Wayside School Series

Titles:  Sideways Stories from Wayside School; Wayside School is Falling Down; Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger

Author:  Louis Sachar

Rating:  0 stars out of 3 possible, "D/F"
             Not Recommended

Audience:  Second grade and up

I was really hoping to find another fun and funny childhood series along the lines of Frindle (Andrew Clements), Soup (Robert Newton Peck), Henry Huggins (Beverly Cleary), or at least Junie B. Jones (Barbara Parker) or George Brown, Class Clown (Nancy Krulik).  Unfortunately, the two titles I read in this series were more ridiculous than funny, and not very clever.  I can handle silly and ridiculous, if there is a measure of clever thrown in.  But without the cleverness, you just have post-modern random-ness.

Of course, this can appeal to a lot of second graders, but parents who are trying to engage their families with more compelling, thoughtful materials might be disappointed.  This is especially true because we know the Louis Sachar who wrote Holes, which was both hilarious and clever/thought-provoking.  So, for your information, Wayside School is not Holes.

Big Hero 6

Production Team:  Disney; Directed by Don Hall, Chris Williams
                              Screenplay:  Jordan Roberts, Daniel Gerson, Robert Baird

Rating:  ** (2 stars out of 3 possible, "B")
              Recommended

Audience:  Second grade and up  (PG)

If you're like me, this movie will take you by surprise.  Your kids will come home from school begging to see Big Hero 6 and Baymax because all their friends said how great it was.  You will not know what they are talking about.  You will be suspicious, first of all, because everyone likes it; second of all, because it's Disney; thirdly, because it is about foreign concepts like robots, high-tech science nerds and unbelievable super heroes.  Finally, who or what is Baymax, and what does "Big Hero 6" even mean?  What kind of title is that?  Just stay tuned....

For the most part, this movie is a home run hit.  The concepts are fresh and new; the characters are unique and appealing; the plot is creative and energetic; the futuristic setting, San Fransokyo, is clever and attractive; the robot sidekick, Baymax, is entertaining and poignant at the same time.

Chocolate, Chocolate and More Chocolate

Titles Reviewed:

Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith

     *  (1 star out of 3 possible, "C")  Recommended with Reservations

     1st-3rd Grades

The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling

     *  (1 star out of 3 possible, "C")  Recommended with Reservations

     1st-3rd Grades

The Chocolate War and Beyond the Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

     *  (1 star out of 3 possible, "C")  Recommended with Reservations

     Junior and Senior Boys

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

     *  (1 star out of 3 possible, "C")  Recommended with Reservations

     4th Grade and up

As you can see, i spent a lot of my summer sampling chocolate!  It was important to me to straighten these titles out, because one doesn't want to confuse harmless first grade morality tales (Chocolate Fever and Chocolate Touch) with warnings of bullies and psychological abuse along the lines of Lord of the Flies (Chocolate War and Beyond the Chocolate War).

Chocolate Fever (1972) and The Chocolate Touch (1952) both deal with boys who love chocolate and candy and the consequences of their greedy habits.  The plots are humorous and the lessons clear:

"Although life is grand, and pleasure is everywhere, we can't have everything we want every time we want it!"

"You've been eating so much sweet stuff that there isn't room for eggs and meat and milk and bread and spinach and apple and fish and bananas and all the other things you're supposed to have to make you grow big and strong."

"Don't you think there's such a thing as enough?"

These books are doubly useful if you have a picky eater or a sugar hound in your family!  My own children have benefitted from this type of outsourced nagging.  There's absolutely nothing wrong and everything right with families using literature to instruct!

Far different messages for a far different audience come from Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War (1974) and it's sequel Beyond the Chocolate War (1984).

Disney Fairies/Tales from Pixie Hollow

Titles:  16 (4 collections of 4 books each)

Authors:  various, published by Disney

Rating:  0 stars out of 3 possible, "D" / "F"
             Not Recommended

Audience:  1st-3rd grades

It sometimes seems the only reading choices offered our young girls range from magical fantasy to supernatural occult!  The Disney Fairies series is obviously less controversial than the Poison Apple books, but it presented a mixed-bag, at best, and really offered little in terms of character, creativity or challenge.

For this review, I read two selections.

In The Trouble with Tink (by Kiki Thorpe) we learn the bizarre backstory of the series:

"Not far from the Home Tree, nestled in the branches of a hawthorn, is Mother Dove, the most magical creature of all.  She sits on her egg, watching over the fairies, who in turn watch over her.  For as long as Mother Dove's egg stays well and whole, no one in NeverLand will ever grow old.  Once, Mother Dove's egg was broken.  But we are not telling the story of the egg here.  Now it is time for Tinker Bell's tale...."

Mother Dove??  I picture James Barrie rolling over in his grave.

Ivy and Bean

Titles:  10 in the Series

Author:  Annie Barrows

Rating:  0 stars out of 3 possible, "D/F"
              Not Recommended

Audience:  2nd-4th Graders

I've been putting this review off for awhile, as I find it somewhat agonizing to have to "not recommend" this series.  I've been curious about this series for 2-3 years as it was clearly popular at the elementary library where I volunteered.

The harmless dust jacket picture of two 7-year-old playmates belies the fact that one of the girls, Ivy, longs to become a witch and is actively, although playfully, "training" for it.  (A closer inspection of the cover will reveal silhouettes with Ivy holding a wand and Bean holding a crystal ball.)

This is a shame, as these books have come the closest in terms of clever humor, character development and engaging childhood plot lines of anything I've read since Beverly Cleary.  For this review I read 5 selections:  #1 (Ivy and Bean), #2 (The Ghost that Had to Go), #4 (Take Care of the Babysitter), #5 (Bound to Be Bad) and #8 (No News Is Good News).

Frozen

Directors:  Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee

Writers:  Jennifer Lee

Disney, PG

Rating:  **  (2 stars out of 3 possible, "B")
             Recommended

Audience:  7-12 year old girls

First of all, let me say I am not a huge Disney princess fan.  Also, I am not a huge fan of animated musicals.  In fact, I have several complaints about this movie.  But they tend to be "old-age" complaints.  So, overall, I have to say the animation, characters and message make this movie a pretty good choice.  It doesn't "fire on all cylinders," but it does fire on most.

For instance, are we in Denmark?  Finland?  Germany?  Norway?  Sweden?  Is it the 1700s?  1800s?  2014?  2214?  Do they have to sing so darn many songs?  It must have the longest soundtrack on record.  Also, how much magic can one take before the plot becomes totally irrelevant?  Finally, be forewarned:  it's a chilly movie.  Can we get another blanket in here?

But those are really adult complaints.  My girls (who essentially reflect the two sisters/main characters:  Elsa and Anna) ate it all up readily:  from annoyingly goofy live snowman Olaf to annoyingly modern abominable snow monster.

The Lego Movie

Directors:  Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Writers:  Dan & Kevin Hageman

PG, Warner Brothers

Rating:  *  (1 star out of 3 possible, "C")
             Recommended with Reservations

Audience:  8 year old boys and their fathers

I've never thought of myself as a sexist stereotypist.  However, this movie basically only appeals to boys who love Legos and their dads who wish they still had time to play with Legos.

Seriously, if you're a mom, stay home.  Or take your girls to Frozen.  (Never thought I'd say that.)

This movie had an obnoxious level of noise, violence and explosions.  The loosely strung plot was so full of non sequiturs and random cameos that it felt like it was constructed by 8 year olds.  Also, you will leave the theater with the song "Everything Is Awesome" pounding in your head.

George Brown Class Clown

Titles:  12 including Super Burp (#1) and Trouble Magnet (#2)

Author:  Nancy Krulik

Rating:  *  (1 star out of 3 possible, "C")
             Recommended with Reservations

Audience:  1st-2nd Graders

This series is an option for families who are looking for easier chapter books that are funny and engaging, without being too tasteless or thoughtless.  I realize the word "burp" appears in the first title, but George Brown's Super Burp problem presents mostly harmless fun.  Hilarious plots develop while the main character tries desperately to control his new power.

Dan Gutman

Series: My Weird School (21 books in original series plus 12 more)
          The Kid Who Ran for President/The Kid Who Became President
          Baseball Card Adventures (11 books)

Rating: 0 stars out of 3 possible, "D"
           Not Recommended...yet

Audience: Elementary ages (My Weird School) (The Kid Who Ran for President)
                Middle School (Baseball Card Adventures)

Well, I know. It seems a little mean to give a guy whose written #117 books a "D," especially when he's already popular with kids. My main objections to Dan's books are that they cross the line a little too far into crass humor and sometimes have not-so-subtle political and environmental axes to grind.

In the My Weird School series, Arlo/AJ is a pretty typical 2nd grade boy: disdainful of school and girls.  I read #14 Miss Holly Is too Jolly to see how Christmas would be treated.  The language was a little rough and crude:  "crybaby," "I hate her" (in response to the girl, Andrea, in his class), "You're a dumbhead," "So is your face."  And, of course, Christmas was grouped in with Kwanzaa and Hanukkah as the class prepares for the holidays.  In Arlo's letter to Santa he asks for the "new video game where you get to kill zombies with machine guns."  In the end, a selfish gift exchange takes place, and AJ is certainly not thankful for the hat Andrea made for him:  "I hate hats."

Nothing new there.  It's simply a reflection of our current culture and that's not the standard I'm looking for with my kids.  You may see it as harmless, but then again, it's not really inspiring our kids to anything better or different.

Hotel Transylvania vs Frankenweenie

Hotel Transylvania, directed by Genndy Tartakovsky
     0 stars out of 3 possible ("D/F," Not Recommended)
Frankenweenie, directed by Tim Burton
     ** (2 stars out of 3 possible, "B," Recommended)

Audience:  5th graders and up

Hopefully this review will be timely enough for some families who are still headed out to those free summer movies at the park.

I was surprised by these movies.  Initially I thought the black and white Tim Burton offering would be too bizarre while the colorful Hotel Transylvania with current star voice-overs would be both clever and funny.

Exactly the opposite occurred.

Cynthia Rylant

Titles:  Poppleton Series; Mr. Putter and Tabby Series; Henry and Mudge Series

Ratings:  ***  (3 stars out of 3 possible, "A")
              Highly Recommended

Audience:  Beginning Readers, boys and girls ages 4 and up

While I'm on the topic of Cynthia Rylant, I don't want any family to miss out on her series for preschoolers and young elementary ages.  The number of books available here can keep your Kindergartner well-occupied until he or she is ready for short chapter books, and the illustrations and humor will entertain adults who enjoy reading aloud to their kids.

The Lighthouse Family Series

Titles:  The Storm; The Whale; The Eagle; The Turtle; The Octopus

Author:  Cynthia Rylant

Rating:  **  (2 stars out of 3 possible, "B")
             Recommended

Audience:  Ages 7-10 (boys and girls)

Here is another handy step-up readers series by Cynthia Rylant:  short chapters, simple yet engaging plots, quality writing and vocabulary.

Focusing on relationships, The Lighthouse Family brings together a mild-mannered cat, a helpful dog, 3 mouse "children" and various ocean-faring animal friends for gentle adventures by the sea.  Lovely illustrations by Preston McDaniels add to the attraction for young readers.

Judy Moody and Stink

Titles:  Judy Moody (11 titles, plus tie-in items)
           Stink (7 titles, plus tie-ins)

Author:  Megan McDonald

Rating:  0 stars out of 3 possible ("D" or "F")
            Not Recommended

Audience:  2nd-4th Grades

I've often thought of developing two rating systems in life, even as I talk about movies or restaurants with my husband and friends.  It goes like this:  "Well, if you're a picky person, it was a disappointment.  But if you're not too picky, it was okay."

This is mirrored by my husband's more easy-going temperament.  If you ask him how a particular diner or pub visit fared, he'll usually say, "It was good." or, our personal favorite:  "I enjoyed it."

Not, "it was fantastic," or "I loved it!"

Now, if I'm going to spend my time and money on something, I like to hope it will be at least above average or, hoping against hope, excellent.  Whenever my husband says something was "good," not only do I know it was not great, I probably wouldn't even think it was average!  This works out pretty slick, because I don't have to go to a restaurant or movie until Steve says it was great!  Then I'm pretty much guaranteed a good and possibly great return on my investment.

So, my reaction to Judy Moody and her brother Stink is:  If you're a picky person, you'll be disappointed.  But if you're not too picky, you'll think it was okay.

Pippi Longstocking

Titles:  Pippi Longstocking; Pippi Goes on Board; Pippi In the South Seas

Author:  Astrid Lindgren

Rating:  ***  (3 stars out of 3 possible, "A")
             Highly Recommended

Audience:  1st-3rd Grades

I want to briefly cover these childhood classics, just in case they've been overlooked by someone else, or criticized by modern pharisees.  Also to prove I really do have a sense of humor.

I'm reading these with my kids for the second time and they are randomly delightful.  Pippi is one of those kids we wish we all could be:  irreverent, creative, resourceful, a fast friend with super-human strength, and "rich as a troll."  Her hijinks with Tommy and Annika are adventures every child would wish for:  trips to town and the circus, an island campout, finding treasures in a hollow oak tree, flipping pancakes in an unsupervised kitchen, befuddling adults all over town.  Don't forget Pippi's front porch horse, or her monkey, Mr. Nilsson.

Fortunately, Tommy and Annika are committed students, and when Pippi occasionally visits the school house to learn a little "pluttification," someone always receives a lesson, although it might not be who you expected:

      "That is why we are here, " said the teacher, "to be good and kind to other people."
      Pippi stood on her head on the horse's back and waved her legs in the air.  "Heigh ho," said she, "then why are the other people here?"

Soup Series

Titles:  Soup; Soup and Me; Soup for President; Soup's Drum; Soup on Wheels; Soup in the Saddle; Soup's Goat; Soup on Ice; Soup on Fire; Soup's Uncle; Soup's Hoop; Soup in Love; Soup Ahoy; Soup 1776.

Author:  Robert Newton Peck

Rating:  **  (2 stars out of 3 possible, "B")
             Recommended

Audience:  Third Grade and Up

This series was just what the doctor ordered for some fun and funny summer reading for our family.  If your child is having trouble getting excited about reading, try these short and engaging, as well as instructive books.

Written between the 1970s and 1990s, Robert Newton Peck takes us back to his rural Vermont upbringing during the 1940s for some mischievous, good-natured adventures.  He proves the straight man to his best friend Soup (don't call him Luther Wesley) who has plenty of wacky ideas.

How to Train Your Dragon

Title:  How to Train Your Dragon (#1 in a series of 9)

Author:  Cressida Crowell

Rating:  *  (1 star out of 3 possible, "C")

             Recommended with Reservations

Audience:  8 years old and up

If you're finding it hard to engage your kids in reading you may find Cressida Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon a helpful prescription.  While I can't vouch for the entire series yet, we just completed reading the first book out loud with good results.

Being a book about barbarian Vikings, there will be the expected lack of manners and violent lifestyle to deal with.  The reason we can tolerate this in this particular book is that the main character, Hiccup, triumphs with brain over brawn.  By writing and illustrating a caricature of Viking lifestyle, Cowell and Hiccup automatically make opposing behaviors more attractive.  For example, by making dragons selfish and undependable, readers are more likely to cheer for Hiccup's thoughtful, responsible personality.

A Long Way from Chicago

Author:  Richard Peck

Rating:  ***  (3 stars out of 3 possible, "A")
             Highly Recommended

Audience:  4th Grade and up

Part of the summer our family is reading books with serious themes (see reviews for Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963) and part of the summer we're spending on good, clean fun!

A Long Way from Chicago is set in rural Illinois during the Depression years.  Joey and Mary Alice take the train each summer from Chicago to spend a week with their unconventional Grandmother Dowdel.  Grandma can fix a mean breakfast and a mean gooseberry pie just as easily as she can wield a shotgun, trespass, brew beer at home or blackmail the local banker.  The townspeople are just as colorful and hilarious.  Visits generally find Joe and his sister slack-jawed at what will happen next in the usually sleepy hamlet.

Picture Book Biography Series

Titles:  30 + including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, Anne Frank, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Author:  David A. Adler

Rating:  *** (3 stars out of 3 possible, "A")
             Highly Recommended

Audience:  Ages 7-10

David Adler has done a great favor to children and families in producing these thorough and well-written short biographies.  The number of subjects he covers combined with the chosen illustrators offers a comprehensive and engaging history curriculum for young people.

Adler deftly balances concise facts with interesting details to hold even a young reader's attention.  He provides a useful timeline at the end of each book.  Also, he doesn't pull any punches, so be aware that a biography about Anne Frank, for example, will be realistic and almost graphic.

I find biographies to be especially convicting examples of character building.  I encourage families to expose kids as early as possible to these real stories of children growing up in another time, often overcoming difficult circumstances yet always displaying unique giftedness, courage and perseverance.

David Adler also has biographies in the 200+ page range for 5th grade and up, and is the author of the Cam Jansen mysteries, a girl's counterpart to Encylopedia Brown.

Bad Kitty is Good Fun

Titles: Bad Kitty; Poor Puppy; A Bad Kitty Christmas; Happy Birthday, Bad Kitty; Bad Kitty for President; Bad Kitty Gets a Bath; Bad Kitty vs. Uncle Murray; Bad Kitty Meets the Baby

Author: Nick Bruel

Rating: ** (2 stars out of 3 possible, "B")

Recommended

Audience: K-3rd grades

Nick Bruel began his Bad Kitty franchise as creative, albeit lengthy picture/alphabet books. (Not all preschoolers can sit through four versions of the alphabet.) The best thing that happened to this series was giving that kitty a bath. That's when hilarious illustrations (one fang, really?) combined with cat personality to tickle our feline fancy.

Cats are funny. They're funny when they think too highly of themselves and they're funny when slobbering dogs cluelessly one-up them. We love them when they're curled up, harmlessly asleep, or when they're stampeding through the house at 11pm looking for domestic prey.

Nick Bruel's clever writing combined with entertaining drawings give the chapter books in the series a comic strip feel. This makes them accessible to struggling or talented readers and parents alike. Here's proof that graphics-based series can be smart and engaging, as well as downright fun!

Flat Stanley

Titles: Flat Stanley, Stanley and the Magic Lamp, Invisible Stanley, Stanley's Christmas Adventure, Stanley in Space, Stanley Flat Again plus 10 Flat Stanley's World Wide Adventures (Mount Rushmore, Egypt, Japan, etc.)

Author: Jeff Brown

Rating: * (1 star out of 3 possible, "C")

Recommended with Reservations

Audience: ages 7 and up

Here is a beginning chapter book series appropriate for confident young readers. It receives one star not because of any reservations in particular, but because it is pretty basic storytelling.

Most 1st and 2nd grade readers will be thrilled with the adventures of Stanley Lambchop and his family as they sort out unusual dilemmas regular people can only dream of. Adults will find the series impossibly repetitive, but it is harmless fun for kids. Stanley and the Magic Lamp mentions spell-casting in passing in the prologue, but the main plot is a safe rehashing of magic lamp myths.

This series is certainly an acceptable option for kids who are ready for short chapter books although it offers no additional, unexpected artistic or literary advantages. A word that might be used to describe it is, in fact, "flat."