Welcome! As I mentioned in the January Books We Read column, we made some changes this year.  One thing hasn’t changed … If you have read and reviewed one of the books, please feel free to add it to the Website or add a link in the comments here.

This month we more than made up for the paltry reading of January. Our teen reviewers sent in lots of reviews. At the end of this post is a list of books that previously had partial reviews and now have the teens’ input, too.

Received: 18
Read: 41
Reviewed (new): 26

Favorite Re-Reads

Reading Beyond the Books

___________
Pinkalicious: Love, Pinkalicious (Reusable Sticker Book)
written and illustrated by Victoria Kann
(Harper Festival, 2010)

x

Bilingual Books (All Audiences)

Moon Over the Mountain / Luna Sobre La Montana
written by Keith Polette
illustrated by Michael Kress-Russick
(Raven Tree Press, 2009)
our book talk

____________
Soap Soap Soap / Jabon Jabon Jabon
written and illustrated by Elizabeth O. Dulemba
(Raven Tree Press, 2009)
our book talk

x

Picture Books (All Audiences)

xxx

____________
nonfiction

x
____________
Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse
written by Laura Numeroff
illustrated by Felicia Bond
(Balzer and Bray, 2009)

our book talk

____________

nonfiction

____________

__________
nonfiction

Easy Readers (for New and Developing Readers)

Even though it is a picture book, Happy Valentines Day, Mouse! is  an excellent candidate for this category. This is also true of In My Grandmother’s Garden.
__________

Illustrated Short Chapter Books

The Bafflegagging Blndernagging Brothers in the Curse of the Bog Frog
by Aaron Mason and Doug Waer, illustrated by Jason Walton
(Whirlwhim Publishing, 2008) our book talk
__________
nonfiction

Logical Larry

Middle Grade Chapter Books (Fiction and Nonfiction)

x
____________

Young Adult Chapter Books (Fiction and Nonfiction)

Dancing Through the Snow
written by Jean Little
(Kane Miller Books, 2009)

our book talk page (review coming)

__________

____________

Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater

WorldCat⋅GoodReads⋅LibraryThing⋅Shelfari⋅Google Books⋅BookFinder⋅IndieBound⋅Amazon

our book talk

____________

____________

Book Talks Updated with Teen Reviews

(Links go to Reading Tub website review.)

America’s Real First Thanksgiving by Robyn Gioia - nonfiction

Blood Roses by Francesca Lia Block

Bones, Brains and DNA by Ian Tattersall, et al - nonfiction

Denver Days (Children of Colorado Series) by Sue Luxa

The Earth Dragon Awakes by Lawrence Yep

Earthquakes and Volcanoes FYI by Melissa Stewart

Football Hero by Tim Green

Heir of the Forgotten Realm by Michael J. Svigel

Kris Kringle: A Read-aloud Movie by Maria Ciampi

My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara

Mysteries and Marvels of Nature by Elizabeth Dalby - nonfiction

Reaching for the Moon by Buzz Aldrin

The Shadow Diamond (The Second Adventure Begins) by S. Brooke

Wild Horses (Horses of Half Moon Ranch series) by Jenny Oldfield

Will Allen and the Great Monster Detective by Jason Edwards

Wishes and Wonder by Virginia Stussy

>Book cover images link to Amazon.com. When you buy a product via one of our links, we earn a small commission from the sale. You are under no obligation to purchase through them.

Technorati Tags: biography, children's book reviews, developing readers, Elizabeth Dulemba, middle grade readers, Mo Willems, picture book reviews, read aloud books, Shel Silverstein, teen readers, young adult readers

Welcome to the first edition of our 2010 lists of books we’ve been reading. Many of the books are reviewed, some are not.  Please don’t take the lack of a review link as a statement on the book’s quality … it’s related solely to a lack of time. We can’t review everything we read. If you’ve done a review, we’d love to point readers to it. Please leave your link in the comments. Here are the changes for 2010:

• New Annual Page. This is a cumulative list for the year because sometimes a review/book talk comes a month or two after we finished reading the book. In fact, we just updated our Books Read in 2009 to add links to website profiles for Dragon Wishes, The Twelve Days of Christmas, and First Pooch. Each month we’ll update Books Read in 2010.
• Simpler presentation. We will still have Kid Picks because we like to point out the books kids pick for themselves. However, we won’t maintain separate headings for fiction and Nonfiction. For books with strong nonfiction content I’ll add Nonfiction to the entry.
• Better reader differentiation. We will make better distinctions between easy readers, short chapter books, middle grade readers, and young adult books.
• Recognize more reading formats. I am tweaking the audio books category to incorporate other reading formats, like magazines.  I’m struggling with a name, though. Got any ideas?

Let’s jump in with the three Rs.
Received: 48
Read: 22
Reviewed: 4

Reading Beyond the Book

ASK Magazine (Arts & Sciences for Kids), January 2010, February 2010 – Kid Pick

It is worth noting that the cover story on the January 2010 issue inspired our young reader to ask for other books about “cavemen in ice” at the library.

Picture Books (all audiences)

Alyssa and the Spider
written by Alan St. Jean
illustrated by Libby Carruth Krock
(Oren Village, LLC, 2009) our book talk
__________
nonfiction

nonfiction

nonfiction

__________

nonfiction

Easy Readers (for Developing & Emerging Readers)

nonfiction

__________

nonfiction

Illustrated Short Chapter Books

__________

A Little Bit of Faith: Book 1 (Precious Girls Club)

Middle Grade Chapter Books (Fiction and Nonfiction)

__________

Young Adult Chapter Books (Fiction and Nonfiction)

[OpenBook requires at least at book number, e.g., ISBN or Open Library key] our book talk

___________

Book cover images link to Amazon.com. When you buy a product via one of our links, we earn a small commission from the sale. You are under no obligation to purchase through them.

Technorati Tags: beginning reader reviews, children's book reviews, elementary readers, middle grade readers, Shel Silverstein, Stacy Nyikos

My brother and family gave Catherine a 25th Anniversary Edition of Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. Catherine went straight for the CD that goes with the book, and instantly fell in love with the poems. Yesterday, she asked to take the book with her to school. [Mom smiling]. She carried it to the bus stop and read “Sick” while we waited for her bus to come. [beaming Mom] Then, after school, she came barreling in the door …

Mom, Guess what?! Mrs. D. asked me to read a poem to the W-H-O-L-E class! I read “Sick”! Mrs. Dasked to keep the book so she could read more of it. Isn’t that awesome?

[Mom dancing a jig!] So in honor of my poetry-loving daughter, I thought I’d share “Sick” … the irony of the poem and going to school just adds to my giggles about the whole thing!

“I cannot go to school today,”
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
“I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I’m going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox
And there’s one more–that’s seventeen,
And don’t you think my face looks green?

To read the rest of the poem, head over to poets.org.

Tricia Stohr-Hunt has today’s awesome Poetry Friday roundup at the Miss Rumphius Effect!

Technorati Tags: audio books, Poetry Friday, Shel Silverstein

I hope you’ve been enjoying a relaxing, memorable holiday break. Although I’m not technically back in the office until next week, I’ve been sneaking into the office periodically (read: when Bill takes Catherine to swim practice) to see who’s around and what’s going on.

Following Charlotte’s example at Charlotte’s Library, I thought I would share the new books in our collection. I took these pics on Sunday morning, before we caught up with my brother and his family to exchange gifts, so there is one more book for us Catherine.

As I’ve mentioned before, my Dad is a H-U-G-E reader, so he selects a lot of the books and is the sole giver. In the package of books for Catherine, he added a note that “this is a gift you can enjoy when you snuggle under the covers at night.”

For Catherine …

Ant Attack! (Science Solves It) by Anne James
The Green Dog (Science Solves It) by Melinda Luke
Ivy + Bean Break the Fossil Record and Ivy + Bean Doomed to Dance by Annie Barrows
The Rainbow Mystery (Science Solves It) by Jennifer Dussling
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, 25th Anniversary Edition with CD

For Dad Bill …
Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer by Bruce Boudrous. When Bill saw a review in the Washington Post, his interest was piqued. Dad delivered.
Perfect: Don Larsen’s Miraculous World Series Game and the Men Who Made It Happen by Lew Paper. Dad heard a review of this on NPR and thought of his only son-in-law.
Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. I got this one for Bill

For Mom Me …
Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children’s Book by Anita Silvey. This is a book I asked for. Thanks, Dad!
Southern Living Annual Recipes 2009 editors of Southern Living Magazine. Thanks, Mom!

Our gift to each other was our Nook. I can see how it could be addictive. It is easy to manipulate and I love the features.

Now, I will confess that as much as I love books, the coolest gift under the tree was the Build Your Own Kaleidoscope kit my folks gave Catherine. It is SO cool.

All links connect with Amazon.com. We have an affiliate relationship with Amazon and may earn money if you purchase products through these links.

Technorati Tags: read aloud books, reading aloud, Shel Silverstein

Brian’s writing career started in high school. He was fascinated with the idea that the objects in our daily life that we take for granted really have fascinating, secret lives.

Earlier this year, Dale James, Brian’s mom, found the 15-year-old manuscript for Land of the Left Sock. She blew the dust off, finished illustrating the characters, and designed it into a book. Dale also produced the companion website, book trailer, future sock “dolls” and card game, and has the daunting task of marketing and promoting the book … which she loves!

Dale is a contract designer and project manager with a degree in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. Like his mom, Brian has a natural love for the arts. He excels at being creative and he is a natural storyteller.

RT: Hello and welcome to you both. We don’t often get the chance to talk with the author and illustrator together, and I’m looking forward to our chat. Congratulations to you both on your first children’s book. Brian, Land of the Left Sock grew out of a poem you wrote as a teenager. Can you tell us more about it (e.g., was it a class assignment, was it something you did for fun, etc)? Do you still write poetry?

Brian: I am still writing poetry. I was writing a lot of poetry when the “Land of the Left Sock” poem came about. I was attending a great high school for the arts in Providence called School One, and I think I used it for a poetry assignment once. The poem actually ended right after Dezmund Doo (DEZ-mend Du) and Dezerea (Dez-a-ray) jumped into their laundry hamper and fell into a pile of socks. I was always losing socks and each time I did, I’d be reminded of the poem and would add more to the story. Eventually it became quite a big poem and it needed some pictures to help tell the tale.

My mother, Dale, is an accomplished illustrator and painter, so I asked her if she wanted to create the imagery for the story. I think the first image she made was of the elephant painter who appears in the end of the book.

RT: On the back, you suggest that the book is for children ages 4 to 8. Interestingly, two separate reviewers suggested that kids who know how to read would also like this fantasy. How did you decide who your audience would be?
Dale: I agree that Land of the Left Sock could be enjoyed by a wide range of readers and “read to me” folks. Even the Art Director at Brown Publishing Network in review says “Land of the Left Sock will take children, and the child in all of us, through a magical journey….” Understandably, book categories break down into suggested age ranges of baby to 3, 4-8 and 9-12. The 4-8 range seemed most suitable, although not exclusive.

RT: Rhyming books, as I understand it (I’m not a writer), can be quite a challenge. You want the poetry to shine, but sometimes a word won’t fit, either because of cadence or just the word itself. As you polished your poem into a book, did you find yourself getting stuck in spots? How did you get yourself out, so to speak?
Brian: Writing in rhyme can be tricky…but also fun as it can lead you places you didn’t expect. I chose the children’s names in large part because of how they rhymed with many different words. This helped for example when ending lines with “…said Dezerea” after lines ending in stay, play, away, today, if I may etc. The most challenging thing was trying not to repeat rhyming pairs too closely together.

RT: Can you tell us more about your inspiration for the poem?
Brian: I was inspired by the idea that daily objects around us have secret lives, and that those objects have personalities that match their “job.” For example, the young or newer socks in the story are excited and want to be worn again. The older ones, though, are content. They don’t want to be found at all. Other characters like the elephant painter came somewhat out of reality. Did you know that some elephants actually paint?!

RT: Since we’re talking about genres, what were your favorite books to read (or have read to you) as a child? Have your tastes changed?

Brian: Without a doubt, Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends was my favorite book as a child. I still have the same copy. A good story or poem stays with you as grow older even if you think you’ve forgotten about it. The title poem in that book meant a lot to me as a child and I can still recite it from memory.

RT: Land of the Left Sock is published by CreateSpace, an On-Demand Publishing service affiliated with Amazon.com. Can you tell us a little bit about your experience working with a POD company? Do you have other publishing experiences with which to compare it?
Dale: Publishing-on-demand is basically the product of printing industry advancements combined with Internet distribution. With computer programs that quickly RIP (raster image process) the digital document files to high-speed digital printers, it becomes cost effective to produce books on demand, one at a time. I still remember when hard copy layouts were needed for the printer and minimum runs were in the thousands.

No matter how you publish a manuscript, you need proper editing and professional design to make it stand out in the marketplace. My background in design and illustration was a huge asset; it also helped to know an editor and art director for reviews. It took me a little more than three months to design, illustrate, layout and edit the book once I got going. After scanning the drawings I did all the colorizing and layout work digitally to remain relevant with the end production. When that was complete it took only a couple of proofs to finish it off.

I chose CreateSpace primarily because of distribution. Amazon.com is a household name when it comes to Internet buying. Numerous other sites, bloggers included, can “sell” through their web sites for a small commission. The biggest shortfall of self-publishing is that you won’t have a team of marketers and publicists to promote your book!

RT: That brings up an interesting question. I have heard authors/illustrators talk about the difficulty in getting their self-published books placed for review. Have you found this to be a challenge? If not, what tips would you suggest others might try?
Brian: Today it is difficult for even mainstream publishers to get review placements. So even before the book was published Dale “switched hats” to start working on marketing and promotion. We were able to do 90 percent of our research online. What we found is that the internet plays a larger role in consumer buying than traditional media outlets. The online community is more likely to reach a buying audience and connect to our distribution channel (Amazon.com), which also provides actual reader’s reviews. The process doesn’t end, though, and we are still spending many hours looking for placement opportunities….

RT: Your companion web site is adorable and simple enough for a child to navigate. How did you come up with the idea of a free game and bookmark to make?
Dale: First of all I wanted to design something to go “beyond” the book. I chose to make a fun, Flash website that kids and their parents (or grandparents!) could use to get more interaction time together. That is also why I designed a bookmark and card game that you can print out and make yourself. The card game is called Socks!™ and will eventually be a published as a separate game for purchase.

RT: Can you tell us a little bit about your book trailer? Was this something you created yourself?
Dale: During those long hours of researching the Internet for means of reviews and marketing Land of the Left Sock, I learned that book trailers were becoming all the rage. Just like a new movie that is about to be released, marketing a book can be enhanced by some form of video. I developed our video, again using Flash, and then turned it into a Quicktime movie for the web. I also added sound and music to bring it to life!

RT: If you could do it all again, what would you change (if anything) about the process or the story?
Brian: I don’t think I’d change much at all, it was a pretty laid back process; it just took a while. At a certain point the story had to stand on its own and more line variations needed to take a back seat. Just like Mother Sove tells the kids:

Then she showed them the way she knew how to fly, “Just stretch out your wings, breath deeply and try.”
RT: Will we meet Dezmund Doo, Dezerea, Mother Dove, and the elephant painter again some day?
Brian: It’s certainly possible. I’m working on a new story, but they are not going on this adventure.

RT: I can’t wait to see what’s next. Thank you both for joining us today.

Ways you can connect with Brian and Dale

Brian                   Dale

Technorati Tags: Author Showcase, Brian James, Dale James, read aloud books, Shel Silverstein

May 2009 [Books received: 50; books read: 35]

I’m a little disappointed we didn’t have much nonfiction this month, but we still found plenty to read. I didn’t return from BookExpo America until June 1, and the boxes of new treasures haven’t arrived … I’ll count them in June. Almost half (20) of this month’s new arrivals are media tie-in titles connected with summer movies. We don’t review them, but they’ll go to readers in need this fall.

We do have a few more “previously reviewed” titles. These are not counted in the totals above. We include them because when one of our kids pulls a favorite story from “long ago,” it might help you find the just-right book to connect with yours.

If you have reviewed any of the books listed here, click “review” and add your link to our review. We’re happy to share your thoughts about a book on our website.

Bilingual Books (all ages)

Going to the Zoo by William J. Adams – review
Hate that Thunder by William J. Adams – review
Moush Wants to Get Lost written by Rouzanna Baghdasaryn, illustrated by Yulia Lushnikova – review WORTH NOTING: This book is available in five languages: Czech, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, English)
Visiting the Farm by William J. Adams – review

Picture Books – Nonfiction (all ages)

none this month

Picture Books – Fiction (all ages)

A Book About Complaining (Help Me Be Good Series) by Joy Berry
A Book About Disobeying (Help Me Be Good Series) by Joy Berry
The Cotton Candy Catastrophe at the Texas State Fair written by Dotti Enderle, illustrated by Chuck Galey – previously reviewed
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee – review
The Day Leo Said “I Hate You” written by Robie Harris, illustrated by Molly Bang – review
Dear Polar Bear by Barry Ablett – previously reviewed
Do You Love Me? by Joost Elfers - review
I Have a Dream, Too! Written by Jean Alicia Elster, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell – reviewed  here and here
It’s the Best Day Ever, Dad! written by Brooke Shields, illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld – review
Ladybug Girl written by David Soman and Jacky Davis, illustrated by David Soman – previously reviewed
Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk – previously reviewed
The Missing Chick by Valeri Gorbachev – review
Redwoods by Jason Chin - review
Stellaluna written by Janell Cannon, illustrated by Jewell Cannon – previously reviewed
Super Duck by Jez Alborough – review
Tea for Ruby written by Sarah Furguson, Duchess of York, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser – review
Ten Tiny Babies by Karen Katz – review
Tillie Lays an Egg written by Terry Golson, photographs by Ben Fink – review

Easy Readers (Early, Emergent, Transitional) – Nonfiction

None this month.

Easy Readers (Early, Emergent, Transitional) – Fiction

Abby and Tess Pet-sitters: Goldfish Don’t Take Bubble Baths written by Trina Wiebe, illustrated by Meredith Johnson – review
Bed, Bats, & Beyond written by Joan Holub, illustrated by Mernie Gallagher-Cole
Don’t Bump the Glump by Shel Silverstein – review
Fluffy Goes to Washington (Fluffy, the Classroom Guinea Pig) (Hello Reader) written by Kate McMullen, illustrated by Mavis Smith
Jalopy written by Stephen Cosgrove, illustrated by Robin James
Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels written by Jamie Michalek, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz – review
The Lonely Giant written by Lucy Lawrence, illustrated by Craig -Sims
Mercer Mayer’s Critters of the Night: No Howling in the House (Step Into Reading, 3) written by Erica Farber, illustrated by J.R. Sansevere
A Perfect Pony (Charming Ponies series) by Lois Szymanski
Roscoe Riley Rules #3: Don’t Swap Your Sweater for a Dog written by Katherine Applegate, illustrated by Brian Biggs – reviewed
Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia (I Can Read) written by Peggy Parish, illustrated by Nancy Sweat – review

Middle Grade and Young Adult – Nonfiction

Bones, Brains, and DNA: The Human Genome and Human Evolution written by Ian Tattersall and Rob DeSalle, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne – review
The Time Book: A Brief History from Lunar Calendars to Atomic Clocks written by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Richard Holland – review

Middle Grade and Young Adult – Fiction

Crash into Me by Albert Borris – review coming
Enchanted Thyme written by Ariane Smith and Michael Wilson, illustrated by Andy Roth - review coming
Magickeepers: The Eternal Hourglass, Book 1 by Erica Kirov – reviewed here and here
Over the End Line by Alfred C. Martino – review
Seekers: Great Bear Lake by Erin Hunter – review
Shadow Diamond; The Second Adventure Begins by S Brooke – review

Technorati Tags: beginning reader reviews, BookExpo America, early readers, elementary readers, Fran Cannon Slayton, middle grade readers, picture book reviews, read aloud books, Shel Silverstein, young adult readers