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Posts Tagged ‘Title D’
Thursday, May 27th, 2010
 + + + +Donner The Western Dragon
Author: Suzanne Davis Marion
Illustrator: Marj Hales
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 40 pages
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (November 27, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439252041
ISBN-13: 978-1439252048
Book description: Donner the Western Dragon lived in a cold northern forest with his parents, brother and sister, and several other dragon families. Western dragons were noted for their warlike and fierce demeanor. The young dragons spent much of their spare time in rough-and-tumble games, snorting fire at one another, wrestling and fighting. While all the other young dragons were tumbling about and breathing fire all over the grass, flowers and trees, Donner much preferred romping and playing with his best friend, Una. Everyone found it strange that Una should be Donner’s best friend, as Una was a unicorn, an animal noted for its gentle disposition. Donner’s father and the other dragons mocked Donner for his quiet demeanor. They accused him of behaving like a peaceful Eastern dragon. He was an embarrassment to them. In an unexpected twist of fate, Donner’s unique personality and talents enabled him to intervene in a frightening situation, and become a hero, appreciated and commended by all.
Book review: Suzanne Davis Marion doesn’t talk down to her readers and I really loved that about her story. Donner The Western Dragon weaves magic both in text and in beautiful detailed illustration and enchants readers right into the story. You simply MUST find out what happens next. I recommend this book especially for advanced young readers/listeners who relish a more sophisticated story. You won’t be disappointed with Donner The Western Dragon.
Tags: adventure, Ages 4-8, Ages 6-10, Author last name M, dragons, fantasy, Highly Recommended titles, Title D
Posted in Book Reviews |
Monday, May 24th, 2010
 + + + + Define Normal
Author: Julie Anne Peters
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (May 7, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316734896
ISBN-13: 978-0316734899
Book Description: Antonia is asked by her school council to peer council a fellow student with a not so bright past. As Antonia gets more and more frustrated trying to help out Jazz she learns she may need some help with her own life as her sick mother becomes more and more distant and Antonia is burdened with running the house and taking care of her younger brother. Jazz and Antonia need each other more than they think.
Book Review: This book is well written and entertaining. I can see why it was a national book award finalist. Define “Normal” is a hard book to put down and it makes you put your own life in perspective. The dialog and suspense will move you forward and the plot twists will make you love the book more.
-Review by N.C., 16-yrs old
Tags: Ages 9-12, Author last name P, Highly Recommended titles, life, teen, Title D, tween
Posted in Book Reviews |
Monday, May 24th, 2010
 + + + + Dinosaurs on the Move: Movable Paper Figures to Cut Color, and Assemble
Author: Cathy Diez-Luckie
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 48 pages
Publisher: Figures In Motion; 1st edition (April 15, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0981856616
ISBN-13: 978-0981856612
Book description: Educators and parents introduce the wonder of natural history and inspire a love of paleontology (ages 6-12) with this creative learning tool, featuring easy-to-assemble dinosaurs in pre-colored and colorable versions. Now children can make movable dinosaur action figures! Move their jaws, clash their teeth, make their powerful legs run, as children act out their own dinosaur battles. Includes Allosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus Rex, plus dinosaur facts for hours of creative play.
Book review: Had this book been around when my daughters were avid dinosaur enthusiasts it would have been a must buy in this house. Get your dino-lover engaged with hands on movable action-figures. Takes the boring out of a rainy day. Adds a breath of fresh air to a thematic unit for school or home school. The pages are thick enough to provide durable dinos. Lots of fun!
Tags: action figures, Ages 6-8, Ages 9-12, Author last name D, cut-outs, dinosaurs, fun, Highly Recommended titles, Title D
Posted in Book Reviews |
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
 + + + Doodies Adventures, Vol 1, Diabolical Egomaniac Overlord Nemesis
Author/illustrator: Samuel Vera
Publisher: Crazee Comics, December 2008
Ages: 6-10
http://www.crazeecomics.com
Book description: Every day, young Doodarius must deal with a school bully. He decides the only way to stop this “Diabolical Egomaniac Nemesis Pooh-Pooh” is to call on Super Doodie. But wait, is he really a super hero?
Book review: Hilarious! Get back at bullies by escaping into Doodie’s world of adventure and bathroom humor where Doodie is a kickin’ superhero.
Here’s the breakdown:
Characters: Laugh-out-loud funny. Kids will easily cheer this would-be superhero and razz the arch-nemesis.
Events/story line: Unique due to ribald humor. Will delight most kids in the 6-10 year age range, especially boys.
Illustrations: Appealing and humorous.
Reader relevance: Samuel Vera channels 6-10-yr old humor and imagination precisely.
Reader Excitability/ Overall Presentation: Not a bad presentation. Instead of bubble captions, Vera prints speech in paragraph format alternating text and illustrations by page. For this book, it reads like text on a computer screen which is appropriate for this story.
Tags: adventure, Ages 6-10, Author last name V, comic book, Crazee Comics, graphic novel, humor, Title D
Posted in Book Reviews |
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
 * * * Dinosaurs
Author: John Malam
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 12 pages
Publisher: Silver Dolphin Books; Pop edition (August 11, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1592239404
ISBN-13: 978-1592239405
Book description: Prehistoric beasts live again in this amazing book. The adrenaline-pumping action starts on the cover with a ferocious, red-eyed T.Rex who roars to life with the touch of a button. Inside, a newborn Eoraptor hatches from its egg emitting baby dinosaur cries, and a deadly — and hungry! — Allosaurus leaps from the page. Each colorful spread is packed with cool illustrations, fun facts, and dynamic elements that allow youngsters to learn about dinosaurs in a whole new way.
Book review: If your kiddo doesn’t drool and say, AWESOME! when he sees this book, have his head checked. Killer sound effects, pop-ups and flaps to flip over. Facts upon facts with realistic illustrations. Little ones might find the cover too scary (the eye lights up red and the dinosaur growls), also the flaps are delicate so this is a book better suited for the older child (age 9 and up). Definitely a keepsake for the true-blue dinosaur lover. An outstanding interactive experience for the young, new dinosaur enthusiast.
Tags: Ages 9-12, Author last name M, dinosaurs, Outstanding titles, science, Title D
Posted in Book Reviews |
Thursday, September 10th, 2009
 * Davey BigHead: Dream Big
Author: Peter J. Hayden
Reading level: Ages , 6-10, 9-12
Paperback: 26 pages
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (May 14, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439229724
ISBN-13: 978-1439229729
Book description: Barely able to fit his noggin through a school bus door or even through the neck of his own tee shirt, Davey knows his head is larger than average. Admittedly, Davey has a head bigger than a watermelon, which his classmates poke fun at him for until they learn that when it comes to being the winning goalie on a winning soccer team, a big head comes in handy. Go Davey Bighead! Written for beginning and intermediate readers.
Book review: I was skeptical at first, but Peter Hayden is not heavy-handed with the moral of the story and Davey is a winner through and through showing young readers how to make assets out of their differences.
Tags: Ages 6-10, Ages 9-12, Author last name H, bullies, bullying, friendship, Recommended titles, self-esteem, Title D
Posted in Book Reviews |
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
 * * * The Delicious Bug
Author: Janet Perlman
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Kids Can Press (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1553379969
ISBN-13: 978-1553379966
Book description: One delicious bug, two foolish chameleons, and a pair of hungry crocodiles. Isn’t anyone willing to share? Will peace be restored to the rain forest?
Book review: If you’re tired of the kids fighting, try this book. I know my six-year old will get right into this and get the message while laughing all along. Two chameleons fight (humorously) almost to the death over one bug. At last they call a truce, decide to share and, best of all, make up to everyone around them for the trouble they caused. That’s what gets this book three stars – for helping little ones to think beyond themselves and see that sharing benefits everyone.
This book is coming out in September 2009.
Tags: Ages 4-8, Author last name P, bugs, friendship, insects, Outstanding titles, Title D
Posted in Book Reviews |
Monday, July 20th, 2009
 * Dingletrot and The People of The Mill
Author: Matt Goldman
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Jabberwocky Books (April 15, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1935204009
ISBN-13: 978-1935204008
Book description: Dingeltrot is the story of a twelve-year old boy who stands fourteen inches tall. Among his friends and family, that makes him a freak and a weirdo — not because he’s the shortest, but because he’s the tallest. Small people live in secret colonies scattered across the globe. Most of the small dislike and fear their bigger ancestors, who have crowded the earth and made it nearly impossible to hide. But when Dingeltrot accidentally learns of a dark, guarded secret, he relies on his wit and inventiveness to embark on a dangerous journey that could reunite big and small, and change the world forever.
Book review: I liked the dialog best. Fast-paced, catchy and engaging, the banter between characters is funny and made me laugh. There’s also a good moral lesson that is perfect for this age group: It doesn’t matter how you look, it’s what you do with the talent(s) you’ve been given. – N.C., 15 yrs old
Tags: adventure, Ages 9-12, Author last name G, fairytale, Recommended titles, Title D
Posted in Book Reviews |
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
 * * * The Don’t-give-up Kid
Author: Jeanne Gehret, M.A.
Illustrator: Michael LaDuca
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Verbal Images Press (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0982198205
ISBN-13: 978-0982198209
Book description: This revised edition about Alex, a child with learning disabilities, has been updated with completely new illustrations and reflects the use of the latest tactile techniques used in schools. In this story, Alex is inventing a cookie snatcher, but his lack of reading skills and impatience means that he needs extra help. There are new discussion starters for parents and professionals, and positive solutions are presented to help build a positive image for the learning-disabled child.
Book review: If you have a child with dyslexia, this book will be a winner showing that there are different ways of learning while encouraging your kiddo to never give up. What I really like about Jeanne Gehret’s books is that they don’t speak down to the child. The characters express their frustration and experience with their disabilities and then find good resolutions and a sense of accomplishment along with a boost to self-confidence and self-esteem, something a learning disability can rob you of before you get good help.
Tags: Ages 6-10, Ages 9-12, Author last name G, dyslexia, Outstanding titles, Title D
Posted in Book Reviews |
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