Authors: Lara and Jenna Bush
Illustrator: Denise Brunkus
Year: 2008
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book
Location: Good Day Elementary School
Time Period: Present Day (2008)
Plot: Tyrone loves school. He loves hanging out with his friends and solving math problems and watching the science teacher make things explode. However, there is one thing he doesn't like—reading books. Tyrone doesn't pay attention when it is time for story time. But one day, even Tyrone becomes enthralled with the book Miss Libro reads to the children for story time. Suddenly, the characters in the books seem to pop right out of the pages and visit with the schoolchildren. SPOILER! When the children's favorite story character, a pig strongly reminiscent of Wilbur, disappears, Tyrone and his friends go on a search for him. They eventually find the pig and all of the other characters they have met throughout the year in the school library.
Comments: I don't usually read the picture books written by celebrities. It seems highly likely that the books are getting published not because they have any literary merit, but because the author's name is popular and thus profitable. However, I do have a soft spot for Laura Bush since she's a fellow librarian, so I thought I'd try the children's book she wrote with her daughter.
On the whole, but book was cute. The message of finding good friends in a book (and in the library) was a little contrived, but isn't that one reason why I read? I like meeting new people and wondering what it would be like to be them. The pictures were bright and clear and interesting, and there were a lot of fun details specific to each page that were fun to find. For example, the class Book List and Class Rules changed on each page.
The most distracting thing for me was a small thing that most readers wouldn't even think twice about: All of the signs, books, posters, etc. in the artwork used fonts that you'd find in word processing software. They weren't painted in like the rest of the picture, but were obviously added in digitally later. It was just slightly jarring to me. But on the whole, I think this is a good book that young elementary-age readers will enjoy.
Themes: Reading, Story Characters, Libraries
Multicultural Elements: One or two of the children in the classroom are obviously of different races, but that is it.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Chalice
Author: Robin McKinley
Year: 2008
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Pages: 263
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Location: Willowlands
Time Period: Not specified
Plot: Mirasol was a simple beekeeper until the leaders of the country, called Master and Chalice, were killed in a violent fire. Suddenly, Mirasol's bees are making fountains and fountains of honey—a sign that Mirasol is the new Chalice, destined to protect the land and help keep it whole. This is not an easy task, especially since the next Master left Willowlands seven years ago to become a priest of fire, and therefore he is now more fire than human. The people are wary of their new Master, and others are considering revolting and finding a new one. Mirasol knows that losing another Master so soon would completely destroy Willowlands, and it is up to her to keep the land together, no matter what the cost.
Comments: Robin McKinley is one of the authors I keep track of. When a new book of hers comes out, I tend to read it without even looking to see if I'll like it first. I like her continued theme of strong female characters who have to embrace their true potential in order to save the country. Even in the strangest of circumstances, her characters are believable, and the world they inhabit is believable too.
There is one thing that is sometimes off-putting to me, however, and that is the fact that McKinley's writing style is very much a stream of consciousness. This sometimes leads to large tangents in the middle of conversations, and going in roundabout ways to make her point. This style is what makes the characters believable, but there are some times when I'm reading a book, and I just wish she would get to the point.
I kind of felt this way when I started reading Chalice, but when I finally sat down and read it and just relaxed into the story, it didn't matter as much. I think I like this book more than her last few offerings, but that might be because with this book she goes back to the fairy tale feel that her last two books were lacking. Beauty and The Blue Sword will probably always be my favorite Robin McKinley books, but this one is one of my top picks too.
Themes: Beekeepers, Monarchs, Duty, Fire
Red Flags: Nothing too graphic, but there is a light battle sequence and a description of a forest fire.
Year: 2008
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Pages: 263
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Location: Willowlands
Time Period: Not specified
Plot: Mirasol was a simple beekeeper until the leaders of the country, called Master and Chalice, were killed in a violent fire. Suddenly, Mirasol's bees are making fountains and fountains of honey—a sign that Mirasol is the new Chalice, destined to protect the land and help keep it whole. This is not an easy task, especially since the next Master left Willowlands seven years ago to become a priest of fire, and therefore he is now more fire than human. The people are wary of their new Master, and others are considering revolting and finding a new one. Mirasol knows that losing another Master so soon would completely destroy Willowlands, and it is up to her to keep the land together, no matter what the cost.
Comments: Robin McKinley is one of the authors I keep track of. When a new book of hers comes out, I tend to read it without even looking to see if I'll like it first. I like her continued theme of strong female characters who have to embrace their true potential in order to save the country. Even in the strangest of circumstances, her characters are believable, and the world they inhabit is believable too.
There is one thing that is sometimes off-putting to me, however, and that is the fact that McKinley's writing style is very much a stream of consciousness. This sometimes leads to large tangents in the middle of conversations, and going in roundabout ways to make her point. This style is what makes the characters believable, but there are some times when I'm reading a book, and I just wish she would get to the point.
I kind of felt this way when I started reading Chalice, but when I finally sat down and read it and just relaxed into the story, it didn't matter as much. I think I like this book more than her last few offerings, but that might be because with this book she goes back to the fairy tale feel that her last two books were lacking. Beauty and The Blue Sword will probably always be my favorite Robin McKinley books, but this one is one of my top picks too.
Themes: Beekeepers, Monarchs, Duty, Fire
Red Flags: Nothing too graphic, but there is a light battle sequence and a description of a forest fire.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Timothy and the Strong Pajamas
Author/Illustrator: Viviane Schwarz
Year: 2007
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Pages: 40
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Animal Adventure Story
Location: Not Specified
Time Period: Present Day? (2007)
Plot: When Timothy Smallbeast's mother fixes his favorite pajamas with "patches of power" and "buttons of braveness," Timothy suddenly finds that he has super strength. Determined to use his new superpower for good, he sets out to help an elephant, an old lady, a princess, some sailors, a zookeeper, a kitten, and a bear. SPOILER! When Timothy's pajamas rip, he loses his super strength, and must ask for help from those he just helped himself. When he gets home, his mother fixes his pajamas again.
Comments: If the storyline of this book is not fun enough, Schwarz makes this book even more fun by using various font sizes to emphasize particular points. The pictures are also bright and full of bold, yet simple color schemes. At times this book looks like a graphic novel, with different panes on one page. At other times, a single image takes up the entire page. I especially liked the comments of Timothy's stuffed monkey, who gave commentary on Timothy's feats of amazing strength. This is a book that I think any child will enjoy.
Themes: Friendship, Favorite Objects, Helping Others
Year: 2007
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Pages: 40
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Animal Adventure Story
Location: Not Specified
Time Period: Present Day? (2007)
Plot: When Timothy Smallbeast's mother fixes his favorite pajamas with "patches of power" and "buttons of braveness," Timothy suddenly finds that he has super strength. Determined to use his new superpower for good, he sets out to help an elephant, an old lady, a princess, some sailors, a zookeeper, a kitten, and a bear. SPOILER! When Timothy's pajamas rip, he loses his super strength, and must ask for help from those he just helped himself. When he gets home, his mother fixes his pajamas again.
Comments: If the storyline of this book is not fun enough, Schwarz makes this book even more fun by using various font sizes to emphasize particular points. The pictures are also bright and full of bold, yet simple color schemes. At times this book looks like a graphic novel, with different panes on one page. At other times, a single image takes up the entire page. I especially liked the comments of Timothy's stuffed monkey, who gave commentary on Timothy's feats of amazing strength. This is a book that I think any child will enjoy.
Themes: Friendship, Favorite Objects, Helping Others
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