The Bear in My Bed – written and illustrated by Joyce Wan

    The Bear in My Bed – written and illustrated by Joyce Wan, Farrar Straus Giroux, 9780374300388, 2018

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5

Genre:  Picture book

What did you like about the book? This sweet and imaginative story is the continuing story about a boy who finds animals at his home. In this one the boy finds a bear in his bed. The boy shows the bear his bedtime routine and the bear joins in. The illustrations are bold and bright, yet soft and round, and will attract young readers.

A great book to read aloud at bedtime with little ones, especially if their favorite stuffed toy is a bear.

Anything you didn’t like about it? No

To whom would you recommend this book? Fans of the author will love this one; they will even see the whale peeking in the window from previous story, The Whale in My Swimming Pool!

Who should buy this book? Definitely needs to be in public libraries for story time and parents and daycares will also want this book.

Where would you shelve it? Picture books

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Maria Touet, Pope John XXIII High School, Everett, MA

Date of review: July 15, 2018

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Brave Enough for Two written and illustrated by Jonathan D. Voss

    Brave Enough for Two written and illustrated by Jonathan D. Voss, Henry Holt and Company, 9781250127488, 2018.

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5

Genre:  Picture book

What did you like about the book? Olive is a little girl whose best friend is her stuffed owl, Hoot. Olive loves to read and live her adventures through her books. Hoot likes to live his adventures in every way he can. The two go off and fly, sail down a river and eventually end up back home after a long and exciting, but grueling day.

The best thing about Olive and Hoot is that they have one another and will always have one another’s back.

The unique and lovely illustrations definitely enhance this lovely story about friends, adventures and taking care of one another.

Anything you didn’t like about it? No.

To whom would you recommend this book? Mo Willems readers and fans of The Velveteen Rabbit will love this book.

Who should buy this book?  Daycares and public libraries can use it for story time.

Where would you shelve it? Picture books

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Maria Touet, Pope John XXIII High School, Everett, MA

Date of review: July 14, 2018

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Stegothesaurus by Bridget Heos, illustrated by T.L. McBeth

     Stegothesaurus by Bridget Heos, illustrated by T.L. McBeth, Henry Holt and Company, 9781250134882, 2018.

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5

Genre:  Picture book

What did you like about the book? This funny and original picture book is the story of three stegosaurus brothers, one of the three—the bow-tie wearing one, is a stegothesaurus—a fun play on words. While the two stegosauruses use simple words to describe something, the stegothesaurus uses three synonyms to describe the same thing. The other two just roll their eyes. When the brothers encounter an allosaurus, the stegothesaurus starts exchanging words with her until he finds out how she got to learn so many words. McBeth’s illustrations are original and have a wonderful color palette that will surely attract children.

This book is a great way to introduce alliteration to young kids, and encourage them to learn more words just like the stegothesaurus.

Anything you didn’t like about it? No.

To whom would you recommend this book? Mo Willems’ fans will like this book.

Who should buy this book? Daycares and public libraries can use it for story time.

Where would you shelve it? Picture books

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Maria Touet, Pope John XXIII High School, Everett, MA

Date of review: July 14, 2018

 

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City of Ghosts -Victoria Schwab

   City of Ghosts – Victoria Schwab, Scholastic Press, An Imprint of Scholastic Inc, September 2018. ISBN: 9781338111002

Format: Paperback ARC

Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5

Genre:  Horror, Adventure

What did you like about the book? Cassidy has more reason than most other kids her age to feel like she doesn’t belong. As far as she can tell, Cassidy is the only person around who can travel back and forth across the Veil; in other words, she can straddle the world of both the living and the dead. Since she died and came back (for all intents and purposes), she has been able to see ghosts, and travel into their realities, often seeing them relive their last memories before death. She is always accompanied by her best friend Jacob, who really is perfect to protect her from her dangerous adventures – after all, he’s a ghost as well. Cassidy’s parents write books about the paranormal, and once they score a deal to make a tv show about ghost hunting, the whole family (including Jacob and Grim the cat) pack up and head over to Edinburgh, Scotland to film the first installment. As Cassidy and Jacob explore the Scottish city, they realize there may be some things in the ghostly world that they may not know about, and that the space beyond the Veil just may be more dangerous than they had thought.

This book is beautifully written, and the author does a fantastic job of both setting the scene of Edinburgh (I’ve been a couple of times, and honestly it was as though I was walking down the streets again) while also building a ghostly world coexisting with the modern-day. Cassidy is insightful and loving, while also keeping a level-head during the more dramatic moments of the story. I think this book is the start of a series, and I am definitely on board for more of this spooky world that Schwab has created.

Anything you didn’t like about it?  The only thing that really bothered me about this book was the age-range that it is advertised for. This story is aimed at 8-12 year olds, but the complexity of the horror themes really seemed more appropriate for 12+ readers.

To whom would you recommend this book?  I described it as “a YA ‘Sixth Sense'” to someone, and even though the characters are 11-14, I still think it should be aimed at younger YA audiences.

Readers who enjoy horror and/or ghost stories, as well as fans of this author’s previous works would especially enjoy this book.

Where would you shelve it ? YA Fiction

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Emily Tricco, Hudson Public Library, Hudson, MA

Date of review: 7/14/18

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We Don’t Eat Our Classmates – written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins

    We Don’t Eat Our Classmates – written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins, Disney Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group, 9781368003551, 2018

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5

What did you like about the book Penelope Rex is a little nervous about the first day of school but is also excited to meet her new classmates.  There’s just one problem… everyone looks so delicious!  Our prehistoric protagonist finds it hard to make friends when she keeps gobbling them up (and spitting them out with a lot more dinosaur saliva on their clothes than before).  Penelope has a lot to learn but soon finds out what it’s like to have someone try to eat her when their class pet takes a snap at her claws.  With her lesson learned, the little dino turns over a new leaf and has more fun than ever before.

This book addresses an important port of the “starting school” topic by including a character who needs to learn to alter their behavior.  Some children may not have many playmates before school and will be unsure how to act; empathy and kindness are learned skills that some pre-K to K kids will still be fine tuning as they begin a formal education.  Higgins presents a silly story with a great role model to demonstrate how our actions affect others and how we can change for the better.

In addition to an important message through the main story, Higgins creates a welcoming classroom atmosphere populated by wonderfully diverse students.

Anything you didn’t like about it?  Storytime readers will need a little practice holding this book as it is unusually long.  This is not an overall negative as it works well with the landscape of Higgins’ illustrations, but be prepared to adjust your usual pose!

To whom would you recommend this bookKids entering pre-K or Kindergarten from ages three and up will love this silly story!  While it makes a fantastic “starting school” or “back to school” book, it can be read at any time of the year.

Who should buy this book? Libraries (public and elementary school)

Where would you shelve it ? Picture books

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? A highly recommended read for those planning a dinosaur, friends, or school storytime!

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Melissa McCleary, Pembroke Public Library, Pembroke, MA

Date of reviewJuly 14, 2018

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The Prince and the Pee by Greg Gormley, illustrated by Chris Mould

The Prince and the Pee by Greg Gormley, illustrated by Chris Mould, Nosy Crow, 9780763699161, 2018

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5

Genre:  Picture book/Fantasy/Humor

What did you like about the book? This book is bright and colorful and downright funny. Prince Freddie is on a quest with his mighty steed, Sir Rushington, to vanquish a dragon. Prince Freddie is bold, Prince Freddie is brave, Prince Freddie needs to pee really badly. Every time he tries to go pee he is either too embarrassed, outnumbered, or chased away. When he finally faces off against the scary dragon, he can’t do anything until he pees. By peeing he saves the castle and impresses the dragon with his bravery. The last page will have you laughing out loud.

Anything you didn’t like about it? Surprisingly, no.

To whom would you recommend this book? Kids who love to laugh at body functions will enjoy this one and kids who are interested in knights and dragons, too.

Who should buy this book? Public libraries and daycares will enjoy reading this for story time.

Where would you shelve it? Picture books, humor, fantasy

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Maria Touet, Pope John XXIII High School, Everett, MA

Date of review: July 14, 2018

Posted in *Starred Review, Book Review, Fantasy, Humor | Tagged | Leave a comment

Twig by Aura Parker

      Twig by Aura Parker, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781534424685, 2018.

Format: Hardcover

Rating:1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5

Genre:  Picture book

What did you like about the book? This fun and charming picture book by Australian author and illustrator Aura Parker is very unique. Its color palette is muted but still vibrant and the story is all about trying to be seen, which is an issue that every child can relate to.

It’s the story of Twig, a stick bug, who blends in a bit too well at her new school. No one sees her and when she’s mistaken for a twig, one last time, she shouts and finally gets the attention of her teacher and classmates. They welcome her and make a gift that allows them to see her better and Twig is very happy.

This warm-hearted story will be wonderful for story time and there are even two search games, one on the inside front cover and one on the inside back cover, so be careful if you put  a book jacket on this one, because you could miss out on the games!

Anything you didn’t like about it? No

To whom would you recommend this book?  Kids who love bugs will really love this book, and so might kids who seek attention.

Who should buy this book? Public libraries, PreSchool to grade 3, and daycares could use this book for story time and for new readers to enjoy on their own.

Where would you shelve it?Picture books

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Maria Touet, Pope John XXIII High School, Everett, MA

Date of review:  July 13, 2018

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