November Picks

The year is flying by! As the Ladybug Picture Book season comes to a close and the holiday season begins, I am turning my attention to some books that have gotten a lot of hype in the library world. There is even a Caldecott contender on my list this month! Take some time to come to the library and check out some incredible and widely discussed books for November.

The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy (Grade 5-8)

Skilley, a street cat with a secret (he eats cheese!), finds a home at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, where he pretends to be a mouser and gets the attention of Charles Dickens, a frequent customer. Befriended by Pip, a precocious mouse who can read and write, Skilley tries to protect his rodent pals and Maldwyn, an injured royal raven hiding in the garret, from Pinch, a ginger alley cat who s out for every tasty morsel he can get. There are cat-and-mouse battles aplenty. Several subplots are happily resolved: the cook reveals that the mice are her official cheese-tasters; Queen Victoria herself comes to rescue Maldwyn; Mr. Dickens finally finds an opening sentence for his new novel, and more. The fast-moving plot is a masterwork of intricate detail that will keep readers enthralled, and the characters are well-rounded and believable. ~School Library Journal

Everything On It by Shel Silverstein (Grades 3-6)

A spider lives inside my head
Who weaves a strange and wondrous web
Of silken threads and silver strings
To catch all sorts of flying things,
Like crumbs of thought and bits of smiles
And specks of dried-up tears,
And dust of dreams that catch and cling
For years and years and years . . .
 
Have you ever read a book with everything on it? Well, here it is, an amazing collection of never-before-published poems and drawings from the creator of Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up. You will say Hi-ho for the toilet troll, get tongue-tied with Stick-a-Tongue-Out-Sid, play a highly unusual horn, and experience the joys of growing down. ~Amazon

Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham (Grades 4-6)

A perfect murder
A faceless witness
A lone courtroom champion knows the whole truth . . . and he’s only thirteen years old
Meet Theodore Boone

In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he’s only thirteen years old, Theo Boone thinks he’s one of them. Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk—and a lot about the law. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom. But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much—maybe too much—he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth. The stakes are high, but Theo won’t stop until justice is served. Brimming with the intrigue and suspense that made John Grisham a #1 international bestseller and the undisputed master of the legal thriller, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer will keep readers guessing and pages turning. ~Amazon

One Moon, Two Cats by Laura Godwin (Grades PreK-3)

One moon.

Two cats are not asleep.

Across a great distance, but under the light of the same moon, a city cat and a country cat pounce and play, crouch and leap in a rollicking nighttime adventure. When morning comes, they are both back in their respective homes and finally, turn in to sleep. ~Amazon

The brief, rhymed text changes size to match the rhythms of the cats’ adventures, and the rich acrylic paintings create an air of nighttime mystery. An ably told and atmospheric romp. ~School Library Journal

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature by Joyce Sidman (Grades PreK-6)

 

A Caldecott medalist and a Newbery Honor-winning poet celebrate the beauty and value of spirals.What makes the tiny snail shell so beautiful? Why does that shape occur in nature over and over again—in rushing rivers, in a flower bud, even inside your ear? With simplicity and grace, Krommes and Sidman not only reveal the many spirals in nature—from fiddleheads to elephant tusks, from crashing waves to spiraling galaxies—but also celebrate the beauty and usefulness of this fascinating shape. ~Amazon

Squish Rabbit by Katherine Battersby (Grades PreK-3)

Squish is just a little rabbit. But being little can lead to big problems. Sometimes Squish is hard to hear . . . or see. (Which is how he got his name.) And no one notices him. But Squish notices things- especially when someone is about to get into trouble and needs help. Here is little Squish's BIG chance. ~Amazon

Blue Chicken by Deborah Freedman (Grades PreK-3) **Caldecott Contender!**

In this deceptively simple picture book, author-illustrator Deborah Freedman has created an irresistible character that springs to life and wreaks havoc in a farmyard with a pot of blue paint. The innocent chicken just wants to help, but things get worse and worse-and bluer and bluer--the more she tries. Playing with colors and perspective, and using minimal text, this richly layered story reveals new things to see and laugh about with each reading. ~Amazon

Full of surprise and emotion... The book has much to pore over on every page, and children will want to experience the action over and over again. ~ School Library Journal, starred review 

October Picks

September is coming to an end and fall is folding in around us. It's time to stop and take a minute out of our busy schedules to enjoy a new book from the MCS library. Here are some of my October favorites:

The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic, by Jennifer Trafton (3-6)

Persimmony Smudge, 10, is leading a life as dull as her name on the Island at the Center of Everything. But one day she goes out to find another magic pot (having broken the first one) and soon finds herself in the midst of a dangerous adventure. Twelve-year-old King Lucas, who loves pepper, disdains his subjects, and has a talent for rudeness, sends Persimmony, along with Worvil the Worrier and Guafnoggle the Jester, to see if there’s really a sleeping giant under Mount Majestic and, if so, to make sure he is absolutely, positively not awakened. First-time novelist Trafton uses delicious descriptions and flight-of-fancy words to put Persimmony on the path of a hero’s journey, and the story is filled with characters who make an impression.

The Timekeeper's Moon, by John Sensel (5-6)

Sequel to the Firewalkers Quest. It’s been a year since Ariel discovered the Vault, and since then she has used her Farwalking skills well, offering trade and knowledge to isolated villages. At night, voices from the moon plague her, but she doesn’t know what they want, only that they are connected to a mysterious map. Determined to go wherever the map leads, Ariel, Scarl (her prickly yet sincere guardian), and two new companions set off. As the map becomes clearer, they realize failing this quest could mean the end of everything.

Lost: A Dog Called Bear, by Wendy Orr (2-4)

Logan is moving from the farm to the city. He’ll miss all the things he’s leaving behind, but at least he has Bear. He loves Bear more than anything else in the world—because Bear is his dog. Hannah lives in the city. What she wants, more than anything else in the world, is a dog of her own. At the Rainbow Street Shelter, Logan and Hannah find a talking parrot, an old black Labrador, a three-legged goat, a puppy that looks like a peanut—and a Surprise that just might be the best thing in the world.


Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things, by Lenore Look (2-4)

Second-grader Alvin Ho is determined to make friends, even though he is afraid of any number of things and can't talk—at all—in school. Episodic chapters feature events at home, at school, and in his Concord, MA, neighborhood. Everyday adventures include being left stranded by his siblings during stretching exercises that leave him upside down in a tree, being sent alone to the scary piano teacher's house, and deciding whether or not to hang out with the classroom bully. Although Look resists providing a tidy ending, readers will be sure that Alvin is on the right road when he surprises even himself by suddenly speaking to his psychotherapist. And they won't have to understand the Shakespearean curses that come out of his mouth to know that this time he has a good reason to be afraid. Whether they are fearful or brave, kids will smile at Alvin's scrapes and empathize with his concerns.

The Composer is Dead, by Lemony Snicket (2-6)

The story is well paced, employing wordplay, humor, and mild suspense to build a slow crescendo that originates with the delicate strings and climaxes with percussion. The bombastic Inspector, read by Snicket on the CD, sports pinstripes, a bowler hat, and a handlebar mustache in the book. As he interrogates each section of the orchestra, the instruments describe their whereabouts on the night of the crime in characteristic voices, telling something about their actual roles while offering imagery for the illustrator. Thus, "'We were performing a waltz,' said the Violins. 'We played graceful melodies so the ladies and gentlemen could spin around and around and around until they felt dizzy and somewhat nauseous.'" Ellis's watercolors combine caricatures of the action with silhouettes of the instruments. Evidence leads to the conductor, since "wherever there's a conductor, you're sure to find a dead composer!"

Jeremy Draws a Monster, by Peter McCarty (K-2)

Readers meet Jeremy, a blond, spike-haired boy, alone in his third-floor apartment, gazing at a group of children playing ball below. The text reads, "He had his very own room. He never left. He never went outside." But Jeremy does have a fancy pen, and one day he conjures up a robust blue monster that, in short order, demands a sandwich, a checkerboard, a television, and a hot dog, which Jeremy and his pen quickly supply. Soon the novelty wears off and when the monster demands a hat because he is "going out," Jeremy is relieved to see him go. The monster returns, but Jeremy takes charge and when he departs for good, the neighborhood children gather—"Do you want to play ball?" they ask, and indeed Jeremy does. McCarty matches his understated story with both black-and-white and color illustrations that flow loosely across ample white space; the openness of the images gives just the right feel to the tale.

Not a Box, by Antoinette Portis (K-2)

Through a series of paired questions and answers, the rabbit is queried about why he is sitting in, standing on, spraying, or wearing a box. Each time, he insists, "It's not a box!" and the opposite page reveals the many things a small child's pretending can make of one: a race car, a mountain, a burning building, a robot. One important caveat: the younger end of the intended audience is both literal and concrete in their approach to this material.