Saraswati’s Way

Saraswati’s Way
by Monika Schroder
J SCH

Akash, although poor, has lived a happy life with his family in a small town in the desert area of India and has been able to study those 12 years with the village scholar enough to know that he has a great talent and love for mathematics. His desire to study further is thwarted by the death of his father and the betrayal of his relatives who sell him into slavery. Akash has always thought that the gods would provide for him. Akash questions the gods, particularly Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and patroness of mathematicians, and Ganeshe the god of good fortune. The gods do not seem to be offering any chances of a better life to Akash, so the boy takes matters into his own hands.
Akash escapes a work camp and flees to Delhi where he lives with a group of homeless boys. He makes a living by selling trash and recyclable items. While running errands for a salesman he knows named Ramesh, Akash often passes a school where he sees students studying. He watches them with envy.
When Akash earns a few coins, he hires a tutor, only to discover that he knows more math than the teacher. That tutor refuses to return his money even though he has nothing to teach him.
Akash befriends several of the street boys who direct him to other jobs. He barely escapes getting drawn into the drug trade. Akash longs to further his education, but there are things he is unwilling to do to earn money. His older friend Ramesh notes how hardworking and honest Akash is and offers him opportunities to work for him and his fellow business people in the area.
Can someone who is no more than a beggar earn a scholarship to a good education? To find out if hardworking, honest Akash can make his way to his goals in a harsh world, you must read Saraswati’s Way.

Watch the book trailer below:


J’Ann Peacock Alvarado

A Long Walk to Water

A Long Walk to Water
by Linda Sue Park
J PAR


Salva’s story begins when he is 11 in 1985 in southern Sudan among the Dinka people. War comes to his village while he is in school and he flees alone into the brush. Nya’s story begins in 2008, also in Sudan, where she is 11 years old and has to walk 8 miles daily to bring water to her family of the Nuer tribe. Each chapter tells a part of Salva’s story and a part of Nya’s story with nothing to connect the two young people together except for the country of their birth. They are two young Sudanese people of tribes that are traditionally enemies to each other.

Salva sees much cruelty and death on his march to find sanctuary and safety in his war-torn land. He makes a friend along the way, only to lose him to the attack of a lion. He searches for his family, finding his uncle, who he loses to a group of bandits. He is truly one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Salva is forced to flee through a crocodile infested river when driven from a concentration camp in Ethiopia. He walks from Sudan to Ethiopia to Kenya always searching for safety. It is a miracle that he survives.

Nya walks for hours every day carrying water to her family. There is no time in her life for any other thing; no play, no education, no enjoyment. She walks barefoot through hard, rocky, thorny ground, without complaint, carrying water for her family.

Then a strange man comes to Nya’s village with machinery and a crew of workers. He is there to do a service that will forever change Nya’s life for the better. He has come to drill a well for her village. He is a strange grown man with no tribal markings on his face. Nya’s curiosity gets the best of her. She must find out who this man is, what tribe is he from and why he is in Sudan drilling for water for all the people there.

To find out how Salva’s life is saved and to learn the connection between Nya and Salva, you must read A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, based on the true life story of Salva Dut of Sudan.

You can watch Linda Sue Park discuss the story here:


Reviewed by J’Ann Peacock Alvarado

Olivia Goes to Venice

Olivia Goes to Venice
written and illustrated by Ian Falconer
Call Number E FAL

Olivia is back and this time she and her family go on vacation in Venice. The latest in the Olivia series is once again a book both children and adults can enjoy.

Falconer briefly pokes fun at airport security by having Olivia searched for weapons by two TSA agents. Olivia smiled and was “very pleased.” Olivia is so exhausted after the flight that she does not notice the beautiful view outside her hotel window. After a night at the hotel, Olivia and her family tour the sites of Venice, frequently stopping to purchase gelato (Italian ice cream). Olivia is so enamored of the palazzos off the Grand Canal that she wants to live in one. The family takes a gondola ride on the second day of the trip. Later, Olivia searches for the perfect souvenir, with disastrous consequences.

The beautiful illustrations incorporate stylized photos of Venice and give the story a sense of place. Falconer also captures jet lag in a hilarious illustration of Olivia sleeping at the hotel by drawing x’s for Olivia’s eyes. Falconer’s depiction of the number of pigeons at Piazza San Marco is spot-on (see illustration below).

Olivia’s latest adventure is once again a pleasure to read. It reminded me of my trip to Venice several years ago.

Simon and Schuster created a brief video in which Ian Falconer discusses the inspiration for Olivia Goes to Venice:


Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

Zombiekins

Zombiekins

Written by Kevin Bolger

Illustrated by Aaron Blecha

J BOL

Who can resist the cutely creepy Zombiekins, the titular character of Kevin Bolger’s wacky new book? I couldn’t. When I saw the cover of Zombiekins, I knew I had to read it.

Stanley Nudelman and his friend Miranda are fourth-graders living in the town of Dementedyville. As the story opens, Stanley and Miranda are walking home from school when they see that the eccentric Widow Imavitch is having a yard sale. While perusing the items for sale, Stanley finds a toy called Zombiekins in its original packaging. The Widow Imavitch tells Stanley that Zombiekins is full of surprises and advises him to read the instructions on the back of the package. When Stanley purchases the “freaky” toy, the Widow Imavitch gives him a bag of taffy that might “come in handy.” Naturally, Stanley discards the package shortly after leaving without reading the instructions.

There is a full moon that night. When the moonlight shines into the playroom, Zombiekins comes to life

Stump!—scri-i-i-i-i-itch… Stump!—scri-i-i-i-i-itch… Stump!—scri-i-i-i-i-itch…

and attacks Stanley’s sister’s toys. Among these toys is Schlemmo, a “furry orange toy far too adorable to be called a monster.”

The next day Stanley takes Zombiekins to school. Mr. Baldengrumpy, Stanley’s teacher, shows a film called Our Neighbor, the Moon. The moonlight from the film awakens Zombiekins. He bites Stanley’s tattle-telling do-gooder classmate Felicity and escapes. Within hours, half the school has been transformed into Zombies. Stanley must find the courage he has never had before and find Zombiekins and figure out a cure for the Zombie plague before his teacher notices there is a problem and gives him detention.

Aaron Blecha’s illustrations fill in some gaps in the text. They also serve to clarify and even contradict the text. Bolger’s sense of humor can be rather sarcastic and understated, though the story is over-the-top in wackiness.

Zombiekins is a wacky spoof of the zombie genre. For instance, there is a scene where Stanley and Miranda are trapped in the teacher’s lounge trying to keep zombies from breaking in. Stanley is concerned about hiding in a room with only one way out. Miranda reassures him, “Oh they always find you. But trust me, this is just the way it’s done.”

Zombiekins is not for those who get grossed out easily. Nothing is too offensive, but this is a zombie book, so there are going to be some gross scenes here and there. The storyline starts to get repetitive towards the end. However, Zombiekins is an entertaining, ridiculous read. I will be reading the sequel when it comes out.

Recommended for fans of Captain Underpants, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Bunnicula, and books by Daniel Pinkwater.

The video below is a trailer for the book Zombiekins

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

Heart of a Shepherd

Heart of a Shepherd
by Rosanne Parry
J PAR


A few weeks ago, I was asked several questions about finding good Christian literature for children. I recommended the usual: C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series (some of the best Christian literature for any age) and Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind: The Kids series (which, if it is anything like the adult series, is truly awful and I cringe to recommend it, but that is what people want). I’ve also been recommending Roseanne Parry’s 2009 novel Heart of a Shepherd, which had been on my reading list for some time. I finally sat down to read Heart of a Shepherd, with my fingers crossed that it is worth recommending to other children. It is.


Ignatius “Brother” Alderman, a sixth-grader, lives on a ranch in rural Oregon with his father, paternal grandparents, and four older brothers. At the beginning of the story, Brother’s father, who is in the army reserves, is deployed to command his battalion in Iraq. His oldest brother is sent to an Army base in another state, and his other brothers head off to school miles away. This leaves Brother, his two grandparents , and hired hand Ernesto, to keep the ranch running smoothly.


Brother works hard on the ranch tending to his sheep and his other chores. He doubts whether he was called to either a rancher’s life or a soldier’s life, the traditional vocations of his family. One day while tending to his sickly sheep, Ernesto tells Brother that he has “the heart of a shepherd.” Brother grows into his role as “man of the house” and earns the respect of his brothers. He learns how to handle difficult situations with prayer, strength and resolve. When a fire comes and threatens the Alderman family and ranch, Brother is able to do what needs to be done, though it is not easy (or quite believable.)


Author Rosanne Parry is the wife of a Desert Storm veteran. Her experiences helped her to write a poignant novel about those left behind when a loved one is sent to war.


Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

I'm Your Bus

I'm Your Bus

by Marylin Singer

E SIN

School buses with personalities and smiling faces rush through the city carrying children to school and back.  This story is cheerful and light, told in verse, and repeats the refrain "You can always count on us.  // Daytime, nighttime I'm your bus." 

The humorous illustrations by Evan Polenghi, of buses with eyes in their front windshields, fit the mood of the book perfectly.

Reviewed by J'Ann Alvarado

The Last Best Days of Summer

The Last Best Days of Summer
By Valerie Hobbs
J HOB

Lucy Crandall has spent the summer working as a helper for Eddie Munch, a thirteen year old with Down Syndrome. But with summer almost over and her annual visit to her grandmother's lakeside cabin approaching, Lucy decides she would rather go to the pool with her friend Megan instead of working with Eddie.

Megan and Lucy have fun at the pool and afterwards go to the Recreation Center. A cute boy from school, Justin, offers to get Lucy a soft drink. As he is walking back to the table, the cup in his hand, Eddie bursts into the room yelling,"Lucy, Lucy." He knocks into Justin, spilling the drink all over him. Justin walks off disgusted.

Lucy goes by the Munch's the next day to tell them she is going to visit Grams. Lucy leaves with her parents for the trip to Crescent Lake California where her grandmother lives. Meanwhile, Eddie is at home upset that he can't see Lucy. He decides he will go too and sneaks out of the house. He walks all the way to downtown. He sees the bus station and goes in, buys a ticket, and boards a bus headed for Northern California.

To discover what happens to Eddie on his journey to find Lucy, read this book, you'll be glad you did!

Reviewed by Carolyn Falk

The Number Devil

The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure
By Hanz Magnus Enzensberger
J ENZ

The Number Devil is a thought-provoking book. Robert, a twelve-year-old student hates his math teacher, Mr. Bockel, and the word problems his teacher assigns. One night the number devil interrupts Robert’s dream. After hearing Robert complain about word problems, he says, “There’s nothing wrong with a little addition and subtraction… But mathematics, my boy, that’s something else again!”

Over the course of twelve nights, the number devil introduces Robert to prime numbers, infinity, sequences and series, famous mathematicians, axioms, and even topology. The tone is playful rather than didactic and quite a lot of complex concepts are covered in interesting and readable fashion allowing the reader to think and learn along with Robert.

The number devil has his own terms for mathematical concepts. For instance, prime numbers are called prima donna numbers, irrational numbers are called unreasonable numbers,and square roots are called rutabagas. A “Seek-and-Ye-Shall-Find List” in the back translates the number devil’s terms to the mathematical term and provides a helpful topical index.

Mathematics is revealed to be much, much more than arithmetic. Those who already enjoy math class will love The Number Devil. Those who hate math, but read the book anyway, may change their minds about the subject. Recommended for grades 4 and up.

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

Hungry for Some Tasty Reads?

Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum
Written and Illustrated by Meghan McCarthy
J 664.6 MCC

During the 1920s, Walter Diemer worked as an accountant for the Fleer Corporation, a gum and candy factory. During that time, the Fleer Corporation was trying to create a new kid of gum. When the company needed more laboratory space, the experimental lab was moved next door to Walter’s office. Walter started observing the process and eventually got involved with the experiments. He created bubble gum after months of trial and error. A brief history of gum is seamlessly woven into the interesting story, which reads like a picture book. Cute colorful illustrations bring the story to life. The last two pages contain supplemental facts and source notes. This book is a treat to read.



Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog
By Adreinne Sylver
Illustrated by Elwood H. Smith
J 641.36 SYL

When Emperor Nero’s chef Gaius decided to stuff pig’s intestines with ground meat and spices, sausage became a popular snack and spread throughout the Roman Empire. Hot Diggity Dog traces the history of the hot dog from the Roman Empire to nineteenth century America to the present day. Interesting factoids are on the sides of the page. Each topic is discussed briefly in 1-2 easily digestible paragraphs. Wacky illustrations add humor and personality to the text.

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

We the Children

We the Children
by Andrew Clements
J CLE

Sixth-grader Benjamin Pratt is dealing with many changes in his life. His parents recently separated, so he moves back and forth every week between his mother’s house and his father’s boat. His school is about be bulldozed to make room for an amusement park. And now Mr. Keane, the head custodian at the Captain Duncan Oakes School, has died leaving Benjamin a mission to save the school from destruction.

We the Children, the first installment in Andrew Clements’ new series Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School, wastes little time setting up the conflict that Benjamin must face. At the beginning of the story, Benjamin is running late for class when he sees that Mr. Keane has been seriously injured. While waiting for the ambulance, Mr. Keane makes Benjamin promise to keep a secret and then gives him a coin made by the school’s founder that reads “First and always, my school belongs to the children. DEFEND IT. Duncan Oakes, 1783.” This coin had been handed down janitor to janitor since the school’s founding. Because Mr. Keane knew that Lyman, the other janitor could not be trusted and the situation was urgent, he chose Benjamin to be the next person to be trusted with the secret.

Benjamin is puzzled by the conversation and stunned when the principal announces a few hours later that Mr. Keane died in the hospital. Benjamin, with the help of his smart friend Jill Acton, begins to unravel the meaning behind the coin, which leads them to a series of clues left behind by the school’s eccentric founder. The more Benjamin and Jill research the deal between Edgeport, their seaport town, and company building the amusement park, the more suspicious things look. What is so important about the school? What is the company behind the theme park really up to? Is Lyman watching their every move? Can Benjamin and Jill figure it all out before the school gets torn down? They have 28 days.

The story does not focus solely on how Benjamin and Jill try to save the school. Benjamin is rounded out into a three-dimensional character. He excels in social studies and sailing. The last chapter of the book is devoted to Benjamin’s sailing club competition on the weekend and how he handles his rival Robert Gerritt. Children can relate to Benjamin as he navigates through the tremendous upheavals in his life and strives to stay afloat.

The book is short (perhaps a little too short) and great for readers ages 7-10 who like mysteries. The second book, Fear Itself comes out January 4, 2011.


Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

One Crazy Summer

One Crazy Summer
by Rita Williams-Garcia
J WIL


Sisters Delphine, Vonetta and Fern are sent to California to spend a month with a mother they have never met. Instead of taking them to Disneyland, Cecile greets them with “No one told y’all to come out here.”

It is 1968, the summer when Black Panther founder, Huey Newton was jailed and member, Bobby Hutton was gunned down by police. It is a year when racial tensions are high and changes in the fabric of society are coming to fruition, sometimes in peace, sometimes in violence.

Rather than care for the kids, Cecile sends them to the Black Panther youth program each day. For meals, the girls use their Disneyland money to order take-out from a neighborhood restaurant. She does not allow them into certain parts of the house where she is working on her poetry.

Slowly, over the month, Delphine makes inroads into understanding her mother’s life and past and why she is the way that she is. The sisters also make friends with various children and a few adults in the Oakland community. They are all impressed by Hirohito, the half-black, half-Japanese, young heartthrob of the youth program.
In a presentation given at a Black Panther rally, one of the sisters finds her own poetic voice and expresses it before the cheering crowd.

Delphine is self-sufficient and practical; patient, protective and supportive to her younger sisters. During the month that she spends almost completely without adult supervision, she proves her resourcefulness and her loyalty to her family, including to her new found mother. She experiences her first interest in a boy and the interest is returned. She is exposed to many points of view on many different aspects of life. She forms new friendships and begins a hard won connection with her mother. Her identity as a young African-American woman begins to shift and she learns to refer to herself in new terms.

Reviewed by
J’Ann Peacock Alvarado
June 15, 2010

The Word Snoop

The Word Snoop
By Ursula Dubosarsky
J 420.0 DUB

Do you like words and wordplay? Are you curious about how English evolved and the origin of some its wacky quirks? The Word Snoop, the titular narrator, explains all that and more in a fun conversational tone. Each chapter ends with a secret message for the reader to decode using the concepts presented in the chapter. Learn about anagramsl palindromes, euphemisms, spoonerisms, and more.
If you enjoy The Word Snoop, try Eats, Shoots, & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference by Lynne Truss and Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook by Shel Silverstein.

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types

Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types
by Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss
E WER

Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types is not your average alphabet book. Each page features an animal for each letter of the alphabet. However, this book goes a step further by creating the pictures out of the corresponding letter. For instance, the alligator for the letter "A" is composed of a mix of capital and lower case "a" typefaces. Some animals, such as the octopus and the giraffe, are so large that the reader must fold out the pages to see the alphabeast in its entirety. This is a fun book to peruse.

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

Older Than the Stars

Older Than the Stars
by Karen C. Fox
illustrated by Nancy Davis
J 523.1 FOX

Older Than the Stars creatively presents how the atoms that make up the reader came into being, taking the reader on a journey from the Big Bang to to the present.

There are two components to Older Than the Stars. The first is the main text which is found in a colorful box on each page and is written in an informative easy-to-understand style. The second component, which is what makes the book so wonderful, is a narrative in the style of The House That Jack Built:

“These are the blocks
that formed the bits
that were in the bang
when the world began."

This narrative fills each page spread and is accompanied by vivid illustrations. This narrative’s rhythm is energetic and fun to read aloud. Each verse added is a summary of the main text. A timeline and glossary in the back are helpful references.

Recommended for students interested in science or fans of inventive verse.

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

The Mysterious Howling

The Mysterious Howling
By Maryrose Wood
J WOO

In this first installment of the wonderfully quirky, funny new series The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, we meet fifteen-year-old Penelope Lumley, the brightest graduate from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, who has just been hired for a position as governess at Ashton Place. Lord Frederick, the master of the house, had recently discovered three children on his grounds while hunting for game. The children had apparently been raised by wolves and display lupine tendencies. Lord Frederick, for reasons not explained except for “finders keepers”, decides to keep the children and hire a governess to educate them. He names the foundlings Alexander Incorrigible, Beowulf Incorrigible, and Cassiopeia Incorrigible.

Penelope quickly bonds with the children and begins the task of educating the children while teaching them how to behave in a civilized manner in time for Lady Constance’s Christmas ball. Lessons include reading classic literature and poetry, learning how to dress properly, learning to refrain from chasing squirrels, and Latin grammar. During a poetry lesson, Beowulf composes a heartfelt poem that combines what he has learned so far about chasing squirrels and poetry:

“Yum, yum. Squirrel!
No! No!
Yum, yum. Cake?
Yes! Yes!!"

The narrator has a personality of her own and sprinkles her own opinions throughout the story. Though the story is set in the nineteenth century, the narrator is clearly modern and makes comments on modern society, including a snide remark about hyperbole and stock market bubbles. She does not underestimate the reader’s intelligence and makes multiple references and jokes based on classic literature (there is a joke about eavesdropping and Hamlet) and Newtonian physics.

The ending leaves many questions unanswered and sets up the series to resolve those questions. Why were the children raised by wolves? Why is Penelope’s past so mysterious? Is there a connection between Penelope and the children? Why is Lord Frederick keeping the children when his wife clearly wants to dump them in an orphanage? Fans of Lemony Snicket, Roald Dahl, and Lois Lowry’s humorous novel The Willoughbys will enjoy The Mysterious Howling and will be impatient for the next installment of the series. Recommended for children and adults with an off-beat sense of humor.

Games and quizzes based on The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place can be found at http://www.awesomeadventurebooks.com/.

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

April Foolishness by Teresa Bateman

April Foolishness by Teresa Bateman; Ill. by Nadine Bernard Westcott.
Holiday E BAT

Grandma and Grandpa are happy to have their grandchildren come to the farm for a visit, but they are prepared...after all, it's April 1st!

When the children come bursting in the door shouting "Grandpa, oh Grandpa, The cows have got loose - I think Big Brown Bessie just stepped on a goose!" Grandpa just shrugs and pours a glass of milk.

As more and more of the farm animals "escape" the children relay the bad news in excited (and rhyming) detail. Grandpa remains cool and calm until Grandma reminds him that April 1st isn't until tomorrow!

This illustrations are done with pen and watercolors in an exaggerated cartoon style. They are bright and colorful and tell quite a story all on their own. Be sure to check out the inside jokes...after Grandpa hears about the hens, he makes eggs! (then bacon, and cheese and milk....)

Be prepared for some big laughs!

Happy April 1st! And by the way...do you know where your cows are?

Reviewed by Marianne

Wishing For Tomorrow

Wishing For Tomorrow: The Sequel to A Little Princess
by Hilary McKay (J MCK)

Award-winning author Hilary McKay always wondered what happened to the girls Sara Crewe left behind at Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary For Young Ladies at the end of the classic novel A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Now she has written a story to answer her question.

McKay picks up where Burnett stopped, using both the third person omniscient narrator and Ermengarde’s letters to Sara to give her readers a new story about Burnett's classic beloved (and reviled) characters. We watch Ermengarde wrestle with her feelings after Sara’s departure, Lavinia become a driven scholar in pursuit of an Oxford education, and Lottie cause mischief and mayhem. McKay shows glimpses of a tormented Miss Minchin who has acquired a new smell (a subtle reference to the headmistress’s reliance on alcohol) that Lottie likes and finds interesting. McKay keeps Sara in the story through letters to Ermengarde, flashbacks, and an appearance at the end of the novel.

Wishing for Tomorrow is an enjoyable and sometimes humorous read, but does not reach the heights that its predecessor reached, which is a high bar indeed. Recommended for fans of Frances Hodgson Burnett and girls in grades 3-6.

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

A Very Big Bunny

A Very Big Bunny
by Marisabina Russo
E RUS

Amelia is a bunny. A very big bunny. She is so tall and so big that the kids at school make fun of her. They don't want to play jump rope with her, "We can't turn the rope go high enough for you" or let her join them in hopscotch, "Your feet are too big for hopscotch." So Amelia spends most of her time alone.

One day the class gets a new student, Susannah. She was a small bunny. A very small bunny. Soon she too is made to feel like an outsider. Eventually the two bunnies find a common ground and learn to stand out while still being themselves.

The language is simple and childlike and the illustrations, done in gouache, reflect this same simplicity. Be sure to check out the endpapers where the story truly begins, with Amelia alone with down-turned ears and at the end, with her new best friend Susannah, ears and hands up high.

A fun exploration of friendship!

Pair this up with some other unlikely pairs like:
Hello, my name is Bob by Linas Alsenas and
Dog and Bear: two friends, three stories by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Review by Marianne

Chester's Masterpiece

Chester's Masterpiece
written and illustrated With NO help from Melanie Watt
E WAT

Chester is a cat with a mind of his own. Who needs a silly author when we have his creative genius behind this book? And so the struggle begins.

Our fat tabby friend has taken over the book which is written "with No help from Melanie Watt." The cover is a hodge-podge creation with visible staples, bits of masking tape and lots of red marker.

As the story progresses we learn that Chester has hidden Melanie Watt's art supplies and computer mouse! Thankfully she has a pencil and some sticky notes, and this is how her voice is heard. Little by little, Chester's marker runs out; and litle by little, Melanie explains to readers the bits and pieces that make up a good story.


The illustrations are done with Chester fully drawn, while the rest are done with heavy red marker. You can almost hear the squeak of the marker against the paper. The dialog is snappy and will cause giggles to errupt from readers! Be sure to check out the last illustrated page to solve the mystery of the missing art supplies...and to find out if that cat really got Chester's tongue.


This is the third book in the Chester series and is currently on order at the Irving Public Library. Check out the catalog and put it on hold.

For a storytime on creative writing, you can pair this book with Mary Jane Auch's "THE PLOT CHICKENS."

Another great interactive, cat story try "THERE ARE CATS IN THIS BOOK" by Viviane Schwartz.

Review by Marianne

The Book That Eats People

The Book That Eats People
By John Perry
Illustrated by Mark Fearling
E PER

The Book That Eats People opens with a dire warning: “CAUTION! This is a book that eats people.” The book has consumed many victims and is hungry for more. One fateful day little Sammy Ruskin forgot to wash the peanut butter off his fingers before reading his book. The book got a taste of the peanut butter, ate Sammy, and realized that people tasted better than anything else. His parents donated the book to the library, where it went on a rampage eating library books, disguised itself as a harmless book, and escaped.

The red cover’s menacing eyes, yellow caution tape, credits shaped as fangs stand out and draw the prospective reader’s curiosity. Fearling’s collage illustrations, reminiscent of Lane Smith’s work, capture the spirit of the narrative and are full of details for the reader to study. The ravenous book’s facial expressions are menacing without being too scary, giving the book personality.

Be on the alert while reading this book and have clean hands.

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard