READING FOR RESEARCH MONTH BOOK REVIEWS - Post #4

The category for this post of book reviews I wrote for ReFoReMo 2017 is Different Themes. I've included the "theme" for each book in parenthesis.

AND TWO BOYS BOOED by Judith Voirst (being brave)

"On the morning of the talent show, I was ready to sing my song." So begins this delightful tale of a young boy who has entered his classroom's talent show. He is all geared up and ready to sing his song in front of the class because he has practiced "a billion times." But, when his turn comes, will he be able to go through with it?

This is a story any child will be able to relate to. We have all had stage fright at some time in our lives. It's good for a child to know that other children might feel the same way they do.

The text is full of wonderful repetition that keeps the story flowing and that kids will love. As an added bonus, some of the pages have flaps the reader can lift for additional illustrations.

BUNNYBEAR by Andrea J. Loney (Transgender)

Bunnybear looks like a bear, but he feels all soft and fluffy inside, like a bunny. So, he calls himself Bunnybear.

The bears don't understand him and make fun of him. He doesn't fit in with the bunnies, either.

Then, he meets Grizzlybun, a bunny who looks like a bunny but who feels like a bear inside. Needless to say, the two become friends.

But, there is more to the story...

For the most part, I liked the story. The subject was handled in a sensitive manner. But, I was not satisfied with the ending.

CAT KNIT by Jacob Grant (Accepting change and being open to new ideas)

When Girl brings home Yarn, Cat and Yarn become best friends. They play together and have great fun.

Then Girl takes Yarn away and changes him into something else.

At first, Cat doesn't like what Yarn has become, and then he realizes the new Yarn might be okay after all.

Minimal text and great illustrations help convey the importance of accepting change and being open to new ideas.

DON'T CROSS THE LINE! by Isabel Minhos Martins (challenging authority)

The General has given an order. No one is to cross the line! Period! Why? Because the General said so and the guard on the border line always follows the General's orders without question.

The right-hand page of the book is reserved for the General. It MUST be kept blank. But, more and more people are crowding up to the line. What happens when a little boy loses his ball and it goes over the line? Will the guard let him go get it?

This is a great book. It covers the question of power and authority. When is power and authority good? When and how is it abused? That might sound like a weighty topic for kids, but the text and the illustrations work perfectly together to illustrate the point that not all rules are good rules and that sometimes rules are made to be broken.

EGG by Kevin Henkes (being different)

The story starts out with four eggs. Three of them crack and little birds are hatched. The fourth one doesn't hatch with the others. The little birds wait and wait and wait, until finally the egg hatches. But what hatches out of the egg is not a bird.

What will the birds do? Will they abandon this creature?

I love the illustrations for this book. They are so simple and yet they convey so much.

This is a great story about friendship and acceptance.

GRANDDAD'S ISLAND by Benji Davies (death)

Syd loves his granddad, who lives in a house behind his house. He visits Granddad often. One day, when Syd visits, Granddad shows him a secret door in the attic. The door opens to reveal a boat. Syd and Granddad set sail on the waters. They come to a beautiful island which Granddad loves. Granddad loves it so much, he tells Syd he wants to stay there, by himself, forever. Syd then has to tell his granddad good-bye, and sail back home by himself.

                         

This is a very sweet story about a difficult subject, that of dying and death and carrying on after a loved one is gone. I think it's handled in a way that children will relate to.

LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET by Matt de la Pena (seeing beauty around us)

After church, a little boy takes a bus ride with his Nana. He sees problems all long the way, but Nana shows him that there is beauty all around us.

This is a lovely look at the world from a different perspective, one that finds hope and love and beauty where there seems to be none.

MOTHER BRUCE by Ryan T. Higgins (parenting)

Bruce, the bear, likes eggs. He eats them every day. One day he comes across a recipe that calls for hard-boiled goose eggs. Before he can boil the eggs, he has to collect some wood for the stove. When he returns, he finds that the eggs have hatched. Bruce is the first thing that the newly-hatched goslings see, so they call him "Mama" and follow him everywhere.

As you can imagine, it's quite a sight, and quite a funny situation to a bear being an adoptive parent to four baby goslings.

THE HEART AND THE BOTTLE by Oliver Jeffers (being afraid of a broken heart)

A little girl's heart is broken when her grandfather dies. To protect her heart, she takes it out of her body and puts it in a bottle for safe keeping. She wears her heart as a pendant.

This seems to be an effective way to keep her heart from breaking again, but over the years, the pendant becomes heavier and heavier and the burden greater.

When the little girl, who has now grown to be a woman, meets another little girl who needs someone special in her life, will the woman be brave enough to take her heart out of the bottle and try to love again?

THE PRINCESS AND THE PONY by Kate Beaton (not getting exactly what you asked for)

Princess Pinecone wants a horse for her birthday, and not just any horse. It needs to be big and strong and fit for a warrior princess.

Well, Pinecone gets a horse, but it doesn't quite measure up to her standards of what a horse should be. But, maybe, it will be all right after all. Maybe....

THE ROOSTER WHO WOULD NOT BE QUIET! by Carmen Agra Deedy (persistence and bravery)

Once there was a village where everyone made noise. It became so noisy that it drove everyone crazy. The villagers didn't know what to do, so they fired their mayor. That didn't help any, so they held an election for a new mayor.

The man they elected promised to make the village quiet again. And, he did. It is very, very quiet for seven years until a very noisy rooster comes along and stirs things up.

The mayor is at his wit's end trying to make the rooster be quiet. Will he succeed or will the rooster change the village?

This is a great story about persistence and bravery.

THOSE SHOES by Maribeth Boelts (poverty)

A young boy wants a specific pair of shoes. They are black high tops with two white stripes. Many of his friends have these shoes, and he wants them, too. But, Grandma says she doesn't have money for new shoes because he needs new boots for the winter.

When the boy's shoes fall apart one day at school, the principal gives him a pair of new shoes, ones with a little kid logo on the sides. They are not the shoes he wants but they are the only pair the principal has to offer that fit him. He hates the shoes, but he takes them anyway.

When Grandma sees his new shoes and realizes how much he hates them, she takes him to the shoe store to check out the shoes he wants. When she sees price tag of the shoes, she realizes she can't afford them.

Will the young boy ever get the shoes he wants? Will it matter if he does or he doesn't?

This book touches on many topics such as poverty, peer pressure and friendship. It's a great book for every kid to read, whether they can afford to buy "those shoes" or not.

WORM LOVES WORM by J. J. Austrian (gay marriage)

Two worms want to get married. But, as they discover, there are certain things that need to be done in a certain way. As Cricket says, "That's the way it's always been done."

Worm and Worm need a best beetle (says their friend, Beetle) and brides bees (says their friends, the Bees). They also need rings (says Cricket) and a band to dance to (says Beetle)  and a cake and a top hat (say the Bees).

When Worm says we don't have any fingers for the rings, Cricket suggests wearing them as belts. When Beetle suggests dancing to a band, one Worm says they have no legs, but the other Worm says they can just wiggle in the dirt. When the Bees suggest they need a cake and a top hat, the Worms say they have no heads for hats and they eat only dirt so they don't need a cake. Spider says he can attach the hats to their bodies with his sticky web and he will eat the cake.

Everything gets worked out until it comes time to decide who will wear the brides' dress and who will wear the tux.

Both Worms say they can wear either one. But, Cricket says, "Wait. That's isn't how it's always been done." And one Worm replies, "Then we'll just change how it's done."

As you probably guessed, the theme is gay marriage. The conflict is with the way things have "always been done" and they way things need to be changed to accommodate those who don't fit the norm.

XO, OX: A Love Story by Adam Rex (unrequited love)

It's not unusual for authors to incorporate letters into a story's narrative. For instance, a writer might include a letter written by a mother to a daughter or from a business acquaintance. Using love letters is also a popular literary device. But, until now, I thought that was confined to adult literature.

Author Adam Rex has changed all that by composing a book of letters between an ox and a gazelle. The ox is enamored by the gazelle, but the gazelle doesn't return the ox's feelings. What results is a series of letters between the two with Ox professing his admiration for Gazelle. It's a delightful way to write a book. Wish I had thought of it!

ZEN SOCKS by Jon J. Muth (life lessons)

Molly and Leo, and their cat, Moss, live across the street from Mr. Stillwater, a panda bear. Mr. Stillwater is very wise and teaches the children much about life.

He teaches Molly patience and teaches Leo about right and wrong and teaches both of them about the value of doing little things in an effort to solve a big problem.

I must say I liked this book. The story is well-written and the use of a story within a story is a bit unusual and I like that, too. I also like the lessons that are learned. And, the illustrations are wonderful.

But, I also must say that I think the author did too much in one book. This doesn't feel so much like a picture book to me as it does a chapter book that was written in picture book form. I certainly breaks the mold of the trend towards short picture books.

READING FOR RESEARCH MONTH BOOK REVIEWS - Post #3

Today's installment of book reviews for books I read during ReFoReMo 2017 covers two categories: Culture and Fractured Fairytales.

Culture

GOLDY LUCK AND THE THREE PANDAS by Natasha Yim

In this version of GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS, Goldilocks is called Goldy Luck and she is Chinese. Her parents send her to the neighbor's house, the Chans with a plate of turnip cakes for the Chinese New Year.

The Chans, who are panda bears, aren't home. Their door is unlocked, so Goldy goes into their house and makes herself at home, eating Little Chan's bowl of congee, breaking his rocking chair, and falling asleep in his bed. Will the Chan's forgive her?

Author Natasha Yim includes three pages at the end of the book with an Author's Note about the Chinese New Year, a explanation of the Chinese Zodiac and a recipe for Turnip Cakes.

 LITTLE RED AND THE VERY HUNGRY LION by Alex T. Smith

This is the story of Little Red Riding Hood with a Mexican flair. Little Red's Aunt Rosie is covered in spots. She is in need of some special Spot Medicine. Little Red is sent to Aunt Rosie's house to deliver the much-needed meds.

Little Red must venture through the jungle to get to Aunt Rosie's house. Along the way, she meets some friendly creatures, such as giraffes and monkeys. She hitches a short ride on an elephant's back. But, she also comes face to face with a hungry lion.

The lion wants to know where Little Red is going. When she tells him her destination, he takes off through the jungle. She then meets him again at Aunt Rosie's house, where he has stuffed Aunt Rosie in the cupboard. Little Red is smart and knows what is going on. She decides to trick the lion to make him learn a lesson about being mean.

LITTLE ROJA RIDING HOOD by Susan Middleton Elya

This is the "classic" story of Little Red Riding Hood told from a Mexican perspective. Little Red Riding Hood is called Little "Roja" Riding Hood because "roja" means red in Spanish.

The story is basically the same as the original, except for the ending. However, in this version many English words have been substituted for their Spanish counterparts, such as "Roja" for "Red", "Abuela" for "Grandma" and "capa" for "cape". Also in this version, Little Roja Riding Hood saves Abuela (Grandma) herself without the need for the woodcutter. Also, after the wolf is banished, Little Roja helps Abuela install a new security system to keep her safe in the future.

The story is also written in rhyme.

Fractured Fairytales

THE TRUE STORY OF THE 3LITTLE PIGS by Jon Scieszka

I'll bet you think you already know the true story of THE 3 LITTLE PIGS. Think again. The story you're familiar with was told by the little pigs. The Wolf, who really isn't big or bad, tells the TRUE story of how things went down in this funny and creative book.

Author Jon Scieszka sure had some fun with this one. The story takes on whole new dimensions when it's told from the Wolf's point of view. The Wolf claims that it all started with a sneeze and a cup of sugar.

Read the story and be the judge. Is the Wolf telling the truth?

VERY LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD by Heapy & Heap

Very Little Red Riding Hood is not to be confused with Little Red Riding Hood. Very Little Red Riding Hood is different. For starters, when she leaves her house to visit "Gramma's" she says, ""Bye, bye Mummy." Little Red  Riding Hood didn't do that. And, when Little Red Riding Hood meets the Wolf, she calls him "Foxie" and gives him a big hug. Little Red Riding Hood didn't do that.

And, so it goes. Very Little Red Riding Hood tells a completely different story, one I am sure you will enjoy.

READING FOR RESEARCH MONTH BOOK REVIEWS - Post #2

Here is the next category of book reviews for books I read during ReFoReMo2017. This time the subject is Biographies. 

CLOTH LULLABY: The Woven Life of Louise Bourgeois by Amy Novesky

Author Amy Novesky seamlessly weaves words in her telling of the "Woven Life" of Louise Bourgeois.

Louise came from a family of people who restored tapestries. Louise learned the craft, but she is best known for her sculptures which were created from wood, steel and rubber.

An Author's Note is included with additional information about Louise.

HELEN'S BIG WORLD: The Life of Helen Keller by Doreen Rappaport

Narrative text tells the story of Helen Keller's life. But, author Doreen Rappaport weaves in quotes from Helen herself that help illustrate and illuminate the storyline.

Both an Author's Note and an Illustrator's Note are included at the end of the book, along with a list of Important Dates relevant to Helen's life, and a list of Selected Research Sources. The end papers at the back of the book show the alphabet in sign language.

I DISSENT: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes her Mark by Elizabeth Levy

Ruth Bader Ginsburg has spent her whole life protesting in one form or another. It started when she was just a young girl and her mother objected to the idea that girls should just get married and have families. Ruth's mother took her to the library where Ruth discovered a wealth of books about women, women who had done things other than just getting married and having families. That inspired Ruth to do something different with her life.

She went to college at a time when most women didn't. She met her future husband at college, and they decided when they graduated they would both go to law school. And, they did. They got married, and they had a family, but Ruth didn't just stay home and take care of the babies.

Ruth stood up for things she believed in - equality for everyone. President Clinton appointed her to the Supreme Court in 1993, and she became the first Jewish woman on that court.

The author includes three pages at the end of the book with additional information about Ruth and her life.

JUST BEING AUBREY by Margaret Cardillo

Author Margaret Cardillo gives youngsters a picture-book style glimpse into the life of one of America's most beloved actresses, Audrey Hepburn.

Audrey wanted to be a ballerina, but that was just not to be. Still, she loved to practice dancing.

During WWII, her family had to go into hiding in Holland. When the war ended, Audrey and her mother went to London. That's where she decided to try acting. After playing a few small parts, she caught the attention of Collette, a famous French writer, who was looking for an actress to play the lead role in Gigi.

Audrey moved to New York to play the part on Broadway, and the rest is history. America fell in love with this beautiful, talented and very kind actress. In her later years, she became a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.

Cardillo includes a section at the back of the book called "Author's Notes" and illustrator Julia Denos has one called "Illustrator's Notes" which give the reader more insight into how and why the book was written and illustrated.

LOOK UP: HenriettaLeavitt, Pioneering Woman Astronomer by Robert Burleigh

Author Robert Burleigh tells the story of Henrietta Leavitt, a woman astronomer.

Henrietta loved the stars and wanted to study them. She was one of only a handful of women in her astronomy class in college. When she graduated, she got a job at an observatory.

She wanted to study the stars through the huge telescope then, but instead was relegated to a small, stuffy room where she and the other female employees spent countless hours studying photographs of the stars. Their job was to take measurements and to record their findings.

It was mind-numbing work, but Henrietta persisted. After months of studying photos and recording measurements, she noticed a pattern. Her work allowed astronomers to learn more about the universe, dispelling the notion that the Milky Way Galaxy was the only one out there.

The author includes three pages at the end of the book that provide extra information about stars, about Henrietta, and about the science of astronomy.

QUEEN OF THE DIAMOND: TheLizzie Murphy Story by Emily Arnold McCully

Lizzie Murphy grew up at a time when girls were supposed to act like young ladies and do girl stuff. Problem was, Lizzie liked baseball. A lot.  Her brother Henry played for a little league team. Lizzie wasn't allowed on the team, but Henry practiced his moves with her. Lizzie learned how to throw, catch and hit a ball as good as, if not better than, any boy in the neighborhood.

She wanted to be on the team. At first, the boys wouldn't let her, but they let her be the "bat girl". Then, one day, the team showed up to play but no one had a ball with them - except Lizzie. Lizzie made them a deal: they could use her ball if she was allowed to play. They gave in, completely expecting her to be a lousy player, but she showed them she knew a thing or two about the game.

Lizzie made a name for herself in baseball. She went on to be the first woman to play in a major league exhibition game and the first person to play on the both National and American leagues' all-star teams.

Emily Arnold McCully does a great job of telling Lizzie's story. McCully does this with lively text and wonderful illustrations that she did herself. She also includes an Author's Note at the end of the book with additional information about Lizzie.

SEPARATE IS NEVER EQUAL: Slyvia Mendez & Her Family'sFight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh

Author Duncan Tonatiuh tells the true story of one family's fight to end segregation. The story takes place in Westminster, CA. The city has a very nice school where Mr. Mendez takes her children to enroll. But, because of their name and their appearance, they are forced to go to the school for Mexican children. The regular school is clean and bright and well-equipped with excellent teachers. The school for Mexican children is crowded and dirty. It doesn't even have any playground equipment and the teachers don't really care about the children's education.

Mr. Mendez is so upset with the way his children are treated, he takes the school district to court for discrimination. He wins the initial battle, but the school board appeals the verdict. He wins the battle the second time around and his children are finally allowed  to go to the regular school.

Tonatiuh not only wrote the story, he also did the illustrations. Although I enjoyed reading the book, I didn't really like the illustrations. The people just look odd in them. But, the story is still a good one.  And, there is an Author's Note at the end of the book with additional information about segregation, some photos of Sylvia, a Glossary of terms used throughout the text, as well as a Bibliography and an Index.

THE BOY WHO LOVED MATH:The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Heiligman

This is a picture book biography of Paul Erdos, an Hungarian with an insatiable appetite for math and numbers. First he learned how to count. Then he learned how to manipulate numbers in ways no one had done before.

A story about a mathematician could be quite boring. But author Deborah Heiligman writes with captivating prose to make the text interesting. The illustrations by LeUyen Pham are perfect for the text. And, whenever a number is mentioned in the text, like the number 4, it is printed in extra large print and in color to make it stand out from the rest of the text. This is done throughout the book. It adds visual interest to the text itself.

The author includes A Note From the Author in the back of the book, giving the reader some insight into how and why she wrote this story. There is also A Note From the Illustrator giving the reader information about what illustrations were used on the pages and why.

THE RIGHT WORD: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jennifer Fisher Bryant

Peter Roget loved books and words and he loved lists. He made all kinds of lists about all kinds of things. He started witing his first book when he was only eight years old. On the cover of the book he wrote: "Peter, Mark, Roget. His Book."

In the book, he wrote many lists. The first list he made was of the Latin words he had learned. Beside each Latin word, he wrote its English meaning. Peter kept adding new lists to his book, lists like "The Four Elements," "Of the Weather," and "In the Garden."

Peter went to medical school and became a doctor, but he still kept up with his lists. He eventually went on to have his lists published and to create what we now know as Roget's Thesaurus. Thesaurus is the Greek word for "treasure house." Peter's lists really were treasures for all to share.

This is a wonderful book. The text is very well-written and very informative. The illustrations are delightful with their use of letters and words. Both an Author's Note and an Illustrator's Note are included at the end of the book, along with a Bibliography, a list of books For Further Reading and a list of Sources used.

THE TREE LADY by H. Joseph Hopkins

Katherine Olivia Sessions grew up in Northern California where there are lots of trees. She loved the trees. She loved them so much she was the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a degree in science.

After she graduated, she got a job as a teacher and a school principal in San Diego. San Diego is in the desert. When Katherine arrived, there were some houses but very few trees. She really missed the trees from old home and she wanted trees in her new home. She did a lot of research to learn what types of trees would grow in the desert. Then she sent for seeds and started a nursery of desert-loving trees. She sold her trees to others who wanted them and she donated thousands of them to the city, particularly to Balboa Park. She became known as the Mother of Balboa Park.

Author H. Joseph Hopkins does a great job of telling the story of this interesting woman. And, the illustrations by Jill McElmurry (interesting that her last name has the name of a tree in it, don't you think?) add interest to the tale. The author includes a page at the back of the book called Author's Note with additional information about Katherine.

THE YOUNGEST MARCHER: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, aYoung Civil Rights Activist by Cynthia Levinson

Author Cynthia Levinson tells the often overlooked story of the Children's March, a civil rights protest march that took place in Birmingham, Alabama in May of 1963. More than 3,000 children were arrested for protesting, and Audrey Faye Hendricks was one of them. She spent a week behind bars in a juvenile detention facility. It was a terrible week for her but she never regretted her decision to participate in the event.

Levinson includes an Author's Note at the end of the book with more information about Hendricks, as well as a timeline of events relating to the Civil Rights Movement. One of Hendricks' favorite foods was Hot Rolls Baptized in Butter. A recipe for the roll is also included.

WHO SAYS WOMEN CAN'T BE DOCTORS? The Story of ElizabethBlackwell by Tanya Lee Stone

Elizabeth Blackwell was a brave and curious girl who had an insatiable appetite for knowledge and adventure. She was a talented musician as well as a gifted athlete.

She had no intention of becoming a doctor, because frankly, blood made her queasy and she couldn't tolerate being around people who were sick. She didn't even like people fussing around her when she wasn't feeling well. But when Elizabeth's friend, Mary Donaldson, got sick, Elizabeth went to visit her. Mary said she would have preferred to be attended to by a female physician, but at that time in history, there were no female doctors. Mary told Elizabeth that she, Elizabeth, had the brains and spunk to be a doctor and that she should do so.

The notion seemed a bit far-fetched to Elizabeth at first, but the more she thought about it, the more she liked it. On January 23, 1849, Elizabeth graduated from medical school at the top of her class and became the first woman doctor in America.

Author Tanya Lee Stone makes Elizabeth's story come alive with engaging text and lots of action. The illustrations by Marjorie Priceman do much to enhance the text. An Author's Text at the end of the book provides additional information about Elizabeth.

READING FOR RESEARCH MONTH BOOK REVIEWS - Post #1

I recently participated in a picture book reading challenge called ReFoReMo 2017, which stands for for Research Month. The idea was to read a select group of picture books each day, for a month. The books were selected for different reasons. Those who participated read books that were good examples of how to write: rhyming picture books, alphabet books, biographies, other nonfiction text, etc.

Reading

The list of books was a long one, with about 150 titles to read throughout the month. I read all of the books that I could (a few weren't available through my local library). I enjoyed most of the books I read, some a lot more than others.

I learned a lot from this reading challenge. I wanted to share some things with my readers. So, I took it upon myself to categorize the books I read according to topics. These topics are not necessarily those that were used during the reading challenge. I also took it upon myself to write short reviews of most of the books that I read. I didn't review them all as there were just too many of them. As you will notice, some books are included in more than one category. Over the next few days, I will be uploading blogs about these books, complete with book covers. I hope you enjoy reading them.

Here are books from two categories. (The first category had only one book in it):

Alphabet

OOPS POUNCE QUICK RUN!:An alphabet Caper by Mike Twohy

A ball comes bouncing into a little mouse's house, waking him up. What happens next results in a lively romp through the alphabet.

This is a different kind, and a delightful kind, of alphabet book. The text is very minimal. The story is told mostly with words starting with each of the 26 letters of the alphabet, with very little text added to that. The illustrations really tell the story, as they should in a picture book.

Behavior 

AND TWO BOYS BOOED by Judith Voirst (being brave)

"On the morning of the talent show, I was ready to sing my song." So begins this delightful tale of a young boy who has entered his classroom's talent show. He is all geared up and ready to sing his song in front of the class because he has practiced "a billion times." But, when his turn comes, will he be able to go through with it?

This is a story any child will be able to relate to. We have all had stage fright at some time in our lives. It's good for a child to know that other children might feel the same way they do.

The text is full of wonderful repetition that keeps the story flowing and that kids will love. As an added bonus, some of the pages have flaps the reader can lift for additional illustrations.

BLACK DOG by Levi Pinfold (being brave)

When a very big, very scary looking black dog shows up in front of the house, the whole family goes into panic mode - - except for the youngest child, called Small. All of them want to hide, except for Small.

Small goes outside by himself and greets the dog face-to-face. He's not scared at all even though he is very small and the dog is very big. Small "brings him down to size" and then takes him into the house where the dog is welcomed by the whole family.

This is a cute story about being brave.

DIARY OF A WORM by Doreen Cronin (taking responsibility)

A worm is given the responsibility of taking care of the class pet. The class pet is a gnat, named Nat. Of course, he is very small and is hard to see. The worm opens the gnat's cage to put in a leaf. Later when the worm comes back to look in the cage he can't find the gnat.

What should he do now? Should he tell the truth or try to cover up his mistakes?

This is a great story that kids can relate to. It's about taking responsibility for your actions. It's also written in an easy-to-read format, rated as a Level 1 reader for beginning reading.

GIVE AND TAKE by Chris Rashka (arguing)

Which is better, to give or to take?

A farmer picks apples from one of his trees. In the process, a wee little man, who calls himself Take, lands in the farmer's basket. Take encourages the farmer to take as much as he can. That doesn't sound like a bad thing, but it can be.

The next day, the farmer picks more apples and this time, a little man named Give lands in his basket. You guessed it, Give encourages the farmer to give as much as he can. That doesn't sound like a bad thing, either, but it can be.

What will the farmer do? How can he balance Give and Take?

This is an interesting story. It sounds like a fable. It's also a good life lesson for kids.

HORRIBLE BEAR! by Ame Dyckman (temper tantrums)

When the string breaks on a little girl's kite, she follows it up a mountain to a bear's cave. The bear is sleeping. She walks right in to his cave. Just as she reaches for the kite, the bear rolls over and crushes it. The girl is furious! She yells, "Horrible bear!" Then she stomps out of the cave and back to her room, where she throws a tantrum and accidentally breaks a favorite toy.

But Bear is angry, too. He decides to get even. He stomps his way to the girl's house.

What follows is something any child can identify with as every child has thrown a fit and had to deal with the consequences.

HUG MACHINE by Scott Campbell (hugging)

A little boy calls himself Hug Machine. He hugs everybody and everything, including mailboxes and trees.

But, will he hug prickly things?

This is a great book that kids will relate to, especially the "huggers".

LAUNDRY DAY by Jexissa Bagley ("helping")

Tic and Tac get bored. They need something to do. Everything their mom suggests they have already done. They need something new.

Mom suggests helping her hang the laundry on the line. That sounds like fun. Mom shows them how to do the job and they get to work. They find they are good at hanging laundry and that they like doing it. They are so good at it, that Mom leaves them to finish the job while she goes to the market.

What could possibly go wrong?

In this super kid-friendly book, Tic and Tac might get a little carried away when they hang things on the line by themselves. But, Mom knows just what to do about it!!

LEAVE ME ALONE! by Vera Brosgol (grouchiness)

An old woman, who lives in a small house with a big family (with her grandchildren) wants some peace and quiet so she can knit. But, of course, the kids won't leave her alone.

So, she packs up all her belongings and just leaves the house. When she goes she shouts, "Leave me alone!"

She climbs part way up a mountain and finds a quiet-looking spot. But, she can't knit there because the bears won't leave her alone. Further up the mountain, the goats won't leave her alone. She even climbs to the moon, but the moon men won't leave her alone, either.

So, how can she find any peace of quiet so she can just knit?

Although an old woman is the main character of this book, this is the type of story that a young child who is stuck in a noisy household will be able to identify with.

MAYA WAS GRUMPY by Courtney Pippin-Mathur (grouchiness)

"Maya was grumpy. She didn't know why she was grumpy. She was just in a crispy, cranky, grumpy, grouchy mood."

She grumped and snarled and glumped and clumped and thumped and growled and scowled throughout the day until Grandma found a delightful way to make her forget about being grouchy.

Grumpiness is something any child (and any adult) can relate to. Author Courtney Pippin-Mathur tackles this subject with wonderful language, great humor and creative illustrations.

PANDA PANTS by Jacqueline Davies (wanting things their way)

A little panda wants a pair of pants. His parent (not clear if mom or dad) tries to talk him out of it. His parent keeps giving him all the reasons why pandas don't wear pants and the child keeps giving his parent all the reasons why he wants a pair anyway.

When the little panda finally gets a pair of pants he discovers that they might not be so wonderful to wear after all.

I love the way the story ends.

PENGUIN PROBLEMS by Jory John (thinking their lives are terrible)

Penguin is not happy. He has sooooo many problems.

He doesn't like cold weather or the cold water. He doesn't like to hunt for food or to be hunted as food. He just has sooo many problems -- and nobody cares.

Then, a timely encounter with a walrus gives him a new perspective on life. Perhaps things will be okay after all.

THOSE SHOES by Maribeth Boelts (jealousy)

A young boy wants a specific pair of shoes. They are black high tops with two white stripes. Many of his friends have these shoes, and he wants them, too. But, Grandma says she doesn't have money for new shoes because he needs new boots for the winter.

When the boy's shoes fall apart one day at school, the principal gives him a pair of new shoes, ones with a little kid logo on the sides. They are not the shoes he wants but they are the only pair the principal has to offer that fit him. He hates the shoes, but he takes them anyway.

When Grandma sees his new shoes and realizes how much he hates them, she takes him to the shoe store to check out the shoes he wants. When she sees price tag of the shoes, she realizes she can't afford them.

Will the young boy ever get the shoes he wants? Will it matter if he does or he doesn't?

This book touches on many topics such as poverty, peer pressure and friendship. It's a great book for every kid to read, whether they can afford to buy "those shoes" or not.

HAPPY ICE CREAM STICKS BOOK COVER

Here is the cover of the book I've been working on with my son and his Chinese girlfriend? The Bookworm Bookmark project that was previously posted is included in this book, along with 9 other crafts (for a total of 10).

AMISH SERVICE GUIDE

Once again, I have had the opportunity to write articles for the Amish Service Guide, published by Malachi Marketing, LLC. This year, I wrote two articles for the publication: "What Is an Ordnung?" and "Amish Benefit Auctions". You can read the articles by clicking on the above link or clicking on the photo to the right. This will take you to a page with a digital copy of the magazine.

While you're checking out my articles, be sure to take a good look through the magazine. You will see ads from numerous businesses in the Amish communities in Ohio. If you're ever in those areas, please do your best to support these businesses and these good people.

Thanks!

BOOKWORM BOOKMARK CRAFT IN CHINESE AND ENGLISH

Several years ago, Children's Press published a series of 8 craft books written by me known as the "Mania" craft series since each title in the series contained the word Mania, as in Cardboard Tube Mania, Paper Cup Mania, etc. The books are now out of print, so I was looking for some way to revive them. 

My son started dating a wonderful girl from China. When she came to our house, I showed her one of my books. She thought it was great. She asked me if I would like to be able to sell my books in China. Of course I said, "Yes!" 

So, we collaborated, and turned one of the books into a book of 10 crafts that are written in both Chinese and English (She did the Chinese translations for me! My son did the illustrations!). We are planning on marketing the books in China sometime in the future (she has some contacts there). 

Things are ready for publication, yet, but I wanted to share one of the crafts with you, to show you what we're doing and to get some feedback on our work. Here are two pages that constitute one craft called BOOKWORM BOOKMARK. Please tell me what you think. Thanks!