Here is the Shortlist for Children’s Books (really much more like teen book):
Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd
Troubadour by Mary Hoffman
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera (not out yet in the US)
The Costa Book Award is given to the most enjoyable books of the year by writers from the UK and Ireland. You may remember them as I do as the Whitbread Awards but they have a new name now.
When the World Is Ready for Bed by Gillian Shields, illustrated by Anna Currey
It’s bedtime and the entire world starts to get ready. The little rabbits are called back to their cozy cottage. The flowers close, night birds sing. The evening routine starts. There is warm soup for supper. Toys have to be tidied up. Time for talking about the day. Then baths, teeth, and faces. Stories, prayers, and hugs. And one final glimpse of a bright star in the sky.
This quiet bedtime story has the warmth and feel of a very traditional English tale like Peter Rabbit. The story is told in short rhyming verses that add to the feeling of tradition and also to the feeling of a gentle nighttime routine. Currey’s art reflects that same sense of timelessness and coziness. From the soft cozy furniture to the toys strewn across the floor even after tidying up.
This is a book to sink into, read again and again, and make part of your regular bedtime routine. Appropriate for ages 1-4.
Reviewed from library copy.
Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
This sequel to Lament continues the story of Dee and James, this time from James’ perspective. Now the two of them are at Thornking-Ash, a boarding highschool for musically talented teens. James is an incredibly talented piper and his talent draws in a faerie who seeks out musicians and gives them great music in exchange for years of their lives. Nuala arrives ready to make a deal with James, but as they get to know one another better, her motives change. Now they must deal with the fact that Nuala lives only 16 years and will be burned alive on Halloween only to return reborn without any memories. And on top of that, they have to stop the cunning other faeries who are searching for more power through Dee.
Stiefvater has outdone herself here. Her prose is thorny, magical, and gripping. The novel draws you into its faerie ring and won’t release you until you are gasping for breath from the dance. Her characterization of James is poignant and soul searching combined with a sarcasm and wit that really brings him to life. Nuala is a character readers will be set to detest, but will slowly warm to just as James does. She is a complex character who changes through the course of the book believably.
The setting of the school is done very well. It becomes both an area of safety and a place of fear. The campus setting is ideal for this sort of story with its separateness, community and structure.
Impossible to put down, breathlessly turning and spinning, this novel is a wonder. Highly recommended to all libraries and to all teens who loved Lament, this book is appropriate for ages 13-17.
Reviewed from copy received from publisher.
Also reviewed by Bib-Laura-graphy, Angieville, Jen Robinson’s Book Page, Library Lounge Lizard, The Well-Read Child, and Charlotte’s Library.
Not Last Night but the Night Before by Colin McNaughton, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark
A little boy runs to answer the door and there are three black cats there. They rush in and knock him to the ground. Then the man in the moon is at the door, he also rushes in. And so one after the other fairy tale characters knock on the door and then shove, push, and knock the boy right down. Finally when Punch, Judy, Baby and Crocodile knock on the door, they shake hands and greet him warmly. And that is when readers and the little boy suddenly understand where everyone was headed and why.
McNaughtons rhymes are bouncy and great fun to read aloud. They invite you into the silliness and imagination at play here. Clark’s illustrations are equally inviting as they depict beloved characters. I particularly love the way the characters wait patiently and sweetly at the door but then proceed to barge in and down goes the boy again. That little tension before each onslaught is delicious.
This is ideal for reading aloud. It will work best for children who know the characters, but those just learning about them will enjoy the energy and fun here too. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
Reviewed from library copy.
Here Comes Jack Frost by Kazuno Kohara
The author of Ghosts in the House returns with another great seasonal title. A lonely boy who hates winter discovers frosty patterns on his windows and then Jack Frost himself. Jack Frost playfully runs away from the boy, telling him that he can’t jump over the pond. But the boy had ice skates and he and his dog twirl across the ice. When Jack Frost runs over a hill, the boy and his dog use a sled. After a rousing snowball fight, Jack Frost agrees to stay with the boy as long as he never mentions anything warm. So they build snowmen, ski, and play. Until one day, there are signs of spring.
The story here is charming, filled with all of the classic winter ways to play. Kohara’s prose is clear and simple. It is the illustrations that really make the book soar with their bright whites and blues that range from icy to midnight. Without any spangles or sparkles, this book gleams with cold. Prickly Jack Frost with his sharp lines contrasts beautifully with the boy in his rounded hat and coat.
A marvelous choice for snowy story times, this book is ideal for toddlers. Read it at home with plenty of blankets and a mug of cocoa to keep cuddly. Appropriate for ages 2-5.
Reviewed from library copy.
Also reviewed by A Year of Reading.
So if you saw New Moon this weekend, what did you think?
The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex
Steve was a great fan of the Bailey Brothers who star in a series of detective novels. In fact, Steve considered their series and The Bailey Brothers’ Detective Handbook to be the best books ever. But even though he had read their books through several times, Steve was very surprised when he went to the library to work on his report about early American needlework and was attacked! Steve now had to recover a national treasure, evade secret-agent librarians, and clear his name of national treason. Oh, and finish his report by Monday.
An amazing riff on and homage to classic detective series like the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, this book is hilarious, exciting and just pure fun. Barnett’s tone dances between tongue-in-cheek and sincerity with great ease. Steve is a great protagonist, eagerly following the advice of the Bailey Brothers throughout his own adventure even though things rarely go as planned.
Rex’s illustrations are vintage Hardy Boys, done in black and white with gray washes of shadow. Just as with the novel itself, Rex plays with the format, making it modern but vintage at the same time.
Highly recommended for all libraries, this book begs to be shared with others. It would make a super read aloud for elementary school classes, because of its episodic nature and cliffhanging chapters. Appropriate for ages 9-13.
Reviewed from copy received from publisher.
Also reviewed by Book Trends, TheHappyNappyBookseller, and Fuse #8.
Running on the Cracks by Julia Donaldson
Leo just can’t stay at her aunt and uncle’s house any more. Her parents are both dead, so she heads to Glasgow to search for her grandparents using only a few clues that her father had given her over the years. After a few days of homelessness, Leo is rescued by Mary, a recent psychiatric patient, who tends to take in waifs and strays. The newspapers carry stories of Leo’s disappearance, so she is forced to hide in Mary’s apartment and only goes out at dawn to sketch. Finlay, a teen who wants to be tougher than he really is, meets Leo when she steals doughnuts from a cart he works at. He recognizes her as the missing girl and only later becomes a friend and protector. As Leo continues to hide from the authorities, her group of friends become more like family to her. But just when she begins to relax a bit, her uncle appears and the dangers of living with him become clear.
This story mixes tension with a story that is deep and moving. The tension of pursuit is constantly present in the story, but the meat of the book is really Leo’s search for her family and for a safe haven and the people she encounters and bonds with in that journey. Leo is a great biracial character. Her Chinese background plays an important role in the story and in her search for her family. She is a well-written character who shows great strength and ingenuity in the face of so many difficulties. It is also wonderful to see a male protagonist in Finlay who is just as strongly written and interesting as Leo. The pairing makes this a great choice for all readers.
Another aspect of the novel is the character of Mary who suffers from mental illness. She offers Leo protection and a home, but her moods and actions become more and more disorganized as the novel goes on. Her illness is portrayed with honesty and not hostility, which is refreshing.
I am not a fan of the cover. I wish it showed more of Leo and Finlay who make an intriguing pair of friends.
A fast-paced novel, this book reads quickly and despite darker themes is more about the positive side of life. Appropriate for ages 12-15.
Reviewed from copy received from publisher.
Grumpy Grandpa by Heather Henson, illustrated by Ross MacDonald
A little boy talks about his grandpa who is always grumpy. Every year he and his parents drive to spend two weeks on his grandpa’s farm. The little boy has to be quiet and not disturb his grandpa. He tries to stay out of grandpa’s way so that he isn’t yelled at like the TV or the dog, but it’s not so easy. Every afternoon, after a nap, Grandpa leaves the farm alone. The little boy wonders where he goes. Then the next day, Grandpa takes the boy along. They head to a boat on a pond with fishing poles. Now he has to be really quiet and still. Grumpy Grandpa just keeps getting grumpier. The little boy decides to leave, forgetting he is in a boat. Splash! Now how will Grumpy Grandpa react to being tipped overboard?
So many picture books show grandparents as bread baking, snowy haired saints, but many children have grandparents who don’t naturally bond with young children. The beauty of this picture book is that yes the grandfather is grumpy, but it turns out he has a great sense of humor and remembers being a boy himself. Henson’s text is humorous and allows readers to see that Grandpa isn’t that grumpy even before the young boy understands it.
MacDonald’s illustrations have a vintage feel. Done in watercolor, they evoke picture books from the 50s. This works particularly well with the homey and timeless nature of the story.
As someone who had a rather grumpy grandma, I am happy to see a book that really shows what’s underneath the crusty exterior of some grandparents. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
Reviewed from copy received from publisher.
