Pigsticks and Harold by Alex Milway

Pigsticks comes from a distinguished line of successful Pig ancestors and he thinks it must be time for him to make his mark. He declares that he will be an explorer, only he doesn't want to carry the bags. Enter Harold an unsuspecting Hamster who is persuaded to join Pigsticks in this difficult and dangerous expedition. Harold is promised cake, otherwise he wouldn't agree to come. 

This is a truly delightful story for beginning readers. The humor is extremely dry and in places just plain silly, with some great visual jokes provided by the cartoonish illustrations. But the plot is sweet enough that it will appeal to parents too. 

In the end this is a funny book about two real characters. Pigsticks is spectacularly confident and utterly incompetent. Harold is stalwart and easily bribed. I would like to see more adventures with this mismatched duo.

Age 6-10

Published May 27, 2014 by Candlewick Press

Little Poems for Tiny Ears by Lin Oliver

Babies love poetry. They love the sound of human voices, the musicality of rhyme and rhythm and they love those easy to remember lines. Parents know this and instinctively recite nursery rhymes to their small children. But sometimes Baa Baa Black Sheep can get a little repetitive. Thankfully Lin Oliver has written a charming alternative.

Little Poems for Tiny Ears is primarily a picture book, Tomie dePaulo's illustrations of round faced babies in soft bright colors are gentle and sweet. There are also parents in the illustrations, one poem is about Daddy's beard which we see from a toddler's eye view.

Lin Oliver's original poems are short and have jaunty rhymes. But it's the choice of subject matter in the poems which really makes this book interesting. There's a poem about toes, as all babies are fascinated by those things on the ends of their feet. Another poem is about pulling everything out of low kitchen cupboards, which is the most favorite game of many two year olds. I read poems from this book at story time in the store and the response is often the laughter of recognition. These super simple poems touch on small truths for the little ones and their parents.

An excellent choice for a baby shower gift, whether the parents read poetry or not. Because, babies love poetry.

Published February 11, 2014 by Nancy Paulsen Books

Review first published in April, 2014 Diesel Newsletter

Time Out of Time; Beyond the Door by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Timothy Maxwell leaves the door open to adventure when he is visited by Herne the Hunter and The Greenman on a stormy night in Spring. He soon discovers that he has an integral part to play in the coming battle against The Dark. A battle which will endanger not only himself, but also his family and friends.

Well paced and lyrical writing sets the scene perfectly in this adrenaline fueled ride through British mythology and middle school.

This is exactly the kind of book I loved when I was in middle school and let's be honest, I love them still. Kids books that draw on mythology, especially more obscure mythologies and bring those ancient stories up to date are very important. There is an incredible wealth of oral tradition underpinning this book, not just in the legendary figures of British mythology that stalk it's pages, but also in the stories that Timothy's babysitter tells him, stories which may ultimately save his life.

Ages 10-14

Published March 18, 2014 by Amulet Books

Hope is a Ferris Wheel by Robin Herrera

Star Mackie starts a club, to help her make friends at a new school. The club turns into a poetry club and becomes a lifeline for her and some other students. But that's just the plot.

Star is the kind of ten year old heroine we all love, she's bright, enthusiastic, empathetic and determined. She's also poor. Star lives in a trailer with her Mom and teenage sister, they use food stamps and her hair was cut by a family friend who needed some practice.

This story is told from Star's perspective and her voice is written with incredible authenticity. As a result Star's family are drawn with differing levels of clarity, depending on how close she is to them or how well she understands them. I'm pretty sure that Mom's best friend is actually Mom's girlfriend, but that doesn't cross Star's mind. There's also a lot of ten year old thinking behind Star's actions, for example she does her homework, but she never hands it in, because her teacher expects that she hasn't done it.

Of course Star is marginalized, bullied and pre-judged by students and teachers alike. Nevertheless, the hope and conviction felt by Star Mackie could fuel a rocket to the moon. That energy gives this book an appeal that could not be achieved by an otherwise earnest plea for recognition of child poverty.

At the end, things are taking a turn for the worse in the trailer and although Star has found a friend she can rely on and has got over the idealization of her absent father, this is no happy ending.

Hope is a Ferris Wheel raises some difficult questions and doesn't attempt to answer them. But because we now have the character of Star Mackie, we have springboard to discussion about social poverty. A difficult but really rewarding book that I imagine will be taught in schools in years to come.

Published March 11, 2014 by Amulet Books

The Secret Box by Whitaker Ringwald

Jax is 12 years old and a bit of a rebel, she's been in trouble for everything from shoplifting a candy bar to creeping backstage at a magic show to find the hole in the stage.

Ethan is her sidekick. He knows he's a sidekick, he calls himself Caution Boy. But he just can't seem to walk away from Jax and her ill advised schemes.

When Jax receives a mysterious box for her birthday from an Aunt she's never even heard of, she has to get it open no matter what. Unfortunately, the box has a special puzzle locking mechanism and apparently there are some other people who want to get their hands on the contents just as desperately as Jax does.

Add in Ethan's truly obnoxious older brother Tyler as a driver and you have all the ingredients for an exciting and funny adventure.

What I loved most about this book is the voice of Jax. She is so reckless and headstrong that you know she'll be leading us somewhere interesting and probably bad. Luckily her voice is tempered by that of fact-loving Ethan, who offers us a respite in tone and pace. 

Great for kids who love to be larger than life and who long for adventure.

Ages 8-10

Published February 25, 2014 

My Humongous Hamster by Lorna Freytag

What if your hamster ate all his food in one gulp and became humongous? It might be a bit scary, it might be a bit fun, it might even be useful.

This is a wonderful book about unleashing your imagination and letting it run wild through the city like a Godzilla sized hamster. There's no plot, just a series of situations that a giant hamster might find himself in.

There are two things I love about this book, one is that Lorna Freytag's text consists of short matter-of-fact sentences. This leaves your children plenty of opportunity to explore their own ideas about the fantastic illustrations. And that's the other thing I love about this book, the illustration is photo collage, but I have never seen that technique used better. The level of detail is extraordinary and great care has been taken to add shadow, sky and overlap to make it look real.

I'll leave you with an example of the artwork taken from Lorna Freytag's blog. How cool is that?

Published February 11, 2013 by Henry Holt and Co.

Ages 2-6

Elvis and the Underdogs by Jenny Lee

Benji is a sickly kind of kid, he's 10 years old and has been in and out of hospital his whole life. He has allergies, faints when he gets stressed and now he's started having seizures. His doctor suggests he get a service dog, a well trained canine friend who can go get help if Benji has another seizure. This sounds like a great idea, but when the dog arrives he is a 400 lb Newfoundland called Elvis, who is so clever he can talk, or at least Benji can hear him talk. Benji's Mom is not happy about Elvis' assignment and neither is Elvis who is convinced he should be at the White House.

Elvis helps Benji find his own pack, understand the school bully and saves his life. Benji helps Elvis to stop being so serious and helps him make friends of his own.

What a great story, action, adventure, humor, pathos and heart. The book also has a fantastic ending which is moving without being trite. My favorite part is the idea that only Benji can hear Elvis speaking English, maybe it's the brain tumor that's also causing the seizures, or maybe Elvis really is that clever. 

Ages 8-10

Published May 14, 2013 by Harper Collins. (Published in paperback February 4th, 2014) 

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

Billy Miller is seven years old and about to start second grade. Billy's worried that he may not be smart enough, his three year old sister is annoying, there may be a girl in his class called Hamster and sometimes running is the only thing that makes sense. 

An extraordinary book which taps into the feelings and experiences of junior readers. There's no toilet humor and no mutant teachers, just real situations and Billy's responses to them. Read this book to your first grader or have your second grader read it to you, but if you know someone who is seven, you should read it. 

Published September 17, 2013 by Greenwillow Books

Goblins by Philip Reeve

A twisted fairy tale, where the hero is a goblin, dragons are small, the princess doesn't need saving and the giant really isn't that bad. 

Goblins is a well written and funny fantasy adventure. Reeve (author of the glorious Mortal Engines series), is a master storyteller and he builds the Goblins world with some deep mythology and history. I'm particularly impressed with the descriptions of place in this book, it all seems so real.

A very satisfying read for 10-14 year old fans of fun magical stories.

Published August 27, 2013 by Scholastic (published a year earlier in the UK).

The Little Mermaid Pop-Up Book by Robert Sabuda

Princesses are difficult to buy for. not only does every gift need to have drama and romance, it also has to pass a parental inspection. 

This book solves the princess gift problem with ease. Although it is neither pink nor sparkly, it is incredibly beautiful and very dramatic. The text is a slightly abridged version of the Hans Christian Andersen original, but it's the pop-ups that make this book so noteworthy. Robert Sabuda is a pop-up genius; his previous books include Encyclopedia Prehistorica and other classics like Beauty & the Beast. 

Just like those previous bestsellers, The Little Mermaid pushes pop-up engineering to the limits. There is an enormous pop-up of a ship, including rigging, while on another page the paper flips inside out to create a magnificent wedding arch, which should satisfy any princess. Each page contains many other inner pages, with pop-ups of their own. 

An awe inspiring book, perfect for royalty of all ages. 

Publish October 1st by Little Simon

Review first published in Stalks from DIESEL, a bookstore, December 2013

Ghost Hawk by Susan Cooper

Ghost Hawk is a historical novel that marries two cultural perspectives long considered to be radically different. It's also a touching and personal story about growing up.

It begins with Little Hawk, an 11-year-old Native American boy, who comes back to his village from his spirit walk into manhood to find almost everyone he knows dead from scarlet fever. The second half of the book follows John, a European boy who considers the ghost of Little Hawk to be his friend and teacher. As John grows to manhood he quietly challenges the attitudes of those around him. The book ends with the outbreak of King Phillip's War.

What struck me about this book is how well it presents the human desire for stability. We are often unaware that history is happening all around us: major events may take place, they may even be close to home, but most of us are focused on our home, family, and friends. There are minor characters in the book who make bloodthirsty calls for war and posture with both loaded words and weapons. But they are nothing but a vocal minority. The heroes and heroines of Ghost Hawk, who we see on both sides of the cultural divide, are those who recognize trade and communication as valuable tools for stability as a means to keep their homes and families safe. The domestic nature of Susan Cooper's sympathies alleviates some of the horror of the history which she relates.


The result is a truly brilliant book in which a difficult subject is approached with humanity and tenderness. I believe Ghost Hawk will be a popular book in middle school for many years to come.

Published August 27, 2013 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Review first published in Stalks from DIESEL, a bookstore in September 2013

Journey by Aaron Becker

The young heroine in this picture book is bored. She has asked her whole family if they will play with her, but they're all too busy, so she stomps up to her room for a good sulk. In her room she spots a bright red crayon on the floor. The crayon is her ticket to adventure, as she uses it to draw a door, a boat, a balloon, a key, and finally a wheel.

Picture book fans will recognize the concept from Harold and the Purple Crayon, but Journey has a more complex story, with a happier ending.

Journey is a wordless picture book. That means that the illustrations need to tell the story. It's no surprise then that the artwork is incredibly rich. Most of the pages are a riot of detail, from the distant waving guards in a city of towers to the cogs and gears inside a sky-borne paddle steamer. When a central plot point occurs, the background is suddenly white and we focus on our heroine. Meanwhile, that red crayon shines like a beacon on every page.

Journey is an exceptionally beautiful treasure of a book for anyone aged 3-5.

Published August 6, 2013 by Candlewick

Review originally published in Stalks from DIESEL, a bookstore, November 2013

Buddy and the Bunnies in: Don't Play With Your Food by Bob Shea

Buddy is a monster. He likes to do the stuff that monsters do, like yelling, being grumpy and eating innocent creatures.

He finds a small group of bunnies and announces his horrific intentions. He will eat the bunnies. Luckily the bunnies are too clever to be eaten and they feed Buddy cupcakes until he's too full for bunny eating. Every day Buddy tries to give in to his monster instincts and every day the bunnies escape whilst Buddy has a pretty good time.

Can the bunnies stay uneaten? Will Buddy ever stop playing with his food?

This is another monster hit in the making from the author and illustrator of Dinosaur vs Bedtime, Bob Shea. Buddy is an impressively clueless monster, which means he's not really that scary. The bunnies are clever, friendly and slowly multiplying every day.

The art work is dynamic, simple and colorful with a slight 50s feel which gives the impression that Buddy the monster has wandered into a much nicer picture book than he's used to.

And here's the hidden message folks. Bullies are often just people who don't fit in, they want friends, they just don't know how to play with them (without eating them). However, these unfortunate circumstances can be turned around by consistent and brave offers of friendship.

Funny, clever and touching. For ages 4-8.

Published January 7, 2014 by Disney Hyperion.

Gadgets and Gears Book 1: The Mesmer Menace by Kersten Hamilton

Welcome to the Amazing Automated Inn, home of twelve-year-old inventor Wally Kennewickett, his genius scientist parents, and his dashing dog, Noodles. From the lightning harvester on the roof to the labs full of experiments in the dungeon, the inn is a wonderful place for a curious boy and his loyal dog to live. That is, until President Theodore Roosevelt himself calls the elder Kennewicketts away, leaving Wally and Noodles to face the evil mesmers, horrible hypnotists bent on controlling the minds of powerful people. It seems the inn is their first stop on the way to world domination . . . and only an ingenious boy, a staff of automatons, and a brave dachshund stand in their way!

Book Published November 19, 2013 by Clarion Books

Review originally published in Kids Indie Next Winter 2013-14