Small Reads for Brighters Days
Home Sweet Horrorby James PrellerFeiwel and Friends, 2013 5 things I love about this early chapter book: The art is dark and creepy and spectacular! Even though this is clearly a plot-centric story, there are emotional elements, too, mostly centering on the grief of the loss of Mom two years before. There’s nice foreshadowing in […]
Dragonbreath: The Case of the Toxic Mutantsby Ursula VernonPenguin, 2013 5 things I love about this early chapter book: The humor is so weird and bizarre–perfect for 2nd and 3rd graders. It’s a bit longer and more complex than many early chapter books, so it’s great for those kids who aren’t quite ready for middle-grade […]
Rise of the Balloon Goonsby Troy CummingsScholastic, 2013 5 things I love about this early chapter book: It’s neatly plotted–the mystery is all tied up with no loose ends. I love the pages out of the monster notebook–the forkupine is my favorite! I’m not a big reader of graphic novels,?but this novel has just a […]
Joe and Sparky Go to Schoolby Jamie Michalak, illus by Frank RemkiewiczCandlewick, 2013 5 things I love about this easy reader: It’s one of the freshest easy readers I’ve read lately. The animals’ point of view is so much fun! “The noisy short people got on the bus.” That, of course, is a school bus. […]
Love Is in the Airby Jonathan FenskePenguin Young Readers, 2012 5 Reasons You Will Love This Easy Reader A friendship story with a kite and a balloon,?and the setting for much of the story is the sky? Bizarre–in a great way! And their whirlwind (hehe) friendship rings true. Balloon is a great character. The birthday […]
The Meanest Birthday Girlby Josh SchneiderClarion, 2013? 5 Reasons You Need This Easy Reader It’s not your average “friendship stories” book. Dana, the main character, is not very nice. Usually, I hate books with unlikable main characters. But this one moves so fast, and is so engaging, that I like it a lot! Plus, Dana […]
? Just a reminder to be thinking about your favorite nonfiction book published between?Oct. 16, 2012 and Oct. 15, 2013, because Cybils nominations open October 1. Why not take a few minutes to look over some of your Nonfiction Monday posts (and other peoples’, too) to pick out the books you’d like to nominate? You […]
It’s that time of year! The Cybils (Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards)?organizers and panels and judges have been announced! I’m excited to be a first-round judge in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category with a bunch of other very cool folks. What? No poetry, you might be asking? No nonfiction? I know! But […]
Well, my head is still spinning from the lovely news yesterday that BookSpeak has been given the Cybils award for Poetry! I had a specific book in mind that I thought would surely win it. When I got up at 5:30 and turned on my laptop, all was calm. Email: normal. Facebook: Normal. Then I […]
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas if you celebrate it, and that everybody had a terrific New Year’s. I am sick with the flu and wasn’t planning to post today. But, I’m so excited that BookSpeak has made the shortlist for the CYBILS Poetry category–what an honor! So I wanted to share this list […]
