Read! Read! Read! Poems by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater

Read! Read! Read!
by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater; illus. by Ryan O'Rourke
32 pages; ages 5-10
WordSong, 2017

Real readers will read anything: cereal boxes, maps, field guides, comic books, the sports pages.... So many things to read! So little time!

Poems focus on the ways readers connect to the word and their world. For example - reading road signs while driving to the beach. Or pulling out a paper map - I love maps - and locating yourself in space.

My favorite is "Field Guide" in which a reader, nestled on the couch with a field guide "perched upon my lap" is learning the names of hawks. "I study hawks trapped flat in books so I will know hawks in 3-d," she writes. "...hawk by hawk my field guide teaches me to see." A fun book filled with poems that are perfect for ... reading. 

There is no Perfect Picture Book Friday today. But there is a holiday story contest - so head on over to Susanna Leonard Hill's site where you can find a selection of story entries and links to more. Review copy provided by publisher.

Revolutionary Rogues

Revolutionary Rogues: John Andre and Benedict Arnold
by Selene Castrovilla; illus. by John O'Brien
48 pages; 9-11 years
Calkins Creek, 2017

Major John Andre was bright and well educated. He served in the British army and, in 1779 was put in charge of secret intelligence.

Major General Benedict Arnold was one of America's finest soldiers - even George Washington agreed. But reward and recognition passed him by, and after being shot in the leg at Saratoga, he knew he would not gain glory on the battlefield.

What drew these two men into collusion? Was it Arnold's wife, a British sympathizer? Was it that both men wanted to see an end to this war?

Author Selene Castrovilla takes readers through a fast-paced espionage adventure, highlighting the similarities and differences in these two Revolutionary rogues. The tragedy: that they brought about their own tragic ends. A great read for any young historian. Back matter includes timelines for each soldier and, for those who like to dive deeply into history, a list of places to visit in New York and London.

 Review copy provided by publisher.

Teddy Roosevelt

Teedie: the Story of Young Teddy Roosevelt
by Don Brown
32 pages; ages 4-7
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017 (reprinted)

themes: nonfiction, biography, presidents

Ten-year-old Teedie played with his sisters and brother in their fine house on Twentieth Street.

He loved being at home, but he also loved summers in the country when he and the other kids climbed trees, built wigwams, and hunted frogs (unsuccessfully). 

What I like about this book: President Teddy Roosevelt is one of my heroes, so I'm always keeping my eyes peeled for a fun book about his childhood. This one fits the bill. Author Dan Brown shows Teddy (called Teedie by his family) as a youngster plagued by asthma -  in the mid 1800s they didn't have inhalers - and so was tutored at home. He was insatiably curious, collecting skulls and sketching birds. He spent hours lifting weights and rowing to build up his body, and loved riding horses and hunting.

As an adult he did amazing things to make our country a better place to live. "America will not be a good place for any of us to live in if it is not a reasonably good place for all of us to live in," he said. So he fought big business, established national parks and wildlife preserves, built the Panama Canal, and won a Nobel Peace Prize. 

Beyond the Book:
Take a virtual tour of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the Badlands of North Dakota. Here's the NPS video.

Play a game of Tic-Track-Toe. Roosevelt was a hunter, so playing this game requires animal track tiles - you can download a template here. And you can visit this website for more National Park activities.

Biographical information (and short video) about TR over at the Ducksters.

Today is PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review copy provided by publisher.

Happy Thanksgiving

 Wild Turkeys by illustrator, Johanna van der Sterre

The Journey that Saved Curious George

The Journey that Saved Curious George
by Louise Borden; illus. by Allan Drummond
96 pages; ages 7 - 10
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016 (reprinted)

Eight-year-old Hans A. Reyerback loved to visit the zoo. He would imitate the sounds of animals, and loved to draw the animals. After serving in the German Army (WWI) he traveled to Brazil where he wore a broad hat and watched monkeys along the Amazon.

Margaret Waldstein loved art and studied photography. When Hitler came to power, life changed in Germany so she eventually traveled to Brazil. She was seeking new work and adventure and had heard that an old family friend (Hans) was living in Rio.

They teamed up as artists, eventually married, and traveled to Paris. They planned to visit for 2 weeks; they stayed for 4 years. In 1939 they began working on a story about a very curious monkey. That year war broke out. Paper was scarce and typesetters had joined the army. And war was marching closer! They had to flee Paris on bicycles, sleeping in barns, and narrowly escaping the bombing.

As refugees, waiting for visas, they were questioned by officials: what were the papers they were carrying? Were they spies? No, just writers.... Four months later they arrived in New York City and after another year they published the first book of many about Curious George.

What I like about this book: Adventure! Danger! Escape from Nazis! and Curious George! It's got history and mystery and biography all rolled into one exciting story. 

Review copy provided by publisher.

Two Wild Adventures, mostly true

themes: adventure, history

The Wildest Race Ever
by Meghan McCarthy
48 pages; ages 4-8
Simon & Schuster, 2016

The first Olympic marathon held in America happened on august 30, 1904, in Saint Louis, Missouri. It was part of the World's Fair exhibition.

Thirty-two runners started that day, representing the US, South Africa, Cuba, France, Greece, and Newfoundland (now part of Canada). The first American Indian to run in Olympic Games was there, from the Seneca Nation. It was hot, and the cars carrying judges, doctors, and reporters stirred up so much dust that racers had a hard time breathing!

What I like about this book: Meghan McCarty tells stories about individual runners - like the guy who stole peaches from a car, and the runner who was chased a mile off course by an angry dog. It's a true story, so there's a couple of pages of back matter - and you know how much I like back matter!

A Voyage in the Clouds
by Matther Olshan; illus. by Sophie Blackall
40 pages; ages 4-8
Farrar Straus Giroux, 2016

This book is subtitled: the (Mostly) true story of the first international flight by balloon in 1785. It tells the story of Dr. John Jeffries, an Englishman, and his pilot, Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a Frenchman, to be the first to fly from one country to another.

There's only one problem: they can't stand each other!
Okay, there are a lot of problems. They lose tools. They lose altitude. They lose their tempers.

What I like about this book: It's FUN! I like the dialog balloons that reveal their bickering. I like that they had to pee over the side to lighten the balloon so they wouldn't crash land. And I really like the notes in the back matter that clarify what's fact in this very imaginative story.

Beyond the Books: 

What would it be like to balloon across the English Channel? Here's a tale about two guys who recreated the trip of Jeffries and Blanchard.

Build a "hot air" balloon using helium party balloons, a plastic grocery bag, and a paper cup. Put two balloons into the plastic bag. Tie a ribbon from each handle of the plastic bag and attach the paper cup. Fill it up with pennies and send it on a journey around the house.

Run - or walk - a marathon. A marathon is a bit over 26 miles. Elite runners can finish in just over two hours; walkers take 8 hours or longer. Why not do your own marathon, but a couple miles a day? Plot out a two-mile loop (if you walk a mile to school, that's perfect). Then draw a race course on a sheet of paper and mark it off into 26 squares. Each day, color in a square for each mile you run or walk. When you finish your marathon, give yourself a gold medal.

Today is PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review copies from publishers.

Mountain Chef

Mountain Chef: How one man lost his groceries...
by Annette Bay Pimentel; illus. by Rich Lo
40 pages; ages 6-9
Charlesbridge, 2016

themes: Exploration! Adventure! Food!

Tie Sing was a frontier baby, born high in the mountains in Virginia City, Nevada.

America was a tough place to be Chinese when Tie Sing was growing up. Chinese workers were paid less than white workers, and many people with Chinese names ended up cooking in restaurants or working in laundries. But Tie Sing had BIG dreams. He got a job  cooking for mapmakers as they explored and mapped the Sierras. And he got a reputation as the best trail cook around.

So when a party of Congressmen and others who interested in creating a National Park Service hired him as their trail cook, Tie Sing wanted to fix them meals that would make them remember the beauty of the peaks. No s'mores for this crew; it was English plum pudding with brandy sauce, eggs for breakfast, box lunches, and sourdough starter in the saddle bags for dinner loaves.

What I like about this book: I love camping and hiking, and the National Parks! I enjoyed Annette Pimentel's depiction of Tie Sing - he really worked hard to plan menus and pack ingredients. I like that she shows a typical day in the life of a trail chef. And that she includes the obstacles Tie Sing has to overcome - like when a mule wanders away with the food and he has to improvise a simple (yet elegant) meal. The words and illustrations take us on the journey with Tie Sing.

I also like the back matter - and there is plenty: information about immigration, how Tie Sing kept his food from going bad, and short biographies of the people who went on the expedition. End papers feature maps of the journey.

Beyond the Book:
Make some granola for your next camping trip; it also makes a good "carry along" breakfast for when you're traveling.

Learn more about our National Parks - and if you have the chance to visit one, do it.

Take a virtual hike up Sing Peak - here is a map, and wonderful photos of what you would see if you were hiking there. During a rest break - while you catch your breath - read up on the history of Tie Sing and the adventurous Mather Party.

Today is PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review copy from the publisher.

Hurrah for Heroines!

The Book of Heroines: Tales of History's Gutsiest Gals
by Stephanie Warren Drimmer
176 pages; ages 8-12
National Geographic Children's Books, 2017

This book is chock-full of Leading Ladies, Daring Dames, Gritty Girls, Peace Heroines, Legendary Ladies, and a few outstanding non-human heroines. These strong girls don't wear capes or have superpowers. But they do share seven qualities, writes Stephanie Drimmer.

How to Identify a Heroine:

1. Heroines step up when help is needed.
2. They are brave. They do the right thing no matter how scared they are.
3. They're confident, even when folks say "you can't do that." 
4. They put others first.
5. Heroines do the right thing.
6. They face risk - which means they act even when doing so means they might be called names, or face danger.
7. And when the going get tough, they don't quit.

So who are these real-life heroines Drimmer profiles? One is Eleanor Roosevelt who became the First Lady when F.D.R. was elected President in 1932. She held press conferences and wrote a column about her opinions on social and political issues. She used her position to give a  voice to people who didn't have one: women, children, African Americans, and the poor. She challenged stereotypes.

One section highlights women who led nations: Golda Meir, Angela Merkel, Margaret Thatcher, Cleopatra. Another introduces athletes. Within the pages are stories of code breakers, warriors, journalists, business leaders, pilots, and explorers. There are profiles of courageous peace-makers, like Malala Yousafzai and Rigoberta Menchu Tum. And there are scientists and inventors.

These women pushed against barriers, saved lives, and discovered new worlds. They're the sort of heroes you'd like any child to meet. Review copy from publisher.

John Ronald's Dragons

John Ronald's Dragons, a J.R.R. Tolkien Story
by Caroline McCallister; illus. by Eliza Wheeler
48 pages; ages 4-8
Roaring Brook Press, 2017

themes: biography, imagination, dragons

John Ronald was a boy who loved horses. And trees, And strange sounding words.

But most of all, John Ronald loved dragons.

If you have a kid who loves dragons, you'll understand this. John Ronald grew up hearing stories about knights and dragons. He and his cousin made up their own language, but he never found dragons. Even when he went to war - and that's where he certainly could have used the help of dragons! So John Ronald went into teaching. And then one day, while grading papers, he started writing: "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit."

What I like about this book: It's fun to read. I like that John Ronald had no idea what a hobbit was, but followed him into a story that led him over mountains, beyond the ridges, east of the sun and west of the moon to the land where ... DRAGONS! I also like that the author and illustrator include notes at the end explaining more about Tolkien's life and inspiration for the illustrations.

Beyond the book:

Learn about hobbits! If you haven't read any of JRR Tolkien's books, at least read The Hobbit.Pay attention to their homes, what they wear, food they eat. These are important details.

How many kinds of Dragons are there? Like other reptiles, there is great diversity. You may want to make a poster showing all the various kinds of dragons there are or have been in the world.

Get to know dragons in the real world. Here's a National Geographic article that tells about seven existing "dragons".

Do dragons dance? Chinese New Year celebrations include dragon dances. If you were creating a dragon dance, what would it look like?

Today is PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review ARC from publisher.

All the Way to Havana

All the Way to Havana
by Margarita Engle; illustrated by Mike Curato
40 pages; ages 4-8
Henry Holt Books for young readers, 2017

themes: family, cars, diversity

We have a gift, and we have a cake, and today we're going to drive all the way to the big city to see my new baby cousin.

This is the story about a boy and his family driving to Havana, Cuba in their old family car. When she rattles and shakes like a chicken, papa pops the hood and with a twist and a tinker and a bit of twine gets her back in shape. Then it's off to Havana - well, got to give the neighbors a ride. But then it's off to Havana!

What I like love about this book: The sounds! So many car sounds, from clunks and clucks to pio pio, taka taka, and a whole lot more zooms and growls. It makes you think, "Hey! that's what MY car sounds like!" I like the repetition of the phrase, "we have a gift, and we have a cake..." I like the way he boy and his father use tools at hand to repair car problems, even inventing their own solution. And I love that Margarita uses her author's note to tell more about why these old American cars are on the island. Plus, if you have a car-loving kid, the end pages are filled with antiques: 1950 Chevy 3100 pickup, 1959 Ford Thunderbird, and my favorite - 1953 Chevy 210 series (a lot like my family's first car).

Beyond the Book:

Make a list of the sounds cars and trucks make in your area. Not just on the road, but when they're starting up, and stopped at a light. Don't forget to include a car you ride in frequently. Need inspiration? Here's a library of sounds, and here's the "Car Noise Emporium" from Car Talk.

Go to an old car show. The guys with old cars around here have a meet-up every month down in town and anyone can walk by to look at the cars. They raise the hoods and vroom the engines. OR find some books or online sites that have photos of old cars from the 1940s and 1950s. 

Build a car out of cucumbers, candy bars, or other food you can easily obtain. Think about what makes a good axle and wheels. Test it going down an inclined plane. Then challenge your friends to a race. Here's a fun video of an edible car competition.

Check out this post by Margarita Engle on writing books that cross borders.

Today is PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review copy from publisher.

Two Cool Science Guys

It's not every day I get two well-known science guys to hang out on my blog. So today I'd like you to welcome Alexander Graham Bell and Sir Isaac Newton. Granted, they lived 200 years apart, but book magic brings them alive today.

Themes: nonfiction, science, invention

Alexander Graham Bell Answers the Call
by Mary Ann Fraser
32 pages; ages 6-9
Charlesbridge, 2017

From the beginning, the world all around spoke to Alexander Graham Bell. And he listened.

He listened to the hustle and bustle of traffic on the streets, and the sound of the wind blowing through wheat. And because his father was a speech therapist and worked at home, Alec listened to the sounds and chants of the students. Which may have influenced his work as a teacher for the deaf, and his desire to invent a way for people to communicate over long distances.

What I like about this book: I love that the end papers show the history of the telephone and the informative charts Mary Fraser drops into the text (one shows how the ear works). And I like how she shows him growing up within a family where hearing and deafness were part of their lives. Fraser shows Alec discovering vibrations and then putting his discovery to use to communicate with his mom. What I like most of all is that the invention of the telephone took time and met with failures along the way. But Alec didn't give up.

Newton's Rainbow
by Kathryn Lasky; illus. by Kevin Hawkes
48 pages; ages 4-8
Farrar Straus & Giroux, 2017

On Christmas Day over three hundred years ago, in a village in England, a baby was born too early.

He was so tiny that no one expected him to live. But he did, and he was immensely curious. While a student, he boarded with the village apothecary. The shelves in the shop were crammed full of jars with fluids and powders, spiderwebs, and leeches. This is where he learned chemistry.

One day he was in a jumping competition. Being small, he waited for an extra-strong gust of wind to give him the boost he needed to get the longest jump. So he began his study of physics. He carved sundials, made models, and spent his days thinking - even when he was supposed to do farm work!

What I like about this book: It takes us right inside of Newton's life and times. Kathryn Lasky tells us straight out what's true and what's "story". There was an apple, she says, and it did indeed fall - but probably not on Newton's noggin. She helps us see his thought process as he experiments with light and gravity.

Beyond the books:
Make your own telephone. All you need are plastic cups, string, paperclips, and a sharp pencil. Here's how to do it.

Test sound waves with a spoon and some string (and maybe a ruler, too). Easy-to-follow instructions and even some ideas for further investigation here.

Create a water prism to break sunlight into the colors of the rainbow. All you need is a bowl of water, a small mirror, a sheet of paper, and a sunny window. Here's how to do it.

Check out more biographies of scientists over at Archimedes Notebook.

Today we're joining the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. We're also joining others over at Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.  Review copies from the publishers.

Books Celebrating Best Friends

Themes: friendship, imagination

Nerdy Birdy Tweets
by Aaron Reynolds; illus. by Matt Davies
40 pages; ages 4-8
Roaring Brook Press, 2017

This is Nerdy Birdy.
Nerdy Birdy loves playing video games. Vulture thinks video games are boring.

And that would be OK but.... they are Best Friends! They do some things together, like take goofy pictures of each other, and spend time hanging out. Until ... Nerdy Birdy discovers "Tweetster". Now he spends so much time with his beak in his phone that vulture feels left out.

What I like about this book: It's fun! Every now and then there's a page set up like a graphic novel, and sometimes the story is told through tweets. I like that it shows the problem with spending all your time building lists of online friends at the expense of your blood-and-feather friends. "I'm friends with a puffin!" shouts Nerdy Bird. "She lives in Iceland."
"You're friends with a vulture," says Vulture. "And she's dying of boredom."
I like that it portrays very real problems with forgetting that friends have feelings, and that posting things can hurt feelings. And it does all this without getting lecture-y and moralistic.

While NB and Vulture resolve their differences, Horace and Hattie have a completely different sort of problem.

Hedgehugs and the Hattiepillar
by Steve Wilson and Lucy Tapper
28 pages; 4-8 years old
Henry Holt & Co, 2016

Horace and Hattie are the very best of friends.

They go on walks together, play hide-and-seek, and even try to catch the moon. One day they discover something new and interesting - that hatches into a caterpillar, eats leaves, then turns into a chrysalis. When it emerges as something different, Hattie and Horace wonder if they can do the same thing.

What I like about this book: This is a fun-to-read, quiet book. It also entertains some scientific curiosity: if we do what a caterpillar does, can we turn into something different? And then the experimenting and results. I also like that they're hedgehogs because ... hedgehogs!

Beyond the books:

Compare Face Time to Face Book (or twitter). No matter what your age, try this experiment for a day, a week, a month... take a break from Face Book (or twitter) and talk to people face-to-face. With words. Maybe at a park, while swinging or hitting tennis balls or walking. Maybe eating lunch with someone you normally message but rarely sit with. Notice the differences between spending face time with people and electronic time with them.

What if you could go to sleep (like a cocoon) and emerge as something different? What would you be? draw a picture, or tell a story. You don't actually have to try it, like Hattie and Horace. 

Thoughtful reading on how smartphones affect children:  From the Atlantic ~ "Are Smartphones Harming Kids?" and from researchers in Toronto, how devices affect language development in toddlers.

Join in an anti-bullying activity. Cyber-bullying is a big issue. What can you do to stop it?

Today is PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review ARCs from publishers.

The Enemy

The Enemy
by Sara Holbrook
224 pages; ages 10-14
Calkins Creek, 2017

It's 1954 and twelve-year-old Marjorie is hunkered down behind the walls of a snow fort with her friend, Bernadette. She's got a pile of snowballs to pelt the enemy - Bernadette's brother, Artie. But Artie doesn't want to be the "enemy" - a Nazi. He wants to be Al Capone instead.

"This is war," yells Bernadette. "We're the good guys. You're the bad guy. That makes you a Nazi."

Marjorie is coming of age during the cold war, when there are so many enemies: Nazis, communists, the new girl, Inga, and a strange man lurking around the neighborhood. Marjorie wants to know how to determine who are friends, who are enemies, and how to know the difference. Then there's the question of right and wrong, and whether she'll go to jail for hiding "dangerous books" under her bed. Books that may or may not have been stolen from the library and probably should be  burned for their radical ideas. Books like 1984 and The Grapes of Wrath.

And then there's the demand by Bernadette that she sign an oath of loyalty to her friends. Who demands loyalty oaths? While she writes of a bygone era, Sara could be writing a story about today's issues of immigration, intolerance, religious and racial divide.

Sara Holbrook, grew up in post-war Detroit, a city, she says, that was separated by race and ethnicity. She talks about growing up in that era, and about her family, displaced people, returning soldiers, and more in her author's note - and follows up with a great bibliography for curious readers who want to know more.

 On Monday we'll be hanging out on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers over at Shannon Messenger's blog. Hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by publisher.

Hello Goodbye Dog

Hello Goodbye Dog
by Maria Gianferrari; illus. by Patrice Barton
40 pages; ages 4-8
Roaring Brook Press, 2017

themes: family, inclusion, therapy animals

"Hello, Moose!" said Zara.
There was nothing Moose loved more than hello.

But what Moose doesn't like to hear is "goodbye," because goodbye means Zara is going away. So when Zara goes to school, Moose runs away from home to be with her. Again and again. And each time he is returned, until finally Zara figures a way that Moose will be allowed to stay at school with her.

What I like LOVE about this book: I like the diversity of the characters in the book. Maria doesn't say that Zara uses a wheelchair, but we can see that in the illustrations. Any child looking at the pictures will see himself/herself in the pages. There is such a feeling of inclusiveness in this story.

I also like the repetition of hello and goodbye. And the strong bond of love between Zara and Moose. Yes, he does not belong at school, but it's fun when he shows up. I also like the increasing number of people it takes to capture Moose and send him back home... it reminds me of the folk tale of people pulling a reluctant turnip out of the ground. Concurrently, there's an ever-escalating challenge to
keep Moose at home.

Most of all, I like that Zara comes up with a solution that is suitable for Moose, and promotes her love of reading.

Maria with Griffin and Allison

... So I just had to ask Maria Three Questions:

Sally: What inspired you to tell this story?

Maria: I love dogs, and I truly believe in the power of dog (and animal love) to promote healing and to bring us joy and happiness. Dogs live in the moment, and teach us to do so, too. This story, like all of my picture books so far, are about the human-animal bond, and I wanted to tell yet another story about a girl and her canine BFF.

 Sally: Was the mixed race family your idea, or the illustrator's?

Maria: I had always envisioned Zara to have a mixed racial background. As a character, Zara also evolved through revision to be a wheelchair user, though that isn't part of the story - it's a friendship story. 

Tybee and Brittany

Sally: Do you know any reading dogs?

Maria: Yes, I met many this summer while doing events for Hello Goodbye Dog! At my book launch, at Books of Wonder in New York City, I met great teams from New York Therapy Animals: Griffin and Allison, Wlly and Roz, and April and Beth. In August I was joined by reading dog, Tybee and his handler, Brittany of Heeling House in Sterling, VA for a reading at Scrawl Books in Reston, VA. They'll be helping me celebrate my book at the Fall Festival in Fairfax next month. And I can't leave out Leonburger Brig, a gentle giant, and his dog mom, Lynn from the Toadstool Bookshop in Keene NH, my hometown. I can't wait to meet more reading dogs! 

Beyond the Book:
Moose loves listening to people read. Do you have a pet that listens to you read? Or does your library have a "reading dog"? If so, find a favorite book and read to an animal. What is it about dogs that make them suited to this sort of activity?

Reading aloud to dogs (and other animals) helps children with their reading skills. Here's one article that tells more.

If you don't have a dog to read to, make one out of an old pillow case. Turn one end of the pillow case into the head (you can sew or staple ears on), then stuff and sew it closed. Add a tail, lean against it, and start reading.

You can find Marie Gianferrari's website here, and Patrice Barton's website here. 

Today is PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review copy from my personal library.

Confessions from the Principal's Kid

Confessions from the Principal's Kid
by Robin Mellom
272 pages; ages 10-12
HMH, 2017

Every school year starts a bit differently. This one...

"...starts with a Jupiter-size spitball stuck to the cafeteria floor, the one that was flung at the back of Graham Parker's head. He never saw it coming. But I did."

Allie West  is running the buffer across the cafeteria floor while the custodian takes a break. It's a Mastercraft 300, and Allie loves working it. There's only one reason she gets to do it; she's the PK. The Principal's Kid. Her life is different from the other kids: she doesn't get to ride home on the school bus; she has to stay after until it gets dark. And all the kids are afraid of her mom.

The only redeeming thing: the custodian lets her buff the cafeteria floor. That and the Afters - a club of kids whose parents work at the school. They meet in the band room to plan such after school activities as cleaning chalk boards or playing Evesdroppping Bingo".

All Allie wants is to be treated like any other kid - and to get a place on the math team. There's only one problem: the captain of the math team is her once-upon-a-time best friend Chloe who will never speak to her again. Ages ago she ratted Chloe out for something. Now Allie is trying to repair that friendship, if any tatters remain.

What I like about this book: It's fun to read. The characters in Allie's circle of friends seem like the kids you'd find at any school. Allie commits social faux pas and causes pain to the people she loves most. And the hardest lesson she learns is that it's not her mom who's ruining her life. It's her. And there is no easy way to repair damage when trust has been broken. If I gave out stars, this one would garner some of every color.

On Monday we'll be hanging out on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers over at Shannon Messenger's blog. Hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by publisher.

Bug Girl

Bug Girl
by Benjamin Harper and Sarah Hines Stephens; illustrated by Anoosha Syed
304 pages; ages 8-12
Imprint, 2017

I've been posting reviews of "bug" books over at Archimedes Notebook for the past month: insect field guides, mantids - and more today. So when I learned that there was a superhero (or heroine) calling herself Bug Girl... you know I could not pass up a chance to check her out!

I fell in love with this book from page 0 whereupon was printed a dedication to dorks, geeks, science nerds and other "misfits" in the middle school world.

Then there's the adorably geeky Amanda Price, backpack covered by bug buttons slung across her shoulder, dragonfly lunchbox, and Trina, a Madagascar hissing cockroach. (Full disclosure: I had a Madagascar hissing cockroach for a pet, too.) She has penned such school reports as "Tree Lobsters: Where are they now?" Her classmates are not as enamored of arthropods as is Amanda. In fact, they are appalled/disgusted/offended when she brings her cockroaches to school.

What I like about this book: Of course there are villains, and the adult superheroines are taken captive. Who will save the town? Amanda decides she will, but to do so she needs the help of her ex-best friend. Plus there's the whole going through metamorphosis thing.... but now that she has antennae and special insect superpowers, saving the town shouldn't be too difficult. Except that it is.

I love the Fun Bug Facts scattered through the book, the scientific illustrations of Amanda and her friends (labeled, of course), rules of middle school, directions to make a paper hat, and comic book-style illustrations. I even learned the difference between farfalle and macaroni.

Bug Girl is fun to read, filled with imagination, and may cause readers to want to get to know more about insects. Will there be more? I'm sure of it! The world is filled with villains, and Amanda introduced us to just a few of the 2 million (or more) species of insects in this world.

Head over to Archimedes Notebook today to learn how to survive as a firefly (and more about bugs). And on Monday, we'll be hanging out on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers over at Shannon Messenger's blog. Hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by publisher.

Cilla Lee-Jenkins Future Author Extraordinaire

Cilla Lee-Jenkins, Future Author Extraordinare

by Susan Tan; illus. by Dana Wulfekotte
256 pages; ages 8-12
Roaring Brook Press, 2017

Cilla is on deadline: she's trying to finish her great American novel before her baby sister is born. Because once there's a baby in the house, people tend to forget about you.

There's just one huge problem: her name. Cilla, full name Priscilla, wants a more writerly name. Something cool, like Supernova Hemingway.

Looking for writerly inspiration, she turns to her family. Cilla observes that babies are bald. She remembers how hard it is to grow hair (she was bald when she was five) and how rude people can be when they ask questions like "what are you" and don't accept answers like "author extraordinaire". She remembers how she loved snails until she tried to share them with her friends and they all said, "yuck!"

When adults ask where she is from, she tries to be polite. At first she'll tell them where she lives. Then, when they say, "no, where are you originally from?" she'll reveal that she's really from her mom's belly. Because she looks different than other people, she gets asked where she's from a lot.

While Cilla is all set to write a memoir, once her sister is born she realizes that the world is bigger than she thought. It's filled with aliens, time travel, and unexpected adventures.One of the things I especially like is Cilla's guide to life and literary terms.

On Monday we'll be hanging out on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers over at Shannon Messenger's blog. Hop over to see what other people are reading. ARC provided by publisher.

The Year of the Garden

When this book showed up I had to pull off my gardening gloves, kick off my wellies, and take a look.

The Year of the Garden
by Andrea Cheng; illus. by Patrice Barton
128 pages; ages 6-9
HMH, 2017

There's everything you'd want to find in a book between these covers: friendship, soccer, a lost rabbit, and a secret garden. Plus, how can you put down a book that starts with a chapter titled "Seeds"?

Anna has always wanted to live on a farm with a big garden. So when her family moves to a new house, she can follow her dream. She can clear the land, like Laura Ingalls Wilder, and plant crops.

Her new friend, Laura, lives on her aunt's farm with gardens and a barn and a pony. She helps Anna clear a garden spot but would rather play soccer. Still, when Anna finds a lost baby bunny, she knows exactly what to do. Call Laura. They haven't been playing together, but surely Laura will help her save this poor, lost bunny.

As spring unfolds, Anna and Laura plant lettuces and deal with typical garden woes. They have to defend their tiny crops from the neighborhood herbivores. But, hey - it's not how many vegetables you grow that counts.

On Monday we'll be joining other bloggers to celebrate books on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday  at Shannon Messenger's blog. Hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by publisher.

Time for Summer Reading

Sally’s Bookshelf is taking a break from book reviews to indulge in summer reading. While Sally's gone ...

• Check out your library's summer reading program. 
• Grab some books for the next road trip.  
• Build a fort (and read in it).
• Read a good bug book - and then go find some bugs.
• Write haiku in sidewalk chalk.
• Learn to identify trees - then tie a hammock between a couple of them and read.

See you in August.

Happy 4th of July!

These Books Have Gone to the Dogs!

I love stories about dogs. Even better are books that are written by the dogs themselves - or at least from their point of view. Here are three, recently published by Peachtree Publishers.

Leo, Dog of the Sea
by Alison Hart; illus. by Michael G. Montgomery
165 pages; ages 7-10

Here is the fourth installment in Alison Hart's "Dog Chronicles" series - and another great tale told by a tail-wagging protagonist. Previous adventures feature Murphy, Darling, and Finder.

The year is 1519 and Leo has hopped aboard one of Ferdinand Magellan's ships. Leo's had lots of experience hunting and catching rats on ships, so he thinks this will be one more voyage. What he doesn't know is this ship is headed on a westward journey that circumnavigate the globe.

The journey begins as any good seafaring adventure should: with 60 days of stormy weather, followed by becalmed seas in the equatorial seas. Humans turn against each other, reinforcing Leo's belief that people should not be trusted. And yet... he makes friends.

We see, through a dog's eyes, a journey to Brazil, sailing down the coast to a land of penguins and frozen seas; starving sailors who skin and roast the rats Leo provides; a mutiny - or two; hubris when Magellan involves himself in island politics and meets his untimely demise.

What I like about this book: aside from the excitement of adventure and exploration, is the Back Matter. Yes, Hart includes an author's note about the real history behind the story. "There are no records of a dog on board any of Magellan's ships," she writes. "However, dogs have long been used in Spain to control mice and rats." So there probably were dogs aboard the vessels in Magellan's fleet. She includes a glossary and a diagram of a sixteenth-century ship, further reading, and more.

Dori Hillestad Butler has a delightful new series of chapter books titled "King & Kayla", illustrated by Nancy Meyers. The first two in the series are:
King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats
and
King & Kayla and the Case of the Secret Code
Each is 48 pages, for ages 7-9

How can you not want to read a book that starts out, "Hello! My name is King. I'm a dog. This is Kayla. She is my human."

Kayla is making peanut butter dog treats - King's favorite. But she won't let him have one until they have cooled. She won't even let him lick the bowl!

And then... some treats go missing. King smells an intruder! He tries to tell Kayla, but she doesn't understand him... and accuses him of snitching the cookies! You will want to read it to learn how King proves he's innocent and brings the culprit to justice.

In the Case of the Secret Code, King and Kayla team up to solve the mystery of who is leaving letters around, and what the code means. Moral of the story: if you're delivering secret messages, the dog will sniff you out!

On Monday we'll be hanging out on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers over at Shannon Messenger's blog. Hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copies provided by publisher.