It is October, which means Halloween is coming and the Fair is in town. This year Nelson and Kenny will be tall enough to go on all the new, scary rides after many years of stretching and growing. But after testing their Grandma’s invention without permission, they are abruptly too small to go on any of […]
Review: The Strangeworlds Travel Agency
Have you ever dreamt of travelling to another world? I certainly have, but 12-year-old Flick really hasn’t. She’s a no-nonsense kid who doesn’t need bedtime stories and knows magic isn’t real. But when Flick discovers a strange travel agency while exploring her new town, everything changes. Flick discovers she can see magical tears in the […]
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Isn’t it a delight when one of your favorite movies gets recreated as a storybook and that too a gorgeous one? It’s been a joy reading this picture book adaptation of the film “E.T.” directed Steven Spielberg with my 8-year-old. And if you think it from his perspective – alien, spaceship, adventure, and sci-fi, what’s […]
Kenny and the Book of Beasts by Tony DiTerlizzi
KENNY & THE BOOK OF BEASTS by Tony DiTerlizzi Kenny & the Dragon, Book Two Simon & Schuster Middle Grade Fantasy 224 pages COMING… SEPTEMBER 22nd!!! In this highly anticipated sequel to New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Honor–winning author Tony DiTerlizzi’s Kenny and the Dragon, Kenny must cope with many changes in his life—including […]
Shirley & Jamila Save Their Summer by Gillian Goerz
Published by Dial Books Summary: Jamila wants to spend the summer playing basketball, but her mother plans to sign her up for science camp. A chance encounter with a slightly odd girl named Shirley at a yard sale changes the course of her vacation. Shirley and her mother come to visit the next day, and […]
How to Make a Better World
Knowledge is power. And this is exactly what How to Make a Better World offers; knowledge and power. For every kid who wants to make a difference, here’s the book to reach for. Listed under four chapters – You, Community, Humanity and Environment, are 38 subjects that contain a great deal of information children can […]
Nat Enough by Maria Scriven
Published by Graphix Summary: Natalie is pretty nervous for the first day of middle school, and grateful to have her best friend Lily by her side. Lily moved over the summer and has been somewhat uncommunicative, but Natalie is sure everything will be fine once they’re back in school together. But on the first day, […]
Robobaby by David Wiesner
Published by Clarion Books Summary: It’s a big day for the Robot family when their new baby arrives, boxed up and ready for assembly. Big sister Cathode (Cathy) is all ready to help out, but the adults are sure they can do it themselves. One after another they fail: Dad, Mom, Uncle Manifold, and even […]
The Spirit of Springer: The Real-Life Rescue of an Orphaned Orca
Published by Little Bigfoot Summary: In January, 2002, an orca calf was discovered by herself near Seattle. Scientists could tell from her dialect that she was from a pod that lives near Vancouver Island. Using photos from that pod, they identified her as Springer, a two-year-old female. Springer was too malnourished to be transported that […]
Plant The Tiny Seed
We can never have enough books about nature and plants. The more we read about this topic, the more we love. If you’re looking for a storybook for your little nature lover, “Plant The Tiny Seed” could be a wonderful read for you. It is a cute, beautiful story by Christie Matheson about the journey […]
How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of a Rock-Climbing Champion by Ashima Shiraishi, illustrations by Yao Xiao
Published by Make Me a World Summary: Rock climbers call boulders problems. They also call problems problems. Rock-climbing champion Ashima Shiraishi shows readers how she figures out a boulder problem, using techniques that can be used by any kind of problem-solver. She maps out a plan before starting. She doesn’t get it right the first […]
Review: The Mostly Invisible Boy by A.J. Vanderhorst
THE MOSTLY INVISIBLE BOY Casey Grimes, Book One by AJ Vanderhorst INtense Publications Middle Grade Fantasy 292 pages ages 8 to 12 Eleven-year-old Casey Grimes is stubbornly friendly, but he’s eternally the new kid at Vintage Woods Middle School. Students look right through him—and they’re not faking. Casey doesn’t know why he’s mostly invisible, but […]
Stealing Mt. Rushmore by Daphne Kalmar
It’s the summer of 1974, and the Watergate scandal is all the news. But for Nell Sanders, 12, there are other worries. Five months ago, her mother had walked out, leaving Nell to care for her depressed father Ronnie, a short order cook, three brothers, and the house. Mom may be gone, but her father’s […]
Why Do We Cry? by Fran Pintadera, illustrated by Ana Sender
Published by Kids Can Press Summary: When Mario asks his mom why we cry, he gets a poetic answer describing different scenarios that might make a person cry: sadness, frustration, anger, and loneliness to name a few. The most important reason for crying, she concludes, is because you feel like crying. Mario notices his mom […]
Can I Eat That – Children’s Book Review
Do eggs grow on eggplants? If I eat jelly and I eat fish, can I eat jellyfish? These and many more funny questions and answers, that’s what “Can I Eat That” is loaded with. Fussy eater or adventurous with food, this book by Joshua David Stein is sure to bring a smile on your face. […]