The Children’s Book Review | October 23, 2009 Good books make the best books. But … what makes a good book, good? It may be a matter of opinion, however, whether it’s non-fiction or fiction, a “good book” is one that entertains its readers and has them eager to turn the next page. The author and/or illustrator connects the reader to the characters or subject, provoking an emotional response. “Good books” are original, and often spark imagination and curiosity. Here is our list of “good books” for 2009, thus far: Little Oink by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (Author), Jen Corace (Illustrator) Reading level:…
Author: TCBR Contributor
TCBR Contributor
The Children’s Book Review, named one of the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) Great Web Sites for Kids, is a resource devoted to children’s literacy. We publish reviews and book lists of the best books for kids of all ages. We also produce author and illustrator interviews and share literacy based articles that help parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians to grow readers. This article was written and provided by one of TCBR's regular contributors.
By Bob Lemstrom-Sheedy Published: October 22, 2009 Author Showcase: A place for authors and illustrators to gain visibility for their works.* Pemba Sherpa by Olga Cossi (Author), Gary Bernard (Illustrator) Reading Level: Ages 7 and up Hardcover: 32 pages Publisher: Odyssey Books (October 2009) In a Sherpa village in the foothills of Nepal’s Himalayas, seven year old Yang Ki wants to haul wood like her brother so she will grow strong enough to be a porter. “I want to talk to people on the trail and learn to speak English, and then I can be a guide”. But “girls can’t be guides,”…
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review Published: October 20, 2009 The 39 Clues: Book Two: One False Note by Gordon Korman Reading level: Ages 9-12 Hardcover: 220 pages Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1st edition (December, 2008) What to expect: Mystery, Action, Suspense, Babysitter, Brothers and Sisters, Family, Orphans, Travel Here is what I had to say after reading book one: Calling all reluctant readers! Action, mystery, suspense, and orphans, all mixed into a well-balanced, fast read. Not to mention the interactive website and collectible clue cards. Maze of Bones is the first book of a ten book series written by…
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review Published: October 19, 2009 Ripley’s Believe It or Not: Seeing Is Believing Reading Level: Ages 9-99 Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: Ripley Publishing; Ill edition (August 4, 2009) Language: English What do you want to know? What don’t you want to know? What interests you? What doesn’t interest you? Not sure? Here’s a list of topics to get you started:
The Children’s Book Review Published: October 16, 2009 The gift that beats all gifts: a book suitable for anyone between the ages of 9 and 99, and suitable for all maturity immaturity levels. The Encyclopedia of Immaturity Vol 2 by The Editors of Klutz Reading level: Ages 9-99 Spiral-bound: 200 pages Publisher: Klutz; Pap/Toy edition (September 1, 2009) Publisher’s synopsis: When we published The Encyclopedia of Immaturity in 2007, we knew it would make a great gift for someone’s nephew. And, sure enough, people gave it to their nephews — but also to their grandparents, brothers-in-law and accountants. Soon we…
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review Published: October 14, 2009 Oh, yeah! I’m definitely going to see Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox come to life at the cinema on November 13. It’s not just because Roald Dahl is one of my all-time-favorite authors — all though, that is one of the main contributing factors — it’s also because of the fantastic director, Wes Anderson, and the amazing stars who are providing the voices to Dahl’s brilliant characters: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Wallace Wolodarsky. You can check out the movie trailer and also…
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review Published: October 12, 2009 Here is the scoop on the most popular destinations on The Children’s Book Review site. From freebies to new releases, see what October has to offer. The Trends It comes as no surprise that our posting of the “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” trailer is receiving a lot of visitors. The popular book-come-movie was ranked number one at the box office for its first two weekends and grossed $30,304,648 in the first weekend, alone. Perhaps it’s because everyone has been spending their pocket-money at the cinema, or perhaps…
The Children’s Book Review | October 9, 2009 When I think of Halloween it’s hard not to conjure up images of jack-o-lanterns; kids in costumes going trick-or-treating; witches on broomsticks; black cats; ghosts; monsters; and dark, dark nights. And during the month of October, nothing beats a good, scary story — or a harmless creepy story for the younger set. The following books have been selected for their ability to connect readers to the feelings and images that are synonymous with Halloween. We’ve begun with the more innocent board books and then progressed slowly into the dark-and-sinister for the older…
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review Published: October 8, 2009 More than 100 bookstores and libraries are planning to host Ivy & Bean Day Events on November 7th, 2009, to celebrate the release of Ivy and Bean: Doomed to Dance, Book 6 in the New York Times Best-Selling series by Annie Barrows.
The Children’s Book Review | October 6, 2009 The 39 Clues: Book One: Maze of Bones Written by Rick Riordan Reading level: Ages 9-12 Hardcover: 220 pages Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1st edition (September 9, 2008) What to expect: Mystery, Action, Suspense, Babysitter, Brothers and Sisters, Family, Orphans Calling all reluctant readers! Action, mystery, suspense, and orphans, all mixed into a well-balanced, fast read. Not to mention the interactive website and collectible clue cards. Maze of Bones is the first book of a ten-book series written by ten different well-known authors. Rick Riordan (author of The Lightning Thief) has set the…