Category Archives: Book reviews

Oct 29
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Children’s Book Reviews

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As long as I can remember, I’ve loved to read. Well-written books have always had the power to transport me from wherever I am into the world of make-believe. As a young girl, I spent hours imagining myself the hero of my favorite stories – like Anne of Green Gables or Frodo in Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. In school, I was sent to the Principal’s office more than once for reading in class instead of listening to my teacher. What can I say? The topics I chose were more interesting than hers!

It’s just my luck that my girls love reading as much as I! We read at least a book or two every night and usually a bit before naps. It’s a great “winding down” activity. We go to the library every two weeks or so and max out our checkout limit. We’ve found some great ones lately and I want to pass them on to those of you who love reading with your kids as much as we do!

Here are five for Friday. You’ll notice I’ve listed the Illustrators along with the Authors. In children’s books, the power pictures have to grab the attention of little people is just as important as the words until their vocabularies increase enough to realize the awesomeness of the stories themselves. So, I try to pick a variety of art styles when choosing books for my kids and the text has to be good enough to retain their attention. Also – regarding age level… My toddler is just as fascinated by the pics in these books as my four year old is with the words.

If you are interested in buying them,  you can click the book titles to visit Amazon.com. I am an Amazon affiliate and buying through my link doesn’t cost you any extra but helps to support my site.  Amazon has great prices and used options so it’s kinda like thrift store shopping (one of my favorite kinds of treasure hunts). Have fun!

 Eleanor, Ellatony, Ellencake, and Me – Author C.M. Rubin, Illustrator Christopher Fowler
The story opens on darling little Eleanor, whose family’s penchant for nicknaming gets so ridiculous they finally settle on calling her the letter “E”. Part of the reason they can’t decide what to call her is that they all have different ideas of who she should be someday. The rhyming language and funny, colorful illustrations bring Eleanor to life as she realizes if she ever wants to have a normal name, she needs to take matters into her own hands.

 Just One More – Author Wendy Silvano, Illustrator Ricardo Gamboa
 A funny little romp through the Andes Mountains in a bus driven by a driver who just can’t say no! The bus is soon filled with all sorts of crazy characters and animals. Will they make it down the mountain? You’ll have to read it to find out! Funny illustrations with a “rustic” feel.

Most Perfect Spot – Author & Illustrator Diane Goode
The little boy in this book wants to take his mother on a picnic and says he knows the “Perfect Spot”. But as they get to the park they are met with all sorts of crazy scenarios that make a picnic seem impossible. Maybe the perfect Spot isn’t really a picnic place – but something better!

In English, of Course – Author Josephine Nobisso, Illustrator Dasha Ziborova
Josephine Nobisso, the daughter of Italian immigrants who grew up in the Bronx, is very familiar with the reality of learning to tell a story in two languages. Her book highlights the experience of little Josephine, whose teacher helps her learn the vocabulary words she needs to tell her class a little about herself and a hilarious visit to a farm. Very cute book and not bad for helping native English speakers learn a few new words!

Willow – Author Denise Brennan Nelson and Rosemarie Brennan, Illustrator Cyd Moore
Willow is a lively, free spirited little girl who just doesn’t fit the mold in her school’s art class. Her teacher is  forever annoyed with her for not drawing her pics the right way. While the other kids fear the teacher, Willow shows courage in making her art as she sees it in her heart. Most importantly, she treats her teacher with a kindness that transforms her teacher into a version of her best self. My kind of story. Cyd Moore’s beautifully colored illustrations really capture the spirit of the characters and draw you into the story.

Do you read with your kids? What are some of your favorite books?

Oct 08
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Book Review: The Help, Kathryn Stockett

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I’ve spent the last week reading a book I borrowed from the friend of a friend. I became so engaged in the story that I thought of it every day until I could get back to it again. The book is called, The Help. Kathryn Stockett’s book of historical fiction, set in Mississippi during the early days of the 1960’s, doesn’t focus much on the dangerous physical brutality of the Civil Rights movement. Instead, she sets out to tell the story of the tenuous relationships between the white women of Jackson, Mississippi and the black women who served them every day.

The Help gives us a glimpse into the lives of Southern women, black and white, who were raised to follow a certain set of unwritten social rules related to race. One of the main characters, Skeeter, has a burning desire to become a writer. Her first attempt is a secretly and anonymously written collection of stories by the black women of the town who serve the white women, many of whom are Skeeter’s friends. As she gathers the stories, she soon learns that the connections between those serving and the served are not nearly as clear cut as she’d believed. Her own bonds with the white community begin to change as she finds the courage to follow her own convictions, buoyed by the strength of the women whose stories she’s writing.

The book, published in 2009, received positive reviews like this one in The Washington Post and this one at The Huffington Post. However, other reviewers like this one in the California Literary Review and this blogging mom raise concerns about a white author telling this story, intimating that Stockett’s characters rely too heavily on stereotypes. They draw comparisons between Stockett and Skeeter and their similar backgrounds and career choices and criticize Stockett’s use of vernacular when writing the dialogue of the African American women.

While I understand those comments, I feel that Ms. Stockett has written a story worth reading. First, it does something that made me choose history as a major in college. It brings dates and events to life by telling the STORY of the kind of people who lived them. Not only did I feel a real connection to the women in those pages, I gained a deeper understanding of a social situation I’m not unfamiliar with since I  live in Arizona, a border town hot with immigration issues.

Kathryn definitely knows how to write a story that touches the emotions. I laughed out loud more than once. I cried, I felt guilty. And, I alternately admired and feared for the courageous women who sought to tell their story. When I put the book down, I had that satisfying sensation I get after feeling my mind and heart have been stretched in a new way. Most importantly, Kathryn has written a good story. Unfairly “vernacular-ed”or not, it has the possibility to engage readers in a topic they might never have considered otherwise.

This review is a little late since the book came out last year but I was busy with a three month old at the time.  I’m guessing some of you are as behind in your reading as I am! If you haven’t already read it, take the time to check it out. Especially some of you dear friends whose eyes glaze over when I talk passionately about history. THIS is why. It’s just someone’s story – and it is as worthy of reading as yours is.

If you have a favorite book, add it to the comments list! I’m back on the reading wagon.