It’s April! There’s Spring! And Easter! And Poetry Month!
And some good stuff to find in this month’s Scholastic flyers, too, if you know how to look…
Elf
* Favourite Authors Library – there are some GREAT books in this batch, and the price cannot be beat. This is a seriously good buy if you don’t already own a bunch of them. (Tip: if you own just a couple? You can give the duplicate as a gift.)
Curious George pack – 4 out of the 5 are the original books written by HA Rey, not the later spinoffs, and the last one is about the library, which I can’t argue with, either. This is a solid set.
Just Going to the Dentist – I have a soft spot for Little Critter, and dentist visits are a good topic to let him tackle if they are an issue with your kids. He’s just so… cute. And messy, but also sweet.
Max’s Chocolate Chicken – one of the original Max & Ruby stories, from before their TV fame, this is a fun Easter story about sharing chocolate. (Not that I would share chocolate, but…)
Magic School Bus Readers: Human Body Pack – these are frequent flyers in Scholastic, but I do like them, and so do kids, so if you don’t have any yet, this may be a fun place to start.
Klutz Paper Flowers and Foam Rockets – again, Klutz kits show up fairly often, but I like them. They are good fun for kids, come with everything you need to do the projects, and have super clear instructions to follow. These also make really good gifts – both of these would be worthwhile.
Treasury of 100 Storybook Classics on DVD – I don’t recommend DVDs often, but these are award-winning adaptations of good solid picture books, and they are fantastic. The whole set is a bit pricey, so if you don’t feel you need this many, keep your eyes open for a smaller 25-story set that sometimes shows up, too.
Little White Rabbit – hey! I just reviewed this last week! This is the new hardcover, and the price is less than the list price, but more than the online price at certain online vendors.
* How Do Dinosaurs? pack – I love these books. Partly because I adore Mark Teague as an illustrator, and partly because I like their method of teaching little lessons in a humourous, gentle way, these are winners with me, and with most every kid |I’ve read them to, too.
SeeSaw
Sitting Duck and the Quack Quack Pack – no, that’s not a new band, this flyer has both the new single title in this series and the two before it as separate items, but duck is always fun, so I recommend either – or both.
* The Tiny Seed – a charming Eric Carle about life cycles and natural selection, with a fantastical twist at the end. I love so much of his work, and this is no exception.
Murmel Murmel Murmel – this very early Munsch is as sweet as it is silly, starring a baby who needs a home, a responsible young girl, and a truck driver whose arms are empty.
* The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! – if you are not yet familiar with the ridiculous magic that is Jon Scieszka, start here. His fractured fairy tales are second to none, and this might be the best of the lot.
Little Bear – this beginning reader is nearly an early chapter book, with its handful of sweet, gentle little stories about Little Bear, his mother, and his friends. Somehow less saccharine and more charming than he is on tv, Little Bear is quite charming in his books, where I far prefer him.
365 Things to Make and Do – I recommend these Usborne books every month because I hae found some great little projects in them, and they have also gained the stamp of approval from Girl 6, but I will caution that if you have a handful, there is some repetition.
Franklin Classic Library – again, these are the originals, not the tv spinoffs, and as usual, the originals are way better stories.
Little House Boxed Set – I will admit, I was never a huge fan of Little House – I know, it’s a classic, but it didn’t grab me. I do know a ton of families who love these, though, and if you have fond memories and want to introduce the stories to your children, too, this is a really good buy.
Lucky
Magic School Bus: The Great Shark Escape – this early chapter format stretches out the adventures further, but the same things apply in these books as in the picture books and readers – you get some learning, some bad jokes, and a wild ride.
* Shel Silverstein poetry pack – it’s poetry month in April, and if you buy nothing else this month, buy these. It’s a pricey pack, but for these three hardcovers, totally worth it. They are hilarious, a massive hit with kids and adults alike, and good for hours and hours of reading.
50 Rainy Day activities – As above in SeeSaw, I really like these books, but if you are contemplating buying a few, you may find a bit of overlap, ie. a few of these activities may also show up in the book of 365 things to do that is in SeeSaw.
Boom Splat Kablooey – if you are looking for high impact science fun, this one has everything you need. It’s a bit pricey for the number of experiments, but if you are the sort to feel a little jittery about dropping rock salt or mentos into Coke without a special tube to control it, this is the way to have the fun without the fear.
Big Book of Science Things to Make and Do – I’m a firm believer in experiments for kids. They are fun, messy, and teach them stuff without them even realizing it. I can’t wait to get my hands into some of the stuff in here – and I’m doing some of it for Girl 6’s birthday party. Kaboom!
* Ramona Super Pack – I *LOVE* Ramona. I would wear it on a T-shirt. And this also makes me consider taking back what I said about only buying Shel Silverstein, but not quite. If you’ve got a girl between 5 and 10 and she does not know Ramona yet, I am here to tell you it is your duty to get them acquainted. This should do the trick…
Big Nate – Big Nate is a lot of fun, and a natural next step for kids who loved the Wimpy Kid series. If you’re looking for that follow-up, this kid’s it.
Calvin & Hobbes pack – you remember this crazy duo? Not a must-buy, but if hours of laugh-filled reading can possibly be wrong, I don’t want to be right. (Yes, I read these a LOT as a younger person and they still crack me up.)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Collection – another monthly offering, Wimpy Kid is a bona fide hit with kids, and a definitely a fun. light read.
Arrow
Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger – Lois Sachar’s Wayside stories are twisty and wacky, and great fun reads for those kids who like a little silly in their cereal. The short story format is nice for not-so-strong readers, too.
Titanic – I don’t often recommend without reading, but Gordon Korman is a solid writer, and his previous adventures trilogies have gone over really well with kids, so I think it’s worth it to pick this up for a kid who loves a tale of danger and suspense. Speaking of which… his other trilogies are on this flyer, further down.
Big Nate – as above in Lucky
Big Book of Experiments
– a little more advanced than the science activity book in Lucky, this should keep a curious kid busy for a while… I totally want this.
Poetry for Young People pack – books of poetry by some amazing authors, but some of it is a little highbrow, so you really need to have a strong, curious reader to make this worth putting on their shelf.
Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl – this requires a sophisticated reader to handle the material and get the poignancy of it, but it is, of course, a classic and an accessible way to talk about a horrible bit of history.
*Umbrella Summer – it’s a heavy topic to start with – a girl whose brother dies and is now terrified and hyper-cautious – but the writing here is charming, the character one you take to heart, and I really liked this book.
Gordon Korman trilogies pack – a departure from his usual funny fare, Korman has also been making a name as a writer of gripping adventures/survival stories in trilogy form. These are big hits with kids who like that kind of story, and he is, as always, an entertaining writer.
The Usual Suspects: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Collection and the Percy Jackson set – are here again, and still great books, if you don’t already have them. Wimpy Kid is funny, light, and doesn’t require a strong reader, while Percy Jackson features Greek mythology, loads of action, and the kind of writing that pulls you right into the action.
Aaaaaaand that’s it!
Boy, it’s fun telling other people how to spend their money…