Warning: Do Not Open This Book!

written by Adam Lehrhaupt
illustrated by Matthew Forsythe

Ages: 0-8 years (approximately grades preschool - 1)

With the very binding of the book containing warning signs and traffic cones, the narrator has to wonder why on earth you would open this book when it explicitly says not to. Seriously, opening this book and turning the pages will only lead to bad things in the form of monkeys and toucans and alligators. But it figures, you just kept on reading and making things worse and worse until, finally, you and the narrator set a trap, reign in the chaos, and put everything back to the way it was. Now, isn’t that better? Oh, please, whatever you do, do NOT read it again! And again! And again!

This is a simple yet hilarious, interactive story that is a great read-aloud for one-on-one sessions or to a group, best for ages 0-8 years (preschool through first grade). The winning aspect of this book is exactly what makes it so fun and engaging: readers are kept guessing at every turn of the page and literacy skills are built as readers decide what exactly might happen when you go against the narrator’s urges to just not turn the page anymore. With surprises around every corner and a clever triumph in the end, it’s no wonder you will want to read it again, and again, and again!

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The Show Must Go On!

written by Kate Klise
illustrated by M. Sarah Klise

Ages: 6-8 years (approximately grades 1-4)

Kate Klise (author of the 43Old Cemetery Road & Regardingthe Fountain series) has done it again with a delightful new series targeted for a younger audience. The Show Must Go On! is the first of The Three-Ring Rascals, a fun-filled series for readers transitioning into chapter books. 

Sir Sidney’s Traveling Circus is the world’s best, but Sir Stanley, a “prince of a man,” needs a rest.  Who could replace him? After all, “no one treats animals better than Sir Sidney does.”  Leo the lion gets his mane brushed with only the finest Italian brushes, Elsa the elephant eats only specially grown peanuts from a farm in Georgia, and only the Famous Flying Banana Brothers can train on their custom made bunks beds.  So when Barnabas Bramble, the certified lion tamer is temporally hired for a week, things turn grim!  Bramble’s idea for running a circus has everything to do with profit and short-cuts rather than the well-being of the circus animals.  It soon becomes apparent that the lion tamer is a fraud and the circus is spiraling out of control under his management.  Fortunately, the circus folk stick together, Sir Sidney returns, and Mr. Bramble gets a second chance.  Sir Sidney says to Barnabas Bramble, ”I also know that underneath it all there was a good man.”  Whimsical illustrations throughout by M. Sarah Klise, the author’s sister, enrich this well-written, humorous chapter book. The show will go on. Watch for the Three-RingRascals: Book 2 – The Greatest Star On Earth in May of 2014. 

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The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp

written by Kathi Applet

Ages: 8 years+ (approximately grade 3 and up)

The raccoons of Sugar Man Swamp have always been the eyes and ears of Bayou Toutourelle.  This honorable duty has been passed down generation to generation.  Bingo and J'miah are heading up their very first scouting mission and couldn’t be more excited.  They settle into Headquarters, an abandoned DeSoto, and vigilantly keep watch (in between forays into the swamp for food as raccoons are notoriously hungry all the time).  Bingo and J’miah discover an incoming threat (a destructive family of feral hogs!) and must launch the emergency plan: wake the Sugar Man from his decades-long hibernation.  The Sugar Man is a mythical figure who protects the swamp and has huge palmetto leaf arms, tree trunk legs, a pet python and most importantly, a very short temper (especially when his sleep is interrupted).  Although the prospect of waking the Sugar Man from his oh-so-sweet slumber seems daunting, Bingo and J’miah know it is the only way to save the swamp.  On their quest they cross paths with twelve year old Chap, a boy whose family pie café has been a staple in Sugar Man Swamp for years.  He’s on a mission to save the business from a greedy land developer and his feisty, alligator-wrestling partner.  Bingo, J’miah and Chap must learn to face their fears and stand up for what they believe in order to save their beloved home.  

This National Book Award finalist is an adventure filled with humor, quirky characters and fast-paced action.  It delivers an entertaining message of courage, family and conservation that will appeal to anyone who has ever felt like an underdog.  The folksy narrative is charming, distinctive, and vividly paints the picture of the marshy Sugar Man Swamp and its animal inhabitants.  Readers will enjoy how the different characters and plotlines intersect throughout the story and wrap up in the end.  This title is recommended for grades 3 and up.   

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Tea Rex

written and illustrated by Molly Idle

Ages: 3-7 years (grades preschool – 1)

Cordelia and her brother invite Mr. Rex over for tea time in this clever wordplay of a title. What happens next is just about what anyone would expect from a Tyrannosaurus Rex attending a tea party. A prim and proper explanation of how to throw a tea party and what to expect of your guests accompanies illustrated evidence of how it actually plays out when a T-Rex is in attendance. Pouring tea, having an assortment of snacks, and ending the party with a bit of music and dancing are all very standard expectations that go horribly awry this time around. One can only wonder what might happen when Cordelia and her brother receive their own invitation to a tea party hosted by none other than Mr. Rex!

This title is a great fit for both sides of the spectrum: the rough-and-tumble dinosaur lovers and the ladylike tea-party-goers alike will be enthralled with this best-of-both-worlds tale. Best suited for ages 3-7 years (grades preschool – first), children will get more from this book in one-on-one sessions where they are able to see that the illustrations do not fit very well with the words on the page. This juxtaposition of words versus illustrations in Tea Rex is a wonderful way to keep readers engaged and building early literacy and critical thinking skills. Who would have thought you could get all of that by simply attending a tea party?

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The Diamond of Darkhold

written by Jeanne DuPrau

Ages: 9-14 years (approximately grades 4-9) 

The Diamond of Darkhold is the fourth and final installation of The Books of Ember series. Beginning where the second book (The People of Sparks) left off, Lina and Doon once again notice a problem in their post-apocalyptic city and work together to solve it. After having escaped their failing city in the first book (The City of Ember), finding a village willing to take them in and easing the tension between the native villagers and their city’s newcomers in the second book (The People of Sparks), Lina and Doon now set off back to their abandoned city to find enough food to get their new village through the hard winter. When they arrive back at Ember, they find far more than the stores of canned food left behind by their neighbors, but together they overcome the obstacles holding them back and, in the end, discover something far more valuable than the food they originally set out for.

A wonderful finale, Jeanne DuPrau finds a way to fit all of the series’ books, even the prequel third book (The Prophet of Yonwood), into a complete saga with all the pieces of Lina and Doon’s puzzle fitting together snugly in the end. The Books of Ember series is a part of the popular dystopian genre, similar to Young Adult selections such as The Hunger Games and Divergent series, without the intense violence and romance that is better suited for older readers. Still a darker read for some, containing evidence of a world-devastating war as well as the themes of segregation and selfishness (all of which are righted in the end), The Diamond of Darkhold -and the “Ember Saga” as a whole- is best suited for readers ages 9 to 14 (grades 4-9). Although ominous in some places, The Diamond of Darkhold and The Books of Ember series end on a clever and hopeful note that will not soon be forgotten by readers.

Find the entire series in book, audiobook, and e book formats in our catalog:
The City of Ember
The People of Sparks
The Prophet of Yonwood
The Diamond of Darkhold

The City of Ember is also available as a graphic novel, a audio disc, a playaway device, and a major motion picture in our catalog.

Carnivores

written by Aaron Reynolds
illustrated by Dan Santat

Ages: 0-8 years (approximately grades preschool - 3)

What most animals have to say about lions, sharks, and wolves probably wouldn’t surprise you. But how do these terrifying man-eaters feel about their ill reception? As it so happens, these three creatures have created a support group for carnivores like themselves because they feel hurt and misunderstood by their fellow animals. In order to support each other, the lion, great white shark, and timber wolf devise some cunning plans to help them become less intimidating (vegetarianism) or to stay unnoticed as what they really are (costumes), all of which blow up in their ferocious faces. It isn’t until the great horned owl attends their carnivores’ support group meeting and gives the three struggling carnivores some wise advice that they learn to embrace their carnivorous nature and make the most of what nature has made them.

Although there is a bit of implied gruesomeness (think a sneaky wolf lurking behind a bunny, a hungry-looking shark swimming just below some floating seagulls), this book pairs a novel concept with exaggerated, comic-book-like illustrations to create a hilarious overall tone. Sending a wonderful message of accepting yourself for who you are, Carnivores will be enjoyed by children birth through 8 years old. It is a great story for those who enjoy ThatIs NOT a Good Idea! by Mo Willems, as well as fable and fairy tale connoisseurs (think TheGingerbread Man) and budding zoologists.

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Niagara Falls, or Does It?

written by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Ages: 7-12 years (approximately grades 1-5)

Henry Zipzer, known to his friends as Hank, is your average, everyday fourth-grader. Well, sort of. Hank has a self-dubbed reptile freak for a sister, two best friends who happen to live in the same apartment building as him in New York City’s West side, and he dreads his first fourth-grade assignment. In fact, Hank is dreading writing a five-paragraph essay so much that he hatches a plan to do the assignment without writing a word- he’s always found that getting thoughts from his brain to paper really difficult. Well, he’s always found getting any subject from his brain to paper really difficult. When his creative plan goes completely awry, Hank finds himself in detention where he meets a teacher who might have the insight to change Hank’s entire outlook on school, and even about himself.

The first of the Hank Zipzer series, Niagara Falls, Or Does It? splashes readers into Hank’s life with a laugh, a hoot, and a holler. Inspired by Henry Winkler’s own childhood days and his struggle with dyslexia, the Hank Zipzer series will appeal to any child ages 7 - 12 years (roughly grades 2 - 5) who struggle with school for any reason, or children who just want to laugh along with Hank and his friends on their adventures. While Hank’s hijinxes don’t always involve keeping parents and adults in-the-know, and while most of the adult characters fall a little flat (save for Hank’s grandfather, Papa Pete, and his new favorite and appropriately-named music teacher, Mr. Rock), the overall dynamic sends a sound message: creativity is great as long as you don’t break the rules. 

I listened to the first half of this book on audiobook, narrated by Henry Winkler himself, and read the second half in a hardcover edition. Both versions capture the zany yet thoughtful nature of Winkler and Lin’s story, and I highly recommend the book on audio either by itself or as a reading supplement.

Find the book, audiobook, and ebook in our catalog, or learn more about The World’s Greatest Underachiever at Hank Zipzer’s website.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild

written and illustrated by Peter Brown

Ages: 0-8 years (approximately grades preschool - 2)

Mr. Tiger lives in a very proper society of well-to-do animals; a society that Mr. Tiger finds, quite frankly, boring. No longer able to tolerate his unhappiness in exchanging empty pleasantries and donning dapper attire, Mr. Tiger takes the steps to follow his heart and express himself beyond the restraints imposed within his town. It begins with Mr. Tiger taking to all fours, proceeds with a bit of frolicking and roaring, and ends with fleeing into the wilderness where he can be as wild as he wants without the stares and judgment of his friends and neighbors. Despite his newfound freedom and the candid self-expression that comes with it, Mr. Tiger becomes lonely and misses his town and friends. Upon returning to his home, he finds that things have changed in his absence; a change that most likely took place because he went wild!

A 2013 Caldecott Medal nominee for his illustrations in CreepyCarrots, Peter Brown adds to his children’sbook repertoire with a fantastic story paired with amazing art in Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. Mr. Tiger’s world begins looking very drab, with a monochromatic theme- save, of course, for Mr. Tiger, who is a vibrant orange. As the story progresses from mundane to manic, the color scheme becomes more varied and vibrant. A quick read and overall whimsical, amusing story, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild is best for younger readers, ages birth to 8 years. Readers who enjoy the humorous works of MoWillems or the lovely illustrations of EricCarle will enjoy this tale. 

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