Walk Two Moons

Summary of "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech

Thirteen year old Salamanca takes a road trip from Ohio to Idaho with her two wacky and unique grandparents. As she is in the car with her grandparents, she entertains them with a story about her friend Phoebe Winterbottom. Phoebe Winterbottom receives these mysterious messages from someone she has yet to know who it is. She talks about a lunatic that lives in the neighborhood and obsesses over Mrs. Cadaver because her last name is "dead body." She even happens to having a missing mother, just like Sal does. Sal's story is almost reflected through Phoebe's while she tells it, it's like these two were meant to be friends in this book. Sal's mother went away one April morning and promised to be back at a certain time, in which did not happen. The trip to Idaho gains intensity and a goal when her mother does not return. She hopes to get there in time to make it by her mother's birthday and bring her mother back home, even though her father claims that it is basically a lost cause and she may not accomplish anything from it. We find out many things throughout this book, and most of them being highly surpising. This book will amaze you with the laughs you'll gain and then all the connections throughout the story that Sharon Creech waits to throw to you near the very end. It is a highly enjoyable book that I would most definitely recommend to all ages.

The book was a very awesome book, it kept you thinking and on your toes. I was highly surprised by the amount of twists and turns in the book and how everything ended up being sort of wrapped together. I was really surprised with what we found out about her mother, and I cried at the end, I can't lie about that. My favorite characters were either Sal or her grandparents, they were definitely the best. Sal was a passionate and sweet character and her love of nature really inspired me to look at things a little differently when I am outside doing things. Her grandparents were cooky and hilarious and they seemed to get in trouble so easily and I loved it. Her grandparents reminded me a lot of my past grand parents and so it was nice seeing that. A big thing for me was the closeness between Sal and her grand parents. I don't really have a closeness to anyone else in my family but my actual parents and sibling, I would love to have a relationship like that and it's nice to see that does exist. I think this book is about a 9-11 year targeted book, but I think anyone would really enjoy it. I know I did and it was my favorite that I have read year round. I loved it!

Marsupials

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

"Marsupials" by Nic Bishop.
This book is full of interesting facts all about kangaroos, opossums, sugar gliders, and many more marsupials! This book is all about those mammals who carry their offspring in pouches and that's where they live for a good while. This book features many captivating images of each animal it is speaking about, and most are close-ups of these adorable critters! I think children interested in these little animals would love this book. It also has little facts about the animals beside almost every picture!
Evaluation:
I really enjoyed this book, but I didn't like it quite as much as my kitty book! I think that the target age for this would be middle grade, no doubt in my mind. The reason I believed this is because the book is laid out more for the older children, the ones who can stay focused on a big paragraph with few pop-ups and facts throughout the book. That's exactly what this book has! It's cute, of course. It has some really beautiful and simple pictures of each animal it is focusing on for each set of pages, and all the pictures are close-up and it's amazing how anyone took those pictures. I think middle grade would be able to keep up with the vocabulary in this book a bit easier than elementary children would. I like that in each page, they have a certain sentence in the paragraph bolded and bigger than the rest. It is almost like a more important part of the paragraph or any interesting fact that the reader should really be paying attention to. I think the little facts in each corner of the picture are interesting too and will keep the reader on their toes to find out more.
Mischief Managed.

Everything Big Cats

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

"Everything Big Cats" by Elizabeth Carney

This book is all about cats, duh! From tigers, leopards, lions, and jaguars, even to the smaller cats like pumas and even house cats! It has beautiful photographs throughout the whole book and captivating words and little "did you know?" pop-ups on the sides too! The book talks about a liger and a tigon, which I didn't know that they both existed. It talks about the use of their fur color and how they hunt. There's even some little quizzes you can take and a "find the cat" page where you look for the animal hiding with its camouflaged fur!

Evaluation:

I believe that the target age for this book would be about upper elementary-low middle due to the amount of vocabulary on the pages, even with some of them being explained. I do believe the younger children will love the colorful and captivating photographs that are throughout the book, but when it comes to the read, definitely a bit older. I was absolutely intrigued by this book, probably because I am a cat lover myself! I found some of it very intriguing and I didn't actually know a lot of the facts mentioned in here! There was about one to two paragraphs per page but there were also little bubbles all around the pages and with the pictures of some facts about the animal. I think some of the words are complicated, so middle school age would probably understand it more through some of those words, but I think upper elementary would still enjoy it. The little "pop-up" facts are an adorable addition to the book, and keeps the reader interested instead of just going off in a bunch of paragraphs. I also like how it switches to all different cats too, there is even a photo gallery set of pages with just some facts and then a bunch of cat pictures! It really is beautiful and might I say, so adorable! I think this is a good topic for children, seeing as they do like the cuddly part of cats and I'm sure any child would love to have had a giant tiger at some point in their lives! I definitely think the photographs are what really draw the reader in and they make a huge different in the book itself!

Mischief Managed.

Tsunami

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up to No Good,

This book on a Tsunami that changed America is a very interesting read. It talks about the facts on tsunamis, even leaving a set of pages just explaining what a tsunami is in case students don't know what it is! It shows the fear in the situation from a kids' point of view, and how getting to safety is most important! It's crazy that the same city was hit by another Tsunami not that long after the one it is mostly talking about! I like at the end that the book lists records and facts about the tsunami and I thought that was very interesting and a nice thing to add to the book!

I found this book very interesting, granted, it wasn't all that appealing to me. I think it's because I am not a big fan of non-fiction books usually, at least no children books. I think the age group would be upper elementary because of the content, maybe middle elementary age too though. It has quite a lot of words and I'm not sure how interested young elementary school students would be in it due to the amount of complicated words and how much there are per page. I do think the pictures make it appealing though, because most of them are the very real pictures from the actual incident. I also really like them describing what things were in case children wouldn't get it, even how to pronounce it! I mostly enjoyed the facts and records listed at the end of the book too, I do think children would enjoy this!

Mischief Managed.

Abe's Honest Words

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up to No Good,

Abe's Honest Words: The Life Of Abraham Lincoln by Doreen Rappaport

Oh my goodness, I really loved this children's biography! It is one of the most beautifully illustrated books I've ever seen! It was a biography completely about Lincoln's life and his affect on the change in slavery and how he ran things as president. I know the most appealing part to me was the pictures and the quotes from Lincoln on every set of pages! It was definitely an entertaining read and I definitely recommend it!

I think this book is more of a read for about the upper elementary age group. I think this because it is quite a bit more reading than some children would like and some of the words are a little more dense than what younger elementary children enjoy reading and I think they would get turned off by it. I do think the upper elementary children would really enjoy this book! It's not necessarily an entertaining title that pulls you in, but the illustrations are really amazing! They're so real! My favorite part is definitely the quotes from Lincoln because it really gives you a view into how he was! Definitely a good read!

Mischief Managed.

Just Behave, Pablo Picasso!

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up to No Good,

This book by Jonah Winter is a really adorable biography! It's all about Picasso and his adventure into being known as the first modern artist of his day! It shows how even though people didn't approve of his change, he decided not to listen to them and go with his heart, making him even more of a legend than he would have been! I think the title would be the first appealing thing to the target audience of around 7-8. Once the child starts reading, I think he/she will fall in love with the pictures and the simplicity of the text!

Evaluation:

The most words on a page in this book would probably be about like four or five sentences, so I don't think it is too hard of a read. I think the reading level is definitely middle to upper elementary school and I really think kids will enjoy this biography, especially for those who don't really read biographies. I think the pictures show a great way of demonstrating the text, so even those younger kids who don't want to read much, they can just follow the pages and enjoy it. 

The characterization of Picasso is really there, and I didn't even know much about him either! It really embraced his personality and you learned a lot, seeing how unique Picasso was. I love how it showed him not listening to everyone elses' opinions and going with his heart. It was nice because I feel it is good for children to know what they think does not have to be influenced by others! I also enjoyed that Picasso was a little out of the box, and that's what made him into who he became! I think that shows children that it's okay to be a little weird and to embrace it!

Mischief Managed.

The House of the Scorpion

I Solemnly Swear I am Up To No Good,

A look at "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

Summary:

This novel is a dystopian novel, meaning this novel takes place in the future. Our main character is named Matt, and he is actually a clone and he has some "identity" issues when it comes to being a clone. Matt was born into a country that is ruled by a ruthless drug lord named El Patron, and what makes this country worse is that clones are seen as "less-than human" and definitely face a lot of prejudice to them. It turns out that El Patron created our protagonist as a clone so he could be an organ harvest for him later in life. Matt lives in seclusion with his caretaker and on the Alacran estate. He faces imprisonment, judgement, illness, and a threat of death before he is even fourteen! Will El Patron get a hold of Matt's organs? Will Matt ever be able to escape this country and go somewhere in which he isn't judged harshly? Read and find out!

Evaluation:

I really like the line that's featuring the first line of Genesis, I thought that was an interesting way to start the whole novel. This book doesn't waste any time on getting all "science fiction-y," even in the first chapter it starts off that way. It has a cell that survives, turns into a baby, the baby is growing in a cow's stomach? It just gets even odder from there throughout the whole novel. In the second chapter, we really meet Matt. I feel for him. He's begging his caretaker, Celia, not to leave him. He is always stuck at home alone and these kids see him but leave quickly. I know I started to feel for him and how lonely he was.
I was definitely surprised by Matt's actions when he broke the window with the pot to his neighbor's house, that was definitely not normal. Matt passes out, Steven and Emilia head to the Big House with Matt and maids help him. I thought it was weird how Matt had "Property of the Alacran Estate" written on the bottom of his foot. It reminded me of Toy Story and Andy's toys having his name on the bottom of their shoes. Steven's dad burst into the Big House and starts yelling over Matt, calling him an animal. That is just the start of the prejudice that Matt faces throughout the novel. In case you are wondering, El Patron is in charge of the Big House that I mentioned. I am definitely not a fan of Rosa, she seems to treat Matt more like an animal and less than a human. The only part I really liked about El Patron was when he let Matt have the choice of a bodyguard, and Matt picked Tam Lin. When I mentioned illness, Matt after being out of the house for a while, gains asthma as an illness.
Chapter 8 was probably one of my favorites, I'm always a sucker for a good connection and a horse feature. We find out about how different their horses are to ours, they are taught to literally obey every single thing their owner tells them too! They won't even drink water on their own unless their rider instructs them to do so. This is also the same chapter we find out about eejits. I find eejits interesting because they are like the horses there. The eejits are also programmed to obey any thing they are told to do, just like the horses. We find out something important later in the book that Matt is the only one with a brain, I really liked that idea too!
In all, Matt was a really good character. I think kids could relate, especially those odder children who probably get made fun of for how they act. The target audience would be around 14? I definitely think young adult. Unlike the last book we read, I wasn't really confused in this and I think it is easy to understand. I'm not sure if all adults would enjoy, because I'm not sure if they can keep an open mind about it. I am not a big fan of science fiction, so no, I didn't really like this book all that much, but I guarantee someone who likes the weirdness of science fiction would really enjoy this. I think this book is a good book in all, and the theme of identity is so important! I think young adults would see how important having their own identity and being their own person is! This is definitely a good read!

Mischief Managed.

Zeke Meeks VS. The Horrifying TV-Turnoff Week

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

Evaluation:

This book by D.L Green was hilariously awesome and was pretty much perfect for the age group it is aimed towards. The book had hilarious moments and the lead character Zeke and his sisters were some great characters too. I think the characters would really appeal to the age group because they act just like the kids nowadays that would read this book. I loved the fact that it's about being without TV and video games for a week, and it is showing children that it is possible to do and that books really do help you learn too. It shows children that you don't always need TV or computers to entertain you. You can come up with your own games, play board games, do crossword puzzles, and read if you want to replace those brain cell eliminating items. I thought this was a simple but good book that will definitely teach kids that reading is good for you.

Mischief Managed.

Mama, Don't Go!

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

Evaluation:
"Mama, Don't Go!" Is an adorable book by Rosemary Wells. I think this book is highly fitting for the age group it's targeting, and I think the two sentences per page spaced out all evenly with a picture on each is the perfect amount for the age group. I liked that the story was about cats, and they were like people. I think children always like having animals as the lead characters. Another thing that I thought was good was the content of the story. I'm talking about the fact that the little kitten is starting in school and she doesn't want her mother to leave. In the end, she lets her mother stay home and she learns that "they will always come back.." as in parents will return so not to worry when you start your first day of school. I think the most appealing part of the book would probably be the animals in it, and once they read it they will probably like the lesson in it also.

Mischief Managed.

The Ear Book

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

Evaluation:
I think that this book is great for the target reading group it is aimed for. I think ages 3-4 would be best for this group, the rhyming is perfect for that age group. There's very few words per page, which makes it highly not overwhelming. The pictures are frequent, and they're very appealing to children. There isn't really any characterization, but that's okay for the young ages it is for. I think the most appealing part of the book would be the simplicity and the rhyming in this book. Plus it is Dr. Seuss..who doesn't love his books?!

Mischief Managed.

I Knew Two Who Said Moo

I Solemnly Swear I am Up To No Good,

Look at I Knew Two Who Said Moo by Judi Barrett:
Small Summary:
This book is about a bunch of different animals. It includes all sorts of numbers, but unlike most the numbers books we read, it also has rhyming in it. I don't feel it has an actual plot to it, which is pretty perfect for the young ages, which is 1-3 to me.

evaluation:
This book is the perfect rhyming book, every single flip of the page has one certain number featured, a page of a picture to match it, and a perfect rhyme to explain what was going on with the number of animals in the picture. It counts one through ten, and each rhyme page has all the last words rhyming with the number. Such as, "Three, Me, See, Tree, Tea..." etc, etc. I think all the pictures are some beautifully drawn ones and they are perfect for the age group this is centered around. The pictures are bright, always feature animals, and some are pretty hilarious. I think this will mostly help children understand the rhyming aspect of the book, but also how to pronounce the number featured in that page. I think they could have included some more numbers, but for the one years olds especially, this book is perfect.
Mischief Managed.

The Amazing Maurice & His Educated Rodents

I solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

An evaluation of The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents:

Summary:
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents is a strange, fictional animal story that takes place in Discworld. It is about a cat named Maurice that leads a group of rats, the cat was normal until he ate one rat that ate waste of Unseen University, which is what turned the rats into rats that can talk with incredible intelligence. Maurice is now a talking cat, whom is also filled with intelligence and he leads the rats. This group is led by a piper named Keith and they share the money with the piper who leads them from town to town. The group is not exactly the happiest group there is. The leader of the rats despises Maurice, while a near-blind albino rat wants to make a rat civilization. The albino rat-Dangerous Beans, and Peaches, do not like the trickery of the rest of the group and they find it unethical. They meet a mayor's daughter, in a town where most the people eat rats more than anywhere, and she soon finds the animals can talk. The rats are following a book called "Mr Bunnsy Has An Adventure," which makes them curious about rats and humans living together. They soon learn from the mayor's daughter that it is a fictional book, and Peaches and Dangerous Beans gets saddened by it. There is a powerful rat king named Spider, made out of eight rats, and many things happen. Only time will tell what will come of Maurice and his Educated Rodents.

Evaluation:
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents was a very odd story to me, and coming from an adult perspective, I think it is definitely more for children. This, unlike the last book we read, is less like a story for anyone, and more aimed to the younger crowd. I would say around 7-11 years old would probably enjoy it, but that's what I think. My personal favorite part of the story, is just the idea of the rats and how they named each other based off of random things that were around them before they gained the ability to talk. I like that the rats and humans do end up living peacefully in the end, but the rat king really kind of creeped me out.

I was actually sad, in the end, that Maurice left the group to find another human to bother. I enjoyed that the rats had a sort of "humane" way about them, and they were all very humanistic. One was against Maurice, two wanted things to be right and understood how some things were unethical that Maurice and some of the other rats were doing. This book was personally not my favorite, nor was it really a book I would want to read again.

I see that there are other Discworld book, and I know that this one doesn't really relate to those, but maybe that would help me enjoy this book more if I had known of the other ones and had at least looked over them a bit. This book was just a little bit too odd for me, but I think children would enjoy it. I think those kids that really enjoy talking animals and the existence of another world would really enjoy this. I think the 9-11 year olds would like it the most and would probably want to read the other stories, I just didn't think that this story was all that entertaining either. Overall, I would recommend this book for 7-11 year olds and that's about it, or anyone who likes the shorter other world, with weird talking animals books.

Mischief Managed.

Bridget's Beret

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

A review of "Bridget's Beret" by Tom Lichtenheld.

This book is about a little girl named Bridget that loves to draw, she pretty much draws everywhere and all the time. She also wears a beret for inspiration and she does not want to draw unless she has it on, or she can't draw without it is what she believes. The wind blows hard one day, blowing her beret off her head and sending it who knows where, she searches high and low for it, she even files a Missing Beret Report! She tries on multiple hats but none of them seem right, or even give her a little bit of inspiration! She feels that without her beret she can no longer draw! A group of girls ask her to make signs for their Lemonade stand, and things change from there. She finds herself drawing pictures on the signs without even meaning to! She makes tons of pictures and turns out the beret was not necessary for her to draw!
Evaluation:
I think this book would be perfect for ages six to eight, and I think it's adorable and can teach them a little bit! I think it'll help show kids that their attachment to things isn't contributing to what makes them good, such as the beret and drawing with Bridget. I think the pictures are adorably made and very bright, embracing what children would really enjoy. Just the captions and when she tries on the other hats is perfect for children also!

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

A review of "mockingbird" by Kathryn Erskine.
Summary
This book is written in the perspective of a ten year old named Caitlin, who is a child with Asperger's syndrome. Her world has always been in a black and white perspective, and textbooks and dictionaries are pretty much her best friends. Her brother, Devon, helped her with anything that could possibly confuse her if it wasn't as simple as black and white. A tragedy strikes at Devon's middle school, leaving Caitlin and her father alone. Caitlin begins to find out what "closure" is and after looking it up, she begins to figure out that everything isn't black and white, and even though colors may be confusing it is necessary in life and in her search for healing.

Review
Oh my goodness gracious, this book was seriously one of the best young adult novels I have read! The fact that it is in the perspective of a child with Asperger's syndrome is probably the best part of it. My eyes were really opened by this book, seeing how the child thinks differently from "regular" people. It was nice seeing that perspective because I feel that will help me and others in real life when around someone "different." This book was written after the Virginia Tech shootings, and after the school shootings not long ago at the elementary school, I feel this really hits home for some people. It shows how when crazy things like this happens, everyone is affected. Those that knew people, knew the shooter(s), didn't know anyone. It's tough on the whole community. I cried multiple times, the part with Josh, how Caitlin assumed he was bullying Michael, oh goodness! I was crying because people were judging him based on what his cousin did, just because he was related to him! It was so heart-aching to me, and it was nice to see he really wasn't as terrible as Caitlin may think. Caitlin making friends really touched me too, because I feel like that was something she really struggled with. I pretty much recommend this book to anyone and any age group and this book has really changed my perspective on things.

Mischief Managed, Olivia

The Wednesday Wars

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

Summary of The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt.
The Wednesday Wars is about a student named Holling Hoodhood who has just started the seventh grade and he has a teacher named Mrs. Baker who he is pretty darn sure hates him. He gets stuck with her on Wednesdays and she constantly makes him read Shakespeare outside of class. It is 1967, and Holling Hoodhood is coming of age in the middle of the Vietnam War, and here Holling is stuck with more concerns than just that. Holling's father is concerned about only one thing and that is the family business. He seems to think that every Hoodhood in the family has to always be on their best behavior, he doesn't want anything happening to his family business. Holling is struggling with Shakespeare, Mrs. Baker, being on his best behavior, and being in the middle of the Vietnam War. There's no telling how this could end!

My Evaluation of The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt.

The Wednesday Wars is a book that I think any child starting around age seven and up would fall in love with. This book is entertaining and interesting, it definitely keeps you hooked! Holling Hoodhood is different than most children, when he is introduced to Shakespeare by Mrs. Baker, she expects him to hate it. Turns out that Holling actually really enjoys the works of Shakespeare, except for silly Romeo and Juliet as he thinks of it. Holling has a sister, whom we find out way late in the book is named Heather. Heather and Holling are what I think to be the typical siblings, where they have their moments of arguing and hate, but they really do love each other and provide one another with support as most siblings do.

A big feature in this book is Holling's parents, more than anything is his father. I actually came to hate his father due to how he treated Holling and Heather. When Holling brings up Mrs. Baker after he first meets her, his father is merely concerned with how Holling is behaving himself. He says things such as, "Are you going to ruin the family business so you can run it when you're old enough?" He isn't even concerned with Holling. Holling's father is only concerned with himself and the family business, Hoodhood and Associates. Holling ended up being in cast in the play The Tempest, in which he plays a warrior fairy wearing feathers and bright tights. He puts on the performance brilliantly, but there was an episode of The Ed Sullivan Show on that night and clearly his parents couldn't DARE miss that. They didn't even come to pick him up after the show! This made me so angry, they couldn't go out and watch their own son perform for the first time ever one night?! Then later in the book, a snowstorm occurs, a bus goes out of control, nearly hits Heather but Holling saves her! Mrs. Baker takes the two to the hospital to make sure everything was okay, their parents never show up to see they're fine or to pick them up. That was probably what really made me hate both of their parents, them not showing up at the hospital to check on their own children!

This book revolves around a lot of Shakespeare stories, which is what makes me think that this is also a really great story for adults, or those high schoolers who have read many of Shakespeare's stories! The first story he read was The Merchant of Venice, then The Tempest, followed by Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, and finally Much Ado About Nothing. I like that each month when he is reading a new Shakespeare story, the events happening in his life seem to match the story a bit. Now, I haven't read every Shakespeare story that is in this book, but I did see similarities in the ones I have read. I think my favorite similarity would be the ones in the month that he read Romeo and Juliet because he ends up going on a date with Meryl Lee, who is his crush and works with the Kowalski architecture firm, which is the enemies of Hoodhood and Associates. Meryl Lee and Holling go out and see Romeo and Juliet together, and talk about their family's plans for their companies. I love that like the real story, they shouldn't really be together but they are. I think that if you know the Shakespeare stories, you may enjoy the book even more, but it is definitely not necessary.

Finally, my favorite part of this book is Mrs. Baker. Holling Hoodhood is convinced that this "mean" lady hates him, especially with the way she treats him at first. Mrs. Baker is definitely an intimidating person, one teacher that I would honestly think would hate me too. Mrs. Baker was really an insightful and wonderful person, she just has a tough exterior. Holling initially thought terrible things of Mrs. Baker, but he starts to learn how she really just wanted the best for him. She was even the one to stay with the kids when their own parents wouldn't show up at the hospital. It made me even happier when Lt. Baker returned at the end of the book! I definitely recommend this book to anyone, it's so enjoyable no matter who you are!

Mischief Managed. :)

Binky Under Pressure by Ashley Spires

I Solemnly Swear I am Up To No Good,

Graphic Novel Evaluation of Binky Under Pressure by Ashley Spires.

This graphic novel is about a cat named Binky that is an official certified space cat, but his life is so routine for that of a cat. He struggles with wanting to sleep everywhere, eat all the time, then sleep some more. He is even battling his alien invaders from his own bed! One morning his owner brings in a new kitty to Binky's "Space station", and Binky is not exactly thrilled. He believes this cat is pretty much perfect and can do no wrong, even his owners don't get why Binky can't stay out of trouble and behave like Gracie. Binky then finds out that Gracie is an official certified space cat, but is captain and happens to be his boss! She was undercover and goes around finding how certified space cats act and sees if they need to be released from the program. His space cat skills are then put to the ultimate test with Gracie and we find out if he stays in the program or not through how he protects his space station!

In the article we read, we learned about the different types of transitions found in graphic novels in the comic panels of them. I feel like this book included basically every type of transition found in graphic novels. Subject-to-subject transitions and Aspect-to-aspect transitions are probably most common. This graphic novel continuously shows Binky in different ways, eating, sleeping, playing, sleeping; etc. I don't really think my view/experience of graphic novels have changed because I have read them before. I had friends who used to read them when we were younger, so I used to scan them a lot and I have even read them before. I didn't really know the names of the comic panel transitions though, so I thought that was really interesting to read!

Mischief Managed

Have you seen my cat?

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

Book review on "Have you seen my cat?" by Eric Carle.

This book is very simple and is highly recommended for babies to about three to four years old. A kid is searching for his cats, asking different types of people if they have seen his cat. These people are of different ethnicities and come from different places in the world, so they point at big cats that seem to match where they are from. Such as jaguars, pumas, or even a persian cat. The child eventually finds his cat and it turns out it is a bunch of cats he was looking for.

Definitely a book for the cat lovers! The pictures are very different than in most books, so I feel this would be appealing to babies because they look textured. I think this book is good for the kids just learning to read to because the book is predictable and they can keep up with it!

Mischief Managed.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

Book review on "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!" by Mo Willems.

This book starts with the bus driver leaving and telling the read not to let the pigeon drive the bus. The book then goes through the pigeon begging the reader to drive the bus, he begs, freaks out, and tries all different ways to try and convince the reader to let him do it. The bus driver then returns and thanks the reader, then he leaves. The end of the book has the pigeon seeing a truck and wanting to drive it.

I think this book is a good book for the younger ages, it is adorably written and very simple. I love how it's showing the pigeon begging us but we still don't allow it. It's like showing the reader how to follow rules almost and that's what I really liked about it.

Mischief Managed.

Bullies Never Win

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

Book review on "Bullies Never Win" by Margery Cuyler.

This book is about a girl named Jessica who is always worried, she is worried about her socks matching and her knobby knees. Her biggest worry in first grade was Brenda Bailey, the perfect girl at school. This girl made fun of Jessica's knobby knees, made fun of how she played kick ball, and made fun of her when her mom packed her brother's lunchbox for her. Brenda is the bully in school and she has gotten Jessica down, even to the point of eating with Jessica's friends and having her eat alone. Jessica talks to her mom about it and she tells her what she should do and how she should stick up for herself. Jessica goes back to school and gets made fun of by Brenda again, but Jessica sticks up for herself and that takes Brenda by surprise! Then there was no more bullying for Jessica!

Evaluation:
This book is highly recommended for the older ages, such as ten to fourteen! I think those entering the higher grades could really use this book because it is important for them to know how they could get rid of bullies since they tend to exist a lot. I think this is a good book to show them that bullies can be gotten rid of, they just really need to stand up for themselves!

Mischief Managed.

Little Cub

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

Book review of "Little Cub"  by Olivier Dunrea.

This book is about a little cub and an old bear who both live on their own. They are both tired of living on their own, but there isn't really anything they can do about it. The little cub wants to catch fish, wants to get honey but is scared of the bees. The little cub doesn't want to be alone at night either. Here's the thing, the old bear does all of that. He catches a big fish but can't eat it all and wants someone to share it with. He eats honey every morning but he has no one to share it with. He goes out and hears a noise behind a rock and it's the little cub, he picks him up and decides to call him little cub and he wants to take him in. The little cub is taken to his house and together they live, old bear telling him bed time stories and ready to do all the stuff he wants to do.

I thought this book was really cute, it basically shows the importance of having someone in your life. This isn't just friends, it's also talking about family. It's very adorable and I think it would make a good bed time story for younger kids. They would be able to follow how little cub can't do all this stuff but old bear can!

Mischief Managed.

Olivia and the Fairy Princesses

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

Book review of "Olivia and the Fairy Princesses" by Ian Falconer

This book is about Olivia the pig, and she is talking about how princesses aren't special anymore because for everything she's been to the girls(and sometimes boys) dress up as princesses. She went to a birthday party and everyone was dressed as princesses but her. She went to a ballet class and everyone was auditioning for the fairy princess role but her. She went to a halloween party and everyone was dressed as fairy princesses while she was dresses as a wart hog. She was always dressing up as something different and she felt wanting to be a princess wasn't something original anymore. She is trying to go to sleep, and she can't because she is too busy thinking about what to do about this situation. She decides that instead of being a princess, she wants to be a queen.

I thought this book was so cute and I actually want to share this with my children's literature class. I have this obsession with Olivia the pig anyways, because I share her name. I have just always loved Olivia because she shows children to do something different and to dare to be different.

Mischief Managed.

Under My Hood I Have A Hat

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

Book review of "Under My Hood I Have A Hat" by Karla Kuskin.

This book is about a little kid who is pretty much prepared for the snow outside, and is wearing a ton of layers just for that. The kid has a hood, a hat, then flat hair. She also has a coat and a red sweater and a blue sweater. She has a scarf, or a muffler as she calls it, gloves and mittens. She has on two pairs of pants, boots, shoes, and socks on. It ends with her outside with her puppy and saying she cannot fall because she is unable to move with all the layers on.

I thought this book was quite adorable especially for really young ages. I think it shows them how they should dress for winter weather so they don't get sick, and it is very simply written for little kids. I think this would be the perfect winter book to read to children before bed or before it snows.

Mischief Managed.

moni the pony

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good,

Book review of "Noni the Pony" by Alison Lester.

This is a story about a pony named Noni who is best friends with a cat named Coco and a dog named Dave. She likes to eat apple, carrots, and hay and the cows like to watch her as she trots and prances around the field. She also kicks with hens and ducks and at night she gets scared of the leaves that rustle in the forest. At the end of the day, she falls asleep with her two best friends and is happy as can be.

I really enjoyed this book because it was simple, definitely for the younger ages. I think a five year old would love this book! It has good, simple pictures and it also has rhyming! I personally love children's books that rhyme and this does just that. I also like that it shows the true meaning of friendship also! Definitely a recommendation for the little kids!

Mischief Managed.

cock-a-doodle-hoo!

I solemnly Swear I am Up To No Good,

Review of "Cock-a-doodle-hoo!" by Nick Manning:

An owl wanted a warm place to stay, so he found it. He woke up surrounded by hens who were all shocked he was in there. The hens decided to test him, but he couldn't peck like a hen or scratch, and he especially couldn't cock-a-doodle like a hen either. There was one hen who decided she would teach him how to be a hen, but even when he learned a lot of things that hens do, the others were still not impressed. The little owl still couldn't cock-a-doodle like them! Then one hen was freaking out because there was a rat in the barn eating their food! The owl went in and did he owl thing, he gobbled up the rat! Once the hens saw what he did, they accepted him and he became a part of them!

This book is adorably illustrated and I love the way it is laid out. I would have probably enjoyed it more if there was some rhyming in it, but I like the way the hens finally did accept him even though the owl was different than they were. I loved the lesson of accepting others no matter what they look like, there is something special about them!

Mischief Managed.

The Watson's Go to Birmingham-1963 Review

The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963

by Christopher Paul Curtis

Summary- “The Watsons go to Birmingham” by Christopher Paul Curtis is a story narrated by a young boy named Kenny. The parents are Daniel and Wilona Watson, and they have three children Byron who is thirteen and ten year old Kenny, and their little sister Joetta who is five. As any normal brothers Byron and Kenny give each other a hard time but when it comes to defending each other in the end they are there for each other. Byron constantly causing problems for the family as a young delinquent forcing his parents to plan a trip to mommas’ old home in Birmingham, Alabama to whip in into shape. While in Birmingham they witness a church bombing that almost took the life of the youngest child Joetta. Bringing the family into a new reality and bringing them closer together.

Evaluation- This story is narrated by a nine year old, he tells all about his adventures with his family whom is referred to as “The Weird Watsons.” This is a very good read and laid out in a very simple way. This story is split up into these different events that sort of shape each character and what makes the family who they are. I love that the author combined these historically important events with a bit of family problems that are hilarious. There are so many hilarious parts to this book, one I loved and feel kids would love was the part where they were de-icing the car. Kenny was doing the right thing, while Byron decided to admire himself in the mirror, when he kissed his reflection…his lips got stuck! Oh man, I was laughing like a hyena! The author really focuses on family ties as one of the main themes of the book. Along with the historical problems the country is facing the reader also see's the problems of the Watson family. Curtis has the reader feeling what the characters in the story are feeling, whether good or bad.

                I feel that the reader is really engaged with these characters and the book itself, so once the book takes a turn in events, it’s almost a tragedy/dramatic story now. I feel this book engages adults, especially young kids because it looks at historical tragedies a little differently, it shows this bombing in a personal experience that most books do not. As I read this book, and got further into the tragedy during this Civil Rights Movement, I was tearing up.  Those four little girls that died, that part really got to me. I had grown into these characters, that it was hard to see all this happening to them.

                I believe that this book is perfect for the middle school age, all the way up to adulthood. I think it would be great to have in the middle school library. I feel like almost everyone could relate to this book, especially children. I feel it shows that growing up is always hard, it doesn’t matter what time period you’re in. I really enjoyed this story and it was one that grew on me!

My Life With the Wave

Another book I read is pictured above is "My Life With The Wave" by: Catherine Cowan/Mark Buehner. 
I don't know if it's just because I really love beautifully illustrated children's books, and even as a child that is what I was drawn too, but this book is so good!
This book is about a boy who goes out to the beach, and a wave decides it wants to go home with him. It's like instead of bringing a stray cat or dog, he brings home a stray wave. This wave gets rid of shadows and dark places, and brings a sort of light into his home. Here's the thing that wave is very moody, it's as changing as a "tidal wave" is. The wave gets mean, it takes over things, throws itself onto the boy and everything. It gets to the point where it is practically taking over the house. The parents leave the house with the boy for a few days, and when they return the house is empty. The boy still misses his wave, and says next time he'll bring a cloud because they don't get moody.
I really loved the illustrations and I think it'll show children how bringing home something stray will have its negatives. It was an adorably done book and I really enjoyed it!

Small Medium & Large

The book I read is pictured above and is titled "Small, Medium, & Large" and illustrated by: Jane Monroe Donovan.
     Oh my goodness! This was too adorable and so wonderfully illustrated! I found it so interesting because it was full of illustrations and basically zero text. It had some texts in the illustrations showing the little girl writing her Christmas wish list to Santa, and then thanking him at the end. Besides that little bit of text, the rest of the book was entirely pictures that were beautifully done. I think a big part of my love for this book was because of all the illustrations, in my opinion this book is perfect for any age, even my age. I loved it! I am also a big sucker for gorgeous illustrations and this book had it! 

WagATail

My next book was called "Wagatail" written by: Lois Ehlert and this was one odd book. Pictured above is the book and the way the cover looks is the way the entire book was done, and the majority of any words were just dogs barking, saying wagatail, and obeying their owners. I believed if I categorized what age group this was for it would be very young, like almost baby age. I just didn't find it very entertaining myself, but for a baby I could see how the pictures and small amount of words could be very entertaining.

Groundhog at Evergreen Road

The next book I am reviewing is pictured above and it is titled "Groundhog at Evergreen Road" written by: Susan Korman and Illustrated by: Higgins Bond. 

        This book is a very simple but wonderfully illustrated book all about the life of an adorably drawn groundhog. It is a non fiction story all about the way a groundhog lives and survives. The story talks about how a groundhog is born furless and drinks his mother's milk. Then it says how within no time he is pretty much full grown and taking on the world on his own. He eats different grasses, defends himself from enemies with a shrill shriek, and he burrows in the ground for safety!

       This book was adorable and helps teaches kids about certain animals, I think the drawings are enough to interest any child because it is so wonderfully colored and bright.

Good Night, Princess Pruney Toes

The first children's book review I am doing is for the book shown above: "Good Night, Princess Pruney Toes" Written by: Lisa McCourt and Illustrated by: Cyd Moore.

I picked this book up because it was a princess book, and as a female, I am sort of automatically drawn to a book about an adorable princess, especially if she animals surrounding her on the cover. The title interested me automatically, so when I saw the title and the cover, I felt like I just needed to read it.
The book was about a little girl who was getting ready for bed, she is in the bathtub and her father goes to help her. When he tells her to dry off he refers to her as "Princess Pruney Toes," this is where she gets the princess idea in her head. She only takes princess-like things, and her father goes along with it like almost any parent would do. She eats a star jam sandwich, wears a little gown, pretends the dog is a dragon. The most touching part was when her "princess wish" was for her to always be her dad's favorite little princess. 

This book is an adorable book to show the love between a little girl and her father, and the use of imagination in a children's mind. It shows us how kids are allowed to use their imagination and should be encouraged by their parents.

Struck By Lightning

I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,

Struck By Lightning book review

Recently, I read a book called "Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal." This book was based off of the new independent movie "Struck By Lightning." This movie was written, produced, and starred in by one of my favorite celebrities Mr. Chris Colfer himself. The book was basically exactly as the movie was, coming from the lead character and his point of view only. I just want to say, "Bravo!" to Colfer. This journal/book was amazing, and if I had never heard of the movie, it would have made me want to go see it as soon as possible. Now, I haven't seen the movie, but judging by the commercial I have seen for it, the book is pretty much exactly like it. Carson Phillips is in high school, taking on that terrible place and he wants to get into his dream college, don't we all? He wants to be a writer, so he decides his best way to do this is by creating a writing club, which no one wants to be a part of. He's in this dog eat dog world, where he's the dog getting bullied by all the other Great Danes out there. He then has a light bulb go off in his brain, this light bulb is telling him, "Why not blackmail pretty much the entire popular part of the school?" He thinks about it, and decides he has enough black mail and dirty secrets to black mail all of his biggest enemies, so he does. This book is full of truth, honesty, and a whole lot of scandals. It's funny, witty, and just plain amazing. I love this book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in this idea. It might even make you wish you could go back in time and black mail your enemies into doing whatever crazy thing you may want them to do. :)

(And yes, my name did come from this, and my intros and endings come from Miss J.K. Rowling herself. :D)

Mischief Managed, 

Olivia

My Favorite Picture Book

My favorite childhood book is "Where the Wild Things Are."