Facing the Hunchback of Notre Dame

Recommended grades 4-7.  L.L. Sampson borrows much from Lemony Snicket in the opening novel to her series, The Enchanted Attic.  Facing the Hunchback of Notre Dame (Zonderkidz, 2012) has a tangential, well-read narrator, near-orphans with adult hobbies and interests, and enough literary allusions to keep kids jumping to Wikipedia.  The series follows twins Ophelia and Linus who discover a magical laboratory kept by a former tenant in their aunt and uncle's attic.  This laboratory has the power to bring fictional characters into the present day reality, or to transport a reader into their favorite story.  The nefarious mad scientist Cato uses the lab to rob fictional words of their precious treasures.  The story is funny, the dialogue (too?) witty, and the references to classical novels thorough enough for young readers to get a sense of the allusions without tromping through French literature.  Fans of Lemony Snicket will enjoy the series, while waiting for the original to continue his craft; Samson does not add to Snicket's style.  Recommended, ***

Revolution

Recommended grades 7-10.  A love for all things historical pushed me to read Jennifer Donnelly's Revolution (Delacorte, 2010).  Donnelly draws from extensive research on the French Revolution and the family of Louis XVI to craft the dual narratives of 18th century actress-turned-radical-royalist Alexandrine and 21st century aficionado of teen-angst and musical theory Andi.

On the whole, the concept was fascinating.  Even those well-versed in French history can appreciate the depth of description and characterization of this most chaotic period.  The royalist perspective is rarely explored with such clear sympathy in the heroic narrative of liberté, egalité, fraternité.  


That said, the pace and flow of the novel left much to be desired.  Far too much time was spent on Andi's self-pitying diatribe, which even angsty teens themselves will be annoyed by.  In trying to speak for her audience, Donnelly may insult and alienate them.  There are so many aspects of this novel Donnelly may well have explored without wasting the vast majority of the novel on unmoving points and unconvincing relationships.

Ambivalent recommendation, ***

Recommended grades 6-8.  Steven Shenkin loves Benedict Arnold, and he wants readers to share his appreciation.  Shenkin pulls together years of research into a narrative of Benedict Arnolds tumultuous years on both sides of the Revolutionary War.  Shenkin paints a conflicted Arnold, desperate for   acknowledgement (and payment) for his heroics.  Shenkin draws quotes from primary sources, and provides an extensive reference list at the back of the book.  The narrative Shenkin creates is engaging, and he provides vintage-looking maps to illustrate the major battles Arnold participated in.  This book will teach young adults (and adults alike!) to appreciate the sometimes flawed heros that fill history books.  The narrative could have been improved with an insight into Shenkin's process, tough overall an excellent book, well worth the recognition it has received.
Recommended, ***

Rapid City Public Library Story Time

Library Programming.  Like many public libraries, Rapid City, South Dakota has created a YouTube channel to share their storytime and other programming offerings.  One great feature of their videos is that they tape actual events; viewers can see how librarians interact with children and other patrons.  This is extremely valuable for developing librarians who may want to build knowledge of storytime activities, while still learning about the interactive element of a public librarian's job.  For those who simply want to watch at home, the patrons can be loud and distracting, so those viewers may prefer to see the librarians presenting activities and stories for the camera audience alone.  Rapid City story time blends songs and movements with the stories, and it is great to see how librarians tell stories, and how much joy the young patrons take in singing the songs.  Rapid City is a good resource for young librarians, though may be distracting to patrons themselves.  Recommended, ***

Starfall

Recommended grades K-3.  Starfall is an interactive read-aloud site for emerging readers.  Young users can easily access four levels of digital material through the webpage.  Much of the material is free to access, though some pages require paid accounts.  Books can be read-aloud to users all the way through or by clicking on individual words, an excellent feature for readers trying to practice their own fluency and accuracy.  Another great benefit is that stories are broken into specific sounds, so they complement reading instruction in the early grades.  This is an excellent resource for teachers working on guided practice and read alouds to build confidence on specific sounds.  Recommended, ***

Storyline Online

Recommended grades K-3.  Storyline Online is a wonderful effort put forward by the Screen Actor's Guild to promote reading.  The site features videos well-known actors reading their favorite kids books.  All videos have captions, so that readers can follow along as the camera zooms along the picture.  One of the best videos is Jason Alexander reading his own story, Dad, Are You the Tooth Fairy?  In addition to reading the book, Alexander describes how he came up with the idea for the story by listening to the questions they asked about the tooth fairy.  This book comes with a disclaimer and an opt-out for those young readers who haven't had the "tooth fairy talk yet."  The site is easy to navigate, colored in bright red and yellow, almost like a 1940s Superman Comic (and the fonts match the motif!).  One risk this site runs by using celebrities is aging; it is already starting to show some wrinkles with its video options for dial-up internet and lesser-known celebrities who have already faded (sorry, Caitlin Wachs!)  Overall a fun opportunity to see celebrities get in touch with their inner child, and hear some great stories while you're at it.  Recommended, ***.

Bronzeville Boys & Girls

Recommended grades 2-5.  In 1956, Gwendolyn Brooks created a collection of poetry about kids in the neighborhood she grew up in, Bronzeville, in Chicago's Southside.  Each poem is dedicated to a kid in the neighborhood.  The characters exist in the particulars of the Bronzeville community while still being universal.  Harlem native Faith Ringgold has decided to breathe new life to Brooks poems in this newly illustrated edition of the original collection.  Ringgold captures the unique architecture of Bronzeville, with its sprawling Victorian houses and busy sidewalks.  The painted characters are flat on the page, almost child-like.  With this collection, Ringgold hopes to show that Bronzeville is both unique and universal, just as Brooks' poetry captured.  Brooks touching, rhyming poetry will be an excellent edition to a poetry collection, and can be a great conversation starter. Recommended, ***.

American Girl Magazine

Recommended grades 4-6.  American Girl magazine mimics women's magazines in style, though offers developmentally appropriate reading material for young girls.  Adult authors pack the glossy pages with crafts, life tips (like how to avoid stress), exercises to be enjoyed with friends, and complementary quizzes (where no answer is a wrong answer).  American Girl makes room for reader contributions featuring art and short stories submitted by readers, empowering girls to create and contribute.  Other than a couple plugs for the American Girl franchise, including their dolls and books, there are no advertisements in this magazine, which will be welcomed by parents.  For girls who want to start reading magazine, this is a good alternative to teen magazines, and celebrates tweens where they are, without pushing them to grow up, but still respecting their individuality.  Recommended, ***.

babybug magazine

Recommended Birth to age 4.  From the creators of Cricket Magazine, Baby Bug Magazine publishes short, illustrated stories for pre-developing readers.  The magazine, published nine times a year, features around six separate illustrated stories or poems in each issue.  Stories are illustrated in a variety of artists in different styles, including soft watercolors, and bold charcoals.  The magazine is small, a good size for a younger reader to hold, and printed on thicker paper than other magazines from the publisher.  A subscription to the magazine will bring fresh read-alouds, and gives adults access to parenting guides via the Cricket website.  As soon as children grow out of the level of magazine, it is free to transfer to the next level up; a great benefit with rapidly growing readers! Recommended, ***

Dahlmanac

Recommended grades 3-5.  Fans of Roald Dahl will be pleased with this ridiculous collection of Roald Dahl-related facts.  Compiled by Ky Woodward, the Dahlmanac 2 (Puffin, 2007) features rare Dahl material (including a missing chapter of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as well as interesting biographical tidbits) and a gaggle of silly, Dahl related facts.  This odd assortment of trivia forms tangentially to Dahl's personality - his dislike for beards spawns a whole chapter on hairy world records, a discussion of excellent disguises, and explanation of the British Secret Service, and finally, a discussion of animal disguises.  The book is filled with funny facts fit for the Guinness Book of World Records; students who love sharing trivia will adore this book.  Woodward borrows the squiggly black and white illustrations of Quentin Blake, who illustrated the vast majority of Dahl's major work.  One word of warning - the Dahlmanac was originally printed in the United Kingdom, so all measurements and currency is written using British standards.  This might be fun for American readers to work out, but they may need a little extra assistance to make sense.  Overall a fun and entertaining collection of oddities.  Recommended, ***.

Dear Dumb Diary

Recommended grades 4-6.  Jamie Kelly has great taste in music, just ask her!  In Me, Just like You, Only Better (Scholastic, 2011), Jamie details the progression of her favorite bands, and her frustration when everyone in her class copies her style!  Jamie Kelly decides to trick them into liking horrible music to get back at them for being so unoriginal.  Author and illustrator Jim Benton seems to have true empathy for middle school girls.  Although Jamie Kelly is a little annoying, and very self-important, Benton has created a truly endearing character.  Gray-scale doodles accompany most pages, illustrating the exaggerated impressions Jamie has of the people around her.  She also includes hilarious asides and lists.  Like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, the Dear Dumb Diary series will attract older elementary readers who understand what it's like to be a little different.  Benton includes more jokes for adults than Jeff Kinney, and though Jamie is a girl, both boys and girls will enjoy her sense of humor and obliviousness to the world around her.  Recommended, ***.

Graphic Novel, my dear Watson

Recommended grades 9-12.  The illustrious consulting detective Sherlock Holmes is back in action, or graphic!  Adapted by author Ian Edginton and artist I.N.J. Culbard, A Study in Scarlet (Sterling, 2010) chronicles Sherlock Holmes's first adventure with his mild-mannered partner, Dr. Watson.  Culbard's illustrations take readers from colonial Afghanistan to Victorian London to frontier Utah.  Characters are drawn in pulp comic style, with particular detail on facial features-- Holmes has the strong chin of a Superman, while Watson bares the round nose of a lovable oaf.  Scenes in Mormon Utah are colored in sepia, fitting with the flashback narrative, while the rest is illustrated in rich, though dark, colors.  Culbard maintains most of Conan Doyle's original language- reminding readers that although the story has been adapted in comic form, it is not necessarily an easy read.  The dialog is peppered with advanced medical terms, Victorian dialect, and, of course, the quick wit of Sherlock Holmes.  The language in the book is definitely better for more advanced reading.  The graphic novel captures much of the original, and Holmes aficionados will be overjoyed that so much has been maintained.  Recommended, ***.

Secrets in the Shadows: Bluford High

Recommended grades 7-10.  Roylin Bailey doesn't have a perfect life, after his mother sent his father away for abusing the family, Roylin had to take a job to support his family.  He's a football player, but not a great one, and he can't seem to get his grades above a C, no matter how hard he tries.  All of this changes when Korie Archer shows up in his history class at Bluford High.  Roylin will do anything to impress her, even if it means destroying his whole life and following in the footsteps of his convict father. The third book in the Bluford High series, Secrets in the Shadows (Scholastic, 2002) deals with mature issues, including domestic violence and drug abuse, written at a level struggling readers can achieve.  Though the character development is not top priority to Anne Schraff, the Bluford series is a great way to motivate struggling readers in upper grades.  Additional Selection, ***.

Jews in America

Recommended grades 10-12.  Illustrated histories are a great way for readers to access dense material.  In today's graphic novel market, there is an abundance of historical non fiction material.  Daniel Gantz contributes to this subgenre with Jews in America (The Jewish Publication Society, 2006).  Gantz covers a staggering amount of history in under 200 pages-- he traces Jews in diaspora starting in 1189 until Kofi Annan's 2005 speech about modern anti-semitism.  Though focused primarily on Jews living in America Gantz adds commentary about America's relationship with Jews outside the United States, primarily in Europe and Israel.  Gantz illustrates in dark sepia; his style mirrors political cartoonists like Thomas Nast.  Though told in "cartoon," Gantz's history is not watered down.  He uses a complex vocabulary and does not shy away from controversial topics. It is important to note that Gantz does not provide an entirely unbiased explanation of current events.  Gantz does a good job of creating a book about Jewish history not entirely shrouded in the horror of the Holocaust, which many library collections for young people lack.  Still, this volume would be best for more mature readers.  Additional Selection, ***.

Rainbow Magic

Recommended grades 4-5.  Daisy Meadows brings us another Rainbow Magic story with Destiny the Rockstar Fairy (Scholastic, 2011).  The five authors who write under the pen name Daisy Meadows have written over one hundred books featuring best friends Rachel and Kirsty and their fairy pals.  In the series, Kirsty and Rachel team up with the a variety of fairies from the kingdom of Fairyland to defeat the evil Jack Frost and his mischievous goblin henchmen.  In this installment, Frost has stolen Destiny's magical objects that she uses to protect all of the rockstars in the world.  Rachel and Kirsty must help her recover the items before their favorite band takes the stage for a special Christmas performance!  Lovers of the series will appreciate the similar plot, the attention to details when it comes to the girls' fashion accessories, and the length-- Destiny the Rockstar Fairy is a special edition volume four times the length of the average fairy book.  The text is accompanied by ink sketches of the scenes that contribute to the goblin's comedic mayhem.  Though adults may not always understand the appeal, there seems to be a very soft spot in young readers' bookshelves.  The text is familiar enough to build young readers' confidence.  As the most one of the most borrowed books of 2010, it is sure to see a great deal of circulation.  Recommended, ***.

May B

Recommended grades 5-8.  Author Caroline Starr Rose cites her inspiration for her historical novel in verse, May B (Random House 2012) to a childhood of reading Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Reading about Laura's schooldays made her wonder about Laura's contemporaries with learning disorders.  How were they taught?  What cultural assumptions were made about them?  To satisfy this thought experiment, Rose created May B, a twelve year old girl with dyslexia who dreams of becoming a teacher, if she could only read the poems her teacher places in front of her!  May B does not only have to overcome her teacher's disdainful comments, but also the natural elements of the prairie as she is deserted in a homestead alone after being pulled from school.  With a historical novel in verse, particularly about people living on the outskirts of American society, it is hard not to compare it to Karen Hesse's brilliant Out of the Dust.  Rose's verse does not stand alone as Hesse's does, but it still finds its place in May B's love and obsession with memorizing lines of poetry.  Rose creates a memorable leading character and brings readers a compelling narratives that captures both the loneliness of the prairie and of students living with learning disabilities.  Recommended, ***.

The Magic Brocade

Recommended grades 2-4.  Aaron Shepard adapts a Chinese folktale in his picture book, The Magic Brocade (Edustar Press, 2011).  In the story, an old widow becomes enchanted by an image of a fairy palace far to the east of her Chinese Village that no mortal has ever traveled to.  She spends months weaving her own brocade of the scene, only to have it stolen by the fairies themselves.  Her devoted son, Chen, must face certain danger to return the brocade to his mother on her death bed.  Chen is a hero on a familiar journey, and he is rewarded for his bravery with a romance of his own.  Illustrations by Xiajun Li are done in a marbled watercolor that bleeds and exudes a dream-like quality.  It may have been helpful to young readers to have an illustration of the brocade itself to understand the content vocabulary of the book.  The author did not include much background information on the origin of the story, which leads readers wanting more.  This book could still be used to introduce students to classic elements in folk and fairy tales, including traditional heroes, magical beings, and the similarities in these stories across the world.  Recommended, ***

A Blues Ensemble For the Birds

Recommended grades K-3.  Jan Huling brings us a New Orleans flavored fable with Ol' Bloo's Boogie Woogie Band and Blues Ensemble ( Peachtree, 2011).  Huling gives Grimms' Musicians of Bremin an American feel.   In this picture book, Ol' Bloo, a hard-working Donkey, narrowly escapes death when his owners threaten to "end his misery" after a lifetime of back-breaking service.  Instead of sitting by to face his demise, Ol' Bloo makes a run for it, planning on furthering his musical career in New Orleans.  Along the way, Ol' Bloo encounters other musically inclined animals with rough stories of their own, and just like Dorothy on her way down the Yellow Brick Road, Ol' Bloo invites these animals to share in his dreams.  Illustrations by Henri Sørensen contribute the the folk feel of the story, combining rich oil paintings in warm hues with black sillouhettes of the animals incorporated with the text.  The silhouette have the feel of shadow puppets onstage in a children's theater.  Ol' Bloo's story offers young readers a glimpse into the mythic South, and the reader can't help but root for his Boogie Woogie Band, though they would surely be ghastly to the human ear.  Recommended, ***

A Traditional Mother Moose Fairy Tale

Recommended grades 2-5.  Author Willy Claflin may be spending too much time out in the woods listening to Moose ramble, but I suppose they can offer entertaining tidbits.  In the fractured fairy tale Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs (August House, 2011), Claflin "translates" a classic "Mother Moose" tale as told to him by Maynard Moose.  This silly amalgamation of fairy tales includes unruly long hair, "eight or nine" seven dwarfs, a wicked witch, an obese prince, and of course, a noble white moose.  Claflin apologizes for his difficulty translating from the original moose language-- apparently they use words differently.  To mediate the language barrier, Claflin includes a glossary of Moose words, marked in the text with tiny hoof prints.  Additionally, the book includes an audio recording on CD of Maynard reading the book for himself.  Maynard sounds a bit like a Rick Moranis sketch, but it is a nice addition to the playful world Claflin has created.  With Claflin's non-standard use of both grammar and language, this book could be used to introduce young readers to the idea of dialect.  James Stinson's angular and cartoony illustrations have an air of computer animation.  The color pallet he uses, deep greens and browns, reflect the mysterious fairy tale elements of the dwarves' forrest.  Readers will have to be familiar with the original stories, but if they are they will surely take devious pleasure in the liberty Maynard Moose takes with the classics.   Recommended, ***

Pinkalicious on Ice

Recommended grades K-2.  In Pinkalicious: Pink around the Rink (HarperCollins, 2010), Pinkalicious, the perky brunette who simply cannot get enough pink in her life, is slightly disappointed when her parents give her boring white ice skates.  Luckily, she knows just what to do!  She paints her shoes pink and creates quite the impression on the ice rink!  Creator Victoria Kann writes and illustrates her Pinkalicious series for HarperCollins I Can Read! Series for developing readers.  As a level 1 book, Pink around the Rink is specially written to include, "short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts for children eager to read on their own."  Though these books were designed for independent readers, adults will appreciate Kann's subtle humor in the characters of Pinkalicious' parents who try to encourage their daughter's unique stylistic preferences.  Kann's illustrations in bright shades of pink and orange capture Pinkalicious's ideal world, where she is most comfortable.  Kann leaves the "boring colors" (white) for places where Pinkalicious feels the least comfortable.  Kann based the character of Pinkalicious on her own daughters, and the book is genuinely tender while still conforming to the design of an easy reader.  Recommended, ***