Review - No One Likes a Fart

 

No One Likes A Fart - Zoe Foster Blake, author
                                    Adam Nickel, illustrator


Summary (from Goodreads):

No One Likes A Fart is a sweet, funny story about a lonely fart who is just looking to make a friend. But it's hard out there for a fart. Too smelly. Too embarrassing. Too gross. Striking the perfect balance of gross-out humor, wit, and heart, this beautifully illustrated picture book delivers a message of accepting yourself and finding a friend who loves you just the way you are. 

My Review:

I admit, when I saw this on the shelf at Walmart, I was all about it without even reading it.  My daughter was horrified to be around me as I read through the story and fell absolutely in love with it.  I felt so bad for the fart - he just wanted to find a friend!  I'm sure that a lot of kids can relate to the message of this story...once they stop giggling.  

Read: February 2022

Review - The Giant Germ (The Magic School Bus Science Chapter Books #6)

 

Review - The Giant Germ (The Magic School Bus Science Chapter Books #6).  Anne Capeci, author.  John Speirs, illustrator

Summary (from Goodreads):
Learn all about germs when Ms. Frizzle's class takes another exciting field trip!

Ms. Frizzle takes her class on amazing field trips in the Magic School Bus. They never know what will happen when they get on the bus, but they always learn something new about science! In THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS CHAPTER BOOK #6: THE GIANT GERM, a class picnic in the park becomes an exploration of the mini world of microbes. Even though microbes are tiny, they have huge effects on the world. Ms. Frizzle and her class get into trouble when they run into a giant germ! 

My review:
I'm too old to have the nostalgia for The Magic School Bus and Ms. Frizzle (I'm a Bill Nye The Science Guy kind of girl!), but I thought this book was a really great introduction to the microscopic world.  It reads like a television show episode; the pacing is swift but not so fast that most readers will be left behind.  The students are a bit goofy; DA is unrealistically well-read for an elementary student, but kid readers should relate pretty well, especially if they watch the show on Netflix or YouTube.  I definitely read Ms. Frizzle's dialogue in Lily Tomlin's voice!

Read: February 2022

Review - Lao Lao of Dragon Mountain

 

Lao Lao of Dragon Mountain - Margaret Bateson-Hill, author
                                                    Francesca Pelizzoli, illustrator

Summary:
A greedy emperor demands an impossible task from Lao Lao, a peasant woman who makes beautiful shapes from paper. The full story in Chinese and instructions for making traditional Chinese paper-cuts are also included.


My Review:
This book is beautifully illustrated, and the Chinese text is written near the English, so young readers can get a bit of exposure to the Chinese language.  It's a great cautionary tale about being greedy and the consequences of one's actions.  I plan to use it as one of the anchor texts of a World Mythology unit I'm creating, and I hope my students like it!

Review - I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 - Lauren Tarshis, author.
                                                                        Scott Dawson, illus.

Summary (from Goodreads):

The most terrifying events in history are brought vividly to life in this new fictional series! In book 1, ten-year-old George is trapped on the Titanic -- how will he survive?

Ten-year-old George Calder can't believe his luck -- he and his little sister, Phoebe, are on the famous Titanic, crossing the ocean with their Aunt Daisy. The ship is full of exciting places to explore, but when George ventures into the first class storage cabin, a terrible boom shakes the entire boat. Suddenly, water is everywhere, and George's life changes forever.

Lauren Tarshis brings history's most exciting and terrifying events to life in this new fictional series. Readers will be transported by stories of amazing kids and how they survived!

 
My Review:

Titanic has been a fascination of mine for years; Dr. Robert Ballard had only just found the wreck when I learned about the ship in the late 1980s or early 1990s, and then the 1997 film reignited my excitement for Titanic lore.  I was initially a bit leery of this book, because I was afraid that the story of the doomed liner would trivialize the tragedy, or that it would disrespect the memories of the over 1,500 people who lost their lives.  Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this novel.  The main character, George, is mostly believable as a protagonist, and I liked the fact that he came to the Titanic storyline as a somewhat-troubled youth, having lost his mother several years before sailing.  George's behaviors and the shenanigans he gets into, both at home and aboard ship, are realistic for a ten-year-old who is struggling to reconcile himself to a life without his mother.  The story is accessible as is, but for students who lack the schema to understand the setting of the Titanic, numerous visual media exist to provide that background and enhance the story of George and his family.  The tension created by the pacing of the story was fairly intense, and even caused me to wonder if the book was going to end sadly; I laughed at myself when I remembered that the title said, "I Survived."  This book is apparently the first I Survived book, and if they are all as well crafted as this one, I'll be interested to read more in the series.

Read: February 2022

Review - Little Bear (#1)

Little Bear (#1) - Else Homelund Minarik, author
                            Maurice Sendak, illustrator

Summary (from Goodreads):
Enter the world of Little Bear. Children will be entranced by Little Bear's trip to the moon, his birthday party, and his wishes and adventures.

This is the first of the five classic books about Little Bear, introducing the funny and strikingly childlike bear cub and his friends. The combination of Else Holmelund Minarik's simple, yet eloquent, stories and Maurice Sendak's warm, tender illustrations have made this beloved character an enduring favorite among beginning readers.

My Review:
I thought this book was charming, and not too pandering to early readers.  Little Bear is sweet and inquisitive, as well as inventive.  The reading level is very easy, but not so much that older, struggling readers will find it silly and infantile.  The setting appears to be quite far into the past, so some of the illustrations may not make sense (e.g. a treadle sewing machine, Model A-style car) to modern readers, but they aren't so odd as to detract from the story.

Read: February 2022

 

Review - Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing - Judy Blume

Summary (from Goodreads):

Millions of fans young and old have been entertained by the quick wit of Peter Hatcher, the hilarious antics of mischevious Fudge, and the unbreakable confidence of know-it-all Sheila Tubman in Judy Blume's five Fudge books. And now, Puffin Books honors forty years of the book that started it all, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, with a special edition--featuring a new introduction from Judy--to celebrate this perennial favorite.

My Review:

Overall, I thought this book was well-written, and the protagonist, Peter, well-developed. Peter generally plays second-fiddle to his little brother, Fudge, and as offensive as I found Fudge (and their mother, who outright babies and spoils Fudge), I found the relationship between the two brothers to be accurate as far as I know - being an only child, I have limited experience with pesky little brothers! I really wanted to see more parenting going on with the kids, especially from the father, but the book is a product of its time in many ways (it was written in 1972, when more moms stayed home and dads escaped to work), so I wasn't surprised that, when Peter's dad had to watch the boys, Dad had ZERO clue how to manage.

I definitely wanted to give Peter a hug through most of the story; I can really see why he considers himself a "fourth-grade nothing," because that's often how he's treated. 

Read: February 2022

Read: February 2022

Review - Time Enough for Drums

Time Enough for Drums - Ann Rinaldi

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Jem and her servant struggle to keep things going at home in Trenton, New Jersey, when the family men join the war for independence from the British king.


My Review: 
I first read this book for a project in 8th grade English class; we were learning about the Revolution in Social Studies class and had to read a novel about the Revolution to go along with that. I've never forgotten the book, and I've owned several copies in the intervening 30 years. It's one of those rare books that I will always keep a copy of.

The protagonist, Jem, is the somewhat spoiled, rather unconventional 15-year-old daughter of a Trenton, New Jersey Whig merchant during the Revolutionary War. We see the war through her eyes as she says goodbye to her older brother, Daniel, and endures the constant scolding of her hired Tory tutor, John Reid. The war and subsequent suffering, especially at the hands of the Hessian soldiers who invade Trenton, force Jem to grow and mature into a strong, independent young woman who becomes a capable citizen of the new United States.

Read: February 2022