Chipper Kids: Counting in the Crazy Garden by Margarette Burnette, illustrated by Brooke Henson

Chipper Kids: Counting in the Crazy Garden by Margarette Burnette, illustrated by Brooke Henson

Reading level: Ages 3-7
Library Binding: 32 pages
Publisher: Jenprint Publications (March 28, 2008)

If you have trouble getting your little ones to eat their vegetables, give this book a try. After reading about "jiggly, wiggly, wobbly worm cobbler" and "hairy, scary spider cookies," broccoli will sound delicious.

Arnold Chipper, a young bear, enjoys making "food" in his garden, but it's not edible at all. His siblings, Maria and Albert, are appalled by his gross (but creative) concoctions, but when Arnold begins to eat a handful of seeds, Maria shows her brothers how to plant them. Soon Albert is able to make healthy and delicious meals for his family.

A book suited for preschool-aged children, Counting in the Crazy Garden teaches numbers and counting from one to ten through Arnold's dishes. For example, he makes "one jiggly, wiggly, worm cobbler," "two tall tubs of tumbleweed soup," and so on. To make the connection between numerals and the spelled-out words, when Arnold presents his dishes, the numeral in red is in the upper corner of the page and the spelled out word, also in red, is in the text. There's even a little lesson on how to plant seeds and grow food.

The illustrations themselves are very simple and will appeal mostly to young children. While older children may enjoy the story, they may think the pictures are too "baby like." However, the story itself is engaging and will make children laugh and also turn their noses up at the yucky foods. I imagine them saying, "ewwwwwwwww" and giggling as they read the story.

A fun take on traditional counting books, this is a nice choice for parents who are helping their children learn to count and recognize numbers. I also think it would make a good board book.

Bilingual Fairy Tales

There's something about fairy tales that bring me back to a special place. I loved the magic, the characters, and the new worlds they introduced to me. We had this gigantic yellow book full of Grimm's Fairy Tales, and I remember reading it over and over again. My favorite story was that of Snow White and Rose Red, two sisters who befriend a bear who ends up being a bewitched prince. Then one day, the book was gone. I believe it was lost in a move, and I searched and searched for that book to no avail. I had other fairy tale books after that, but still after many years, I remember that book and how much it meant to me.

The place where I now live is so much more diverse than the town where I grew up, and I often lament over the fact that there are so many parents who can't speak English and who can't read to their kids because there are very few children's books readily available in other languages. Needless to say, I'm always delighted when I see bilingual children's books and children's books written in other languages, and I was super delighted when I discovered Chronicle Books' bilingual fairy tale series. Written in English and Spanish, the books retell classic tales that children from many countries know and love.

Chronicle Books sent me a copy of the two newest books in the series: El The Pied Piper: El Flautista de Hamelin by Jaume Cela, illustrations by Cristina Losantos and Snow White: Blancanieves by Miquel Desclot, illustrations by Ignasi Blanch.

I think they are wonderful for a number of reasons.

First, paragraphs of English and Spanish are both on the same page, with an accompanying illustration on the opposite page. Parents and children can choose to read in one language or in both languages. They can even compare the two if they want.

Second, whenever I see a fairy tale book, especially a very popular one like Snow White, I get a little irritated when they're based on the animated version of the tale. I'm a traditionalist in the sense that I love the language in fairy tales and often feel that the language gets lost in movies and plays second fiddle to the visuals, the voices, and the music. You can only imagine how happy I was to see that Snow White: Blancanieves is an adaptation of the original fairy tale and not based on the movie. The language is plainly written and easy enough for a beginning reader or language learner while still managing to engage the reader and retell the story that generations of children have loved. The same goes with El The Pied Piper: El Flautista de Hamelin .

Third, the illustrations are colorful and engaging, but they don't distract from the story itself.
In Snow White: Blancanieves, the soft sketches give the book a dreamy feel and take you back to a place lost in time. In El The Pied Piper: El Flautista de Hamelin , the illustrations effectively depict a Germany of long-ago with the clothing of the townspeople and the buildings. They may also induce giggles with the funny facial expressions of the children and rats and the funny costume the Pied Piper wears. They do add a lighthearted tone to the story though while I always remembered it as kind of creepy and sad.

But the best thing about these books is that Chronicle Books has made these tales accessible to a wider audience and has given Spanish-speaking parents the opportunity to share these magical tales with their children in their native language. Not only that, but parents can help instill the joy of reading with their child and create lasting memories. In addition, parents of children who are growing up bilingual can help their children practice reading and speaking both English and Spanish.

I highly recommend these and hope to build my daughter's library with other books in the series:

• Beauty and the Beast: La Bella y la Bestia
• Rapunzel/Rapunzel
• The Hare and the Tortoise/La Liebre Y la Tortuga
• The Musicians of Bremen/Los Musicos de Bremen
• Hansel and Gretel/Hansel y Gretel
• Aladdin and the Magic Lamp/Aladino y la Lámpara Maravillosa
• Rumpelstiltskin
• Puss in Boots/El Gato con botas
• Princess and the Pea/La princesa y el guisante
• The Little Mermaid/La Sirenita
• Thumbelina/Pulgarcita
• Cinderella/Cenicienta
• The Sleeping Beauty/La bella durmiente: A Bilingual Book
• Juan y los frijoles mágicos / Jack and the Beanstalk
• The Ugly Duckling/El patito feo
• The Three Little Pigs/Los Tres Cerditos
• Goldilocks and the Three Bears/ Ricitos de oro y los tres osos
• Little Red Riding Hood/Caperucita Roja: Bilingual edition
  

Books to Help Your Child Develop an Appreciation for Art

On Monday, I reviewed Bob Raczka's The Art of Freedom: How Artists See America, which introduces children to 18 artists and works of art. See my review here. Here are some more "kid-friendly" books that will introduce art in a manner that won't overwhelm them and may help them develop a deeper appreciation for art. Who knows, perhaps they will inspire your child to become an artist.




The Art Book for Children, Book Two by Editors of Phaedon Press
From Booklist: "Art critic and Phaidon editor, Ruggi offers an excellent, accessible introduction to art that speaks directly to children without condescension. A wide range of artists, from the Renaissance to today, is represented, and each spread features a large color reproduction of a famous work. Interactive questions and simple observations invite children to consider the artists' decisions and connect what is pictured to their own experience."



I Spy Shapes in Art by Lucy Micklethwait
From Booklist: "Micklethwait's latest title uses stunning reproductions of artworks to introduce elemental concepts. Here, the focus is on shapes. Preschoolers will be able to search for ovals, squares, hearts, and more within large, sharp images of famous art, such as Henri Matisse's paper collage The Snail and Paul Klee's painting Around the Fish, which are set against glossy white pages."



Museum ABC by The (NY) Metropolitan Museum of Art
From Publisher's Weekly: "Images fine and funky accompany each letter of the alphabet in three noteworthy offerings. Museum ABC from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for example, announces "A is for Apple" while, opposite, a full-color spread divided into quadrants presents the evidence with details from Roy Lichtenstein's Red Apple, a detail from Paul Cezanne's Apples and two other works from the museum's collection."



Vincent's Colors by Vincent Van Gogh
From School Library Journal: "This text is pulled directly from the letters Van Gogh wrote about his paintings to his brother, Theo. Each line of the rhyming stanzas is accompanied by a rich, full-color reproduction of one of the artist's key works, including Sunflowers, The Bedroom, and The Starry Night. Van Gogh's poetic descriptions will hold the attention of young readers; even preschoolers will enjoy the simple text and vibrant pictures."



Touch the Art: Brush Mona Lisa's Hairby Julie Appel and Amy Guglielmo
From School Library Journal: "These board books, illustrated with some of the most famous Western masterpieces, encourage children to "touch the art." Each volume draws on a particular period, with Mona Lisa's Hair featuring the work of the Renaissance and Van Gogh's Bed the Impressionists. For each reproduction, a tactile element has been superimposed; for example, an earring on Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring and a piece of tulle on one of Degas' ballerinas."

The Art of Freedom: How Artists See America by Bob Raczka

It's Nonfiction Monday! Visit the roundup at Picture Book of the Day!

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Library Binding: 32 pages
Publisher: Millbrook Press

When I was young, I had little exposure or interest in art. As an adult, I'm surrounded by museums that feature art of various types, and when I visit these museums, I truly appreciate the art but wish I knew more about the history, the technique, and the artists themselves. I should have taken an art history course in college and maybe I'll still do it one of these days. If you have a child who loves art or if you'd like to expose your child to more art, Bob Raczka's Art Adventures series is a great way to introduce art without overwhelming him/her. Through paintings, portraits, photgraphs, sculpture, and easy-to-read text, Bob Raczka introduces some of the world's most famous works of art and encourages young readers to develop an appreciation for it.

A new book in the series, The Art of Freedom: How Artists See America, defines America through the eyes of famous artists. The book features 18 statements answering the question, "What is America?" Each statement is accompanied by a famous work of art that visually represents the statement. Underneath each work of art is the name of the artist, the name of the piece, and the location of where the piece is displayed. For example, beside the statement, "America is an idea," is John Trumbell's painting The Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776.
Ansel Adams' Desert Road accompanies the statement, "America is the open road," and Georgia O'Keefe's Brooklyn Bridge is opposite the page that says, "America is man-made marvels."

The background of each page alternates between red and blue with faded stars at the top. The art and colors, combined with the inspiring statements, give the book a very patriotic feel. I can even imagine this book being a great gift choice to US military members as a way to honor their service.

Raczka did an exceptional job of choosing art to compliment the text and makes these famous works of art accessible to young readers without intimidating or overwhelming them, and I am eager to read the other books in the series.

Meet Wes

You may have noticed that I haven't been writing the Poetry Friday posts for the past few weeks. While I love reading everyone's Poetry Friday contributions and truly like poetry, I'm honestly not that well-versed in it and was struggling to find things to say about the poems I featured other than, "I like this poem a lot," and "William Butler Yeats makes me sigh."

One Friday in early February, I couldn't come up with a poem to feature, and I asked my friend Wes what his favorite poem was. He started naming all kinds of wonderful poems, and I was so impressed with his knowledge of poetry that I somehow roped him into writing the post for me. If you remember, he wrote a very insightful piece about W.H. Auden's "September 1, 1939." Since then, Wes has been offering up some wonderful poems and observations that have really added a fresh perspective to The Well-Read Child.

Wes loves the classics, and his favorite poets are Yeats, Keats, Milton, T.S. Eliot, and Wallace Stevens. His favorite poem is Milton's epic Paradise Lost. He even writes his own poetry, which I'm hoping one day he'll share with us.

So, please join me in officially welcoming Wes as a regular contributor to The Well-Read Child. I look forward to seeing what he has in store next.

Busy Animals Board Book Series

With three cats and a dog in our house, we are definitely animal lovers, and my daughter, who will turn one in just a couple of weeks, absolutely loves our animals. She also loves Tricycle Press's Busy Animal Board Books.

We own four of the eight books in the series:

• Busy Kitties, by John Schindel, photography by Sean Franzen
• Busy Penguins, by John Schindel, photography by Jonathan Chester
• Busy Doggies, by John Schindel, photography by Beverly Sparks
• Busy Monkeys, by John Schindel, photography by Luiz Claudio Marigo
  

Each page in the book features a full-color photographs of an animal(s) demonstrating the action word on the page that will help your child build vocabulary. For example, in the Busy Kitties book, we see "Kitty hissing/ Kitty kissing/ Kitty running/ Kitty sunning" and more.

My daughter is fascinated by the photographs in these sturdy books and just sits there and smiles as she flips the pages. I also appreciate that they will introduce her to other animals, like monkeys and penguins, that she doesn't have the chance to see in their natural habitats.


Other books in the series that we're adding to our wish list include:

• Busy Bunnies, by John Schindel, photography by Steven Holt
• Busy Horsies, by John Schindel, photography by Casi Clark
• Busy Piggies, by John Schindel, photography by Steven Holt
  
• Busy Barnyard, by John Schindel, photography by Steven Holt
  

These would all make a great addition to your young child's library.

February Carnival of Children's Literature And The Edge of the Forest

Happy March!
Spring is right around the corner, but it's still a little too chilly to go outside. If you're stuck inside like me, here are a couple of sites for you to check out.

Carnival of Children's Literature
The February Carnival of Children's Literature is up at Anastasia Suen's Picture Book of the Day. What's a carnival, you ask? It's a collection of posts on a specific topic, and bloggers submit their posts to a carnival host where he/she compiles them for your reading enjoyment. The Carnival of Children's Literature is held monthly, and this month more than 30 bloggers submitted their links. In honor of Leap Year, the theme was "Leap Into a Book". I urge you to check it out. There's some great stuff!


The Edge of the Forest
The February edition of The Edge of the Forest is also up for your reading pleasure. The Edge of the Forest is a monthly online journal devoted to children's literature.

Here's a glimpse of what you can find in this month's edition:

• An interview with Eric Rohmann, by Julie M. Prince
• A hearty defense of YA Literature, by Little Willow
• Graphic Novels: A Gateway to a New World, by Kelly Fineman
• A profile of illustrator Sylvia Long, by Kris Bordessa
• A fantastic new column called A Backward Glance, by writer Candice Ransom
• P.J. Hoover is this month's Blogging Writer, interviewed by Christine Marciniak
• Reviews in all categories—from Picture book to Young Adult.

Enjoy!

Poetry Friday: The Bowerbirds by Dana Goodyear

Dana Goodyear is fantastic (that's not something I feel very often about contemporary poets).

The Bowerbirds
As if we were leaving
the small forest tower that we built,
with a moss carpet and mosquito chandeliers,
and laughing at it.
I can’t believe you used that word—
in an argument, no less.
But we would never break this way,
loose, affectionate, wry.
You straighten,
add an ornament.
This is somehow part of our staying.
If you left, a black cape would flap
like a crow winging,
and I would make a hundred harried calls.

Comments
The overarching metaphor leaves the world of human beings--and their effects--behind for the forest (a suitable place to forget everyone else for your lover, and yourself). On the other hand, an inner metaphor--"moss carpet and mosquito chandeliers"--reminds us of the world from which the lovers seem to have figuratively escaped. Will they go back to real carpets and chandeliers? An argument seems to have dissolved into humor; the narrator reassures herself that this means their love is not going anywhere. Is the "ornament" more language, something funny? What's the word her lover used--did he come up with the "forest" metaphor? Is that's what's funny? At the end I think of Dracula (a bloodsucker, like the mosquitoes)--it's the way the black cape, the classic implement of a dramatic exit, turns into crow's wings. But if he's wearing a figurative cape, they already would have briefly left the world of the Bowerbirds, so that he could return to bird-world alone. Perhaps these funny metaphors aren't so promising--he can leave her without leaving them after all.

Roundup hosted by Kelly Fineman at Writing and Ruminating

Building the Well-Read Child's Library: 10 Classic Picture Books

Today, I'm presenting my second installment of "Building The Well-Read Child's Library."

I absolutely love reading new books--new stories, new characters to fall in love with, new illustrationsm, but there's nothing like pulling out a story that I read when I was a child and reading it to my daughter. It brings back so many memories, and even though she can't quite understand them now, I am eager for the day when she will be able to. Some books are simply magical, can withstand the test of time, and can be enjoyed by many different generations.

Here are ten classic picture books that you may have read when you were young and that you will enjoy sharing with your child all over again.

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
This story, first published in 1939, introduced us to a charming little character from France who appeared in many many more stories afterwards. While many say it's better suited for girls, I think little boys will also like the stories rhymes.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
This classic story of the mischevious little bunny who gets into a heap of trouble in Mr. McGregor's garden is sure to be a hit with children. I remember associating Peter with my own little brother who always seemed to get into trouble and somehow manage to wiggle his way out of it.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
I admit that I didn't read this book until I was an adult, but once I did, I knew it was something I would have loved when I was little. Little Max gets sent to bed without supper, but fortunately for him, a forest full of wild things is waiting for him. It celebrates a child's imagination and will be enjoyed by girls and boys alike.

The Story of Babar by Jean De Brunhoff
A classic tale of a little elephant who loses his mother, goes into the city, and becomes the talk of the town. I loved Babar and all of Jean De Brunhoff's funny illustrations.

The Complete Adventures of Curious George by H.A. Rey 60 years ago, children were introduced to this lovable monkey and the Man in the Yellow Hat. This first book sparked the creation of numerous books that continue to make the little monkey a familiar character in households today.

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
A nice British family, the Browns, meet a nice bear at a Paddington station with a sign around his neck that says, "Please look after this bear." So begins the story of a bear whose humor and whimsy have won the hearts of children for decades. When I was a child, I was drawn to Paddington Bear's charm.

Corduroy by Don Freeman
Another story featuring a bear as a character, Corduroy, a toy bear, comes alive and goes on a fun adventure in a department store at night when everyone has left. When I was a child, I used to imagine what it would be like to have the same experience as Corduroy and made up my own little stories in my head.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
When technology like gasoline and diesel threaten the livelihood of Mike and his steam shovel, Mary Anne, they travel to the tiny town of Popperville to find work. This is one of those books that boys who love machines will really enjoy, but girls will also be interested in the story.

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Another book that celebrates a child's imagination, Harold goes for a walk in the moonlight with a big purple crayon in his hand. He uses the crayon multiple times along the adventure to help him out and then to get him back home. Kids who love to draw and who like a little bit of magic will love this book.

Stone Soup by Ann McGovern
Ann McGovern first retold this Chinese folktale in 1968. The story of a hungry young man who tricks an old woman who initially refuses him food into making a hearty soup. The first ingredient? Stones of course.





These picture books were just a few of my favorites when I was a child, and I look forward to sharing them with my daughter. What were some of your favorites?

The Girl in the Castle Inside the Museum by Kate Bernheimer, Illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli

The Girl in the Castle Inside the Museum by Kate Bernheimer, Illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (February 12, 2008)

This is a picture book unlike any book I've ever read. The premise is that there is a girl who lives in a castle inside a museum. The castle is encased in a glass globe, and when children come to the musem, they press their noses against the glass globe and get a glimpse of the girl in the castle. When the children leave at night, she gets lonely even though she is surrounded by beautiful things. At night she dreams of children her own size visiting her, and "sometimes the girl in the castle even dreams about you." Her solution for overcoming her loneliness is to hang a picture of you, the reader, on the wall beside her bed. The last line of the book, "Do you see her? She sees you." EEEK!


Jen Robinson sums it up the best when she says the book is "deliciously creepy." I really like it because it is different, and has an ethereal, dream-like aura that takes me to another world. Nicoletta Ceccoli's soft clay model, acrylic, and digital media illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and in fact, they are the most beautiful illustrations I've seen in a picture book yet. They, along with the story, will captivate the reader.



Kate Bernheimer has hit a home run with her first children's book, and I will definitely look for more from her in future. I think many kids will love it, but I would be wary of reading it to smaller kids who may be a little frightened at the thought of the girl watching them. However, some kids totally eat stuff like this up, so I'll leave it up to you to decide whether or not it's the right choice for your child.




Other Blog Reviews:
Jen Robinson's Book Page
Book Buds KidLit Reviews

Strollerderby
Provo City Library Children's Book Review

Dinosaur Lesson Plans and Activities

On Monday, I reviewed The Discovery and Mystery of a Dinosaur Named Jane by Judith Williams. It's about a group of palentologists who discover an amazing dinosaur while digging in Montana.

Dinosaurs seem to fascinate many children, so here are some lesson plans and other dinosaur-themed activities I found on the web if you want to teach your child more about dinosaurs.

Dinosaur Lesson Plans: A big list of activities and lesson plans for kids, including "How To Write a Funny Dinosaur Poem," and "Make a Sock-A-Saurus."

Dinosaur Mini-Unit for Kindergartners: Contents of this mini-unit include an introduction to fossils, palentologists, and dinosaurs; some really fun art activities; and more.

Dinosaur Prints: An art project where children can make and paint their own print of a dinosaur using a picture from a book or magazine.

Dinosaur Art Activities: A teacher shares three dinosaur-themed art activities she's completed with her students.

Dinosaur Bodies: A lesson from National Geographic for grades K-2 that encourages kids to think about and learn how animals used their bodies and how dinosaurs might have used theirs.

Dinosaur Detectives: A comprehensive lesson for children in grades 6-8 that helps them learn more about palentologists.

Note that I found TONS of information, so what I'm listing now is just a small sample of what's out there.

The Discovery and Mystery of a Dinosaur Named Jane by Judith Williams

Nonfiction Monday:
The Discovery and Mystery of a Dinosaur Named Jane by Judith Williams

Paperback: 48 pages
Publisher: Enslow Publishers, Inc. (March 1, 2007)

Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated with dinosaurs and paleontology. I often wondered what it would feel like to be the scientist who discovered a dinosaur after grueling work. Well, The Discovery and Mystery of a Dinosaur Named Jane finally gives me some insight.

The book begins with paleontologists and volunteers from the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford, Illinois discovering a toe bone while digging in Montana. It was unfortunately, the end of their season, so they covered up the site where they were digging, hoping that no one else found the rest of the dinosaur until they could come back the NEXT YEAR!

Luckily, the site was untouched, and they were able to dig up the bones of a magnificent dinosaur who they named Jane. But what kind of Dinosaur is Jane? They believe she’s a tyrannosaur, but is she a nanotyrannus or an infamous T-Rex? Or is she a new species altogether? One thing is clear—this is an amazing discovery and the biggest one yet for the small museum.

Judith Williams gives a detailed description of the laborious work the paleontologists performed to successfully dig up the dinosaur bones. Readers even get a glimpse of the common tools paleontologists use. Once the bones are removed and transported back to the museum, readers learn all of the work that was involved with cleaning, repairing, and putting the bones together and all of the research required to determine what type of dinosaur Jane is.

What’s refreshing about this book is that it’s different than the typical kid’s book that features glorious images of dinosaurs and awe-inspiring facts. Instead, it’s a book that really focuses on the discovery of a dinosaur and gives readers insight into the hard work that’s involved in getting a magnificent dinosaur on display in a museum. Children will learn to respect this work along with the creature that one roamed the earth.

With interesting pictures and photographs of the dig site and of the work in progress, this is a great find for a kid who is interested in dinosaurs and paleontology. Heavier on text than pictures, it’s more suitable for a proficient reader.

Check out the rest of Nonfiction Monday submissions at Picture Book of the Day.

How Do You Know if Someone Can't Read?

I was in a local drugstore over the weekend, and while I was standing in line, a man at the photo center was dropping off film to be developed. At first, he told the attendant that he wanted to send it off because it was less expensive. When she handed him a form to fill out, he balked and immediately changed his mind and said he would like the one-hour photo processing instead. When she STILL gave him a form to fill out, he was visibly uncomfortable and asked her to help him because he had left his glasses in the car. Here's the bad part: she told him she was busy and asked him to go get his glasses. He literally looked stricken. As a former reading tutor, I knew all too well that he didn't know how to read, and he wasn't about to admit that to her. I offered to help him fill out the form, which just asked him for his name, phone number, and photo preferences. It only took 5 minutes, and he was very grateful.

There are people everywhere, adults and children alike, who don't know how to read. There are adults who somhow managed to get through school without knowing how to read. My first reading student was a 25 year old woman with a high school diploma. Why this happens is way too complicated for a simple blog post, but many people have undiagnosed learning disabilities, and teachers chose to let them slide by instead of taking them the time to get the help they needed. Others were not afforded the opportunity to attend quality schools.

But the amazing thing is that people who can't read are masters at hiding it. They are ashamed to admit that they can't read and find ways to get other people to help them out. Their number one excuse? "I lost my glasses...can you help me out with this?" I can't seem to find any formal studies out there to back this up right now, but this is what all of my students told me.

Now, the man in the pharmacy didn't know how to read, but I didn't point that out to the cashier. I simply offered to help him fill out the form, and I did not mention to him that I was onto him. It goes without saying that the cashier was extremely rude and should have never been in the type of position where you have to help people, but that's not my point.

What IS my point here? You may be in a similar situation one day, and if you notice someone is struggling, take five minutes to help him/her out.

My only question here is that I WANTED to offer this guy help with reading. I wanted to point him to our local library that has a robust literacy program, but I didn't know how to do it without offending or embarrassing him. When I was a tutor, my students came to me for help and said they'd heard about the tutoring program through people in their community. How do we get people who can't read to seek help? How do we let them know there are programs out there to give them the help they need?

Blogs That Make My Day

Wow…I thought I had posted this weeks ago, but as I was looking through my posts, it was still in draft form. I was so excited to receive my first award, I can’t believe I failed to publish my reaction and pass on the love.

Sabrina at Breeni Books awarded me the “Blogs that Make My Day Award.”

Here’s what she had to say: “As a homeschooling mom, I'm always looking for new ideas in children's literature. The Well-Read Child offers detailed reviews and lesson planning links.”

Thanks so much Sabrina! If you haven’t checked out Breeni Books, Sabrina features very thoughtful reviews of books from all genres and age levels, from picture books to cook books. She’s partly responsible for the giant stack of books in my to-be-read pile. J

Here are just a few of the blogs that really make my day:

KidLit Blogs

Jen Robinson’s Book Page
Jen is passionate about reading, literacy, and helping parents help their kids grow up loving books. On her blog, Jen gives detailed and thoughtful reviews of children’s books at all reading levels. She also offers a wealth of literacy tips and resources to help kids learn to enjoy reading. Finally, Jen sends out a weekly Growing Bookworms Newsletter that includes the week’s book reviews and literacy and reading updates from her blog. Subscribe if you haven’t already!

Wizards Wireless
Susan at Wizards Wireless discusses children’s books, comic strips, and all things Harry Potter. I’m a huge fan of Harry Potter and love it when Susan posts about clues and other stuff that I missed in the series. It makes me want to read the books all over again. In addition, Susan does a great job of letting her readers participate in her blog by offering lots of fun polls. She also discusses much more, so check it out.

Big A little a
Kelly Herold runs this blog, a companion piece to the online monthly journal, The Edge of the Forest, that showcases children's literature. At Big A little A, you can expect thoughtful and comprehensive reviews on a variety of children's and young adult books, updates in the kidlit community, weekly roundup of reviews in the press, and much more. Kelly is a major force in the Kidlit community--in addition to heading up The Edge of the Forest, she organizes Poetry Friday and is a Cybils co-founder. (I'm sure I'm missing something here.) Her passion for children's literature and reading is evident, and I urge you to check out Big A little a if you haven't already.

Class of 2k8
The Class of 2k8 is the blog for a community of middle grade and young adult authors whose first novels are being released in 2008. Here, you can learn more about the authors and their books, get recent news, and even play fun games like they featured this week. If you want to get to know and support up and coming authors, the Class of 2k8 blog is the place for you.

Mom Blogs

dkMommy Spot
As a new mommy, I am always looking for ways to live a healthier lifestyle and give my daughter the healthiest, chemical-free options out there. At dkMommy Spot, Diane talks about natural remedies, herbs, and healthy cooking. She also keeps us up to date with relevant news, gives book recommendations, and much more. dkMommy Spot is a must read for all parents who are dedicated to offering their children the healthiest alternatives. Oh, and FYI, Diane runs another blog, Carp(e) Libris, where she features excellent book reviews from small presses.

Crunchy Domestic Goddess
In the same vein as dkMommy Spot, Amy, mother of two, gives all sorts of tips for leading a healthier, more natural, greener lifestyle. She also gives lot of breastfeeding tips as well as advice for women who want to have a natural birth.

Crabmommy
Crabmommy tells it like it is and then some and provides a lot of comic relief, especially when I've had a particularly tough day being a mommy. On her blog, she chronicles her adventures with her three-year-old Crabtot and is not afraid to say what all of us moms have probably thought at one point or another. Thank you Crabmommy, for your courage! ;)

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Tops Parents' Favorite Children's Book List in UK

From the UK Telegraph:

Over 4,000 parents in the UK were asked to name the best children's books of all time. C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe from the Chronicles of Narnia series topped the list, and Roald Dahl was by far the favorite author with six books making the top 50.

Here's a rundown of the top 10:

1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C S Lewis

2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle

3. Famous Five Series, Enid Blyton

4. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne

5. The BFG, Roald Dahl

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6), J K Rowling

7. The Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton

8. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

9. Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

10. The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson

Check out the rest of the top 50 here.

I'm most intrigued that The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a picture book made it to the number two spot--a great testament to Eric Carle's work. It's also interesting that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was the ONLY Harry Potter book to make the top 50 and that Captain Underpants rounded out the list, coming in at number 50.

I'm making a note to read more of Julia Donaldson's, since four of her books are on the list, and I would have liked to have seen The Velveteen Rabbit on the list. What are your thoughts?

Prey by Lurlene McDaniel

Prey by Lurlene McDaniel

Reading Level: Young Adult
Pages: 208
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (February 12, 2008)




Thus far, I've only reviewed books that I've really liked, so you may be thinking, "does Jill like every book she reads?" Of course not. I've read plenty of children's books I don't like but have decided not to review them because I really didn't think I had much to say except that they were just okay. I lead a team of writers at a communications firm and know how important it is to give constructive feedback to help writers grow. As a writer myself, I know what it feels like to receive wishy-washy, vague feedback. I need to know what needs work so I can improve, make it the best piece possible, and apply the same lessons to my next piece. So, in my opinion, if I read a book and don't have something constructive to say except I didn't like it, that's a useless review. That's why up until now I've intentionally chosen not to review books about which I had mixed feelings.

Last weekend, I read Lurlene McDaniel's new Young Adult novel, Prey, and I DO have something constructive (at least I think so) to say about it. It's a story about a female high school history teacher, Ms. Lori Settles who seduces her teenage student, Ryan Piccoli. We seem to be obsessed with real-life cases like this in this country. Probably the most infamous of these teachers is Mary Kay Letourneau who had two children with her teenage student and ended up marrying him when she finished her jail sentence. And then the 25-year-old teacher Kelsey Peterson made national news back in November when she was caught in Mexico with her 14-year-old student. As a former teacher myself, I am incredulous when I hear stories like this. Questions run through my head: Why would someone in such a professional and influential position do this? What was she thinking? What happened to this woman that would cause her to act this way?

I was naturally intrigued when I received a review copy of Prey. Perhaps this would answer some of my questions and get more into the head of these female predators. Prey alternates between the point of view of three characters: Ryan, Ms. Settles, and Honey, Ryan's longtime friend who is secretly in love with him.

The book gets off to a promising start. We learn from the very beginning that Ryan is intentionally Lori's target. From the very first day of school, she knows that, "he'll be the One" (p. 15). Upon reading this, I felt a chill and was eager to continue reading. However, I felt the seduction happened way too quickly, and Ryan's situation didn't seem realistic. His father is a traveling salesman and is out of town four days of the week. A housekeeper cleans the house, but doesn't live there and hardly pays any attention to Ryan when she is there. It almost seems too easy for Lori to manipulate him and too easy for them to get together.

Writing in first person is challenging and probably one of the most difficult tasks to pull off well. Successfully writing from the first person point of view of multiple characters is extremely difficult (I'm thinking of Faulkner here, who I believe was a master at this). I applaud McDaniel for taking a risk here. I was interested in the relationship between Honey and Ryan and then Ryan and Lori, but McDaniel never really went deep enough with the characters. While Honey's character was needed to describe Ryan's friend's and family's concern about his sudden change in behavior, I often felt she was just an aside, an interrupter of sorts, especially when her chapters disrupted the flow and momentum of the novel.

In addition, at some points, McDaniel didn't seem to capture the teenage voice in a believable way. For example, at one point in novel, Ryan hears that a coach at the school has been asking Lori out. When Lori picks him up for a tryst, he confronts her. Here's how he describes his feelings to the reader, "Rain is pelting the windows, sluicing in long noisy rivers along the glass, like a knife cutting through my heart. The windows are fogged, moist from our breath and the heat of anger. Hot wetness swells behind my eyes. I'm acting like a jerk, but I can't help myself. I have to know the truth about her and Coach" (p. 76).

To me, language like this coming from a 15/16 year old seems inauthentic, while at other times, he's completely thinking like a teenage boy. McDaniel did, however, make Lori Settles seem to be the most authentic and consistent of the characters. We see what's going on in her mind, what makes her tick, and her deliberate plot to seduce him.

Oh, and let me address the white elephant in the room: how were the sexual encounters portrayed? McDaniel tastefully describes the seduction and subsequent encounters. Without going into detail, she leaves much to the imagination and doesn't get too graphic. But don't get me wrong--we are talking about a teacher having sex with a teenage boy. It's in the book, but I was never shocked or offended or thought McDaniel went too far. Given the sensitive subject matter, I'll leave it up to you to decide whether or not you think it's appropriate for your teen, and I would only recommend this for teens.

Overall, Prey was a good story on surface level, but it lacked the depth, consistency, and authenticity that would have made it a great story. McDaniel herself admits in the author's note that this is not typical of her writing, and I commend her for stepping outside of her comfort zone. I also admire her for addressing such a serious issue and hope that teenagers who read the book will be able to spot the warning signs if their friends start to behave differently and secretively.

Poetry Friday: The Voice by Thomas Hardy

This week's Poetry Friday host is Big A little a

Thomas Hardy is better known for his novels, but he was an accomplished poet as well, and his prose was suffused with a poet's sensibilities. Here's a poem that I've always loved for the way the last stanza breaks its form as an indication of despair--both the narrator and the poem falter, can barely go on.

The Voice - by Thomas Hardy

Woman much missed, how you call to me, call to me,
Saying that now you are not as you were
When you had changed from the one who was all to me,
But as at first, when our day was fair.

Can it be you that I hear? Let me view you, then,
Standing as when I drew near to the town
Where you would wait for me: yes, as I knew you then,
Even to the original air-blue gown!

Or is it only the breeze in its listlessness
Travelling across the wet mead to me here,
You being ever dissolved to wan wistlessness,
Heard no more again far or near?

Thus I; faltering forward,
Leaves around me falling,
Wind oozing thin through the thorn from norward,
And the woman calling.

10 Board Books for Building the Well-Read Child’s Library

I’m happy to be presenting the first installment in my new weekly feature, “Building the Well-Read Child’s Library,” where I’ll give you 10 recommendations for books that will help you build the foundation of your child’s library. Read more here.

Today, I’m recommending 10 board books for your baby’s library. I can’t begin to tell you how much I love board books. Those of you with infants and toddlers know that “gentle,” is not in their vocabulary…just ask my poor dog who kindly puts up with my daughter’s ear pulling and pouncing. Books are no exception—give babies a book or magazine, and it will be covered in drool and be missing pages in mere seconds.

Thankfully, someone out there came up with an idea to bind books on sturdy cardboard that could withstand the abuse of not-so-gentle children—pure genius I say. The best part is that many childhood classics are available in board book format to make these stories more accessible to younger children, and many bookstores have their own sections just for board books.

Here are 10 board books that we love in our house and that I think would give you an excellent start to building your child’s library.

On the Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier
This is the book that inspired me to start The Well-Read Child and the first book I wrote about. Read my story here. The book describes how the sun, moon, animals, and spirits of the earth prepared themselves for the birth of the baby in the book and welcomed her/him into the world. It would make a wonderful gift for expectant parents, and kids will love to hear about the day they were born.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Eric Carle’s classic story of a caterpillar who eats a number of foods, builds a cocoon, and emerges as a butterfly, is available in board book format. This is a favorite in our house, and since my daughter was a tiny little thing, she’s been fascinated with the big yellow sun near the beginning of the book. Now, she enjoys poking her fingers through the holes the caterpillar makes in all of the food items.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

This book never fails to give me the warm fuzzies as a father and son pair of rabbits proclaim their love for each other. My favorite line comes at the end when the little rabbit says to his father, "I love you right up to the MOON.” This is a great book for a father to read to his child.

Where Is Baby's Belly Button? by Karen Katz

I’m a big fan of Karen Katz’s vibrant illustrations and cherub-faced characters, and this interactive book is no exception. A peek-a-boo book of sorts, it encourages children to lift flaps and find the baby’s body parts (hands, toes, belly button). This is a fun way to introduce body parts.

Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton

I love Sandra Boynton’s whimsical illustrations, and this very entertaining board book features animals and the noises they make, but which animals say, “La la la?” You and your child will have so much fun making the different animal noises, and it’s a great way to teach your child about different types of animals.

Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

This book is just way too cute, and your child will get a kick out of it. A watchman at a zoo bids goodnight to a gorilla who pickpockets his keys, unlocks his cage, and follows the watchman through the zoo. As the watchman bids goodnight to all of the animals, the gorilla lets them out of their cages, and they all follow him home.

Daddy Kisses by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben

I apparently have a weakness for daddy and baby affection, and I love this adorable book that features a number of father animals kissing their babies. With lots of opportunities for kisses, you and your child will have a lot of fun with this book.

Mommy Hugs by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben

I can't leave mommies out! A perfect companion book to Daddy Kisses, Mommy Hugs explains how a variety of mommy animals hug their babies. For example, “mommy cat hugs her kitten with a nuzzle.”

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

A classic book about a little bunny rabbit who is getting ready for bed and says goodnight to everything around him. Parents who have trouble getting their little ones go to bed swear by this book. One mom I know reads the book to her son and then walks around his own room saying goodnight to everything in the room.

Baby Cakes by Karma Wilson

This book is very cute and gives lots and lots of opportunities for you to interact with your baby, from kissing him/her on the nose to a smooch on the toes. This is a great book for quality bonding time, and a perfect way to send your little one off to sleep.

Board books are a wonderful way to help you instill the joy of reading in your child from a very early age. They give babies and toddlers the opportunity to explore books without the risk of ruining them.

At 11 months old, my daughter LOVES her board books. Just last night, she sat down in the floor for 30 minutes and was flipping through them, biting them, and “talking” to the pages.

There are so many more wonderful board books out there, and it was difficult to choose just ten. I'd love to hear your recommendations!

Copyright 2008
Jill Tullo, The Well-Read Child