To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
30 Kasım 2012 Cuma
Review: Mallory McDonald, Super Snoop by Laurie Friedman (ARC)
To contact us Click HERE
Mallory McDonald, Super Snoop. by Laurie Friedman. September 1, 2012. Capstone. 152 pages. ISBN: 9780761360735
Mallory’s brother, Max, has a girlfriend, and Mallory is convinced they are up to something whenever she’s not around. Deciding she absolutely must know what is going on, Mallory becomes a spy. Even after her babysitter instructs her to give her brother some privacy, Mallory just can’t help herself. It’s only after she takes things too far that Mallory realizes how wrong her behavior really is.
I have been a fan of the Mallory series since I discovered the books 3 or 4 years ago. I’ve always liked that the title heroine is a flawed character who makes a lot of mistakes, but who is also always willing to apologize. Mallory has changed in the last few books, however, and this story was almost too much for me. I was excited by the cover because I thought Mallory would be solving a real mystery, so I was disappointed right off the bat when I found out she was just spying on her brother. Honestly, I couldn’t believe that a ten-year-old would care this much about her brother’s relationship with his girlfriend. It’s not as though Max ever spent tons of time with Mallory in the previous books. Why the sudden interest? I found it equally unbelievable that Mallory couldn’t guess what a boyfriend and girlfriend might be doing together behind closed doors. I felt like the author was asking me to believe Mallory was naive about boy/girl relationships, which is hard to do when there have been at least two previous books dealing with Mallory’s own crushes. There is no way she couldn’t guess they might be kissing or holding hands or something.
I realize that Mallory is aging as the series goes on, and that her interests and concerns will change over time, but I think the changes reflected in this book actually turn Mallory into a totally different character. Mallory has always made mistakes. Maybe she’s even been a little bit selfish at times, but she has always had good intentions. This story doesn’t really show those good intentions or even give a sufficient motive for her annoying, rude, and hurtful actions. I’ve mentioned in the past that I don’t think this series needs to focus on dating to stay relevant - Mallory McDonald, Super Snoop has proven to me that this subject matter actually turns the series into something else entirely.
Mallory McDonald Super Snoop will interest fans of the series, but I’m not sure it will be their favorite addition. Personally, I hope that the next book (apparently entitled Mallory and Mary Anne Take New York) gets back to the heart of what this series has always been about - being a good friend, caring about others, and working to make things right when mistakes are made.
I received a digital ARC of Mallory McDonald, Super Snoop from Capstone via NetGalley.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Mallory McDonald, Super Snoop. by Laurie Friedman. September 1, 2012. Capstone. 152 pages. ISBN: 9780761360735Mallory’s brother, Max, has a girlfriend, and Mallory is convinced they are up to something whenever she’s not around. Deciding she absolutely must know what is going on, Mallory becomes a spy. Even after her babysitter instructs her to give her brother some privacy, Mallory just can’t help herself. It’s only after she takes things too far that Mallory realizes how wrong her behavior really is.
I have been a fan of the Mallory series since I discovered the books 3 or 4 years ago. I’ve always liked that the title heroine is a flawed character who makes a lot of mistakes, but who is also always willing to apologize. Mallory has changed in the last few books, however, and this story was almost too much for me. I was excited by the cover because I thought Mallory would be solving a real mystery, so I was disappointed right off the bat when I found out she was just spying on her brother. Honestly, I couldn’t believe that a ten-year-old would care this much about her brother’s relationship with his girlfriend. It’s not as though Max ever spent tons of time with Mallory in the previous books. Why the sudden interest? I found it equally unbelievable that Mallory couldn’t guess what a boyfriend and girlfriend might be doing together behind closed doors. I felt like the author was asking me to believe Mallory was naive about boy/girl relationships, which is hard to do when there have been at least two previous books dealing with Mallory’s own crushes. There is no way she couldn’t guess they might be kissing or holding hands or something.
I realize that Mallory is aging as the series goes on, and that her interests and concerns will change over time, but I think the changes reflected in this book actually turn Mallory into a totally different character. Mallory has always made mistakes. Maybe she’s even been a little bit selfish at times, but she has always had good intentions. This story doesn’t really show those good intentions or even give a sufficient motive for her annoying, rude, and hurtful actions. I’ve mentioned in the past that I don’t think this series needs to focus on dating to stay relevant - Mallory McDonald, Super Snoop has proven to me that this subject matter actually turns the series into something else entirely.
Mallory McDonald Super Snoop will interest fans of the series, but I’m not sure it will be their favorite addition. Personally, I hope that the next book (apparently entitled Mallory and Mary Anne Take New York) gets back to the heart of what this series has always been about - being a good friend, caring about others, and working to make things right when mistakes are made.
I received a digital ARC of Mallory McDonald, Super Snoop from Capstone via NetGalley.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
29 Kasım 2012 Perşembe
Easy Reader Radar: Listen to My Trumpet! by Mo Willems (Cybils Nominee)
To contact us Click HERE
Listen to my Trumpet. by Mo Willems. February 7, 2012 Hyperion. 64 pages. ISBN: 9781423154044
Piggie has a trumpet, and she wants to play for Gerald. The only problem is, she’s not very good. How will she react when Gerald tells her what she plays is far from music?
I will always think the Elephant and Piggie series, as a whole, is brilliant. Only Mo Willems could bring such joy out of such simple lines on a plain white page. Some of the books in the series have been truly exceptional - especially There is a Bird on Your Head, My Friend is Sad, and We Are in a Book. Last year’s additions to the series started feeling a bit forced to me, and I started thinking it might be time for Willems to pack it in and move onto something else. Listen to My Trumpet has once again started me thinking that way.
This book has a great punchline, which I enjoyed, but getting there is very tedious. For pages upon pages, basically all the reader gets to do is read various onomatopoetic words interspersed with Gerald’s grumblings and Piggie’s excited pronouncements about her talent. The artwork doesn’t seem as polished as it did in earlier books, and even the relationship between the two main characters themselves doesn’t seem as engaging. I think all series reach a point where they just get repetitive and nothing new really happens, and that has happened for me with Elephant & Piggie. Kids continue to love them, and I will continue to recommend them to families with new readers, but if Mo Willems were to end this series soon and try something new, I’d truly be all for it.
I borrowed Listen to my Trumpet from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
NOTE: This book was nominated by Adam Shaffer (@MrShafferTMCE) for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
Listen to my Trumpet. by Mo Willems. February 7, 2012 Hyperion. 64 pages. ISBN: 9781423154044Piggie has a trumpet, and she wants to play for Gerald. The only problem is, she’s not very good. How will she react when Gerald tells her what she plays is far from music?
I will always think the Elephant and Piggie series, as a whole, is brilliant. Only Mo Willems could bring such joy out of such simple lines on a plain white page. Some of the books in the series have been truly exceptional - especially There is a Bird on Your Head, My Friend is Sad, and We Are in a Book. Last year’s additions to the series started feeling a bit forced to me, and I started thinking it might be time for Willems to pack it in and move onto something else. Listen to My Trumpet has once again started me thinking that way.
This book has a great punchline, which I enjoyed, but getting there is very tedious. For pages upon pages, basically all the reader gets to do is read various onomatopoetic words interspersed with Gerald’s grumblings and Piggie’s excited pronouncements about her talent. The artwork doesn’t seem as polished as it did in earlier books, and even the relationship between the two main characters themselves doesn’t seem as engaging. I think all series reach a point where they just get repetitive and nothing new really happens, and that has happened for me with Elephant & Piggie. Kids continue to love them, and I will continue to recommend them to families with new readers, but if Mo Willems were to end this series soon and try something new, I’d truly be all for it.
I borrowed Listen to my Trumpet from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
NOTE: This book was nominated by Adam Shaffer (@MrShafferTMCE) for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
28 Kasım 2012 Çarşamba
Review: Ivy + Bean Make the Rules by Annie Barrows (Cybils Nominee)
To contact us Click HERE
Ivy + Bean Make the Rules. by Annie Barrows. September 5, 2012. Chronicle Books. 127 pages. ISBN: 9781452102955
Bean’s sister, Nancy, gets to spend her Spring Break at Girl Power 4-Ever Camp, but the only camp Ivy and Bean are old enough to attend is Puppet Fun, which they are decidedly not interested in. Thankfully, the girls’ moms have given them permission to play at Monkey Park on their own, which gives them the perfect opportunity to start their own camp. Camp Flaming Arrow has crafts and nature study, just like Girl Power 4-Ever, but it also has lots of activities never before seen at any camp, including Heimlich Maneuver and The Roman Army. When Ivy and Bean make the rules, unexpected things happen, but everyone also has a lot of fun.
This ninth book about Ivy and Bean is one of Barrows’s best. I always say that the best children’s books are the ones that truly get inside a child’s mind and look at the world from that child’s point of view. By allowing the girls to play in the park without adult supervision, Barrows provides a wonderful opportunity to tell stories of their independent play and where their imaginations take them. It seems that so much of kids’ free time is scheduled and monitored today. This book really highlights that important need for kids to play without adult involvement, so they can learn to negotiate rules and social situations.
Aside from the messages the story sends about the importance of play, it’s also just a really entertaining book with the signature sense of humor readers associate with the series. One of my favorite descriptions in the entire book is the passage where Bean looks at Monkey Park and assesses its assets and drawbacks.
Bean sighed inside herself and turned to look at Monkey Park. Its real name was Mrs. Taylor Hopper Ansuch Memorial Park, but everybody called it Monkey Park because it had a fountain with a statue of a smiling monkey in the middle. The monkey was dressed in a shiny blue suit, and he held a big, shiny platter of oranges and grapes. The fountain water spurted out of his hat. Besides, the fountain, Monkey Park had one big flat field and one not-so-flat field and a playground filled with babies. There were some trees and some bushes and some flowers.
Kids played soccer at Monkey Park. Families had picnics there. Babies crawled up the play structure. Nothing exciting had ever happened in Monkey Park. Going to Monkey Park was the opposite of going to Girl Power 4-Ever Camp. (pp.16-17)
Though these paragraphs are written in the third person, the point of view is clearly Bean’s, and everything she notices about the park becomes the reader’s impression of the park as well.
My other favorite part of this book is the set of rules Ivy and Bean present to their campers.
Ivy and Bean fans will be thrilled by this latest addition to the series, and I’m sure they’ll immediately begin counting down to the tenth book, which, according to Chronicle Books Rights Guide 2012 , is due out in Fall 2013, and will involve some amateur sleuthing!
I borrowed Ivy + Bean Make the Rules from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
NOTE: This book was nominated by Melissa @ Book Nut for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
Ivy + Bean Make the Rules. by Annie Barrows. September 5, 2012. Chronicle Books. 127 pages. ISBN: 9781452102955Bean’s sister, Nancy, gets to spend her Spring Break at Girl Power 4-Ever Camp, but the only camp Ivy and Bean are old enough to attend is Puppet Fun, which they are decidedly not interested in. Thankfully, the girls’ moms have given them permission to play at Monkey Park on their own, which gives them the perfect opportunity to start their own camp. Camp Flaming Arrow has crafts and nature study, just like Girl Power 4-Ever, but it also has lots of activities never before seen at any camp, including Heimlich Maneuver and The Roman Army. When Ivy and Bean make the rules, unexpected things happen, but everyone also has a lot of fun.
This ninth book about Ivy and Bean is one of Barrows’s best. I always say that the best children’s books are the ones that truly get inside a child’s mind and look at the world from that child’s point of view. By allowing the girls to play in the park without adult supervision, Barrows provides a wonderful opportunity to tell stories of their independent play and where their imaginations take them. It seems that so much of kids’ free time is scheduled and monitored today. This book really highlights that important need for kids to play without adult involvement, so they can learn to negotiate rules and social situations.
Aside from the messages the story sends about the importance of play, it’s also just a really entertaining book with the signature sense of humor readers associate with the series. One of my favorite descriptions in the entire book is the passage where Bean looks at Monkey Park and assesses its assets and drawbacks.
Bean sighed inside herself and turned to look at Monkey Park. Its real name was Mrs. Taylor Hopper Ansuch Memorial Park, but everybody called it Monkey Park because it had a fountain with a statue of a smiling monkey in the middle. The monkey was dressed in a shiny blue suit, and he held a big, shiny platter of oranges and grapes. The fountain water spurted out of his hat. Besides, the fountain, Monkey Park had one big flat field and one not-so-flat field and a playground filled with babies. There were some trees and some bushes and some flowers.
Kids played soccer at Monkey Park. Families had picnics there. Babies crawled up the play structure. Nothing exciting had ever happened in Monkey Park. Going to Monkey Park was the opposite of going to Girl Power 4-Ever Camp. (pp.16-17)
Though these paragraphs are written in the third person, the point of view is clearly Bean’s, and everything she notices about the park becomes the reader’s impression of the park as well.
My other favorite part of this book is the set of rules Ivy and Bean present to their campers.
- “You can only have as much fun as you are willing to get hurt.”
- “Live and learn.”
- “The counselor is always right.”
- “If you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em.”
- “Don’t get mad, get even.” (pp.58-59)
Ivy and Bean fans will be thrilled by this latest addition to the series, and I’m sure they’ll immediately begin counting down to the tenth book, which, according to Chronicle Books Rights Guide 2012 , is due out in Fall 2013, and will involve some amateur sleuthing!
I borrowed Ivy + Bean Make the Rules from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
NOTE: This book was nominated by Melissa @ Book Nut for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
27 Kasım 2012 Salı
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Happy Birthday, Kevin Henkes!
To contact us Click HERE
Born November 27, 1960. Author and illustrator of picture books, easy readers, and novels, including 2004 Newbery Honor winner Olive's Ocean and 2005 Caldecott Medal winner Kitten's First Full Moon.
Five Fun Facts:
As she wove in and out of all the people - rushing, talking, eating, laughing; some in clumps, some alone - she realized that no one, no one at all in the airport, or on the entire planet for that matter, knew her thoughts, knew what she was carrying inside her head and heart. And at that very minute, what was inside her head and heart made her feel as though there was no one else in the whole world she would rather be. (from Olive's Ocean)
Katie Says: I was an adult when I learned that Kevin Henkes had written Jessica, but even though I didn't remember the author, I remembered loving the story, and especially Ruthie's insistence all along that Jessica is real. As a librarian, I continue to love his books. A Good Day and My Garden are perennial story time favorites, and his new easy reader series about Penny is one I constantly recommend to families with beginning readers.
Visit Kevin Henkes online at http://www.kevinhenkes.com.
Sources:
Born November 27, 1960. Author and illustrator of picture books, easy readers, and novels, including 2004 Newbery Honor winner Olive's Ocean and 2005 Caldecott Medal winner Kitten's First Full Moon.Five Fun Facts:
- Kevin Henkes is married to Laura Dronzek, who is the illustrator of his picture book, Birds, as well as of George Shannon's White is for Blueberry.
- Kevin Henkes says he doesn't have any particular affinity for mice; he just started to use animal characters to match the humor of his stories.
- Kitten's First Full Moon is the result of a failed attempt at writing a concept book for young kids about circles.
- Kevin Henkes pronounces his name like this.
- Kevin Henkes wrote the draft of his first picture book while he was still in high school.
As she wove in and out of all the people - rushing, talking, eating, laughing; some in clumps, some alone - she realized that no one, no one at all in the airport, or on the entire planet for that matter, knew her thoughts, knew what she was carrying inside her head and heart. And at that very minute, what was inside her head and heart made her feel as though there was no one else in the whole world she would rather be. (from Olive's Ocean)
Katie Says: I was an adult when I learned that Kevin Henkes had written Jessica, but even though I didn't remember the author, I remembered loving the story, and especially Ruthie's insistence all along that Jessica is real. As a librarian, I continue to love his books. A Good Day and My Garden are perennial story time favorites, and his new easy reader series about Penny is one I constantly recommend to families with beginning readers.
Visit Kevin Henkes online at http://www.kevinhenkes.com.
Sources:
- Henkes, Kevin. Olive's Ocean. New York: Greenwillow, 2003. Print.
- Kevin Henkes." 2011. Books & Authors. Gale. Gale Internal User 17 Nov 2012 <http://bna.galegroup.com/bna/start.do?p=BNA&u=gale>
- "Kevin Henkes." TeachingBooks.net Audio Name Pronunciation. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2012. <http://www.teachingbooks.net/pronounce.cgi?aid=621>.
- "A Q&A with Kevin Henkes." Kevin Henkes A QA with Kevin Henkes Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2012. <http://www.kevinhenkes.com/?page_id=329>.
- "TEACHERS." Scholastic Teachers. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2012. <http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/kevin-henkes>
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
26 Kasım 2012 Pazartesi
Short Story Spotlight: Last Stand by Niki Burnham
To contact us Click HERE
"Last Stand" by Niki Burnham. from Breaking Up Is Hard To Do. 2008. Graphia. ISBN: 9780547014999
Last Stand is a bit longer than the stories I usually feature in the short story spotlight. It’s actually more of a novella than a short story, and it comes from a collection of four such novellas entitled Breaking Up is Hard To Do. I like break-up stories, and I love Niki Burnham, so when I discovered this book at the library in my town (as opposed to the library I work in), I knew I wanted to read at least her story. As it turned out, Burnham’s story is the only one I read, partly because I just couldn’t stand to leave the world of Last Stand once I was so heavily invested.
Toby and his girlfriend, Amber, have been together for a while, and he’s happy with the way things are. Amber, however, wants more. Specifically, she wants to have sex with Toby, even though he’s really not ready. Toby tries to explain his feelings without insulting Amber, but as he works to save their relationship, he starts to realize the many reasons it might be time to move on. At the same time, he starts to understand that he might be too nice to people, and that he needs to carve out some space for himself, instead of always putting everyone else first.
When I first started reading this story, I was expecting the conversational tone of the other Niki Burnham books I’ve read, all of which are from the Simon Romantic Comedies series. What stood out for me about Last Stand is how different it actually is from those fluffier, feel-good stories. Last Stand deals with a very serious issue, and from a unique point of view. It’s easy to find a story about a boy who pressures a girl for sex, but more difficult to find the reverse situation. Burnham tackles it very honestly and believably, and Toby becomes a very sympathetic character.
The supporting characters are also wonderful additions to the story. Toby’s older sister, Keira, who is a young single mom running her own business is the chief influence in Toby’s life, and the number one recipient of his selfless kindness. His best friend, Griff, stands by him through the worst of Amber’s anger and cruelty and supports him as he works through the breakup. And Ginger, a female classmate of Toby’s is the one who talks sense into him, reminding him that it’s not all about Amber or Keira.
The writing in the story is very precise and evocative. I got to know the characters quickly, and wished I could have spent 100 more pages with them. The dialogue is perfect, and even though Amber is the villain of the story, Burnham makes sure we can still understand how Toby could have fallen for her and stayed with her for so long.
Like many of Niki Burnham’s stories, Last Stand is available as an ebook, as well as in the original collection it was taken from, which is still in print. I recommend it to fans of her work, as well as to teens struggling to understand or justify a recent break-up.
I borrowed Breaking Up Is Hard To Do from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
"Last Stand" by Niki Burnham. from Breaking Up Is Hard To Do. 2008. Graphia. ISBN: 9780547014999Last Stand is a bit longer than the stories I usually feature in the short story spotlight. It’s actually more of a novella than a short story, and it comes from a collection of four such novellas entitled Breaking Up is Hard To Do. I like break-up stories, and I love Niki Burnham, so when I discovered this book at the library in my town (as opposed to the library I work in), I knew I wanted to read at least her story. As it turned out, Burnham’s story is the only one I read, partly because I just couldn’t stand to leave the world of Last Stand once I was so heavily invested.
Toby and his girlfriend, Amber, have been together for a while, and he’s happy with the way things are. Amber, however, wants more. Specifically, she wants to have sex with Toby, even though he’s really not ready. Toby tries to explain his feelings without insulting Amber, but as he works to save their relationship, he starts to realize the many reasons it might be time to move on. At the same time, he starts to understand that he might be too nice to people, and that he needs to carve out some space for himself, instead of always putting everyone else first.
When I first started reading this story, I was expecting the conversational tone of the other Niki Burnham books I’ve read, all of which are from the Simon Romantic Comedies series. What stood out for me about Last Stand is how different it actually is from those fluffier, feel-good stories. Last Stand deals with a very serious issue, and from a unique point of view. It’s easy to find a story about a boy who pressures a girl for sex, but more difficult to find the reverse situation. Burnham tackles it very honestly and believably, and Toby becomes a very sympathetic character.
The supporting characters are also wonderful additions to the story. Toby’s older sister, Keira, who is a young single mom running her own business is the chief influence in Toby’s life, and the number one recipient of his selfless kindness. His best friend, Griff, stands by him through the worst of Amber’s anger and cruelty and supports him as he works through the breakup. And Ginger, a female classmate of Toby’s is the one who talks sense into him, reminding him that it’s not all about Amber or Keira.
The writing in the story is very precise and evocative. I got to know the characters quickly, and wished I could have spent 100 more pages with them. The dialogue is perfect, and even though Amber is the villain of the story, Burnham makes sure we can still understand how Toby could have fallen for her and stayed with her for so long.
Like many of Niki Burnham’s stories, Last Stand is available as an ebook, as well as in the original collection it was taken from, which is still in print. I recommend it to fans of her work, as well as to teens struggling to understand or justify a recent break-up.
I borrowed Breaking Up Is Hard To Do from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
25 Kasım 2012 Pazar
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Old School Sunday: Eleven Kids, One Summer by Ann M. Martin
To contact us Click HERE
Eleven Kids, One Summer. by Ann M. Martin. 1991. Scholastic. 160 pages. ISBN: 9780590459174
Eleven Kids, One Summer is the sequel to one of my favorite books from childhood, Ten Kids No Pets. Looking back, I remember the first book as the better of the two, but reading them both again as an adult, this sequel is the story that won me over. Keegan, the youngest in the Rosso family, is now six months old, and the family is taking a vacation to Fire Island, where they will stay in a beach house. As the summer passes, each of the kids has an adventure involving everything from fishermen and haunted houses to movie sets and romances.
Here’s what made me love this book:
Eleven Kids, One Summer is out of print, which makes me sad, but there is obviously still some love for the Rossos, since copies of their books are quite expensive (over 140 dollars!) on Amazon. I think this book brings about heavily nostalgic feelings for a lot of kids of the 90s. I know it does for me.
I borrowed Eleven Kids, One Summer from a friend.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Eleven Kids, One Summer. by Ann M. Martin. 1991. Scholastic. 160 pages. ISBN: 9780590459174Eleven Kids, One Summer is the sequel to one of my favorite books from childhood, Ten Kids No Pets. Looking back, I remember the first book as the better of the two, but reading them both again as an adult, this sequel is the story that won me over. Keegan, the youngest in the Rosso family, is now six months old, and the family is taking a vacation to Fire Island, where they will stay in a beach house. As the summer passes, each of the kids has an adventure involving everything from fishermen and haunted houses to movie sets and romances.
Here’s what made me love this book:
- While each of the kids has his or her own adventure, some of the adventures overlap. For example, Candy’s chapter early in the book introduces a haunted house plot that reappears in Hannah’s chapter and Hardy’s chapter in the middle and end of the book. Woody also becomes an entrepreneur in his chapter, which influences things that happen to Bainbridge later on. This interconnectedness made me feel like I was living amongst the Rossos during their vacation, and even when some of the kids were not heavily featured in a chapter, the ongoing plot threads gave me an idea of where they were and what they were doing.
- Justin Hart, the romantic hero in Ann M. Martin’s romance novel, Just a Summer Romance, as well as the heroine from that story, Melanie, reappear in this book. I read Just a Summer Romance when I was in ninth or tenth grade, and by then I’d forgotten the details of Eleven Kids, One Summer, so I never made the connection until now. I remember really liking those characters, though, and it was nice to check in with them.
- Eleven Kids, One Summer has everything in it that I loved about the various plots of the Baby-sitters Club books- a big family, a ghost story, lots of kids of all different ages, movie stars, twins, a hospital visit and a summer vacation. The Publishers Weekly blurb on the back cover of the book says that Ann M. Martin “knows well what pleases young readers” and I would so agree with that statement. She knows how to keep the pages turning and how to create adventures out of seemingly everyday experiences.
- This book reminds me of The Penderwicks series, and especially of The Penderwicks at Point Mouette. Abbie Rosso and Rosalind Penderwick are both wonderful big sisters, and the younger Rosso siblings all reminded me of Skye, Jane, and Batty at different points. Both books evoke a timeless sense of childhood innocence and the they celebrate the joys of imagination and independent play. Eleven Kids, One Summer was published 14 years ahead of the first Penderwicks book, but they both feel equally contemporary in style and content.
Eleven Kids, One Summer is out of print, which makes me sad, but there is obviously still some love for the Rossos, since copies of their books are quite expensive (over 140 dollars!) on Amazon. I think this book brings about heavily nostalgic feelings for a lot of kids of the 90s. I know it does for me.
I borrowed Eleven Kids, One Summer from a friend.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
24 Kasım 2012 Cumartesi
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
23 Kasım 2012 Cuma
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Review: Nikki and Deja: Wedding Drama by Karen English (Cybils Nominee)
To contact us Click HERE
Nikki and Deja: Wedding Drama. by Karen English. March 20, 2012. Clarion Books. 112 pages. ISBN: 9780547615646
Nikki and Deja are so excited about their teacher’s upcoming wedding, especially when they learn that two lucky students will be chosen to attend. When their names are the ones picked, they are even more thrilled, until Deja realizes how expensive wedding gifts and outfits can be, and Nikki can’t understand why her best friend isn’t getting into the marriage spirit.
This the first book I have read in this series, but from what I could tell, it seems to have a lot of things going for it. It focuses on best friends, which is a popular topic in mid-elementary school. It includes a diverse cast of characters, and it’s set in an urban community. The characters’ personalities and interests seem real, and even the wedding theme is appealing to the intended audience.
My only problem was buying into the storyline itself. I just could not believe that a teacher would invite students to her wedding and expect them to bring gifts, especially when one of the guest’s families is enduring economic hardship. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking about how stressful a situation like that would be for a child, and it kept me from becoming immersed in the story. Other aspects of the book were wonderful - the classroom competition to create the best menu, flowers and dress was a particular highlight - but I really expected the teacher to step in at some point and alleviate the girls’ stressful expectations about her wedding, and that never happened.
I really think I need to read more books from this series so I can understand this most recent addition in the proper context. For now, though, this book is just okay for me, and memorable only because of the things that got under my skin.
I borrowed Nikki and Deja: Wedding Drama from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
NOTE: This book was nominated by kelstarly for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
Nikki and Deja: Wedding Drama. by Karen English. March 20, 2012. Clarion Books. 112 pages. ISBN: 9780547615646Nikki and Deja are so excited about their teacher’s upcoming wedding, especially when they learn that two lucky students will be chosen to attend. When their names are the ones picked, they are even more thrilled, until Deja realizes how expensive wedding gifts and outfits can be, and Nikki can’t understand why her best friend isn’t getting into the marriage spirit.
This the first book I have read in this series, but from what I could tell, it seems to have a lot of things going for it. It focuses on best friends, which is a popular topic in mid-elementary school. It includes a diverse cast of characters, and it’s set in an urban community. The characters’ personalities and interests seem real, and even the wedding theme is appealing to the intended audience.
My only problem was buying into the storyline itself. I just could not believe that a teacher would invite students to her wedding and expect them to bring gifts, especially when one of the guest’s families is enduring economic hardship. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking about how stressful a situation like that would be for a child, and it kept me from becoming immersed in the story. Other aspects of the book were wonderful - the classroom competition to create the best menu, flowers and dress was a particular highlight - but I really expected the teacher to step in at some point and alleviate the girls’ stressful expectations about her wedding, and that never happened.
I really think I need to read more books from this series so I can understand this most recent addition in the proper context. For now, though, this book is just okay for me, and memorable only because of the things that got under my skin.
I borrowed Nikki and Deja: Wedding Drama from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
NOTE: This book was nominated by kelstarly for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
22 Kasım 2012 Perşembe
Easy Reader Radar: Henry Goes Skating by B.B. Bourne (Cybils Nominee)
To contact us Click HERE
Henry Goes Skating. by B.B. Bourne. August 21, 2012. HarperCollins. 32 pages. ISBN: 9780061958212
Henry Goes Skating is the second easy reader to spin off from Brian Biggs’s Everything Goes series about different types of transportation. These spin-offs are written by B.B. Bourne and are illustrated by Simon Abbott drawing in the style of Brian Biggs. This story focuses on a winter theme, as Henry wakes up and discovers it is snowing. As he and his family make their way through the snow to go skating, they see cars, plows, trucks, policemen traveling on horses, and even a Zamboni before returning home again to make a snowman.
As I read this story, I could tell that the entire plot was set up to incorporate as many snow-related vehicles as possible. Though the story is ostensibly about Henry and his family going to the skating rink, this is really just an excuse to introduce the different modes of transportation people might use on a snowy day. Obviously, this makes sense, because the parent series this book is based on is all about transportation, but it bothered me a little bit that the plot didn’t have much substance outside of listing buses, dump trucks, plows, etc. Henry’s enthusiasm for the different vehicles helps, as I think little boys tend to get very excited about such things, but I still think the story could have done a better job of incorporating the transportation theme into the plot. It would have been more interesting if, for example, Henry’s family got stuck in ice, instead of just watching it happen to other people.
I like the artwork in this book, though it’s always a disappointment to learn that it’s not the work of the original artist. Biggs’s style is colorful, warm, and friendly, and these illustrations are, too, but I think it cheapens the reading experience a little bit when I realize these pictures are just imitations and not the real thing. The book is still very appealing to look at, though, and I haven’t seen it on the library shelf for more than 30 seconds since it arrived at my library.
Henry Goes Skating is a cozy Winter read for fans of Thomas the Tank Engine and Trucktown. Share it with your new reader on a snow day, or before you head out to sled or skate yourselves.
I borrowed Henry Goes Skating from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
NOTE: This book was nominated by Terry Doherty for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
Henry Goes Skating. by B.B. Bourne. August 21, 2012. HarperCollins. 32 pages. ISBN: 9780061958212Henry Goes Skating is the second easy reader to spin off from Brian Biggs’s Everything Goes series about different types of transportation. These spin-offs are written by B.B. Bourne and are illustrated by Simon Abbott drawing in the style of Brian Biggs. This story focuses on a winter theme, as Henry wakes up and discovers it is snowing. As he and his family make their way through the snow to go skating, they see cars, plows, trucks, policemen traveling on horses, and even a Zamboni before returning home again to make a snowman.
As I read this story, I could tell that the entire plot was set up to incorporate as many snow-related vehicles as possible. Though the story is ostensibly about Henry and his family going to the skating rink, this is really just an excuse to introduce the different modes of transportation people might use on a snowy day. Obviously, this makes sense, because the parent series this book is based on is all about transportation, but it bothered me a little bit that the plot didn’t have much substance outside of listing buses, dump trucks, plows, etc. Henry’s enthusiasm for the different vehicles helps, as I think little boys tend to get very excited about such things, but I still think the story could have done a better job of incorporating the transportation theme into the plot. It would have been more interesting if, for example, Henry’s family got stuck in ice, instead of just watching it happen to other people.
I like the artwork in this book, though it’s always a disappointment to learn that it’s not the work of the original artist. Biggs’s style is colorful, warm, and friendly, and these illustrations are, too, but I think it cheapens the reading experience a little bit when I realize these pictures are just imitations and not the real thing. The book is still very appealing to look at, though, and I haven’t seen it on the library shelf for more than 30 seconds since it arrived at my library.
Henry Goes Skating is a cozy Winter read for fans of Thomas the Tank Engine and Trucktown. Share it with your new reader on a snow day, or before you head out to sled or skate yourselves.
I borrowed Henry Goes Skating from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
NOTE: This book was nominated by Terry Doherty for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
21 Kasım 2012 Çarşamba
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Review: Mrs. Noodlekugel by Daniel Pinkwater (Cybils Nominee)
To contact us Click HERE
Mrs. Noodlekugel. by Daniel Pinkwater. April 24, 2012. Candlewick. 80 pages. ISBN: 9780763650537
Mrs. Noodlekugel lives in the mysterious little cottage in back of the apartment building where Nick and Maxine have just moved. Their parents ask them not to bother her, but the kids can’t resist and they go knocking on her door anyway. What they discover is that Mrs. Noodlekugel is not just any ordinary neighbor. She has a talking cat, several vision-impaired mice friends, and the ability to bake magical cookies.
I know that Daniel Pinkwater is a creative author with an absurd sense of humor, so I had high expectations for this book, but overall, I was disappointed. Mrs. Noodlekugel seems to me like a rip-off of well-known characters like Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and Mary Poppins. She has a whimsical personality, which is endearing, as are her relationships with her talking animals, but there is nothing about this story to make it stand out from the others. The kids aren’t developed as characters at all, so there is no real connection between the reader and the protagonists, and Mike the Janitor, who is well-described seems to have no real purpose in the plot other than as the adult who makes it possible for the kids to find the way to Mrs. Noodlekugel’s door.
This book will appeal to kids who like gentle stories filled with magic, warmth, and animals, but many other titles will fulfill their reading desires just as well - including Hamster Magic, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, and Stuart Little.
I borrowed Mrs. Noodlekugel from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
NOTE: This book was nominated for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
Mrs. Noodlekugel. by Daniel Pinkwater. April 24, 2012. Candlewick. 80 pages. ISBN: 9780763650537Mrs. Noodlekugel lives in the mysterious little cottage in back of the apartment building where Nick and Maxine have just moved. Their parents ask them not to bother her, but the kids can’t resist and they go knocking on her door anyway. What they discover is that Mrs. Noodlekugel is not just any ordinary neighbor. She has a talking cat, several vision-impaired mice friends, and the ability to bake magical cookies.
I know that Daniel Pinkwater is a creative author with an absurd sense of humor, so I had high expectations for this book, but overall, I was disappointed. Mrs. Noodlekugel seems to me like a rip-off of well-known characters like Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and Mary Poppins. She has a whimsical personality, which is endearing, as are her relationships with her talking animals, but there is nothing about this story to make it stand out from the others. The kids aren’t developed as characters at all, so there is no real connection between the reader and the protagonists, and Mike the Janitor, who is well-described seems to have no real purpose in the plot other than as the adult who makes it possible for the kids to find the way to Mrs. Noodlekugel’s door.
This book will appeal to kids who like gentle stories filled with magic, warmth, and animals, but many other titles will fulfill their reading desires just as well - including Hamster Magic, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, and Stuart Little.
I borrowed Mrs. Noodlekugel from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
NOTE: This book was nominated for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
20 Kasım 2012 Salı
Old School Sunday: Angie's First Case by Donald Sobol
To contact us Click HERE
Angie's First Case. by Donald Sobol. 1981. Scholastic. 136 pages. ISBN: 9780590427067
Donald Sobol is known to most people as the author of the popular Encyclopedia Brown series, of which there are more than 25 titles. What I didn’t realize is that Sobol actually wrote 65 books in all, and that some of them are about girls. Angie’s First Case, which was published in 1981, is the story of a 12-year-old girl who lost her parents at a young age. She and her older sister, Kit, live with their aunt, who doesn’t have much money, so Kit has given up the idea of college to become a police officer. Kit loves her work, but Angie is convinced that her sister could get promoted and be even happier if Angie helps her crack a major case. Every day, Angie goes out jogging in the hopes of catching a band of teen thieves known as the Wolfpack. One day, while she is out with Jess, a chubby boy she likes, Angie sees a series of suspicious events. By witnessing these strange occurrences, Angie sets herself up to become a kidnapping victim as well as a hero.
This book is unlike any other middle grade mystery novel I have ever read. It is mainly plot-driven, like the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, but the characters are strongly developed in the first couple of chapters so that the reader roots for their success as much as for the downfall of the bad guys. There is a hint of romance between Angie and Jess, but it is restricted to holding hands, which is very sweet and keeps the love angle from taking over the action and adventure that is the true focus of the story. The absence of all the technologies we use today requires Angie to rely on her wits to solve the mystery, which always makes a tale like this more exciting. There were a couple of points where I found myself thinking how much easier things would be if the kids did have phones, but I liked the added challenges and the ingenious plans the kids enact to overcome them.
Though Sobol is great at delivering clues and other case-related information in a straightforward manner, he also has some great descriptions that evoke Angie’s emotions and thoughts at certain points in the story. One of my favorites is this moment, where Angie watches Kit put her gun away at the end of the work day.
…[Kit] folded the ten-pound gun belt with its holster, gun, and two pouches of ammunition. The black patent leather gleamed in a ray of evening sunlight.
Angie sat stiffly. The handgun fascinated her. It was .38, fast-loading, six-shot pistol with a dark wood panel inlaid on each side of the handle.
Now it rested snugly in the holster. Yet its deadliness worked eerily on Angie’s mind. The gun seemed much larger than its actual size. She was amazed when it disappeared into the dresser drawer so easily.
This passage conveys the power of the gun, Kit’s carefulness with it, and Angie’s sense of awe surrounding the gun and her sister’s important job.
Also charming is the accompanying illustration for this same chapter:
I love Aunt Velma peeking out at the girls from the living room, and Angie’s completely 80s hair and outfit. I also think it’s sweet that Kit is leaning down to kiss her sister.
This illustration is by Gail Owens, who also illustrated some of the the Encyclopedia Brown books and other books by well-known 80s children’s authors like Johanna Hurwitz, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, and Caroline Cooney. Owens was the illustrator of a previous Old School Sunday book as well - The Cybil War by Betsy Byars.
I was really impressed by this book and I wonder why Sobol never returned to Angie’s life to tell us of her future cases. It seems like he focused almost exclusively on Encyclopedia Brown in the later years of his career, which makes sense, since they were so popular, but I fell in love with Angie in this book, and I wish there were more mysteries featuring her!
Angie’s First Case is out of print, but copies abound on Amazon. Personally, I think it’s as relevant now as the Encyclopedia Brown books and would love to see it become widely available once again!
I purchased Angie's First Case from my local used book store.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Angie's First Case. by Donald Sobol. 1981. Scholastic. 136 pages. ISBN: 9780590427067Donald Sobol is known to most people as the author of the popular Encyclopedia Brown series, of which there are more than 25 titles. What I didn’t realize is that Sobol actually wrote 65 books in all, and that some of them are about girls. Angie’s First Case, which was published in 1981, is the story of a 12-year-old girl who lost her parents at a young age. She and her older sister, Kit, live with their aunt, who doesn’t have much money, so Kit has given up the idea of college to become a police officer. Kit loves her work, but Angie is convinced that her sister could get promoted and be even happier if Angie helps her crack a major case. Every day, Angie goes out jogging in the hopes of catching a band of teen thieves known as the Wolfpack. One day, while she is out with Jess, a chubby boy she likes, Angie sees a series of suspicious events. By witnessing these strange occurrences, Angie sets herself up to become a kidnapping victim as well as a hero.
This book is unlike any other middle grade mystery novel I have ever read. It is mainly plot-driven, like the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, but the characters are strongly developed in the first couple of chapters so that the reader roots for their success as much as for the downfall of the bad guys. There is a hint of romance between Angie and Jess, but it is restricted to holding hands, which is very sweet and keeps the love angle from taking over the action and adventure that is the true focus of the story. The absence of all the technologies we use today requires Angie to rely on her wits to solve the mystery, which always makes a tale like this more exciting. There were a couple of points where I found myself thinking how much easier things would be if the kids did have phones, but I liked the added challenges and the ingenious plans the kids enact to overcome them.
Though Sobol is great at delivering clues and other case-related information in a straightforward manner, he also has some great descriptions that evoke Angie’s emotions and thoughts at certain points in the story. One of my favorites is this moment, where Angie watches Kit put her gun away at the end of the work day.
…[Kit] folded the ten-pound gun belt with its holster, gun, and two pouches of ammunition. The black patent leather gleamed in a ray of evening sunlight.
Angie sat stiffly. The handgun fascinated her. It was .38, fast-loading, six-shot pistol with a dark wood panel inlaid on each side of the handle.
Now it rested snugly in the holster. Yet its deadliness worked eerily on Angie’s mind. The gun seemed much larger than its actual size. She was amazed when it disappeared into the dresser drawer so easily.
This passage conveys the power of the gun, Kit’s carefulness with it, and Angie’s sense of awe surrounding the gun and her sister’s important job.
Also charming is the accompanying illustration for this same chapter:
I love Aunt Velma peeking out at the girls from the living room, and Angie’s completely 80s hair and outfit. I also think it’s sweet that Kit is leaning down to kiss her sister. This illustration is by Gail Owens, who also illustrated some of the the Encyclopedia Brown books and other books by well-known 80s children’s authors like Johanna Hurwitz, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, and Caroline Cooney. Owens was the illustrator of a previous Old School Sunday book as well - The Cybil War by Betsy Byars.
I was really impressed by this book and I wonder why Sobol never returned to Angie’s life to tell us of her future cases. It seems like he focused almost exclusively on Encyclopedia Brown in the later years of his career, which makes sense, since they were so popular, but I fell in love with Angie in this book, and I wish there were more mysteries featuring her!
Angie’s First Case is out of print, but copies abound on Amazon. Personally, I think it’s as relevant now as the Encyclopedia Brown books and would love to see it become widely available once again!
I purchased Angie's First Case from my local used book store.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Review: Ivy + Bean: No News is Good News by Annie Barrows (Cybils Nominee)
To contact us Click HERE
Ivy + Bean: No News is Good News. by Annie Barrows. November 2, 2011. Chronicle Books. 128 pages. ISBN: 9780811866934
The latest thing at Ivy and Bean’s school is wax. Specifically, the girls covet the red wax that comes with Belldeloon cheese. The cheese isn’t very good, but the wax can be used to make all sorts of cool things, from animals to fake boogers. Since neither Ivy’s parents nor Bean’s parents will buy the cheese, the girls decide to make the money themselves. First, they try selling potions, but that quickly fails. Then they ask about helping out around the house, but Bean’s dad refuses to let them near the hose, the lawn mower, or the vacuum cleaner. He does have one good idea, though. When he was a kid, he wrote a newspaper about events in his neighborhood, and people paid him before they even received the paper! Ivy and Bean can’t imagine an easier way to get their hands on some cash, and they go all around the neighborhood collecting subscriptions. They buy the cheese right away, but when Bean’s dad realizes they have no intention of actually providing the newspaper, he takes it away, requiring them to deliver the news before they can have their precious wax.
In this book, as in the other of the series, Annie Barrows demonstrates a keen understanding of the seven-year-old mind. Longing for cheese wax, playing a game called Eraser Valley, referring to their neighbors by their own made-up names - these are things that real seven-year-olds do, and Barrows makes them fun - and funny - to read about. I think what I enjoyed the most about this particular book is the time the girls spend first visiting and then spying on their neighbors. Their interactions with Jake the Teenager made me laugh out loud, and I wondered why more chapter book authors don’t include teen characters. I also enjoyed the fact that Kalia’s parents are both named Jean, and that the girls notice this and consider it an important piece of information. I also loved reading about them spying through their neighbors’ windows. Not many kids have the nerve to do that, but I know they all think about it! I also love that Barrows didn’t try to teach us a lesson about the silliness of wanting cheese wax. The girls are as happy to have it in the end as they would have been at the beginning, just as real seven-year-olds would be.
Ivy and Bean are my favorite set of fictional best friends. I love that their friendship remains strong from book to book and is never plagued by the cattiness and backstabbing found in so many other children’s fiction about female friendships. Barrows does a wonderful job of staying within the mindset of a child, no matter what happens, and that makes the series stand out as special.
I borrowed Ivy + Bean: No News is Good News from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
NOTE: This book was nominated by zackids for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
Ivy + Bean: No News is Good News. by Annie Barrows. November 2, 2011. Chronicle Books. 128 pages. ISBN: 9780811866934The latest thing at Ivy and Bean’s school is wax. Specifically, the girls covet the red wax that comes with Belldeloon cheese. The cheese isn’t very good, but the wax can be used to make all sorts of cool things, from animals to fake boogers. Since neither Ivy’s parents nor Bean’s parents will buy the cheese, the girls decide to make the money themselves. First, they try selling potions, but that quickly fails. Then they ask about helping out around the house, but Bean’s dad refuses to let them near the hose, the lawn mower, or the vacuum cleaner. He does have one good idea, though. When he was a kid, he wrote a newspaper about events in his neighborhood, and people paid him before they even received the paper! Ivy and Bean can’t imagine an easier way to get their hands on some cash, and they go all around the neighborhood collecting subscriptions. They buy the cheese right away, but when Bean’s dad realizes they have no intention of actually providing the newspaper, he takes it away, requiring them to deliver the news before they can have their precious wax.
In this book, as in the other of the series, Annie Barrows demonstrates a keen understanding of the seven-year-old mind. Longing for cheese wax, playing a game called Eraser Valley, referring to their neighbors by their own made-up names - these are things that real seven-year-olds do, and Barrows makes them fun - and funny - to read about. I think what I enjoyed the most about this particular book is the time the girls spend first visiting and then spying on their neighbors. Their interactions with Jake the Teenager made me laugh out loud, and I wondered why more chapter book authors don’t include teen characters. I also enjoyed the fact that Kalia’s parents are both named Jean, and that the girls notice this and consider it an important piece of information. I also loved reading about them spying through their neighbors’ windows. Not many kids have the nerve to do that, but I know they all think about it! I also love that Barrows didn’t try to teach us a lesson about the silliness of wanting cheese wax. The girls are as happy to have it in the end as they would have been at the beginning, just as real seven-year-olds would be.
Ivy and Bean are my favorite set of fictional best friends. I love that their friendship remains strong from book to book and is never plagued by the cattiness and backstabbing found in so many other children’s fiction about female friendships. Barrows does a wonderful job of staying within the mindset of a child, no matter what happens, and that makes the series stand out as special.
I borrowed Ivy + Bean: No News is Good News from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
NOTE: This book was nominated by zackids for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
19 Kasım 2012 Pazartesi
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Old School Sunday: Angie's First Case by Donald Sobol
To contact us Click HERE
Angie's First Case. by Donald Sobol. 1981. Scholastic. 136 pages. ISBN: 9780590427067
Donald Sobol is known to most people as the author of the popular Encyclopedia Brown series, of which there are more than 25 titles. What I didn’t realize is that Sobol actually wrote 65 books in all, and that some of them are about girls. Angie’s First Case, which was published in 1981, is the story of a 12-year-old girl who lost her parents at a young age. She and her older sister, Kit, live with their aunt, who doesn’t have much money, so Kit has given up the idea of college to become a police officer. Kit loves her work, but Angie is convinced that her sister could get promoted and be even happier if Angie helps her crack a major case. Every day, Angie goes out jogging in the hopes of catching a band of teen thieves known as the Wolfpack. One day, while she is out with Jess, a chubby boy she likes, Angie sees a series of suspicious events. By witnessing these strange occurrences, Angie sets herself up to become a kidnapping victim as well as a hero.
This book is unlike any other middle grade mystery novel I have ever read. It is mainly plot-driven, like the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, but the characters are strongly developed in the first couple of chapters so that the reader roots for their success as much as for the downfall of the bad guys. There is a hint of romance between Angie and Jess, but it is restricted to holding hands, which is very sweet and keeps the love angle from taking over the action and adventure that is the true focus of the story. The absence of all the technologies we use today requires Angie to rely on her wits to solve the mystery, which always makes a tale like this more exciting. There were a couple of points where I found myself thinking how much easier things would be if the kids did have phones, but I liked the added challenges and the ingenious plans the kids enact to overcome them.
Though Sobol is great at delivering clues and other case-related information in a straightforward manner, he also has some great descriptions that evoke Angie’s emotions and thoughts at certain points in the story. One of my favorites is this moment, where Angie watches Kit put her gun away at the end of the work day.
…[Kit] folded the ten-pound gun belt with its holster, gun, and two pouches of ammunition. The black patent leather gleamed in a ray of evening sunlight.
Angie sat stiffly. The handgun fascinated her. It was .38, fast-loading, six-shot pistol with a dark wood panel inlaid on each side of the handle.
Now it rested snugly in the holster. Yet its deadliness worked eerily on Angie’s mind. The gun seemed much larger than its actual size. She was amazed when it disappeared into the dresser drawer so easily.
This passage conveys the power of the gun, Kit’s carefulness with it, and Angie’s sense of awe surrounding the gun and her sister’s important job.
Also charming is the accompanying illustration for this same chapter:
I love Aunt Velma peeking out at the girls from the living room, and Angie’s completely 80s hair and outfit. I also think it’s sweet that Kit is leaning down to kiss her sister.
This illustration is by Gail Owens, who also illustrated some of the the Encyclopedia Brown books and other books by well-known 80s children’s authors like Johanna Hurwitz, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, and Caroline Cooney. Owens was the illustrator of a previous Old School Sunday book as well - The Cybil War by Betsy Byars.
I was really impressed by this book and I wonder why Sobol never returned to Angie’s life to tell us of her future cases. It seems like he focused almost exclusively on Encyclopedia Brown in the later years of his career, which makes sense, since they were so popular, but I fell in love with Angie in this book, and I wish there were more mysteries featuring her!
Angie’s First Case is out of print, but copies abound on Amazon. Personally, I think it’s as relevant now as the Encyclopedia Brown books and would love to see it become widely available once again!
I purchased Angie's First Case from my local used book store.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Angie's First Case. by Donald Sobol. 1981. Scholastic. 136 pages. ISBN: 9780590427067Donald Sobol is known to most people as the author of the popular Encyclopedia Brown series, of which there are more than 25 titles. What I didn’t realize is that Sobol actually wrote 65 books in all, and that some of them are about girls. Angie’s First Case, which was published in 1981, is the story of a 12-year-old girl who lost her parents at a young age. She and her older sister, Kit, live with their aunt, who doesn’t have much money, so Kit has given up the idea of college to become a police officer. Kit loves her work, but Angie is convinced that her sister could get promoted and be even happier if Angie helps her crack a major case. Every day, Angie goes out jogging in the hopes of catching a band of teen thieves known as the Wolfpack. One day, while she is out with Jess, a chubby boy she likes, Angie sees a series of suspicious events. By witnessing these strange occurrences, Angie sets herself up to become a kidnapping victim as well as a hero.
This book is unlike any other middle grade mystery novel I have ever read. It is mainly plot-driven, like the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, but the characters are strongly developed in the first couple of chapters so that the reader roots for their success as much as for the downfall of the bad guys. There is a hint of romance between Angie and Jess, but it is restricted to holding hands, which is very sweet and keeps the love angle from taking over the action and adventure that is the true focus of the story. The absence of all the technologies we use today requires Angie to rely on her wits to solve the mystery, which always makes a tale like this more exciting. There were a couple of points where I found myself thinking how much easier things would be if the kids did have phones, but I liked the added challenges and the ingenious plans the kids enact to overcome them.
Though Sobol is great at delivering clues and other case-related information in a straightforward manner, he also has some great descriptions that evoke Angie’s emotions and thoughts at certain points in the story. One of my favorites is this moment, where Angie watches Kit put her gun away at the end of the work day.
…[Kit] folded the ten-pound gun belt with its holster, gun, and two pouches of ammunition. The black patent leather gleamed in a ray of evening sunlight.
Angie sat stiffly. The handgun fascinated her. It was .38, fast-loading, six-shot pistol with a dark wood panel inlaid on each side of the handle.
Now it rested snugly in the holster. Yet its deadliness worked eerily on Angie’s mind. The gun seemed much larger than its actual size. She was amazed when it disappeared into the dresser drawer so easily.
This passage conveys the power of the gun, Kit’s carefulness with it, and Angie’s sense of awe surrounding the gun and her sister’s important job.
Also charming is the accompanying illustration for this same chapter:
I love Aunt Velma peeking out at the girls from the living room, and Angie’s completely 80s hair and outfit. I also think it’s sweet that Kit is leaning down to kiss her sister. This illustration is by Gail Owens, who also illustrated some of the the Encyclopedia Brown books and other books by well-known 80s children’s authors like Johanna Hurwitz, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, and Caroline Cooney. Owens was the illustrator of a previous Old School Sunday book as well - The Cybil War by Betsy Byars.
I was really impressed by this book and I wonder why Sobol never returned to Angie’s life to tell us of her future cases. It seems like he focused almost exclusively on Encyclopedia Brown in the later years of his career, which makes sense, since they were so popular, but I fell in love with Angie in this book, and I wish there were more mysteries featuring her!
Angie’s First Case is out of print, but copies abound on Amazon. Personally, I think it’s as relevant now as the Encyclopedia Brown books and would love to see it become widely available once again!
I purchased Angie's First Case from my local used book store.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Short Story Spotlight: Will by Adam Rex
To contact us Click HERE
"Will" by Adam Rex. from Guys Read: Funny Business edited by Jon Scieszka. 2010. Walden Pond Press. 268 pages. ISBN: 9780061963735
It's Will's thirteenth birthday, and he still doesn't have any special powers. His classmates are leaving school one by one for places like wizarding school and fairy academies, but Will and three other classmates remain behind with their increasingly exasperated teacher. She tries to get the day started with an assignment, but not longer after the morning announcements, a supervillain knocks down the wall to the classroom and takes everyone hostage. Though he never realizes it, Will's quick thinking and powers of deduction make him the true hero of the day.
This is one of the best children's short stories I have ever read. It has everything kids like - an underdog protagonist, superheroes, references to both Harry Potter and Magic Tree House, jokes about teachers, unexpected plot twists and a sense of humor. I first discovered it at the end of last school year, when I was searching for something to read on a fifth grade class visit. I read it again to another fifth grade class just recently, and both groups deemed the story "awesome" and broke out into applause at the end. Adam Rex's tongue-in-cheek tone talks to kids on their level, and the fact that almost the entire story is propelled by the actions of kids keeps them interested even as the story gets a bit lengthy. The surprises of the story are spread out throughout the text, so there is always an opportunity to renew the kids' interest every few pages. It's also helpful to read the story with no commentary at all at the beginning. It works best if they just settle in with no idea what's coming.
My favorite character, aside from Will, is the supervillain whose cartoonishly evil personality is just right for kids raised on comic books and Cartoon Network. Not only is it fun to watch the kids fight him off, it's just as fun to laugh at his weakness and foolishness, and his dialogue is truly brilliant, as is most of the dialogue throughout the story.
This short story is a good one for fans of Adam Rex, of course, as well as of authors like Tom Angleberger, Louis Sachar, and Gordon Korman, and for kids who love graphic novels and superhero comics. Though it's a guaranteed hit with boys, it also resonates with girls who tend to gasp loudly at the most exciting moments and who laugh at some of the jokes the boys miss while they're wrapped up in the action.
I borrowed Guys Read: Funny Business from my local public library. (I also have an ARC in my personal collection, courtesy of Walden Pond Press.)
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
"Will" by Adam Rex. from Guys Read: Funny Business edited by Jon Scieszka. 2010. Walden Pond Press. 268 pages. ISBN: 9780061963735It's Will's thirteenth birthday, and he still doesn't have any special powers. His classmates are leaving school one by one for places like wizarding school and fairy academies, but Will and three other classmates remain behind with their increasingly exasperated teacher. She tries to get the day started with an assignment, but not longer after the morning announcements, a supervillain knocks down the wall to the classroom and takes everyone hostage. Though he never realizes it, Will's quick thinking and powers of deduction make him the true hero of the day.
This is one of the best children's short stories I have ever read. It has everything kids like - an underdog protagonist, superheroes, references to both Harry Potter and Magic Tree House, jokes about teachers, unexpected plot twists and a sense of humor. I first discovered it at the end of last school year, when I was searching for something to read on a fifth grade class visit. I read it again to another fifth grade class just recently, and both groups deemed the story "awesome" and broke out into applause at the end. Adam Rex's tongue-in-cheek tone talks to kids on their level, and the fact that almost the entire story is propelled by the actions of kids keeps them interested even as the story gets a bit lengthy. The surprises of the story are spread out throughout the text, so there is always an opportunity to renew the kids' interest every few pages. It's also helpful to read the story with no commentary at all at the beginning. It works best if they just settle in with no idea what's coming.
My favorite character, aside from Will, is the supervillain whose cartoonishly evil personality is just right for kids raised on comic books and Cartoon Network. Not only is it fun to watch the kids fight him off, it's just as fun to laugh at his weakness and foolishness, and his dialogue is truly brilliant, as is most of the dialogue throughout the story.
This short story is a good one for fans of Adam Rex, of course, as well as of authors like Tom Angleberger, Louis Sachar, and Gordon Korman, and for kids who love graphic novels and superhero comics. Though it's a guaranteed hit with boys, it also resonates with girls who tend to gasp loudly at the most exciting moments and who laugh at some of the jokes the boys miss while they're wrapped up in the action.
I borrowed Guys Read: Funny Business from my local public library. (I also have an ARC in my personal collection, courtesy of Walden Pond Press.)
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
18 Kasım 2012 Pazar
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Old School Sunday: Angie's First Case by Donald Sobol
To contact us Click HERE
Angie's First Case. by Donald Sobol. 1981. Scholastic. 136 pages. ISBN: 9780590427067
Donald Sobol is known to most people as the author of the popular Encyclopedia Brown series, of which there are more than 25 titles. What I didn’t realize is that Sobol actually wrote 65 books in all, and that some of them are about girls. Angie’s First Case, which was published in 1981, is the story of a 12-year-old girl who lost her parents at a young age. She and her older sister, Kit, live with their aunt, who doesn’t have much money, so Kit has given up the idea of college to become a police officer. Kit loves her work, but Angie is convinced that her sister could get promoted and be even happier if Angie helps her crack a major case. Every day, Angie goes out jogging in the hopes of catching a band of teen thieves known as the Wolfpack. One day, while she is out with Jess, a chubby boy she likes, Angie sees a series of suspicious events. By witnessing these strange occurrences, Angie sets herself up to become a kidnapping victim as well as a hero.
This book is unlike any other middle grade mystery novel I have ever read. It is mainly plot-driven, like the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, but the characters are strongly developed in the first couple of chapters so that the reader roots for their success as much as for the downfall of the bad guys. There is a hint of romance between Angie and Jess, but it is restricted to holding hands, which is very sweet and keeps the love angle from taking over the action and adventure that is the true focus of the story. The absence of all the technologies we use today requires Angie to rely on her wits to solve the mystery, which always makes a tale like this more exciting. There were a couple of points where I found myself thinking how much easier things would be if the kids did have phones, but I liked the added challenges and the ingenious plans the kids enact to overcome them.
Though Sobol is great at delivering clues and other case-related information in a straightforward manner, he also has some great descriptions that evoke Angie’s emotions and thoughts at certain points in the story. One of my favorites is this moment, where Angie watches Kit put her gun away at the end of the work day.
…[Kit] folded the ten-pound gun belt with its holster, gun, and two pouches of ammunition. The black patent leather gleamed in a ray of evening sunlight.
Angie sat stiffly. The handgun fascinated her. It was .38, fast-loading, six-shot pistol with a dark wood panel inlaid on each side of the handle.
Now it rested snugly in the holster. Yet its deadliness worked eerily on Angie’s mind. The gun seemed much larger than its actual size. She was amazed when it disappeared into the dresser drawer so easily.
This passage conveys the power of the gun, Kit’s carefulness with it, and Angie’s sense of awe surrounding the gun and her sister’s important job.
Also charming is the accompanying illustration for this same chapter:
I love Aunt Velma peeking out at the girls from the living room, and Angie’s completely 80s hair and outfit. I also think it’s sweet that Kit is leaning down to kiss her sister.
This illustration is by Gail Owens, who also illustrated some of the the Encyclopedia Brown books and other books by well-known 80s children’s authors like Johanna Hurwitz, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, and Caroline Cooney. Owens was the illustrator of a previous Old School Sunday book as well - The Cybil War by Betsy Byars.
I was really impressed by this book and I wonder why Sobol never returned to Angie’s life to tell us of her future cases. It seems like he focused almost exclusively on Encyclopedia Brown in the later years of his career, which makes sense, since they were so popular, but I fell in love with Angie in this book, and I wish there were more mysteries featuring her!
Angie’s First Case is out of print, but copies abound on Amazon. Personally, I think it’s as relevant now as the Encyclopedia Brown books and would love to see it become widely available once again!
I purchased Angie's First Case from my local used book store.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Angie's First Case. by Donald Sobol. 1981. Scholastic. 136 pages. ISBN: 9780590427067Donald Sobol is known to most people as the author of the popular Encyclopedia Brown series, of which there are more than 25 titles. What I didn’t realize is that Sobol actually wrote 65 books in all, and that some of them are about girls. Angie’s First Case, which was published in 1981, is the story of a 12-year-old girl who lost her parents at a young age. She and her older sister, Kit, live with their aunt, who doesn’t have much money, so Kit has given up the idea of college to become a police officer. Kit loves her work, but Angie is convinced that her sister could get promoted and be even happier if Angie helps her crack a major case. Every day, Angie goes out jogging in the hopes of catching a band of teen thieves known as the Wolfpack. One day, while she is out with Jess, a chubby boy she likes, Angie sees a series of suspicious events. By witnessing these strange occurrences, Angie sets herself up to become a kidnapping victim as well as a hero.
This book is unlike any other middle grade mystery novel I have ever read. It is mainly plot-driven, like the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, but the characters are strongly developed in the first couple of chapters so that the reader roots for their success as much as for the downfall of the bad guys. There is a hint of romance between Angie and Jess, but it is restricted to holding hands, which is very sweet and keeps the love angle from taking over the action and adventure that is the true focus of the story. The absence of all the technologies we use today requires Angie to rely on her wits to solve the mystery, which always makes a tale like this more exciting. There were a couple of points where I found myself thinking how much easier things would be if the kids did have phones, but I liked the added challenges and the ingenious plans the kids enact to overcome them.
Though Sobol is great at delivering clues and other case-related information in a straightforward manner, he also has some great descriptions that evoke Angie’s emotions and thoughts at certain points in the story. One of my favorites is this moment, where Angie watches Kit put her gun away at the end of the work day.
…[Kit] folded the ten-pound gun belt with its holster, gun, and two pouches of ammunition. The black patent leather gleamed in a ray of evening sunlight.
Angie sat stiffly. The handgun fascinated her. It was .38, fast-loading, six-shot pistol with a dark wood panel inlaid on each side of the handle.
Now it rested snugly in the holster. Yet its deadliness worked eerily on Angie’s mind. The gun seemed much larger than its actual size. She was amazed when it disappeared into the dresser drawer so easily.
This passage conveys the power of the gun, Kit’s carefulness with it, and Angie’s sense of awe surrounding the gun and her sister’s important job.
Also charming is the accompanying illustration for this same chapter:
I love Aunt Velma peeking out at the girls from the living room, and Angie’s completely 80s hair and outfit. I also think it’s sweet that Kit is leaning down to kiss her sister. This illustration is by Gail Owens, who also illustrated some of the the Encyclopedia Brown books and other books by well-known 80s children’s authors like Johanna Hurwitz, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, and Caroline Cooney. Owens was the illustrator of a previous Old School Sunday book as well - The Cybil War by Betsy Byars.
I was really impressed by this book and I wonder why Sobol never returned to Angie’s life to tell us of her future cases. It seems like he focused almost exclusively on Encyclopedia Brown in the later years of his career, which makes sense, since they were so popular, but I fell in love with Angie in this book, and I wish there were more mysteries featuring her!
Angie’s First Case is out of print, but copies abound on Amazon. Personally, I think it’s as relevant now as the Encyclopedia Brown books and would love to see it become widely available once again!
I purchased Angie's First Case from my local used book store.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
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