Reviewer: Carol Steen, Columbia Valley Gardens Elementary
Robertson, Fiona TITLE: The Perfect Present RATING: R
PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2011 PRICE: $
ISBN: 978-0-399-25773-5 INTEREST LEVEL: K-3rd
ILLUSTRATOR: Robertson, Fiona PAGES: 32
It is Henry’s birthday, and he is so excited for his presents. His duck, Spot, is excited also; Spot has gotten Henry a fishing pole – the very one Henry has been eyeing. However, before Henry opens Spot’s gift, Henry receives a gift of a dog from his grandparents. He is so happy with his new friend named Dog. Spot starts to feel very left out and so decides to leave. When Henry discovers this, he and Dog head out to locate Spot and bring him home. It is a very cute story with simple, yet fun illustrations!
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3398-5 INTEREST LEVEL: K-3rd ILLUSTRATOR: Peter Reynolds PAGES: NA
This goes into a scenario of things that could happen if an elephant stands on your foor, and ends back to the elephant. I love the illustrations in this book and it has a funny entertaining storyline.
This full color graphic novel is unique in that the short chapters read more similar to a regular comic book than most graphic novels do. It tells the tale of Teen Boat, a teen with transformer like abilities to turn into a yacht. Teen Boat wants what most teens want: love, acceptance and fun, and does his best to achieve them. The illustrations are very colorful and detailed with their cartoon-like charm. It contains pages after the story that show how the novel came together, from the early sketches and script to putting the finishing touches on the illustrations. This will appeal to high school students.
REVIEWER: Debby Iverson, Coweeman Middle School
Rosati, Gina TITLE: Auracle RATING: R PUBLISHER: Roaring Book Press PRICE: $16.99
ISBN: 978-1-59643-710-4 INTEREST LEVEL: 13-17 yrs. ILLUSTRATOR: NA PAGES: 298
Anna Rogan is just your average teenager, she has average grades, isn’t real popular, and her best friend is a boy named Rei. What is exceptional about Anna is that she can astrally project out of her body. No one knows this except her friend Rei. Anna will take her spirit on trips exploring around the world to escape her issues at home. Her father is an alcoholic and has abused her once and her mother is trying to hold the family together while working hard. One of Anna’s classmates, Taylor, is in an accident and takes over Anna’s body while she isn’t in it. Anna comes home and finds that this could become permanent. Anna turns to her best friend Rei for help because otherwise she faces a future of never growing old, touching or being heard forever. Also adding to the drama is Rei’s friend is accused of murder and Anna was a witness. They make some plans on how to get Taylor out of Anna’s body and prove Rei’s friend innocent. While all this is happening Anna also finds out she can touch people and heal them and what the power of a single touch can do. There were some slow parts, but I didn’t want to stop reading until I found out if Anna would get her body back or fall in love with Rei.
Yes, this is a collection of nonsense. The only one I really enjoyed was the bananas in the ears. The rest were no unnecessary that I could not even read them to kids and make them funny. Sorry, the book will not be in our library.
Pete and Penny are excited when Theodore Tome buys the empty store next door to their restaurant, Pizzarelli’s Pizza Parlor. He and his quiet, mysterious son are opening Tidy Tomes, a bookstore. But when a puzzle message is slipped under their door before the bookstore even officially opens, Pete and Penny wonder what’s up. Soon books are mysteriously showing up on the wrong shelves and being found piled where they’re not supposed to be. And, worst of all, accidents are happening because of it. Pete and Penny are solving puzzling messages left and right trying to figure out who the culprit is that seems to want to try to sabotage the bookstore before it’s grand opening. As always in this series, the reader gets to solve the puzzles right along with Pete and Penny and figure out the mystery (the answers to all the puzzles are given at the back of the book)! This is the third installment in Rosenberg’s ‘Pete and Penny’s Pizza Puzzles’ series.
REVIEWER: Jill Buccola, Olympic Elementary School
Rosenberg, Aaron TITLE: Case of the Sinking Circus RATING: R
The circus is coming to town and Pete and Penny can’t wait! But while it’s still getting set up a monkey in a top hat hands them a puzzling message. And then when it opens, money is missing each night from the gate profit. The circus is only in town a short while, will Pete and Penny be able to solve the mystery before the circus packs up? As always in this series, the reader gets to solve the puzzles right along with Pete and Penny and figure out the mystery (the answers to all the puzzles are given at the back of the book)! This is the fourth installment in Rosenberg’s ‘Pete and Penny’s Pizza Puzzles’ series.
REVIEWER: Jill Buccola, Olympic Elementary School
Rosenthal, Amy TITLE: Wumbers RATING: R
PUBLISHER: Chronicle @ 2012 PRICE: 16.99
ISBN: 9781452110226 INTEREST LEVEL: 3rd-6th
ILLUSTRATOR: Tom Lichtenheld PAGES: UNP
The dynamic duo of Amy Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld are at it again in a winning combination of words and numbers coined “wumbers”. The book is dedicated to William Steig whose “CDB” inspired this book. Each page is illustrated to reflect words such as 2na, 2can and el8ed. These words are placed in sentences to create expressive and interesting thought. Students will want to create their own “wumbers”.
