Showing Tag: "for" (Show all posts)

“Friends Forever” by Amy Ariel

Posted by Lydia Schultz on Tuesday, July 31, 2012,

Local St. Paul author Amy Ariel has written a charming novel that gives a glimpse of what life was like in St. Paul in 1912 and how that view might seem both familiar and alien to a contemporary child. In the process, the reader is transported, just like the character of Hannah, back to a world that makes us appreciate what we have now and anticipate with curiosity what may come in our future.

Our narrator is Abigail, a thirteen year old girl writing in...

“The Unforgotten Coat” by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Posted by Lydia Schultz on Thursday, July 5, 2012,

How does a child respond to a new classmate who is an immigrant from a very different part of the world? Frank Cottrell Boyce tackles this topic in his engaging and thought-provoking short novel, “The Unforgotten Coat.” Using first person narration and photographs, Cottrell Boyce draws the reader into the story of Julie – the “good guide” – and Chingis and Nergui – the new arrivals from Mongolia.

This book addresses many themes that teach...

“Never Forgotten” by Patricia McKissack, Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon

Posted by Lydia Schultz on Monday, July 2, 2012,

A book with richly textured illustrations and text, “Never Forgotten” tells a story mostly absent from the history of the African slave trade – the story of the people who were left behind. The imaginative and lyrical language of Patricia McKissack combines with the evocative and compelling images by Leo and Diane Dillon to create a story that assumes mythic depth.

The tale opens with the blacksmith Dinga choosing to raise his newborn son (whose m...

“Waiting for the Magic” by Patricia Mac Lachlan, illustrated by Amy June Bates

Posted by Lydia Schultz on Wednesday, June 27, 2012,

“Waiting for the Magic” is a sweet take on the ubiquitous talking animal story. Mac Lachlan’s tale with believable characters, both human and animal, is enhanced by the charming illustrations by Amy June Bates. The novel’s central message is that, for true communication to take place within a family, people need to listen. And here, in the family of human characters of William and Elinor, listening enables a person to hear the animals as well.

As the book opens, William and El...

For Good Measure: The Ways we say How Much, How Far, How Heavy, How Big , How Old

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...

"The Blue Day Book for Kids: A Lesson in Cheering Yourself Up" by Bradley Trevor Greive

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...
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About Me

Lydia Schultz

St. Paul, Minnesota

I am a school librarian and part-time 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?

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!