Goose and Duck!

Goose and Duck by Jean Craighead George is a fascinating book for children who are beginning to read. When a little boy finds a hatching gosling by a lake, he decides to become its mother. Shortly after the boy finds goose, they discover a hatching duck egg, and goose becomes its mother. The boy, goose, and duck play together – goose and duck imitating the boy’s every move. One day goose sees some geese flying overhead and figures out he belongs with them and flies away with them. The next day duck sees a group of ducks flying overhead and realizes that he is a duck and flies away. This sweet story is a great starter book for children. The few words on each page are big and have wonderful pictures that explain the story, which carries the message that sometimes animals need to go back to nature and their kind. This books teaches a valuable lesson for a child who has saved a baby bird, duck, or squirrel and has to let it go. Goose and Duck is on the Notable Children’s Booklist.

Oh, Alice!

What to do About Alice,? by Barbara Kerley tells the story of Alice Lee Roosevelt, who was the first daughter of Theodore Roosevelt and his first wife, who died shortly after Alice was born. I never knew anything about Alice’s life and was fascinated by her personality and character. She was constantly in the public eye because of her lifestyle. Most of the public loved her and adoringly referred to her as “Princess Alice.” She refused to behave as was expected of a lady, and many people thought her behavior “outrageous.” She was very intelligent and had a mind for politics like her father. She was very active during her father’s presidency and continued to be throughout her life. She didn’t follow the “rules,” and her father worried about her often. I think this very trait is what endeared Alice so much to her father. He is quoted as saying, “I can be president of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both.” Alice wouldn’t conform to the idea of a lady at that time because she had bigger ideas about politics and helping others. The lesson is “be yourself and stand up for what you believe in!” What a great story for a young girl to hear. This book is a Texas Bluebonnet Nominee.

Audiobook - The Curse of the Blue Tattoo by L.A. Meyer

Welcome to the very grand and never dull adventures of Jacky Faber. Jacky Faber was an orphan in London who was living under a bridge, begging for money, and stealing what she had to stay alive. That was all before she boarded a British Naval Ship, the Dolphin, as Jack, a small but strong and spirited “boy.” By the time the Captain realized Jack was really Jacky, she had already been promoted to midshipman and fallen in love with Jamie. When the ship pulls into Boston, the captain can’t get Jackie off fast enough. They enroll her in a boarding school for ladies run by the strict Mistress Primm. This is where Jacky’s adventures begin. Whether she is dancing for sailors, singing in a tavern, riding a race horse, or haunting the wicked priest, she is always jolly, free-spirited, witty, and resourceful.

The exceptional talent of Katherine Kellgren, the narrator, makes listening to this book so enjoyable that I was hardly able to do anything else until it ended. The versatility of both her many authentic accents and range of pitch was very impressive. Whether it be excitement or dread, the listener can hear and feel it in Kellgren’s voice. There were many times I closed my eyes and imagined the scenes she described. I thought the horse race was a particularly spectacular performance.

My favorite thing about Jacky is that only moments after being knocked down, she is back up grinning or playing her penny whistle. While she acknowledges that she is hard on her friends, she is a good friend to all those around her. I can’t wait to catch up on the other adventures of Jacky Faber, and I plan on listening to those too!

An Odyssey winner!

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Audiobook - Martina the Beautiful Cockroach

This amusing tale is about Martina, the beautiful cockroach, her coming of age search for a suitor, and the wisdom of her Cuban grandmother on how to choose the right one. I recommend flipping through the pages of this book as you listen - the illustrations are colorful and beautifully done!

The cd contains three tracks. The first is a storytelling performance of Carmen's original retelling of the classic Cuban folktale about Martina, the beautiful cockroach. The second track is Carmen reading the English version of her book with the sound of claves prompting the listener to turn the page. The final track is the author reading from the Spanish edition of her book with maracas signaling to turn the page.

A Pura Belpre' Medal and Odyssey award winning book, it would be a great addition for a multicultural collection and sure to be a hit with young audiences.

Poor, Poor Buster

This is a delightful tale of Buster the dog who has the misfortune of being sent to Sagebrush Kennels while his master, Brown Shoes, goes on vacation. He is very anxious and unhappy about being sent to a strange place. His initial experience leaves him feeling homesick, but with the beginning of the activities, Buster starts to overcome his reservations and actually enjoys himself.

Denise Fleming captures the anxiety Buster feels with a lot of humor. Busters emotions are clearly conveyed from his changing expressions. This is a good read aloud book which offers a great lesson about acceptance, overcoming fear, and being yourself. It would be an excellent book for a child going on a trip or a first time sleepover.

Buster Goes to Cowboy Camp is on the Notable Children's Book list

Don't Mess with a Smart Girl...or else!

After an uneventful freshman year at Alabaster, a prep boarding school, Frankie Landau Banks returns as a blooming, very attractive sophomore. She attracts the interest of popular senior Matthew Livingston, and they begin to see each other regularly. Being a strong and determined young woman, she becomes increasingly incensed by Matthew's involvement and loyalty to the all boys "Secret Order of the Bassett Hounds," a group that included her dad when he was a student there. Through a clever and devious plot to show she is just as smart as the boys, she creates some hilarious pranks with the Bassett Hounds doing her bidding while they think they're receiving orders from their top dog. The shoe finally falls, and Frankie confesses her involvement to the headmaster.

They're are fun additions with Frankie's propensity for word play. She likes to take a word, such as "disgruntle" meaning "discontent" and use "gruntle" as a word meaning "content." An example would be..."She was gruntled by the pleasant weather."

The action picks up and the suspense builds as Frankie embarks on a series of stealthy nighttime maneuvers on campus. Hard to put down and very humerous, this book should be a big hit with young adults.

This book was a 2009 Printz Honor Book