I didn’t like it as much as I wanted to.  I think this author has got some real potential, and a little more careful editing could’ve made this a really good book.  The general flow of the writing was engaging, and it drew me in, so I started out enjoying it, but part of the problem is that the author wasn’t real clear on what age child she was writing for:  in many respects it felt like a book for upper elementary, but then there were elements of romance and pranks and alcohol that would’ve been better suited to a more middle-school audience.  And then at the end of the book it wrapped up too quickly without fully concluding all the subplot lines that had felt like they were leading somewhere, but apparently didn’t.

This is a good, solid little series.  The basic premise is a brother and sister who have a magic mirror in their basement that lets them slip through into the land of fairy tales.  While there, in an effort to make things better, they realize they’ve actually interfered in some way that will get in the way of reaching happily-ever-after, so they’ve to to work to put things back on track.  In this one they climb up Repunzel’s braid to visit, but Jonah forgets he’s wearing his soccer cleats, which shred her hair.  I like that the stories are accessible to young readers: enough background explanation is woven into the text so that readers can pick up any book in the series and not worry about reading them in order, and the basics of the original fairy tale are included in case they’re not familiar with it.

Tacky and his fellow penguins have transformed their home into a haunted igloo in preparation for Halloween, but the festivities turn truly scary after the hunters from Tacky’s original 1988 picture book show up, and they’re hungry. Luckily, Tacky shows up just in time, dressed as none other than one of the hunters. The ensuing shenanigans offer lots of laughs! As ever, Tacky proves that even the unruliest of penguins can save the day. Fun reading for all ages!

Equipped with a guide to trees, a girl with a crown of ginger hair walks through an arboretum, identifying and collecting a variety of leaves, including honey locust, sweet gum, linden, and maple. Wellington alternates between scenes of the girl on her walk and those of her at home, where she makes crayon rubbings of the leaves in her Leaf Book. Rubbings and photocopies of leaves appear throughout Wellington’s mixed-media images, while tiny sidebars offer details about the trees and leaves presented. The girl’s clipped narration (“Oak leaves are strong. They are good for my art projects. I make leaf prints in many colors”) is perhaps better suited to children learning to read on their own than to story-time sessions. Regardless, many readers are likely to be inspired to turn their own autumnal observations into creative projects.

A beautifully illustrated story about elderly cats, young cats, and helping children overcome the death of a pet. Toby’s cat, Jack, is the best cat ever. But Jack is getting old, and Toby will miss his furry best friend terribly when he’s gone. Then Toby meets a crazy cat called Humphrey. In this charming and beautifully illustrated picture book Rebecca Elliott addresses the difficult subject of a child’s first experience of the death of a pet with warmth, sensitivity, and well-placed humor.

Baby Billy was born with a mustache. But Baby Javier, the new baby in town, was born with a beard. When Baby Javier comes over for a playdate, Baby Billy tries to show him a thing or two—but it quickly becomes a competition of manliness! Has Mustache Baby met his match? Or will the two remember the real point of a playdate?
The first book, Mustache Baby, was good, but this just takes it up to a whole new level! Again, there’s the hilarious character plays behind each style of mustache, but now throw in a beard and it gets that much better. Also, it still has the sentimental side where two kids are learning how to become friends. The illustrations? This book would not be what it is without them. There’s so many subtle little jokes in the illustrations! I love it. I love that it’s hilarious, clever, sentimental, and well-done. I highly recommend it, even if you haven’t read the first.

Kids are fascinated by sharks; the bigger the teeth, the better.  Plus, sharks this past summer have been in the news almost daily because of attacks on beach-goers.  By page 40 of Surrounded by Sharks, I had goosebumps and was scared for the main character, a 13-year-old boy named Davey.  Davey and his family were on the first day of vacation on a small island off the coast of Florida.  An early riser, Davey gets up and leaves the room while the others are sleeping.  Thinking he’d do some exploring and quiet reading, he finds a secluded beach which fits the bill.  There is a No Swimming sign posted, but Davey just wants to wade in to his knees and feel the warm water.  As waves splash him, he decides to go a little farther since he’s already wet.  He’s up to mid-chest but still touching the bottom, when he realizes the beach is farther away than he thought.  He turns to go back towards shore, but the riptide is carrying him out farther and farther.  No matter how hard he swims, he cannot get closer, until finally the current carries him out to sea.  Meanwhile he parents and brother have awakened and are searching for him, becoming more desperate with each passing minute.  Where could he be?  The obvious is on everyone’s mind–sharks–but no one had the courage to speak it out loud.  The suspense in this book is unbelievable–frantic swimmer, frantic parents, makes you want to scream Hurry!  Hurry!  Get a boat!  This is a real nail biter and should be a huge hit with the intermediate age readers.

Growling Gracie is part of the series Adventures at Hound Hotel.  The story takes place at a dog kennel run by the Wolfe family.  When Uncle Robert brings Gracie and Twinkles for an afternoon at the Hound Hotel, the twins Alfie and Alfreeda fight over playing frisbee with Twinkles.  Gracie and her aggressive alpha behavior cuts frisbee time off before it starts.  But the twins end up putting their knowledge of dog behavior to good use and helping each other out.  Gracie get a nap and Twinkles gets to play frisbee.

The book is a well paced engaging early chapter book sure to interest dog lovers.  Interspersed throughout the story are explanations of dog behavior and its roots in  wolf behavior.   The reader comes away believing that when dog behavior seems wrong, there is probably still a rational explanation from the dog’s perspective.

Back information includes breed information, glossary, questions, and author/illustrator information.

This book tells of the life of a phone booth on the corner of West End Avenue and 100th Street in New York City starting during the years when it saw heavy use, through the advent of cell phones and its decline into disrepair.  When a storm knocks out cell service, the phone booth again feels needed and valued.  Its imminent removal provokes outcry from those who relied on it for so many years.  It still stands today on its corner in New York.

While progress brings change, this story shows that people working together can make a difference and keep what is important in their lives.