The Trouble with Ants

The Trouble with Ants (The Nora Notebooks #1)
by Claudia Mills; illus. by Katie Kath
176 pages; ages 7-10
Knopf, 2015

I love ants - so I could not wait to get my hands on this first in a new series by Claudia Mills. Because who can resist a story about a fourth-grade myrmecologist which features loose ants, a skunked dog, and that dreaded assignment to write a persuasive essay.

The book begins: "Nora Alpers woke up early on New Year's morning and reached for the handsome, leather-bound notebook she had gotten for Christmas." She could use it for a diary, suggests mother. She could write stories in it, suggests her sister. She could write poetry in it, suggests her brother.

But no - Nora plans to scribble interesting facts about ants. Right now, in fact, she's investigating whether ants dig faster in wet sand or dry sand.

I love that chapters end with ant colony observations. I love that random animal behavior facts show up in unlikely places - like how fourth-graders sort themselves into various groups in the cafeteria. And I love the details about making your own ant farm using ants from the back yard (don't do this with fire ants!). Mostly I love that author Mills doesn't shy away from complex language. She calls ant scientists by their name and figures that kids will figure their way through all five syllables.

Oh yeah - and there's a real story going on, too, in spite of the ants. But....will Nora submit a paper about her ant research to Nature? Will she solve the mystery of disappearing ants? And will she be able to convince her friends that ants are cool? Find out the answers to these questions and more in your very own copy of the book, because I'll be re-reading mine.

IF you've got some ants living around your neighborhood, try out these experiments I wrote up in an article for Ranger Rick back in 1998 called "Invite Ants to Lunch".

 Today is Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and we're hanging out with other MMGM bloggers over at Shannon Messenger's blog. Hop over to see what other people are reading. Review from ARC provided by Blue Slip Media.

Ike's Incredible Ink

Ike's Incredible Ink
by Brianne Farley
32 pages; ages 4-8
Candlewick Press, 2013

Themes: adventure, imagination

"Ike wanted to write a story. An incredible story..."
But there's a tiny problem. Ike doesn't know what he wants to write about.

Anyone who writes will identify with Ike. Before he can settle down to write he needs to find his favorite pen, talk with a friend, clean the house.... (sound familiar?). Or maybe he needs some ink. Some special ink that is for this particular story.

Which means finding the right ingredients. Which might mean a trip to the moon or...

Why I like this book: I like Ike. I like that he's a procrastinator - but an adventuresome procrastinator. I particularly love the scene in his lab, when he mashes and bludgeons and crushes and steams all the necessary ingredients - especially as there are days when I want to mash and bludgeon and crush my pencil because it holds my words hostage. And I really love Ike's inksplot body - who knew inksplots could be so expressive? 

Beyond the Book: Why not mash, smoosh, bludgeon and crush your own ink? Soldiers in the Civil War made ink to write their letters home. They used things they could find: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries.

Make Blueberry Ink. You need 1/2 to 1 cup of blueberries, a wooden spoon to smoosh them with, a strainer in which to do the smooshing, and a bowl to catch the juice. Mash the berries into the side and bottom of the strainer to release the juice. Then leave the strainer over the bowl for a while so the juice runs out. Now stir 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar into the berry juice. The salt helps the ink set. If your ink is too thick, add a bit of water. Store in a closed container.

Make some Inkblot Art. You can make something as simple as a splot, splat or splish. Or you can capture a splidge of ink in the fold of a paper and create some fantastic designs. For excellent inkblot projects, check out the Inkblot Book blog.

Today's review is part of 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 publishers.

Words With Wings

Words with Wings
by Nikki Grimes
96 pages; ages 8 - 12
Wordsong, 2013

Can't leave April without reviewing at least one book of poetry. Words with Wings is more than a collection of great poems by Nikki Grimes - it's a novel in verse.

Gabby - Gabriella, named after the archangel Gabriel - is a daydreamer. She uses her daydreams to take her away from the screaming between her unhappy parents, and also to remember the good times they shared as a family.

Her daydreams take flights from words that don't sit on the page. Instead they wiggle and tickle her imagination and carry her thoughts away. And all Gabby can do is hang on for the ride.

She finds a friend whose imagination takes flight in drawing, and another friend in the teacher who appreciates her imagination, daydreams and all. When he comes up with "daydream time" it helps Gabby tame her flights of imagination and find a way to focus on learning without giving up her delicious daydreams.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Lost for Words

Lost for Words
by Natalie Russell
32 pages; ages 4-8
Peachtree publishers, 2014

Tapir has some pencils and a brand new notebook... but there's one problem: he doesn't know what to write. He stares and stares at the page, waiting for something to pop into his head. Nothing.

But his friends have no problems getting their thoughts onto the page. Giraffe is writing a poem. Hippo is writing a story. Flamingo is composing a song.

Poor tapir - the harder he tries to write, the more upset he gets. Until he gets an idea... instead of scribbling words, he draws the sun, and the mud where hippo plays. Tapir's whimsical drawings are great fun to look at, and a good reminder that there are many ways to tell stories. This book will make you want to grab a sketchpad and a handful of colored pencils and head outside to find your own stories to draw.

Today we're part of the Lost for Words Blog Tour.  Remember to stop by Peachtree's blog, and tomorrow check out what Patricia thinks about Lost for Words over at It's About Time . Review copy provided by publisher.

Famous Last Words

Famous Last Words
by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
288 pages; ages 12 - 18
Henry Holt & Co, 2013

Sixteen-year-old Samantha D'Angelo has a "dead-end" job - she's spending her summer internship writing obituaries at the local newspaper. She could be swimming, or hanging out at the beach with her friends. Instead, she interviews next-of-kin and close friends of the deceased, hoping that someone (perhaps the editor) will notice her vivid prose.

Until she starts investigating the mayor and possible corruption. What's up with the coffee shop that never seems to have any customers?And how can she get Tony, one of the feature writers and "sexiest man alive" to notice her?

This is a fun, breezy romantic comedy that includes: stolen ideas, garage bands, and way too many coffee runs. A great book for the kid with journalistic aspirations who wants to know what life at a  small newspaper office is like. And the chapter titles are pretty fun... they all relate to the newspaper biz in some way.

 Today is Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday - and you'll find more good middle-grade and YA literature over at Shannon Messenger's blog. Review copy provided by publisher.

One Word Pearl

One Word Pearl

by Nicole Groeneweg; illustrated by Hazel Mitchell

32 pages; for word-loving kids of all ages     

Mackinac Island/Charlesbridge Publishing, 2013

Pearl loved words. Some kids collect stamps or stones or skate keys. But Pearl collected words. She “…strung words together like beads on a necklace and stored them in a treasure chest.”

One day something horrible happens, and the words whirl and swirl and get lost in a big wind. Pearl manages to slam her treasure chest closed and capture a few. But there are not many left – not even enough to make a story. So Peal rations them out, one word at a time.

I love how author Nichole Groeneweg plays with the words Pearl manages to save. There are twirly, whirly, swirly words, and hoppity, floppity words. There are skippity words, and flippity words, frilly words and silly words. I love how Hazel Mitchell incorporates snippets of words into her illustrations. There are fancy words and block-letter words and words that spiral around or hop up and down.

And then one day the treasure chest is empty. There are No Words Left. How will Pearl make it through a day without speaking a single word? Or an hour?

There’s only one hope left for Pearl – she has to face the mussed up mess of the word tornado. And when she does, her words flow.

If you are the sort of person who cuts words out and glues them into art, or makes poetry out of magnetic word tiles, or harbors a secret can of words scribbled on bits of neon index cards in the back of your closet – then you will identify with Pearl, the “word girl”.

Review copy provided by the publisher.