This is a charming beginning reader chapter book which is twisted continuation of Little Red Riding Hood.  The big bad wolf ends up in the emergency room because he is choking on something, as the nurse comforts the little girl who can’t find her grandmother, the doctor squeezes with all her might.  Grandmother is saved, after much suspense, and a happy ending is enjoyed by everyone-except the big bad wolf.  Unfortunately for him, it’s against the law to eat grandmothers and the police were called to take him away.  Charming pictures contribute to this quality book! Recommended.

This book is affiliated with Amnesty International, which is a global human rights organization.  This book explores the psychology behind soldiers fighting their “enemies” and what they might have in common.  In this story the soldier is told that the enemy is evil and as soon as he can kill him he can go home.  He endures much discomfort, fear and trauma before he learns that the enemy was also told the he was evil and as soon as “the enemy” could kill him, the enemy could go home.  In the end he realizes how much in common they have and the soldiers end with a truce.  Time to go back to their families.  A message delivered in a delicate manner, sure to solicit good discussion.

Theo’s classmates help him understand his feelings about becoming a big brother as they share their good moods/bad moods  for Monday morning’s Mood News.  Since each child has a different mood (proud, jealous, afraid, mad, confused, grateful, cheerful, etc.) , the story becomes a great introduction to a  rich vocabulary of “feelings” words.  I found the stylized  and  colorful illustrations quite engaging.  The main character was named after the author’s father, Theodore.  One classmate was named Ameen, which I took as an acknowledgment to our country’s cultural diversity.  After reading this book, I was feeling LUCKY to have found a story to help kids learn more  about moods and feeling vocabulary.

Max and Zoe are schoolmates looking for a really cool science fair project.  Max comes up with an idea that includes his love of dogs.  He decides  to do tests on his own dog, Buddy, plus neighbor dogs, to prove that dogs understand facial expressions.  They used staring, frowning and  smiling…recording each dog’s reponse.  The dogs acted very differently to a frown vs a smile, proving his hypothesis.  What a delightful Early Reader…perfect for those late first and second grade readers.  Characters show persistence,  collaboration, and cooperation.  The book is brightly illustrated in primary colors and  sweet cartoon-like drawings.  Large print text  shares the page equally with the fun illustrations.  Back Matter includes author/illustrator information, Glossary, three Discussion Questions, Writing Prompts, and a recipe for Dog Treats.

As the sun comes up, birds awake.  This beautiful picture features a different bird on each spread, using spare text and focusing on each bird’s call.  Each page is large and the background colors get progressively lighter and lighter, along with the imagined sky.  Crisp illustrations of each bird jump off each page.  Because, like all of Genechten’s work, this was published in Dutch originally, some of the sounds the birds make do not conform to American norms.  This does not bring down the quality of the book, however, as each type of bird is so specific.  The spare text, large clear illustrations and font choices, as well as the focus on animal sounds, will make this a lovely choice for group sharing, and children will enjoy pouring over the beautiful illustrations at a more individual pace as well.

Shortly after Abraham Lincoln died, a group of forgers got the idea to attempt to steal the former president’s body.  This is their story.  Narrative nonfiction for youth is an art form.  This title brilliantly takes an intriguing subject that not many heard about in their history classes and connects it to topics that are more familiar.  Many people have heard the story of how Lincoln was assassinated from an early age.  But they generally don’t know much about the context in which the assassination occurred.  Here, we learn about forgery, body snatching, medical research, the early days of the secret service, and undercover spying.  Sheinkin has made a living of telling stories from history in an engaging way to children and teens, and this book is no exception to that track record.

Trixie has always felt like an outsider.  So, in some ways, it isn’t that big of a surprise when she’s invited to join a circus which travels from planet to planet through space.  There’s just that niggling worry about the creepy guy in the mask who keeps turning up.  In this bizarre setting, Fagan takes on talent, rivalry, finding your place, and being a good friend.  Trixie must decide what she wants to do in the circus, and the ring master has more than a few secrets.  The plot of this book is more complicated than it seems at first, even though it revolves around familiar themes.  This is playful science fiction with a unique setting and will be a winner with the right crowd.

Pirate treasure, art forgery, and the Peruvian mob, oh my!  When Tom spends a week with his Uncle Harvey, he finds himself on a quest to find a hidden stash of ancient gold!  Along the way, Tom and Harvey follow clues, dodge bullets, and jump off of boats.  It’s an adventure in the tradition of Indiana Jones and Tintin with a dash of history to top it off.  Tom is an approachable, trouble-seeking everykid, and Uncle Harvey is as believable as a well-meaning white-collar criminal can be.  The story is packaged in a flashy, pulpy way, fitting the mood.  This will attract reluctant readers and fans of video games and is a great addition to the world of tween adventure fiction.

You have NEVER stayed at a hotel like this!  Leo is the son of the janitor at the most amazing hotel in the world.  Each room has a theme – for instance, there’s the room dedicated to pinball, which turns into a giant game of – yes, pinball!  When the owner of this fantastic place disappears and the hotel starts to show signs of sabotage, Leo finds himself uniquely qualified to protect his beloved hotel. Carman’s Whippet Hotel fits comfortably beside the likes of Roald Dahl’s Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and Jody Feldman’s Golly Toy & Game Company.  Although Carman inserts a cast of wacky characters and an intriguing mystery into this book, the world-building is the real appeal.  Each room is vivid and exciting, and kids will enjoy exploring the entire hotel as Leo solves problems and mysteries throughout the plot.  Children who enjoy solving puzzles and exploring new places will love this book.

National Parks have not been around forever.  There were many steps required to create a protected lands system in the United States.  Theodore Roosevelt played a pivotal role during one of those important points in history.  This book tells the story of one camping trip which influenced Roosevelt’s passionate advocacy.  In the middle of a busy trip across the states, President Roosevelt spent several days with the naturalist John Muir, camping in the land which would become Yosemite National Park.  This is an approachable piece of a much larger story, told in simple, concrete terms.  The men are referred to using their childhood nicknames, and the story is told chronologically, with short paragraphs on nearly every page.  The text is complimented by full color illustrations, which are surrounded by white space until the men enter the wild land, and which then engulf the pages.  Mordicai Gerstein’s depictions of redwood forests and Yosemite Valley are particularly stunning.  This is a lovely story spotlighting a little-known piece of history in a way that will be approachable to young and old alike.