Stuck in the Stone Age

Stuck in the Stone Age
Written by Geoff Rodkey
Illustrated by Hatem Aly
Rodale Kids, 2018. Fiction, 268 p.

This book is presented by "The Story Pirates" who believe that children have the best ideas. They decided to have a contest for children to submit ideas that Rodkey would turn into a full-length story. Vince Boberski won the contest! An illustrated Pirate Captain and Vince Boberski appear throughout the story referring to writing tips with page references that guide the reader to a writing handbook in the back. Kids everywhere are encouraged to use the tips and turn their own awesome ideas into stories to share with others.

The main story follows Tom Edison (not the inventor of the light bulb!) who loves science, as he tries to get a job at CEASE (the Center for Extremely Advanced Science Experiments). Not really gifted in the area of science at all, he is promised if he takes the job of janitor (which has been impossible to fill due to its dangerous nature) he will be able to become a scientist with time. He meets Dr. Marisa Morice, and together, in a strange turn of events, they end up in 10,000 B. C. in a time machine created by another scientist. After the time machine disappears, without them in it, they go on the the adventure of figuring out how they will get back to the present time alive!

A fun little adventure with great tips for kids who want to be writers. It inspires everyone that a simple idea can be turned into a story, it doesn't matter how old you are or how much experience you have.

Comments

Painting for Peace in Ferguson

Painting for Peace in Ferguson By Carol Swartout Klein Treehouse Publishing Group, 2015. Nonfiction. When the city of Ferguson was overrun with so much hate and despair that homes and businesses had to be boarded up to protect property, citizens of the community decided to bring a message of hope by painting the boarded windows. Klein’s rhyming text supports the photographs of the hundreds of artists and volunteers and their artwork as they bring the messages of peace, hope, love, and that by being united they can make a difference. A great book to show children how a community rallied to make a positive change and that even a small gesture can make a huge difference. A great discussion opener on how we should treat each other.

Dragon Run

Dragon Run by Patrick Matthews Scholastic, 2013. 336 pgs. Fantasy Al Pilgrommor is excited for Testing Day, when he will receive his rank, a tattooed number on the back of his neck, and a path forward to his future occupation and life. He feels confident because his parents were fours on a scale of seven, but he is worried for his friend Wisp who doesn't have much of a chance of scoring above a two at best. But when Al is scored a zero, he not only has no prospects, he may lose his life as the dreaded Cullers are unleashed to kill him and his family to purify the land's bloodlines. Al's world is ruled by dragons--the lords and supposed creators of humankind--so he thinks that even if he survives, he will have to make his living as a beggar or thief. But when Al sticks up for his Earther friend in front of Magister Ludi, he is drawn into the struggle of a secret organization hoping to destroy the Cullers, and perhaps the dragons them...

Review: Growing Home

Growing Home Written by Beth Ferry Illustrated by The Fan Brothers New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. Fiction. 261 pages. This book has some entertaining characters! We get to read about Toasty, the goldfish who loves to eat cheese puffs, Ivy, a plant with magical powers, and Arthur, the spider who ends up with a broken leg. Jillian is the main human character in the book. She loves Toasty and Ivy, and would probably love Arthur, too, but she doesn't know about him....yet. Her parents own an antique shop, but they are facing some economic hardship. This charming story is about magic, teamwork, and friendship. I loved that there were all kinds of shenanigans happening. While we are on a journey where the fish, the plant, the spider, and the girl are working to solve one mystery after another, the author beautifully guides us to the realization that words are powerful, friendships can heal hearts, and books have their own magic power to help in all kinds ...

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog