A Tale Dark and Grimm

by Adam Gidwitz

Ages: 10 – 13 years (approximately grades 4-8)

Many of us know that the fairy tales of our childhood are only figments of the true stories collected by Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm. How far off are our beloved versions of these tales in comparison to their true origins? You really want to know? Are you absolutely, positively, one hundred percent certain you want to know? Then, as the narrator repeatedly suggests, please escort the young children from the room and look no further than A Tale Dark and Grimm.

In this, Gidwitz’s debut novel, 2014 Caudill nominee, and the first of a three-part series, a well-known fairytale of Hansel and Gretel (the little boy and girl who get lost in the woods and encounter a wicked witch’s house made of candy) takes a gruesome turn for the worst- as if being abandoned by your parents and almost getting eaten by a witch with a taste for children isn’t bad enough. While the siblings attempt to survive after their narrow escape from the witch, Hansel turns into a frightful, hairy creature; the true back-story of their parents and why they abandoned their only children comes to light; and Gretel turns into an extraordinary heroine who saves the kingdom from certain doom. Throughout the book, a narrator chimes in from time to time, letting readers know when things are about to get ghastly and, well, grim. Although this book is chock-full of adventure and delight, a fairytale twist done so right, it is not for the faint of heart. Readers who enjoyed the adventure of The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, the fairytale twist of Ella Enchanted, or the creepy suspense of Coraline and Doll Bones will clamor for A Tale Dark and Grimm, as well as its sequels, In a Glass Grimmly, and The Grimm Conclusion.

Find A Tale Dark and Grimm in its many formats in our catalog.

Al Capone Does My Shirts

by Gennifer Choldenko

Ages: 10 years and up (approximately grades 4 and up)

Moose Flanagan is your average, every-day, big-for-his-age ten-year-old growing up in the mid-1930’s when his dad accepts a job as the new prison guard and electrician at the roughest place known to civilians and criminals alike: Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. Moose takes his family’s move hard when he is forced to give up his old friends, his baseball team, and share an island home with the nastiest, most scheming criminals of the day, including none other than the infamous Al Capone (who hails from right here in Chicago, Illinois!). Worse yet is when Moose’s older sister, Natalie –who acts like a younger sister due to her severe autism- is rejected from the special school the Flanagans hoped to send her to in San Francisco, saddling Moose with the task of watching over Natalie while his parents work. Unable to make friends off the island, Moose befriends the other guards’ kids, including the warden’s daughter, Piper, who may take more after the crafty Al Capone than her stand up, law abiding warden of a father. Can Moose find the time away from his sister to return to playing his beloved game of baseball without hurting his friendships with the kids on Alcatraz island? Will Piper ever learn that her conniving ways are more trouble than they’re worth? Could Natalie end up getting into her special school with a little help from Al Capone himself? Find out in Al Capone Does My Shirts, as well as the two sequels that more than live up to their predecessor, Al Capone Shines My Shoes, and Al Capone Does My Homework.

 

This 2005 Newbery Honor book tackles the themes of childhood, morality, mental health, and history in a way that is pleasing and palatable to its target audience. Included in this volume is an extensive and interesting author’s note where Choldenko outlines her in-depth research not only on the lives of those who lived on Alcatraz in the 1930’s, but also explaining the struggles of Natalie’s character and how she is based off Choldenko’s own autistic sister. While somehow keeping the historical and autistic realities in check throughout the story, Al Capone Does My Shirt also lightheartedly delves into the depths of childhood crushes, friendships, school life, and know-it-all adults. Moose’s character is not only big for his age, but mature, with a smattering of sarcasm and in-your-face humor despite the challenges he, his friends, and his sister get themselves into. Children ages ten and up will enjoy this book, especially if they enjoy historical fiction, friendship-based shenanigans and humor, or have a soft spot for those who are a little bit different.

Find Al Capone Does My Shirts, and the rest of the Al Capone on Alcatraz series, in the catalog.

Start Your Kid with a Classic!

by various authors

Ages: 6-11 years (approximately grades kindergarten - 6)

Have you ever read a story with your child, only to find yourself flooded with memories of you reading that very same book when you were young? This happens so often when parents introduce classic children’s books to their own children. Classic literature can stir up images, experiences, and memories from our childhood in a way that modern fiction simply cannot. But that is one of the benefits of reading the classics with your child—it encourages conversation, connection, and memory-making. One of the challenges, however, is that length, reading level, and sometimes even content of these older titles may not always be appropriate for a young reader. Thankfully, the Classic Starts series gives young readers the opportunity to experience these timeless stories from an early age.

The Classic Starts series is a collection of beginning chapter books, which are abridged retellings of traditional children’s fiction. In these books, chapters are brief, font size is larger, and there are even pencil drawing illustrations interspersed throughout the text. And no one book is more than 160 pages long. Each novel is adapted and rewritten with language that has a more contemporary feel for easier reading. Even so, the magic from the original stories remains. There is truly something for every reader in this series. Children can be introduced to new favorites in a variety of genres, including Moby Dick, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Secret Garden, Treasure Island, and A Little Princess. Readers could also find short story compilations written in a similar format, such as Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Greek and Roman Myths, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and Arabian Nights. The appeal of these books primarily targets readers in second to fourth grade; however, they could also work as great read alouds for even younger children. Older children who are reluctant readers would find this series accessible, yet engaging, as well.

Just the same, nothing quite compares to the original! So, if you are interested in sharing the unabridged versions with your young reader, stop by the Children’s Desk and ask about our new circulating Kindle preloaded with classic children’s fiction. It is available to Glencoe Public Library cardholders for a two-week checkout.

 Find the entire Classic Starts series in our catalog.

Clementine

written by Sara Pennypacker
pictures by Marla Frazee

Ages: 7-10 years (approximately grades 1-4)

Ivy and Bean. Beezus and Ramona. Bink and Gollie. As a parent of a beginning reader, you may already be familiar with these humorous and light-hearted tales of family and friendship. But if you are looking for something new to entice your young reader, try Clementine.

Clementine tells her own story in this first-person narrated, realistic fiction book. She is an eight-year-old girl with spunk, a short attention span, and a fruit for a name. Although she is well-intentioned, things never seem to go her way. When she accidentally gets glue in her fourth-grade friend and neighbor Margaret's hair, she thinks that she has a wonderfully clever idea to help her friend out. Unfortunately, her idea involves a pair of scissors… So, you can guess what Margaret thinks of her new hairdo after Clementine tries to “help.” But what I really like about this series is that it is as poignant and sweet as it is funny. In this case, at the end of the book, Clementine makes up for her mistake by cutting off her own hair so that Margaret won’t be feel ostracized at school. The story is full of situations and scenarios that do not work out at all as Clementine plans.

Any reader will definitely laugh out loud during Clementine’s hilarious antics and misadventures, but it’s also an excellent book to use in a children’s book discussion group. The Clementine series is perfect for both boys and girls ages 7 to 10 who are chapter book readers and who love a good laugh. It is humorous, fast-paced, and offers a lot of food for thought about the meaning of the phrase “good intentions” and what it means to be a good friend. Since reading a good book is like making a new friend, why not introduce your child to some new friends? 

If you liked Clementine, try one of these other series:
Allie Finkle
Ruby Lu
Clara Lee
Clarice Bean
Gooney Bird Green
Horrid Henry
Just Grace
Lulu
Marty McGuire
Ready Freddy
Stink

Or find Clementine in our catalog.

I Am...

written by Brad Meltzer
illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos

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

Number 1 New York Times Bestselling author of multiple adult fiction and non-fiction books, Brad Meltzer, has done it again in a whole new way! Wanting to give his own children books that featured real heroes for them to look up to, Melzer was inspired to begin the Ordinary People Change the World series, beginning with none other than the biographies of Abraham Lincoln and Amelia Earhart. With their brief, fun outlines of our featured heroes’ lives, and their kid-friendly, cartoon-like illustrations, both of these little books are the perfect introduction to the lives of outstanding individuals that children will no doubt become familiar with later in life. Laugh along with tiny Amelia as she describes how “AWESOME!” her homemade flying machine is, and root for little Lincoln as he takes on ALL of the neighborhood bullies single-handedly.

Although both of these biographies touch on facts that you might not have already known, neither of them is by any means a complete biography. Amelia’s leaves out the story of her last, fatal flight, Lincoln’s lacks preserving the Union as a reason for the Civil War, and both attribute quotations (via speech bubble) to the individuals that may not have actually been said by them; however, the intended audience of ages 0-8 (roughly preschool – 1st grade), may not be ready to handle such heavy concepts, and the books serve their purpose as a fun stepping stone to further interest and investigation.

As excited as I am to recommend I am Amelia Earhart and I am Abraham Lincoln, I am even more excited for the next additions to this series: I am Rosa Parks and I am Albert Einstein, both due out in fall of 2014.

Find the series in our catalog.

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. 

Find the book in our catalog.

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.

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.