Great imaginative play for boys (two picture book, ages 4 - 8)

Do you have a little guy who plays with trains, planes, and action heroes? I love picture books that celebrate boys' imaginative play. One of our favorites is Traction Man Is Here! by Mini Grey. If you have a little guy who loves to play with action figure, two others to check out are: Shark vs. Train and Captain Sky Blue. They would be great to read aloud with action figures acting out the different parts!

Shark vs. Train
by Chris Barton
illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
NY: Little, Brown, 2010
ages 4 - 8
available on Amazon and at your local library

There's no doubt - little boys love to crash things into one another. And they love to have contests. This story is pretty simple - you have a shark, you have a train, and they compete to see which one will win in an increasingly crazy set of contests. Sometime it's the train (burping is definitely a plus), but sometimes it's the shark (diving off the high-dive). The art is at once simple enough for preschoolers and silly enough for kindergartners and 1st graders. This book is a definite winner, no matter who comes out on top! Shark vs. Train leads off the Publisher Weekly's 2010 Best Children's Books, and the School Library Journal's Best Picture Books for 2010.

Captain Sky Blue
by Richard Egielski
NY: Michael di Capua Books, 2010
ages 4 – 8
available on Amazon and at your local library

On Christmas morning, Jack opens his presents to find a toy pilot action figure, Captain Sky Blue, and an airplane kit. Soon, Jack’s out flying every day with his new toys. But one day, lightning strikes Captain Sky Blue’s plane and he gets blown far off course. This story starts with Christmas morning, and then takes little kids on a rollicking adventure into the belly of a whale, the ocean deep and finally back to Santa’s workshop the next year. The illustrations are full of action, color and details which kids will look at again and again. It will be especially fun for kids who love airplanes and pilot lingo. Some will find this “pilot talk”, with its glossary in the beginning of the book, a bit much. But my hunch is that some kids will get a real kick out of it. Best of all, this story is a way to celebrate little boy’s creative play with their own toys and help their imaginations soar.

The review copy of Shark vs. Train came from my local library. The review copy of Captain Sky Blue was kindly sent by the publisher. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this page, a small portion will go to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you). Thank you for your support.

A time for thanks to those we love (and a poem to share)

As we head toward Thanksgiving, making plans to see family and friends, I want to take a personal moment to say thank you to people around me. I'd also like to share two books that encourage us to do this with our children.

Thanks a Million
by Nikki Grimes
illustrated by Cozbi A Cabrera
NY: Greenwillow Books, 2005
ages 6 - 10
available at your local public library and used on Amazon

I have long admired Nikki Grimes for her ability to speak to my heart. I discovered her book Thank a Million this week, and want to share a poem here with you. This collection of 16 poems include many different poetic forms, all expressing gratitude. Some are tender and sweet, while others tug at your heart strings. In the "Shelter," a homeless child longs for his own room ("I wish I had a room / that I was forced to clean") and yet the child expresses his thanks ("At least, I'm not alone") as his mother wraps her arms around him.

As part of Poetry Friday, I'd like to share the first poem in Thanks a Million.

Reward
by Nikki Grimes

"Thank you"
is a seed I plant
in the garden
of your heart.
Your smile
is the flower.
A slow and sweet surprise,
it blooms before my eyes!

I'd like to share this poem with so many different people. It makes me think about all the people I'd like to thank. I'm so busy in our daily rush, that I'm sure I never really take the time to really thank these people:

• my family, sending them thanks for all the support and encouragement they've given me as I've pursued my dreams; 
• my new colleagues at Emerson and Berkeley Unified, for welcoming me and helping me share my love of reading with children; 
• my friends, who talk and share stories, worries and laughter; 
• librarians friends, for sharing their love of reading and laughing and sighing; 
• blogging friends, especially my Poetry Friday friends, who've helped rekindle my love of poetry; 
• authors and artists, who inspire me every day, and in turn make me want to inspire children to ask, to think, to feel, to learn;
• publishers, who have supported my blog by sharing books so generously; 
• and especially my three mentors, Diane, Helen and Kathy, who helped launch me into this new adventure.

Thank you for planting a seed, for nourishing me and helping me grow.

Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is at Random Noodling. Head over there for a sumptuous pre-Thankgiving feast of poetry. 

The review copy came from my school library. If you make any purchases on Amazon through the links on this site, a small portion will go to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you). Thank you for your support.

Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan - great adventure & fun! (ages 9 - 12)

"Oh Mom, they have to make a movie of this book!" My two oldest children are engrossed in reading The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan, and kids are starting to talk about how good it is. Today I sat down with a group to talk about their thoughts. The Lost Hero is the first in a new series, The Heroes of Olympus, but it also continues the setting and some of the characters from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. 

The Lost Hero:
The Heroes of Olympus, Book 1
by Rick Riordan
NY: Disney/Hyperion, 2010
ages 9-12
available on Amazon and at your local library

The Lost Hero is getting rave reviews from kids who have eaten up Riordan's earlier series about Percy Jackson, son of Neptune, the Greek god of the sea, and a mortal mother. Now I must admit that kids have snatched the copy out from my hands so fast that I haven't had a chance to read it yet - so this review is straight from the kids.

The Lost Hero "was very adventurous. I liked the way it still retained that Percy Jackson feel with lightly more moving around." Like the previous books, Riordan has plenty of action, suspense and magical items. Kids report that his writing is very descriptive, especially creating the picture of Camp Half Blood with the cabins for the different gods. The Canadian wilderness was also memorable to these readers, with its icy wilderness and rigorous challenges.

"I like the way that he added the Roman gods to this story. I used to think that they were the same as the Greek gods, but realize now that they had their own personalities." My test group overall found this aspect interesting and not confusing. The librarian is me is cheering!

I asked my group if the length was a problem (576 pages long!), and this small group of students said that it was very fast-paced. "I'm reading it really fast," said one student. "It's a real cliff hanger, so I want to keep reading more and more." Others said that they wished it were longer!

The only complaints came from readers who wanted more of the Percy Jackson characters in the story. One reader had an interesting suggestion to make more time have elapsed between the characters, so you felt more distance from the previous characters you had really enjoyed.

For more reviews, check out these blogs: Pink Me, and The Bookette.  Our review copy was kindly sent by the publisher. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion will go to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.

Amazing Faces, by Lee Bennett Hopkins: celebrating diversity through wonderful poems (ages 4 - 12)

Poetry has the potential to speak to children in a way that really touches their hearts. I try to sprinkle it in throughout our reading at home and in the library - just a poem here or there to enjoy, not necessarily to belabor the point. Amazing Faces is an inspiring collection of poems that children will love having at home and in school. Lee Bennett Hopkins, a tremendous anthologist and poet, has collected sixteen poems that celebrate the diversity of our schools and our communities in America today. It is one of my favorite books of the entire year, and one that I nominated for the Cybils Award.

Amazing Faces
by Lee Bennett Hopkins
illustrated by Chris Soentpiet
NY: Lee and Low Books, 2010
ages 4 - 12
available on Amazon and at your local library

This collection of sixteen poems will evoke personal responses from children as they see themselves and their friends reflected in these poems. Hopkins, author of over 130 books of poetry for children, has gathered poems from some of today's best known children's poets, including Nikki Grimes, Jane Yolen, Janet S. Wong, and Joseph Bruchac. But the children in the poems really come front and center, as you read about a boy who falls asleep beside his mother as she sews clothes, a young girl who practices karate, a family who listens to their great aunt tell stories around the fireplace, and many more.

One of my daughter's favorite poems is "Aunt Molly Sky", by Joseph Bruchac. I particularly enjoy this stanza:

"A certain smile always appears
when she feels a story about to come.
That smile is like an open door
All of us, young and old, are welcome."

- from Aunt Molly Sky, by Joseph Bruchac

The illustrations by Chris Soentpiet are wonderful, and will draw children who might be hesitant to try poetry into this collection. Soentpiet fills his illustrations with people from many different ethnic backgrounds, and he took careful effort to make the details reflect their ethnicity. For example, he writes in an interview on publisher Lee and Low's website,

"Since there are lots of different nationalities in this book, I had to make sure the trinkets and jewelry match what the characters would wear. I had to make sure the Native-American grandmother wears costume jewelry that reflects her heritage but at the same time was trying not to "stereotype" the look. Subsequently, I attended two powwows to learn about the Native Americans."

Great stories are a mirror to see yourself, your friends, your family - this collection a wonderful way to share that experience with children. It is a collection I will share at home and at school with children, drawing them into poetry, and giving them a chance to see themselves and their friends reflected in wonderful artwork and poems.

The illustrations here are all by Chris Soentpiet, shared with permission of the illustrator. Find out more information about Amazing Faces on Lee and Low's website. I particularly found the stories behind the poems fascinating. Nine of the poems are original for this collection. Make sure you read Lee Bennett Hopkins interview on Wild Rose Reader, as part of the NCTE convention - here and here. Other reviews include:
- Carol's Corner
- Wrapped in Foil
- Kids Lit

The review copy came from my local public library. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion will go to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

Ivy & Bean - a great pair of friends

Ivy and Bean are two friends who are goofy and full of mischief - perfect for young kids to relate to. My first grader is just listening to these stories for the first time, and loving it - I just love watching her grin as she hears about the tricks Ivy and Bean play on Bean's big sister. Celebrate Ivy & Bean Day this weekend, November 6th, at bookstores near you. The newest book in the series is full of laughs and fun as the two girls try all sorts of experiments.

Ivy & Bean: What's the Big Idea?
by Annie Barrows
illustrations by Sophie Blackall
CA: Chronicle Books, 2010
ages 5 - 9

The Science Fair brings out the creative thinking in all the kids in Ivy and Bean's 2nd grade class. Kids are working on man-eating robots, having contests to hold their breath for the longest time, and figuring out other ways to help global warming. But Ivy and Bean can't figure out which of their great ideas they should do. Something involving explosions? Or ropes? Something with ice cubes? As always, there's sure-fire laughs as they come up with their own take on the project.

Annie Barrows has several events this weekend celebrating Ivy and Bean Day. She is a great presenter, and makes kids laugh and want to READ! A perfect combination! Hooray!

Saturday, November 6, 11am
Mrs. Dalloway's Books
Berkeley, Calif.
For information: 510-704-8222

Saturday, November 6, 4pm
Book Passage
Corte Madera, Calif.
For information: 415-927-0960

Sunday, November 7, 11am
Books Inc.
Burlingame, Calif.
For information: 650-685-4911

Sunday, November 7, 2:30 pm
Hicklebee's
San Jose, Calif.
For information: 408-292-8880

Tuesday, November 9, 4pm
Copperfield's Books
Petaluma, Calif.
For information: 707-762-0563

I will add in other Ivy and Bean Days as I find out about them.

The review copy came from my local bookstore, the wonderful Mrs. Dalloways Books.

Ninth Ward, by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Do you ever read a book that is so stunning that you want to go out and buy your best friend a copy? You want to tell everyone you meet about it? I found the Ninth Ward, by Jewell Parker Rhodes, absolutely stunning - a book I want to give to my best friends so we can talk about it. Lanesha is a 12-year old child of the Ninth Ward in New Orleans; and she survives through Hurricane Katrina and conditions that no child, no person should have undergone. This is a story that is at once devastating and life-affirming, one that will leave kids wanting to know more about this horrible point in history, and yet also believing in children's ability to persevere.

Ninth Ward
by Jewell Parker Rhodes
NY: Little, Brown and Co., 2010
ages 10 - 14
available on Amazon and at your local library

Lanesha was born to a wealthy, uptown New Orleans family, but her family has rejected her and. ever since her birth, Mama Ya-Ya has been both mother and grandmother. Mama Ya-Ya gives Lanesha the strength to walk proudly and believe in herself. Mama Ya-Ya has the gift of seeing into the future, and Lanesha has the gift of seeing ghosts from the past. These ghosts are just a part of life for Lanesha. When Mama Ya-Ya has a premonition that a bad storm is approaching, Lanesha pays attention and starts to prepare. They don't have the money or means to escape New Orleans when the mandatory evacuation order comes, and so they prepare the best they can at home.

Jewell Parker Rhodes' writing is beautifully evocative. She combines both a realistic child's voice with figurative language that blossoms in my mind. The novel is written in the first person, from Lanesha's point of view. This draws children right into her perspective. As the hurricane is approaching, she writes:

"I see darkness on the horizon. Rolling, rolling in like a too warm blanket. Wind has picked up, blowing leaves, causing branches to sway ever so slightly." (p. 124)

But even more than the suspense and danger that the storm brings, this novel brings a sense of hope and strength that Lanesha discovers within herself. As Mama Ya-Ya tells Yanesha,

"Your testing should've come much, much later. But when it came, you shined with love and strength." (p. 145).

Jewell Parker Rhodes describes in the afterward that books were her lifeline through a difficult childhood, and that she's been waiting to write a novel that will speak to children. This novel does indeed. It speaks to children, treating them with respect and dignity, knowing that they can understand a horrible situation, but they also can survive against all odds. It is a beautiful novel.

You can find a fascinating interview with her at The Happy Nappy Bookseller. Ms. Rhodes is an award-winning author of adult fiction; this is her first novel for children. I do hope she writes more stories to inspire children. Teachers can find more resources at the Ninth Ward website here.

As a parent, I would want to think about what age this novel is best for. It does describe a terrible event in our history, but it does so with sensitivity and compassion, and the main characters survive. I would suggest that students in 5th through 8th grades will find this compelling.

Find other reviews:
Charlotte's Library
Rasco from RIF
A Patchwork of Books
The Happy Nappy Bookseller

I purchased a review copy for my personal library, upon the suggestion of my great friend Kathy Shepler, librarian at Aurora School. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this page, a small portion will go toward Great Kid Books (at no cost to you). Thank you for your support.