Dog-Of-The-Sea-Waves by James Rumford

This is the fictional story of Manu and his four Polynesian brothers who were early disoverers of the Hawaiian islands. Manu misses his home, but eventually befriends a injured seal and nurses it back to health. The seal eventually saves Manu when a volcanic eruption creates massive waves that pull Manu under.

This book contains beautiful watercolors which contain a good introduction to the wide variety of wildlife found on the Hawaiian islands. The book also contains the entire story written in Hawaiian, additional information about the discovery of Hawaii, and more detailed information about Hawaiian plants and wildlife.

This was a fun book that any child who loves animals will enjoy. It also presents a good message about every person (and animal) having a special purpose in life.

Arnie, the Doughnut by Laurie Keller

This hilarious picture book stars Arnie the Doughnut who is created in a bakery, goes home with a customer, and then discovers to his horror that he is about to be eaten. No one had ever told him at the bakery that is what happens to doughnuts. He spends the rest of the book pleading with his new owner what he should do with the doughnut instead.

This is a funny and original book. This is a fun story for kids of all ages, but there is far too much text hidden in the illustrations to make for a successful read-aloud book. I think kids will have a lot of fun reading this book--especially those in the 8-10 year old range, because there is a lot to discover in further readings of this book.

Shooter by Walter Dean Myers (Teen Book)

I will start out by saying this is a book for a high school age and older crowd. Walter Dean Myers has such a unique writing style. In this story he tells of a Columbine-type high school shooting incident. Instead of telling the story as a straight narrative, he tells it as a committee report created after the shooting. The report contains interviews with 2 friends of the shooters, the diary of the shooter, newspaper articles, a police incident report and more.

The story comes together ambiguously, especially with the interviews. How truthful are people responding? Are the right questions being asked? I kept asking myself Why, and this is before I even am sure of what actually happened.

This book paints a scary picture of violence, alienation, and race relations among teens. I give this book a big thumbs up for those readers who are mature enough to handle the material. I would also check out Myers' previous book Monster.

For more information go to: www.walterdeanmyersbooks.com

Dear Dumb Dairy by Jim Benton

Well this is goofy, I'm a 36-year old man reviewing a book written by another man which is actually the diary of middle school aged girl. Well here goes. This was a hilarious fast read. Benton gets a good grip on adolescent paranoia about their world.

This book deals with jealousy of the "perfect girl", trying to avoid being nick-named, having your dog really eat your homework, having a best friend who is in need of a new signature lip gloss flavor, and many more of life's problems. The writing does draw you in, because you want to see what the next mess is that Jamie create for herself. The pages are also filled with comical illustrations, including possible hairstyles for Medusa (lots of ways she could have worn those snakes).

The book is aimed at ages 9-12, but I think it will mainly appeal to the younger ones of that age range. More books are on their way in this series, which I am sure will quickly become a hit.

Selections for July 15, 2004

Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolen
Moo Who? By Margie Palatini
Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner

Read Aloud Selections for July 14, 2004

Go Away Big Green Monster by Emberly
Hepcat
My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Little Green by Keith Baker
Sweet Dream Pie by Audrey Wood & Mark Teague
King Bidgood’s in the Tub by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don WoodA Cake All For Me by Karen Magnuson Biel, illustrated by Paul Meisel

Read Aloud Selections for Tuesday, July 13

1. Olivia by Ian Falconer
2. Olivia and the Missing Toy by Ian Falconer

I love the artwork in the Olivia books, it whimsical with a good use of simple coloring, with an occasional bit of famous art (Degas, Pollock) added.

3. The Gruffalo ---This book is hilarious, plus I love the rhyming prose. It was so much fun to read because of the way that the words flowed as I read them.

4. Who is the Beast? by Keith Baker

5. I want to Be a Cowgirl by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross - Not a bad book, but the words didn't seem to flow as smoothly from my mouth as other books. Maybe its me or maybe its their writing.

6. Just Like Josh Gibson - I was really hesitant about reading this book, but the kids responded very well to this story of a girl who loved baseball during the 1940's.

7. Diving into the Deep Blue Sea - A story with a very repetitive structure, but the younger kids really enjoyed following along with me.

8. Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle. Excellent illustrations as always to go along with a good story about just being yourself.

I started reading the book Thunder Rose, but for the first time this year I aborted a story after reading for about five pages. The words weren't flowing out of me and I knew I was losing the kids in my group. I would try this story again with an older crowd (ages 8 and above most likely)

Reading Selections for Monday, July 12

A good group of books today that seemed to be roundly enjoyed by about 20 different kids today.

1. Tuff Fluff by Scott Nash.  A fun silly detective story about the missing brain of a stuffed duck and the stuffed rabbit detective.  Bright colorful pictures.  The story is actually a chapter book with several short chapters (2-4 pages).
2. Serious Trouble by Arthur Howard.  I had read this book several times last year while substituting and usually had good luck with it.  It is the story of a young prince who would rather be a court jester who is forced to save the kingdom from an indecisive three-headed dragon.  A good book for class clowns.
3. Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen.  This is a dorky story about Mr. Magee and his dog getting into trouble while out for a boat ride.  Despite its dorkiness I really enjoyed reading it because of its creative rhyming.  The book has such a fantastic rhythm.  The rhythm was so good that I had trouble turning it off during the rest of the books that I read today. 
4. Country Kid, City Kid by Julie Cummins. A cute book about the differences between a city kid and a country kid (as a former country kid myself I did find the book to be quite stereotypical).  In the end the two "different" kids meet at camp and become best friends.
5. My Chair by Betsy James, illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma.  As stated before I really liked this book.  Unfortunately I think much of it was lost on the kids in my reading corner.  This would probably be a better read aloud book with just one or two kids.

Despite its true dorkiness, my top pick for the day would be Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee because it is such a fun book to read out loud.

The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill, illustrated by Ronni Solbert

I was helping someone find a book earlier this week, and by chance The Pushcart War caught my eye. Instantly my memories took me back to when I was 10 years old. I had loved this book, it was one of those chapter books that I read multiple times. I loved the action, the humor, and the struggle of the underdog.

Here it is 25 years later and I wanted to see what I would think of the book today. I decided this would be my lunch break book. I was instantly sucked in, and enjoying the book thoroughly. This is an excellent book illustrating the tension between large corporations and individuals and small businesses. If this book was rewritten today, instead of it being a war between trucks and pushcarts maybe it would be a war against SUV's.

The humor and the silliness of it holds up. Quite unbelievable for a book that is 40 years old this year. Jean Merrill does a fantastic job of using multiple writing styles to tell a story from multiple perspectives. Merrill uses diary entries, stenographer's notes, speeches, newspaper articles, letters to the editor, and plain old narrative to move this story along.

I will say it again, I LOVE THIS BOOK. Its about fighting for yourself and its about using your brain over your brawn.

Ages: 9-13
223 pages

My Chair by Betsy James, illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma

This is an excellent book for teaching about both diversity and imagination. A collection of children are shown using a wide variety of chairs--each chair means something special to that child. DePalma does a fantastic job showing what each child imagines their chair to be as well as showing what the chair actually is.

This would be a good book to use when trying to get kids to quiet down, have them imagine what their chair is in their minds.

This book would be good with children 4-8 years old.

Highly recommended.

Go Read A Book!

I'm probably preaching to the choir, but go read a book---any book!

What is your idea for fixing the problem of Americans not reading?

What if television and radio stations weren't allowed to broadcast for 30 minutes once a day (possibly somewhere between 6 and 8 pm, every night)?

Past Story Corner Readings

I've fallen behind on several of the books that I have read for my story corner. I will try to give some reviews of these books later.


July 1, 2004
1. Jake Johnson: Story of a Mule by Tres Seymour
2. It’s Summer by Linda Glaser

July 6, 2004
1. Pet Show by Ezra Jack Keats
2. Swimming with Dolphins by Lambert Davis


July 7, 2004
1. Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens
2. Epossumondas by Colleen Salley
3. Yoko by Rosemary Wells


A quick review of the seven books, Tops & Bottoms was probably my favorite. I liked the story and the way the book was laid out (top to bottom instead of left to right).

Suki's Kimono by Chieri Uegaki, illustrated by Stephane Jorisch

This is a fun story about choosing one's own path in life. Suki decides to wear the brand new kimono given by her grandmother for the first day of the new school year. Her older and "cooler" sisters try to dissuade her. Suki sticks to her decision but faces teasing from her fellow students. In the end the other students decide that Suki is "cool". This is a good story for early elementary students who are having trouble dealing with peer pressure. It is also a good story about families.

The illustrations do an excellent job of showing Suki's movement and emotions. It is a beautiful book to look at.

Ages 5-9

I recommend this book.

Aunt Nancy and Cousin Lazybones by Phyllis Root, illustrated by David Parkins

This is the story of Cousin Lazybones who moves into his Aunt Nancy's house and tries to take advantage of her hospitality. Lazybones only helps when he can do it in a very lazy way, and Aunt Nancy eventually tricks him into leaving.

Not a bad book, but nothing about it wowed me.

Ages 5-10.

What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

This is a gorgeously illustrated book that shows various animal parts (noses, ears, tails, eyes, mouths, and feet) and then allows the reader to make guesses about the purpose of that body part. Each guessing page shows only one specific body part of several animals, and the follow up page shows the entire animal and a short explanation of the body part. The end of the book contains additional information about each animal.

This would be a fantastic book for any budding zoologists in your family, or for any curious child in general. There is information that will be new to both children and adults as they read this book.

Ages 4 to 8.

The Most Magnificent Mosque by Ann Jungman, illustrated by Shelley Fowles

This book tells the story of three boys, Rashid (a Muslim), Samuel, (a Jew), and Miguel (a Christian) and how they used to play and cause trouble in the courtyards of the Great Mosque of Cordoba, Spain. The boys get older but reunite when a new King is about to tear down the Great Mosque, and replace it with a Catholic Cathedral. The three men are able to show how the Mosque was important to the entire community.

This is a good book for introducing diversity and showing how different faiths can work together for the common good. I loved Fowles' illustrations they do an excellent job of showing the beauty of the Spanish mosques.

Ages 6 to 10.

How Are You Peeling?: Foods with Moods by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers

A friend of my wife recommended this book to me...so it pains me to say this. I did not like this book, I thought it was unbelievably dorky. Actually I think it is because this book is trying too hard to scream out the word "CUTE".

The book is a series of photos with various fruits and vegetables with faces expressing various moods. As I checked the book out of the library (I was already feeling embarrassed at this point), the clerk said, "They will pay people to do anything!"

Even though this book disturbs me beyond belief, I think I might have to read it to a small group of children to see how they react. Maybe I've just lost my sense of humor about these things.

The Day the Babies Crawled Away by Peggy Rathmann

Peggy Rathman's silhouette drawings are stunning to look at, especially with the pastel sunsets in the background. Her pictures illustrate the day when all the babies crawled away and one boy-hero saves the day and all the babies. She tells her story with fun rhyming verse.

This is a good story about teaching responsibility, and would probably be a good story for any young ones who have a new baby brother or a sister.

Ages 2 to 7.

Roger, the Jolly Pirate by Brett Helquist

This story tells the origin of the Jolly Roger flag flown by pirate ships. Jolly Roger was a happy pirate who wasn't much good at doing the things required of a pirate (like killing or sailing). Through an accident Jolly Roger strikes fears into other sailors, and gains the respect of his fellow pirates.

This isn't a bad story, but I much preferred the book, How I Became a Pirate. One bonus of this book, it does contain words and music for The Ballad of the Jolly Roger.

For ages 4-8.