Laura's Fiction Addiction

In anticipation for John Green’s Nerdfighter tour this January (which I am super excited about) I thought that I would talk about a John Green Book that I haven’t previously reviewed.

About to graduate from high school, Quentin “Q” Jacobsen is in awe of his boring and predictable life.  That is until Margo - Q’s classmate and neighbor- takes him on a midnight adventure then suddenly disappears!  Q decides that he must know what happened to Margo and finds a series of clues Margo left behind to try and track her down.

A story of friendships, relationships, life pressures and expectations, Green does another stellar job of getting readers wrapped up in his characters.

So what does an active youth services librarian do when she has a week off—-play, read and relax!  Here’s a few fun things I found last week that parent’s might find good for their little ones.

The Monster at the End of This Book….Starring Grover!  by Sesame Street

This children’s classic is now available as an interactive iBook app!  The book app is available from your iTunes store for $3.99 and is worth every penny.  Lovable Grover goes to great lengths to stop you from getting to the monster at the end of this book- only to find out that the monster is him!  The book app features activity & participation sections of the story for your child, and icons for parents to see helpful “be a better reader” hints.  Since this is an app and not a book contained in your iBooks, it is easy to access and will be sure to entertain your child over and over again.  

Don’t Let the Pigeon Run this App! by Mo Willems…and you!

Another gem in iTunes is this great app designed by the wonderful Mo Willems!  At $6.99 it is a tad more expensive, but should provide hours of fun for you and your child.  This app has many different sections- so parents don’t be lazy: Take a few minutes having fun with it before passing it along to your child.  Get to know the various sections and the skills needed to make the most out of them.  Think of this one as Madlibs for the younger crowd, and it has drawing lesson from Mo too.  Children will love seeing one of their favorite characters come to life.  Parent’s this one will be sure keep children occupied on long holiday car rides ;-) 

Love Waves by Rosemary Wells    9780763649890 ~ $15.99

Rhyming text and soft illustrations tell baby about his parents work day away from home, and how he is always in their thoughts.  A great way to help a fretful child who doesn’t like the morning goodbyes.  Wells, a staple in any library, manages to inform while comforting with dashes of sweetness. 

One Love by Cedela Marley  9781452102245 ~ $16.99

Based on the hit song by Bob Marley, the author (Bob’s daughter) takes the most famous line “One Love, One Heart, Let’s get together and feel alright” and uses it to show children how these words of inspiration can apply to all areas of life.  Illustrations depict images of friendship, communities, and families with the underlying message of how when everyone helps out you can create something special- in this case “One Love” Park.  Sweet and wonderfully illustrated, it is a challenge to “read” the book vs. sing it :-)

The cover on this book does not do it justice.  One of my favorite books of 2011, The Emerald Atlas has it all: Action, Adventure, Magic, Time-travel, and mystery. 

Late one night, Kate’s parents say goodbye.  Mysteriously disappearing into the night, they leave Kate to raise her younger siblings: Emma and Michael.  Ten years later we find that though the three have been put into several different orphanages, they are still waiting for their parents to return.  Adventures abound in this thrilling tale as the children find a magical atlas which allows them to travel through time; bringing both excitement and terror as Michael becomes trapped in the past and is held captive by a evil and powerful witch.

The first of a trilogy, this book will hook readers right away and leave them longing for the next installment.  Highly recommended. 

While I loved the cover art on this one, the book itself is not one I would recommend.  A retelling of the 12 dancing princesses (one of my favorite fairy tales) Dixon has a promising premise but has created characters that were so annoying I could barely get through the book.  The selfishness and whining that the main characters exude push all else aside and take away from the main storyline.  Skip it- and instead read Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George.

Simon & Schuster     Release Date: 2/21/2012   ISBN: 978-1-4424-2123-3

Chloe is one of a kind- as are all her amazing creations!  While popular activities like ballet and video games don’t interest Chloe, one thing allows her to shine—her ability to create!  A sweet book that depicts individuality, kindness, friendship and pride, this picture book is a fun read for you and your child.  The book even has a website listed on the back so that you can make many of the crafts shown in the story.  While this book may not be a must have, it’s a great story to inspire your little ones on a rainy day. 

ISBN: 9780448456881   Releases 11.15.11

Skip it.  Drescher takes the premise of a square peg in a round hole to the extreme in this picture book.  Wendy lives in Boxville, where all residents wear brown boxes which describe who they are- doctor, baker, police officer- and everyone is happy except Wendy.  Wendy wants to wear lots of different boxes and longs to live life without being labeled.  The book continues on with Wendy being afraid not to wear her box- to showing acceptance and understanding.  While all can agree that teaching young children to be themselves and have many interests is important- this book reads more like a lecture.  The artwork is nice- but nothing ground breaking.  All in all this is one book you can skip.  Instead try Jerry Spinelli’s “I can be anything” as both artwork and text offer the same message, for the same age group, with more entertainment along the journey. 

Mangus the Magician is in trouble!  He has been falsely accused of plotting to overthrow King Claudio, and who should come to his rescue but his faithful servent Fabrizio!  A cloak and dagger mystery that will keep you on your toes and rooting for the good guys.  Recommended. 

A wordless picture book, Judge manages to take us on a thrilling adventure with a few noises and some amazing water color imagery.  A little boy leaves his red sled outside after a day of fun.  Unknown to him some friendly forest friends borrow the sled to have some fun themselves.  Recommended. 

LOVED it.  One of the hardest things about writing picture books is figuring out how to get big ideas across with just a few words and images.  Katherine Battersby succeeds with flying colors in “Squish Rabbit”.  Illustrations are done in mixed mediums creating vibrant and energetic scenes.  Text is simple, yet the story will evoke sympathy, amusement and joy.  Great not only for story time but also as a one-on-one with children.  Highly Recommended.      

Adorable.  Mama mouse comes to the rescue of her seven little mice- who are worrying about starting school the next day.  Creative mama mouse not only gets all seven of her babies (and the rest of the mouse village) to school, but saves everyone from a garden snake along the way!  Wonderful illustrations compliment this simple and sweet story.

Great book!  But not at all what I expected based on reading the jacket.  The story is based around a young boy and his family, who own a ranch in the Midwest.  Ignatious has dealt with the death of his mother, his older brothers leaving home and now the deployment of his father to Iraq.  Caring for the ranch with his elderly grandparents is a full time job and one that weighs on them all.  Parry does a wonderful job of breaking your heart with all that this boy has gone through, only to patch it up every time he overcomes a new obstacle.  A highly enjoyable read.   

Aaahhh, Steampunk.  Westerfeld has had some wonderful books in his collection, but I am just not a huge fan of the steampunk trend.  While an interesting concept, I feel that the need for so many details to create this alternate history takes away from the story and the plight of the characters.  Another title I did via audio book, I would have to say that fans of steam punk should go for it, but those who aren’t should skip it.  If you’re looking to explore steam punk lit, try Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. 

Loved it!  I read this one with my ears, and while at first the switching of narrators was a bit confusing, it was wonderfully done and had me laughing so hard I cried.  The humor and heart ache of highschool love is depicted here by two of my favorite teen authors.  Green and Levithan have created characters you get attached to- from unrequited love to being free to express who you are- these authors have told a story that will entertain you while lifting your heart.  Highly Recommended.     

Hyperion Books for Children, 2011  9781423143420

Willems brings back Gerald and Piggie with yet another delightful tale in this magnificent series.  No matter what grade I visit, K- 4, ALL of the children love the adventures and explorations of these two lovable characters.  Willems is able to bring forth a story that is accessible to the youngest of readers, and yet blooms into different depths of understanding as the reader gets older.  In this story poor Gerald is feeling left out as Piggie is celebrating his favorite holiday: Pig Day!  Wrapped up in his festivities, it takes Piggie a little time to realize that his dear friend is sad- Why?  Because he is not a pig and therefore cannot celebrate Pig Day.  But have no fear, Willems lessons of friendship and acceptance sine through and provide a happy ending.  A must read for Elephant & Piggie fans- and highly recommended for all.