Review: Bibsy Cross and the Bad Apple

Written by Liz Garton Scanlon

Illustrated by Dung Ho

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2024. Intermediate. 117 pages.

Eight-year-old Bibsy is a "regular-pegular" third grader with an excitement for life and a lot to say. Her ebullience lands her in trouble with her strict teacher Mrs. Stumper, who labels Bibsy's talkativeness as "a stone too far" before she moves Bibsy's apple to the bottom of the behavioral chart. The apple chart looms over Bibsy each day, as she worries about being herself while still succeeding in class. Then, a science fair project with her best friend Natia gives Bibsy the ultimate inspiration to turn her sours into sweets -- and change Mrs. Stumper's opinion of her.

This new intermediate series opener is delightful. Bibsy is a happy, empathetic kid that a lot of other kids will like to read stories about. Told in very simple verse with simple illustrations, this is sure to be a new favorite series.

Comments

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.

Review: The Factory

The Factory By Catherine Egan New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2025. Fiction. 306 pages. Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle has been invited to join the Factory, a secretive research facility in the desert which ostensibly extracts renewable energy from the electromagnetic fields of its young recruits. But Asher soon realizes something sinister is going on. Kids are getting sick. The adults who run the Factory seem to be keeping secrets. And the extraction process is not only painful and exhausting, but existentially troubling. Asher makes a handful of new friends who help him with an investigation that turns into a resistance, which turns into...a cliffhanger! The Factory is a page-turning sci-fi with multidimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and refreshingly straight-forward writing. Egan weaves in detail about climate crises and social unrest, making the story's dystopian setting feel rich and plausible. With its sophisticated themes and accessible storytelling, I would recomm...

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog