Tag Archive: adventures


Review: Miss Sally Ann and the Panther by Bobbi Miller

Filed under: Book Reviews, Picture Books — 1 Comment
September 28, 2012

miss sally ann

Miss Sally Ann and the Panther retold by Bobbi Miller, illustrated by Megan Lloyd

Miss Sally Ann has had many great adventures, but one of the tallest tales about her is the story of when she met Fireeyes.  Fireeyes was a panther, huge and black.  When the two of them saw each other in the deep forest, they both wanted each other’s fur.  Miss Sally Ann thought that Fireeyes’ hide would keep her toes nice and warm.  Fireeyes wanted the bear-fur coat that she was wearing to keep his shoulders warm.  After gazing eye-to-eye, the two of them began to fight.  It was an epic battle, and I won’t spoil the ending or the middle of the book for you.  Just know that this is one wild tale about a tremendous woman and a blazing panther.

Miller’s writing here is, as she would put it, “ripsnorting fine.”  She peppers and spices her prose with words that can only be read with a twang and a great deal of swagger.  Just try saying “thunderferous” or “terrifiacious” without a big grin leaping to the your lips.  It all makes this book not only a great tall tale about an amazing woman, but also a “thunderific” book to share aloud.  The pacing is wild and wonderful, the battle is beyond epic, and the result is pure comfort too.

Lloyd’s illustrations really bring the larger-than-life characters full to realization.  From the huge size of Fireeyes to the great joy and fun that Miss Sally Ann has about life, the two of them shine on these pages.  Their battle is captured, full of motion and stunning action.

This is one great read to share with children learning about tall tales.  Not only does it feature a woman, but it’s also a treat to read aloud.  I’d also sneak it into any story time about cats just to get some big energy in there.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Holiday House.

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Review: Hit the Road, Jack by Robert Burleigh

Filed under: Book Reviews, Elementary School, Picture Books
September 18, 2012

hit the road jack

Hit the Road, Jack by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Ross MacDonald

Opening this book, I was surprised that it was not based on the song at all.  Instead, this is a tribute to Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.  Jack in this picture book is a jackrabbit who longs to travel America.  So he leaves New York and rides his bicycle to Boston and then Buffalo.  Pennsylvania and Cleveland are next with Detroit too.  Jack spends some time in Chicago before heading back into the countryside and hopping a train.  A car carries him to the Great Plains and Mount Rushmore.  He sees the Rockies and the desert mesas before arriving at the Golden Gate.  Jack has reached his west coast destination, but the road still calls. 

Burleigh takes the picture book done in verse to another level here.  Never forced, always brimming with honesty and joy, this verse rhymes but does so in a sophisticated way.  It has all of the rhythm of the beat poets inside of it too, paying double homage to Kerouac both in subject and style.  Young readers will explore the United States in this book, but even better, they will get a feel for what makes America great. 

MacDonald’s illustrations have a playfulness and joy that matches the text well.  Done with a vintage feel, Jack has huge ears but is more human than rabbit most of the time.  Shown in his leather jacket and rolled-up jeans, Jack is the ideal companion on the road.

This is a special book where subject matter and form combine to create something all the more amazing.  It may be difficult to get this into the hands of the right kids, but it is worth the challenge for a book this good.  It will also make a great book to share with elementary classes studying the United States.  Appropriate for ages 6-8.

Reviewed from copy received from Abrams Books for Young Readers.

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Review: The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini

Filed under: Book Reviews, Teen — 1 Comment
September 17, 2012

other normals

The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini

Perry Eckert loves to play Creatures & Caverns in all of his spare time.  He doesn’t have any friends to play the game with, so he just creates characters.  When someone inspires him to create a character based on himself, he does.  Of course the character differs in some ways, like his red skin, yellow hair and tail, but he is also not that strong, not that fast, but full of honor.  Perry’s parents are worried about him being a social outcast, so they send him to summer camp.  There, Perry is swept into a world where Creatures & Caverns is real!  Even better, they need Perry to help them save their world.  All it will take is Perry kissing the most popular girl at camp.  No pressure.

Vizzini is a master of misfit characters.  He takes Perry and throughout the book reveals much more about him than just his geeky exterior.  Instead, we all discover that Perry is a true hero, filled with honor, who is intelligent and very brave.  Vizzini throws in realizations that Perry has about modern American life, about thinking too much and acting too little, that will resonate with readers. 

Vizzini does not shy away from swear words in critical places.  There is also some nudity (on the part of Perry) but I won’t ruin those parts for you.  Vizzini brings lots of humor to the story, enough to bring out big guffaws of laughter at times.  There is also plenty of adventure, some death, enormous monsters, and everything that D&D players would want in a book. 

Get this into the hands of kids you know who game.  They will enjoy not only the game brought to life idea, but also the winning hero at the heart of a great adventure.  Appropriate for ages 15-17.

Reviewed from ARC received from HarperCollins.

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Review: The Best Bike Ride Ever by James Proimos

Filed under: Book Reviews, Picture Books — 1 Comment
September 5, 2012

best bike ride ever

The Best Bike Ride Ever by James Proimos and Johanna Wright

All Bonnie has said for seven days is “I want a bike” so when she finally gets a bike on the eighth day, she just can’t wait to try it out.  She can’t even wait to be shown how to use a bike, instead she just hops aboard and pedals off.  There’s only one problem – she doesn’t know how to stop.  She rode her bike over bridges and on top of elephants, between giraffe legs, to the top of the Statue of Liberty and the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  Unfortunately though, she did stop in the end, by falling over.  Happily, her parents were there not to scold her but to show her how to use her bike.  In fact, Bonnie had the adventure of a lifetime right in her own backyard as sharp eyed children will figure out.

This book is entirely playful from the over-the-top begging for a bike to the wild ride through the entire world to the final twist at the end.  Readers will experience their own adventurous ride as they read this book, never knowing quite where Bonnie and the book are heading next.  It’s a lot of fun to read! 

The illustrations are quirky and bright.  Filled with details but never fussy, they have a life to them that adds to the spunk of the book.  They are also filled with motion and movement, which makes them all the more enjoyable.

Great fun, this wild ride of a book will have children wishing for their own bike.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books for Young Readers.

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Review: The Secret of the Stone Frog by David Nytra

Filed under: Book Reviews, Elementary School, Graphic Novels
August 30, 2012

secret of the stone frog

The Secret of the Stone Frog by David Nytra

Released September 11, 2012.

Upon opening this graphic novel, I was surprised.  Fine-lined black and white images that invite readers into an equally surprising story.  Leah and Alan wake up in an enchanted forest, not knowing how they got there or where they are.  Luckily, there is a stone frog to tell them which way to head and not to leave the path.  When they spot a house off of the path though, they just have to see if the people who live there will give them some food.  At the house, they discover huge bees in the garden and a woman with an enormous head who does invite them in for some cookies.  But the bees are not normal bees, and they start to collect the words that Alan is saying, leaving him unable to speak.  Leah manages to save his voice, but they are forced to flee.  Of course, they leave the path again, this time to discover lions who speak and rabbits as mounts.  There are more stone frogs, dark caves, unusual subways, and a strange city to explore.  This graphic novel is a tribute to traditional fairy tales but has its own magic to work too.

I am very taken with this book.  It is a modern version of an Alice in Wonderland story, complete with strange adult characters, an entire society that is warped and unusual, and discoveries around every corner.  Nytra seems to delight in the peculiar in his book, which also delighted me.  There are no explanations to this dreamy tale that sometimes verges closely to nightmare territory.

The art is unusual for a graphic novel, hearkening back more closely with old-fashioned tales than with a modern graphic novel.  While Nytra does use panels throughout, the art itself is fine-lined, detailed and worthy of reader exploration too.  It has a welcome surreal quality as well that suits the book well.

There is nothing better than a book that will surprise and delight you.  That’s guaranteed in this graphic novel.  Appropriate for ages 7-9.

Reviewed from copy received from Toon Books.

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Review: Bird & Squirrel on the Run by James Burks

Filed under: Book Reviews, Elementary School, Graphic Novels
August 21, 2012

bird and squirrel on the run

Bird & Squirrel on the Run by James Burks

Bird and Squirrel don’t exactly get along.  Bird just wants to have a good time and never worries about a thing.  Squirrel is obsessive about gathering nuts for the winter and worries constantly.  But when Squirrel’s hoard of nuts is destroyed, the two of them realize they need one another to head south for the winter.  Unfortunately, the cat has a different idea and that is having both Squirrel and Bird for lunch!  This zany graphic novel is filled with twists and turns that will have even the most reluctant readers eagerly turning the pages.

Burks takes two polar-opposite characters and in a brief story manages to bring them together as friends in a very believable way.  Throughout the book, there is silly humor, plenty of puns, and a wonderful sense of camaraderie.  The pacing is particularly well done, with small places to catch your breath before the pursuit continues.  There are always surprises waiting for the characters and the reader too.  It makes the reading all the more fun to get caught up in the unexpected.

In my advanced reader copy, the art was only completed for the first few pages in full color.  From those pages, the colors are deep and bright.  The feeling is nicely autumnal and the bright colors add to the zing of the book.  The art has a classic cartoon feel that will have readers feeling right at home.

Perfect for young reluctant readers looking for graphic novels, this book will find an eager audience.  Appropriate for ages 7-9.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.

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Review: Legends of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

Filed under: Book Reviews, Elementary School, Graphic Novels
August 16, 2012

legends of zita

Legends of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

Released September 4, 2012.

This is the sequel to the wonderful graphic novel, Zita the Spacegirl.  In this second book, Zita is having to deal with her fame seriously cramping her style.  She can’t go anywhere without security (in the form of the friends she made in the first book.)  So when an opportunity arises, Zita heads away with Mouse for a little time alone.  Little does Zita know, but a discontinued robot who can make herself look like another person, has disguised herself as Zita.  By the time Zita realizes what has happened, Piper and the others have left with her to try to save a planet.  Now Zita has to follow them and steals a spaceship to catch up.  Unfortunately, this makes her a criminal and the Doom Squad are after her.  This is just the beginning of another amazing adventure of Zita the Spacegirl.

Dealing with the negative side of her fame is a wonderful way to open this second book. Add to it the strange robot who can imitate people, the ferocious Doom Squad, and several new friends she makes along the way, and you have another Zita book that is impossible to put down.  Zita is a great protagonist, a fantastic mix of normal girl and heroine.  She has real adventures in space as a young girl, something you don’t often see in children’s graphic novels.  She also solves many of her own problems, not relying on others to save her. 

Hatke’s art is clean and clear and filled with color.  He manages to create characters who project their personalities just through a few facial expressions and their appearance.  His pacing is spot on, carrying the book forward as fast as you can turn the pages.

This series belongs in every public library, offering a great young heroine in graphic novel form.  Appropriate for ages 7-10.

Reviewed from copy received from First Second.

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Review: Cardboard by Doug TenNapel

Filed under: Book Reviews, Elementary School, Graphic Novels — 1 Comment
August 9, 2012

cardboard

Cardboard by Doug TenNapel

What’s the worst birthday present ever?  It just might be the cardboard box that Cam’s father had to give him.  Cam’s dad can’t find work, his mother is dead, and his family is falling apart.  But Cam is still optimistic about the fun the two of them can have together building things from cardboard.  Little does he know that the cardboard things they create are about to come to life!  There are rules that come with the magical cardboard.  Gather all of the scraps that are unused and return them to the man who gave Cam’s dad the cardboard.  Unfortunately, the local bully finds out that Cam has something worth taking away and starts to create an army of cardboard monsters.  What will it take for Cam and his dad to fix the misuse of magical cardboard?

TenNapel’s graphic novel is pure maniacal genius.  He takes a universal thing like playing with cardboard and makes it first pure magic and then dark and sinister.  He also carries the story to the extreme, refusing to back away and take an easier approach.  It makes for a riveting graphic novel that will have plenty of kid-appeal.  My only quibble is that the side story of the father’s romantic interest in the neighbor lady does not add to the story.

Because I am reviewing an advanced copy of the book, I don’t have it in the full color throughout.  The pages I do have are a mix of sandy tan, zips of red, deep purples with plenty of shadows in black.  He plays with angles and points of view, creating an entire world of cardboard before he is finished. 

This is a darker comic for kids, something that children will appreciate and gobble up.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.

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Review: It’s a Tiger by David LaRochelle

Filed under: Book Reviews, Picture Books
July 24, 2012

its a tiger

It’s a Tiger by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Jeremy Tankard

The story starts in the jungle filled with vines and trees.  You can look at the monkeys swinging around, but wait!  That’s not a monkey.  It looks like… a tiger! Run!  Whew.  Now we are safe inside a cave.  You’ll have to watch for bats and duck your head.  Wait, some of those shadows look like… a tiger!  Run!  The escapade continues through the jungle with snakes, but then you head on a boat to a deserted island.  Sure you are safe there.  Right?  Roar!

This fast-paced race through the jungle is exactly what squirmy toddlers need at the end of a story time.  The book has a great sense of timing and plenty of action.  The repetition of the tiger appearing over and over again, will have children merrily joining in and shouting along.  This is not a quiet book for contemplative reading, but instead a jolly book that will have children making plenty of noise. 

Tankard’s art is a huge part of the appeal here.  The thick-lined, orange ferocity of the tiger plays against the finer lines and subtler colors of the background.  The little boy who joins you in your trek through the jungle is also drawn in the thicker lines and pops on the page.  There is a feeling of motion and action throughout the book that brings the story even more fully to life.

A great pick for toddler story time, this is one book to have in your pile for when kids get restless.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

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Review: Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

Filed under: Book Reviews, Elementary School, Middle School
May 29, 2012

three times lucky

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

Mo LoBeau arrived in the small North Carolina town of Tupelo Landing as an infant riding on a hurricane wave.  She was discovered by the Colonel, a man also trapped in the storm who completely lost his memory.  Now at age 11, Mo helps the Colonel and Miss Lana run the café that is attached to their home.  It’s a quiet life, punctuated by the hope of her long-lost mother finding one of the bottles that Mo sends off upstream.  Then the law comes to town and things get interesting.  A murder was committed in a nearby town, then someone is murdered right in Tupelo Landing!  Mo and her best friend, Dale, form a detective agency and try to stay a step ahead of the police as they investigate the murder, try to clear Dale’s name, and worry that the Colonel may be mixed up in things too.  All Mo knows is that it is up to her to continue to trust the people she loves so fiercely and to prove their innocence. 

I must admit that I sighed a bit when I discovered that this was another book set in a small town in the south.  I knew that it would be filled with interesting small town characters, probably have a spunky heroine, and expected that it would be pretty formulaic as well.  It does have interesting small town characters, but also ones that resemble modern society.  As much as this is a story of a family that is created out of love alone, it is also the story of what a small town community can be.  Yes, Mo is spunky.  She is also smart, savvy and wonderfully inventive.  And while the story starts out in a familiar way, it quickly turns into a book that is a fun, fast-paced read.

The story is not as light-hearted as it might seem on the surface.  Dale lives with his mother in fear of his drunken father returning and beating him.  There are families that are divided in other ways, including money.  And without giving anything away, there are twists that are surprising in a children’s book.

Turnage’s writing is filled with humor.  She creates memorable characters, dancing quickly with stereotypes and then reaching beyond them to something that means much more.  She is not afraid of real danger in her book and she is also not shy about deep love.  It is a book about family, community, bravery and friendship. 

This is one to read on a slow summer day, preferably one threatening a nice fat thunderstorm.  Now if someone can just find me a real café like Miss Lana’s I’m all set.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Dial Books.

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