Scholastic Decoder: January 2013 Edition

It seems late in the month to be doing a Decoder, but I just got our flyers today, so I’m not the only one late off the mark, what with school starting a bit late in the month and getting back into routines. But! here we are, familiar newsprint flyers in hand. Let’s dive in, shall we?

Elf
Chinese New Year Pack – Two books makes for a nice taste without being so big a pack as to be bringing in less-than-great material. The Runaway Wok is a cute, Asian-flavoured take on the runaway gingerbread man/pancake/tortilla story we all know and love, and the other book is a gorgeously-illustrated story about the famous lion dance that is one of the best-known traditions of the Chinese New Year.
Snow Much Fun! Pack – I love books about winter, even if I hate the actual season, and this is a nice winter pack that is a little less typical than the usual “winter activities” fare. If you’re looking to expand your collection of winter tales, this would be a nice set.
Little Pea – this book is a funny take on the picky eater, told from the point of view of a pea who loves his veggies and hates the candy his parents insist he eat. It’s a funny way to show how silly the behaviour can be, and a gentle lesson that doesn’t feel like one, especially with cute illustrations to lighten it even further. My daughter loved this and its companion titles, and I enjoyed them quite a lot myself.
Cat In the Hat Animal Pack – I really like these Cat in the hat science books, which manage to open
up topics and teach a few good solid facts in a really fresh and
engaging way.
Jillian Jiggs Library – Jillian Jiggs is a bold, imaginative girl who is always up to hatching some new plot and taking her friends along with her, as this set shows over and over again. The stories are told in a bouncing rhyme and illustrated with Phoebe Gilman’s signature charm. These are classic Canadian fare by now, and worth looking at if you are looking for some fun new additions.
Eric Carle Concepts Pack – Carle is great at winding concepts into stories, as he does in The Grouchy Ladybug, and From Head to Toe
is a fun movement book, which I use as a stretch, and also teaches body
parts. Carle is a favourite author of many great books, and a frequent
author study.
***Goodnight Moon – This is perhaps the single most iconic bedtime book there is. If you don’t have it and your little one is still little, you really ought to introduce them to this gem.
***Interrupting Chicken – this very silly Caldecott honour book is great fun for a read-aloud and
sharing, and a hit whenever I’ve read it. A little chicken keeps
interrupting his dad, who tries to read him a bedtime story, until the
tables are turned. Definitely a top pick!
Best Spring Board Book Collection – I like this board book collection for families with kids small enough to still be a hazard to the printed word. It’s got several excellent titles, and while packs always have the runts in the litter, even the runts here are not bad!
Repeaters: These Titles and packs are starting to show up on a very regular basis
David Shannon Pack – This is another set of silly favourites that make kids howl. David gets
in lots of trouble, which kids love, but they always end on a sweet note
as affirmation that makes it all okay. I love Shannon’s illustrations,
and kids never fail to scream with laughter over the page with the bare
bum, as you can imagine…
Bear and Friends Collection – This series of bear books have a jazzy rhythm to them that make for good
reading aloud. There are several of them now, some stronger than
others, and they occasionally show up in packs.
The Duckling Gets a Cookie?! – The latest of Mo Willems’ pigeon books (see next), also starring the Duckling, who gets one up on the Pigeon again.
Silly Pigeon Pack – The pigeon books show up Mo Willems’ background as an animator to
perfection, written entirely in dialogue that shows a perfect ear for
the hilarious. Kids love these, and if you are willing to ham it up a
bit, they are fantastic read-alouds.

SeeSaw
Bringing in the New Year – This story about celebrating the Chinese New Year is a nice fit for primary school kids, and has great illustrations.
***African Tales Pack – Three classic tales, all told by master tellers and masterfully illustrated. It really doesn’t get any better than this for retellings of African tales, and the Caldecott Awards committee has agreed, honouring or awarding every one of the trio. Highly recommended.
Character Traits Pack – I generally don’t like books that seek to teach children about manners,
and so on, as they tend to be no fun and are often badly written. In
this case, however, we have a pack of books that are each good reads in
their own right, which have been selected to demonstrate qualities
rather than being written to that purpose. These are a nice bunch of
titles!
National Geographic Little Kids: Dinosaurs – What little kid doesn’t love dinosaurs at some point? and National Geographic puts together a nicely-leveled, attractively photographed, and solidly informative book on the topic aimed just for them here.
***Is Everyone Ready for Some Fun? – I LOVE this book. You want to get a group of kids on their feet jumping around like fools? This is the ticket, right here. It’s silly, interactive, and bound to get giggles and action. If you read to a group or like to get giddy during story time, this needs to be on your shelf.
You Read To Me, I’ll Read To You Pack – These books are a great, low-pressure way to start reading with your kid. They feature short rhyming stories, with lines for each of two readers, and some shared lines. They are fun, often funny, and were the only way I could get my daughter to read aloud with me for the longest time, as she didn’t feel like the spotlight was all on her. Definitely great for encouraging early readers who are still gaining confidence!
***Classic Picture Books Pack – I occasionally have quibbles about what people consider “classics,” but even the ones that I’d say aren’t old enough to be true classics in this collection are ones I’d have to concede are truly “modern classics,” and I don’t use that term lightly. This is a very good pack of six titles, even though I would have preferred to see an original Curious George title over this recent one.
Repeaters: These Titles and packs are starting to show up on a very regular basis
Chester Pack – Chester is not pleased with the direction his author is taking, and
tries to steer things his way in these very funny picture books that are
a
big hit with kids. Chester is likely to appear again, though he is not a
constant, so if don’t necessarily want them all, you could wait it out.

Lucky
Martin Luther King, Jr. Pack – this pack includes one solid, straight-forward, but kid-friendly non-fiction title from National Geographic about MLK’s life, and one really wonderful picture book that talks about him and the impact of his words, all set against gorgeous illustrations. This is a good choice for this topic, though for broader interest in Black History and a Canadian perspective, the title next to it, The Kids Book of Black Canadian History is of course the pick that will cover those bases better.
Crosby’s Golden Goal – Mike Leonetti is the current go-to guy for hockey writing, and has told a host of famous stories for a younger audience. This moment in Canadian hockey history is a  proud one, and Crosby being a current superstar is likely to resonate with sports-loving kids. 
The Legend of Diamond Lil / A.J. Tully mystery pack – These are really fun mysteries starring dogs, written in a spoof of noir style that is aimed just right for kids, not over their heads. When I read the first one to Girl 8, she declared it the best book ever, and while I might not go that far, they are really enjoyable and a good read.
Amelia Bedelia Goes To Work Pack – Who doesn’t love Amelia Bedelia? These books are classics that you might remember yourself, in which the loopy housekeeper follows instructions to the literal letter, always misinterpreting things based on homophones or idioms. These are actually also a great exercise in language, and work well for the sense of humour of most kids.
Ramona and Family Pack –  Ramona. Who doesn’t love Ramona? Classic and full of heart, yet cheeky and hilarious, she is the model for every precocious girl in early chapter books since. This is not every book in the series, but a good collection to get going with.
***E. B. White Pack – all three books from this masterful storyteller in one pack, and for a total of $7? You should not pass this up if you don’t have these yet. Stuart Little is fun and written in little episodes that work well for bedtime or group reading aloud, Charlotte’s Web is a serious classic that every child should read, and Trumpet of the Swan is quieter, but still a beautiful story of friendship.
Repeaters: These Titles and packs are starting to show up on a very regular basis
Diary of a Wimpy Kid box set- 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. The pack is on frequent offer.
A note on non-fiction, Captain Underpants, and hockey chapter books –  these are all the stuff that hooks reluctant readers by being accessible or addressing interests of theirs. If these are going to speak to your kid, even if they are not serious literature? You should go for it.

Arrow
Stone Fox – this one bears the label “classic,” to be sure. It’s the story of a young boy who wants to win a dogsled race to save the farm, but meets equally determined contenders, and it’s full of grit and adventure. Think Jack London, but written a little younger. This is probably a good pick for Gary Paulsen fans or kids who enjoy survival and adventure stories.
Hideout / Swindle Pack – Gordon Korman is a standard suggestion for kids looking for a funny but
well-written novel, most of which are set in or around school. This
series is about a group of kids and a dog, and Zoobreak was a Silver
Birch nominee last year. Korman’s been a
Canadian favourite for a good 30 years now, and is still going strong
for good reason!
Dear Canada / I Am Canada – 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. 
I Have a Dream – a beautifully illustrated picture-format book of Martin Luther King’s famously moving and important speech.
***The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963 – this novel is, as the title suggests, about a family who goes to Alabama in the early 60s, when civil rights tensions were running extremely high. They are black, and also happen to be there at the same time as the famous church bombing. It’s a book that can educate, move you deeply, and make you laugh, all in one very readable package. Highly recommended!
Hold Fast – This is a new one from Blue Balliett, and I’m going to confess that I have not read it yet. I don’t often recommend books I haven’t read, but I will say I have loved everything Balliett has written so far, so I’m going out on what seems like a fairly sturdy limb. and I’m also going to make sure to read this soon, because hey, new work from one fantastic writer!
***The Hobbit / The Lord of the Rings – I doubt this needs any introduction, especially with the movies that have been made of them now, but this is perhaps the single most seminal fantasy series out there, and is a serious classic. The reading level is very high, and the books long, so these are definitely for only the most sophisticated and avid readers, or for reading together, unless you are building a book collection to carry them through their teen years. in any case, these are a very worthy addition to your child’s literary knowledge.
Amulet Pack – I’ve read the first three of these graphic novels, and can’t wait to get around to the last two now. These are beautiful and full of adventure and fantasy. I reviewed them not long ago here, if you’d like more detail on them.
Holes – Holes is one of those magic books that adults love, and kids come and
ask for on their own. It’s an odd one, featuring a bizarre assortment of
kids, and in the end, it wraps up into the most beautifully told and
rounded out tale, one with a mythical quality that I just love. This is
good stuff, here.
Repeaters: These Titles and packs are starting to show up on a very regular basis
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. The pack is on frequent offer,
Icefire pack – this series about a dragon is a hefty read, but enjoyed by
fans of the equally weighty Eragon saga. These get requested a lot, and
it’s rare to find more than one on the shelf, despite being impressively
large tomes.
Percy Jackson Library – These. Are. Awesome. Kids have loved them, they read like you’re
watching it happen, and they may just spark an interest in Greek
mythology. I highly recommend these if your kid hasn’t read them yet.
Rick Riordan Mythology Starter Pack – Riordan now has three series – the completed Percy Jackson saga, a second series in the same world, but with different characters, and the Kane Chronicles, based on Egyptian mythology rather than Greek. This pack contains the first book of each of them, a good way to try them out or give your kid a taste of them, but be prepared for them to want the rest!
Big Nate Pack – This series is the natural successor to the Wimpy Kids books, having a
similar half-graphic format, school setting, and kid who gets into
scrapes. They are, perhaps, a little brattier, but the same kids who
love Wimpy Kid are eating these up, so if it’s all your kid wants to
read, it may be worth picking up this month or pretty much any other
month. This pack is just the first two of this series, though, so if you want them all, you could wait.
A note on The Hunger Games trilogy – I expect these to show up a lot this school year, after the massive popularity
of the movie last spring. The books had been huge with teens before that
– and to be honest, that is who I think should be reading them. If you
have a very sophisticated reader, it might be something that you could
read together and talk about, but otherwise, I believe that these are
worth waiting for when kids are old enough to appreciate them.