The Ugly Pumpkin

Inventive, amusing, and surprising. Riotously colorful illustrations. The bright colors, bouncy rhymes, and engaging pumpkin combine to make this a charming children's book with a happy and surprising ending.
Pumpkin pickers pooh-pooh the orange, barbell-shaped 'ugly pumpkin' in October. Fortunately, November brings the lonesome veggie some new friends and an epiphany. Expressive hand-lettered pages convey strong emotions.
Simple rhyming text. Children familiar with the story of the Ugly Duckling will recognize the parody here. Horowitz creates the mood with a wide range of expressions. This Halloween children's book is for kids reading levels ages 4-8. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other children's books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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The Ugly Pumpkin

The Hallo-wiener

Children will immediately identify with Oscar, a little "wiener" dog with many of his own problems. Because of his unusual shape and size, the rest of the dog and cat community often teases Oscar. To make matters enen worse, Oscar's mother surprises him with a homemade Halloween costume. The hot dog costume, complete with mustard and a bun, is not exactly what Oscar had in mind. Not wanting to hurt his mother's feelings, Oscar decides to wear the costume, even though he knows the reaction it will evoke from his friends. Burdened by the size of his costume, Oscar tries to trick-or-treat with his friends despite incessant teasing and hounds who take all the treats before Oscar can make it to the houses. Oscar feels that all is lost. Suddenly, a ghastly monster appears and frightens the dogs so much that they jump into a nearby pond to hide. Because of his short stature, Oscar is able to discover the true identity of the monster and expose it as a couple of ornery cats. Oscar rescues his friends and becomes a hero. The colorful illustrations and rich language compliment this hilarious tale. Readers will cheer for Oscar as he goes from a "Wiener Dog" to a "Hero Sandwich." This Halloween children's book is for kids reading levels ages 4-8. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other children's books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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The Hallo-wiener

Halloween Howlers: Frightfully Funny Knock-Knock Jokes

Knock, knock! Who's there?" Are the familiar opening lines of this collection of Halloween-themed knock-knock jokes. The play on words leads to some funny responses that children will enjoy reading and telling to other people. Most of the jokes have all lines of words visible on the page; however, each layout has a couple responses that are under the flaps. Children will need to lift the flap to read the punch line for the knock-knock joke. Some children may find some difficulty understanding the puns. The color illustrations reveal a storyline that runs through the book. The story begins with a boy and a girl looking for their Halloween outfit at a costume shop; then the two children in their pirate and witch costumes go out to trick-or-treat in the neighborhood. The two children attend a costume party and enjoy other frightfully fun Halloween activities including a haunted house. Their Halloween concludes at home where they look over their treats. This Halloween kids book is a entertaining collection for those children who enjoy Halloween and knock-knock jokes. This Halloween children's book is for kids reading levels ages 4-8. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other children's books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child. A quick reminder that all Halloween children's books on the website are now on sale.

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Halloween Howlers

Big Pumpkin

This Halloween story is a perfect for young listeners who still seek comfort during Halloween and who are ready for a fun story. The repetition, internal rhymes, and places for chorusing involve and reassure young listeners. The Halloween story presents traditionally frightening figures in a friendly light. The tale centers on a green-faced, grumpy witch who is craving a piece of pumpkin pie, but she can not separate her huge pumpkin from its vine. A ghost, vampire, and mummy believe themselves strong enough to triumph, but they find that success only comes with cooperation. The satisfying end brings shared pumpkin pie and friendship, providing yet another subtle reassurance. There are also sounds and speech that make this a natural read-aloud for parents. This Halloween kids book is for children's reading levels ages 4-8. As a friendly reminder, all children's Halloween books are on sale now. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other children's books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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Big Pumpkin

Apples and Pumpkins

A little girl visits a local farm with her mother and father. When the leaves on the trees turn red, yellow, and orange it means it is time for picking apples and pumpkins. Written by Anne Rockwell and illustrated by her daughter Lizzy, this picture book (first published in 1989) is modest and straightforward. The rosy-cheeked family drives to the farm where they are greeted by the owner, Mr. Comstock, who immediately gives them a basket perfect for apple picking. Geese, chickens, and a turkey follow the family as they walk to the orchard. The little girl climbs a small tree to grab the reddest apples. After their baskets is full they head over to the pumpkin field, where Dad cuts the best one from the vine. These fall traditions are followed by Halloween activities. A full-page spread illustrates a partially carved jack-o'-lantern as well as the finished product, glowing in the dark. Finally, it is time to go trick-or-treating. Mom hands out apples, not candy, to costumed children, while Dad and daughter go trick-or-treating up the street. Wearing a black robe, pointy hat, and green mask with a long warty nose, the little girl is dressed as a witch, of course! A good-natured story, that shows a family outside doing fun fall and Halloween activities. The simple text is easy for young listeners to follow and could be useful in a primary classroom to teach sequential events and descriptive writing. This Halloween children's book is for kids reading levels ages 4-8. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other topics you would like to have discussed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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Apples and Pumpkins

Young Cam Jansen and the 100th Day of School

Cam Jansen is excellent at solving mysteries, partly because she has a photographic memory. Whenever she looks at something, she "clicks" in her mind and takes a picture of it. She is called "Cam," as in short for camera, because her mind works like a camera. It is the 100th Day of School and each class is celebrating with treats that begin with different letters of the alphabet. Cam's class is having food and drinks that start with the letter "P," pretzels, popcorn, pineapple juice, and pizza. When Ms. Dee sends Cam and Eric to the cafeteria to get the pizza, it is missing. The cafeteria manager is sure she left three pizzas on racks next to the oven, but there is no pizza in sight. Cam solves the mystery when she studies the alphabet cards in the classroom. She finds the pizza in Mr. Baker's room. His students had thought it was theirs because they had the letter "C" and saw so much cheese. Emergent readers will enjoy reading this simple chapter book independently. It is a part of the "Viking Easy-to-Read" series. This children's book is for kids reading levels ages 4-8. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other children's books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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Young Cam Jansen and the 100th Day of School

Mr. Putter & Tabby Run the Race

One April, Mrs. Teaberry talks her friend into taking part in a marathon race for seniors. Mr. Putter says he has "not run anywhere in thirty years" and has forgotten how, but he decides to give it a shot since one of the prizes is a train set. He trains a little and has tea with Tabby a lot. On race day he is intimidated by how fit the other racers are and he soon falls to the back of the pack. Tabby and Mrs. Teaberry's dog, Zeke, watch from the top of a car. Unable to stay still, Zeke jumps down and joins the runners, creating chaos and some unexpected results as well. Gently humorous and with underlying messages of friendship and sharing, this is a good addition to the series. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are expressive and enliven the text. This children's book is for kids reading levels ages 4-8. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other children's books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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Mr. Putter & Tabby Run the Race

Maisy Takes a Bath

Maisy loves taking a bath. She prepares the tub with lots of foamy bubbles. She helps duck float carefree in the warm water. But just before she can plop into a tubful of fun, "ding dong," the doorbell rings. It's Tallulah, ready to play tennis! Maisy passes on playtime because it's her bathtime. She runs upstairs to get undressed and jumps into the bubbly bath. The doorbell rings again. Dripping, Maisy answers the door to find Tallulah once more. Maisy says she cannot play because it's her bathtime, but she invites Tallulah to come and play later. Tallulah has a better idea. She runs passed Maisy, undresses, and splashes into the tantalizing tub. Hooray! Maisy and Tallulah found out that bathtime can be playtime. Cousins' colorful and familiar characters warm their way into readers' heart--and tubs. This children's book is for kids reading levels ages 2-5. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other children's books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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Maisy Takes a Bath

Lighthouses for Kids: History, Science, and Lore with 21 Activities

Lighthouses are the beacons of our past and they still attract us. Children run up the steps, into the round rooms, asking what was it like to grow up in a lighthouse. Some of the answers are in House's book. In many short biographies, House introduces lighthouse children and their lives. They lived where they could not find friends easily. They could not get to the library or to school easily. They had to pay close attention to the weather. And when writing about William Spear, Jr., who grew up in Delaware, excitement came just by opening a can of food—if the food was salvaged from a shipwreck. "Mother would open a can hoping that it would be beans or tomatoes, and we would be delighted to find out that it contained peaches or cherries." House melds the disciplines of history, science, and engineering in this book, explaining all aspects using terms and experiments that will attract both readers and doers. While lighthouses as a group are not part of most curricula, the book does address physics of water pressure, the physics of light, and the curvature of the Earth. It also looks at the history of seafaring in the United States and how changes in boats affected the need for lighthouses. But more to the point, the book is just fun, with wonderful photos, interesting biographical sketches, crafts and experiments. It will be enjoyed. Back matter includes lighthouse resources, a selected bibliography, and an index.This kids book is for kids reading levels ages 9-12. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other kids books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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Lighthouses for Kids

Katy and the Big Snow

For over sixty years young children have identified with Katy the snowplow who was always waiting for her big chance to plow her way to fame. For winter after winter, Katy has few opportunities to show off until the year of a big blizzard. Now Katy is challenged to keep chug, chug, chugging her way to rescue the citizens of Geopolis, helping all kinds of stranded people get to the hospital, to the airport, and, of course, to get safely home. This reissue of the story in paperback form is fancied up a bit with sparkle on the cover and stickers at the back. Children will certainly enjoy these add-ons but in the end, they are not necessary. It is Burton's tribute to perseverance and her wonderful sketchy drawings that will make yet another generation of children eager to hear the adventures of Katy again and again. This children's book is for kids reading levels ages 4-8. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other children's books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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Katy and the Big Snow

Safe at Home

Nick Crandell loves to play baseball. He is the catcher for the junior varsity team and is looking forward to playing on the summer baseball team. One day, he notices the varsity coach watching him practice and though he thinks little about it, he is amazed when the coach comes up to him and offers him the catcher's position on the varsity team—a position now not next year. The varsity catcher has broken a wrist and the team needs Nick. However, the uncertainty of being able to play with the older boys seeks to destroy the remarkable chance that Nick has been given. The older boys are not happy to have the JV player on their team and the pressure of their displeasure affects Nick's confidence and play. It is not long before the lack of confidence infiltrates all of Nick's life; his relationships with friends, with family, with school all suffer as he struggles to prove his ability to play varsity. One big blow out with his best friend, Gracie, and Nick knows that he must rethink his complaints against those who really do care about him. This is a sweet story of young teen identity and how sports can both help and hurt that process. Lupica's fans will enjoy this addition to his "Comeback Kids" series for young readers. This kid's book is for young readers reading levels ages 9-12. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other kid's books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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Safe at Home

A Circle Here, A Square There: My Shapes Book

Shapes. The quick research showed more than 150 board books addressing shapes published since 2005. It is a popular subject. On each spread of this children's book, the single word for the shape is printed in big letters. Then one or more examples are presented; usually, one large one is shown. For circle, we see a big scoop of ice cram in a sugar cone. The square is a big package tied with a bow. In both cases, kids are looking at the items with eager anticipation. The triangle is a piece of pizza, the rectangle a collection of containers on a ship. Other shapes include oval, heart, diamond, crescent, and octagon. The latter did seem a bit out of place, but the example of a stop sign will be familiar to most toddlers. This childrens's book is for kids reading levels ages 0-4. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other children's books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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A Circle Here, A Square There: My Shapes Book

Babymouse #9: Monster Mash

In this ninth book in the popular "Babymouse" graphic novel series, young readers follow Babymouse, a spunky anthropomorphic mouse, as she prepares for Halloween. Every time she tries to enjoy herself though, mean cat girl Felicia Furrypaws is there to tell Babymouse that girls have to wear pretty costumes (even though Babymouse wants to go as a zombie), that trick-or-treaters must coordinate their costumes (even though Babymouse hates dressing up as a fairy), and that Babymouse has to invite Felicia's friends to her party (even though Babymouse is pretty sure the girls are evil). But when the bullies make Babymouse vandalize houses on Halloween, Babymouse realizes they have crossed a line. Can she stand up to them and have a happy Halloween? With the creation of brother-sister team Jennifer and Matthew Holm, Babymouse provides readers with a witty heroine who loves to banter with an unseen narrator that communicates via caption boxes. Blessed with a runaway imagination, Babymouse is constantly fantasizing that the Creature from the Black Lagoon is in her locker or that some rolls of toilet paper have turned her into a mummy—daydreams that are perfectly captured by the book's squiggly line drawings. Overall, Babymouse: Monster Mash provides a fun, fast read that will leave kids hungry for the rest of the series. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other children's books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child. This children's book is for kids reading levels ages 4-8.

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Babymouse #9: Monster Mash

Slam Dunk, Volume 1

Although Inoue's imported teen sport-romance manga Slam Dunk-a big hit back in Japan-is ostensibly about the love of basketball, it really starts out as a chronicle of love and rejection in high school. The series' towering, red-haired hero, Hanamichi Sakuragi, is first shown in utter dejection, after having been rejected by 50 girls in a row (apparently, people are keeping count). But saving him from utter despair is the appearance of the angelic Haruko Akagi, who flirtatiously swoons over his stature and wonders whether or not he plays basketball. After some gentle considerations of whether he's interested ("If only I could walk her to school!! Then I could die happy") Hanamichi sets about trying to get on the basketball team. Haruko disappears from the pages not long after she has conveniently set the plot device in motion, leaving Inoue free to depict Hanamichi's attempts be accepted by the arrogant upperclassmen who dominate the team. It comes as a disappointment to Hanamichi-a hot-tempered kid who prefers to pick fights and slam dunk than learn how to actually play the game,-that winning Haruko's heart is going to take some work. Inoue's pacing is frantic, if somewhat padded, but he manages to maintain a welcome sense of humor amid all the adolescent gamesmanship. This kids book is for kids reading levels ages 9-12. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other kids books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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Slam Dunk, Volume 1

Heads

The best-selling author and illustrator of Heads has had a long run of successful books for children, and this one will surely be no exception. Like several other of his works, it is a large white book of thick pages and stiff-to-push or pull tabs. Van Fleet has a delightful talent for creating huggable wild animals. In this children's book the giraffe, elephant, rhinoceros, lion and alligator on the cover seem to be enjoying a good laugh together as, with the reader's help, they shove together the five letters necessary to spell the title of the book. Inside the reader will find all kinds of birds, animals and reptiles, and not just their heads! There are touchable textured areas of wooly heads, hairy heads, floppy ears and sticky tongues. One pull-tab cracks two eggs open so two ducklings can hatch; another causes a frog's neck to inflate. An elephant wiggles his ears to shake off flies and a baby tiger wakes his mother with a little lick. The reader may not realize how many animals he has encountered until the last page when, inside a giant pop-up of a whale's spout, all the animals in the children's book reappear. This children's book is for kids reading levels ages 0-4. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other children's books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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Heads

Tough to Tackle

This kids book is geared toward readers with an interest in football, this sports novel is an endearing tale that speaks loudly of never giving up. Theodore "Boots" Raymond has his heart set on the position of quarterback when he decides to go out for football. He does not realize until the day of tryouts that he is too big for a quarterback and is assigned the right-tackle position. Boots experiences a series of changes beginning with a less-than-perfect attitude that eventually progresses to a desire to work hard for his team. Through correspondence with his brother, Tom, who is away in the military, Boots is encouraged to stick with playing football and to give it his all, no matter what position he is assigned to play. Boots also learns a great deal about friendship as one of his best friends, Duck, steps out on a limb to call Boots on his actions. This kids book is recommended for anyone with an interest in sports. Its positive message is a strong reminder of the value of teamwork in all circumstances. This kids book is for readers ages 9-12. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other kids books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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Tough to Tackle

Baseball: How To Play The Game: The Official Playing and Coaching Manual of Major League Baseball

Baseball writer Pete Williams presents a how-to book, generously illustrated, that will serve both as a beautiful coffee-table work for fans interested in seeing gorgeous action shots of star players and as a definitive guide to skills acquisition and enhancement for players and coaches. From fundamentals to mechanics, drills to talent development, every element of the game is analyzed and illustrated. Youths and adults alike will enjoy the tips included from star MLB players. While there is nothing new in this kids book, the combination of superb photography with stellar commentary results in a fine book for kids. This kids book is for readers ages 9-12. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other kids books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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How To Play The Game

Jack and the Leprechaun

When Jack the mouse travels to Ireland to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with his Irish cousins, he is indoctrinated into all things Irish. He learns about the shamrock and Irish foods, and of course, the legend of the leprechaun and his pot of gold. Jack comes across Liam the Leprechaun and chases him for his gold, but receives a pot of cheese instead. Since he is a mouse, this suits Jack fine. The author has tried to pull in cultural information about Ireland, even using two terms, which are italicized, from the Irish language. Unfortunately, there are also inaccuracies in the book. For example, the Irish flag is not orange and white, and Danny Boy is not the official song of St. Patrick's Day. This children's book is for kids reading levels ages 4-8. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other children's books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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Jack and the Leprechaun

Read and Learn Bible

These Bible stories from the Old and New Testaments are easily written in large print with colorful pictures on every page. Children can read this Bible for themselves. "The Tower of Babel," "Daniel and the Lions," "Jesus is Born," and "Jesus Heals a Crippled Man," are some of the 102 stories paraphrased from the King James version, the Contemporary English version, and other translations. Words in the text are further explained in a colored note at the bottom of the page. The books included are listed at the beginning of the Old and New Testament sections, along with the stories taken from each book. At the end are 20 "Parent Pages" written by Dr. Richard Bimler, which give suggestions for family projects and discussion. These Pages use specific Bible stories to illustrate topics such as "Facing the Fears of Life" and "Share Your Gifts." The scholarly resources of the American Bible Society coupled with Scholastic have produced a fully illustrated Bible especially for young readers and their families. This children's book is for kids reading levels ages 4-8. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other children's books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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Read and Learn Bible

The Jesus Storybook Bible, Read-Aloud Edition: Every Story Whispers His Name

I love to give family and friends The Jesus Storybook Bible because from the very first chapter it paints a powerful picture of God’s epic love for each one of us. Sally Lloyd-Jones has a unique way of inviting the reader, young or old, to dive in and discover for themselves the truth and hope of the greatest story ever told. I would urge not just families with young children to get this children's book, but every Christian from pew warmers, to ministry leaders, seminarians and even theologians! Sally Lloyd-Jones has captured the heart of what it means to find Christ in all the scriptures, and has made clear even to little children that all God’s revelation has been about Jesus from the beginning a truth not all that commonly recognized even among the very learned. This children's book is for kids reading levels ages 4-8. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other children's books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends. Remember to always praise your child.

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The Jesus Storybook Bible