Category Archives: Chapter Books

Waiting for the Magic

Posted on March 29, 2012 by

Okay, here’s a book recommended to me by my nine-year-old. I admit, I didn’t expect to like it. The cover didn’t draw me in, but the first paragraph, and then the first chapter and then the next chapter filled me … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter Books, Character-driven, Love that prose, Power of pets | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

A Book About Color: A Clear and Simple Guide for Young Artists

Posted on January 17, 2012 by

Fun and simple, Mark Gonyea‘s book covers primary, complementary and analogous colours, as well as saturation, value and the colour wheel. There are six short chapters with only a few sentences per page and all pages are brightly illustrated. Chapter … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter Books, Nonfiction, Picture books | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Toys Come Home

Posted on December 1, 2011 by

The full title is Toys Come Home: Being the Early Experiences of an Intelligent Stingray, a Brave Buffalo, and a Brand-New Someone Called Plastic, and the book is most worthy of such a lengthy subtitle.  The third in Emily Jenkins’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter Books, Series, strong characters, Voice, Word choice | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Catwings

Posted on November 28, 2011 by

Born in an alley,  Mrs. Jane Tabby’s kittens all had wings.  Sent off to the country to fend for themselves, Harriet, Thelma, James and Roger fly to the woods, discovering predators, food and the beginnings of friendship with a girl … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter Books, Power of pets, Series | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride

Posted on September 29, 2011 by

Mercy Watson is a pig who loves toast.   She lives with Mr. and Mrs. Watson, who love Mercy and treat her like their child except they won’t let Mercy drive the convertible. Watch Mercy take matters into her own … Continue reading →

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Toys Go Out

Posted on September 15, 2011 by

At first I was skeptical about another talking toy book, but part way into Toys Go Out, I fell in love with Lumphy, Stingray and Plastic, three of the Little Girl’s very favourite toys. They have curiosity about life around … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter Books, Character-driven, Fantasy, Voice | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Chalk Box Kid

Posted on August 22, 2011 by

When Gregory moves to a new house surrounded by concrete, he has to share a bedroom with his uncle and go to a new school where it’s hard to make a good start.  After a special guest speaker comes to … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter Books, Character-driven | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Emmaline and the Bunny

Posted on July 5, 2011 by

If you liked Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer,  then Katherine Hannigan’s Emmaline and the Bunny is for your kids.  Emmaline doesn’t fit into Neatasapin, the concrete suburban world that her family lives.  When she hears about Untidy, she sneaks out to … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter Books | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The California Gold Rush

Posted on March 8, 2011 by

There’s a whole series of You Choose™ books by Capstone Press.   This interactive history adventure, The California Gold Rush, is written by Elizabeth Raum and it follows your adventures through gold fever in 1849.  Similar to the Choose Your … Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter Books, Michigan author/illustrator, Nonfiction, Series | Tagged | Leave a comment