Do you want an easy source for many of the books reviewed and talked about on this blog? We have formed an alliance with the largest book distributor in the world, Baker & Taylor, who will do our fulfillment for books ordered online from our bookstore's extended catalog service called GRREAT Books. We've been working on this for months and have finally gotten it up and operating. Please go to http://www.grreatbooks.com to see what we have. As a major added bonus, you can get the following three free offerings:
A) The chance for a free subscription to our monthly newsletter, Getting Your Child To Read
B) A free special report entitled, Gifted & Reluctant Readers
C) Free Entry into the Baker & Taylor 2,000,000 Titles data base in addition to our almost 200 book recommended list. They offer musical CDs, as well as DVDs as well as books.
We look forward to your comments and your orders. Please let your friends know about us as well.
Bob
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
GRREAT Social Commentary Sci Fi for Gifted Readers
Title: Expert Assistance
Author: Robert Collins
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Asylett Press
Publisher Website: www.asylett.com
Pages: 173
ISBN: 9781934337080
Price: $8.75
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
This very funny space opera science fiction is also a brilliant social commentary, especially on the shallowness of pop culture. Spacer of fortune, Jake Bonner, finds himself short of funds; therefore, he takes on two jobs simultaneously: a controlling consultant to mine workers governed by an unethical tyrant who seek revolution and to chauffeur Evvie, a nineteen-year-old pop star who is on a performance tour. He is assisted by his ship’s artificial intelligence-driven spaceship, which was originally designed for wholesale espionage and over which he was able gain salvage rights. Things really get complex when Evvie discovers Jake’s revolutionary mission and wants to play in it to gain massive PR points.
In addition to being a humorous read, this story should be considered a classic in the field of social commentary. It ranks right up there with Animal Farm and 1984, but with a far less dire atmosphere. The author, an active historian, brings to bear an excellent knowledge of what comprises good music and theatre and how bad and shallow current and evolving pop culture is. It is a cleanly written story and is very appropriate for young, gifted readers. We rated this excellent social commentary novel four hearts.
Author: Robert Collins
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Asylett Press
Publisher Website: www.asylett.com
Pages: 173
ISBN: 9781934337080
Price: $8.75
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
This very funny space opera science fiction is also a brilliant social commentary, especially on the shallowness of pop culture. Spacer of fortune, Jake Bonner, finds himself short of funds; therefore, he takes on two jobs simultaneously: a controlling consultant to mine workers governed by an unethical tyrant who seek revolution and to chauffeur Evvie, a nineteen-year-old pop star who is on a performance tour. He is assisted by his ship’s artificial intelligence-driven spaceship, which was originally designed for wholesale espionage and over which he was able gain salvage rights. Things really get complex when Evvie discovers Jake’s revolutionary mission and wants to play in it to gain massive PR points.
In addition to being a humorous read, this story should be considered a classic in the field of social commentary. It ranks right up there with Animal Farm and 1984, but with a far less dire atmosphere. The author, an active historian, brings to bear an excellent knowledge of what comprises good music and theatre and how bad and shallow current and evolving pop culture is. It is a cleanly written story and is very appropriate for young, gifted readers. We rated this excellent social commentary novel four hearts.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
A Younger Series Similar to Artemis Fowl
Title: Quest for the Elfin Elixir: A Duncan Family Adventure (Book 2)
Author: Ami Blackford
Illustrator: Ami Blackford
Publisher and/or Distributor: Red Cygnet Press
Publisher Website: www.redcygnet.com
Pages: 80
ISBN: 978-1-60108-021-9
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: Sept 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
If your children readers liked the Artemis Fowl, they’ll love this series. The author, a recent graduate of the Atlanta College of Art, combines the elements of modern day action with fairies and other such magical creatures. This particular episode has Ruth Duncan and older brother David traveling to the Caribbean with fairy Simone to find a magical elixir. The only problem is it is held by a group of elves who live in a cave under the ocean. Even with the best of diving equipment, how will Ruth find the courage to go diving under the surface of the sea when she’s terrified of diving? We rated the story and its attendant illustrations five hearts.
Author: Ami Blackford
Illustrator: Ami Blackford
Publisher and/or Distributor: Red Cygnet Press
Publisher Website: www.redcygnet.com
Pages: 80
ISBN: 978-1-60108-021-9
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: Sept 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
If your children readers liked the Artemis Fowl, they’ll love this series. The author, a recent graduate of the Atlanta College of Art, combines the elements of modern day action with fairies and other such magical creatures. This particular episode has Ruth Duncan and older brother David traveling to the Caribbean with fairy Simone to find a magical elixir. The only problem is it is held by a group of elves who live in a cave under the ocean. Even with the best of diving equipment, how will Ruth find the courage to go diving under the surface of the sea when she’s terrified of diving? We rated the story and its attendant illustrations five hearts.
Red Cygnet Press: An Exciting Publisher Program
We have discovered an exciting program for children's literature that focuses on both text and illustrations. Red Cygnet Press, an imprint of Sound Prints, has a unique relationship with a number of major university fine arts programs. Red Cygnet works closely with universitys' faculty to find students who are especially talented as both writers and illustrators. The result is a line of children's books that is fresh and extremely well done by some of the top student talent in the country. They are producing books which are ideal for both gifted and reluctant readers. I will be writing a number of book reviews based on these excellent offerings so you will be aware of this wonderful resource.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
A Holocaust In China--Wonderful YA Fare
Title: Shanghai Shadows
Author: Lois Ruby
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Holiday House, Inc.
Publisher Website: www.holidayhouse.com
Pages: 284
ISBN: 0-8234-1960-6
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: 2006
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This superb young adult book chronicles in a fictionalized form the escape of 20,000 Jews from Austria in 1939 when the Nazis take over that country to the only country that will accept them—China. They are gathered into the foreign compounds of Shanghai. They soon discover that the encroaching Japanese may be just as bad as the Nazis. The story centers on a family of four—father, mother, older brother, younger sister—who steadily find their quality of life declining, along with everyone else’s. The concert violinist father and the caring mother find very little work. The brother and sister find themselves involved in an underground spy group and risk their lives and freedom almost daily.
Beyond its historical significance, this is a revealing story about family relationships under extreme stress. Seen through the eyes of Ilse, the young daughter, we witness what it’s like to only be able to find a handful of hours of minimum wage work in a totally alien country. Just when the reader believes the plot has become totally predictable, the author throws an incredible relationship twist (ah, ah, no peeking) into the story that takes our breath away. Just when you think it cannot get worse, it does so in a huge way.
Lois Ruby has become the social conscience of a whole generation of uninformed children. Without the usual histrionics of many holocaust books, she builds plausible stories with relationships that can be understood by teens and tweens to illustrate how bad this timeframe was. She has also done the same for the Civil War timeframe (Steal Away Home). It is no wonder why this retired librarian continues to win accolades for all her books. We rated this book five hearts.
Author: Lois Ruby
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Holiday House, Inc.
Publisher Website: www.holidayhouse.com
Pages: 284
ISBN: 0-8234-1960-6
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: 2006
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This superb young adult book chronicles in a fictionalized form the escape of 20,000 Jews from Austria in 1939 when the Nazis take over that country to the only country that will accept them—China. They are gathered into the foreign compounds of Shanghai. They soon discover that the encroaching Japanese may be just as bad as the Nazis. The story centers on a family of four—father, mother, older brother, younger sister—who steadily find their quality of life declining, along with everyone else’s. The concert violinist father and the caring mother find very little work. The brother and sister find themselves involved in an underground spy group and risk their lives and freedom almost daily.
Beyond its historical significance, this is a revealing story about family relationships under extreme stress. Seen through the eyes of Ilse, the young daughter, we witness what it’s like to only be able to find a handful of hours of minimum wage work in a totally alien country. Just when the reader believes the plot has become totally predictable, the author throws an incredible relationship twist (ah, ah, no peeking) into the story that takes our breath away. Just when you think it cannot get worse, it does so in a huge way.
Lois Ruby has become the social conscience of a whole generation of uninformed children. Without the usual histrionics of many holocaust books, she builds plausible stories with relationships that can be understood by teens and tweens to illustrate how bad this timeframe was. She has also done the same for the Civil War timeframe (Steal Away Home). It is no wonder why this retired librarian continues to win accolades for all her books. We rated this book five hearts.
Monday, November 5, 2007
An Aesop-Like Fable Teaches Balance in Life
Title: The Leaping Grasshopper
Author: Jeanne Archambault
Illustrator: Dwight Smith
Publisher and/or Distributor: Jitterbug Books
Publisher Website: www.jitterbugbooks.net
Pages: 32
ISBN: 978-0-9763031-2-1
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: 2006
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
This picture book tells a story in Aesop’s style about a grasshopper who is too busy jumping high, far, and often to take the time to make friends and play along the way. Toward the end of the day, he notices the only animal still left in his vicinity is a cat. Although he is frightened of the cat, he asks if she wants to play. She politely replies yes, and they play together. This raises grasshopper’s realizations that perhaps he should have taken the time to make more friends and will demonstrate his willingness to do so from now on.
The quality of this book’s poetry does a good job of teaching the need for friendliness. The story is similar enough to Aesop’s grasshopper to reinforce the need for more than single-mindedness, whether it be work or play. Balance in life is what is taught here. We rated this book four hearts.
Author: Jeanne Archambault
Illustrator: Dwight Smith
Publisher and/or Distributor: Jitterbug Books
Publisher Website: www.jitterbugbooks.net
Pages: 32
ISBN: 978-0-9763031-2-1
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: 2006
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
This picture book tells a story in Aesop’s style about a grasshopper who is too busy jumping high, far, and often to take the time to make friends and play along the way. Toward the end of the day, he notices the only animal still left in his vicinity is a cat. Although he is frightened of the cat, he asks if she wants to play. She politely replies yes, and they play together. This raises grasshopper’s realizations that perhaps he should have taken the time to make more friends and will demonstrate his willingness to do so from now on.
The quality of this book’s poetry does a good job of teaching the need for friendliness. The story is similar enough to Aesop’s grasshopper to reinforce the need for more than single-mindedness, whether it be work or play. Balance in life is what is taught here. We rated this book four hearts.
A Lesson in Self-Worth
Title: Larry the Lawnmower
Author: Jeanne Archambault
Illustrator: Victoria Corey
Publisher and/or Distributor: Jitterbug Books
Publisher Website: www.jitterbugbooks.net
Pages: 32
ISBN: 978-0-9763031-0-7
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: 2007 (2nd Printing)
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
Larry the Lawnmower is a lesson in self-worth picture book. Larry enjoys his assigned role as a grass cutting tool until his age causes his owner to replace him with a lawn tractor. Larry is sad until he is sold at a yard sale to a young boy who gives Larry a new coat of paint and fresh oil. Larry knows he will have more time to work for the boy so the boy can earn money for a new bike. Larry is happy with his station in life once again.
Although the illustrations are not of museum-level quality, they are cute and eye appealing. The story is logical and the rhymes flow. Larry becomes humanized and the child reader/listener learns we all age but we also have worth, even in our old age, as long as somebody cares. We rated this book four hearts.
Author: Jeanne Archambault
Illustrator: Victoria Corey
Publisher and/or Distributor: Jitterbug Books
Publisher Website: www.jitterbugbooks.net
Pages: 32
ISBN: 978-0-9763031-0-7
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: 2007 (2nd Printing)
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
Larry the Lawnmower is a lesson in self-worth picture book. Larry enjoys his assigned role as a grass cutting tool until his age causes his owner to replace him with a lawn tractor. Larry is sad until he is sold at a yard sale to a young boy who gives Larry a new coat of paint and fresh oil. Larry knows he will have more time to work for the boy so the boy can earn money for a new bike. Larry is happy with his station in life once again.
Although the illustrations are not of museum-level quality, they are cute and eye appealing. The story is logical and the rhymes flow. Larry becomes humanized and the child reader/listener learns we all age but we also have worth, even in our old age, as long as somebody cares. We rated this book four hearts.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
The Importance of "By Example"
When was the last time your children caught you reading a good book? When was the last time you read to them? If you want your children to read, you've got to set a good example. If you don't and you rail on them to read more, they will think, "Why should I? You don't!"
We read books out loud together, such as James and the Giant Peach, as a family well into our kids' teen years. Of course, our kids also grew up in our bookstore, instilling in them the love of reading and knowing the business of books. This experience held them in good stead getting them into their colleges and getting them their careers after college. Was it worth it? Oh yeah! My grandchildren think new books are the best presents ever. . .and the beat goes on.
We read books out loud together, such as James and the Giant Peach, as a family well into our kids' teen years. Of course, our kids also grew up in our bookstore, instilling in them the love of reading and knowing the business of books. This experience held them in good stead getting them into their colleges and getting them their careers after college. Was it worth it? Oh yeah! My grandchildren think new books are the best presents ever. . .and the beat goes on.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
A First Book for Elementary Students
Title: Pirates Eat Porridge
Author: Christopher Morgan
Illustrator: Neil Curtis
Publisher and/or Distributor: Roaring Brook Press
Publisher Website: www.roaringbrookpress.com
Pages: 80
ISBN: 978-1-59643-304-5
Price: $12.95
Publishing Date: Oct 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
This fun book is written as an elementary child’s first novel. It’s filled with fun illustrations that spark the imagination. The story line centers around a pirate who comes to visit a girl and her brother, insisting they feed him porridge. He is accompanied by a pig who the pirate insists is a parrot. The kids’ house suddenly becomes a pirate ship and they learn how to sail it into several adventures featuring such excellent things as cabbage and treasure. We rated this enjoyable first book four hearts.
Author: Christopher Morgan
Illustrator: Neil Curtis
Publisher and/or Distributor: Roaring Brook Press
Publisher Website: www.roaringbrookpress.com
Pages: 80
ISBN: 978-1-59643-304-5
Price: $12.95
Publishing Date: Oct 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
This fun book is written as an elementary child’s first novel. It’s filled with fun illustrations that spark the imagination. The story line centers around a pirate who comes to visit a girl and her brother, insisting they feed him porridge. He is accompanied by a pig who the pirate insists is a parrot. The kids’ house suddenly becomes a pirate ship and they learn how to sail it into several adventures featuring such excellent things as cabbage and treasure. We rated this enjoyable first book four hearts.
Mature Young Adult Coming of Age Book
Title: Last Dance at the Frosty Queen
Author: Richard Uhlig
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Knopf
Publisher Website: www.randomhouse.com
Pages: 358
ISBN: 978-0-375-83967-2
Price: $15.99
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This “R” rated young adult book (explicit sex scenes) is a superbly written coming of age story centered in a small Kansas town in the 1980s. Arthur M. Flood is a member of a dysfunctional family: the widower-remarried funeral director father who escapes his melancholy by watching TV constantly; the older brother who mourns the loss of his high school sweetheart to the “world” and deals with it with booze, pot, and junk food; and Arthur, who deals with the confines of his small community and high school through frequent sex with a variety of inappropriate partners, including a teacher. Suddenly mysterious, wild, and crazy Vanessa comes into his life from urbane California and great wealth. Sent to stay with an uncle while she undergoes treatment at Mennigers in Topeka, Vanessa takes on Arthur as an interesting project.
The characters and the settings make this an especially strong, realistic commentary on small town Midwestern life and the need for its youth to escape to the opportunities of large, urban environments. We rated this well-crafted story five hearts.
Author: Richard Uhlig
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Knopf
Publisher Website: www.randomhouse.com
Pages: 358
ISBN: 978-0-375-83967-2
Price: $15.99
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This “R” rated young adult book (explicit sex scenes) is a superbly written coming of age story centered in a small Kansas town in the 1980s. Arthur M. Flood is a member of a dysfunctional family: the widower-remarried funeral director father who escapes his melancholy by watching TV constantly; the older brother who mourns the loss of his high school sweetheart to the “world” and deals with it with booze, pot, and junk food; and Arthur, who deals with the confines of his small community and high school through frequent sex with a variety of inappropriate partners, including a teacher. Suddenly mysterious, wild, and crazy Vanessa comes into his life from urbane California and great wealth. Sent to stay with an uncle while she undergoes treatment at Mennigers in Topeka, Vanessa takes on Arthur as an interesting project.
The characters and the settings make this an especially strong, realistic commentary on small town Midwestern life and the need for its youth to escape to the opportunities of large, urban environments. We rated this well-crafted story five hearts.
Another Grreat Book for Lady Reluctant Readers
Title: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
Author: Ally Carter
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Hyperion
Publisher Website: www.hyperionteens.com
Pages: 236
ISBN: 978-142310005-8
Price: $16.99
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This is the second novel in a young adult series that focuses on a girls’ private school dedicated to training young women for careers in espionage—Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. Protagonist Cameron “Cammie” Morgan had to deal with a short-lived romance with Josh, a townie boy in the first series novel. In this story, Cammie and her friends return for their sophomore year of school to learn that the east wing of their mansion has been mysteriously closed off. Of course the young spies immediately begin obsessing over the mystery. Their curiosity is satisfied when a group of young men spies are inserted into a field exercise. Enter a contingent from the hitherto unknown Blackthorn Institute who has moved into the east wing.
The author has an almost magical ability to portray teenaged female angst issues with the complication of the natural instinct toward paranoia instilled in the girls by their training. The inner dialogue is hilarious and the story development pulls the reader along with the constant curiosity of what comes next in this shadow world’s dilemma. We rated this fun read five hearts.
Author: Ally Carter
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Hyperion
Publisher Website: www.hyperionteens.com
Pages: 236
ISBN: 978-142310005-8
Price: $16.99
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This is the second novel in a young adult series that focuses on a girls’ private school dedicated to training young women for careers in espionage—Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. Protagonist Cameron “Cammie” Morgan had to deal with a short-lived romance with Josh, a townie boy in the first series novel. In this story, Cammie and her friends return for their sophomore year of school to learn that the east wing of their mansion has been mysteriously closed off. Of course the young spies immediately begin obsessing over the mystery. Their curiosity is satisfied when a group of young men spies are inserted into a field exercise. Enter a contingent from the hitherto unknown Blackthorn Institute who has moved into the east wing.
The author has an almost magical ability to portray teenaged female angst issues with the complication of the natural instinct toward paranoia instilled in the girls by their training. The inner dialogue is hilarious and the story development pulls the reader along with the constant curiosity of what comes next in this shadow world’s dilemma. We rated this fun read five hearts.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Teens, Jazz, and the 1950s
Title: Sky
Author: Roderick Townley
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publisher Website: www.simonsayskids.com
Pages: 266
ISBN: 0-689-85712-8
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This superb young adult book takes on several age appropriate conflict themes. Alec “Sky” Schuyler is fifteen going on thirty. Attending high school in New York City in the 1950s is a challenge, especially when one is seeking to become a competent jazz musician, keep a low profile at school, win the heart of a cute girl, support an incompetent father while putting up with his unreasonable demands, and figure out which life path to take. Sky and his father escalate their conflict to the level where Sky runs away from home while continuing to complete school assignments. Life is further complicated by a male teacher’s inappropriate advances on Sky’s girl friend. Fortunately, help comes from a reluctant mentor in the form of a genius blind jazz pianist who takes on Sky as a special project.
The author has brought to life the core emotions of all these conflicts and manages to bring them to resolution with the artistry of a symphony conductor. For those of us who lived this timeframe and had an interest in the jazz scene of those years, this story is especially poignant. For the young target audience, it opens a window onto another reality. This is an ideal book for reluctant readers and for gifted readers. We rated it five hearts.
Author: Roderick Townley
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publisher Website: www.simonsayskids.com
Pages: 266
ISBN: 0-689-85712-8
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This superb young adult book takes on several age appropriate conflict themes. Alec “Sky” Schuyler is fifteen going on thirty. Attending high school in New York City in the 1950s is a challenge, especially when one is seeking to become a competent jazz musician, keep a low profile at school, win the heart of a cute girl, support an incompetent father while putting up with his unreasonable demands, and figure out which life path to take. Sky and his father escalate their conflict to the level where Sky runs away from home while continuing to complete school assignments. Life is further complicated by a male teacher’s inappropriate advances on Sky’s girl friend. Fortunately, help comes from a reluctant mentor in the form of a genius blind jazz pianist who takes on Sky as a special project.
The author has brought to life the core emotions of all these conflicts and manages to bring them to resolution with the artistry of a symphony conductor. For those of us who lived this timeframe and had an interest in the jazz scene of those years, this story is especially poignant. For the young target audience, it opens a window onto another reality. This is an ideal book for reluctant readers and for gifted readers. We rated it five hearts.
Monday, October 22, 2007
New Edgar Font's Book
Title: Edgar Font’s Fakersville Power Station
Author: Patrick H.T. Doyle
Illustrator: Patrick H.T. Doyle
Publisher and/or Distributor: Armadillo Books
Publisher Website: www.armadillo-books.com
Pages: 303ISBN: 978-0-9786132-1-1
Price: $7.99
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This is the second midgrade fantasy in the Edgar Font’s Search for A House to Haunt series. As the first novel, this one encourages communications between children and their grandparents. Audrey and Garrett accompany their grandfather to Northern California where drawings left by great grandfather Leo Font lead them to a most unusual deserted community powered by hydroelectric power. All is not as it seems, however; the community isn’t deserted, just hidden.
These first two books have been delightful. We love seeing the teamwork between grandparent and grandchildren. The stretching of the reader’s imagination is always foremost—“This really could happen, right?” The story line is rarely predictable and the characters and settings are memorable. We rated this book five hearts.
Author: Patrick H.T. Doyle
Illustrator: Patrick H.T. Doyle
Publisher and/or Distributor: Armadillo Books
Publisher Website: www.armadillo-books.com
Pages: 303ISBN: 978-0-9786132-1-1
Price: $7.99
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This is the second midgrade fantasy in the Edgar Font’s Search for A House to Haunt series. As the first novel, this one encourages communications between children and their grandparents. Audrey and Garrett accompany their grandfather to Northern California where drawings left by great grandfather Leo Font lead them to a most unusual deserted community powered by hydroelectric power. All is not as it seems, however; the community isn’t deserted, just hidden.
These first two books have been delightful. We love seeing the teamwork between grandparent and grandchildren. The stretching of the reader’s imagination is always foremost—“This really could happen, right?” The story line is rarely predictable and the characters and settings are memorable. We rated this book five hearts.
Monday, October 1, 2007
A GRREAT Young Midgrade Spy Novel
Title: Spy Mice: Goldwhiskers
Author: Heather Vogel Frederick
Illustrator: Sally Wern Comport
Publisher and/or Distributor: Aladin Paperbacks / Simon Schuster
Publisher Website: www.simonsayskids.com
Pages: 250
ISBN: 978-1-4169-1442-6
Price: $5.99
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This young midgrade spy novel reminds me of Oliver Twist. A robbery ring, run by an older rat named “Master,” (aka “Goldwhiskers”) is made up of orphan mice who are taught to steal. They have to please the Master with their efforts if they want to eat and be sheltered. A piece of the Crown Jewels of England is stolen and three American mice investigators (Oz, D.B., and Glory Goldenleaf) team up with mice from Scotland-Yard to find the missing piece and to expose to the world this nefarious plot.
It is a very cute, exciting story with short chapters, great settings, and wonderful characters. This is a stand-alone third in a series which is ideally suited for reluctant readers. We rated it five hearts.
Author: Heather Vogel Frederick
Illustrator: Sally Wern Comport
Publisher and/or Distributor: Aladin Paperbacks / Simon Schuster
Publisher Website: www.simonsayskids.com
Pages: 250
ISBN: 978-1-4169-1442-6
Price: $5.99
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This young midgrade spy novel reminds me of Oliver Twist. A robbery ring, run by an older rat named “Master,” (aka “Goldwhiskers”) is made up of orphan mice who are taught to steal. They have to please the Master with their efforts if they want to eat and be sheltered. A piece of the Crown Jewels of England is stolen and three American mice investigators (Oz, D.B., and Glory Goldenleaf) team up with mice from Scotland-Yard to find the missing piece and to expose to the world this nefarious plot.
It is a very cute, exciting story with short chapters, great settings, and wonderful characters. This is a stand-alone third in a series which is ideally suited for reluctant readers. We rated it five hearts.
Midgrade Angst Is Essential to Interest Reluctant Readers in Reading
Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Author: Jeff Kinney
Illustrator: Jeff Kinney
Publisher and/or Distributor: Amulet Books / Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Publisher Website: http://www.amuletbooks.com/
Pages: 217
ISBN: 978-0-8109-9313-6
Price: $12.95
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This hilarious midgrade graphic novel about a professional nerd’s childhood in middle school is wonderfully realistic. Written in a journal format with self illustrations, we learn about the stresses and ironies that are ever present in a bright but non-athletic young man. This is not a perfect kid. He is just as likely to take advantage of other people given the chance to get ahead or to escape a painful experience. He’s particularly hard on those who are closest to him—especially his best friend.
The author shows us ourselves with uncanny accuracy. All of us have warts and pimples and painful memories. He portrays life in school and the cruelty of children in a manner that is all too familiar to many of us. We rated this book five hearts.
Author: Jeff Kinney
Illustrator: Jeff Kinney
Publisher and/or Distributor: Amulet Books / Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Publisher Website: http://www.amuletbooks.com/
Pages: 217
ISBN: 978-0-8109-9313-6
Price: $12.95
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This hilarious midgrade graphic novel about a professional nerd’s childhood in middle school is wonderfully realistic. Written in a journal format with self illustrations, we learn about the stresses and ironies that are ever present in a bright but non-athletic young man. This is not a perfect kid. He is just as likely to take advantage of other people given the chance to get ahead or to escape a painful experience. He’s particularly hard on those who are closest to him—especially his best friend.
The author shows us ourselves with uncanny accuracy. All of us have warts and pimples and painful memories. He portrays life in school and the cruelty of children in a manner that is all too familiar to many of us. We rated this book five hearts.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Very Popular with young Girls
Title: Two Moon Princess
Author: Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Tanglewood
Publisher Website: www.tanglewoodbooks.com
Pages: 324
ISBN: 978-1-933718-12-5
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: Oct 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
This midgrade medieval fantasy portrays a princess who wants to be competitive with men, while her parents insist on grooming her for a politically arranged marriage in the near future. She stumbles into an inter-dimensional gate that dumps her into modern Earth (Southern California) society. Fortunately, her mother’s brother lives on this side of the gate, and he enrolls her in college as a way of keeping her out of trouble until it’s time to open the gate again a month later. The princess finds herself shunting back and forth between worlds—ours and her own with two moons. In the process of all this, she finds both enemy threats and true love. We rated this book four hearts.
Author: Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Tanglewood
Publisher Website: www.tanglewoodbooks.com
Pages: 324
ISBN: 978-1-933718-12-5
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: Oct 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
This midgrade medieval fantasy portrays a princess who wants to be competitive with men, while her parents insist on grooming her for a politically arranged marriage in the near future. She stumbles into an inter-dimensional gate that dumps her into modern Earth (Southern California) society. Fortunately, her mother’s brother lives on this side of the gate, and he enrolls her in college as a way of keeping her out of trouble until it’s time to open the gate again a month later. The princess finds herself shunting back and forth between worlds—ours and her own with two moons. In the process of all this, she finds both enemy threats and true love. We rated this book four hearts.
A Book for Older Teen Girls
Title: Twilight
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Little, Brown and Company / Hachette Book Group USA
Publisher Website: www.twilightnovel.com
Pages: 400+
ISBN: 978-0-316-01584-4
Price: $8.99
Publishing Date: 2005
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This is the first of a YA romance/vampire trilogy written by the very personable, author-on-the-rise, Stephanie Meyer, who has been compared to J.K. Rowling. Bella goes to live with her dad in Washington State so her mother can travel with her significant other. As she tries to fit in with a new circle of acquaintances, she develops a love/hate relationship with a family that seems to pretty much keep to themselves. Her life is saved in a school parking lot car accident that should have left her crushed and broken. Instead, Edward of the odd family, saves her with his super human speed and strength.
This is a painfully portrayed coming of age and maturity novel under extremely unusual circumstances that include the vampire family that has members who are hundreds of years old. She falls deeply in love with Edward and must figure out how she can develop their relationship despite its unusual circumstances. This author is superbly able to develop characters and their interactions. We rated this book five hearts
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Little, Brown and Company / Hachette Book Group USA
Publisher Website: www.twilightnovel.com
Pages: 400+
ISBN: 978-0-316-01584-4
Price: $8.99
Publishing Date: 2005
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This is the first of a YA romance/vampire trilogy written by the very personable, author-on-the-rise, Stephanie Meyer, who has been compared to J.K. Rowling. Bella goes to live with her dad in Washington State so her mother can travel with her significant other. As she tries to fit in with a new circle of acquaintances, she develops a love/hate relationship with a family that seems to pretty much keep to themselves. Her life is saved in a school parking lot car accident that should have left her crushed and broken. Instead, Edward of the odd family, saves her with his super human speed and strength.
This is a painfully portrayed coming of age and maturity novel under extremely unusual circumstances that include the vampire family that has members who are hundreds of years old. She falls deeply in love with Edward and must figure out how she can develop their relationship despite its unusual circumstances. This author is superbly able to develop characters and their interactions. We rated this book five hearts
A GRREAT Graphic Novel
Title: Red Prophet (1st of 6 in the Alvin Maker Series)
Author: Orson Scott Card adaped by Roland Bernard Brown
Illustrator: Renato Arlem and Miquel Montenegro
Publisher and/or Distributor: Marvel
Publisher Website: www.marvel.com
Pages:
ISBN: 0-7851-2721-6
Price: $19.99
Publishing Date: May 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This graphic novel based on Card’s very popular Alvin Maker novels is perfect for reluctant reading boys. As should be expected, the picture quality is superb and the text adaptation works well with the graphics. This is a tale about the frontier of the mid-1800s in a universe where magic really works. It is a story dear to my heart because I grew up seven miles from its setting.
As an added bonus, there is a space-based alien story segment in the back of the book. This helps parents kill two birds with one stone in terms of appealing genres for boys. We rated the book five hearts.
Author: Orson Scott Card adaped by Roland Bernard Brown
Illustrator: Renato Arlem and Miquel Montenegro
Publisher and/or Distributor: Marvel
Publisher Website: www.marvel.com
Pages:
ISBN: 0-7851-2721-6
Price: $19.99
Publishing Date: May 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This graphic novel based on Card’s very popular Alvin Maker novels is perfect for reluctant reading boys. As should be expected, the picture quality is superb and the text adaptation works well with the graphics. This is a tale about the frontier of the mid-1800s in a universe where magic really works. It is a story dear to my heart because I grew up seven miles from its setting.
As an added bonus, there is a space-based alien story segment in the back of the book. This helps parents kill two birds with one stone in terms of appealing genres for boys. We rated the book five hearts.
A Modern Gaelic Fantasy
Title: The Light-Bearer’s Daughter
Author: O.R. Melling
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams Books)
Publisher Website: www.hnabooks.com
Pages: 348
ISBN: 978-0-8109-0781-2
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
This YA fantasy focuses on Irish protagonist, Dana Faolan, a young teen who constantly hunts for and hopes in finding her mother who walked out of her life when she was a toddler. Her father has decided that a change in environment to Canada and his relatives is necessary for his daughter’s mental health. Dana resents the impending move. In desperation, she agrees with a mysterious lady to a quest into the land of fairy. She is assisted by a large wolf (spirit guide), which is a good because she is being stalked by a twisted maniac. Her quest becomes a race against time because of the impending Canadian move. We rated this interesting book four hearts.
Author: O.R. Melling
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams Books)
Publisher Website: www.hnabooks.com
Pages: 348
ISBN: 978-0-8109-0781-2
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
This YA fantasy focuses on Irish protagonist, Dana Faolan, a young teen who constantly hunts for and hopes in finding her mother who walked out of her life when she was a toddler. Her father has decided that a change in environment to Canada and his relatives is necessary for his daughter’s mental health. Dana resents the impending move. In desperation, she agrees with a mysterious lady to a quest into the land of fairy. She is assisted by a large wolf (spirit guide), which is a good because she is being stalked by a twisted maniac. Her quest becomes a race against time because of the impending Canadian move. We rated this interesting book four hearts.
Monday, September 24, 2007
A Cute Magical Realism Midgrade Book
Title: Saving The Griffin
Author: Kristen Wolden Nitz
Illustrator: Yoshiko Jaeggi
Publisher and/or Distributor: Peachtree Publishers
Publisher Website: www.peachtree-online.com
Pages: 185
ISBN: 978-1-56145-380-1
Price: $14.95
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This is a darling Midgrade YA fantasy about Kate and Michael who discover a cute little baby griffin in an ornate garden in Italy. In their efforts to keep the griffin’s existence a secret, they become embroiled with greedy scientists, a strange being from another dimension, and the paparazzi. Where did the little tyke come from? How will they get him safely back home? Is his life in danger? Are their’s? In a pleasant mixture of modern and ancient times—reality and mythology—and a bit of magical realism mixed with parallel world concepts, the author stretches young readers’ minds like rubber bands. We rated this book five hearts.
Author: Kristen Wolden Nitz
Illustrator: Yoshiko Jaeggi
Publisher and/or Distributor: Peachtree Publishers
Publisher Website: www.peachtree-online.com
Pages: 185
ISBN: 978-1-56145-380-1
Price: $14.95
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This is a darling Midgrade YA fantasy about Kate and Michael who discover a cute little baby griffin in an ornate garden in Italy. In their efforts to keep the griffin’s existence a secret, they become embroiled with greedy scientists, a strange being from another dimension, and the paparazzi. Where did the little tyke come from? How will they get him safely back home? Is his life in danger? Are their’s? In a pleasant mixture of modern and ancient times—reality and mythology—and a bit of magical realism mixed with parallel world concepts, the author stretches young readers’ minds like rubber bands. We rated this book five hearts.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Quake: a Grreat YA Midgrade Historical Novel
Title: Quake: Disaster in San Francisco, 1906
Author: Gail Langer Karwoski
Illustrator: Robert Papp
Publisher and/or Distributor: Peachtree Publishers
Publisher Website: www.peachtree-online.com
Pages: 154
ISBN: 1-56145-369-2
Price: $7.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This mid-grade historical novel takes on the great San Francisco quake and how it impacted on peoples’ lives for years afterward. It follows Jacob Kauffman’s fortunate survival of the many buildings collapsing in the quake, including his own family’s, and how he rescues a young Chinese boy from the rubble of another building. The author does a superb job of bringing the quake’s drama to life and also the subject of racial prejudice of that day. As the two boys seek food and safety, as well as their families, they have all kinds of adventures, both good and bad. We rated this excellent YA five hearts.
Author: Gail Langer Karwoski
Illustrator: Robert Papp
Publisher and/or Distributor: Peachtree Publishers
Publisher Website: www.peachtree-online.com
Pages: 154
ISBN: 1-56145-369-2
Price: $7.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This mid-grade historical novel takes on the great San Francisco quake and how it impacted on peoples’ lives for years afterward. It follows Jacob Kauffman’s fortunate survival of the many buildings collapsing in the quake, including his own family’s, and how he rescues a young Chinese boy from the rubble of another building. The author does a superb job of bringing the quake’s drama to life and also the subject of racial prejudice of that day. As the two boys seek food and safety, as well as their families, they have all kinds of adventures, both good and bad. We rated this excellent YA five hearts.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Another Summer Gone
Dear Readers,
My sincere apologies for not posting since early June. Unfortunately, a staph virus which had attacked my new artificial knee two years ago and which we thought had died, had only lain dormant. In June it came back with a vengeance, necessitating the cutting open of the knee joint, rehab of the soft tissues (again), and hospital stays of 2.5 and 1 weeks respectively when that didn't work. We are keeping our fingers crossed. What a wasted summer!!!
Oh well, enough of my medical problems. I hope the summer was kind to our young readers. We had a fantastic Harry Potter release party where we turned our whole downtown block into a Diagon Alley experience for almost 2,000 kids and their parents. BTW, I read HP7 and found it to be less well written than the others (the center section's pace drug on forever), but it was good to come to closure.
I have read some excellent reluctant reader books this summer and will be posting reviews as soon as I find time and energy to write them up. In the meantime, what are your special needs? Are there any special problems or questions about books or reading in general? Please let me know.
Bob
My sincere apologies for not posting since early June. Unfortunately, a staph virus which had attacked my new artificial knee two years ago and which we thought had died, had only lain dormant. In June it came back with a vengeance, necessitating the cutting open of the knee joint, rehab of the soft tissues (again), and hospital stays of 2.5 and 1 weeks respectively when that didn't work. We are keeping our fingers crossed. What a wasted summer!!!
Oh well, enough of my medical problems. I hope the summer was kind to our young readers. We had a fantastic Harry Potter release party where we turned our whole downtown block into a Diagon Alley experience for almost 2,000 kids and their parents. BTW, I read HP7 and found it to be less well written than the others (the center section's pace drug on forever), but it was good to come to closure.
I have read some excellent reluctant reader books this summer and will be posting reviews as soon as I find time and energy to write them up. In the meantime, what are your special needs? Are there any special problems or questions about books or reading in general? Please let me know.
Bob
Monday, June 4, 2007
The Read-Aloud Handbook
If you don't want children to turn into reluctant readers, there is one resource that you must read and keep on hand--The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelese. This book has to be your first priority. He tells you what to do, when to do it, and how to do it with research data to back up everything he explains. Then he provides a treasure trove of information about what are excellent books to read aloud at what ages. This is an invaluable resource that sells for only $15.
He makes the point that children need to be read to in utero through teen years. Making book reading an integral part of your family's routine is essential for the full development of your children.
He makes the point that children need to be read to in utero through teen years. Making book reading an integral part of your family's routine is essential for the full development of your children.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Types of Reluctant Readers
There are different types of reluctant readers. Do any of these sound familiar?
My wife and I are working on solving this one. We are currently working on an on-line catalog for reluctant readers that will highlight some of the best books and series for kids of several age ranges. This service will make you aware of a lot of really neat books.
The secret for dealing with the third group is to provide chapter books with bigger print, short chapters that pull the readers through their stories, and supporting activities and games to provide related content that helps them get over short attention span challenges.
- Over-scheduled kids with too many activities
- The kids who say they can't find interesting content (especially boys)
- Those who struggle with reading and, therefore, don't like to
My wife and I are working on solving this one. We are currently working on an on-line catalog for reluctant readers that will highlight some of the best books and series for kids of several age ranges. This service will make you aware of a lot of really neat books.
The secret for dealing with the third group is to provide chapter books with bigger print, short chapters that pull the readers through their stories, and supporting activities and games to provide related content that helps them get over short attention span challenges.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Sci Fi for the Gifted Reader
Gifted children like to read books that provide a reasonable challenge and which cause them to think. The following is one such. This is classic SF at its best.
Title: The Hiveborn
Author: Paul Collins
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Bohemian Ink
Publisher Website: www.bohemian-ink.com
Pages: 248
ISBN: 0-9726051-8-5
Price: $24.95
Publishing Date: 2006
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
At last, science fiction that would be competitive with that written by the masters of 30 to 40 years ago. Hiveborn, the third and last book in the Earthborn Wars series. There is a little of Star Wars mixed with the Night of the Living Dead and the Body Snatchers in this book about a time in our future where survivors of an earthly holocaust, a cultic spaceborn group, and people taken over by alien parasites vie to win over the others and create a new day and a new way for planet earth’s human population. The key is which one will gain ascendancy? The action and pace are relentless, the characters unique and believable, and the technologies are predictable. We rated this excellent novel by its award-winning Australian author five hearts.
Title: The Hiveborn
Author: Paul Collins
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Bohemian Ink
Publisher Website: www.bohemian-ink.com
Pages: 248
ISBN: 0-9726051-8-5
Price: $24.95
Publishing Date: 2006
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
At last, science fiction that would be competitive with that written by the masters of 30 to 40 years ago. Hiveborn, the third and last book in the Earthborn Wars series. There is a little of Star Wars mixed with the Night of the Living Dead and the Body Snatchers in this book about a time in our future where survivors of an earthly holocaust, a cultic spaceborn group, and people taken over by alien parasites vie to win over the others and create a new day and a new way for planet earth’s human population. The key is which one will gain ascendancy? The action and pace are relentless, the characters unique and believable, and the technologies are predictable. We rated this excellent novel by its award-winning Australian author five hearts.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Reluctant Readers Like Young Girls and Horses
There is a special connection with young girls and horses. Books using this theme are often eagerly sought by reluctant reader girls, especially if the protagonist is a troubled girl with problems at school and home, which she somehow manages to solve. The following is one such book.
Title: Starlight’s Courage
Author: Janet Muirhead Hill
Illustrator: Pat Lehmkuhl
Publisher and/or Distributor: Raven Publishing, Inc.
Publisher Website: www.ravenpublishing.net
Pages: 160
ISBN: 0-9772525-4-X
Price: $9.00
Publishing Date: August 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
Ten-year-old Miranda is a troubled girl. She lives with her maternal grandparents in Montana because her father died shortly before she was born and her mother is working in Los Angeles. She focuses her need for love and loving on a damaged black stallion called Starlight. Out of concern for this horse, Miranda makes many wrong choices but ends up in the end winning over school enemies into friends and saving her precious Starlight. She is challenged by a vengeful insane man who sets out to kill Starlight and authority figures who see her activities as irresponsible and threatening.
This is an excellent book for reluctant readers. There are so many value lessons which are woven throughout the story. Miranda is a very independent spirit who finally discovers she is not along in the world. We rated this mid-grade book five hearts.
Title: Starlight’s Courage
Author: Janet Muirhead Hill
Illustrator: Pat Lehmkuhl
Publisher and/or Distributor: Raven Publishing, Inc.
Publisher Website: www.ravenpublishing.net
Pages: 160
ISBN: 0-9772525-4-X
Price: $9.00
Publishing Date: August 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
Ten-year-old Miranda is a troubled girl. She lives with her maternal grandparents in Montana because her father died shortly before she was born and her mother is working in Los Angeles. She focuses her need for love and loving on a damaged black stallion called Starlight. Out of concern for this horse, Miranda makes many wrong choices but ends up in the end winning over school enemies into friends and saving her precious Starlight. She is challenged by a vengeful insane man who sets out to kill Starlight and authority figures who see her activities as irresponsible and threatening.
This is an excellent book for reluctant readers. There are so many value lessons which are woven throughout the story. Miranda is a very independent spirit who finally discovers she is not along in the world. We rated this mid-grade book five hearts.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
James Patterson's New Series for Reluctant Readers
Title: Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports
Author: James Patterson
Illustrator: Publisher and/or Distributor: Little, Brown and Company
Publisher Website: www.lb-teens.com
Pages: 404
ISBN: 978-0-316-11280-1
Price: 16.99
Publishing Date: May 07
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This tween young adult thriller is about Max and her friends, who have been genetically altered to become “Bird People.” They have escaped their laboratory of origin and are fighting to save the world from wolf-man mutations from the same lab and its evil scientists. A threat to her relationship with her best friend “Fang” causes her group to split forces in a fight against the greedy lab-owning multinational corporation that is attempting to wipe out much of the world’s population while taking over the remains of the planet. At the same, Max learns who her real parents are.
James Patterson continues to demonstrate his incredible range of genre mastery with this reluctant reader series, which is absolutely impressive. All the needed elements for this age of readers are there—humor, coming of age, fantastic fantasy, a fast paced plot, and characters that readily endear themselves to our hearts. We rated this book a solid five hearts.
Author: James Patterson
Illustrator: Publisher and/or Distributor: Little, Brown and Company
Publisher Website: www.lb-teens.com
Pages: 404
ISBN: 978-0-316-11280-1
Price: 16.99
Publishing Date: May 07
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This tween young adult thriller is about Max and her friends, who have been genetically altered to become “Bird People.” They have escaped their laboratory of origin and are fighting to save the world from wolf-man mutations from the same lab and its evil scientists. A threat to her relationship with her best friend “Fang” causes her group to split forces in a fight against the greedy lab-owning multinational corporation that is attempting to wipe out much of the world’s population while taking over the remains of the planet. At the same, Max learns who her real parents are.
James Patterson continues to demonstrate his incredible range of genre mastery with this reluctant reader series, which is absolutely impressive. All the needed elements for this age of readers are there—humor, coming of age, fantastic fantasy, a fast paced plot, and characters that readily endear themselves to our hearts. We rated this book a solid five hearts.
Monday, May 7, 2007
The Most Incredible Picture Book
Title: Hopalong Jack and the Blue Bunnies
Author: Jeri Landers
Illustrator: Jeri Landers
Publisher and/or Distributor: Ochre Moon Press
Publisher Website: www.jerilanders.com
Pages: 36
ISBN: 0-9765303-0-9
Price: $19.95
Publishing Date: 2005
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This gorgeously illustrated children’s picture book looks like something Beatrice Potter might have done, only better. The artwork is exquisite, using a combination of water colors and old/new world paper cutting. The story is cutely funny about a young rabbit, Hopalong Jack, who feels frustrated about having so many brothers and sisters (we all know rabbits don’t add; they multiply.) This is especially irksome because so many of them look up to Jack and copy everything he does to appear different from them (does this sound like a middle-school peer group?) When Hopalong Jack uses blueberries to dye his fur blue, all his fellow siblings follow suit. When his brothers and sisters begin copying his discovery of music and dance, he finally realizes being a trend setter is not such a bad thing.
Although written for a younger set, there are lessons here for slightly older children as well. The artwork is more intricate than a “Where’s Elmo” book. Reading this work requires repetitive study to extract all the nuances from its pages. We rated it a very high five hearts.
Author: Jeri Landers
Illustrator: Jeri Landers
Publisher and/or Distributor: Ochre Moon Press
Publisher Website: www.jerilanders.com
Pages: 36
ISBN: 0-9765303-0-9
Price: $19.95
Publishing Date: 2005
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This gorgeously illustrated children’s picture book looks like something Beatrice Potter might have done, only better. The artwork is exquisite, using a combination of water colors and old/new world paper cutting. The story is cutely funny about a young rabbit, Hopalong Jack, who feels frustrated about having so many brothers and sisters (we all know rabbits don’t add; they multiply.) This is especially irksome because so many of them look up to Jack and copy everything he does to appear different from them (does this sound like a middle-school peer group?) When Hopalong Jack uses blueberries to dye his fur blue, all his fellow siblings follow suit. When his brothers and sisters begin copying his discovery of music and dance, he finally realizes being a trend setter is not such a bad thing.
Although written for a younger set, there are lessons here for slightly older children as well. The artwork is more intricate than a “Where’s Elmo” book. Reading this work requires repetitive study to extract all the nuances from its pages. We rated it a very high five hearts.
Friday, May 4, 2007
A GRREAT ESL Bi-Lingual Book
Title: A School Named for Someone Like Me / Una escula con un nombre como el mio
Author: Diana Dávila Martίnez
Illustrator: Anthony Accardo
Publisher and/or Distributor: Piñata Books
Publisher Website: www.artepublicopress.com
Pages: 63
ISBN: 1-55885-334-0
Price: $7.95
Publishing Date: 2001
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This bilingual book tells the story of a young Hispanic man who exemplified kindness and concern for others all his life. He rose from a working class home to become brilliant young lawyer for the people. After an untimely drowning death, an elementary school in his old neighborhood is renamed after him. The story is told through the author’s eyes as a young girl. The use of both an English and a Spanish version on the same page will be helpful to students trying to learn the other language. The story of this fine young man’s life and the people he helped is touching. The fact that he was Hispanic makes him important as a role model for both Hispanic and Anglo youth. We rated it five hearts.
Author: Diana Dávila Martίnez
Illustrator: Anthony Accardo
Publisher and/or Distributor: Piñata Books
Publisher Website: www.artepublicopress.com
Pages: 63
ISBN: 1-55885-334-0
Price: $7.95
Publishing Date: 2001
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This bilingual book tells the story of a young Hispanic man who exemplified kindness and concern for others all his life. He rose from a working class home to become brilliant young lawyer for the people. After an untimely drowning death, an elementary school in his old neighborhood is renamed after him. The story is told through the author’s eyes as a young girl. The use of both an English and a Spanish version on the same page will be helpful to students trying to learn the other language. The story of this fine young man’s life and the people he helped is touching. The fact that he was Hispanic makes him important as a role model for both Hispanic and Anglo youth. We rated it five hearts.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Grreat Mid Grade Biography Series
Title: Frederick Douglas: Young Defender of Human Rights
Author: Elisabeth P Myers
Illustrator: Cathy Morrison
Publisher and/or Distributor: Patria Press
Publisher Website: www.patriapress.com
Pages: 113
ISBN: 978-1-882859-57-3
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: Feb 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:5 hearts
This is the thirteenth volume in Patria Press’s Young Patriots’ 8-12 series, which is the republishing of the wonderful, rescued biographies, which many of us older folks read in our libraries back in the 1950s (those light blue or orange books). This particular book presents the realities of the American slave culture in a way that communicates its horrific realities, yet does it in a tasteful manner. Frederick, a brilliant, self-educated young black man, became the abolitionists’ voice in New England. His books and lectures helped raise the level of awareness of the unrighteous plight of slave life. As a one-time teacher of troubled youth, I believe all young Americans of all colors should read to learn and understand from where today’s Black Americans come. Although a tastefully written book, there will be no doubt how terrible slave life was when children were simply commodities to be trained to a life of forced servitude. We rated it five hearts.
Author: Elisabeth P Myers
Illustrator: Cathy Morrison
Publisher and/or Distributor: Patria Press
Publisher Website: www.patriapress.com
Pages: 113
ISBN: 978-1-882859-57-3
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: Feb 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:5 hearts
This is the thirteenth volume in Patria Press’s Young Patriots’ 8-12 series, which is the republishing of the wonderful, rescued biographies, which many of us older folks read in our libraries back in the 1950s (those light blue or orange books). This particular book presents the realities of the American slave culture in a way that communicates its horrific realities, yet does it in a tasteful manner. Frederick, a brilliant, self-educated young black man, became the abolitionists’ voice in New England. His books and lectures helped raise the level of awareness of the unrighteous plight of slave life. As a one-time teacher of troubled youth, I believe all young Americans of all colors should read to learn and understand from where today’s Black Americans come. Although a tastefully written book, there will be no doubt how terrible slave life was when children were simply commodities to be trained to a life of forced servitude. We rated it five hearts.
Getting Kids to Read--Why Is It Important?
Way too many graduate without a legitimate education. A high percentage (85%) of children attending school in the Juvenile Detention Center, where I taught all primary and secondary grades, were functionally illiterate. If they read, most read way below actual grade level. We had a good library and all the books were on the accelerated reading lists, but most children chose to read much younger books. This was startling because statistics say that if a child hasn't mastered reading by fourth grade, he or she has a 67% probability of ending up in jail or on welfare. Too many end up as adults, unable to read. I'll never forget coaching a young Samoan drug dealer/electrician from Los Angeles who was doing time at Leavenworth's max security Federal penitentiary. He thanked me with tears in his eyes because, for the first time, he had been able to read a letter sent by his wife.
If you want to really make a difference in some one's life, coax and coach a non-reader to read. it's important to that person and it's important to society. Mentor kids in the reading skills they will need to function in society. I have seen so many prisoners who had given up. Left behind by the education system, and more importantly, their parents, they felt a life of crime was their only alternative.
Find a Big Brothers/Big Sisters or other community help program and give of your time and talent's.
If you want to really make a difference in some one's life, coax and coach a non-reader to read. it's important to that person and it's important to society. Mentor kids in the reading skills they will need to function in society. I have seen so many prisoners who had given up. Left behind by the education system, and more importantly, their parents, they felt a life of crime was their only alternative.
Find a Big Brothers/Big Sisters or other community help program and give of your time and talent's.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
The Call to Shakabaz
Title: The Call to Shakabaz
Author: Amy Wachspress
Publisher and/or Distributor: Woza Books
Publisher Website: www.wozabooks.com
Pages: 272
ISBN: 0-9788350-2-6
Price: $15.50
Publishing Date: January 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This midgrade fantasy is perfect for a young reluctant reader. The book is unusual in that all the characters are people of color—not only African American hues, but other colors as well. Four modern orphans find themselves escorted through a gate into another dimension where they come to take over the roles of their mother and her three siblings as protectors and problem solvers for different people in conflict with an evil wizard. Unique among other fantasy adventure books, they discover only non-violent solutions to the impinging threats.
The author shows the four children, along with their very intelligent parrot, growing and developing into their legacy—becoming what they are intended to become—The Four. We ranked this excellent book five hearts.
Author: Amy Wachspress
Publisher and/or Distributor: Woza Books
Publisher Website: www.wozabooks.com
Pages: 272
ISBN: 0-9788350-2-6
Price: $15.50
Publishing Date: January 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This midgrade fantasy is perfect for a young reluctant reader. The book is unusual in that all the characters are people of color—not only African American hues, but other colors as well. Four modern orphans find themselves escorted through a gate into another dimension where they come to take over the roles of their mother and her three siblings as protectors and problem solvers for different people in conflict with an evil wizard. Unique among other fantasy adventure books, they discover only non-violent solutions to the impinging threats.
The author shows the four children, along with their very intelligent parrot, growing and developing into their legacy—becoming what they are intended to become—The Four. We ranked this excellent book five hearts.
Caught by Surprise--ESL Needs
When I started this blog a little over a week ago, I knew there was a need for information among the parents of gifted and reluctant readers. Since starting the blog, I have been tracking from where my visitors have been coming. I expected to get information seekers from the US, Canada, and even from Great Britain and Australia, and they came. What I hadn't expected to see was visitors from Germany, South America, Mexico, Portugal, Moscow, South Africa, India, Malaysia, Tokyo, and so on. I looked at a map with little flags marking each represented country when I came to the startled realization that there must be a need for content suitable for children for whom English is a second (or third or fourth, or fifth) language. Now that I've come to this realization, I will try to include material and recommendations that cover ESL needs as well.
What would help me is for any and all of you to make comments on my blog entries and let me know what your specific needs are. I lived in Germany twice for a total of five years and speak enough of the language to be able to each self-defense auf Deutsch. I lived in Korea for almost three years and speak just enough of that language to be dangerous to myself. I've traveled in Japan and picked up a little of that language while studying Judo. I've traveled throughout Europe and was able to always get by, language-wise. My point is, I am sensitive to the needs of parents who want to see their children improve their language studies. India is a good example. They speak at least fourteen different languages and goodness knows how many dialects. That's why they use English as a common language and seek to improve their English fluency. The Netherlands is another good example. I could always find a German speaking native if they didn't speak English.
One night in a Gasthaus in Austria, four of us (all strangers) kept a fantastic conversation going for hours in English, Spanish, Italian, German, and Czech. What an interesting evening that was. The Mexican engineer was studying English in London. The Czech lady worked as a translator and spoke German, Italian, and Russian. Her Italian boyfriend only spoke Italian but was able to communicate quite a lot to the Spanish speaking Mexican. I spoke German and a little Russian and had been trained to sing in Italian and to speak Latin. I'll never forget the experience!
As a book reviewer, I get a lot of excellent English / Spanish bi-lingual children's books sent to me. I'll certainly pass on some of those reviews to you. Unfortunately, I don't see many other bi-lingual language combinations; however, I do recognize those books that make for good translation exercises and will point those out.
Again, let me know your needs!
What would help me is for any and all of you to make comments on my blog entries and let me know what your specific needs are. I lived in Germany twice for a total of five years and speak enough of the language to be able to each self-defense auf Deutsch. I lived in Korea for almost three years and speak just enough of that language to be dangerous to myself. I've traveled in Japan and picked up a little of that language while studying Judo. I've traveled throughout Europe and was able to always get by, language-wise. My point is, I am sensitive to the needs of parents who want to see their children improve their language studies. India is a good example. They speak at least fourteen different languages and goodness knows how many dialects. That's why they use English as a common language and seek to improve their English fluency. The Netherlands is another good example. I could always find a German speaking native if they didn't speak English.
One night in a Gasthaus in Austria, four of us (all strangers) kept a fantastic conversation going for hours in English, Spanish, Italian, German, and Czech. What an interesting evening that was. The Mexican engineer was studying English in London. The Czech lady worked as a translator and spoke German, Italian, and Russian. Her Italian boyfriend only spoke Italian but was able to communicate quite a lot to the Spanish speaking Mexican. I spoke German and a little Russian and had been trained to sing in Italian and to speak Latin. I'll never forget the experience!
As a book reviewer, I get a lot of excellent English / Spanish bi-lingual children's books sent to me. I'll certainly pass on some of those reviews to you. Unfortunately, I don't see many other bi-lingual language combinations; however, I do recognize those books that make for good translation exercises and will point those out.
Again, let me know your needs!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Cronyism Affecting Reading Programs
It won't be often that I go on a political rant, but this was too aggravating not to. Startling enough is the large number of non-USA visitors to my blog. My apologies to them because what follows is USA-specific politics; however, it might raise its head in your countries, so you should be aware of the problem.
In the Kansas City Star newspaper yesterday, April 29th, there was a front page story about the Kansas City School District's recent denial of a grant request from our Federal government's Department of Education. They had asked for assistance with a reading program entitled "Success for All" designed by Robert Slavin of John Hopkins University in Baltimore. The House Education Committee is looking into whether the Bush administration steered contracts to its favorite vendors, shutting out Slavin and others.
As always, when it comes to politics, follow the money trail. The pot of gold in this case is a $6 billion Federal grant program known as "Reading First." Complaints began back in 2005, at which time a panel of experts was formed to review grant applications. Three of these experts had a conflict of interest in that they were owners/developers of another reading system called DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Learning Skills). These three had profited to the tune of almost $1.5 million because of its selection as the vendor of choice. Of course, the powers that be are saying there was no wrong doing.
My state of Kansas requires voters register either as a Republican or a Democrats only, even though I am an independent; therefore, I'm a registered Republican. As a social conservative and an economic liberal (part of the time), I find this kind of cronyism to be abhorrent, especially when our children's futures are at stake. Nine of my 25 years working for the Federal government was spent testing and evaluating military systems and concepts in the field as used by typical soldiers. My evaluations judged both the tested system and its testing process with hundreds of millions of development dollars at stake. Sometimes I found myself having to defend my evaluations against intense pressures from General Officers and high ranking civilians who were trying to ram through their programs, whether they worked or not. We kept the system honest and above board. It's too bad the above expert committee wasn't run the same way as the military test and evaluation process. This saddens me greatly.
In the Kansas City Star newspaper yesterday, April 29th, there was a front page story about the Kansas City School District's recent denial of a grant request from our Federal government's Department of Education. They had asked for assistance with a reading program entitled "Success for All" designed by Robert Slavin of John Hopkins University in Baltimore. The House Education Committee is looking into whether the Bush administration steered contracts to its favorite vendors, shutting out Slavin and others.
As always, when it comes to politics, follow the money trail. The pot of gold in this case is a $6 billion Federal grant program known as "Reading First." Complaints began back in 2005, at which time a panel of experts was formed to review grant applications. Three of these experts had a conflict of interest in that they were owners/developers of another reading system called DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Learning Skills). These three had profited to the tune of almost $1.5 million because of its selection as the vendor of choice. Of course, the powers that be are saying there was no wrong doing.
My state of Kansas requires voters register either as a Republican or a Democrats only, even though I am an independent; therefore, I'm a registered Republican. As a social conservative and an economic liberal (part of the time), I find this kind of cronyism to be abhorrent, especially when our children's futures are at stake. Nine of my 25 years working for the Federal government was spent testing and evaluating military systems and concepts in the field as used by typical soldiers. My evaluations judged both the tested system and its testing process with hundreds of millions of development dollars at stake. Sometimes I found myself having to defend my evaluations against intense pressures from General Officers and high ranking civilians who were trying to ram through their programs, whether they worked or not. We kept the system honest and above board. It's too bad the above expert committee wasn't run the same way as the military test and evaluation process. This saddens me greatly.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
A Book for Gifted Parents
Title: Gifted Children Gifted Education
Author: Gary A. Davis, Ph.D.
Publisher and/or Distributor: Great Potential Press, Inc.
Publisher Website: www.giftedbooks.com
Pages: 344
ISBN: 0-910707-73-1
Price: $32.95
Publishing Date: 2006
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
As a parent of two gifted children who are now grown and well-adjusted to society, I could have used this book to help me understand what to expect from my children and the educational system. The book covers such things as what giftedness is, the characteristics of the gifted, how they are identified, what accelerated programs might be available, how gifted students are grouped, and potential problem areas in the educational systems as well as potential problems with gifted children. This treatise is of benefit to both parents and teachers/administrators of gifted programs. We rated it four hearts.
Author: Gary A. Davis, Ph.D.
Publisher and/or Distributor: Great Potential Press, Inc.
Publisher Website: www.giftedbooks.com
Pages: 344
ISBN: 0-910707-73-1
Price: $32.95
Publishing Date: 2006
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
As a parent of two gifted children who are now grown and well-adjusted to society, I could have used this book to help me understand what to expect from my children and the educational system. The book covers such things as what giftedness is, the characteristics of the gifted, how they are identified, what accelerated programs might be available, how gifted students are grouped, and potential problem areas in the educational systems as well as potential problems with gifted children. This treatise is of benefit to both parents and teachers/administrators of gifted programs. We rated it four hearts.
Problems With Gifted Readers
Just because a child is very, very smart doesn't mean he or she won't have any problems. In fact, the opposite is often true for many good reasons. In the case of a gifted child refusing to read, the primary reason is boredom. The books have either not been challenging enough or more probably, they don't address areas the child is interested in.
The solution for books that are too easy is to give the child older-level books; however, at the same time, the parent needs to be the censor cop--ensuring that the content is still socially age appropriate. This means Mom or Dad needs to read books through before recommending them to their children. Yes, that takes time, but it's time well spent.
As far as interest areas go, see my earlier blog on that subject.
The solution for books that are too easy is to give the child older-level books; however, at the same time, the parent needs to be the censor cop--ensuring that the content is still socially age appropriate. This means Mom or Dad needs to read books through before recommending them to their children. Yes, that takes time, but it's time well spent.
As far as interest areas go, see my earlier blog on that subject.
Inability to Read?
If your child is resisting pleasure reading, there may be something wrong other than attitude. Some children have valid reading disabilities--it's just too difficult for them to overcome dyslexia or what have you. Others have been taught to read using flawed educational approaches such as whole-word recognition. I could always immediately tell when a problamatic student had been taught the whole-word approach. One of the coping mechanisms was word guessing from context. What evolved was their developing favorite words. For example the, their, they, or there became substituted by their favorite guess word for the TH form: THE. This became clearly evident when they read out loud. It also produced reading that made no sense to anyone, especially the child. I call whole-word the same as learning Chinese idiographs or Japanese kanji. The graphic content of the word becomes more important than its sounds and meanings.
I believe that phonics. especially when made into fun activities by approaches such as "The Phonics Game" and "Hooked on Phonics" is a far more effective reading approach. I volunteered at "Big Brothers, Big Sisters" once to use the "Phonics Game" with a handful of 5th grade learning disabled kids. In 10 or 11 sessions I had they reading at a high "B" level, as opposed to the "D-minus" level they had been at before.
If reading ability or the lack thereof is getting in the way of reading enjoyment, work with a reading specialist to improve on or overcome problems. Even your own teaching through a phonics program can make a world of difference in the right direction.
I believe that phonics. especially when made into fun activities by approaches such as "The Phonics Game" and "Hooked on Phonics" is a far more effective reading approach. I volunteered at "Big Brothers, Big Sisters" once to use the "Phonics Game" with a handful of 5th grade learning disabled kids. In 10 or 11 sessions I had they reading at a high "B" level, as opposed to the "D-minus" level they had been at before.
If reading ability or the lack thereof is getting in the way of reading enjoyment, work with a reading specialist to improve on or overcome problems. Even your own teaching through a phonics program can make a world of difference in the right direction.
Friday, April 27, 2007
A Book for Military Families who have Lost a Loved One in Battle
Title: Danny’s Dragon
Author: Janet Muirhead Hill
Illustrator: Pat Lehmkuhl
Publisher and/or Distributor: Raven Publishing, Inc.
Publisher Website: www.ravenpublishing.net
Pages: 190
ISBN: 0-9772525-0-7
Price: $10
Publishing Date: 2006
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This mid-grade novel is badly needed by the families and children of soldiers who have lost their lives. Danny’s dad is shot down in the Iraq war. With no money coming in, Danny’s mom is about to lose their ranch. Danny finds solace on his horse, which he imagines is a dragon. He submerges his anger of losing his father and his guilt feelings that he was the one that forced his dad to go back on active duty to get enough money to buy Danny’s horse. Held in emotions can cause problems and do so in Danny’s case. Meanwhile, Danny’s mom has her own issues, which come forth in her hobby of painting. There is conflict galore and many parallels to other young peoples’ plights, which are addressed in this book, and which is nicely illustrated with pen and ink drawings. We rated it five hearts.
Author: Janet Muirhead Hill
Illustrator: Pat Lehmkuhl
Publisher and/or Distributor: Raven Publishing, Inc.
Publisher Website: www.ravenpublishing.net
Pages: 190
ISBN: 0-9772525-0-7
Price: $10
Publishing Date: 2006
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This mid-grade novel is badly needed by the families and children of soldiers who have lost their lives. Danny’s dad is shot down in the Iraq war. With no money coming in, Danny’s mom is about to lose their ranch. Danny finds solace on his horse, which he imagines is a dragon. He submerges his anger of losing his father and his guilt feelings that he was the one that forced his dad to go back on active duty to get enough money to buy Danny’s horse. Held in emotions can cause problems and do so in Danny’s case. Meanwhile, Danny’s mom has her own issues, which come forth in her hobby of painting. There is conflict galore and many parallels to other young peoples’ plights, which are addressed in this book, and which is nicely illustrated with pen and ink drawings. We rated it five hearts.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
A Very Popular Midgrade SF Adventure
I have hand sold quite a few copies of this book. Inevitably, the parents come back to thank us for recommending Flip because their children loved it so much.
Title: Flip
Author: David Lubar
Publisher and/or Distributor: Starscape Books
Publisher Website: www.tor.com
Pages: 304
ISBN: 0-765-34048-8
Price: $5.99
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This is one of the most exciting books for mid grade and YA reluctant readers I have seen this year. Fraternal twins Ryan and Taylor stumble across fifty some disks, which are virtual recordings of some of history’s best heroes’ lives. The disks are activated by flipping them into the air and absorbing them into one’s hand. The thoughts, abilities, and personality characteristics of that disk’s hero are imparted to the flipper. Devil may care Ryan and his perfectionist sister Taylor are constantly embroiled in all kinds of adolescent angst situations, which include bullies, teachers with grudges, cliques, and demanding parents. Ryan, especially, uses the disks to help him overcome all these obstacles and much more.
I was particularly struck by the shortness of chapters, each one a cliff-hanger, which are used to draw along the reluctant reader. The book imparts some excellent history lessons while addressing typical problem areas for many adolescent readers. We are handselling this book like hotcakes from our bookstore. If I had to compare it to a recent book of similar popularity and impact, it would have to be Holes. We rated Flip a high five hearts.
Title: Flip
Author: David Lubar
Publisher and/or Distributor: Starscape Books
Publisher Website: www.tor.com
Pages: 304
ISBN: 0-765-34048-8
Price: $5.99
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This is one of the most exciting books for mid grade and YA reluctant readers I have seen this year. Fraternal twins Ryan and Taylor stumble across fifty some disks, which are virtual recordings of some of history’s best heroes’ lives. The disks are activated by flipping them into the air and absorbing them into one’s hand. The thoughts, abilities, and personality characteristics of that disk’s hero are imparted to the flipper. Devil may care Ryan and his perfectionist sister Taylor are constantly embroiled in all kinds of adolescent angst situations, which include bullies, teachers with grudges, cliques, and demanding parents. Ryan, especially, uses the disks to help him overcome all these obstacles and much more.
I was particularly struck by the shortness of chapters, each one a cliff-hanger, which are used to draw along the reluctant reader. The book imparts some excellent history lessons while addressing typical problem areas for many adolescent readers. We are handselling this book like hotcakes from our bookstore. If I had to compare it to a recent book of similar popularity and impact, it would have to be Holes. We rated Flip a high five hearts.
Interests and Hobbies
If you want a child to become more interested in reading, it is best to know what his or her interests and hobbies are.But, that's only the first step. Now comes the harder part--you must find content, excellent content, that supports these interest areas. The best places to find content are at your local bookstores, libraries, and online. Other places are the recommendations of associations and organizations of interest areas. For example, if your son is really into skate boarding, google "skate boarding organizations" and see if there are any recommended reads on their sites. If not, contact them and see if they know of any good books to read on skate boarding. In other words, do your due dilligence--research what's out there. You can always call our bookstore, (913) 682-6518, The Book Barn, in Leavenworth, Kansas and ask. We may know what you need.
We do have some good news, later this summer, we will be going on line with our GRREAT Books catalog site, where we will be offering many books we feel support reluctant readers. We're still in the negotiations phase of locating all the e-commerce elements necessary to make this happen, but we should be up and running by July.
What are your wants and needs for good books.
We do have some good news, later this summer, we will be going on line with our GRREAT Books catalog site, where we will be offering many books we feel support reluctant readers. We're still in the negotiations phase of locating all the e-commerce elements necessary to make this happen, but we should be up and running by July.
What are your wants and needs for good books.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Sports Series
Many teachers and parents complain there isn't enough good nonfiction content, especially for boys. These books (available in English and now some in Spanish) are absolutely GRREAT for catching young sport fanatics' attention. They're easy to read and filled with interesting sports trivia about favorite teams. Here is what their new catalog says about one of these new books:
"The St. Louis Cardinals
The winners of the 2006 World Series, the Cardinals were founded in 1892 as the Browns (named for the color of socks they wore). Their name later changed to the Cardinals when they started wearing red-colored socks.
Team Trivia: Famous slugger, Mark McGwire, set a record of 62 home runs in one season for the Cards. They also had two brothers who played for them at the same time with the unusual names of “Dizzy” and “Daffy.” Find out who the first woman to ever manage a baseball team was and how did the Cardinals do under her leadership."
Title: Team Spirit / Espiritu de Equipo Series
Author: Mark Stewart
Translator: Manuel Kalmanovitz and Eduardo Narváez
Publisher and/or Distributor: Norwood House Press
Publisher Website: www.norwoodhousepress.com
Pages: 48
ISBN:
Price: $25.27 List; $18.95 School and Library
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
These are two versions of the same series. One set of books are in English and the other are in Spanish. They are targeted toward grades 3-6. Both versions are focused toward the football, basketball and the baseball teams of major cities. Their excellent information and stories are the fuel for true developing young sports fans. They have large print and an easy flowing format to allow acceptability by reluctant readers.
The new English language books for this spring season are focused on baseball and the teams involved in last year’s World Series. They include: The Baltimore Orioles, The Detroit Tigers, The Houston Astros, The Los Angeles Dodgers, The Saint Louis Cardinals, and The Seattle Mariners.
The first four Spanish titles for this spring are: Los Heat de Miami, Los Lakers de Los Angeles, Los Mets se Nueva York, and Los White Sox de Chicago. Everything this publisher does is top notch and really achieves its goals. We rated all these five hearts.
"The St. Louis Cardinals
The winners of the 2006 World Series, the Cardinals were founded in 1892 as the Browns (named for the color of socks they wore). Their name later changed to the Cardinals when they started wearing red-colored socks.
Team Trivia: Famous slugger, Mark McGwire, set a record of 62 home runs in one season for the Cards. They also had two brothers who played for them at the same time with the unusual names of “Dizzy” and “Daffy.” Find out who the first woman to ever manage a baseball team was and how did the Cardinals do under her leadership."
Title: Team Spirit / Espiritu de Equipo Series
Author: Mark Stewart
Translator: Manuel Kalmanovitz and Eduardo Narváez
Publisher and/or Distributor: Norwood House Press
Publisher Website: www.norwoodhousepress.com
Pages: 48
ISBN:
Price: $25.27 List; $18.95 School and Library
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
These are two versions of the same series. One set of books are in English and the other are in Spanish. They are targeted toward grades 3-6. Both versions are focused toward the football, basketball and the baseball teams of major cities. Their excellent information and stories are the fuel for true developing young sports fans. They have large print and an easy flowing format to allow acceptability by reluctant readers.
The new English language books for this spring season are focused on baseball and the teams involved in last year’s World Series. They include: The Baltimore Orioles, The Detroit Tigers, The Houston Astros, The Los Angeles Dodgers, The Saint Louis Cardinals, and The Seattle Mariners.
The first four Spanish titles for this spring are: Los Heat de Miami, Los Lakers de Los Angeles, Los Mets se Nueva York, and Los White Sox de Chicago. Everything this publisher does is top notch and really achieves its goals. We rated all these five hearts.
Excellent Replacement for Lemony Snicket
I don't know about you, but I hated the horrific negativity of the Lemony Snicket Series. This is a new and far more positive first of series book which will grab the attention of your midgrade children.
Title: Edgar Font’s Hunt for a House to Haunt: Adventure One The Castle Tower Lighthouse
Author: Patrick H. T. Doyle
Illustrator: Patrick H. T. Doyle
Publisher and/or Distributor: Armadillo Books
Publisher Website: www.armadillo-books.com
Pages: 220
ISBN: 0-9786132-0-1
Price: $6.99
Publishing Date: 2006
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
At last, a young adult midgrade series to take the place of Lemony Snicket, and it’s about 1,000% better. A brother and sister, Garrett and Audrey, are motherless and find themselves staying with their professional woman aunt while their father gads about the world as an architect. When their aunt is invited to join their father at a building site in China for the summer, the kids find themselves foisted off on their eccentric grandfather, Edgar Font, who has taken on the task of searching for the proper hours to haunt when he passes on.
This book was so positive. Granddad pushes them beyond their fear and self-confidence limits, teaching them how to take on the world and even the spirit realms. I loved the author’s illustrations and how the kids learn to stand on their own two feet with the help of a family mentor. It’s so refreshing to find adults who are not trying to take advantage of children, which is what I abhorred in Lemony Snicket. We rated this excellent new start to a series five hearts.
Title: Edgar Font’s Hunt for a House to Haunt: Adventure One The Castle Tower Lighthouse
Author: Patrick H. T. Doyle
Illustrator: Patrick H. T. Doyle
Publisher and/or Distributor: Armadillo Books
Publisher Website: www.armadillo-books.com
Pages: 220
ISBN: 0-9786132-0-1
Price: $6.99
Publishing Date: 2006
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
At last, a young adult midgrade series to take the place of Lemony Snicket, and it’s about 1,000% better. A brother and sister, Garrett and Audrey, are motherless and find themselves staying with their professional woman aunt while their father gads about the world as an architect. When their aunt is invited to join their father at a building site in China for the summer, the kids find themselves foisted off on their eccentric grandfather, Edgar Font, who has taken on the task of searching for the proper hours to haunt when he passes on.
This book was so positive. Granddad pushes them beyond their fear and self-confidence limits, teaching them how to take on the world and even the spirit realms. I loved the author’s illustrations and how the kids learn to stand on their own two feet with the help of a family mentor. It’s so refreshing to find adults who are not trying to take advantage of children, which is what I abhorred in Lemony Snicket. We rated this excellent new start to a series five hearts.
We Both Read Series
Overcoming reading reluctance starts early by giving children positive reading experiences. This series is designed to do just that.
Title: We Both Read Series
Author: Various
Illustrator: Various
Publisher and/or Distributor: Treasure Bay, Inc.
Publisher Website: www.webothread.com
Pages: 48
ISBN: various
Price: $3.99
Publishing Date: 2002 to Present
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
We occasionally review a series of books from a publisher, rather than an individual book from the series. This means we see a similar quality from the series and are impressed with it. Such is the case for the “We Both Read” series. These are colorful books designed for use by the 5-7 year-old range and their parents. The books cover a wide variety of nonfiction and fiction subjects. Their unique feature is the structure of their layout. Each left-hand page is to be read by the parent or teacher. The right-hand page is much simpler so the child can read it. The pictures and the words are informative, humorous, and fun. The books allow the grownup to model good reading while giving more detail, while the child can contribute at his or her level. These books enhance bonding as well as developing reading skills. The specific book on pets, which I read, was really funny and interesting—making for a pleasant reading experience. Its pictures were adorable, and its text flowed easily back and forth between the adult and child reading levels.
This series can also be used as a step-up for slightly older children reading the adult side, so they can gain confidence in their reading abilities while having fun. We rated this series five hearts.
Title: We Both Read Series
Author: Various
Illustrator: Various
Publisher and/or Distributor: Treasure Bay, Inc.
Publisher Website: www.webothread.com
Pages: 48
ISBN: various
Price: $3.99
Publishing Date: 2002 to Present
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
We occasionally review a series of books from a publisher, rather than an individual book from the series. This means we see a similar quality from the series and are impressed with it. Such is the case for the “We Both Read” series. These are colorful books designed for use by the 5-7 year-old range and their parents. The books cover a wide variety of nonfiction and fiction subjects. Their unique feature is the structure of their layout. Each left-hand page is to be read by the parent or teacher. The right-hand page is much simpler so the child can read it. The pictures and the words are informative, humorous, and fun. The books allow the grownup to model good reading while giving more detail, while the child can contribute at his or her level. These books enhance bonding as well as developing reading skills. The specific book on pets, which I read, was really funny and interesting—making for a pleasant reading experience. Its pictures were adorable, and its text flowed easily back and forth between the adult and child reading levels.
This series can also be used as a step-up for slightly older children reading the adult side, so they can gain confidence in their reading abilities while having fun. We rated this series five hearts.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Content Is King!
One of the main reasons some kids, especially young boys, drop out of recreational reading is a lack of good content. In recent years, there has been a major push to supply young girls with lots of new books. Young boys' books haven't fared so well, especially amongst the major publishers. As bookstore owners and operators since 1979 and book reviewers since 2002, my wife and I have been fortunate to find some wonderful books published by small, independent presses that answer this need for good content.
Across the board, whether they be picture books, chapter books, midgrade books, or young adult books, there are many with themes and professional quality to capture and hold the attention of young, wandering minds. From time to time, I will share reviews and suggestions on this blog in an attempt to make parents and grandparents aware of what excellent resources are out there.
What are your needs?
Across the board, whether they be picture books, chapter books, midgrade books, or young adult books, there are many with themes and professional quality to capture and hold the attention of young, wandering minds. From time to time, I will share reviews and suggestions on this blog in an attempt to make parents and grandparents aware of what excellent resources are out there.
What are your needs?
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Runt the Hunted
From time to time, I will post a review of an excellent book for reluctant readers. Here is one that I just posted to: http://www.heartlandreviews.com/Young_Adult.html
Title: Runt the Hunted
Author: Daniel Schwabauer
Publisher and/or Distributor: Clear Water Press
Publisher Website: www.clearwaterpress.com
Pages: 304
ISBN: 978-09742972-3-1
Price: $17.99
Publishing Date: July 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This children’s fantasy sequel to Runt the Brave is a stand-alone story of Runt JaRed, the small mouse, and his tribulations with the unjust, mad King SoSheth of the mouse colony Tira-nor. Runt must somehow stay alive while foiling an overwhelming attack by evil rats. For readers of the Old Testament, you will recognize many arch-type parallels with the David and Saul story.
The author has the uncanny ability to turn animal characters into human-like roles. He compares very favorably with Jacques’ Redwall series. This is a perfect book for reluctant readers and can be read at multiple levels. We rated it a high five hearts.
If you want to see more reviews like this one, go to http://www.heartlandreviews.com/Young_Adult.html
Title: Runt the Hunted
Author: Daniel Schwabauer
Publisher and/or Distributor: Clear Water Press
Publisher Website: www.clearwaterpress.com
Pages: 304
ISBN: 978-09742972-3-1
Price: $17.99
Publishing Date: July 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This children’s fantasy sequel to Runt the Brave is a stand-alone story of Runt JaRed, the small mouse, and his tribulations with the unjust, mad King SoSheth of the mouse colony Tira-nor. Runt must somehow stay alive while foiling an overwhelming attack by evil rats. For readers of the Old Testament, you will recognize many arch-type parallels with the David and Saul story.
The author has the uncanny ability to turn animal characters into human-like roles. He compares very favorably with Jacques’ Redwall series. This is a perfect book for reluctant readers and can be read at multiple levels. We rated it a high five hearts.
If you want to see more reviews like this one, go to http://www.heartlandreviews.com/Young_Adult.html
What the Polls Say
Last summer Scholastic Books released an independent study that explained why kids stopped reading so much from about the age of eight and onward. There were three reasons why:
- Parents, seeing that there kids could now read for themselves, ceased reading aloud to them.
- Parents were not letting their kids catch them with a good book. In other words, they were not modeling good reading habits.
- Content availability, especially for young boys, decreased by age group. The older the kids became, the less the reading choices were.
The fixes are simple:
- Make reading aloud to the family something that never stops. We read aloud to our teens and they loved it.
- Let your kids see that you read for enjoyment.
- Look harder for better content. Much of it is coming from the small, independent presses that don't have as much money to advertise as the big publishers do. Go to http://www.heartlandreviews.com to get some ideas as to what is out there. We specialize in finding the good stuff.
What questions do you have?
Friday, April 13, 2007
What Are Gifted Reluctant Readers
There has been a trend lately for very intelligent children to find reading unrewarding. This is partly due to the content not being challenging enough. On the other hand, other children have problems with reading. They choose to resist reading in lieu of computer games and sports. There are fixes to these problems and other related ones. The purpose of this blog is to invite comments about what is working for others and to discuss books and series of books, which may provide badly needed content, especially for young boys. I invite any and all constructive comments in the spirit of working together to help young readers over some of these barriers. What do you think?
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