Book Review: Christmas in Cooperstown by David A. Kelly

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Christmas in Cooperstown cover imageCousins Mike Walsh and Kate Hopkins love solving mysteries, so when they discover a vintage baseball card has been stolen from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, they are on the case. The list of suspects is short, but catching the thief with evidence proves a challenge. They’ll have to use every trick they know to return the purloined card back where it belongs.

Christmas in Cooperstown by David A. Kelly is just the kind of mystery that’s great for young readers aged 6 to 9. The young protagonists are never in true danger as they use their wits to solve a crime. Part of the Ballpark Mystery series, the story is followed by real information about the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the invention of baseball. There’s also a recipe for muffins made with blueberries and chocolate chips. The combination of fiction, nonfiction, and a recipe should satisfy lots of readers.

Easy-to-read chapters and cute illustrations by Mark Meyers keep kids turning pages and having fun while building reading skills. There are lots of titles in the whole series, and the stories are likely to be read more than once as kids revisit clues in the story.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: This Is a Good Story by Adam Lehrhaupt

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This is a Good Story cover imageTelling a good story means knowing how a story builds, with a protagonist, a plot, a conflict and more. Children often learn the elements of storytelling in school, where they have to write for classwork. But what if they could learn it earlier, in a way that makes them think of storytelling as fun? That’s the idea behind the picture book by Adam Lehrhaupt, This Is a Good Story.

The story begins with a girl creating a picture book with a hero and a heroine who live in a good town filled with good people. The plot heats up when an evil overlord attacks. A touch of whimsy is added when an omniscient reader gives the girl direction on what to draw and ideas on how to make her story better.

At the end, when the girl has finished her book to her own satisfaction, a list of the elements of story appears along with definitions. Pictures by Magali Le Huche are child-like, and it’s easy to picture young readers being inspired by both pictures and words to want to create their own picture books when they read this one. I expect parents and kids both will love it.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Audition by Maddie Ziegler

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The Audition cover imageHarper McCoy loves her life in Connecticut. She’s got great friends and everyone on her dance team knows her skills. But when her family moves to Florida for her dad’s job, she finds herself having to prove her ability at a new dance school. The girls on her new team would rather have their old friends than welcome a newcomer. To win their respect Harper must work hard and show them that they all benefit when they work together.

The Audition by Maddie Ziegler takes readers inside the world of competitive dance, revealing the stamina, athleticism, creativity and more required to stand out. Dancers often start out when they are very young, and they learn multiple styles even though they may excel at one. The world is very familiar to author Ziegler, who is an award-winning professional dancer and who starred on Lifetime’s Dance Moms for six seasons.

Ziegler’s expertise informs the story and makes it believable. Yet The Audition is also relatable to girls who don’t dance, as it may be a familiar story to anyone who has ever been shut out of a group of already close friends (a situation that applies to almost everyone at some point). Harper deals with mean girls, humiliating situations, and more without losing sight of who she is and what she can achieve. It’s an inspiring story for anyone.

I recommend The Audition for readers aged 9 to 12.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Counting Sea Life With the Little Seahorse

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Counting Sea Life Witht he Little Seahorse cover imageWhat do you get when you combine a counting book with underwater sea creatures, rhyming words, and a touch of whimsy? Counting Sea Life with the Little Seahorse by Sheri Fink and Derek Taylor Kent.

Kids will have fun learning about ocean life as they count up creatures, some that are well known and others less so. Whales, turtles, crabs and seals are included as well as narwhals, blowfish, and pipefish. Numbers go up from one to twenty, then provide kids with an extra challenge by skipping to 30.

The authors add alliteration (i.e., dandy dolphins, tuna in tutus, jolly jellyfish eating jelly), and a lot of whimsy. For instance, the oysters are performing Shakespeare, the pipefish are pirates, and the narwhals are ninjas.

There are also downloadable coloring pages (click on image to download and print) The Little Seahorse Coloring Page 1The Little Seahorse Coloring Page 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and a way for kids to interact with the authors at the end. It all adds up to a fun way for kids to learn to count with the Little Seahorse as their guide.

For additional info, you may want to check out this interview with the authors: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTMDe_cZ0Jk

The authors provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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Book Review: Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers

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Her Right Foot cover imageIconic images of the Statue of Liberty show her from the front, with torch raised high. So most people are unfamiliar with her feet, which are mostly covered by her long robe anyway. But author Dave Eggers wants readers to notice her right foot, which he says holds a timely message about what the statue represents: acceptance of immigrants.

Written with humor and candor, Her Right Foot tells the story of the statue’s creation in France and how it made it’s way to New York. It’s full of facts presented in a way to appeal to young readers. For instance, Eggers calls attention to the copper skin that “is about as thick as two pennies.” He also writes that for about 35 years the statue was brown, which is the color of copper before it oxidizes into a greenish-blue hue.

Facts about her height, how she was built, the symbolism of the seven spikes on her crown, and more build up to a little known fact about her right foot. Eggers uses imagery of that foot to offer a reminder about what the statue itself symbolizes, both to Americans and to people all over the world.

Art by Shawn Harris is sometimes playful, sometimes serious, and it helps the story flow. Her Right Foot is a great book to share with children aged 5 to 8 as a way to start a conversation about immigration and its historic role in the U.S.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Ada Lace, On the Case by Emily Calandrelli

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Ada Lace cover imageAda Lace is new in town and her mom wants her to make friends before school starts. She meets Nina and the two of them start observing life in Juniper Gardens, which is their neighborhood. As the two get to know the habits of the people who live around them, they come to believe that someone has kidnapped a neighbor’s dog. It will take all their powers of observation, and then some, to solve the case.

Ada Lace, On the Case is a series about a girl who loves science and logic. She has pet turtles, an imaginative younger brother, and she uses technology to solve mysteries. While she doesn’t always come to the right conclusions at first, she’s open to reviewing evidence that will help her change her mind.

Renée Kurilla’s illustrations go along with the cute story perfectly. It’s a great idea for a series and it’s sure to inspire kids ages 8 to 11 to turn their observation skills to the world around them.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Maya Lin: Thinking With Her Hands by Susan Goldman Rubin

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Maya Lin: Thinking With Her Hands cover imageMaya Lin was thrust into the national spotlight when her design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., completed as a college project, won out over other entries. In her early 20s, she found herself in a struggle to keep the integrity of her vision during a national conversation in which powerful people demanded changes. The experience set the tone for major projects that would come throughout her career.

Maya Lin: Thinking With Her Hands by Susan Goldman Rubin tells the story of Lin’s life in a biography accessible to young readers aged 8 to 12. While showcasing Lin’s work, the story also focuses on her groundbreaking role as an artist, an achievement even more impressive considering she began her career during a time when women and minorities had to work extra hard to be taken seriously. Photographs show not only Lin’s work, but how people interact with her installations, which include buildings, memorials, and places in nature.

The book’s release coincides with the 35th anniversary of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, which makes it a good time to reflect on the social changes that have occurred during Lin’s career.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Pug & Pig Trick-or-Treat by Sue Lowell Gallion and Joyce Wan

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Pug & Pig Trick or Treat cover imagePug and pig are great friends, but that doesn’t mean they like the same things. Pig loves to put on a costume for Halloween, go trick-or-treating, and have fun at a party. Pug hates tight costumes and doesn’t care about Halloween. Pig is feeling sad that she’ll have to celebrate all on her own until Pug gets a great idea that will make them both happy.

Pug & Pig Trick-or-Treat by Sue Lowell Gallion looks at how friends can be different and still find ways to have fun together. Joyce Wan’s illustrations are adorable. Her simple lines depicting smiling and frowning faces convey lots of emotion so little ones can grasp the significance of each character’s actions throughout the story.

Parents looking to add a Halloween picture book to their bookshelf can’t go wrong with this ode to friendship and individuality.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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