High adventure in Paris

Levin, Mark (2011). The Family Hitchcock (Gr. 4-6)

Maddy Hitchcock wants nothing more than a summer of pool-side tanning.  Her father, however, insists that the entire family join their annual vacation.  This year, they’re swapping houses with a family Paris–and what could possibly go wrong?

Everything, naturally.  Spies, international agents, top-secret science, and the opera all figure into this action-packed adventure.

Reader Reviews

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure (2011).

What would you do if you received a birthday card saying, “Happy. HELP. NOW. FOLLOW CLUES. RESCUE US BY PIECING TOGETHER THE EXQUISITE CORPSE. Birthday. Love, Mom & Dad.”  Nancy and Joe, orphan siblings, decide to listen to this letter and rescue their parents. There are a few minor problems. First, they don’t know if their parents actually wrote the letter, and second, Nancy and Joe don’t know if they are going to the right place. Finally, they don’t know what  the Exquisite Corpse is, exactly.

Luckily, Nancy and Joe have grown up in a circus where they have learned many different tricks. They will need to use every trick up their sleeves to piece together the very Top-Secret Robot, also known as the Exquisite Corpse, to  rescue their parents.

            Oops. I wasn’t supposed to say that. Oh well. Will Nancy and Joe be able to piece together the Exquisite Corpse? Will they save their parents? You’ll have to read The Exquisite Corpse Adventure if you want to find out.

If you like books full of adventure and mystery, this is the book for you. The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is made up of 27 “episodes”, each one written by a different author and ending in a cliff hanger. There are also four illustrators who take turns creating the imagery of each “episode”. Due to the concept of multiple authors, the plot is a little choppy, but the story is very compelling. Readers will enjoy sampling their favorite authors, such as Natalie Babbitt, Steven Kellogg, and Susan Cooper, while discovering new authors. I recommend this book to ages 10-13 and give it an “A-”.

Review written by:
Amariah
Age 12

Harris Burdick … the mysteries continue

More than 25 years ago, Chris Van Allsburg wrote a book that captured imaginations and got kids writing stories.

Van Allsburg, Chris (1984). The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (Ages 5+).

Mr. Harris Burdick brought 14 pictures (complete with titles and captions) to a publisher, promising to bring the accompanying stories and some more pictures the next day.  He never returned.  Chris Van Allsburg, a friend of the publisher, saw the pictures and decided to put them all together in a book.  (That’s the story, at least, and Chris is sticking to it.)  This book has inspired creative writing assignments ever since.

It’s not only children who have found the pictures irresistible fodder for new stories.  Famous authors also think the pictures are intriguing.

Van Allsburg, Chris (2011). The Chronicles of Harris Burdick (Gr. 4-8).

That’s where this book comes in.  Take the 14 pictures from Mysteries, then add short stories from 14 well-known authors.  The stories are sometimes eerie, sometimes funny, and always just as mysterious as the original pictures.  Of course, no one knows what the real stories were, and even famous authors can only take their best guesses.  Would your stories turn out the same way?

The authors included in this compilation:
Lemony Snicket
Tabitha King
Jon Scieszka
Sherman Alexie
Gregory Maguire
Cory Doctorow
Jules Feiffer
Linda Sue Park
Walter Dean Myers
Lois Lowry
Kate DiCamillo
M. T. Anderson
Louis Sachar
Chris Van Allsburg
Stephen King

Wildlife, Typography, and Numbers, oh my!

I love books that make me see new things in the world.  I also love the art of letters, numbers, and the way they look.  Naturally, I also love these two books:

Werner, Sharon (2009). Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types (Gr. 4-6)

An A can be tall or short, thick or thin, slanted or vertical.  That A can have a lot of personality!  This book makes animals out of letters: an alligator is made from round and nubbly lowercase a’s along with some sharp and pointy uppercase A’s (teeth! eek!).  The design of each animal is fascinating, and there are plenty of factoids at the bottom of each page.

Werner, Sharon (2011).  Bugs by the Numbers.  (Gr. 4-6)

As if animals and letters weren’t enough, there are also bugs and numbers!  That praying mantis on the cover really is made of numbers!  The numbers give interesting facts about the insects, too.  A page-spread about butterflies has eggs made from 1’s, a caterpillar made from 2’s, a chrysalis made from 3’s, and a full butterfly made from 4’s.  Four life stages, clearly numbered.  Other insects are made from numbers that highlight a fun fact: fleas can jump 150 times their own height.  Those fleas are made from (you guessed it!) 150’s.

More new books!

I am always excited when I see boxes of new children’s books waiting to go on the shelf.  They’re so beautiful!  They’re so new!  They’re waiting for people just like you to read them!  Here are a few titles to get you started: stop by the children’s room to see even more.

Sylver, Adrienne (2010).  Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog (Gr. 1-3)
The hot dog has been around for centuries, and it’s been a popular American food ever since immigrants brought to the new world with them. President Franklin D. Roosevelt even hosted a hot-dog picnic for the King of England! This book tells you all about hot dogs: how they’re made, what people put on them, and the most famous hot dog sellers in the country.

Rash, Andy (2009). Are You a Horse? (Gr. K-3)
Cowboy Roy gets a spiffy saddle for his birthday … but he isn’t sure how to find a horse! Walking around the desert, he meets some other very interesting animals. Do you think he’ll find a horse for his saddle? This is a very funny book–especially the last page!

 

Pilkey, Dav (2010). The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future (Gr. 3-6)
If you liked Captain Underpants, you need to pick up this new book from the same author. Ook and Gluk, two caveboys, are transported to the future, where they learn kung-fu and go home to save their village (Caveland, Ohio). It’s wild, it’s zany, and it’s a ton of fun with flip-o-ramas in every chapter.