It’s a new spin on an old folktale, with a new message. Instead of “slow and steady wins the race,” the moral of this one is that “sometimes it’s good to be fast and sometimes it’s good to be slow, but mostly it’s good to have a friend to help you find the balance.” It gives us a bit more pre-race background on our main characters, showing how their usual ways of going about things creates problems for both. During the race, when Hare stops for a nap, Tortoise catches up, but instead of continuing on, the two spend some time star-gazing together and then finish the race together, with Tortoise riding piggy back, getting a chance to experience the joy of speed, and the two become fast friends who help each other find balance when they need it. It’s a bit long, and some may find it preachy, but I liked it.
Clementine and the Lion
It’s okay. It’s a version of the classic “kid thinks parents are ogres and would rather live without grown-up interference” trope. In this case mom got snatched by dragons and dad is lost at sea in a bottle. When an aunt shows up and tries to take over, Clementine invents an invisible paint to hide the house and get rid of the aunt. When she accidentally leaves the door open one day she ends up with a lion as a houseguest and must find a way to make peace with it and carry on in case her parents come back some day. On the one hand, a lot of kids can relate to the living-without-adults fantasy, on the other hand, it seems a bit disjointed.
Stick and Stone: Best Friends Forever!
This picture book is a rollicking, rhyming celebration of friendship and what being a family means. Ostensibly, Stick and Stone are off looking for Stick’s family tree, but when the adventure turns from fun to frightening to hopeless Stone tells Stick that he is his family and Stick agrees.
The delightful end papers have stick sprouting leaves of many different trees, which tie in with an illustration in the book. The humor around a stick looking for his family tree, which literally is a tree, remains funny throughout. The sunny illustrations reflect the energy between the two friends. The palette temporarily becomes darker when things get tense, but returns to vibrant color after help is received from another friend. Emerging readers will be successful with the repetition and simplicity of words and the short sentence length.
This book might be an especially good fit for young children who are adopted or, for whatever reason, are unable to make a connection with their heritage or ancestry.
The Care and Keeping of Freddy
The only thing I would change about this book is the title. I kept looking for a connection, but Freddy remained a minor character.
This story does a fabulous job of showing what can happen to kids when they are let down by adults who are supposed to care for them. Georgia’s mom leaves suddenly the same day she buys Freddy, a bearded dragon, for Georgia. She returns with a new husband and a baby over a year and a half later. Georgia is thrilled. . .or is she? Georgia’s best friend and aspiring writer, Maria has parents who happily retreat to the camper behind the garage all summer leaving her Abuela and six kids to pretty much fend for themselves. New kid in town Roland (Roly) is in foster care with the very religious Farley family because his dad is incarcerated and his mom was declared “unfit”.
These eleven and twelve year old characters come to life as the reader experiences their friendship, struggles, and adventures. Georgia’s relationship with her clearly depressed but doing-his-very-best-for-his-daughter father is especially poignant. We see the emotional roller coaster and hurt Georgia and Roly endure. Georgia is determined to get her parents back together, but then she starts noticing the not-so-great things about her mom that she had forgotten about when her mom abandoned her.
There are no easy answers for anyone in this story, but there is hard won wisdom. It is an intense, emotional ride, but well worth the trip.
All Cats Welcome by Susin Nielsen
Calling all cat lovers! Do you ever wonder what your cat is saying to you when you leave the house? Do you wonder what they fill their days with? Leonard, the cat, loves his human. He joins him for dinner, hangs around his shoulders and sleeps with him. But, when his human leaves for work Leonard feels lonely. Leonard is quickly bored, until he spots a fellow feline home for the day. The other cat lives across the street in a parallel apartment and Leonard has an idea. He sneaks himself into his human’s instrument case and crosses the street to meet his new friend, cat to cat. Mariposa only speaks Spanish, but the language barrier doesn’t stop the two from having a great time playing with each other. In the evening, Leonard sneaks home through an open window. Leonard takes Mariposa on many adventures through the seasons until one day Mariposa’s human discovers Leonard in his apartment and, because of the cold, closes their apartment window leaving Leonard no way to get home.
This is a cute story of friendship between cats and between felines and their humans. You get to feel the sadness and joy right alongside the characters as the illustrations provide a colorful, emotional journey.
Cat lovers will adore this friendship story!
Out of a Jar
by Deborah Marcero
This picture book discusses feelings and when Llewellyn the bunny experiences tough feelings he puts them aside in a jar and locks them away. This works well for him for a while until suddenly, he isn’t feeling much of anything at all. One day, the jars all break. See what happens to Llewellyn when his feelings all get loose. This book is a good addition to your S.E.L. library. Younger students will enjoy and understand what happens when one does not express their feelings and keep them inside. I would recommend this book for elementary school (k-3).
M is for Monster by: Talia Dutton
Reviewed by OHS Student, Blaze
This graphic novel is a creative with an intriguing twist on a classic horror story (Frankenstein), a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys graphic novels. Fiction, Magic, Science, Psychology, and Coming of Age are blended well in this story as the author delves deep into grief and its consequences.
Summary: Frances Ai has failed in her attempt to bring back her sisters soul, instead creating a new mind in her sisters body. This new being, M, struggles with the pressure placed on her as Frances tries to find any hint of the sister she lost.
I believe that the mechanics of magic within the story were altogether unnecessary, as they did not serve as more than occasional mentions and did not serve much purpose. The story would have been perfectly fine without mentions of magic.
F.A.R.T.: Top Secret! No Kids Allowed! (1) (The F.A.R.T. Diaries)
The F.A.R.T. Diaries is an adventurous comedy that will entice anyone looking for some wacky fun! A diabolical plot by a group of parents and teachers (also known as F.A.R.T.) to brainwash kids into obedience is discovered by FP, and it’s up to a tween boy to figure out how to stop it. The boundless humor and wacky characters were bound to interest anyone who lay a finger on this book! This daring book takes the character vs. society conflict above and beyond with unmatched creativity! People who dislike reading could pick up this book and immediately be engrossed, dystopian readers will appreciate the challenge of authority, but all the action and comedy can be enjoyed by all!
Cloud Town by Daniel McClosky
Cloud Town by Danial McCloskey represents a dystopian world with monsters and crazy events. This book is perfect for readers that enjoy science fiction and exploring a whole different world. Two friends, Olive and Pen forever head each other backs, until a giant android that protects their town from huge monsters almost steps on them. Only one of them can drive the android to protect the townspeople. Their friendship then becomes threatened by abandonment, and feelings of betrayal. The miraculous creativity and imagination the author used to create this crazy adventure of a story were compelling. This Dystopian graphic novel mixes adventure, contemporary art, and ridiculous characters all to create this masterpiece.
Fallout by Steve Sheinkin
A fantastically riveting and fast-paced read, this nonfiction thriller, Fallout, by Steve Sheinkin, will entertain readers who enjoy topics from real wartime heroes to readers of the espionage genre, alike. Strangely enough, during the Cold War, a paperboy’s tip leads to the discovery and dismantling of a Russian spy ring, and even the unexpected and the undetected will drive the world forward, even through the surmounting crises of the Cold War. In Fallout, the use of pictures to give readers a window into the physicality of the fantastic people and characters is merely brilliant! The fast-paced high-tension story, following the “how it happened” of selections of the Cold War! Whether you read quickly or slower, this book will keep you on edge and turning the page! Fun and fast, never a dull moment, but thoughtful and contemplating, showing the subject due consideration!