Hyperactive by Scott Sava, illustrated by Joseph Bergin III

It's back to school for Joey....and a few things have changed. Over the summer, some kids grew...and some kids didn't. And time seems to have slooooowwwweeed down. Will his boring classes ever end? But maybe it's not time that's slowed down; Joey's speeeded up! Joey discovers he has super fast abilities, but he's not the only one who thinks they could be useful!

This is a fast-paced comic adventure with plenty of funny bits. Joey's new super abilities interact hilariously with the real world and there's a side-splitting twist at the end. No angst, world crises, or tortured relationships, just a kid who has discovered he can do something really cool...and, of course, it lands him in trouble.

Verdict: I really love this adventure and highly recommend it. It's quite popular at the library! The paperback isn't as sturdy as I would like, but it will hold for many circulations.


ISBN: 1600103138; Published December 2008 by Idea & Design Works; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

Welcome to the zoo by Alison Jay

Have I mentioned how much I loooove seek and find books? Well, I've just found another delicious one! A family walks through a very unusual zoo, where the animals mingle with the sightseers and mysterious little stories develop everywhere. I'm not sure how I feel about the "distinctive crackle-varnished" aspect of the artwork, which gives it little cracks, but I looove the images themselves. The penguins are adorably cylindrical (can you tell them apart from the balloons?) the women's skirts are marvelous spots of color, and the elephant, oh the elephant. Do you see his adorable roundness? His perfect plump blueness? I want an elephant like that.
Oh, and there's also a twisty map at the beginning and a series of pictures to find at the end.

Verdict: Best for one-on-one sharing, as the pictures need to be seen up close and it requires a special type of wordless book to be successful in storytime


ISBN: 978-0803731776; Published October 2008 by Dial; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library; Added to my personal wishlist

6 books that make me happy

These are my comfort reading, mostly books I first read as a child or teen.

Look Through My Window by Jean Little. The first Jean Little book I read. I can remember exactly how I felt reading it, the sun shining through the window. This is my favorite summer book. It's a perfect story of friendship, growing up, and poetry. I never connected to any other "young adult" or "realistic" books growing up, mostly because I could never (and still can't) relate to any of the characters. But I could imagine - and desperately wanted - to have a friend like Kate. And I felt a lot of kinship with Emily. I read this at least once every summer.

The Church Mouse series by Graham Oakley. I adore all of these, don't have a particular favorite. I can spend hours giggling over the detailed pictures, the sly jokes, and expressions, long-suffering Samson, bombastic Humphrey, sturdy Arthur...you get the idea.

The River at Green Knowe by L. M. Boston. This is not the cover I have - mine is a jacket-less, much-taped, old green ex-library copy. The first L. M. Boston book I read was Stranger at Green Knowe, generally considered her finest, but River is my favorite. I love the episodic adventures, the wonder and excitement of the river at night, the magic and mystery of Green Knowe in the moonlight. The huge map, the shrinking scene, the winged horses....I love them all.

Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum. I like to re-read all the Oz books regularly and they're all very comforting, but I think this is my favorite. I was very excited when I discovered a Recorded Books audio of it in my library system, read by John McDonough. I'm not sure why this is my favorite...I think it's the dinner-pail tree that resonates with me.

Tangle and the Firesticks by Benedict Blathwayt. This is a rather odd picturebook that I loved as a child. Small furry creatures live in a wood. Tangle, a clumsy trouble-maker is banished, but after many adventures returns in time to save his tribe. I got my current copy - a beautiful hardback from bookmooch.com, much to my delight. I like this mainly because I read it as a child, and because I like small people books.

Bill Bergson and the White Rose Rescue by Astrid Lindgren. I have a much nicer cover of this, it's really purple shades, denoting moonlight, rather than neon pink. Anyways, it's kind of a toss-up between this and Ronia which is my favorite Lindgren book. But I think it might be this one. I love the small town adventure feel, the kids carrying out their elaborate games at night, the real tension of the mystery, and the happy and exuberant ending. It's perfect - and it reads well in Swedish, too....

Shark and Lobster's amazing undersea adventures by Viviane Schwarz, colored by Joel Stewart

Tigers! They creep up on you in the dark!

I don't know why it took me so long to read this book, considering that I am the WORLD'S BIGGEST FAN of There Are Cats In This Book. I think I looked at it once and it just didn't grab me. Every reader knows that there are reading moods, and I just wasn't in a shark reading mood.

Anyhow, I finally read it. And loved it! Not as much as the cats, of course (Don't worry, guys, I still like you best!) but very much. It's slightly maniacal and menacing humor would appeal to both adults and children. Shark and his friend lobster are just chatting one day when suddenly...they realize that tigers are SCARY. Tigers could be creeping up on them right now! They have to prepare! And so begins an insane building project culminating in a journey to the deep, dark, depths of the sea to bring back...well, you'll have to read the book yourself. If Alice ever fell into the ocean, she'd undoubtably meet Shark and Lobster and feel right at home. Only one quibble, because this book reads vertically instead of horizontally, it's kinda hard to use in storytime. At least for me, possibly some of you more coordinated librarians out there can manage it.

Verdict: Sadly out of print, but definitely worth looking for used on Amazon.

ISBN: 978-0763629106; Published May 2006 by Candlewick; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library (before my time); Added to my personal wishlist

What's so bad about being an only child? by Cari Best, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Quite a bit, it turns out. Rosemary is tired of being the center of attention, having 6 names, and never having a special person to play with. She envies her neighbors and friends with siblings to whisper secrets to, argue with, make messes with, and go home together.

Her parents just can't understand why she's upset and don't seem enthusiastic about having additional children...so Rosemary comes up with her own unique solution.

The illustrations show Rosemary moving from smothered only child to the messy, not-so-lonely person she wants to be. Her stubborn determination is evident from her perky pigtails to her wiggly mouth.
A fun - if somewhat unrealistic - story for anyone who's ever wanted siblings - or wanted to get rid of them!

Verdict: It's not quite the thing for storytime - I've tried it and it just doesn't work. But parents might like to try the reverse psychology approach if they have a new sibling on the way!


ISBN:

Nonfiction Monday: Our Farm: four seasons with five kids on one family's farm by Michael Rosen

With statistics, interviews, photos, and commentary, Michael Rosen presents family life on a modern farm. Our Farm contains plenty of numbers and facts, but it's more than just research and information.

This book is the story of a family who enjoys their life and each other. Each season has different jobs and different joys. As can be seen in the afterword and in some commentary, Michael Rosen doesn't always agree with the lifestyle of the Bennetts - especially hunting. But he presents an honest picture of their way of life.

This is the perfect book for anyone wanting to know about rural life, life on a farm, or just to enjoy reading about one family's approach to life.

Verdict: Whether or not you live in a farming community, this is a great look at a rapidly vanishing way of life in America. Buy it for your patrons to see themselves - or experience a different world.


ISBN: 978-1581960679; Published September 2008 by Darby Creek; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

In the town all year 'round by Rotraut Susanne Berner

The new Richard Scarry!

I think it was Fuse 8 who first brought this book to my attention. I love detail books and it sounded great. But when it arrived a few weeks ago at our library, and I was checking out the new, to-be-catalogued books....it didn't look great.

It looked STUPENDOUS. AMAZING. FANTASTIC. and also EXTRAORDINARY.

For each of the four seasons there's a page of people to follow and a tree on a hill with the various characters around it. Then, there are 7 spreads, each showing a gazillion people, animals, and things. The settings for the spreads are the same for every season, but every single detail changes! It's the best of Richard Scarry, Waldo, and I Spy, all rolled into one large book! I refused to exile this to the oversized books - it's going to be on permanent display! Hours of looking delight!

Verdict: An updated verdict - this has become a constant favorite in our library, much-beloved by many parents and children. Buy it! Now!


ISBN: 978-0811864749; Published October 2008 by Chronicle; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library; Added to my personal wishlist

Nonfiction Monday: Periodic Table: Elements with Style by Adrian Dingle & Basher

This complete explanation of the periodic table gives a description of each element, told in first-person, and its density, melting and boiling point, date of discovery and also includes details of its classification and atomic information.

The illustrations are cartoonish and show bulky anthropomorphic representations of each element. There is a brief glossary and index included.


Verdict: This may be useful for a student struggling with understanding the periodic table, but the reading level and length are too long and heavy for it to be a memorization aid. Some of the elements include snippets of information, but this will have a limited appeal to nonfiction readers.


ISBN: 978-0753466131; Published 2007 by Kingfisher; Borrowed from the library

Doomwyte by Brian Jacques

Brian Jacques' latest, Doomwyte, is no surprise. It has all the basic elements of a Redwall adventure - a rhyming riddle that hides a buried treasure or secret. Wicked vermin secretly approaching Redwall. A brave woodland creature bent on vengeance. A perilous hare to the rescue. Small abbey dwellers who discover their courage and use their wits to save the Abbey.

However, the series is getting a bit tired, and this is not one of the better additions. The "black avenger", after a big, mysterious build-up, falls rather flat as a minor character. The young characters who should be central are interchangeable and don't appear to have greatly changed by the end of the story. The most definite young character, the young Guosim Dubble, suddenly drops out of prominence in the end, and you have to read very closely to find out what happens to him. The Gonfelin mice-thieves are an imaginative touch, but never really fleshed out.

Too many characters and events, a loose plot, and a vague ending will make this one of the lesser Redwall series, along with Loamhedge, The Legend of Luke, and the last few additions to the series. Fans will want to keep reading, but those looking for strong animal fantasies will lose interest before reaching this lackluster entry in the Redwall roster.

Verdict: Redwall is still a very popular series in some libraries, but not in mine. This is probably the last title I will buy in the series - Warriors is more popular. If you still have a fan base, go for it. Otherwise it's not worth it.


ISBN: 978-0399245442; Published October 2008 by Philomel; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

Nonfiction Monday: Raucous Royals by Carlyn Beccia

Did Anne Boleyn really have six fingers? Was Henry VIII so fat he had to be carried? Beccia presents the evidence for and against various royal rumors and you, the reader, pick out the truth!

I'd recommend this book to followers of celebrity gossip (some things never change!) lovers of code and mystery, history buffs, and students learning to research in any subject. The afterword explaining how to "research a rumor" is an excellent tutorial for testing fact against fiction and tracking down interesting nuggets of information.

The fascination continues on Beccia's website, where you can find reading recommendations and interesting tidbits about the book you may have missed on a first reading.

Verdict: An actual interesting history book! There's a good chance you'll get kids to read this without coercion - buy it!


ISBN: 978-0618891306; Published September 2008 by Houghton Mifflin; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library