pets – Page 8 – Mom Read It

Salem Hyde’s Back, and she’s making birthdays bigger and… well, interesting.

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Misadventures of Salem Hyde, Book Two: Big Birthday Bash, by Frank Cammuso (2014). Abrams Kids, $14.95, ISBN: 9781419710254

Recommended for ages 8-12

Fledgling witch Salem Hyde is back, along with her talking cat, Whammy (short for Percival J. Whamsford III). Whammy’s still trying to hold onto his remaining five lives as he helps Salem navigate her new magic powers. In Big Birthday Bash, Salem has a friend’s birthday party to attend, but the local Mean Girl is trying to one-up her gift. Will Salem use magic to come out on top? You know she will – the question is, what is going to happen next?

This is my first Salem Hyde book, and I enjoyed it so much that I’m going to go back and get the first one. The art is adorable; it’s cartoony, expressive, and fun. Salem is a kid who happens to be able to use magic; she’s having fun with it. She makes herself big, she shrinks other people down, she just wants to have a good time. Poor Whammy is great as her put-upon companion who ends up getting into his own trouble (wait until you get to the Slurpees) as he accompanies Salem on her travels. It’s a great story for younger readers, and the graphic novel format teaches sequence and pacing.

The book arrives in bookstores on May 20th, and I foresee this on a lot of summer reading lists. It’s a great read for girls and boys alike, although boys may shy away from the hot pink cover.

Frank Cammuso is the creator of the popular Knights of the Lunch Table series, and creates beginner graphic novels with Toon Books. His website provides contact information, author information, links to social media, and a store.

Fiction, Horror, Humor, Tween Reads

My Zombie Hamster – there’s nothing like a pet that wants to eat you.

Posted on April 7, 2014April 7, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

My Zombie Hamster, by Havelock McCreely. Egmont USA (2014), $17.99, ISBN: 9781606844915

Recommended for ages 8-12

Matt Hunter is psyched for Christmas. He wants the newest peripheral for his favorite sword and sorcery game, Runespell, and his friends are hoping to get the same gift so they can play online together. The only problem is, Matt rarely gets what he wants for Christmas, and this year’s no exception. His parents give him a hamster named Snuffles.

The thing is, Matt and his family and friends live in a post-zombie apocalypse society (that’s doing pretty darn well for themselves), where they live behind giant bug zapper-type walls and have Zombie Squads for zombie disposal. Citizens are life-chipped, so when they die, Zombie Squads can take care of corpse removal. So when Snuffles gets away from Matt, only to return home, die, and reanimate, Matt just figures the Squad will come. Until they don’t, and he realizes Snuffles – now known as Anti-Snuffles – came from a sketchy pet shop. To keep his father out of trouble for making such a purchase, he keeps Anti-Snuffles a secret, but Anti-Snuffles has plans for world domination on his mind. Matt also learns that he’s got even bigger things to worry about when a school survival expedition is attacked by zombies. Can Matt set everything right?

My Zombie Hamster is great reading for middle-grade students, particularly those students finding themselves bored by mainstream class reading. It’s got a lot of humor – Matt’s first-person voice is alternately sarcastic, funny, and sweet – and the story takes a surprising turn that gives it an added layer of depth. The book hits shelves on July 8th – libraries interested can stock up now and get ready for summer reading!

Fiction, Uncategorized

The Most Magnificent Thing teaches kids perspective

Posted on March 25, 2014March 25, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Most Magnificent Thing, by Ashley Spires. Kids Can Press (2014), $16.95, ISBN: 9781554537044

Recommended for ages 4-8

One day, a girl and her dog set out to make the “most magnificent thing” – the girl draws up schematics (her dog is the assistant), gets materials, and sets up on the street, getting to work. When she’s finished, she takes a look at it – it’s not really what she had in mind. She tries again. And again. And again. She just can’t make her vision come to life, and she gets MAD. At this point, her assistant suggests a walk, where she starts to feel better; she finds she has regained self-control and even more, perspective, allowing her to go back and look at her previous creations with a refreshed eye.

Ashley Spires, who some may know from her Binky the Space Cat series, looks at the frustrating process of working on something and not having it turn out the way you envision it. It is something everyone can relate to, from a LEGO structure to a Science Fair project to a PowerPoint presentation for the big client meeting. Children, who are still learning the delicate art of self-control, will recognize themselves in these pages, as the girl becomes increasingly frustrated with her work, and once she injures herself, loses her temper. Her dog/assistant serves as comic relief and ends up saving the day by having her walk away and clear her head. The book teaches a valuable lesson to kids and grownups alike; walking away and returning when you’re calmer often allows the ability to see things are not so bad after all, and maybe, you can even find things you liked in the project you were about to crumple up and throw out.

The digital art is adorable. The characters have large, expressive faces, and are set against a mostly line-art, blue and black or white and black background, so they really stand out. There are some beautiful spreads and the font itself is a curvy font with a quirky personality and fits perfectly with the story. The endpapers display the row of brownstones where the story takes place, leading the reader into the story.

This is a good book to use for a storytime on patience or feelings. Perhaps a small LEGO craft afterward, or a construction paper assembly craft will help young minds create their own most magnificent things.

Animal Fiction, Media, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

In Which I Explore an An Animated Book: Hondro & Fabian

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Hondo & Fabian. Written and Illustrated by Peter McCarty. 6 minutes. DVD. Weston Woods. 2006. $ 59.95 ISBN 0-439-84909-8

Suggested for ages 3-6

When I saw the animated books at my local library, I have to admit I wasn’t sure what to expect. Was I just going to be staring at a static series of pictures with a voiceover laid over the whole business? I decided to give it a shot with Peter McCarty’s Caldecott Honored-story, Hondo & Fabian. I am very happy to say I was delighted by what I watched.

Hondo & Fabian is the 2003 Caldecott Award-winning story of Hondo & Fabian, a dog and cat who live in the same household and have very different experiences one day, when one goes to the beach and one stays home with the family baby. Who has the better day?

Weston Woods produced this animated version of the book for schools and libraries, and author Peter McCarty’s soft, grey pencil on watercolor paper illustrations come to life as narrator Jeff Brooks tells the tale of the two friends who spend their day in two different ways. The illustrations are animated, allowing viewers to see Hondo’s ears blowing in the breeze as he hangs out a window, and Fabian putting his claws to work, shredding toilet paper. The story is brief, and Joel Goodman and David Bramfitt’s music adds to the beauty of the artwork, bringing with it a relaxing feeling as the story’s events unfold. Readers will enjoy viewing this story about pet friends; the option to use English subtitles will allow for new readers to read along with the narration. A study guide comes with the DVD that provides pre- and post-viewing activity ideas that can be incorporated into a storytime session, such as a discussion about pets and which animals are pets versus which are not.

This would be an interesting addition to a pet-related storytime. The DVD could break up the routine of a traditional read-aloud and attract renewed attention from attendees. The Perry Public Library’s Parade of Pets storytime theme has pet-related songs and fingerplays, and having a sing-along to an animal song-related CD, like Raffi’s Animal Songs, would make for an interactive and fun time.

The Hondo & Fabian animated book has received numerous accolades, including designation as an ALA Notable Video; Honorable Mention from the Columbus International Film & Video Festival; and was an Official Selection at the Kids First Film Festival.

The Hondo & Fabian series of books by Peter McCarty also includes Fabian Escapes.

Preschool Reads

Book Review: Tough Boris, by Mem Fox/Illus. by Kathryn Brown (Harcourt Brace, 1994)

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 3-6

Boris van der Borsch is a tough, massive, scruffy, greedy, fearless, and scary pirate with a tough, scary- looking crew. When his pet parrot dies, though, preschoolers see that even the toughest pirate can cry. The story is told through the eyes of a young boy who stows away on the ship in the very beginning of the book, and whom Boris and crew leave back on his home shore at the end of the story, prompting the boy to cry as well. It is a subtle but strong subplot readers will enjoy. The watercolor artwork shows Boris and his crew in all their scruffy, tough pirate glory, with angry faces and bristly beards. The text is rendered in a simple, black font that matches the solemn brevity of the story. Tough Boris is an American Library Association (ALA) Notable Children’s Book (1995).

This is a great book for a pirate storytime, as it portrays pirates as capable of sensitive feelings on top of being rough and tough. It shows young audiences that everyone cries when they are sad – even a mean old pirate. It can be used with more fun pirate fare to lighten the mood, or it can be used on its own to get kids talking about feelings. Children would enjoy a Jolly Roger handstamp as a memento of their day, and there are many printable treasure maps available online, for attendees to color in, take home and start their own search for buried treasure. The British Columbia Public Library has very good Pirates Storytime theme that includes songs and fingerplays.

Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Book Review: Circle Dogs, by Kevin Henkes/illus. by Dan Yaccarino (Greenwillow Books, 1998)

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 2-5

Circle dogs live with their family in a square house with a square yard, eat circle snacks, and dig circle holes. Created by popular children’s author/illustrator duo Kevin Henkes and Dan Yaccarino, Circle Dogs provides a fun lesson in shapes wrapped within a story about two fun-loving dachshunds, referred to as “circle dogs” because they twist themselves into circles when they sleep. The story takes place over a day in the life of the circle dogs and their family: they wake up in the morning, along with the sun, alarm, baby and birds; kiss their family members; play; eat; nap; eat, and go to bed for the night. Dan Yaccarino’s artwork has shades of Lane Smith’s retro feel here; his brightly colored gouache pictures look like cutouts on white space and will attract a young reader’s attention with his contrasting colors. The bold text is black on lighter spaces and white against black spaces, standing out and making reading easy.

This concept book provides a great opportunity for a read-aloud on shapes. The book invites interactive reading by using repetitive sounds to communicate the dogs’ day: their tags go clink-clank, their tails flip-flap and swish, swoosh, and they eat their dog food with a kibble-clatter, kibble nibble. Circles, squares and triangles are easily identifiable and plentiful throughout. This would be a great opportunity to use a felt board with shapes for young audiences to identify and create pictures with – a square can be a house, a sandwich, a window; a circle can be a sun, a face, or a table; a triangle can be an ice cream cone, a hat, or a dog’s ear, as in Circle Dogs. The DLTK website offer a Shapes Buddies webpage with printables including a Shapes Bingo game and Buddy Shapes to color.

The author’s webpage offers information about more of his books, plus downloadable guides and printables for parents and teachers.

Fantasy, Tween Reads

Book Review: Magical Mischief, by Anna Dale (Bloomsbury, 2011)

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 10-13

Magic has taken up residence in Mr. Hardbattle’s bookshop, and it’s causing him to lose business. He hasn’t got the heart to evict the magic, so he decides, with some help from his young friend Arthur and the overbearing Miss Quint, to find a nice home for the magic. While Mr. Hardbattle is away seeking out locations, though, Miss Quint gets herself into some magical trouble when she wishes for people to talk to – and they show up, pulled straight from the books! Now Miss Quint and Arthur are left with a huge mess to clean up, and when Mr. Hardbattle returns, things have gone out of control. With the magic out of control, the threesome have to figure out how to make things right without getting the authorities involved.

Magical Mischief is a fun middle grade read for boys and girls alike. The bookshop setting provides a comfortable, homey setting and invests the reader in the location as much as the characters. The narrative tends to ramble along at points, particularly when it comes to Miss Quint’s bumbling which comes off more often as irritating than endearing. The ending neatly ties up loose ends and provides an overall satisfying read that fantasy fans in particular will enjoy.

Anna Dale is a popular middle-grade fantasy author in the UK and US. Her website offers links to her books, author info, and news. There are several “magical mischief” websites on the Web, but none relate to this book; Bloomsbury’s book detail page for Magical Mischief offers book reviews and links to other books by Ms. Dale.

Historical Fiction, Tween Reads

Book Review: The Midwife’s Apprentice, by Karen Cushman (Clarion Books, 1995)

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 8-12

Brat is an orphaned girl with no name or family. When the village midwife discovers her sleeping in a dung heap to keep warm, she takes her on as an apprentice. The reader sees Brat grow in confidence and ability.

A 1996 Newbery winner, this historical fiction novel has a strong message: you can make your own way in this life, no matter what cards you are dealt. Alyce remembers no mother and no home; she is the target of village bullies and sleeps in a dung heap to keep warm, but she never believes in giving up. When the midwife is cruel with her words, she shakes it off and continues to learn by observation. She does not wait for someone to provide her with a kinder name than Brat or Beetle, the name given her by Jane the midwife; she decides she likes the name Alyce and tells people to call her by that name. She finds a way to even the score with the cruel villagers and earns the respect of one of the village bullies when she aids him in delivering a calf. This is medieval girl power.

In addition to winning the Newbery medal, The Midwife’s Apprentice has also been designated as one of the American Library Association (ALA)’s Best of the Best Books for Young Adults and the New York Public Library’s “One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing”. Ms. Cushman also received Newbery Honors for her book Catherine , Called Birdy.

The author’s website offers a full bibliography of Ms. Cushman’s books, along with an author biography and “odd facts”. An FAQ is available for popular questions, and there is a link to contact the author for appearances. There are a wealth of resources available online for discussing and teaching this book, including a robust guide at eNotes.

Fiction, Tween Reads

Book Review: Cal and the Amazing Anti-Gravity Machine, by Richard Hamilton (illustrated by Sam Hearn) (Bloomsbury, 2006)

Posted on September 3, 2011December 5, 2020 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 9-12

Cal lives with his family, including Frankie, a talking dog that only he can understand, next door to a very loud neighbor. Mr. Frout regularly wakes the neighborhood with clanging and banging in the early hours of the morning. He’s not a very friendly neighbor, so curious Cal decides to spy on him to see what all the commotion is about and discovers Mr. Frout, in a suit of armor, hovering in the air. His experiment goes awry and Cal rescues him, which makes Mr. Frout a little more friendly and Cal learns that Mr. Frout is making an anti-gravity machine. Inevitably, things get out of hand and it’s left to Cal to save the day.

The book skews toward the younger end of the reading range, as it is a chapter book with lots of black and white line drawings that will keep younger readers interested. The characters are well-described, and have just enough reality to them that kids can identify with them, while being fantastic enough to make the story fun. I appreciated that the parents weren’t drawn as hopeless dimbulbs, as often happens in children’s books – I particularly liked a section of the book where Cal’s mother gets angry at him for befriending a stranger (Mr. Frout), despite Cal’s assertions that he is friendly. It was a smart way to take advantage of a teachable moment on stranger danger.

Richard Hamilton and Sam Hearn are an British writer-illustrator team who have worked on four books together.