Margaret Hodges is dead at age 94. She is the author of books like St. George and the Dragon, winner of the Caldecott Medal. Fans of her writing can expect two more of her books to be published posthumously.
Day: December 29, 2005
Let It Snow!
The Salisbury Post has an article from the Rowan Public Library with a group of recommended snow books to share with children. And the list is completely wonderful with some old favorites, some new surprises and my son’s favorite snow book in recent years, Martin MacGregor’s Snowman by Lisa Brodie Cook.
I Am Reading Books
Here are a pair of easy reader books from the I Am Reading series. Both will appeal to kids who like monsters, witches, and other semi-scary beasties.
Creepy Customers by Samantha Hay, illustrated by Sarah Warburton is the story of Steve who is forced to help out his dad in the pharmacy during the first day of his school vacation. He expects it to be dull, but then a parade of strange customers arrive. Kids will enjoy seeing who is coming into the shop next. This is a book that will get even kids who don’t enjoy reading started.
The Perfect Monster by Sally Grindley, illustrated by Erica-Jane Waters features Mungus Bigfoot, a monster who is the loudest, rudest, smelliest, and worst monster in his class. Because he is so good at being a monster, he is asked to help Emily Twinkletoes become more monsterlike. But Emily is more like a human child. She tries to be nice, worries about how others feel, and sings instead of growling. As Mungus starts to teach Emily, he realizes that it is nice to have a kind friend. But how are they going to have her become the perfect monster then? This is a light, sweet story where the monster theme will draw kids in.
The Bonemender
The Bonemender by Holly Bennett is a great read. It is the story of Gabrielle, the daughter of a king, who was born with a unique power of healing with her hands. No one has ever seen anything like it, but she trains with the local healer and uses her talent to heal those around her. Then two strange men arrive, one of them bearing an awful wound to his thigh. Gabrielle heals the man, and in the process learns that they are elves and gradually falls in love with one of them. But the elves come bearing terrible news of an invasion of their peaceful kingdom by dark forces. The elves and humans must join together to fight off this foe.
The story is a mix of romance, fantasy and war story. It is a fast read, told from both Gabrielle’s point of view and Feolan, the elf she loves. Give this to fantasy lovers as well as romance readers. It is a perfect stepping stone for teens who will enjoy paranormal romances.
Waking Brain Cells 