Reviews
Raining Cats and Detectives: Book 5
Venables’s fifth Pet Shop Private Eye graphic adventure for the chapter-book crowd is as sly, sarcastic and silly as its predecessors. Yue’s expressive, dot-eyed creatures in bright hues and cinematic panels are still perfect at bringing the tales to life and adding an extra… View →
The Main Event: The Moves and Muscle of Pro Wrestling
“A tight yet thorough history of wrestling as ‘sports entertainment’—read that as meaning staged—from Jones…. Jones shows that the best professional wrestling is a kind of primal theater, and a far cry from the much more brutal mixed martial arts, which is sadly… View →
Wrapped Up in You: Book 6
“True to this series’ winning formula, an enjoyable mix of terror, comedy and romance.” View →
Fly, Chick, Fly!
“This gentle read-aloud looks forward to the time when the child will have a young one of her own.”—Kirkus Review View →
The Big Flush: Book 4
This mystery should come with sheet music and a dance chart… [F]ans of the series will line up for the next book, and their grandparents will hope it comes with a vinyl record." —Kirkus Reviews View →
Che Guevara: You Win or You Die
“Through its focus on one major figure, Kallen’s fascinating work explores a large segment of 20th-century history. Maps, photographs and sidebars are excellent… A fine introduction to Latin American history and the ideas of capitalism, socialism and communism.”… View →
The Royal Treasure Measure
“Harris’ ABCB rhyming verses have a nice rhythm to them and some interesting pairings—sickles with pickles…. Stevanovic’s cartoonish illustrations are filled with detail, but his characters steal the show, their pointy and/or pendulous… View →
Jeremy's Dreidel
“A special Hanukkah workshop at the Jewish Community Center gives Jeremy a chance to make a unique dreidel as a surprise gift for his father, who is blind. When the workshop leader welcomes everyone, materials are out and waiting. Abby is eager to make her dreidel from… View →
Maccabee Meals: Food and Fun for Hanukkah
“This child-friendly cookbook features traditional latkes and easy-to-make jelly doughnuts as well as less-traditional, kid-inspired treats. Beyond the classic potato latke, young chefs will learn how to make seven other varieties from cheese, vegetables, apples and… View →
The Count's Hanukkah Countdown
“A family visit from Israel to Sesame Street includes a traditional Hanukkah observance while the number-obsessed Count happily looks for ways to include the perfect Hanukkah numeral 8 whenever possible. With Grover’s assistance, Aunt Sara, Uncle Joe and the twins get… View →
The Normal Kid
“Readers will understand and relate to the social pressure they struggle to navigate and their desire to fit in.” —School Library Journal View →
Infinity and Me
“Swiatkowska’s Victorian-style drawings are vaguely reminiscent of Edward Gorey, and Hosford effectively reflects the ways in which young children might grapple with, and come to some understanding of, such an impenetrable notion.” —The New York Times Book… View →
“Retold by a master storyteller, this new version of a classic tale is an all-around delight. Woven together with the joys of Sabbath celebrations are themes of generosity, hospitality, and the true meaning of wealth. The engaging prose and vibrant, colorful illustrations create a… View →
Oopsy, Teacher!
http://www.reading.org/General/Publications/blog/BlogSinglePost/reading-today-online/2012/08/22/back-to-school-book-reviewsMr. Bungles is having a bad day just like he did in Calmenson’s earlier book about Mr. Bungles, Late for School (2008). He… View →
Speak Up, Tommy!
“What to expect: Mean behavior in a school setting; immigration; foreign languages; lessons about compassion and utility. Speak Up, Tommy! tells the story of a little boy who’s in a new school in a new country and feels out of place. Tommy has to learn a new language,… View →
A Game for Swallows: To Die, To Leave, To Return
“Abirached’s readers will instantly empathize with those who do not readily have access to simple luxuries many take for granted—running water, electricity or the simple return of our loved ones from an outing—and this may perhaps spur them to re-examine what they may have… View →
The Twelve-Fingered Boy
“A fast-paced, ferocious nightmare of a story—gritty, magical, and surprisingly tender.” –Brenna Yovanoff, New York Times Bestselling author of The Replacement View →
The Day Louis Got Eaten
“The hilariously preposterous chase unfolds quickly in Fardell’s panel illustrations, and Sarah shows bravery, ingenuity, and determination every step of the way.” —Publisher’s Weekly View →
Dino-Football
“Gott’s high-energy cartoons place readers right in the football action, with dinosaur tackles, touchdowns, and a rousing halftime show.” —Publishers Weekly View →
The Apple Tree's Discovery
“A little apple tree wants to be like the other trees in the oak forest. It particularly longs to have stars, since the other trees have stars that dangle and shimmer on their branches at night. The tree asks God for stars, and in response, God tries to let the tree know how many… View →
Sadie and the Big Mountain
“Sadie loves everything about school. But when Morah Sarah tells the class that they will mark Shavuot with a hike, like Moses did when he climbed Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, Sadie is very worried that she won’t be able to complete the trek. Each day that week the teacher… View →
Fly, Chick, Fly!
“Unlike the signature, comedic style of cartooning Ross uses in the Horrid Henry and Little Princess books, his textural pastel illustrations in this story about a baby barn owl are delicate and quiet, an excellent match for Willis’s lyrical text…. A conventional but… View →