BOOKS FOR CHILDREN: How do you know what's good?

While there are many places (especially on the internet) where you can read book reviews, how do you really know if it's a good book or not when a single book might receive anywhere from one to five stars?
The answer: read the reviews of a book-addicted teacher librarian.


NOTE:
** The age recommendations are guidelines only; whether or not a certain book is suitable for a particular child depends on multiple factors, including their maturity, reading level, interests, and in some cases their experiences.
** While the ratings are largely based on my own personal appreciation/enjoyment of the book, they are also influenced by my experiences as a teacher and the potential attraction for the target-aged child (acknowledging that what one child may love, another may find exceptionally boring). A rating of 5 indicates the book is likely to be popular with the majority.


Sunday, July 28, 2013

The Wrong Book (PB)

AUTHOR: Nick Bland (Aust)
PUBLISHED: 2009

PLOT: Nicholas is trying to tell a story, but he keeps being interrupted by characters from other stories... they are invading the wrong book!

REVIEW: Very funny, with fantastic pictures.

AGE: Preschool - Primary school
RATING: 5 stars.

Olivia and the Fairy Princesses (PB)

AUTHOR: Ian Falconer (U.S)
PUBLISHED: 2012

PLOT: Olivia the pig is fed up with all the girls who want to be fairy princesses. She is determined to be different at all costs!

REVIEW: A lovely addition to the 'Olivia' series.  Will resonate with anyone (child or adult) who likes subverting expectations and going against the flow.

AGE: Preschool - Junior Primary
RATING: 4 1/2 stars

The Story of Ferdinand (PB)

AUTHOR: Munro Leaf (U.S.)
PUBLISHED: 1936

The timeless tale of the bull who preferred to smell flowers rather than fight. A wonderful story about individual differences, and accepting people for who they are.

AGE: Preschool - Primary school ages (enjoyable by all ages)
RATING: 5 stars

Lost and Found (Pop-up) (PB)

AUTHOR: Oliver Jeffers (Northern Ireland; U.S.)
PUBLISHED: 2011

PLOT:
When a young boy finds a penguin on his doorstep, he goes to great lengths to return him to the ice. As he leaves the penguin, they are both very sad. That's when the boy realises that the penguin wasn't lost; it was looking for a friend.

REVIEW:
A lovely story about making assumptions about what other people need.

You MUST find the pop-up edition. It is one of the most delightful creations I have ever read.

This title is part of "The Boy" series. Other titles in the series include:
How to catch a star
The way back home
Lost and found

AGE: Preschool - Primary school ages (but will delight all ages).
RATING: a strong 5 stars

Stuck (PB)

AUTHOR: Oliver Jeffers (Northern Ireland; U.S.)
PUBLISHED: 2011

When Floyd's kite gets stuck in a tree, he throws everything from a shoe, to the kitchen sink, to a whale after it to get it down.  What will happen to the kite?  (not to mention the whale...)
Jeffers does it again with a book that will delight all readers.


AGE: Preschool - Primary school ages
RATING: 5 stars

Penguin and Pinecone (PB)

AUTHOR: Salina Yoon (U.S.)
PUBLISHED: 2012

When Penguin finds a Pinecone, love and friendship blossoms instantly. Penguin cares for pinecone, and knits it a scarf.  Penguin learns that pinecones can't grow in the snow, so he goes on a long trek to return Pinecone to its own environment. After he leaves Pinecone in the forest, Penguin worries about his friend, and returns to check on it.
A lovely touching story of care, generosity, and friendship.

AGE: 3-8
RATING: 5 stars

Grumpy Little King (PB)

AUTHOR: Michael Streich
PUBLISHED: 2012

The Grumpy Little King was always grumpy. He didn't like being little and to make up for it, he decided he wanted more land in his kingdom. So he started a war.  But the soldiers on the battlefield aren't impressed. This is an engaging and thoughtful story about the foolishness of war.

AGE: Primary school
RATING: 5 stars

This Moose Belongs to Me (PB)

AUTHOR: Oliver Jeffers (Northern Ireland; U.S.)
PUBLISHED: 2012

An exquisite tale of Wilfred who finds a moose and takes ownership of him and calls him Marcel. Marcel is mostly an obedient pet, but Wilfred soon finds that Marcel answers to other names. A beautiful story about the "ownership" of wild animals.

AGE: Preschool - Primary school age
RATING: 5 stars

Diary of a Wombat (PB)

AUTHOR: Jackie French; Bruce Whatley (illustrator) (Aust)
PUBLISHED: 2003

Now published in a series, this delightful set of picture books looks at life through the eyes of a cuddly and lazy wombat as he goes about eating, sleeping, digging holes, and training its humans to produce treats.

Other titles in the series include
Christmas wombat
Diary of a baby wombat
How to scratch a wombat

AGE: 3+ (enjoyable for all ages)
GENRE: Humorous fiction
RATING: 5 stars

Where the Forest Meets the Sea (PB)

AUTHOR: Jeannie Baker (Aust)
PUBLISHED: 1988

REVEIW: In a combination of realism and fantasy, WTFMTS tells the story of a young boy visiting a Nth Queensland island with his grandfather.  Through his eyes we see the past, present, and possible future of pristine rainforest.
The book has strong environmentalist themes.

AGE: 5-10
RATING: 5 stars