Have You Read the Movie (Book)

There is an explosion in the past few years of movies based on children's books.  Here are some of my favorite children's chapter books that have been adapted . . .

The Water Horse by Dick King-Smith
In 1930, on the coast of Scotland, eight-year-old Kirstie finds a large egg which hatches into an unusual sea creature, and as he grows her family must decide what to do with him.

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
The unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic penguin changes the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter obsessed by dreams of the Polar regions.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others.

The World of Pooh by A.A. Milne
The World of Pooh is a world of enchantment.  It is a world where Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga and the others share unforgettable adventures with Christopher Robin.

The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
On his eleventh birthday Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to seek the six magical Signs that will enable the Old Ones to triumph over the evil forces of the Dark.

Pure Poetry: Novels in Verse

A book in verse can be a bare bones story while yet being extremely lyrical.  Here are some great examples of novels in verse for teens . . .

Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy by Sonya Sones
A younger sister has a difficult time adjusting to life after her older sister has a mental breakdown.

Jimi & Me by Jaime Adoff
After his father's tragic death, twelve-year-old Keith James moves from Brooklyn to a small midwestern town where his mixed race heritage is not accepted, but he finds comfort in the music of Jimi Hendrix and the friendship of a white classmate.

By the River by Steven Herrick
A fourteen-year-old describes, through prose poems, his life in a small Australian town in 1962, where, since their mother's death, he and his brother have been mainly on their own to learn about life, death, and love.

Walking on Glass by Alma Fullerton
A teenage boy recounts, in a free verse journal, his attempts to come to terms with the realities of his mother's near-death coma.

Let's Take a Trip . . . To the Castle

This week, I thought we would take a royal vacation by book to the castle . . .

Over at the Castle by Boni Ashburn
An illustrated variation of the folk song "Over the Meadow," in which the occupants of a medieval castle spend their day spinning, cleaning, cooking, and dancing, until they receive a special surprise from their dragon neighbors.

May I Bring a Friend by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
A well-mannered little boy, frequently invited to visit the king and queen, always asks to bring a friend--and the friends are always wild animals--and always well-behaved.

Midsummer Knight by Gregory Rogers
A bear is rescued by a fairy in an enchanted wood and agrees to return the favor by leading the battle against a usurper who has imprisoned the king and queen, along with their loyal subjects, in the dungeon of their castle, in a text without words.

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood
Despite pleas from his court, a fun-loving king refuses to get out of his bathtub to rule his kingdom.

More Royal Books --
The Princess and the Pea in Miniature by Lauren Child
Tumble Tower by Anne Tyler
Waking Beauty by Leah Wilcox
Climbing Rosa by Shelley Fowles

The Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut

We first meet Arnie the Doughnut in the picture book by Laurie Keller.  Arnie the Doughnut was bought by Mr. Bing as his breakfast one morning.  Arnie was shocked to discover that humans ate doughnuts.  So he convinced Mr. Bing that he should become his doughnut dog.

Now Arnie is back in his very own series of easy chapter books for kids.
 

The Bowling Alley Bandit
Arnie must find out who is sabotaging Mr. Bing during the bowling tournament.

Invasion of the UFONuts
Why are alien doughnuts are kidnapping humans and stealing their doughnuts?  It is up to Arnie to discover the truth behind these mysterious incidents.

Summer Reading for Teens, Part 4

Here are some more great summer reads for teens . . .

Man Made Boy by John Skovron
Tired of being sheltered from humans, seventeen-year-old Boy, son of Frankenstein's monster and the Bride of Frankenstein, runs away from home and embarks on a wild road trip that takes him across the country and deep into the heart of America.

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
Sixteen-year-old Min Green writes a letter to Ed Slaterton in which she breaks up with him, documenting their relationship and how items in the accompanying box, from bottle caps to a cookbook, foretell the end.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
Betrothed to the demon who rules her country and trained all her life to kill him, seventeen-year-old Nyx Triskelion must now fulfill her destiny and move to the castle to be his wife.

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg
Tired of being known as "the gay kid", Rafe Goldberg decides to assume a new persona when he comes east and enters an elite Massachusetts prep school--but trying to deny his identity has both complications and unexpected consequences.

Let's Take a Trip . . . To a Farm

This week, I thought we could go on vacation to a farm.  Here are some great picture books about farms and farm aniamls . . .

The Cow That Laid an Egg by Andy Cutbill
Aware that she lacks many of the skills her fellow barnyard cows possess, Marjorie is left feeling sad until a group of caring chickens with a plan comes up with the perfect solution to make her realize just how special she is.

On the Farm by David Elliott
Describes all the animals of the farmyard, including a goat, a cow, a rooster, bees, and bunnies, presented in verse and accompanied by woodcut and watercolor illustrations.

Farmyard Beat by Lindsay Craig
The sounds of the farm animals create a lively beat that keep Farmer Sue, the chicks, sheep, and other farm animals awake.

Serious Farm by Tim Egan
Farmer Fred takes his work very seriously and so do his animals, until they decide they need to make the farm more fun and set out to find a way to make Farmer Fred laugh.

Chicken, Chicken, Duck! by Nadia Krilanovich
Easy-to-read, rhythmic text about a group of farm animals, led by a tenacious duck, who play a noisy game together.

Haunting Reads for Kids

There's nothing quite like a slightly scary ghost story on a rainy evening.  So with all the rain in the forecast, here are some great ghost stories for kids . . . .

Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise
In this story told mostly through letters, children's book author, I. B. Grumply, gets more than he bargained for when he rents a quiet place to write for the summer.

Spellbinder by Helen Stringer
Twelve-year-old Belladonna Johnson, who lives with the ghosts of her parents in the north of England, teams up with an always-in-trouble classmate to investigate why all of the ghosts in the world have suddenly disappeared.

Ghost Knight by Cornelia Funke
Eleven-year-old Jon Whitcroft and new friend Ella summon the ghost of Sir William Longspee, who may be able to protect Jon from a group of ghosts that threatens him harm from the day he arrives at Salisbury Cathedral's boarding school. Includes historical notes.

The Empty Mirror by James Lincoln Collier
Thirteen-year-old Nick, whose parents died in the 1918 flu epidemic, must find out why his mirror-image is causing mischief around their New England town and making sure Nick gets the blame.

The Phantom Isles by Steven Alter
Three friends and the librarian in a Massachusetts town must help each other to free the ghosts that have been imprisoned in books by a professor on a fantastical island many years ago.

Summer Reading for Teens, Part 3

Some more great teen books perfect for summer reading . . .

Itch: The Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter by Simon Mayo
When fourteen-year-old Itchingham "Itch" Lofte discovers a new radioactive element, he must use all of his wits and scientific knowledge to stop a top-secret government agency, his greedy teacher, and an evil corporation from getting hold of it.

Still Star-Crossed by Melinda Taub
After the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, mysterious figures in Verona are determined to reignite the feud between the Montagues and Capulets, so, for the sake of peace, the Prince orders Romeo's best friend Benvolio to marry Juliet's cousin Rosaline.

My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins & Fenway Park by Steve Kluger
Three teenagers in Boston narrate their experiences of a year of new friendships, first loves, and coming into their own.

Emily's Dress and Other Mising Things by Kathryn Burak
A new girl in Amherst, Massachusetts, comes to terms with her mother's suicide and her best friend's disappearance with the help of Emily Dickinson's poetry--and her dress.

Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers
In the fifteenth-century kingdom of Brittany, seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where she learns that the god of Death has blessed her with dangerous gifts--and aviolent destiny.

Let's Take a Trip . . . To the Beach

Let's continue our summer vacation via book by visiting the beach . . . .

Duck & Goose Go to the Beach by Tad Hills
Duck wants to go on an adventure. Goose doesn't. He doesn't see the point. After all, why would they go anywhere when they're happy right where they are? But then Goose sees the ocean and loves it. Who doesn't? Well, Duck, for one.

Tippy-Tippy-Tippy, Splash! by Candace Fleming
Fed up with the constant presence of rabbits in his house and yard, Mr. McGreely goes to the beach for some fun but the pesky pufftails will not give him a break.

Surfer Chick by Kristy Dempsey
The story of a little chick and her dad who take to the beach where he teaches her how to surf.

A wordless picture book that shows a little girl's first experiences at the beach, as she goes from being afraid of the roaring waves to playing on the shore while gulls soar overhead.

Bebe Goes to the Beach by Susan Middleton Elya
A baby and his mother spend a day at the beach. Spanish words, interspersed in the rhyming text, are defined in a glossary.

Man's Best Friend -- Dogs

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor
Living in the family car in their small North Carolina town after their father leaves them virtually penniless, Georgina, desperate to improve their situation and unwilling to accept her overworked mother's calls for patience, persuades her younger brother to help her in an elaborate scheme to get money by stealing a dog and then claiming the reward that the owners are bound to offer.

The Legend of Diamond Lil by Doreen Cronin
Search-and-rescue dog J.J. struggles with jealousy over Moosh's friendship with a fashionable new neighbor, a situation that is complicated by a raiding possum and questions about the neighbor's integrity.

Wolven by Di Toft
Twelve-year-old Nat, with help from family, friends, and his "pet" Woody, a wolf that turns into a boy, must face werewolves that have been altered as part of a dastardly plan.

Rascal: A Dog and His Boy by Ken Wells
Rascal is happy to leave Voclain's farm to live with his boy, Meely, and pair spend their time exploring the Louisiana bayou, but when Meely gets stuck on a rotted bridge it is left to Rascal to find away to save his boy from danger.

Summer Reading for Teens, Part 2

Here are a few more great books on our teen summer reading list . . .

 All Good Children by Catherine Austen
Seventeen-year-old prankster Maxwell Connors tries to maintain his identity in a mid-twenty-first century world where the children of his elite corporate town of New Middletown are treated with a drug to turn them into obedient, well-mannered citizens.

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
During her last summer at home before leaving for college, Emaline begins a whirlwind romance with Theo, an assistant documentary filmmaker who is in town to make a movie.

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
An aristocratic girl who is a member of a warmongering and enslaving empire purchases a slave, an act that sets in motion a rebellion that might overthrow her world as well as her heart.

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
Sam LaCroix, a Seattle fast-food worker and college dropout, discovers that he is a necromancer, part of a world of harbingers, werewolves, satyrs, and one particular necromancer who sees Sam as a threat to his lucrative business of raising the dead.

Let's Take a Trip . . . To a Ranch

This week we're going to continue our vacation by picture book by visiting a ranch . . .

Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond
While Charlie, a sleepy basset hound, tells about the busy life of a ranch dog, his best friend Suzie, a Jack Russell terrier, is getting the work done.

Wild and Woolly by Mary Jessie Parker
Wild, a bighorn sheep, and Woolly, a ranch sheep, decide to try each other's lives but find that they prefer their own after all.


Cowboy Boyd and Mighty Calliope by Lisa Moser
A cowboy and his trusty rhinocerous try to prove themselves at the Double R Ranch, where the Slim, Hardtack, and Rancher Rose doubt Calliope's potential, but Boyd believes in her.

Slim and Miss Prim by Robert Kinerk
When rustlers capture the talkative Marigold Prim, her cattle, and her ranch hand, they find her incessant conversation too much to bear and change their plans.