chrisholliman

Children's Librarian

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  • “Stick Dog” by Tom Watson

    The Plot In Five Sentences Or Less:  Stick Dog lives in a pipe that runs under Highway 16.  His favorite pastime is playing with his four friends Karen, Stripes, Mutt, and Poo Poo.  One day when the dogs are out playing, they catch a whiff of hamburgers being grilled over in the park.  This starts an adventure in which the 5 friends try to find a way to snatch the tasty hamburgers from the humans.

    My Take:  This is a funny book!  Tom Watson has a writing style that initially appears quite simple–and that mirrors the childish drawings–but that breaks out into elevated vocabulary at unexpected moments.  When one of the dogs–not one of which is known for being exceptionally smart by the way–tastes a new kind of potato chip, she describes it as a “powdery combination that is both enchanting and invigorating.”

    Kids will appreciate the light hearted humor and relentlessly positive spirit of Stick Dog.  He is a character that suffers under the circumstances of fate and the dim wittedness of his good friends, while always looking to win the day.  Or, in this case, hamburgers!

    One Interesting Note About the Author:  According to his website, Tom Watson once worked in politics for U.S. Senator John Glenn and the Governor of Ohio.

  • “Snoop Troop: It Came From Beneath The Playground” by Kirk Scroggs

    The Plot In Five Sentences Or Less: Logan Lang is a 4th grader super sleuth at Murkee Elementary who loves solving crimes almost as much as she loves reading about them in the school library.  Gustavo Muchomacho is a fellow student who was raised on crime fighting TV shows and has a set of specialized disguise mustaches.  When the merry-go-round at nearby Hurling Rivers Amusement park disappears into the ground, Logan and Gustavo are on the case!  Events heat up when an army of moles begins demanding the lunch money from students at Murkee Elementary.  Will Logan and Gustavo crack the case before the students lose all of their money to the underground rodents?

    My Take:  In line with his earlier book series “Wiley and Grampa’s Creature Features” and “Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet,” Kirk Scroggs blends outrageous humor with zany illustrations.  Never taking itself seriously, “It Came From Beneath the Playground” makes references to ancient custodial burial grounds and moustaches that sprout nostril lights.  Kids with shorter attentions spans will appreciate these funny, snappy books.  Ages 7+

    One Interesting Note About the Author: Kirk Scroggs was born and raised in Austin, Texas and studied film at the University of Texas.

  • “The Year of Billy Miller” by Kevin Henkes

    The Plot In Five Sentences Or Less:  Billy Miller is entering second grade and is nervous that he may not be smart enough.  Sitting next to know-it-all Emma Sparks certainly isn’t helping his self esteem, but at least his teacher, Ms. Silver, seems nice.  His life at home can be problematic too as his artist father struggles with a creative block and his little sister Sal continues to annoy him.  Will Billy be able to navigate the challenges of 7 year old life?

    My Take:  This is a gentle book that follows a character through his second grade year.  The challenges that Billy faces are nothing too extreme, mostly fretting about homework projects and dealing with an annoying classmate.  For those looking for a longer chapter book on making their way through the second grade, this is a strong choice.  Ages 7+

    One Interesting Note About the Author:  According to his website, Kevin has been contemplating being a children’s author since at least his senior year in high school when “a public librarian introduced him to Barbara Bader’s American Picturebooks from Noah’s Ark to The Beast Within. ‘It was the first serious book about picture books, written for adults, that I had ever read,’ Henkes says, and he felt encouraged and emboldened by it.”

  • “The Island of Dr. Libris” by Chris Grabenstein

    The Plot In 5 Sentences Or Less:  Billy’s parents are having difficulties in their marriage, so he is spending the summer with his mother in a lakeside cabin while his father stays working in New York City.  But this isn’t any normal cabin; it’s one built by the eccentric Dr. Libris, a scientist/professor who has installed security cameras all over the property.   Even more strange, when Billy begins reading some of the classic books from Dr. Libris’s ornate bookshelf, the books actually come to life on an island out in the lake.  Billy soon finds himself talking to Robin Hood and crossing swords with the 3 Musketeers.   As he unleashes so many classic book characters, Billy must find a way to put a stop to the madness.

    My Take:  Having greatly enjoyed Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, I was looking forward to this book.  While I didn’t find it as engrossing Lemoncello’s, I appreciated it for its own merits.  Grabenstein kept the plot moving and at no point did I ever feel that the book slowed down.  I think that kids will enjoy the imaginary dangers on the island as well as getting to know some classic book characters.

    One Interesting Note About the Author:   According to his website, Chris co-wrote the movie “The Christmas Gift” starring John Denver which premiered in 1986.  It often still played around Christmas time.

  • “Capture the Flag” by Kate Messner

    The Plot In Five Sentences Or Less:  Anna, José, and Henry are three young strangers who find themselves snowed in together at a Washington D.C. airport.  As they begin to get to know each other, an important news flash is broadcast: the Star Spangled Banner has been stolen from the Smithsonian Institute.  The three realize that all of their parents are members of the Silver Jaguar Society, which has the mission to protect the most valuable treasures of the world.  Unfortunately, most of their parents are unavailable to help and the kids soon discover clues that lead them to believe that the Star Spangled Banner may be at the airport.  Can the kids figure out who stole the flag and bring them to justice?

    My Take:  I felt that this book had a good premise in that one of the nation’s most valuable treasures has been stolen and only a group of kids can track down the thief.  However, as the novel progressed, it began to feel a little redundant to me.  Messner chose to have all of the action take place in an airport.  This was a good choice for “Die Hard 2,” but not perhaps for this book.  After the third or fourth scene in the baggage terminal, I was getting a little distracted.  Still, it is a mystery to recommend to grades 3+

    One Interesting Thing About the Author:  According to her website, Kate Messner lives on Lake Champlain and enjoys kayaking.

  • “Surviving the Applewhites” by Stephanie Tolan

    The Plot In Five Sentences Or Less:  Jake Semple is a problem child who has been kicked out of more public schools than he can count.  In desperation, his grandfather enrolls him in the Creative Academy run by the Applewhite family, a group of artistic eccentrics that run a school unlike any other.  In the beginning, Jake finds much to dislike about the place, especially E. D. Applewhite, a girl about his age who, unlike her family, enjoys order and structure.  When Randolph, the father of the clan, casts Jake in a role in a local version of “The Sound of Music, the young misfit finds that he takes quite well to acting and singing.  While Jake blossoms, E.D. finds herself increasingly unappreciated by her own family.

    My Take: I appreciated this book because it turned out much differently than I had imagined.  Of course, I knew that Jake would eventually settle in with the Applewhite family, but I imagined that the plot would contain a great deal of bad, perhaps borderline violent, behavior on Jake’s part that would induce a crisis in the family.  I was expecting something closer to the Great Gilly Hopkins.  I much enjoyed that, as the novel progressed, Tolan subtly shifted the focus from Jake to other characters.  This made for a much more enjoyable read about the role and power of artistic ventures to bring people together.

    One Interesting Note About the Author:  According to her website, Stephanie Tolan is “also well known as an advocate for extremely bright children.  She co-authored the award-winning nonfiction book, Guiding the Gifted Child, and has written many articles about the challenges gifted ‘asynchronous’ children and adults face as they find a way to fit into their world.”

  • “The Crossover” by Kwame Alexander

    The Plot In Five Sentences Or Less: Josh and his twin brother JB both love basketball and are powering their high school team to the county championships.  Their father, who was once a professional basketball player, has taught them everything they know about the game and couldn’t be prouder of their success.  Although there has always been a good natured rivalry between the twins, the tension increases when JB gets a girlfriend.  With his father’s health failing, Josh finds himself in a place that he’s never been before: alone.

    My Take:  I can understand why this verse novel won the Newberry Award this year.  Kwame Alexander’s poetry captures well the emotional texture of Josh’s life, whether it’s the intensity of a basketball game or the simmering rivalry between twin brothers.  The author’s use of ellipsis, of what is unsaid but understood, propels the narrative forward.  Alexander never pesters the reader with details, but uses the verse form to put us in Josh’s shoes and allows us to feel what he feels.  The final pages gave me goosebumps.  Excellent read for ages 13+.

    One Interesting Note About the Author:  According to his website, Kwame Alexander has “written 18 books, owned several publishing companies, written for the stage and television (TLC’s “Hip Hop Harry”), recorded a CD, performed at schools and conferences around the world, produced jazz and book festivals, hosted a weekly radio show, worked for the U.S. Government, and taught in a high school.”  Wow!

  • “The Woods Runner” by Gary Paulsen

    The Plot In Five Sentences Or Less:  Samuel is a young man living on the edge of the Pennsylvania frontier with his parents in 1776 at the beginning of the Revolutionary War.  Adept at hunting and comfortable in the woods, Samuel is out tracking game when he sees smoke rising on the horizon and realizes that Native Americans, allies with the British, have attacked his house.  Learning that the British have captured his parents, Samuel must make his way to New York City and attempt to free them.  Along the way he meets friends that will help him in his journey to restore some sense of peace to his life and the nation at large.

    My Take:  This is a short and enjoyable book for teens looking for a slice of life during Revolutionary War times.  Between chapters there are short sections filled with facts and information on the era.  Paulsen also includes some graphic scenes of massacres, so this should probably be recommended for ages 13+.

    One Interesting Note About the Author:  Gary Paulsen worked a series of odd jobs, including running dogs in the Alaskan Iditarod, before settling on writing.  Of the transition, he says on his website that “”I started to focus on writing the same energies and efforts that I was using with dogs. So we’re talking 18-, 19-, 20-hour days completely committed to work. Totally, viciously, obsessively committed to work, the way I’d run dogs….I still work that way, completely, all the time. I just work. I don’t drink, I don’t fool around, I’m just this way….The end result is there’s a lot of books out there.” He also says that his best advice to children is to “read like a wolf eats.”

  • “Under the Egg” by Laura Marx Fitzgerald

    The Plot In Five Sentences Or Less:  Theodora Tenpenny is a 13 year old who lives with her declining mother and her eccentric artist grandfather Jack in a townhouse that has seen better days.  When Jack suddenly passes away, his last words to Theodora are cryptic:  “It’s under the egg.  There’s…a letter.  And a treasure.”  Desperate to pull her mother and herself out of penury, Theodora’s investigations lead her to the discovery of a painting that appears to be straight out of the renaissance.  But is this truly a valuable piece that could bring in a windfall, or is it simply a fantastic forgery?  Theodora’s explorations will turn up fascinating stories of her grandfather’s days in World War II and show her the importance of art in the darkest of times.

    My Take:  Readers who have an interest in art history and museums will most certainly enjoy this book.  As the dust jacket bills, those who enjoyed The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Chasing Vermeer will appreciate this mystery as well.  I learned a great deal about Renaissance art as well as the pains taken to preserve it during World War II.

    One Interesting Note About the Author:  According to her website, Laura Marx Fitzgerald’s favorite middle reader books are a tie between The Mixed Up Files and The Westing Game.

  • Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

    The Plot in Five Sentences Or Less:  Bud Calloway is an orphan who never knew his father and whose mother died a few years ago.   Bud springs himself from his next foster home and manages to hide out for a few nights outside the local public library.  But the road beckons, and soon Bud is on his way to Grand Rapids to find his father.  Along the way, he meets a lot of quirky characters who help him along in his quest.  He eventually encounters a grumpy jazz musician who doesn’t fit his model of fatherhood.


    My Take:      This is the first book that I had read by Curtis and I was not disappointed.   No landscape writer, Curtis’s strength lies in his ear for creating a character through the sound of their words.  I can certainly understand why this book won the 2000 Newberry Medal Award.  Bud is an artfully sketched out character who is as adept at survival as he is with the English language.  I appreciated Bud’s rituals to stay out of trouble with adults  and his humorous “Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself.”   I recommend this book to any 5th grader and above who can appreciate Bud’s interesting view on life.

    One Interesting Note About the Author:   According to his website, after graduating high school in Flint, Michigan, Curtis worked in Fisher’s Body Plant #1, hanging 80 lbs. car doors onto Buick’s.