IF THE BOOK FITS...READ IT

I'm Mighty

AUTHOR: Kate McMullan

ILLUSTRATOR:  Jim McMullan

ISBN#: 978-0060092900

PUBLISHER/YEAR: Joanna Cotler; 1 edition (September 23, 2003)

SUBJECTS:  Boats, Excellent Read-Aloud, Size, Determination

READER LEVEL: Picture Books

RATING: 

Review Highlights:

Laugh Meter	not a comedy	giggles	laugh out loud	can’t stop laughing
Fear Factor	no fear	needs explanation	cover the eyes	bad dreams
Subject Matter	light : “G”	mild concerns	caution ahead	needs supervision

Series Snapshot:

Kate and Jim McMullin, a husband and wife, have teamed up to create this humorous, high-spirited series of books for readers who are besotted by any kind of transportation vehicle (read: young boys mostly).  Each book is an energetic look at a different vehicle/boat.  The text is lively in its description of the different tasks each transport vessel performs.  The illustrations are dynamic and are meant to illicit much interaction between the reader and the text.  These books would be a terrific newborn present purchased together (probably for a boy) or singularly as a great 3rd or 4th birthday present.

In This Volume:

I'm Mighty is the story of a spunky little tugboat, and all the mighty things it can do.  I'm Mighty is written in the same style as the other volumes in this series, humorously and energetically.  This story, in particular, is very reminiscent of The Little Engine That Could.  A fun, interactive read for your little reader.  I'm Mighty would be a great read-aloud.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, TRY:

I'm Dirty, Kate and Jim McMullan

I Stink, Kate and Jim McMullan

Jake Maddox Free Throw

AUTHOR: Jake Maddox

ILLUSTRATOR:  Sean Tiffany

ISBN#: 978-1598892383

PUBLISHER/YEAR: Stone Arch Books (September 1, 2006)

SUBJECTS: Determination, Sports - Basketball, Teamwork

READER LEVEL: READER, JR.

RATING: 

 Review Highlights:

Laugh Meter	not a comedy	giggles	laugh out loud	can’t stop laughing
Fear Factor	no fear	needs explanation	cover the eyes	bad dreams
Subject Matter	light : “G”	mild concerns	caution ahead	needs supervision

Basketball player, Derek Phelps can't wait for the season to start.  He's taller than he was last year so the coach is going to make him the center this year.  Unfortunately, Jason, who was the center last year, is not thrilled with this decision.  He shows some poor sportsmanship, refusing to pass to Derek and giving him a hard time for every mistake he makes. He has plenty of chances too because Derek can't seem to make his free throws.  Derek practices hard, though and is determined to do better.

The entire book takes place on the basketball court and the majority is play by play of the games.  Derek, Jason and a few other players are introduced by name and position but other than that little information is given.  The coach has a minor role and doesn't help much with the player rivalry. Early readers looking for a basketball story will get exactly that, though not much more.  The vocabulary and sentence structure are simple and the comic book style illustrations are appealing. Don't forget to look for the cool basketball facts and discussion questions at the end.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, TRY:

Backyard Sports #1 - Wild Pitch, Michael Teitelbaum

Wild Pitch (Backyard Sports #1)

AUTHOR: Michael Teitelbaum

ILLUSTRATOR: Ron Zalme

ISBN#: 978-0448447117

PUBLISHER/YEAR: Grosset & Dunlap (May 1, 2008)

SUBJECTS: Baseball, Friendship, Sports, Feelings, Determination

READER LEVEL: READER, JR.

RATING: 

Review Highlights:

Laugh Meter	not a comedy	giggles	laugh out loud	can’t stop laughing
Fear Factor	no fear	needs explanation	cover the eyes	bad dreams
Subject Matter	light : “G”	mild concerns	caution ahead	needs supervision

This is a perfect book for the young, newly independent, reluctant reader (probably boy, although if you have a baseball crazed girl...). This series is based on the popular Backyard Sports video games. 

The writing is basic (boring), elementary prose.  The story is also basic and elementary.  It's plot involves a baseball team, The Backyard Bombers, who play pick-up games with other teams in the neighborhood.  The story follows the game's play by play, ad nauseam.  The author threw in a friendship story line, where Joey, the Bomber's manager it seems, gets a little too bossy.  The team gets disgruntled with Joey and they start playing badly.  Joey very simply realizes the error of his ways, and the team wins!

So, as you can see, a middle school student probably could have written this book.  However, I did give it two stars for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, I like the diversity on the baseball team.  The Bombers are made up of girls and boys named Achmed, A.C. Chen, Pablo, Ernie, Vicki and Samantha, to name a few.

I also think if your young reader (Reader, Jr.) is starting to read chapter books, and cannot find a sports series, and he is not into fantasy (Magic Tree House, etc) then give this series a try.  Or better yet, see below for Matt Christopher's young baseball series.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, TRY:

Peach Street Mudders Series, Matt Christopher

#1 All-Star Fever

Jake Maddox Sports Stories, Jake Maddox, Bob Temple, and Sean Tiffany

All-Star Fever, A Peach Street Mudders Story #1

AUTHOR: Matt Christopher

ILLUSTRATOR: Anne Dewdney

ISBN#: 978-0316141987

PUBLISHER/YEAR: Little, Brown Young Readers (April 1, 1997)

SUBJECTS: Baseball, Guilt, Sports, Feelings, Determination

READER LEVEL: READER, JR.

RATING:   

Review Highlights:

Laugh Meter	not a comedy	giggles	laugh out loud	can’t stop laughing
Fear Factor	no fear	needs explanation	cover the eyes	bad dreams
Subject Matter	light : “G”	mild concerns	caution ahead	needs supervision

This series is author, Matt Christopher's, foray into literature for a younger audience.  It has all the hallmarks of his older books:  sports, real life situations, setting seems to hark back to a simpler time (when children rode their bikes to practice and let strangers fix their bike chain) and ends with a good message, but written for the Reader, Jr.

I think this book would be perfect for a sports crazed, reluctant reader.  All-Star Fever is written about Bus Mercer, who is trying to make the county All-Star team.  In the midst of the three games that the All-Star scouts are watching, Bus make many errors on the field and in his life. The former caused by the guilt of the latter.

Bus receives a belated birthday present from his parents in the form of a brand new mountain bike.  He is thrilled to receive the exact bike he wanted and not really concerned about the three rules his parents have given him with the bike.  However, the first day he breaks 2 of the three rules due to peer pressure and the guilt it causes eats away at him and his ball playing, hence the game errors.

I actually thought the play by play of the games a bit boring, and it was more than a little difficult to keep track of all the players.  But young boys who live and breathe sports will eat it all up.  

I perked up a bit with the resolution, which happens in an unexpected way.  The resolution touches all the bases a parent wants to see, including honesty (Bus comes clean with his parents) and good sportsmanship is just as important as athletic talent.  This is the first in the series.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, TRY:

Backyard Sports, Michael Teitelbaum and Ron Zalme

#1 Wild Pitch

Jake Maddox Sports Stories, Jake Maddox, Bob Temple, and Sean Tiffany

 

Little by Little

AUTHOR: Amber Stewart

ILLUSTRATOR: Layn Marlow 

ISBN#: 978-0545061636 

PUBLISHER/YEAR: Orchard Books (May 1, 2008) 

SUBJECTS: Determination, Brothers and Sisters,  Swimming, Animals:  Otters

READER LEVEL: PICTURE BOOK 

RATING: ****

Review Highlights:

Laugh Meter	not a comedy	giggles	laugh out loud	can’t stop laughing
Fear Factor	no fear	needs explanation	cover the eyes	bad dreams
Subject Matter	light : “G”	mild concerns	caution ahead	needs supervision

Otto, the otter, has a large list of all the things he CAN DO and a very short list of things he CAN'T DO:  swim!  This is a wonderful story of determination as Otto learns to swim.  He gets support and love from family (especially his sister) throughout the story, and eventually he reaches his goal.

I like the strong message of perseverance, the realistic references to Otto worrying about what his friends will think if they find out he can't swim and finally, the really positive example of a loving relationship between brother and sister.  That kind of harmony and support between siblings is something most of us can only dream about in our own homes!

The illustrations are something to behold.  Beautiful scenes of the lake and its environs will please, and the depiction of Otto and the other animals are adorable.

Enjoy this story!

IF YOU LIKED THIS, TRY: 

Little Quack, Lauren Thompson

The Magic Half

AUTHOR: Annie Barrows 

ISBN#: 978-1599901329

PUBLISHER/YEAR: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (December 26, 2007) 

SUBJECTS: Twins, Magic, Sibling Rivalry, Determination, Family Life

READER LEVEL: Independent, Sr

RATING:  

Review Highlights:

Laugh Meter	not a comedy	giggles	laugh out loud	can’t stop laughing
Fear Factor	no fear	needs explanation	cover the eyes	bad dreams
Subject Matter	light : “G”	mild concerns	caution ahead	needs supervision

I loved this book.  I enjoyed reading it as much as I would any adult book.  Over the span of two days, I couldn't wait to get back the the story of Miri and Molly.

Miri moves to a new house with her one in eight million family.  Because they have two sets of twins, that only happens to one in eight million families, her father is proud to exclaim.  But what about the sister in the middle, Miri, who has no twin?

Miri is feeling sorry for herself one day in her new and strange house.  Robbie and Ray, the older set of twins are picking on her, while the younger set, Nell and Nora are just generally annoying.  When Miri has had enough she lashes out and hits her brother in the head with the shovel, earning her a time-out in her room.  

While in her room, Miri finds a lens to a pair of old eyeglasses taped to her new room's baseboard.  When she looks through the glasses, she is transported back to 1935 and right into Molly's bedroom.  Molly is a little girl Miri's age who is living in the same house, but in the year 1935!

Molly isn't surprised.  She knew her magic grandmother would send someone or something to save her from the rather dismal experience that is her life in depression-era 1935. Molly's mom has died and dad has taken off.  Molly is currently living with Grandma who is bedridden and can't talk and her aunt and two cousins.  The aunt and two cousins make Cinderella's step-mom and sisters look really friendly.  

This is a word of caution, if your young readers will be freaked out by real world issues and scared by a mean older cousin, who wants to kill Molly, they are not ready for this book.

On the other hand, all is resolved really nicely, and it is truly a magical read.  I won't spoil the ending, because this is one of those books for adults, too!  I will say, however, I wonder what the odds are for three sets of twins in one family?

IF YOU LIKED THIS, TRY:

Ivy & Bean, Annie Barrows

Amos & Boris

AUTHOR: William Steig 

ILLUSTRATOR: William Steig 

ISBN#: 978-0374403607 

PUBLISHER/YEAR: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (September 1, 1992) (Orig pub 1971) 

SUBJECTS: Friendship, Animals - Mice, Animal - Whales, Determination, Teamwork 

READER LEVEL: PICTURE BOOK 

RATING: **** 

Review Highlights:

Laugh Meter	not a comedy	giggles	laugh out loud	can’t stop laughing
Fear Factor	no fear	needs explanation	cover the eyes	bad dreams
Subject Matter	light : “G”	mild concerns	caution ahead	needs supervision

A sweet, old-fashioned story of friendship between a mouse and a whale. Mouse Amos and whale Boris meet up after Amos' boat capsizes and Boris saves him. Boris deposits the little mouse back on land and bids farewell, sadly, because they have become the closest possible friends. Amos is grateful for Boris' help and just wishes someday he might help Boris too. Amos isn't sure how a little mouse would ever be able to help a giant whale, but he knows he would like to. 

When a storm beaches Boris on Amo's beach, Amos gets his chance to help. Surprisingly, just when Boris thought it was all over for him, Amos shows up with two of the biggest elephants he could find to get the whale back in the water. Amos & Boris is a simple, well-meaning, well-written tale of friendship and caring; told by a veteran story-teller at his finest. The quaint, soft, watercolor illustrations provide a welcome respite in this age of video in full technicolor. 

IF YOU LIKED THIS, TRY: 

SYLVESTOR AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE, William Steig 

BRAVE IRENE, William Steig

Fantastic Mr. Fox

AUTHOR: Roald Dahl 

ILUSTRATOR: Donald Chaffin 

ISBN#: 978-0142410349 

PUBLISHER/YEAR: Puffin, Reprint 2007 (Original Pub Date: 1970) 

SUBJECTS: Animals: Fox, Good vs Evil 

READER LEVEL: INDEPENDENT READER, JR 

RATING: ***** 

Review Highlights:

Laugh Meter	not a comedy	giggles	laugh out loud	can’t stop laughing
Fear Factor	no fear	needs explanation	cover the eyes	bad dreams
Subject Matter	light : “G”	mild concerns	caution ahead	needs supervision

This book covers a lot of territory - good versus evil, right versus wrong, robbing from the rich to feed the poor, gun control. Mr. Fox is definitely fantastic. At least that is what his wife and kids think when he brings them a delicious meal every night. On the other hand, the three farmers that he is stealing from in order to provide those meals are not too happy with Mr. Fox. On the other, other hand, the three farmers are about the meanest, most horrible people you could ever imagine. They figure out that the fox is the culprit and are determined to do something about it. “I’d like to rip his guts out” and “He must be killed” are just some of their suggestions. 

It becomes a battle of the humans versus the animals and, while the farmers dig down, the animals seem to outsmart them, digging deeper and tunneling under the storage houses to steal enough food for a feast. When Mr. Badger questions their behavior, Mr. Fox says that Badger is too “respectable” and goes on to justify their actions by saying that anyone would swipe a few things if a child were starving and at least they aren’t stooping to the farmers level and trying to kill anyone. Mr. Fox takes the stand that the animals are peace loving and simply trying to survive. Before long, Badger is a believer and even says “I love you foxy.” 

The farmers continue to wait, assuming they must come out eventually – little do they know, the animals have other plans. They have decided to make an underground village and never go above ground again. This story could definitely inspire a great discussion, but consider your audience and how they will handle the strong language - about killing, guns and shooting, and even Mr. Fox calling his son a “twerp”, before you introduce this book to your reader. 

IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY: 

THE MAGIC FINGER, Roald Dahl 

MY FATHER'S DRAGON, Ruth Stiles Gannett