A Caldecott Honor book, this title follows the adventures of James and Eamon as they visit Eamon's grandparents while attending Nature Camp during the day. The book's humor comes from the interaction of the words and the pictures, which often communicate different ideas, like how James arrives with 'just a couple of his belongings,' but we can see an enormous pile of overflowing boxes behind him. Pick this title for an amusing story of a week of camp and play, with bright, relaxed illustrations.

Awards nominated: Monarch Award Nominee 2011

Awards won: Caldecott honor book 2009

Reviewed by: emc

Date read: 4/9/2010

ISBN-10: 0152060200

ISBN-13: 9780152060206

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Cowboy and Octopus become friends when Octopus shows Cowboy how to play on the teeter totter. Although they have their differences, Octopus is kind and tactful, Cowboy is truthful and blunt, they are both very loyal friends.

Awards nominated: Monarch Award Nominee 2011

Reviewed by: caroll

Date read: 4/6/2010

ISBN-10: 0670910589

ISBN-13: 9780670910588

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Zoe Elias dreams of being a piano prodigy. She is sure that she will perform in a concert at Carnegie Hall, with a long gown and white gloves, and that the audience will love her. What she gets is an electronic organ, which plays 24 different beats with the flip of a switch. What a surprise to learn that she enjoys playing the organ, and that she is good at it! While Zoe is learning about the organ, she is also learning about growing up, dealing with losing her best friend, and finding a new one, when the unusual boy in her class admires her playing ability. When her teacher suggests that she perform in a contest, Zoe is sure her luck is changing.

Similar books: You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman by Claudia Mills; Belle Teal by Ann M. Martin

Reviewed by: vfv

Date read: 5/21/2009

ISBN-10: 0152060073

ISBN-13: 9780152060077

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Melvin Beederman doesn't really feel like a superhero. He looks great in his uniform, he can run really, really fast, and his x-ray vision works just fine, but he can't leap tall buildings in a single bound (it takes 5 to 6 bounds every time) and he has great difficulty stopping a speeding train. Never the less, he graduates superhero school at the top of his class and is sent off to Los Angeles to protect the city. Everything goes well until he has to send his cape to the cleaners. It comes back several sizes too small and nothing seems to work anymore. Will Melvin ever be able to fight evil again? Who will stop the McNasty brothers?

Reviewed by: caroll

Date read: 10/4/2011

ISBN-10: 0805078363

ISBN-13: 9780805078367

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Commenter: Person, grade 0

Sam, Joe and Fred use The Book to travel to the 1500s, looking for Leonardo da Vinci. They are excited to meet the man who invented The Book, which has taken them to so many different historical places. Unfortunately, Leonardo didn't invent The Book, and has no idea how to help them return to Brooklyn. Can they create a weapon for the Italian Army? Or will they remain prisoners, cleaning toilets in 16th century Italy? This is book 14 in the series.

Reviewed by: donna

Date read: 9/20/2010

ISBN-10: 0670059269

ISBN-13: 9780670059263

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