The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls

The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A quick read.  Dark, creepy atmosphere and topics that address some of kids' deepest fears.  BUT, at the end, I am still thinking that this was overall Stephen King's It -lite.  :/  That being said, it wasn't bad, though I never really got into it.  I think in it's place, I'd recommend Neil Gaiman's Coraline as similar & much better (doesn't seem like so much of a knock-off).  Also, it's for older readers (9? 10?).


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Misty of Chincoteague

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'd avoided this book since grade school since it was an animal book that plenty of people just knew I'd love. I probably would have too! I liked it pretty well even as a grown up. :) It's also nice to have some animal books like this intermingled with the Old Yeller's and The Red Pony's out there. A little bit about growing up - both for the young people and animals in the book, but it's not as harsh a transition/decision/lesson as in some of the other animal books out there.

Definitely recommended for kids who love horses or other books with animals, but also recommended for general readers also.

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Uh Oh Baby!

Uh-Oh, Baby! by Nancy Coffelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book reminds me of our youngest son. It's very cute and well-illustrated. I think it's intended for toddlers and preschoolers and I think they can relate to another kid who's doing his best to do something (in Rudy's case making his mom a present) and then something goes wrong. They want to impress, for their mom to say "Wow!" instead of the constant "Uh oh!" when what they're trying to do is a little beyond them (in my toddler's case he wants to unload the dishwasher on his own - by standing on the open dishwasher door and then removing the dishes and intermingling them with whatever else might be on the counter - a serious uh-oh, but he's trying to help... he wants "Wow!").

While the ladybug isn't acknowledged in the text, it's obvious in the pictures and when storytelling to preschool-age kids, asking them what's happening in the picture "What happened here? Why did Rudy's picture blow away?" etc.... is pretty common. And kids are used to the visual - for them, the text *is* part of the picture, so the limited amount of text with a lot going on in the pictures is helpful for them because they don't have to rely on the text (which they can't read yet) to describe the action. Good Dog Carl is another book that has very limited text, but the story is told through the pictures.

Very highly recommended for parents of preschoolers and for story times.

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The Cat: Or, How I Lost Eternity

The Cat: Or, How I Lost Eternity by Jutta Richter
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Enh. For one of the 1001 Children's Books to Read Before You Grow Up, I can think of a lot of others that I'd choose before this one. However, if that editor needed a certain number of books from countries other than the US or UK, then I can understand why they might be included. I just don't see that book (the 1001.... book) being translated into German anytime soon (and if it were, then the editor should have chosen better fare than this - e.g. Cornelia Funke or others).

I *might* have enjoyed it more as a kid, but I kind of doubt it. Too surreal without the charm of most fairy tales.

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Are We There Yet?: A Journey Around Australia

Are We There Yet?: A Journey Around Australia by Alison Lester


Very cute tour of Australia! Recommended for parents teaching young children (up to 3rd grade) about other countries or for families planning to vacation in Australia.

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A Balloon for Grandad

A Balloon for Grandad by Nigel Gray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really hope I remember this story when my little boys lose their first balloon outside! Such a cute story - especially when you have a little fellow in your life that you can picture being distraught over losing such a nice balloon.

Definitely recommended for up to 2nd grade, especially for families who live a fairly long distance from some of their relatives. :)

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The Medusa Plot (Cahills vs. Vespers #1)

The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So this book is the first in the series that I read as a book rather than listened to in the car as an audiobook. It was a little bit harder to get into, but was still compelling once I got going. :) The authors working on the series weave a great story! :D It's nice to see more of some of the minor characters from the first series too - in particular Sinead. It's also nice to see the characters working together again, but one can tell that this alliance is still fragile.

Recommend reading the 39 Clues series first. If you liked that, you'll like this continuation series. :)

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Three Bears' Halloween

The Three Bears' Halloween by Kathy Duval
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oldest son (age 4) thought this was a little scary, but was relieved that it wasn't a real witch, just Goldilocks in disguise. :) A cute story and take on the traditional Three Bears story.

Recommended for kids who like fairy tales, older preschool to 2nd grade will probably enjoy it the most. :D

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Bunny Drop

Bunny Drop 1 by Yumi Unita

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am enjoying this since it takes on a lot of grown-up issues: do parents "sacrifice" themselves to raise kids? should they? what makes a family? how should adults explain things to children like death? Probably because I have a lot of similar thoughts floating around in my mind, I find it a little comforting to have a comic story with a lot of the same issues. I don't like a lot of the novels with these topics because they're too melodramatic or the characters are too self-centered to be enjoyable.

Recommended to parents who enjoy comics/manga.



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A Child's Garden of Verses

A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I remember having read at least some of these poems as a little girl. "The Swing" and "My Shadow" were poems I remembered in particular, though whether I read this before or read those in a different collection, I can't be sure. My oldest boy (3 & a half yrs old) really enjoys the poems. His favorite thus far is "My Shadow." The illustrations in this edition are wonderful also. Very highly recommended for bedtime reading with kids of all ages. Great alternative to a lot of the comical poetry for kids and Mother Goose (though I like those also).



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Cautionary Verses

Cautionary Verses by Hilaire Belloc

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A predecessor to Shel Silverstein. The Cautionary Tales are the best part of the collection in my opinion. :) There are some illustrations that are offensive by today's standards, but might provide a good bridge to a conversation with children about *why* they're considered in extremely bad taste (at best) and what happened to cause public opinions to change. For the most part, the poetry itself isn't as bad in the places where nationality or race are mentioned & Belloc does take a stab at Western Europeans & their looks and characteristics also. Overall, I'd recommend the Cautionary Tales to fans of Shel Silverstein & the entire work to his more mature fans.



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Three Bears

The Three Bears by Byron Barton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Seth (age 3) like the simple illustrations and the story is well-adapted for the sometimes wiggly toddler or preschooler.



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Who's Seen the Scissors?

Who's Seen Scissors by Fernando Krahn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A humorous wordless book about a pair of flying scissors. Recommended for older preschoolers to first grade. :)



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Handa's Surprise

Handa's Surprise by Eileen Browne

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This would be a good storytime book. :) Recommended for preschoolers since it appeals to their sense of humor and teaches colors, fruits, and (subtly) subtraction.



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Christmas Mouse Too!

Visit from Saint Nicholas: And Santa Mouse, Too! by Clement Mouse

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Read several times this year for the holidays. :)



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Incredible Journey

Another children's book it's hard to believe that I missed as a youngster. Boy, to read these posts, you'd think I hadn't opened a book until 2005! Sheila Burnford's story of a young Labrador retriever, a older bull terrier, and an aloof Siamese cat speaks to a broad audience. Enjoyable by children and adults too! This book is especially great to read if a child's just read Where the Red Fern Grows or Old Yeller. Definitely an uplifting animal story. Not as complicated to read as Call of the Wild or White Fang, The Incredible Journey gives readers the feel of the wilderness and the search for home & those who love us that's both exciting and comforting.

Highly recommended for grades 3-6. Also highly recommended for anyone else who loves animals & enjoys animal stories.

Matilda

I can't believe that I'd never read this book as a child! Roald Dahl was one of my favorite authors, though I think he and I had a falling out after I read Danny, Champion of the World when I was in ax. 4th grade - I'm not sure why since I liked reading about Danny and his father living in their caravan. Since the 2nd grade when my teacher Mrs. Stabenow read The Boxcar Children to us, I wanted desperately to live in a boxcar & living in a caravan was very nearly the same thing! I remember not liking that nearly so well as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. At any rate, my Dahl reading tapered off after Danny. sigh... I missed out on a treasure - Matilda is a wonderful book! I would have loved it as a child. I would have loved the child vs. adult aspect of it - I liked other books like that.

I would recommend this book highly to anyone needing a bit of a break from stern grown-up fare, but also interested in a book not dumbed down for children. The book is well-written enough to appeal to grown-ups & helps give us back a piece of that wonder of childhood. Oh - I'd recommend the book for kids too! :)

Sarah, Plain and Tall

This children's book by Patricia MacLachlan was a great story. I enjoyed it now as an adult, but I would have adored it during my "Little House" phase as a kid. Ah well! Don't let the kids you know escape their childhoods without it! If they have time to read Goosebumps, they have time for this one too!

Very highly recommended for all children 5-10 years old & all kids who enjoy Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series or stories about pioneer times. Also recommended for any adult who enjoyed those kinds of stories as a child, but never actually read this one (like me!).

The Tale of Despereaux

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Di Camillo is the story of a very small mouse in love and his adventures. This children's book is a very quick read for an adult, but likely to keep children (I'd say primarily 3rd-5th graders) busy for a few days (definitely less for avid readers). The Tale of Despereaux would also appeal to 1st and 2nd graders as a read-aloud book. This is not to say older children or adults would not enjoy the story (far from it!!) but that they may find it too quick for their tastes. Something like Brian Jacques' Redwall series might have more appeal to middle and high school students.

All that being said, Desperaux and his tale/tail are very cute and it's a very endearing story "for young and old alike." :)

Highly recommended for all children and families - as well as general readers.

Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince

I finally read it! The latest installment in the series by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince is an asset to the series. I found the book to be refreshing in that Harry continues to grow up (and mature) and while sometimes grumpy and melodramatic, has moved beyond being the sullen teen we saw in Order of the Phoenix.

As a reader of the series, I was not disappointed.

Highly recommended for Potter fans. For those unfamiliar with the series, it's best to start at the beginning with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.