A wonderfully silly take on library story time that s perfect for children, chickens, and everyone in between.(goodreads summary)
You can never have enough children at library story time but what about too many chickens? At first, only one chicken shows up to listen to the librarian read a story to the group . But as each week passes more and more chickens stop by. This was a funny and silly book that would be a quick read aloud for preschoolers. The wording is simple but the pages are bold, colorful and fun to look at. With the combination of too many children and chickens, kids will laugh at all the mayhem happening. When things get out of hand, the librarian finds a nice solution to regain control of the group. Although the story is short, the illustrations add many extras to see. I think this is a "just right book" for ages 3-5.~
Title: Chicken Story Time
Author: Sandy Asher
Pub. date: December 2016, Dial Books
Genre: picture book
Hardcover, 40 pgs
A frog named Monty tells readers his dark secret.....(goodreads summary)
Little Monty the frog has a secret that he is not sure he wants to share. He might though if he is absolutely certain that you can keep his secret? Once he knows he can count on you, we soon learn that he cannot swim. That does seem a bit unusual since he is a frog but he does have some quick explanations. To overcome his fears, Monty is in need of some help and this delightful book engages the reader in doing just so.
In this sweet story about facing fears, Monty finds a friend in the reader and the encouragement to let his parents know that he is afraid of water. It will give children a sense of relief that having certain fears are normal and talking to a trusted friend or adult can help with those feelings. The gentle text and illustrations make it feel as if Monty is actually talking to you. He has the cutest facial expressions that definitely makes him a lovable character. Another nicely done book by one of my favorite authors. I think this a "just right book" for ages 3-6.~
Title: Can I Tell You a Secret?
Author: Anna Kang, illustrated by Christopher Weyant
Pub date: May 2016, Harper Collins
Genre: picture book
Hardcover, 32 pgs.
Bear is big, big, big, and mouse is small, small, small but these friends stick together through all the highs and lows! (goodreads summary)
We can never have enough new books that will help teach kids! Once again, here is another nice concept story featuring Bear and Mouse who are big and small. As the two wander through the forest, they are finding many other opposites amongst their other friends. The text is large, repetitive and the opposite words stand out making it easier for learning and remembering. Kids could easily read along out loud. The illustrations are also bright, colorful and cheery with sweet character expressions. This is a great addition to the many other Bear stories done by this author/illustrator combo. I think this is a "just right book" for ages 3-5.~
Title: Big Bear, Small Mouse
Author: Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman
Pub. date: November 2016, Margaret K McElderry Books
Genre: picture books
Hardcover, 32 pgs.
Avery is looking
forward to another summer at Grandma’s farm, at least until her brother
says he’s too old for “Kingdom,” the imaginary world they’d spent years
creating. Lucky for her, there’s a new kid staying in the cottage down
the road: a city boy with a famous dad, Julian’s more than a little full
of himself, but he’s also a storyteller like Avery. So when he
announces his plan to film a ghost story, Avery is eager to join in.(goodreads)
Twelve-year old Avery is spending the summer at her Grandma's Tennessee farm with her older brother Blake. She meets a boy named Julian whose family is renting a cottage on the same property and is seriously into film making. When he sees an old vacant house called the Hillard House, he knows it is the perfect scenario for a haunted movie. This empty house is also owned by Avery's Grandmother and for unknown reasons she forbids anyone from going there. Even though she does not want to disobey her Grandma, Julian eventually convinces Avery that this is the best place to collaborate on a movie and she gives in to his idea. As the kids explore the creepy old home, they find many strange and ghostly things are beginning to happen.
Anytime of the year is a great time for a ghost story! This one was the perfect spine tingling adventure on a cold and windy winter weekend. The story was suspenseful and just spooky enough to make it a page turner. Julian and Avery dove into the history of the small town and the Hillard House as their inspiration for their filming. But as the project unfolded, they found themselves questioning some unexpected and bizarre paranormal events happening at the house. My heart raced more than once as I visualized the ghostly activity by the descriptive details of doors slamming or Avery feeling the sudden temperature change of cold to hot while entering a room. I like it when authors offer something inspiring in their writing for their young readers as well. For example, in this book the idea of historical research, creativity and film making. The characters worked together learning about history while building a story off their own findings about the abandoned house and using that energy to produce a real movie. Unfortunately, Avery did learn a lesson when she placed her trust in Julian and he eventually did something that strained the relationship. But it did give Avery the strength and motivation to start and finish her own filming project while she learned about the history of her family and the secrets hidden in the small community around her. Once she realized the truth behind the ghostly happenings, she knew she needed to tell it to others to help release the ghost and free it from its sorrows to finally rest in peace. Within each character is a story of its own as well and the author touched on things like fear, mental illness, regret, lying and sibling disconnect. The easy flowing steady pace pulls the reader into the mystery until the story wraps up in the end with an interesting twist. It gives you second thoughts about having secrets, judgement or blame and the impacts on society without knowing all the facts first. I think this is a "just right book" for ages 11-14.~
Another wonderful ghost story for young adults by Sonia Gensler -
The Revenant
Title: Ghostlight
Author: Sonia Gensler
Pub. date: August 2015, Knopf Books
Genre: middle grade fiction
Hardcover, 256 pgs.
