Great teenage boy protagonist and a very kick-ass girl love interest.  Mackie is a changeling, he was switched at birth for the real Mackie Doyle.  He’s survived this long, despite fatal allergies to consecrated ground and iron, but it doesn’t take a genius to realize the human world is slowly killing him.  He’s been offered the chance to go back to where he comes from, but he doesn’t want to leave his life! His family truly loves him, in spite of his weirdness, he’s got great friends and might actually get a girlfriend this year.  This book has some language, though in my opinion it serves to make him a believable teenager, and a little sexual content.

Reminiscent of Eric Carle, a soothing story of a boy going to dinner with his grandfather at his Chinese restaurant, a Friday ritual.  Beautifully illustrated.  I have become a true fan of Isadora’s books.  I’ve not been disappointed in any of her works.

The Little Blue Truck is going into the big city and everyone is in a hurry and thinks they they are the most important person on the road.  The cars and trucks make angry sounds at Little Blue to get out of their way.  But then the limmo’s engine dies and Little Blue takes the major, who echoes Little Blue’s advice — ‘one at a time, single file, we’ll all get there, don’t be impatient or mad’.  Lesson to be learned is to slow down the pace of life; it isn’t worth getting in a rage being in a hurry.  Great illustrations, vehicles have humanistic faces, told in rhyme.

Includes a table of contents page and glossary; interesting book which very young students will enjoy.  Well explained, good examples to go along.  It’s a very small book and would like it to be large and life size.

Another book in the “Emma” realistic series, which follows a 3rd grader who is upset and jealous of her father’s new wife’s niece.  This niece is her age and excels at horseback riding.  What makes Emma even more upset is that her father lives in England and she rarely gets to see him and the ‘new’ niece sees him often.  At school they will be participating in a winter games competition (supposedly for exercise) but it’s important for Emma to win and excel at something so that her dad doesn’t forget about her.  Very real, funny and a clever insight into the minds of both boys and girls.

Absolutely riveting photos!!!  Amazing details, some interesting facts, but lacks oomph!  Needs more photos and facts; feels insubstantial.  Too costly of a purchase with today’s limited library budgets.

Annie is going to be in a school play and Henry and Mudge help her practice.  She still gets butterflies in her tummy just before she goes on.  This book will make a nice addition to a collection of beginning to read books.

A gentle book with terrific illustrations–clear and defined, but not too much detail.  When mouse is down in the dumps, he calls his friends and they make elephant soup.  First, they get the elephant and scrub him — the look on elephant’s face while he’s being bathed is priceless, pure bliss.  But once the water starts getting too hot and he catches on to what is happening, he gets outta there!  It turns more into a swimming party and all have fun, even elephant.

A very upbeat happy book told in rhyme about a little girl who wants to bake a cake.  No one in the house or family will help, so she’s on her own and adds bizarre ingredients.  She shapes it like a crocodile and pops it into the oven.  As it bakes it turns real and out comes a hungry crocodile.  She is fearful but then realizes he’s just a cake and she eats him to get rid of him.  Very clever.

In a quiet, peacefultown, where everyone was happy, it was suddenly decided that the townspeople should do something different, something important.  They decided to build a tall tower that would reach all the way to heaven.  As the tower grew taller and taller, the people became more and more confident of being able to rule over earth and heaven.  A thunder storm shook the tower and lightning struck.  Afterwards the people all began to ‘babble’ or speak in different languages. Eventually, unable to communicate, they left for various continents to make their own land.  No one was left in the town except for one old professor.

I had to look up this Bible story in order to understand the relevance.  Apparently, up to this point in the Bible, people all spoke the same language.  But with the building of the tower, God recognized their intentions of going away from God, wanting to rule themselves.  With his command, they suddenly could not communicate nor get along, thwarting their plans.  This is the story that explains how God made the different continents and languages.