Caroline Jayne Church is one of our favorite children's illustrators, but among our favorites from the books she illustrated are some of those she wrote also. This book falls into that category. It is a wonderful bedtime story, with CJC's characteristic illustrations. The joy and emotions she captures in her illustrations are wonderful; my children and wife love her books and this will be a new favorite. Books by Caroline Jane Church: Leaf Trouble Here Comes Halloween! Here Comes Easter! Here Comes Christmas! The More We Get Together You Are My Sunshine Goodnight I Love You
This book was the first novel published by Barry Lyga and it is the first of four in the Brookdale High series, which I just happened to read in reverse order. The strength of Lyga's writing is evident from this first novel and gets better with every book he writes. Lyga has an incredible gift as a storyteller. He captures life in and around high school in this series in a wonderful way. His stories are about real people with real problems and real life. Each of his books has something the reader can take away and it will help them be better at being. But I think the greatest testament to Lyga's craft as a writer is that even though I just finished this book, I am already planning to reread it.Brookdale High or South Brook High is an interesting school. Not the worst school and not the best. There are cliques, and jocks, and geeks - all the usual groups you would find in and around a high school. And like most high schools, some of them get it and some do not. For Kyra Sellers and Fanboy (aka Donnie) it is just putting in time. Both want to be somewhere else. Both need things to change. Kyra witnesses Fanboy being punched repeatedly in gym class and wonders why he allows it to happen. Soon they have a strange friendship developing. They both have a love of Graphic Novels but prefer different styles. Fanboy is working on one and Goth Girl wants to help make it better. But as we all know, life in high school or life in general is usually not easy and things often go wrong or at least not the way we expect, and in this story that is definitely the case.There are a number of strengths that make this novel so good. First, there are the characters. Readers cannot help but become fans of Kyra and Fanboy; they are so well written and capture much of the spirit of being an outsider in high school you can't help but root for them. Second is the story itself. It has a sinister darkness to it, but at the same time provides some hope. It is not a fast-paced novel but it will definitely keep your attention and interest turning the pages. Third is the essence of both high school and life that Lyga has managed to capture. This was an amazing novel to read and after reading it I now plan to go back and reread the whole series!
Archvillian: Archvillain #1 (2010) The Mad Mask - Archvillian #2 (2011) Yesterday Again - Archvillian #3 (2013) The Flash Series: Hocus Pocus (2017) Johnny Quick (2018) Tornado Twins (2018) Other Books By Barry Lyga: Graphic Novels in Your Media Center: A definitive Guide (with Alison A.W. Lyga - 2004) Wolverine: Worst Day Ever (2009) MangaMan (with Colleen Dorren 2011) Unsoul'd (2013) After The Red Rain (2015) The Secret Sea (2016) Thanos Titan Consumed (2018) The Hive (2019)
This is a great little toy and book from the Klutz team. It starts by teaching children to make basic shapes then takes them through more and more complicated projects. It also has a series of overlays that you put right on the etch-a-sketch screen, they are lessons and games. It's an amazing little book. Thanks Klutz and Scholastic for coming up with such awesome products for kids.
This story is the debut novel from Jeremy Burns. It is a thriller novel, but more than that it is historical fiction with a twist. It was a fast-paced race from the beginning to the end. It was more enjoyable than the Dan Brown books I have read and almost reads like a cross between Tom Clancy and John Grisham. The writing was superb and the story excellent. The greatest strength though was probably the characters. Once you start reading about Jonathan Rickner you will find yourself wanting more. The cover of the book has a sub title "A Jonathan Rickner Thriller" and I, for one, hope it is the first in a long line of novels featuring this character. Not since I first read the Jack Ryan or Spencer for Hire novels 20 years ago have I found a character I liked so much in the mystery or suspense genre.
With an attempt on his life and then encountering the assassin again in New York, the pressure is on. A secret government agency known only as The Division is after a few pieces of paper, paper they have been trying to track down for over 70 years. Jon, relying only on his brilliance and following his brother's clues, is on the hunt and he will either uncover a buried truth or be buried along with it. In a chase that crosses the country and travels all over historic sites in New York City, the story will catch you and keep you reading as you cannot wait to find out what happens next.
This story was very well written and as I stated earlier, I can only hope it will be the first in a series!
At first I was worried that Chuggington would be a modernized version of Thomas the Train. Boy was I wrong. Both the TV show and the books are great. In this particular book, they encounter a new dinosaur - a Photosaurus. It was part of a display for a new museum exhibit. But soon they realize the dinosaur is a great height for taking pictures. So with the help of friends and a friendly exhibit, Wilson gets his pictures for the new posters. We have only read a few of the Chugginton books but the colors are super bright and vibrant. The stories are fun and this book will get kids by having both trains and dinosaurs. Awesome story for Chuggers young and old.
The Most Amazing Thumb Doodles Book (In The History of the World) Klutz ISBN 9781591745907
This book will provide hours and hours of fun. Thanks Klutz and Scholastic for coming up with such awesome products for kids. This book is full of activities you do right in the book and all of them can then be done again and again with your own paper. Thumbprint art, thumb print games and more. With Four colors of stamp pads and a pen, it comes with everything you need. The first thing the child does is a framed thumb print of the owner of the book. Get your hands dirty and play with this book - guaranteed fun for the whole family! My daughter asks to play with this every day!
This book was a lot of fun. It took the characters we know and love and put them in a story a child's imagination could have come up with, such as Darth Maul's Party Town, a beach part with beach balls and sand castle, and Star Destroyers. Wonderfully illustrated and with the Lego Star Wars Characters. The story is light and fun and will entertain and spark the imagination of children either for story telling or creating with their own lego. Other Scholastic Books: Star Wars Books: Star Wars The Complete Saga Star Wars Millennium Falcon YT-1300: A 3-D Owners Guide Star Wars Darth Vader A 3-D Reconstruction Log Star Wars Folded Flyers Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace 3D Star Wars The Complete Saga Lego Star Wars Books: Save The Galaxy! Anakin: Space Pilot 3D Darth Maul's Mission The Padawan Menace
This is a review of the illustrated edition of this book. Earlier this year I read the Movie tie-in Edition of this book. I enjoyed the story but found it wanting because the illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds add so much to the story. It was an absolute pleasure to re-read the story, and this time have the wonderful illustrations.
Judy Moody has come up with a super plan, a super duper cool plan for the T.P. Club to have an awesome amazing summer. They will compete for thrill points. The day she announces her plan she finds out that three of her closest friends will be away for the summer and Judy moody ends up in a mood, not a good mood, a bad mood, and it just keeps getting worse as thing after thing goes wrong and spoils her plans.
The chapters are: No More Snoresville Funk-a-delic Bored-e-o Aunt Awful Gross grub Club Thrills and Spills Puke Monster Goliath Glue Poop Picnic Frankenscreamer Code Bigfoot The Chase Is On Thrill-a-delic
This book was an amazing read. I love the series and how Peter and Megan capture family life. These books can be enjoyed by the whole family. I can only hope we see many more Judy or Stink Moody books in the years to come.
Recently my son and I went to the bookstore and he got to pick two books for me to get to read to him. I was very surprised when he passed all the Disney books and many of the others and picked two Caillou books. Instead he wanted the simple stories from the Caillou book which are much like the TV shows by the same name that he watches occasionally. The books are brightly illustrated and are a joy to read.
In this adventure, Caillou decides he wants to be a hockey player, because he likes watching hockey on TV. His father builds a back yard rink and his parents try to teach him to skate. It doesn't always go well. But Caillou learns a valuable lesson.
On the Chouette Publishing website it states that the purpose of the Caillou books is to "provide a way for young children to better understand what they are experiencing and to find the words to express their feelings. Using everyday situations and written from a child's point of view, the books help children cope with the various developmental stages of their lives." They definitely do that. From the two we have read and what we have seen of the show, it is great for children of all ages.
It is interesting that this short story was released as a prequel to The 58th Keeper but while reading it, it was so engrossing, so gripping, I forgot that I was reading a novella and when I hit the end I was desperate for more of the story. Fortunately there is a continuation and another in the works. If the others are as compelling as this one, we are in for some great reading ahead. This story goes back to the 57th Keeper. It is the story of Alturus a man who spent his whole life scheming, stealing and plotting. Then when he is given an ancient relic with magical powers, he squanders the responsibility. But as we watch Alturus's rise and fall, the story rips along at an amazing pace. It was a great read. And like I said earlier, it left me wanting more. Books by RG Bullet:
Judy Moody's Way Wacky Uber Awesome Book of MORE Fun Stuff to Do Judy MoodyActivity Book 2 Megan McDonald (Author) Peter H. Reynolds (Illustrator) Candlewick ISBN 9780763643096 I did not think McDonald and Reynolds could surprise me, but now having read all 24 books in the Judy Moody or Stink Moody series they have managed to do so. This second of the activity books lived up to its title it really is "Uber Awesome" it is a jam packed 86 pages of super fun. It draws from the following Judy Moody and Stink Moody books:
The other day my son and I went to the bookstore and he got to pick two books for me to get to read to him. I was very surprised when he passed all the Disney books and many of the others, and picked two Caillou books. Instead, he wanted the simple stories from the Caillou books which are much like the TV shows by the same name that he watches occasionally. On the Chouette Publishing website it states that the purpose of the Caillou books is to "provide a way for young children to better understand what they are experiencing and to find the words to express their feelings. Using everyday situations and written from a child's point of view, the books help children cope with the various developmental stages of their lives." They definitely do that.
In this book, Caillou is going on an outing with his grandfather. His grandfather has a surprise in a box. Caillou tries to guess what it is on the way to the park. When they get there he finds out it is a boat - a motor boat, and his friend and another child are there with theirs also and every Saturday they race. Caillou wants to win but we all know we do not always get what we want. But Caillou learns a valuable lesson and looks forward to many more Saturdays at the park with his new boat. It is a great story and one I am happy to read to my son as many times as he wants.
It was with great sadness that I read this book for it was the 10th and final current Judy Moody book for me to read. The good news is that I can read them again and this time I will likely do so in chronological order. The first time through, I read them randomly and each book is strong enough to stand alone. Judy Moody and her brother Stink are among my all-time favorite characters in children's books. I rank them up there with the Pevensie children in the Narnia books and with The Austin and Murry children in Madeleine L'Engle's books. These are characters I know I will visit again and again and will share with my children and if lucky, eventually my grandchildren. The Moodys are an amazing family as are their groups of close friends.
The chapters in this story are:
Bean Town, MOO-sa-chu-setts Freedom (from Stink) Trail Sugar and Spies In a Nark The Purse of Happiness Huzzah! The UN-Freedom Trail The Boston Tub Party Sybil La-Dee-Da The Declaration of UN-Independence Yankee Doodle Dandy
Good Night, I Love You
