78. Oh, Sal

Oh, Sal. Kevin Henkes. 2022. [September] 144 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Sal was upset--more than upset--and, surprisingly, it didn't just have to do with the new baby.

Premise/plot: Oh, Sal is a companion novel to The Year of Billy Miller and Billy Miller Makes a Wish. Billy Miller has a four year old sister named Sal. Her story is set during the last week of December. (Christmas is over, but, but the novelty of the presents is not.) On this fateful not-so-great day, Sal is troubled by a couple of things a) the new baby (still nameless) is getting ALL the attention, b) her FAVORITE, FAVORITE, FAVORITE pair of underwear is completely missing c) her Uncle Jake keeps teasing/annoying her. 

So one of Sal's Christmas present was a package of days of the week underwear. Her favorite pair is WEDNESDAY. Wednesday has a POPPY flower on it. She must find POPPY and so the search is on...but it isn't easy for everyone to drop everything and start looking for missing underwear. Especially if one is hoping not to be teased by the visiting Uncle Jake. 

My thoughts: This one may sound a little odd or absurd. I mean why should readers care about Sal's terrible, horrible day, especially when with a little perspective--which most readers will have--that her bad day isn't all that bad in the great scheme of things. But the narrative works. Or at least it worked for me. Sal was a character that was easy to relate to. And sometimes it's the little things that can seem so BIG. The whole book felt like it would be a story passed down and repeated again, again. Sal most likely won't remember this--not really. But the stories her family tells about this day, well, she'll definitely be hearing about it for years--decades. And there's something super realistic and authentic about that. 

This is the third book to star the Miller family. I love, love, love, love this family. It was just delightful to spend time with them again. SAL was a character that I just loved so much. I have been Sal.

Quotes:

Sal cried so hard her throat felt scraped. She was exhausted. The minutes seemed like hours. How long had she been miserable in her room? Shouldn't someone have come to check on her? Did no one in the whole entire world care about her anymore? 

She felt so grown-up, she pretended she was a teacher and then the president.

That would be her wish--to make it through the entire day without crying.

© 2022 Becky Laney of Young Readers

26. Bracelets for Bina's Brothers

Bracelets for Bina's Brothers. Rajani LaRocca. Illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat. 2021. [April] 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Bina had three big brothers: Vijay, Siddharth, and Arjun. They sometimes annoyed her, but she loved them anyway. 

Premise/plot: Bina, our heroine, wants to make--instead of buy--bracelets for her three brothers. The occasion is Raksha Bandhan an Indian holiday celebrating the special bond between brothers and sisters. She sets out to craft each bracelet with a unique pattern keeping each brother in mind, but, patterns aren't always easy to design and carry out! 

My thoughts: This book is part of Charlesbridge's Storytelling Math series. The (math) concept being taught is patterns. Of course, there's more to the story than just pattern-making. It is also a celebration of family and culture.

I liked seeing the relationships of all four siblings! It was a cute read.

 

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

3. Sisters First

Sisters First. Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush. Illustrated by Ramona Kaultizki. 2019. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [Picture book]

First sentence: Before there was you, there was only me, and life was becoming a little lonely. There were friends to laugh with and dogs to chase, but I still said a prayer as I pictured your face...

Premise/plot: This celebrity penned picture book celebrates sisterhood. The text is super sweet and super predictable. This one is safe to judge based on the cover. You get exactly what you’d expect. It is written in rhyme.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I didn’t love, love, love it. But I liked it. The text felt a little forced to me because of the rhyming. Sometimes it felt natural and smooth. Sometimes it was a bit awkward. It worked more than it didn’t. So overall I liked it.

Text:3/5
Illustrations:3/5
Total:6/10

© 2020 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Louise and the Class Pet

Louise and the Class Pet. (Louise #2) Laura Driscoll. Illustrated by Kelly Light. 2018. [December] 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: This is going to be the best weekend ever! I have a friend staying over. This friend is super sweet. This friend is super cute. This friend is warm and cuddly and...furry.

Premise/plot: Louise and Art are back for another adventure in their early reader series. (Readers may have first met these siblings in two picture books by Kelly Light.) Louise has brought home the classroom pet for the weekend. Art seems interested. But perhaps not as interested as their own pet, a cat. But are the cat's motives pure?! Louise and Art may have a busy weekend trying to keep the class pet safe.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed Louise Loves Bake Sales. But I had a harder time getting enthusiastic about this one. Pigcasso, the guinea pig, is adorable...as is the cat. I think this one may work better animated as a cartoon. I think the humor of this one almost depends on envisioning it in action. I wouldn't mind a Louise cartoon at all. That would be a wonderful new show; I'm imagining it PBS style.

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Unbudgeable Curmudgeon

The Unbudgeable Curmudgeon. Matthew Burgess. Illustrated by Fiona Woodcock. 2019. Random House. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: How do you budge an unbudgeable curmudgeon who really refuses to budge? You might ask the curmudgeon if he wouldn't mind scooching over a smidgen. Or you could distract the curmudgeon by changing the subject...

Premise/plot: What is a curmudgeon? The end papers provide the definition: "A bad-tempered, difficult, cranky person; a grouch." There are TWO curmudgeons in this one. The first is the brother; the second the sister. Apparently in trying to BUDGE a curmudgeon, she became one herself. (I'm not surprised!)

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I really like the narration. It's just fun to read aloud. I think this story is easy to relate to--no matter how old or young you are.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Fast Forward to The Future (Time Jumpers #3)

Time Jumpers #3 Fast-Forward to the Future. Wendy Mass. Illustrated by Oriol Vidal. 2019. Scholastic. 96 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Chase bolts upright in bed. What is making so much noise? Why are his bedroom lights flashing in the middle of the night?

Premise/plot: Chase and Ava have a THIRD adventure in Wendy Mass' newest early chapter book. This brother and sister team have traveled twice into the past. This will be their first jump to the FUTURE. The object the two must return to its proper time is a GLOWING CUBE. What will these two make of the future they see? Will they perhaps even catch a glimpse of themselves in the future? Will they get any more clues as to WHO is behind the suitcase and WHY Randall keeps following them?

My thoughts: I have enjoyed the previous books in the series. This may just be my favorite. I didn't think that visiting the future would be as fun as visiting the past--but it was. I loved seeing some of the advancements--especially in terms of clothes shopping. I definitely would recommend this series to young readers.

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Stealing the Sword (Time Jumpers #1)

Stealing the Sword. Time Jumpers #1. Wendy Mass. Illustrated by Oriol Vidal. 2018. Scholastic. 96 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: "Sold!" Chase shouts. His younger sister, Ava, hands the cat sculpture to their latest happy customer.

Premise/plot: Chase and Ava are a brother and sister about to embark on quite an adventure. It starts at a flea market when they chance upon an old suitcase. The owner is reluctant because it's a locked case--she doesn't have the key--but when the case opens, as if by magic, for the kids, it soon has a new owner after all. The contents of the case are unusual without a doubt. The two soon find themselves traveling back in time....

My thoughts: Ava and Chase love history AND adventure so they are quite excited that this case found them.

I definitely liked this one. I like time travel stories. I would recommend this one easily--to children. Adults seeking time travel stories should probably look elsewhere. But for adult readers who love, love, love time travel and can't wait to introduce the genre to the children in their lives (their own children, nieces, nephews, etc.), it's worth considering.


© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Me Too!

Me Too! Mercer Mayer. 1983. 23 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: When my little sister saw me riding my skateboard, she said...Me Too! Then I had to help her ride. I had a paper airplane that I made myself. But my little sister saw it and said...Me Too! Then she threw it in a tree.

Premise/plot: Little Critter HATES to hear his little sister say "Me Too!" Will I have to SHARE everything? Can he never have a moments peace?

My thoughts: I like this one. I don't know that it's my absolute all-time favorite in the Little Critter series. (Do most people have an ongoing ranked list of Little Critter books in mind?) But I really enjoy it. I love Little Critter. And I think he is a good big brother. And as the end of the book shows, she is a good little sister too.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

A Dog With Nice Ears Featuring Charlie and Lola

A Dog with Nice Ears (Charlie and Lola) Lauren Child. 2018. Candlewick Press. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: I have this little sister, Lola. She is small and very funny. At the moment, all Lola can talk about is dogs. She says she would like one more than anything you could ever think of. "More than a squirrel or an actual fox," she says.

Premise/plot: In anticipation of a trip to a pet shop, Lola tells CHARLIE all the things she's looking for in a dog. She's very specific in what she wants. Her conversations with Charlie do reveal just how funny she can be.

Lola says, "It MUST have nice ears because EARS are important. You hold your glasses on with your ears." I say, "But, Lola, a dog wouldn't NEED glasses." "How do you know?" she says. I say, "Have you ever seen a dog wearing glasses?" She says, "No, BUT they probably only wear them for reading."

My thoughts: I do love Charlie and Lola. In this picture book, they talk about their ideal pet. Can Lola be trusted to pick out the best dog?! Can Lola be trusted to do anything in an ordinary way?!

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




© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

His Royal Highness, King Baby

His Royal Highness, King Baby: A Terrible True Story. Sally Lloyd-Jones. Illustrated by David Roberts. 2017. Candlewick Press. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Once upon a time, there was a happy family: a mom, a dad, a gerbil, and the most beautifulest, cleverest, ever-so-kindest Princess with long, flowing wondrous hair. (In fact, actually she is ME!)

Premise/plot: A big sister hates her new baby brother. Will these two ever be friends?

My thoughts: I liked this one. The focus is on two siblings. We have the big sister princess who goes from being the center of attention to an orphan servant girl, from her perspective. We have the baby brother, the "King Baby," who undeservedly takes all the attention even though he is horrible and boring and obnoxious, from her perspective. Readers always know exactly what this princess is thinking by paying attention to her ART. (Children may get the giggles by all the drawings of baby bottoms and POOP).

Speaking of art, in addition to the sister's art throughout we have the illustrations by David Roberts. I would hope Roberts' illustrations place this book firmly in the 1970s. Or else there's no excuse for this royal family's taste. I think my favorite thing is that the Princess' long, flowing hair is in reality a pair of hose. In every single picture, this child is wearing HOSE on her head. (To play a fairy, she switches to green tights.)

Honestly, I'm not sure what to make of the illustrations. On the one hand, they are not my style at all. All the characters have rosy cheeks, for example, and none of the characters look attractive (passably attractive.) On the other hand, the characters do have this over-the-top vintage vibe going for them. And the CLOTHES are out of sight.

Back to the text, this one is very wordy and descriptive. This one would probably be better for K-2 than for younger preschool. (Unless your child is gifted with a long attention span).

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

© 2017 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Slightly Invisible

Slightly Invisible: Featuring Charlie and Lola. Lauren Child. 2011. Candlewick Press. 40 pages.

I have this little sister, Lola.
She is small and very funny.
She always wants to know what I am up to, and she always wants to do what I am doing. She NEVER wants to be anywhere without me.
Most of the time this is fine. But sometimes I just want to be by myself
ON MY OWN with just Marv.
Marv is my best friend, and usually we like to spend our time looking for strange and tricky creatures.
Lola does not think this is fun.

I love Charlie and Lola, I do. I have loved many of their adventures. I was a fan even before the television show. My first Charlie and Lola adventure was I Am Too Absolutely Small for School. Other early Charlie and Lola titles are I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato and I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go To Bed. So I was quite excited to see Slightly Invisible.

In this Charlie and Lola adventure, Charlie is tired of having Lola intrude on his time with his best friend, Marv. He wants some time away from his little sister. Lola doesn't like it when Charlie wants this. She just loves and adores him and thinks he's great fun to play with! Marv too! But Lola doesn't always LIKE the way these two boys play. Like when Charlie and Marv go out looking for "strange and tricky creatures." Why can't Charlie and Marv realize that playing tea party is so much more fun!

But Lola is Lola is Lola. And if you're familiar with her at all, you can guess she may just have the last word! This time it's with the help of her good friend, her invisible friend Soren Lorensen.

This one is funny and cute and charming. In other words just what you'd expect from a Charlie and Lola book! My favorite thing? Looking for the *invisible* Soren Lorensen throughout the book--you'll find him on many of the pages!!!

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

© 2011 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Mo and Jo Fighting Together Forever

Mo and Jo Fighting Together Forever. Dean Haspiel and Jay Lynch. 2008. Toon Books. 40 pages.

Let go, Joey! It's MY turn to play.
Get your stick hands OFF, Mona!

Mona and Joey are always fighting. And since they're brother and sister, well, that's a problem. One thing these two do have in common is a love for the same superhero. They both love The Mighty Mojo. One day in the midst of yet another argument, these two get a surprise. The Mighty Mojo himself is leaving these two children his costume--the costume has all his superpowers. He's retiring, you see, and he thinks these two would be a good replacement. The suit gets ripped in half--obviously, because these two are fighting, fighting, fighting--but their mom is able to piece together two suits. One reading Mo, the other reading Jo. Will these two ever find a way to get along with one another?

It's a silly book with a good message. I liked it.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Brand New Baby Blues

Brand-New Baby Blues by Kathi Appelt. Illustrated by Kelly Murphy. 2009. December 2009. HarperCollins. 32 pages.

Once upon a time
I was the only one,
I was the cat's pajamas,
I was the moon and sun.

It was me and only me--
I was the icing on the cake.
I was the royal pooh-bah,
the chocolate in the shake.

But everything changes when this little girl gets a baby brother. Now our little heroine has a case of the brand-new baby blues. While her life may never be quite the same again, can she find a way to count her blessings? Can she even learn to love him?

I liked this one. It was good to see this little girl learn to love--if not like--her little brother day by day, week by week.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Phoenix and the Carpet

The Phoenix and the Carpet. E. Nesbit. 1904. 224 pages.

It began with the day when it was almost the Fifth of November, and a doubt arose in some breast--Robert's, I fancy--as to the quality of the fireworks laid in for the Guy Fawkes celebration.

The Phoenix and the Carpet is the sequel to Five Children and It. It stars Robert, Anthea, Jane, Cyril, and Lamb. (Though Lamb isn't a big star in the novel, he does manage to steal a few scenes in this one!) If you thought the magical adventures for these children were over--now that they've returned to the city and are far from their Psammead--you'd be wrong. (The Psammead is the "It" from the previous book.) For the delightful-sometimes-dangerous adventures are just beginning. After an "accident" in the nursery ruins the carpet, the carpet is replaced with a magical one. And this magical carpet holds another secret--for within it was an egg. Not just an ordinary egg. No, the Phoenix hatches from this egg--once another "accident" lands it in the nursery fireplace. The children now have THE Phoenix and a magic carpet--so you see the adventures are just beginning. Do you think these children are any wiser this time around? Do you think their wishes will lead them into trouble? Or into trouble that they can't think themselves out of?

Some of my favorite passages:

On this particular Sunday there were fowls for dinner, a kind of food that is generally kept for birthdays and grand occasions, and there was an angel pudding, when rice and milk and orange and write icing do their best to make you happy. (52)

and

Mother was really a great dear. She was pretty and she was loving, and most frightfully good when you were ill, and always kind, and almost always just. That is, she was just when she understood things. But of course she did not always understand things. No one understands everything, and mothers are not angels, though a good many of them come pretty near it. The children knew that mother always wanted to do what was best for them, even if she was not clever enough to know exactly what was the best. (73)

There were many things I loved about this one. I loved the trouble that comes about when the wishing carpet makes its own wish--and brings back one-hundred and ninety-nine Persian cats. Of course, that is only the start of that particular mishap...

I also LOVED Lamb's scenes in this novel. In particular when this little one crawled onto the wishing carpet and started babbling. The carpet, of course, understands all languages--even baby ones--and Lamb and the carpet vanish. This puzzles the children, how will they get their baby brother back?! How can they ever explain to their mom what happened?! I won't tell you how this one resolves, but I just loved it!

I loved this one. I don't know that I love it any more than I do Five Children and It. I just know that I love E. Nesbit. I love her narrative style. I love her descriptions. And I am so very thankful I've discovered her! And I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.

Have you read any Nesbit? Do you have a favorite book? Which do you think I should read next?

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Five Children and It

Nesbit, Edith. 1902. Five Children and It. Puffin Classics. 237 pages.

The house was three miles from the station, but before the dusty hired fly had rattled along for five minutes the children began to put their heads out of the carriage window and to say, 'Aren't we nearly there?' And every time they passed a house, which was not very often, they all said, 'Oh, is this it?' But it never was, till they reached the very top of the hill, just past the chalk-quarry and before you come to the gravel-pit. And then there was a white house with a green garden and an orchard beyond, and mother said, 'Here we are!'

Robert, Anthea (Panther), Jane, Cyril, and Baby (Lamb) have come (along with their parents, of course) to spend some time in the country. But circumstances being what they are--parents in general being more a nuisance in a children's adventure story than anything else--the children are often all on their own except for some slight interference by Martha their nurse-maid. It is while they are exploring the gravel-pit that the children--much to their surprise--discover a sand fairy, a Psammead. (He is quite a character!) The children are granted a wish a day (thereabouts)...and thus the adventures begin.

I daresay you have often thought what you would do if you had three wishes given you, and have despised the old man and his wife in the black-pudding story, and felt certain that if you had the chance you could think of three really useful wishes without a moment's hesitation. These children had often talked this matter over, but, now the chance had come suddenly to them, they could not make up their minds. (17)

They may have their wish a day, but their wish ends at sunset. And as they discover, this is a VERY good thing!

This one is a funny adventure novel starring brothers and sisters who know how to get in and out of trouble and then some! I'm so happy I finally read this one. It was such a joy to read.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Maggie's Monkeys

Maggie's Monkeys. Linda Sanders-Wells. Illustrated by Abby Carter. 2009. April 2009. Candlewick Press. 32 pages.

Last week, a family of pink monkeys moved into our refrigerator. At least that's what my little sister, Maggie, said. She announced that the monkeys were in there and put a bowl of peanuts for them next to the juice pitcher. Nobody else could see any monkeys, but that didn't seem to matter to anybody except me.

Maggie's Monkeys is narrated by an exasperated older brother (a middle child, by the way) who just can't fathom why his parents (and older sister) are going along with his younger sister Maggie's wild-and-crazy imagination. Pink monkeys?! Really?! In the refrigerator?!


Yet when his own friends start to tease her...what's an older brother to do but lend a hand?!

I found this one to be a cute book, a funny book, with some heart! I loved the story of this one. How a brother and sister can not get along, and yet, when it really matters, when it really counts, they can be there for one another.

I enjoyed the illustrations. Readers should be on the look out for the pink monkeys! They might just find a few!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Horrid Henry's Christmas

Simon, Francesca. 2009. Horrid Henry's Christmas. Sourcebooks. 90 pages.

One of the great discoveries of the year--at least as far as chapter books are concerned--is a fun little series by Francesca Simon. Horrid Henry. How horrid is Henry? Very, very horrid. A role model, he isn't...and yet...there is something (at least to me) wonderfully charming about his being so horrid. The books are funny. Will everyone appreciate Horrid Henry's humor? No. Will some readers find it a bit too much to take? Probably. But I find the books fun. And I think they'd be great to read aloud.

In Horrid Henry's Christmas, we get four stories--all set within a span of days leading up to Christmas--where Henry is well, horrid, as usual. In the first story, "Horrid Henry's Christmas Play," we see Henry upset about not getting a good role in the school play. Will he find the way to steal the show anyway? In the second story, "Horrid Henry's Christmas Presents", Henry tries to save his money by making (and making do). He doesn't want to spend his money on others, you see, so he's trying to do gift-giving with the least amount of effort. Do you think his plan will backfire? Do you think his family will be able to figure that one out? In the third story, we see Horrid Henry trying to "catch" Santa. It's a sure-fired way (in my opinion) on how to get coal in your stocking. Horrid Henry is so very naughty! Though I must admit his conversation with chocolate had me giggling. In the fourth, it is finally Christmas. What surprises does the day have for Horrid Henry and his family? Will he behave himself? What do you think?!

I enjoyed this one. It was a fun holiday read.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Beast of Blackslope

Barrett, Tracy. 2009. The Sherlock Files: The Beast of Blackslope. Henry Holt. 174 pages.

This is the second in a mystery series. The first is The 100 Year Old Secret. Xander and Xena are a brother-sister detective team. Descendants of the great Sherlock Holmes. They inherited his book of 'unsolved cases' in the first book, and are back for their second adventure. These two (along with their parents) are visiting a not-so-cozy bed and breakfast in the country. They hear a strange and frightening noise one day, and then begin to hear rumors of a beast. Thanks to a superb memory, one of the two remembers that Sherlock Holmes tried to solve this case a hundred years ago--a case of a strange beast in this area--but couldn't. Can these two figure out both mysteries--the identity of the beast then and now?

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

No Girls Allowed (Dogs Okay)

Trueit, Trudi. 2009. Secrets of a Lab Rat: No Girls Allowed (Dogs Okay). Simon & Schuster. 118 pages.

I think this one might work for the younger crowd (especially boys). But the immature humor could limit the appeal for everyone else. What this one has working for it is some kid appeal. I think the easy-and-obvious jokes (bantering) could appeal to some readers. Not to this reader. But to some readers. Our hero is a young boy, Scab, who loves, loves, loves to drive his sister (his twin sister), Isabelle, crazy. He's always thinking of a hundred different ways to annoy, frustrate, and/or torture his sister. These pranks and inventions are never-ending. (Which is tiresome in a way.) This book is about one of his inventions. He wants to invent a spray (or perfume) to drive away sisters. He accidentally is successful on this one when he starts selling this sister-repellent to other boys at his school. Unfortunately, it's named after his sister, and she's not laughing about it. Can this brother grow a heart and work up an apology? Or is he a hopeless case?

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Funeral Director's Son

Paratore, Coleen Murtagh. 2009. The Funeral Director's Son. 136 pages. Simon & Schuster.

This one falls into the cute but not quite for me category. What it does have going for it, in my opinion, is its light, conversational often-humorous narrative style. I think you'll see what I mean right from the start:

I spend a lot of time thinking about f-words.
Food. Friends. Fun.
And funerals.
That's right, funerals.

Our narrator is Christopher (Kip) and he's just turned twelve. He doesn't want to go into the family business. He doesn't care how many generations back the business goes. He knows there must be more to life than burying other folks.

How does Kip contribute to the family business? Well, he talks to dead people. (In a way. He hears a voice that tells him what the dead person *needs* to cross over to the other side.) So he helps the dead take care of their unfinished business; he helps unburden the dead. So there are several different adventures in the book where he does just that.

The narrator does make this a fun and easy read. So I can see why readers could get hooked.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers