The Witch Must Die: The Hidden Meaning of Fairy Tales by Sheldon Cashdan

Cashdan, Sheldon. 1999. The Witch Must Die: The Hidden Meaning of Fairy Tales. New York: Basic Books.
Author Sheldon Cashdan’s parents read the more popular fairy tales such as Hansel and Gretel and Jack in the Beanstalk to him as a child. Still, he admits his most vivid childhood memories of fairy tales were brought to him courtesy of Walt Disney. He recalls “sitting in a darkened movie theater watching Snow White and holding (his) breath as the gamekeeper prepared to cut out the heroine’s heart” (Cashdan, 1). However, as an adult, teaching undergraduate courses; particularly a seminar titled “The Psychology of Fantasy and Folklore”, he became aware of fairy tales as both a teaching tool and a forum for understanding child psychological development.
In chapter one Cashdan discusses some of the myths concerning fairy tales.
· Myth 1-Fairy tales are stories written for children. During his research of fairy tales Cashdan found that many of them “never made their way into children’s storybooks” (Cashdan, 2). Of the hundreds of fairy tales Cashdan unearthed only a few, those free of incest, sexual innuendo, and other perversions, were appropriate for children. Their intended use, Cashdan asserts, was entertainment at adult social gatherings.
· Myth 2-All fairy tales were written by The Brothers Grimm. Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm collected centuries-old stories, gleaned from the memories of and relatives, and created an anthology that “many consider the most comprehensive fairy-tale collection of all time” (Cashdan, 7).
· Myth 3-The intent of fairy tales is to teach children lessons. Morality in fairy tales was added later by Charles Perrault. For example, the never talk to strangers caution in Little Red Riding Hood was not part of the original story, but added by Perrault for didactic purposes. According to the author Little Red Riding Hood is about “food and cannibalism” (Cashdan, 9).
In chapter two Cashdan discusses why, although they were not originally intended for children, fairy tales are so appealing to children and why they are helpful psychologically. Fairy tales contain insight into feelings all children struggle to understand. Things such as loving and being loved, fear of abandonment, and even where they stand in the hierarchy of the family find a voice and a release through fairy tales.
Chapters three through ten provide a breakdown of inappropriate behaviors and feelings all children struggle to overcome and compares them to the seven deadly sins; vanity, gluttony, envy, deceit, lust, greed, and sloth. Cashdan points to the witch-like character in various fairy tales; the evil step-mother in Snow White is vain, the witch in Hansel and Gretel is gluttonous, the evil step-mother in Cinderella is envious, the maid-servant in The Goose Girl is deceitful, the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid is lustful, the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk is greedy, the evil step-sister in Mother Hulda is slothful; and associates the witch’s death in each story with a child’s ability to overcome inappropriate feelings and behavior.
As a method for understanding the inner workings of a child’s mind and an historical index of both well and lesser known traditional tales The Witch Must Die is an excellent resource for parents, teachers, and child psychologists attempting to help children navigate some of the more terrifying impulses, feelings, and actions associated with childhood.

The Brook Book: exploring the smallest streams by Jim Arnosky

Arnosky, Jim. 2008. The Brook Book: exploring the smallest streams. New York: Penguin.

Brooks are the smallest types of tributaries. They begin as mountain springs flowing from hillsides or as water coming from underground streams. Brooks always run down hill. Author Jim Arnosky provides readers with practical tips on exploring, water safety, and facts about brooks and the animal and plant life they support. Arnosky’s lifelike and colorful illustrations bring the world of brooks to life with detailed drawings of birds, fish, and other wildlife sustained by the brooks. Fact-supported, practical advice on spotting animal tracks, fishing, and bird watching is included; as are maps demonstrating how water flows from the smallest brook behind your house all the way to sea. The Brook Book is a great read for future environmentalists or anyone interested in the natural world.

Cobblestone Magazine

Cobblestone. April 2008. 29 (4).

Cobblestone is distributed by Carus Publishing. Winner of the George Washington Honor Medal, the 1996 Parents' Choice Magazine Gold Award, and the 2006 Parents' Choice Magazine Silver Award; Cobblestone's target audience is upper elementary grade children. Each issue of Cobblestone is dedicated to different occurrences of historical significance. The April 2008 issue details the Civil Rights Movement including historical events such as the Jim Crow laws; inacted to circumvent the rights established under the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendments to the Constitution, Thurgood Marshall successfully arguing before the Supreme Court that "racial segregation in interstate commerce" was unconstitutional, and protests against the "whites only" set up of many public conveniences. Cobblestone is a well-written, interesting magazine packed with information. It is an excellent informational read and teaching tool.

Coral Reefs by Gail Gibbons

Gibbons, Gail. 2007. Coral Reefs. New York: Holiday House.

Coral reefs are usually located in water with a temperature between 64 degrees Fahrenheit and 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Coral reefs are made from the skeletons of tiny marine animals. Coral reefs come in three different types; fringe reefs, barrier reefs, and atolls. Coral reefs began to die out about 65 million years ago; at about the same time that dinosaurs became extinct, but began to come back about 50 million years ago. These and many other interesting facts can be found in author Gail Gibbons' fact-filled book about coral reefs and the sea life they help to sustain. Gibbons' colorfully vivid and Nemo-esque illustrations of coral reefs all over the world demonstrate the symbiotic relationship enjoyed by the reefs, fish and plant life. Facts gathered from marine biologist Dr. Kim Ritchie and Mote Marine Laboratory manager Nadine Slimak lend authority to this curiosity-satisfying book that is also a feast for the eyes.

Dolley Madison Saves George Washington by Don Brown

Brown, Don. 2007. Dolley Madison Saves George Washington. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Born a simple, Quaker farm girl Dolley Payne grew up in Virginia. Because of their faith Dolley's family freed their slaves in 1783 and moved to Philadelphia where her mother opened a boarding house. Dolley lost her first husband, John Todd, in the 1793 yellow fever epidemic and met future husband James Madison through Aaron Burr; a boarder of her mother's. During her husband's tenure as Thomas Jefferson's secretary of state, Dolley served as hostess for the widowed Jefferson. When James Madison became president Dolley continued her reign as "the capital's leading hostess." But, it was during the war of 1812 when British troops set fire to the presidential mansion that Dolley proved she was brave and quick thinking as well as a marvelous hostess. Snatching important documents and valuable artifacts, she was preparing to flee when she remembered George Washington. Unable to remove the father of our country's painting from the wall, she ordered two servants to smash the frame and remove the painting. Only then did Dolley Madison flee for her life with George Washington rolled up safely at her side. The famous portrait by Gilbert Stuart hangs today in the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution thanks to the bravery and quick thinking of Dolley Madison. Using quotes from Dolley Madison, the people who knew her, and citizens who lived through the War of 1812 Don Brown paints a vivid portrait of the person Dolley Madison. His pen, ink, and pastel-watercolor illustrations lend an old-fashioned, soft-focus sweetness to the people, fashions, and Dolley herself, while the stark contrast of the black, white, and gray tone photograph of Washington's portrait allows readers to see the reality of the piece of history Dolley Madison saved.

Babymouse: Queen of the World! by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

Holm, Jennifer L., and Matthew Holm. 2005. Babymouse: Queen of the World!. New York: Random House.

Babymouse's world is full of humdrum routine. Get up, get dressed, brush your whiskers, and try not to miss the school bus. What Babymouse really wants, or thinks she really wants anyway, is glamour, excitement, adventure, and most of all, to hang with the popular crowd. And so she does; in her imagination. Unfortunately, Babymouse's imagination kicks in at the most inopportune moments; during math drills, on her way to class, and in the middle of passing notes. Even more unfortunate, imagination can't take the place of what she really wants; an invitation to Felicia Furrypaws', the most popular girl in school, slumber party. So, Babymouse sets about wrangling an invitation and vows to let nothing, not even abandoning her real friend, get in her way. Matthew Holm's black-and-white pen illustrations; sometimes dotted, sometimes splattered with pink, compliment sister Jennifer's storyline in this graphic novel series of the Babymouse in all of us who just wants to wear a tiara on our perfectly smooth, glossy hair, dress in flouncy, pink ballgowns, and rule the world. Third through fifth graders will laugh along and thoroughly identify with Babymouse.

The Misadventures of Benjamin Batholomew Piff by Jason Lethcoe

Lethcoe, Jason. 2007. The Misadventures of Benjamin Bartholomew Piff. New York: Penguin Group.

Recently orphaned Benjamin Bartholomew Piff has spent the last miserable year as an inmate of Pinch’s Home for Wayward Boys. Cold, hungry, and tormented by Miss Pinch and the cook Mr. Roach; it is Ben’s 9th birthday and Ben is planning to escape. Captured on his way out the door, Ben is sentenced to kitchen duty and, after scrubbing out the huge, filthy pots used to cook what Roach laughingly calls stew, he discovers his birthday cake, brought by his caseworker and confiscated by Miss Pinch, cuts himself a large slice, places a single lighted candle atop the slice, makes a wish, and blows out the candle. That’s when, amazingly, his wish for unlimited wishes comes. Delighted, Ben begins wishing for everything he has been missing in the year since his parent’s death. Everything seems perfect until Thomas Candlewick, newly promoted president of Wishworks, the magical corporation in charge of granting birthday wishes, shows up at the door to Benjamin’s new, wish-filled house and informs him his wish globe, with the powerful unlimited wishes wish inside, has been stolen by Adolfus Thornblood, CEO of Curseworks and arch nemesis of Wishworks and all it stands for. Ben learns the theft of his powerful wish has also undone Wishworks ability to grant wishes and until he can retrieve his wish globe and unwish his wish for unlimited wishes no one’s wishes will come true. It is up to Ben to break through Curseworks' defenses, liberate his wish globe from the evil Thornblood, and un-wish his wish for unlimited wishes. In his first book of the Benjamin Bartholomew Piff series author Jason Lethcoe takes readers on a fantastic and imaginative journey filled with leprechauns, jinn, evil spider lords, flying chairs, and inventive, magic-folk sports. Along the way he uses birthday wishes as a way to address both the power of empathy and the destructivness of greed.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Lewis, C.S. 1950. The Chronicles of Narnia. New York: HarperCollins.

The wardrobe where Lucy conceals herself during the game of hide-and-seek is deep. So deep in fact that, as she moves further and further to the back of the wardrobe, Lucy begins to feel the prickles of pine needles and see a kind of weak, winter sunlight. Emerging finally into the light she steps into a kind of courtyard with a glowing street lamp and feels the crunch of snow-covered ground beneath her feet. When Mr. Tumnus the faun comes trotting along on his little hooves and invites her back to his house for tea, Lucy knows she isn't in England anymore. However, when she returns through the wardrobe to the big, country house she is sharing temporarily with her brothers Peter and Edmund and her sister Susan to escape the bombing in WWII London, and tells them of her adventure in Narnia with Mr. Tumnus, none of them believe her. That is until a few weeks later when they all find themselves hiding in the wardrobe to escape a house tour and they all feel the prickling of the pine needles, see the light and find themselves in the snowy courtyard with the glowing street lamp. They soon discover their coming has been foretold and their appearance in Narnia, where it is forever winter, will mark the beginning of a fierce battle between good and evil. In his first book of The Chronicles of Narnia series renowned author C.S. Lewis takes readers on a magical journey to a land where evil has held sway over good for longer than anyone can tell. Along the way we meet animals with human characteristics, both good and bad, and see through the eyes of Lucy, Peter, Edmund, and Susan, the power of honesty, bravery, and love and witness how their opposites; deceit, cowardess, and envy allow evil to flourish.

The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

DiTerlizzi, Tony and Holly Black. 2003. The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Something is not quite right about the once imposing Spiderwick estate. Uninhabited for many years, the Victorian mansion has fallen into disrepair. Despite their unease over the sniggering and scrabbling sounds that seem to be coming from inside the walls, it is now the new home, along with their mother, of the Grace children Jared, Simon, and Mallory. Abandoned by their father and with no where else to go, Mrs. Grace's great-aunt Lucinda, institutionalized for decades due to a belief that Spiderwick is inhabited by "creatures", has reluctantly agreed to allow the Grace's to live at Spiderwick. On their first night in the house the children discover a strange sort of nest in one of the kitchen walls next to an ancient and creaking dumbwaiter. Further investigation of the dumbwaiter leads them to a secret room at the top of the house where Jared finds an old field guide written by great-aunt Lucinda's father, Arthur Spiderwick. However, this field guide is not your everday kind of field guide. Instead of drawings and annotations about insects, flora, and fauna, Arthur Spiderwick's field guide contains information on how to spot brownies, faeries, boggarts, and other mythical creatures. The first book in The Spiderwick Chronicles is filled with, not only the danger of not knowing, but also the dangers of knowing. Are we safer living in blissful ignorance of the unseen dangers that surround us, or are we better able to defend ourselves if we are aware? The Field Guide explores the importance of respecting not only the world we live in, but also the beliefs and culture of those who are different from us. And, long before reaching the end of Jared, Simon, and Mallory's adventures, readers will think twice about who or what is responsible for their creaking walls, squeaking floorboards, and missing household items.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Choldenko, Gennifer. 2004. Al Capone Does My Shirts. New York: G. P. Putnam & Sons.

If you think being 12-years-old is tough; try being 12-years-old and having to live on Alcatraz Island among the murderers, thieves, and swindlers who are locked up there just so your sister can attend a special school. The year is 1935 and Matthew Flanagan, nicknamed Moose due to a recent growth spurt, would like to spend his time doing the things most 12-year-olds do; playing baseball, noticing girls, and hanging out with his friends. Instead, he is living on Alcatraz island where his father works as a guard and taking his 16-year-old mentally-challenged sister, who his mother tries to pass off as ten in order to make her eligible to attend an experimental school for children with special needs, everywhere he goes. Complicating matters are his worries about what hare-brained scheme his mother will come up with next to make his sister "normal" and what kind of trouble the warden's pretty, con-artist daughter will get him into. Set against the backdrop of Alcatraz Island, where, during the story's time frame, Al Capone was actually incarcerated, the author adds authenticity with details of the guards and their families who lived on the island prison and the problems and misunderstandings surrounding the mental state that would become known as autism.

Maggie's Door by Patricia Reilly Giff

Giff, Patricia Reilly. 2003. Maggie's Door. New York: Random House.

Childhood friends Nory Ryan and Sean Red Mallon have known each other for as long as they can remember. Unfortunately, just as they are beginning to feel something more than simple friendship for each other, a terrible blight strikes the potato crop, the main source of food and income for most Irish people, bringing poverty, starvation, and death to Ireland. Set in the mid-19th century where war, prejudice, and religious differences with the English have left the Irish people without any rights; including the rights to their own lands, Nory and Sean Red's families have no alternative but to leave Ireland. They set out for America and Nory's sister Maggie who left home the year before and is now living in Brooklyn, New York. The vision of Maggie's front door, and Maggie waiting to welcome them into a new life, sustains them during the long, dangerous, ocean voyage from Galway to New York. Through alternating chapters told from first Nory's point of view and then Sean Red's, the author adds authenticity by evoking images of the horrors that millions of desperate Irish people experienced due to the famine; the horrible, sickening stench of potatoes putrifying in the fields, bodies left to rot because those still alive hadn't the strength to bury them, and the fear of separation from both family and homeland. And yet, despite the horrors and desperation of this moment in history, Maggie's Door remains a story of hope, the resilience of the Irish people, and the power of kindness in dark times that will resonate forever.

The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman

Cushman, Karen. 1995. The Midwife's Apprentice. New York: Clarion.

She thinks her name is "Brat" because that's what everyone in the village calls her. She has no idea how old she is and, as far back as she can remember, she has lived on her own, begging for food, covering her body with filthy rags, and sleeping in the dung heap for warmth. When the village midwife finds her asleep in the dung heap one cold morning she is re-christened 'Beetle' and pressed into service as the midwife's apprentice. Set in a medieval English village The Midwife's Apprentice follows 'Beetle' as she transforms from beggar who sleeps in the dung heap and wishes only for enough food to keep her from starving, to 'Alyce' a girl with friends, a purpose, and a future as a midwife. Cushman's attention to historical details; the townfolks' supersticious belief that the devil is walking about their village causing trouble and the midwife's use of herbs for both medicinal purposes and charms against misfortune and the curses of witches, give authenticity to this story of a young girl's triumph over seeminly insurmountable odds.

The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

Springer, Nancy. 2006. The Case of the Missing Marquess. New York: Philomel.


Fourteen-year-old Enola Holmes' mother has disappeared. Enola's initial search of the grounds at Ferndell Hall, the Holmes family estate, has turned up one fact; Lady Eudoria Vernet Holmes walked into the woods early in the morning and simply vanished. Enola, desperate to find her mother, wires her older brothers Mycroft and Sherlock for help.Unfortunately, when the brothers arrive, their anger at Enola's lack of schooling in the social niceties of Victorian England far outweigh any concern for their missing mother. Enola, whom the brothers have not seen for ten years, has been allowed to run wild. Riding her bicycle around the village, showing her ankles, and obviously not wearing a corset; she is a disgrace to the Holmes' family name and must be made into a lady without further delay. Enola, however, has other ideas. The ladies of Victorian England have no rights, no voice, and are expected to dress in nightmarishly uncomfortable clothing. Following clues her mother has left for her, and using the same talent for reasoning, deduction, and disguises as her brother Sherlock; Enola plans her escape. The author's use of coded-messages and clues combined with the heroine's refusal to conform to the outrageous strictures placed upon girls and women of the Victorian era will keep readers mesmerized.

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

MacLachlan, Patricia. 1985. Sarah, Plain and Tall. New York: Harper & Row.

Set in the midwest during the 1880s Sarah, Plain and Tall is the story of Sarah Wheatland. Her brother has married and for reasons left to the readers imagination there is no longer room for Sarah in the house where she has lived her entire life. She must now fend for herself and, with few options open to her, answers an advertisement for a mail-order-bride. Leaving her home in Maine, Sarah travels west to take up residence with widower Jacob Witting and his children Anna and Caleb. This gentle story of strangers who need each other unfolds through Anna's narrative as she and Caleb wait fearfully to see if Sarah will stay; not realizing Sarah needs them as much as they need her. Surviving on the midwest plains during this time was difficult enough, but doing so without a wife or mother made it almost impossible, and women in late 19th century America, being almost completely dependant on male family members or marriage for their livelihood, had very few rights and fewer options when it came to supporting themselves. Sarah, Plain and Tall glosses over some of the harsher realities of 19th century life, but remains a lovely, tender story of the need to love and companionship.

Still Just Grace by Charise Mericle Harper

Harper, Charise Mericle. 2007. Still Just Grace. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

With the second in children's author Charise Mericle Harper's Just Grace series, we again join eight-year-old Grace; one of four Graces in her third-grade class. In order to distinguish the four Graces they have been christened Grace W., Gracie, Grace F., and, worst of all, Just Grace. When a new student teacher, Mr. Frank, joins the class, Just Grace decides this is her opportunity to get rid of the "Just" once and for all. But, when she informs the regular teacher, Miss Lois, that she wants to be called Grace or Grace S., Miss Lois dismisses her request with "Now is not the time to be confusing everyone with new names." Now, on top of worrying she is losing her best friend Mimi to a new boy in class, she is stuck with "the most dumb name in the world"; not to mention having to put up with superior, know-it-all Grace F. everyday. Luckily, Grace possesses a secret, invisible, super power; empathy power. According to Grace, "empathy power is the power to feel someone else's sadness, and then to try to make that sadness go away." Using her super power Grace manages to make it through each day, and quite often see and understand things from the perspective of others. Using short chapters, humorous, realistic narrative and dialog written in Grace's wise-beyond-her-years-but-still-eight-years-old voice; Ms. Harper invites readers into the complex world of third grade. Sprinkling the narrative with Grace's child-like doodles and sketches; what she did or imagined during the day, maps of the places she has been or is going, snippets of homework, and cartoons of Grace using her empathy power, visually enhances our visit to Graces' world. Still Just Grace reminds readers that things (and people) are not always what they seem and a little empathy for your fellow man (or kid) goes a long way in making the world a nicer place.

Claiming Georgia Tate by Gigi Amateau

Amateau, Gigi. 2005. Claiming Georgia Tate. Cambridge: Candlewick Press.

Gigi Amateau's first novel acquaints the reader with thirteen-year-old Georgia Tate Jamison. Divided into two parts, before and after the death of her grandma, we join Georgia as she comes-of-age and learns some hard truths about herself, her family, and life. Set in the south, circa 1970, Claiming Georgia Tate presents realistic characters, some sympathetic, some loathsome, as they struggle with universal themes that resonate in the 21st century; innocence and its loss, the devastating consequences of keeping secrets, incest, pedophilia, racism, and prejudice. Told her mother is dead, Georgia lives happily with her Grandma and Grandpa Tate. Her father, the alcoholic Rayford Jamison, wants custody of Georgia, but Georgia's grandma refuses. Everyone knows about the alcoholism, but only Georgia's grandma knows Rayford's dirty secret. Rayford Jamison is a pedophile, and when Georgia's grandma dies unexpectedly; she takes the secret to her grave. Georgia's Grandpa, a good man trying to do what he thinks is best for her, sends Georgia to live with her father. Seen through Georgia's eyes and heard through her thoughts; what follows is something no child should ever have to deal with; although too many do. Use of the "f" word and a devastating rape are part of the narrative, but this wonderfully written, slice of life story serves as a warning that refusing to acknowledge evil does not make it go away.

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos

Gantos, Jack. 1998. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Jack Gantos, self-proclaimed screw-up and author of many books for children including the Rotten Ralph series, introduces readers to Joey Pigza. Through realistic dialog and Mr. Gantos' terrific and entertaining narrative of Joey's thoughts, we learn that Joey Pigza is out of control; like his father before him, and his grandmother before that. Joey cannot make his brain stop. And, once he puts into action the ideas his brain forms, he is not able to stop himself; no matter how crazy or dangerous that idea might be. Again and again he swallows the house key that hangs on a string around his neck and pulls it back up his throat. On a class trip he eats an entire pie and, his brain racing from too much sugar, decides to climb to the topmost rafter of a huge barn. The final straw comes when, running across the classroom with the "teacher" scissors, he trips and accidentally snips off the tip of a classmate's nose. Because he is a danger to himself and others, Joey is sent to "special ed" and warned it is up to him whether or not he will ever return to a regular classroom. Any kid who has ever struggled with a problem at home or in school will relate to likable and smart Joey Pigza. Readers will cheer for him as he struggles to come to terms with problems he can fix and problems over which he has no control.

Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under Her Bed by Barbara Park

Park, Barbara. 1997. Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under Her Bed. New York: Random House.

In this installment of the popular Junie B. Jones series Barbara Park incorporates her combination of familiar format, short chapters, likable heroine, and unique, realistic dialog to create another sure fire winner in her much-read series. In Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under Her Bed Junie B. Jones is too smart to be afraid of dinosaurs. She knows dinosaurs do not exist. But what about monsters? Classmate Paulie Allen Puffer says EVERYONE has monsters under their beds. With the help of her best friend Lucille and her Grandma Miller, Junie B. Jones commences to find a way to vanquish the monster under her bed. Brought to life visually by Denise Brunkus exuberate, full-page pencil sketches, kindergartner everyman Junie B. Jones gives voice to the trials and tribulations of all kids.

Marvin Redpost: Kidnapped at Birth? by Louis Sachar

Sachar, Louis. 1992. Marvin Redpost: Kidnapped at Birth?. New York: Random House.

Louis Sachar's first book in the Marvin Redpost series introduces us to red-haired, left-handed Marvin, his family, and his friends. Short chapters, believable dialog, and a main character who is smart and thoughtful, but still far from perfect, make the first Marvin Redpost a fun and engaging read. Told by his teacher, Mrs. North, that he is lucky to be left-handed because left-handed people are descended from royalty, Marvin does not feel lucky; he is worried. Marvin has just finished writing his current events report on the King of Shampoon. The King of Shampoon has red hair just like Marvin, and he is looking for his son, Robert, who was kidnapped the day he was born nine years ago. Marvin has red hair, although everyone else in his family has brown hair. Marvin is nine years old just like the King of Shampoon's kidnapped son. And now his teacher has told him being left-handed means he has royal blood. Is Marvin the long-lost Prince of Shampoon? Does this mean he will have to leave his friends and family to live in Shampoon and be heir to the throne? Neal Hughes full-page pencil sketches of Marvin in class, Marvin in his messy room with his best friends Nick and Stuart, and Marvin dealing with the class bully compliment Louis Sachar's narrative of the everyday life of Marvin Redpost. Published in 1992, children today might find parts of the plot, such as going into a hotel room alone to have a blood test, a little dated, but beginning readers will still relate to Marvin's day-to-day triumphs and tribulations as he learns that maybe fame and wealth are not what a boy really needs.

Here's a Little Poem by Jane Yolen

Yolen, Jane, and Andrew Fusek Peters, comp. 2007. Here's a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry. Cambridge: Candlewick.

Divided into four parts; Me, Myself, and I, Who Lives in My House?, I Go Outside, and Time for Bed, this big, bright, cheery collection of poems follows the morning to night activities of a group of rosy-cheeked babies and toddlers. They bang pots, eat yucky stuff, make mud pies, throw temper tantrums, and gaze with sweetness and wonder at the world around them. In Hamsters by Marci Ridlon a small, bespeckled boy gently strokes a tiny, beige hamster sitting in the front pocket of his overalls: Hamsters are the nicest things/That anyone could own./I like them even better than/Some dogs that I have known. Jane Yolen's compilation includes some of today's best known children's poets; Eve Merriam, Leslea Newman, and Mary Anne Hoberman; and some you might not expect such as Robert Louis Stevenson and Gertrude Stein. The mixed media illustrations by Polly Dunbar are done in nursery room colors both bright and pastel. Mud-brown footprints, smiling yellow suns, soft pink hearts, velvety-red flower petals, splatters of gooey-thick strawberry jam, and splotches of icky, soggy greens trail the children from one huge, full-page illustration to the next; until the very last buttery-yellow page where, with one last kiss, a mother tucks up a gently sleeping, pink-cheeked child. This is truly a book parents will want to read again and again to their preschoolers.

Mother Goose on the Loose by Leo Dillon

Dillon, Leo. 2007. Mother Goose on the Loose. Orlando: Harcourt.

The numbers are at the center of this lively, off-beat collection of Mother Goose rhymes. If you never considered how many of the traditional nursery rhymes you grew up with involved counting; then this book will open your eyes to the wonderful world of numbers in Mother Goose. Cavorting through the book, in and around the numbers, are Diane Dillon's beautiful gouache on watercolor paper illustrations. Every kind of animal imaginable, some dressed fit to kill, some completely uncovered, does its part to bring Mother Goose to life. Frolicking across, down, over and through the pages are men in donkey heads riding donkeys and pigs, witches, babies, and those two little blackbirds Jack and Jill sitting on a hill in tophat and bonnet, respectively. Children in preschool through second grade will be fascinated by the outlandish activity in this new twist on some old favorites; some familiar and some not so familiar. They will want to revisit this Mother Goose with the numbers on the loose again and again to see what they might have missed the time before.

Pio Peep!

Ada, Alma Flor and F. Isabel Campoy, comp. 2003. Pio Peep!. New York: HarperCollins.

This wonderful collection of traditional Spanish nursery rhymes are a combination of old ballads, Spanish folktales from the oral tradition, and much loved harvest songs. Some of the rhymes, such as Arroz Con Leche/Rice Pudding will be familiar to both Spanish and English speaking children. Told first in Spanish and then in English by Alice Schertle, the English versions are not literal translations, but adapted so the original rhythm of the poetry is maintained.

Tortillas para mama /Tortillas for Mommy

Tortillitas para mama /Mommy likes tortillas

tortillitas para papa./ steaming hot and yummy.

Las calentitas para mama /Make them round and nicely browned

las doraditas para papa. /for Daddy's hungry tummy.

Vivi Escriva's watercolor illustrations of yellow chicks, tumbling puppies, plump abuelas, and laughing, clapping, singing, playing children add to the spirit of each rhyme and will entice Spanish speakers to try the rhyme in English; and English speakers to try the rhyme in Spanish. Children ages three to seven will enjoy chanting and singing these rhymers over and over.

The Sky is Always in the Sky by Karla Kuskin

Kuskin, Karla. 1998. The Sky is Always in the Sky. New York: HarperCollins.

This collection of funny, touching poems is about birds, rabbits, laughter, imagination, eating, and understanding who we are.

There is a me inside of me,

inside

the outside me

you see.

Gleefully enhanced by Isabelle Dervaux's brilliantly colored, child-like, illustrations of blooming flowers, wiggle-dancing worms, and cows munching contentedly; children ages four through nine will giggle their way through this happy, kid-friendly collection of poems.

Nonsense! by Edward Lear

Lear, Edward. 2004. Nonsense!. New York: Atheneum.

Including only a small portion of Edward Lear's collection of limericks, Nonsense! offers a nice assortment of the author's simple, silly four-line poems. Each limerick is framed in swirling, calligraphy pen, and backed by old-fashioned, print wallpaper.

There was a Young Lady of Ryde,

Whose shoe-strings were seldom untied;

She purchased some clogs, and some small spotted dogs,

And frequently walked about Ryde.

Re-told through full-page illustrations; the limericks are brought to life by Valorie Fisher's photographs of whimsical, cutpaper, watercolor, and china figurine collages. Interesting touches are added that enable modern readers to more fully understand the context and setting of these centuries-old poems. In The Young Lady of Ryde, the young lady strides along the boardwalk with her spotted china dogs; carrying a shopping bag from "Ryde's Seaside Clogs-Isle of Wight." Just as they have been since he first wrote them; Mr. Lear's limericks are for all ages.

Beautiful Blackbird by Ashley Bryan

Bryan, Ashley. Beautiful Blackbird. New York: Atheneum, 2003.

Long, long ago the birds were "all the colors of the rainbow...clean, clear colors from head to tail. Oh so pretty, pretty, pretty!" but,

"Blackbird stands out best of all.

Blackbird is the most beautiful.

His feathers gleam all colors in the sun.

Blackbird is the most beautiful one."

Author Ashley Bryan's award winning adaptation of this Rhodesian (Zambian) folk tale is a rhythmic dance of words with Blackbird at the center. Younger children will enjoy the story's cadence and the beautiful cut-paper collage illustrations. Older children will appreciate the deeper meanings; self-acceptance and seeing the beauty in yourself and others.

The Legend of Saint Nicholas by Demi

Demi. The Legend of Saint Nicholas. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003.

Born in A.D. 280 in what is now Turkey, legend has it that the the boy who would become Saint Nicholas preferred praying to all other pursuits including eating and playing. Known today by many names including St. Nicholas, Sinter Klaas, and Santa Claus; Saint Nicholas is the patron saint "not only of seafarers, children, and prisoners, but also of pilgrims, travelers, voyagers, maidens, choirboys, firefighters, stonemasons, weavers, and butchers." The author centers gilt framed paint and ink illustrations, that combine an ancient stained-glass-look with modern touches such as blond children and bright red Christmas stockings, on the cream-colored pages. Author Demi's combination of ancient and modern illustrations compliment the text's depiction of both the legend and the man. Children ages 7 to 10 will enjoy reading both the legend and the facts included in this biography of the man who, more than 1700 years after his birth, is still known world-wide.

Ivan the Terrier by Peter Catalanotto

Catalanotto, Peter. Ivan the Terrier. New York: Atheneum, 2007.

It's so difficult to tell a good fairy story with Ivan around. The Three Billy Goats Gruff; Ivan chases them away before you can even get to the part about the goats trip-trap, trip-trapping over the troll's bridge. The Three Bears; Ivan jumps on the table and scatters the bowls of porridge and we never even get to see Goldilocks. In one fairy tale after another Ivan, the hyperactive Jack Russell Terrier, wreaks havoc until the author gives up and decides to tell a story about "a little dog named Ivan." Each of author Catalanotto's soft and idyllic full-page gouache and watercolor illustrations of a much-loved fairy tale scene is followed by chaotic landscapes of Ivan's devastation of said fairy tale. The author's repeated plea for someone to "grab that dog" and the full-page close-up of Ivan licking his chops after devouring the gingerbread man will have 4-8 year olds howling with laughter.

Front Porch Tales & North Country Whoppers by Tomie Depaola

DePaola, Tomie. Front Porch Tales & North Country Whoppers. New York: Penguin, 2007.

How many seasons do they have in New Hampshire? Well, according to the natives, "Not countin' mud season, black fly season, or first frost," they have four, "fall, wintah, spring, and summah." Author Tomie DePaola presents four New Hampshire-style tall tales; one for each season. To further entertain the reader he ends each tale with a seasonal cartoon that pokes gentle fun at everyone who was not born "theyah." When a tourist cannot get across the road due to four feet of snow that has fallen during the night he asks a snow-shoveling, New Hampshire native how he got over there. "Born heyah" is his succinct reply. As a read-aloud, or for 2nd through 5th graders to chuckle over alone, everyone will enjoy both the humorous tales and the author's big, folksy, colorful illustrations. A glossary is included in the back for readers who are not native to New Hampshire.

Mightier Than the Sword: World Folktales for Strong Boys collected and told by Jane Yolen

Yolen, Jane, comp. Mightier Than the Sword: World Folktales for Strong Boys. Orlando: Harcourt, 2003.

This anthology of 14 folktales from 14 different countries contains stories both familiar and unfamiliar,but all about intelligent, kind, honest boys who use their wits and and truthful natures to conquer evil-doers. In one familiar tale Jack and His Companions, a folktale from Ireland better-known as The Bremen Town Musicians, Jack comes to the aid of mistreated animals who gratefully help him thwart a gang of thieves who have robbed a Lord. Yolen updates the tale when, instead of marriage to his beautiful daughter, the Lord rewards Jack and his animal friends with respectable jobs and fine clothes. Included are background notes about each story's origin and eight to thirteen year olds will appreciate Yolen's child-friendly modern language with its up-to-date cautions such as "don't talk to strangers." The tales are visually enhanced by illustrator Raul Colon's soft, full-page, pencil drawings that bring each story to life and lend an old-fashioned feel to the modern accounts that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Leaves by David Ezra Stein

Stein, David Ezra. Leaves. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2007.

Pirouetteing here, there, and everywhere a young bear enjoys his first year of life on his island home. Interested in everything he discovers; butterflys, flowers, and a field of blueberries, where he stands, arms aloft, his muzzle stained blue. "Everything was going well" for the little bear until "the first leaf fell." At first bemused, then concerned; he tries to reattach them to the trees, "but it was not the same." Defeated he can do nothing but watch the leaves fall. And then, winter approaching; he hibernates. Upon awakening in the spring he sees "the tiny leaves that had begun to unfold." The expressive little bear dances through Stein's simple bamboo pen and watercolor illustrations. His use of gold and green, brown and orange, white and ice blue, then gold and green again, allows us to witness the changing seasons with the curious bear. Toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy this sweet book about endings, beginnings, and the joy of discovery.

1, 2, 3 A Child's First Counting Book by Alison Jay

Jay, Alison. 1 2 3 A Child's First Counting Book. New York: Penguin, 2007.

Named to the Texas Library Association's 2008 2 x 2 Reading List this gorgeously illustrated story within a story follows a little girl as she falls asleep while reading a book of fairy tales. Forwards to ten and backwards again to one the girl soars through the air on the back of a giant golden goose and encounters a multitude of fairy tale characters. Three pigs, framed pictures of their respective straw, stick, and brick houses arranged artfully on the wall, seven gingerbread men, one poised for flight, and Little Red Riding Hood, confronted by a wolf with ten sharp teeth, are some of fairy tale world's favorites who are given the two-page-spread star treatment. Jay's soft, crackle-glaze, American Primative style illustrations tell the story of the little girl's dream journey through fairy tale land while the reader counts along with the spare text. Much more than simply a counting book, children three and up want to pour over 1 2 3 A Child's First Counting Book again and again; each time discoving something new.

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont

Beaumont, Karen. I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!. Orlando: Harcourt, 2005.

Oh the joy of possessing a pot of paint or two or three or ten! Until your momma catches you painting pictures "on the floor and the ceiling and the walls and the curtains and the door." And she plops you in the tub and puts your paints and brushes up high in the closet where you can't reach. Author Karen Beaumont's rollicking refrain of "I ain't gonna paint no more, no more, I ain't gonna paint no more" follows a little boy as he retrieves his pots of paint and brushes from way up high and, unable to resist the urge, proceeds to paint himself from head to toe. David Catrow's increasingly paint splattered black and white pen illustrations accompany the little boy as he paints his head red, his back black and his leg "like an Easter egg." The, at first abundant, white space disappears; as page by page every surface is covered with dripping, streaming, flowing rivers of color. Preschool children will enjoy this thrill ride of a book right up to the jolting end where, sitting once more in the tub, the budding Monet intones, "Y'all don't faint...'cause there ain't no paint! So I ain't gonna paint no more!"

Sometimes I'm Bombaloo by Rachel Vail

Vail, Rachel. Sometimes I'm Bombaloo. New York: Scholastic, 2002.

Katie is a good little girl who sometimes has a difficult time controlling her temper. When, despite her best efforts, she loses control; she is not really Katie anymore. She is Bombaloo. Simply, in her own words, Katie tells how she "shows her teeth and makes fierce noises." Her "face scrunches tight like a monter's" and she wants to "smash stuff." Children in preschool and kindergarten will identify with Katie who sometimes becomes so angry she scares herself. Yumi Heo's mixed media illustrations made up of circles, angles, and bright colors help to tell Katie's story and the large, two-page-spread of a tiny Katie, sad and frightened, against a totally black background, contemplating how destructive anger can be, will speak volumes to both children and parents.

Museum Trip by Barbara Lehman

Lehman, Barbara. Museum Trip. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2006.


On a class trip to the museum a quiet, introverted boy stops beneath a Van Gogh self-portrait to tie his shoe. Looking up, he sees nothing but an empty and endless corridor stretching out before him. Puzzled, he notices an archway drawn onto one of the walls that, when pushed, opens into a secret room containing six tiny mazes. Mesmerized, he enters the mazes one by one, and wiles away the afternoon searching for the center of each. The colorful pictures of this wordless book are drawn with clean, straight lines in watercolor, gouache, and ink. The illustrations are a combination of panoramic two-page-spread drawings offset by smaller action sequences from both an aerial and close-up vantage. Children 4-8 will enjoy helping the boy find his way through the mazes and be surprised to discover he and the museum director share a secret.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices From A Medieval Village

Schlitz, Laura Amy. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices From A Medieval Village. Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 2007.

How do you get 8-12 year-olds to read about medieval history? Do what Laura Amy Schlitz did and write a book about all kinds of interesting people who lived in a medieval village during the Middle Ages. Be sure to make all the inhabitants the same age as the kids who will be reading the book; that way they will identify with the characters and want to keep reading. Include a well-rounded cast such as Drogo the tanner’s apprentice, Simon the knight’s son, Mogg the villein’s daughter(tell them they will have to read the book to find out what a villein is), Mariot and Maud the glassblower’s daughters, and Nelly the sniggler (again-if they want to know what a sniggler is they will have to read the book). Give them some lively poetry that vividly describes life in a medieval village.

"Fleas in the pottage bowl,

Fleas in the bread,

Bloodsucking fleas

In the blankets of our beds,"

Add all kinds of interesting and factual asides about life in the Middle Ages like; "Pottage is a sort of stew. Poor people just threw whatever they had into the pot and hoped for the best" and put them in the margins so they do not interrupt the flow of the combination poetry, prose, and free verse soliloquies of the characters. Oh, and don't forget to have enough characters so the whole class can perform it as a play if they want to. Be sure to get someone like Robert Byrd to add a two-page-spread aerial map of “A Medieval Manor England, 1255” and some colorful, realistic, yet middle ages-ish ink and watercolor illustrations that will add visually to each character’s story. Do all this and you should have a book that no kid will be able to put down. Who knows; you might even win the Newbery.

MY LIBRARIAN IS A CAMEL: HOW BOOKS ARE BROUGHT TO CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD by Margriet Ruurs

Ruurs, Margriet. My Librarian Is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World. Honesdale: Boyds Mills Press, 2005.

But that's just in Kenya where the librarian is a camel. In various parts of Australia and two regions of Azerbaijan the librarian is a big truck. In remote areas of Canada the postman is the librarian. In England a wheelbarrow delivers books to people at the beach. In Finland books are brought by boat. Indonesia has floating libraries that bring books to villages along the rivers. Horses and motorcycles are the librarians in Mongolia. Children in Pakistan have books delivered by a double-decker bus named Storyteller. In Papua New Guinea some villages have no roads or schools, but a four-wheel drive truck still manages to bring boxes of books deep enough into the jungle that they can be carried on villagers shoulders the rest of the way. Peruvians and Zimbabwans gets their books delivered by donkey cart, and in Thailand the librarian is an elephant. Author Margriet Ruurs devotes a two-page spread to each country included; using a blend of text and large colorful photographs to demonstrate what wonders can be accomplished when the desire to provide and read books is involved. One look at the cover photograph of a boy sitting on a camel, comfortably wedged between the camel's humps, engrossed in a book; and children ages 7 to 10 will want to look at this captivating compilation over and over.

THE POET SLAVE OF CUBA by Margarita Engle

Engle, Margarita. The Poet Slave of Cuba: a Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2006.



Born a slave in 1797 Cuba, Juan Francisco Manzano can neither read nor write. He can however, from a very young age, memorize and recite anything and everything he hears. His talents amaze the upper class ladies whom he calls the ghosts,

"The ghostly ladies masked and hidden

inside their casings of eggshell-and-rice powder

so no one can tell

if they are dark too."

he becomes the pet of his owner Dona Beatriz; accompanying her to the theatre and parties. He entertains the nobility with his recitations, secretly teaches himself to read and write, and begins to write his own poetry. Granted his freedom when Dona Beatriz dies, his freedom is snatched away by another noble woman, La Marquesa De Prado Ameno, who despises Juan for his gifts and tortures him in an attempt to silence him.

" I have to tell the overseers to teach

the same lessons

over and over

locking his ankles in the stocks

tying him to a cross like Jesus.

Or tying him to a ladder laid out on the ground

face down, mouth down

so he cannot speak

except to count his own lashes out loud."

Winner of the 2008 Pura Belpre medal for narrative The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano tells the timeless tale of the power of poetry to sustain and the human spirit's triumph over evil. Despite cruelty and injustice, Juan Manzano's belief in the power of kindness shines through Margarita Engle's free verse. The story of Juan's life flows down the pages, soft and smooth, while, courtesy of illustrator Sean Qualls black-and-white sketches, the faces of his torturers hover hauntingly in the background. Teens 6th grade and up will be inspired by the story of Juan Manzano and, perhaps, think to treat their fellow humans just a little better in his memory.

CHARLOTTE'S WEB by E. B. White

White, E.B. Charlotte's Web. New York: HarperCollins, 1952.

"Where's Papa going with that ax?" With this statement eight-year-old Fern Arable saves Wilbur the pig's life. Happy to be alive, living in the barn, eating slops, and talking with the geese, the sheep, Templeton the rat, and Fern; Wilbur soon learns his life is again in danger; as he is to be the main course for Christmas dinner. Fern cannot save him this time, but Charlotte can. Charlotte A. Cavatica, the web-spinning, blood-drinking spider who becomes Wilbur's best friend and, like Fern, saves Wilbur's life. First published in 1952 Charlotte's Web was one of my favorite books as a child. Although I have not read it for 30 years, Charotte is still one of my favorite heroines. Charlotte, with her bravery, kindness, intelligence, and determination to save Wilbur, is the reason I appreciate spiders. Garth Williams pencil illustrations of farm life and E.B. White's slow-paced, bucolic writing evoke a less-hurried, uncomplicated era when there was time to swing on a rope hung from the barn loft and friendship could develop between a spider and a pig.

THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT by Beatrix Potter

Potter, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit. London: Penguin, 1992.


Peter and his sisters Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail "lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree." Taking up her basket and umbrella as she set out for the baker's one morning Mother Rabbit instructs Peter and his sisters to go "into the fields or down the lane" but not into Mr. McGregor's garden. Tragedy, she warns them, had befallen their Father in Mr. McGregor's garden; at the hands of Mr. McGregor himself. Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail hurried down the lane to pick blackberries, but Peter, "who was very naughty," headed straight for Mr. McGregor's garden. Peter enjoys himself immensely until, coming "round the end of a cucumber frame, whom should he meet but Mr. McGregor!" And so begins what is to be the most terrifying day of Peter's life. First published in 1902 Beatrix Potter's tale of the naughty bunny who does not listen to his Mother still has the ability to charm. Her gentle prose takes us from the terror and excitement of Peter's desperate attempts to escape Mr. McGregor, to his complete exhaustion and he flops down "on the nice soft sand on the floor of the rabbit-hole." Miss Potter's pen and ink, hand-tinted illustrations capture Peter's mischevious intent as well as his terror. This cautionary tale of what happens when you do not listen to your Mother still has the ability to resonate with children today.

LIBRARY LION by Michelle Knudsen

Knudson, Michelle. Library Lion. Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 2006.

The public library is, as we all know, a place where everyone-err everything- is welcomed so long as the rules are followed. Imagine, however, that one day a lion walked up the steps of the library and, "wandered all around the library. He sniffed the card catalog. He rubbed his head against the new book collection. Then he padded over to the story corner and went to sleep. No one was sure what to do. There weren't any rules about lions in the library." There are not any rules about a lion at story hour either and this lion is a lover of stories who protests with a loud and sustained roar when story hour ends. Unfortunately for the lion, roaring in the library IS against the rules. Told he must leave if he cannot be quite, the children beg the librarian to give the lion the chance to return the next day and follow the rules. Will the lion be able to follow the rules? Can he refrain from roaring when story hour ends? Will he, despite the consequences, do the right thing when tragedy strikes? Readers from preschool through second-grade will identify with the helpful, story-loving lion as he does his best to follow all the rules while exploring the library. Watching him pad softly through Kevin Hawkes warm and funny acrylic and pencil illustrations will make us all wish for a library lion of our own; to help us reach the top shelves and rest our backs against as we thumb drowsily through the lastest edition of Cricket magazine.