• Home
  • Style Guides
  • Blog
  • Author Index
    • A - H Index
    • I - P Index
    • Q - Z Index
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
READING STYLE GUIDE

Mighty Mice

6/29/2021

1 Comment

 

The Mouse Watch by J J Gilbert read by MacLeod Andrews

Picture
Picture
Listen to a sample.
Picture
Picture
Listen to a sample.
Mouse-sized adventures have a special place in classic children's literature. Consider The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Stuart Little, and The Tale of Despereaux. Now there’s a new mouse in kidlit and she may be small, but she is mighty. Gilbert’s The Mouse Watch series takes lilliputian stories in a new direction. Mice are secret agents, performing acts of daring and bravery that will save the world. Because of their size, these rodents are able to carry out clandestine missions that are impossible for humans accomplish.
Rescue Ranger's Gadget Hackwrench is the mastermind of an elite force of secret mouse agents. Bernadette Skampersky (character names are part of the book's charm) achieves her lifelong dream when she is selected as a Mouse Watch operative. Her first assignment: outwit the evil Dr Thornpaw who plans to control the minds of humans with his cheese spray. Next Bernie and her partner Jason battle two nefarious foes: the sea captain of the Medusa and the empress of the ocean kingdom of Catlandia in The Mouse Watch Underwater.
Andrews’ pacing is superb. The unique voices for each character are spot on. He injects the perfect blend of humor, charm, and sense of impending danger into the performance.
Stories are jampacked with hidden dangers, cliff-hanging escapes, clever word play, and plenty of heart. This is a series not-to-be-missed. Consider downloading the audiobooks for a family road trip. The miles of travel will fly by.
An appealing adventure with all the charm of tiny creatures surviving in a world of humans combined with innovative technical devices and high-stakes action. Think The Borrowers meet James Bond. Terrific entertainment.
Meet J. J. Gilbert the creative mind behind this thrilling series.
Audiobooks accessed via Hoopla
Release date:  May 4, 2021  Publisher: Disney Hyperion
1 Comment

Look What Popped Up

6/22/2021

0 Comments

 

Popcorn Bob
​by Maranke Rinck art by Martijn van der Linden translator Nancy Forest-Flier

Something as insignificant as a kernel of corn can be the genesis for a wild adventure. Rinck and van der Linden have created a fantasy series about a walking, talking, cowboy-hat-wearing oversized seed with a voracious appetite and an "explosive" personality. He goes by the name of Popcorn Bob.
Nine-year-old Ellis, the family’s popcorn aficionado, discovers this salty oddity inside the microwave when she pops up an afternoon snack for her dads, who work from home developing new rubber duckies.
Ellis’ life takes a disastrous turn when her teacher informs her parents that the school is emphasizing healthy eating. This means that there will be cauliflower in the cake and, most importantly, no more popcorn. Ellis resorts to sneaking out to the garage to secretly satisfy her popcorn cravings.
An even larger problem is Bob, who is brash and demanding. He will not remain quietly in Ellis's pocket and resorts to earsplitting outbursts when hungry. He even devours a candy bar on the principal’s desk.
Picture
Life becomes increasingly bizarre. The dads conduct a business meeting with one hundred rubber ducks on the office floor. Bob attempts to herd a flock of wayward sheep. Ellis eventually leaves town with the microwave strapped to the back of her bike. It’s zany fun to the max.
After more hijinks and close calls, the story resolves with the dads relenting and reinstating popcorn as a family snack.
Kids will gobble up this series. It's as addictive as a bowl of hot buttered popcorn.
​Good news! More Bob adventures are planned.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Line drawings are liberally sprinkled throughout the text. They are an integral part of the story, chock full personality and inside jokes.

Popcorn Treats!

Listen to a sample
Picture
Like Ellis, I am a popcorn enthusiast. Unlike Ellis, I prefer popping the kernels with my old fashioned popcorn popper. With a bit of oil, the kernels expand and the glorious popping sound begins. The kitchen fills with the tantalizing aroma. Top it off with melted butter and salt and you have snacktime perfection.
When I want to get fancy, I rely on the Caramel Corn Recipe from my friend's mother. It's a sure-fire hit. Everyone begs for more. Thank you Lynne.
You can find her recipe here.  
Picture
C​​opy provided by publisher.
Pub date: April 20, 2021   Publisher: Levine Querido  ISBN: 978-1646140404
0 Comments

Feast of Flavors

6/1/2021

0 Comments

 

Dumplings for Lili by Melissa Iwai

It's going to be a special day. Nai Nai has invited Lili to help her make baos. This granddaughter not only loves to eat these steamed bundles of goodness, she loves to make them.
With charming watercolor illustrations, Lili describes each step. She begins by making the dough, then creating the filling, and finally tucking the filling inside each little pastry pillow. She refers to helpful cooking tips "secrets." 
When Nai Nai is missing cabbage leaves to line the bamboo basket and keep the bao from sticking, Lili ventures up to Babcia's apartment on the 5th floor for cabbage. She discovers that Babcia has cabbage to share but needs a potato for the pierogi she is making. This pattern continues. Lili traipses up and down the stairs, locating a missing ingredient for the resident grandmothers as each cooks her own version of savory filled pastries: ravioli, tamales, beef patties, fatayer, pierogis and of course, baos.
A top floor view, looking down, reveals on all the flights of stairs Lili and her adorable dog must traverse. Note: a posted sign indicates that the elevator is out of service.
Picture
The multicultural culinary adventure concludes with neighbors sharing of each woman’s delicious specialty. A sweet surprises awaits Lili and readers on the final page.
Details from each apartment showcase the diversity of this community. In addition to learning various names for grandmother, readers are introduced to common phrases and greetings in a variety of languages.
An infographic offers a concise map of Lili’s journey throughout the apartment complex. The location for each type of dumpling is identified.  Bonus: ​A bao recipe is included.
Melissa Iwai's Dumplings for Lili is delicious introduction to a variety of tastes and cultures. 
Electronic copy accessed via NetGalley
Pub date: June 1, 2021Publisher: Norton Young Readers  ISBN: 978-1324003427
0 Comments
    Author/Illustrator Index
    Get the latest updates delivered directly to you inbox:

    powered by TinyLetter

    Category

    All
    Activity Books
    Adventure
    Africa
    Alphabet Books
    Animals
    Anthology
    Art
    Asian
    Audiobook
    Author-interview
    Author-profile
    Awards
    Bilingual
    Biography
    Black Lives
    Board Books
    Book Awards
    Book-club
    Book Stores
    Book Trailers
    Classroom Connections
    Comics
    Coming Of Age
    Cosplay
    Creativity
    Diversity
    Early Readers
    Fairy Tale
    Family
    Fantasy
    Food
    Friendship
    Girls
    Grahic Novel
    Grief
    Halloween
    Historical Fiction
    Horror
    Humor
    Immigration
    Informational-books
    Latinx
    Lgbtq
    Library-activities
    Literacy
    Magical-realism
    Maker
    Math
    Memoir
    Middle Grade
    Music
    Mystery
    Mythology
    Native American
    Nonfiction
    Own Voices
    Picture Book
    Poetry
    Prose-and-comic
    Read Aloud
    Reading
    Reading Writing Connection
    Realistic Fiction
    Romance
    Self Acceptance
    Series
    Social Issues
    Sports
    STEM
    Storytelling
    Texas Connection
    The-margin-project
    Translation
    Wordless
    Ya Lit

    Archives

    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Barbara Moon

    I like talking about books and  interesting ideas. I like thinking about how books affect my life. Not particularly interested in giving out stars or in rating books. 

    Audio Publishers Association
    2013, - present  Audies judge 
    American Library Association Book Awards and Lists 
    ​2017 YALSA Award Nominating Committee
    2016 Excellence in Nonfiction 
    2014 Margaret Edwards Award
    2012 Odyssey Awards.  
    2009, 2010, 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

    Professional Reader
    Picture
    Frequently Auto-Approved

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.