Recent Reads: Notable Books for Kids

Children’s Picture Books

• Seven ways to Trick a Troll by Lise Lunge- Larsen.  This is a delightful book of stories about trolls written and illustrated by a local author, and an illustrator that lives up the North Shore.  The stories draw on Scandinavian myths and legends, and the illustrations are beautiful.  Mr. TOF loved this book.
• A Different Pond by Bao Phi.  Another Minnesota author!  This book came to us by way of the library, and was done so well!  It opened up some great discussions about immigrants, family life, and culture. It was chosen as a Calcedott Honor book, and is very deserving of that recognition.

Chapter Books for Younger Readers

• Dory Fantasamagory:  Head in the Clouds by Abby Hanlon.  We were so excited when this new release arrived in the mail.  We are huge Dory Fantasamagory fans here, and this book did not disappoint!  We literally opened the envelope, sat down and started reading.  Who can resist a spunky girl like Dory?
• Waylon:  Even More Awesome by Sara Pennypacker.  We love Clementine, and we love that she makes an appearance in these Waylon books by one of our favorite authors.  I am so excited that Sara Pennypacker is writing these realistic fiction books with a young boy protagonist.  There are so many great books in this age range with well developed girl characters, like the Clementine books, the books about Ramona Quimbly, the Stella Batts books, but it is rare to find books about boys in realistic situations with really fleshed out characters.  This was a fantastic read aloud for us.  Mr. TOF loved listening.
• Just Dance by Patricia Maclaclan.  This book, by the author of Sarah Plain and Tall was a tad bit disappointing to me in the fact that I felt the the whole thing could have been fleshed out a little more, but Mr. TOF was delighted with this story.  Here’s what I did like about it:  Like the Sarah books, this book was a concise story, which can be really great for young readers.  I also love that it was set in rural Wyoming, and that setting was important to the book and life in a really rural area was depicted in such a positive, truthful way.  The main character is a girl who loves to write (Yay!) and the mother in the book is an opera singer that has given up the stage to sing on her farm and be with her kids, which is just super interesting and fun.
• Beatrice Zinker Upside Down Thinker by Shelley Johannes.  This was probably one of my very favorite books that I’ve read this year!  I found it at a local independent bookstore, and knew instantly that I could not leave the store without it.  This book did not disappoint!  This character is amazing, quirky, spunky, unique.  The illustrations are fabulous.  The writing is entertaining, and the author is a master at word choice.  Everyone in our family that read this book really enjoyed it.  I strongly recommend finding a copy as soon as you can!

Middle Grade Fiction

• When the Sea Turned Silver by Grace Lin.  I had just finished reading Starry River of the Sky, which I also liked.  When I had the opportunity to read this beautiful book, I jumped on it.  It was fantastic!  I loved how it related to the other similar books by Grace Lin, which are loosely intertwined, but can stand alone as well.  This book was very engaging, and a wonderful glimpse into Chinese storytelling.  Both The Banana and YaYa really enjoyed it as well.
• Bubble by Stuart Foster.  The Banana picked this up randomly at the library, and while she was reading told me that it was actually very good and recommended that I read it.  So, I started the book expecting not a lot, but I was pleasantly surprised.  This was well done, and a very interesting story and perspective about a boy with a rare medical condition.  It would appeal to fans of Wonder, and Out of my Mind.
• The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters:  The Jolly Regina and The Uncanny Express.  These mystery books incorporate fun illustrations that are perfect for these quirky sisters, and they are full of puns.  I actually did not end up liking them as much as I anticipated when I read them out loud to Mr. TOF, but he loved them to pieces, and they are really fun.

Nonfiction

• Mites by Valerie Bodden.  I love the microscopic world, all the fascinating little creatures crawling around that we can’t see.  This is a terrific introduction for young readers with amazing pictures.  Mr. TOF had no idea that this whole world even existed, and he was simultaneously fascinated and creeped out by what we learned when he read this during our parent/child reading time.  (He loves practicing his reading with nonfiction books during our time reading together).  We got our copy at our public library.
•  Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Katherine Gibbs Davis.  Mr. TOF experienced this book at school, and came home to tell me that we needed to request it from the library right away!  We did!  It is a fantastic book about inventing, engineering, and the man who built the first Ferris Wheel for the Chicago World’s Fair Exhibition.