74. The Sausage Situation

The Sausage Situation (Jack Russell Dog Detective #6) Darrel and Sally Odgers. 2007. 80 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: The sausage situation began on a day when crime was a long way from my mind.

Premise/plot: Jack Russell, dog detective, stars in his sixth adventure in this early chapter book mystery. In this one, his neighbor, Foxie, fears there is a sausage thief about. Sausages were delivered to his house--his human--and he feels very possessive of them. When a neighbor/friend picks up those sausages, well, Foxie alerts Jack Russell that a crime is in progress. But Jack has doubts--big doubts. 

My thoughts: I have loved, loved, loved some in this series. But this one may be the weakest. Jack, our narrator, is still adorable enough. He's got his Jack's Facts, glossary, and nose maps. Much of the formula is the same. If you like earlier books in the series, you'll know what to expect. But the "mystery" didn't work for me.

Jack's Facts

• All dogs know exactly how to make their people feel guilty. Nice dogs do this only when their people deserve it. I am a nice dog. This is a fact. (2)
•  Human-type food does not belong on the ground. Therefore eating human-type food that has fallen on the ground is not stealing. It is cleaning up a mess. This is a fact. (8)
• If a Jack Russell wheezes, it is sick. If a pug wheezes, it is just being a pug. That is a fact. (58)

Glossary

• Pawsed. Stopped to think, done by a dog.
• Su-paw-rior. Superior, the way Jack Russells are.

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

68. The Awful Pawful

The Awful Pawful (Jack Russell Dog Detective #5) Darrel and Sally Odgers. 2007. 80 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: We had been on vacation with Sarge and Auntie Tidge, but Foxie and I were glad when the train arrived at the station. Vacations are fun, but there's no place like home.

Premise/plot: Jack Russell, our dog detective, is back for his fifth adventure. In this one the case is practically an EMERGENCY. Someone--someone Jack nicknames the Awful Pawful--has been clawing dogs on their noses! The dogs of Doggeroo are SCARED and hiding. Those that have been hurt aren't talking to Jack. But Jack isn't discouraged. He will find out the identity of the Awful Pawful even if it means using his handsome nose as bait.

My thoughts: I really love this series oh so much. I really love Jack and all his friends. These chapter books feature just the right amount of illustrations and text. I love the nose maps. I love the Jack facts. I love the glossary. I love how each one can work as a stand alone. You don't need to read the books in any particular order. The books have a fun, playful vibe.

Jack's Facts:

• People don't speak Dog. Dogs don't speak Person. You don't have to speak the same language to talk about dinner. This is a fact. (8)
• People think bed are for people to sleep in. Dogs think beds are for dogs to hide under. Dogs know better than people. This is a fact. (18)

Glossary:

• ig-gnaw. Ignore but done by dogs.
• pawfect. Perfect, but about dogs. If it was cats, it would be purrfect.

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

67. The Lying Postman

The Lying Postman. (Jack Russell Dog Detective #4) Darrel and Sally Odgers. 2007. 80 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Foxie and I were digging a hole in Foxie's yard. Kitty Booker, the Doggeroo librarian, came though the gate, carrying a big basket.

Premise/plot: Jack Russell is back to solve another mystery. This may not be the most traditional of mysteries. Jack notices that the new postman is super-angry, bitter, and HATES dogs. So, of course, he lies about all the many dogs on his route. But Jack Russell wants to know WHY. Why is he wanting to stir up trouble in the community? Did a dog actually try to bite him? If so, which dog and why? Jack Russell has help from his friends. How can he show the humans the truth?

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. I did. I think the Jack Facts were even more enjoyable than usual. (And usually, the Jack Facts are among my favorite elements of the book.) The book is fun. The characters are fun. It's just a treat of a book. (Though sadly there are fewer treats in this one--for the dogs. Poor Foxie has been put on a diet!)

Jack's Facts:

• Where there are cats, there is cat food. Cat food is good--even for dogs. Dogs eat faster than cats. This is a fact. (6)
• Cats insult dogs. Dogs insult cats. The cats always start it, therefore it's their fault. This is a fact. (11)
• Postman always rattle mailboxes. Dogs bark when postmen rattle. Postmen yell when dogs bark. That's how you play the Postman Game. This is a fact. (14)
• Dogs are hunters. Telling their people they haven't been fed is just another form of hunting. Therefore lying about food isn't really lying. This is a fact. (37)
• Most dogs have hackles. Some dogs have hackles that make other dogs laugh. Dogs like that should not raise their hackles. This is a fact. (66)

Glossary:

• Upsettered. Bothered and upset a setter.
• In-terrier-gate. Official questioning, done by a terrier.

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

66. The Mugged Pug

The Mugged Pug (Jack Russell Dog Detective #3) Darrel and Sally Odgers. 2007. 76 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Sarge and I were about to go for our Saturday walk when the terrier-phone rang.

Premise/plot: There's a thief in Doggeroo! Someone is STEALING dog collars. Can Jack (and his friends) solve the mystery? It might take a few nose maps and interviews, but Jack is one determined dog!

My thoughts: I really am enjoying my reread through this series. I definitely recommend the series as a whole. And I think each book could potentially stand alone. I don't think you'd have to read the books in series order to enjoy. This could be quite helpful in a classroom library!

So Jack, our narrator, is just as delightful as ever. The Jack-Facts and glossary remain some of my favorite things about the series.

Jack Facts:

• My collar is old and comfortable. It has my name on it. It smells like me. My collar is perfect. It is mine. This is a fact. (4)
• When you have been badly treated you have to show it. If you don't show the way you feel, no one will be sorry for you. This is a fact. (12)

Glossary:

• Yip-notize: To hynotize, as practiced by a terrior.
• Appaws. Cheering and paw-prancing to praise a clever act.

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

109. Go To Bed, Monster!

Go to Bed, Monster! Natasha Wing. Illustrated by Sylvie Wickstrom. 2007. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: One night, Lucy tossed and turned. She could not, would not, did not want to go to bed. "I want to draw," she said.

Premise/plot: Lucy does NOT want to go to bed. She draws what turns out to be a monster instead. The two have MANY adventures. But when she's ready to go bed--finally--he doesn't want to go to bed. Can a sleepy Lucy convince not sleepy Monster to go to bed? What will it take to get them both sound asleep?

My thoughts: I loved this one. I first read it years ago. I even interviewed the author! It was a cute, funny, charming, delightful book. I never tire of a good bedtime book. I do recommend this one. I wish there was a board book edition of it available!

 Text: 5 out of 5

Illustrations: 5 out of 5

Total: 10 out of 10

 

© 2020 Becky Laney of Young Readers

87. Rider in the Night

Rider in the Night: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow (Time Spies #6) Candice Ransom. 2007. 119 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: "I bet that's her!" Mattie Chapman watched a strawberry-red truck roll up the dusty driveway.

Premise/plot: Alex, Mattie, Sophie are back for their sixth time travel adventure in Rider In the Night: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow. As the subtitle suggests, these siblings are heading straight into The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. The three will meet Ichabod Crane before his scary ride. Can the story have a happier fate?

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one much more than I thought I would. You see, I don't really "do" Halloween. I don't. I don't typically read Halloween books. But this is technically set in July! So perhaps that's why it works for me! Or perhaps this story is familiar enough through a cartoon that I'm not horribly bothered by it. (The Adventures of Ichabod and Mister Toad.)

I won't say this is my favorite of the series. (Winchester is still a bit absent.) But I liked it.

© 2020 Becky Laney of Young Readers

86. Horses in the Wind

Horses in the Wind (Time Spies #7). Candice Ransom. 2007. 118 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Alex Chapman aimed and kicked his soccer ball.

Premise/plot: Alex, Mattie, and Sophie are back for their seventh time travel adventure. This time the siblings are sent to 1938 to witness a horse race. Who will win Seabiscuit or War Admiral?

My thoughts: I really liked this one. I did. I like how each book in the series is different. Different time periods. Different subject areas. Different interests. This one focuses on horses and on Seabiscuit in particular.

I was never big on horses--not like Sophie is--but it was an interesting read.

© 2020 Becky Laney of Young Readers

83. Signals in the Sky

Signals in the Sky. (Time Spies #5) Candice Ransom. 2007. 119 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: "It's your fault," Alex Chapman said. "We have to do yard work because you got us in trouble."

Premise/plot: Alex, Mattie, and Sophie are back for their fifth adventure. This time the siblings are heading back to some dark days in America's past--the middle of the Civil War. These siblings will do their best to reunite two siblings separated and divided by war before a big battle. One fights for the Union; the other for the Confederacy. They will also learn about how both sides used spies--and signaling.

My thoughts: I definitely am enjoying this series. I worry that this one might not be considered politically correct in this new cancel-culture we're living in where it's not "good" to consider both sides to be actually American and where confederate soldiers are supposed to be evil incarnate instead of you know just fallible human beings. All that being said, nothing in the book glorifies this war in particular or war in general.

© 2020 Becky Laney of Young Readers

82. Magician in the Trunk

Magician in the Trunk (Time Spies #4) Candice Ransom. 2007. 128 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: "I know you something you don't know," Mattie Chapman said.

Premise/plot: Alex, Mattie, and Sophie Chapman are siblings with a secret: they are time travelers! They discovered a magical spyglass when they moved into their new house. (A house turned bed-and-breakfast. A house that is centuries old.) In this their fourth adventure, the three go time traveling to the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. The siblings meet a very young Harry Houdini and see his magic act. He hasn't made it big yet--or even made it little. Can these three find a way to encourage Houdini when he needs it?

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. I think Winchester sat this one out completely!!! But then again he'd caused enough trouble in book three! I like spending time with the three main characters. I like that the books tend to alternate focus on the siblings. The setting of the world's fair was fun!

© 2020 Becky Laney of Young Readers

80. Giant in the Garden

Giant in the Garden. (Time Spies #3) Candice Ransom. 2007. 128 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Alex gazed out the window of the Keeping Room. Not even a leaf fluttered. It seemed as if the whole world had stopped.

Premise/plot: I imagine a conversation between the real Winchester and Ellsworth, "Why do you always get to time travel and I don't! Next time I'm coming too!!! Just try to stop me!" "Okay, but be careful what you wish for!"

In this third adventure in the Time Spies series, Alex, Mattie, Sophie, Ellsworth and WINCHESTER time travel. Sophie is lately obsessed with a book of fairy tales; one of her favorites being Jack and the Beanstalk. The siblings never expected to travel to a FAIRY TALE. After all, fairy tales aren't real--or so they think. But their preconceived ideas are challenged as they work together to escape the giant, "save" Jack, and MOST IMPORTANTLY of all rescue Winchester.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed books one and two. But I really loved, loved, loved the third book. Not necessarily because of the fairy tale setting but because of Winchester taking a more starring role! I love how it was their following after Winchester that led them UP the beanstalk and into the country of giants. Winchester's mischievous curiosity leads them all into a bit of danger. I also love that a drawing of Winchester appears at every chapter.

© 2020 Becky Laney of Young Readers

71. The Wednesday Wars

The Wednesday Wars. Gary D. Schmidt. 2007. 264 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Of all the kids in the seventh grade at Camillo Junior High, there was one kid that Mrs. Baker hated with heat whiter than the sun. Me. And let me tell you, it wasn't for anything I'd done. If it had been Doug Swieteck that Mrs. Baker hated, it would have made sense. Doug Swieteck once made up a list of 410 ways to get a teacher to hate you. It began with "Spray deodorant in all her desk drawers" and got worse as it went along. A whole lot worse. I think that things became illegal around Number 167. You don't want to know what Number 400 was, and you really don't want to know what Number 410 was. But I'll tell you this much: They were the kinds of things that sent kids to juvenile detention homes in upstate New York, so far away that you never saw them again.

Premise/plot: Holling Hoodhood is the narrator of this lovely coming of age novel set in 1967/1968 in New York. The book chronicles his seventh grade year focusing on his life at home and school. Every Wednesday as the other students go to either special studies at their church or synagogue (temple?), Mrs. Baker and Holling have the classroom to themselves. At first she puts him to WORK cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. But later she decides to work his mind instead, every single month they study a different Shakespeare play. At home, their family is feeling the tension of conflicting ideas over politics and the War.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved, loved this one. It had me at hello. I love Holling's narrative. The book is packed with humor and heart. I think this is a book that could appeal to anyone and everyone. If you have a special fondness for teachers that play a role in *inspiring* and *changing* young lives, I think you will love, love, love The Wednesday Wars. Equally, if you love fiction that depicts the challenges and struggles that all families face, I think you'll love The Wednesday Wars. It has a little bit of something for everyone: friendship, first crushes, family squabbles, school, prejudice. One of my favorite aspects about this novel is that it does so much. It addresses meaning-of-life issues in a way that is both serious, realistic, but it captures life's funny moments as well. It has it all.

We spent the afternoon with English for You and Me, learning how to diagram sentences--as if there was some reason why anyone in the Western Hemisphere needed to know how to do this. One by one, Mrs. Baker called us to the blackboard to try our hand at it. Here's the sentence she gave to Meryl Lee:
The brook flows down the pretty mountain.
Here's the sentences she gave to Danny Hupfer:
He kicked the round ball into the goal.
Here's the sentence she gave to Mai Thi:
The girl walked home.
This was so short because it used about a third of Mai Thi's English vocabulary, since she'd only gotten here from Vietnam during the summer.
Here's the sentence she gave to Doug Swieteck:
I read a book.
There was a different reason why his sentence was so short--never mind that it was a flat-out lie on Doug Swieteck's part.
Here's the sentence she gave me:
For it so falls out, that what we have we prize not to the worth whiles we enjoy it; but being lacked and lost, why, then we rack the value, then we find the virtue that possession would not show us while it was ours.
No native speaker of the English language could diagram this sentence. The guy who wrote it couldn't diagram this sentence. I stood at the blackboard as hopeless as a seventh-grade kid could be. (17-18)

 That night, I read Treasure Island again, and I don't want to brag, but I've read Treasure Island four times and Kidnapped twice and The Black Arrow twice. I even read Ivanhoe halfway through before I gave up, since I started The Call of the Wild and it was a whole lot better. (9)

That's the teacher gene at work, giving its bearer an extra sense. It's a little frightening. Maybe that's how people decide to become teachers. They have that extra sense, and once they have it, and know that they have it, they don't have any choice except to become a teacher. (60)

© 2020 Becky Laney of Young Readers

33. 100 Cupboards

100 Cupboards. N.D. Wilson. 2007. 289 pages. [Source: Library] [j fiction, mg fiction, j fantasy, mg fantasy]

First sentence: Henry, Kansas, is a hot town.

Premise/plot: Henry York’s parents are missing—he doesn’t seem overly concerned since they are absent much of the time—and so he has gone to live with his Uncle Frank, Aunt Dotty, and cousins Anastasia, Penny, and Henrietta. His bedroom is in the attic. All the adventures, well, except for the baseball sort, stem from the attic and the cupboards within. For the cupboards are ways or gateways to other places, lands, universes, realities. Henry may not intend to travel to “fantasy lands” and have showdowns with evil—an evil witch to be precise. But the whole family may be in great danger once these cupboards are active.

My thoughts: I really loved this one the first time I read it. Though I never did read the rest of the trilogy. In my defense, I read this one before it was even released let alone the other two books. By the time they released I had forgotten the first book and didn’t work up the energy to reread the first book and properly read the series as a whole.

I didn’t love it quite as much the second time though I still loved the actual writing and narrative. I was confused by having read the prequel. So there were dozens of questions in my mind that probably shouldn’t have been there.

I am going to try to read the other books this year. Maybe my questions will be answered. 

© 2020 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Board book: Bow-Wow Orders Lunch

Board book: Bow-Wow Orders Lunch. Mark Newgarden. Illustrated by Megan Montague Cash. 2007. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 18 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Bread. Cheese. Bread. Cheese. Bread.

Premise/plot: Bow-Wow is getting ready to enjoy a sandwich. But what does he want on his sandwich? This board book doubles as a concept book teaching patterns. But it is also a very simple--yet funny--story.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. It is 100% silly. It's a stretch to call it a concept book even. But even though there's not much to it--I couldn't help finding it charming. I don't know why I liked it so much. I just know that I do.




© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Mr. Putter and Tabby See The Stars

Mr. Putter and Tabby See The Stars (#16) Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Arthur Howard. 2007. 44 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Mr. Putter and his fine cat, Tabby, loved to sleep. They could sleep anywhere. They slept in chairs, in swings, in cars, in tubs, and sometimes in the laundry room. Mr. Putter and Tabby also slept in a bed. Of course, most of the time, sleeping in a bed was just fine. Mr. Putter plumped his pillows. Tabby squished hers. And then they slept like logs. But one night, one of the logs could not sleep.

Premise/plot: Mr. Putter is finding it absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to sleep. Why is he struggling to sleep?! Perhaps because he had WAY too many jelly rolls at Mrs. Teaberry's house. How many is too many?! Well, I think we can one and all agree that TWENTY-ONE pineapple jelly rolls are too many for any person to consume at a time!!!!!

Knowing that he can't sleep, Mr. Putter decides to go for a walk outside--with his cat, Tabby--to enjoy the stars. Maybe his stomach will settle after a little exercise!

My thoughts: I LOVE these characters so much!!!! This early chapter series is the best of the best! This neighborhood stroll is just LOVELY.


© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

17 Things I'm Not Allowed To Do Anymore

17 Things I'm Not Allowed To Do Anymore. Jenny Offill. Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. 2007. Random House. 32 pages.


I had an idea to staple my brother's hair to his pillow.
I am not allowed to use the stapler anymore.


I had an idea to glue my brother's bunny slippers to the floor.
I am not allowed to use the glue anymore.

I liked this one. I was hoping to love it. I mean I just loved 11 Experiments That Failed--the second book--which just released yesterday. And it was a decidedly cute and clever book. One with an original premise. A girl who just CANNOT stay out of trouble. She's always, always picking on her brother. And she's PASSIONATE about beavers. And she doesn't exactly like school. (I imagine her teacher has quite an opinion about her!)

I had an idea to do my George Washington report on beavers instead.
I am not allowed to do reports on beavers anymore.
I had an idea to dedicate my report to all beavers that ever lived.
I am not allowed to dedicate my report to beavers anymore.

 I thought there was a little too much emphasis on beavers. I would have enjoyed a little more variety perhaps. (Like there is in the second book!!!) But still, beavers and all, this one is a fun read.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

© 2011 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Ollie

Ollie. Olivier Dunrea. 2003/2007. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 16 pages.

This is Ollie.
Ollie is waiting.
He won't come out.
Gossie and Gertie have been waiting for weeks for Ollie to come out.

Gossie and Gertie are impatient. They are tired of waiting for Ollie to hatch out of his shell. Ollie keeps protesting that he won't come out, he won't come out, he won't come out. And these two friends keep pleading with Ollie again and again. Will this egg ever hatch? He may when he's ready--in his own time. Perhaps after the two tell him NOT to come out!

While Ollie isn't my favorite board book by Olivier Dunrea, it is still a fun read! There are other Ollie adventures, I believe, that I haven't had the opportunity to read: Ollie the Stomper, Ollie's Halloween, Merry Christmas, Ollie, Ollie's Easter Eggs, etc.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Gossie and Gertie

Gossie and Gertie. Olivier Dunrea. 2002/2007. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 16 pages.

This is Gossie.
This is Gertie. 
Gossie wears bright red boots.
Gertie wears bright blue boots.
They are friends. Best friends.

I enjoyed Gossie & Gertie even more than Gossie. In this adventure, the goslings friendship is explored and defined. Readers may notice--or at least adult readers will notice--just how bossy Gossie is! How spirited. But Gertie is not one that is easily led. No, sometimes Gertie likes to have a say! And that's okay with Gossie. Especially if where he is leading her is to dinner!

The text is very fun, very playful. Proof that simple can be a very good thing! And the illustrations match that spirit well.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Gossie

Gossie. Olivier Dunrea. 2002/2007. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 16 pages.

This is Gossie, Gossie is a gosling.
A small, yellow gosling who likes to wear bright red boots.
Every day.

I enjoyed this board book very much! I found the text to be playful and fun. I liked the repetition and predictability. I liked the character of Gossie very much. I liked her personality. In just a few words, I got a clear sense of what this gosling was all about! I could tell that she was a character, if you know what I mean! Of course, the artwork has something to do with that too!

© 2011 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Amazing Baby Clap and Sing

Amazing Baby: Clap and Sing. Emma Dodd. 2007. Silver Dolphin. 12 pages.

Rhyme time, baby, sing with me...
Clap your hands--one, two, three!

This board book features a collection of songs for young children. The CD features fifteen songs--almost a full forty minutes of music. The board book features the lyrics for all the songs on the album.

Rhyme Time, Baby, Sing With Me
Hey Diddle, Diddle
Round and Round the Garden
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
One, Two, Three, Four, Five
Baa Baa Black Sheep
I Had A Little Nut Tree
Mary Had a Little Lamb
The Grand Old Duke Of York
Little Miss Muffet
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Sing a Song of Sixpence
Bobby Shafto
Pat-a-Cake
Old MacDonald Had A Farm

Some will probably be familiar to you. But just because you recognize the lyrics, doesn't mean that you'll recognize the song--the melody. Because these arrangements are different to say the least.

I'd describe the album as unexpected. Songs you expect to be fast are slower--much slower. (I have never heard a slower version of Row, Row, Row Your Boat. And Hey Diddle, Diddle, I expected to be a bit faster. I'm not sure why. Maybe because I sing it that way I suppose.) Some songs have quite a soulful/jazzy feel. (Especially Mary Had A Little Lamb and The Itsy Bitsy Spider). And others sound rap-inspired. Some seem to defy all description. (What can I say about their version of Old MacDonald Had A Farm?! Or Little Miss Muffet?!)

You may not like every song on the album. (I'd be surprised if you did.) But you'll probably enjoy some of the songs at least.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Larry and Rita

Brand New Readers: Larry and Rita. Jamie Michalak. Illustrated by Jill Newton. 2007. Candlewick Press. 48 pages.

Larry and Rita is one of many titles in Candlewick's Brand New Readers series. It contains four stories: Rita at the Fair, Rita Blows Bubbles, Larry and the Crab, and Larry and Rita Dance. The books are simple and predictable. But they're also enjoyable stories. I like the small twists at the end of each story.

From Larry and Rita Dance:

Larry dances.
Cha, cha, cha.
Rita dances.
Cha, cha, cha.
Larry and Rita dance together.
Cha, cha, cha...

Can you predict what might happen next?! I enjoyed these books. I liked both Larry and Rita.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers