Author Archives: Midge Livingston

Escape from Nuggetville

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By Jenine Pastores and Josh Jackson

Nugget 929 has all they need, loving parents yummy food and close friends but when their dunking day arrives they must become a golden nugget all of that must end. 929 realizes that they want to take a different road and not get dunked. These forbidden ideas form them to run and escape from the planet.

This cute graphic novel is a wonderful tale for younger readers about being yourself, not following the path everyone else is on and fighting for what is right for you. The illustrations are vibrant yet have a softness to them. This is a great book one of the Adventures of Tubby Nugget. We will have to see where Tubby’s story goes in future books.

The Ghost in Cabin 13

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Written and Illustrated by J.C. Phillipps

Leah is heading to Camp Cottontail where she will be the youngest member of her cabin. Having never been to camp, she is nervous. Will the others accept her? Is it okay that she brought her favorite doll? Will she humiliate herself? The first day she and her cabinmates find out that one of the biggest rules of camp is to stay away for Cabin 13. Of course all in her cabin want to go check it out in the middle of the night. They break in with an Ouija board and from there things get a little crazy. The air gets cold, they hear a voice and then they all flee. The next day Leah goes back to the cabin in the hopes of making a friend and then the ghost possesses her doll, Beverly.

Will the camp be the same after the doll starts to cause mayhem? Will Leah get her doll back? Will friends be made? Will any of her cabin mates ever want to go to camp again. This fun, lighthearted yet spooky tale will interest upper level elementary students as well as younger middle schoolers. It has a great message of the importance of being yourself and not rushing to grow up. The illustrations are vibrant and the cover will grab readers attention. This is a quick read that won’t freak out readers…..to much.

Fiddlehead Forest

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Written and Illustrated by Jana Curll

If a tree falls in the forest……the other creatures in the habitat will hear them. This is a humorous graphic novel that explains creatures at the ecosystem created by nurse logs.Fern decides to bring together their friends: Millipede, Moth, Slug, Lichen and Mushroom to figure out how to help a fallen tree get back upright. Each creature has a different idea to help the tree but the reality is, the tree is now a log.

I would highly recommend this graphic for elementary school and plan on purchasing the rest in the series. It fits well with science curriculum and is clearly explains many organisms in this habitat with clear diagrams and easy to read words/explanations. The images are fun, bright and clear thus attracting readers.

The Cloud that Stuck

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Written by Karen Krossing, Illustrated by Dorothy Leung

Tansy had a cloud blow in and get stuck above her. No matter what, nothing could get it to go away. Her father tried to pull it away from her. Tansy’s teacher grabbed a fan and tried to blow it away from her. and her friend, Rue, tried to shoo it away. Nothing could make the cloud go. With Rue’s help, Tansy learns how to work with the cloud around her and in the end, a rainbow comes out and the sun shines even though the cloud never goes away.

What a great book to help with grief or situations that will never go away. I would highly recommend this book for purchase for your library.

More Than a Tree

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By Sarah Kurpiel

This softly illustrated picture book tells the tale of a girl who loves the old tree in her backyard. How she adores it in every season of the year and how it speaks to her and her family. One spring the tree is not doing well and the family must take it down as it is dying. As she processes the loss of her beloved tree, her family helps her by showing her how to press the leaves and make art. When it is gone, they family creates a butterfly garden and plants a new tree. In the end she decides that like the old tree looked out for her, she will look out for the new baby tree.

I would recommend this book about loss and renewal. It can be a great tale for any young reader who may be experiencing the loss.

Worm on the Job

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Written by Maureen Fergus, Illustrated by Paul G. Hammond

Worm, as head librarian, has read all the books in the library and is now ready for a new adventure. Many feel that worm cannot be successful at many jobs but he knows he can do anything. As a security officer at an invention convention, worm successfully captures a robber. What will worm do next? Will he stay in this job? or will he move on to another adventure. The illustrations are crisp and comical. They storyline is straightforward. I recommend this book as an extra purchase. Readers will learn from worm that they can do anything if they want it bad enough.

The Sweater: a Story of Community

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Written by Larissa Theule, Illustrated by Teagan White

A young bird arrives into the forest neighborhood. The raccoon notices that they have been through some tough times. Raccoon goes around to all the animals in the community and collects things to create a sweater for the new bird. The animals gather at the new birds house to give their welcoming gift to them and they help him to make his home safer from the storm coming. When the wind storm is over, the bird gives the people a gift of their song.

This is a warm felt story of acceptance and community. The illustrations are clean and inviting for all readers to enjoy. I would highly recommend elementary schools to purchase this book as it can have many layers of meaning to it from welcoming a new member of the classroom or helping young readers have a better understanding of people coming from other countries.

Maine Coons: The Giant Cat

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By Tamra Orr

How can you go wrong with a non-fiction book about cats? This cat in particular? Maine Coons are very popular with kids and this book has chapters about this breeds history, living and taking care of these gentle giants, and if Maine Coons would be a good fit for you. There are details on how to read non-fiction for kids as well as recommendations on further reading of books as well as on the internet. The glossary and index are helpful as well.

I would recommend this book for purchase. The pictures are adorable as well as insightful. The book clearly describes these wonderful cats as well as how to care for them. Young readers will enjoy looking through the book over and over again.

Pickleball for Me

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Joanne Mattern

This book is a great addition to any elementary library’s non-fiction sports section. It has great color images of kids playing pickleball. It explains the history of the sport, the rules and how to play the game, what equipment is needed, and if it is the sport for you. It also explains how young readers can successfully read non-fiction. It has a glossary as well as recommendations for further reading and internet sites. It is clear and concise and an interesting read. I would recommend this book for purchase as there are few books about this sport at a lower reading level.

Bittersweet

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Based on the True Tale of the Berlin Candy Bombers

By Christy Mandin

This adorably illustrated book is about Berlin after World War II. It describes how many were short on food and supplies and many buildings were destroyed and rubble was everywhere. Hilda was struggling to survive as the roads, rivers and railways were being blocked by the eastern side of the city. The U.S. decided that the best way to resolve this by flying over and dropping supplies. One pilot decided that kids needed hope and thus dropped chocolate and other treats for kids.

This is a great book that talks about post war situations that could be happening today in our world. It also talks about how others can create hope in the world. I would recommend this book for purchase as there are many ways to address it. There is also a great author’s note at the end as well. For older readers it would be a great pairing with Michael Tunnell’s non-fiction book, “Candy Bomber: The Story of Berlin Airlift’s Chocolate Pilot”.