MADreads for Kids
A review of
Three By the Sea
by
Mini
Grey
From the creator of the wonderful Traction Man books comes this mystifying little tale about a cat, a dog, a mouse and a mysterious visitor. The three unlikely friends live a quiet existence in their little seaside house until a strange fox shows up at their place and introduces them to everything they have been missing in life. All of these new and exciting options cause some rifts among the friends but also teach them to work together. This book does a great job of presenting a lot of
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Reviewed by Trent on
April 20, 2012
A review of
Lucky for Good
by
Susan
Patron
Hard Pan, California, is well named. While this hardscrabble desert town doesn’t have an airport, hotel or even 50 residents, it does have the Found Object Wind Chime Museum and Visitor Center and folks drive for hours to eat the weekend specials at Brigitte’s Hard Pan Café. Lucky Trimble loves Hard Pan—she loves that the rocky landscape is home to the many creatures she studies, and she loves the other 42 inhabitants of Hard Pan almost as much as she loves her adopted mother, Brigitte. But
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Reviewed by Abby on
April 13, 2012
A review of
The Easter Bunny's Assistant
by
Jan
Thomas
I don't often check out holiday books, because so few tend to really wow me, so I was pleasantly surprised when Jan Thomas' newest offering caught my eye. With bright, cartoon illustrations that convey a range of emotions beyond the simple text (think the Pigeon from Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus), Thomas tells the story of the Easter Bunny, who is trying to get his eggs dyed for Easter.
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Reviewed by Krissy on
April 6, 2012
A review of
Tumble Bee
by
Laura
Veirs
If you are a fan of Elizabeth Mitchell (and if you’re not, you should be) and her comforting reinterpretations of classic Americana folk music, you might enjoy this new album by Laura Veirs. Tumble Bee has a very home-spun feel, but with a wider range of mood than most folk albums for children. From the toe-tapping barn dance feel of “Jump Down Spin Around” to the very mellow lullaby, “All the Pretty Little Horses” all the music has solidly satisfying, if sometimes haunting harmonies
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Reviewed by Carissa - Alicia Ashman on
March 30, 2012
A review of
Witches!: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem
by
Rosalyn
Schanzer
You can trust National Geographic to publish an account of the Salem witch trials that is as authentic and appealing as possible. Rosalyn Schanzer tells the true story of how a couple of kids with some mysterious symptoms started a witch hunt that resulted in more than 20 deaths and untold heartache, stolen property and ruined lives.
This little book is crafted in a period design with black-white-and-red scratchboard illustrations that
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Reviewed by Molly - Central on
March 23, 2012
A review of
The Throne of Fire
by
Rick
Riordan
I escaped January in Wisconsin by tagging along with Carter and Sadie Kane, the heroes of Rick Riordan’s awesome Kane Chronicles (The Red Pyramid, The Throne of Fire). These chapter books are pretty thick, but, like the Percy Jackson books, they are action-packed with death-
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Reviewed by Abby on
March 16, 2012
A review of
A Long Piece of String
by
William
Wondriska
Where will it go? This wordless picture book follows a thin black string over, around, under and over many things . . . including an alligator, bird, castle, dog, elephant, flower, and more. Do you see a pattern? While it is whimsical in approach, by the end we discover it is also an alphabet book! “A” is for alligator, “B” for bird, “C” is for castle, and so forth. Originally published in 1963, A Long Piece of String by William Wondriska has a vintage feel. The crisp and clean
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Reviewed by Tracy on
March 9, 2012
A review of
The Girl Behind the Glass
by
Jane
Kelley
Crafting a ghost story for kids can be tough. Too scary, and parents will be ripping it out of their child's hands for fear of nightmares. Not scary enough, and kids won't be interested. Jane Kelley, however, gets it just right in her novel The Girl Behind the Glass.
Told in a lyrical style reminiscent of Kathi Appelt's The Underneath, the ghostly narrator is thrilled when twins
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Reviewed by Krissy on
March 2, 2012
A review of
The Belly Book
by
Fran
Manushkin
If you’re looking for a reason to celebrate your belly, check out Fran Manushkin’s latest ode to a body part, The Belly Book. Every person, every animal – even aliens in outer space – has a belly, and no matter what it looks like or where you find it, bellies are beautiful, useful and fun. The Belly Book encourages children to be proud of their bellies. Regardless of size, shape or color, everybody’s got one, and they’re all pretty fantastic. Told through a series of clever
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Reviewed by Madeleine on
February 24, 2012
A review of
Dead End in Norvelt
by
Jack
Gantos
The summer of 1962 has just begun, but for Jack Gantos, it’s already over. Caught messing around with his dad’s souvenir Japanese rifle, Jack is grounded for the entire summer, or possibly his life, depending on the mood of his parents. In the slowly dying town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, there doesn’t seem to be the prospect of much happening, so Jack doesn’t mind when his mother hires him out to help eccentric neighbor Miss Volker with a mysterious project. But rather than the tedious round the
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Reviewed by Jane J - Central on
February 13, 2012
