Junie B., First Grader : Dumb Bunny
From the Publisher: It's an Easter Egg-stravaganza! Lucille is having an Easter Egg Hunt at her rich expensive mansion! And guess what? The winner gets a play date to swim in Lucille's heated indoor swimming pool! Only, here is the problem. How did Junie B. get stuck wearing a big dumb bunny suit? And how […]
Here's a Little Poem : a Very First Book of Poetry
Publishers Weekly: Starred Review. Here are, actually, 61 little poems, which together provide a high-spirited, engaging introduction to poetry. Gleaned from various countries and representing a refreshing array of voices, the poems fall into four categories of high interest to youngsters: "Me, Myself, and I," "Who Lives in My House?," "I Go Outside" and "Time […]
Dimity Dumpty : the Story of Humpty's Little Sister
Publisher Weekly Review: Starred Review. Young readers may think they know all there is to know about Mother Goose's clumsy egg character, but Graham (Oscar's Half Birthday) sets them straight in his hilarious picture-book profile of the whole Dumpty family. As members of a traveling circus, Dorothy and Dominic Dumpty and their children, Humpty and […]
Snow Is My Favorite and My Best
School Library Journal Review: PreS-Gr 2?Charlie and Lola return in another engaging story that perfectly captures a child's anticipation of the first snow of winter. Big brother Charlie takes his sister out to frolic in a world that has all gone extremely white! Lola and their friends make snow angels, go sledding, and build a […]
Forever In Blue : the Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood
Publishers Weekly Carmen, Lena, Bridget and Tibby may not be forever in blue jeans, but they do share the Traveling Pants for at least one more summer. Fans rejoin the foursome just after their freshman year in college. Carmen is attending a summer theater program in Vermont, where she unexpectedly lands a plum role and […]
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The Washington Post Go read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for the other main reason to love the series: their sheer comic exuberance even in the midst of high drama. Kids, of course, would mention this first. Jokes, gags and memorable put-downs pop up on nearly every page ? Sometimes it seems […]
Clementine
Publishers Weekly: I have had not so good of a week," begins the irrepressible narrator of this winning caper. Pennypacker (Stuart's Cape) then takes readers straight through that week, making clear that Clementine has an unfailing nose for trouble and a comical way with words. The eight-year-old proclaims herself lucky because "spectacularful ideas are always […]
The Last Dragon
Publishers Weekly: Italian author De Mari turns the "prophecy genre" on its ear with this clever and humane fantasy/comedy. Young elf Yorsh lives in a world of constant rain, in an "Elf Camp" and threatened with dire punishment if he strays outside it. He befriends two humans, a woman and a hunter, and the three […]
Saint Iggy
Children's Literature: Sixteen-year-old Iggy Corso is hardly anyone's idea of a hero. He is kicked out of high school (terminated this time, Principal Olmos says, because of his long disciplinary history). Iggy's had a lot to overcome in his short sixteen years: He lives in the projects in New York City. His dad is usually […]
The Higher Power of Lucky
Publishers Weekly: Patron's poignant Newbery-winning story about a girl who fears being abandoned by her legal guardian?and her only semblance of a family?sails along with believable childlike rhythms and kid's-eye-view observations. Listeners will especially appreciate Campbell's subtlety and smooth, comforting delivery in a heartbreaking scene in which 10-year-old Lucky recalls, with gentle support from her […]