Runaway Jack

Written and illustrated by Stewart Lees

Barron's Educational Series Inc., 2004

Genre:Children's picture book; historical fiction

Reading Level: ages 4-8

24 pages

Runaway Jack is about a young boy named Jack who, with his sister, are sold into slavery. They are assigned to Rachel and Daniel to raise them, and they become close. However, they soon have to be resold to different masters and Jack makes a little wooden horse for his sister because they are separated and he wants her to remember him. Jack after two days of travel makes it to his new home and is assigned to pick cotton with some older women. After many days of the overseer torturing the old women, Jack gets fed up, grabs the overseer's whip and throws it. Realizing how much trouble he is in he runs for it. He ends up running into a young boy who directs him to a quaker family to help him up north. As he reaches the quaker house he is reunited with Rachel, Daniel, and his sister, he is overjoyed and they are smuggled along the underground railroad to Chicago where they are free and live as a family.

I would recommend this book to any parent teaching their child about slavery or the underground railroad. Or to any child interested in that part of America's history.

I feel the main problem that could arise would deal with racist arguments or the idea that this was portraying only one side, the optimistic side, of slavery.

I enjoyed this book, and the message behind it. I like stories that teach about America's history, even the things we aren't proud of. It was uniquely illustrated and beautifully written, and could have easily been nonfiction.

My rating; 4 out of 5

The House in the Night

Written by Susan Marie Swanson

Illustrated by Beth Krommes

Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008

Genre: Children's picture book; rhyming; poem

Reading Level: ages 3 to 6

40 pages

The House in the Night is set up like an illustrated poem, and according to the author is based off of an old nursery rhyme from the Oxford Nursery Rhyme Book, published in 1955. It describes an object and then how that object relates to another. It's hard to explain, but it starts out, "Here is the key to the house. In the house burns a light. In that light rests a bed. On that bed waits a book. In that book flies a bird." And so on until it circles back to describe the house full of light in the night.

I would recommend this book to any child who likes fast paced rhyming poems and fun illustrations.

I felt there were no conflicts that could have come from this book.

I rather enjoyed this book. The poem was unique and intriguing, and the pictures were just delightful and very unique with only three colors used to emphasize the light of the moon and in the house.

My rating: 4 out of 5

The Bone Keeper

Written by Megan McDonald

Paintings by G. Brian Karas

DK Publishing Inc., 1999

Genre: Children's picture book; fiction; myth

Reading Level: Ages 4-8

32 pages

The Bone Keeper is a mythical, eerie book about an old woman who searches the desert for bones to build a creature, she collects all the bones she finds and one by one puts them together. When she finally puts the last piece on she does a chant and a dance and the bones turn into a creature, which turns out to be a wolf. It's written like it's being told from memory like an eerie old tale passed through generations. It even starts like one, "If you listen to the desert, if you listen, you may hear a laughing, a chanting, a singing. They call her Owl Woman. They call her Rattlesnake woman. They call her Bone Woman." It even ends more like one with a saying similar to others in that if you listen in the desert at night you might hear the old woman chanting.

I would recommend this book to any child curious about myths and creation myths.

I feel that a problem that could arise from this book is the idea that it is one way of explaining creation, that parents might not want their children to hear.

When i first picked up this book i didn't particularly like it. However, as I read it again as if it was being told as a myth to explain creation, i enjoyed it a lot more. I also liked the eerie and unique design of the pictures. However, i do feel it would be a little confusing to children.

My rating: 3 out of 5

Many Moons

Written by James Thurber

Illustrated by Louis Slobodkin

Harcourt Inc., 1971

Genre: Children's picture book; fiction

Reading Level: ages 4-8

48 pages

Many Moons is a children's picture book about a sick princess named Lenore and her want of the moon. It starts off with Princess Lenore becoming ill because she eats too many raspberry tarts, the royal physician determines that she is very sick and sends for the King to visit his daughter. When the King asks his daughter what she desires she tells him that she desires the moon and if she gets it she will once again be well. The King wanting his daughter to get well says that she will get the moon if she wants it. So he calls on the Lord High Chamberlain and tells him that he wants the moon for his ill daughter. The Lord High Chamberlain recognizing the impossibility of this request lists out all the things he has done for the King, how far he has gone to get random things for the King, and how it would be simply impossible for him to get the moon for it is too big and too far away. The King gets very angry and sends the Lord High Chamberlain away and calls for the Royal Wizard. He asks the Royal Wizard to get his daughter the moon. The Royal Wizard also realizes this task as impossible and also makes a list of the magic he's done for the King and how the moon is too far away and too big, thus too hard to get for the princess. Once again the King is furious and sends him away and asks for the Royal Mathematician and the whole thing is repeated again. After the Royal mathematician is sent away and lastly the Court Jester is called. The King complains to him about how his wisest men said they couldn't get his ill daughter the moon. The court jester gives the advice to the King and says that he should ask the Princess how far away she thinks the moon is and how big it is. So they ask her, and she says that it's smaller than her thumbnail and that it is pretty close for it gets caught in the tree branches outside her window. The Court Jester tells her that in that case it will be easy to get it for her, he just needs to climb the tree. The next day he brings her a little piece of gold a little smaller than her thumbnail and the Princess is well again. However, the King is once again worried that at night the princess will see the moon and know the piece of gold is not really the moon. He asks his wise men again for there ideas, all of which he disagrees with, and finally turns again to the court jester who says they should ask the princess to explain how she can have the moon on her neck and yet it is still in the sky. She explained that just how she loses a tooth and it grows back as does the moon, finally the princess falls asleep and the Court Jester tucks her in; and he winks at the moon, and it winks back.

I would recommend this to any child who has his/her own understanding of the world's happenings and a imaginative mind.

I feel the only conflict that could come from this book would be parents worried about their children taking the whole idea of the moon being close and small as real.

I personally didn't really like this book, i felt it was too repetitive when it came to the wise men's actions. It was pages and pages of the same things. I felt the idea and moral of it was good and unique but not very well executed. The pictures while i felt were unique really didn't draw my attention that much, but i'm not really sure if children would like it or not.

My rating: 1 out of 5

Creation

Written and Illustrated by Gerald McDermott

Dutton Children's Books, 2003

Genre: Children's Picture book

Reading Level: Ages 4-8

32 pages

Creation is a child's picture book that describes the creation of the world and the surrounding universe. It starts off with the creation of light, and thus a distinction between night and day. Then moves to the creation of water and earth; then then creation of the sun, moon, and starts (the lights of heaven). Followed by the creation of the creatures of the sky, water, and land. Finally, the creation of man and woman "the keepers of all this beauty." It seems to somewhat follow the seven day creation beliefs of many different religions. There's also a religious tone in the last line where the narrator says, "I am all this. All this I am."

I would recommend this book to any child seeking unique and beautiful pictures, a Christian home, and a child eager for clever words and descriptions.

I feel the most obvious conflict that could come from this book would be the age old argument of evolution or a God's creation of the world.

I surprisingly liked this book, at first I didn't know if i would because it seemed of a different style that i wasn't sure if i would enjoy. The pictures were very unique and vibrant and a beautiful portrayal of creation. The words flowed nicely and poetically and i was drawn in. However, though it was beautiful and well done it was not one of my favorites, i just liked it more than i expected.

My rating: 3 out of 5

The Eleventh Hour

Written and illustrated by Graeme Base

Puffin Books, 1997

Genre: Children's picture book; toy book; mystery

Reading Level: Ages 4-8

37 pages

The Eleventh Hour is a children's picture book about an elephant named Horace who is about to turn eleven years old and he wants to have a party with his friends. He sends out the invitations and spends a long time cooking up a big feast. The party guests show up in different costumes; the pig as an admiral, the zebra as a punk, the rhino as an astronaut, and several other animals in fun silly costumes. The guests get very excited by the feast and really want it, but Horace tells them they can't have it until the eleventh hour. So the party really begins with many different games. First there's a sack race, then musical chairs, then a card game, then "snakes and ladders" board game, and several other games. The final game was a tug of war, and as it ends Horace announces that he is now eleven and they can eat, they all run in to eat and the food is missing from the table. The party guests accuse a thief, though all party guests claim it wasn't them and name their different reasonings and alibis. Horace in an attempt to calm his friends down, he goes and makes sandwiches and they sit and eat, and Horace surprises them by bringing out the big birthday cake that he had put back in the kitchen and luckily saved it from the food thief. Everyone celebrated and finished the cake. The story ends, "They never found out who it was that stole the feast - can you?" The object is to the find the clues the author has hidden and determine who ate the feast. In the back of the book, once the reader has given up or made a guess, they can open the seal and read what the clues are and the answer. The answer ends up being the mouse and all his 111 mouse friends that you can find throughout the book.

I would recommend this book to any child who enjoys puzzle books and in depth pictures.

I can't think of any conflicts that would come of this book.

I really loved this book, the story was well written and the game of it is extremely enticing and fun to do. The illustrations are extremely well detailed and while seemingly overcrowded, really make the story and the game fun. I can't wait to read another book by Graeme Base!

My rating: 5 out of 5

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins

Written by Eric Kimmel

Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman

Holiday House, 1989

Genre: Children's fiction picture book; holiday

Reading Level: Ages 4-8

30 pages

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins is a Hanukkah story about a man named Hershel who is travelling and he reaches a village, and finds that the people are scared to celebrate Hanukkah because of the wicked goblins that terrorize the people and don't like Hanukkah. Hershel says that he will get rid of the goblins by spending eight nights in the old synagogue and lighting each Hanukkah candle each night, and on the last night he will make the king of the goblins light the candles himself. The story goes through each of the eight nights and the successful lighting that Hershel gets for each night by outwitting the goblins, who get bigger and scarier each night. Hershel outwits them by faking his strength, getting one's hand caught in a pickle jar, beating one at a dreidel game, and several other witty trickeries. The final goblin, the king of the goblins, Hershel tricks by saying that he can't see the goblin and thus the king can't prove he's so big and great and scary. The goblin being so obsessed with frightening Hershel he lights the candles not knowing they are the menorah candles and as he lights the last one the spell is broken and the spirit of Hanukkah triumphs and the goblins leave the town and its people alone, and they all celebrate Hanukkah.

I would recommend this book to any young child wanting to read about a brave man and a holiday season. The illustrations are delightful for young children and parents alike.

I think the only problem that could come from this book would be the focus on Hanukkah only being an issue, or the scariness of the goblins frightening the children, but they're both a little far fetched issues.

I really really enjoyed this book as a child and almost even more now that i'm an adult. I love the story, and the pictures are just amazing. The details of the people's faces, and the creativity of the different goblins is just remarkable.

My rating: 5 out of 5

A Child's Calendar

Poems by John Updike

Illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman

Holiday House, 1999

Genre: Children's poems; picture book; months

Reading Level: Ages 4-8

24 pages

A Child's Calendar is a book of poems each corresponding to a month of the year. Some of the poems rhyme, some do not. The pictures accurately depict what is being described in the poem. The poems are very unique and descriptive of different things that take place during that month of the year including weather, holidays, etc. For example January's poem starts off with, "The days are short, the sun a spark hung thin between the dark and dark."

I would recommend this book to any young child who enjoys beautiful pictures, and are trying to learn the months of the year, i think their parents will enjoy it also.

I do not personally recognize any conflicts that could come from this book.

I really enjoyed this book, partly for the poems, but mostly for the gorgeous pictures. They are extremely detailed and realistic from the character's hair to the trees and animals. It is very well done.

My rating: 5 out of 5

Heckedy Peg

Written by Audrey Wood

Illustrated by Don Wood

Harcourt Brace and Company, 1987

Genre: Children's Fiction; fantasy

Reading Level: Ages 4-8

28 pages

Heckedy Peg is a fantastical story about the love of a family. A mom and her seven children, named after the days of the week, live together in a cute country cottage. One day the mom leaves to go to the market and she promises to bring each of the children one thing that they want. They each tell her one thing they want, all happen to relate to food in some way. Soon after she leaves, the children are playing and a witch comes to the door and asks for a light for her pipe. Though they were told to not talk to strangers, the witch persuades her way in and using her magic pipe she turns the children into different foods and takes them back to her hut. When the mother returns home and discovers her children gone she seeks out her children and with the help of a bird finds her way to the witch's hut. After some persuasion and some trickery the mother convinces the witch to let her in. The witch tells the mom that her children are the foods on the table and that the only way she can save them is to guess which child is which food on her first try. Thanks to the mother's wits she guesses each child based on what they asked for from the market. As she named the last child the children turned back into themselves, and after a sweet reunion, they chased the witch through the town and off a bridge.

I would recommend this for any child who has an active imagination and possibly for a child who's having a hard time following their parent's rules. :)

I personally can't think of any conflicts that could come from this book.

Reading this as a child, and reading it now, i enjoyed it equally. It's a book with a great lesson about obeying your parents, with an exciting twist. It shows the power of wit, and the consequences of bad decisions. I especially loved the illustrations, they are gorgeous and extremely well detailed, portraying the text perfectly.

My rating: 5 out of 5

Look-Alikes:Around the World

Concept, Constructions, and text by Joan Steiner

Design by Stephen Blauweiss

Photography by Ogden Gigli

Little, Brown and Company, 2007

Genre: Children's picture book/nonfiction; toy/puzzle book

Reading Level: Ages 4-8

30 pages

This picture book, is a book full of post cards based on real post cards made of different everyday objects. The point of the book is to try and recognize the tons of different objects in the post card and compare it to the original, all the while learning about the place it is portraying. The "story" part of the book is the author portraying a trip that was taken to all these different places with little lines about each one. For example it starts off with, "Holland was all in bloom. In Scandinavia, we learned about the Vikings." And next to each little line is the corresponding post card and a number telling how many look-a-likes can be found on the page.

I would recommend this book to a young child who likes books where they have to search for clues; like "I Spy" or "Where's Waldo"

I can't think of any conflicts that could come from this book.

I really think this is a unique picture book, that has a lot of fun elements. I really enjoyed looking at the detailed cards and the information about each place, i think any young child would enjoy reading this book, alone or with their parents.

My rating: 4 out of 5

Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger

Written by Louis Sachar

Illustrated by Adam McCauley

HarperCollins Publishers Inc. 2003

Genre: Children's Fiction; humor

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

168 pages

This Wayside School book is the third in the series, and just as entertaining and quirky as the other two. This one, because the students are all introduced, has more of a plot. It starts with the school finally opening after some construction and the students are really excited to finally get to come back after having been separated into other schools. The first few chapters are about a couple of school days where the students are learning how to do poetry, being introduced and hypnotized by a new character, Dr. Pickle, a bring your pet to school day, an argument about Santa Claus, and the students discover that their favorite teacher, Mrs. Jewls, is leaving to have a baby. While the students are happy for, they're sad to see her go and worried about the substitute that they will get. The book continues with them going through several substitute teachers; one seeking revenge, one with special powers, one who seemed nice but turned out to be evil, and the last one who had a bad attitude and three ears. Each teacher brought a different story and a different problem the students had to solve. The last one, Miss Nogard, with three ears, could hear the students thoughts and because she had had her heart broken she used this ability to cause the children pain and to humiliate them and turn them against each other. During Miss Nogard's reign, Mrs. Jewls comes back with her baby and as Miss Nogard holds it, her heart is changed because all she hears from its thoughts is pure love. In the end the children get their favorite teacher back and Miss Nogard gets a kiss from the outdoors teacher, Louis; who the students were trying to set her up with all along.

I would recommend this book, and the series, to any child who is looking for a laugh.

Similar to the first book, I feel the only real problem that could come from a child reading this book would be them copying one of the actions, or quirks of the students and it causing a problem for their parents. Otherwise i feel it is a harmless book.

I really enjoyed this book, almost better than the first one. Probably because the first one was really an introduction book to give a background of each of the characters while this one actually had a plot, conflict, and resolution. It was just more of a story.

My rating: 5 out of 5

Sideways Stories From Wayside School

Written by Louis Sachar

Illustrated by Adam McCauley

HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2003

Genre: Children's Fiction; Humor

Reading Level: Ages 5 to 12

124 pages

I'm not really sure how exactly to summarize this book. It's a quirky, strange, silly book about the students in the classroom on the thirtieth floor of Wayside School. Each chapter is about one of the students of the class, or one of their teachers. There are 29 students, each one different from the others with some really weird character trait. For example; Sharie, one of the students, always wears a big overcoat that weighs more than she does, so that she will be comfortable enough to sleep in class, everyday. The teacher, Mrs. Jewls, thought Sharie was the best student in the class because she believed that a student did their best learning while sleeping. Sharie's chapter gives this brief background on her sleeping habits then goes on about one time when she was sleeping she flopped out the window, and Louis, the outdoor teacher, caught her, and she blamed him for waking her up from a good dream. Each chapter follows this pattern with a brief history of the student/teacher and then tells a short story about the time something happened.

I would recommend this story to any child looking for some silly and humorous entertainment.

As for problems/conflicts that could arise with this book, children tend to copy behaviors they see or read about, little quirks trying to figure out what they like and who they are. With some of the weird behaviors or decisions portrayed in this book, if children were to copy them, parents might be discouraged by that.

I really enjoyed this book, it was unlike anything I've ever read by Louis Sachar, and I literally laughed out loud at some parts. While I did find some parts a little too weird and far fetched, for the most part I am sure children will find it completely entertaining.

My rating: 5 out of 5

I Love You As Much...

written by Laura Krauss Melmed

illustrated by Henri Sorensen

Lathrop, Lee and Shepard Books, 1993

Genre: Children Fiction; picture book

Reading Level: Ages 3 to 5

19 pages

I Love You As Much... is a short picture book about how much a mother loves her child. The book on every page has a different animal mother telling her child how much she loves him/her compared to something in their habitat. For example, on the first page it shows a horse and her calf, playing in a pasture, and it reads, "Said the mother horse to her child, I love you as much as a warm summer breeze." It covers horses, bears, camels, geese, and several other animals, that the children will love looking at. It ends with a human mother holding her infant and saying that she loves him/her "as much as a mother can love."

I would recommend this book to any parent to teach their child about animals and about love. I'm twenty and it warmed my heart, and made me miss my mom. :)

I don't feel like this book would cause any problems/conflicts that I am aware of.

I really enjoyed this book, it's obviously meant for a young child. While the little lines on each page are sweet and creative, it was really the illustrations that attracted me to this book. They are detailed and really amazing. It really makes the different animals stand out and adds so much to the short story.

My rating: 4 out of 5

The Prince and the Potty

written by Wendy Cheyette Lewison

illustrated by Keiko Motoyama

Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2006

Genre: Children Fiction

Reading Level: Baby to Preschool

31 pages

The Prince and the Potty is a children's book about a young prince who's having a hard time getting potty trained by his parents, the King and the Queen. After trying several different approaches, the King and Queen give up and go ask the Royal Wise Man. The Royal Wise Man tells the King and Queen that they need to get the young prince a puppy. They are puzzled by this answer but follow the Wise Man's instructions and take the prince to pick out a puppy. Very quickly the prince and the puppy become best friends. The puppy is given its own bed next to the prince's, its own special toys, and his own food and water dishes, just like the prince has his own stuff. Then one day all of the sudden the puppy pees on the carpet and the queen gets the prince to help her put down a piece of cloth and they teach the puppy to pee on it. It takes awhile but finally the puppy pees on the cloth instead of the floor and everyone jumps up and down and shouts "Hooray!" and the puppy is given a treat. Soon after, the prince has to go potty too, and out of nowhere he decides that he should go potty in his own special toilet. His parents are so proud and there's a big celebration.

I believe that any parent trying to get their child to use the potty should read this book, but they should be prepared to have to buy their child a puppy to be more convincing. :) While it does move kind of slow, kids will enjoy the illustrations and interaction between the prince and his puppy.

As I just touched on the only real problem I see arising with this book is that the children who read it may feel that in order to be potty trained they should get a puppy, which obviously isn't possible or wanted in every family.

I personally thought this was a cute book with a cute little story. The illustrations while not amazing or too unique would entertain a child. Obviously it's probably not very entertaining to an adult but I really do think children will enjoy it and will understand how the prince related his own potty training to the potty training of the dog that he helped out with.

My rating for this book: 3 out of 5