Swindle by Gordon Korman

Title:     Swindle

Author:   Gordon Korman

Age Range:  grades 3-6

Format / Genre:  adventure / school story

Details:  Scholastic Press, 2008; 252 pages

Review: Griffin Bing is always “the man with a plan” – one that usually involves his friend Ben. This time Griffin’s plan includes breaking and entering, coming face-to-face with a fierce guard dog, and recruiting an assorted of helpers from his 6^th-grade class, an effort to retrieve an extremely rare and valuable baseball card from an unscrupulous dealer. The first in a series of three, so far – the tale is fast-paced and completely focuses on the kids’ point of view.  While the action is somewhat improbable (okay, very improbable), Korman doesn’t tie up the ending in a completely phony bow. Griffin doesn’t win all his battles, but he does end up in a good position. Some adults might be challenged by some of the details of Griffin’s plan (breaking and entering) as well as his “omitting” to the tell the truth to the police when he becomes a suspect. This book would lead to a good discussion on the question of “do two wrongs make a right?” and what to do when adults don’t listen to kids. A good book for boys and girls, Swindle it would also work well for a read-aloud.  The story of Griffin Bing continues with Zoobreak (2009) and Framed (2010).

Reviewed by Melissa Henderson, Glencoe Public Library

We the Children by Andrew Clements

Title:     We the Children

Author:   Andrew Clements

Age Range:  grades 3-6

Series:  #1 in the Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School series

Ben and his friend Jill, sixth-graders at the Oakes School, learn that something fishy is going on in their seaside school. Mysterious coins, sneaky adults, changes and challenges in Ben’s family, and a thrilling sailing race add up to an adventure in which Ben and Jill try to save their school – given to the community in 1783! – from being destroyed to make way for an amusement park. Will they succeed or are Ben and Jill in over their heads?  Andrew Clements is a master at the school story – the kids are empowered and brave and realistically drawn, often fighting unevenly matched battles against semi-nefarious adults. The only downside to We the Children is the very abrupt ending, with little resolution to the main challenge; this book is definitely the first in a series.

Reviewed by Melissa Henderson, Children’s Department, Glencoe Public Library

Raiders' Ransom by Emily Diamand

Title:     Raiders’ Ransom

Author:   Emily Diamand

Publication Data:   Scholastic, Inc. 2009; 334p

Description:   This lively British adventure tale is set in the next century after an apocalyptic climate change has submerged most of England and returned society to the Dark Ages. A young orphan girl, Lilly, embarks on an adventure involving a “jewel” (actually a relic from the high-tech 21^st century), the kidnapped daughter of the prime minster, and the son of the leader of a lawless band of raiders. Lots of adventure and peril and betrayal and a rescue or two follow at a fast clip. A few of the scenes offer scary and/or gruesome description, but there is also some humor in the characters’ misunderstanding of technology of the past (computers, referred to as ‘puters, are sort of mythical items). I suspect there are also some inside jokes involving British names, places, and practices that might go over the heads of those on this side of the Atlantic, but it doesn’t hinder the understanding of the book. I listened to Raiders’ Ransom in audio book format at the suggestion of two patrons, both of whom enjoyed it while on family trips. The audio book features a boy reader and a girl reader, reflecting the dual points of view found in the story.

                Reviewed by Melissa Henderson, Children’s Department, Glencoe Public Library

City Dog, Country Frog / Picture Book

The combination of Mo Willem’s spare language and Jon J Muth’s luminous, emotion-filled paintings is unexpected, yet delicious. This story of a friendship opening and closing chronicles the year in the life of a city dog who meets a country frog on his own turf (lily pad?). Together dog and frog explore the other’s idea of fun and the natural environment around them. As the story follows the seasons, the natural cycle of life asserts itself and the frog’s life ends, City Dog wonders if he’ll have another friendship like the one he shared with frog. The beautiful, spare language and gorgeous, expression-filled illustrations are perfection; this is on my shortlist for Caldecott. City Dog, Country Frog would be a terrific read-aloud for children up through 4th grade. The death of frog is addressed very gently – he’s simply not at the pond when dog arrives to spend the winter with his friend. But it’s not all poignant sentiment; there are many humorous moments, mostly conveyed through the illustrations.
Reviewed by Melissa Henderson, Children’s Department

Leaving the Bellweathers

Title:     Leaving the Bellweathers

Author:   Kristin Clark Venuti

Age Range:  grades 3-7

Format / Genre:  zany humor ; family stories

Imagine if the Penderwicks were quite potty or the Moffats were mad and mischievous; you would have a close match to the Bellweather family. The children – Spider, Nina, and triplets Brick, Sassy, and Spike – are super smart, very crafty, and dreadfully creative. Professor and Mrs. Bellweather are extremely eccentric and dreamily distracted. None of this is good news for the family butler Tristan Benway. Little do the Bellweathers know, Benway is eagerly counting down the days and hours and minutes until he can abandon this family and their wild animals, bagpipes, and other means of making mess and mayhem.  Hilarity ensues at every turn.  This is a great choice for the reader who enjoyed the Series of Unfortunate Events, with the especially fun difference that the adults are in peril at the hands of these benignly dastardly and dangerous children.  Readers who relish wacky family stories, improbable escapades and seeing children triumph will enjoy Leaving the Bellweathers. 

Melissa Henderson, Children’s Services, Glencoe Public Library   05/28/2010

Fly Free by Roseanne Thong

Do unto others. Pay it forward. These important concepts that can be tough to explain to children (and even some adults!). Fortunately, there are wonderful picture books available to illustrate the rewards of being kind; Fly Free by Roseanne Thong is among the latest.

Mai loves to visit the sparrows in the temple and wishes she had a few extra coins to pay to set them free. “This was the Buddhist way. To set an animal free was a good deed.” The kind vendor allows Mai to feed the sparrows, and Mai invites another girl to join her in this task. Mai’s invitation sets off a sequence of kindnesses involving beautiful red sandals, water for a thirsty oxcart driver, rice for a monk’s almsbowl; ultimately, Mai learns firsthand that “when you do a good deed it will come back to you.” 

Colorful and simple illustrations complement the text that works well for read-aloud.  A bonus at the end is the author’s note explaining the concepts of karma and samsara.  Other terrific read-alouds to support the kindness concept are: The Golden Rule by Ilene Cooper; The Pirate’s Eye by Robert Priest, The Spiffiest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson, and The Three Questions by Jon Muth.   (check our catalog for Fly Free)

Melissa Henderson, Children’s Services, Glencoe Public Library   04/15/2010