Goran's Great Escape by Astrid Lindgren illustrated by Marit Tornqvist*

 This summer, my mom, my sister-in-law, and I attended a baby shower for my cousin. Instead of a card, we were to bring a book we had signed. My sister-in-law gave this delightful book. I had never heard of it (even though I love Pippi Longstocking!).

On Easter Day, the normally mild bull, Goran, becomes angry. The farmer cannot calm him. The village gathers around the farm to watch the "show".  Who can restore Goran to his pleasant demeanor?

I like the illustrations just as much as the story.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed via ILL.

Knight Owl by Christopher Denise*

Award-winner-Caldecott Honor 

Owl dreams of becoming a knight. When knights mysteriously disappear, the kingdom is desperate for new men to train for the knighthood. Owl is accepted into knight school! Can this teeny knight owl protect the kingdom? 

A fun book! I especially loved the lush illustrations.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

Many Moons by James Thurber illustrated by Louis Slobodkin*

 The Caldecott Medal-1944

The King's daughter, Lenore, becomes ill. She claims if the King brings her the moon, she will become better. Summoning his wise men, he demands they capture the moon. Each one denies the possibility. The least likely individuals accomplish the mission. Humor and wit abound.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library. (My local used bookstore has a few copies of this book. I intend to buy it. I love clever books!)

When Beavers Flew by Kristen Tracy illustrated by Luisa Uribe*

 World magazine reviewed this picture book, which prompted me to borrow it from the library.

In 1948 the residents in McCall, Idaho, were irritated by the abundance of beavers! Elmo Heter, a Fish and Game Warden, thought of a method to transport the beavers safely to a new location which would benefit from their presence and "lifestyle". 

Very interesting! The illustrations display creativity and a variety of perspectives (bird's eye view, up from the ground etc).

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

Out of the Shadows by Fiona Robinson*

 How Lotte Reiniger Made the First Animated Fairytale Movie

The artwork is stunning, dramatic,  and captivating. Ms. Robinson used scissor-cut silhouette, watercolors, and felt pen.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Lotte's evolution into an animator and how her interests and pursuits as a young person were foundations for her success.

*Highly recommend.

Pair with Cut! by C.E. Winters.

-Borrowed from the library.

Henry, Like Always by Jenn Bailey illustrated by Mika Song*

Won 2024 Honor Geisel Award! ("The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year.")  AND

A Schneider Family Book Award Winner!

Henry, who is on the autism spectrum, must deal with a change in their weekly schedule. Readers will admire his perseverance and also his problem-solving skills. 

Short chapters with plenty of illustrations make this a great book for beginning readers. This book is a sequel to A Friend for Henry.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

Mama's Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes*

 Our current history curriculum recommended reading this book during a specific unit. During lunch for the past week I read aloud this book to my sons. Kathryn, the narrator & the author, shares about her Norwegian's family's adjustment to the U.S. in San Francisco. Her aunts, uncles, her many siblings, and her family's boarders provide amusing and captivating stories. My sons enjoyed witnessing how an immigrant family acclimated to a new culture.

*Highly recommend for older elementary and older.

-I own this book (my copy is old and very fragile).

Considerations: one uncle is accused of drinking away his money (but he doesn't), lying, stealing

Cozy in Love by Jan Brett

 Cozy, the musk ox, is discouraged. Losing in a bashing contest, he bemoans how now he would not win the affections of Lofti, a beautiful female musk ox. He soon forgets his disappointment when Puffin alerts him to how Bella, the beluga whale, is in danger. Using science, he rescues and then enjoys a wonderful reward!

-Borrowed from the library.

 

Death Cloud by Andrew Lane*

 Sherlock Holmes The Legend Begins

About a month ago I searched for "clean reads for teens". This series was suggested. My thirteen-year-old loves it and will be starting book four soon.

Fourteen-year-old Sherlock finds himself being carted to an uncle and aunt's home for the summer because his father is being shipped off to India, his mother is ill, and his older brother Mycroft is too busy. At first the rambling house and property seem like a prison (with a leering, nasty housekeeper, Mrs. Eglantine, always hiding in the shadows). Then Sherlock encounters Matty, an orphaned boy who travels along the canels with his horse and boat. Together the boys unearth a diabolical plot to kill British military men. A once lonely Sherlock finds a few friends (even a girl he is attracted to!) and fast-pace adventure. The amount of times Sherlock encounters the villians and must fight them was  unrealistic to me! I thought, "Not again!". But this factor did not prevent me from thoroughly enjoying the story. Mr. Lane is a superb writer.

Constant action and suspense. Readers will want to read this novel in one sitting. The characters are well-developed and likable.

*Highly recommend for junior high and older. See warnings

Warnings: violence (intense fight scenes, descriptions of blood and injuries), murder (the boys by accident kill two men plus other murders performed by the villians), detailed descriptions of the ones who die, Sherlock notices Virginia's tight riding gear blouse-nothing is mentioned beyond that statement, a few h***s-comparing a situation to the place

Two Dogs by Ian Falconer

 Augie and Perry, two dachshunds, are bored when their family is gone for the day. Using their brains, they devise a way to escape outside, to enjoy the backyard, and to conceal their escape. I did not like the illustrations. 

-Borrowed from the library.

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder illustrated by Garth Williams**

Award winner-Newbery Honor Winner 

This novel was RAR's winter selection for the family read aloud novel. My dad read aloud this entire series to me when I was in early elementary school. I loved this series and am so thankful that he read aloud quality literature to me at a young age. I wasn't sure how my thirteen-year-old son would respond to this novel. I was pleasantly surprised. He looked forward to hearing it and would ask for me to read it (my sixteen-year-old son would even listen in occasionally, incredulous of what the Ingalls family was enduring). We also listened to some chapters on audio/CDs while driving to appointments.

Laura relates how her family survives an seemingly endless winter in the Dakota territory in 1880-1881. Blizzards tormented the settlers from October through April. Trains could not come through until May! As a result, the people in her town were starving. Almanzo Wilder (her future husband) and Cap Garland save the town by traveling in a blizzard to buy some wheat from a settler rumored to have a store of wheat. 

Mrs. Wilder immerses the reader in the winter and the hardship with her descriptive language and use of imagery. This book makes an impression. I could not believe that the only food they had in the house was a handful of grain to make flour. When I glance around our house with freezers, fridge, pantries and cupboards full, I cannot comprehend knowing that all I have to make a meal is a bit of flour and no sign of finding/purchasing food in the near future. People were tough and optimistic "in those days".

Discuss-Some of the settlers are prejudice vs. Native Americans and spoke unkindly about them.

**Highly, highly recommend.

-I own this book.

Adventures of a the Yorkshire Shepherdness by Amanda Owen

 #3 in series

When I asked my library director to purchase the first book in this series, she ordered all three books. Oddly, only book #3 has arrived so far, so I am reading the series backwards! Sally Clarkson mentioned book #1 on her podcast recently. 

Ms. Owen relates her family's farming adventures on the Yorkshire Dales. Very interesting and humorous at times! I like James Herriot's writing and stories a lot better. Sadly, when I "googled" Ms. Owen and her farm, I discovered that she and her husband Clive have recently separated.

-Borrowed from the library.

Watership Down by Richard Adams CD**

 Published by Blackstone Audio, Inc

Read by Ralph Cosham

When I was in high school, my friend/neighbor, who attended a private school, had to read specific novels over the summer. Usually she was less than thrill about the assignments. One summer, however, she  told me that I should read one of her novel assignments. . . she actually enjoyed reading it! The novel- Watership Down. In those days my reading choices were more fluff. How surprised I was to discover how much I loved this novel as a teen! It was my delight to share this story with my sons and to re-enter the world of Hazel, Fiver and Bigwig.

Fiver dreams and sees the future. When he insists that he, Hazel and the other rabbits from their warren leave because of impending danger, Hazel knows that the rabbits should flee. Only a few join them. The tiny band traverses the countryside to discover a place to dig and start a new warren. Along the way they encounter a strange warren, develop friendships, and fight battles. Another problem arises when they settle at Watership Down---the male group needs does to ensure the prosperity of their warren!  

The word choice, the sentence structure, the plot and character development are superb. Both of my sons enjoyed it. My youngest thought it was the best audio book we have listened to and really liked the legends that the rabbits told each other! My oldest son appreciated the made-up Lapine language Mr. Adams created and also how the rabbits were realistic even the story was fanastical.

Warnings/points to discuss: d**n a few times, violence, fixation on mating (not graphic!)

**Highly, highly recommend.

I own the physical book. We borrowed the audio book.

Big Truck Little Island by Chris Van Dusen**

I LOVED this book (Chris Van Dusen is one of my all-time favorite authors/illustrators)!! It is based on a true story. Mr. Van Dusen shares the story at the end with a photo of the tractor trailer.  

A tractor trailer is transported by ferry to a Maine island to deliver something big and mysterious. Unfortuantely, the payload shifts, the trailer slips, and the wheels lodge in mud! The road is blocked. People in cars are on either side and have important places to go. The kids gather and problem-solve. The last page reveals what the tractor trailor was hauling. This book focuses on the good in people and will leave the reader with a hopeful outlook. 

I recommended it to my twelve-year-old . . .he liked it too!

Rhyming text and vibrant, colorful illustrations in a bigger-size book  I especially loved the bird's eye view of the island (the reader can see the start of the journey and the destination). Actually, many unique perspectives abound! Lupines, evergreen trees, gulls, and bald eagles dominate the landscape illustrations. After reading this book, my desire to visit Maine has deepened!

Please write and illustrate more books, Mr. Van Dusen!

**Highly, highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

Doctor Esperanto and the Language of Hope by Mara Rockliff illustrated by Zosia Dzierzawska

 Living in Bialystok, Poland, Leyzer experienced harshness in the manner people interacted, mostly because this town comprised of various cultures and language groups. He thought if he could come up with one language that they all understood, people would understand each other and live peacefully. His quest to create a language began when he was school-age and continued into his adult life. Some people still speak his language today!

-Borrowed from the library.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain

 This novel my ninth grader will be reading this year.  

When Hank Morgan, from the nineteenth-century, wakes up in the sixth-century, he sets out to civilize England and convince its people to embrace democracy/the republic.  I enjoyed Twain's wit and his superb writing.  At times I  became weary of how Hank Morgan could incorporate any modern idea into the sixth-century!  It wasn't quite realistic, but I don't think Twain was concerned about scientific solidity or a credible plot!!

I like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain better.

Teaflet and Roog Make a Mess by Jeanne Birdsall illustrated by Jane Dyer*

 Siblings, Teaflet and Roog, reside in Trelfdom where each year they host their Strawberry Jam Party.  Unfortunately, the inspector of neatness, Inspector Maple, sends the notice that she will be coming to inspect their home the day before the party.  Will Roog, the official baker, have time to create his delectable dishes as Teaflet tries to clean and remove animals that she is mending from various hurts/ailments? Many disasters occur throughout the day, causing the siblings to fear that they will be spending the next day cleaning the inspector's home (the punishment for failing the inspection) instead of hosting the Strawberry Jam Party.

What I loved the most about this book were the illustrations.  Ms. Dyer created all of the characters out of wool and wire, constructed all props from various materials including clay, and designed the scenes.  The ladies set up the scenes in Ms. Birdsall's shooting studio where she photographed them.  These ladies are friends and neighbors!

A sweet chapter book for transitional readers who need to build stamina.

I just wished they had included a recipe for Roog's double-chocolate cake with strawberry jam!

*Highly recommend.

-Borrrowed from the library.

The Typewriter by Bill Thomson**

-Wordless book

 I highly, highly recommend this book simply because Mr. Thomson is an incredible artist.  The illustrations look like photographs.  In fact, my eleven-year-old son asked while we were reading it together if the illustrations were produced on the computer or computer -generated.  It was amusing that on the copyright page Mr. Thomson clarifies that the illustrations "are not photographs or computer-generated images"!!

Three children discover an old typewriter on a bumblebee ride on a carousel.  Whatever word they type on it, the object comes to life.  They have fun and must use their creativity as they problem solve.

**Highly, highly recommend.

Mr. Thomson has illustrated/created similar books-Chalk and Fossil.

-Borrowed from the library.

Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levin illustrated by Kadir Nelson*

*Award winner-Caldecott Honor Book 

My boys learned about Henry "Box" Brown in their first chapter in history this year.  To enhance their understanding of this courageous gentlemen, they read this picture book.

The text reveals how life was like for slaves who were in a family unit.  

The illustrations by Mr. Nelson are powerful and expressive.  

The author's note explains a little bit about his life after he escaped to freedom.

*Highly recommend for any student learning about slavery and its effects.

-Borrowed from the library.

The Man Who Didn't Wash His Dishes by Phyllis Krasilovsky illustrated by Barbara Cooney

Sarah Mackenzie featured books by Barbara Cooney on a recent podcast.  After listening, I requested a few books by Ms. Cooney.
The man makes himself a huge dinner and is too tired to wash his dishes.  This pattern continues evening after evening until he has no clean dishes or containers.  How will he gather the energy to clean all of them?
-Borrowed from the library.