Reviews
No Year of the Cat
One night last year, you went to bed and woke up a year… It wasn’t magic or because you were really tired. It happened because it was New Year’s Eve: you went to sleep in 2012 and woke up to 2013. Next December, you’ll do it again with a whole new year. If you lived in View →
War and Peace: Book Reviews from the Children's Literature and Reading SIG
When Lily is considered too young to qualify for a Victory Garden during WWII, the determined girl takes things into her own hands and approaches a neighbor who has a piece of land that isn’t being used. He agrees but does so reluctantly and with the admonition… View →
F Is for Friendship: A Quilt Alphabet
F Is for Friendship: A Quilt Alphabet I’ve never quite figured out my addiction to alphabet books. I don’t have children of my own (although I do have nieces and nephews who now have their own offspring), so I c View →
Finnegan and Fox: The Ten-Foot Cop
It’s a classic New York City buddy-cop story, but one of the officers is 10 years old, weighs more than 1,200 pounds, and has four hooves. Wilbur (F Is for Friend-ship: A Quilt Alphabet) offers a lighthearted tribute to the NYPD’s Mounted Unit, with seen-it-all narration provided by a… View →
No Year of the Cat review - January SLJ
K-Gr 4–The story of the Chinese zodiac is a popular folktale of friendship and betrayal, retold again and again in picture-book format. Since no one in the kingdom remembers when important events have occurred, the emperor decides to create a 12-year calendar. The first 12 animals to win View →
The Quilt Walk review - January SLJ
Gr 3-6–Ten-year-old Emmy Blue’s life on a farm near Quincy, Illinois, is just fine until her father announces that the family is moving to Colorado where gold is being mined. He hopes to build a store and sell supplies to miners. Emmy’s mother, Meggie, is not happy about the move and… View →
Frog's Flying Adventure review - January SLJ
Gr 1-3–At first glance this book is a typical easy reader, and children will delight in Frog’s adventures with his friends. Masse’s bright illustrations reinforce the sweet tone of the three stories. Adults, however, will note a distinct philosophical overlay in each of the episodes.… View →
Review of "The Legend of Papa Noel" in The Examiner
Christmas is celebrated around the world in hundreds of ways. Even in the U.S. the December 25 holiday that Christians celebrate as the day of Christ’s birth may be celebrated one way in California, another way in Maine and even another way in Louisiana. A Cajun Christmas is the… View →
A Review of The Boy Who Wanted to Cook
Pierre longs to be a chef. His parents own a restaurant, but he lives and breathes food. As he travels through the countryside, he notices how many foods come from local supplies. One day a visitor asks directions to his parents restaurant. Pierre has noticed that the man is an… View →
A Review of Stella Batts: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow is the second book in Courtney Sheinmel’s sweet series about Stella Batts. When their father brings home Magical Glow-in-the-Dark chewing gum for Stella and her sister Penny to taste-test, Stella is disappointed to realize that Penny can blow bubbles while she… View →