children’s chapter – Page 3

Ferris by Kate DiCamillo

4 stars Children’s Fiction

Blended, that’s what it is. When I think about this book, blended comes to mind as this word describes exactly how the characters are. They’re a group of individuals whose stories need to be told, for they each are different, yet they all need each other. It’s a story that you won’t forget, one that will leave you smiling and one that might have you grabbing the tissue box.

It’s the end of fifth grade and Emma, a.k.a. Ferris, is about to have the most memorable summer she’s ever had. Emma house is full. It houses her immediate family and other members of her extended family. Grandma Charisse lives with them and according to grandma, there’s also a ghost that’s a resident in the house. Ferris claims she hasn’t seen the ghost, but Boomer seems to have as the dog’s behavior has been questionable when grandma states the ghost is present. Her Uncle Ted lives in the basement where he is working on his painting. Ted has split up with his wife and this “painting’ is consuming his life. Like everyone else, as Ted talks about this world history painting, I’m visualizing an amazing masterpiece. When we’re finally able to gaze upon his work, my expectations fell. Pinky, is Ferris’ little sister and she is just hilarious. Her spunk and demeanor made me LOL, as she acts mature, but her ambitions and desires are not typical for a six-year-old child. With a desire to be an outlaw, Pinky language and tactics are comical and get her into some difficult situations. Ferris’ best friend Billy loves music, which is great, but he plays the same song over and over. It becomes comforting and he fits right in with the rest of Ferris’ unique family.

I found that I liked Mrs. Mielk, she was one of Ferris’ teachers who had them memorize words and the different parts of them. Ferris frequently uses “Mrs. Mielk words” in his daily life, as he finds them useful and helpful in his life. Little did Mrs. Mielk know how much of an impact she was making on the future lives of her students. Life is what happens inside this book. Ferris wants to help his grandma with the ghost and he’s also trying to understand what is going on with his uncle in the basement. The little outlaw in his family and his best friend, the talented musician, adds excitement and drama to the household. It’s a family affair, comical at times but always with love. Does anyone have 40 candles? Ha.

“I think that’s where the music from. From her singing to me. And that’s why I don’t feel lonely for her. Because she’s here all the time. In the music.”

Dogtown by Katherine Applegate

4.5 stars Children’s Chapter/Middle School

Welcome to Dogtown, a shelter for all abandoned dogs. Whether you are a four-legged fluffy fur ball, a three-legged survivor, or a robot dog, this was the place for you. Chance really should have been at home with his owners but unfortunately, he finds himself at Dogtown. As Chance tells us about his touching journey from a loving home to living inside a cage at Dogtown, you can feel his emotions and confusion. I felt a fire within Chance that I hoped he would use to help himself, as much as he was using it to help the others that were around him. He definitely deserved it.

Metal Head was a unique robot dog at Dogtown. Metal Head looked different than other robot dogs and I liked that about him. I was hoping that by being different it would work to his advantage and not work against him. In a place like Dogtown, everyone is eyeing for the same prize. Metal Head had the perfect home until one day his owner didn’t think he was perfect anymore.

All dogs have dreams of finding a forever home, even robot dogs. And so it is….Metal Head was chosen. Was it because he was a robot dog? A unique robot dog? Was it because he was located in the basement? Or did it have something to do with the book, Green Eggs and Ham that brought Metal Head and Quinn together. A withdrawn child, Quinn grabs the book out of the basket, trots down the basement steps, sits beside Metal Head and the two of them enjoy the book together, day-after-day-after-day. This could have been it! This match might have been destiny but then, one day, it all ended.

With determination, a group of friends search for their happily-ever-after for they know that it’s out there somewhere. This is a cute, entertaining adventure that will have you smiling and grabbing the tissues. With short chapters, the story moves quickly with simple illustrations that complement the text. I can’t wait for more adventures at Dogtown. 4.5 stars

“After the seventh time though. Metal Head began slowing down. Management had forgotten to charge him. He was saying the words slower and slower and s.l.o.w.e.r.”

“I wasn’t just a lame dog to them now. I was a dog who could read and had a mouse as a friend. A book and a friend…..what could be better than that?”

Coyote Queen by Jessica Vitalis

5 stars Middle School/ YA Fiction

There’s something about these stories that draws me in repeatedly. Fud and his mother lived with Larry in his trailer. Fud doesn’t know much about her father except that he returned to Spain after learning her mother was pregnant with Fud. Mom thought their life would be better with Larry and I guess if living with fear and anxiety is better, then she is right.

See, mom tries to be the perfect woman for Larry, but nothing makes him happy. He’s demanding, he likes to yell, and he likes his drink. Fud tries to block out the yelling but sometimes it gets to be so loud. Fud is worried about their future with Larry, but her mother doesn’t see it that way. Larry has been physical with her mother, yet Fud doesn’t understand why her mother keeps hanging onto Larry, doesn’t she see the danger that lies up ahead? Larry was a boxing champion and he’s a big talker about his days in the ring. He’s determined that he’s headed back into the ring. Those dreams are suddenly taken away and Larry pulls a massive, defeated boat into the yard.

Larry new plans are to rehaul this shipwreck. He plans to create a new houseboat for his new family and set sail. Warning lights immediately go off inside Fud! This cannot be happening! Out on a boat, in the open waters, alone with mom and Larry, this sounds like a horrible situation! Can’t mom see this? Fud starts to calculate how long it will take Larry to overhaul this boat and what she can do to prevent them from boarding it.

Meanwhile, new neighbors move in, and Leigh seems like a nice girl which is too bad. Fud knows that Ava will add her to her posse the minute she walks into the school. It’s a shame too as Fud needs a friend. It’s surprising how much Fud and Leigh have in common and how well they get along, considering Ava influence on Leigh. Leigh ends up being the branch that Fud needs when she mentions a pageant with a cash payout as the prize. If Fud could only win that pageant, it just might be their ticket to freedom. Their ticket away from Larry.

I enjoyed how realistic this book felt and how quickly the story moved along. Great relationships and the dramatics between the characters created powerful connections with the characters that made me feel like I was part of the story. Leigh was a neutral character when she arrived, and I liked how she tried to fit in. Leigh saw individuals for who they were, even though others were trying to influence her. Fud wanted/needed a friend yet when she found Leigh, she was reluctant to really embrace her. I feared the day that Larry would finish his boat and what that would entail and as Leigh and Fud’s pageant day crept closer, these days seemed to be on a collision course. There were a lot of factors playing into Fud’s future and as the pages of this book started to dwindle, I just didn’t expect this book to end the way that it did. Such a powerful story about status, acceptance, family, friendship, poverty, and abuse. 5 stars

“To Leigh, this was plain old hair cream. To me, it was friendship in a bottle.”

Pizza and Taco: Dare to be Scared! by Stephen Shaskan

5 stars Graphic Novel Children’s

It’s a fast-paced, hilarious graphic novel that is easy to read and follow. There are 5 chapters in this book which range from 8 to 16 pages in length. There’s not that many words to read and the language is easy, and children will love it. The illustrations are bright and simple, and I liked that they were not overly busy. My four-year-old grandsons liked this book and we read it a few times before returning it to the library.

Pizza and Taco are at it again, but this time Pizza went too far and has scared Taco. I love Taco’s excitement when he sees Pizza – it feels as if there is so much love there. As Taco is running to see Pizza, Pizza turns around and scares Taco with a mask that he has put on. Taco is scared and embarrassed as Pizza calls him out on being scared.

Taco wants a turn on scaring Pizza but it’s funny as Taco’s antics are nothing compared to what Pizza did. Let the challenge begin: “A Dare-to-be-Scared-Challenge.

Soon, Pizza and Taco each take turns picking things that they think the other friend will fear. “I date you to stay in a dark closet for ten minutes!” Ha, what a hoot! As they try to spook each other, the friends are really scared (you must see their faces – ha) but they will not admit it to each other. The ending is cute and hilarious. Super cute book – besties!!

This series is so cute! I think I pick up this series to read more for me than the grandkids. I love how these best friends get into their head’s little ideas and then, by the end of the book, they’re still best friends. The stories move quickly, and the storylines are what kids would love to read. The language and actions are fun and entertaining – what a great series! 5 stars

Pizza and Taco: Who’s the Best? by Stephen Shaskan

5 stars Children’s series

Yup! A slice of cheese pizza and a walking taco make up this children’s graphic novel. They’re best friends yet in this book, they want to find out which one of them is better than the other. They have a best-friends dance which consists of yes, a fist bump and a butt bump.

Trouble started when pizza didn’t return the compliment that taco gave his best friend. Had pizza told taco that, “he was the best!” this little argument between them would have never happened.

Taco and Pizza both try to list off the ways they are better but that doesn’t solve the problem, so they enlist the help of Hamburger. That doesn’t help either, so Taco and Pizza have a voting contest after they give their speeches. That doesn’t go over very well either so they do some create some challenges between themselves and in the end, yep…..everyone wins.

A Perfect Mistake by Melanie Conklin

5 stars Mystery YA/Children’s

Let’s unravel this mystery together. Where it all begins, we don’t know but we know that it ends with Will, lying in the hospital, in a coma. How he got from A to B they don’t really know, but the fingers keep pointing at Max for the answers. Eleven-year-old Max. Max, the boy who has just recently been diagnosed with ADHD. Max, the child who because of his height looks older than any other kid his age. Max, the child who wishes that they’d never left the house that night. Max, the best friend, realizes that if he doesn’t remember what happened that night, they may never know what happened to his best friend.

I enjoyed unraveling the mystery of what happened that night. It was more than just solving Will’s medical condition(s) as Max is facing some tough issues himself. The characters felt credible and natural, which is one of the qualities I like about Melanie’s books. I was mad with Max when I read that he wouldn’t visit Will in the hospital when he was first admitted. Yet, the more I read about Max, the more I understood why. I thought Max’s friendship with Sam was needed to bring everyone together. Friendship, medical conditions, accountability, and trust were the main issues I thought this book addressed. I enjoyed this book and look forward to more books by Melanie Conklin. 5 stars

Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas

5 stars Graphic Novel YA/Children’s

Resilience. If I were to describe Bree, this word should be at the top of her list. Life starts over as Bree moves with her father to Florida. Bree adores her dad and the time that she spends with him, but she knows Florida will change all that. New opportunities await her father, little does Bree know what opportunities await her. Florida, the state bursting with water, sunshine, sports, swimming, did I mention water? Negative thoughts begin rolling through Bree’s head before the move and intensify when Bree arrives at her new home. Bree likes her new housing complex, it’s the pool that catches her off guard.

Bree is excited to start a new middle school: new possibilities and the list of elective classes have got her pumped. She’s having a great morning as she runs into the girl from her apartment complex, Clara shows her around before leading Bree to the office to sign up for classes. Sorry. Sorry. Full. Full. Every elective that Bree wanted to take was full! Her only choice…..Swim 101. A huge problem considering Bree doesn’t know how to swim.

Bree handles this problem and all the other challenges that come her way, how I would expect a young teen to handle them. Avoidance, denial, hesitation, etc. but as Bree’s character grows so does the way that she handles the conflicts.

Bree tries to avoid the pool but when her homework ends up floating in it, Bree finds herself fighting against the terrorizing waters to free herself. She’s doomed, until Ms. Etta comes to her rescue.

This is a great book about overcoming obstacles and watching a character develop as they become responsible and mature.

This is a good clean book comprising of family, friends, and girlfriend relationships.

The graphics in this book do an excellent job completing the story. Detailed, colored framed boxes provide a good flow as Bree learns to accept Florida as her new home. The text is easy to read, and the story is broken into 8 (eight) chapters. 5 stars

History Smashers: Plagues and Pandemics by Kate Messner

5 stars Middle School/Children’s Chapter History/Science

I love this series! I find the information inside these books interesting, fun, and entertaining. Even the smallest detail or fact, the author presents the information in such a way that makes it engaging and gives me the, “well, isn’t that interesting” feeling. I just wish my brain could absorb all this information so I could retrieve it later.

Using a variety of illustrations including comics, realistic photos, graphs and charts, the author presents a variety of material in this book. I think this helps the reader absorb everything that this book has to offer. The pages are splashed with a variety of different types of fonts, ranging in different sizes to grab the reader and pull them in. There is something in this book for everyone. This book was not geared for me (50+ years old), but I really enjoyed this book. I mean I really enjoy this whole series.

Do you know:

Where the image of the AMA/WHO arrived from? Do you know what an asclepeion is? Perhaps the cures of the past are not all that different than the ones used today.

The ancient Chinese people created their own immunization for smallpox? It didn’t involve getting a shot, but it sure helped them with this disease.

It was the discovery of germs that created a huge scientific breakthrough? Two diseases helped scientists discover what germs were.

How the March of Dimes got their name? This I found was very interesting.

From the earliest discoveries to what our world is facing now with Covid, this book covers it. There is quite a bit of information about Covid as this discovery and its path will shape our future and it’s fresh on everyone’s mind. This is an excellent book with lots of information and one to check out. Well, you should check out other books in this series also. 5 stars

Dust by Dusti Bowling

5 stars Middle School/Children’s Chapter

Every breath is precious. I imagined Avalyn’s parents wanted to place their daughter in a plastic bubble after they almost lost her following an asthma attack. They’ve researched and located a city in Arizona with calmer winds that they hope will help her breathe better. It’s a challenging and difficult life for a twelve-year-old girl to live. Having to constantly monitor the foods that she consumes and the places that she visits, for any type of dust, animal, or particle could just set off her immune system. Avalyn thought she was safe, until Adam moved into the area.

Adam was quiet, he was good at holding secrets. When Adam moves into the area, he disturbs Avalyn’s quiet new world. Adam was different but so was Avalyn. Two individuals so alike yet totally opposite.

Avalyn used words to cope. The word’s definition, its origin, and spelling are all important and knowing them calms Avalyn for this is something that she can control. While the world around her is unpredictable and weighs heavily upon her, words are her shield. Relying upon her extensive vocabulary, Avalyn finds refuge while her classmates taunted her about her medical condition. When Adam arrives, he becomes the new victim at school and they label him: Adam, the Dirt Boy. Avalyn is grateful that the attention is off her and she starts to notice something about Adam. As the days pass, Avalyn starts to get a feeling for how Adam copes, but realistically, it can’t be true. Avalyn’s medical condition worsens each day while watching Adam become more withdrawn and isolated. The city is getting dustier and dirtier as the days pass, how can this be?

I liked the relationships in the book as the characters felt realistic and honest, dealing with some credible issues. Avalyn didn’t like moving from city to city because of her illness. Each time was like starting over and with that, came a host of other issues. Avalyn was smart and she had created her own coping mechanism to deal with it. When Adam moved into the area, the attention was off her at school and Avalyn thought that was great. Avalyn realizes that perhaps there might be more to this boy Adam and the book shifts, and we see another side of these characters. Avalyn had a couple friends who she counted on but when she discovers that they are hanging out without her, she is crushed. These were her friends, basically her lifeline and now, they are having fun without her. Lots of real emotions and a wake-up call. Adam is there, alone. She just needs to take another step in Adam’s direction. A great book which addresses abuse, friendship, bullying, obstacles, feelings, and making your way in the world.

History Smashers: The Titanic by Kate Messner

5 stars Children’s Chapter/ Middle School – any one really!!

This is the second History Smasher book that I have had the pleasure to read and yep, this 50+ year old Nana enjoyed every minute of it! I wasn’t one who enjoyed history in school, yet I liked learning about important events. When I learned about the Titanic in school, I didn’t recall learning much except the basic facts and over the years, I have picked up a great deal of information about how this event came about (thank you, social media). I’m one who likes to learn quirky and interesting details and I want to know the truth about something. I don’t want to know what “someone thinks,” as we all have an opinion and whether it’s right or wrong depends on the individual. When I read about this series of children’s books, I knew that they might be something that I would like as they’re straight to the point, fun and entertaining reading, lots of illustrations and pictures, and I loved the way the author presents the information.

The book begins with the building of the Titanic, and it ends with current events of the Titanic. There’s a wonderful section of Rumors in which they address different rumors associated with the ship, there’s a Titanic Timeline, and a fantastic index. The author’s notes at the end of the book lists additional books and websites about the Titanic. The bibliography is massive, and the author includes a couple pages from History Smashers: The Mayflower and History Smashers: Pearl Harbor in the final pages. Yes, I highly recommend this book for any age if you’re interested in the Titanic. Grab yourself a copy! 5 stars

Some interesting facts I learned:

There were 254 official accidents recorded while building the Titanic which included at least 8 deaths.
The Titanic received multiple warnings about “icebergs and field ice” in the path but yet, they never slowed down. Why? Were they trying to meet their deadlines?
The Californian Ship was closer to the disabled Titanic, yet the Carpathia Ship was the one that helped the victims of the Titanic. It was interesting to learn why.
The Titanic was only required to carry 16 lifeboats onboard. That was not enough for all the passengers. Reading why they were only “legally required” to carry 16 and how this law has now changed.
The water temperature was 28 degrees F. How long do you think you could survive in that type of water with a cork life vest?
Thomas Andrews, a ship builder, remained on board while the ship sank, throwing chairs and anything that he thought would float to the individuals in the water.
The tours to the wreckage were interesting to read about and now there are hopes of another private company starting up operations to resumes these tours. I just heard that they want to halt these tours as they want the Titanic’s resting stop to be recorded as a burial site. The wreckage is deteriorating, what is the future of this famous event.
Items have been taken from the wreckage of the Titanic, but they have now been released into the hands of a group of investors.