2 Young Reader Books

Due to Privacy Issues I am not going to reveal these books.  However, I want them counted in my reads.

Genre:  Young Readers

Published:  2018

Format:  Book and Book

Yearly Count:  6 & 7

Thoughts of Joy

2 Young Reader Books

Due to Privacy Issues I am not going to reveal these books.  However, I want them counted in my reads.

Genre:  Young Readers

Published:  2017

Format:  Book and Book

Yearly Count:  47 & 48

Thoughts of Joy

ORPHAN TRAIN RIDER

Author:  Andrea Warren

Genre:  Young Reader NF, Standalone

Published:  1996

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  23

The true account of Lee Nailling riding an orphan train is told with chapters of the history.

I enjoyed reading the story as a whole, but the writing was a bit choppy.  It was a good introduction to this period of our history and could inspire a child (or adult) to read more.

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THE DAY THE CRAYONS CAME HOME

Author:  Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers

Genre:  Children's, 2 of 2

Published:  2015

Personal Rating:  3.75/5 (good +)

Format:  eBook

Yearly Count:  14

The crayons are asking to be rescued from their individual fates.

This book was much more colorful (pun intended) than The Day the Crayons Quit!  It had more creativity and intrigue.  Cute.

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THE DAYS THE CRAYONS QUIT

Author:  Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers

Genre:  Children's, 1 of 2

Published:  2013

Personal Rating:  3/5 (just okay)

Format:  eBook

Yearly Count:  7

When a little boy opens his crayon box, he is surprised with a letter from each of the colors explaining why they quit!

I loved the idea of this book and the creativity; however, I was expecting more.

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THE MISADVENTURES OF GRUMPY CAT & POKEY: VOLUME 1

Author:  Ben McCool, Royal McGraw, Elliott Serrano, Ben Fisher

Genre:  Children's Comic, Volume 1

Published:  2016 (as a volume)

Personal Rating:  3/5 (just okay)

Format:  eBook

Yearly Count:  5

From NetGalley:

Dynamite proudly presents the comic book misadventures of Grumpy Cat, featuring "The World's Grumpiest Cat" and her brother, Pokey!  With her ever-present pout and sassy disposition, Grumpy Cat has won the hearts of people everywhere.  Now, her unbearable cuteness and infectious sourpuss are featured in an all-new, all-sensational collection of comic stories, sure to make fans of all ages laugh!  If you love the memes, the videos, and the irresistible scowl, then get ready for the wildly fun antics of Grumpy Cat and Pokey!

This is a compilation of 3 individual Misadventures of Grumpy Cat & Pokey books.  There are several short adventures in each book.  I enjoy the one-liner images of Grumpy Cat, so thought I'd give this book a try.  I did grin or smirk a couple times, but I think too much of Grumpy Cat makes me a grumpy person.  

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My thanks go to Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.

RE-ZOOM

Author:  Istvan Banyai

Genre:  Children's Picture Book, Sequel

Published:  1995

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  3

This picture book begins with a portion of a picture then zooms out to get a better view of the object, then zooms out again to a larger view, etc.

This is a sequel in the sense that it follows the same pattern as Zoom -- it zooms out from an image.  I didn't like this one as much as the first, but it was still interesting and fun to look it.

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ZOOM

Author:  Istvan Banyai

Genre:  Children's Picture Book, 1 of 2

Published:  1995

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  2

This picture book begins with a portion of a picture then zooms out to get a better view of the object, then zooms out again to a larger view, etc.

I heard about this book on an episode of Serial and had to check it out.  I really enjoyed it and would like to peruse it with a child.  

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ELEPHANT MAN

Author:  Mariangela Di Fiore & Hilde Hodnefjeld

Genre:  Children's Non-Fiction

Published:  2015

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format:  eBook

Yearly Count:  47

From NetGalley:

"Gather round--prepare to be amazed! A sight so very gruesome that you simply won't believe it. Ladies and gentlemen... the Elephant Man!"

Every night people swarm to a theater in London to see the Elephant Man, whose real name is Joseph Merrick. They scream in terror at the sight of him. But beneath Joseph's shocking exterior, he longs for affection and understanding.

Disfigured in childhood by a rare disease, Joseph is rejected by his family, bullied in the streets, and ridiculed at his job. While touring Europe with a freak show, he's robbed and abandoned. Joseph seems to encounter misfortune at every turn, but eventually finds friendship with a kind doctor in England. Though he died young, Joseph became world famous and inspired many with his gentleness and dignity.

Masterful illustrations and archival photographs are joined with simple but moving language, bringing the celebrated true story of the Elephant Man to life. Joseph Merrick (1862-1890) is believed to have suffered from a combination of the diseases neurofribomatosis type 1 and Proteus syndrome. This is a tremendously affecting book about being different, refusing to be a victim, and finding happiness in even the most challenging of circumstances.

This is a great illustrated book for older children (upper elementary) that includes topics such as loneliness, bullying and self-worth.  The true story that it is can lead to deep discussions of who we are and how we treat people with illnesses/diseases.  The illustrations were interesting (some scrapbook-like), and they were joined by some real pictures, as well.      

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My thanks go to Annick Press Ltd. and NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.
      

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY

Author:  Betty G. Birney

Genre:  Children's Fiction, Humphrey Series #1

Published:  2004

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  43

Humphrey is a hamster who lives in Room 26 of an elementary classroom.  He shares his observations and promotes goodness.

I read this for our upcoming school-wide book club.  It's cute, and I think the kids will really enjoy it.  There are lessons to be learned through Humphrey's escapades in a non-threatening way and every child, most likely, can identify with someone or some event in this book.

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SISTERS

Author:  Raina Telgemeier

Genre:  Graphic Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2014

Personal Rating:  3/5 (just okay)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  72

It's a graphic memoir about childhood sisters.

Whatever.  

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NOW WE ARE SIX

Author: A. A. Milne

Genre:  Children's Poems, Winnie-the-Pooh Series #4

Published:  1927

Personal Rating:  3.25/5 (just okay +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/?

Yearly Count:  63

This was just one disc filled with child-like poems.  These were better and cuter than When We Were Very Young, but definitely nothing special.

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WHEN WE WERE VERY YOUNG

Author:  A. A. Milne

Genre:  Children's Poems, Winnie-the-Pooh Series #3

Published:  1924

Personal Rating:  2.75/5 (eh +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/?

Yearly Count:  62


A collection of poems that contained some cute ones and some not so cute.

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HIDDEN

Authors:  Loic Dauvillier, Marc Lizano, 

Greg Salsedo

Genre:  Children's Graphic Novel, Standalone

Published:  2012

Personal Rating:  3.75/5 (good +)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  48

A grandmother shares a secret (Holocaust based) with her granddaughter about when she was a child of the same age.

I didn't realize that this was from the juvenile section, I thought it was just told through the eyes of a child.  Needless to say, I still read it and thought it was done very well for the age group intended (6 - 10 year olds).  It is a big story told with few words, but the illustrations speak volumes. 

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THE 7 HABITS OF HAPPY KIDS

Author:  Sean Covey

Genre:  Children, Standalone  

Published:  2011

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  99


This is a kid version of The 7 Habits for Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey).

I think this book's transition from adult to kids was very well done.  It demonstrates each habit through stories with the animal characters from Seven Oaks:  Pokey Porcupine, Jumper Rabbit, etc.  It also provides a Parent Section that suggests questions to prompt conversation and change in behaviors.

RODZINA

Author:  Karen Cushman

Genre:  Juvenile Historical Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2003      

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/

Becky Ann Baker

Yearly Count:  70

Rodzina, a 12-year-old girl, is placed on a train with other orphans that travels from Chicago to the West.

For me, this was a good story, but a great way to learn how it must have felt being an orphan and placed on a train that goes to unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people.  It's a perfect story for children, though.  The time period was depicted well and understanding what was happening to these children was clearly described.  Rodzina was a great character that expressed the many thoughts, feelings, and fears that went along with being on an orphan train.

*Recommended By:  Staci from Life in the Thumb

Buck Wilder's HIKING & CAMPING GUIDE

Author:  Tim Smith

Genre:  Children's Non-Fiction, Standalone

Published:  1997

Personal Rating:  3/5 (just okay)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  16

This is a basic hiking and camping guide filled with cartoon characters and silly comments.  There's also the bonus of trying to find the hidden fuzzy worm on every two pages.

The author came to our school (quite a while back now), and I thought it would be fun to purchase a book and get an autograph when he came.  I was excited, just like the kids (and probably more), so I decided to see if I could visit with him prior to his presentation.  He was not busy when I found him, so I began a friendly (giddyish) conversation with him.  It immediately turned very awkward.  He clearly did not want to engage with me.  The brief eye contact (barely a glance) told me I was being a huge nuisance.  I tried another sentence or two, then gave up.  That personal interaction affected my feelings towards this book and will not get any more.  Not fair, I know, but it's hard to separate the two.  More importantly, he was so impatient and rude with the kids, too.  The whole experience was very disappointing to say the least.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER

Author: Barbara Robison

Genre: Children's Fiction, Standalone

Published:  1972

Personal Rating: 3/5 (just okay)

Format: Audiobook

Yearly Count: 104

The yearly Christmas Pageant is turned upside down when the neighborhood's misfit family join in on the activities.  This is donned as a "beloved classic."

I suppose I can understand why children would enjoy this story, but for me there was probably more that I didn't like than did. And, I don't think the narrator was a good choice at all.  So, overall, it was an odd little book (very peculiar family), but had a good message.  I am glad that I finally took the time to find out what it was about, though.

BONE: OUT FROM BONEVILLE

Author: Jeff Smith

Genre: Children's Graphic Novel, Series #1

Published: 2005

Personal Rating: 2/5 (not enjoyable)

Yearly Count: 46

Three blobby cousins are kicked out of town for dishonesty and soon become lost in a new land that contains talking creatures: bugs, opossum, monsters and dragons. Early on, the cousins become separated, and they each have a different experience as they search for one another.

I have seen young kids reading this series for many years, and I finally picked it up. I discovered that I'm not missing anything. It flowed well and had a lot of excitement, but overall - not for me. I'm glad I read it though. My curiosity has been quenched.

FEATHERS

Author: Jacqueline Woodson

Genre: Children Fiction, Standalone

Published: 2007

Personal Rating: 2.75/5 (better than eh)

Yearly Count: 7

Through her daily living, sixth grade Frannie experiences and feels many new emotions. Her understanding of interactions grow throughout the book.

I really enjoy Woodson's writing. She is able to capture what may be true feelings of a sixth grade girl. However, I felt the story dragged a bit and just wasn't enticing.