Spunky Tells All

Spunky Tells All
Ann Cameron, author
Lauren Castillo, illustrator
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2011

I'm a dog lover, to be sure. We had two mixed breed dogs (aka "mutts") for the first decade (roughly) of our marriage. Then, after an eight month gap, we recently rescued another mixed breed. So, a book like Spunky Tells All, in which a beloved family dog of indeterminate breed is narrating the story... well, it's a given I'll willingly give it a whirl.

It's easy to be cutesy when adopting an animal's "voice" in a book, but Cameron nails it. That is largely what makes this short chapter book stand out. Spunky is concerned that after the years he's lived with his Human family (2 years in "human," and 10 in "dog"), they still don't understand Dog. After all, he's learned a lot of Human. So, when he tries to argue against their decision to get a cat, the family only hears "Yerf." (sigh) What's a dog to do?

When the family comes home with the new cat (Fiona--who smells Foolish to Spunky), Spunky is determined not to like her. After all, she's a cat and foolish to boot. The second half of the book follows Fiona's and Spunky's begrudging acceptance of--and even friendship with--each other without ever being cheesy or trite. Illustrations are done in heavy black line and are a good complement to the text. It's another great animal friendship story in a long history of solid animal fiction. Animal lovers and especially pet owners will enjoy this one.

This is a terrific early chapter book for those in the transitional reading stage between easy readers like Henry and Mudge but who aren't quite ready for a regular chapter book (along the lines of Charlotte's Web). Recommended for ages 7-11; a good read aloud for younger.

Book from my local library; cover image thanks to goodreads.

Picture Book of the Week

I'm going to attempt a new feature here at LiterariTea: the Picture Book of the Week (PBOW). Megan and I've had many discussions over the years about the intricacies of our favorite picture books as well as how best to teach folks how to read a picture book. Then, I took my second graduate level picture book class this past summer with none other than Seven Imp's Julie Danielson for my professor. Needless to say, I got inspired all over again to spread the picture book dream. 


In the PBOW posts, I'll try to walk you through the elements that make a particular picture book stand out to me or that possibly helped it rise to award status. Now, I'm no expert. I've never served on an official picture book committee (such as the Caldecott), I'm not an illustrator, and I sometimes just love a book because, well, it's so darn cute. But I do pay attention to things like endpapers, gutters, palette, composition, and the like. Do you? If those words are foreign to you, then hopefully you'll learn something.

If you can get your hands on a given book, the post will make that much more sense. For brand new releases, your local bookstore is the best bet. For older books, libraries are a good option. If you have children in your life (your own, your students, your patrons, etc.), then I encourage you to walk through a picture book in depth with them the way I will be doing in these posts. I do this with my own children, and they are becoming astute readers and observers!

Finally, I recommend this excellent "How to Read a Picture Book" post by Robin Smith over at Calling Caldecott.  

In case you want to be ready, the first book I'm discussing is One Cool Friend by Tony Buzzeo and illustrated by David Small.

Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things

Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things (Mister Max, Book 1)
Cynthia Voigt
Iacopo Bruno, illustrator
Knopf, 2013

Voigt is a well known author, to be sure (especially for her Tillerman books--Dicey's Song was a Newbery winner from back in the day). She also won the Margaret A. Edwards award in 1995 (for lifetime achievement). And yet, we haven't heard much from her in recent years.

There's no question that Voigt can write, and write well at that. On the surface, her latest book seemed tailor made for me: I love a good mystery. I enjoy historic time periods and settings. I relish a good, open ending. Quirky characters, a dog, some art, the life of the theater--what's not to like?

When the book opens, Max's parents--both actors and owners of the Starling Theater Company--are planning a monumental trip to India. Max gets to go along. Until the day his parents board the boat and the boat leaves...without him. But, because Max is a quick thinker, he soon finds out that the boat they were supposed to board didn't exist. Therefore, did the whole trip exist? Are his parents in trouble? Did they know about this ahead of time? Is this an elaborate game or some nefarious plot? The reader doesn't know either, and we spend the next several hundred pages working on this mystery along with Max.

Thankfully, Max's grandmother lives close by, so he's not completely alone at the tender age of 12. He also has his painting instructor, a new tutor, and a new spunky girl to help him make sense of life and survive. And survive he does through his newly created "Mister Max" business: he solves minor mysteries for hire. Each time Max shows up for a new job, he's crafted a new disguise using his parents' many costumes. Thus, no one knows it's really a twelve year old boy underneath.

By the end of the book, we've learned a lot about Max and his parents (including where they are, although not how/why they got there), and Max has helped long lost lovers reunite, his painting instructor discover a new technique, and made some good friends. We're nicely set up, too, for the next book in the series.

And yet... Frankly, this book was too long. I finished it several weeks ago and am still mulling over just what didn't work. I enjoyed the characterization both of Max and the supporting cast. I enjoyed the overall dramatic framework of the book ("Act I"). But the length of the book draws out the mystery surrounding the parents' disappearance a little too long. We're bored with where his parents might be by the end and are much more invested in the here and now with Max and his new friends.

Age recommendation: 9-12/middle grades
Cover image from publisher
Thanks to publisher via netgalley for ARC!

For Good Measure: The Ways We Say How Much, How Far, How Heavy, How Big, and How Old

For Good Measure: 
The Ways We Say How Much, How Far, How Heavy, How Big, and How Old
Ken Robbins
Flash Point, 2010
48 pp.

With the Common Core requirements sending teachers and librarians scuttling for the information books on the shelves, even picture books about math are become sought after. It's unfortunate that it takes something like the CCSS to bring books like For Good Measure to our attention. This is a really cool concept book all about measurement terms that children will enjoy even if it's not in the context of a math-class-related-informational-text.

Take a look at that gorgeous cover: the photography there is indicative of the quality in the rest of the book as well as the cleverness of the compositions. After all, the familiar refrain about comparing apples to oranges stares us in the face on this cover--and it proves you can compare them. Robbins examines many different units of measurement in this well-designed book and provides very concrete examples for each of them. Students in any elementary school grade will benefit from these comparisons since measurement terms sometimes seem hopelessly abstract. Robbins even gives some historical measurements (i.e. a "span") and tells the origin of many of our terms. The book is clearly laid out and well organized, too.

Look for For Good Measure next time you need to explain measurement terms to a child. And look for it when you need a beautiful and interesting picture book just because! For more math-related picture books, check out the recent math picture book coverage on RedeemedReader. Robbins has created more beautiful photo-essays in picture book form I can't wait to check out.

Recommended for 1st grade and up.

Book from my local library; cover image from Indieboung.org

Lulu and the Cat in the Bag

Lulu and the Cat in the Bag
Hilary McKay, author
Priscilla Lamont, illustrator
Albert Whitman and Co., 2013


First, let me indulge in some self-promotion: I, yes, I--or rather "LiterariTea"--am quoted along with the other professional reviews for Lulu and the Duck in the Park on the front pages of this latest Lulu book! (Our name also appears in the second book, Lulu and the Dog from the Sea.) Not only is it great fun to see our humble name in REAL print, but it's especially nice when it's for a series that has captured my heart.

So, let's discuss this latest Lulu book. It hits store shelves this September, so get ready. (In the meantime, your library probably has Lulu and the Dog from the Sea as well as Lulu and the Duck in the Park so you can get caught up. These make GREAT reading choices for newly independent readers.)

As you can tell, Lulu is a favorite of mine! She's a wonderful, childlike character who spends a lot of time with her cousin Mellie and--in this book--with her grandmother. As is typical of these charming books, there is a fun plot, great resolution, and great family dynamics (not to mention a quirky, flower-loving cat!). McKay is creative in her treatment of the animal characters in each book, and this one is no exception. 

Lulu and Mellie's grandmother (Nan) is staying with them while their parents are away, and the book opens with the three of them pondering what's in the large bag left on their doorstep. It is, of course, a big orange cat who happens to love flowers. As you may have guessed from the titles in this series, Lulu is a big animal lover and has lots of pets. Nan is NOT an animal lover. Lulu, of course, is delighted with a new animal; Nan is not.

Adventures ensue, secrets are kept and revealed, and all's well that ends well. I won't give away the ending, but all young cat lovers will enjoy it as well as anyone in the market for a terrific chapter book!

Recommended for kindergarten and up (reading level is 2nd-3rd grade)

Book in ARC form from publisher via netgalley; cover image from goodreads

 

Iva Honeysuckle and Lulu at the Beach!

Two young girls head with their families and best friends to the beach! Sounds like solid transitional chapter book reading for what's left of this summer. I liked Lulu (of course) better than Iva Honeysuckle. I'm a huge, huge fan of McKay's Lulu series--and my review of the first is even quoted IN PRINT along with the other professional reviews in the front of the book I review below (I have an ARC of the third which I'll review soon, and it has my one line of fame in it, too). But Iva Honeysuckle is a worthy companion to Lulu, and these two books below offer great summer reads.

But onto the books!

Iva Honeysuckle Met Her Match
Candice Ransom, author
Heather Ross, illustrator
Disney-Hyperion, 2013

Iva Honeysuckle and her best friend and cousin, Heaven, head to the beach with their families for what Iva is sure will be a grand adventure. Rumors of a sea monster like the Loch Ness Monster ("Chessie" instead of "Nessie"), a mysterious stranger in the upstairs apartment, and a location called Stingray Point: all practically guarantees of adventure for young Iva. Iva's dreams are upset by the BFF status Heaven soon develops with a girl from the beach, Heaven finds a lucky penny instead of Iva, and Iva and Heaven can't seem to get along. Finally, at the end of the trip, Iva learns that blood is thicker than water--that family really IS important, even if you don't always get along.

A solid transitional chapter book (think: short chapter book sprinkled with illustrations) for 2nd-4th graders, this will be a fun read for those who, like Iva, struggle sometimes with their friendships and with life not always going as planned. I liked the extended family connection in this book partly because I have such vivid memories of beach trips with my own extended family when I was Iva's age. Check for this book in bookstores this summer.

Book in ARC form via netgalley; cover image from goodreads

Lulu and the Dog From the Sea
Hilary McKay, author
Priscilla Lamont, illustrator
Scholastic, 2011 

Lulu and her cousin Mellie are back in another adventure involving new animals. This time, Lulu's parents are taking the girls to the beach. Upon arrival to their somewhat less-fancy-than-expected beach house, Lulu and her family are warned by the cottage owner that there is a stray dog in the area who's been a menace. They even have to take the stinky outdoor trash can in at night (Lulu's parents test this suggestion only to have to pick up trash the next morning). Lulu's animal-loving soul, however, sees beyond the dog's presumed bad nature to the lonely, hungry dog underneath. She befriends the dog, and he, in his turn, does Lulu and Mellie a big favor at the end of the book. Will Lulu and Mellie rescue the dog like he rescues them?

The Lulu books are just what early/transitional chapter books should be: tightly written with just the right amount of words/pictures for newly independent readers. Great characterization, good plot resolution, and solid relationships make these books winners! Recommended for 1st through 4th grade. Look for these books at bookstores or in your local library.

Book from my local library; cover image from goodreads

LiterariTea in the Days to Come

We've not posted much AT. ALL. here on LiterariTea since we began with Redeemed Reader, but that doesn't mean we haven't been reading and discussing behind the scenes.* This coming school year, we'll be back in action here on LiterariTea! As mentioned earlier, Megan and I both view Redeemed Reader as more of a professional commitment and LiterariTea as more of a hobby. If you've not checked out Redeemed Reader, we encourage you to do so--the site is far bigger in scope than this little blog, and we're enjoying partnering with Janie and Emily over there immensely. That being said, our hobby is reading kids' books and telling the world about our favorites, and sometimes we just want to throw out a quick review that's more casual than some of our material on RR.

So, what's our plan for LiterariTea? Since I (Betsy) had the privilege of reading 300 wonderful picture books this summer for my LAST graduate school course (for now :-) ), I plan to post those reviews throughout this coming school year. I'll continue posting other random reviews for chapter books and middle grades novels, but there will be mostly picture books--old and new. For our class, we're required to list curriculum connections, so if you're a teacher (at home or at a traditional school), then stop by. We'll be extra education-friendly this year.

I'll revamp our categories a touch and perhaps even the overall layout if it needs it to be more search- and user-friendly. And perhaps we'll finally post our "revised" book lists--which we revised almost a year ago and may need to revise again! In the meantime, I have a few early chapter book reviews for this summer for all those newly independent readers out there. Don't want them stagnating between now and the start of the school year.

*Finally, on a personal note, for whomever might be reading this, I wanted to comment on how much this little blog has meant to Megan and me and our relationship with each other. We have so much enjoyed discussing books together (which we do a LOT by phone--we're so old school), and we hope those who've followed LiterariTea along have enjoyed the outworkings of those conversations as much as we have! These discussions happen in the midst of our mothering (6 kids between the two of us so far), our home-making, our various other commitments (like grad school), and all the other events the Lord chooses to throw our way.