Children’s Books – Page 9 – Looking For a Good Book

January 2, 2017

THE STRANGE GIFT OF GWENDOLYN GOLDEN – Philippa Dowding

There are only a small handful of authors whose work I look for when I step into a bookstore and for whom I will purchase their newest work as soon as it is released. Philippa Dowding has just joined that small list. In The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden, the recent-teen titular character starts the… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized, YA

5 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Young Adult

December 8, 2016

ESCAPE INTO THE NIGHT – Lois W. Johnson

While I did request, and receive an Advance Readers Copy of this reissued book from River North press, I must confess that I did read this book … the whole series, actually … when it was first published in 1995. I really enjoyed the series (though I liked author Lois Johnson’s Northwoods series a little… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, HISTORICAL FICTION, YA

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Historical Fiction, Reviews, Young Adult

November 12, 2016

ARMSTRONG – Torben Kuhlmann

Following up on his spectacular picture book, Lindbergh (see review here), author/artist Torben Kuhlmann tells a tale of a little mouse named Armstrong who defies the humans who are after him and travels to the moon and back, years before mankind makes it there. This is the sort of picture book that works on every… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S

5 Stars, Art, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Reviews

October 19, 2016

THE ACCIDENTAL TIME TRAVELLER – Janis Mackay

The Accidental Time Traveller, by Janis Mackay, is a simple, often fun, sometimes educational, sometimes slow story for younger readers. Saul is a young boy from the present, in Great Britain. One day he meets a young girl who is quite different. Her name is Agatha. Agatha Black is from 1813 and is somehow (we… Continue reading

Uncategorized, YA

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Reviews, SF/Fantasy, Young Adult

October 15, 2016

LOCK AND KEY: THE INITIATION – Ridley Pearson

Ridley Pearson, the popular author of the Peter Pan story Peter and the Starcatchers, reboots the Sherlock Holmes series with Lock and Key: The Initiation. James Moriarty (and his sister Moria) is sent to the boarding school Baskerville Academy. He doesn’t want to go, but his father strongly reminds him that attendance at Baskerville is… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, MYSTERY, YA

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Reviews, Young Adult

October 10, 2016

NEIL GAIMAN’S TROLL BRIDGE – graphic novel

Neil Gaiman writes about children coming of age in a dark and mysterious world better than anyone ever has before. Troll Bridge is a deceptively simple, but tremendously powerful modern fairy tale in which our narrator encounters a troll while a young boy enjoying the outdoors. Though the troll hopes to eat the boy, the… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, GRAPHIC NOVEL, SF/FANTASY

5 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Graphic Novels, Reviews, SF/Fantasy, Young Adult

October 3, 2016

WANT TO KNOW: GOING TO THE THEATER – Florence Ducatteau & Chantal Peten

This children’s picture book is, as the title suggests, a story about the theatre – what it’s like to go and watch a play, and what it takes to put on a play. All in thirty-two pages or less. So of course it is a very much abbreviated story. As a theatre professional, I am… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, ENTERTAINMENT, NON-FICTION

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Entertainment, non-fiction, Reviews

August 24, 2016

STORM’S COMING! – Margi Preus and David Geister

Storm’s Coming! is a really simple, beautiful children’s picture book that, while it will have special appeal to Minnesotans and this familiar with the Split Rock Lighthouse, will be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates quality art (by David Geister) in a children’s picture book and/or informative lessons in nature and history. Author Margi Preus has… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, Uncategorized

5 Stars, Art, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Historical Fiction, History, Picture books, Reviews

August 22, 2016

MICKEY PRICE: JOURNEY TO OBLIVION – John P. Stanley

Mickey Price is a pre-teen orphan in 1977. He’s smart and inventive. Trace Daniels is a twelve-year-old girl go-cart champion. Jonah Jones, also twelve, is a brilliant scientist. The three of them are invited to NASA in the summer (where they meet for the first time). At first, Mickey expects the time to be a… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized, YA

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Reviews, SF/Fantasy, Young Adult

August 20, 2016

KID ARTISTS – David Stabler

I definitely have a soft spot in my heart for books targeted to children that promote and encourage the arts. Kid Artists, by David Stabler, is an anthology of sixteen famous artist biographies written for middle grade (and younger) readers. While it is unlikely that students will know all these artists (some won’t know any… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, NON-FICTION, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, non-fiction, Reviews

August 15, 2016

MADELINE FINN AND THE LIBRARY DOG – Lisa Papp

When I review or consider a children’s book, there are three things I look at: 1) How is the art? 2) How is the story? 3) What is the likelihood of re-reading the book? Madeline Finn and the Library Dog is a success on every level. Madeline Finn is a young girl who doesn’t like… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, Uncategorized

5 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Picture books, Reviews

July 15, 2016

THE COMPLETE ALICE IN WONDERLAND – graphic novel

If you don’t already know the basic story of Alice ‘s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, then I’m surprised you’re here reading a book review because it is one of the most basic. earliest, must-read books for readers of the English language. I’m not going to summarize the… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, GRAPHIC NOVEL, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Graphic Novels, Reviews, Young Adult