From Bunny Babies to Evil Queens: 6 books I've Been Wanting to Tell You About

Hi guys! I've been reading loads of good books lately, and I wanted to tell you about 'em. Some I've read for the Cybils Graphic Novels judging, others I've just read in the last while. I'll put a star (*) by the books that made a Cybils shortlist. It is also worth noting that you can click on a book cover to shop for that book (or whatever else), and when you shop I make a small commission.

The Princess in Black Takes a Vacation - Another solid entry into this great series of first chapter books. As you can imagine, the princess's vacation gives Duff the Goat Boy a chance to get his first taste of action. And Magnolia herself faces the most fierce monster yet! (more of my reviews of this series are found here). I have to say, both story lines in this book were kind of painful for different reasons, but I don't want to spoil too much. 

A Child of Books - This is the sort of picture book that adult book worms will eat up. I loved it, but my kids weren't poring over it while we had it checked out of the library. The beautiful art is made of typography and mixed media. The text is a poem about rediscovering books and imagination.

Hand in Hand - Here's another picture book that I loved. I'm going to say that this one was also written for adults though. Each picture features a mother and baby bunny, and the text is a poem from the little one to the grown-up. As the book goes on, the little rabbit gets older until at the end he is independent. I really love Rosemary Well's art, and this might be some of her best. I also love her stories, and this one isn't a narrative as much as an ode to mothers.

Snow White - This is a graphic novel retelling of the classic story, but it is set in the 1920's. I loved the update of the "magic mirror," though I won't spoil for you what object takes on magical significance in this version. The illustrations are Phelan's classics and his image of the wicked queen will be staying with me for a while! Thumbs up for transplanting this story into a new era.

*Dare to Disappoint: Growing up in Turkey - This book's title doesn't do it justice, in my opinion. It is a graphic novel memoir of growing up in Turkey, of course. The book starts out with light childhood memories, which are quite enjoyable to read. it progresses and talks about Özge's time in school and follows her until her college education is complete. It reminded me (and others on the Cybils panel) of Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. It has much less darkness and upsetting material than Persepolis does, but it still has lots of interesting themes to talk about. I think it would make a great book for discussion in a 7th or 8th grade class. 

*The Nameless City - This graphic novel is first in a new series that is going to have wide appeal. I loved it, and I can see kids from third to tenth grade enjoying it. It follows two kids in a city: one is a girl whose ancestors have lived in the city for a long time, the other is the son of a soldier of the occupying army, training to become a soldier himself. Because of the city's unique position, it has been conquered time and time again. Because of the kids' unique skills and resources, they become business partners and then friends. Lots of meaty themes (representation in government, military occupation, homelessness, diplomacy), lots of action (jumping from rooftops, hand to hand combat) and the relationships between the characters make this one a page turner and book worth reading. 

I'm interested to know what sort of books you're looking for these days. Anything I can help you find?

with love,
Alysa

The Seven-Year-Old's Review of Geronimo Stilton

A letter from Benjamin, dated 3-30-16:



Dear Issac,

Do you remember Geronimo Stilton: Flood Mission?  Geronimo is so funny! My favorite part is when Tony Sludge throws a cord at Geronimo and knocks into him right before he activates his rain triggering device! Another of my favorite parts is when Geronimo says "I'm not cut out to be a hero mouse!" Wait, I'm not done yet. It's so funny when Geronimo eats that sandwich with HOT PEPPERS! Oh isn't it funny when Geronimo thinks that Tess Technopaws is giving him gum?

Sincerely,
Ben

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click to shop     

Benjamin brought that piece of writing home from school and it completely enchanted me. He said that Issac is a boy in his second-grade class, but that he didn't ever deliver the letter to him. "For some reason, we didn't share, even though the letters were addressed."

Anyway, I couldn't resist posting it, along with this picture of Benjamin reading outside on Saturday. (Three cheers for springtime!) I particularly loved reading this letter because I've never really gotten into Geronimo Stilton books. Not my scene, at this point in my life. So I loved learning that he found them very funny and action packed. I also loved reading his invented spellings. The original document has gems like "dvice" and "samwice." I kept his all-caps on the hot peppers though!

I asked Benjamin if the Heromice series of Geronimo Stilton was different from the original. He said, "Kind of. Tony Sludge is the bad guy and all the hero-mice are trying to defeat him." Sounds to me like the Geronimo Stilton series has some different story arcs within the larger series. I know Magic Treehouse does.

It looks like I should've included Geronimo on my list of Exciting Chapter Book Series. :) 

Benjamin says he'd give the book 4.5 stars, out of 5.

Starting Chapter Books: Worry-Busting Advice and 9 Top Picks

Lindsay, mother of six-year-old Addison, has questions about chapter books. What age should you start? How do you know if you're picking a good one? Here's what she wrote:

So speaking of chapter books, what age did you start chapter books with the kids? (I guess with multiple kids, the youngers earlier than the elder probably.) Also, do you already have a post about what chapter books you would start with? I feel like I'm ready to start something with Addison, but I'm not sure where to start since I'm so limited in my kidlit. "Harriet the Spy" was a favorite of mine in childhood, I remember, but is that still too old. Tips?

Thanks for asking, Lindsay! Here are my tips and answers to your questions.

When to start reading chapter books:

With you: Start reading chapter books aloud to your kids at whatever age you want. I honestly don't remember how old my oldest was when we started. You don't need to worry about starting them too early or too late, and you don't need to "save" the chapter books so that they can read them on their own later. There are so many great chapter books that you are not in danger of reading them all. I distinctly remember trying to read Charlotte's Web to him, and then deciding to wait another year or so, when it became apparent he wasn't into it.

Independently: Kids can start reading chapter books on their own once they can recognize a good amount of sight words, pick up clues from word context (not just picture context), and sound out some words. I know I'm not giving you specific numbers, but see the "5-finger test" below.


How do I know if this book is too advanced for my kid? 

With you: If you've been reading it aloud to your child, you can pause and ask your child a few questions like "What did you think of that? Do you understand what's happening here?" to gauge their interest and comprehension. A child doesn't need to get every joke in the book in order to appreciate it. You don't need to have 100% comprehension in order to get something out of a text. So if your child is interested, and basically understands what's happening I'd give the book a green light.

Independently: Try what teachers call the "5-finger test." Here's how to do it: The child reads a page of the book. Any time they don't know a word, or have to stop to sound it out, they put up a finger. If they use all five fingers on one page, the text is at "frustration level." The difficulty of the text will be getting in the way of the flow of reading, and the child won't be able to enjoy the experience. The kid should choose a different book. Of course this is just a rule of thumb. If a kid gets to four fingers and just doesn't seem that interested in the book, let it go. If the kid gets to five fingers but she's still very engaged, go for it.

Some chapter books to start with . . .
Here are some of my favorite chapter books to read to and with my kids. Mix in some favorites from your own childhood, for sure, because there's nothing like re-living a book through your child. It's so enjoyable.

Click cover images to see these books on Amazon. If you make a purchase through these links, I earn a small commission. Every one of these books is a series, so if your child likes the book, just hand 'em the next one!

Mercy Watson -- The many misadventures of a pet pig.

Princess in Black -- This pretty princess is actually a monster-fighting heroine.

Alvin Ho -- The hilarious life story of a boy who can't talk at school.

Mr. Putter and Tabby -- An old man and his cat pass the time.

Henry and Mudge -- A boy and his dog who are best friends.

Fly Guy -- Wacky adventures of a boy and his pet fly.

Clementine -- Friendship and life in the first grade.

My Father's Dragon -- A fantasy adventure and a classic

Geronimo Stilton -- A mouse who runs a newspaper

Check out some next level chapter books I recommend! 

An Unexpected Villain: The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde

Look at what came in the mail for me this week! I have hearts for eyes.

As far as I'm concerned, this series just keeps getting better. 

In this third installment, Princess Magnolia is on her way to have brunch with a friend when she gets word of a monster emergency. But when she arrives at the scene she doesn't see any danger, just a lot of cute bunnies!

Oh man, this one made me laugh. I love how the kids figured out that the bunnies were bad before The Princess in Black figured it out. Jacob said his favorite aspect was the unexpected hero (I won't spoil it for you!) and I have to agree. Benjamin said his favorite part was the very last paragraph. It incorporates some subtle humor, and it made him laugh. Levi said his favorite part was how it ended. Jubilee said her favorite part was "bunnies!"

It came in the mail for me (courtesy of Candlewick Press), and we read together on the kitchen floor the moment the boys got home from school. 

Another fantastic addition to my current favorite early chapter book series. 

click through to Amazon

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Previous posts about this series: 

series announcement

meeting the illustrator

my review of books 1 + 2

The Princess in Black!!!

Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess, pretty in pink. But then the monster alarm rang, and she transformed into . . . The Princess in Black!

The Princess in Black

and

The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party

by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

I absolutely adore this series. If you're a long-time reader of Everead, you've heard me mention it before: when I heard it announced and when I first laid eyes on it.

The Princess in Black books are "first-chapter books" or "early chapter books" or whatever you want to call a book that has 14 or 15 chapters, each about 5 pages long. They're easier than Magic Tree House books, and more completely illustrated.

When The Princess in Black came out I bought it right away. I may have even pre-ordered it. I love Shannon Hale, and I know that Shannon and her husband Dean do good work together from their foray into graphic novels: Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack. Plus, LeUyen Pham came to my attention for her awesome illustrations in the Alvin Ho series (another early chapter book series I love) and won my heart forever with The Boy Who Loved Math. With my favorite author and my favorite illustrator teaming up, chances were good I was going to love the book they made. As it turns out, I really liked The Princess in Black, but I got sidetracked and never wrote a review of it.

It has secret passageways, secret identities, huge monsters and goats in distress. It has princesses, pretty dresses, and a unicorn. Most importantly it has humor in the text and humor in the illustration and both my boys love it. You better believe that The Princess in Black is a book for both boys and girls because if you don't you're just sticking your head in a hole. I've never met a boy that didn't like it.*

And book two is even better! The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party is more structured, and I think it would be easier to read. The first time I read book one, I was confused by one of the sentence fragments and surprised by the back-and-forth of two narratives happening during the same time (Duchess Wigtower in the castle and The Princess in Black in the pasture). Obviously that didn't ruin the book for me, I still loved it. But I think that book two keeps things together better, with the repetition of Princess Magnolia having to leave her own birthday party over and over to go fight monsters.

Not only are the stories so much fun, but they're sprinkled throughout with little details that make you smile. At least, they make us smile. Jacob loved that Princess Magnolia's unicorn was named Frimplepants. I love the cardinal, who looks like he's wearing a black mask of his own. Benjamin (age 7) loves the phrase "Twinkle twinkle little . . . SMASH!" and was worried for a minute that it wouldn't make it into the second book. Levi (age 5) loved seeing the different ideas the monsters had for how to eat a goat: in a sandwich, in an ice cream cone, etc.  Jubilee (age 2) requests the books and talks excitedly about what's happening in the pictures while I read.

You might be surprised at the level of the vocabulary in these books. Though they're first chapter books, I wouldn't call them "easy readers." You know, some books will only use a certain number of words (sometimes listed in the front) in order to help children practice sight words and learn new words. That's not the case with these books. I found myself explaining what it meant that the princess "minced" across the room in book one, and spotted the word "exasperating" in book two. As we read about the party, I found myself explaining to Levi that the princesses names were flowers, and each was dressed to represent her name. Different turns of phrase, especially "That is curious," caught my attention as well. These books may be short, but I consider them complex, in a good way. For more educated opinions on the second book, you should definitely read the reviews by Jen Robinsion and Ms. Yingling. I didn't even catch the alliteration that Jen mentioned until she pointed it out.

I highly recommend these books for ages 3-8 particularly, though I think they're worth reading no matter what age you are. When I received the copy of book two that I requested from the publisher, it came to light that Jacob had never actually read book one. I couldn't believe it! I handed them to him that night and stuck close by so I could here him chuckle and get his commentary.

The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party only disappointed me in one way: I need more of Duff the goat boy! I trust he'll be featured in book three, The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde, which comes out in February 2016. UPDATE: My review of Book 3 is here!

Just so you know, some of the images above are affiliate links. If you shop through them, I may earn a small commission. Thanks. :)

So, have you read these yet? Are you interested? Definitely share your thoughts with me.

Sure to be an Adventure: Benjamin reviews Treasure Town

I've got something special for you today! Benjamin wants to tell you about a book he read this week.

Ready!

What is the name of this book?
Treasure Town!

Who is it by?
Ummm. Doug . . . [Doug Wilhelm, and illustrated by Sarah-Lee Terrat]

How was it?
It was good.

Who would like it? 
Probably like, 5-, 6-, 7-year-old's or anybody who likes Magic Tree House. [The book is designed for grades 2 and 3.]

What was it about? It was about these four kids, no three kids, um, and they met they two guys named Bug and Yuke, and they were looking for treasure in Alaska, but they were down in Sandy Feet, Florida! And then the three kids told them about the treasure that was down here in Sandy Feet, Florida. And they all went hunting for it together. And Yuke was a really fat guy and he was strong, so one of the kids named Speedup was helping dig with him for the treasure; and the treasure was Jean Lafitte's treasure.

What did you learn from it?
That there are two girl pirates that were braver than boys! Anne Bonny and Mary Read.

Was it funny? Why?

It was funny. Cuz one time, Yuke said "excuse me" when Speedup told him to get out . . .

Who are all the main characters?
Bug - He's an old fat guy looking for treasure
Yuke - Really good digger and Bug's partner
Speedup - Good digger, too, like Yuke. And he's a kid.
Luis - A kid who day dreams with Bug about treasure.
Hayley B. - A kid who has a strong intuition. She can tell when there is treasure or not! Only girl that's part of the main characters.

Tell me more about the pirates.
Jean Lafitte - If you had all of his gold, then you could build a bridge of gold across the Mississippi River!
Anne Bonny - Escaped from jail. We don't know what happened after she escaped from jail.
Mary Read - Sailor that got captured, but girls back then were not supposed to be sailors. Died from a fever in jail.

Here's the rest of the characters.
The townspeople - gathers around if a police car is on top of a geyser of the town's main water pipe!
Chief Gherkin - he doesn't like the beach.

Did you like the pictures? YES!

Would you say this is a good book for kids?
Yes. Ok, can I read you one chapter??

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Haha! Oh man, I get a kick out of this kid. Doug Wilhelm, author of Treasure Town, sent me a copy of the book for review, on my request. I thought Benjamin might like it! He also sent a Classroom Guide to go along with it, if that's your thing. Treasure Town is available for pre-order and will release on April 20, 2015. I have posted affiliate links above, for your convenience.