Month: September 2016
Career Day: The STEM Club Goes Exploring
The STEM Club Goes Exploring (My Future Story series), by Lois Melbourne, (Sept. 2016, Greenleaf Book Group), $15.95, ISBN: 9781626343030
Recommended for ages 8-12
The STEM Club is excited! They’re going to interview STEM professionals to help them with their own presentations during their school’s Favorites Day. The Club visits a video game company, a veterinary clinic, a hospital, and a mine to learn about the career opportunities in these fields.
This is one of those books you have to have in your collections, whether it’s a classroom, school, or public library. STEM is everywhere; we’re teaching it, we’re creating programs using it, and kids are loving it. It’s bringing a little bit of fun and discovery back to education, which is a great thing, and it’s teaching kids that there are so many careers out there for them, that they can reach for the stars. You can work at NASA, you can create video games or apps, you can be a doctor, a veterinarian, or do anything you can think of. Science and Math aren’t as scary as they used to be when you start talking about coding and gaming, right?
The STEM Club Goes Exploring is the answer to a lot of those “yeah, but what can you do with that?” questions. The ones the kids’ parents sometimes ask me when I’m showing them how to set a code that will make BB-8 roll across their screen, or how to create Hogwarts in Minecraft. The series will also work really nicely with The Magic School Bus – think of it as the school next door; maybe even the middle school Miss Frizzle’s kids head to once they graduate elementary school.
I’m looking forward to seeing more STEM Club adventures, and I’m pretty sure my Corona Kids will, too. There’s diverse representation among the kids and careers, and both genders get equal play. Author Lois Melbourne’s My Future Story series website lets readers meet each of the STEM Club members and read their bios. The site is a great resource, geared toward inspiring readers to identify and explore what they love, what they’re passionate about, to shape their own futures. There are career profiles and articles aimed at the 8-12 and 13-17 year old audiences.
What Dog Knows
What Dog Knows, by Sylvia Vanden Heede, (Sept. 2016, Gecko Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781776570362
Recommended for ages 7-10
Wolf is tired of his cousin, Dog, always knowing more than he does, so he checks a book out of the library (never mind that he can’t read), and tries to outsmart Dog with his new knowledge about mummies, knights, and dinosaurs.
Mixing facts into the fictional tale of the Dog and Wolf, this seems like it’s geared toward younger readers, but then throws in the process of mummification, and a plotline where Wolf intends to mummify Cat, his antagonist, and suddenly, things take a little bit of a weird turn. This wasn’t really my book, and I don’t see the kids in my library really catching on with this one because it’s a bit disjointed and quirky. The art is very sweet, and I did love that Cat struck fear into Wolf’s heart, but overall, it didn’t work for either age group (4-7 vs 8-12) for me.
This is the second Dog and Wolf book from Gecko. Wolf and Dog was published in 2013.
CYBILS Judges Announced!
The CYBILS judges for the 2016 awards have been announced, and I made the cut! I’ll be a second round judge for the Elementary/Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction category, and I’m thrilled! Go to the CYBILS main page for links to the judges in each category and discover some great blogs.
Your turn is coming! Nominations open on October 1, and we want to know what you think are the best children’s and YA books you’ve read this year! Rules for nominating are here.
2016 Elementary/Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction Judges:
First Round
Sherry Early
Semicolon http://www.semicolonblog.com
Kristen Harvey
The Book Monsters thebookmonsters.com
Brandy Painter
Random Musings of a Bibliophile http://randommusingsofabibliophile.blogspot.com/
Charlotte Taylor
Charlotte’s Library http://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.com
Brenda Tjaden
Log Cabin Library http://logcabinlibrary.blogspot.com
Second Round
Mark Buxton
Say What? http://buxfantasy.blogspot.com
Monica Edinger
Educating Alice http://medinger.wordpress.com
Heidi Grange
Geo Librarian http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com
Rosemary Kiladitis
MomReadIt https://momreadit.wordpress.com
Tasha Saecker
Waking Brain Cells wakingbraincells.com
Road Trip, Part Deux: NatGeo’s 125 Wacky Roadside Attractions
125 Wacky Roadside Attractions, by National Geographic Kids, (May 2016, National Geographic Kids), $12.99, ISBN: 9781426324079
Recommended for ages 8+
Maybe your road trips tastes run a little more… unique. National Parks are beautiful, but what if you want to drive through a giant tree or see a giant boxing crocodile? If that’s the case, then NatGeo Kids’ 125 Wacky Roadside Attractions is just for you.
Part of the “125” series that includes 125 Cute Animals, 125 Cool Inventions, and 125 Amazing Pets, Wacky Roadside Attractions brings readers the craziest, wildest roadside hotels, statues, and other landmarks from all over the world. A world map labels and numbers all the attractions, should you want to start sticking pins in the places you want to go. Features cover anywhere from 1/2 a page to 2-page spreads, providing a brief description, location, and fast facts about each landmark. I was excited to see Wisconsin’s House on the Rock, which I first encountered in Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, and seeing Pedro from South of the Border brought me back to the road trips down to Florida that I’d take with my parents.
This book is just too much fun. It’s a crazy, fun road trip around the world that families will love to take together. Great photos and fun text against bright backgrounds make every page an eyecatcher. Add this to your collections, and vote on future attractions at NatGeo’s site.
Me, my dad, and a gorilla at Fort Pedro, South of the Border, mid-80s
Pedro welcomes you South of the Border! (image courtesy of The Dillon Herald)
This book is doing gangbusters at my library! The kids think it’s hilarious (the giant water fountain and the T-Rex you can hang out in are big favorites). I’m trying to think of a fun program – because that’s what I do with good books – that would incorporate the road trip mentality with a staycation budget. Maybe the kids and I will armchair travel every week, and put a pin in a different attraction on the map? Maybe we’ll find some new, wacky attractions along the way, or make up some of our own? I’ll let you know when we figure it out.
Road Trip! Ranger Rick’s Travels: National Parks
Ranger Rick’s Travels: National Parks!, by Stacy Tornio & Ken Keffer, (Aug. 2016, Muddy Boots), $14.95, ISBN: 9781630762308
Recommended for ages 8+
In a fabulous love letter to the National Parks of America and the National Park Service, the folks at Ranger Rick Magazine – remember them? They have books now! – put together this beautiful book, featuring each one of the 58 National parks across America. Ranger Rick and his best friend, Deputy Scarlett, appear throughout the book to join readers on a countrywide sightseeing tour.
The book opens with a map of the United States, including Hawaii, Alaska, and the US Virgin Islands. Each park is numbered and corresponds to the Table of Contents, which organizes the parks into 9 groups: Eastern Parks, Midwest Parks, Mountain West Parks, Southwest Parks, Utah and Nevada Parks, California Parks, Pacific Northwest Parks, Pacific Island Parks, and Alaska Parks. Each park’s profile includes stunning photos and facts that will make readers want to pack their bags and take a month or six off from work or school!
Each park feature provides information in quick bites that read like a tourism guide. About the Park provides a quick overview and basic facts; What to Watch For are Ranger Rick’s top nature picks on what plants and animals to keep an eye out for. Ranger Rick’s Top Things To Do is a bucket list for each park – don’t leave without seeing Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park, naturally, but also make sure not to miss out on a hike through the park! Finally, Ranger Rick’s Amazing Facts are the “WOW” factor for each park: did you know that you can only reach Northwest Alaska’s Kobuk Valley National Park by foot, dogsled, snowmobile, or air taxi? Now you do!
This is a great book to have in collections and to have available when you’re talking about the U.S. There’s 100 years of history in the National Parks Service, but there are far more years in the history of these parks; there are petrified trees, dinosaur footprints and bones, and formations carved out of rock thousands of years ago, here for all to enjoy. Families planning a vacation or two can use this as a jumping off point (I know I am).
Don’t forget to head to the Ranger Rick website, where kids can read more about nature and the environment, play some games, and get craft ideas. Educator resources included lesson plans and webinars.
Ranger Rick and Scarlett image courtesy of Photobucket.
Good advice: Never Follow a Dinosaur!
Never Follow a Dinosaur, by Alex Latimer, (Sept. 2016, Peachtree Publishers), $16.95, ISBN: 9781561457045
Recommended for ages 3-8
Siblings Joe and Sally spy a strange set of footprints by their cat’s bowl one morning, setting them off on an investigation. Clearly, it’s a dinosaur. With each spread, they deduce more about the dinosaur: it’s a heavy dinosaur, because the tracks are so deep; it’s a hungry dinosaur, because it’s eaten the cat’s food; footprints in the fish pond clue them in that it’s a dinosaur who likes to swim. Should you follow a dinosaur, though? Especially when it’s a hungry dinosaur? You’ll just have to read to find out!
Never Follow a Dinosaur is a cute book that teaches kids about using clues to figure out more and more about the dinosaur. The spreads are hilarious, as the dinosaur suffers indignity on top of indignity (bumped head, stubbed toe… the humanity!). The layouts give a lot of space to the kids’ imagination as they conjure up visions of their visitor, and the layout the kids come up with to trap the dino are up there with the best Rube Goldberg devices from the old Warner Brothers cartoons (totally dating myself there).
This is a fun storytime read that offers a lot of interactivity and the chance to give the kids’ imaginations a workout. Ask kids to come up with their own dinosaurs, based on the clues in the book, or just have pictures of dinosaurs to color and customize, for younger readers. Pair this with Ed Young’s Seven Blind Mice for a storytime on deduction and investigation, and then turn it on the kids: have them close their eyes and touch a piece of felt, a chair, a book, a plush toy, and use their five senses to investigate and deduce.
Storytime: Nobody Likes a Goblin, by Ben Hatke
Nobody Likes a Goblin, by Ben Hatke, (Jun 2016, First Second), $17.99, ISBN: 9781626720817
Recommended for ages 5-10
If you read my stuff enough, you know there are a few authors and illustrators that I adore; Ben Hatke is one of them. From Zita the Spacegirl to Mighty Jack and Little Robot, he creates fun, exciting characters, very human stories, and beautiful art. I am eternally grateful that he has also started sharing the love with picture book readers; first, we had Julia’s House for Lost Creatures, and now, Nobody Likes a Goblin.
It’s the sweetest little book about a homebody goblin who lives in his cozy dungeon and hangs out with his best friend, Skeleton. One day, a gang of dumb old adventurers barges in, loots Goblin’s treasure, and makes off with Skeleton – RUDE. Goblin sets out to rescue his friend despite the oft-repeated cautionary advice, “Nobody likes a goblin.” But Goblin doesn’t care, because he has a friend to save!
How cute is this book? It’s got adorable messages about friendship and being brave, not worrying who likes you or not, and just doing what you do. I decided to read this one to some of my slightly younger kids on a preschool-aged summer camp visit a few weeks ago, and they seemed to enjoy it. They kind of “ewwww’d” my poor Goblin at first, but when I told them that he was just a nice little guy and didn’t bother anyone, they were more sympathetic. By the end of the book, they were cheering for him. I encouraged them to hiss and boo the adventurers who were mean and went into poor Goblin’s house, breaking things up and stealing his toys, and was that very nice? NO.
I’d probably save this for a slightly older stoytime – maybe Kindergarten or first grade – because it was a little wordier than, say, Eric Carle, and they were getting antsy. All in all, I’m thrilled with yet another Ben Hatke book (I never expected differently), and I’m happy that I’ve introduced him to a newer generation of readers.
Religious thriller: Cradle and All
Cradle and All, by James Patterson, (Sept. 2016, jimmy patterson), $18.99, ISBN: 9780316315265
Recommended for 18+
Two teenage girls fall pregnant: one in New England, one in Ireland. Both virgins; one blessed with the child of God, the other, with the child of Satan, and no one knows which mother is carrying which child. It seems like the world itself is reacting, with outbreaks of polio, famine, floods, and droughts. Former nun turned private investigator Anne Fitzgerland is sent by the Archdiocese of Boston to investigate.
This is a 1980 James Patterson book that’s been “reworked” to be YA, but I have to be completely frank here: this is not YA. I don’t know what the original book read like, but the only thing that remotely makes this book YA is the fact that there are two pregnant teenagers who aren’t even the main characters in the story. There’s sexual violence, discussions of infanticide, let’s not even get into the religious issues, and the fact that a 23 year-old woman is a Harvard graduate, hard-boiled private investigator, and well-published authority on children and teenagers. Oh, and she’s a former nun who left the convent when she fell in love with a priest, who just happens to be assigned to the same cases.
There are huge plot holes. HUGE. One of which makes the entire premise of the book fall apart at the end, if you’ve read that far. There are over 100 chapters in the book, all ranging from about 1 1/2 pages to 4 pages, which makes for some choppy reading (at least for me). It was a disappointing experience for me, and it’s not because I read children’s and YA books over adult books (because I’ve seen that leveled at some folks, believe it or not) – it just wasn’t that good of a book, and I’m a little irritable that James Patterson and his people would even consider releasing this as a YA novel (again, because, pregnant teens).
I’m clearly not the audience for this book. I’m bemused that the jimmy patterson imprint will release this along with books like his excellent Middle School series, and the Maximum Ride YA series that disappears off my shelves. Read this one for yourselves and use your own judgement; I was not a fan. I’ll go re-read Good Omens next time I want to read about a rumble between Heaven and Hell.
Realistic Fiction that works: Still a Work in Progress
Still a Work in Progress, by Jo Knowles, (Aug. 2016, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9780763672171
Recommended for ages 9-13
Noah’s trying to make it through seventh grade: his friends are weirding out, girls are weird, and his home life… don’t ask. His older sister, Emma, has been acting strange again. Her increasingly difficult food demands are driving Noah crazy – he really doesn’t like seitan; he just wants a burger – and she’s doing things like wearing lots of bulky clothing layers, moving her food around the plate without actually taking a bite, and arguing with everyone. Just like she did when The Thing They Don’t Talk About began last time. Noah’s only solace these days seems to be in the art room, where he can express himself without stress.
Still a Work in Progress is one of those great middle grade books that tackles tough issues within the framework of every day life: meaning, there’s a lot of laughter, a lot of confusion, and some pain. Overall, the book, narrated by Noah, is hilarious. The dialogue between him and his friends sounds like things I’d overhear my kids talking and arguing about, and Jo Knowles really captures Noah’s inner dialogue beautifully: the mixture of anger and concern for his sister, in particular. Ms. Knowles gives readers a realistic novel that brings together school life, home life, friend life (any kid will tell you friends are a separate sphere), and the frustration of moving through these areas while in the pull of something much, much bigger than you. I also loved the real star of the book: a hairless cat named Curly, who lives at the school and hangs out with the kids (Curly’s on the cover of the book, so you know this is an important cat.)
Great middle grade novel for realistic fiction readers. There’s always a call for good, realistic fiction in my library, so this one will get a good booktalk. Check out Jo Knowles’ author website for a link to the book’s Pinterest page and downloadable discussion guide.
Want more? Here’s Jo Knowles talking about the inspiration behind Still a Work in Progress.
Mom Read It 
