The latest reviews of fiction and nonfiction titles-- including picture books, easy readers, early chapter books, and information books--for a preschool and elementary grade audience from School Library Journal.
Preschool to Grade 4 By Staff - 04/01/2008
Fiction ADLER, David A. Bones and the Math Test Mystery . illus. by Barbara Johansen Newman. 32p. (Viking Easy-to-Read Series). CIP. Viking . 2008. RTE $13.99. ISBN 978-0-670-06262-1 . LC 2007017901. Gr 1–2—Detective Bones is back in his sixth beginning-reader mystery. He loves writing the letter "J" (his first name is Jeffrey) and he hates math tests.
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Reviews: Preschool to Grade 4 03/01/2008
AMATO, Mary . The Chicken of the Family . illus. by Delphine Durand. unpaged. CIP. Putnam . 2008. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-24196-3 . LC 2006003606. K-Gr 3—The dynamics of sibling relationships are played for laughs with enormous success in this picture book about three sisters. Henrietta is usually the brunt of her older sisters' teasing.
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Preschool to Grade 4 02/01/2008
Fiction ALALOU, Elizabeth & Ali Alalou . The Butter Man . illus. by Julie Klear Essakalli. unpaged. glossary. CIP. Charlesbridge . Feb. 2008. Tr $14.95. ISBN 978-1-58089-127-1 . LC 2007002278. K-Gr 4—Weaving between the present and past, this picture book introduces readers to Berber culture in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco.
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Preschool to Grade 4 By Staff - 01/01/2008
Fiction ANDERSEN, Hans Christian . Thumbelina . adapt. by Sindy McKay. tr. from French by Elizabeth Bell. illus. by Quentin Gréban. unpaged. (We Both Read Series). Treasure Bay . 2007. Tr $14.95. ISBN 978-1-60115-007-3 . LC 2007920849. K-Gr 3—The format into which this beloved fairy tale has been shaped has short blocks of text, meant to be read aloud by a parent sitting with a chil...
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Reviews: Preschool to Grade 4 12/01/2007
Fiction ALSENAS, Linas . Peanut . illus. by author. unpaged. Scholastic . 2007. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-439-77980-7 . LC number unavailable. PreS-Gr 1—A lonely old woman sits on a park bench looking miserable, until one day she finds "a stray…puppy." The colorful, ink-outlined illustrations show Mildred smiling as she watches a baby elephant rooting through an overturned garbage can.
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Preschool to Grade 4 11/01/2007
Fiction AHLBERG, Allan . Previously . illus. by Bruce Ingman. unpaged. CIP. Candlewick . 2007. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-3542-8 . LC 2006051831. PreS-Gr 2—This reverse cumulative tale cleverly connects some fairy tales and nursery rhymes. "Goldilocks arrived home all bothered and hot. Previously she had been running like mad in the dark woods.
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Preschool to Grade 4 10/01/2007
Fiction AMATO, Mary . Stinky and Successful: The Riot Brothers Never Stop . illus. by Ethan Long. 150p. glossary. CIP. Holiday House . Oct. 2007. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-2100-8 . LC 2007013366. Gr 2–5—The hilarious Wilbur and Orville Riot are back in this book full of clever fun. The adventure-seeking brothers set out to rescue a damsel in distress (requiring a lot of knightly v...
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Podcasts are a great way to expand learning beyond the classroom or library. Here are more recommendations from Tech Chicks Anna Adam and Helen Mowers, following up their Dec. 2007 article Listen Up!
K-Gr 7–Children’s music doesn’t get much better than these 16 songs by Pomes in a Pail. What began at a writer’s workshop resulted in an amazing collaboration that combined the clever words of Alexander Jenny and the music of Karena Mendoza and Stephanie Snow.