April… 10th? Wha? Suddenly, days are flying by, and it’s time to post the Decoder. There’s some fun stuff in here – enjoy!
Elf
Favourite Authors & Illustrators Pack – I’m not always fond of the packs, which can be pretty mixed, but this is a great pack, with some really solid stuff in it.
Plant a Kiss – a sweet little story from Amy K Rosenthal about the joy of spreading the love, illustrated by Peter Reynolds. I reviewed it last year here.
Shel Silverstein Collection – I’m a huge fan of Shel’s work, and these are, in my opinion, his best two works of poetry, plus a story that is very famous, but not one I love. If you’re a fan of The Giving Tree, this set is even better, but if not, you could always wait for the occasional offering of just the poetry.
The Tiny Seed – a perfect spring book, this one is about a little seed that makes it through all the perils until it actually gets to grow, and whoa, does it ever. Eric Carle is almost always a good bet, too.
***Classic Family Library – another surprisingly good pack, with not a single loser among them. I love every one of these, and call this one the best pick of the month for Elf.
National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Space – I’m liking this series of non-fiction for little guys from a solid source. They’re attractive, and a good introduction to things kids are often interested in. Especially for less keen readers, non-fiction can sometimes be a perfect solution, if you find something on their topic of choice.
Over the Rainbow Book & CD – If you are, like me, hugely nostalgic about The Wizard of Oz, then this one may just speak directly to you in that you must have me whisper. Go ahead. With the CD included, you don’t even have to be able to actually sing it yourself, either.
***Press Here – Fantastic. This interactive book is a massive hit every time I use it, and kids can play with it themselves with little reading under their belt. Highly recommended.
Little Critter’s Bedtime Storybook – I have always enjoyed this messy, chaotic little guy who is at heart a good kid, just seriously lacking in impulse control. (Maybe I relate?) This is a little collection of stories all in one book, which is always nice, but if you do want a whole pile of them, bigger packs appear now and then, too.
SeeSaw
Good News, Bad News – This book swings wildly between the optimist’s view and the pessimist’s, and the result is a funny little adventure in a boldly-drawn comic style and a very few words. I loved it, and reviewed it here.
Every Little Thing – I’m an optimist, so I love this reassuring, positive little book based on Bob Marley’s song. They did a great job bringing One Love into a kids’ world, and now this one has gotten the same sort of treatment. Making me smile and hum…
A Butterfly is Patient – this look at the natural world is beautifully illustrated, and teaches kids about cycles like pollination and migration, and well as camouflage. One for the nature-loving kid in your life.
Penny and Her Song – Penny is eager to share her song, but has to learn when it’s the right time. I’m a massive Kevin Henkes fan, so while Penny is no Lilly, I still quite enjoyed this one, and I also reviewed it here.
Stuck – this recent one by kidslit darling Oliver Jeffers is offbeat, but fun. I’ve talked about my Jeffers-philia over here before…
Scaredy Squirrel Puppet Pack – Scaredy is a squirrel – a neurotic, agoraphobic, OCD-plagued nut of a
squirrel, in fact. He is also hilarious, and a massive hit with kids,
making this a pack worth picking for sharing out loud.
Little Creature: Just a Piggy Bank – As I mentioned above, I do love the little crazy beastie, and his utter lack of restraint makes him a perfect candidate for use when you are talking to kids about learning to save. Think I am going to pick this one up myself, in fact!
Freckle Juice – Judy Blume writes great stuff for kids – you might remember this
yourself, because it is an oldie but goodie. Aimed at grades 2-4, it is a
great read-aloud or read-alone for kids who are just into chapters.
Little House Collection – I never loved this like so many do, but it is solid classic fare for
reading aloud, and this set gives you the whole series, so you can
follow Laura and her family from start to finish.
Spring Book & CD set – This is a fun little pack of goodies, but they are more expensive because they come with CDs. If this would be good for you to help keep your wee ones busy with, it’s a good choice. If not, some of these will appear in other packs again.
Lucky
Diary of a Wimpy Kid – This series has been wildly popular with kids from about grade 2 up to
grade 6, even among the most reluctant of readers, who appreciate its
humour and its half-graphic format. It’s an easy read, and his school
troubles resonate with kids. This pack or version thereof are on frequent offer.
Mythbusters: Confirm or Bust (bk #2) – Science experiments are a great way for kids to learn through
activities, and no one better to walk them through it than the
Mythbusters, TV’s squad of specialists at exploring urban myths by
experiments. This is my daughter’s favourite show, and their sense of
fun combined with curiosity is a great inspiration for anyone with
questions. Note – this is their second, now!
Everything On It – this is a posthumously edited and published book of Silverstein’s extensive body of work left behind. His family and editor worked on it together, and the result, while a bit uneven, sure feels and looks like the ones he was directly involved in. I reviewed it here in more detail.
Silly Stories pack – Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and its follow-up tales by Judi Barrett. Silly, indeed, with fantastically detailed illustrations, my daughter loved these.
Let’s Do Nothing! – this picture book is about two boys who attempt to do nothing – and don’t really succeed all that well. On to the next activity… Very cartoon-styled, and lots of fun.
Captain Underpants – I know. he’s gross and crude and it’s bathroom humour and adults get disrespected and omg… but. They are funny. That, and even kids who would tell you they hate reading will read them, so even though YES, they are not high art of even medium art, I’m going to say if you’ve got the kid who loves the gross fart jokes, you may just want to try these.
Magic Tree House – I’m not always a fan of big series for kids, although they very
definitely serve a purpose. They are by nature formulaic, and often not
well-written. These definitely follow a formula, but the writing is
better than it has to be, and the various times and places visited give
kids a nice little taste of history and different cultures, which I
like. These appear in great and smaller packs all the time, so if you want a bigger pack, hold off so you can get them all at once with duplicates.
Klutz Star Wars Foldable Flyers – Every month, I tell you how much I like the Klutz kits for their simple
instructions and the fact that they contain everything you need. This is a great pick (or gift item) for a Star Wars fan with the patience to fold carefully.
Judy Blume pack – Otherwise Known As Sheila The Great, Fourth Grade Nothing… these are not the girly Blume books, but
ones with great appeal for grades 3-5. These are still much-requested
and somehow, these
good old favourites are still relevant, funny, and totally relateable.
Arrow
The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers – this is the second series in the 39 Clues, and continues to be written by fantastic, big-name authors, though this newest one is an adult author used to writing thrillers (David Baldacci, wha?!). #6 is available here on its own or in a pack with the other 5.
Old Yeller – Yeah, it’s a classic. but I also have to warn you that I used about a box and a half of kleenex when I read it is grade 5 or 6 on my mom’s advice because it was a classic, so while I like to point out the solid stuff that shows up here, I also have to tell you this one comes with that caveat.
Titanic trilogy – Korman has a few trilogies, all with an adventure/disaster/survival
theme that gives them great boy appeal (think Everest, Kidnapped, and
ones about being trapped on a deserted island and one about a dive).
They are well done, and this was timed with the 100th anniversary of the
sinking last year, when attention was on Titanic everywhere.
Percy Jackson & The Olympians – I love this series. The writing moves quickly, the quests are studded
with many mythological monsters, and the overarching storyline is the
stuff of archetype. I highly recommend this series, which grabs readers
and carries along so masterfully that even a lot of reluctant boys at
work have chewed through them.
My Story megapack – This pack of 15 titles shows ten of the titles aimed directly at boys and taking place mostly in battles, and five that are about major events and royalty. Diary-format books about he lives of people who lived through historic times have been working well for a lot of kids, and as with the Dear Canada series, there are some solid authors involved here. If you’ve got a history buff, this pack might just be worth it for a good bunch of reading.
Diary of Anne Frank – for Holocaust remembrance that doesn’t dwell on the horror, but brings home how normal kids got caught in a terrible time, this famous historic document is a perfect way to start talking about something so big and so hard.
Dear Canada: Pieces of the Past – these diary-format books highlight major events in Canadian history from
the perspective of someone involved or affected, bringing history to
life. The
quality of these books in
generally quite high, and they are written by some top-drawer authors. This one focuses on the Holocaust, and is written by Carol Matas, who visits this topic frequently.
50 Things To Draw and Paint – I like these little Usborne books of art ideas. The pictures and
instructions are nice and clear, so kids can do much of this on their
own by this age, and my own kid loves looking through them
for ideas. These are also on frequent offer, so if this one isn’t what
you’re looking for, check back next month.
Sadako & The Thousand Paper Cranes – Another famous story of war, this slim volume is about a girl’s wish for peace and life as she is dying after the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It’s a tear-jerker, but also about hope and again, an approachable way to start discussing war at a child’s level.
The Giver – This is another classic Newbery Award title and dystopian standard for
older kids. Lois Lowry is an outstanding writer, and if you have a kid
who reads fantasies or sci-fi, you can’t go wrong here. (It’s also
likely to be found on reading lists from school.)
Award Winners Pack – Holes; Bud, Not Buddy; Al Capone Does My Shirts. The first is a strange and wonderful book that has a sort of dream-like, mythic quality to it that all comes together at the end, and it’s one of those books that both grownups and kids really, really like. A must-read. The second, a depression-era tale about a boy searching for his dad, out on his own and touched with both jazz and a good dose of humour. The third mixes funny and suspense to great effect. This is good reading, in this pack.
Calvin & Hobbes Pack – these are funny – you might remember them from a good 20-25 years ago?
They still appeal. Readers and reluctant readers alike enjoy cartoons, so if your kid won’t
gravitate to a full-on novel just yet, these might grab his/her
attention in the meantime, not to mention that you can share some good
belly laughs reading them together!
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