Non-fiction book review - Jars of Hope

Title: Jars of Hope
Author: Jennifer Roy

We need to hear more stories like this one, more stories of everyday people who did extraordinarily dangerous things simply because it is the right thing to do. This one is particularly suited to upper elementary kids with simple vocabulary and sentence structure. Each page has a short paragraph of text supported by a full page illustration. Books like this one are great to use when you first introduce young children to the history of the Holocaust. While it is horrific, that horror can be somewhat balanced by stories of bravery and kindness and renewed faith in humanity.

More information: Jars of Hope releases August 1.

Book review - Piper Green and the Fairy Tree

Title: Piper Green and the Fairy Tree
        Piper Green and the Fairy Tree: Too Much Good Luck
Author: Ellen Potter
Genre: realistic fiction, very mild fantasy
Similar books: Clementine by Sarah Pennypacker
                     Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord
Rating:

cute

Summary: In the first book, we meet Piper Green, a second grader living on an island off the coast of Maine. The island is so small that elementary students take a boat to school every day. Older kids, like Piper's brother, board on the mainland. It's the first year that her brother has lived away from home and Piper misses him desperately. So much so that she's determined to wear his earmuffs every day, much to the consternation of her parents and her teacher.
Book two finds Piper experiencing a string of good luck. Her friend Jacob thinks it might be too much good luck. Sure enough, a new student in their class seems to have introduced a trend of bad luck that just seems to get worse every minute. Piper decides to set the world back on a positive path with the help of the fairy tree.

My Opinion: These really are cute little books. For their brief length, they have a decent amount of characterization. Quirky, funny, and meaningful. The characters are, at times, bizarre but in a way that is more charming than distancing. The simple vocabulary is accessible to young readers without talking down to them. The already fun stories are only improved by the cartoon style illustrations that highlight the supplement the text.

More information: The first two books in the Piper Green series release August 4.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Puppet plans

Ever since I got started making puppets with kids, I've taken more notice of how professional puppets work. This also means that I've been known to sketch out plans for elaborate puppets. This particular puppet is inspired by a character from the Team Starkid show Starship. The rod that extends out the back of his head is bent, allowing it to hook into the puppeteers belt (or it can be held like a regular puppet rod) and the rods from his feet attach to the puppeteers shoes, allowing him to walk with a halfway natural gait. If I ever manage to make this guy he'll stand about waist high in his natural, knees bent, pose. Of course at the moment, he's well beyond my skill level.

Someday, frog man. Someday.

Book review - The Doublecross

Title: The Doublecross: and Other Skills I Learned as a Superspy
Author: Jackson Pearce
Genre: thriller
Similar books: School for S.P.I.E.S. #1 Playing with Fire by Bruce Hale
                     NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society by Michael Buckley
Rating:

a pretty fun read

Summary: The Sub Rosa Society is all Hale has ever known. His parents have been SRS spies his entire life. Hale and his sister are training to become junior agents and it's all Hale has ever wanted. Of course, he's not your stereotypical spy. Unathletic, he has to work twice as hard as his fellow trainees. Then his parents disappear on a mission and SRS says they can't be rescued. It's up to Hale to infiltrate enemy headquarters and bring his parents home.
 
My Opinion: Hale is a great protagonist. Not only is he somewhat of a non-traditional hero (his mother calls him big-boned, the bullies call him fat), it's not luck or even his body type that allows him to succeed. It's a combination of his unique perspective and sheer determination. Simply put, Hale tries harder. He knows he can't compete physically so he finds his own work-arounds. While the plot is somewhat predictable, the quirky characters and great pacing make up for that weakness. The appeal factor is pretty high for middle grade readers.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Picture books for everyone

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: an African tale  by John Steptoe

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters is the story of two girls: one who values kindness and the other who values power. Their king calls all "worthy and beautiful" girls to be considered in his quest for a queen. On their journey to the king, Manyara time and again proves to be self-serving while Nyasha, faced with the same situations, is kind and generous. In essence, this is a simple story about the value of generosity and true beauty. What makes this a great choice for older kids is detail. The writing is elegant and atmospheric (consider this line: "Just as they entered through the great doors, the air was rent by piercing cries."). The illustrations are fantastically detailed, creating texture and nuance. It's a slightly more sophisticated fairy tale, a change of pace from the watered down tales to which kids have become accustomed.

Non-fiction book review

Title: The Constitution of the United States of America: modern edition
Edited by Henry Bain

My library owns a hard cover edition of the Constitution for kids. It's incredibly over sized, in no way fits on a shelf, and rarely circulates. So this book already has the advantage of being a "normal" size. My favorite feature of this book, though, is the side by side glossary. It's nice not having to flip to the back when you don't know a word. I also appreciate the reorganization of it, grouping like concepts together, while also maintaining the original order in the second half for historical accuracy. While this isn't a book most kids will pick up for pleasure reading, it's a great resource likely to be picked up by homeschoolers or kids working on projects.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Book review - Night of the Frankenfrogs

Title: The Creeps #1: Night of the Frankenfrogs
Author: Chris Schweizer
Genre: horror, mystery, graphic novel
Similar books: Chickenhare by Chris Grine
                     Cardboard by Doug TenNapel
Rating:

odd but fun

Summary: The kids of Pumpkins County are used to seeing monsters. The only once who seem to care are the Creeps: Mitchell, Jarvis, Carol, and Rosario. Their efforts tend to get them in trouble but that won't stop them from trying. Someone has stolen the dissection frogs from the biology lab and they're beginning to show up as reanimated monsters. Their classmates don't care as long as it gets them out of classwork. It's up to the Creeps to track down the culprit and save the town.

My opinion: This book is like a cross between Goosebumps and Scooby Doo. Funny and creepy at turns, there is a level of real science backing up the oddness. Visually, it is reminiscent of Nickelodeon cartoons from the mid 90s. The cast of characters is broad and each kid's strength comes into play solving the mystery and stopping the monsters. While this book lacks the heart and complexity of Schweizer's Crogan series, its a fun read likely to appeal to young readers.

More information: Night of the Frankenfrogs releases August 11.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.