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Happy Talk

3/31/2020

20 First Words in 20 Languages by Odd Dot

Due to the current world situation, caregivers and parents are looking for educational experiences that actively engage children and that go beyond repetitive drills and worksheets.

The 66% jump in juvenile nonfiction unit sales was led by the education/reference/language segment, where sales soared 186% over the previous week. Jim Milliot. Print Units Held Steady Last Week, Publishers Weekly. March 26, 2020

Looking for an interactive introduction to a variety of languages? Consider the sturdy board book 20 First Words in 20 Languages. It's ideal for home-centered learning, inviting youngsters to explore the world of language with a spin of the wheel.

Photographs of infants illustrating simple words beginning with "hello" and ending with "goodbye" bookend images of familiar individuals, objects, and concepts.

Almost square dimensions with a generous eight-inch height, the chunky volume can rest in a lap for shared exploration. It also works well spread on any hard surface including a low table or floor for kids who want to interact with the book on their own.

Here's the twist: Embedded in each page is a wheel with sprockets, making it easy to rotate and learn the equivalent name in a wide variety of languages. Words are displayed using the language's specific alphabet or writing system. Pronunciation approximation is given in parenthesis.

It’s a book with multiple possibilities. Old and young will enjoy exploring these pages together. The creative minds at Odd Dot have developed another winner.

A toddler embraces a teddy bear with a “hug.” The Dutch say “knuffel." Aha! Mo Willems' Knuffle Bunny series takes on added meaning.

Copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: March 31, 2020 Publisher: Odd Dot ISBN: 978-1250230645

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A Reason to Hope

3/31/2020

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The Great Upending by Beth Kephart

Turns out that you have no idea how any story's going to end.

There’s something about Beth Kephart’s writing. Instantly she draws me in, exquisitely capturing the moment with sensory imagery. I'm right there, sitting on a windowsill, gazing at the night sky with eleven-year-old Sara Scholl and her younger brother Hawk.

Hawk kicks his bare feet. I kick mine. The air freckles up with fireflies. The trees wave their hands in the breeze.

This summer Sara is grappling with a physical condition that seriously affects her heart, a mysterious man who has taken up residence on the family farm, and the aftermath of a devastating fire.

Sara stands out among her peers. Literally. Taller than both of her parents, she is extremely thin and her feet are flat. She has a condition known as Marfan syndrome which affects the connective tissues throughout her body. Of critical concern is the possibility of an aortic rupture. A surgical procedure could save her life, but it requires the services of an expensive specialist in faraway Cleveland.

Then there's The Mister. Sarah's father refurbished an unused silo, creating a small round home which the family rents to help offset the farm’s expenses. Sixteen days after completion of the tiny round multi-storied home, a mysterious stranger arrives in an old Cadillac limo and agrees to rent the space. He silently moves about, keeping to himself. Sara and Hawk speculate on who this man is and why he moved into the silo. They refer to him as The Mister.

It's August. The land is parched, the cistern dry. Then the unthinkable happens. The hay shed and hay field catch fire. Shed and most of the hay are gone. All that remains are char and soot, banishing the family's hope for a profitable farm season.

Three totally unrelated things woven into a story of beauty and power. Kephart does it. And does it masterfully.

It’s a tale of quiet desperation and the uncertainty of life.
Somehow despite, or maybe because of a life-threatening condition and the possibility of financial ruin, there is a reason to hope.
Hope is rain. Hope is Sara’s seed collection. Hope is a pair of red shoes.
I love this book. Considering current world events, The Great Upending has arrived at precisely the right time.

Bonus: Kephart offers a glimpse into the world of children’s book publishing when a librarian and an author visit a publisher’s offices in New York City’s iconic Flatiron Building.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: March 31, 2020 Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books ISBN: 978-1481491563

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What's Your Favorite Food?

3/28/2020

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What's Your Favorite Food? by Eric Carle and Friends

The picture book What's Your Favorite Food? features Eric Carle and selected children's book illustrators responding to a simple query. Each artist describes a favorite food with a brief paragraph accompanied by a two-page spread of eye-popping art.

The book is a cornucopia of flavors from around the world. Strawberry daifuku, paella, and pitaya fruit are interspersed with universal favorites such as cheese, berries, and salad. Find kid-friendly fare: French Fries, ice cream, and pizza. It is fun to explore this potpourri of scrumptious food choices.

The colorful mix of art styles are visually arresting with an appealing melánge of realistic images and bold graphic design. Food is celebrated with illustrations employing collage, printmaking, painting, and line drawing. A delicious introduction to a variety of artists.

Final pages include a description of the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, located in Amherst, Massachusetts. Royalties from the purchase of this book are donated to this nonprofit organization which promotes the art of the picture book. A brief biographical note accompanied by a childhood photo of each artist adds a personal touch.

Let Them Eat Cake

Cake. We wanted cake. Today a chocolate cake would be especially nice. However, due to the current world situation, ingredients are in very limited supply. What to do? Then I remembered collage days and my roommate Delena. She had a good recipe for chocolate cake made without eggs, butter, or milk. Cake is on the menu, thanks to Delena.

Let's Get Baking

Delena's Chocolate Cake

Sift together:
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
6 Tablespoons cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Add:
2 teaspoons vinegar
3/4 vegetable oil
2 cups cold water
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix liquid ingredients with sifted dry ingredients. Pour into greased and floured 9" x 13" pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

When butter and eggs are plentiful, this scrumptious cake is my go-to chocolate sheet cake. Gooey, chocolaty goodness. The batter fills an oversize sheet pan. At my house we consume a lot of this cake, so the size is just right. The chopped pecans on top are the crowning touch.
Find the recipe here.

What's Your Favorite?

Introducing three additional titles in the What's Your Favorite? picture book series. Discover more about the world and meet many talented artists in this colorful picture book series.

Copy provided by publisher

Pub date: July 23, 2019 Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) ISBN: 978-1250295149

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Changes. Changes.

3/26/2020

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The List of Things That Will Not Change
by Rebecca Stead

a story about me, but a different me, a person who doesn’t exist anymore

Bea experienced a major life disruption four years ago when her parents divorced. Now she divides her time equally between the apartments of her supportive mother and understanding father. To ease her anxiety, they presented her with a green notebook to record "The List of Things That Will Not Change." They started the list with:

Mom loves you more than anything, always.
Dad loves you more than anything, always.

They encourage Bea to look for things that remain constant, things that she can depend on. School, relationships with peers, and the distinctive parenting styles of her mother and father are predictable.
The irony is that her life is about to change in several surprising ways.

Without revealing an important plot point, it is safe to say that the most significant change that occurs is the change in Bea herself.

At age twelve, Bea’s life is about to experience another seismic shift. Dad has announced that he and his partner Jesse are getting married. The secure little nuclear threesome of Dad, Jesse, and Bea will expand to include Sonia, Jesse’s daughter who lives with her mother in California. Bea is thrilled at the prospect of having a sister and fantasizes about life with a sibling. When Sonia comes for a visit, things are not as Bea envisioned. Not at all.

Bea has her share of challenges. She suffers from eczema which requires application of a medicated lotion. She frequently opts for quick but temporary relief by running her hands under scalding hot tap water, leaving her skin sore and dry. She often exhibits a lack of impulse control, rashly responding when angry. On more than one occasion her impetuous outbursts have alienated her from those close to her. Mom has arranged for her to regularly meet with a therapist to help Bea learn to deal with her anger and frustration.

Stead lovingly paints her central character as flawed. Bea makes mistakes, some trivial, others resulting in serious consequences. Her anger, recklessness, and misreading of a situation bring pain to herself and to others in her immediate circle. She’s a girl who loves to dance, looks forward to the future, and eventually takes the massive step to acknowledge her past mistakes and courageously work to make things right. Readers will fall in love with Bea, not by overlooking her faults, but by accepting this imperfect girl. Readers will discover, like her family and friends, that they love her. All of her. Her strengths and her weakness. A story of love that persists in the face of change.

While The List of Things that Will Not Change narrative is a whole cloth, each chapter stands alone, a polished gem in a sparkling diadem of a novel. I read, stopping to savor each individual chapter. Each is a well-crafted tiny literary jewel that offers a glimpse into a precise moment in Bea's life. Chapters fit together into a smooth and polished middle-grade story. This is Stead at her best.

Blue on Blue

Look at all these lovely shades of blue. Five distinctly different hues. Five unique stories. They all come from the brilliant mind a master storyteller.

Electronic copy provided by publisher

Pub date: April 7, 2020 Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books ISBN: 978-1101938096

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Presidents Past, Present, Future

3/19/2020

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The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America's Presidents (Presidents Book for Kids; History of United States Presidents When They Were Young)

But no matter who holds the job right now, the presidents of tomorrow are always out there somewhere.

It's difficult to write informational picture books. It's doubly difficult to create picture books on contemporary political topics that have a timeless quality, transcending the current political climate. These books can easily become outdated.

Messner and Rex have brilliantly overcome this problem. How did they do it?
The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America's Presidents is set in the present at a museum that closely resembles the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

Visitors explore the halls, looking back in time and then imagining what may take place in the future. Past, present, and future are combined to inspire youngsters to become actively involved in the political process. It's an elegant construct that really works. Lots of good things here. Word bubbles and short descriptive passages offer fascinating factoids.

Rex uses a mixed media approach. Black line drawings mix with realistic portraits as well as stylized color wash renderings. The variety of styles reinforce a sense of traveling through time. A limited color palette consisting of various shades of red and blue gives a unifying visual effect. The figures are active, suggesting vibrancy and activism. This is not staid, stuffy old history. This is real, active, forward-thinking civic engagement.

A clever numbering system, hidden within each presidential likeness creates its own game to engage readers: find each numeral and arrange the list of presidents in sequential order. One very tricky presidential image is depicted out of historical sequence. Youngster will enjoy the visual scavenger hunt to find the "hidden" president. Loads of fun!

A special touch precedes the title page. It's a play on the use of phrase "This book belongs to:" and a signature line for claiming the book as personal property. The Next President begins with this statement before the title page "This country belongs to:" and a line for writing one's name.

Back matter is a treasure trove of supplemental information including a United States Map that charts presidential birthplaces. It should be no surprise that Virginia leads the list with eight presidents. Additional resources consist of the requirements to be president of the United States as explained in the Constitution, a note on the changing face of the American Presidency, suggested books for young readers, and a more extensive bibliography for older readers.

An excellent pictorial review of American political history that is apolitical. A wonderful introduction to civic engagement. The timing of this book's publication makes it an excellent introduction to the upcoming presidential election. Using the past and the present, this book invites youngsters to think about a future for themselves and for their country. It's a consideration brimming with possibilities.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

And where is the next president now? It's exciting to think about, isn't it?

Pub date: March 24, 2020 Publisher: Chronicle Books ISBN: 978-1452174884

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Hands On. Minds On.

3/14/2020

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Recently several parents and grandparent have asked about materials for homeschoolers. They are familiar with available packaged programs. They have wonder: Is there something more? Yes, there is.

TinkerActive Workbooks

TinkerActive Workbook series is designed for young learners ages 5-8. Three disciplines are covered within each grade level: English, Math, and Science.
The workbooks are sturdy, with stiff, laminate covers. This will protect from spills that may occur. Thick quality paper, pages with round corners. A lot of thought is evident in the creation of this series.

All workbooks follow a similar pattern: A concept is introduced with Let's Learn About which consists of basic information and a few interesting activities to practice the concept. Then the real fun begins with Let's Tinker, Let's Make, and Let's Engineer projects related to the concept. All activities require a collection of materials and simple tools, such as glue, markers, scissors, boxes, etc. Each consumable book includes stickers and a magnetic merit badge. These hands on, minds on projects are FUN. From the clever quirky minds at Odd Dot.

Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor
by Temple Grandin with Betsy Lerner

Calling All Minds is an intriguing mix of inventor mini-biographies, images of registered inventions from the U.S. Patent office with step-by step project instructions. Grandin frames these elements within a running narrative describing her personal journey of discovery. She introduces readers to her thinking process, her experiments with various concepts, and schematic drawings of her creations.
The book is organized into five general sections: "Things Made of Paper," "Levers and Pulleys," "Things Made of Wood," "Things That Fly", and "Optical Illusions." Each section includes a cornucopia of material that is loosely connected. Like the discovery process, they do not flow in a strict linear fashion, instead inviting moments of serendipity along the way.

"Things Made of Paper" chapter callout boxes contain a plethora of STEM-related components. Readers will find brief introductions to the history of these inventions: moveable type, the typewriter, Liquid Paper, scissors, and Crayola crayons. Bonus material includes an explanation of the term QWERTY and a discussion of the Fibonacci "golden ratio." Makers are treated to directions for creating Handmade Paper, Paper Snowflakes, a Crystal Snowflake, a Kaleidoscope, and Water Bombs.

Explorer Academy by Trudi Trueit

National Geographic takes on a new publishing venture with Explorer Academy, a fiction series combining action-adventure with science, technology and world exploration. Twelve-year-old Cruz Coronado is a member of Explorer Academy, an international team of young people training to become the world's future scientists.

Trueit has created stories with action, intrigue, and suspense galore. At one point in my reading I replied to a request from an individual near me, saying “I can’t come right now. Cruz is trapped underwater and can’t breathe.”

Those who love scientific and geographical trivia will be fascinated with all the factoids scattered throughout the narrative. All volumes are chock-full of fascinating futuristic tech gadgets. There is a Jules Verne quality to the series, envisioning scientific achievements that may become a future reality.

National Geographic has created a wealth of extras to enhance the series. The treasure trove of online resources includes codes and ciphers to solve, profiles of scientists working on cutting edge advances. There’s an animation video of C.A.V.E. (Computer Animated Virtual Experience), a slide show of "Weird But True" facts, and personality quiz to determine a science-interest type.

Crafty Cat series by Charise Harper

Comics, a charming cat, and crafts. What more could you ask for?

Crafty Cat and the Crafty Camp Crisis is a story of expectations, making friends, and dealing with bullies is appropriate for younger readers. Back pages include directions for making each of the six monster crafts described in the text.

I followed the directions for making mini monsters. This is a fun and easy-to-do project. These paper critters would be great as place cards. Add a message to accompany a gift package. Set one of a shelf for an expected surprise.

With great characters, clever dialog, and simple craft projects, Charise Mericle Harper has a created a graphic novel series for young craft and comic enthusiasts.

Bonus: There's No Place Like Home

Looking for additional resources to support home-centered learning? Try these.

KidLitTV stories, crafts & activities

Celebrated actors read children's books.

Activity guides from Just Us Books

Create with Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Plan your day with this suggested daily schedule from NESCA (Neuropsychology & Education Services for Children & Adolescents. Accessed via Lorena Germán

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Truly Devious Series by Maureen Johnson narrated by Kate Rudd

3/10/2020

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Triple Treat

Note: This is a spoiler-free review. Readers deserve to discover each delicious clue for themselves. Suffice it to say, this is a highly addictive series. I'll follow Stevie Bell anywhere anytime she wants to plunge into another mysterious escapade.

Maureen Johnson's thrilling mystery series Truly Devious is an intricately crafted murder within a murder. High school student Stevie Bell as an expert at unraveling clues and solving cold criminal cases. She is fascinated by the 1936 disappearance of three-year-old Alice Ellingham from her family's estate nestled in the mountains of Vermont. Stevie is invited to study at the exclusive Ellingham Academy located on the Ellingham Estate. This super sleuth takes on the decades-old case.

The story alternates between the 1936 kidnapping and a present-day rash of murders at Ellingham Academy.
Although the narration is third person, Johnson gives readers a glimpse into Stevie's pysche. This high school junior suffers from anxiety and eschews many social conventions. She worries less about her GPA and more about solving crime. Flashes into the workings of her mind are a significant story element.

Kate Rudd expertly nails this audiobook performance. She delivers teen angst, pompous authoritarianism, and an objective observer with aplomb. She captures Stevie's snark, Fenton's academic slightly inebriated reasoning, and David King's quirkiness. Rudd ratchets up the tension with understated narration, allowing the drama to unfold, keeping attention on the narrative. Timing and pacing match the slow reveal of key pieces of evidence. She lets the story and the characters speak for themselves.

Truly Devious: A Mystery

Stevie Bell is accepted into the prestigious private Ellingham Academy, a school that encourages high school students to pursue their own interests. The school's buildings and surrounding grounds reflect founder Albert Ellingham's fascination with puzzles and games. There are hidden nooks and secret tunnels throughout the estate. The manor is a character with a major role in the the tragic events, past and present.

There are two distinct casts of characters within the story. The Ellingham family, friends, and household staff have starring roles in the 1936 drama.

Stevie's classmates and the school’s staff comprise the characters in the contemporary murder mystery.

The drama unfolds with intertwined narratives describing past and present Ellingham Academy.

Audiobook accessed via Overdrive

Release date: January 16, 2018 Publisher: HarperAudio

The Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious)

When a tragic death on campus is announced, Stevie's parents rush to Vermont and remove her from school. U.S. Senator Edward King intervenes and encourages Stevie to return to the prestigious school. Her parents grudgingly consent.
Things get more complicated when Stevie returns to Ellingham Academy. Two other deaths follow in rapid succession. While they may be accidental, Stevie becomes convinced that the deaths are deliberate.

She sets to work, discovering hidden artifacts and deciphering obscure clues to find the truth about the 1936 tragedies. She becomes certain that she knows precisely what happened but hesitates to share her findings. Who can she trust? Will her information put her or some of her classmates in danger?

Audiobook accessed via Axis 360

Release date: January 22, 2019 Publisher: HarperAudio

The Hand on the Wall (Truly Devious)

The final book in the series neatly wraps up the story. Johnson has kept all of the details and plot lines skillfully balanced throughout the series. She deftly catches all the balls she has kept spinning in the air. The hints which have alluded readers from the beginning come together in a smashing, but totally believable conclusion.

All of suspects gather in the Academy's Great House for Stevie's recitation of the events leading up to the murders. She begins her presentation with some solid evidence and a few hunches. Readers will be intrigued with her deductive logic and catch their collective breaths as she delays until the last possible moment to bring forward the most damming piece of evidence.
It's showstopper of an ending.

Audiobook accessed via Axis 360

Release date: January 21, 2020 Publisher: HarperAudio

There are several references to Agatha Christi throughout the series and with good reason. Like Christi, Johnson assembles a large cast of characters. She sets the story in a remote setting, similar to And Then There Were None, and Murder on the Orient Express. The culminating scene takes place during a massive snowstorm in the remote mountains of Vermont where all is revealed. It's classic whodunit.

My only complaint about this series was the one year interval between publication of each book in the series. One year is a long time to wait when lives are in the balance. A long time.
Fortunately for readers who begin reading the series in 2020, there is no wait.

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Happy Talk

20 First Words in 20 Languages by Odd Dot

A Reason to Hope

The Great Upending by Beth Kephart

What's Your Favorite Food?

What's Your Favorite Food? by Eric Carle and Friends

Let Them Eat Cake

Let's Get Baking

What's Your Favorite?

Changes. Changes.

The List of Things That Will Not Change
by Rebecca Stead

Blue on Blue

Presidents Past, Present, Future

The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America's Presidents (Presidents Book for Kids; History of United States Presidents When They Were Young)

Hands On. Minds On.

TinkerActive Workbooks

Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor
by Temple Grandin with Betsy Lerner

Explorer Academy by Trudi Trueit

Crafty Cat series by Charise Harper

Bonus: There's No Place Like Home

Truly Devious Series by Maureen Johnson narrated by Kate Rudd

Triple Treat

Truly Devious: A Mystery

The Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious)

The Hand on the Wall (Truly Devious)

Category

Archives

Barbara Moon

Happy Talk

20 First Words in 20 Languages by Odd Dot

A Reason to Hope

The Great Upending by Beth Kephart

What's Your Favorite Food?

What's Your Favorite Food? by Eric Carle and Friends

Let Them Eat Cake

Let's Get Baking

What's Your Favorite?

Changes. Changes.

The List of Things That Will Not Changeby Rebecca Stead

Blue on Blue

Presidents Past, Present, Future

The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America's Presidents (Presidents Book for Kids; History of United States Presidents When They Were Young)

Hands On. Minds On.

TinkerActive Workbooks

Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventorby Temple Grandin with Betsy Lerner

Explorer Academy by Trudi Trueit

Crafty Cat series by Charise Harper

Bonus: There's No Place Like Home

Truly Devious Series by Maureen Johnson narrated by Kate Rudd

Triple Treat

Truly Devious: A Mystery

The Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious)

The Hand on the Wall (Truly Devious)

Category

Archives

Barbara Moon

The List of Things That Will Not Change
by Rebecca Stead

Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor
by Temple Grandin with Betsy Lerner