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Category: Ages 11 and Under

Review: Get to Know Your Kid by Shana Connell Noyes

[ 5 ] September 23, 2011

Reviewed by Melanie Kline

Get to Know Your Kid is a question and answer journal for a parent to share with their child. One hundred questions are posed – one per page with the rest of the page blank. There is a space for the date on each page and you basically just fill in as you go. We skipped around at random although you could easily go page by page.

I requested this book as I thought it would be a fun thing to do with my daughter and who knows, I may even learn something from the experience. I also thought that this would be a great thing for her to pass on to her own children later in life or even just read for her own amusement.

My daughter did not enjoy most of the time we spent filling out the pages of this journal. The questions vary greatly between those for the very young (magic, unicorns, superpowers, etc.) and what you would like to be when you grow up, why do we recycle, what would you do with a million dollars, etc.

I think that this is a wonderful concept and would have enjoyed the experience a lot more if all of the questions had been geared more toward my daughter’s age group. I found great amusement with some answers while others were not nearly as fun. Once a child feels that they are “grown-up”, asking about fairies only produces anger at the thought that they are still babies and made her bristle the next time I picked up the journal to ask her a question.

I would highly recommend Get to Know Your Kid to parents of small children. You can start with the easy stuff and work up to other questions as your child grows older. The book is guaranteed to cause laughter and give you insight into your child’s thoughts.

Rating: 3.5/5

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Kelley and Hall Publicity. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Lovely Shoes by Susan Shreve

[ 8 ] September 17, 2011

Reviewed by Grace Soledad

The Lovely Shoes is the poignant story of a girl born a cripple. Frankie misses out on so much – dancing, boys, normalcy. People call her “gimp” or something along the lines of that, and one day she has enough of it. After being embarrassed at her school dance in front of the boy she loves, Frankie shuts herself in her room and refuses to come out. Nobody understands her.

Her mother is worried, and when she sees an article about a crippled Italian shoemaker who caters to the stars, she dreams up a crazy idea. She writes to him, explaining her daughter’s situation and hoping that he might be able to make Frankie happy again. She wants the perfect pair of shoes to make Frankie feel beautiful. When he writes back with a yes, they plan the trip of a lifetime.

In Italy, Frankie finds a new version of herself. Beautiful and carefree, she tries new things, gets a boyfriend, and finds the perfect pair of shoes. Will Italy be enough?

I loved The Lovely Shoes. Although it is not the type of book that I usually read, I loved Frankie and her mother, and found myself both laughing and crying. It was tender and heartfelt. The relationship between Frankie and her mother was one of my favorite parts of the book, because although there were fights and Frankie got mad at her sometimes, they loved each other and helped each other throughout the book.

In Italy, Frankie fell in love, helped little girls, and was a constant presence among the usual clientele of Signor’s. She finally felt special and beautiful and I enjoyed going on the journey with her.

Overall, The Lovely Shoes was a sweet coming-of-age story. Tender and nice, Frankie’s character shone and the adventures were lovely. The ending was a bittersweet goodbye to the story that I grew to love.

Rating: 3/5

Grace Soledad is a teenage bibliophile who runs the blog Words Like Silver. She is described as “antisocial” because she constantly has her nose buried in a book or a notebook. When not reading, she can be found dancing, writing, or at the beach.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Arthur A. Levine Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Hijab Boutique by Michelle Khan

[ 7 ] September 16, 2011

Reviewed by Shannon Hopkins

“Some people feel that it is the duty of foreigners to fit in, or they may even feel a bit threatened by hijab…when people ask questions I use the opportunity to spread the word and message of Islam.”

Farah Khan is an only child who lives with her widowed mother, a hijabi, and attends an all-girls private school with her best friend Ashanti. When her teacher gives a class assignment to bring in something representing the girls’ mothers, Farah panics because her mother isn’t a singer or an actress or a dancer; in fact, the only unique thing she sees about her mother is the scarf she wears around her head.

Michelle Khan’s first children’s book, The Hijab Boutique, is a quick read with a deep and resounding message. In it she explores the origins of hijab as well as what it means for the modern Muslim woman to veil herself; how the veil is portrayed in Western culture; and even the sartorial qualities available to hijabi. What’s more, she shows great empathy for families rebuilding after the loss of a loved one so that children can truly understand the message.

I’m excited to have such a simple yet profound story to share with my nieces, and any other girl who cares to read and learn a meaningful lesson about inner strength, faith, and womanhood through another’s eyes.

Rating: 5/5

Shannon lives in Cleveland, Ohio with her fianc é and a room full of books that she peruses when she isn’t trolling Apartment Therapy for new decorating ideas. In her free time she enjoys maintaining her blog, The Writer’s Closet, planning her wedding, and baking tasty gluten-free treats.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by The Islamic Foundation. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Frank Lloyd Wright and His New American Architecture by Bob Kann

[ 3 ] September 4, 2011

Reviewed by F. Scott

Frank Lloyd Wright and His New American Architecture, by Bob Kann is part of the Badger Biographies Series for young readers published by the Wisconsin Historical Society. As a former teacher, and having dealt with all three types of students, I’d say that it is aimed at fifth-grade homeschoolers, seventh-grade private-schoolers, and ninth-grade public school students.

Concentrating on native sons and daughters of Wisconsin, the series makes a good choice in Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959), one of the most important American architects—if not THE most important—of the late nineteenth and into the twentieth century.

Kann does a good job of taking us through Wright’s career. He does not, however, pull any punches concerning some of the failings of Wright’s designs or his personality—he was a very selfish type of guy. I lost track myself of how many wives he had and with whom he was living while married to someone else. One design flaw I know of that Kann does not mention is the small space behind a partition in one of the private homes Wright designed: the space was too small for humans to get into, but cats could get back there and make a good ol’ mess. How does one clean it, then?

But, Wright’s designs are important, interesting, and influential. Kann identifies him with the entirely American “Prairie School” of architecture, where the “open plan” of the interior is emphasized. Of course, “Fallingwater” outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, features prominently—it is built on top of a waterfall—as does the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, which was built, successfully, to withstand the tremors of an earthquake. And it did very shortly after being built.

I would imagine that no student of architecture since, say, 1920, could operate without studying and being influenced in some way by Wright.

Somewhat to my pleasant surprise, this little book for little readers features decent sentence structure, and it is punctuated correctly, without the annoying, monotonous and trendy uses of “while” or “as” we see so much of today. Gee, I wish they could do that at the big Manhattan publishing houses. (May I ask again what editors do these days?)

Almost every page features bolded vocabulary terms defined at the bottom of the page and listed again in a glossary at the end. Each of the thirteen chapters is of good length (short). And the appendix features a timeline of Wright’s affairs—er, I mean his accomplishments. Nothing here to object to for young readers except one occurrence of the word “damn.” There are also plenty of pictures, only one set of which doesn’t seem to make sense with its caption.

The original Taliesin in Wisconsin—Wright’s home for 40-plus years and his architectural workshop for students—is mentioned, but I would have liked a description of Taliesin West in the Phoenix, Arizona, area, because it is the only one of his creations I myself have seen—and because it is brilliant.

Rating: 5/5

F. Scott wishes he any talent whatsoever for architecture.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Wisconsin Historical Society. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne

[ 7 ] July 23, 2011

Reviewed by Claudia Robinson

“That will do nicely,” said Noah, who didn’t like to think that the old man imagined his family were bad people and this was why he had left them behind. After all, they weren’t bad people at all. They were very nice people actually.” – Noah

Noah Barleywater is 8-years-old and determined to see the mysteries and explore the adventures that lay beyond the confines of his home. Especially now, that things are ‘different’, meaning, mostly, the odd behavior of his mother. Setting off before the crack of dawn, Noah begins his journey through the various Villages surrounding his home, until hunger and curiosity push him over the crooked threshold of an old man toy maker’s shop and his myriad of living puppets. Together, the oddly paired new friends, share tales of the past, frustrations of the present as well as explore the magical memories the toy maker brings to life through his puppets.

Through talking doors, accommodating staircases, cranky trees, Kings & Queens, animals with voices and time that stands still for no one, unless embarrassed, Noah Barleywater Runs Away offers up a plethora of magic, mystery, human emotion, life and death and the choices we’re required to make in their presence, in a most unique and brilliant tale, sure to delight ALL ages. A fusion of Pinocchio and Leave it to Beaver, Noah Barleywater reads like an ever after story of what happened to the beloved, long nosed, wooden puppet of our youth, once he became a boy, and the legacy and lessons his story offers to a real boy, in dire need of redirection, years later.

Charming, sometimes a little confusing, deliciously odd and quirky, Noah Barleywater will read familiar to older patrons and magic to younger. Fun and inventive, provocative and sweet, Noah Barleywater is a little gem of a book sure to pleasure all that read it. It’s one of those books that can be read time and time and again, each read like another piece of the puzzle, fitting perfectly, until that ‘aha’ moment settles in, and everything that shouldn’t, couldn’t possibly make sense, does.

Rating: 3.5/5

Claudia lives on beautiful Cape Cod with her husband and two children.

The review copy of this book was provided free of any obligation by David Fickling Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Big Book of How by Editors of TIME for Kids Magazine

[ 6 ] July 15, 2011

Reviewed by Amanda Allalunis

I am the mother of three young children. As a mother, I constantly find myself delighted and challenged by my kids; however, I’ve often wished for a go-to book to help me answer the infamous children’s questions of “why” and “how”. My children are constantly asking questions to which I don’t know the answer. I would love to say that I remember why animals can see at night or how popcorn pops, but then I would be a liar. I have spent many hours researching the answers to my kids’ constant questions, and it gets a little old.

Fortunately for me, and for all of the parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, and babysitters in the world, the creators of TIME for Kids have come together to produce the Big Book of How. This book has information on just about everything your child may want to know. Are you wondering how the sun can stay hot? Just open up to page 148. Are your children fascinated by sharks? Turn to page 8 for a whole list of fun facts. Really, there are very few topics this book doesn’t cover, and that’s why I love it!

Big Book of How is the perfect resource for children. The facts and explanations found in the book are written in a simple and straightforward manner, so even the youngest child can follow almost any topic. Plus, every page comes packed with interesting photos, illustrations, and diagrams, which are always a big plus for any children’s book.

As much as my children are enjoying the book, I have to say that I’m probably enjoying it even more, so much so that I’m reading it all by myself. I am completely fascinated by the clear explanations on how to make a homemade compass, how do honeybees make hives, and why do roller coasters go up and down. All in all, I would recommend the Big Book of How to anyone, no matter how young or old.

Rating: 5/5

Amanda is mommy, freelance writer, and blogger in her spare time. If you like this review, be sure to check out the blog at Giveaway Blogdom or take a minute to read her most recent article on Childhood Vaccinations.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Goodman Media. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Point to Happy by Miriam Smith & Afton Fraser

[ 2 ] June 27, 2011

Reviewed by Amanda Schafer

Point to Happy is a book designed to be an aid to children with some form of autism. A sturdy, hardback book, it has a large plastic hand (connected to the book by a ribbon) with a “pointing finger” that allows the child to point to the pictures or words as they understand them.

Point to Happy starts out with pictures of faces and feelings, encouraging the autistic child to connect with emotions. It continues with favorite foods, polite words and gestures, noises, games, movement, toys, actions, and even authoritative commands. At the end, there are blank spaces for the parent to place pictures, allowing the autistic child to recognize faces or people they might come in contact with. The pictures are items that are bright and colorful and are real people with genuine expressions.

I read through this book with my son, who is a high-functioning autistic. He was able to work through the book rather quickly, but struggled on a few of the emotion pages. There were a couple of pages that had more than a couple of items on them and he struggled with sorting through all the images presented. Measuring 10 inches by 12 inches, the book is rather large. And being made of such a sturdy cardboard material causes the book to be quite heavy. While the concept of Point to Happy is great and the book can be a very useful tool, our only complaint with it is its size and weight. My son struggled with holding the book and said that it felt like it was digging into his legs when rested in his lap. Since many autistic children struggle with sensory issues, this might be an area that needs to be reevaluated in further prints.

Miriam Smith and Afton Fraser do a good job of including many of the emotional and relational aspects that autistic children struggle with. The photographer, Margo Smithwick, did an especially good job capturing those emotions on camera. I would recommend this book to any parent with an autistic child that struggles with verbal communication and emotional expression.

Rating: 3/5

Amanda lives in Missouri with her engineering husband, two sons, and one daughter. In between homeschooling and keeping up with church activities she loves to read Christian Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and any Chick-Lit. She never goes anywhere without a book to read!

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Workman Publishing Company. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Mommy Whispers by Jenny Lee Sulpizio

[ 5 ] June 19, 2011

Reviewed by Alyssa Katanic

Mommy Whispers by Jenny Lee Sulpizio is a sweet book that walks through the life of one little girl from her birth, through the birth of her own daughter. Reminiscent of Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle, which follows a Father/Daughter relationship, Mommy Whispers captures the relationship and special moments shared by Mother and Daughter.

The artwork by Peg Lozier was gorgeously done and definitely adds to the book’s appeal.

I snuggled up and read this story with my own daughters. They loved watching the little girl grow up, get married, and have a baby of her own. Another favorite aspect is the little girl’s cat, which is included in the artwork of each page. My daughters had fun finding the kitty on each page spread, and felt sorry for it when its girl went away to college. This was more than made up for, however, when it went with her after she was married. No doubt, my eldest was thinking of her own dear kitty.

Overall, Mommy Whispers is a beautifully done picture book that mothers and daughters can relate to together. I miss the element of rhyme in this one, but it still carries a refrain that children will pick up on. It can be used to open up conversations between mothers and daughters of multiple ages about their own adventures with the first day of kindergarten, dating, and the dreams they have for their future.

Rating: 3.5/5

Alyssa is a wife and stay at home, homeschooling mother of five, with two boxers, two cats, a soft shelled turtle named after Bob the Builder, and 7 frogs (admittedly a homeschooling project gone froggy). In all her spare time, she loves to read and believes that there is no such thing as having too many books!

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Jenny Lee Sulpizio. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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