Kids Fiction
IT’S A TIGER by David LaRochelle
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A boy is exploring the jungle, watching the monkeys swing from vine to vine. But one monkey looks suspiciously like . . . A TIGER! The boy tries to escape the tiger, hiding with various other jungle creatures. But everywhere he goes, the tiger seems to turn up! Does the tiger want to eat the boy? Or is he just looking for some attention?
This new picture book from David La Rochelle has great, bold illustrations and a fun story that is sure to keep kids giggling. The large illustrations and frequent repeated refrain (“It’s a tiger!”) make this a great book for story times as well.
IF THAT BREATHES FIRE, WE’RE TOAST by Jennifer J. Stewart
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When Rick’s mother first decides that they will be moving from their home in San Diego out to the middle of nowhere near Tuscon, Arizona, Rick is horrified. He wasn’t even consulted before his mom made this huge decision that affected his life terribly. And Arizona is approximately a billion degrees all the time. Although his new neighbor Natalie seems pretty cool, she is a girl and therefore less-than-ideal best friend material. But when the company that is supposed to be sending them a new furnace instead sends them a real, live dragon, life in Arizona promises to get a little more interesting.
This book is a fun, light read for readers who enjoy books about dragons (but aren’t purists–this dragon doesn’t always act like a dragon) or readers who like silly, quirky stories. Other books about adapting to a new home after a move include Lost: A Dog Called Bear by Wendy Orr, Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn, The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester, and Ellie Ever by Nancy Ruth Patterson.
THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM–1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
Kenny has never been one of the popular kids, in part because of his lazy eye that makes him look kind of funny, but mostly because he is smart and good at school–which automatically makes him uncool. It is both a blessing and a curse that he has the very cool troublemaker Byron as his older brother. While Byron and his friends often bully Kenny, Byron can also get Kenny off the hook with some of the other school bullies. But when Byron crosses one-too-many lines, their parents make a big decision: the whole family (including Byron and Kenny’s little sister Joetta) will be leaving their home in snowy Flint, Michigan and traveling down to Birmingham, Alabama where their grandmother lives. Byron will be spending the whole summer with Grandma Sands, and if he doesn’t get his act together, he’ll be stuck there for the whole next school year. Kenny is excited about his first adventure to the South, but there are some things he couldn’t quite prepare for.
Dedicated to the four young victims of the 1963 Birmingham church bombing, The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963 is undeniably a Civil Rights story. But the approach that Curtis takes in his novel is somewhat unique. The majority of the story is not about politics, racism, or hatred. The focal point of the story is the family relationships. Curtis focuses on characters, rather than events, making this family living in the past seem real and relatable to modern readers. When the Civil Rights issue finally enters toward the end of the novel, the reader’s understanding of the events is framed by the reader’s intimacy with the characters. While Curtis does not shy away from describing events that are both frightening and tragic, the strength and resilience of his characters and the message of his epilogue will leave readers with a sense of hope and closure. This is a phenomenal book, and I highly recommend it!
If you liked The Watsons Go To Birmingham–1963, you might like The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon.
FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER by E.L. Konigsburg
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Claudia knows that she is under-appreciated, and she intends to teach her parents a lesson. That is why she begins plotting to run away. She selects her younger brother Jamie as her companion, for although Claudia has all of the grand plans, she lacks Jamie’s sense for financial planning. They hide in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, originally planning to return after a few days, when their parents are sure to no longer take Claudia for granted. But when they discover a mystery surrounding a museum sculpture, the adventure becomes even more exciting and Claudia is determined not to return home until the adventure has changed her from the ordinary girl she was into someone heroic and different.
Winner of the 1967 Newbery Award, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a children’s literature classic. It addresses themes of growing up, the balance between fun and responsibility, and finding adventure in ordinary life. If you liked From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, I would also recommend Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit and A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. For teens, I would recommend Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt.
LUNCH LADY AND THE CYBORG SUBSTITUTE by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
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The Breakfast Bunch have always wondered what their Lunch Lady’s life was like outside of school. But they never suspected that she was secretly a crime-fighting vigilante who uses her incredible strength and a slew of interesting gadgets to keep the school safe from all evil. So when a suspicious substitute teacher shows up, the Lunch Lady is immediately on his tail, with the unsuspecting Breakfast Bunch trailing along behind them.
This popular graphic novel series is both action-packed and hilariously funny. Captain Underpants lovers will be delighted to discover this new comical school-themed superhero series. It will appeal most to upper-elementary age readers.
If you like the Lunch Lady series, you might like N.E.R.D.S. by Michael Buckley.
THE FANTASTIC SECRET OF OWEN JESTER by Barbara O’Connor
Owen hates that his family had to move into his grandfather’s house. First off, the horrible housekeeper, Earlene, has no sense of humor and yells at Owen for the stupidest things. And now that Owen doesn’t live on the same street as Travis and Stumpy, his friends always do things without him. Worst of all is Viola, his annoying, know-it-all next door neighbor who always sticks her nose into Owen’s business. There only good thing about living at his grandfather’s house is Tooley, the biggest bull frog in Carter, Georgia, who Owen caught in his grandfather’s pond. But when Tooley starts looking ill, Owen needs to find a way to make the frog happy. And when he hears a crate fall off of a train in the night, Owen realizes he may have another exciting summer project–both of which he is determined to accomplish without Viola’s help.
The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester is a story about responsibility and friendship. As Owen matures throughout the novel, he is able to empathize, first with his frog and then with Viola, and he begins to make less selfish decisions. The book will most likely appeal to upper-elementary age readers who enjoy realistic fiction or stories with detailed Southern settings.
If you liked The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester, you might like The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly, The Missing Manatee by Cynthia DeFelice, and Moon Over Manifest by Claire Vanderpool.
FABLEHAVEN by Brandon Mull
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Kendra and Seth are dreading spending two weeks with their Grandpa and Grandma Sorenson. First, their trip was prompted by the death of both of their maternal grandparents who requested in their will that all of their children (including Kendra and Seth’s parents) use their inheritance to take a long vacation. Second, although Kendra and Seth were very close to their grandparents who passed away, they hardly know the Sorensons at all. They’ve never been to visit, and every time their grandparents visit them, there is something distant and mysterious about them. When they arrive at the farm, their grandmother is missing, and their grandfather immediately lectures them with bizarre rules and forbidden areas of the property. But when Seth begins exploring out of bounds and Kendra finds some keys and a mysterious diary hidden in the attic, they discover that there are more secrets on Grandpa Sorenson’s farm than they ever could have imagined. Suddenly plunged into a world of fairies, witches, naiads, and other fantastical creatures, Seth and Kendra quickly learn that even a small act of carelessness could plunge their entire family into mortal danger.
The Fablehaven series is sure to be popular with fantasy lovers. While much of the first book is devoted to establishing the characters, the fantasy world, and the future conflict, the action picks up toward the end of the novel and leaves you hanging with the promise of sequels. The adventure continues in Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star. There are five books in the series.
If you liked Fablehaven, you might like The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley or Dreamwood by Heather Mackey. Teen readers who liked Fablehaven and enjoy dark fantasy might enjoy Reckless by Cornelia Funke.
BAD KITTY FOR PRESIDENT by Nick Bruel
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When Old Kitty retires as president of the Neighborhood Cat Club, all of the kitties, from both the Left and the Right sides of the street are vying for his position. After the primaries (a rigorous round of baby-kissing), Kitty is nominated to represent the Right in a fierce contest with the Left’s candidate, Big Kitty. After both Kitty and Big Kitty fail to get an endorsement from Old Kitty, they begin their campaigns in earnest. But will a snazzy website and mudslinging TV ads be enough to win Kitty the election?
Bad Kitty for President is a great read for election year. One of the more educational of the Bad Kitty books, the story includes a fairly detailed description of the election process, including definitions of key election-related terms. And of course, the story is hilarious, narrated as though the author is speaking to the cat, advising and admonishing her as her devious mind comes up with new schemes. I am convinced that all cats are as devious as Bad Kitty. I highly recommend the Bad Kitty series to 3rd-4th grade readers who enjoy humor and/or animal stories.
FRANKIE PICKLE AND THE CLOSET OF DOOM by Eric Wight
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Frankie Piccolini and his trusty dog Argile go on many adventures. They hunt for treasure in the Amazon, fight vicious lava monsters in subterranean caves, and save the world from the onslaught of giant mechanical robots–and they do it all without ever leaving Frankie’s bedroom. But when Mayor Mom gives Frankie a choice–clean your room or deal with The Consequences–Frankie chooses The Consequences and the Pickle Cave quickly turns into a giant bottomless pit of dirty clothes, broken toys, and half-eaten, rotting sandwiches. Although it was glorious at first, Frankie’s mess starts to get in the way of his superhero adventures. Even Argile will no longer enter the Pickle Cave. Will Frankie Pickle have to relent and take care of The Consequences once and for all?
One of 2012-2013’s VSRA Virginia Reader’s Choice Award nominees, Frankie Pickle is a prose/graphic novel hybrid about a boy’s incredible imagination and the adventures of real life. This short and humorous book may appeal to reluctant readers, particularly in grades 3-5. It is the first in a series, followed by Frankie Pickle and the Mathematical Menace and Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000.
If you liked Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom, you might like Captain Awesome to the Rescue.
CAPTAIN AWESOME TO THE RESCUE by Stan Kirby
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Starting a new school at age eight can be a terrifying experience. Luckily for Eugene McGillicudy, he has an alter-ego as a superhero: Captain Awesome, the MI-TEE-est superhero ever (except of course for Super Dude, the hero in the comic books Eugene likes to read). Dressed in his Captain Awesome outfit, Eugene is prepared to defend his toys from the drool of Queen Stinkypants from Planet Baby (aka, his little sister); he is prepared to face the horrible mind-reading powers of his new teacher Ms. Beastly—err, Beasley; he may even be prepared to face the torments of the pink-ribbon wearing nightmare Meredith Mooney who sits near him in class. But will he be able to figure out who stole Turbo the hamster before he gets accused of losing the precious class pet? And will Charlie Thomas Jones turn out to be the superhero-loving potential best friend he claims to be or just another super villain in disguise? Find out in Captain Awesome to the Rescue! by Stan Kirby.
Different from the typical humorous superhero book for the 2nd-4th grade reader, Captain Awesome himself possesses no superhero powers and fights no real supervillians. The books are about a boy using his huge imagination to survive in the average everyday world with which readers will be familiar. His adventures continue in Captain Awesome vs. Nacho Cheese Man.
Susan the Librarian 