Fun Folklore For Lower Elementary Readers
584464
I love the illustrations in this book, and the fact that Hispanic names and personalities are used; as a librarian, I find it appealing that the author considered our young Latino readers!  The presence of ghostly characters will also add to its potential readability!
This is too weighty a book to be considered an easy-picture book; it will be shelved with folklore in our library.  That does not detract from the worth of the book!  I mention it only so potential buyers will know that the best age range for this one is probably 6-10 years old.
1449077
This is a bit of a nonsense story but the rhymed text is easy enough to get a beginning reader into the story. I liked some of the other books in this series better but this is passable and the illustrations are cute.

Book provided by publisher.
2257399
I am an elementary school librarian.  I used this book in a lesson on Groundhog Day.  The story does an excellent job of weaving lots of facts into a cute story.  The kids (and I) learned many facts about groundhogs.  However, I found this story to be a little too complicated for kindergarten and first grade.  The book includes so much non-fiction alongside the 120-year-old folktale about a marmot predicting the weather that little kids have trouble sorting out what's real and what's not.  I was afraid that they'd come to school in shorts when Phil didn't see his shadow.

This is a fantastic story to use with 2nd grade and beyond, but I recommend something less complex (like Pat Miller's Substitute Groundhog) for younger kids.
2453858
We've read the other books in this series and were eager to check out the third installment. The animal characters we've known from the other stories have a new mystery to solve in this one, as their friends in the forest start falling ill.

My kids have now enjoyed all three adventures in the series. They said this wasn't quite as good as the first two books, but still liked it very much. The chapters are fairly short and the book is quick to read. The characters are likeable and the plot interesting. It says this book is recommended for ages 7 to 12 and I think that's a great target. It's perfect for readers into chapter books, but could also make a good read aloud for younger readers not comfortable tackling it on their own.
1201782
The artwork is expressive and fun, and most kids will enjoy this light romp through the universe.  Dont look for any great plot twists or scientific credibility, but there are some fun characters, a few laughs, and an obvious but positive theme.  This is a great book for early readers who are in the transitional chapter book stage, but it is also a good book for an older struggling reader because the low reading level isn't apparent to other kids.  This book is simple, but long, so it is a good opportunity for early/struggling readers to be successful with a longer text.
4443193
This would be a fun book to read around Halloween or to have in a dress-up corner.  If your little one thinks magic power is fun, they may enjoy reading about a little girl who wants to be a witch.  But she doesn't like bats and spiders, curled up shoes, yucky green hair.  She does love a flying broom, a sparkly wand and her pet cat.  Maybe she could be a good witch?

If you read this book to a class you could write a story about where the children would like to fly if they had a magic broom, or what costume they would like to put on and  then what they would do.  Colorful illustrations enliven this book. 4.5 stars.
4308870
"The Day the Sub Came" is in the vein of the popular "Magic Schoolbus" series of children's books. It presents short adventures and inserts questions about the adventures which can be used as discussion points for the reader. It is a multi-adventure story of a substitute teacher's day told by a substitute teacher. The pictures by Valerie Boris are bright and colorful and complement the text. I knew Carol Gilbert, the author and substitute,  when she was a substitute teacher and I felt she could write a book of her school adventures. Now she has done it, and I am glad.

As in "Magic Schoolbus" adventures, the book goes through silly things that students do to trick a sub, but also some things that might be scary. For example, everyone can chuckle that Mrs. Gilbert is called "Mrs. Giblets" and that students would set the clock ahead to get out for recess 5 minutes early; but the class chipmunk being lost and a girl with a bloody nose call for thought, caring, and action by the sub.

The book is a "let's find out by doing" approach, again as in the "Magic Schoolbus" adventures, and encourages discussion with "asides,"  comments away from the main storyline. One aside is "I hate being benched don't you?" and another asks, "Do you think that punishment sounds fair?"--questions students will surely have comments on. Kids get into trouble and out of trouble and learn things, and the teacher has a satisfying day too.

Some of the day's events include 2 boys switching seats, the class telling the sub they finished their book already, sending notes to each other, dropping a book to make noise, running out the door when the bell rings. You never know what will happen, and it is quite a day, but all gets back to normal at the end of the day, and the class sings Happy Birthday, Mrs. Gilbert (no more Giblets).
2347118
I enjoyed most of the stories in this book. I found them engaging to read.  I was pleased by the way you could be pulled into the stories and they reminded me of the ghost stories I read when I was younger. I do have a couple stories in this book that I would like my daughter to read.  The book could appeal to anyone over the age of 12. I say that because anyone younger would not appreciate the locations or situations in most of the stories. For a nice Halloween read, this is it.
3543992
I was too "old" when my brother got this book through the Troll Book Club at school years ago to seriously dedicate myself to it. However, the cover always conveyed to me the power within, so when I cleaned out my Mom's attic years ago and found Bony-Legs, I hoarded it, just like a witch hoards toddlers for later snacks.

This book is great for new readers, especially ones that are having some trouble with reading. The font is easy to deal with, as it is bigger, and only a few pages are completely filled with print. Kids and adults alike love the quirky, folksy details set in- where else?- the woods. They have a lot of warmth inspired from babushka prints (with even a bit of light neon), but balanced with natural backgrounds that have a bit of surrealistic hues. The storyline has just the right amount of creepiness, humor, and magic. And, right, feet! Anyway, I am happy that old, Slavic folklore is living on through this book (re: Baba Yaga). I gotta go drink some coffee from my mug with chicken feet...
4345860
This is a charming set of stories for younger readers, with the extra special use of Old Masters artwork to illustrate the tale. Young girls who love princesses and castles will find much to like in these delightful little chapter books which outline a sweet little mystery, some adventure, and even a little danger. Recommended for later elementary school-age readers.
828476
This book is ideal for a bedtime, or really just an anytime read-aloud story for the younger set.  It follows the story of Taya, who has her mother's old tutu.  When Taya is quite likely supposed to be in bed, she instead puts the tutu on and frolicks about when the tutu is enchanted by the conveniently-placed Blue Fairy.  Good thing too, as Taya runs into various baddies, including an evil queen.  Fortunately, the magic softens the hearts of these horrible beings and Taya comes through her adventure unscathed...indeed, even wondering if it actually took place.

The artwork is very good.  For a storybook like this, kids often gravitate to the illustrations as they listen to the words.  The illustrations are  clear and appropriate to the part of the story being read, which is no small thing.

The narrative is written in rhyme, and honestly while some of the rhymes may be off a little from a meter standpoint, in reality...who cares?  It's a charming story that smaller kids will enjoy hearing before bedtime...at least mine did!

Note:  I was provided a review copy of this book - I did not promise a review in exchange for the book.
3246702
A charming retelling of two stories of Ganesha, which explain how he became known as the remover of obstacles.

The illustrations by Dusan Bozic complement the text by Dr. Deepak Shimkhada.  The tale works on a couple different levels: not only as an origin story, but also as an illustration of lateral thinking and emotional intelligence.

My one, slight, qualm is the use of the term "axis mundi" at one point, which I think may be a little obscure for the intended audience.  That said, in my experience, children love novel words, and this use might be a way to encourage children to take an interest in such archetypes.

A good, entertaining book for children, of whatever religious tradition -- you do not need to be Hindu to get the point being made.
1712306
This is a wonderful read along for younger readers.  There is some higher vocabulary in the book and the author has included brief definitions on the page with the word.  The book is written in a fun rhyming format. It is nice to see a girl exploring the outdoors and the world of insects.  There are fun facts about the different insects at the end of the book.  This book can be used as a beginning point to explore the outdoors with children.
273180
As an 8th grade English Language Arts teacher, I find this video very useful to illustrate concepts of the folk tale, including hyperbole, hero, etc. Also, this story contains much simile, onomatopoeia, and other poetic devices that are fun to bring up.  The kids enjoy the story and many enjoy B.B. King's blues.
2258338
As a middle school librarian interested in finding an ebook appropriate for students, I was pleased to read The Witch Who Made Adjustments by Vera Nazarian.

The story is amusing to read, and of interest to both elementary and middle grades students (as well as to myself).  I loved the reaction of the bankers to the witch's adjustments.

***Spoiler Alert***

I particularly liked the way the boy in the story responded to the bullies.  Although they had not treated him well, he did not stoop to their level, and in doing so likely saved their lives.  It was sad to see the boy get further in debt purchasing food for the witch and doing other things to meet her needs.  But this turned out to be a very small price for him to pay for the witch's adjustment that allowed him to get his father back alive from the war.

It should be noted that the boy does purchase champagne along with a nice dinner which he brings home to his mother, and he does try a bit of the leftovers, but the story is apparently set in a culture or a time in which it is not illegal for minors to purchase or consume weak alcohol.  And the boy's resultant confusion is a necessary plot element in the transformation of certain items into his returned father.
4030213
So the recommended reading age is grades 4-6 on this book and I wholeheartedly agree!! In fact I think this is perfect from my 3rd grader to take on and think she would like it.  I hesitate to think my 6th grader reluctant reader son would enjoy this. For that age group I think this is a fun, easy, engaging and kind of creative little read.  The characters are simple yet have a little depth to them. The story moves at a good pace and keeps information simple.  It would probably be a 4 star book from that age groups perspective.  I think it may be a great inspiration for this age group to read the REAL fables and fairy tales and not just think there is the Disney version available.
Now as an adult rating this I would give it more of a 2-3 star rating because I readily picked up some inconsistencies with the story, minor but definitely a few were peppered throughout.  It was very predictable from my perspective, and the main characters were kind of annoying.  But then I find my self easily annoyed by 11 almost 12 year old children lately (I can say this because one resides in my house at this moment.)  I am not rushing to pick up the next book.
3649656
This is a sweet counting story told in verse about a brave little witch ' on a long, speedy broom" who on Halloween rescues other little witches from an assortment of goblins, ghosts, snakes and other critters, as each witch uses her own little broom to complete a different task, such as lifting a pumpkin pie from an oven and sweeping cobwebs from a tomb.  The critters look nearly as adorable as the altruistic little witches who speed around on the broom. Very cute!