Sunflower House

Rich watercolor and colored pencil illustrations display the sun-drenched setting of the beautiful outdoors as a young boy creates a summer playhouse made from sunflowers that he planted. The children's story is told in rhyming verse, and it follows the boy and his friends through a whole summer of fun and make-believe in their sunflower house. In the fall, when the sunflowers begin to fade, the children decide to save some of the seeds to plant the following year. Sharp-eyed readers may notice the wide scattering of seeds that occurs in the last scene and deduce that the following summer will yield an even larger bunch of flowers where the children play. 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. Keep on praising your child.

Sunflower House

My Weird School Daze #5: Officer Spence Makes No Sense!

A.J. is a student at Ella Mentry School, where school is anything but boring. A missing peanut butter sandwich at lunchtime in the vomitorium brings about another day of weirdness, where Officer Spence accuses one and all of stealing A.J.'s sandwich, starting with the teachers and eventually arresting the entire school. Told from A.J.'s view, complete with commentary on adults and the English language, the child reading this next volume in the "My Weird School Daze" series will enjoy the story while the adult will appreciate the puns. Whether considering that WOW is MOM upside down, or listening to Officer Spence listing all the synonyms for jail, the reader will be in hysterics, wondering at the lunacy of the police in this school's community where a crossing guard is arrested for jaywalking and a bus driver for drinking coffee while driving. This children's reading book is for kids reading levels ages 8-12. 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 friends. Remember to always praise your child.

My Weird School Daze

Karate Kick

Cole is an 11 year old karate student getting ready to test for his green belt. In Karate Kick, he is confronted by a bully, helps someone come back to karate, steals something and has to make up for it, and discovers that jealousy is useless. The tone is sometimes preachy. The kids story book seems to assume the reader has martial arts experience or knowledge, but unlike other sports, martial arts vary by discipline and even by dojo. Belt colors do not always go in the same order and kata and block, kick, punch, and stance names are not always the same. Because if this, it was often confusing for my children who have been taking martial arts for almost a year and a half. Overall, an okay kids book with a nice, feel good ending. This children's reading 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. Keep on praising your children daily.

Karate Kick

Rapunzel

The cover of this children's book is so beautiful that you can almost feel the texture of Rapunzel's golden tresses as she gazes into the distance from her isolated tower. This variant on the kids story is immensely satisfying, and the lengthy author's note provides a provenance and rationale for Zelinsky's retelling. The magnificent oils transport readers to the Italian countryside. The fabrics, skin textures, hair, and the detailed interiors are exquisitely rendered. Zelinsky will certainly have his wish to inspire readers to seek out more Renaissance art fulfilled. Readers can not help but want to see more art like that which he has created. 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 friends. Remember to always praise your child.

Rapunzel

Fraction Fun

For many young students, the mere mention of fractions brings on headache, tummyache, and confusion. But no longer! This simple, hands-on concept book is clear and concise. The simple definition of a fraction, that it is a part of something, introduces a pizza pie that is divided, studied, compared, and, of course, eaten. Weighing coins determines how many make one ounce, and what the fractional value of each coin is. The cartoon like illustrations are colorful, whimsical, and humorous; they also make the concepts clear. Without a fraction of a doubt, parents and teachers will find limitless possibilities in this book. This children's 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. Keep your child reading.

Fraction Fun

The Joker

Building on Heath Ledger's performance in The Dark Knight(although long before the movie's debut), Azzarello creates a memorably cringe-worthy story. Rather than a natty Clown Prince of Crime, this Joker looks like a glam rocker gone to toxic seed. Newly released from Arkham Asylum, he begins disorganizing the criminal establishment of Gotham City. Although he claims to want power and money when he confronts Two Face and his peers, he really seems just to enjoy playing with people-shooting them, setting them on fire or skinning them alive. Accompanying him is Jonny Frost, a young thug who takes a long time to recognize the drawbacks of seeing a vicious sociopath as a role model. Like Jonny, however, readers may find that, horrifying as the Joker is, they can't take their eyes off him. Even Batman, when he inevitably enters the action, functions largely as the Joker's partner in a dance of death. Azzarello has learned how to create a menacing, morally ambivalent atmosphere in his years of scripting 100 Bullets, and Bermejo's jagged, shadow-saturated art sustains the mood. The result is fascinating, but extremely dark. This kids graphic novel is for kids reading levels ages 9-12 and also for young adult readers. 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 friends. Remember to keep on reading with your children.

The Joker

Pretty Little Liars #6: Killer

I love the Pretty Little Liars book...they're amazing!!! I have never read a teen book that made me so NERVOUS and ANXIOUS to find out who A is and Ali's murder!! I think I know who A is as well... My friend and I (well mostly her) came up with what I think is an award-winning theory!! Well first of all I believe that there are three A's, well 2 now since Mona is dead, and I think they were all working together. The second A I think is...Jenna. Why? Because if you remember in Flawless, Toby wrote a letter to Emily and Jenna gave it to Emily. When Jenna handed Emily the letter she said "your part is somewhere in the middle.."....ummm how did Jenna know that??? She can't read...she's blind!!! Yeah I doubt that she is... but she's probably out to get them b/c they were mean to her in middle school.
Okay, this is going to sound so crazy but our 3rd A suspect is.....Alison!!!I know crazy, right? She's dead. Yeah, well I don't believe that!! Why? Remember in , I forgot other Perfect of Unbelievable, Emily was in the yearbook room and she was looking at the page dedicated to Ali and she saw the pic that Mona had in her purse of Ali and then Mya came in and asked who was that and Emily said "Alison" and then Mya said "that doesn't look like Ali"...what Mya said was very IMPORTANT!! Who out of Aria, Spencer, Hannah, and Emily saw Ali's body in the ground of her backyard??? None. However, Mya did. so what mya was saying was that the "Alison" in the pic doesn't look like the "Alison" who was in the ground dead!!!! So the "Alison" who is dead isn't the real Alison..It's someone else!! And if you read Wicked,Ian proved this theory. He said "there were two blondes in the woods that night". and if ali's alive,she killed Ian.And i think Jason knows that's why he said he doesn't communicate with his family because "they're too messed up"... I mean how AMAZING would that be to end the series with the final A being reveled as Alison!!!?? This teen book is for teens reading levels ages 12-18. Leave us your comments. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let us know what other teen books you would like to have reviewed. Share this post with your family and friends.

Pretty Little Liars #6: Killer

The Big Green Book of Beginner Books

This great combination of six of Dr. Seuss' favorites are marketed as the "Beginner Books" series, a new approach to reading in 1957—the time of the publication of his first book "The Cat in the Hat." Minimal text, repetition of words, alliteration, and illustrations that lend clues to the words are strategies routinely used by publishers of beginning readers today. The six stories: "Great Day for Up" (1974), "Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog?" (1975), "I Wish That I Had Duck Feet" (1965), "Wacky Wednesday" (1974), "Maybe You Should Fly a Jet," "Maybe You Should Be a Vet" (1980) and "I Am NOT Going to Get Up Today" (1987) all have the nonsense appeal of Dr. Seuss and similar, recognizable illustrations even though done by various illustrators over the years. They beg to be read out loud leading to the young child being able to easily mimic the words when attempting to read on their own. Packaged as an "I Can Read It All By Myself" children's book, it is a necessary addition to every beginning reader's library and now nicely combined as the perfect gift. Parents brought up on some of the older stories will enjoy passing their enjoyment on. 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 friends. Remember to always praise your child.

The Big Green Book of Beginner Books

Fly With Poetry: An ABC of Poetry

Gr 3-5-Twenty-seven original short poems, generally one for each letter of the alphabet. Each selection illustrates a particular form or term, such as acrostics (two types), blank verse, cinquain, haiku, limerick, metaphor, onomatopoeia, and sonnet. The deceptively simple poetry conveys a wide variety of moods and images. The example of free verse in "Tree Dancers" is particularly effective: "Winds/sweeping over pines/shape limbs into/rigid images:/tree dancers/ locked/in frozen rhythm-/silent tango partners." A clear definition of the poetic device exemplified appears at the bottom of the page on which it appears. Brightly colored drawings, ranging from realistic to cartoon, accompany each poem. Unfortunately, a blank page designated for the letter "Y" ("Your Poem") asks readers to "write your poem in here." Still, this brief guide will make a good companion volume to more detailed introductions to creative writing, such as Myra Livingston's lucid Poem-Making (HarperCollins, 1991).-Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information. This children's book is for kids reading levels ages 9-12. 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. Keep on praising your child. Keep them reading daily.

Fly With Poetry: An ABC of Poetry

Second Grade Rules, Amber Brown

"A Is for Amber" designates the series which takes place when the famous Amber Brown was younger and her parents were still together. In this adventure (perhaps her last; Ms. Danziger died in 2004), the seven-year-old Amber loves second grade and her unconventional teacher, Mrs. Light. She even likes the class rules till a new one pops up—all desks must be kept clean. Poor Amber, neatness is not her thing, until Mrs. Light tells the class about Deskarina, the Desk Fairy, who leaves treats for a neatly organized space. The lively story, Ambers' second-grade friends (including Justin, who now tells chicken jokes), and her amusing but realistically difficult struggle for neatness will undoubtedly resonate with beginning readers. What fun to see Amber, wearing at last her hard-earned blue ribbon from Deskarina! Tony Ross's wonderfully immediate ink and watercolor illustrations continue to capture the essence of Amber in all her untidy charm. Some of the best depict Amber's visualizations of the Desk Fairy and her Deskmobile, topped by the little girl's glowing pride when she wins the ribbon and then her rueful look as she sees her cluttered bulletin board at home. This latest, perfectly-pitched tale will appeal to beginning readers whether Amber is an old friend or this is a first encounter with the author's endearing creation. Paula Danziger will be missed. The title has been reissued a part of the "Penguin Young Readers" series and is designated a Level 3 and Guided Reading Level "K." The opening page contains a note to parents and educators about the series and tips for making best use of this quality children's book. 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 friends. Remember to always praise your child. Keep on reading.

Second Grade Rules, Amber Brown