-
Aliki, William.
Shakespeare and the Globe.
-
Bonners, Susan.
Silver Balloon.
-
Burleigh, Robert.
Home
Run: The story of Babe Ruth.
-
Coleman, Evelyn.
Riches
of Oseola McCarty.
-
Corpi, Lucha.
Where
Fireflies Dance.
-
Cullen, Lynn.
Mightiest
Heart.
-
DePaola, Tomie.
26
Fairmount Avenue.
-
Fleischman, Paul.
Weslandia.
-
Fletcher, Ralph.
Flying
Solo.
-
Willis-Holt, Kimberly.
Mister and Me.
-
Igus,
Toyomi. I See the Rhythm.
-
Jenkins, Steve.
Top of the World.:
Climbing Mount Everest.
-
Kehret,
Peg. Shelter Dogs, Amazing Stories of Adopted Strays.
-
Lourie,
Peter. Rio Grande: From the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico.
-
McCully,
Emily. An Outlaw Thanksgiving.
-
Wells,
Rosemary. Mary on Horseback: Three Mountain Stories.
-
Montgomery,
Sy. Snake Scientist.
-
Ryan,
Pam Munoz. riding Freedom.
-
Stevens,
Janet and Crummel, Susan S. Cook-A-Doodle-Doo.
-
Weeks,
Sarah. Regular Guy.
|
|
1.
Aliki. William Shakespeare and the Globe
From Booklist
,, June 1, 1999
Aliki takes on an ambitious project and completes it with a
pervasive sense of history and fine sense of style. Her obvious love of
Shakespeare and his theater shines through in the warmth of the
presentation as well as her meticulous attention to illustrative detail.
The many scenes of life in Elizabethan England will be absorbing to
children, but some of Aliki's most sensitive work can be seen in her
miniature portraits of key historical figures. Quotations from the plays
appear throughout the book, in the front matter, in the margins, and as an
unofficial epilogue. These short phrases bring Shakespeare's voice to the
book, and the text itself demonstrates a good sense of what to include and
exclude as it details what is known and surmised about the writer's life.
Framing the central story is the tale of Sam Wanamaker (1919^-1993), an
actor and director whose ambition was to rebuild the Globe. Thus, the book
goes beyond Shakespeare himself to introduce the team of people who
worked, researched, raised money, and built a replica of the Globe, where
performances bring the playwright's words to life in something very like
their original setting. Students looking for an introduction to
Shakespeare and his playhouse will find this an excellent starting place. Carolyn
Phelan
Copyright© 1999, American Library Association. All rights reserved
From Kirkus
Reviews
PLB 0-06-027821-8 For Aliki (Marianthe's Story, 1998, etc.), the
story of the Globe Theatre is a tale of two men: Shakespeare, who made it
famous, and Sam Wanamaker, the driving force behind its modern rebuilding.
Decorating margins with verbal and floral garlands, Aliki creates a
cascade of landscapes, crowd scenes, diminutive portraits, and sequential
views, all done with her trademark warmth and delicacy of line, allowing
viewers to glimpse Elizabethan life and theater, historical sites that
still stand, and the raising of the new Globe near the ashes of the old.
She finishes with a play list, and a generous helping of Shakespearean
coinages. Though the level of information doesn't reach that of Diane
Stanley's Bard of Avon (1992), this makes a serviceable introduction to
Shakespeare's times while creating a link between those times and the
present; further tempt young readers for whom the play's the thing with
Marcia Williams's Tales From Shakespeare (1998). (Picture book/nonfiction.
7-10) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
2.
Bonners, Susan. Silver Balloon
School Library
Journal
"A wonderful intergenerational story."
3.
Burleigh, Robert. Home Run: The story of
Babe Ruth.
From Booklist
,August 19, 1998
Gr. 3^-6, younger for reading aloud. In this picture book for older
readers, Burleigh uses poetry to introduce the legendary George Herman
"Babe" Ruth. His brief poem celebrates Babe's love for the game
and his amazing swing before taking readers and listeners through one
at-bat and one mighty home run. Wimmer's large, realistic illustrations,
done in oil paint on canvas, capture not only the essence of the man on
the field but also his adoring fans. On each recto page, Wimmer has
included a reproduction of the back of a baseball card, which provides
lots of information--how Babe got his name, his life off the field
("I swing big--and I live big, too"), and the ways in which he
changed the game. The type on the cards, which are authentic in size, is
very small, but that's the only drawback to this beautiful book, which
will have baseball fans of many ages cheering for Babe Ruth all over
again. A wonderful selection to share across generations. Helen
Rosenberg
Copyright© 1998, American Library Association. All rights reserved
4.
Coleman, Evelyn. Riches of Oseola McCarty
From
Kirkus Reviews , December 1, 1998
Coleman (To Be a Drum, p. 264, etc.) writes with feeling of an
African-American woman whose work ethic proved inspiring. At the age of
five Oseola (Ola) McCarty moved to Hattiesburg, Mississippi with her
grandmother and aunt. Both the women worked hard every day, and Ola was
taught to do all the things they did, from making soap, to washing the
clothes by hand on a washboard, to heating the irons on the stove to press
the stubborn wrinkles out of the damp garments and linens. For their
backbreaking work, which started at seven in the morning and lasted until
late at night, Ola and her grandmother were paid 50 cents a bundleas much
as a customer could tie into a bedsheet. Still, Ola learned that it was
important to save as much as she could every week in a bank account. A
lifetime later, at 87, Ola had to quit working for health reasons, but
wondered what to do with the considerable amount of money she had saved;
she decided to give most of what she hadwell over $150,000to the
University of Southern Mississippi for a scholarship fund, which was named
for her. The action brought her fame and many awards, but Ola remained the
frugal person she had always been. The story, illustrated with
black-and-white woodcut-like prints, is full of wisdom and quiet courage;
readers will be drawn to the simplicity of the habits that led to Ola's
riches. A small, fine book. (Biography. 7-10) -- Copyright ©1998,
Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
5.
Corpi, Lucha. Where Fireflies Dance
From Booklist
, January 1, 1998
Ages 5^-9. Like a grandmother telling stories to her grandchildren,
the author recalls part of her childhood in a small town in Mexico,
spinning her tale in a delicate thread of anecdotes. She recalls how,
together with her brother, Victor, she explored the spooky, deserted house
of local hero Juan Sebastian, hearing later from her grandmother that
Sebastian followed his "destiny" to fight and die in the Mexican
Revolution. She also remembers sitting outside the cantina with her
brother, waiting for favorite songs on the jukebox, and listening to
stories and songs in their cozy home, contemplating what their own
destinies might be. Bold, cheery illustrations will help attract readers
to the unusually sophisticated (though still accessible) text, which
appears on the page in both English and Spanish. Susan Dove Lempke
Copyright© 1998, American Library Association. All rights reserved
From Kirkus
Reviews
, July 15, 1997
The CIP data calls this bilingual tale fiction, but Corpi's
afterword places the story ``where imagination and memory blend.'' She
recalls a night during her childhood, in the small Mexican town of J ltipan,
when she and her older brother, Victor, explored a ruined house, once home
of the revolutionary fighter Juan Sebasti n. Learning his story from
her grandmother, Corpi was introduced to the idea of personal destiny and
was inspired to seek her own. That destiny led her away from J ltipan
to California, but the final page tells of her singing and telling stories
to her own son, just as she was sung to as a child. It's a wonderful
evocation of the early experiences and family love that give a child both
roots and wings, but the Spanish version of the text is often more vivid
than the English. On the first page, ``las luci‚rnagas danzaban al ritmo
del viento nocturno'' (literally, ``the fireflies danced to the rhythm of
the night wind''), is rendered prosaically as ``fireflies danced in the
night air.'' In the intensely tropical-colored paintings, cats are purple,
memories are turquoise, and a many-hued bus announces that its destination
is ``El Mundo'' (``The World''). Fireflies and a number of photographs
(presumably of Corpi's family) figure into the illustrations, each of
which has a uniquely appropriate border. (Picture book. 6-9) -- Copyright
©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
6.
Cullen, Lynn. Mightiest Heart
Book Description
Who can resist a story about a dog who so loved his master that he
gave up his life? This exquisitely illustrated tale, based on the legend
of Llywelyn, a thirteenth-century Welsh prince, and his loyal hound,
Gelert, will keep young readers and listeners spellbound. Laurel Long
joins the ranks of today's premier illustrators in her debut, adding
incredible power to Lynn Cullen's spare but emotionally charged text. Each
picture is like a precious treasure, revealing painstaking attention to
detail, breathtaking color, and characters whose mutual love transcends
the pages of this marvelous book. The Mightiest Heart is sure to be
one of the best gifts to give young readers this fall. Lynn Cullen, author
of several popular middle-grade novels, researched this story in Wales,
where a monument to Gelert still stands. Laurel Long makes an outstanding
debut as a picture book illustrator.
7.
DePaola, Tomie. 26 Fairmont Avenue
From Booklist
,
, August 19, 1999
In an attractive chapter book, dePaola describes the year before
his family moved from an apartment into their new home on Fairmount
Avenue. Starting with a vivid account of the hurricane of 1938, he recalls
an unfortunate but funny episode with a laxative, disappointment with
"Mr. Walt Disney's Snow White," and his first day of
kindergarten. Everything is seen through the eyes of five-year-old Tomi as
construction problems arise with the new house: "My mom kept crying.
My dad kept using more and more bad words." Reminiscent of Clyde
Robert Bulla's appealing chapter books, the colloquial narrative gently
meanders, introducing family, friends, and neighbors, noting holidays,
anticipating moving day. Black-and-white sketches add a decorative touch
and will draw children into the story. In an appended note, dePaola
explains why and how he wrote this memoir and promises more. With this
charming first installment, the series is off to an auspicious start. Linda
Perkins
Copyright© 1999, American Library Association. All rights reserved
From Kirkus
Reviews
The legions of fans who over the years have enjoyed dePaola's
autobiographical picture books will welcome this longer gathering of
reminiscences. Writing in an authentically childlike voice, he describes
watching the new house his father was building go up despite a succession
of disasters, from a brush fire to the hurricane of 1938. Meanwhile, he
also introduces family, friends, and neighbors, adds Nana Fall River to
his already well-known Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs, remembers his
first day of school (`` `When do we learn to read?' I asked. `Oh, we don't
learn how to read in kindergarten. We learn to read next year, in first
grade.' `Fine,' I said. `I'll be back next year.' And I walked right out
of school.''), recalls holidays, and explains his indignation when the
plot of Disney's ``Snow White'' doesn't match the story he knows.
Generously illustrated with vignettes and larger scenes, this cheery,
well-knit narrative proves that an old dog can learn new tricks, and learn
them surpassingly well. (Autobiography. 7-9) -- Copyright ©1999,
Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
8.
Fleischman, Paul. Weslandia
Wearing purple
sneakers and a bemused expression, Wesley knows he's an outcast: he
dislikes pizza, soda, and football, and fleeing his tormentors is ``the
only sport he was good at.'' When he learns that each civilization has its
own staple food crop, he takes as his summer project turning over a plot
of ground in the back yard, and seeds brought by the wind begin to grow.
Wesley can't find the plants in any book, but the fruit and the juice are
delicious, as are the tubers on the roots. He makes a hat from the bark
and a robe from the inner fibers, and sells the seed oil to his former
enemies as a suntan lotion/mosquito repellent. It isn't long before he's
moved out to the yard, and invents an alphabet and a whole raft of sports
for the place he calls Weslandia. In sumptuously detailed illustrations,
Hawkes has vividly imagined Fleischman's puckish text, capturing both the
blandness of Wesley's suburban surroundings and then the fabulous
encroachment of the rainforest-like vegetation of his green and growing
place. Children will be swept up in Wesley's vision, and have a fine time
visiting Weslandia. An alphabet appears on the endpapers. (Picture book.
5-9) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
9.
Fletcher, Ralph. Flying Solo
From
Booklist
,
August 19, 1998
Gr. 5^-8. What happens when a sixth-grade class is left
unsupervised for a whole day? One might imagine that anything but learning
would occur. But when a class usually led by a gifted teacher is left to
its own devices, something unusual happens: when the substitute teacher
fails to show, the children in Mr. Fabiano's class decide to run the day
according to the strict but enjoyable routine ingrained in them by their
creative, beloved teacher. Rest assured Fletcher's characters aren't
goody-goodies. Rather, they are coconspirators as a countdown clock builds
the tension: Will they make it through the day without being found out? As
they go through their rote exercises, the kids gain self-assurance and
self-reliance. They also come to terms with their feelings of guilt,
grief, and sorrow about a classmate who died six months earlier. Fletcher
expertly balances a wide variety of emotions, giving readers a story that
is by turns sad, poignant, and funny, and, little by little, realistic
portraits of the complicated kids emerge. There's no Lord of the Flies
anarchy in this thoughtful, absorbing novel, which has a story that will
linger long after the book is closed. Kathleen Squires
Copyright© 1998, American Library Association. All rights reserved
10.
Holt, Kimberly W. Mister and Me
Book Description
When Leroy Redfield starts taking her momma dancing, Jolene won't
call him anything but Mister. Without a name, he can't really be a whole
person to her. The last thing she wants is somebody coming along trying to
fill the space her daddy left when he died. But then Jolene learns that
big, loud Mister wants to marry Momma, and when she gets the chance to
hurt him, she acts. What will Momma do when she finds out? And will she
marry Mister anyway? Kimberly Willis Holt has written a poignant, humorous
story about change and acceptance, and a little girl who ultimately gives
name to what she wants most.
11. Igus,
Toyomi. I See the Rhythm
From Booklist
, February 15, 1998
Gr. 5^-8. Igus' prose poems and Wood's evocative paintings combine
to give a succinct overview of African American music. A useful time line
sets the social context, and brief paragraphs describe the various types
of music, from African origins and slave songs through ragtime; the blues;
big band, bebop, and cool jazz; gospel; rhythm and blues; and the
contemporary sounds of rock, hip-hop, and rap. Igus effectively uses
snippets from song lyrics to communicate both a feel for the music itself
and a sense of how the various styles played to the emotions of the
musicians and their fans ("From the basements to the rooftops, / I
see the cool tones of modern jazz / escape the city heat"). Wood's
paintings are equally suggestive. Mixing modernist and primitive styles
and using color nicely to communicate musical style and tone, her art not
only complements the text but vivifies it. Audience may be a problem: the
supportive text is too sophisticated for younger readers to grasp
themselves, and the format may alienate some older readers. Perhaps best
used in a junior-high classroom with audio accompaniment, this striking
book, in the hands of a creative teacher or librarian, could give kids a
feeling for the majesty, creativity, and continuity of African American
music. Bill Ott
Copyright© 1998, American Library Association. All rights reserved
From Kirkus
Reviews
, April 15, 1998
The collaborators on Going Back Home (1997) return with a stunning
history of African-American music. They begin 500 years ago, on the
African continent, chronicle the slave trade, and document the work songs
and spirituals of American slaves. The blues, ragtime, jazz, gospel,
R&B, rock, funk, rap, and hip hop all come under scrutiny in
free-verse poems that incorporate lyrics about and the rhythms of every
style. In addition, Igus has added a brief description of each musical
movement and a terrific timeline noting highlights of African-American
historyboth musical and more general informationwhich roots the whole book
in a broader context. Wood's vibrant paintings are based in historical
detail, and resonate with emotion. The color choices, postures of the
figures, as well as the expressions on their faces, reflect various
aspects of African-American music; the pictures broadcast joy, innovation,
and exuberance in the face of systematic oppression. A child hidden in
each scene adds a nice piece of personality for readers to interpret.
Stylish and lively design pulls it all together into an absorbing,
attractive package. (Picture book. 7-9) -- Copyright ©1998,
12.
Jenkins, Steve. Top of the World.:
Climbing Mount Everest
From Booklist
, April 1, 1999
Gr. 3^-5. The author-artist who gave us Biggest, Strongest,
Fastest (1995) and What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You
(1997) turns his attention to a slightly older audience in a picture book
that takes readers on an armchair tour up the tallest peak on Earth. In
preparation for the trek, Jenkins presents some background on Everest
(including a brief comment on the ecological nightmare tourism has caused)
and on some of the people who have scaled it. There's also a double-page
spread devoted to climbing equipment. Then it's up to the top, complete
with descriptions of some of the things climbers may see en route and some
insight into how the cold and altitude will affect their bodies. Jenkins'
papercut illustrations are extraordinary--feathery light to catch the
effect of fog radiating off the mountains, mottled and striated to
replicate rocky plateaus, pebbled to look like ice flowers. The typeface
is sometimes uncomfortably small, and words occasionally disappear into
the strongly colored backgrounds, but this is still a very attractive
book, with plenty of substance for curious children. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright© 1999, American Library Association. All rights reserved
From Kirkus
Reviews
A breathtaking picture-book account of a climb to the top of Mount
Everest. Jenkins (Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest, 1998, etc.)
documents each step of the way with vivid crushed-paper and cut-paper
collages that will rivet viewers. He begins with a world map that shows
the Himalayas, recounts efforts to measure the peaks, describes early
expeditions, and includes the successful climbs of Sir Edmund Hillary and
Tenzing Norgay in 1953, and Rheinhold Messner in 1980. Next, Jenkins
illustrates the necessary gear for modern mountain-climbing, and describes
the journey itself, beginning in Kathmandu, Nepal, the 100-mile trek to
the base of Mount Everest, then step-by-step, up the mountain to the
summit. At each step, the striking collages extend the information of the
text and capture the majesty of the mountain. Visually arresting and
inspiring. (Picture book. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates,
LP. All rights reserved.
13.
Kehret, Peg. Shelter Dogs, Amazing Stories of Adopted Strays
From Booklist
, May 1, 1999
Animal lovers will enjoy these eight short stories about shelter
dogs going on to do great things. Among the dogs featured are Tracker, who
was adopted by an animal trainer and has starred in TV commercials and
movies; Ivan, who was trained by a hearing-impaired woman and ended up
saving the lives of both the woman and her daughter when the fire alarm
sounded; and amazing Bridgett, who can predict an epileptic seizure up to
20 minutes before it actually happens. A black-and-white photo of the dog
and its owner begins each story, and a short section on a related topic
(such as fire prevention) ends the segment. Kids will find the heroics
appealing, but the book's greatest achievement may be its potential for
increasing adoptions from shelters. Lauren Peterson
Copyright© 1999, American Library Association. All rights reserved
From Kirkus
Reviews
An amiable collection of short anecdotes about unwanted dogs who
were dumped at animal shelters by their owners; Kehret (Small Steps, 1996,
etc.) tells of eight strays who were subsequently adopted and accomplished
great things. Tracker, who ``began life unwanted and unloved, as do far
too many puppies,'' went on to become a movie star. Kirby's owner died and
snapped and snarled at everyone; he was about to be euthanatized when a
shelter worker said softly, ``Hey, Kirby. Want to go for a walk?'' and the
dog's personality changed; he recognized the invitation and forever after
was a loving dog. Joey was trained as a ``service dog'' by her owner, who
has multiple sclerosis; Joey performs such tasks as picking up dropped
items, opening doors and cupboards, and helping her owner's mobility. The
most amazing story dog is Bridgette, who was able to predict, by picking
up ``subtle shifts in body odor and electromagnetic fields,'' when someone
was going to have a seizure. This allowed her owner to lay down before a
seizure. The hoards of dog-lovers out there will not find these incidents
astonishing, but vindication, so there's a ready audience to cry over and
gasp at the tale behind every dog. (b&w photos, notes) (Nonfiction.
10-14) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
14.
Lourie, Peter. Rio Grande: From the Rocky
Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico.
From Kirkus
Reviews , February 1, 1999
Lourie, following the format of his previous photo-essays (Yukon
River, 1992, etc.), traces the route of the Rio Grande, third longest
river in the US, from its origin high in the Colorado mountains, 1,885
miles to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way, historic and contemporary
photographs tell of people and events past and present. The first-person
narrative makes the past come alive; under discussion are ranchers,
miners, and outlaws such as Billy the Kid and Pancho Villa. Lourie visits
Taos Pueblos, describes the petroglyphs carved in the rocks, rafts, and
camps along the shores, stops at a ghost town flooded when the Falcon Dam
was created, interviews border patron officers, and ends at the azure
waters of the gulf. Throughout the narrative runs an accomplished
combination of history, geography, archaeology, and ecology. (Nonfiction.
10-12) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
15.
McCully, Emily. An Outlaw Thanksgiving.
From
Booklist
, September 1, 1998
Gr. 2^-5. Based on a true incident in the 1890s West, when Butch
Cassidy and his outlaws threw a lavish Thanksgiving banquet for the
ranching community that was their favorite outlaw hideout, McCully
imagines it from the point of view of a child who lands up at the party as
an unexpected guest. Clara and her uptight mother are on a railway journey
from New York State to meet up with Clara's father and make a new life in
California when their train is stopped by a huge snowstorm. They accept a
fellow passenger's invitation to ride with him on a sled to his
"family's" Thanksgiving dinner in Brown's Hole, Utah. When they
get there, Clara recognizes that their host is the outlaw from the wanted
posters. McCully's exciting watercolor paintings show the adventure of the
railroad journey when immigrants and roughnecks were crowded together with
elegant travelers. Then there is the wildness of the snowstorm that
transforms the prairie and, finally, the boisterous Thanksgiving party,
where Clara joins the feast and dances the polka with the famous, charming
outlaw. Hazel Rochman
Copyright© 1998, American Library Association. All rights reserved
16.
Wells, Rosemary. Mary on Horseback: Three Mountain Stories.
From Booklist
, September 1, 1998
Gr. 3^-6. Three very poignant vignettes bring to life the true
story of Mary Breckenridge, the unforgettable founder of the Frontier
Nursing Service, which since 1925 has provided medical service to rural
Appalachian Kentucky. Through the voice of a child whose father has been
severely injured in a logging accident, the reader is introduced to the
poverty-stricken conditions of the mountain people and to Mary, who after
suffering great losses herself turned her grief into positive action,
trekking around on horseback to deliver much needed help to these people.
The next story is told by a nurse who came to help Mary and found herself
immediately dispensing precious diphtheria serum to the children of the
woods. The last story is told by a child who, after being grief stricken
into silence by the death of her mother, eventually finds her voice
through helping Mary and the other nurses. These are not happy stories,
yet the hope that this incredible woman provided for all those she touched
clearly affected many, many lives. These beautifully written stories will
remain with the reader long after the book is closed; Wells has given much
deserved honor to a true heroine. A brief afterword fills in the facts
about Breckenridge and her nursing service. Helen Rosenberg
Copyright© 1998, American Library Association. All rights reserved
17.
Montgomery, Sy. Snake Scientist.
Book
Description
Dr. Robert Mason, the current recipient of the National Science
Foundation's Young Investigator Award, has been studying a mysterious
phenomenon for over fifteen years - one of the most extraordinary events
of the natural world - the reemergence from a winter spent in a state of
suspended animation in subterranean caverns of tens of thousands of
red-sided garter snakes - the world's largest concentration of snakes.
The work of scientists can often seem mysterious and
intimidating to the nonscientist. No longer! Introducing an exciting
perspective on the important work of scientists in all areas of research
and study. Scientists in the Field show people immersed in the
unpredictable and dynamic natural world, making science more accessible,
relevant, and exciting to young readers. Far from the research laboratory,
these books show first-hand adventures in the great outdoors - adventures
with a purpose. From climbing into a snake den with thousands of
slithering snakes to tracking wolves, readers experience the thrill of
discovering the unknown
18.
Ryan, Pam Munoz. Riding Freedom
From Booklist
, January 1, 1998
Gr. 3^-6. In a lively historical novel, Ryan draws on the true life
story of Charlotte Darkey Parkhurst ("One-Eyed Charley"), in the
mid-nineteenth century, who disguised herself as a boy at the age of 12
and ran away from a grim New Hampshire orphanage. Always hiding the fact
that she was female, she made a life for herself working with horses,
first as a stable hand, then as an expert coach-driver, and later, out
west, where she found her own place at last. Middle-schoolers will love
the horse adventures and the stories of her trickery (she even used her
male disguise to vote, more than 50 years before women were allowed to do
that). Brian Selznick's full-page shaded pencil illustrations show the
quiet, daring young woman in man's stiff clothing; they express her
yearning and loneliness as well as her deadpan mischief and her bond with
the horses she loved. Hazel Rochman
Copyright© 1998, American Library Association. All rights reserved
--
From Kirkus
Reviews , December 1, 1997
A fictionalized account of the true story of Charlotte Parkhurst,
opening with the death of her parents when she was two years old, and
covering, subsequently, her life in an orphanage, her decision to run away
dressed as a boy, and her career as a stagecoach driver. The tale ends
with the fulfillment of her dream to own a ranch. Along the way, and
always disguised as a man, she loses the use of an eye, votes in an
election (thereby becoming the first woman to do so), and gains renown as
a safe and expert driver. Ryan (Armadillos Sleep in Dugouts, p. 1537,
etc.) provides the facts of Parkhurst's life in an author's note that also
indicates places where she took creative license. The story flows along
effortlessly; the details of the stagecoach driver's life and skills are
fascinating. Without exaggerating, Selznick's black-and-white drawings
convey a character who could easily pass as a woman or a man, further
enhancing this credible and entertaining depiction of an interesting and
little-known person. (Fiction. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus
Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
19.
Stevens, Janet and Crummel, Susan S. Cook-A-Doodle-Doo
From Booklist
,April 15, 1999
Part careful recipe, part wild farce, this gloriously illustrated
picture book brings the farmyard into the kitchen with parody and puns and
nonsense slapstick that kids will love. Big Brown Rooster is sick of
chicken feed. Inspired by his famous great-grandmother, Little Red Hen, he
finds her recipe for strawberry shortcake. At first, no one will help
("Not I," said Dog); but then Turtle, Iguana, and Potbellied Pig
are only too eager to join Rooster in the kitchen. Turtle can read; Iguana
(with a striped oven mitt on his head) can get stuff; Pig is dying to
taste; they are a team. The first ingredient is flour (Iguana dashes
outside and picks a petunia). When the recipe says "sift,"
Iguana dives into the flour. Measure the flour: Iguana grabs a ruler. Beat
the egg: he picks up a baseball bat. Each time, Rooster restores order
("No, no, no"), then does it right. With the main story and each
hilarious, mouthwatering double-page picture of pandemonium, there is a
quiet sidebar in small type that explains what recipes are, what
ingredients are, what measuring and baking means, and how to make a
strawberry shortcake, step by step. The luscious illustrations on
hand-made paper are beautifully drawn and deliciously textured, in
brilliant shades of red strawberry, brown cake, and creamy filling. The
full recipe is printed on the last page, and kids will want to join the
team, get in the messy kitchen, follow the directions, and eat that cake. Hazel
Rochman
Copyright© 1999, American Library Association. All rights reserved
From Kirkus
Reviews
A cross between a picture book take-off of the story of the Little
Red Hen and a cooking lesson on the making of strawberry shortcake. When
Big Brown Rooster, great-grandson of the Little Red Hen, discovers a
recipe for strawberry shortcake in her book, The Joy of Cooking Alone, he
makes up his mind to be a cook. In a nod to the original tale, Dog, Cat,
and Goose won't help, but Turtle, Iguana, and Pig volunteer. Panels
running down the outer margins of some pages offer further information on
cooking; in the meantime, the antics surrounding the baking of the cake
overtake the studied connections to Little Red Hen. Though entertaining,
the story is not seamless in its many functions; it ends on a flat note
with a splat of the shortcake on the floor and a pep talk about teamwork.
The real humor is in the hilarious illustrations, where a
sketchier-than-usual style gives the book a more hurried appearance.
Stevens never misses an opportunity for expressiveness in her characters;
her inclusion of funny details adds more silliness to the story, from the
overturned copper-pot hat on Turtle to the T-rex measuring cup. (Picture
book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights
reserved.
20.
Weeks, Sarah. Regular Guy
From Booklist
,September 1, 1999
Like LaFaye's Strawberry Hill and Koss' The Ashwater
Experiment , this is another book about a child who hates his hippy
parents and longs for a "normal" life, only to discover how
lucky he is at home. Weeks treats the situation with wild exaggeration, a
farcical plot, and just a touch of tenderness. Guy is so uncomfortable in
his crazy family that he decides he was switched at birth with the
sixth-grade class nerd, Bob-o. However, just one weekend in Bob-o's cold,
empty home shows Guy where he really belongs and makes him feel for
troubled Bob-o, whose parents have no time for their son. Many
middle-graders will enjoy the gross humor (lots of snot and clatter and
fishy smells) as much as the view of embarrassing adults who love you even
though they drive you nuts. Hazel Rochman
Copyright© 1999, American Library Association. All rights reserved
From
Kirkus Reviews
PLB 0-06-028368-8 A boy finds himself so ill-suited for his family
that he believes he must have been switched at birtha classic childhood
hunch that in Weeks's first novel, by turns drab and exaggerated, falls
pretty flat. Sixth grader Guy thinks of himself as normal and feels
alienated from his eccentric parents: his red-headed mother decoupages
everything in sight and renders his father in ice sculpture; Guy's father,
in turn, can do disgusting things with an oyster and is called ``Wuckums.''
Along with his best friend, Buzz, Guy discovers among the school files
that there was indeed another boy in town born the same day as he was:
Bob-o. The weird and odious Bob-o has parents that seem remarkably normal
to Guy, and they are left-handed and dimpled, as is he. Guy invents a
class assignment that involves switching homes with Bob-o for a weekend;
Guy discovers that normal isn't much fun and Bob-o finds kindred spirits
in Guy's folks. The whole thing blows up in a melodramatic
misinterpretation, as Guy figures out that there is no place like homea
foreordained ending in a novel that starts with a thin premise and grows
flimsier with each page. (Fiction. 9-12) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus
Associates, LP.
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