Tag: school

Posted in Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

It’s About Love – A new teen romance that hits on strong topics

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

itsabout loveIt’s About Love, by Steven Camden (Aug. 2015, HarperCollins Children’s Books), $8.99, ISBN: 9780007511242

Recommended for ages 12+

He’s Luke. She’s Leia. They meet in a film class, and the Star Wars connection pops up right away. That’s where the similarities end. They’re from different ends of town, and different social classes. He’s from the wrong side of the tracks, a kid trying to get out of the poor British town and lifestyle he feels trapped in. His brother is just home from prison after spending two years behind bars on an assault charge, and he’s trying to make sense of his life, too. Home life is rough on Luke, but he doesn’t know where to go with his feelings for Leia.

Leia pursues Luke, but their relationship is anything but smooth. She’s got her own baggage, and there’s bound to be conflict with Luke’s past.

The story deals with a lot of topics affecting teens these days. Luke wants out of the circumstances he’s been dealt, and he has the presence of mind to know that more education presents a way out – but at the same time he’s plagued with the fear that he’s got anger management issues – like his brother – that could be tragic if they spin out of control. He’s not sure how to act around Leia, not sure of himself at home, and not at all sure how to feel about or act around his brother. Luke’s parents throw wrenches into the works of his psyche with their relationship, and he discovers that his teacher is an uncomfortable mirror for him, creating a rich and complicated connection.

The story is a solid read, with likable and relatable characters from working-class backgrounds. It’s a smart romance, with the characters working through their feelings in typically teen fashion – lots of angst and analyzing. The Star Wars references are a bonus.

Teens looking for a different kind of read will enjoy It’s About Love for its casual, first-person narration; its introspective storytelling, and its solid character development.

Posted in Fiction, Humor, Puberty, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

The Incredible Three and A Half Superheroes is a silly superhero story… kinda.

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

titaah_superheroes_side_crThe Incredible Three and a Half Superheroes, by Frank Schmeiβer/Illus. by Jörg Mühle, Translated from German by David H. Wilson, (April 2015, Little Gestalten), $19.95, ISBN: 978-3-89955-740-4

Recommended for ages 10+

Imagine if Doug, the Wimpy Kid, his buddy, Rowley, and Fregley, the weird kid, started their own superhero group. Now you’ve got an idea of what to expect with The Incredible Three and a Half Superheroes. Headed by Sebastian Appleby-Krumble, aka The Brain, the three middle school friends and classmates are a quirky group of kids from class 6A, taught by the lovely Mrs. Daffodil. Their nemeses, class 6B (for bums, among other things), are taught by the awful Mr. Devill. Things have gone missing from Mrs. Daffodil’s class, and the school administration thinks that she may not be able to control her class. To save her teaching position and reputation, the Incredible Three and a Half (the half being Martin “The Chameleon’s invisible friend, a shy chicken) must find out exactly who the real culprit(s) are.

If that wasn’t enough on its own, Sebastian also has his awful – but wealthy – Aunt Boudicea – staying with them for her birthday festivities. Sebastian’s mother is going crazy trying to feed the woman and her husband, and create an entertaining birthday song and dance routine for Sebastian to perform to entertain her at her birthday party!

The book is written in middle grade style, but the language tends toward a slightly higher level. There’s more profanity than I expected in a middle grade book, so this may be an issue for some families. Written in first-person from Sebastian/The Brain’s point of view, and illustrated with black and white line drawings throughout, this will appeal to fans of The Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, and other books in the diary/journal genre. There’s a lot of running back and forth between plot and subplot, and the writing becomes hectic, but kids will likely get a kick out of the craziness of planning a party for Sebastian’s crazy aunt and shrugging off the constant indignities she – and his classmates – toss his way.

Not a bad purchase for home and public libraries, but school libraries will likely be turned off by the language.

 

Posted in Fiction

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive, and the Hall Monitor is Your Only Hope!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

eerie elementaryEerie Elementary #1: The School is Alive! (A Branch Book), by Jack Chabert (Scholastic, June 2014). $4.99, ISBN: 9780545623926

Recommended for ages 7-10

Scholastic is great for putting out affordable series that keep kids reading, and Eerie Elementary is firmly in that camp. The first book in their new Eerie Elementary series, The School is Alive! introduces us to elementary school student, Sam Graves, and his friends, Antonio and Lucy. The school year is starting, and Sam is bemoaning the fact that he’s been named a Hall Monitor. On his first day of duty, he almost sinks into quicksand on school property and hears strange noises coming from the school itself. He finds out pretty quickly that the school is alive, and it’s evil – and that the Hall Monitor is the last line of defense in keeping the students safe. Naturally, his friends think he’s crazy, but he’s determined to see his job through and keep his friends and fellow students out of the clutches of the evil school building.

The series is part of Scholastic’s new Branches line of books – chapter books aimed at newly independent readers. The books feature illustrations on every page, easy-to-read text, and fast-paced stories. I liked seeing main characters of elementary school age; many characters in series books are in middle school or older, relegating elementary school characters often to the role of annoying younger sibling. Establishing these characters early on will connect with readers new to chapter books and give them some exciting reading. I can’t wait to get these on my shelves for my younger patrons who are ready for a thriller, but have a hard time finding them at their reading level.

Posted in Fiction, Graphic Novels, Humor, Tween Reads

Tao, the Little Samurai: Fun Comics for Kids!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

tao little samuraiTao, the Little Samurai, #1: Pranks and Attacks!, by Laurent Richard/Illustrated by Nicolas Ryser. Lerner Publishing Group/Graphic Universe (2014), $6.95 (paperback), ISBN: 9781467720953

Recommended for ages 8-12

Tao the Little Samurai is a very cute series by writer Laurent Richard and illustrator Nicolas Ryser. Pranks and Attacks is the first book in the series, which follows the daily adventures of Tao, a little boy in training to be a samurai – but he’s constantly late to school, tries to avoid his chores, and would rather play a samurai video game than train most of the time!

The book features 1-2 page story strips, which is a good way to keep younger readers interested without overwhelming them with a big story. They can read about Tao’s adventures in short bites, put it down to do homework (or watch TV and play video games), and come back to it at their leisure. The stories are sequential – this is a graphic novel – and there are recurring characters, which will give the readers a comfortable sense of familiarity. The stories are also fun – Tao is a regular kid. He’s in trouble for being late, he wants to play with his friends rather than do schoolwork, and he has grand visions for himself – he even writes, on a hall of successful students, “This Space Reserved For Tao”.

The art has a manga influence – think manga for younger audiences, like Hamtaro – with exaggerated facial expressions, particularly the eyes, and movement. The colors are bright and eye-catching. This is light reading, which is great for summer reading, especially for over-tested, stressed out kids. Tao: The Little Samurai is out in paperback now, and is part of a series, including the adventures, Ninjas and Knockouts! and Clowns and Dragons!

Posted in Preschool Reads

AJ Smith shows readers that Even Monsters… are just like us!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

evenmonstersEven Monsters… by AJ Smith. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (2014), $16.99. ISBN: 9781402286520

Recommended for ages 3-6

Sure, monsters roar, growl, and stomp around, but did you know that they have to put clean underwear on in the morning, eat their breakfast, brush their teeth, and go to school, just like any other kid? That’s the message AJ Smith communicates to his young audience with his book, Even Monsters… Perfect for preschoolers and Kindergarteners, Even Monsters talks about all the day-to-day, very un-monstery things that kid monsters have to do, illustrating that everyone has to do things like brush their teeth, take a bath, and learn their ABCs. On the bright side, monsters also get to do cool things like play video games, soccer, and hide in tree forts, just like other kids! The book is a great way to show children that no matter how different people may be – heck, they may not even be people – we’re all the same – we even need a kiss goodnight. It’s very reassuring for a young audience who may be experiencing a new routine by entering preschool or kindergarten.

Mr. Smith uses digital art to illustrate his story. His monsters, Glubb and Skeebu, are brightly colored and have friendly expressions, even when they’re being very monster-y, growling, and snarling. The text is bold, black and has an almost paintbrush-stroke feel to it, creating some interest for the reader.

AJ Smith teaches art and has created cartoons for Sesame Street and animated children’s shows like Courage the Cowardly Dog. His website is a treasure trove for kids and grownups alike, with information about author visits and a parent/teacher guide to Even Monsters. The kids’ section has links to a Monster store, art galleries, Monster trading cards, games, a section on how to draw Glubb and Skeebu, and a link to a Glubb and Skeebu webcomic.

Posted in Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Book Review: If You Take a Mouse to School, by Laura Numeroff/illus. by Felicia Bond (HarperCollins, 2002)

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

if you take a mouse to schoolRecommended for ages 2-4

A mouse accompanies his human friend to school, and things snowball from there. The Mouse, first introduced in Ms. Numeroff’s If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, is back, and he is still pushing his boundaries with his human friend; this time in school. Mouse discovers new friends and activities, which include writing a book, playing basketball, riding a skateboard, and performing a science experiment. Visual cues link If You Take a Mouse to School to the original story: there are chocolate chip cookies on the boy’s pajamas; they show up in a lunch box, and as a refrigerator magnet. Felicia Bond’s watercolors are bright and crisp and stand out against the stark white background, inviting readers to look closely at the action featured on every page. There is a lot of action to see, too; Mouse is in constant motion, popping up in a lunchbox, kicking a soccer ball, or running with a group of children. Preschoolers will enjoy imagining a fun day at school with a tiny visitor of their own.

This would be a fun read-aloud for preschoolers preparing for Kindergarten. There are many back-to-school songs to sing in a school-related read-aloud. There is also a Mouse plush doll available; a fun read-aloud could include Mouse “sitting” with attendees, and asking each attendee how they would spend a school day with Mouse.

The Mouse series includes If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, which is the first Mouse story, and If You Take a Mouse to the Movies. The books are part of the larger “If You…” series, which includes titles such as If You Give a Moose a Muffin; If You Give a Pig a Pancake; and If You Give a Cat a Cupcake.

The author’s website offers coloring pages and resources for teachers and parents.

 

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Tween Reads

Book Review: Villain School: Good Curses Evil, by Stephanie Sanders (Bloomsbury, 2011)

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 9-12

What do you do when your parents are some of the baddest bad guys in history, and you just don’t match up? You get sent to Master Dreadthorn’s School for Wayward Villains. Dracula’s daughter, Jezebel, is there – she prefers hot chocolate to blood. The Big Bad Wolf’s son, Wolf, is in there, too – he saved a human child from drowning. The Green Giant’s son was expelled when they realized that his dad was just some green guy trying to get kids to eat their vegetables.

Rune Drexler, Master Dreadthorn’s 12-year old son, is at villain school, too, but he’s not getting any preferred treatment – quite the opposite; he can’t seem to do anything right in his father’s eyes. When his father calls him to his office and gives him a Plot – a dangerous and evil test to achieve his next EVil (Educational Villain Levels) level, Rune sees his chance to be the villain his father wants him to be. But can he and his two friends carry out the Plot without ending up being heroes?
The story takes a little bit of time to get started; Sanders concentrates on exposition early on in the story. Once the Plot is under way, though, the story becomes a fun read with just enough of a twist to take the reader by surprise. I did not feel cheated by the book’s end – I wanted to know what Rune was going to do next. Middle grade readers will enjoy the good-natured jabs that the characters throw at one another, and the idea of being good while you’re trying to be evil will show younger readers that there is something good in even the baddest of villains.
Posted in Animal Fiction, Humor, Tween Reads

Book Review: Dragonbreath, by Ursula Vernon (Dial Books, 2009)

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Book Review: Dragonbreath, by Ursula Vernon (Dial Books, 2009)
 
Recommended for ages 8-12

Ursula Vernon’s first book in her Dragonbreath series introduces readers to Danny Dragonbreath, a young dragon who happens to be the only mythical creature in a school filled with reptiles and amphibians. He’s a little rebellious, not a fan of schoolwork, and really wants to be able to breathe fire (if for no other reason, than to stop hearing his father’s motivational speeches). His best friend, Wendell, is an iguana who finds himself sucked into Danny’s crazy schemes when he’d rather be doing something safer, like getting Danny to do his homework.

In Dragonbreath, Danny flunks his paper on the ocean after writing it the morning it’s due and making it up from his own imagination. Luckily for him, he’s got a sea monster cousin named Edward, who he can visit and from whom he can get an ocean tour, so off he goes, dragging Wendell along with him. Can they survive the deep ocean, where giant squids are known to show up without notice? Will Danny pass his Science paper?
 
Dragonbreath is a great book for younger readers that are still getting used to chapter books; the book is written in a half-chapter, half-graphic novel format that readers will find user-friendly, and Vernon provides a copious amount of nonfiction information about ocean life through Danny’s and Wendell’s eyes that will show the kids that learning can be fun.
 
Vernon’s website provides summaries of all the Dragonbreath novels as well as her other titles, as well as updates on author appearances and her artwork.