17. Tally Tuttle Turns Into a Turtle

Tally Tuttle Turns Into a Turtle. (Class Critters #1) Kathryn Holmes. Illustrated by Ariel Landy. 2021. [August] 128 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: It was the first day of school, and Tally Tuttle's stomach hurt.

Premise/plot: Tally Tuttle is anxious about starting her new school. (I believe the family has recently moved.) She doesn't know anyone, and, well, she'd rather not be the center of attention. She wants to make new friends, but, is nervous about that whole process too. So much *might* go wrong. What Tally Tuttle never expected in a hundred million years was that her new classroom has a BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG secret.

It wouldn't be a spoiler to say that involves human students TURNING INTO or transforming into animals. And, you guessed it, Tally Tuttle turns into a turtle! (Big shock, I know.) This becoming-a-turtle gives Tally a whole new perspective on life. If she ever wants to be human again, she'd better learn a significant life lesson.

My thoughts: This is the first in a new chapter book series for lower elementary grades. Personally, I loved, loved, loved the illustrations and thought they were super cute and adorable. The story is silly but relatable. (If that makes sense.) It is silly in that it has humans magically transforming into animals. It is relatable in that who hasn't been nervous when starting a new school or new class? Change--even little changes--can feel ENORMOUS.

 

© 2022 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Moving Day (#1)

Cabot, Meg. 2008. Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Moving Day.

"I like rules. The reason why is, rules help make our lives easier. For instance, the rule about not killing people. Obviously, this is a good rule.
Another good rule is Everything that goes up must come down. This includes helium balloons. People don't know this, but you shouldn't let helium balloons loose outside, like at weddings or the Olympics or whatever, because what happens is eventually all the helium comes out and the balloons fall down, possibly in the ocean, and sea turtles eat them.
Then they choke to death.
So really that is two rules: Everything that goes up must come down and Don't let go of helium balloons outside.
Science has a lot of rules (like the one about gravity). So does math (like that five minus three will always be two. That is a rule).
That's why I like science and math. You know where you stand with them, rulewise.
What I'm not so crazy about is everything else. Because there are no rules for everything else.
There are no rules, for instance, for friendship. I mean, besides the one about Treat your friends the way you'd want them to treat you, which I've already broken about a million times. Like earlier today, when my best friend, Mary Kay Shiner, and I were making the strawberry frosting for her birthday cupcakes. (1-2)

Allie Finkle has lots of rules. Rules on how to live. But nothing has quite prepared her for the challenges ahead. You see, Allie Finkle is about to move across town and that changes everything. She's losing her best friend (for multiple reasons). She's losing her school. She's losing her room, her house, her neighborhood. And maybe just maybe it would be worth it all if only...if only the house where they're moving wasn't haunted, wasn't so spooky, so dark and uninviting and ugly. Allie, when she's honest, will admit that Mary Kay isn't a great best friend. She cries too much. That plus she will only play one boring game over and over day after day. And the thought of making a new best friend, a great best friend is tempting. So is the thought of a kitten. Her parents have promised--actually promised--to get her a pet of her very own, a kitten--if and only if she behaves during this transition. If she doesn't whine and complain and act out about how awful the move is. But there's one consistent concern as far as Allie is concerned, she knows that the new house has a zombie hand in the attic. She knows her family's life at risk--her mom and dad, her two younger brothers. So it's a definite dilemma. What's a nine year old girl to do?

I loved Allie. I loved her family. I loved how this one was written. Allie's voice is unique and wonderful and above all authentic.

I loved, loved, loved this book. And I can't wait to get to the second book in the series.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Meet Allie Finkle

Cabot, Meg. 2008. Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Moving Day.

"I like rules. The reason why is, rules help make our lives easier. For instance, the rule about not killing people. Obviously, this is a good rule.
Another good rule is Everything that goes up must come down. This includes helium balloons. People don't know this, but you shouldn't let helium balloons loose outside, like at weddings or the Olympics or whatever, because what happens is eventually all the helium comes out and the balloons fall down, possibly in the ocean, and sea turtles eat them.
Then they choke to death.
So really that is two rules: Everything that goes up must come down and Don't let go of helium balloons outside.
Science has a lot of rules (like the one about gravity). So does math (like that five minus three will always be two. That is a rule).
That's why I like science and math. You know where you stand with them, rulewise.
What I'm not so crazy about is everything else. Because there are no rules for everything else.
There are no rules, for instance, for friendship. I mean, besides the one about Treat your friends the way you'd want them to treat you, which I've already broken about a million times. Like earlier today, when my best friend, Mary Kay Shiner, and I were making the strawberry frosting for her birthday cupcakes. (1-2)

Allie Finkle has lots of rules. Rules on how to live. But nothing has quite prepared her for the challenges ahead. You see, Allie Finkle is about to move across town and that changes everything. She's losing her best friend (for multiple reasons). She's losing her school. She's losing her room, her house, her neighborhood. And maybe just maybe it would be worth it all if only...if only the house where they're moving wasn't haunted, wasn't so spooky, so dark and uninviting and ugly. Allie, when she's honest, will admit that Mary Kay isn't a great best friend. She cries too much. That plus she will only play one boring game over and over day after day. And the thought of making a new best friend, a great best friend is tempting. So is the thought of a kitten. Her parents have promised--actually promised--to get her a pet of her very own, a kitten--if and only if she behaves during this transition. If she doesn't whine and complain and act out about how awful the move is. But there's one consistent concern as far as Allie is concerned, she knows that the new house has a zombie hand in the attic. She knows her family's life at risk--her mom and dad, her two younger brothers. So it's a definite dilemma. What's a nine year old girl to do?

I loved Allie. I loved her family. I loved how this one was written. Allie's voice is unique and wonderful and above all authentic.

I loved, loved, loved this book. And I can't wait to get to the second book in the series.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

My Friend the Monster

Taylor, Eleanor. 2008. My Friend the Monster.

When Louis moves with his family to a new house, he makes a friend in the most unusual place. In his bedroom. Under his bed. His new friend, affectionately called "my monster" is tall, green, and only has one eye. The two begin to do most everything together. (Louis' parents even get the green monster a bed of his own.) But Louis' favorite thing to do with his new monster friend is make more friends.

It releases in mid-to-late July 2008.

Picture books are subjective. I know that. You know that. What one person loves, another person just can't see the appeal. It's not that I dislike My Friend the Monster. I don't. That is to say I don't dislike it. I just don't have much enthusiasm or affection for it. In other words, to borrow a phrase from my mother, that's the kind of book I'd check out at the library. I don't know to me when it comes to monster books it doesn't get better than There's A Wocket in My Pocket or What Was I Scared Of? both by Seuss. And it lacks the charm (in my own opinion) of Go To Bed Monster! But you and yours might feel differently. So read it for yourself and see. And here's the beauty of it. You can read books before you check them out at the library OR before you buy them at your local store. (I'd like to imagine everyone buying from a local independent bookstore.)