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.