The poor exclamation point in Exclamation Point! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld cannot find where he belongs. He always stands out among the crowd, even when he tries to blend in. Then he meets the question mark, and suddenly his purpose becomes more clear. Delightful turns of phrase and puns will keep adults... Continue Reading →
The Black Rabbit
Poor Rabbit! He has just discovered a strange black rabbit is following him everywhere. He tries everything to get rid of that Black Rabbit, but nothing works until Rabbit runs into the forest. Ahh! Finally, Rabbit is alone. But then, Rabbit notices two eyes shining in the darkness. Is it the Black Rabbit? Author &... Continue Reading →
Starry River of the Sky
Rendi has a problem - an attitude problem. In my childhood, a General Bad Attitude (GBA) was grounds for punishment. In Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin, Rendi has run away from home, so his parents aren't around to punish him. Instead, he's forced to work as a chore boy at an inn... Continue Reading →
The Clockwork Three
As I browsed the library's website and shelves, I often picked up The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby, but put it right back down. I wasn't sure I wanted to commit to it - I wasn't in the mood for a fantasy novel (which it isn't!), I needed to find picture books to review... Continue Reading →
White Fur Flying
Every time I read a book by Patricia MacLachlan, I am in awe of her gift of telling simple, yet heartfelt stories. White Fur Flying is no exception. Zoe's family rescues dogs. Not just any dogs, her mother rescues Great Pyrenees, "140 pounds of white fur." (To be honest, I'm not a dog lover, and... Continue Reading →
Oliver
Sometimes I feel the world celebrates extroverts to the detriment of introverts - those of us who recharge and refuel being by ourselves, who don't feel a need to be involved in every conversation, who are perfectly entertained with favorite toys and our imagination. People like Oliver. Oliver, the title character in Birgitta Sif's picture... Continue Reading →
Unspoken
Unspoken, A Story from the Underground Railroad, a picture book by Henry Cole, is an unusual book. First, Cole illustrated it with graphite illustrations - no color on the page, except the ocher yellow of the paper itself. While a tad plain, Cole's drawings are striking - full of detail and emotion which draw the... Continue Reading →
Seven Daughters and Seven Sons
When I read this book aloud to my children, they were on the edge of their seats, begging me to keep reading. Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen and Bahija Lovejoy tells the story of Buran, the daughter of a poor merchant in Baghdad. She has six other sisters, and her family despairs... Continue Reading →
Jim Davis
Like every other 12-year-old, Jim Davis longs for thrills and adventures. And unwittingly, he finds it when he comes across a ring of pirates. These pirates aren't friendly, swash-buckling type. They are serious smugglers. At first, Jim finds them to be friendly and interesting. But his 'friend' Marah turns out to be more dangerous than... Continue Reading →
The Obstinate Pen
What should a person do when they find a beautiful pen? Write with it of course! Except when dealing with this pen. This pen only writes what it wants to write, not what the writers want to say - which make for some very funny situations. So who will be able to bring this pen... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 