Feb
23
“C’mere, Boy!” by Sharon Jennings, illustrated by Ashley Spires
c. 2010, Kids Can Press
$16.95 / $18.95 Canada
32 pages
No. That’s all you ever hear. Mom says no, but you hope that’s not the end of it.
All you want is a pet. A dog or cat you could call your very own. Something warm to snuggle every night. Someone who would be glad to see you when you came home from school. You’d even settle for a guinea pig or a hamster, or …
But Mom said no. So you try even harder.
You promised to clean up after it. You said you’d take care of it. But nothing works and you’re almost ready to take matters into your own hands. Before you do, read “C’mere, Boy!” by Sharon Jennings, illustrated by Ashley Spires, and see what happens when a different kind of boy wants a different kind of pet and it almost ends in disaster.
More than anything in the world, Dog wanted a boy. His boy could sleep on his bed. He would walk his boy and play with him. Dog told his mama that he would clean up after his boy and that she’d never have to worry about him.
Mama said maybe. “But remember, a boy is hard to train.”
But Dog wasn’t about to give up. On Monday, when he wrote “BOY FOOD” on the grocery list, Mama pointed out that he didn’t have a boy yet. That’s when Dog promised to feed his boy himself.
On Tuesday, when Dog came home with a leash, Mama reminded him that he didn’t have a boy yet. That’s when Dog promised again to walk his boy every day.
On Wednesday, when Dog went to sign up for obedience lessons, someone asked why he was there. “You don’t have a boy,” the teacher said.
On Thursday, the lady at The Posh Pooch Spa sent Dog away. Sadly, Dog realized that he couldn’t do anything fun until he got a boy. It was time to try something different.
So on Friday morning, Dog told his mama that he was going shopping. He was absolutely not coming home until he had a dog.
But a sign at the mall said “NO DOGS ALLOWED.” Dog was kicked out of the park because he didn’t have a leash. All the boys he saw were somehow wrong for him.
Sadly, Dog headed home, boy-less. Would he ever have a boy of his own?
It’s been said that kids and dogs belong together. “C’mere, Boy!” just reinforces that.
Author Sharon Jennings gives the old “I want a puppy” argument a new twist in this book, and kids will love the parallel. I loved the story’s boy-and-dog meeting. Who knew that a boy could be so obedient?
Add in sparely-colored illustrations by Ashley Spires and you’ve got a book that young dog-lovers (and future dog owners) will want to hear again and again.
If your 3-to-7-year-old is actively lobbying for a pet — or even if there’s already one in the house — you’ll want to fetch this book. “C’mere, Boy!” is one they’ll want to get their paws on.
Feb
15
“A Kid’s Guide to Native American History”
by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder
c.2009, Chicago Review Press
$16.95 / $18.95 Canada
226 pages, includes index
Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez
Every year, at the beginning of summer, your best friend’s mom buys her a special charm for her bracelet, to celebrate another successful school year. It’s a tradition, she says, and you completely understand.
Your family has lots of those.
Some people celebrate Hanukkah, while others have Christmas. Your family might have a special vacation spot you visit each year, or a celebration to mark a significant day. Or maybe your traditions are stories about Corn Husk Dolls, coyotes or salmon. In the new book “A Kid’s Guide to Native American History” by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder, you’ll read about customs, history-making people, and the truth about the many nations that live in this nation.
Wait, you’re saying. What? America is just one nation, right?
Yes and no. There are many nations in this country. The word “nation” signifies a group of people who share a culture and are united under one government, which perfectly describes American Indians. In each of our fifty states, you’ll find many people of the First Nations, as they sometimes prefer to be called. Even New York City has a large population of Native people.
Don’t think for a minute, though, that you can lump all Native Americans together! Each nation has different cultural traditions. The Oneida, for instance, tell stories of a protector who lost her face because she became selfish, and Native Hawaiian tales explain why naupaka look like they’re broken. Iñupiat hunted seals, whales, and walruses for food. Pueblo people craft storyteller dolls, which is a tradition created in 1964. Plains nations (Arapaho, Pawnee, Crow, and Dakota) hunted bison and used almost every single part of the animal in their everyday lives.
In this book, you’ll learn how to act at a Powwow (and how not to act). You’ll learn some stereotypes and truths (traditional clothing is not, for instance, a “costume”). If you’re a crafty kid, this book has directions for many everyday things you can make that are similar to traditional Native American items. There are games to play, recipes to try, famous (and not-so-famous) people to learn about, stories to tell at your next sleepover, and some cool new words that will surprise your friends.
Were your kids completely wowed by the dancing and clothing worn at the Winter Olympics’ opening ceremonies? Give them this book and take the learning a few steps further …
Authors Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder start with the basics by pointing out what are disrespectful actions and by smashing old stereotypes. From there, they divide the U.S. by region (including Alaska and Hawaii), relating history, cultural highlights and ceremonies, crafts, and oral traditions from some of the major Nations along the way.
While the projects in this book are appropriate for kids of all abilities and there are games that even younger siblings can enjoy, I think “A Kid’s Guide to Native American History” will be best-enjoyed by children ages 8 to 12. Giving them a book like this could be the start of a beautiful new tradition.
Contact Terri Schlichenmeyer at bookwormsez@yahoo.com.
Feb
09
“Back of the Bus” by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Floyd Cooper
c.2010, Philomel Books
$16.99 / $21.00 Canada
32 pages
Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez
Not very long ago, a couple days after you were born, Mama and Daddy tucked you and buckled you tight for your first ride home. They wanted your little self to be safe, so they put you in the back seat where nothing bad would happen to you.
Since that day not very long ago, you’ve spent plenty of time in all sorts of vehicle seats, mostly in back because that’s where kids like you are out of harm’s way. Being in the front seat, next to Mom or Dad, is a place for big kids and grown-ups.
But what if where you sit was determined by something other than your size? Read more in “Back of the Bus” by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Floyd Cooper.
It’s the end of the afternoon in Montgomery, Alabama, December, 1955. A small boy is at the back of the bus with his mother — just where they’re supposed to be — and he’s going home at the end of Mama’s work day.
Mama is tired. He can see it in her eyes, so he plays quietly with his marble. It’s a pretty one that looks just like a tiger’s eye. He rolls it up the aisle and Mrs. Rosa Parks grabs it, smiles at him, and rolls it back. Mama has her strong chin on, and she shakes her head “no” at him, but he knows Mrs. Parks don’t mind.
Because it’s quittin’ time for lots of people, the bus gets more and more crowded. People are crammed in tight, all jammed up. The boy hears the bus driver say, “Y’all gotta move, now.”
And then the bus stops.
The boy can hear voices, some back-talking, and the bus driver says he’s going to call the police. The boy plays with his marble but he knows something’s wrong because Mama’s got that voice like it is.
He puts the marble away safe and people start looking around. He feels scared.
And then, way up front, he sees Mrs. Parks sitting in a seat with her strong chin on. People are looking at her all angry and she’s sitting there, acting like nothing, like she belongs in that seat.
And the boy thinks that maybe she does …
When I finished this book, something rare happened: I was speechless. “Back of the Bus” is a wham of a story masquerading as a children’s picture book, which means that adults are going to get way more out of it than kids will.
But don’t let that stop you from getting it for your child. Author Aaron Reynolds tells the story of something monumental, from the viewpoint of a small witness to a big action. The illustrations by Floyd Cooper, done in shades of sepia with splashes of color, make this story feel like an old memory told fresh.
If you’re looking for a book that will make 4-to-8-year-old wigglers sit still, let this one do its magic. “Back of the Bus” will keep your kids in their seats for a good while.
Contact Terri Schlichenmeyer at bookwormsez@yahoo.com.
Feb
02
“I Am Ozzy” by Ozzy Osbourne with Chris Ayers
c.2009, Grand Central Publishing
$26.99 / $32.99 Canada
391 pages
Your grandmother loves classical music. She says those old guys — Mozart, Bach, Debussy — make her feel relaxed.
Your father favors classic country: Johnny, Patsy, and Hank are on his playlist. He can’t get enough of them.
But you… you love classic rock, particularly the heavy stuff: Molly Hatchet, AC/DC, and Black Sabbath. That head-banging music really gets your blood pumping.
But would a heavy metal rock band sound as sweet if they were called “Polka Tulk Blues Band” or “Earth,” two names under which Black Sabbath performed before they made it big? Read about that and more in “I Am Ozzy” by Ozzy Osbourne (with Chris Ayers).
Born in 1948, John Osbourne had a typical British boy’s upbringing. He lived in a small house in a small town with his parents and siblings, and he got into trouble like any boy. But when he was a teenager, the trouble escalated.
Following a stint in prison (because he “nicked” a few things from a local shop), John worked odd jobs, then decided that he wanted to play in a band. He hung a sign in a store window: “OZZY ZIG NEEDS GIG.”
After a few failed tries with other groups, Ozzy and three mates from the neighborhood started their own band. Tony was a wicked riff player, Ozzy says. Geezer was a genius at lyrics. Bill was “a phenomenal drummer.” The four lads tried different names for the band before settling on Black Sabbath in 1969.
By 1972, they were famous.
“In less than three years, we’d gone from … backstreet kids to millionaire country gents. It was unbelievable,” says Ozzy.
On-again/off-again with the band, Ozzy spent much of the next four decades in a haze. He says he was often under the influence of more than one drug, plus alcohol. He married and had a family but continued to sleep with groupies. He was kicked out of the band, divorced and quickly married again, went broke and made “multi, multi, multi” millions of dollars anew.
And yet, now “dry” and in his sixth decade, he has many regrets. He abused both his wives – and regrets it. He missed the childhoods of his children, and regrets it. And, sadly, he never knew for sure that his parents were proud of him.
Filled with unbelievable charm, self-depreciating humor, and gob-smacking truth, “I Am Ozzy” was a delightful surprise of a book.
Author Ozzy Osbourne is bluntly honest, but with a wink as he tells about his years with Black Sabbath and with his own band. He lays to rest a few myths (the infamous bat-biting incident, for instance, was accidental) and he’s apologetic to many, many people he wronged. Subtly preaching, slightly bragging, and definitely wild, this is a fun biography and I liked it.
This book is going to be very popular with teen boys as well as big boys but beware that the “f-word” is plentiful, among other expletives. But if he’s a metal fan or loved Ozzy’s show, “I Am Ozzy” is classic.
Contact Terri Schlichenmeyer at bookwormsez@yahoo.com.
Jan
25
“DK Biography: Harriet Tubman” by Kem Knapp Sawyer
c.2010, DK Publishing
$14.99 / $17.99 Canada
128 pages
Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez
Always keep away from “It.”
That’s the most important rule you learn when you play Hide & Seek. “It” covers his eyes and counts, while you run and hide. Then, while “It” looks for you, you try to get Home safely.
Hide & Seek is a game you learned long ago. You’ve played it now and then but what if it wasn’t a game? What if hiding and getting back home was a matter of life or death? In the new book “DK Biography: Harriet Tubman” by Kem Knapp Sawyer, you’ll read about a serious and brave version of Hide & Seek.
Young Araminta (sometimes called “Minty”) was a slave. Her grandmother probably came from Ghana, and her mother was born into slavery. Although historians think Minty was born in 1822, nobody knows for sure.
When Minty was four years old, she was put to work taking care of her siblings. At age 8, she was sent to live with another family and was taught housekeeping. She didn’t do a very good job, though, and was whipped often. Not long afterward, she was sent back to the farm where her family lived, and she learned to do men’s work in the fields.
In 1844, Minty married John Tubman and changed her name to Harriet.
Maybe because of a severe head injury she got as a young woman, Harriet was a dreamer. She claimed she had visions of flying and nightmares of being dragged off. Her fear was that she would be sold and sent away, and it made the nightmares worse. Soon, Harriet was plotting her escape.
Following the North Star and sleeping in fields and forests, she carefully made her way to Philadelphia, home to 20,000 free blacks. Everything felt different as a free woman, but Harriet missed the people she left behind.
Promising herself that she would bring her family to freedom, too, Harriet took odd jobs and saved money for travel and food. Though she was first a passenger on the Underground Railroad (a secret route to freedom), she quickly became a conductor (the helpers or leaders), eventually leading up to eighty slaves to safety and freedom in the Northern U.S. and Canada.
Filled with true stories that will thrill young readers, “DK Biography: Harriet Tubman” is, despite its title, not just about the woman they called Moses. It’s also about the Civil War, other key people in the flight to freedom, friends and family members of Harriet Tubman, and slaves on their way North.
Although little of the information in this book is new (at least, to an adult), author Kem Knapp Sawyer brings Tubman’s legacy up-to-date, including new scholarly studies that “give a fair representation” to Harriet Tubman. Kids will appreciate the pictures, drawings, reproductions of letters and handbills, and the wealth of sidebars that serve to explain details in the main story.
If your child wants a good biography for fun or for class assignment, look for this one. Perfect for 9-to-12-year-olds, “DK Biography: Harriet Tubman” is a book to seek.
Contact Terri Schlichenmeyer at bookwormsez@yahoo.com.
Jan
10
“Martin Luther King, Jr. (My First Biography)” by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Jamie Smith
c.2009, Scholastic
$3.99 / $4.99 Canada
32 pages
Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez
Where is your favorite place to play?
If you enjoy going to the park, you might love the swings and going as high as you can. Some kids can’t get enough of the merry-go-round because they like being dizzy. And the monkey bars, well, you know they’re not just for climbing.
But what if you couldn’t play there? What if you couldn’t go to your school or eat at a certain restaurant, just because of the color of your skin? Things like that happened many years ago, and in the new book “Martin Luther King, Jr. (My First Biography) by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Jamie Smith, you’ll see what happened to change all that.
First of all, you might wonder why we celebrate Martin Luther King Day. His birthday is in January, but that’s only part of the reason …
When Martin Luther King was a little boy, things were different than they are now. Kids with dark skin like his couldn’t go to school with white children, no matter what. It just wasn’t allowed.
African American kids couldn’t play in the same parks or eat in the same restaurants, either. And if they were thirsty, they had to find a separate water fountain because the bubblers for white people were forbidden to black children.
But young Martin’s mother told him that he was just as good as anybody, and he believed it. It made him want to grow up and change the world by spreading that message to other people.
And those words — “You’re just as good as anybody” — made people strong enough to show that they belonged at lunch counters, bus seats, schools, water fountains, and other places where they weren’t allowed to go before. It made people so strong that laws were changed.
So that’s why you go to school with kids from all different kinds of families. That’s why you see children from all races at your favorite parks and playgrounds. Dr. King’s bravery and belief in himself are why anybody can sit anywhere they want on a bus, eat in any restaurant they like, and drink from any water fountain that works.
And that is why we remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
On my first read-through of “Martin Luther King, Jr. (My First Biography)”, I noticed something I liked. The words by author Marion Dane Bauer were, like any good early-reader book, spare and succinct with just enough information for its audience. But that wasn’t what caught my eye.
What made me look again were the pictures. Illustrator Jamie Smith created a portrait of 45 years ago, but with subtle modernization; people, fashions, and backgrounds look contemporary but quietly evoke a different era. Kids probably won’t overtly notice, but these details should give them a better feel for what happened, allowing them to more identify with the story.
Despite that this is one of the slimmest books I’ve ever reviewed, I highly recommend it. For kids ages 5-8, “Martin Luther King, Jr. (My First Biography)” is a dream of a book.
Contact Terri Schlichenmeyer at bookwormsez@yahoo.com.
Jan
06
“In The Driver’s Seat: A Girl’s Guide to Her First Car” by Erika Stalder
c.2009, Zest Books
$14.95 / $19.95 Canada
127 pages
Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez
Your teacher does it all the time.
Your best friend does it (usually during class) and your mother does it more than you like. It seems like somebody is always passing some paper your way.
But this time, when you got handed that piece of paper — a driver’s license! — you smiled so hard it hurt. This is paper you’ve waited all your life to get.
So now you have freedom and the license … what about the car? You’re dying for a sweet ride all your own, and the key is in the new book “In the Driver’s Seat” by Erika Stalder.
Right now, at your age, a car is probably the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought, which means you’ll want to be a smart purchaser. Of course, you want a car that gets noticed, but you may have a budget (including gas, insurance, and maintenance) for a hoopty instead of a head-turner. Consider your options, look around, and when you’re ready for financing, remember that borrowing money from a bank is nothing at all like borrowing money from Mom and Dad. Your parents might be willing to let you be late on a payment now and then. The bank — not so much.
When you’ve found the perfect ride, take it for a spin. Turn on switches, blast the radio, listen for weird noises or rattles, look at the owner’s service records, then take it to a mechanic who can tell you if the car is good to go, literally.
Once you’ve got your ride, insure it and you’re ready to hit the road, right? Nope. First, become familiar with the owner’s manual. You don’t have to memorize it, but at least know the important things. Then, make a handbag for your car with an old duffel bag and a few tools and things you might need, just in case.
And if “just in case” ever arrives, hey, you’re a Twenty-first Century Girl, right? “In the Driver’s Seat” knows that, so it includes easy-to-do, step-by-step engine repairs that you can do yourself, as well as a few danger-driving tips. With this book in your glove box, you’ll be a woman driver in the absolute best sense of the term.
For months, you’ve been thinking about your daughter’s driver’s license with mixed feelings: partly wistful that your little girl is growing up and partly scared to death. “In the Driver’s Seat” can soothe half those feelings.
Author Erika Stalder makes owning a car seem a whole less daunting with the advice she dispenses for girls with wheels. This book covers everything from the first idea and beyond, but what I liked best were the instructions for making basic mechanical repairs and indications for when it’s time to call the pros. Not only is that empowering for teen girls, but it should put parents’ minds to rest.
If you’ve got an impending or new driver in the house, make sure she reads this book this weekend. “In the Driver’s Seat” will help her really get in gear.
Contact Terri Schlichenmeyer at bookwormsez@yahoo.com.
Jan
01
“Who Will I Be, Lord?” by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by Sean Qualls
c.2009, Random House
$16.99 / $21.00 Canada
40 pages
Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez
What do you think the future will be like?
Will we drive cars that float so we can zip above traffic jams? Will you go to school at night-time and sleep during the day? Do you think there will be cities on the moon or beneath the sea?
And where will you be in the future? What do you imagine you’ll be doing when you grow up? In the new book “Who Will I Be, Lord?” by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by Sean Qualls, a little girl wonders that same thing.
Once, a very long time ago, Great-Grandpap delivered the mail. But that wasn’t all he did. Every weekend, he played banjo on the radio because TV didn’t exist. When his kids were born, Great-Grandpap gave up his radio job to make music with his family because nothing was more important than family. That’s something “he learned from his own grandpa, who was a slave.”
People said Great-Grandma was crazy when she married Great-Grandpap because she was white and he was not. Great-Grandma’s own family refused to see her ever again when she got married. Maybe she was crazy — crazy in love!
Grandpa is a preacher who says he learned The Golden Rule from his mother. When he preaches, he doesn’t holler — he whispers, but it reaches all the way up to heaven.
Grandma is a teacher, and you have to be very smart to do that. When kids say they don’t want to go to school, she tells them how lucky they are; people were once whipped for learning.
Grandma is proud of her education and wishes everybody could get one, too.
Uncle is a pool shark who carries red-hot cinnamons in his pocket. Cousin is a jazzman who makes his living by flipping burgers at the Diner. Mama says he has a dreamer’s heart, but he tries and that’s what matters.
Papa is a car man who makes everybody’s vehicle as good as new. Sometimes, he’s generous to people who don’t have much money — just like Great-Grandpap, who lived in a time when people helped one another.
And Mama … well, she’s Mama and she helps people, too. She has a gift for it.
But the little girl wonders and prays. What will she be, Lord? Who will she be? Will she ever know?
Like a lot of grown-ups, I’m always tickled at the multiple-choice answers that kids give to the age-old “What do you want to be when you grow up?” question. “Who Will I Be, Lord?” adds a cute spin to that.
Ever-so-subtly and with a repetitive refrain, author Vaunda Micheaux Nelson tells a story of one little girl’s personal history and that of several different generations. The illustrations by Sean Qualls are simple and quietly colorful, which gives this sweet book a reflective feel that parents can love, too.
If your 4-to-8-year-old enjoys pretending about “someday”, “Who Will I Be, Lord?” will be a welcome addition to their shelves. With this book around, expect lots of read-alouds in your future.
Contact Terri Schlichenmeyer at bookwormsez@yahoo.com.
Dec
30
Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez
Ahhh, the new year. A time for fresh beginnings and resolutions made with the best intentions (then broken). Out with the old, in with the new. A time to use up that bookstore gift certificate that’s burning a hole in your pocket.
But what to buy?
Lucky for you, the New Year is also a time for the annual Best Of list. So without further ado (and because that gift certificate is tingling), here are my best picks for 2009:
Fiction
If you love mysteries with sass and a few cringe-worthy scenes, you’ll love the Jacqueline Daniels series, the latest being “Cherry Bomb” by J.A. Konrath. This book starts out with a boom and ends with a cliff-hanger that leaves fans howling for the...
Read more
Dec
22
“How to Be a Genius” by John Woodward, illustrated by Serge Seidlitz & Andy Smith
c.2009, DK
$19.99 / $23.99 Canada
192 pages, includes index
It was a big rush around your house the other day, and once you got where you were headed, you suddenly realized that you forgot your hat.
Again.
Your mom is always reminding you to use your head with things like this, and now — because your head is cold — you wish you’d listened. You’ve tried everything to become a smarter kid. Can you train your brain?
Take a peek at the new book “How to Be a Genius” and see. You may be surprised to know that your brain is way a-head of you.
Think about all the things you can do now that you couldn’t do when you were a baby. You can run, play games, sing, remember your address, and follow a joke. And you can do it because of your brain, and because it grew as you grew and learned. In fact, by the time you were three years old, your brain had tripled in size.
There are two halves to your brain, the left side and the right side. If you are good at language, math, and writing, your left brain is dominant. If you’re good at art and music, your right brain is the one in charge. But that doesn’t mean you don’t use both sides of your brain, because you do: for instance, your right brain processes what your left eye sees, and vice versa. Plus, just like you’re right- or left-handed, you can be right-footed or left-eyed.
Complicated? A little. But use your brain, and follow along.
Nobody else in the world has a brain like yours. Your brain can think about things both logically and illogically. It can envision what has never been built, and can appreciate what already has. It can figure things out by inference, and it can take you somewhere else through imagination. Your brain, like a big file-cabinet, stores information that is important and gets rid of what isn’t. So if you do poorly on a test, you can blame your brain, see?
The good news is that you can train your brain to work better by building neurons with puzzles and games, which can be kind of fun. And if you work hard enough, you might be the next Mozart, Gandhi, da Vinci, or Anning!
Got a budding M.D. in your house? If you do, getting “How to Be a Genius” is smart thinking.
Using kid-friendly photos, cartoon drawings, and small info-bites that are easy to read, this book gives curious kids a basic — although surprisingly thorough — overview of how their brains work in conjunction with the rest of their bodies and their senses. Mixed in with the information are puzzles to try and experiments that will help lead kids into different-thinking modes. This is one of those books that kids can browse without worry about missing something, and that you can enjoy, too.
If your child is looking to get a-head in life, look for “How to Be a Genius.” For 10-to-14-year-olds, having this book around is a no-brainer.
