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Reviews Inside! NOVEMBER 2014 COVER: CARMEN OLIVER
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Children’s
This Book Is Not a Piece of Cheese! By Benjamin Bird, Carmen Pérez, Illustrator Capstone Young Readers, $9.95, 32 pages, Format: Hard
««««« “TASTE it--no, wait. Don’t do that! Why would you? This book isn’t cheese!!”
This book is not a piece of cheese: it’s a very silly little book about Tom, a gray cat, and Jerry, a little brown mouse. I like it because it is light and funny. Throughout the book Tom tries his best to convince Jerry that the book is not a piece of cheese, but it does not work very well, and Jerry just keeps eating away at the pages. It has a funny little ending that I like and think many others might enjoy. I’m not really familiar with Tom and Jerry like my mom and dad are, but I know a silly title when I see one, and unlike some other books, this one lives up to the promise of the title: it’s not just a good title used to draw readers into what ends up being a boring story. Kids that know Tom and Jerry will be sure to love this, and it’s still good even if you don’t already know the old TV show. This is a really fun way for little kids to learn about the senses…and have a good laugh. Reviewed by Linda, Age 11
And Two Boys Booed By Judith Viorst FSG/Ferguson, $16.99, 32 pages, Format: Hard
««««« This story is about a little boy that is in a talent show at school. He practices and practices his song over a billion times, so he thinks he is ready for the show. But as the other kids start getting up to perform, the boy gets more and more nervous. Then two boys booed him and he almost gave up. I loved the pictures in this book. I especially liked the page where you had to turn the book long ways to see the boy with his pants and pockets. I have not been in a talent show but I could relate to how this little boy felt. I have had to get up in front of the class before and I was extremely nervous. No one booed me but that would have felt awful if they did. I loved how you were able to lift the flap to see the boy in a different light. This was a fun hands on book that I will read again and again. I will tell my friends to read it if they ever have to get up in front of the class.
Children’s
Reviewed by Ben, Age 3
Snow White Stories Around the World: 4 Beloved Tales By Jessica Gunderson, Colleen Madden, Illustrator, Eva Montanari, Illustrator, Valentina Belloni, Illustrator, Carolina Farías, Illustrator Picture Window Books, $7.95, 32 pages, Format: Hard
«««« In this collection nestle four stories of a beautiful girl whose jealous parent threatens her happiness. The best-known to American audiences is, of course, that of Snow White, the first in the collection. The second story, from Albania, finds the young girl betrayed by her teacher who becomes her stepmother. When she flees, she finds herself cleaning for dragons, rather than dwarfs, and it is the king, her father, who tricks her into taking poisoned gifts. The third tale is set in Africa, and it is the girl’s natural mother who resents her beauty and seeks her destruction. The weapon of choice here is a set of poisoned slippers, but a chief’s son is taken with her beauty and rescues her. The last tale is Turkish, and this protagonist has the most trouble in finding and keeping her love, as she is struck with two poisoned needles, turned into a bird, and even beheaded; but finally she is able to marry her love and live happily ever after. It is fun and interesting to compare and contrast these stories. The various illustrators did a nice job evoking the cultures from which the stories came. Reviewed by Gretl, Age 13
Early Reader
Pete the Cat’s Super Cool Reading Collection By James Dean HarperCollins, $16.99, Format: Collection
««««« “Here comes Pete the Cat.”
There are five Pete the Cat books in this collection: Too Cool for School, Play Ball!, Pete at the Beach, Pete’s Big Lunch, and A Pet for Pete. I think I am like Pete the Cat because I like school and playing ball. I also like to go the beach, to eat lunch, and to dream of pets. Those are all things that Pete the Cat does in these books! The five books can all fit into my collection when I put them in the box with a handle. These are funny stories that will make kids laugh. The books are easy to read. The illustrations are very colorful. I especially like the pictures of Pete the Cat playing ball because I can see cats playing baseball. When I look at the picture of Pete’s lunch, it makes me giggle. That is a BIG lunch! I enjoy reading the words “Here comes Pete the Cat.” That makes me feel like Pete the Cat is going to do something cool. I think that readers who like Pete the Cat stories will think this collection of books is great. Reviewed by Susan Faith, Age 6
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Tweens
Kids Who Are Changing the World By Anne Jankeliowitch, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, photographer Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $14.99, 144 pages, Format: Trade
««««« This is a very inspiring non-fiction book. I really liked this book; it shares stories about young people who are doing incredible things to make the environment a better place. Ta’Kaiya Blaney, sang “Shallow Water” a song she wrote to try to convince people not to put a pipeline in an unharmed forest. She said, “I just wanted them to listen to what I had to say.” I think people should always listen to what kids have to say. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a problem to solve in their community or in the world because it shows them they can become involved. This book has amazing pictures, but, sadly, they were black and white. I don’t think it is right that some kids in the book don’t have their photograph with the article. A few pictures don’t have a story that connects with them. The kids in this book are from all around the world, and their ages range from nine to sixteen. Some kids featured websites and that will help a reader become involved in their organization. Reviewed by Anna, Age 10
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Young Adult
“All I want to do is go to school. And that is not a crime.”
I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World By Malala Yousafzai, Patricia McCormick, Contributor Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $16.00, 240 pages, Format: Hard
«««« Rumors of Malala Yousafzai have spread far and wide. Malala is the girl who got shot by the Taliban, the courageous Pakistani student with a blog, the girl who inspired the world with her unrelenting campaign for women’s education. I Am Malala is her story. We begin with her reminiscence of her childhood, of ball games and sibling squabbles, rivalries and friend drama. However, Malala notes that even then, she could sense gender inequality. The Pakistani women were expected to be demure and obedient. Many were illiterate, including Malala’s mother. Malala treasured her education from an early age and held it close to her heart. Her school was shamed and threatened by a radical Islamic group, but instead of giving up, Malala insisted on going even in the wake of civil war.
Don’t Call Me Baby By Gwendolyn Heasley HarperTeen, $9.99, 304 pages, Format: Trade
««««
Young Adult
All her life, Imogene has been known as the girl on THAT blog. Imogene’s mother has been writing an incredibly embarrassing but popular blog known as mommyliciousmeg.com. When a mandatory school project compels Imogene to start her own blog, she gets an idea to tell the truth of how she feels under a virtual microscope. As Imogene travels through the phases of her life, there seems to be a fierce combat between her own mother and Imogene herself. Imogene’s mom seems to think that a blog is a way to keep her daughter hers forever, while Imogene thinks it’s a horrendous, torturous, useless hobby. But with the BlogHer conference coming up, Imogene is put in a situation she never was expecting.
“ALWAYS BE WILLING TO LOVE AGAIN. LOVING ONCE IS EASY. LOVING TWICE IS HARDER, BUT LOVE ANYTIME IS ALWAYS WORTH IT.” As you turn each page, you will get closer and closer to a comforting ending. Don’t Call Me Baby is a perplexing story, showing the pros and cons of blogging in a unique way. It is a pitch-perfect comedy with twists, turns, and unexpected reality. It is a sharply observed, and irrepressibly charming story connecting the surface-level identities we show the world online and the truth you can only see in real life. Reviewed by Jyotsna, Age 11
The One By Kiera Cass HarperTeen, $17.99, 336 pages, Format: Hard
«««« The One is the third book in the Selection series. To understand The One better, you should read the first two books in the series, The Selection and The Elite. In short — when the prince, Maxon, comes of age to find a wife, the selection starts: a competitions between 35 girls for Maxon’s hand in marriage. The One ties the whole series together and there’s a lot of twists and turns. You might be surprised with the ending. America has realized that she loves Maxon more than anything and he’s who she wants, and Maxon loves her, too. She has been his favorite since the very beginning of the selection. However, things keep coming between them and America is always doing things that the king doesn’t like. Will America finally get Maxon or will the king kick America out?
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Traitor’s Blade By Sebastien de Castell Jo Fletcher Books, $26.99, 384 pages, Format: Hard
««««« The Greatcoats were mighty swordsmen, legendary defenders of justice, until, one day, they stood aside to let their King be killed. Now they have no hope and no purpose aside from a few vague instructions their King gave them. Falcio and his two friends, all former Greatcoats, are searching for mysterious objects known as the King’s Charoites, but, so far, they’ve found but heartache, pain, and hate. Soon the Greatcoats must decide whether they should remain loyal to the last wishes of a dead king or survive the coming storm. This book, simply put, was amazing. The plot was quick, engaging, interesting, and clever. Through ingenious use of flashbacks, the author was able to make the story full of action without slogging the reader through miles of bland history. It is full of intertwined subtleties and subplots, all of which tie together beautifully and do nothing to detract from the main sequence of events. The characters, too, were outstandingly written and developed. In a couple of places (like Brasti’s backstory and Falcio’s esoteric powers), I wished for a little more fleshing out , but other than that, this story is perfect. This is by far the best fantasy of the season. Reviewed by Peterson, Age 16
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Chasers of the Wind (The Cycle of Wind and Sparks) By Alexey Pehov Tor, $27.99, 400 pages, Format: Hard
««« After the Necromancy Wars of ages past, there was peace for centuries. Small squads of soldiers were easily able to maintain the borders, and the focus of the people turned inwards, towards political jockeying, money making, civil works, and organized crime. Ga-Nor and Luk are soldiers, guarding a strategic pass in the mountains; Grey and Layan are master thieves, seeking to escape the country. The two pairs seem unrelated, until the savage Nabatorians and their Necromancer allies invade the land, and all four are forced together in a desperate quest to stop the undead menace before all perish. This is a Russian book which has been translated into English; the translation is outstanding. The dialogue feels natural; the descriptions are fluid and precise; the words were well-chosen. The author also inserts brief descriptions of places in events in parentheses, making the novel much more accessible. However, the plot is dull, and moves far too slowly; the characters were also dull. Indeed, except for minor differences in frequency of speech, physical appearance, abilities, and a few regular tics, any one of the characters could be substituted for any other. This book brings nothing new or exciting to the fantasy genre. Reviewed by Peterson, Age 16
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