Aggie and Ben: three stories by Lori Ries, illustrated by Frank W. Dormer. 

This is a charming early chapter book!  Ben is a young boy who gets to select a new pet.  He thinks about all of his options, but finally decides on a puppy, Aggie.  In the second chapter, Ben decides to pretend to be a puppy like Aggie, but sometimes Aggie’s habits are a little off-putting.  And finally, Ben and Aggie try to sleep through the night together but Aggie continues to see strange things in the dark. 

The writing by Ries is clever.  I especially enjoyed Ben’s thoughts as he considered each choice for a pet and rejected them.  The humor is understated but children will immediately understand it.  Just a lovely, easy read.  Dormer’s illustrations give the book a feel of an early reader graphic novel where the illustrations are self-contained and boxed in, giving a comic strip feel to the book.   I think this will increase child appeal even more.  The text on each page is quite brief and not overwhelming at all for new readers.  This one is certainly a winner.

Give this to newly emergent readers.  Boys and girls alike will fall in love with the characters and will join me in waiting eagerly for the next volume of Ben and Aggie stories.

My Mother’s Sari by Sandhya Rao, illustrated by Nina Sabnani.

An interesting mix of fabrics and painting, this picture book captures the essence of the beauty, grace and flexibility of a sari through the eyes of a child.  With pieces of real sari material, we see a small girl interact with the sari and show the many ways it can be:  long like a train, used as a hammock, or a safe blanket for a nap.  The joy on the child’s face as she explores the vibrant fabrics is contagious.   The words are simple and evocative, especially the final spread.  They will encourage all children to explore, play and dream. 

This is a great choice to add to units on clothing, because for some children it will serve as a window to another culture and for others they will see themselves and their mothers’ clothing reflected back to them.  Because of the simplicity of the text, it can be shared with preschoolers.  The text is brief enough for toddlers, but they may not understand some of the more ephemeral charm of the book. 

Elusive Moose by Joan Gannji, illustrated by Clare Beaton. 

This is a book where small children can have the joy of finding the moose on each page.  Gannji has created poetry that carries children through the illustrations, naming the animals that readers see.  Her poetry is comfortable and clean, perfect for reading aloud.  The illustrations by Beaton are exceedingly well done in a variety of fabrics, stitches, and beadings.  When I showed the book to children, they ran their hands over the cover and each page to see if it felt like fabric.  Everything from stars to flowers to moths to berries and leaves are captured in fabric collages. 

Share this one as a read aloud for toddlers and preschoolers.  It will be useful for units on wildlife or animals.  But can also be used in a program on seasons and the changes that can be seen as the moose moves through the year. 

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin.

I started hearing about this book much earlier in the year from people who read the ARC.  I just couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.  Some books dont’ live up to the high expectations, but this one does.  I would rate it one of the best of the year, if not the best. 

Matthew has rules to survive living with his mother.  He pretends to be grateful and loving when she is in a good mood, never crosses her in a bad mood, and protects his two younger siblings from her as best he can.  His mother is a violent promiscuous drug user who struggles with her own demons.  Matthew is trapped because he can never leave his sisters behind with her.  But then Matthew finds a man in a quick mart who stands up to an abusive father and realizes that this man, Murdoch may be able to help them.  As Matthew starts to try to find Murdoch, his mother finds out and begins her own relationship with Murdoch that will drag him into the family’s drama. 

This novel is about abuse, bravery, duty, and strength.  It is about living in fear as both a child and an adult.  It is about adults who can suddenly choose to be involved and in doing so can save children.  It is powerful, amazing, and breathtaking.  Werlin’s prose is raw, troubled, honest and angry, speaking directly from the gut.  Matthew is a complex character as are his younger sisters and each reacts to the abuse by their mother in a different and complicated way.  Adding power to the story, Nikki, the mother, is also not stereotypical, but demonstrates how abuse can be more than physical.  She is a frightening, horrid character, but readers will glimpse her humanity as well, which is a truly remarkable feat of authorship. 

This book calls out to be booktalked and will fly off the shelves.  It has a strong cover and can be recommended to all of the teens who enjoy A Child Called It.  It has a strong crossover appeal for adults and would make a great book discussion title for teen/parent book discussions.  This one is my top choice of the year so far. 

The Prince’s Bedtime by Joanne Oppenheim, illustrated by Miriam Latimer.

The young prince simply will not go to bed!  His royal parents try everything from warm millk to a soft quilt.  Finally they call out to the kingdom for help.  The doctor tries to give him sleeping draughts, but he refuses to take them.  He ends up the only one awake after everyone else gives them a sip.  Then dancers perform to get him tired, but again the prince is the only one still dancing at dawn.  The ideas continue from magic to large pillows, but no luck.  Until an old lady comes to the castle and pulls out a book.  A bedtime story.

Children will relate to the prince in the story as he stays awake far into the night.  They will also enjoy the humor of the all of the attempts to get the prince to sleep and the many ways they fail.  The book is written in rhyme which carries the story onward with the romping energy of the little prince.  The energetic, bright-colored and quirky illustrations also fill the book with zest and movement. 

While perfect as a bedtime story tucked under your own soft covers and with your own pillow, this would also be a winner at a pajama storytime or special pajama day at school.  I promise you, no one will doze off with this one being read aloud!

Dairy Queen by Catherinie Gilbert Murdock.

As I continue to read through books that people have been raving about, I encountered this entirely wonderful teen novel.  DJ is a teenager who feels as if her whole life has been taken over by caring for the family farm.  She isn’t sure where her life is headed, especially since she failed English the year before.  Then Brian Nelson, the quarterback for a rival football team gets sent by his coach to their farm to learn about working hard, and DJ slowly finds that she can talk with Brian more easily than with anyone else in her life.  As she learns to open up with Brian, DJ also begins to be more honest with herself about the troubles in her family and what she really wants in life.  And she definitely knows that she does not want to continue to do just what is expected of her. 

 Murdock captures Wisconsin and family farms in a wonderful way.  I had a great friend in high school who was a DJ, a tomboy who worked more than her share of hours on the family farm.  And like DJ, she struggled with obligations vs dreams. 

The quality of writing in this novel is lovely.  The quality of characterization lifts this far above other books that it could be compared to.   The author never gets in the way of the story, allowing the book to read easily.  It is like a scoop of homemade ice cream, that allows you to understand the work that is needed, be in awe of those who can do it, and is very satisfying at the end.  Lovely stuff.

Recommend to any girl at all.  Anyone will love it and recognize their own struggles with breaking free from expectations.