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24,400 | 0 | Moser and his young granddaughter (co-creators of My Dog Rosie) depict an ordinary but hilarious day in the life of child-hassled cats. When Isabelle's cousin Emmie visits, "the first thing we do is go find Nick and Nora. It isn't always easy. They have lots of places to hide." The girls coerce the glowering cats into playing school, dressing up, and attending a birthday party complete with big neighborhood dogs ("We invite all their friends...," Isabelle says with exquisite innocence). After a brief escape and capture, detente is achieved with a group nap. The contrast between Isabelle's blithe, sweetly oblivious narration and the cats' expressions of strained tolerance is a stitch. Moser's large, opaque watercolors enhance the clashing agendas by depicting the girls as cheerful lugs who tower physically-if not mentally-over their weary playmates. The rendering of shiny, strokable fur in watercolor is also impressive. Ages 3-up. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-Grade 2?As in My Dog Rosie (Scholastic, 1994), Moser has once again created a book with his young granddaughter. Here Isabelle and her cousin Emmie spend a fun afternoon playing with the family's two cats. Moser's vibrant paintings capture all the lively goings-on and invite readers to join in. As the children search for their feline playmates, two sets of eyes watch warily from their hiding places. The girls dress the animals and give them a birthday party (the guests include a parrot and a couple of dogs, including Rosie). A scruffy neighbor cat ruins things by chasing the guests of honor, but by naptime, the girls and their pets are reunited once more. Moser depicts his subjects with affection and whimsy. As Nick and Nora are wheeled along in the baby carriage, their faces show a mix of resignation and indignation. The story's villain, humorously named Fluffy, poses by a trash-can lid and the skeletal remains of a fish. A great choice for story time.?Marilyn Taniguchi, Santa Monica Public Library, CACopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: My Cats Nick and Nora | [
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24,401 | 0 | PreSchool-Grade 1?Shades of Dr. Seuss's One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (Random, 1960). Bright with primary colors and clean white pages, this similar title is a good choice for children who are just learning to sound out words. "One car, two cars, old car, new car...His car, my car, say good-bye car." Simple but clever, it depicts a variety of dogs in different garb driving all the different autos. Kids will love it.?Jan Shepherd Ross, Dixie Elementary Magnet School, Lexington, KYCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.Ages 2-4. A book about cars in all their varieties of shape, color, size, speed, etc., is a great way to introduce simple concepts to a young audience. Toddlers will see that books can tell them about the exciting vehicles they ride in and play with and love to identify. This title in the Story Corner series has straightforward, brightly colored pictures of zany dog characters driving all kinds of cars, with a pair of words for each picture: "Old car / New car / Yellow car / Blue car." Not all the concepts are as clear, and the rhyme is occasionally forced, but kids will enjoy talking about the vehicles and adding ideas of their own. The design is attractive, with lots of white space, thick card-stock pages, and enticing endpapers of all the cars driving along on lines of highway. Hazel Rochman; Title: Cars! Cars! Cars (Story Corner) | [
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24,402 | 1 | PreSchool-Moser knows dogs, and his three-year-old granddaughter, Isabelle, loves them-in particular, his Rottweiler Rosie (short for "Franklin Roosevelt"). While the artist works at his drawing board, visiting Isabelle cares for (and is good-naturedly tolerated by) Rosie. From feeding him Friskies cat(!) food to bathing him to reading him his favorite book (Carl Goes Shopping by Alexandra Day, of course), Isabelle does not let the dog alone for a minute. Moser's exuberant watercolors capture canine and child expressions and physical relationship to a tee. A final illustration has the napping dog and girl peacefully sharing a quilt. Isabelle's brief narration is just enough to lead readers from page to glorious page. This one will have the picture book set begging for Rosies of their own.Meg Stackpole, Rye Free Reading Room, NYCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.Ages 2-4. Isabelle Harper, given author credit here, is no doubt an unfamiliar name to readers. That's because she's Moser's three-year-old granddaughter, proving, one supposes, that anyone can write a children's book. There's not much to this one, though the goings-on will strike a familiar chord with an audience of Harper's peers. When Grandpa (Moser) goes to work in his studio, Isabelle takes care of Rosie the rottweiler: "I feed him his breakfast"; "I read him his favorite story (Carl Goes Shopping); and after that, I take him outside to play." The pictures, which use the real-life Isabelle, Moser, and Rosie as models, feature snow-white backgrounds and large figures, one or two to a page; they're attractive and appealing. A good choice for toddler story times--short text, big pictures. Ilene Cooper; Title: My Dog Rosie | [
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24,403 | 11 | Kindergarten-Grade 2?As they did in This Is the Way We Go to School (Scholastic, 1990), Baer and Bjorkman have again teamed up to broaden the horizons of youngsters, this time by introducing them to different cuisines from around the world. They follow the format of the earlier title, presenting two rhyming lines per location, beginning with various U.S. sites and then extending outward to Canada, South America, and so on. Additional features include a world map highlighting locations mentioned, three recipes, and a listing of dishes and types of cookery at the book's end. While the watercolor and pen cartoons are fine for conveying local flavor, they sometimes fall short of adequate depictions of some dishes, especially the gumbo, couscous, and Chinese dumplings. Sometimes the food is impossible to detect?the curry, pita bread, and Ghanan beans and rice are completely hidden within their pictures. Thus This Is the Way We Eat Our Lunch will be best presented if followed by further research or taste testing.?Claudia Cooper, Ft. Stockton Independent School District, TXCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.Ages 2^-8. Baer's sprightly rhyme canters on a lunchtime tour around the world through nine states, two Canadian provinces, and 11 countries. An appended world map charts the journey from clam chowder in Massachusetts and hot dogs at Coney Island through soufflein Quebec, plantains in Puerto Rico, couscous in North Africa, curry in India, and tempura in Japan. Food facts and recipes for fruit salad, hummus, and wild rice soup round out the book. Complemented by Bjx9a rkman's delicate, airy pen drawings washed in a wide palette of watercolor tones, the lively rhyme will appeal to a wide range of children, from toddlers who will relish the pictures to young students just beginning to savor the wider world. Linda Ward-Callaghan; Title: This Is the Way We Eat Our Lunch: A Book About Children Around the World | [
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24,404 | 15 | Text: English (translation) Original Language: French; Title: Taming Fire/Volcanoes, Lightning, Cooking, Blacksmithing, Rockets, and Fireworks/Book and Stickers (Voyages of Discovery) | [
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24,405 | 15 | Text: English (translation) Original Language: French; Title: The Rain Forest (First Discovery Book) | [
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24,406 | 0 | Not since Frog and Toad has there been so fetching a pair of friends as Tom and Dom, iguana brothers living south of the border. Really three tales in one, Johnston's (Amber on the Mountain) hilariously deadpan narrative offers snappy dialogue and the same staccato cadence as Arnold Lobel's classics. In the first episode, Tom (the brains of the outfit) turns vegetarian, eschewing bugs for flowers. Next, Tom convinces Dom that they are really fearsome dinosaurs, but when ruling the earth doesn't work out, they settle for ruling a leaf instead. And finally, when Dom admires his favorite constellation-"The Big Iguana," of course-Tom determines to find him a friend just as "twinkly and beautiful." Spanish words and phrases neatly enrich the Mexican setting, and Teague's (Pigsty) loopy sense of humor finds a worthy artistic outlet in the fond interplay between the scaly siblings. His softly shaded illustrations are appropriately rich with hues of green, brown and terra cotta, and his sassy lizards are bursting with personality. Ole! Ages 4-8. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-Grade 3?These three brief tales about iguana brothers Tom and Dom describe how they give up their regular diet of bugs to become flower eaters; explore their physical similarity to dinosaurs; and affirm their friendship. The text includes a variety of Spanish words and expressions that are understandable in context as they are usually accompanied by an English translation (e.g., "?De veras? Really?"). Told in short, declarative sentences, the gently humorous vignettes would be fun for competent beginning-bilingual readers to tackle on their own, or for sharing aloud. Adults will find this an easy-to-use resource for mixed groups of English and Spanish speakers. The format is long and narrow, an eminently suitable shape for illustrations of these long-tailed reptiles. Teague's densely colored acrylic paintings make the most of the story's lush Mexican setting, and include other attention-getting animals such as a snake, toucan, armadillo, and tarantula. Tom and Dom feel like twinkling with happiness at the conclusion of the book; children will leave the story with a similar feeling.?Ellen Fader, Oregon State Library, SalemCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Iguana Brothers: A Tale of Two Lizards | [
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24,407 | 0 | Gr. 2^-3. Chip the invisible boy loses Max (his invisible dog) at the local dog show. Luckily, Chip and friends Justin and Charlene make up Invisible Inc., a team of clever detectives who use their special abilities (invisibility, lip reading, and logic) to solve mysteries. Soon they're hot on the trail of the dognapper, following leads that enable them to solve the case in time for Max to collect a blue ribbon in the show. Second in the Invisible Inc. series, this appealing mystery features likable characters, a solvable plot, and colorful illustrations. Carolyn Phelan; Title: The Mystery of the Missing Dog (Invisible Inc., No. 2: Hello Reader! Level 4) | [
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24,408 | 13 | Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 4—"Ladies and gents, what a jam this will be—/an evening of jazz immortality!" And how! John Coltrane and Charlie Parker on sax, Thelonious Monk on piano, vocals by Ella Fitzgerald, trumpet by Miles Davis, drums by Max Roach, Stanley Clarke on bass! The audience is captivated and carried along on "a river of melody sketched in dim light" in this rhythmic tribute to traditional jazz. The spreads, graphic-styled paintings rendered in deep matte tones with a suggestion of collage, switch between stage and audience, with swirling background patterns portraying the flow of music. The grow-ing excitement of this jazz extravaganza is perfectly complemented by the joyful rhyming text: "Repeat on the beat/when Max Roach keeps the heat/on his drums, rhythm thrums,/makes you jump in your seat." The first track on the accompa-nying CD is an introduction to jazz. Each instrument in the book is highlighted individually, followed by the second track, a recording of the original song "Jazz on a Saturday Night." The Dillons' lyrics comprise part of the book's text, and the number features each of the instruments riffing solo and then the ensemble jamming together. The book opens with a one-page overview of jazz and concludes with biographical snapshots of the featured musicians. A splendid read-aloud/listen-along multisensory title, Jazz is an interdisciplinary workhorse, perfect for music, art, movement, poetry, so-cial studies, and language-arts classes. Pair it with the Dillons' Rap a Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles, Think of That (Live Oak Media, 2005) for a rhythmic explosion of sight, sound, and word.—Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.During more than four decades of illustrating children's books, two-time Caldecott Medalists LEO and DIANE DILLON have received nearly every award and honor in this genre. Although they have illustrated scores of books written by others, this is the second book they have written themselves. The first, Rap a Tap Tap: Here's BojanglesThink of That! was published by The Blue Sky Press in 2002. They live in New York City.; Title: Jazz On A Saturday Night (Coretta Scott King Honor Book) | [
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24,409 | 13 | In a departure from their recognizable illustration style, the versatile husband-and-wife team here uses a striking gouache painting technique that pays homage to Harlem Renaissance artist Aaron Douglas to craft an exuberant picture-book tribute to African-American tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1878-1949). Brief, rhyming text introduces the tall, lean and dapper man who "danced in the street" and "made art with his feet." In keeping with tapdancing tradition, each line of verse returns to a rhythmic refrain ("Rap a tap tap think of that!"). The deceptively simple text conveys the complexities of the era: "He danced past doors; some were open, some closed" accompanies a montage of entryways, with some people welcoming Robinson, but a white man closing his door. On the other hand "folks in fancy clothes" depicts whites and blacks together outside a show. Most spreads exude the everyday joys of a bustling city neighborhood, and the bouncy beat will hold the attention of even youngest readers. A short biographical note appears at the end of the book. The cubed-looking apartment buildings, an elevated/subway train, store fronts and traffic lights suggest Manhattan (eagle-eye readers will notice an obscured sign for 125th Street), but the scenes are general enough to lend the art a universal, timeless feel. The Dillons cleverly depict Robinson's fast-flying feet with varying shades of the same color around his legs, creating a sense of movement with a shadow/silhouette effect. The graceful figure he cuts on the page is a hoofer's delight. Ages 3-up.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.reSchool-Grade 2-Legendary African-American tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1878-1949) is the subject of this picture book. Graphically, the volume is a joy and would work well in a group setting. The left side of each spread contains an outdoor scene in which people are captivated by the performer's dancing: exuberant children, dressed-to-the-nines adults, the ragged homeless. Where the boldly painted, flat images overlap, the colors change, as if the foreground objects were transparent. Continuing this approach, the dancer is rendered in brown, gray, or black on the right, sporting multiple appendages-that is, the parts of his body that are still "moving" appear in lighter shades behind or on top of the more deeply hued arms and legs. There is a sense of progressive motion until the climax, when Bojangles moves across the entire white field, a series of intersecting pale gray to black forms, finally bowing, top hat in hand. The simple, rhymed text is less inspired, sometimes a bit forced: "His feet fairly flew as he tipped his hat.- He briefly paused to pat an old cat." Each short sentence is followed by the refrain, "Rap a tap tap-think of that!" While there is call-and-response potential, it all gets a bit tedious. An afterword gives a bit more information about Robinson. This is a visually interesting introduction to a performer about whom little is written for children.Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public LibraryCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Rap a Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles - Think of That! (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books) | [
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24,410 | 15 | Grade 4-6?A flashy, colorful set of books with numerous die-cut pages, transparencies, fold-outs, and reusable stickers. All of the titles feature short text, lots of full-color illustrations, informative captions, and sidebars. The spiral bindings are enclosed in a standard spine, making the books easy to label and attractive to shelve. Architecture begins with simple shelters, progresses to the classical world's constructions, medieval castles and cathedrals, Japanese paper houses, bridges, London's Crystal Palace, skyscrapers, and Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. Moviemaking covers the development of motion pictures from stills, the invention of talkies and technicolor, Hollywood, competition from television, special effects and animation, and notable people, such as Chaplin and Eisenstein. Flight starts with the dream of flight and flying animals and continues with kites, gliders, balloons and dirigibles, the invention of airplanes, the Wright Brothers, early flying aces, warplanes, and how navigational systems work. Wind discusses the atmosphere, clouds, different kinds of precipitation, rainbows and mirages, weather systems and storms, climates, and forecasting the weather. None of the books goes into great depth, but all have small, useful tidbits of information scattered throughout. Occasionally, simplification of the topics results in some strange wording: e.g., drag is explained by saying that "air tries to pull the plane backward," and light is compared to "millions of tiny balls," which may be misleading to beginners. Nonetheless, due to their format, style, and appealing topics, these books are sure to be popular.?Jeffrey A. French, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public LibraryCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.Text: English (translation) Original Language: French; Title: Wind and Weather: Climates, Clouds, Snow, Tornadoes, and How Weather Is Predicted (Scholastic Voyages of Discovery. Natural History) | [
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24,411 | 20 | Leo and Diane Dillon have collaborated on 40 illustrated books and won a shelfful of major awards for their artistic work, including two Caldecott Medals. No surprise, then, that this book is a feast for the eyes--but it's remarkable even by their exalted standards. The text, printed in large, clear capitals along the bottom of the pages, consists simply of the famous verses from Ecclesiastes: "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die...." Each phrase is illustrated by one of 16 panels, and each panel stems from the artistic style of a different culture, from Egyptian tomb friezes, to Japanese harvest scenes, to Aboriginal bark paintings, to Greek vase paintings. The rich, sophisticated illustrations may appeal more to parents than to their children--and verses like "a time to kill" may be too much for the very young--but there could be no more beautiful vehicle for the old wisdom that we have to know, expect, and live with both the good and the bad that life will inevitably bring us. At the end of the book the authors provide interesting information on the style and the art history behind each illustration. (Click to see a sample spread. Illustrations copyright 1998 by Leo & Diane Dillon. Permission from The Blue Sky Press, Scholastic, Inc.) (Ages 5 and older) --Richard FarrThe poetic words of the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes have been read, sung and whispered in countless books, songs and prayers. But in this picture-book tour de force, the two-time Caldecott Medalists celebrate the universality of the time-honored verse, depicting its relevance throughout history, spanning all cultures and religions. At first glance, readers will recognize in the jacket art a painting possessing many of the signature hallmarks of the Dillons' work: dramatic, intriguing human figures and subtle, earthy tones. Once inside, however, readers witness the artists giving over their own recognizable approach to immerse themselves in the style and media of several different world cultures. The opening painting, inspired by illuminated manuscripts and the Book of Kells, suggests the great things to come. The intricately rendered pattern consists of carefully arranged circles that contain symbols of nature and the seasons; they nearly swirl on the page, creating a larger visual circle that suggests the cycle of life. The subsequent spreads each contain a single line of text in a crisp font, and an expansive double-panel painting which incorporates cultural motifs and the palette and tone of a particular era and region of the world. To illustrate "A time to weep,/ and a time to laugh," for example, the artists show a young man in 16th-century India leaving his sorrowful family during a time of drought; on the juxtaposing page he joyfully returns to a lush landscape, opulently dressed and bearing riches. Other destinations in the book include ancient Egypt (featuring a sarcophagus and the god of mummification, Anubis), medieval Europe (in which villagers mourn a loved one and dance at a wedding) and 18th-century Japan (woodblock prints of people working in the rice paddies). Many readers will liken the experience of viewing this astonishing array of art styles and media to walking through a brilliantly curated exhibition in a museum. The ample detail in costume, geography and symbolism allows each work to tell its own grand story. And the wealth of emotion on the faces of the players here further personalizes their histories. In addition, the Dillons explain the historical background of and the inspiration for each illustration in a succinct and thoroughly researched afterword. All told, this enlightening volume exudes a quiet elegance readers will not soon forget. All ages. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: To Every Thing There Is A Season | [
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24,412 | 1 | Text: English (translation) Original Language: French; Title: Mammals: Whales, Panthers, Rats, and Bats : The Characteristics of Mammals from Around the World (Voyages of Discovery) | [
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24,413 | 11 | Kindergarten-Grade 4-Hamilton's masterful retelling of the tar baby story brings Bruh Rabbit to Bruh Wolf's well-tended garden, where he just helps himself to the corn and peanuts. A "scarey-crow" doesn't frighten Bruh Rabbit at all, so Bruh Wolf puts up a tar baby girl, "standing black in the moonshine." Bruh Rabbit is perplexed. "This seems like a little girl. I best study upon this here." By the time he's done studying upon that silent girl, he's completely stuck. Bruh Wolf is ready to eat him, but Bruh Rabbit pleads, "- I beg you.- You may roast me and toast me; you may cut me up and eat me. But whatever you do, don't throw me in the briar bush!" Readers familiar with or new to the story will relish the rabbit's sneaky escape. Retold in Gullah, Hamilton's narrative is meticulously paced, lyrical, hilarious, and a joy to read aloud. Ransome's lush watercolors suit the story perfectly; there are expansive double-page paintings as well as full-page pictures that face a page of framed, large-print text. An endnote describes the story's origins, as well as some of the possibly obscure terms. This lovely example of a folktale in picture-book format will be a welcome addition to any library.Nina Lindsay, Oakland Public Library, CACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreS-Gr. 2. As demonstrated in her African American story collections The People Could Fly (1985) and Her Stories (1995), the late Hamilton's research into history and folklore has always been rigorous, but she has never allowed it to get in the way of her telling. In this version of the beloved Tar Baby trickster story, she drew on Gullah folklore from the Sea Islands of South Carolina. Her rhythmic, immediate version is well matched by Ransome's paintings, both cozy and exciting, which extend the fun with beautiful farmland scenes at "dayclean" (dawn) and "daylean" (evening) picturing the wily rabbit thief in human clothes repeatedly outwitting the wolf. The hilarious climax of the story is unforgettable as Rabbit first talks to Tar Baby ("'Girl, why won't you speak to me? What you doing out here?'"), then sticks to her, each part of his body in turn. Although things look bleak, Rabbit still wins in the end, and Hamilton's source note, which points to Bruh Rabbit as a favorite character among African American slave storytellers, who always seemed helpless but was traditionally really tricky and clever. A perfect choice for reading aloud. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Bruh Rabbit And The Tar Baby Girl | [
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24,414 | 0 | Book by Berger, Joan, Task, Anita; Title: Wacky Animal Tracing Fun | [
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24,415 | 1 | Grade 1-4-As in the previous titles in this series, Arnosky draws on his personal experiences and observations to share his fascination for the natural world with children. The realistic, colorful illustrations depict a wide variety of turtles, from the massive marine leatherbacks to the land-loving box turtle and the familiar painted turtle of freshwater ponds. This visual feast is accompanied by a simple text describing turtle physiology, habitats, lifestyles, and reproduction. An unfortunate lapse, however, is that there is no scale to indicate size comparison, which may confuse children not up on turtle physiology. Team this with Melvin Berger's less elegant (but still attractive) Look Out for Turtles! (HarperCollins, 1992) for a fine chelonian presentation.Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.``Have you ever wondered about turtles?'' For readers who have wondered, this is an outstanding introduction. Arnosky provides a brief, informative text and beautiful, detailed full-color paintings with enormous appeal. He describes freshwater, salt water, and land-dwelling turtles, showing the differences in shell structure, patterns, anatomy, habitat, eggs, and diet. Only common names are given for the species illustrated, but many will be familiar. For example, freshwater turtles include the cooter, spotted, and painted turtles, while sea turtles depicted are the loggerhead, leatherback, and softshell. The author does not include size or range information. When specialized scientific language is used, the carefully placed drawings make clear what the author refers to. For example, drawings show the upper and lower turtle shell and are labeled ``carapace'' and ``plastron.'' There are also side views to help the reader tell a female turtle with convex plastron and the male turtle with concave plastron. Part of the ``All About'' series, this is an unusually appealing title by a fine science artist and author. Recommended with enthusiasm. (Nonfiction. 7-10)-- Copyright 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.; Title: All About Turtles | [
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24,416 | 2 | PreSA white rabbit jumps out of a black top hat and discovers that he can make magic. He pulls out nine balls (that resemble the planets) and juggles them, drives around in a car that has emerged from the hat, and creates a picnic of delicious food. However, though he enjoys doing tricks, he decides that he needs a friend. After failed attempts with a frog that hops out of the hat and off the page, two mice that scurry away, and three fluttering blue jays, the rabbit discovers there's another hat inside his magic one. A second rabbit shoots out of it, and, PRESTO!, a friendship is born. The richly hued oil paintings with their varying perspectives and textures are the highlight of this tale, but the tepid, almost unnecessary, text makes it less than magical.Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS-Gr. 1. What an inviting cover! Set against a sunset-orange background are the title, displayed in shiny Mylar letters, and a white rabbit coming out of a hat. But this rabbit is more intent than cute; inside the book children meet a creature that performs all sorts of tricks but is increasingly lonely. Being a conjurer, Rabbit manifests a few friends--but the frog jumps off and the birds fly away. Then, inside his hat, Rabbit finds a second hat. Out of it jumps another magic rabbit--a friend at last. The story is slight, but children will focus on Watson's spectacular art, which fuses realism with fantasy. The rabbits look like ones kids might find in the garden, but the spreads burst with stars, scarves, and planets, and decks of cards fly through the air. Watson is an excellent colorist, using deep, fruity background hues to give a lift to every spread. The oversize format, short text, and eye-candy visuals make this a good choice for story hour. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Magic Rabbit | [
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24,417 | 1 | JIM ARNOSKY has written ninety-eight books about wildlife and nature for children, and has been awarded the American Association for the Advancement of Science Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in science illustration. When he and his wife are not travelling and exploring nature, they live in Vermont.; Title: All About Frogs | [
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24,418 | 2 | Debbie Dadey is the bestselling co-author of THE ADVENTURES OF THE BAILEY SCHOOL KIDS series, along with writing partner Marcia Thornton Jones. Debbie has also written many books of her own, including the SWAMP MONSTER IN THIRD GRADE series and THE WORST NAME IN THIRD GRADE. She lives and writes in Fort Collins, Colorado, with her family.Marcia Thornton Jones is co-author of the bestselling THE ADVENTURES OF THE BAILEY SCHOOL KIDS series, along with single titles like CHAMP. She has been writing for Scholastic for almost twenty years! Marcia lives and writes in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband and their two cats.; Title: Cupid Doesn't Flip Hamburgers (The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids, #12) | [
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24,419 | 2 | Grade 4-6?As with the previous books in this series imported from France, plenty of format variations, including gatefolds, shaped edges, clear overlays, and embossed leaves?plus a sheet of stickers in a rear pocket?pump up presentations that already bulge with bright, sharply reproduced art. Making Books focuses on materials, from clay and bamboo to paper, and the technological development of type, printing, and binding. It also encompasses libraries, censorship, and children's books, though book illustration receives cursory treatment and there are only passing references to CDs and electronic formats. The forces that shape Our Changing Planet, including plate tectonics, climate, and the Earth's deep structure, get a quick review, prefaced by spreads on exploratory voyages, early science, and mythological views of the planet's origin. In both titles, a busy mix of full-color photos, reproductions of museum art, and new paintings both decorative and descriptive, force the captions into nooks and crannies, but generous line spacing gives the main texts an uncluttered look. The information is somewhat but not entirely Eurocentric, and though credited "Expert Readers" left in some howlers?the Earth's estimated age is off a thousandfold in Planet, and it is not quite true that magnets "point toward the North and South Poles"?the narratives are coherent, if general. These glitzy browsing items make great gifts but aren't likely to stay intact for long under library conditions.?John Peters, New York Public LibraryCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.Text: English (translation) Original Language: French; Title: Our Changing Planet: How Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and Weather Shape Our Planet (Scholastic Voyages of Discovery. Natural History, 17) | [
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24,420 | 2 | "Radiant with hope, this keenly observed and poignant novel is a stellar addition to YA literature," said PW in a starred review, praising Wolff's use of "meltingly lyric blank verse" to tell of two inner-city teenage girls struggling toward better lives. Ages 12-up. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Make Lemonade | [
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24,421 | 11 | It seemed like there was no one brave enough in all of East Texas to spend the night in the creepy old mansion haunted by Sifty Sifty Sam. Even the $5,000 reward wasn't enough for most folks to attempt such an ordeal. That is, until a determined chef named Dan, armed with only "a bushel of groceries, a slab of fatback, and a frying pan," gathers his courage and prepares to spend the night. What ensues is a frightful night in which the ghost of Sifty Sifty Sam makes a knee-knocking appearance, and Dan uses a daring combination of wit and soul food to make it to morning.Angela Shelf Medearis has been voted one of the three best storytellers in the world by Storytelling World Magazine, and the original, enticing cadence of The Ghost of Sifty Sifty Sam could have won her the honor. The nontraditional rhyme scheme of this excellent read-aloud book lends itself to different rhythms, speeds, and pauses, timed perfectly with the pace of the action.Jacqueline Rogers's beautiful watercolor paintings range from ghostly pale pastels to vibrant vegetable hues. Children will love her detail-rich drawings of the happy-faced foods, the contents of the ghost's see-through stomach, and the rodents hiding in every corner. A savory, humorous tale that is likely to make young readers more hungry than terrified, The Ghost of Sifty Sifty Sam is sure to become a year-round favorite for fans of both food and phantoms. (Ages 5 and older)Kindergarten-Grade 3. Medearis freely borrows elements of traditional ghostly tales to concoct a new stew of old favorite ingredients. Some of the makings are: a haunted house no one can spend the night in; a reward offered for the brave person who can; a ghost who creeps in from the lake, calling out his location while getting closer and closer, and then assembles himself part by part until the whole creature is present, and is so fierce he can guzzle down a skillet full of hot grease (an element once used in the lyrics of an early rock 'n' roll song). How chef Dan gets the better of Sifty Sifty Sam is fairly innovative: he simply feeds the ghost so much delicious food that Sam is tamed?he even agrees to become the dishwasher in Dan's new cafe, the former haunted house. Rogers's masterful watercolors are filled with merry details?a family of possums emerging from the upholstery, Dan's gumbo wagon with dangling fishing tackle, smiling cucumbers and dancing chickens in lettuce skirts slipping down Sam's ghostly throat. Sam's face is a bit frightening at first but the scare quotient is still fairly low overall because of these jolly pictures. An excellent addition to the canon of campfire tales or storytimes.?Ruth Semrau, formerly at Lovejoy School, Allen, TXCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Ghost of Sifty-Sifty Sam | [
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24,422 | 0 | DEBBIE DADEY and MARCIA THORNTON JONES came up with the idea for The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids when they both worked at a school in Lexington, Kentucky. Today Debbie and her family live in Fort Collins, Colorado. Marcia and her husband still live in Kentucky.; Title: Gremlins Don't Chew Bubble Gum (The Bailey School Kids, Book 13) | [
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24,423 | 2 | Gr. 1^-2. A perfect topic for an easy reader--a child's first loose tooth. A young girl with a wobbly, wiggly, jiggly tooth worries about where it might fall out, but once she has that big-kid hole in her mouth, she's as proud as can be. A pithy text and nice big illustrations outlined in black make this very accessible to the intended audience. Ilene Cooper; Title: My Tooth Is About to Fall Out (Scholastic Reader Level 1) | [
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24,424 | 0 | Grade 2-3-This easy-reader provides short, concise biographical sketches of the early lives and major accomplishments of Susan McKinney Steward, George Washington Carver, Ernest Everett Just, Percy Lavon Julian, and Shirley Ann Jackson. Jones provides just enough information for reports for younger primary or reluctant upper-elementary students. The straightforward text is written in short, uncomplicated sentences with a few instances of fictionalization. Though the black-and-white archival photos and reproductions and the colorful artwork lack brightness and clarity, they still provide a personal touch and help readers see how these individuals looked at different stages of their lives. Overall, this title is worth the purchase for its coverage and its accessible format.Eunice Weech, M. L. King Elementary School, Urbana, IL Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Of the five scientists profiled in this book in the Hello Reader series, only George Washington Carver is a well-known name, but the others have equally interesting stories. Susan McKinley Stewart was one of the first black women doctors; Ernest Just, a marine biologist; Percy Lavon Julian, a chemist, found many uses for soybeans, including a drug for glaucoma; and Shirley Ann Jackson, a nuclear scientist. The text is straightforward and interesting, and the design is a nice mix of photographs and original art. Kids will enjoy meeting these scientists and may be inspired to look into science as a career for themselves. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Scholastic Reader Level 4: Great Black Heroes: Five Brilliant Scientists: Five Brilliant Scientists (level 4) | [
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24,425 | 5 | In this humorous folktale, a cocky peasant, Mongke, sets out to win the hand of the Khan's daughter, and is given the requisite series of trials to prove his worth. He prevails, but not because he is particularly clever or brave. The Khan's daughter, Borta, is not looking for a hero anyway: she is perfectly happy with a guy who caves in at the first sign of danger. Yep's colloquial retelling?at one point a doubting Mongke takes a snack break on his way to slay some demons "since food always cheered him up"?suits the unassuming tale. The brisk pace risks being cursory, but the prose is assured; in the peasant's first glimpse, the city of domed tents resembles "so many buttons sewn onto a giant sheet of brown felt." While the casual tone updates an old tale, the animated watercolors of the Tsengs, who have collaborated with Yep before (The Ghost Fox; The Boy Who Swallowed Snakes), establish the Mongolian setting. Their work hinting strongly at the influence of Chinese narrative painting, they adroitly portray the sumptuous dress of the Khan's court and the contrastingly plain landscapes. This story embraces human foibles with both the ageless charm of a traditional tale and the informal breeziness of a modern sensibility. Ages 5-8. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 1-3?In order to fulfill a prophecy and win the hand of the Khan's daughter in marriage, Mongke, a shepherd, must succeed in three trials. His mother-in-law-to-be sets the first two. To prove his strength, he must steal the wealth of seven demons. To demonstrate his bravery, he must vanquish the enemy. The third trial, however, is imposed by the Khan's daughter herself, after which a humbled but determined Mongke does indeed become a wise and beloved husband. While this retelling of a Mongolian folktale adheres to the predictable and traditional quest motif, Yep succeeds in endowing his characters with multidimensional personalities. Mongke is brave, foolish, boastful, then finally contrite. Women are not simply trophies but actively determine their destiny. The well-paced story effortlessly balances humor and adventure, fantasy and reality, and is wonderfully enhanced by the artwork. From their ravishing cover with its acrylic portrait of the Khan's daughter (and a dashing but much smaller Mongke) superimposed on luminous gold leaf, through the gold-framed watercolors that add a wealth of detail and atmosphere, the Tsengs once again capture a faraway place and time and make it eminently accessible to children?just as they did in Margaret Mahy's The Seven Chinese Brothers (Scholastic, 1990). As a sprightly read-aloud or an opportunity for independent readers to lose themselves in an unfamiliar and fascinating culture, this is a solid addition to folklore collections.?Carol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Khan's Daughter: A Mongolian Folktale | [
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24,426 | 0 | Not just the run-of-the-mill Valentine's Day sentiments find expression in 20 poems, styled as anonymous notes. Each epistle begins with a "Dear ---" salutation; Adoff (Slow Dance Heart Break Blues) fills in the blank with terms denoting school crushes ("Ms. Back Row," "New Boy"), family members ("Hard Working Dad," "Little Sis"), pets and fairy-tale figures ("Dear Prince:... We can chase those dragons together. Your Potential Princess"). Most of the letters show kindness, but some allow for mixed feelings: one spread, illustrated with mirror images of a teacher, includes notes to both "Mrs. Nicely" and her apparent alter-ego, "Mrs. McNasty." Replies seldom appear, although a smitten "Frosty the Snow Boy" receives a chilly rejection from "Your Not-Yet Friend: Icicle Eyes"). Desimini (My House; In a Circle Long Ago) contributes inventive, moody collages of found objects, handmade paper, fuzzy cloth, photos and paint. In these soft compositions, faces are often obscured or eyes averted; Desimini's artwork, like Adoff's poetry, suggests secrecy and shyness. The letter-writers here are alone with their feelings, and much of the pleasure of this volume arises from Adoff's and Desimini's abilities to evoke not only these everyday feelings but the more complicated sense of privacy and mystery they summon. All ages. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 3-6. A packet of poems that exudes affection and humor. Imaginative collages ensure that each heartfelt message is artfully delivered. Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Love Letters | [
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24,427 | 5 | This collection of six popular folktales from Latin America presented in picture book format includes annotations about the origin of the stories. An array of well-known characters, humorous situations, and traditional settings come alive among Delacre's fresh and colorful illustrations. Also in English. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: El Romance de Don Gato y Otros Cuentos Populares de America Latina | [
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24,428 | 2 | PW , in a starred review, praised this "thoughtfully nuanced and penetrating" novel about three generations of women from an African American family who must cope with a beloved grandmother's illness. Ages 12-up. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Toning The Sweep | [
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24,429 | 14 | Emma helps her father light the menorah at Hanukkah and decorates the tree with her mother at Christmas. "Families who embrace both holidays will find this a welcome addition," PW said. Ages 5-7. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Light The Lights! A Story About Celebrating Hanukkah And Christmas | [
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24,430 | 5 | In an inspired pairing, Aardema (Misoso; Jackal's Flying Lesson, reviewed June 26) and Caldecott Medalist Brown's (Stone Soup) pump up the energy in this animated Kenyan pourquoi tale. Suggesting the oral tradition from which the story comes, Aardema intersperses her narration with exotic, rhythmic sounds ("Kudu galloped away, ka-PU-tu, ka-PU-tu, ka-PU-tu!"). "Long long ago, when the earth was set down and the sky was lifted up," a crocodile with a toothache persuades a kind but foolish ostrich to pull out the offending tooth. When Crocodile's hunger proves mightier than his dentistry needs, he chomps down on Ostrich's neck, stretching it dramatically before the bird finally escapes. Right in step with this well-paced tale are Brown's vigorous, scribbly compositions of watercolor and markers. Raffish and bold, they are as spirited as the tale itself. Ages 4-7. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-Grade 4?An enchanting pourquoi tale from Kenya. Poor short-necked Ostrich cannot touch the ground with his beak. He must sit down to catch insects and, no matter how far he stretches, the berries on the bushes are always beyond his reach. Crocodile has her own problem?a raging toothache. When the kindhearted bird sticks his head into Crocodile's mouth to pluck out the painful tooth, her jaws clamp shut, beginning a humorous tug of war that leaves Ostrich with a versatile new neck and a more developed sense of caution. Aardema spins a tale full of tension and humor. Crocodile, with her tears splashing into the river, is easy to pity, while Ostrich, often forced to crouch in uncomfortable positions, evokes equal sympathy. Led by doom-saying Fish Eagle, who admonishes, "Don't do it," the other animals act as a Greek Chorus, and their warnings and reactions move the plot at a rapid pace. Sprinkled with the animals' wonderful sound effects, this story will be a natural to read aloud. Brown's paintings, done in watercolor and marker on hot press board, have a loose, informal look. River-mud tones and a few full-color spreads provide an appropriate landscape, but the real focus is on the characters. Outlined and accented with heavy black marker, they are humorous and appealing. Ostrich, in particular, is endowed with a full range of facial expressions, from trepidation at placing her head in Crocodile's mouth to a look of delight at picking her first berries. Totally satisfying.?Joy Fleishhacker, New York Public LibraryCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: How the Ostrich Got Its Long Neck: A Tale from the Akamba of Kenya | [
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24,431 | 0 | DEBBIE DADEY and MARCIA THORNTON JONES came up with the idea for The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids when they both worked at a school in Lexington, Kentucky. Today Debbie and her family live in Fort Collins, Colorado. Marcia and her husband still live in Kentucky.; Title: Skeletons Don't Play Tubas (The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids, #11) | [
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24,432 | 2 | Author Joanna Cole and illustrator Bruce Degen make learning a spirited joyride, delighting young audiences with their fantastic journeys to the eye of a hurricane, the bottom of the ocean, and the center of the earth, to name just a few. Author and illustrator have said they were each inspired by an important teacher in their classroom days - very much like Ms. Frizzle! There are now more than 58 million Magic School Bus books in print, in a variety of formats, plus a wildly successful animated television series. Called "a can't-miss team" by School Library Journal, Cole and Degen live in Florida and Connecticut, respectively. For more information about Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen, visit: scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/books/authors; Title: The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten: A Book About Food Chains | [
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24,433 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 3. The pictures on the front cover of this attractive book preview the variety to be found within, while the informal arrangement of shoes and outerwear on the title page and back cover hint at Hausherr's comfortable, matter-of-fact presentation. Fourteen children from various ethnic groups invite young readers to meet their families. The left-hand side of the double-page spread devoted to each family bears the child's signature and a group portrait, most often in color. The text and accompanying black-and-white photos on the right describe the living arrangement and show family members working and enjoying good times together. Hausherr writes about single-parent, two-parent, multigenerational, and interracial families. But there are also children who live with foster families, children who live in shelters and communes, a child whose mother is in a wheelchair, and one who visits his father in prison. The text is unsentimental and honest: "Chris knows that his father is in prison because he made a big mistake." The author also says a great deal in the way she composes her photographs: the portrait of the family whose father is in prison is in two separate snapshots, with the father's in black and white; the little girl who lives in a shelter is wistful and unsmiling. A glossary and a four-generational family tree are appended. This is a valuable classroom resource as well as an opportunity for children living in many different family constellations to see and feel good about themselves.?Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community-Technical College, CTCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.Ages 4^-7. This attractive and appealing photo-essay features a broad representational mix of families. Each left-hand page shows a color photo of a young child with some kind of picture of his or her family. Justin wears a T-shirt silk-screened with an image of his Papa; Isaac holds photos of his Colombian foster family in one hand and a drawing of his "real mom" in the other. The facing pages display naturalistic black-and-white prints of each family engaged in common, everyday activities (shopping, gardening, etc.) The bare-bones text highlights the likes and dislikes of each of the 18 subjects, but curious preschoolers may be left with some questions: Why can't Kimberly's mom walk? or Why does Alexandra have two mommies? The tone is matter-of-fact, and the emphasis on love and commitment cuts across race, ethnicity, class, and gender. A welcome book. Julie Corsaro; Title: Celebrating Families | [
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24,434 | 2 | Emily Elizabeth and Clifford pay a visit to Clifford's brother Nero, a fire rescue dog. While learning about fire safety, Clifford unexpectedly helps out on a fire and rescues people from a burning building. In Spanish.Book Details:; Title: Clifford el perro bombero | [
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24,435 | 0 | Author Joanna Cole and illustrator Bruce Degen make learning a spirited joyride, delighting young audiences with their fantastic journeys to the eye of a hurricane, the bottom of the ocean, and the center of the earth, to name just a few. Author and illustrator have said they were each inspired by an important teacher in their classroom days - very much like Ms. Frizzle! There are now more than 58 million Magic School Bus books in print, in a variety of formats, plus a wildly successful animated television series. Called "a can't-miss team" by School Library Journal, Cole and Degen live in Florida and Connecticut, respectively. For more information about Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen, visit: scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/books/authors; Title: The Magic School Bus Hops Home: A Book About Animal Habitats | [
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24,436 | 0 | While teaching a little elementary geometry, this title in the Marilyn Burns Brainy Day series also offers a lesson about fitting square pegs in round holes. Ivan and Alex want to be tailors like their father, but youngest brother Misha dreams of travel. When each son must fashion a cloak for the archduke, Ivan sews one using rectangles of fabric. Alex makes a cloak of squares and an extra cloak of triangles. But Misha's disastrous cloak of circles demonstrates the geometrical concept that shapes must have angles to fit together. Seeing that Misha's heart lies elsewhere, the tailor frees his son to travel the world. As a farewell gift, the tailor presents Misha with the fateful cloak, whose circles he has snipped into snug-fitting hexagons and then restitched. Friedman's story provides an agreeable front for the lesson, and capable watercolors lend a pleasing old-world ambiance. Three pages of clearly written instruction and teaching tips follow the story. Ages 6-9. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 3?Books written for a particular purpose are never quite as good as stories that stand on their own, and this one is no exception. Misha, the son of a tailor, doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps as his brothers do, but would rather travel the world. When the tailor tells each of his sons to make a cloak for the archduke to test their skills, two of them make patchworks of squares, triangles, and rectangles. Misha, inspired by the maps he pores over, cuts circles, but they don't fit together, leaving spaces between the pieces of fabric. Seeing the garment, the tailor realizes he must let his son follow his dream. Misha's father and brothers fix the coat by cutting the circles into hexagons and give it to him as a parting gift. An afterword explains about angles, degrees, and shapes. Illustrations set the tale in a busy Eastern European town. Tertiary colors in watercolor and pen and ink are busy and sketchy, picturing the cluttered interior of the tailor's shop. A title for those interested in math, or for kids who like a story to solve.?Sally Bates Goodroe, Houston Public LibraryCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: A Cloak For The Dreamer (Brainy Day Books) | [
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24,437 | 17 | Grade 3-6-In a concise, readable style, this biography presents a great deal of information about a key figure in American history. Like Jean Fritz's What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? (Putnam, 1976), the book does not romanticize or sentimentalize Franklin's genius or his contributions. Giblin includes the challenges Franklin faced in establishing himself in business, his falling out with his son when they took different sides in the Revolutionary War, and the illnesses he suffered throughout his later years, and balances them with the man's successes in publishing, his inventions, and his diplomatic service. Dooling's realistic full-color, full-page paintings and spot sketches capture not only Franklin, his family, and colleagues, but also reveal much about life in the Colonies and England during this period. Concluding informational pages include a chronology of Franklin's life, a discussion of his inventions, a page of sayings from Poor Richard's Almanack, descriptions of historical sites associated with Franklin, and notes on sources used by both the biographer and the illustrator. These additions enrich and expand on the text. A balanced biography that belongs in all collections.Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Following the format of his picture-book biographies of George Washington (1992) and Thomas Jefferson (1994), Giblin, ably aided by artist Michael Dooling, presents the life of Benjamin Franklin--and an amazing life it was. Apprenticed to his brother as a printer, Franklin was soon running his own business and writing his own books, including the popular Poor Richard's Almanack. When Franklin became wealthy enough to retire, his life was just beginning. He indulged himself in his passion for science, worked for public improvements, such as libraries and hospitals, and, of course, became one of the nation's founding fathers as he tirelessly devoting himself to the affairs of a fledgling nation. Giblin's writing is lively, and he wisely uses the story of Franklin's estrangement from his only living son, a Royalist, to heighten dramatic tension. Dooling provides both expertly executed paintings and simple line drawings to bring Franklin's story close to today's readers. An especially useful touch is the wealth of back matter. Besides the expected time line and narrative bibliography, there is a page about Franklin's inventions, another with sayings from Poor Richard's Almanack, a list of historic sites associated with Franklin, and an informative illustrator's note. More than enough material for report writers but an intriguing offering for biography lovers as well. Ilene Cooper; Title: The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin | [
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24,438 | 12 | Book by Scholastic; Title: Art; Learning Through Play | [
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24,439 | 0 | Grade 1-4. An attractive and handsomely produced companion title to The Uninvited Guest and Other Jewish Holiday Tales (Scholastic, 1993). Eight stories from German-Jewish traditions, Yiddish folklore, Morocco, and ancient Palestine have as their central character the Biblical prophet, Elijah. Although traditionally associated with the Jewish festival of Passover, Elijah has also taken on the persona of one who helps those in need. "The Dream" is a variation of the tale popularized in Uri Shulevitz's The Treasure (Farrar, 1979), while "Elijah in the Marketplace" has previously been retold by Isaac Bashevis Singer in Elijah the Slave (Farrar, 1970). The stories are told in a gentle voice that is well suited to reading aloud. Although there are morals in each tale concerning the need to live wisely and treat strangers with kindness, the tone is never didactic. Nor are these selections limited to a Jewish audience. All children can recognize familiar motifs found in other folktales such as "The Fisherman and His Wife" and "Snow White and Rose Red." Certainly, the precepts are universal and of universal appeal. The full-page art is colorful and sets each story's mood with an appealing mix of concrete and abstract imagery. Jaffe provides a thoughtful introduction and notes on the origin of each selection.?Susan Pine, New York Public LibraryCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 4^-6, younger for reading aloud. The mysterious visitor of the title is the biblical Elijah, who began his career as a stern prophet and metamorphosed into a benevolent protector and wishgiver in folklore. Jaffe has chosen and adapted eight stories out of the hundreds from all over the Jewish world that contain references to Elijah. Though centered on a biblical prophet, the stories will not be unfamiliar in either structure or substance to young readers. In one tale from France, Elijah comes and offers a choice of wishes to three brothers: riches, wisdom, or a wise and righteous wife. In another piece, set in Morocco, an evil spirit gives the woman the face of a donkey. Each of these engagingly told stories has at its core such values as love of learning, respect for marriage, and the Golden Rule. Illustrator Elivia Savadier provides one full-page pen-and-watercolor illustration, Chagall-like in feeling, for every tale. Adults will be interested in the author's note that gives the derivation of the stories. An informative glossary and a bibliography are also appended. Ilene Cooper; Title: The Mysterious Visitor: Stories of the Prophet Elijah | [
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24,440 | 0 | Guevara's (Chato's Kitchen, reviewed Feb. 2) zany, off-center paintings provide the chief point of interest in this Marilyn Burns Brainy Day book about a crew of numbskull number-crunchers. An addle-pated king has lost track of his various commissioners, what with separate functionaries in charge of Spilt Milk, Mismatched Socks, Wrong Turns, etc. So he and the Royal Advisors plan to convene the commissioners and count them. But the First Royal Advisor counts in groups of twos, the Second Royal Advisor counts by fives and the capable little Princess counts by tens, leaving the King more confused than ever. A long afterword to parents and teachers explains that the book aims "to stimulate children to think about the place value structure of our number system." While the text certainly functions as an animated introduction to mathematics and the illustrations almost burst with comic moments, the story itself is a limp one. Ages 6-9. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 2-4?A confused king has appointed a commissioner to handle every problem in the kingdom from flat tires to chicken pox. Now he has no idea how many commissioners there are, and he orders his royal advisors to gather and count them as they walk through the door. The first advisor counts by twos, the second by fives, and the little princess by tens. Of course, they all arrive at the same answer. The king is utterly perplexed, but his daughter clears up the mystery and readers learn the value of multiplication. Guevara combines cartoon and primitive styles to create zany, exaggerated, brightly colored illustrations?the perfect complement to the silly story. The portrayal of the simpleminded king is especially amusing. The story is appropriate for whole-language units, home-schooling, or for anyone who wants to show the fun and useful role of math in everyday life. Ruby Dee's Two Ways to Count to Ten (Holt, 1990) and Kay Chorao's Number One Number Fun (Holiday, 1995) present math concepts for younger children in a story format.?Heide Piehler, Shorewood Public Library, WICopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The King's Commissioners (A Marilyn Burns Brainy Day Book) | [
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24,441 | 12 | Book by Scholastic; Title: Problem Solving (Learning Through Play) | [
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24,442 | 12 | Grade 4-8-Otfinoski outlines various types of letters and offers examples of each one. Friendly, thank you, business and complaint letters are all well covered; explanations and precise tips are highlighted in blue to make them stand out. Book reports, movie reviews, school reports, and essays are also discussed with an emphasis on how to select a topic, take notes, and organize the material. Specific information on editing is not included but it is clearly inferred that editing is an important part of writing. A helpful appendix includes where to write for information about states, their abbreviations, instructions for using reference sources, and editing symbols. A useful tool.Margaret C. Howell, West Springfield Elementary School, VACopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.; Title: Putting It In Writing (Scholastic Guides) | [
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] | Validation |
24,443 | 15 | Author Joanna Cole and illustrator Bruce Degen make learning a spirited joyride, delighting young audiences with their fantastic journeys to the eye of a hurricane, the bottom of the ocean, and the center of the earth, to name just a few. Author and illustrator have said they were each inspired by an important teacher in their classroom days - very much like Ms. Frizzle! There are now more than 58 million Magic School Bus books in print, in a variety of formats, plus a wildly successful animated television series. Called "a can't-miss team" by School Library Journal, Cole and Degen live in Florida and Connecticut, respectively. For more information about Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen, visit: scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/books/authors; Title: The Magic School Bus: All Dried Up: A Book About Deserts | [
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24,444 | 2 | Mike Thaler was born in Los Angeles in 1936. After moving to New York City, he started his professional career drawing cartoons for adults in 1960. A children's book editor saw one of these cartoons and encouraged Mike to write for children. Since then, Mike has written over 140 children’s books and has become known as America’s “Riddle King.” Mike says that writing and riddles are a powerful way to stimulate a child’s interest in learning and creating. He is an award-winning author and illustrator and has been called “one of the most creative people in children’s literature.” Mike currently lives in Canby, Oregon.Jared Lee has illustrated more than 100 books for young readers. He has received awards from the Society of Illustrators, the Martha Kinney Cooper Ohioana Library Association, the National Cartoonists Society, and others. He lives in Ohio with his wife and a menagerie of dogs, cats, ponies, ducks, and a few unknown creatures.; Title: The Cafeteria Lady from the Black Lagoon | [
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24,445 | 2 | Grade 3 Up. In perhaps his most conceptually brilliant work to date, Young introduces 26 Chinese characters, each having the symbol for the heart as a component. An illustration on each page occupies the two-thirds closest to the margin. The outer third has an English word relating to an emotion, feeling, or moral quality (joy, shame, patience, panic, etc.) with a simple definition containing the word "heart." Each section (or radical) of the word in Chinese is listed below it with a simple definition of each part and an explanation of the whole, followed by the assembled character for the concept. The Chinese writing is in seal script, which is one of the oldest forms of the language and consequently much closer visually and conceptually to its pictographic origins than today's standard printed forms. This choice is a master stroke as it prepares the mind for the stunning collage illustrations that utilize rebus format to represent the Chinese. Illustrations are of cut paper and some cloth on various paper backgrounds; sometimes backgrounds are textured, sometimes the rebus components are. All contain a heart and are bright or somber depending on the concept conveyed. Though certainly an interesting introduction to Chinese characters, this highly original tour de force will awaken children to the relation between language and thought, providing many hours of fascination and discussion.?John Philbrook, formerly at San Francisco Public LibraryCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 4^-8. The splendid scarlet-and-gold jacket will entice readers into this sumptuous picture book, but once in, they might well find themselves confused. At the beginning, Young lists 26 emotions with their modern Chinese characters. He then devotes a page to each emotion, breaking each character into its parts and creating a collage out of the parts and the figure of a heart to express the feeling of the emotion. For example, "Contentment" is defined as "a peaceful heart." The parts of the character are symbols for a claw, work, and a hand; put together they mean "After a day of hard work, the heart feels peace of mind. It is content." The accompanying illustration is richly brown like soil, and the heart shape is flecked with shades of brown. Other emotions include panic, rudeness, mercy, and loyalty. For those doing a unit on alphabets or writing, this esoteric book may prove interesting; however, it will require a sophisticated audience willing to examine it closely enough to discern its meaning. Susan Dove Lempke; Title: Voices of the Heart | [
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24,446 | 0 | "Some people are so color struck. They think being light-skinned is better than being dark! Mama says that's nonsense and I think so, too."Nellie Lee Love is an 11-year-old African American girl living in the rural South at the end of World War I. In a year of tumultuous change, victory, and tragedy, she records her thoughts and feelings in a diary given her by her mother. After the white racism in their town becomes too brutally overt to ignore, Nellie and her family pack up and move to Chicago. Delighted with the seemingly endless opportunities in the big city, Nellie is blindsided by the more insidious forms of prejudice that northerners practice: hatred within their own race. But through family unity and integrity, and education by way of W.E.B. DuBois and Marcus Garvey's writings, Nellie and her family gradually discover a place for themselves in their new circumstances, and ultimately find hope and triumph.Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award winner Patricia McKissack writes the kind of historical fiction that will have history students and even reluctant readers and clamoring for more. The dignity and courage of the Love family provides a model for all families, regardless of ethnic or cultural background. The award-winning Dear America series is one of the most popular book series in America and includes another by McKissack, A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie CoulterGrade 4-6-Although 11-year-old Nellie Lee takes after her Mama's folks and "could pass," she proudly says "color me dark." Through the child's diary entries, McKissack explores the racism that existed in post World War I Tennessee, where a lighter skin was considered "better" than a darker one. In fact, a major story line involves Nellie Lee's sister, Erma Jean, as she learns to treasure her darker color. When Uncle Pace, returning from the war, is found badly injured, the family suspects the worst but can't prove it, and Erma Jean suffers hysterical muteness. His death propels Nellie Lee's father to join the Great Migration north to Chicago in search of a better life. The family discovers that although they do not face the Klan there, racism still exists, even within the black community. McKissack deftly explores the social unrest between blacks and whites and the social stratification within the black community, where newly arrived southern blacks were looked down upon by the more affluent residents. The time period is well developed, and serves as a compelling backdrop to the Love family's struggle to find a place. Nellie is a feisty and loyal protagonist, and although her voice sounds a bit mature for an 11-year-old, her observations carry the story line and interpret the action in a believable way. Secondary characters are distinct and add a richness to the telling.Jennifer Ralston, Harford County Public Library, Belcamp, MD Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Color Me Dark: The Diary of Nellie Lee Love, the Great Migration North (Dear America) | [
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24,447 | 0 | In 1620, an indentured servant named Jasper Jonathan Pierce sets sail with his master and 100 others on the Mayflower, seeking adventure, freedom from the rules of King James's church, and a new way of life in America.While many people are familiar with the history of the Pilgrims, popular historical novelist Ann Rinaldi (The Last Silk Dress and A Break With Charity: A Story About the Salem Witch Trials) delves far deeper into the day-to-day life of these brave pioneers. Beleaguered by internal strife and sickness, the passengers and crew of the Mayflower arrived in Plymouth ill-equipped to last the winter. With the help of several Indians who befriended the settlers, many survived, although a number of them died. Viewed through the eyes of 14-year-old Jasper, who records the events of his first 15 months in America in his journal, the Pilgrims' experiences take on a fresh, current feel. Although Jasper is a fictional character, the other characters in the story were real people, and the events are soundly based on factual accounts. Encounters with Pilgrim bullies, the suicide of one woman, and blow-by-blow details of the hardships endured make this an exciting, intelligent addition to the excellent My Name Is America series. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie CoulterGrade 4-8-This offering follows the series' design of a diary format that features fictional characters in a historical setting. In this case, a 14-year-old indentured servant records his experiences aboard the Mayflower and his first year in the New World. Based on research and Rinaldi's own interpretations, this title puts flesh and blood on such historical characters as Governor Bradford, John Alden, Priscilla Mullens, and Miles Standish. The hardships the Pilgrims survived on both ship and land are realistically portrayed. This title will be a good companion to Kathryn Lasky's A Journey to the New World (Scholastic, 1996), which covers much of the same material from a girl's point of view. A section of historical notes and drawings is included.Eunice Weech, M. L. King Elementary School, Urbana, IL Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: My Name Is America: The Journal Of Jasper Jonathan Pierce, A Pilgrim Boy | [
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24,448 | 0 | JOANNA COLE has been creating books about the Magic School Bus for more than twenty years. A recipient of many awards, most recently the National Endowment for the Arts Foundation Award for Outstanding Service to Public Education, Ms. Cole is dedicated to making learning fun. She lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband.; Title: The Magic School Bus Wet All Over: A Book About The Water Cycle | [
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24,449 | 7 | The exciting tale begun in Jedi Apprentice: The Rising Force continues in Jedi Apprentice: The Dark Rival. While thankful for Obi-Wan's life-saving help on the trip to Bandomeer, Qui-Gon must put aside his mixed feelings over the young apprentice and take care of his peace mission. But he soon finds out that he's been tricked--not only did the planet's government not call for him, but the request may have come from his former-apprentice-gone-to-the-dark-side, the sinister Xanatos. Qui-Gon stays on Bandomeer to help rival mining companies there negotiate and to find out more about his fallen Padawan. Obi-Wan, of course, pitches in again, and the bond between the two grows. A few explosions, a couple of lightsaber fights, and a prison break later, the two ... well, you'll have to find out for yourself. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes; Title: The Dark Rival (Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice, Book 2) | [
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24,450 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 2-This installment in the series finds Little Bill hearing bumps in the night. He runs first to his parents, who comfort him and lead him back to bed. When his fears return, he goes to his great grandmother, Alice the Great, who calms him and teaches him a special way to smooth the covers that will keep the monsters at bay. The story gives parents a successful model for dealing with a nighttime scare, but fails to appeal to a child's sense of fun and imagination. The text is dry and seems intended to comfort adults rather than frightened children. Honeywood's illustrations, however, are bright and interesting. They contain details such as a monster poster on Little Bill's wall, which offers a hint as to the source of his fear. Mercer Mayer's classic There's a Nightmare in My Closet (Dial, 1968) and Martin Waddell's Can't You Sleep, Little Bear (Candlewick, 1992) give both parents and children a means for dealing with the perils of bedtime.Martha Link, Louisville Free Public Library, KY Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: One Dark and Scary Night (A Little Bill Book for Beginning Readers) | [
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24,451 | 7 | Just before his 13th birthday, Obi-Wan Kenobi left Yoda and the other teachers at the Jedi Temple. But he wasn't supposed to become a Padawan, a future Jedi Knight, he was assigned to be a farmer! Jedi Apprentice: The Rising Force joins the headstrong Obi-Wan a few weeks before he's to turn 13, when he'll be too old to begin training as a Jedi Knight. Trying too hard to become Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan, Obi-Wan shows his lack of discipline, and that--in addition to Qui-Gon's mysterious past--keeps them apart. But the Force keeps pulling the two together: Obi-Wan resigns himself to the Jedi Agricultural Corps on barren Bandomeer, only to find that Qui-Gon is on a mission to the same planet. Traveling there on a mining ship, the two must work together to forge a truce between the warring Hutt, Whiphid, and Arconan miners on board. The inexperienced Obi-Wan stirs up trouble but gets plenty of chances to redeem himself later--after the pirates attack and after the ship crash-lands on a hostile planet with the crew still at each other's throats. Experienced Star Wars author Dave Wolverton keeps the blasters firing and the lightsabers swinging in this fun, fast-paced adventure. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes; Title: The Rising Force (Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice, Book 1) | [
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24,452 | 7 | Young Queen Amidala had a lot on her mind. If she wasn't negotiating with shifty Neimoidians or dodging blasts from droids, she was trying to remember what her name was (is it Amidala or Padmé now!?) and which outfit she needed to be wearing. And all this at just 14 years old! Well, now we can see how she kept a cool head: the plucky teen queen has written a 16-part journal, in her own words, recounting the events surrounding her in Episode I, The Phantom Menace. (And just so you don't lose track, each entry includes a shot from the movie showing what she had on at the time.) Thanks to Jude Watson (Star Wars Science Adventures, Brides of Wildcat County) for helping Her Highness tell this exciting tale. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes; Title: Queen Amidala (Star Wars Episode 1, Journal #2) | [
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24,453 | 2 | DEBBIE DADEY and MARCIA THORNTON JONES came up with the idea for The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids when they both worked at a school in Lexington, Kentucky. Today Debbie and her family live in Fort Collins, Colorado. Marcia and her husband still live in Kentucky.; Title: Wizards Don't Need Computers (The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids, #20) | [
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24,454 | 2 | Author Joanna Cole and illustrator Bruce Degen make learning a spirited joyride, delighting young audiences with their fantastic journeys to the eye of a hurricane, the bottom of the ocean, and the center of the earth, to name just a few. Author and illustrator have said they were each inspired by an important teacher in their classroom days - very much like Ms. Frizzle! There are now more than 58 million Magic School Bus books in print, in a variety of formats, plus a wildly successful animated television series. Called "a can't-miss team" by School Library Journal, Cole and Degen live in Florida and Connecticut, respectively. For more information about Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen, visit: scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/books/authors; Title: The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top: A Book About Volcanoes (Magic School Bus) | [
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24,455 | 7 | What would it be like to be Anakin Skywalker? Any kid who doesn't wonder that after seeing Episode I, The Phantom Menace should be checked to see if he's a droid. What was it like to be a slave in Mos Espa? Was it scary to talk to the Jedi Council? And--maybe most important--is podracing really as hard as it looks? This fun, first-person journal lets kids see the action of Phantom Menace through the eyes of their favorite 9-year-old Jedi-to-be. In 14 entries featuring stills from the movie, Anakin tells his story in his own words, from his first encounter with Gui-Jon, Jar Jar, and Padm to the roller coaster podrace to the wild final ride high above Naboo. Young Skywalker gets an assist from YA author Todd Strasser of Camp Run-A-Muck and Help! I'm Trapped fame. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes; Title: Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars: Episode 1: Journal) | [
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24,456 | 2 | Gr. 1. The simple, rhyming text of this Hello Reader! book (just a few words to the page) takes readers on a shopping trip to the grocery store with a little girl and her father. They choose plenty of healthy foods, but every time the child suggests something sweet, "Daddy says, `Not today.' / So I put it away." The expedition ends happily with a stop at a frozen yogurt stand outside the store. Children will find plenty that is familiar within these pages, from the supermarket setting to the tug-of-war between parent and child. Best of all, the cartoonlike line-and-wash illustrations make the characters sympathetic and the book inviting, all the while providing clues to the words with clear pictures of familiar foods. A good choice for children looking for books that don't look babyish but have very simple vocabulary. Carolyn Phelan; Title: I Shop With My Daddy (level 1) (Hello Reader) | [
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24,457 | 0 | Grade 1-3-These two beginning chapter books deal with families, friends, and common occurrences in children's lives. Each one includes a letter to parents that discusses the book's theme and some tips for helping children deal with similar situations. When Little Bill finds what he believes to be one of the world's largest diamonds, he and his friends immediately start planning all the things he can do with his fortune. He learns, however, with a little help from his father's magnifying glass, that his treasure is actually a glass paperweight "made in Taiwan." In The Worst Day, Little Bill must spend a Saturday all dressed up in a suit and tie while his parents host a party. Many children will relate to the boy's boredom and his attempts to converse with the adult guests. Little Bill patiently endures the party, though, and, in the end, is quietly proud of the fact that he didn't do anything to upset his parents' special day. The stories are sprinkled with references and vocabulary that seem more suited for adults than children. For example, readers may find the mention of tax forms and central heating in The Day I Was Rich a bit confusing. Both books include primitive, striking illustrations that reflect the humor and action of the texts. These titles may be of interest where other books in the series are in demand, but they're not primary choices. Maura Bresnahan, Shawsheen School, Andover, MA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Day I Was Rich (Little Bill) | [
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24,458 | 7 | DEBBIE DADEY and MARCIA THORNTON JONES came up with the idea for The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids when they both worked at a school in Lexington, Kentucky. Today Debbie and her family live in Fort Collins, Colorado. Marcia and her husband still live in Kentucky.; Title: Gargoyles Don't Drive School Buses (The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids, #19) | [
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24,459 | 7 | Contains four classic, chilling Goosebumps stories! Includes: Monster Blood III (#29), It Came from Beneath the Sink! (#30), Night of the Living Dummy II (#31), and The Barking Ghost (#32); Title: Goosebumps Boxed Set, Books 29- 32: Monster Blood III, It Came from Beneath the Sink!, Night of the Living Dummy II, and The Barking Ghost | [
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24,460 | 0 | Dian Curtis Regan is the author of the popular Ghost Twins series from Scholastic as well as many other books for young readers. diancurtisregan.com.; Title: The Mystery of the Haunted Castle (Ghost Twins) | [] | Train |
24,461 | 2 | Grade 2-3-Cosby continues his easy-reader series with this story within a story. Little Bill retells the traditional "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and relates how he has been banished to his room for making up a "BIG FIB" to cover up his tardiness. Once he confesses and sees himself in the folktale, he realizes that he deserves his parent's anger and punishment. Cosby's comic sense is not clearly in evidence in this didactic story, but he does meet the increasing demand by adults for children's books that illustrate moral issues. The sophistication of this book is found in Honeywood's collage illustrations. The artist's skilled use of flat color creates vibrant pictures that convey drama and emotion that are anything but flat.Pat Leach, Lincoln City Libraries, NE Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: My Big Lie (A Little Bill Book for Beginning Readers) | [
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24,462 | 2 | "I loved Gran's smell, and her warm face when we played touch-your-nose at the gold mirror, and her salty kisses when we sat on Gramps's old army trunk in the attic and listened to the wind sing on the roof."Blind since birth, Louis uses all his senses to love his grandmother and feel her love for him. When she dies and Louis seems to have been forgotten in the family treasure hunt Gran arranged in lieu of a will, he must hold on to his knowledge of her love for him and his memories of her smell--"lilacs, with a whiff of bleach"--and her "molasses voice" to know he could never have been overlooked. It is a lifetime later, when Louis is a grandfather himself, that his conviction is affirmed by his "favorite youngest grandchild's" discovery in Gran's much-loved hickory chair.Nothing is overdone in Lisa Rowe Fraustino's beautiful story that shows the profound power of "blind sight," Gran's term for Louis's ability to "see" so much. And the exquisite paintings, in oils and fabric collage by artist Benny Andrews (Sky Sash So Blue) have a tactile appeal, drawing in the reader to Louis's world, as though we are seeing the way he does. (Ages 6 to 10) --Emilie CoulterFraustino's (Ash) affecting story introduces a boy who has been blind since birth, yet, as his beloved Gran confides, "You got blind sight." Louis uses his other senses to savor the presence of this loving woman, who "had a good alive smell lilacs, with a whiff of bleach" and "gave salty kisses when we sat on Gramps's old army trunk in the attic and listened to the wind sing on the roof." And Louis "loved her molasses voice" as Gran read to him from the hickory chair carved by Gramps. Andrews's (I Am the Darker Brother) oil paintings capture quiet moments shared between grandmother and grandson as well as active exchanges. Touches of fabric swatches, such as Gran's blue petticoat hemline or linen used for the wall of the attic, create a homey atmosphere. When Gran dies and her will divulges that she has hidden notes "for each of my favorite people in one of my favorite things," the boy relies on his keen insight into his grandmother to find many of the notes. But none belong to him. When it comes time to sell her things, Louis's parents tell him to "just pick out something you want... Anything at all," and he chooses the hickory chair. Years pass before Louis finally finds the long-missing missive from Gran, which brings this gentle tale to a satisfying close. Fraustino's uncommonly visual prose, in concert with Andrews's spare yet emotion-filled pictures, effectively conveys the lasting bond across generations. Ages 4-8. (Feb.) Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Hickory Chair | [
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24,463 | 2 | It's Halloween, and Count Fluffula is ready! Fluffy leads the class Halloween Parade, impersonates the Pumpkin of Doom, and dines on Monster Eyeballs.; Title: Fluffy's Happy Halloween (Fluffy the Classroom Guinea Pig) | [
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] | Test |
24,464 | 0 | Grade 1-3-These two beginning chapter books deal with families, friends, and common occurrences in children's lives. Each one includes a letter to parents that discusses the book's theme and some tips for helping children deal with similar situations. When Little Bill finds what he believes to be one of the world's largest diamonds, he and his friends immediately start planning all the things he can do with his fortune. He learns, however, with a little help from his father's magnifying glass, that his treasure is actually a glass paperweight "made in Taiwan." In The Worst Day, Little Bill must spend a Saturday all dressed up in a suit and tie while his parents host a party. Many children will relate to the boy's boredom and his attempts to converse with the adult guests. Little Bill patiently endures the party, though, and, in the end, is quietly proud of the fact that he didn't do anything to upset his parents' special day. The stories are sprinkled with references and vocabulary that seem more suited for adults than children. For example, readers may find the mention of tax forms and central heating in The Day I Was Rich a bit confusing. Both books include primitive, striking illustrations that reflect the humor and action of the texts. These titles may be of interest where other books in the series are in demand, but they're not primary choices. Maura Bresnahan, Shawsheen School, Andover, MA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Little Bill #10: Worst Day Of My Life, The (level 3) | [
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24,465 | 0 | Children's book; Title: The Foxwood Kidnap (Foxwood Tales) | [
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24,466 | 1 | Grade 3-5?Jake's dog, Lance, and Jake's friend Andy accidentally exchange bodies when an experimental switching machine is activated. Now it is up to the boy and his other friends to figure out a means to reverse the situation before anyone else finds out. Humorous close calls arise, including the threat of taking Lance (really Andy) to obedience school and a groomer. Eventually, they are able to corral the two victims back to the machine, only to undergo a partial switch. The story concludes with Andy still exhibiting a very keen sense of smell. Youngsters will empathize with the predicaments in which Strasser's energetic boys find themselves and enjoy this light, entertaining read.?Cheryl Cufari, N. A. Walbran Elementary School, Oriskany, NYCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 5^-8. Fans of Strasser's other books in the Help! I'm Trapped series will want to read this easy, breezy story, in which eighth-grader Jake Sherman's dog, Lance, and Jake's best friend, Andy, are trapped in each other's bodies. Silly, slapstick situations abound: picture a best friend barking in school, eating dog food, chasing squirrels, and being a star pupil in obedience school. The story is briskly paced, and although it's fairly predictable, readers who want something to read just for fun won't mind. Suggest this to older reluctant readers, too. Chris Sherman; Title: Cruel kings and Mean Queens (Horrible Histories Special) | [
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] | Validation |
24,467 | 14 | WENDELL MINOR has illustrated numerous award-winning books for children. He lives and works in Washington, Connecticut, with his wife, Florence.; Title: Pumpkin Heads | [
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24,468 | 12 | In The Kid's Guide to Money: Earning It, Saving It, Spending It, Growing It, Sharing It, author Steve Otfinoski achieves a complicated feat: explaining to kids (ages 9 through 12) the fundamentals of how to thrive in the American economy. Otfinoski uses an easy, informative tone, and focuses on the young entrepreneur who wants to earn money. The author promotes the joys of work, finding a job or building a business, developing advertising, and so on. Later chapters provide explanations of banks, budgets, careful consumerism, taxes, investments, and, finally, charitable donations. Throughout, Otfinoski sprinkles interesting sidebars (called Money Moment and Kid Cents) featuring odd facts about money and quotes from kids. Humorous drawings liven up the chapters, and the appendices include a detailed glossary. Cheers to Otfinoski for making what is often a dry, boring subject a fascinating opportunity for learning and fun. --Ericka LutzGrade 4-8?A book that clearly explains money in terms that will interest children and encourage them to behave responsibly. After presenting practical moneymaking ideas, Otfinoski covers budgeting and standard consumer advice. Other useful information includes the difference between simple and compound interest; a succinct explanation of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds; and the three golden rules of using a credit card. A chapter on sharing encourages charitable giving of both cash and personal effort. The author avoids fictionalizing; all of his examples are from the "real world." Illustrations are limited to a few black-and-white cartoons and diagrams of deposit slips, newspaper stock reports, etc. Appendixes include lists of consumer protection agencies and volunteer organizations, an explanation of how to read stock tables, and a slightly dated bibliography. Adriane Berg and Arthur Bochner's The Totally Awesome Money Book for Kids (Newmarket, 1993) presents much of the same material in more "hip" language. Dan Fitzgibbon's All about Your Money (Atheneum, 1984; o.p.) gives more general guidelines in a somewhat drier style, with an excellent chapter on "learning to enjoy your money." Elizabeth Wilkinson's Making Cents (Little, 1989) is the best written of all, but concentrates on money-making ideas with a final chapter on money management, business ethics, etc. Oftinoski's friendly, low-key approach compares well to all of these titles.?Jonathan Betz-Zall, Sno-Isle Regional Library System, Edmonds, WACopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Kid's Guide to Money: Earning It, Saving It, Spending It, Growing It, Sharing It (Scholastic Reference) | [
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24,469 | 2 | From the bestselling author of Mama, Do You Love Me? comes a moving book that answers the universal question "Who do you love best?" In the spirit of true unconditional parental love, Mama explains that she loves each of her children in their own special way. The jubilant Max she loves the "reddest" and the quiet Julian she loves the "bluest." Together she loves both her boys the "purplest." A celebration of both parental love and of the unique qualities that make every child an individual, the warm illustrations coupled with an eloquent text speak to any child, parent, or sibling.; Title: I Love You the Purplest | [
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24,470 | 14 | Two African American children try to savor the special pleasures of the season ("We slide outside on a snowy hill,.../ We drink hot cider with cinnamon sticks") while they eagerly await the arrival of the big moment: Christmas morning. Greenfield's (The Baby) ebullient verse harnesses the frenetic build-up to Christmas that children everywhere will recognize. Gilchrist's (Lift Evr'y Voice and Sing) muddy acrylics of an attractively appointed household promote family togetherness in a way likely to appeal to readers of all races. Ages 3-6. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.Ages 3^-6. A big house in the snowy countryside provides the setting for this picture book, which focuses on an African American brother and sister anticipating Christmas. Whether sledding, decorating the tree, searching the house for presents, or kissing their grandfather goodnight, their thoughts always converge on the holiday. The brief, rhyming text, which appears on the last page as a complete poem, captures the longing and excitement of the children, while the large-scale acrylic paintings reflect the warm, loving tone of the verse. The art features vivid impressionistic scenes, full of motion and emotion, that are set in the context of a happy extended family. A simple, satisfying read-aloud for the Christmas season. Carolyn Phelan; Title: Waiting for Christmas | [
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24,471 | 1 | Business is booming at Martha Jane's Bookshop, because everyone in town loves Martha Jane, the owner's dog. In fact, they love her so much that when the owner gets sick and needs a dog-sitter, fights break out over who should do the honors. Martha Jane helps settle things amicably?and nets her owner a husband in the process. It's a diverting tale, and Rylant delivers it with an understated sense of humor. Her illustrations, on the other hand, might dazzle a peacock with their loud combinations of clashing colors. As in her self-illustrated Dog Heaven and The Whales, she substitutes a faux-primitive style for a mastery of draftsmanship. Not only do the pictures fail to add anything to what's told in the text, they in fact detract from the careful crafting of the prose. Ages 3-up. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 3?The owner of "Martha Jane's Bookshop" loves her dog so much that she has named her store after the pup. This causes come confusion, as everyone thinks Martha Jane is the proprietor. The action in the tale springs from the hospitalization of the unnamed owner, and the neighborhood's competition to care for Martha Jane. Finally the pooch chooses a man who often brings her a bone. "The woman and the big man liked each other so much that they got married. Martha Jane went on the honeymoon, of course." Martha Jane is the star of this tale, and the humans around her, including the interracial newlyweds, are cardboard. Rylant's full-color illustrations are deep-hued and childlike, with vivid decorated borders surrounding each spread. Their effect is primitive and pleasing. The language, however, is void of Rylant's typical sense of play or poetry. The message, that adults can come together through the love of a dog, lacks insight. Martha Jane is a stolid protagonist, but pales in the shadow of Martha in Susan Meddaugh's Martha Speaks (Houghton, 1992). In the end, this tale is simply a paean to a puppy. There is little tension to grab young audiences.?Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MACopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Bookshop Dog | [
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24,472 | 17 | Gr 7 Up-An introduction to Ali's life from his childhood to the present day, focusing on his career and the controversies surrounding him. Both his talent in the boxing ring and his showmanship earned him international fame, while his refusal to accept the stereotypical role of a black athletic star in the 1960s and his membership in the Nation of Islam brought him notoriety. Myers interweaves fight sequences with the boxer's life story and the political events and issues of the day. He doesn't shy away from reporting on the brutality of the sport and documents the toll it has taken on its many stars. Ample black-and-white photographs of the subject in and out of the ring illustrate the book. Covering Ali is a daunting task, especially since dozens of books and hundreds of articles have been written about him in the last 40 years. Fortunately, young adults have their own award-winning author, one with the perspective of being a young African American in Harlem during the height of the boxer's fame, to tell his story. Myers's writing flows while describing the boxing action and the legend's larger-than-life story.-Michael McCullough, Byron-Bergen Middle School, Bergen, NYCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr. 6-10. Myers tells the familiar story of Muhammad Ali's life and career in such a way as to inspire a new generation of readers, young people whose first glimpse of Ali may have come at the 1996 Olympics, when the Parkinson's-stricken former heavyweight champion lit the Olympic torch. Focusing on race, politics, religion, and boxing--"the arenas in which Ali's mark was indelible in . . . the national consciousness"--Myers vividly re-creates the life of the young Cassius Clay, from his childhood in segregated Louisville in the 1950s, through his Olympic triumph in 1960, to his rise as a professional fighter, culminating with the stunning victory over Sonny Liston in 1964. Then comes the dramatic second act of the Ali story--the transformation of young Clay into Muhammad Ali, a committed Black Muslim who would sacrifice his heavyweight title and face imprisonment by refusing to serve in the army during the Vietnam War. Myers succinctly summarizes the furor surrounding Ali's political activism, and he captures the excitement that Ali created in a generation of young African Americans (including Myers himself), who found in the brash, young boxer a new kind of hero. And, perhaps most vividly, Myers describes Ali the fighter, explaining his technique and offering a perceptive overview of the troubled business of boxing and the great physical risks the sport entails. This is finally a story about a black man of tremendous courage, the kind of universal story that needs a writer as talented as Myers to retell it for every generation. Bill OttCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Greatest: Muhammad Ali | [
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24,473 | 11 | Grade 6 Up. A visually striking, oversized picture book. Walter Dean Myers's songlike poem relates the story of a group of people who settled in New York City, hoping to improve their lots in life, only to discover that racism could still keep them from achieving success. Well-known Harlem landmarks, such as the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater, are mentioned, as are famous African Americans, like Langston Hughes and Joe Louis. The pain of discrimination is made abundantly clear through Myers's forceful, often bitter words. The pride and determination of the people of Harlem are also demonstrated, as is their at times overwhelming despair. The bold collage and ink drawings complement the text well. Although the book paints a vibrant picture of the area and its residents, it is difficult to imagine its proposed audience. Many young people will not be able to grasp the subtleties and imagery of the poem or understand its frequent cultural references. The artwork is fresh and eye-catching, but it, too, is sophisticated. Overall, this is an arresting and heartfelt tribute to a well-known, but little understood, community that may take a bit of effort to sell.?Melissa Hudak, North Suburban District Library, Roscoe, ILCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 6^-12. The two Myerses--author and artist, father and son--celebrate Harlem, which they perceive both as a city and a "promise of a better life," in quite different but wonderfully complementary ways. The author views Harlem--where he grew up--as a symbol of African American aspiration; the artist shares a more concrete city composed of "colors loud enough to be heard." In a text that is as much song as poem, the author offers his impressionistic appreciation for a culture that is predominantly music-based, with its roots in "calls and songs and shouts" "first heard in the villages of Ghana/Mali/Senegal." In his hotly vibrant ink, gouache, and collage images, the artist shows us the textures of the city streets, the colors of "sun yellow shirts on burnt umber bodies," and even, it seems, the sounds the words themselves evoke. The very look of metaphorical moments is well served by the text, but it is Harlem as a visual experience that YAs will return to again and again, to admire and wonder at what is realized with truly extraordinary grace and power by this young artist of such wonderful promise. Michael Cart; Title: Harlem (Caldecott Honor Book) | [
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24,474 | 13 | Text: English (translation) Original Language: French; Title: Paintings (A First Discovery Art Book) | [
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24,475 | 4 | The good times keep rolling with this pair of sturdy and toy-safety-tested board books with wheels that really roll. Each book features a favorite childhood song, amusingly illustrated with animal characters.; Title: I've Been Working on the Railroad (A Shaped Board Book on Wheels) | [
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24,476 | 0 | This engaging addition to the successful Dear America series follows the adventures of Amelia Martin, a lighthouse keeper's daughter living on an island off the coast of Delaware in 1861. Amelia helps her father keep the light and her mother keep the house, but she cannot keep their marriage together. Newbery Medal recipient Karen Hesse (Out of the Dust) cleverly personifies the conflict between North and South, abolitionist and secessionist, Union and Confederacy in the troubled marriage of Amelia's parents. Amelia watches, powerless, as the relationship disintegrates: "I feel as if I am the Light in my family. I must keep my hope burning, so that Father and Mother, even in the darkness that seems to engulf them, might find their way back."The broken marriage provides a powerful example of the way the Civil War tore apart families and friendships. Girls will thrill to Amelia's descriptions of her tomboyish responsibilities as lighthouse keeper and family breadwinner, her burgeoning love affair with a local boy, and her friendship with her abolitionist uncle. While some of the language and details seem anachronistic, Hesse has crafted a remarkably elegant tale of "girl as emotional beacon," tirelessly watching as her world crashes on the shoals. (Ages 9 and older) --Claire DedererGrade 4-8-This diary chronicles 15-year-old Amelia Martin's chaotic life during the turbulent first year of the Civil War. Amelia's father is the assistant lighthouse keeper at Fenwick Island off the coast of southern Delaware. Amelia willingly shares in the duties of standing watch and maintaining the equipment. Through her diary, readers learn that her father sides with the Union while her mother favors the Confederacy, and that their marriage is crumbling just as the country threatens to divide. Amelia admits that while at one time she agreed with her mother's views, she now believes in the abolition of slavery and sympathizes with President Lincoln. When a friend drowns in a skating accident, Amelia becomes friendly with his brother, Daniel, and soon develops a romantic relationship that continues to grow after Daniel volunteers for the Union Army. In the style of light keepers' logs, each entry records the date, weather, and wind conditions. An appended historical note offers more information about the Civil War. Sure to please historical fiction fans as well as followers of the series.Shawn Brommer, Southern Tier Library System, Painted Post, NY Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: A Light in the Storm: The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin (Dear America) | [
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24,477 | 12 | Grade 1-3?Two very basic overviews that feature heavy, slick pages and transparent overlays. Countries explains maps and globes, landforms, and the Earth's rotation and evolution. Except for the map of Europe, the maps of continents have art objects, buildings, etc., superimposed on them, adding even more information visually. There's hardly any text in Plants?it's mostly captions. Plants are organized by continent, and children might be a bit confused by seeing species common to North America listed under another continent. There is no note saying that some plants are found in several parts of the world. The overlays in this title are particularly effective, often showing the interior of a plant or animals living inside it. In both volumes, when appropriate, a small map or globe is included on the page to place what's being discussed. Jack Knowlton's Maps & Globes (HarperCollins, 1985) and David Burnie's Flowers (DK, 1991) cover some of the same material, but for slightly older readers.?Peg Glisson, Dewitt Road School, Webster, NYCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Atlas of Countries (First Discovery Books) | [
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24,478 | 13 | Sarah Glasscock is a writer based in Austin, TX. She has written and edited two volumes of plays for the classroom. She has also published a novel for adults.; Title: 10 American History Plays for the Classroom | [
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24,479 | 0 | Construction on a Civil War battlefield provides the setting for this tale of a friendship between two boys, one black and one white, and the action alternates between the present and the long-ago conflict. PW said, "Luminous oil paintings carry the day for this thoughtfully conceived but unevenly executed story." Ages 5-7.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Blue and the Gray | [
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24,480 | 2 | Luminous oil paintings carry the day for this thoughtfully conceived but unevenly executed story. Bunting's tale of two realities-houses under construction and the Civil War battlefield on which the new community lies-revolves around two boys, neighbors and friends, one black and one white. The action alternates between the present day and 1862 as one of the boys' fathers describes the long-ago battle, peeling back the layers of time to reveal the history that lies beneath the boys' feet. Bunting's (Smoky Night) verse shows glimmers of the lyricism of which she is capable ("The barrels of their muskets/ hard and black/ gave back/ the dazzle of the sun"), but it is marred by occasionally awkward phrasing ("The little puffs of smoke/ burst like gray dust/ around the barrel of each rifle gun,/ floated behind them as they'd run/ man after man"). The interracial theme seems a bit contrived, at times even self-congratulatory ("We'll be a monument of sorts," the father says, "a part of what they fought for/ long ago"). Meanwhile, Bittinger's (The Matzah That Papa Brought Home) artwork shines, capturing every nuance, whether picturing sweeping scenes of battle or the easy camaraderie between the two young friends. His evocation of the brutality and drama of war is all the more touching, standing out as it does in sharp relief against the sunny, tranquil contemporary scenes. Ages 5-7. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 1-5-The families of two friends, one black and one white, are building new houses on a spot overlooking a field where a Civil War battle took place. The white boy's father describes the battle to the two children, and these imagined scenes are shown, juxtaposed with the everyday calm of the present. Surprised that there is no historical marker, the boys vow that they'll remember, and the father says: "We'll be a monument of sorts...a part of what they fought for long ago." Bunting uses a first-person narrative, writing in verse that is often evocative and lyrical. When the narrator finds an old bullet, he throws it "...high/across the field of bones./How silently it falls/into the tufts of grass/and flowers." The author does not always maintain an authentic child's voice, however. Bittinger's striking oil paintings are technically accomplished and suit the dramatic nature of the text. He's especially good with the contrast between the serene present, with its clear, transparent light, and the dark chaos of the fighting long ago. This well-intentioned story is not quite up to Bunting's best, but there is much potential for classroom use, and the book will make an interesting match with Patricia Polacco's Pink and Say (Philomel, 1994), right down to a painting of black hands and white hands reaching toward one another.Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, ILCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Blue and the Gray | [
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24,481 | 1 | PreSchool-Grade 2-A boy and his father stand on a cliff and watch a pod of orcas swim by. Their conversation is simple, as the man tells his son some things about the animals, and the youngster observes and asks questions. He wonders if the whales can talk, and his father tells him, "They story-tell each day they swim, from here to there and farther still." Then the boy imagines what the whales could be saying about the two people on the shore: "They lack our blubber, sad to say. But humans have no love of fat. Imagine that!" The prose is brief and poetic, sometimes even rhyming, and draws a lovely picture of a few majestic moments when a parent and child make a connection with one another and with another species. The illustrations flow across the pages with color and beauty, realistically portraying the world of both species. A concluding page about orcas will answer questions that may arise, from physical attributes to communication, and touches on what is not known. A lovely read for storytime, and a nice introduction to nature studies.Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System, FLCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Whales Passing | [
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24,482 | 0 | Gr. 2^-3. The trio of kids who like to call themselves Invisible Ink is back with another mystery to solve. Famous writer U. B. Spooks is participating in an online chat when the message "Invitation to Doom!" mysteriously appears. The young detectives uncover the identity of the pseudonymous writer, and Chad gives his detective buddies a lesson in how uncomfortable life can be for someone who is different. Breezy, contemporary, and with a smidgen of suspense, this introduces some of the expressions and conventions of the burgeoning online world. Some readers might say :-p, but most will vote :-). Susan Dove Lempke; Title: The Creepy Computer Mystery (Invisible Inc. No. 4 / Hello, Reader! Level 4) | [
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24,483 | 0 | Gr. 2^-4. Bold cartoonlike illustrations and balloon dialogue add zip to a lesson in coinage, which is thinly veiled in a story. Kim has lost her lunch, but she has enough money in her pocket to buy something from the cafeteria. The menu is posted. How much will her coins buy? Younger children will need help with both the reading and the figuring; older ones may have fun trying to select a menu of their own. Additional math activities follow the story. Stephanie Zvirin; Title: The Lunch Line (Hello Math Reader, Level 3) | [
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24,484 | 15 | PreSchool-Grade 1-From bud to fruit, two children follow the cycle of an apple tree as it is nurtured through the seasons. The book incorporates the role of bees and the weather in the production of the fruit. Another use of the tree is shown, as a pair of robins build their nest and begin a family. The story ends with a nice, warm apple pie being taken from the oven. The large pictures and text are suitable for young children. The colorful, clear-cut illustrations use a paint and paper collage technique. An end note shows how bees pollinate the tree's flowers and offers a recipe for apple pie. Great for sharing with a group or one-on-one.Kathy Mitchell, Gadsden Co. Public Library, Quincy, FLCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.Ages 4^-7. Two young sisters describe the changes that occur in their backyard apple tree throughout the seasons of a year. The tree is bare and brown in winter, but spring brings two robins that build a nest and raise a family amid the apple blossoms. In summer, the robins fly off, the girls enjoy playing in the tree's shade, and the apples grow bigger and redder. Finally, in autumn, they pick apples and bake a delicious apple pie. Halpern's colorful collage illustrations perfectly complement the succinct text. Eschewing the use of backgrounds, she concentrates on the tree and the children, which results in crisp edges and an uncluttered appearance that will please young audiences. Appended with an explanation of pollination and a recipe for apple pie, this will make a perfect choice for fall story hours and primary science lessons. Pair with Gail Gibbons' Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree (1984) for another perspective. Kay Weisman; Title: The Apple Pie Tree | [
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24,485 | 1 | Muffin the dog is blindfolded for a day and tries to identify things by the sounds they make.; Title: The Noisy Book | [
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24,486 | 7 | Grade 4-6. This addition to the popular sci-fi/fantasy series continues the adventures of five young people who have acquired the power to morph into animal forms from their alien friends, the Andalites. This power has helped them to survive and keeps the evil Yeerk invaders at bay. Then Cassie starts hearing strange and disturbing messages in her dreams and realizes that she is receiving a distress call from a stranded Andalite. With Jake's encouragement, she decides that they must try to rescue the alien before it is killed by the Yeerk's leader. Danger mounts as they enter the ocean as dolphins to start their search, and Cassie suddenly understands what it means to be a leader. She is truly afraid of being responsible for this mission and for her friends, and her struggles to come to terms with her decision are realistic and engaging. Though the five children are stock characters, and the conflict is thinly developed in parts (readers never hear what the message really imparts), the descriptions of becoming and living as dolphins and other animals are impressive, as is the group's knowledge that their special powers are in reality powerful weapons not to be used lightly. Average series fare.?Linda Bindner, Athens Clarke County Library, GACopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.Praise for Animorphs"Engaging... impressive." - School Library Journal"There's clearly something about Animorphs that has kept kids enthralled." &mdash Publishers Weekly; Title: The Message (Animorphs #4) | [
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22216
] | Test |
24,487 | 2 | Paulette Bourgeois is the author of more than 40 books for children, including the In My Neighborhood series and Oma s Quilt. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.Brenda Clark s artwork has charmed millions and has helped make Franklin an international star. She lives in Port Perry, Ontario.; Title: Franklin Has a Sleepover | [
1404,
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15217,
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59418,
59704,
59710,
59717,
70510,
70526,
70551
] | Train |
24,488 | 4 | Text: English (translation) Original Language: French; Title: Cars and Trucks and Other Vehicles (First Discovery Books) | [
16953,
16955,
24191,
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24337,
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24345,
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24352,
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24544,
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24,489 | 7 | Gr. 3-5. Rilla Harmony Earth lives with her mother and aunt, who run the Harmony House Bed and Breakfast. The sign out front reads "Peace to Every One," but chaos reigns in Rilla's attic room when she starts receiving packages from the Monster of the Month Club. Feeding the beasts, keeping the peace, and hiding the little monsters is turning into a full-time job. Readers will enjoy the humor and mounting tension as Rilla seeks to cope with her charges, her family, and her infatuation with fellow home-schooler Joshua Banks. Entertaining light fiction with a catchy title and a snappy jacket illustration. Carolyn Phelan Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Monster of the Month Club | [
36798
] | Test |
24,490 | 0 | Gr 1-3-Despite the melodramatic titles, Berger approaches these animals with judicious equanimity, providing a relatively large amount of information in a strictly limited physical configuration. Both titles are heavily larded with color photos and neither has an index, though clear chapter headings (e.g., "What Do Bears Eat?") make information retrieval relatively painless. Purists may flinch at the use of such nonscientific terms as "tummies" or the describing of pilot fish as "friends," but most of the factual material is couched in more formal language. Unfamiliar terms are defined in the text, and a pronunciation guide accompanies each definition. All in all, useful, tidy titles on stirring subjects, designed to entice general readers and provide a touch of spice in the classroom.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NYCopyright 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Growl! A Book About Bears (level 3) (Hello Reader) | [
24305,
50030
] | Train |
24,491 | 2 | Baby-Sitters Club, Books 1-4; Title: Baby-Sitters Club, Books 1-4 | [
2868,
3371,
6211,
12850,
22706,
23742,
24498,
54806
] | Test |
24,492 | 1 | There's no denying that kids love Clifford. The Big Red Dog has been a favorite since Norman Bridwell created him over 40 years ago. "I was working as a commercial artist in New York City. There wasn't much work, so I made some sample pictures and took them to several publishers. They all rejected my work. But one editor suggested that I try writing a book of my own to illustrate. I had done a painting of a little girl with a big red dog. That seemed like a funny idea, so I made up a story about them. I increased the dog's size from as big as a horse to as big as a house. My wife named the dog Clifford, and we named the little girl Emily Elizabeth after our daughter. In three days I had written the story and drawn the pictures for Clifford The Big Red Dog. When Scholastic called and said they wanted the book, I was stunned." Bridwell, who grew up in Kokomo, Indiana, lives now on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, with his wife, Norma. For more information about Norman Bridwell, visit: scholastic.com/tradebooks; Title: Clifford's Sports Day | [
7380,
14544,
15357,
16945,
24158,
26771
] | Validation |
24,493 | 2 | In a departure from her previous books, which are aimed at very young children, Tafuri targets beginning readers with a lean yet evocative text. Bunny and Bird both make their homes in an apple tree, and Bunny loves to hear Bird sing, but they aren't friends--Bird is too shy. As is often the case in friendship stories, the two finally come together under duress: Bird's nest gets waterlogged in a fierce storm, and she seeks refuge in Bunny's hutch. The next day Bunny organizes all the forest creatures, and they create a cozy new home for their timid feathered friend. Bird is so moved that she finally sheds her shyness, and proudly sings "a special song of thanks for her good friend Bunny." Tafuri never belabors the emotional content: "Bird felt much better now," she writes after Bird flees her nest. "She was warm and dry. Bunny and Bird fell asleep on the soft, sweet grass." However, those expecting the dynamic, painstakingly rendered nature scenes of Tafuri's recent titles (e.g., I Love You, Little One; Snowy Flowy Blowy) may be disappointed with the illustrations here: by comparison they are restrained, even subdued. Ages 4-7. (Mar.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-Grade 1-Bunny asks a bird to be his friend but she is too shy to respond until a storm forces her to take shelter in his hole. Then, he helps her rebuild her nest and she sings him a special song of thanks. This simple story of friendship is presented in picture-book format, but the text, set in 32-point type, uses the short declarative sentences of an easy-reader. This results in a somewhat stilted text and lessens the book's appeal as a read-aloud. Unlike Tafuri's previous books, such as Have You Seen My Duckling? (Greenwillow, 1984), which feature strong, large shapes that fill the page, the muted watercolor-and-ink illustrations pictured here often take up only a corner of the page and are surrounded by lots of white space. This technique allows for a clear presentation of the text, but reduces the impact of the art. This is an adequate but not necessary purchase.Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Will You Be My Friend? A Bunny and Bird Story | [
10450,
16347,
45648,
68204
] | Validation |
24,494 | 0 | PreSchool-Grade 1 An appealing easy-reader that offers a twist on a familiar story. A shaggy-haired puppy has a loose tooth and intends to leave it under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy when it falls out. Predictably, he swallows it while eating. The twist comes when he resolves his problem by taking a Polaroid snapshot of his smile and leaving the proof for the Tooth Fairy. Without being didactic, this story presents a situation and a solution for what every child worries about while passing through this stage of life. The gentle watercolors in muted tones emphasize the adorable dog's changing emotions throughout and, in the end, show his satisfied smile. Kit Vaughan, J. B. Watkins Elementary School, Midlothian, VA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: I Lost My Tooth! (Hello Reader!, Level 1) | [
2894,
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17669,
20687,
21844,
21981,
24230,
24234,
24423,
26425,
26566,
28164,
61941,
63595
] | Test |
24,495 | 0 | Gr. 2^-4. The fifth mystery about the Invisible Inc. trio has the three grade-school friends suspecting one of their own. The setting is karate class, with lots of talk about moves, punches, and blocks; but who has stolen Justin's karate belt? Is it his friend Charlene, who is mad at him? Justin is hard of hearing, and the way he copes with his disability is a natural part of the story. The teacher, Sensei Bobby, is encouraging but never condescending, demanding the highest performance from all of them. In the end, the friends find the shamefaced culprit, and order is restored. This is an advanced title in the Hello Readers series, and much of the story is told in dialogue, which may make it less an easy-reading title than a good drama for readers' theater in the classroom. Hazel Rochman; Title: The Karate Class Mystery (Invisible Inc., No. 5; Hello, Reader! Level 4) | [
24394,
24407,
24482
] | Train |
24,496 | 2 | Gr. 1^-2, younger for reading aloud. Germs tell their side of the story in this unusual book from the Beginning Reader Science series. The germs, shown as colorful, rather hyperactive monsters, explain that they live everywhere but look for a spot where they can spread disease. Soon they're cavorting in someone's mouth, crying, "Give us someplace dark and damp. What a perfect place to camp!" That illustration alone could inspire a week's worth of diligent toothbrushing. Showing an odd bunch of funny-looking and highly excitable varmints playing, working, and whizzing across the pages, the cartoonlike ink drawings are washed with bright watercolors. An appealing introduction to germs and health, this will fill a niche in hygiene units at the preschool and primary-grade levels. Carolyn Phelan; Title: Germs! Germs! Germs! (Hello Reader! Level 3 Science) | [
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72432,
73531
] | Train |
24,497 | 0 | Grade 2-4?In this historically accurate, fictionalized account for beginning chapter-book readers, Waters tells a story of the Mayflower's passage to America through the characters of William Small, the apprentice to the master of the ship, and Ellen Moore, an eight-year-old passenger. The text is based on historical documents, two passenger accounts of the actual trip, and other voyages of the time. In a section at the end, the author explains her research; and distinguishes fact from fiction. Kendall's clear, full-color photographs, shot on the Mayflower II, complement the story. This book is well written, designed, and photographed. A good choice for patrons who enjoyed Waters and Kendall's Samuel Eaton's Day (1993) and Sarah Morton's Day (1989, both Scholastic).?Charlyn Lyons, Wichita Public Library, KSCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 3^-5. Similar to Waters and Kendall's earlier works about children in the 1620s, Sarah Morton's Day (1989), Samuel Eaton's Day (1993), and Tapenum's Day (1994), this book tells of two young people crossing the Atlantic on the Mayflower. The narrator is William Small, apprentice to the ship's master; Ellen Moore is the young passenger he befriends. Readers can follow the journey from these two different perspectives. Full-color photographs of costumed characters aboard the Mayflower II illustrate the story, making it more vivid than most accounts of the Mayflower voyage. Although the photos sometimes look posed, they provide intriguing glimpses of seventeenth-century ways; many of the pictures are quite handsome in their own right. A good addition to American history collections. Carolyn Phelan; Title: On The Mayflower | [
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36203,
37768,
39574,
47562,
57337,
72272
] | Test |
24,498 | 2 | The Baby-Sitters Club: Mary Anne Vs. Logan/Jessie and the Dance School Phantom/Stacey's Emergency/Dawn and the Big Sleepover, #s 41-44; Title: The Baby-Sitters Club: Mary Anne Vs. Logan/Jessie and the Dance School Phantom/Stacey's Emergency/Dawn and the Big Sleepover, #s 41-44 | [
24335,
24491
] | Validation |
24,499 | 18 | Praise for Jim Murphy:A Newbery Honor Book for The Great FireA Robert F. Sibert Honor Book for Blizzard!"Spectacular!" -Kirkus Reviews, starred review of Truce"An example of stellar nonfiction." -Booklist, starred review of Blizzard!"A veritable cinematic account." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review of The Great FireJim Murphy is the celebrated author of more than thirty-five books for young readers, most notably TRUCE: THE DAY THE SOLDIERS STOPPED FIGHTING and THE GREAT FIRE, a Newbery Honor Winner. His carefully researched, engaging, and elegantly written nonfiction has garnered the most prestigious awards in the field. He lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, with his wife and their two sons.; Title: Blizzard!: The Storm That Changed America | [
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8900,
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21639,
22717,
22984,
28474,
35858,
35987,
49284,
53232,
61578
] | Train |
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