Good Rosie! by Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Harry Bliss. unpgd. Candlewick Press, September 4, 2018. 9780763689797. (Review from finished copy courtesy of publisher.)
First things first, I am a sucker for a dog story. Especially if the dog doesn't die. But, it's not a deal breaker if it does. Second, I think Kate DiCamillo is a brave author who is unafraid to take risks and experiment.
Rosie is a good dog. She lives with George and has a nice life. But, truth be told, she is a bit lonely. Maybe George is too. When George takes a bit of initiative and takes Rosie to a dog park, she really doesn't know what to do! Even though she is lonely and would really want a friend, she is not sure what to do! This is all so strange!
When Maurice lumbers over, Rosie is not pleased. When Fifi yips over and tries to play, she ends up in Maurice's mouth and he shakes Fifi like his bunny. Not a good start. Maurice and George intervene. Phew!
My, my. This. Is.The. Best. Book! If you are a teacher looking for books about friendship, look no further. This is the book for you. There is not one wasted word and every illustration enhances those words. Making friends is an art form that not all master. Kate DiCamillo helps crystalize what it takes in a loving way
While it's a picture book, it's also an introduction to the graphic novel format. Bliss' watercolor illustrations perfectly portray Rosie's life - with George and with her newfound friends realistically and adorably.
Make some time to share Rosie with your favorite child, your favorite class, or your favorite storytime group. Good Rosie is meant to be shared. Loved this so much!
The Trouble with Ants by Claudia Mills. Illustrated by Katie Kath. The Nora Notebooks #1. 164 p. Random House Children's Books, September 22, 2015. 9780385391610. (Arc courtesy of Blue Slip Media)
Yay for Nora! Ten-year-old Nora Alpers is self-possessed, observant, practical and mad about science - ants in particular. Ever since she read about an eleven-year-old who earned a world record as the youngest ever to publish a science article, Nora has been thinking about beating that record. She's the daughter of two scientists. She keeps a notebook containing the observations she makes about her ant farm. She knows tons of facts about ants and she's innately curious and willing to test hypotheses.
She's also a (hilariously) keen observer of human behavior. She has a couple of friends who are boys but would never dream of sitting with them at lunch at school since that's just not done. She notes that there are corollaries in nature where females spend time away from males. She also notes the similarities between queen bee Emma's shrieking responses to alpha male, Dunk's posturing and animal mating rituals. She's wise enough to keep these observations to herself and makes sure she displays enough courtesy and interest in these goings on to maintain cordial relations with her classmates. What an endearing character!
This engaging upper-elementary/ middle grade novel features not only tons of ant facts and a a girl-scientist, but authentic fourth grade drama, dialogue and social situations. There's plenty of humor here and the spot art nicely illustrates a variety of the more humorous scenes. Additionally, each chapter ends with a scrap of Nora's notebook entries brimming with ant facts.
This is a series starter that is sure to please. Teachers will love the STEM that's embedded in the story and their students will enjoy reading a fun story.
Starring Jules (Third Grade Debut) by Beth Ain. Illustrated by Anne Keegan Higgins. Starring Jules series #4. 165 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., August, 2014. 9780545113586. (Finished copy courtesy of publisher for review)
My favorite budding actress, Jules Bloom, is less than enthusiastic about starting third grade. Transitions are hard and, let's face it, Jules has a lot on her plate what with filming her sitcom every day after school. She really, really wishes problems could be solved in 20 minutes the way they are on the show. She also wishes she could be brave and spunky like her character, Sylvie. Plus, she really, really wanted her former babysitter as her third grade teacher; but she's stuck with Mr. Santorini. Mr. Santorini wears Hawaiian shirts and has a star chart and talks like a sea captain and there's a third grade project called Wax Museum and, it's just all too much!
This is such a sweet series for elementary readers. Jules is a star with talent and aspirations but she's also a daughter, sister, friend and student with very real, relatable worries and hopes. She loves her new best friend, Elinor; is perplexed about her old best friend, Charlotte (and jealous when Charlotte shows up late on the first day of school wearing cool, polka dot eye glasses) and is annoyed by her younger brother, Henry, who is starting kindergarten seemingly without a care in the world. Oh to be a kindergartener again!
The text is punctuated with breezy line drawings. My only quibble is that Jules looks to be a bit older than 8 or 9. The book design is zippy what with the bright yellow cover and red page-edges.
This series is popular over at the elementary school where my colleague states they are rarely on the shelf. Recommended for anyone, especially fans of Clementine, Junie B. or aspiring thespians.
Completely Clementine by Sara Pennypacker. 179 p. Disney/ Hyperion, March, 2015. 9781423123583. (Borrowed from public library)
The end of third grade is fast approaching and Clementine refuses to say "Good-bye" to Mr. D'Matz. While she's looking forward to summer, she does not feel ready for fourth grade and all its demands and surprises. She's looking forward to the summer though. She has been giving her father the silent treatment because he un-apologetically ate meat. She has been drawing pictures of sad animals and leaving them in strategic places. She wants her mom to have this baby already but is a bit worried that her new sibling is going to be a dud like Mr. D'Matz's.
Sob! The very last Clementine book! Can it be? This final installment is as fresh and funny as the first and makes me want to go back and read them all right in a row. Clementine has come a long way in third grade thanks to two great parents plus one fantastic teacher plus one spectacular principal. They all appreciate her gifts and work to gently yet firmly rein in her impulses.
Clementine is a spirited handful - ever observant, rarely reserved and exceeding creative. Her growth from book to book was realistic. The dialogue rang true. The spot art that usually began on the title and verso and dedication pages captured Clementines energy brilliantly. A perfect ending to a fun series. Uh-oh! I just realized that we never learn her brother's name! Clementine sure came up with some doozies for him over the course of the series. She comes up with a perfect name for her newest sibling.
Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor by Jon Scieszka. Frank Einstein series #1. Illustrated by Brian Biggs. 180 p. Amulet Books/ Abrams, August 19, 2014. 9781419712180. (Review from arc courtesy of the publisher.)
Young Frank Einstein is a science guy. His interest in science is nurtured by his Mr. Fixit grandpa, Al. He loves to hang out at grandpa's shop with his pal Watson. He's trying to invent a robot to enter into the annual science fair. After his attempt at assembly fails, Frank leaves the parts and a fortuitous bolt of lightning provides just enough juice for Klink and Klank to come to life. Klink is a bit of a stick-in-the-mud and Klank just wants a hug and some good beats to boogie to.
Frank has an arch-nemesis who is not above performing some industrial espionage in order to make sure that Frank doesn't win the science competition. T. Edison and his simian sidekick, Mr. Chimp, who communicates using American Sign Language will stop at nothing in their quest to win the science fair and ultimately dominate the world. (Insert evil laugh here.)
Scieszka rolls up real science and riffs on pop culture in a fast-paced plot packed with humor. Brian Biggs' illustrations add to the fun. For Scieszka's legions of fans, young and old, this will be an automatic purchase even without the blurbs by Tom Angleberger and Jeff Kinney. This is definitely one to give to your fans of both Origami Yoda and Wimpy Kid. Heck, give it to any kind of reader.
Check out this video of the author talking about the book. TMS students should check out the dedication page because you know Bob and Mary Brown. They are the owners of Books, Bytes and Beyond. It is thanks to them that we've had some fantastic author visits. They brought us Tim Federle, Kenneth Oppel, and Scott Westerfeld, among others in the past. This October, George Hagen will visit fifth and six grades. I can't wait to get back to school and share this with you!
Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake by Julie Sternberg. Illustrated by Matthew Cordell. 183 p. Amulet Books, March 18, 2014. 9781419710339. (Review from finished copy courtesy of publicist.)
Eleanor, my favorite worrier, is back in a third volume and I couldn't be more delighted. If you haven't read Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie or Like Bug Juice on a Burger, don't worry. This can stand alone but I do recommend reading them or reading them aloud to a group of young children. Eleanor's worries and fears are every child's worries and fears. Children will feel comfortable discussing these at story-time.
In the first novel, Eleanor copes with the loss of her favorite babysitter and learns to trust and love a new one. In the second, she spends a few weeks at sleep-away camp and makes a new friend. In Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake, not only is Eleanor's best-friendship with Pearl threatened by a new girl, she finds her shy self cast as the lead in the class play! Not only does she have to sing for an audience, but she has to kiss Nicholas in it as well. Nicholas, who writes her sweet notes that she saves and kicks her chair, "not too hard."
Eleanor is likable and relatable. The interactions between her and her friends, classmates, parents and teachers are authentic and familiar. The blank verse flows nicely. I love how the author perfectly distills everyday moments and interactions in a child's universe. The plentiful spot art adds to the story. Illustrator, Matthew Cordell conveys emotion with just a few strokes of the pen as well as plenty of humor. Both the author and illustrator nail the small moments - the friendships, the dialogues, the worries and skirmishes.
I hope there will be more Eleanor books in the future. What kind of juice can the next one be?
Edited to add: Found this out on @SternbergJulie - a curriculum guide!
Author'S web page and illustrator's web page.
by Emma Stevenson. 32 p. Holiday House Inc., March, 2013. 9780823422937. (Borrowed from the public library.)
Seven ecosystems, seven gorgeous double-page spreads depicting a swamp, the Florida Everglades, desert, the Sahara, rain forest, South America's Amazon, a savannah, a deciduous forest, the arctic, and coral reef, Australian's Great Barrier Reef. Lots of animals inhabit the scenes, some more camouflaged than others. A smaller duplicate scene follows with each animal numbered. Instead of identifying each animal numerically, the animal names are listed alphabetically, followed by the number, which makes for additional searching. Each ecosystem is described along with a sentence about each animal.
There isn't a lot of information provided about either the ecosystem or the animals. This book won't serve report writers very well, but will appeal to browsers and trivia hounds. Recommended for grades 2 - 5.
Illustrated by Matthew Cordell. 120 p. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, March, 2013. 9780547829118. (Purchased)
Sam just loves to fish. He and his dad have a sacred fishing routine and he is so looking forward to going fishing the next day. Just Sam and Dad, Dad and Sam. Then, he discovers that his tackle box has been invaded by a princess doll, a throne, a clown and a bottle of perfume. Lucy!
Sam finds Lucy wearing his lucky fishing cap and riding a boat fashioned out of his fishing maps and steering with his compass. She was fair; she made a trade.
Sam is not amused.
Unfortunately, the next day, he finds that his dad is rather difficult to get out of bed, but Lucy is up and raring to go. Uh-oh.
This delightful story of fishing and sibling rivalry is told through a variety of poetic forms and link together in a blank verse novel sure to please the upper elementary crowd, and their language arts teachers as well. Matthew Cordell's whimsical black, white and grey line art perfectly captures Sam's growing dismay and Lucy's blissful exuberance.
But wait, there's more! Not only does the poet helpfully notate the type of poem under each title, but a "Poet's Tackle Box" is provided at the end in which, Ms. Will Wissinger helpfully explains poetic terms like rhyme and rhythm, and techniques like alliteration and assonance and imagery and simile, as well as poetic forms like ballad and cinquain. This is sure to thrill the LA teachers in my building as our school participates in an annual poetry festival and all students are expected to submit at least one poem for consideration to represent their grade level in a culminating, valley-wide celebration.
I was very sad not to be able to make Matthew Cordell's signing of this book at ALA Annual and not just because he promised to draw a quick sketch for everyone on line, but because I'm a fan of his work and wanted to meet him in person. On Monday, I happened by the Houghton Mifflin booth and spied a stack of the books for sale. Score! Then I learned that the author was there to sign! Double score! Then I discovered that the batch had also been signed by M.C. Yes!
I'm donating this to my school's library.
Do check this one out. I'm sure I will be purchasing a few more copies as the LA teachers discover it.
Click here for Tamera Will Wissinger's website and here for Matthew Cordell's website.
Other blog reviews:
GreenBeanTeenQueen
100 Scope Notes
Bookends
150 p. Hyperion Books for Children, March, 2013. 9781423123576. (purchased)
It's spring in Boston. And that means that Clementine's friend, Margaret is going crazy with spring cleaning, including scrubbing Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings (the bronze sculptures in Boston Public Gardens). Her mom's belly is getting bigger with baby number 3 and she and her dad have a secret. They are building a five-sided table to accommodate their growing family. Her spring trip to Plimoth Plantation is looming as well. The big question in everyone's mind is whether the class will be stuck on bus #7. That, and what kind of lunch to bring on the trip due to the eating rules imposed by the fourth graders. Oh, and what to do about Olive, the new girl.
Ah, Clementine, Clementine, one of my favorite literary characters is back! Woo-hoo! Need I tell you that I absolutely adore Clementine? I first met Clementine way back in 2006, I was in a K - 8 school and read the first chapter to all my classes. For the younger ones because she was just perfect and for the older ones for the same reason and to hammer home the concept of voice. I have to say the older students were as interested in reading the rest of the book as the younger.
I was very happy to see that Clementine books were part of the collection when I made the move to a 5 - 8th grade middle school in 2008. I read the last two Clementine books with my ears and while Jessica Almasy did a great job of bringing Clementine to life, I really missed the spot art by Marla Frazee.
Clementine's voice remains hysterical, but she is beginning to show some insight and some self-restraint. I continue to adore Mrs. Rice, Clementine's principal, as well as Margaret. And, I would really love to know what Clementine's little brother's name is.
My only criticism of this one is the timeline of the the class trip. Clementine goes to Plymouth Rock, Plimoth Plantation and, the Mayflower. In that order. Then, they seem to go back to Pimoth Plantation for lunch. Hm-m.
Our seventh grade goes to Boston each year. We spend one jam-packed day in Boston, sleep in a hotel just outside of Boston, then we head down to Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower before hitting Plimoth Plantation the next day. There is no way any self-respecting class trip planner would go to Plymouth Rock, head to Plimoth Plantation, then go to the Mayflower and back to Plimoth Plantation for lunch. It doesn't make sense.
And, while I'm nit-picking, there's no way any student, let alone a third grader would be allowed to trek back, unaccompanied, to the village during the lunch break even if there were direct line of sight between the lunch area and the village, which there is not. Okay fine. It's the teacher in me. Most kids would probably not pick that up.
I can't wait till Clementine becomes a big sister.
