Welcome to this month's children's book reviews. Every
month we review special children's books. We are always looking for new books to stimulate
young readers. Whether its a simple children's story book to read a child to sleep, or a book
that shows children the enchanting worlds they can find through reading, we continue to search for
new treasures in children's books. We've recently expanded our coverage to include books for
teens and preteens.
Teen Kyle Parker returns with his group of friends he calls "The Secret Agents" to
Lucinda Winston, the cute girl who has a huge crush on the clueless Kyle, is in
trouble. Or rather, her mom is in trouble. Lucinda's mother is a professor of
biology at NYU and something from her past has come back to haunt her. She's so
frightened that she's thinking of moving the whole family out of New York City
to Atlanta. Its up to Kyle and the Secret Agents to ferret out the culprit and
keep Lucinda close to him. It's an engrossing teen adventure that's sure to
be a hit in your house.
This newest episode in The Chronicles of Imagination Geographica series takes
us to the Far East. Our heroes John, Jack and Charles are now Caretakes of
the Imaginarium Geographica and they've come together to solve the mysterious
kidnappings of children of the Archipelago. Their adventure takes them from
Kensington Gardens in England to places of ancient legend and dragonships.
(Be sure to check out our review of "Awakening the Dragon: The Dragon Boat Festival"
in our June, 2007 issue to learn more about the centuries of history behind
the dragon boats). Its a full-sized fantasy tale of mystery and
adventure for children in the upper grades.
There's a New Name in School by Melissa de la Cruz
The Ashleys rule their circle at their posh preparatory school for the
well-to-do, but there's a new girl who's out the challenge the social status
quo. Lauren Page has gone to school with the Ashley's all her life, but
she's outgrown her shyness and low self-esteem and is more than a match
for the clique kids who used to bully her. This is an obvious choice for the
young pre-teen or tween who needs a bit of an ego boost, but nestled in a thoughtful plot.
I Left My Sneakers in Dimension X by Bruce Coville
Rod Allbright returns in this cute kid's sci-fi adventure. Rod and his cousin Elspeth
are kidnapped by the evil monster from Dimension X named Smorkus Flinders. He holds
the two hostage to try to trap Rod's alien friends. Its a hoot. All kids will love it,
and I'm sure lots of parents will, too. Its a worthy sequel to "Aliens Ate My Homework"
from noted children's book author Bruce Coville.
Its another fun book from the Edgar and Ellen series. Are you a Shifty Schemer or An
Impulsive Imp? Not to worry... this isn't a guide to dirty tricks for the grade
school crowd. Its more of a spoof, filled with gags and tongue-in-cheek instructions
for plotting your next piece of mischief. You can't go wrong with Edgar and Ellen.
Trucks Roll! (Richard Jackson Books (Atheneum Hardcover)) by George Ella Lyon
This is a big fun picture book for preschoolers that teaches them about the giant
vehicles that do so many wonderful things that always captivate youngsters with their
size and bluster. Accompanying the simple block illustrations are Dr. Seuess-like
rhymes that tell the story of big rigs and other trucks that haul and plow and so much more!
Perfect for a quick bedtime read.
Its a madhouse when Grandpa tries to bake a giant chocolate cake for grandma's birthday.
He can't make it with regular kitchen utensils because he wants to make it so big. So
he uses trucks and giant bags of flour and sugar, and everyone has a good time climbing
on the cake to spread out the frosting. Its a fun picture book for children 4-8 years old.
Three very different teens Seneca, Drew, and Claire are thrown together when they
take summer jobs at the King's Crown Resort and Spa in this gritty little novel.
Claire has rediscovered her Christianity and is working at the spa to improve herself
and to raise money so she can travel to Mexico to help some hurricane victims. Claire's
cabinmates; Drew the girl from Florida who's escaping a home life that has become something
of a soap opera, and Seneca, the girl from a well-to-do family, don't seem to care a whit
about her and they bicker frequently at first. But as the summer progresses, they all
come to understand themselves and each other much better as they encounter new loves and
different people. Its a down-to-earth novel, if nothing else, and young teens are
sure to find it engrossing.
Its another in the Nick jr. The Backyardigans series. Its five backyard barnyard
stories for early readers. Joyously illustrated with cute critters and fun little
stories, youngsters will certainly be reading this book over and over again.
Its the personal stories of about a dozen teens as they try to cope with parents,
teachers, boyfriends, girlfriends, peer pressure, fashion, drugs, and how tough it
is when you're not one of the chosen people at school that everyone envies...
and how much tougher it can be when you are. Lots of photo montages with graffiti-esque
graphic design for text, but it fits with the stories and the chaotic lives of these teens.
Eloise Goes to the Beach by Kay Thompson, Hilary Knight, Sonali Fry
Six year-old Eloise is having a new adventure when she goes to the beach with her
grandma. She goes swimming and waterskiing, and makes sand castles. Its a fun
book for 4-8 year-olds with wheels to spin and tabs to pull so there's a surprise
on every page.
Its the story of the summer 2007 hit teen movie "Nancy Drew" based on the legendary girl detective
books by Caroline Kane. Not only is it a fun keepsake of the movie, its a great way to
encourage the youngsters to read on their own by making it fun! And you can always count
on Nancy to save the day!
On Top of the World (Tom Swift Young Inventor) by Victor Appleton
Oh, this is a fun one. Tom and his friend Bud are headed to Mount Everest where
Tom will get a chance to test his foil kite snowboard and his new invention, a
robot Sherpa. But there's trouble afoot when rumors start to spread that a
Yeti is lurking in the area, and a nasty-looking group of hunters is out to
capture the legendary beast. Its a fun mystery for young readers.
Well-known author Judy Blume gives us an engaging story of a young girl's
first serious love and all that entails. Michael and Katherine have it
bad. They've only known each other for a short time, but to both of
them it feels like they've found "the one". They're at it hot and heavy,
but haven't taken that big step yet.
Many parents will be reluctant to give this book to their children because
it does deal with teen sexuality. Its not overly explicit, but it does
contain episodes of sexual activity. However, the subject is presented
sincerely and the implications are laid out for the reader as Michael and
Katherine wrestle with their feelings.
This is the story of a young girl named Nanami, who lives in Japan. Nanami has
two grandmothers. Baachan lives in her village in Japan, the other she calls
simply Gran lives in Maine. Nanami visits Gran in Maine in the summers, but this time
Gran has come to visit Nanami in Japan. Nanami shows Gran how they harvest the Wakame
seaweed from the shores in her village. She translates between Baachan and Gran as
the two wise women learn about each other. Its a warm simple story about a mixed-race
family that learns to appreciate the best of both worlds.
Here's a fun book of posers for the 4-8 year-olds that asks questions like
"I wonder if there were no '5'" and "I wonder if cows quit their jobs".
One by one, a string of consequences is presented and explored with bouncy
text and charming illustrations. Its a perfect book for children who love
to ask "Why?".
Be sure to visit us again next month when we'll
share more great children's books reviews! Our reviews of
books for children and teens are written by our Editor, Richard L. Trethewey.
Rainbo Reviews' children's books reviews are published monthly. Back issues of our children's books reviews are available from the Rainbo Book Reviews Archive.
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