The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan

I picked up this book because I saw it was part of the Julie Andrews Collection, and it completely lives up to the elegance and refinement you'd expect of Julie Andrews.

A curse has been placed on The Land of Enchantment by the evil Herrikan, and now no one can enter or leave, not the spirits of the dead, or Santa Claus to make his yearly visits. But his daughter Holly has discovered that she has a part to play in removing the curse, and finds a way to a Victorian-esk New York where she spreads the joy and goodness you'd expect from a relative of Santa. She ultimately confronts Herrikhan and removes the curse.

With graceful and detailed illustrations to accompany the lyrical text, this is one of the best balances of image and word that I've come across. It feels like it's been around for generations, while at the same time being a refreshingly original Christmas story. The climax was a bit too cliche for my liking, but that did add to the sense of timelessness.

This is my favorite Christmas story, children would love hearing it read aloud.

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Also simplified into a picture book, [Holly Claus: the Christmas Princess] (still nice, but not nearly as good as the full version)

by Scott

The Pirate Cruncher by Jonny Duddle

One night outside a tavern where a crew of pirates are hanging out, a mysterious fiddler shows up with a song of treasure! The pirates muse over what their wealth could buy them during the voyage, and disregard the fiddler's warning about a monster. When they arrive at the island they find quite a surprise, and so will the reader!

This book has delightful illustrations, and fun text. It's a bit like a graphic novel with speech and thought bubbles attached to specific pirates, and the parrot (which seems to be the only member of the crew with common sense). The surprise ending is alluded to in the pictures for the observant reader, and even without it this would be a book worth recommending.

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by Scott

A Faith Like Mine: A Celebration of the World's Religions Seen Through the Eyes of Children by Laura Buller

An accessible overview of the worlds main religions and their primary celebrations. The use of actual children, introduced through the chapters, creative a very nice personalization. They chose favorite parts of the various celebrations to share with the reader.

Nice photographs complimented the descriptions very well. This is a good, non-agenda driven introduction to world faiths, from Christianity, Islam and Judaism to lesser know religions like Jainism, Shinto, and Baha'i.

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by Scott

Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown

Lucy Bear has found the most perfect pet, a child! She begs for permission to keep him, but soon realizes that even though her new pet is a lot of fun, he isn't as perfect a pet as she thought. Ultimately she learns that the most perfect place for her 'perfect pet' is with his own family.

The simple illustration style brings a lot of charm to this book, and the presentation is a great way to teach kids to leave animals where you find them. Even disregarding the moral, it's a very entertaining book.

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by Scott

Potato Chip Science by Allen Kurzweil

The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz

Flory is a tiny little night fairy (she is only one acorn tall) living in the forest. But after a bat breaks her wings and she crash lands in a garden she decides she will become a day fairy instead. In order to survive Flory: moves into a bird house, collects food from a bird feeder and trains a squirrel with an eternally voracious appetite (Skuggle) to carry her around. Now if only she could fly again....

The Night Fairy is a sweet book about fairies, but not too sweet! Flory does plenty of adorable fairy things like sewing cherry blossom dresses and frolicing with woodland creatures. But she also has a bit of an attitude. She fights a praying mantis and carries around a thorn dagger with her.

Last, but not least, this book has incredible illustrations. Each one captures a moment of mischief or whimsy as Flory makes her rounds of the garden. I particularly loved seeing her cherry blossom dress and also the scene where she faces down the praying mantis with her little dagger.

Give this book to kids who like fairies or hungry talking squirrels grades 1 to 4.

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by Patrick

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Liam is only twelve years old, but he looks like he's an adult (he's even been shaving for a year). Looking like an adult has some pretty sweet advantages like test driving a Porsche... almost, or being mistaken for a teacher on his first day of middle school. Best of all, after completing a phone survey he is invited to participate in the best dad in the world contest and the grand prize is a trip to a theme park ride with the greatest ride ever built. Of course, that's how he ends up trapped in space, so it's not all great.

Frank Cottrell Boyce has done it again, this book is equal parts comical and inspiring. There are times that Liam's attempts to learn the art of "dad-liness" made me laugh so hard I almost shot root beer out my nose and other times when it made me really think about what it means to be a dad. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Liam realizes that all dad conversations can be broken down into 5 essential themes. #1 How we got there. #2 What the parking was like. #3 What it was like in the old days. #4 Something thoughtful that really makes you think. #5 Something to do with last night's football match. Liam practices Dad speak by applying these 5 themes to something he likes to talk about, World of Warcraft, with hilarious results. Recommend this book to kids who like to laugh grades 4 to 7.

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by Patrick

Un Lun Dun by China Mieville

There is another London, where the garbage left at the curb disappears to. Other things tend to seep between these worlds: ideas, pollution, and two girls who happen to be part of a prophesy. But things go rather awry, prophecies are falling apart, and quests are veering outside of expectations. An unexpected hero has to learn to think for herself to save Un Lun Dun.

The characters are pretty simple, the story is very rich, full of quirks Lewis Carroll would be proud of. There is more of a story through-line than Alice's Adventures though, and a more structured world that allows the reader to predict what might happen, and be surprised over and again when they don't go as planned. Though it lives in the YA section, it's completely appropriate for kids as young as 8. I'd take this book over Gaiman's Coraline any day.

[click here to see if it's available]

by Scott

T is for Terrible by Peter McCarty

A Tyrannosaurus feels bad that he is so terrible. He can't help stepping on flowers with his big feet, it doesn't work when he tries to eat trees. He just is what he is.

A simple story with beautiful soft illustrations. The Tyrannosaurus is a very sympathetic character, and I really like that the author didn't change his nature to make him fit in. Sometimes you just feel alone, and that others can't understand your differences.
...and maybe being terrible isn't so bad.

[click here to see if it's available]

by Scott

The Buffalo are Back by Jean Craighead George

When the Midwest was settled, some major damage was done to the ecosystem. The plowing of the tall grasses left the land susceptible to wind damage, the bison and Native Americans were eradicated. This book talks about the damage done, keeping the focus on the grasses and bison, and shows how we were able to repair some of the damage. It ends on a promising note with the re-introduction of bison and native grasses to areas of the Midwest.

Accompanied by very nice artwork, the story is simple enough for young kids to follow. It unfolds dramatically with well crafted text and ends on a very positive note, encouraging ecological responsibility without being blatant or overbearing.

[click here to see if it's available]

by Scott

Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion by Mo Willems

Trixie and Knuffle Bunny are back! This time they take a trip to visit her Oma and Opa in Holland. Unfortunately for Trixie she loses Knuffle Bunny (yet again) and this time she's left him on an airplane bound for China. Trixie spends her week in Holland distraught over the loss of Knuffle Bunny. The fair doesn't seem as fun, chocolate milk doesn't taste as sweet and a replacement toy definitely doesn't cheer her up. How will Trixie live without Knuffle Bunny?

The third and final installment Knuffle Bunny book is Willem's most endearing work yet. Everyone remembers a time when they finally had to part with a beloved toy either by choice or by misfortune . This book accurately illustrates that grieving process. For children this book may foreshadow an event yet to occur in their lives, but for adults it will bring back memories of childhood treasures. Willem's color illustrations on black and white photos continue to impress and this book represents the culmination of years spent mastering this technique. Though simple Willems' illustration convey a great deal of emotion.

Give this book to children (or adults) who have toys they can't bear to part with.

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by Patrick

The Fledging of Az Gabrielson by Jay Amory

Az is considered a freak by most of those who know him, because he has no wings. In a futuristic setting, where everyone lives in cities above the clouds, this is notable and it means that Az is the perfect candidate for a special job the government has in mind. Az is sent to the surface, where nothing is supposed to have survived, and discovers an entire civilization essentially working as slaves for the Airborn. Az has some very important decisions to make, as do those he encounters on the surface.

A fast paced adventure with enjoyable characters and a sprinkling of morality mixed in makes this the perfect book for those that have worked through the more popular series such as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.

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by Scott

The Blue Stone by Jimmy Liao

A large blue stone lives happily in a forest for a very long time, until an artist has the stone broken in two so that half can be used for a sculpture. The book chronicles the journey of that broken stone as it transforms again and again, but still holds the simple desire of returning home. Ultimately it does go back to it's forest, and it's other half, to live again for countless ages, though in a very different form.

The simplicity of the story matched with the depth of the illustrations makes this one of my all time favorites. The vibrant colors are captivating, and you can immerse yourself in them so easily because the story feels like it's already a part of you. Find it, read it, love it.

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by Scott

Joey Fly Private Eye in Creepy Crawly Crime by Aaron Reynolds

"Life in Bug City isn't easy. Crime sticks to the city like a one winged-fly on fifty-cent swatter." And Joey Fly Private Eye and his assistant Sammy Stingtail are willing to creep and crawl right into the slimy bottom of it. It all starts when Delilah, a swallowtail butterfly, walks in with a case that needs to be solved- someone has stolen her diamond encrusted pencil box. Joey Fly and Sammy hit the streets looking for clues, but the more they investigate the more they discover Delilah's story just doesn't add up.

Joey Fly is a buggy film noir knock-off, full of hard-boiled puns and big laughs. Give this one to kids grades 2 to 5 who like bugs, mysteries and cheap laughs.

[click here to see if it's available]

by Patrick