Fly Guy vs. the Flyswatter!

School Library Journal (September 1, 2011)


PreS-Gr 2-This 10th addition to the early-reader series is sure to be a hit with young patrons, especially those who have enjoyed the silly adventures of Buzz and his pet. In this tale, Fly Guy is eating a hearty breakfast from Buzz's leftover lunch inside the boy's backpack. Buzz discovers his pal when he opens his backpack at school, and he puts him in his shirt pocket for the day. The irony of this adventure is that the class is headed on a field trip to a flyswatter factory, and the antics that follow will keep youngsters turning the pages. Clear, comic-style drawings, well-balanced white space, and whimsically wide-eyed characters provide beginning readers with a rollicking adventure. This is another winner, especially when searching for books for boys; definitely put this one on your shelves.-Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MI (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Secrets At Sea

Booklist (September 1, 2011 (Vol. 108, No. 1))


Grades 4-7. As the eldest, Helena has taken charge of her orphaned siblings. It is her job to keep the younger mice safe—not much of a challenge, really, except for avoiding the occasional snake and keeping the daring Louise from being seen by humans. However, when word comes that the Cranstons, the people upstairs, are sailing for Europe to give their eldest daughter, Olive, “Her Chance,” the mice must conquer their fear of drowning to accompany the family across the Atlantic or else stay behind and starve. This delightful romp, told by Helena, is enhanced by whimsical black-and-white illustrations. By turns poignant and playful, engaging and exciting, and with a touch of romance, the story will have great appeal for the audience. The characters (both two- and four-legged) are well drawn, and the timeless themes—the importance of family, the need for courage—add heft.

Every Thing On It

Booklist (September 1, 2011 (Vol. 108, No. 1))


Grades 2-7. Members of Shel Silverstein’s family have selected poems and drawings from his personal archive for a volume to follow Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974), A Light in the Attic (1981), and Falling Up (1996). The result is unmistakably Silverstein, with insouciant rhymes, playful scansion, furious humor, and the odd scatological reference, packaged with a tight typeface and whimsical ink drawings set against ample white space. The poems, ranging from two-line zingers to three-page odes, cover a lot of emotional territory, examining the many difficulties and joys of being young and growing up. Moments of melancholy and nostalgia balance the otherwise sharp frivolity. Fans of Silverstein’s oeuvre will find more to appreciate, while newcomers who have yet to discover his individual tone will be prompted to seek out the classics.

My Name Is Elizabeth!

Kirkus Review starred (August 15, 2011)


Don't call her Betsy. After all, though she may seem part Olivia and part Lilly (with just a smidgen of Chrysanthemum), right on the cover the protagonist declares, "My name is Elizabeth!" She then lauds the virtues of her "nine letters long" moniker,concluding, "I also like that there is a queen named after me!" Alas, Elizabeth must fend off "Lizzy," "Liz," "Beth" and "Betsy's" aplenty as her granddad, a neighborhood boy, a merchant and a crossing guard greet her with these nicknames. Never bratty, this girl simply knows who she is and what she wants to be called. Forsythe's restrained color palette and expressive line contribute to his brilliant rendering of Elizabeth's character, and his whimsical inclusion of a pet duck (unmentioned in the text) adds another layer of idiosyncratic delight. A double whammy of a punch line first shows readers that "Elizabeth" isn't quite the mouthful her full name is and then underscores her true sweetness when she acquiesces to having her heretofore-silent baby brother call her "Wizabef?" "Close enough," she thinks. This debut picture-book offering from Dunklee and Forsythe is close enough to perfect in its tone, pacing and interplay between words and pictures: Wonderful. (Picture book. 3-7)

Love, Mouserella

Kirkus Review starred (August 15, 2011)


Bestrewing lined sheets with crayon drawings, Polaroids, smudges, a ketchup packet (not a real one) and other signs of affection, a mouseling writes a newsy love note to her Grandmouse. "I don't know what to write..." she starts-but that problem disappears in a twinkling, as her attention flits from a crafts project to a pet ladybug ("I taught her to fetch"), from a museum visit ("At the butterfly tent I put honey from the cafeteria on my ears so butterflies would land on me. But none did") to flashlight shadow puppets during the previous week's blackout. Showing his customary gift for spot-on evocations of childlike voice and sensibility, Caldecott honoree Stein (Interrupting Chicken, 2010) interweaves Mouserella's loosely connected comments with decorative crayon sketches, relatively more finished vignettes representing pictures in her imagination or scenes she is describing and painted "photos" of a pet chrysalis, Dadmouse and other subjects. "Write back," she concludes, after expressing hopes of a future visit. "I mouse you." Awww. Sometimes snail mail is just better. Here's proof. (Picture book. 5-7)

Otis and the Tornado

School Library Journal (October 1, 2011)


PreS-Gr 2-The tractor with the big heart is back in another adventure. Life on the farm is fairly peaceful, except for a menacing bull, which frightens both the tractor and the farm inhabitants. Otis and the animals keep their distance from him-until the day a storm arrives. The tractor knows "deep down in his pipes" that the approaching tempest is no ordinary storm, so working fast he helps his friends find cover in Mud Creek. But from that safe spot the group can hear the dreadful cry of the bull, locked in its pen and smack in the path of the speeding tornado. True to his nature, Otis rushes to the rescue and together they find shelter from the twister. Long offers readers a tender tale with exquisite artwork. The large, gouache-and-pencil illustrations feature unusual perspective and outlined forms with bold dashes of color that contrast with earth-tone backgrounds. The pictures have a retro quality that matches Otis's vintage perfectly. Children will be delighted with this story about friendship.-Diane Antezzo, Ridgefield Library, CT (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

2011-2012 Texas Bluebonnet Reading List

•Angleberger, Tom. 2010. The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda.
•Barnett, Mac. 2009. The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity.
•Bildner, Phil. 2010. The Hallelujah Flight.
•Butler, Dori Hillestad. 2010. The Buddy Files: The Case of the Lost Boy.
•Carris, Joan. 2009. Wild Times at the Bed and Biscuit.
•Catanese, P. W. 2009. Happenstance Found.
•de Seve, Randall. 2009. The Duchess of Whimsy: An Absolutely Delicious Fairy Tale.
•Draper, Sharon. 2010. Out of My Mind.
•Fleming, Candace. 2009. Imogene's Last Stand.

•Holm, Jennifer L. 2010. Turtle in Paradise.
•Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2010. Amazing Faces.
•Javaherbin, Mina. 2010. Goal!.
•Kerley, Barbara. 2010. The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy).
•Lewin, Ted and Betsy Lewin. 2009. Balarama: A Royal Elephant.
•McDonough, Yona Zeldis. 2009. Louisa: The Life of Louisa May Alcott. 

•McGowan, Keith. 2009. The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children.
•Nelson, S. D. 2010. Black Elk's Vision: A Lakota Story.
•Phelan, Matt. 2009. The Storm in the Barn.
•Singer, Marilyn. 2010. Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse.
•West, Jacqueline. 2010. The Shadows.