"Helping adults find great children's books"
Title: The Hunger Games Author: Suzanne Collins Genre: Young Adult Fiction Age Category: 16 to 19 years + Well, I’m late to the “game” on this one. Nevertheless, having just read the first in Suzanne Collins’s young adult fiction trilogy—in the wake of the buzz around the just-released third book of the trilogy, Mockingjay—I feel [...]
Here is another in my series of children’s books blogger interviews. Today I report on my interview with Don Tate (abbreviated “DT” below), who blogs at The Brown Bookshelf, a multicultural children’s books blog focused on the work of African-American artists and authors. At The Brown Bookshelf Don posts children’s book reviews and news that [...]
Title: The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau Author: Dan Yaccarino Genre: Picture Books for Children (Nonfiction) Age Category: 6 to 8 years Today, in honor of Nonfiction Monday, I’m reviewing Dan Yaccarino’s The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau. I must say, this picture book made me nostalgic: I grew up fascinated by Cousteau’s [...]
Here is another in my series of children’s books blogger interviews. Today I report on my interview with Elizabeth Bird (abbreviated “EB” below), who blogs at A Fuse #8 Production. Her blog is one of several hosted at the School Library Journal website. Elizabeth Bird is perhaps the most prominent and prolific blogger in the [...]
Here’s the next installment in my series of children’s books blogger interviews. Today I report on my interview with Melissa Fox (pictured to the right, abbreviated “MF” below), who blogs at Book Nut. Melissa’s blog focuses on children’s book reviews, though she reviews some adult books too. She is also an active member of the [...]
Here’s another post in my series of children’s books blogger interviews. Today I report on my interview with Jen Robinson (abbreviated “JR” below), who blogs at Jen Robinson’s Book Page. Along with excellent children’s book reviews, Jen’s blog has a particular focus on child literacy. She is also a leader in the online children’s literature [...]
What makes for good children’s books? In this series on how to choose children’s books, I have suggested that choice-worthy children’s books have both subjective appeal, and developmental value. In other words, good kids’ books are appealing to a child, and help her grow. One characteristic that can affect the developmental value of a kids’ [...]
Title: Pippo Gets Lost Author: Helen Oxenbury Genre: Best Baby Board Books Age Category: Infant to 2 years In my view, Helen Oxenbury’s old-school baby board books set the gold standard for children’s books in the infant-to-2-years age category. Here I review a board book from her delightful series about Tom and Pippo. For my [...]
There is sometimes a difference between good children’s books, and books that children like. But what is that difference? I think it is summed up in the term “developmental value”: good children’s books are books that both appeal to kids, and help them to develop. In the previous article in this series—“Criteria for Book Selection: [...]
This article is the seventh in a series on selection criteria for children’s books. If you would like to read from the beginning, click on “How to Choose Children’s Books.” In this article, I will explain the concept of “developmental value,” and its importance as a selection criterion for children’s books. I will also give [...]
Title: Beezus and Ramona Author: Beverly Cleary Genre: Juvenile Fiction / 3rd Grade Chapter Books Age Category: 6 to 12 years With the upcoming release of the movie “Ramona and Beezus” on July 23rd, I thought it would be fun to review Beverly Cleary’s classic chapter book Beezus and Ramona, the first in the series [...]
For some time I’ve wanted to help connect readers of Children’s Books and Reviews to some of the many other excellent websites focused on children’s book reviews. With that intention, over the next little while I plan to interview some bloggers and online writers who focus their work on children’s book reviews. I will then [...]
Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Author: Eric Carle Genre: Baby Board Books Age Category: Infant to 2 years The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Summary Eric Carle’s classic baby board book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, begins with a small white egg resting on a leaf by moonlight. When the sun comes up the next morning—on Sunday—the little [...]
Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6) Author: J.K. Rowling Genre: Young Adult Fiction Age Category: 14 to 19 years + I plan to review the seventh and last of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books—Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)—before the release of the seventh Harry Potter movie in November, 2010. [...]
This post is part 6 in a series on how to choose children’s books. “How to Choose Children’s Books” is the first in the series if you would like to read from the beginning. Last time, in “Selection Criteria for Children’s Books: Good Stories,” I discussed stories in children’s books, and how to choose stories [...]
