Book Reviews

Just click on any link below, and you'll be taken directly to my review of that book. The books are listed in alphabetical order by title:




REVIEWS OF INDIVIDUAL BOOKS:


A
Arthur, For the Very First Time, by Patricia MacLachlan

B
Black Duck, by Janet Taylor Lisle

C
Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes
The City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau


D
Dirty Dog Boogie, by Loris Lesynski
The Dirty Cowboy, by Amy Timberlake, illustrated by Adam Rex 
Dragon's Keep, by Janet Lee Carey

E
The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery, by Graeme Base
The Encyclopedia of Immaturity: How to Never Grow Up, by the Editors of Klutz
Enigma: A Magical Mystery, by Graeme Base


F
First Light, by Rebecca Stead
Fish, by Gregory Mone
Fly by Night, by Frances Hardinge
Frog and Toad Together, by Arnold Lobel
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil. E. Frankweiler, by E. L. Konigsburg


G
The Geronimo Stilton chapter book series, by Geronimo Stilton


H
Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh
Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm, by Jerdine Nolan, illustrated by Mark Buehner
Here Be Monsters! The Ratbridge Chronicles, Volume 1, by Alan Snow
The Higher Power of Lucky, by Susan Patron, illustrated by Matt Phelan
Hoot, by Carl Hiaasen
How I Became a Pirate, by Melinda Long, illustrated by David Shannon
How to Train Your Dragon, by Cressida Cowell


I
I, Crocodile, by Fred Marcellino


J
The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters, by Janet and Allan Allsburg
Just Grace, by Charise Mericle Harper


K
Kenny and the Dragon, by Tony DiTerlizzi


L
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book One), by Rick Riordan
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, by Kevin Henkes
Little Quack, by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Derek Anderson
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, by Gary D. Schmidt
A Long Way from Chicago, by Richard Peck
Love, Ruby Lavender, by Deborah Wiles
Lulu and the Dog from the Sea, by Hilary McKay, illustrated by Priscilla Lamont


M
Magpie Gabbard and the Quest for the Buried Moon, by Sally M. Keehn
The Moffats, by Eleanor Estes
The Mousehunter, by Alex Milway
The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart


P
Paper Towns, by John Green
Pete and Pickles, by Berkeley Breathed


S
The Shamer's Daughter, by Lene Kaaberbol
The Sorcerer's Letterbox, by Simon Rose
Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
Splendors and Glooms, by Laura Amy Schlitz
"Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" by Patricia Thomas, illustrated by Wallace Tripp
Stink and the Great Guinea Pig Express, by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Stink: Solar System Superhero, by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Surviving the Applewhites, by Stephanie S. Tolan


T
The Tail of Emily Windsnap, by Liz Kessler
The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo
Tap Dancing on the Roof: sijo (poems), by Linda Sue Park
The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner
Things Not Seen, by Andrew Clements
Three Rotten Eggs, by Gregory Maguire, Illustrated by Elaine Clayton
The Tickle-Octopus, by Audrey Wood
The Time Travelers (Book One of the Gideon Trilogy), by Linda Buckley-Archer
To Catch a Mermaid, by Suzanne Selfors


W
Walter: The Story of a Rat, by Barbara Wersba, illustrated by Donna Diamond
Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein
A Whole Nother Story, As told by (The One and Only) Dr. Cuthbert Soup
The Willoughbys, by Lois Lowry
The Wump World, by Bill Peet




COLLECTIVE REVIEWS


Halloween Hoopla
Contains brief reviews of the following:
Whooo's There? by Lily Jones, illustrated by Chris Demarest
The Hallow-Weiner, by Dav Pilkey
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, by Linda Williams, illustrated by Megan Lloyd
The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Ivan Bates
The Spider and the Fly, Based on the Cautionary Tale by Mary Howitt, illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi


Picture Book Round-Up for Valentine's Day
Contains brief reviews of the following:
My Penguin Osbert, by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, illustrated by H. B. Lewis
Bad Dog, Marley! by John Grogan, illustrated by Richard Cowdrey
Frog and Toad are Friends, by Arnold Lobel
Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes
Just Like You, by Jan Fearnley
Rainbabies, by Laura Krauss Melmed, illustrated by Jim LaMarche
The Patchwork Quilt, by Valerie Flournoy, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Goodnight, My Angel: A Lullabye, by Billy Joel, illustrated by Yvonne Gilbert
The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn, illustrated by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak
Miss Spider's Wedding, by David Kirk


These are a Few of My Favorite Things
Contains brief reviews of the following:
The Christmas Ship, by Dean Morrissey
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, by Susan Wojciechowski, illustrated by P. J. Lynch
The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg
Santa Claus, by Rod Green, illustrated by Jon Lucas and Carol Wright
Santa Calls, by William Joyce
Red Ranger Came Calling, by Berkeley Breathed
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson, illustrated by Judith Gwyn Brown


These are a Few More of My Favorite Things
Contains brief reviews of the following:
A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition, by Lee Mendelson with reminiscences by Bill Melendez
The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian Andersen, illustrated by Rachel Isadora
The Littlest Angel, by Charles Tazewell, Illustrated by Paul Micich
Winter's Gift, by Jane Monroe Donovan
One Winter's Night, by John Herman, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon