One joy of working in a bookstore is you get to see some books before they come out and can create buzz for them. The Breakaways: Bad at Soccer Okay at Friends by Cathy G. Johnson is one. Out in March 2019 this is part of the First Second series of graphic novels dealing with today’s issues. Geared towards ages (very strong) 8 to (low) 13, we see the “C team” of a middle school girl soccer team. Faith is a fifth grader who is […]
Accomplishing the circle of life as you go up the mountain path
Up the Mountain Path by Marianne Dubuc is a picture book that deals with death in a very “side manner” by not actually saying the character dies. That makes it accessible to all ages and can be used for not just “the death of X” (pet, grandparent, friend, etc.) but for loss and the “circle of life” comes out instead. The badger teaches the cat and then the cat teaches the rabbit. The “grandparent/grandchild” relationship in in play. I wish I could do half points […]
When the Snow Whispers to you
A Whisper in the Snow, due to some slightly choppy language, caused me to have to stop and start a few times. The text is rich, but I think it might have been translated. Therefore, making the (I am assuming German) original text to English not an easy transition for some people’s ears. This makes it only a rating of 4.5. This is because of two main points. The first is that Ferdun Oral’s illustrations are amazingly fabulous pieces of art. They are items that […]
When your teacher is a mummy everything is under wraps
The writing team of Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple have created numerous gems. Yet, Monster Academy is still in the coal stage. It greatly reminded me of the story Ghoul School by Kevin O’Malley. Had I read Monster Academy first, I would have probably preferred it, yet, I did not. So, if you like Ghoul School (previous reviewed here) you’ll like this (and the reverse is true too, of course). The premise is simple: a “naughty monster” (which of course, means that they […]
Some Ghouls Do
Halloween. There is probably no better holiday. Okay, I am not into the spooky aspects of the day, but the fun and child-like qualities of the holiday is what get my spirit flying. And, of course, CANDY! And Stumpkin has all the fun of the holiday. This pumpkin is perfect: rounder than a basketball, more orange than a traffic cone, not any bad sides! However, he has one small flaw: he has a stump and not a steam. Therefore, nobody wants him to be their […]
Put on your bow tie and pull up a comfy chair and get ready to read
At first, I was not sure if I would like Giraffe Problems by Jory John. But because I usual do enjoy Lane Smith’s illustrations, I thought it would be something to attempt. The fact I was not sure I was going to like the book is the fact the story has been done before and there was nothing really fresh about it. However, while I am not “jumping up and down” over the story the ending is refreshing and comforting. The giraffe of the story […]