Jen Robinson's Book Page

Literacy Milestone: Spelling Rhyming Words

I have a Scholastic calendar on my desk that urges in big letters: "DIVE into a good BOOK". This page (featuring the characters from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books) is actually from August, but never mind that. My daughter likes to look at it, and knows what it says. The other day she commented "B-O-O-K spells book." I agreed that this was true. 

But then she surprised me. She started guessing how you would spell other words that rhyme with book, like "look", "nook", and "cook" (though she needed help with c vs. k on that one). Over dinner, we even expanded to figuring out "shook" (significantly more difficult). 

All of which makes me think that her days of really being able to read are getting closer and closer. So exciting!

She's also very interested in writing things down these days. I'm constantly finding little notes all over the house that say things like: "Can we wrap presents in laundry room?" and (in a task list format) "Put up decorations." She can't spell very many of these words without help, but she has most of the letters down, and she appears to have an endless appetite for writing. Last night she wrote down, with only the tiniest bit of help from me: "Cat sat on hat." 

All I can say is that we are having a great time!

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

A New Chick for Chickies: Janee Trasler

Book: A New Chick for Chickies
Author: Janee Trasler
Pages: 24
Age Range: 1-4 (padded board book)

My daughter and I quite like Janee Trasler's Chickies series (the previous books are Pottytime for Chickies, Bedtime for Chickies, and Dinnertime for Chickies). Therefore, we were both happy when the newest book in the series, A New Chick for Chickies, arrived. In this installment, the three Chickies have a pretty good life with their three adult caregivers, Cow, Sheep, and Pig.

Everything changes when a new baby brother Chick arrives. Chick immediately starts stealing the adults' attention. Patiently and cheerfully, however, each adult shows the Chickies how having another Chick on-hand will actually improve things. For example, when they protest the new Chick dancing with Pig, Pig says: 

"Don't be worried.
This is fine.
Now we have a conga line."

A New Chick for Chickies is thus a very simple, age-appropriate treatment of the insecurities that toddlers may have when a younger sibling arrives. Like the other books in the series, A New Chick for Chickies consists of short, rhyming sentences accompanied by cheerful, silly illustrations. To be sure, the Chickies look rather grouchy in much of the book, but their caregivers are always able to coax them into a smile. And the end of the book, in which a whole host of other chicks are born, is sure to entertain young readers. 

A New Chick for Chickies is a welcome addition to this series of padded board books. Though the Chickie books are clearly meant for toddlers and early preschoolers, my four-year-old has been resisting passing ours along to her younger cousins, because she loves them so much. This series would make a great first birthday gift for any child, and would be welcome under the Christmas tree for preschoolers. 

Publisher: HarperFestival (@HarperChildrens) 
Publication Date: September 23, 2014
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. This site is an Amazon and iBooks affiliate, and purchases made through affiliate links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Little Blue Truck's Christmas: Alice Schertle & Jill McElmurry

Book: Little Blue Truck's Christmas
Author: Alice Schertle
Illustrator: Jill McElmurry
Pages: 24
Age Range: 2-5 (board book with 

Even though the ending is a bit overtly message-y for my taste, I love the bouncy rhythms of Alice Schertle's Little Blue Truck, and am happy to read it aloud to my daughter at any time. In fact, whenever anyone or anything in our household is stuck we always say: "Help! Help! cried the Little Blue Truck. Beep! Beep! Beep! I'm stuck! I'm stuck!". Thus I was unable to resist requesting a copy of The Little Blue Truck's Christmas when the opportunity came around. And I'm glad I did. The Little Blue Truck's Christmas is going to be a welcome addition to my family's holiday read-alouds. 

In The Little Blue Truck's Christmas, Blue stops by his friend Toad's Christmas tree lot, and picks up five trees (all numbered, to add to the book's learning potential for preschoolers). He drops the trees off, one by one, at the homes of his friends, saving the very last one for his own home (where Toad is waiting). On that last page, the lights of the tree twinkle in red, green, yellow and blue, a fun surprise for the young reader. 

As a read-aloud, The Little Blue Truck's Christmas is not quite as fun as the original, but it's still upbeat and rhythmic, like this:

"Beep! Beep! Beep!
December's here!
Little Blue Truck
is full of cheer.

and

"ONE tree, TWO trees,
THREE trees, FOUR.
Just enough room
for one tree more!"

and

""Maaa!" says the goat.
"This short one, please!"
Now there is ONE 
green Christmas tree."

In the second and third examples, the numbers are colored in red and green, shown bigger than the surrounding text. The trees have numbered tags to reinforce the counting practice. They are added to the truck in numeric order, and then removed in countdown order.

McElmurry's illustrations are warm and cheerful. The homes of all of the animals are different from one another, but all are decorated for Christmas, with colored lights and other forms of Christmas cheer. the goat's home bears a more than passing resemblance to a manger, in a nice, subtle touch. The ground is snowy and the sky starry throughout. And Blue, with his round headlight eyes and a wreath gracing his front grill, is as friendly and loyal as ever.

Young fans of The Little Blue Truck, those who appreciate Christmas, anyway, will love The Little Blue Truck's Christmas. Parents will find it pleasant to read aloud, and ever-so-slightly educational, with a warm, holiday feel. This one is definitely worth adding to the holiday reading list for preschoolers.  

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers (@HMHBooks) 
Publication Date: September 23, 2014
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. This site is an Amazon and iBooks affiliate, and purchases made through affiliate links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Colors versus Shapes: Mike Boldt

Book: Colors versus Shapes
Author: Mike Boldt
Pages: 40
Age Range: 3-7

Colors versus Shapes is a companion to Mike Bolt's earlier picture book 123 versus ABC, and follows a similar storyline. In Colors versus Shapes, the colors and the shapes are each auditioning on stage to have the book be about them. The colors are basically irregular brightly-colored blobs, with faces, arms, and legs. Like less regular M&Ms. The shapes are white three-dimensional shapes, also with faces, arms, and legs (and white-gloved hands).

The colors think that they should be the stars because of the neat ways that they can combine and make new colors, and because of the sheer range of colors that can be created. The shapes also demonstrate the ways that they can combine, with two triangles merging into a square, and venture into the advanced world of irregular polygons. When an accidental encounter leads to a boldly colored, crisp-lined shape, however, the colors and shapes quickly realize the broad reach that they can have if they combine forces. 

This is actually a more logical conclusion than the one in the first book - shapeless colors and colorless shapes are each clearly lacking something. The fact that they would be better off together is clear (at least to the adult reader) from the first page. But this doesn't make the book any less fun. The shapes shoot themselves out of a cannon. The colors high-dive into one another for blending. The whole thing is a crisply rendered, smiling-faced circus.

Sure, there are incidental learnings for kids about what the different shapes are, which are the primary and secondary colors, and how the colors combine. But I think the real appeal for young readers will be Boldt's joyous illustrations. Colors versus Shapes is a book sure to leave kids wanting to pick up their crayones, markers or paints, and start combining colors and shapes for themselves. Recommended, especially for preschool and pre-K ages. 

Publisher: HarperCollins (@HarperChildrens) 
Publication Date: August 26, 2014
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. This site is an Amazon and iBooks affiliate, and purchases made through affiliate links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: December 5

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. This is an extra-long post because it also includes links from the (short) week before Thanksgiving. Today's topics include books, book lists, book awards, the Cybils awards, diversity, gender, gift guides, growing bookworms, reading, publishing schools, libraries, and the Kidlitosphere. 

Books, Book Lists and Awards

Always a GREAT reference: The Best Children's Books of 2014: A List of Lists and Awards from @C_Spaghetti http://ow.ly/F7b7R

This Book Makes my Heart Sing! says @ProfessorNana @NerdyBookClub talking of WILD THINGS by @FuseEight + @SevenImp http://ow.ly/FjzIU

10 Books about Braces, a list from @rosemondcates http://ow.ly/FooDr #kidlit

Booklist from The Uncommon Corps to help kids Prepare for the Winter Solstice http://ow.ly/FooxO #kidlit

GoodReads Choice Awards 2014 – The Winners via @tashrow http://ow.ly/FjvKC #kidlit #yalit

Some fine children's and YA titles selected for the 2014 @HornBook Fanfare! http://ow.ly/Fjw9q @RogerReads #kidlit

Stacked: The Less Financially Privileged Teens in Contemporary YA Fiction: A Reading List http://ow.ly/Fjv4h @catagator #yalit

Best Teen Books of 2014 from @KirkusReviews http://ow.ly/Fg2W6 #yalit via @tashrow

4 Contemporary Novels That Depict High School Realistically, selected by high school student @Miss_Fictional http://ow.ly/FaBtc #YALit

At Stacked: Adrenaline-fueled, Male-Centered Contemporary YA Fiction http://ow.ly/FaxNY @catagator #YALit

3 On A YA Theme: Modern Takes On LITTLE WOMEN from @catagator @bookriot http://ow.ly/F384o #YALit

College Daze: YA Novels that Tackle the Undergraduate Years | SLJ Spotlight | @sljournal http://ow.ly/ETE2H #YALit

Free download: 2014 @PublishersWkly Children's Starred Reviews Annual via @bkshelvesofdoom http://ow.ly/ETjim #kidlit

Favorite Chapter Books for Kids in 4th and 5th Grades, modern and classic, from @ThisReadingMom http://ow.ly/EPh66 #kidlit

20 Nonfiction Books for Kids Who Love Facts! from @momandkiddo http://ow.ly/EPg5D #kidlit #nonfiction

A Tuesday Ten: Food Fantastic! | #kidlit fantasy with a focus on food from @TesseractViews http://ow.ly/EH4dZ

What are the best books series for younger children? | @GdnchildrensBks #BookDoctor http://ow.ly/EH0Uq via @tashrow

Cybils

Today's Featured #Cybils Review is Fat Boy vs. the Cheerleaders by Geoff Herbach, reviewed by @mindi_r http://ow.ly/FjvyI #yalit

As @MaryLeeHahn + @frankisibberson end A Year of Gratitude we thank them for mentioning Cybils in #kidlitosphere tribute http://ow.ly/FaykB

WOO HOO! 90% of the 1340 eligible #Cybils nominees have now been read by at least one panelist (78% by at least 2) #kidlit

New post on the #Cybils blog, encouraging you to Shop Cybils! http://ow.ly/F36Aq #kidlit #yalit

Today's Featured #Cybils Review is I am Malala, reviewed by Aaron @coffeechugbooks http://ow.ly/EWInw #kidlit

Today's Featured #Cybils Review is You Are Not Small by Anna Kang, reviewed by Dawn @5M4B http://ow.ly/EPe8S

Today's Featured #Cybils Review is #GraphicNovel In Real Life by @Doctorow reviewed by @mrskatiefitz http://ow.ly/EH3fq

Diversity + Gender

Jacqueline Woodson's response to The Pain of the Watermelon Joke in @NYTimes http://ow.ly/Fazyn | Or, more on why #WeNeedDiverseBooks

Partnering with @FirstBook to Get #Diversity Books to Kids @PragmaticMom http://ow.ly/F7b9I #literacy

Boys and the Princess in Black @haleshannon | "helping boys develop empathy for girls is a cause worth fighting for" http://ow.ly/Fg9S4

A thought-provoking rant from @LizB on Princess Shaming, and why there is nothing wrong with kids liking princesses http://ow.ly/Fjy8T

Publisher changes titles of boy-branded book after 7-year-old girl’s complaint @GdnchildrensBks via @PWKidsBookshelf http://ow.ly/FfZan

Ladybird drops branding books ‘for boys’ or ‘for girls’ @GuardianBooks #LetBooksBeBooks http://ow.ly/EDr9g @PWKidsBookshelf

Useful stuff: Resources on Race in the Children's Library from @amyeileenk http://ow.ly/EWJh3

Sally Gardner: Dyslexia and me (+ why she sees it as a gift) @GdnchildrensBks via @CBCBook http://ow.ly/EWhnf

We Don’t Need Another Straight, White, Able-bodied Hero | guest post @diversityinya via @CBCBook http://ow.ly/EWgVM

More Than Numbers, on 2014 fiction and longer nonfiction by Black authors received by CCBC http://ow.ly/ETkr4 #DiverseBooks

4 Mistakes Made in Children’s Literature About Natives, and Books That Fix Them @IndianCountry via @catagator http://ow.ly/EPgNv

Annoyed by a trend she has noticed w/ book covers featuring girls in Hijabs, @Miss_Fictional says: I Am Not Oppressed http://ow.ly/EITdV

Events, Programs and Research

Holiday Shopping: #GiveaBook, Help a Child. @RandomHouseKids program promotes books as gifts + donates books to kids http://ow.ly/ETDi3

From @charlotteslib | Thankfully Giving Books--ways to get them to kids who need them ... http://ow.ly/F38G1

Gift Guides + Holiday Book Lists

Last Minute Children’s Gift Ideas from @BookChook | Toys, Apps and Books 2014 http://ow.ly/Fg2Eb

The Ultimate Children’s Literature Illustrator Gift Guide (people who sell work online) — @100scopenotes http://ow.ly/Fg8PI #kidlit

10 Classic Picture Books to put Under the Tree suggested by @rosemondcates | We love JAMBERRY http://ow.ly/EWjbo #kidlit

Top Book Gifts for Kids, 2014 from @BookChook http://ow.ly/ETjX7 #kidlit

15 Gifts for your Picture Book Reader selected by @rosemondcates http://ow.ly/EPfUp #kidlit

9 Christmas Chapter Books for Family Read Aloud from @momandkiddo http://ow.ly/FaAdF #kidlit

Biblio File: Hanukkah Books that are Actually for Jewish kids #kidlit http://ow.ly/F7bom

26 Great Children's Books to Share at Christmas from @TrevorHCairney http://ow.ly/F7b2e #kidlit

Several Christmassy Picture Books selected by @cjfriess at Story Snug http://ow.ly/EH3UZ #kidlit

Growing Bookworms

Why Is Nothing Easy Anymore? @fuseeight on the need for more very very early readers http://ow.ly/Fop2f #kidlit

Dear Well Meaning Adult, Here’s how to buy books for teens on your list. — @TLT16 http://ow.ly/FomRV #yalit

Simply lovely post @SunlitPages | Raising Readers: Making Books a Part of Your Family Traditions http://ow.ly/Fg9nN

On Nurturing A Love of Reading, "if your parents value reading, you have a huge advantage" says @katsok http://ow.ly/Fg3rz

How to Get Your Child to STOP/HATE Reading (it's surprisingly simple) from @SharonReader http://ow.ly/Fg2iN #literacy

Great advice on Raising Readers by Colby and Alaina Sharp @sharpsgalore @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/F39Ml

If everyone loved reading as much as this 8-year-old does, the world would be better @jdesmondharris @voxdotcom http://ow.ly/ETDIj

Ten Ways to Get Primary Readers to Read by Kimberley Moran @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/EIT4O #literacy

Kidlitosphere

Lots of good stuff in this week's Fusenews: I’m Cuckoo for Cuckoo Song — @fuseeight http://ow.ly/Fg5Fg

Today at A Year of Reading, @frankisibberson + @MaryLeeHahn Celebrate The Kidlitosphere itself! http://ow.ly/FaACE #kidlit

Things You Should Know About Introverts at Playfully Tacky. True: "7) We secretly love it when you cancel plans." http://ow.ly/ETn0R

On Reading, Writing, and Publishing

Lone Wolves: Caldecott Medal Winning Books Created Solo — another @100scopenotes analysis http://ow.ly/FjAkY #kidlit

Thoughts on the Debut Author/Illustrators and winning book awards @fuseeight http://ow.ly/EPgu9 #kidlit

Stacked: Socioeconomic Class in Contemporary YA Lit: Where Are The Poor Teens? Guest Post by @farre http://ow.ly/FjA1n

Stacked: Mental Illness in YA As a Minefield—Explore at Will: Guest Post by Rachel M. Wilson http://ow.ly/Fg8z4 @catagator #yalit

Do Men Read Books Written By Females? This Infographic @GalleyCat suggests not as much as women do http://ow.ly/EWgwv via @CBCBook

Schools and Libraries

On the benefits for students + teachers of Connecting With Authors (incl. being a writer seems possible) by @katsok http://ow.ly/FjwQF

Nice to see good news for libraries: School Library Renaissance in Swampscott, MA School District @sljournal http://ow.ly/Fgj77

:-( In 1991, there were 176 certified librarians in Philadelphia public schools. This year there are 11 http://ow.ly/FfZoz @phillydotcom

Why Voters Love #CommonCore (standards catching on w/ parents + teachers) @thedailybeast via @PWKidsBookshelf http://ow.ly/Fg02X

How Libraries are Advancing and Inspiring Schools and Communities @MindShiftKQED via @tashrow http://ow.ly/F37rM

Cool! Librarian Helps Snag $7 Million Federal STEM Grant for Indiana High School | @sljournal http://ow.ly/ETDT0

RT @tashrow Neil Gaiman "For me, closing libraries is the equivalent of eating your seed corn to save a little money" http://buff.ly/1EZUEZ0

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.

I'm Brave!: Kate & Jim McMullan

Book: I'm Brave!
Author: Kate and Jim McMullan
Pages: 40
Age Range: 3-7

I'm Brave! is the latest in a transportation-themed series by Kate & Jim McMullan. I remember I Stink! being a hit when it came out in 2002, but I have had only a passing familiarity with the books in between. I'm Brave! is the autobiographical story of a "big, red fire engine", full of tidbits about fire engines and their accessories, as well as many dramatic sound effects. Like this:

"FIREFIGHTERS?
I got your vests, masks, air tanks.
Let's ROLL!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Blinkers?
BLINK!
Flashers?
FLASH!
Light bar?
STROBE IT!"

All of the sound effects (shown in various size fonts and colors) make this a fun book to read aloud with preschoolers. There's also some matching, where the engine lists accessories, and the child is supposed to match each item with its picture ("Shovels, mauls, ropes, flashlights, Halligan tools", etc.). There's not glossary, so parents may have to do a bit of research to help with these sections. 

The brave firetruck's enthusiasm is contagious, and there are enough facts here to keep young firefighter buffs occupied for some time. I'm Brave! isn't my personal favorite type of picutre book (without much narrative structure, and the need to make lots of engine sounds), but I can see it delighting lots of kids. I'm Brave! is a sure-fire addition to any library's picture book collection, and a great gift idea for a child who has recently visited the fire station. 

Publisher: Balzer + Bray (@HarperChildrens)
Publication Date: September 2, 2014
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. This site is an Amazon and iBooks affiliate, and purchases made through affiliate links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

This Holiday Season, 70% of Kids Wants Books That Make Them Laugh, Says Scholastic

Scholastic today released a sneak peek at their Kids and Family Reading Report, due out in January, focused on the kinds of books that kids age 6-17 are looking for. The top attribute that kids are looking for in books that they read for pleasure? Humor. I would say that this is worth keeping in mind, as you do your holiday book shopping. 

Here is a handy infographic, shared with permission from Scholastic. You can find a handy printable version here, go to Downloads .

And here is the text of the press release:

"The Complete Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™ 5th Edition Will Be Released January 2015

NEW YORK, December 3, 2014 – To help gift givers select the right books for children this holiday season, Scholastic (NASDAQ:SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education and media company, has released new data on "What Kids Want in Books – a "sneak preview" from the fifth edition of the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™. This national survey of children ages 6–17 and their parents explores attitudes and behaviors around reading books for fun. In this preview of the full report, kids share what they look for when picking out books to read for fun. According to 70% of kids ages 6–17, books that "make me laugh" rank highest on the list across all ages. Among the different age groups:

• Children ages 6–8 are more likely than older children to want books with characters that "look like me."
• Children ages 9–11 are more likely than younger children to want books that "have a mystery or a problem to solve."
• Children ages 12–14 are more likely than older children to want books with "characters I wish I could be like because they are smart, strong or brave."
• Children ages 15–17 are more likely than younger children to want books that help them "forget about real life for a while."

In addition, 73% of children ages 6–17 agree with the statement, "I would read more if I could find more books that like."

The Kids & Family Reading Report will be available in January 2015. To view and share the "What Kids Want in Books" infographic go to www.scholastic.com/readingreport. For a list of "books that make me laugh," go to http://bit.ly/1rSCVkf.

The Kids & Family Reading Report™ is a biannual report from Scholastic and managed by YouGov. Results are from a nationally representative survey of 1,026 parents of children ages 6–17, plus one child ages 6–17 from the same household, conducted August 29, 2014 through September 10, 2014. For the full methodology, see www.scholastic.com/readingreport."

Growing Bookworms Newsletter: December 3

Today I will be sending out a new issue of the Growing Bookworms email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on children's and young adult books and raising readers. I currently send the newsletter out every two weeks.

Newsletter Update: In this issue I have seven book reviews (mostly picture books, plus one easy reader and one young adult), a post with a litmus test for knowing when a book isn't working for my daughter, and one post with literacy and reading links that I shared on Twitter recently. (I did not do a links post over Thanksgiving weekend, so will have quite a few links next time.) 

Reading Update: In the last two weeks I completed one middle grade and four adult titles. I read/listened to:

• Jennifer Allison (ill. Michael Moran): Iggy Loomis, A Hagfish Called Shirley. Dial Books for Young Readers. Early Middle Grade. Completed December 2, 2014. Review to come. 
• Rhys Bowen: Her Royal Spyness: Royal Flush. Berkley Press. Adult Mystery. Completed November 20, 2014, on MP3.
• Atul Gawande: The Checklist Manifesto: How To Get Things Right. Picador. Adult Nonfiction. Completed November22, 2014, on Kindle.
• Rhys Bowen: Her Royal Spyness: Royal Blood. Berkley Press. Adult Mystery. Completed November 30, 2014, on MP3.
• Peter Thiel: Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future. Crown Business. Adult Nonfiction. Completed December 2, 2014, on Kindle.

After two weeks with little progrress, I had to abandon Lockwood & Co. book, The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud. It's not that it's bad, but for whatever reason, I cannot keep my eyes open when I am reading it. This has actually been happening to me lately with most books, and is the reason why the majority of books that I've completed have been on MP3 or Kindle. I listen when I am out walking and I read on Kindle when I am on my exercise bike. I'm going to try The Whispering Skull on audio soon, in fact. Perhaps I should try getting more sleep. 

The books that we're been reading to my daughter can be found here. We have started working our way through our stack of Christmas books, with Snowmen at Christmas becoming a new favorite. I think that Leslie Patricelli's Fa La La board book remains her all-time favorite, though. We've also been reading a set of 11 Fly Guy readers (a recent Scholastic Book Club request) over and over again. She adores them! She was also pretty excited to learn how to spell "book" recently. 

I have, in the course of my reading as a Cybils judge, discovered an easy way to tell when a book isn't working for my daughter. We read it, and then a couple of days later I again place in the stack of potential bedtime books. If she says: "I already read that one" I know that the book did not impress. Because the books that she LIKES? Those we can read over and over (and over) again. "I already read that one" is a dead giveaway. 

What are you and your family reading these days? Thanks for reading the newsletter, and for growing bookworms. 

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

A Litmus Test for Books that Work for My Daughter

I have, in the course of my reading as a Cybils judge, discovered an easy way to tell when a book isn't working for my daughter. We read it once (she'll listen to almost anything once), and then a couple of days later I again place it in the stack of potential bedtime books. (I generally create the stack, and she chooses what gets read, though if my selections are particularly poor she will get out bed and go look for something else.)

If she looks at the book and says: "I already read that one," I know that the book did not impress. Because the books that she LIKES? Those we can read over and over (and over) again. (We read a set of 11 Fly Guy books 3 times each over two days this weekend.) "I already read that one" is a dead giveaway. This is not to say that the "I already read that one" titles are bad books. But they certainly aren't books that hold appeal for my particular 4.5 year old daughter. 

The important point here, I think, is that as parents, we should be listening to how our kids respond to books. I personally never try to get my daughter to give a book another try (well, not without waiting a few months, anyway). If she doesn't like it, we move on. There are plenty of other books in the world. Plenty of other books within arm's reach at almost any given time, to be honest.

Sharon Levin had a good post today at her blog, Life, Literature, Laughter, on How To Get Your Child to STOP/HATE Reading. She points to parents who stop their children from reading the books that they love (e.g. graphic novels, because they aren't "real" books, etc. You all know the drill). Sharon talks about giving kids the power to choose what they read, and this I strongly agree with.  

Katherine Sokolowski also had a lovely post today about her belief that every child can learn to love books, but how kids who are raised by parents who love books have an advantage. But she also talks about nurturing those readers through times when life (or the love of video games) intervenes, and they need a little help to keep" this connection (with books) afloat". 

Me, I do worry about some future day when my daughter is too busy or too jaded or too grown up to want me to read to her. But for now, what I can do is hear her subtext when she says "I already read that", and find her something more appealing. It's all about keeping reading fun.  

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Telephone: Mac Barnett & Jen Corace

Book: Telephone
Author: Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Jen Corace
Pages: 40
Age Range: 3-7

Telephone, written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jen Corace, is a humorous celebration of the distortion that happens when people pass messages along from one to the next. Well, except that it's actually birds passing along the message in this case. A collection of different types of birds (with clothing and other human paraphernalia) is stretched out along a telephone wire. A mother bird says: "Tell Peter: Fly home for dinner." As this message is passed from bird to bird, it becomes more and more different from the original request (though always making some sort of quirky sense). But when the message gets to the wise old owl at the end of the line, the owl is able to filter all of the distortion, and deliver the original message. This, I found to be a highly satisfying ending.

There's not much of a narrative arc to Telephone. But it's a fun little bit of nonsense that illustrates the way that people apply their own biases to messages that they pass along. It's the pelican, with lobster in beak, who hears: "Tell Peter: Lobsters are good hiders." A cap-wearing, tire-magazine-reading bird says: "Tell Peter: My monster truck has big tires." And so on. 

Corace's watercolor, ink, and pencil illustrations celebrate the absurdity in the telephone messages. A sweaty, nervous turkey says: "Tell Peter: I'm too high up on this wire." The birds are all uniquely patterned, with expressive faces and memorable accessories. 

I'm not sure how well this stream-of-consciousness story, which is basically one long joke, will hold up to repeat readings. But it's a nice, light-hearted introduction to the risks of the game of Telephone, with pictures full of details to please young readers. Definitely worth a look for libraries that server preschoolers. 

Publisher: Chronicle Books (@ChronicleKids) 
Publication Date: September 9, 2014
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. This site is an Amazon and iBooks affiliate, and purchases made through affiliate links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Everything I Need to Know About Christmas I Learned from a Little Golden Book

Book: Everything I Need to Know About Christmas I Learned from a Little Golden Book
Author: Diane Muldrow
Pages: 96
Age Range: 12 and up

Everything I Need to Know About Christmas I Learned from a Little Golden Book contains illustrations from picture books, but is not in and of itself a children's book. Rather, it's a compilation by Diane Muldrow, editorial director at Golden Books, of images from Little Golden Books published over the years, lightened with editorial commentary about the holidays. Like this:

"Christmas is the most wonderful time
of the year and all, but ...

(next page)

there's just so much to do.
All that baking,
the endless cycle of cooking and cleaning, ..."

The first part above is accompanied by a picture of Santa's sleigh taking off from a rooftop (from The Golden Book of Little Verse, 1952). The next page shows a mother doing laundry on one side (from The Happy Family, 1955) and a grandmother baking on the other (from The Gingerbread Man, 1953). And so on. In each case, the name, author, illustrator, and publication date are shown in tiny print at the bottom of the page. We are clearly meant to focus on Muldrow's text, and the pictures themselves, without dwelling too much on where they came from originally. 

The text is a bit of an odd mix of snarky and not. From "Can we just call the Christmas season what it really is? Cold and flu season." to "When was the last time you went caroling?" and "don't forget to break for hot cocoa." Towards the end, Muldrow focuses on both the religious symbolism and the family-oriented aspects of Christmas. She closes with an image of Santa from The Night Before Christmas, and the word "Believe". Mostly, Everything I Need to Know About Christmas comes down on the side of mildly, but not overly, sentimental. 

The illustrations, created by a wide range of authors, are an interesting window into the varied styles of Little Golden Book illustrators over the years. Some hold up better than others, of course, and most carry a nostalgic feel. 

My four-year-old took one look at the cover of this book and said: "That book is for grown-ups, isn't it?". And it is. You could certainly read it with your kids, especially if you have read any of the included Little Golden Books together. But where I think it would be best-received would be as a stocking stuffer for Grandma, or anyone else old enough to cherish fond memories of the Little Golden Books of the 1950s. 

Publisher: Golden Books (@RandomHouseKids)  
Publication Date: September 9, 2014
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. This site is an Amazon and iBooks affiliate, and purchases made through affiliate links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).