Calling all aliens...

Signal by Cynthia DeFelice

Owen and his father move to a new area at the beginning of summer. With dad pulling extra hours at work, Owen is left alone with his dog Josie to explore the surrounding area. During one of their daily walks in the woods, they discover a mysterious girl with dazzling green eyes named Campion. Campion needs Owen’s help in signaling her parents, and asks Owen to return to her home – a distant planet in outer space.

This juvenile novel is very well written. It isn’t until the very end that you find out if Campion is really from outer space, or if she is just delusional.

Bones and Verse

Written in bone: buried lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally M. Walker

How much can be learned from a centuries-old grave? How can a set of bones tell a person’s story? This book answers these questions, and many more about archeology, forensic anthropology and history. Full of photographs of the various digs discussed, this fascinating book brings history to life.

This is a non-fiction book for grades 5 and up.




Tofu quilt by Ching Yeung Russell

In this biographical novel in verse, the author tells of how she became a writer while growing up in a culture that did not value the worth of educating girls. The book begins with her trip to mainland China at age eight and ends when she is twelve. The verse beautifully illustrates her life in Hong Kong.

This is a wonderful story of how even when family and even society tells you that you cannot be what you aspire, you may very well prove them wrong.

Sea of Monsters

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

Percy has managed to survive to the last day of the school year without being expelled. This is a first! Unfortunately, during the final exam for Dodgeball, events take place that changes Percy’s life – and ensures that this school year will end just like the previous ones.

After escaping to Camp Halfblood, Percy is stunned to find out that his friend Tyson is not only a Cyclops, but also his half brother. Also shocking is the condition of the camp due to the poisoning of Thalia’s tree. Then there are the disturbing dreams about Grover being in trouble.

Can Percy, Annabeth and Tyson save both Grover and the camp before it’s too late?

Another action packed tale in the series, this story continues about nine months after the end of the first one. Riordan weaves a wonderful continuation of Greek mythologies in the modern world. If only there was a different narrator…



Something else I wanted to mention is about audiobooks in general. This one brought it to mind. I really wish that every CD of an audiobook would start and end with an announcement of what disc you are listening to. I think having that information actually helps with the flow of the story. Especially if, like me, you have a CD player that automatically starts track 1 after the final tract ends. Talk about confusing!

More Picture books

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems

Unlike the rest of the naked mole rats, Wilbur likes to wear clothes. When told that named mole rats never, ever wear clothing, he simply replies, “Why not?” This requires the attention of the oldest and wisest (and most naked) naked mole rat –Grand-pah. Whatever will a well dressed naked mole rat do?

Mo Willems is well known for his hilarious tales of Elephant and Piggie and sweet stories about Trixie and her adored Knuffle Bunny, as well as other wonderfully written and illustrated books. This one is yet another excellent example of his work.

And, in case you are wondering, naked mole rats are real.

Kiki's Blankie by Janie Bynum

Kiki takes her beloved blankie everywhere. When she has it with her, she can do and be amazing things. When the wind blows her blankie into a tree, Kiki must figure out how to retrieve it without being eaten by the slumbering crocodile below it!

This is the quintessential story of a young child and her blanket. The illustrations are expressive and downright adorable.






Guess again! by Mac Barnett

This off beat riddle book will keep you guessing. The illustrations are deceptive, but the reader will quickly catch on to the quirky answers. I described the book to a coworker as “stupid funny”. The silliness found between the covers had me chuckling to myself.







Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas

Meet the Rhyming Dust Bunnies: Ed, Ned, Ted and Bob. They love to rhyme all the time. Er, well, most of the time. Ed, Ned and Ted all shout out rhyming words as Bob shouts out other things – specifically warnings that the others are slow to understand.

This humorous book will have you laughing along with the kids. It’s a perfect book to use to help boost Phonological Awareness (one of the Every Child Ready to Read six early literacy skills). An added bonus – it’s just plain fun






Posy by Linda Newbery and Catherine Rayner

Beautiful illustrations accompany sparse text describing an adorable kitten as she goes about her day.

The author and illustrator are both from the United Kingdom, which is the only reason I am not using this book for my upcoming mock Caldecott program. I adore the playful illustrations.

Holiday picture book titles

"I'm not Santa!" by Jonathan Allen



When Baby Hare first spots the fluffy Baby Owl, he insists that Baby Owl is Santa. When Baby Owl tells him otherwise, Baby Hare bursts in to tears. Is there any way to comfort this disappointed child?

Baby Owl is absolutely adorable. I love the end pages, which have Baby Owl in a variety of poses. Children enjoy the dialog between the two baby animals – and the surprise guest who lifts their spirits. This is a wonderful holiday story.




Mouse's First Christmas by Lauren Thompson

Little Mouse scampers throughout the house, exploring all of the wonderful Christmas items. Children enjoy guessing what is the item that Mouse finds. This is a sweet Christmas tale.

Mouse has many first adventures that can be found in Thompson’s other works.






A confused Hanukkah : an original story of Chelm by Jon Koons

When the Rabbi goes on a trip, the villagers of Chelm realize they are not sure how to celebrate Hanukkah! They send Yossel to the nearby village…and three days later he ends up in the Big City. Yossel mistakes the impending festivities there as preparations for Hanukkah, when they are actually preparing for Christmas! Yossel returns to Chelm and the villagers decorate pine trees and await the arrival of the Fat Man in a Velvet Suit. Will they figure out how to really celebrate Hanukkah?

Chelm stories are classic Eastern European Jewish humor, and this one is no exception! I love to read this one to elementary aged children who are delighted to point out the villagers’ misconceptions.


Uncles and Antlers by Lisa Wheeler

One little reindeer has seven uncles who travel to the North Pole every year. Each uncle is very unique except for one thing: who is their favorite niece! Together the eight reindeer gather for one important task – pulling Santa’s sleigh.

This rhyming book is also a clever counting book. It is another holiday favorite of mine.

Best Books for Gift Giving 2009

Every year the Youth Services Department at my library publishes a gift giving guide of books published throughout the year. Each staff member writes short annotations about the books, and the department head revises as needed. Here are my submissions for the year:

Mommy Calls Me Monkeypants by J.D. Lester
Filled with all sorts of animals, this rhyming board book celebrates the adorable nicknames mothers call their children. A perfect bedtime story for toddlers. (Picture Book)

Bad Frogs by Thacher Hurd
Bad Frogs do all sorts of bad things – like making rude noises at the table, staying up late, and kissing their girlfriends. Can they ever be good frogs? A fun story about bad manners. (Picture Book)

Mouse Was Mad by Linda Urban
Mouse is angry. When he tries to express his anger, various animals try to correct him, which doesn’t work well for Mouse. In the end, Mouse must find his own perfect way to ease his anger. (Picture Book)

Skippyjon Jones: Lost in Spice by Judy Schachner
The Siamese Kitty boy (who thinks he is a Chihuahua) is back for another adventure. This time Skippyjon is headed for Mars, the planet covered in spicy red pepper, where he meets up with Martians…who look just like him!(Picture Book)

The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett
All the birds have an egg…except Duck. When Duck finds a spotted egg, he lovingly takes care of it, just like the other birds. However, when the eggs begin to hatch, Duck is in for a big surprise!(Picture Book)

Life-Size Zoo by Teruyuki Komiya
This oversized book is perfect for any animal lover! Life size photographs of animals – from aardvarks to zebras – fill the pages, with interesting facts and figures about each animal shared as well. (Picture Book)

All God's Critters lyrics by Bill Staines ; pictures by Kadir Nelson
A beautifully illustrated version of the classic folk song, this book is a wonderful edition to any children’s collection. (Picture Book)

Simms Taback's City Animals by Simms Taback
As you fold out each of the pages’ flaps, the animals are alluded to with descriptive phrases, making this book a delightful guessing game of Who am I?(Picture Book)

Boo Hoo Bird by Jeremy Tankard
When Bird is hurt playing catch it takes all of his friends to help him feel better. A cute story about friendship from the author of Grumpy Bird.(Picture Book)

Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
So, which is it? A duck or a rabbit? The age old question about a certain drawing is discussed in this children’s picture book, with just a dash of humor added.(Picture Book)

The Monsterologist: A Memoir in Rhyme ghostwritten by Bobbi Katz
Want to learn more about Dracula, Frankenstein and other creepy monsters? Check out this memoir! Full of rhymes, die-cuts and other surprises, this book is sure to please any monster enthusiast. (Picture Book)

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
After overhearing her best friend make a cruel remark on their shared birthday, Amanda does not speak with Leo for a year. When they realized that they are reliving their eleventh birthday over and over again, they must work together to bring life back to normal. (Novel)

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
It’s the summer of 1899, and Calpurnia is nearly twelve. The Texas summer is hot and dry, and there isn’t much for the only girl of seven children to do. But Callie finds a great companion in her scientific minded grandfather and their relationship blossoms over the next several months, as they explore the natural world around them. (Novel)

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
It’s a tale of friendship. It’s a tale of mystery. It’s a tale of impossibilities made possible. It overflows with the WOW factor, and is a story that sticks to you. (Novel)

Kiki’s Blankie by Janie Bynum
The ultimate, universal book about a child and her blankie.(Picture Book)

Yay!

Yay! I'm finally caught up on reviews.

Adventures, Ahoy!

Rapture of the deep: being an account of the further adventures of Jacky Faber, soldier, sailor, mermaid, spy by L.A. Meyer

Jacky is back, and another amazing adventure awaits. On what is to be the day she finally marries her one true love, Jacky is kidnapped by British Intelligence and force to serve another mission. This time she is off to the Caribbean to search for missing Spanish treasure. As usual, Jacky finds all sorts of trouble in those waters.

The latest installment in the Bloody Jack series is as wonderful as the previous tales.





The lightning thief by Rick Riordan ; read by Jesse Bernstein

Percy Jackson is not your regular twelve-year-old boy. For one thing, he has been expelled from every school he has attended. He’s not a bad kid. It’s just that odd things seem to happen when he is around. Percy is also has dyslexia and ADHD – two disorders that do not make a stellar student.

There is a reason that Percy’s life is so strange, and he is about to find it out. Percy is not an ordinary human; he is the son of a Greek god and, therefore, half human and half mortal.

Shortly after barely making it alive to Camp Halfblood, Percy is sent on a quest to keep World War III from starting. Percy, along with his friend Annabeth (another halfblood) and Grover (a satyr), travel from New York to Los Angeles, fighting mythical monsters along the way.

As I mentioned previously, I started listening to this book after trying three other audiobooks. I don’t like the narrator of this tale, but his style (or lack there of) didn’t keep me from being sucked in to the wonderful story. I’m already listening to the next book – Sea of Monsters.

This fantastic story is being made into a full feature film.

Witches and Dragons and Ghosts...oh, my!

The witch's guide to cooking with children by Keith McGowan

In this modern retelling of Hansel in Gretel, siblings Connie and Sol, along with their dad and step-mom, move next door to a suspicious older lady named Fay Holaderry. The duo quickly realizes that all isn’t as it seems in their new town. Their father and step-mother are trying to get rid of them, and Mrs. Holaderry is just the witch for the job. Can they keep from becoming tonight’s dinner?

Told with a touch warped humor (my favorite kind), this tale is a wonderful adaptation of the classic.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Minli and her family live in an extremely poor village in China. Her mother sighs sadly while her father tells fantastic tales of dragons and the Old Man of the Moon. After talking to her newly released goldfish, Minli decides to embark on a journey to ask the Old Man of the Moon how to change her family’s fortune. Along the way she makes unexpected friends and finds answers to questions she never dreamed of.


Lin does an excellent job of interweaving Minli’s tale along with stories from Chinese folklore.




A Drowned Maiden’s Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz


Maud has been an orphan for many years. Her wild demeanor keeps her from being adopted…until the Hawthorne sisters arrive, looking for a little girl a lot like Maud. At first Maud thinks her dreams of being loved have come true. Soon she finds that she is just a pawn in the Hawthorne sisters’ game of ghostly deceit. Will Maud blow the whistle on their secrets, or will she continue to play the part of the ghostly Caroline?

Non-fiction wonders

The Secret of the Yellow Death: A True Story of Medical Sleuthing by Suzanne Jurmain.

This book delves into the medical mystery surrounding the cause of yellow fever. Following the steps taken in 1900 by American Walter Reed and his crew as they travel to Cuba to investigate three different theories about the deadly disease, readers will learn how far a team of researchers will go to find the answers they seek.

This is an excellent non-fiction book written for students in grade 5 and up. Intrigued by the story and the photographs, I actually stayed up late to finish reading it!




The Great and Only Barnum: the tremendous, stupendous life of showman P.T. Barnum by Candace Fleming

Ladies and Gentlemen! Children of all ages! This fantastic non-fiction book tells the wonderful tale of the one, the only P. T. Barnum. As a boy he grew up in poverty; as a man he became one of the best known and well loved people in the world. Learn how he achieved this wondrous feat!

not a review

I still need to post a few reviews from the previous month. Of course, I've finished two more in the past week. One day I will get caught up. Then again, probably not, as I can’t imagine me ever quitting reading.

I’m listing to a wonderful audiobook. This was after trying three times to find one with a narrator I could stand listing to for more than one disc. This narrator almost didn’t make the cut either. The book is Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. I am a little sad that I only have two more discs to go. At least I know there are several more books after this one!