu befriends him and tames him down, but when the cottage owner calls the dogcatchers, the dog runs away and doesn't come back--until Lulu and Mellie really need him.  Another needy animal finds a loving home when our dear Lulu gets on the case.  Young animal lovers should love Lulu.  Lulu and the Duck in the Park is the first book in this charming series.

   Nelly May Has Her Say by Cynthia DeFelice, illustrated by Henry Cole Farrar Strays Giroux Books, 2013. Unpaged. Picture Book Nelly May Nimble lives in the Bottoms with her parents, six younger brothers and six younger sisters.   She feels it’s time to earn her board and keep.   She takes a job as cook and housekeeper for Lord Ignasius Pinkwinkle.   His one request is that she speaks his “language.”   He insists that she call him Most Excellent of All Masters .   His boots are to be called stomopinwhackers.  The fireplace is a flaming pop-and-sizzle , and his dog is a fur-faced fluffenbarker.   Read how Nelly May saves Lord Pinkwinkle, his dog and castle from disaster, using all the correct nomenclature.   Children will find this new “language” fun and memorable.  

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen (who is only writing this because his therapist said he had to, which stinks) By Susin Nielsen Tundra Books, c2012. 243 pages. Realistic fiction. Henry K. Larsen, 13 years old, attends regular therapy sessions to deal with "IT." IT, which author Susin Nielsen deftly reveals bit by bit, is the event that changed everything. IT happened when Henry's older brother, Jesse, after years of bullying, took a gun to the high school and killed his tormentor and himself. Even after moving to a new town, the event casts a shadow over Henry's reputation. As he grows into adolescence, he has his own growing pains to deal with, including keeping his family together and experiencing bullying at his new school. Though the premise is dark, there is honesty and humor in this novel. Boys will especially love Henry and his sarcastic sense of humor, his enjoyment of televised wrestling and the discovery of his first crush. The subject matter a...

The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny) Written by Kathleen Krull Illustrated by Stacy Innerst Harcourt Children's Books, 2013. Unpaged. Non-fiction picture book. The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny) is, all at once, a humorous, biographical, historical picture book. With Paul (the cute one), John (the smart one), George (the quiet one), and Ringo (the funny one), the Fab Four formed to become a monumental part of music history. At every point in their meteoric rise, they found things to laugh at - even their band name, which was adopted because they found it funny, and so it stuck. When their hysterical fans were screaming too loud to even hear the music, they encouraged them to scream louder, which they thought was hilarious. The boys even found ways to make tedious news interviews entertaining. When one reporter asked Paul, "Is your hair real?," he answered snarkily, "Is yours?" This is a spectacular tribute to the world's most popular b...

  Lucky Ducklings: A True Rescue Story  Eva Moore, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter Orchard Books, 2013. Unpaged.  Picture Book Reminiscent of Robert McCloskey's "Make Way for Ducklings," this richly illustrated book is based on a true story. Pippin, Bippin, Tippin, Dippin, and Little Joe are out on a stroll in Montauk, New York with Mama Duck when the unthinkable happens. All five babies fall through the slots of a storm drain. The ducklings frantically quack for help. A nearby observer calls the Fire Department. Unfortunately, the Firemen are unable to lift the heavy grate. Another community helper with a roll of cable in his truck lends a hand. The grate is lifted and the firemen rescue the small ducklings one by one. Placed in a pail of water, they are delivered to Mama Duck. Then the whole family is safely escorted across the street. They proceed to waddle home, away from the city and into the country. The last page shows five sillouetted ducklin...

Benjamin Bear in Bright Ideas! by Philippe Coudray TOON Books/Candlewick, 2013.  32 pgs.  Comics.      Benjamin Bear has a lot of bright ideas which he mostly shares with his friend, the rabbit.  On the cover of this book, as you see,  Benjamin is speeding down the stairs on a bicycle with square wheels. "Let's go to your house!" he tells his fish friend in the fish bowl.  He carries the bowl to the stream, tips the fish in, then puts the bowl full of air on his own head and walks under the water with his pal. Bear's adventures in crossing the river using only two rocks, getting rid of his fleas by tying himself to a tree and then running until the rope jerks him to a stop, sending the fleas flying, and building rabbit a house in the woods--by tearing down the woods-- are laugh out loud funny. There are not a lot of words in Coudray's delightful cartoon book, but there is a lot of ingenuity, goofball logic, and some  hilarious misfir...

  Jet Plane:  How It Works by David Macaulay Macmillan, 2012.  32 pgs.  Nonfiction.      This second volume in David Macaulay's "How It Works" series takes on the riddle of how passenger jets manage to fly. His illustrations, as always, are flawless, in this book designed to give beginning and newly-independent readers vocabulary and pictures to understand the mechanics and physics of large aircraft in flight. For the most part, everything is clearly explained, but a couple of items raised questions:  Pictures and text explain how air is sucked into the front of each engine, then compressed into a combustion chamber where it is mixed with jet fuel and burned, but it doesn't tell what sets the mixture on fire; also, the book explains that wing design makes the air move faster on top of the wing than below.  "The faster air pulls up.  The slower air pushes up..  This creates a force called lift."  It would be helpfu...

Destiny, Rewritten By Kathryn Fitzmaurice Katherine Tegen Books, c2013. 335 pages. Fiction. 11-year-old Emily (named for Emily Dickinson) was raised by a single mother, who always told her it was her life's destiny to become a renowned poet like Ms. Dickinson. Emily has different ideas, though, and dreams of writing romance novels like her idol Danielle Steel. She has a stroke of bad luck when her early edition Dickinson book accidentally gets hauled away with a pile of Goodwill donations. Emily, along with her young, military-loving cousin Mortie, and her brilliant best friend, Wavey, embark on a search for it throughout the California Bay area. They look in every used bookstore and thrift shop they can find. Along the way, Emily learns some unique and poignant lessons about chance and destiny. Kathryn Fitzmaurice ( The Year the Swallows Came Early and Diamond in the Desert ) has written a great middle grade novel that is as real as it is wise, with enough humor to keep rea...

Who Says Women Can't be Doctors?  The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell by Tanya Lee Stone, Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman Henry Holt and Company, 2013.  Unpaged.  Biography      Children now may be surprised that there was a time when women in the United States not only didn't usually become doctors--they were not allowed to become doctors!  Women in those days were wives, mothers, homemakers, and if they did take up a profession it was as a teacher or seamstress, usually.  Elizabeth Blackwell changed all that.  Not originally interested in a medical career at all--the sight of blood made her throw up--she changed her mind when she visited a very sick friend named Mary Donaldson who said she "would have much preferred being examined by a woman.  She urged Elizabeth to consider becoming a doctor."  Elizabeth tried.  She applied to many medical schools.  The answer was always the same.  NO.  Finally she...

Mermin Book One: Out of Water by Joey Weiser Diamond Comic Distributors 2013-02-20 152 pages, graphic novel   One fine day at the beach Claire, Pete and Toby find a strange creature washed ashore. He obviously came from the sea and he is clearly not human, but that is all they know. He says he needs somewhere to stay for awhile so Pete offers up his parent's hospitality. First thing they try to do is get the odd little guy to take a bath. However, he wants nothing to do with water of any kind. The next day, Mermin the Merman from Mer (yes, that is his name), begs to go to school with Pete. This of course leads to some interesting situations for all. Life gets even more interesting when a posse from Mer comes after young Mermin and the children are caught up in a power struggle they do not understand. This colorful graphic novel is perfect for intermediate readers. The panels are super-easy to follow. The text is large and there's not a lot of it making it great for...

The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline Somerville, Mass. : Candlewick Press, 2013 unpaged picture book   A small girl visits her great-grandfather for the first time. She is carefully inspecting the various possessions that fill his home when he invites her to pick whatever she likes most and he will tell her its story. She chooses a box full of matchboxes and the storytelling begins. As a child her great-grandfather had wished to keep a diary to remember the important things from his life. However, he couldn't read or write so he began his matchbox diary, filling each little box with a tiny treasure. The matchboxes told of poverty in Italy while his father was away working in America. Other boxes revealed tales of his own immigration and the family's struggle to find work in their new home. As box after box is opened stories are shared and a bond is formed between the two despite the generation gap. The story is sweet and the illu...

Linnea in Monet's Garden by Christina Bjork & Lena Anderson Naperville, Ill. : Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, c2012. 47 pages, picture book biography Young Linnea is fascinated with a book owned by her neighbor, Mr. Bloom. It is all about Claude Monet, a famous painter. Linnea wishes she could see for herself the flowers that he painted as well as the little bridge that appeared in several paintings. She has looked at the book so many times that she feels she is one of Monet's many children who lived in the pink house. Mr. Bloom makes magic happen and the two take a trip to Paris. They first go to a museum to see Monet's actual paintings and marvel at his technique. They then travel to the village of Giverny to wander the beautiful gardens that were an inspiration to Monet. Through the eyes of a young girl you will learn much about Monet's paintings as well as his family and slightly scandalous personal life. This is a 25th Anniversary edition reprint. It is a ch...

  It's Monday, Mrs. Jolly Bones! by Warren Hanson, illustrated by Tricia Tusa Simon & Schuster, 2013.  Unpaged.  Picture Book.      Like many homemakers, Mrs. Jolly Bones reserves specific days of the week for specific jobs.  On Monday she gathers up the dirty clothes, washes, dries, irons, and folds them--and then throws them out the window "so they brighten up the street." Tuesday is gardening day.  Don't ask.  There's a cow on the terrace along with the vegetables, and on cleaning day she finishes up her work and then has a nice scrub in the toilet bowl.  Mrs. Jolly Bones is cheerful and hardworking and, shall we say, a bit unconventional in a way little kids will love.  Tricia Tusa's pictures are, as always, a delight.

Ol' Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein Penguin, 2013,  Unpaged.  Picture Book.      Ol' Mama Squirrel takes care of her kids, Twiggy, Nutley, and Chip, by terrorizing anything that comes within spitting distance of their tree."Chook, chook, chook" is her chattering cry as she chases away dogs, owls, a kite, and an airplane. But then a hungry bear comes along.  Has Mama met her match?  No such!  She races with her babies to another tree and out into the park where she rounds up all the other nutsy (you'll excuse the expression) mother squirrels and they get rid of that bear in no time flat.  The people around the park are so grateful to Ol' Mother Squirrel that they put up a plaque in her honor which you could see when you went to the park if she would let you get close enough.  Anyone who has ever been terrorized by an angry (is there any other kind?) squirrel should find something to identify with in this charming picture boo...

10 Plants that Shook the World Written by Gillian Richardson Illustrated by Kim Rosen Firefly Books Ltd., 2013. 126 pages. Non-fiction. Although you might not consider a mere plant to be world-shaking, reading this rich and informative book will change your perspective. Papyrus is one of the more remarkable plants featured here. It is because of papyrus that we have books today, which truly "opened up the world of communication." Papyrus leaves provided a way for words to be preserved, as well as for books to be created. Gillian Richardson's book eloquently progresses within each chapter, from the roots of the plants' history to how we can benefit from them today. Such details include the pros and cons of its use and where it can be found in the world.

Duck Sock Hop by Jane Kohuth, illustrated by Jane Porter Dial, 2012.  Unpaged.  Picture Book.      Socks on ducks seem problematic:  splayed out feet, skinny little legs. But these ducks manage with larger-than-average socks snug on the webbed feet, loose as a goose on the legs.  And they dance.  "Three ducks boogie. One duck rocks. Two ducks stop and trade their socks." All the ducks dance until they wear holes in their socks and their lace fringes are torn and dragging.  Then what?  Back to the sock store, to buy new socks.  Kohut's rocking rhythm and Porter's brightly-colored birds make Duck Sock Hop a fine choice as a read-aloud and one kid's should ask for over and over until their parents go totally bughouse.  That's a recommendation.

Flora and the Flamingo by  Molly Idle San Francisco, Calif. : Chronicle Books, c2013 unpaged, picture book Flora, in her pink swimsuit, flippers, and swim cap, greatly admires the graceful flamingo. At first she tries to be discreet, but the flamingo is not flattered by the attention and tries to deter Flora's aping ways. Eventually, the two form a friendship and practice beautiful dance moves together.  The stunning illustrations display such personality in the two characters that words are truly unnecessary. This gorgeous wordless picture book is sure to delight girls of all ages.

The Center of Everything by Linda Urban Harcourt, 2013.  194 pgs. Fiction.      Even though the next Newbery announcement is ten months away, Linda Urban's new book is already getting buzz along that front.  Rightly so.  Ruby Pepperdine lives in Bunning, New Hampshire, named for Captain Cornelius Banning who invented the doughnut hole when he poked his wife's doughnuts on the spokes of his ship's wheel during a terrible storm. Ruby's best friend and companion in the world was her grandmother Gigi, who taught her about the constellations, how to make her mind like water to absorb and diffuse all impacts, and how to care for people who needed to be cared for.  But Grandma Gigi is dead and Ruby has gone underwater.  No one really notices: not her family, not her best friend Lucy.  And now Ruby is facing her hardest day, the Bunning Day Parade which Grandma Gigi loved and participated in as a member of the Grannies for Groceries....

A Leaf Can Be... by Laura Purdie Salas illustrated by Violete Dabija unpaged, picture book Minneapolis : Millbrook Press, c2012 A leaf is more than just a simple part of a tree. Many of a leaf's uses are described in simple rhyming pairs such as, "skin welter, bat shelter. shade spiller, mouth filler". The cute illustrations add some character to the minimal text while displaying a variety of shades of greens and browns that are befitting to a book about leaves. As a bonus, at the end of the book there are a few pages giving more detailed information for each statement. This is great as it makes this picture book accessible to a wider range of ages.

My Dad, My Hero by Ethan Long Naperville, Ill. : Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, c2011 unpaged, picture book Ethan Long has given us an adorable picture book where a young boy describes the many ways his father is not a superhero. "He cannot shoot webs out of his wrists...And I know he can't bend steel with his bare hands." The big question is whether or not the boy is okay with not having a superhero for a father. Brightly colored, full-page illustrations are reminiscent of a comic strip from the Sunday funnies. The large text and simple yet effective sentences make it a great read-aloud or a fun story for a beginning reader.

  National Geographic Animal Encyclopedia: 25,000 Animals with Photos, Maps, and More! by Lucy Spellman National Geographic, 2012.  302 pgs.  Nonfiction.      Twenty-five thousand animals on 302 pages doesn't allow for a lot of room or time to be spent on each animal, but National Geographic certainly makes the most of the space available.  Besides, all encyclopedias are springboards, are they not?  A little knowledge leading to a greater quest. Gorgeous photos, as you might expect, fill these pages, along with boxed blurbs about a multitude of creatures which give the common name of each animal, its scientific name, its range, size, and diet. A brief but telling array of facts follows.  The Guinness World Records crowd will enjoy the animals' records:  baddest bird (ostrich), record-holding record holder (blue whale), etc. Or, you could just look at the pictures.  National Geographic Animal Encyclopedia is a treasure for ch...

Jonathan & Martha by Petr Horacek Phaidon, 2012.  Unpaged. Picture Book.      Jonathan and Martha are two lonely worms who live on either side of a large pear tree.  When a pear falls from the tree the two meet--in the middle of the pear they have eaten through from either side.  Jonathan thinks the pear is his; Martha thinks the pear is hers.  They both want to fight, so they do until they are so tangled together that they are cinched up tight on their tail ends and can't get apart.  Then they have to share so they eat together (watermelons, cherries), and visit along the way.  One day a hungry bird comes after them and as they dive down their separate holes, they stick.  The bird pecks off their tails (Ouch!) and they are separate again. But they liked being together so they they do something very clever to make sure they won't ever have to be apart again.  Reminiscent of Eric Carle's The Big Hungry Caterpilla...

School Library Journal’s Battle of the Kids’ Books is a competition among 16 of the very best books for young people of the year, judged by some of the biggest names in children’s books. Round 1, Match 7 Moonbird vs. Seraphina Judge: Marie Lu Winner: Seraphina Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor b95 By Phillip Hoose Documents the survival tale of an intrepid shorebird who has endured annual migrations between Argentina and the Canadian Arctic throughout the course of a long lifetime while his species continues to decline. Seraphina By Rachel Hartman In a world where dragons and humans coexist in an uneasy truce and dragons can assume human form, Seraphina , whose mother died giving birth to her, grapples with her own identity amid magical secrets and royal scandals, while she struggles to accept and develop her extraordinary musical talents. Round 1, Match 8 No Crystal Stair vs. The One and Only Ivan Judge: Catherine Gilber...

School Library Journal’s Battle of the Kids’ Books is a competition among 16 of the very best books for young people of the year, judged by some of the biggest names in children’s books.   Round 1, Match 5 Jepp, Who Defied the Stars vs. Starry River of the Sky Judge: Adam Gidwitz Winner: Starry River of the Sky Jepp, Who Defied the Stars By Katherine Marsh Jepp , a teenage dwarf living in 16th century Europe, leaves home to seek his destiny. (Young adult fiction) Starry River of the Sky By Grace Lin An innkeeper's chore boy discovers that a visitor's stories hold the key to returning the moon to the Starry River of the Sky . Round 1, Match 6 Liar and Spy vs. Splendors and Glooms Judge: Franny Billingsley Winner: Splendors and Glooms Liar and Spy By Rebecca Stead Seventh-grader Georges adjusts to moving from a house to an apartment, his father's efforts to start a new business, his mother's extra shifts as a nurse, be...

School Library Journal’s Battle of the Kids’ Books is a competition among 16 of the very best books for young people of the year, judged by some of the biggest names in children’s books.   Round 1, Match 3 Endangered vs. Three Times Lucky Judge: Kathi Appelt Winner: Endangered Endangered By Eliot Schrefer Sophie is not happy to be back in the Congo for the summer, but when she rescues an abused baby bonobo she becomes more involved in her mother's sanctuary--and when fighting breaks out and the sanctuary is attacked, it is up to Sophie to rescue the apes and somehow survive in the jungle. (Young adult fiction) Three Times Lucky By Sheila Turnage Washed ashore as a baby in tiny Tupelo Landing, North Carolina, Mo LoBeau, now eleven, and her best friend Dale turn detective when the amnesiac Colonel, owner of a café and co-parent of Mo with his cook, Miss Lana, seems implicated in a murder. Round 1, Match 4 The Fault in Our Stars vs. Temple...