Halloween Picture Book Reviews (Part 1 of 3)

 With less than a week left until Halloween, what better to excite the little ones about the holiday than to read them Halloween themed picture books? I've got several picture books ready to review and this is just the first installment. Be sure to come back and check out parts 2 and 3 next week! Today I'll be reviewing Monster Museum by Marilyn Singer, Boogie Knights by Lisa Wheeler, and Just Say Boo! by Susan Hood.

Description (from the publisher): Come in--if you dare--and meet the werewolf, Count Dracula, the mummy, and some of their slimy, screaming, slithering friends. They're just dying to show you a good time!

Review: Singer describes an array of scary apparitions and frightful figures in this "ghastly" collection of poems. Children take a field trip and walk through a museum filled with monsters. The poetic verses found below the illustrations cleverly describe the monsters in a variety of poetic forms including limericks.  Grimly's (yes, that's the illustrator's real last name) colorful caricatures add to the fun by diffusing scary illustrations with humor. Several of the monsters wend their way out to the parking lot-one even drives the school bus. The "Glos-Scary" helps to keep all of the creatures straight. This fresh, witty book will be popular for not-so-scary story times, as well as independent reading for kids who just love monsters.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 1 through 5.

If you like this book try: Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich by Adam Rex, Boris and Bella by by Carolyn Crimi, Grimericks by Susan Pearson

Description (from the publisher): In this rip-roaring picture book, readers are invited to the party of the year, as all monsters large and small throw the most outrageous, most bodacious bash of them all--the Madcap Monster Ball.

Review: Monsters galore show up at a spooky castle for a whimsical Madcap Monster Ball and dance their hearts out. Upstairs seven knights with unusual names (Sir Veillance, Sir Prize, Sir Loin, Sir Round, Sir Cumference, Sir Ender, and finally my personal favorite, the lone Sir Vivor) are awakened at various times to find out what all the commotion is about and join in the fun. At the same time, a young prince wakes up scared and cautiously investigates the noise. A wild and crazy time is had by all with the final spread picturing the knights back in their places dreaming of next year's ball and the prince is happily asleep in his bed. This book was hysterical and I loved the clever wordplay of the text which is filled with puns and double meanings that I think will work well for many age levels. The cartoon illustrations perfectly catch all of the high-flying whimsy with small figures dancing and whirling across each double-page spread. When the ball begins, the illustrations are monochrome, but when the seven knights join in, the style changes and more color is added. To enhance the surreal and chaotic nature of the story, many art styles are used on each page, but it all works fantastically well. Readers and listeners will want to return the book without being bored as there is so much to unravel.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 1 through 5. 

If you like this book try: Bedtime at the Swamp by Kristyn Crow, Jumpy Jack & Googily by Meg Rosoff

Description: Young trick-or-treaters learn what to say in different Halloween situations.

Review: Halloween can be a frightening time for kids, but do you know what to do everything becomes too scary on this day? Just say Boo! This adorable story follows three young trick-or-treaters as they encounter frightening Halloween antics in their neighborhood when they go trick or treating. The story is simple and seasonable but the text is multi-functional and does a great job as it connects the traditions of the holiday (trick-or-treating), teaches manners (saying thank you), and shows what to do with a scared, teary toddler: Teach him to just say Boo! Advanced readers will find natural rhymes, use of alliteration, and strong images. Illustrated with an appropriate palette of fall colors and cozy images, the book embraces all good things about Halloween. 

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for preschool through Grade 1.

If you like this book try: It's Halloween Night! by Jennifer O'Connell and Ollie's Halloween by Olivier Dunrea

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Picture Books: How to Raise Mom and Dad, Mirror Mirror, and How Rocket Learned to Read

Just a quick note: I will be on vacation when this review posts. I may not or may not have internet access during vacation, but I will play catch-up with your blogs and comments when I get back. 

 I've got a bunch of picture books that I've read in the last few months that I still need to review. Today I have an ecclectic batch of books that range from tongue-in-cheek humor to incredibly creative to just plain adorable. Today I'll be reviewing How to Raise Mom and Dad by John Lerman, Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer, and How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills.  




Description: With tongue placed firmly in cheek, this book follows an older sister as she dispenses advice to her brother on how to train their parents.


Review: I stumbled across this title looking for a humorous picture book to read. The title immediately grabbed my attention as did the description. A girl offers her younger brother some advice for dealing with Mom and Dad. All the admonitions parents tell their children are subverted and used in to train the adults. While I did find the book funny, I'm not sure if younger kids would get the humor as they are just learning how to behave but I do think older kids would definitely nod their head in agreement and understand the humor in the book. Pictures are of varying sizes and shapes and occasional word balloons extend the artwork. Overall, an enjoyable read that you might want to check out from your library.


Rating: 3 stars


Words of Caution: None. Recommended for K to 2nd grade.



If you like this book try: Would I Trade My Parents? by Laura Numeroff,  What Do Parents Do? (When You're Not Home) by Jeanie Ransom

Description: What’s brewing when two favorites—poetry and fairy tales—are turned (literally) on their heads? It’s a revolutionary recipe: an infectious new genre of poetry and a lovably modern take on classic stories. First, read the poems forward (how old-fashioned!), then reverse the lines and read again to give familiar tales, from Sleeping Beauty to that Charming Prince, a delicious new spin. Witty, irreverent, and warm, this gorgeously illustrated and utterly unique offering holds a mirror up to language and fairy tales, and renews the fun and magic of both.


Review: Mirror Mirror is incredibly innovative with marrying both poetry and well known fairy tales to create something completely new. The book contains reversos, or poems which have one meaning when read down the page and perhaps an altogether different meaning when read up the page. The reversos not only make the poems come to life, but also allows the reader to read from a different character's point of view of the same story. The 14 pairs of poems easily distinguished by different fonts and background colors allow changes only in punctuation, capitalization, and line breaks, as Singer explains in an author's note about her invented poetic form. I thought the book was challenging, stimulating, and fun. It was like playing a game with people I already know. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and give it to big thumps up.


Rating: 4.5 stars


Curriculum Connection: Great for Poetry and/or fairy tale unit. 


Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 3 and up.



If you like this book try: Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett, Clever Jack Takes the Cake by Candice Fleming

Description: A little yellow bird teaches Rocket the dog how to read by first introducing him to the "wondrous, mighty, gorgeous alphabet."


Review: How Rocket Learned to Read is such a cute book! Rocket is an endearing white dog with black spots loves chasing leaves and chewing sticks. He loves napping under his favorite tree, but his sleep is interrupted one spring day by a tiny yellow bird that designates him her first student. Rocket wants no part of her lessons, but the bird is determined to teach him to read. She ensnares Rocket by telling him a story that ends in a cliffhanger and he has to return each day to find out what happens next. Slowly, Rocket becomes the reluctant student and the tiny bird teaches him the alphabet. The two characters have a great time using the "mighty, gorgeous alphabet" to spell out all the things in Rocket's world. The bird leaves as winter approaches, but Rocket continues practicing, spelling everything in sight. And when Bird returns the following spring, a tail-wagging, eager-to-read student greets her with joy.
  The illustrations, rendered in oil and colored pencil, offer full pages, spreads, and oval vignettes. They are heart warming and depict Rocket in all his various moods. I loved the bird's enthusiasm but also related to Rocket's reluctance of interrupting his routine. I definitely think kids would relate to Rocket as they themselves are beginning readers too, plus the cast of characters are adorable and irresistible.


Rating: 4 stars


Words of Caution: None. Recommended for K to 2nd grade.



If you like this book try: How to Teach a Slug to Read by Susan Pearson, Reading to Peanut by Leda Schubert, Hooray for Reading Day! by Margery Cuyler

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The Reel Shelf Presents: Jesminder 'Jess' Kaur Bhamra (Bend It Like Beckham)

  Welcome to The Reel Shelf, a new weekly feature here at Books in the Spotlight where I imagine what's on my favorite TV/Movie character's book shelves. When I watched Bend It Like Beckham for the first time I loved it immediately. The movie did such a great job in showcasing the traditional Indian culture, along with a strong and diverse cast, and a comedy that I think everyone can relate to one some level regardless of their own backgrounds.

Image and quote from IMDB

Anyone can cook aloo gobi, but who can bend a ball like Beckham?

  Today I'm featuring the protagonist of Bend It Like Beckham, Jesminder "Jess" Kaur Bhamra. Jess comes from a traditional Sikh family who lives in England. She's loves football (aka soccer) with a passion and has absolutely no desire to stay and learn how to cook. Jess walks the thin line between modernity and traditions that I often find myself walking on too. You really can't help but root for her. On Jess's bookshelves you will find a wide assortment of sport books featuring a female athlete. You will also find books that explore the different aspects of the Southeast Asian culture. Please note all the book descriptions are from Goodreads and/or from the book's panels.

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Summer of May

Summer of May by Cecilia Galante caught my eye in Simon and Schuster's Galley Grab for the month of April. I wasn't able to finish the book due to a really hectic work and life schedule. I was grateful that my library ordered a copy for the children section and I was able to finish it. Summer of May is a bittersweet, nuanced coming of age story that I really enjoyed.

Description: May feels like she is living alone. Her grandmother, who is depressed about the absence of May’s mother, and her father, who works long hours and is almost never around, live with her. Due to her circumstance and her resentment over having to live in a low-income neighborhood, May often finds herself picking fights and getting into trouble. May crosses the line at the end of her eighth grade when she defaces her least favorite teacher’s classroom. She is given one choice: expulsion or one-on-one summer school with the teacher she most detests. Begrudgingly, May chooses summer school and ultimately learns that her teacher has a secret past, which might just hold the key as to what happened to May's mother.

Review: Maeve, preferred to be called May,  O'Toole is a spunky, hot tempered tween, who holds a lot of grudges. Known for her outbursts and antics at school, her recent target is her English teacher, "Movado the Avocado," who she blames for having to repeat English in summer school. May spends her mornings prepping and re-painting the classroom wall she defaced during the school year and doing writing assignments for her teacher, which allows her to have a lot of time to think. As readers begin to understand May's lonely situation, she builds up tall walls around her and refuses to let people inside. She constantly broods about all the things that make her mad and about all the people who have abandoned her: her old group of friends, her distant father, who now works double shifts and tends to sit on the couch and watch tv when he is home; and her grandmother, who spends her days in bed. We see May's vulnerable side when she thinks about the mother she will never see again and those terrible words she uttered the last time she and her mother were together. Galante does a great job in showing the tightly coiled May and her struggle to remain cool and collective as well as her difficulty to reach to others in a time of need. Though May makes significant progress in her one to one lessons with Ms. Movado, she still falls back to her old ways. May also discovers the unseen sides of her teacher and realizes that Ms. Movado may not be so different from her after all. Never too sappy or too angsty, Galante's prose is just right in uncovering the impact of loss and the importance of making amends. 

Rating: 4 stars


Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 5 and up.

If you like this book try: Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt

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of dojos & dickinson

Speaking of unladylike pursuits, I'm getting weary of the grappling/self-defense module in karate. Every time I show up for class there's an odd number of women and I end up with some teenage boy rolling around on the mat. Two weeks ago my heavily adorned/pierced/spiked partner kept losing his bling all over the mat. We had to keep quitting mid-grapple to find his bits and bobbles so we could safely continue. (I did not want to get flipped over onto one of his stray spikes.) The kid looked like he'd been attacked by a rabid Bedazzler. I returned to the dojo last night to find the same situation again--only this time I partnered off with this kid whose only metal embellishment is found in his mouth--braces. Even so, there is nothing ladylike about being flipped to one's back and stuffed into a chokehold while your feet splay in different directions and your hair gets caught in your mouth.

Nor is there anything ladylike about clomping around a muddy garden in Wellies, yanking out stinging nettle while cursing under one's breath. And sweating. Profusely. My gardening pursuits do not remotely resemble Emily Dickinson's. She gardened wearing a white dress.

In particular, this white dress. I'm trying to imagine the hours I'd spend with a spray bottle of Oxy-Clean if I wore a white dress to garden. Amazing to consider she gardened wearing a white dress and wrote pretty little poems about the experience. But she didn't have children, so there was time for laundry and poetry.

A little Madness in the Spring
Is wholesome even for the King,
But God be with the Clown --
Who ponders this tremendous scene --
This whole Experiment of Green --
As if it were his own!

Such truth in her writing.
Alyssa's book has me thinking about "ladylike," a term that conjures up images of Southern belles and proper matrons sitting with their ankles crossed while sipping tea. I believe a "lady" had good manners, doesn't emote too much and tries never to offend others. "Ladylike" had more to do with behavior than some obscure Victorian code of where to find a salad fork.

Thank goodness reading is a ladylike pursuit--you can cross your ankles, sip your tea and pick up Alyssa Goodnight's Unladylike Pursuits without compromising your cleanliness or decorum! Enter to win a copy of this FABULOUS book by leaving comments through Saturday. Spill it, reader. What makes you feel particularly unladylike?

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pretty words

Since I'm giving away a little poetry by the stunning, brilliant and feisty Nina Romano and a little $5 Starbucks gift card to enjoy with her work, I've got poetry on the brain.
(Don't forget--all you need to do to enter to win Coffeehouse Meditations and the $5 Starbucks card is leave a comment by Saturday!)

I treat poetry like seasoning as a reader--enough to spice things up, but too much makes me lose my taste. Garrison Keillor gives me a nice daily dose on The Writer's Almanac, though he could read the phone book and I'd sit listening with rapt attention. I'll indulge you today with two of my favorite poems and poets. The first I read as a schoolkid and I'm still struck by the direct way Gwendolyn Brooks describes these people--it's brief and haunting. The second is merely one of many brilliant poems by Pablo Neruda who I have loved for twenty years and if you've not yet watched Il Postino, you're missing out on cinematic awesomeness.

The Bean Eaters
by Gwendolyn Brooks
They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair. Dinner is a casual affair. Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood, Tin flatware. Two who are Mostly Good. Two who have lived their day, But keep on putting on their clothes And putting things away. And remembering . . . Remembering, with twinklings and twinges, As they lean over the beans in their rented back room that is full of beads and receipts and dolls and cloths, tobacco crumbs, vases and fringes. The Book of Questions, III by Pablo Neruda Translated by William O'Daly III. Tell me, is the rose naked or is that her only dress? Why do trees conceal the splendor of their roots? Who hears the regrets of the thieving automobile? Is there anything in the world sadder than a train standing in the rain

Spill it, reader, who's your favorite poet?

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waxing poetic

Suddenly I realized that we're entering week 4 of my "Poetic License" course and I've promised my student he'd write over 20 poems over the course of 6 weeks. We're still in single digits and I'm getting the same panicky feeling that my high school American History teacher must have had about April when he realized we'd gotten as far as the start of the Vietnam War and still had nearly three decades to go. It's a common problem in schools--I don't think I've met a person under 40 yet who has a full understanding of the Carter Administration or Reaganomics. We're all walking around believing we're still at war in Vietnam and there's a crazy new movement about peace and love and bell bottom pants.

Still, there is poetry to be writ. By him, not me. I'm a terrible poet. How terrible? I've had my work rejected by more literary venues than I care to count. In fact, one editor was SO decisive about the craptastic quality of my poetry that he emailed me a mere THREE HOURS after I'd submitted 3 poems. That's got to be a record rejection. I can teach and inspire good poetry out of my students, but I? I am a shallow pan with a surface scorched with drippings and leavings. Scrapings, really. Set me in the sink and soak me in vinegar and water.

Still, if you're a poet, hack or wannabe, check out the 6th Annual Palm Beach Poetry Festival. It's a tremendous opportunity. The tuition for six solid days of advanced poetry instruction is slightly more than what I charge for 9 and half hours of "Poetic License." Seriously. And the folks teaching there are published poets with credentials.

Go, check it out, if you're a writer--or pass along the word to other writer types.

I'm off to finalize a lesson plan about meters in poetry. After I return the Rug Doctor I rented last night.

A blogger with a smelly cat
Upon her couch yesterday sat
She caught a bad smell
Cried out "What the hell?"
Between the cushions the cat shat.

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