The Book Bag, Books for Ages 4 to 8, October 2005

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Well, we only posted reviews for about twenty-five books this month. Still, that makes it plenty hard enough to whittle out just a few to be highlighted in the Book Bag. Next month look for reviews of holiday books. We’ll try to get our list out around Thanksgiving.

Adventures of Riley: Mission to Madagascar by Amanda Lumbry and Laura Hurwitz. Riley and family are in search of the rare aye-aye Lemur. The book is crammed with fun stuff to do and learn. It covers geography, nature, animal habitat, conservation in just a couple dozen pages. The passport is a great way to encourage additional global discoveries and learning.


An African ABC by Jacqui Taylor. This ABC book features plants, animals and culture from Africa. This book is written in verse and contains a glossary at the end. “This book is great. Not only did my child learn new words, I did too. The illustrations are good and the verse makes it more interesting to younger children. “

Alex and the Amazing Lemonade Stand by Liz and Jay Scott. Alex has a problem that is bigger than she is: she is fighting a particurlarly nasty sickness. She wants to help other kids who have this illness, too, so she comes up with a plan to make a difference. This book retells the real-life story of a little girl with cancer in an inspirational and positive way.

Papa Piccolo by Carol Talley. Piccolo the tomcat enjoyed his life along the canals of Venice, and he certainly didn’t want two young kittens slowing him down! This story about fatherhood (in this case as a single parent) is a nice change … and an opportunity for Dad to take center stage!

The Rainbow Tiger by Gayle Nordholm. After watching a beautiful peacock one day, a tiger wished that she was as colorful as a rainbow. When her wish came true, the tiger’s life changed in ways she could never have imagined. Can a tiger change its stripes? This is a picture book with lessons about envy, pride, and individual talents.

Wild About Books by Judy Sierra. Who knew what would happen at the zoo when Molly McGrew opened up her bookmobile and a story or two! This is a rhyming picture book about animals who learn to love reading.

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TV Good Enough to Read

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Yes, folks, your opportunity to help save Reading Rainbow is here. As you know, you can count on one hand the number of literacy-based reading programs on TV. If we lose Reading Rainbow, we have cut the number of tools in our reading toolbox by HALF!

The Web site is up, and we’ve got a direct link for you to make your thoughts known to the government, as well as potentual industry and corporate sponsors. Sign the Petition

On a side note: To those of you who have been trying to reach The Reading Tub, do not worry. It has not gone down the proverbial drain. We are working as fast as we can to get the site and contact venues back up and running.

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Featured Authors Bring Their Stories to Life.

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As many of you know, the Reading Tub has a Featured Authors Program to give visitors a chance to meet some of the authors whose books are profiled on our site. We are currently accepting requests and applications for our 2006 Interview Series.

Our criteria for selection are simple: you have published/self-published a children’s book; your titles have educational value that go beyond the story itself; and you, personally, are committed to literacy and helping children understand the power of reading.

The Interviews are conducted Quarterly. Authors receive two personal pages (one with a bio, one with the interview); the interview is announced in The Wash Rag and in a press release, and the author’s name is listed on EVERY page of our Web site! To learn more about the schedule, click here.

If you are interested in being selected as a Featured Author, click here.

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The Book Bag, Books for Ages 8 to 12, September 2005

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We spent A LOT of time reading in the Tub this month! Here are some of the thirty-four books we just posted. Parents worried about getting and keeping their middle-schoolers interested in reading will find some great stories.

Any Possible Outcome: A Book of Urban Tales by K.C. Taylor. This is a collection of short stories about the challenges that confront our children. These vignettes will resonate with junior and senior high school students and would be great conversation starters. The reader will understand how tough the living conditions are and how limited the options are for getting out of the urban jungle.(GND Publishing, 2003)

Magnolia by Sabrina Hofkin. Magnolia Holden has her summer in Manzanita Falls planned: she’ll go to Costa Rica with her mom for an archeological dig, work as a junior park ranger, and celebrate her 17th birthday by getting her pilot’s license. This may be targeted for teens, but parents will enjoy its wholesome story, too. (Manzanita Falls Publishers, 2005)

Max Mooth–Cyber Sleuth and the Case of the Zombie Virus by Stephen Kogon. Nobody loves computers more than Max. So when evil strikes the virtual world, teen Max Mooth and his pre-teen partner Mr. Z are here to help. The story moves quickly. “This is a rare self-published find without typos or grammar issues.” (iUniverse, 2005)

Penelope and Priscilla and the Enchanged House of Whispers by Jennifer Troulis. Becoming a teenager is a life-changing experience for twins Penelope and Priscilla Post. They’ve just moved to Dunville, and their world is, literally, turning upside down.The story is a traditional good v. evil tale that stays in balance, without gore or excessive nonsense. (Twin Monkeys Press, 2005)

Roughing by Lorna Schultz Nicholson. Josh Watson is thrilled to be heading to hockey camp to skate with some of the best players from all over Canada. He’s determined to show his mom he can handle his diabetes, and keep it a secret from his mates so he doesn’t get marked as “special.” It doesn’t take long before Josh realizes he’ll learn just as much off the ice as on it. This is a middle-reader sports chapter book about hockey and growing up. (James Lorimer & Company, LTD., Publishers, 2004)

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The Book Bag: Books for Ages 4 to 8, September 2005

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Arctic Airlift by Richard Ross. When Robert, listening on his radio in the Midwest, learns from an Airship Captain that the Polar Ice Pack has cracked in several places, he knew that could spell trouble for Santa, and Christmas. (Bluefox Press, 2005)

Ernest and Elston by Laura T. Barnes. Elston, the Rooster, decides to make himself a donkey like Ernest, because all of the other barnyard animals complain about his early-morning crowing. When Elston takes that last step and stifles his cockle-doodle-do, he learns how much the animals truly value him! This is an animal story with an easily absorbed lesson about being true to yourself. (Barnesyard Books, 2005)

Get Inside the Sea by Robert Harvey. Sit at the bottom of the ocean as this pop-up book surrounds you and the creatures of the sea tell you a little bit about themselves. “What an incredibly creative book! The creatures explain themselves on one side of the “page” and there are facts on the back side.”(Mercury Junior, 2005)

Glasses, Glasses, Oh What Do I See? by Karen Smith Stair. A young preschooler tells us how he went from seeing just blurs and squiggles to having great vision. He explains what happens when you go to the eye doctor. This is a picture book that teaches kids about vision and optometry. (Seven Locks Press, 2004)

Home to Me, Home To You by Jennifer A. Ericsson. Mommy is coming home from her business trip today. We share in both Mom’s thoughts and her daughter’s as their anticipation builds to being together again. “Empathy exudes from the page, the story ends the way you want it to, and reminds kids how they are loved.” (Little, Brown & Company, 2005)

LAVI the Lion Finds his Pride by Linda Dickerson. Lavi the Lion leaves his pride (family) to find his new home and pride and has a wonderful adventure on the way! This book is an allegory to the journey of life and the different families one is part of along the way. (Towers Maguire Publishing, 2005)

Lilies on the Moon by Robert S. Kurkela. Through poem, a father describes family and love, with illustrations by his young daughter. “This is a family book to enjoy in bits or from cover to cover in one sitting.” (Kidzpoetz Publishing, 2005)

Mr. George and the Red Hat by Stephen Heigh. Mr. George, the Squirrel finds the perfect red hat and wears it with pride, until he finds that a family of birds needs it more. This is a book about sharing that which is important to you. “This book offers a nice way to explore giving with young children.” (KRBY Creations, 2004)

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