Clementine by Sara Pennypacker, pictures by Marla Frazee.

I am a fan of books about real little girls who are not obsessed with being princesses, but are more down and dirty people who refuse to conform.  And in Clementine, I found exactly that. 

Clementine is an eight-year-old who struggles to pay attention at school and continually finds herself in the principal’s office for some infraction.  At the start of the book, Clementine finds her best friend and neighbor Margaret crying in the bathroom because she got glue in her hair and cut it out.  Clementine offers to balance the haircut but it doesn’t look right, so Margaret decides she should just cut all of it off.  And Clementine does. “Which is not exactly easy with those plastic art scissors, let me tell you.”  And that is just the beginning of Clementine’s week. 

The writing is very funny and would be perfect to read aloud to a class of first or  second graders.  I think they would all find a piece of themselves in Clementine.  The illustrations contribute so much to the book as well.  Often things that are just mentioned in passing are captured in the pictures, make the book that much deeper.  And we all know how important scattered pictures in a chapter book are.  These illustrations will invite young readers in and the writing will keep them there. 

Clementine is a small sweet treat of a book.  And just like her namesake she lingers enjoyably on your palate as well.  I only hope that we see more of her in the future.

The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld.

This was one of those books that made me dance with joy when I got it in on the library reserve shelf.  Luckily I work with people who understand book lust, so they just humor me. 

Last Days is a sequel to Peeps, the amazing vampire novel that combined vampirism with communicable diseases.  This novel takes us further into the  epidemic occuring in New York City where all sorts of people are becoming peeps and the society is beginning to crumble due to the epidemic.  The situation is seen through the eyes of five teens, who form a band together in the middle of the chaos, looking to make themselves famous before the end of the world.  Westerfeld’s writing as always is fast-paced, enjoyable, and consuming.  His characters are individuals who make mistakes, find themselves caught in world-changing situations, but remain true to themselves. 

Recommend this to those kids who already love Westerfeld.  For those who don’t, make sure you start them on Peeps.  Any kids who enjoy horror, apocalyptic fiction, or band fiction will love this.  Don’t you just adore books that sell themselves and get teens asking for more by the same author?  And even better, Westerfeld has several series to get teens really hooked. 

I Can Do It by Jana Novotny Hunter, illustrated by Lucy Richards.

When I picked up this book, I expected a toddler book about a small child wanting to do things by themselves: a subject that has been covered again and again in charming ways.  But this is something different.

A little guinea pig boy is off to nursery school.  His day is described in adjectives.  One spread is about being FAST, another about QUIET, another about CLEVER.  And the adjectives carry him through his day from entering preschool to being picked up at the end of the day.  This is a great book for having conversations about what words describe your day and how you can change throughout your day.  Add to that the fact that it is a reassuring, sweet book about preschool and this is a real gem.

What a treat!  I have just read two humorous books about teen boys that I would recommend to any teen boy who is willing to pick up a book (and the teen girls too!)

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.

This is the second book by the winner of the Printz Medal for Looking for Alaska.  I know that he won the Printz for that book, but I enjoyed his second one even more.  I always appreciate books for teens that have a great sense of humor, because it is that humor that will get kids through those years of angst and hormones. 

Colin has just been dumped by the 19th girl named Katherine he has dated.  He feels like a piece of himself has gone missing and that he has no idea how to find it.  His best friend, Hassan, forces Colin on a road trip to help take his mind off of his depression.  They find themselves in Gutshot, Tennessee visiting the grave of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.  Why?  Because Colin is a child-prodigy who enjoys collecting facts.  But he considers himself a failed prodigy because he has yet to do anything remarkable.  The two boys discover much more than a monument in Gutshot in this funny novel filled with swearing in several languages, fascinating factoids in footnotes, and a theorem that just may predict if relationships will thrive or fail. 

Green’s humor will have you laughing outloud.  Truly.  The wild pig hunting scene had me doubled over laughing as I tried to continue to read, only to start guffawing again.  To pay it the ultimate compliment, it rivaled Gary Paulsen’s Harris and Me.  Thoughout the book readers will find little gems of humor that beg to be read aloud and shared.  I think this will be the type of book passed from one teen to the other just to enjoy a good laugh together. 

Even better, the book is not just funny, but also has insights into being popular, accepting your own strangeness, and realizing that to be different does not mean that you are alone.   This is a book for all real teens out there.  It will speak to them and they will see themselves somewhere in the pages looking back.  Simply great.

Flotsam by David Wiesner.

Wiesner is one of those authors/illustrators that you know is going to create something amazing every time he publishes a book.  And this book lives up to that reputation. 

This wordless picture book follows a boy playing by the seashore.  When he is slammed by a wave, he discovers a camara washed up on the shore.  He rushes to a one-hour photo shop to develop the film and reload the camera.  What he sees in the photographs is amazing and inspires him to take his own picture and then return the camera once again to the sea. 

Wiesner has captured the pure exhilaration of exploring a beach.  From the sandy endpapers and the first image of a boy’s eye looking at a crab, the reader is captured.  The realism in the illustrations is the perfect foil for the magical fantasy world revealed in the photographs the boy develops.  The photographs are done with the same realism, tricking the eye for a second before you discover the strangeness of what you are really seeing. 

This is not a book for a crowd.  It is a book for a small group to savor.  I can see it inspiring all sorts of art projects based on other realistic settings with fantastical elements.  I can see it inspiring writing about the worlds that are glimpsed on the pages.  And I can see the book being asked for again and again by children who want to simply create their own story for a few minutes. 

Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick.

Released in October.

It rarely happens, but every so often I start reading a book and realize on the first page that this is a book I am really going to enjoy.  This is one of those books. 

Alex is a 16-year-old who is angry at his parents for splitting up.  So he decides to shake them up a little by driving to his father’s house and telling him off.  Unfortunately, Alex has also been drinking and ends up beheading a neighbors lawn gnome. 

Alex is sentenced to 100 hours of service at a senior center where he is assigned to their toughest resident, Sol Lewis, a wise-cracking, hard-as-nails man who completely confuses Alex by calling him names in Yiddish.  Slowly and realistically, Alex and Sol begin to bond through their guitar playing and humor. 

The writing in this book is zingy, sparkling and energizing.  It is pure pleasure to read the wry observations of Alex that play off of Sol’s insults.  The adults, from Sol to the nurses to Alex’s parents, are well-drawn and fleshed out.  The novel speaks to the power of music, forgiveness of family members, and the forging of new connections.  But it is not heavyhanded because of the infectious humor.   There is no sex in the novel and the only violence comes from a beheading of a lawn ornament and Alex’s best friend Laurie’s anger at a headboard.   Teens with a sense of humor, and that is most of them, will enjoy this book. 

Readers are sometimes warned to have a tissue ready, but in this case make sure you are reading where you can laugh out loud.    This one makes it on to my top five of the year.  Solidly. 

Let’s Play in the Forest While the Wolf Is Not Around by Claudia Rueda. 

This winning picture book is based on a Colombian play-song and has the simple melody appended at the end of the book.  You can either read the book aloud or choose to sing it.  Either way, it is a lot of fun.  The book is about a group of animals who decide that they are going to play in the forest as long as the wolf is not there.  They call out, “Wolf are you there?” and the wolf replies that he is putting on his underwear, combing his hair, etc.  Then the next verse starts with them once again declaring that they will  play in the forest.  It goes round and round again, rhythmically building the tension as the wolf gets more and more ready….for school.

This is a natural read aloud that kids will adore.  It is even better if you learn the simple melody and sing it along with the children.  I can see this becoming a staple in preschools that is asked for again and again.  Enjoy!

Lush by Natasha Friend.

Sam is a teenage girl living in an alcoholic household.  She can’t have friends over for sleep overs, has to hide her father’s drinking from the neighbors, and finds herself getting angrier and angrier.  To relieve some of the pressure, she picks a nice looking older teen to send a note to about her situation.  But the note doesn’t get read by the person she wants it to.  Instead she finds herself not getting sympathy, but getting tough love.  Sam keeps on writing, intrigued by the person writing her back.  As her father’s drinking becomes worse, Sam finds that she can no longer help him by hiding it. 

Friend, author of Perfect, has done it again.  She has created a well-written, accessible book about a real teen girl who has to make heart-rending decisions that not only affect her but her entire family.  The book is a quick read that is sure to be popular with teen girls looking for problem novels.  But they will discover that some problem novels, like this one, are the best of the bunch.

Ella Sets the Stage by Carmela and Steven D’Amico.

If you haven’t read any of the Ella books yet, you are missing a treat.  The books have an old-fashioned feel of Babar and Curious George that is warm and welcoming.  Ella is an enchanting elephant who is quite shy.  So for her, it is hard to figure out what to do at the upcoming talent show at her school.  She tries and tries to figure out what her talent actually is, but even on the night of the show, she doesn’t know what she is going to do.  Luckily, her natural talent of helping others comes to the rescue. 

These picture books are slightly longer than most, but don’t let that turn you away.  The text flows well and tells a direct story with touches of humor throughout.  It is the perfect length for use with Kindergarteners.  Make sure you go back and share the whole series!