Dory Fantasmagory

By Abby Hanlon

As the youngest in her family, Dory really wants attention, and more than anything she wants her brother and sister to play with her. But she’s not too much of a baby for them, so she’s left to her own devices—including her wild imagination and untiring energy. Her siblings may roll their eyes at her childish games, but Dory has lots of things to do: outsmarting the monsters all over the house, moving into the closet, and exacting revenge on her sister’s favorite doll. And when they really need her, daring Dory will prove her bravery, and finally get exactly what she has been looking for.

This book has been compared to Junie B Jones and for good reason. It’s a transitional book, one that is good for those just starting to read larger chapter books. Dory is a little girl who so badly wants to play with her older siblings but they just find her annoying. It’s a charming story that is made for laughing and remembering what it was to use your imagination for everything and getting into heaps of trouble! I’d say this is a great book for kids aged 6-9 depending on their reading ability. It was cute and fun to read.

I give it a 3 out of 5

The Devil's Storybook

By Natalie Babbitt

Every now and then, the Devil likes to pop up into the world for an adventure. He’s a trickster and a mischief-maker, and just as full of vanity and other human failings. But he’s also a gifted storyteller.

I discovered this little gem after looking up books by Natalie Babbitt, who is probably best known for “Tuck Everlasting”. I’ve read a few of her books and enjoy her storytelling. This book has been banned in many schools and towns simply because it’s a book featuring the Devil. Of course this made me even more curious because I could not see Natalie Babbitt writing anything derogatory for children. This is a book full of short stories about the Devil and how he tries to torture and make people’s lives miserable. It ends up being ironic, instructive at times, and pretty humorous. It is one of those books that as a kid reading it, I would’ve been entertained by the stories, but as an adult I was impressed by the underlying wit of the stories. It was interesting to read. It can be along the same tone as Grimm fairy tales.  

I give it a 3 out of 5

Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King

By William Joyce

Before Santa was Santa, he was North, Nicholas St. North—a daredevil swordsman whose prowess with double scimitars was legendary. Like any swashbuckling young warrior, North seeks treasure and adventure, leading him to the fiercely guarded village of Santoff Claussen, said to be home to the greatest treasure in all the East, and to an even greater wizard, Ombric Shalazr. But when North arrives, legends of riches have given way to terror of epic proportions! North must decide whether to seek his fortune…or save the village.

When our rebellious hero gets sucked into the chaos (literally), the fight becomes very personal. The Nightmare King and his evil Fearlings are ruling the night, owning the shadows, and sending waves of fear through all of Santoff Clausen. For North, this is a battle worth fighting…and, he’s not alone. There are five other Guardians out there. He only has to find them in time.

This book was magic. It had that perfect tone of nostalgia, childhood, myth, and wonder. It was comforting and felt like I was being told a bedtime story by the author. It was soothing to read and full of hope as well as danger and adventure. North is a great character, someone who has spent his life as a warrior pirate, and finds that he is more than just a treasure-seeker once he discovers the amazing village of Santoff Clausen. He especially loves the children. Sound familiar? And so the story and legend begins in a small unique and magical town, threatened by a darkness and terrible evil. It’s got the classic hero’s journey and a wonderful tone full to the brim with good. I highly recommend this series. (It’s also where the Dreamworks movie “Rise of the Guardians” got it's inspiration. There is a clip of that amazing movie below!)

I give it a 4.5 out of 5

Mustache Baby

By Bridget Heos

This is such a cute little picture book about the different stages that kids can go through, depicted through the different mustaches that this baby has. It’s cute and hilarious and I’d recommend it to adult and kid alike. The kids will get a kick out a baby with mustaches and the adults will laugh at the depictions of stereotypical mustaches to show whether the baby is good or bad. Because everyone knows that a big handle-bar mustache is not a good sign if you want a good guy in the family…

I give it a 3.5 out of 5

A Light in the Attic

By Shel Silverstein

Shadow Race

"Every time I’ve raced my shadow

When the sun was at my bak,

It always ran ahead of me,

Always got the best of me.

But every time I’ve raced my shadow

When my face was toward the sun,

I won."

Shel Silverstein is always fun to read. He has his silly poems, his ironic poems, and his thought-provoking poems (my favorite). Most people end up liking his poems because they’re relatable and it doesn’t take much to understand them. His books are beloved by young and old alike for a good reason. If you’ve not read Shel Silverstein you need to at least try it. Doesn’t matter if you don’t like poetry, it’s poetry that even the most critical will enjoy.

I give it a 3.75 out of 5

Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening

By Robert Frost

Illustrated by Susan Jeffers

“And miles to go before I sleep.”

This is one of Robert Frost’s most popular poems. Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening has a beautiful, bordering on haunting lyricism. When I came across this picture book set to his words in Barnes and Noble I was more than enthused. It was so gorgeous. The artwork is perfect, and it puts a new spin on the tale. I couldn’t help but picture Santa Claus (as I first found this over Christmas) and was delighted. Everyone I’ve shown this to has been touched and thought it wonderful. It’s a great gift for Christmas, for a friend, for your poetry lover, or your child. Great all around.

It gets a 4.5 out of 5

Fairy Tale Christmas

By Michael Mclean and Scott Mclean

Santa Claus has been kidnapped!

Behind the plot are an evil queen, a wicked stepmother, a sorceress, a beanstalk giant, and, of course, the mischievous Rumpelstiltskin. They have a plan that will erase the term “Happily Ever After” from our storybooks forever.

But it’s nearly Christmas Eve, and time is running out. Can Santa and the fairy-tale heroes save the day and bring Christmas to all the children of the world? Will anyone have a “Happily Ever After” again?

True to Michael Mclean, this is a cheeky happy story that has a good moral and a snappy song. I read this is one sitting and I’m still shaking my head and smiling when I think about it. Fairy tales have gotten more popular of late what with the slew of retellings in the book industry, Disney movies, and the hugely popular TV show Once Upon a Time. Capitalizing on this, Michael Mclean has given us a witty story about the villains, who want their happy endings and will do whatever it takes to get it, including holding for ransom the jolly elf himself, Santa Claus. This is a wonderful book to read aloud to kids at Christmas and has a website in the end that has a lovely song that goes along with the moral of the book; about the hero in all of us. Feel good and warm-fuzzy inducing, this is a good book to have at Christmas, and if it does well we might see it hit the stage alongside The Forgotten Carols!

I give it a 3.5 out of 5

Winnie-the-Pooh

By A. A. Milne   

The Bear of Very Little Brain and his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood have delighted generations of readers since Winnie-the-Pooh was first published in 1926. This is the first in a long line of beloved and cherished stories from the Hundred Acre Woods.

Having grown up watching Disney’s Winnie-the-Pooh, I decided it was high time that I read the original. This book was just as lovely and down-to-earth as I was hoping. It’s written with each chapter being a different story within the Hundred Acre Wood with Pooh Bear and his friends as well as Christopher Robin. The tone of the book is warm and inviting, and I understand now why so many parents have read this book and it’s companions to their children. Reading about the “Bear of little brain” and Eeyore, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo, was smile inducing. I spent my childhood singing “I’m just a little black rain cloud” and talking about hephalumps and woozles. It was nice to read this because, while I love Disney’s incarnation of the beloved characters, there isn’t anything quite like seeing them stripped down to their core characters and stories. Welcome to your childhood!

I give it a 4.25 out of 5

A Series of Unfortunate Events 2: The Reptile Room

By Lemony Snicket

Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky. In the first two books alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, a lumpy bed, a deadly serpent, a large brass reading lamp, a long knife, and a terrible odor. In the tradition of great storytellers, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Never before has a tale of three likeable and unfortunate children been quite so enchanting, or quite so uproariously unhappy.

Just when the Baudelaire children think they have escaped the Count, and found a relative that is truly interesting and enjoys them, once more a series of unfortunate events unfolds to threaten their safety and their new home. Without going into the actual events of the book, I can say that this series is quite different and enjoyable once you become accustomed to the unusual tone and content. Daniel Handler, AKA Lemony Snicket, is a great writer and very diverse as well as a sarcastic bloke. This book is chuck full of fun archetypal characters and situations as well as fun new words that the narrator loves to explain to kids in his morose style. This series is quite fun and I figure eventually I’ll get through them all someday and find out the eventual unfortunate end.

This gets a 3 out of 5

The BFG

By Roald Dahl

Captured by a giant! The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants—rather than the BFG—she would have soon become breakfast. When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!

Roald Dahl is a beloved children’s author for a reason. This is just pure fun and captures the imagination of children. It’s a great story for kids and as an adult, just makes me smile and feel great. The BFG (short for Big Friendly Giant) is the only nice giant in the world, and Sophie just happens to make friends with him and learn about how horrible the other giants are while with the BFG. When she finds out the other giants are on their way to England for a snack of children, she takes matters into her own hands with the help of the BFG and decides to go to the Queen of England for help. This is just a fun romp with clever wit and friendliness. One of my favorites from Roald Dahl.

I give it a 4 out of 5

Pingo and the Playground Bully

By Brandon Mull

Pingo and Chad are on an adventure with a few of Chad’s friends and their subsequent imaginary friends on a quest to discover who has the best imaginary friend. They may just discover something they’d never considered before.

Not as cute and warming as the first children’s book by Brandon Mull, but still sweet and full of good messages for kids, this sequel to the children’s book Pingo, is cute and fun.  I think kids will enjoy it and want to read it again and again. I really enjoy Brandon Dorman’s illustrating generally and this book has some great pictures.

I give it a 3 out of 5- it’s average.

Red Ranger Came Calling

By Berkley Breathed

 The narrator relives his father's most amazing childhood Christmas. A moody young boy living with his aunt on an island, "Red" Breathed sees himself as the "Red Ranger from Mars", his hero from the movie serials, and cannot picture life without the gift of a Red Ranger bicycle. Red is far too "swanky a human being" to believe in Santa Claus, but nevertheless he pays a visit to the aged island hermit, Lord Sander Clos, rumored to be the legendary man himself, now living in lonely, joyless retirement. This meeting triggers an emotional response within the self-absorbed Red and leads to the most remarkable bicycle ever delivered on Christmas morning.

 

his is quite possibly the most delightful Christmas story I’ve ever read. It is filled with hilarious illustrations and the quirky story that I can see being told as a family legend. It has all the charm of books like “Pingo” by Brandon Mull with that old-story boyhood need that is so loved in the movie “A Christmas Story”. This is a must-have for your Christmas book shelf. Completely delightful!

 

I give it 4 ½ out of 5 for one of the best picture books I’ve ever read!

The Velveteen Rabbit

By Marger Williams Bianco

 

Nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understood all about it.


This is one of those classic children's stories that I remember very clearly the first time I heard it as a kid. The magic of a much-loved toy yearning to become 'real' is a story any child can latch onto and instantly feel the magic permeating the story. Even now, reading it as an adult I found myself smiling and getting all nostalgic. Great classic kids story.

I give it a 4 1/4 out of 5 for its magic.

Skellig

By David Almond


Michael was looking forward to moving into a new house. It was all going to be wonderful. But now his baby sister’s ill, his parents are frantic, and Dr. Death has come to call. Michael feels helpless. Then one day he steps into the crumbling garage.
What is this thing beneath the spider webs and dead flies? A human being, or a strange kind of beast never seen before? The only person Michael can confide in is his new friend Mina. Together they carry the creature out into the light, and Michael’s world changes forever.
Told in lyrical prose, Skellig is a mystery, an adventure, and a family story, in which Michael learns about nature, poetry, and the healing power of love.


This was quite the amazing book. There was magic in the telling of it and the reading of it. I read this directly after I finished the Shel Silverstein book and found that it truly was poetically written. There is a beauty in the story that wrapped me up and carried me away with Michael and Mina, wishing to find Skellig too. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys lyrical prose and inspiring messages along with a bit of mystery and magic. I will say this as a warning: it does swear quite a bit using British profanity and the occasional use of the usual swear words. Since I am not British, it did not bother me, though I know that 'bloody' is apparently a very naughty word. Just so you know, it may change your desire to read it. If Harry Potter doesn't bother you, then this probably won't either (language speaking).
There is also a movie version of the book with Tim Roth in it (Lie to Me, The Incredible Hulk,) as Skellig. This movie was pretty good, but the book was so much better simply from the feeling of reading it. Read the book first if you want to see the movie. Please. :)

Everything On It

By Shel Silverstein


Have you ever read a book with everything on it? Well, here it is, and amazing collection of drawings from the creator of Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up. You will say Hi-ho for the toilet troll, get tongue-tied with Stick-a-Tongue-Out-Sid, play a highly unusual horn, and experience the joys of growing down.
What’s that? You have a case of the Lovetobutcants? Impossible! Just come on in and let the magic of Shel Silverstein bend your brain and open your heart.


Are you poetry phobic? Just pick up a Shel Silverstein book and you'll be cured! He has the funnest poetry for children (and adult kids too!) that just make you smile. This was one of my favorites:

Spiders
A spider lives inside my head
who weaves a strange and wondrous web
of silken threads and silver strings
to catch all sorts of flying things,
like crumbs of thoughts and bits of smiles
and specks of dried-up tears,
and dust of dreams that catch and cling
for years and years and years...

There are silly spoems, serious poems, and poems that make you shake your head at the drawings that go along with them. Shel Silverstein is beloved by children everywhere- it's about time you find him too!

Wait till Helen Comes

By Mary Downing Hahn


Heather is such a whiny little brat. Always getting Michael and me into trouble. But since our mother married her father, we’re stuck with her…our “poor stepsister” who lost her real mother in a mysterious fire.
But now something terrible has happened. Heather has found a new friend, out in the graveyard behind our home—a girl named Helen who died with her family in a mysterious fire over a hundred years ago. Now her ghost returns to lure children into the pond…to drown! I don’t want to believe in ghosts, but I’ve followed Heather into the graveyard and watched her talk to Helen. And I’m terrified. Not for myself, but for Heather…


Mary Downing Hahn was my favorite author as a kid. I was sort of a ghost story junkie and her books had just the right amount of creepy and weren't ever gory. This book was my favorite and I used to read it at least once a year. I decided to re-read it out of nostalgia, and I found that it is a bit of a low-level book for adults, but I still heartily recomend it for kids in elementary. Especially around this time of year when they might want a good ghost story that will leave them satisfied and a little shivery (but not completely freaked out!) They are great books for not giving nightmares, but delivering satisfaction for your little ghost lovers!

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

By Susan Wojciechowski

The widow McDowell and her seven-year-old son Thomas ask the gruff Jonathan Tommey, the best wood-carver in the valley, to carve the figures for a Christmas nativity.

This is one of those choice little stories about how when someone cares and keeps caring, it can change a life. It's a sweet story about healing and finding joy and peace.

The Rough-Face Girl

By Rafe Martin

In this Algonquin Indian version of the Cinderella story, the Rough-Face Girl and her two beautiful but heartless sisters compete for the affections of the Invisible Being.

This is a fun story of Cinderella Indian-style with beautiful illustrations. Little girls will enjoy this story.

Christmas Day in the Morning

By Pearl S. Buck

A boy surprises his father on Christmas morning by getting up early and milking the cows on the farm.

This is a sweet story that I first saw in movie form in my Primary class as a kid. I remember crying. It's a beautiful Christmas story and shows what true giving really is.

He Took My Lickin' For Me

By Timothy Robinson

Rambunctious boys make rules for stealing, and one boy takes the punishment for another.

I had this story read aloud to me in Young Womens and remember getting teary. This is another special story that everyone will love. It's about love and mercy and forgiveness. Christians will especially resonate with the story and its parallels to what Jesus Chrsit has done for each of us.