Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Have you ever been afraid to try something new and then realized it is not as bad as you thought it might be? If so, then Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping by Melanie Watt Is the perfect book for you. In this book, Scaredy Squirrel is afraid to go out in the rugged wilderness to go camping so he plans to enjoy camping from a safe distance by watching a camping show on TV. Kids will enjoy reading about how this squirrel learns how the wilderness is meant to be enjoyed up close not seen from afar.

Rosie’s Magic Horse by Russell Hoban & Queatin Blake is a book full of imagination and dreams come true. When Rosie picks up an old ice-pop stick on her way home and puts it with her other ice-pop sticks she has no idea it is different than the other sticks. This ice-pop stick is magical and has dreams of being more than just an ice-pop stick. When Rosie goes to bed she is worried about her parents being able to pay the bills and wants to find a treasure so she can help them. Read this fun story and follow Rosie on a magical adventure.

Miss Maple lives in her cozy maple tree house. Every summer Miss Maple gathers lost seeds and takes care of them until the following spring when she sends them off to find a place to start roots of their own and grow into the plants or trees they’re destined to become. Miss Maple’s Seeds by Eliza Wheeler is a wonderful reminder of how each magnificent tree and brilliant flower starts from a tiny seed.

Book Chats: Wedding Night, The Light Between Oceans, and Jennifer: An O'Malley Love Story

Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella
***
"This book is written by the author of the Shopaholic Series.  The story is a fast-paced comedy told by two sisters from two different perspectives.  It is a light and fluffy read." - Gloria Dejesus

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
****
"I could not put this book down.  Story of a war survivor and a girl with good morals making bad decisions.  Beautiful.  Unpredictable.  Isabel's love for Lucy made me cry several times.  I could imagine myself in the light house.  I could smell the ocean.  A must read.  Brilliant first novel." -
Masumeh Zarai

Jennifer: An O'Malley Love Story by Dee Henderson
****
"The newest book in the O'Malley series, a series of Christian romance thrillers, with each book focusing on one of the O'Malley siblings, a group of 7 orphans who formed their own family.  This book goes back and tells the story of Jennifer, the only one who did not have her own book.  It is a good, clean romance, but does not have the thrilling mystery of the rest of the series.  It is meant to tell the back story of this sibling.  My only complaint is it was too short!" - Janet Brungardt

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Have you ever felt like you just do not fit in anywhere?  That is how exclamation mark feels in the book Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld.  Exclamation mark tries everything to fit in but does not seem to belong anywhere.  He always stands out and feels very lonely.  Will exclamation mark ever fit in?  Find out in this fun book that shows there is a special place for everyone.

Big Hugs, Little Hugs is a sweet book by Felicia Bond.  There are many different types of hugs, from big hugs to little hugs to day hugs to night hugs.  Young children will enjoy the bright colorful illustrations as they read how everyone in the world needs a hug. 

Becoming Babe Ruth by Matt Tavares tells the incredible story of how one of America’s all time greatest baseball players became famous.   George Herman Ruth is sent to Saint Mary’s Industrial School when he is seven.  His life is changed forever at Saint Mary’s.  Although he is expected to follow a lot of rules, he gets to play baseball every day.  Read this exciting story and learn how George grows into an amazing baseball player.  When he enters the big leagues, he never forgets about Saint Mary’s, the place he learned to play ball.  Kids will be inspired by this story about a kid from nowhere who made it all the way to the top.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Paris-Chien Adventures Of An Ex-Pat Dog by Jackie Clark Mancuso is a fun and engaging story perfect for children who have or are moving to a new place. Hudson, a Norwich Terrier, moves to Paris with his owner but he soon discovers everyone in Paris is busy and he has a hard time making new friends. To make things worse he can’t understand anyone, even the dogs, since everyone speaks French. Join Hudson on his adventure as he begins to take French lessons from a French Poodle and starts to make friends in a new place.

Have you ever been sent to time out? Then meet Sophie, a typical two-year-old. Time-Out For Sophie by Rosemary Wells tells the story of Sophie who is having trouble listening. Mama, Daddy and Granny are all having trouble with Sophie. Check out this cute story and see if Sophie learns how to listen.

Otis, the tractor, loves to play with all the animals on the farm. That is, all the animals except the mean bull. Their favorite game is follow-the-leader. Anytime the animals and Otis get close to the bull’s pen he snorts and snarls at them. Once he even charges at Otis. One day the sky turns dark and stormy. When Otis sees a tornado in the sky headed straight toward the barn, Otis knows he needs to let the animals out of the barn and lead them to safety. But what about the mean bull…should Otis try to save him too? Otis And The Tornado by Loren Long is a charming story about doing what is right and the power of friendship.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Everyone’s favorite monkey is back in this new book, Curious George Dance Party.  Allie invites George and his friend, Bill, to a dance party.  George is very excited and can’t stop dancing.  On the other hand, Bill doesn’t want to go.  He thinks he will be the only kid at the party who doesn’t know how to dance.  Can Curious George help Bill learn how to dance before the party? This Level 1 Green Light Reader includes fun and educational activities that will help young readers learn about recognizing simple patterns, left and right, and rhythm.

Lily is having a birthday!  Milo can’t wait to plan a birthday party and surprise Lily.  Kids will enjoy reading along and helping Milo pick out the decorations, party hats, food and more.  Having A Party With Lily And Milo by Pauline Oud is the perfect story for kids who love to be involved in planning birthday parties.  

Everyone enjoys the perfect hug!  For some it’s a big hug and others it’s a small hug.  Still others like tickly hugs and some even prickly hugs.  Read The Perfect Hug by Joanna Walsh and Judi Abbot and see if panda bear can find the perfect hug for him.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

A little girl named Annabelle finds a box of yarn.  It appears to be an ordinary box of yarn so she decides to knit a sweater for herself.  Then she knits one for her dog.  Soon she is making sweaters and hats for her family, friends, other animals, houses, buildings, anything in town she can think of.  News spreads about Annabelle and her box of yarn that never seems to run out.  People come from all over the world to see her work.  Read Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett and find out what happens when someone steals Annabelle’s not so ordinary box of yarn.

I Want My Mom! A Little Princess Story by Tony Ross is the perfect book for any little kid who loves their mom.  In this book the Little Princess is having one of those bad weeks where nothing is going her way.  There is no one who can make her feel better except her mom.  The princess eventually gets invited to a party and ends up having a good time.  Read this entertaining story and find out what happens to the Queen when the Little Princess has fun without her.

Stu loves to listen to the sounds of the animals at the zoo and visits them so often they know him by name.  He calls their sounds a symphony.  Not everyone is as crazy about the animals as Stu, especially Mr. Cooper.  He wants to tear the zoo down and build a mall.  Can Stu help the animals save their home?  Maestro Stu Saves The Zoo by Denise Brennan-Nelson is a playful story filled with idioms and imaginative illustrations.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Sick Day by David McPhail is the perfect book for young beginning readers with its simple text and beautiful colorful illustrations. A young boy is sick and his friends, dog and bird, both try to help him feel better. This is a sweet story that shows readers no matter who is feeling under the weather friends can come together to make each other feel better.

Everybody enjoys snow days! Even Mouse…he is warm inside the house having fun finding and nibbling on crumbs while the family is busy baking cookies. When Mouse accidentally gets swept outside in the snow the real adventure begins. Read Snow Day For Mouse by Judy Cox and follow Mouse on his adventure through the snow, meet his new friends and see if Cat ever catches up with him.

Its springtime and almost all the animals at the Springfield Zoo are having babies except the tree kangaroo and the pandas. Life isn’t fair! Then one day the zoo’s veterinarian arrives with an endangered egg needing someone to give it a home. Wild About You by Judy Sierra is a heartfelt story about adoption, reminding readers it takes a whole community to raise a baby.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Peppa Pig And The Lost Christmas List created by Neville Astley, Mark Baker and Phil Davies is the perfect book to help get kids in the Christmas spirit.  Join Peppa Pig and her friends as they prepare for Christmas.  After all the friends’ preparations, it turns out to be a surprising Christmas when Santa loses his Christmas list.  Will Peppa be able to help Santa save Christmas? 

Henry and his first-grade friends love playing soccer together at recess until Sam, a second-grade bully, starts causing them problems.  After several days of bullying, Henry doesn’t know what to do.  Will Henry be able to show Sam he is not afraid of a bully?  Nancy Carlson’s, Henry And The Bully, is a great example of how kids can use their own intelligence to solve problems.     

Oh NO! frog falls into a deep, deep hole.  Soon mouse does too and then loris.  Who will rescue the animals?  Will a hungry tiger help them or hurt them?  Read Oh NO!, a rollicking romp in the forest, by Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann.  

There is nothing sweeter than the sound of a baby laughing.  One day a little baby laughed for the first time.  His family was so excited for him they decided to have a “laugh-out-loud party.”  Family and friends came from miles away to hear the little baby laugh.  Read Laugh-Out-Loud Baby by Tony Johnston and Stephen Gammell and see what happens when everyone arrives to hear the little baby laugh.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Horseplay! written by Karma Wilson is a playful romp about a farmer and his horses.  The farmer notices his horses are always too tired to work.  He eventually figures out his horses are playing all night when they are supposed to be sleeping.  Read this fun story and see what happens to the farmer when he decides to stay up all night and make sure his horses get some sleep.  

Daniel Pinkwater’s, Bear In Love, is a sweet story about a bear who starts everyday looking for something yummy to eat.  One morning he sees that someone has left him something sweet and crunchy to eat.  Over the next few days someone leaves him something to eat and bear wonders who would do something that nice for him.  This is a lovable story about the importance of sharing and friendship.

When a young boy is sent to a corner for time out he decides the corner needs some fixing up.  He thinks the walls are too white and definitely need some color.  Read Time Out For Monsters! by Jean Reidy and discover how this young boy’s imagination comes to life.

Bear wants to invite his friends for a nice big dinner but he has no food in his cupboards.  His friends start showing up with all sorts of delicious food to eat.  Bear is sad he has nothing to share but his friends help him discover he has something better to share than just food.  Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson helps kids remember all the wonderful things they have to be thankful for.

A Treasure At Sea For Dragon And Me Water Safety For Kids And Dragons is the perfect combination of adventure and water safety by Jean E. Pendziwol.   In this book spend a summer day with a girl and her friend dragon as they build sand castles, swim and play in the water, and race pirates to treasure.    Along the way, kids will learn important swimming rules they can practice in real life to help them be water smart.  The Dragon’s Water Safety Rhyme and the checklist of rules at the end of the book are perfect tools parents can use when having water safety discussions with their kids. 

Library Buzz: There Really Are Fifty Shades of Grey

People often ask, “What is Banned Books Week? Are you banning books?” Quite the opposite. Librarians don’t ban books. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I’ll decide I don’t like a book. Sometimes, I won’t even read it first (I’m that unenlightened). But here’s the thing: Librarians don’t have to ban the books we don’t agree with. We know you’ll read the book and decide for yourself.

It’s not black and white: there’s no line with “Good books” on one side and “Bad books” on the other. If you like romance novels, your definition of “good” is going to differ from my action-adventure tastes. Some books have poor plots but fabulous prose. Others are badly written but tell great stories. Maybe they’re awful. Maybe they’re everything you ever wanted and more. You won’t know until you read them.

For this one week each year, we encourage you to read things that other people don’t want you to read. Check out these frequently challenged or banned books:

Middle school students might enjoy “The Giver” by Lois Lowry, set in a dystopian future that will appeal to fans of “The Hunger Games.” In a world where government chooses your job, your spouse, even when you die, one young man must make a painful choice of his own.

High school students should try “A Separate Peace” by John Knowles, frequently banned from high schools for offensive language, but so thought-provoking that I still think about it more than ten years after reading it. It’s beautifully written with flawed, yet relatable, characters.

For the adults, I recommend “Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett, frequently challenged for being violent and sexually explicit. It is certainly those things, but it’s also epic. This historical fiction follows the rivalries of peasants, priests, and royals in medieval England. Plan to miss dinner because you won’t be able to put it down.

Banned Books Week kicks off our Big Read celebration, which lasts all October. This year, citizens of Andover are reading “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, a cautionary tale of book burning in an age of unlimited government control. Join us at the library all month for Big Read activities, such as an altered books workshop October 13 and a visit from the fire department October 27. If you’d rather rescue books than burn them, shop our used book sale October 20. Check our website for more events.

Until next month, don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t read!

(Originally published in the Andover American 10/4/12)