Review of Who Could That Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket

Audiobooks, Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense 0

“Who Could That Be at This Hour?”

All the Wrong Questions, Book 1

by Lemony Snicket
read by Liam Aiken

Hachette Audio, 2012. 4 hours on 4 CDs.

I began listening to this new series by Lemony Snicket and was captivated. It’s got all of his clever humor without the sad plight of persecuted orphans that turned me off from A Series of Unfortunate Events.

We do have a 13-year-old kid – the young Lemony Snicket – setting off on his apprenticeship for a mysterious organization. His chaperone takes him to Stained-by-the-Sea, and they are told to return a mysterious statue to its rightful owner. However, Snicket quickly realizes the statue is already in the hands of its rightful owner. His chaperone doesn’t believe him, and they begin a crazy adventure.

The book is full of delightful, understated details. Stained-by-the-Sea, for example, is no longer by the sea, but there is a sinister forest of seaweed where sea used to be. The reader uses a wonderful matter-of-fact voice, eminently suitable for crime noir.

I love Lemony Snicket’s trademark, “which here means…”, always used in clever and funny ways. And the similes he uses are always bizarre, but apt. I wish I could give examples, but that’s a problem with an audiobook.

Lemony Snicket freely tells us that he was asking the wrong questions, and tells us what the right question would have been. But he doesn’t tell us what the answer would have been to the right question. That is only revealed with time.

Some pieces of the mystery are revealed in this book, but it’s definitely the beginning of something bigger. There are reportedly going to be four Wrong Questions. And I have already decided I’m going to be sure to listen to all of them.

LemonySnicketLibrary.com
HachetteAudio.com

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Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library audiobook from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Please use the comments if you’ve read the book and want to discuss spoilers!

Review of Tap the Magic Tree, by Christie Matheson

Contemporary, Picture Book Review 0

Tap the Magic Tree

by Christie Matheson

Greenwillow Books, 2013. 40 pages.

Tap the Magic Tree is similar to the book Press Here, by Herve Tullet, in that it directly asks children to interact with the book. For example, it asks children to tap the book, and the picture changes on the next page. Later, they shake the book, and there is another change that corresponds to what they have done.

However, what makes this book even more innovative is that it goes through the cycle of seasons with a tree. So it’s a beautiful way to show children how trees change through the seasons, while giving them the fun of following directions and watching what happens.

It starts with a bare tree, only branches:

There’s magic in this bare brown tree.
Tap it once.
Turn the page to see.

When you turn the page, one leaf has sprouted on a branch.

Then you’re told,

Tap again –
one,
two,
three,
four.

Naturally, four more leaves sprout.

The progression follows the seasons. The reader taps all the leaves out, then rubs the tree to warm it up, so it gets buds. When you touch each bud, they blossom.

After the blossoms are out, the reader’s told to “Give the tree a little jiggle.”

Predictably, the petals fall to the ground.

The tree grows apples, which also eventually fall, and then the leaves start changing color. Then the reader gets to “blow a whooshing breeze,” and then “clap hands to bring the snow.”

After waiting, and watching a bird build a nest, we finish up with “Magic! It begins again.”

Because of the interactive element, young children will really remember how the seasons cycle in magic trees all around them.

harpercollinschildrens.com

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Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Review of The 14 Fibs of Gregory K., by Greg Pincus

Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary 0

The 14 Fibs of Gregory K.

by Greg Pincus

Arthur A. Levine Books (Scholastic), 2013. 226 pages.

Full disclosure: I met the author of this book, Greg Pincus, at KidLitCon09. He told about taking the social media world by storm by his Fibs — a form of poetry based on Fibonacci numbers — and how he got the contract for this book. I was delighted with the math/poetry connection, so I showed Greg the Prime Factorization Sweater I was wearing, and he was most appreciative. Definitely a nice guy, and I knew I’d want to read his book.

And Greg’s Fibs are in this book. Gregory K. is a kid who wants to be an author in a family of math lovers. Now, I wouldn’t have forgiven the author if he had suggested those two things are opposites. He didn’t do that.

Gregory wants to go to Author Camp this summer — for one last chance to have time with his best friend, Kelly, before she moves away. But his parents want him to go to Math Camp, and think he wants to go there, too. Why can’t Gregory tell his parents the truth? That he doesn’t actually like math, but loves writing poetry, and is actually quite good at it?

His dad loved Mr. Davis and math, and so did his brother, O. Gregory did not, though he found it wise to be enthusiastic whenever the subject came up, since his peppiness was interpreted as shared math excitement and usually prevented specific questions.

Gregory tells some fibs, first to his friend (that he’s already talked to his parents about Author Camp) and then to his parents, trying to soften them up to actually make the request. And one fib leads to another.

Mr. Davis is portrayed as a quirky and understanding math teacher. He comes up with a project that sets Gregory studying the Fibonacci numbers, and later he figures out how he can apply that to poetry. But getting there is not easy!

This is an excellent portrayal of regular middle school kids with regular middle school concerns. There’s an added touch of creativity with the Fibs. And I do love the message that comes through by the end that math and writing can coexist and enhance one another.

gregpincus.com
arthuralevinebooks.com
scholastic.com

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Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Please use the comments if you’ve read the book and want to discuss spoilers!

Review of The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, by Kathi Appelt

Animal Characters, Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary 0

The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp

by Kathi Appelt

Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2013. 327 pages.
2013 Cybils Finalist
2013 Capitol Choices Selection (audiobook)
2013 National Book Award Finalist

Bingo and J’miah are raccoons who live in Sugar Man Swamp, and they are True Blue Scouts. Here is information from the first page of the book:

For as long as raccoons had inhabited the Sugar Man Swamp, which was eons, they had been the Official Scouts, ordained by the Sugar Man himself back in the year Aught One, also known as the Beginning of Time. Of course, Bingo and J’miah would follow the orders. They knew them by heart.

OFFICIAL SUGAR MAN SWAMP SCOUT ORDERS

  • keep your eyes open
  • keep your ears to the ground
  • keep your nose in the air
  • be true and faithful to each other
  • in short, be good

These orders were practical, and the raccoon brothers had no problem following them. Besides, Bingo and J’miah weren’t ordinary Swamp Scouts. They were, in fact, Information Officers, a highly specialized branch of the Scout system. And because of this there were two additional orders:

  • always heed the Voice of Intelligence, and
  • in the event of an emergency, wake up the Sugar Man

The first additional order was easy enough, as we shall soon see, but the second was a different matter. The problem? Nobody really knew exactly where the Sugar Man slept, only that it was somewhere in the deepest, darkest part of the swamp. He hadn’t been seen in many years.

An emergency does come up in the course of the book. And waking up the Sugar Man is indeed a problem.

We also follow the fortunes of Chap Brayburn and his mother, who run Paradise Pies, by the edge of the swamp. Chap’s Grandpa Audie recently died. Grandpa Audie had loved the swamp, just as Chap does.

But now the owner of the swamp, Sonny Boy Beaucoup, is planning to evict them, unless they can come up with a boatload of cash. Then he’s going to pave over the swamp and build The Gator World Wrestling Arena and Theme Park.

So both Chap and the raccoons are facing emergencies. Emergencies that the Sugar Man can solve. But how to find him? And how to wake him up without incurring his wrath? It’s going to take some careful work.

This story is told with a folksy voice, which I found slightly annoying, but could be charming. Our library doesn’t have the audiobook on CD, but in Capitol Choices I’ve heard that this version is completely delightful. There are tall tale elements in the tale and over-the-top characters. The result is a lot of fun and would make great family listening.

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Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Childrens_Fiction/true_blue_scouts.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Please use the comments if you’ve read the book and want to discuss spoilers!

Review of Old Mikamba Had a Farm, by Rachel Isadora

Contemporary, Picture Book Review, Readalouds 0

Old Mikamba Had a Farm

by Rachel Isadora

Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin), 2013. 36 pages.

Old Mikamba indeed has a farm – a game farm on the plains of Africa. The format is the same as singing about Old MacDonald’s farm, but the animals are quite different.

There’s a baboon, with an Ooh-ha-ha. There’s an elephant, with a Baraaa-baraaa. There’s a dassie, with a trill-trill. There’s a warthog, with a Snort-snort. And finally, there’s a lion, with a Roar-roar. Altogether, fourteen African animals are featured with lovely mostly collage illustrations.

A page at the back tells a paragraph more about each of the animals.

This is a lovely twist on a familiar song that is sure to be a hit at Storytime. If fourteen verses gets long, you can always skip some pages, but be sure to always finish off with the lion! And you thought you knew what farm animals were!

penguin.com/youngreaders

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Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Review of When Charley Met Grampa, by Amy Hest and Helen Oxenbury

Contemporary, Picture Book Review, Starred Review 0

When Charley Met Grampa

by Amy Hest
illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Candlewick Press, 2013. 36 pages.
Starred Review

Even though I’m not a dog person, this story of a boy and his puppy completely charmed me. Of course, I’ve been a fan of Helen Oxenbury’s pictures since my own son was small and we were all captivated by Tom and Pippo. The dog pictured here is so expressive and endearing, it’s hard to imagine anyone not falling in love.

The story is simple. Grampa is coming to visit Henry. Henry writes to tell Grampa about his new dog Charley. Grampa writes back that he’s never been friends with a dog before.

Then Henry and Charley go through the falling snow to the train station to meet Grampa. I love lines like this: “Charley’s tail was up in the air, which is code for I know the way to the station.”

They have to wait for the train, so Henry tells Charley about Grampa. The train finally comes and they meet Grampa, who asks Charley if he’s friendly or fierce. On the way home, Grampa’s green cap blows off his head, and Charley runs after it, getting lost in the snow. There’s a page with both Henry and Grampa calling for Charley. “And then he was there. With Grampa’s green cap.”

The book ends as cozily as possible:

That night Charley jumped on the bed with Grampa. He looked in Grampa’s eyes and Grampa looked back, which is code for
I love you,
I love you,
I love you.

They both fell asleep.
And Grampa snored wild.

Simply a cozy, warm, beautiful book about a boy, his dog, and his Grampa.

candlewick.com

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Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Picture_Books/when_charley_met_grampa.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Review of The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon, by Alexander McCall Smith

Contemporary, Fiction Review, Mystery, Starred Review 0

The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon

by Alexander McCall Smith

Pantheon Books, New York, 2013. 242 pages.
Starred Review

It’s probably silly for me to continue to review these books, since they are most fun read in order, as you get to know the characters over time. And those who have read this far, like me, will certainly want to continue, so all I really need to tell you is that another book is out.

I like it when the books include satisfying puzzles for Mma Ramotswe to solve, and this one does. As well, Mma Makutsi is expecting a baby! But Phuti’s troublesome aunt is determined to come stay with them and keep people away after the baby is born. And, Surprise! Charlie, of all people, is quite taken with the baby.

Mostly, I enjoy these books because of the pleasant time it gives me with wonderful people. As another title proclaimed, reading these books is being in the company of cheerful ladies.

I always like to include a quotation that shows Mma Ramotswe’s practical, peaceful, and matter-of-fact approach to life. Here’s one that made me smile:

In her experience, those who took the husbands or wives of others could rewrite history – not always, but often – and the marriage they had broken up would be portrayed as being in much worse condition than it really was.

pantheonbooks.com
alexandermccallsmith.com

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Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Please use the comments if you’ve read the book and want to discuss spoilers!

Review of Words with Wings, by Nikki Grimes

Award Winners, Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary, Poetry, Starred Review 0

Words with Wings

by Nikki Grimes

WordSong (Highlights), Honesdale, Pennsylvania, 2013. 84 pages.
Starred Review
2014 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book

Words with Wings is a novel in verse about a girl who’s a daydreamer.

Here’s the poem that shares its title with the book:

Words with Wings

Some words
sit still on the page
holding a story steady.
Those words
never get me into trouble.
But other words have wings
that wake my daydreams.
They fly in,
silent as sunrise,
tickle my imagination,
and carry my thoughts away.
I can’t help
but buckle up
for the ride!

Some of the poems tell about Gabby’s life. Others tell about her daydreams. The daydream poems, imaginative and fun, usually start with the word that sets off the daydream. For example:

Waterfall

Say “waterfall,”
and the dreary winter rain
outside my classroom window
turns to liquid thunder,
pounding into a clear pool
miles below,
and I can’t wait
to dive in.

At the start of the book, Gabby’s parents split up and she has to move with her mother across town, and attend a new school. Once again, she’s known as the daydreamer. She has to deal with the other students teasing her and a new teacher trying to get her to pay attention and trying not to disappoint her mother. She has some nice victories in the book, and I love how she learns to value her own imagination.

nikkigrimes.com
wordsongpoetry.com

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Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on an Advance Reading Copy signed by the author, which I was given at an author lunch hosted by Highlights, at ALA Annual Conference.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Please use the comments if you’ve read the book and want to discuss spoilers!

Review of The Year of Billy Miller, by Kevin Henkes

Award Winners, Beginning Chapter Books, Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary 0

The Year of Billy Miller

by Kevin Henkes

Greenwillow Books, 2013. 229 pages.
2014 Newbery Honor Book

Kevin Henkes gets kids. He knows what they think about, what they worry about, and how they act. And he’s able to express that on the page.

Billy Miller is about to start second grade. His teacher says it’s the Year of the Rabbit. But Papa says, “It’s the Year of Billy Miller.”

He has some setbacks right from the start. He’s afraid his new teacher will think he doesn’t like her. So he comes up with a plan to make things right. But plans don’t always go smoothly.

Other scenarios Billy deals with include making a diorama, dealing with his little sister, trying to stay up all night, and writing and reciting a poem. They’re child-size episodes and everything Billy does rings true.

This book reminds me of the Clementine books, looking at life from a child’s perspective. Billy’s a little more worried about things than Clementine, but he also can’t hold still. He will win just as firm a place in children’s hearts.

kevinhenkes.com
harpercollinschildrens.com

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Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Childrens_Fiction/year_of_billy_miller.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Please use the comments if you’ve read the book and want to discuss spoilers!

Review of Better Nate Than Ever, by Tim Federle

Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary, Starred Review 0

Better Nate Than Ever

by Tim Federle

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, New York, 2013. 288 pages.
Starred Review
2013 Sonderbooks Stand-out: #4 Children’s Fiction

Here’s a book loaded with charm.

Nate is a kid who dreams of starring on Broadway. But he’s also a kid who gets bullied.

Life hasn’t always been easy (my first word was “Mama,” and then “The other babies are teasing me”), but at least I’m singing my way through eighth grade, pretending my whole existence is underscored.

His best friend Libby, also a fan of Broadway musicals, has learned there’s an open casting call for Elliott, the child star of E. T.: The Musical. So Libby and Nate form an elaborate plan for Nate to get out of his hometown in Pennsylvania while his parents are away and his brother Anthony is in charge. He’ll go to the casting call and get his big chance.

Naturally, things start going wrong as soon as Nate sets out. And his cell phone dies, so he can’t answer Libby’s frantic texts. Fortunately, he has an aunt who lives in New York, an aunt who has been estranged from Nate’s mom for years and isn’t exactly expecting him. But she knows how auditions work and helps Nate brave the process.

This book looks at the audition process in New York with lots of humor and lots of heart. The portrayals of the other kids and parents, intent on getting the part, ring true. But mostly, Nate shines exactly like the star he’s destined to become. Great fun.

TimFederle.com
KIDS.SimonandSchuster.com

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Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Please use the comments if you’ve read the book and want to discuss spoilers!