Posted by Lydia Schultz on Sunday, February 5, 2012,
 This picture book, "Itamar Makes Friends: A Children's Story of Jewish Brotherhood" by Josh Hasten and Illustrated by S. Kim Glassman, is innocuous enough, but I wish it had attempted more. The
protagonist, Itamar, is an eight-year-old Israeli, who lives in the
country. When he goes to visit his cousins in the city, he has an
unpleasant encounter with some city boys, who refuse to return his
soccer ball. After Itamar falls and hurts his knee, one of the city
boys, Eitan, remembers a time... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Friday, August 12, 2011,
I'm going to start with a disclaimer: Rosemary Well's On the Blue Comet
is exactly the kind of book I loved as a child. It reminds of some of
my favorites by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, which had an enchanting blend of
realism and whimsy. But I also think that much about the
book would be hard for modern children to understand.
Our protagonist, Oscar Ogilvie Junior, is obsessed by the world of
Lionel trains. Set at the beginnings of the Great Depre... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Sunday, August 7, 2011,
Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors
by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Beckie Prange is quite engaging and
difficult to categorize. Or, perhaps, this book is engaging BECAUSE it
is hard to categorize. Whatever it is, I like it.
Sidman's poems laud the thriving world of "survivors" that populate
the world. Ranging from the microscopic bacteria and diatoms to the
larger sharks, from plants and animals as well as humans, these poems
and ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Tuesday, August 2, 2011,
Ken Robbins has done something with this book that I often despair of
finding -- he has created an entertaining, truly informative,
well-written non-fiction book for kids in middle grades. I found this
book to have information I didn't know, which is an added plus. "For Good Measure" looks at one of those topics that people of all
ages often obsess about -- how do we measure what we see or experience
and why do we do it the ways we do. (If you don't think we obsess about
it, just try t... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Saturday, July 30, 2011,
 Okay, I am SOOOO an English major. On my first couple of attempts to
read this book, I (literally) whined and complained to anyone and
everyone within ear shot. The book is too hard to follow, it is boring,
it doesn’t make sense, etc. So I handed it to my more
mathematically-inclined family members who looked at me like I was crazy
and implied I was too lazy to figure out how it works.
So, with some grumpiness, I picked it up the next day. And, much to my dismay, they were right. ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Wednesday, July 27, 2011,
The novel A Million Shades of Gray by
Cynthia Kadohata is a thoughtful and compelling book, but I think it
would work better with middle-school or high school students. The book
tells the story of Y’Tin, a boy who achieves his dream of becoming an
elephant handler. The story is set in Vietnam, mostly in 1975, after
the US troops have left.
Some of the subject matter of this novel would captivate and charm students in the age range of 4th and... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Tuesday, July 26, 2011,
Robert B. Haas artfully and clearly explains how
and why he uses aerial photography to capture his subjects in the wild.
Hass introduces some of the basic terminology of photography, and he
makes clear just how dependent he is on the skills of the pilots he
works with.
The photographs in this book are stunning. Haas explains how he
takes the photos and how often he is dependent on luck to get the best
image. The sidebar explanations about th... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Friday, July 22, 2011,
 In Cosmic, Frank Cottrell Boyce presents us with a charming and
believable narrator – Liam, the twelve-year-old boy who looks like an
adult man. Liam’s narrative begins in the middle, with him telling us
how he got into the mess/adventure that he is in. His story is told
with verve and energy, and just the right mix-in of self-deprecating
humor.
For you see, as the novel opens, Liam is in space, on a rocket near
the moon, with four other children. Unfortunately for Liam, he is t... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Wednesday, July 20, 2011,
True (. . . sort of)
by Katherine Hannigan is both fun and serious. It is also an example of why I have learned to trust my
instincts – some of my favorite books are the ones I happen to stumble
upon. This book falls squarely into that category.
The main character is Delly Pattison, a short, sassy spitfire of a
girl who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Delly has enough of a
reputation in her family, at school, and in her town that she is... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Wednesday, July 20, 2011,
Owen Jester seems like a typical elementary school boy. In Barbara O'Connor's The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester,
Owen feels stranded on the wrong side of town, away from his friends.
His family has moved in with his grandfather both to help out his
grandfather, who is recovering from a stroke, and to help themselves
out, since Owen's father has lost his job. Viola, the nearby neighbor
girl, is no substitute for Owen's friends--she suffers fr... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Thursday, July 7, 2011,
I wanted to love this book. I love Mark Twain's
books. I even took a course devoted to his writing when I was in
graduate school. I forced my husband to make a vacation stop at Twain's home in Connecticut. I've been known to quote (excessively, some might say) his writing. But this book just didn't live up to my hopes.
First of all, it felt as if Susy's writing was literally
de-emphasized by its placement into the smaller, inserted pages. If ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Thursday, July 7, 2011,
 This picture book by Andrea Davis Pinkney uses the language of food
and recipes as a novel technique to describe the Civil Rights movement
and sit-ins. Pinkney quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr., using large,
colorful type to emphasize the importance of his words in the
development of non-violent protests against segregation.
Pinkney gives a clear sense of the role that sit-ins played in the
larger movement. The book's illustrations work well to show how the
movement spread. Pinkne... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Tuesday, July 5, 2011,
As the front cover of this graphic novel announces, Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword
by Barry Deutsch stars Mirka, "yet another troll-fighting, 11-year-old
Orthodox Jewish girl." What? That seems unexpected to you? Deutsch
clearly has as part of his agenda to push away your preconceived notions
and to give Mirka an adventure.
Some parts of this book are delightful--I love Mirka's personality,
persistence, and bravery. On the other hand, Mirka "wins" her sword by
knitting (really...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Tuesday, July 5, 2011,
Because of Mr. Terupt
by Rob Buyea is an engaging and thoughtful novel, spot-on for the needs
and hearts of the middle elementary school student. It would make a
terrific read aloud -- the nature of the multiple perspectives over time
lends itself well to those "found" moments to read in a homeroom.
Buyea captures perfectly what every teacher knows: every student has
a story. Each of these children, both through their own narrations and
thos...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Tuesday, June 21, 2011,
Because I work as a librarian at a Jewish Day School, the students I
encounter are well aware of the Holocaust by the time they reach 4th and 5th
grades. Benno and the Night of the Broken Glass by Meg Wiviott
will make an excellent addition to our collection on the topic.
Wiviott successfully captures the interest of children in this age group by
using Benno the cat as the central... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Friday, May 13, 2011,
Linda Glaser provides a gentle introduction to activist Emma
Lazarus in her picture book, “Emma’s Poem.”
She introduces to young reader how Lazarus was born into wealth and
privilege in the United
States.
Coupled with Nivola’s lovely paintings, Glaser clearly conveys how
people in Lazarus’s social class were able to read, have parties, collect art,
and generally aspire... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Thursday, March 24, 2011,
The picture book, “Meet Einstein” by Mariela Kleiner, is not
quite what the title led me to expect. I
anticipated a kid-friendly biography that introduced some basic facts about
Albert Einstein. Instead, what the book
presents is a very, very brief explanation of what a scientist is.
Clearly the author intends for this book to be read to
preschool children. Unfortunately, mo... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Monday, February 28, 2011,
In the book, “Sliding Into the New Year,” we
gain a wonderful new author of children’s Jewish literature in Dori Weinstein. She brings a
modern, human tone to a story that is both timely and engaging.
The story’s narrator, Ellie Silver, (aka
YaYa) speaks in the authe... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Monday, February 14, 2011,
Erik Brooks has created a charming demonstration of the
concept of opposites in his picture book “Polar Opposites.” In the process he also manages to define the
expression in his title.
Alex is a large, jovial looking polar bear who lives—not
surprisingly—at the North Pole. He is
pen pals and friends with Zina, a tiny penguin who lives in Antarctica. The book provides ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Saturday, February 12, 2011,
 In an evocative and powerful picture book, Ann Malaspina
explains the world of Bangladesh
in language that even young elementary students can understand. And in the process, those students will learn
about the transformative power of education.
The narrator, Yasmin, is a young girl who lives with her
family in Dhaka. She and her sister work all day breaking up
bricks to be mixe... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Sunday, January 30, 2011,
"Mitzvah the Mutt” does something that I have long been
wishing for as a librarian at a Jewish day school. It tells a story that has Jewish content,
without being excessively didactic. In the process, it tells a wonderful
story about a family and their delightful dog.
The author, Sylvia Rouss, is better known for her Sammy Spider series of
Jewish content books for preschoolers. ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Friday, April 16, 2010,
Jeanette Winter has yet again succeeded in creating a
visually stunning and deeply meaningful picture book that looks at current
issues so that children can begin to understand them. Much like her earlier books, “The Librarian
of Basra” and “Wangari’s Trees of Peace,” Winter’s “Nasreen’s Secret School”
tackles an difficult topic and makes it accessible.
The book ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Saturday, April 10, 2010,
“Mirror, Mirror” is a playful take on how perspective shapes
our understanding of words and stories.
Singer has created what she calls “a book of reversible verse,” in which
she tells the story of a popular folk tale in verse, and then reverses the
order of the lines to give another take on the story.
For example, in “Cinderella’s Double Take,” Singer has
Cinder... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Thursday, April 1, 2010,
This “picture”
book would be a wonderful choice in helping younger students to learn about the
senses. All the pages of the book are black, with the text in Braille and
in white lettering. The illustrations are raised print on the pages, without
color. One must feel... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Friday, February 5, 2010,
 In "Let Freedom Sing," Vanessa Newton has created a delightful picture book to teach younger students about the Civil Rights movement. She weaves song, images, and historical events together to bring to life the struggle and the joy of making the United States a better, more equal country. I had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Newton on January 11, 2010, about this book and her process of creating it. She is a self-taught artist who, as an adult, was diagnosed with dyslexia. She told stori... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Sunday, December 27, 2009,
 Bradley Trevor Greive has put together animal photos with a snappy text to create a helpful book for elementary-aged children. His purpose is straight-forward: he wants children to know what a "blue day" is and to recognize that everyone (maybe even these highly photogenic critters) has a blue day once in a while. He illustrates some typical causes: feeling grumpy, lonely, or tired; being embarrassed or picked on; or simply just feeling out of place. But Greive doesn't stop there. He wants c... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Friday, November 27, 2009,
This book, published by
National Geographic, has as its premise that all children share certain
fundamental experiences on a daily basis.
With lush and sensitive photographs, Kerley creates a story that can
both resonate with and educate children about those who live elsewhere in the
world.
Mealtimes are likely to be
the focus for many children, and Kerley depicts this aspect well... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Friday, November 20, 2009,
I admit it—I am an enormous
fan of Lobel’s Frog and Toad series. I
still chant lines from about willpower from the “Cookies” story, I cite Frog’s
desire to be alone as different from lonely, and I empathize with their kite
flying endeavors. As a result, I was
very excited to see that Lobel’s daughter, Adrianne Lobel, was publishing some
new material that her father had... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Thursday, October 1, 2009,
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Thursday, September 17, 2009,
I thought I would participate, so here are my answers. I was encouraged to be brief, so I have so striven to be.  One of my favorite books from my childhood from the realm of
children’s literature is An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott. I first read this novel when I was about 10
years old, in a 1960s edition with quirky, anachronistic illustrations that I
adored. This book was truly formative
for me; in fact, enough so that I have
often given it as a gift and have written an academic e... Continue reading ...
Posted by Lydia Schultz on Saturday, August 8, 2009,
  This book, with material collected and arranged by Kathleen Krull, gathers songs that are very familiar to people my age (early 50s), but not as familiar to those of younger generations. And that is simply too bad. These songs, for me, are the sound track of my elementary school days. I was lucky enough to attend a public school that used the once ubiquitous Lomax music collections as part of the curriculum, and these titles continue to shape my musical taste to this day. (It probably exp... Continue reading ...
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About Me
| Lydia Schultz |
| St. Paul, Minnesota |
I am a school librarian and former college English teacher. I hope to review many of the books I read, both in the context of my research about children's books as well as in my pursuit of recreational reading. I want to share what I read--so what else is new?
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Please feel free to contact me. I welcome hearing feedback and advice. If you would like to comment on a particular post, click on the title of the post and a comment box will appear after the post when the page reloads. Thanks!
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