Bartholomew and the Oobleck

Bartholomew and the Oobleck
written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss



Another childhood favorite--please tell me I'm not the only one who loved making "oobleck" out of cornstarch and water (and still do!). It's another classic Seuss story for kids to love and enjoy. This one actually doesn't contain much out of the ordinary, in comparison to other Seuss books, that is. It's humorous and the writing is pretty advanced, but still makes sense, a great highway to learning new vocabulary. The pictures are pretty neat, all black and white, except for the highlighted green oobleck, nonsensically whimsical as ever. Great for Seuss fans--I do recommend starting off with The Cat in the Hat, for obvious reasons, but I see no reason not to build upon that :)

I got this book from...:Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Allie Finkle!

I'm featuring two Meg Cabot books today, part of the charming middle grade Allie Finkle series!

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Stage Fright



Stage Fright comes out strong, setting a very powerful and perfect tone to a great story. This series really is great for fans of Barbara Park's snarky Junie B. Jones. It's the same brand of humor, and fans who may have outgrown Junie and are looking for something new to read will definitely find the same type of honest outlook on the world from Allie. Cabot is really good at keeping up with current pop culture and putting in age appropriate references, which would make the books all the more appealing with her target audience. This book is not only adorable and kid-friendly, it also contains simple environmentally-friendly facts for them to learn and hopefully adapt in their own lives. We need more books telling our children how to be environmentally friendly in this day and age, so kudos to Cabot for blending it in with the plot so well! This book, like its predecessors and sequel, carries out fantastic characterization and is just as humorous, too! The ending's a little anticlimactic and predictable, and I do not think the title fits even slightly, but it's a cute read and I'm sure kids would really enjoy it.

Glitter Girls and the Great Fake-Out



Allie Finkle may just be written for kids, but the humor will be appealing to readers of all ages. There's great characterization done by Cabot, including older characters such as Missy and Allie's parents, that is perfect for attracting both young and old audiences looking for a laugh. Cabot is amazing at capturing all these diverse personalities of these crazy little characters. She portrays Allie and her family together so well, and having siblings, she was able to write the best scenes including realistic interactions between Allie and her brothers. The cool thing about these books is that even though they're part of a series, they can totally be read as stand-alones and make sense at the end. Allie's "rules" provide a great base of solid repetition to keep the younger readers solidly interested. I'm hoping we do get to see Courtney again in future Allie Finkle books; she makes a great addition to an already wonderful cast of characters. Overall, a completely cute read--loved it!

I got these books from...:the author

The Three Pigs

The Three Pigs
written and illustrated by David Wiesner



David Wiesner's The Three Pigs is a hilariousu take on a traditional fairy tale. With simple writing and interactive (to say the least) illustrations, a child will easily be drawn into the story. It requires a familiarity for the traditional story, and should probably be read in conjunction with that tale, but both kids and adults will go crazy for this new adaptation. It's dialogue centric and kid-friendly. Children may be reluctant to pick this one up, thinking it's just a retelling of the traditional story, so it's important to encourage them to read it, letting them know there's a different story ahead for them. This is a fantastic book for children to really get to sit down with the story alone and have time to pay really close attention to and examine the illustrations, as they provide half the story that is untold in the dialogue. The variety found in the various styles of illustration are integral to the story, which is why I would not suggest this as a read-aloud, as those don't typically allow for great examinations of the images.

I got this book from...:Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Junie B., First Grader: Boss of Lunch

Junie B., First Grader: Boss of Lunch
written by Barbara Park



This, among the other Junie B. Jones books, is a fantastic example of children's literature. The journal entries as well as the first-person narration make for a very relatable book for this age level. I know when I was a child, I completely related to Junie B. Jones, despite her love of over-exaggeration. It's childish in a charming way, and I can't wait to keep these books in my classroom when I'm teaching. The series is funny for all ages, and I was pleasantly surprised to find myself laughing through this reading of Boss of Lunch. I thought the humor would all be for the kids, but even as an adult, it's hilarious how insane Junie B's mind is. It's just a funny book, possibly even funnier to an adult than to a child!

Rating: 5/5

I got this book from...:Swaptree