Read Rover: September 2010

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Picture Book - Charlie Cook's Favourite Book

"About Sir Percy Pilkington,
A bold and fearless knight,
who told the dragon...
Wait, I'm not quite ready to fight.

You must hear this one first!
And then his armour clanked and shook
As he read aloud a joke he'd found
(Inside his favourite book)...

This is a clever and entertaining picture book that should delight parents and children alike. The illustrations, by Alex Scheffler, are intricately detailed and well worth a second --or third or fourth or fifth-- look. The plot resembles a picture within a picture within a picture, ad nauseum. Beginning with Charlie in his armchair, each character reads about a character reading about a character who then reads about a character. As the journey unfolds, we are taken through every conceivable genre of book and even learn about the library and encyclopedias. Recommended for encouraging literacy and for everyone who has a child who is in love with reading.

Rating: 5 stars/5 stars

Recommended for ages 4 and up.

The details:
Donaldon, J. (2006). Charlie Cook's Favourite Book. London: Macmillan Children's Books.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Picture Book - Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

"VROOM-VROOM
VROOMY
VROOM-VROOM!

PIGEON AT THE WHEEL!"

This Caldecott honor book is utterly charming. I just loved the pigeon and his attempts to convince me to let him drive the bus while the bus driver was on his break. He tries everything: wheedling, sighing, stretching the truth, bribery and sulking, all to no avail. There are some good lessons to be learned here about grace in accepting you will not always get what you want in life, the ineffectualness of temper tantrums, and the need to dust yourself off and keep dreaming for the future. Adults will love the cartoon-like drawings and children will adore being able to answer "NO!" to all the pigeon's pleading. Contagious fun; highly recommended for reading aloud.

Rating: 5 stars/5 stars

Recommended for ages 3 and up.

The details:
Willems, M. (2003). Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Picture Book - What Pet to Get

"Let's get a pet," said Jack one day.
"I promise I'll look after it."

"If you like, dear," replied his mother
absentmindedly.
"What pet should we get?"

The illustrations of wide eyed, larger-than-life animals dominate this story and give a good sense of Jack's mounting excitement. I would have liked to have seen more rhyme or at least a common refrain to carry listeners along for the ride. This book is better read silently than aloud. However, the end is sure to induce some giggles from your audience.

I was delighted to see the Web site for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals highlighted at the front of the book for families looking to adopt a pet. Recommended for any family thinking of adding a fur baby to the mix because it is sure to be a conversation-starter.

Rating: 3.5 stars/5 stars

Recommended for ages 4 and up.

The details:
Dodd, E. (2006). What Pet to Get. New York: Scholastic.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Picture Book - Bear's New Friend

"Why don't you like us?
WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY???"
Then a trembling voice says,
"Because---I am shy."

This quiet book with softly illustrated woodland creatures is the fourth in a series of books about a bear cub and his friends. It did not resonate with me though, at least not as strongly as some of the other pictures books I have read. I came back to the book a few days after my first reading and found I could recall very little of the plot. That said, it would be a good book to read aloud because of the rhyme and the repeated refrain of, "And the bear asks, WHO?" Children may start to predict the pattern and enjoy joining in by shouting out the phrase in cahoots with the book's reader. The characters are sweet and there is a nice moral involving the importance of overcoming shyness in order to make new friends. Recommended for those whose children are nervous about school or making friends in general.

Rating: 3.5 stars/5 stars

Recommended for ages 4 and up.

The details:
Wilson, K. (2006). Bear's New Friend. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Picture Book: Olivia

After a nice bath, and a nice dinner, it's time for bed.
But of course Olivia's not at all sleepy.
"Only five books tonight, Mommy," she says.
"No, Olivia, just one."
"How about four?"
"Two."
"Three."
"Oh, all right, three.
But that's it!"

Olivia is a f

abulous book about a feisty little girl pig named Olivia; one that ought to be read aloud by all mothers to their daughters at bed time. Olivia wears everyone out, even herself, but despite this her family loves her very much. The book has some very touching scenes between family members, particularly those involving Olivia and her little brother, Ian, and Olivia and her mother. Parents and children alike will marvel at the black and white illustrations with their whimsical touches of red. Adults will appreciate how the illustrations show Olivia's love of art and literature impacting her development, filling her mind with dreams and ambitions. Recommended for any parents who want to foster lively imaginations in their children.

Rating: 5 stars/5 stars

Recommended for ages 4 and up.

The details:
Falconer, I. (2000). Olivia. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Picture Book: Leon the Chameleon

"Leon the chameleon was different from all the other chameleons.
When the others sat on a green leaf, they turned green.
When they stood on yellow sand, they turned yellow.
And when they swam in the blue pond, they turned blue.

But not Leon. When Leon sat on a green leaf, he turned red."

Leon the chameleon is an adorable story that parents and children will both enjoy. Children will love the vivid colours of the illustrations and will be intrigued to discover the world of the chameleons, while parents will appreciate the story's moral. Leon is different. He stands out in a crowd and sometimes not being the same as his peers makes him feel frightened, embarrassed or lonely. However, by the end of the book, he comes to realize that the others also feel scared at times and they really aren't so different after all. Leon finds he can help contribute to the greater good while maintaining his individuality. This is a story for everyone whose son or daughter marches to the beat of their own drummer or for those who feel shy in social situations.

Rating: 5 stars/5 stars

Recommended for ages 4 and up.

The details:
Watt, M. (2001). Leon the chameleon. Toronto: Kids Can Press.

How Do I Find Good Books?

http://ramp.torontopubliclibrary.ca/secondary/booksmore/one-content.jsp Ramp: Books & More - Toronto Public Library. Check out the books of the week for 2007. There are 52 books here with something for everyone. Also check out teen picks, graphic novels, magazines and audiobooks. Ramp is TPL's site for young adults and it's really well organized. There is a segment in the Stuff to Do section that tells you where to go in Toronto for free and there are links to a variety of useful pages, including the TTC schedule and movie times.
http://www.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/books_dvds_and_more/cat/C528/ Book Lists - Vancouver Public Library. The booklists are kind of confusing because the children's lists are mixed in with the Y. A. ones but don't let that put you off. Just read through the one sentence summaries and you'll quickly see that they have guides for selecting books in a variety of interesting areas, like GLBQT youth, First Nations, Historical Fiction, Mysteries, Thrillers, Multicultural Fiction and so on. The booklists are part of VPL's larger VPL Teens' Zone, so if you're local you might want to navigate through the rest of the site to see what they have to offer (check out the events!).

Magazines

http://www.fazeteen.com/main.htm. Faze. Faze is a Canadian teen magazine covering music, sports, careers and social issues. The covers make it look like your typical mindless fashion mag but Faze’s editors focus on showing people of different body types and writing about more than how to land a boyfriend. But for how long will this continue? While it started off proudly displaying a tiny, stylized maple leaf on its cover the editors have chosen to abandon the icon in favour of a more Americanized cover, which is kind of a shame. Why can't we ever be proud of our cultural heritage? I hope that Faze doesn’t bow to the pressure of fitting into one particular image in order to increase sales. Time will tell. That said the issues I read featured well written and informative articles on a variety of subjects. While there is a sizable section focused on beauty/make up/clothing, the models were of different races and ethnicities and appear to be real people (although none were overweight). The clothing is relatively affordable and available in Canada (Yay!) but sometimes only in big cities such as Toronto. I LOVED that one quiz I read was titled, “Test your Classic Literature IQ” rather than “Is He into You?” Awesome. The articles will appeal to both genders (ex. musician biographies, skateboarding tips) and the career profiles are a great way to get people thinking about what they want to do when they finish school, which is particularly important given the rocky state of today’s economy. All in all, there is a really positive vibe to this magazine and I would recommend it to teenage girls looking for something beyond the run-of-the-mill.
http://www.vergemagazine.ca/ Verge Magazine: Travel with Purpose. A magazine for people finishing high school who are considering volunteering, working, studying or travelling abroad. The Spring 2009 issue features a wide range of interesting articles on ecotourism, wildlife photography, Québecois youth working with Peruvian youth and a debate about whether tourism can actually benefit endangered animals and spaces. The magazine focuses on international development and even offers an award for people making a difference in this field. Verge’s website features a resource centre with links to programs like the Student Work Abroad Program (SWAP) that could be very useful to anyone seriously considering spending time abroad. The founder of the magazine is from Waterloo, Ontario, and Verge publishes articles with both a Canadian and American perspective. Highly recommended for people ages 16-18 with an interest in either travel or international development.

Featured Films

Coraline. Adapted from Neil Gaiman's graphic novel of the same name, Coraline tells the story of a young girl who is dissatisfied with her own parents and yearning for something "other," some magical world where her parents and friends meet all of her desires. The movie may have been marketed as a children's or family film but it is clearly too dark for children and will be appreciated far more by older teens and adults. The graphics are lush and fantastical and seeing the movie in 3-D, which some theatres offered, was an intense experience where incredible flowers enveloped the viewer. But it is that same sense of falling deeply into another world that makes the movie so intensely frightening when it inevitably turns darker. For, as we all must come to learn, there is no world where all of our desires are met without a catch. We all must recognize that the sort of egocentricity that demands others bend to our will can ultimately be both self-destructive and damaging to the relationships we hold most dear. Will Coraline be able to reverse the agony she's caused by entering another world at night, one where her Other Mother and Other Father entertain all of her whims? Go see the movie and find out. And when you've finished, head to your local public library and pick up the graphic novel!