This book is a cross between Spider-Man and Iron Giant. You have Zack Allen, a boy who is very smart and makes his own robot to help save the world. The adventures are perfect for the elementary school set and lots of kids are going to find it fun and crazy. What I find lacking is diversity. There is no reason for all the characters in this book to be cisgendered and white. There are bullies, there are the smart kids, there are they not so smart kids, and there’s adventure, but in this day and age we need more than that. 

 

This is a book about taking a trip to someplace new, in this case Aruba. The book is about the things that our character sees while they’re in this new location. The book is straightforward, and the artwork is amazing. It’s bright, it’s colorful, it’s vibrant, and it really puts the emotion on the page. The story isn’t bad; however, the authors rhymes are incredibly harsh. Sometimes they work well sometimes they don’t. It breaks up the cadence, which makes this it a tongue twister. Overall, I like the book, but I hope the next ones are better. 

 

This book is a depressing punch in the face. The cover and the first part of the book make you think this is about two joyous, happy children. Until one of the children gets sick. This book is about a younger brother watching his older brother go through medical treatments, most likely cancer treatment. The younger brother believes they are lions, not humans. and that the brother needs to get his roar back. This book does not end on a happy note.  It is up in the air and can be read as if the brother passes away or as if the story isn’t finished. Either way, it’s not a fun read. I do understand that there needs to be more books about life and death and the bad things that take place. I just wish we had known from the cover or the title. This book is well done and thoughtful, but it’s not a joy to read and I would never read this again. 

 

This book is part story but all non-fiction. It’s a year-long look at the life of a beaver from childhood to starting a family of their own. It covers not just the topic of beavers, but any one or event that affects the lifecycle of a beaver, including polluted water, the other animals, habitat, change, etc. Overall, it’s a well done book that will find a long life on Library shelves. 

 

I had no idea that fudge sickles came in a variety of flavors. I figured a Fudgsicle was a Fudgsicle. This book not only introduces the reader to the different types of fudgesicles, but also matches the flavors to other humans in the main characters life.  The book is a tad bit long but it is enjoyable. I think the last part of the book is more in flow with a story time telling then the first half of the book. However, overall, I think it’s well done and kids will find it interesting. 

 

 

I’m not sure why this series is getting a cookbook now… the last book in the series was published in 2010. The series has had staying power and is still read by millions of children around the world but it’s not a big glossy in your face series. There’re no complaints because this is a well-done cookbook. I enjoyed the recipes and can’t wait to make the Midsomer Strawberry Salsa with cinnamon and sugar tortilla chips. The way the author and the person perfecting the recipes wrote this cookbook, where it gives snippets of various pages of the books as well as making each recipe about a character and event just works well. I think it’s fantastic that in the end of the book there are non-edible recipes for things like kinetic sand, slime, and super bubbles. While I don’t see the need for this cookbook, I do see it getting checked out of the children’s libraries for a long time to come. 

 

This book is getting made into a UK TV show and I completely understand why. It is told in a pretty unique way. You know that the main character is doing her senior project to graduate high school. And she decides that she is going to solve the murder. Technically, the town thinks they already know who the murderer is, and unfortunately that young man is dead. However, our main character is sure he didn’t do it because he’s not that type of guy. It’s five years after the murder and she is going to find who did it. She gets a little bit of help from the man’s brother, and they go about trying to find all the lies and miss directions that lead this town to believing that an 18 year old kid killed his girlfriend. While this is not the best written book in the world, It keeps you entertained and once you start you do not want to stop. The fact that this book has two sequels is more amazing because now you want to know what happens next. There are questions at the end of the book and the read thinks: wait a minute I don’t have an answer for this, and I need to know that answer!” This book was incredibly fun to read and it’s going to be a YA staple for the next decade maybe longer. 

This is book 4 in the Steampunk Red Riding Hood series. While each book is a short novella, it is an engaging story that keeps the reader picking up the next one. Clemmie is a red hood, and she has a feeling she may not be human, but that’s to worry about later. Right now, what she must worry about are the werewolves because they are out of control.  And while a certain leader of the pack makes her feel fuzzy, she starting to fall in love with Edwin, her boss. This book isn’t a love triangle, it’s seeing Clemeny grow into being more than just a lady. She’s a fighter, she is strong, and she wants the world to be a better place, and the reader wants to be with her for the adventure. The steampunk in this book is not as heavy as it is in the others, but it still has the reader picturing the styling of the movie, a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. There are only two books left in the series, and I don’t think it’s enough to give me the answers I am seeking. All it does is whet my appetite for more. 

 This book is coming out of the American Psychological Association and it’s a book to help kids face their fears. The child in this book has small fears like starting school, meeting new people, and going to a farm with very big animals., The child uses simple things like taking a moment, taking a breath, to get used to their fear and step it over and try new things. This book works very well. This book shows the character using the steps to help conquer the fear rather than telling the reader the steps and giving them some device to remember. Because of that, this is more likely to stick in children’s head.  Overall, this book is well done and will be in classrooms and libraries for years to come. 

This is a fun Middlegrade, but that was chosen as an Illinois read title a few years ago. It’s all about kids imagination and how they play when allowed to use their imagination. They don’t need fancy toys or video games. They just need some cardboard and some friends. This book works quite well and there’s more than one volume. Perfect for elementary and middle grade leaders.