Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #27)

It’s the Bear!
Author and Illustrator: Jez Alborough
Published: 1994
Pages: 32
Age Range: 2+
Genre: Fiction/Picture Book
Cover Score: **** (the cover to the left is not the one I have, this one is a bit boring and would only merit a **)
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G (nothing offensive, though super sensitive or really young readers may find it a tad scary)
 
First Sentence: Eddie doesn’t want to come
And picnic in the woods with mom.

Eddie, his teddy and his mom are in the forest for an afternoon picnic. Eddie is nervous to venture into the woods, convinced a bear will come. Mom just scoffs at the idea; bears don’t live in their forest. But when mom realizes she’s forgotten to pack the pie she leaves Eddie to run home and get it. She’s soon a speck on the horizon and Eddie hears a great big bear coming his way! He scampers into the picnic basket. The bear with his giant teddy sit down and eat up all the food. When he reaches into the basket Eddie screams help, startling the bear that stands there in fright and watches mom walk up with the pie. Mom doesn’t see the bear behind her until he grabs the pie from her hands. She’s finally convinced Eddie knows of which he speaks and they all run away.

Eddie, his teddy, the bear and his giant teddy return in Where's My Teddy? Which is just as great.

Again, super brief rhyming text is perfect for tiny attention spans. Lots of action and flexibility for interpretations and voice changes (whispers, yells, gasps, screams) make it an easy one to liven up, act out and more. Suspenseful and scary on the most limited of levels, kids love it!

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #26)

Most of the books that I read are those that come across my desk at work which means they’re usually new releases and current titles. Every once in a while we’ll get a re-release of something or a re-order that comes to my attention but those are few and far between. And because my TBR pile is more of a book itself these days (I think my Goodreads list is up to 700 books or so) I always feel mildly guilty re-reading anything. Luckily that guilt doesn’t transfer to picture books because they are so short. So, for the next couple of days I’ll be sharing with you some of my storytime standards. These often pack a more powerful punch than some of my own personal favorites; the colors tend to be a bit brighter, the storylines a bit simpler (my target group is 3-5 years old), the text brief yet carefully worded to get the most out of every syllable and often they are funny. That’s not to say that you can’t enjoy a quiet, lyric, wordy story with kids this age, you most definitely can and should! But when you’ve got a room of nearly 20 of them, often leaning towards the younger end of the spectrum, often the shorter the better (bonus if there are places for participation) wins out.

Edward the Emu
Author: Sheena Knowles
Illustrator: Rod Clement
Published: 1988
Pages: 32
Age Range: 2+
Genre: Fiction/Picture Book
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G

First Sentence: Edward the emu was sick of the zoo, there was nowhere to go, there was nothing to do, and compared to the seals that lived right next door, well, being an emu was frankly a bore.

And there you have the premise. Poor Edward is tired of his life so each night while the zookeeper is sleeping he sneaks off to various cages trying out life as different animals; a seal, a lion, a snake. Overhearing the zoo’s visitors talk about their favorite animals gives Edward the inspiration for the next day’s adventures but one day someone brags that their favorite animal is the emu. Edward hurries back to his cage so as to not disappoint them but there’s someone else in his place!

The illustrations are done in colored pencil and are quite simple. The animals are realistic looking yet their facial expressions give them away (particularly Edward’s) as being anything but real. There’s a lot of white space, basically you’ve got just the animal with a simple prop (the seal’s ball, a tree for the lion to laze in, and the occasional fencing) but there is no horizon line, no sky, nothing else to detract from the animals themselves. And often they are shown close up, just heads, or in Edward’s case, just feet!

The text is well-paced rhyme and full of descriptors that beg to be acted out, various voices and Edward’s over-the-top reactions. The kids eat it up. Plus an emu’s not an overly popular animal so you get some great questions about what exactly Edward is. I’ve tied this in to zoo themes, Australian animals, animals in general, birds and self-esteem.

And if you like Edward you can re-visit him in the companion story...Edwina the Emu for more great fun!

Happiness is...the Olympics!

Or should that read 'are'? Or an added, 'watching'? (though that doesn't cover the whole experience...)

Either way, I heart them. A lot.

I love the spirit of camaraderie and unity and hope that brings so many nations together for one purpose. (Well, okay competition isn't exactly a unifying experience but the gathering is still incredible.) And I love that we as spectators can gather all around the world as well, watching and experiencing the same things at the same time, commiserating with each other over the losses and exulting together in the wins. There's just something powerful in having that much energy concentrated in one direction.

I'm a bigger fan of the sporting events of the winter games though I have been known to get a bit riled watching the swimming and gymnastics. But I think my favorite moments are the opening and closing ceremonies. They epitomize those unifying emotions when so much is focused on the gathering as a whole, the celebration and anticipation, the memories and the honors.

Ten years ago I was able to participate as a volunteer in the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and it was amazing. It was shortly after 9-11 and security was a huge issue as everyone was still a little unsure of how to deal with the masses of people in so many places and the general anxiety of the aftermath was still fresh in everyone's minds. There was an air of hesitancy and unease everywhere but as things got underway those pervading fears were replaced by hope, power, triumph and love.  The valley was awash in energy and goodwill and while there were the usual scandals and brouhahas the overall feeling was a positive one. And it was such an incredible experience to be in the middle of it all; memories to last a lifetime.

And get to I relive them just a little every two years when I hear the opening strains of the Olympic anthem, see the rings emblazoned everywhere, and get caught up in cheering for my favorite athletes.

And let's just throw out a love note to the host city while we're at it. How can you not love London? I think it's time to plan another trip to visit...

Big Ben

British Museum

Phone booth

St. Paul's Cathedral

Tower Bridge

Is it just me or are you all craving some fish n' chips? Mmm, or maybe some Yorkshire pudding or Cornish pasties? Or Cadbury chocolate and Digestive biscuits? Perhaps I just need a midnight snack...


Did you watch the opening ceremonies? Anything that can bring together James Bond, the Queen, Mr. Bean, Voldemort, Kenneth Branagh and Paul McCartney is brilliant in my book. Go to NBC's all Olympic page to see clips and catch up on all your favorite sports. You can also see further Olympic festiveness here. Now I must off, there's some drooling over Ryan Lochte to do!

USA! USA! USA!

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #25)

Stealing Freedom
Author: Elisa Carbone
Narrator: Robin Miles
Published: 1998
Pages:258
Age Range: 9-12
Genre: Historical Fiction
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: ***
Rating: PG

First Sentence: (I don't remember!)

Thirteen-year-old Anne-Marie Weems is living a rather decent life for a southern slave in 1854. Her family resides in a home together in Maryland. Her father is free while the rest of them work for the Prices, an Irish family who mostly treat them well until drought hits, the master's crops fail and his gambling debts mount. Soon her older brothers are sold to slave holders in Alabama and the family fears they will never be together again.  Before the rest of the family can be separated the Underground Railroad and the Vigilance Committee step in. Her mother and sister's freedoms are purchased but the Prices refuse to let Anne go. She reluctantly moves with them to Rockville where she takes charge of their young niece who inadvertently teaches Anne to read and meets Alfred, a handsome slave who lives in town. But a plan is in the works to steal her to freedom and one night she is taken from her bed to begin a long and arduous journey north. Strangers risk everything to help her along the way.  First she spends months in hiding in Washington, DC in the home of a priest.  Her mother, father and sister are living just down the street yet no one knows she is there until just before it is time for her to leave again. Next she is disguised as a boy to make the journey to Canada where she is reconnected with an aunt and uncle and begins a new life as a free person.

I loved that you got to see more into the inner workings of the Underground Railroad, aside from just running and brief shelters in the dead of night. The author introduces you to black, white, slave and free characters who all take part in the journey (some aren't much more than mercenaries while others are involved for the obvious moral reasons) including people in other countries who donated funds to purchase freedoms when possible or to assist the cause by purchasing food, clothing and such.

Anne is young enough to have questions and not always understand what is going on but makes a lot of growth throughout the story.  She faces very adult situations and circumstances with just the right combination of naivete and street smarts to be believable and sympathetic.

I actually listened to this one as an audio book (hence the lack of first sentence above) and was pleased with the narrator. She spoke clearly and conversationally (sometimes they are so slow and precise it drives me bonkers to try and listen!)  She was no Jim Dale but she adopted voice changes to distinguish between characters and convincing accents (Irish, southern) when applicable. Definitely recommended.

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #24)

Cat Girl’s Day Off
Author: Kimberly Pauley
Published: 2012
Pages: 334
Age Range: 10+ (technically it’s a YA but it could easily be handed to a younger reader)
Genre: sci-fi/fiction
Cover Score: * (After reading the book I could tell what they were trying to convey but I would have ignored it based on the cover had I just seen it on a shelf)
Overall Score: ***
Rating: PG

First Sentence: I opened the front door to my house and gagged.

Natalie can talk to cats.  She has a Talent for it. But no one knows that except her family and her two best friends and she’d like to keep it that way. Oscar and Melly are caught up in the celeb craziness that is sweeping their school. They live just outside of Chicago and go to the school used for filming Ferris Bueller's Day Off. A film crew is on location to shoot a takeoff, hitting all the famous spots and the two friends have signed on to be extras, convincing a very reluctant Natalie to join them.

When they watch a news clip of Easton West, a famous celebrity blogger and her 2 pets arriving in town to cover the filming Natalie notices that her cat (died pink to match West’s entire wardrobe) is yowling, saying that she’s been kidnapped and the Easton they all see is a fake. Since no one will believe a bunch of kids they take it upon themselves to solve the mystery and end up risking their lives and becoming heroes.

Mistaken identities, more kidnappings, gun play, hidden Talents, secret government agencies, a herd of cats, young love.  As they battle all of these and more Natalie comes to understand how special she is and how important her Talent can be in her family and to the world.

I wouldn’t pick this up based by on the cover though I can see why they picked all the elements they did, it’s just sort of blah (in spite of the bright colors.)  And I wouldn’t have picked it up based on the premise.  But it was a fun and silly romp through a fabulous city. The kids had fun and believable personalities. Natalie’s voice had just the right amount of sarcasm and self-loathing to keep it teen without becoming overly angsty. The celeb element (her friends over the top fan mania and the actors themselves) balanced nicely with Natalie’s more down to earth/who cares way of looking at things. She only got caught up in it all when she had to; her sense of decency and goodwill winning out over her need to lay low.  It’s not going to be a huge hit but it was a lot more fun than I was anticipating.

Here’s a taste:
“I’m going to swaddle you like a human baby,” I said.  Just hold still. You’ll be able to breathe, okay?”
He humphed, but lay there and let me swaddle him.  When I was done, he looked like one seriously ugly, furry baby, with only the front of his face sticking out.  I hoped that as long as I held him close to my chest, no one would notice.  Or maybe they’d just think I was babysitting a really ugly kid.  With a lot of pink facial hair.  And a lazy eye. (162)

And yes, of course I knew all of this sounded crazy.  There was no part of any of it that sounded remotely like normal life.  Like a normal person’s life.  But that wasn’t my life. It never had been. I mean, my little sister was doing calculus when she was three. My first good friend was a cat. My older sister was a human lie detector, and my mom had more patents than most people had cookbooks.  My dad could smell what you had for dinner two days ago if you didn’t brush your teeth well enough.  I was a freak from a family of freaks. (217)

It's sort of a soft, girly version of X-men that will find a fanbase within a certain niche of readers. As a plus for John Hughes fans, there was an author’s note giving some additional background on the movie and some of the locations mentioned in the book.

Happiness is...a good book. (Summer Reading edition #23)

Fugitives (Escape From Furnace series #4)
Author: Alexander Gordon Smith
Published: 2012
Pages: 270
Age Range: 13-18
Genre: Sci-fi (dystopia)
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: **
Rating: R (violence and mayhem)

First Sentence: I wish I could tell you that my story ended here.

Incarcerated in Furnace Penitentiary for a crime he didn't commit Alex has spent his time fighting the system and looking for a way to escape. But now he's becoming one of the monsters who have held him prisoner and although he and his friends have escaped it's only a matter of time before he loses himself to a place he'll never be able to return from.

Perhaps it’s because this was the first of the series I’d read, or because I’d read so many rave reviews of the other 3 so I would know what was going on in this one, but I just didn’t love it.  It was okay and it was filled with action but I found the writing to be tedious in places (though how many ways can you describe bulging muscles, towering infernos or the end of the world?) and inconsistent.

And there's very little hope.  I like a dystopia/apocalyptic story probably more than the next guy but there’s got to be some hope somewhere, and something more than just revenge steering the action. Again, maybe there is an overarching theme to the series that just fell out of this installment  but it was far too bleak for me.

On the plus side, there's a super high body count and non-stop destruction that boys will appreciate!

Don't discount it just based on my opinion, and at least start with the first in the series but be forewarned it's super bleak and bloody.

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #21)

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
Author: Eric Litwin
Illustrator: James Dean
Published: 2008
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-7
Genre: Picture Book/Fiction
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G

First Sentence: Pete the Cat was walking down the street in his brand-new white shoes.

Pete’s groovin’ down the street in his great big white shoes. He loves his shoes so much he walks down the street singing this little song "I love my white shoes, I love my white shoes…" until he steps in a big pile of strawberries that turn his shoes red. But he doesn't get down, it's all good. Instead of throwing a fit or getting upset he adjusts his song. "I love my red shoes, I love my red shoes..." Until he steps in a pile of blueberries. Now his song sings the merits of his blue shoes. And so on. With a great little moral at the end. Keep walking along and singing your song cuz it's all good!

The large painterly illustrations in bright primary colors reach out and grab you while Pete’s chill attitude with his coffee and his banjo, his guitars and statements of ‘groovy’ will have you mellowly grooving right along with him.

Check out the video of the author reading it—guaranteed you’ll get it stuck in your head!