A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls
Author: Patrick Ness
Rating: 3/5 stars
Reviewer: Denise Z.

Summary: Thirteen-year-old Conor awakens one night to find a monster outside his bedroom window, but not the one from the recurring nightmare that began when his mother became ill- an ancient, wild creature that wants him to face truth and loss.

Review: After seeing a number of booklists recommend Patrick Ness’ work, I wanted to give this book a try. A Monster Calls was inspired by an idea from author Siobhan Dowd, who died of cancer. This is a thought-provoking read for mature pre-teens and teens and addresses such difficult subjects as illness, death, bullying and the emotions that follow. I enjoyed the mysterious elements involving the monster and appreciated the descriptive words. The black and white illustrations by Jim Kay add to the story. Conor is a character that needs to exist for all those young readers who may have lost a parent or are going through a difficult time. The three separate stories within the book make this a worth-while read.

Different Like Coco

Different Like Coco
Author: Elizabeth Matthews
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reviewer: Denise Z.

Summary: The rags-to-riches story of Coco Chanel plays out in a picture book biography.

Review: This is a very interesting picture book biography that girls in grades 2-6 will appreciate. The life of Coco Chanel is told in a fun, relatable way that uses real-life examples of how Coco was unique and different and how being different made her a fashion legend. The illustrations and language used is elegant and stylish, complimenting Coco’s life. Both young and old will enjoy reading about this fashion mogul. This would be a perfect biography to pick for a homework assignment or just a nice book to read together as mother and daughter to show how being different is okay and can be an advantage.  

Waiting is Not Easy

Waiting is Not Easy
Author: Mo Willems
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reviewer: Aleece

Summary: Piggie tells Gerald she has a surprise for him, but it is not there yet so Gerald must be patient.

Review: Gerald cannot wait for his surprise.  Literally, he does NOT want to wait for the surprise.  He tries to wait patiently but it is so hard to wait.  While waiting isn't easy the results are always worth it.  This is a great story about teaching kids to be patient and the reward/surprise will be that much better after you are patient.  This is a great beginning reader for kids as well as a great addition to Mo Willem's Elephant and Piggie series.

I Hate Picture Books

I Hate Picture Books
Author: Timothy Young
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reviewer: Aleece

 

Summary: Max hates his picture books and he's throwing them all away. But he soon learns just how invaluable imagination is and has a change of heart. Find out why in this outrageous book that both pokes fun at and celebrates many of the classics of children's literature. Join writer and illustrator Timothy Young for this irreverent and humorous story.

Review: Absolutely wonderful book on how a child tells you all the things that he doesn't like about books but then when he tells you about a book that made him cry he realizes that it is his favorite book and has to find it and by digging through the picture books that he once thought he hated he comes to the realization that he loves all of his books and that he changed his mind.

This book is great for all kids because it shows that they change their minds all the time. It also showed illustrations from all of the different books and put Max into each book like he was a character himself. All the books that he talks about are recognizable and will resonate with readers.