Crafty Chloe

DiPucchio, Kelly. 2012. CRAFTY CHLOE. Ill. by Heather Ross. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781442421233 [Suggested Grade Level K-3]

REVIEW

While not the best at dance, sports or video games, there is one arena in which youngster Chloe excels. Chloe is crafty. There is nothing she loves more than her art supplies…especially googly-eyes! As she always says “…anything is less boring with googly-eyes on it.”

Conflict arises when Chloe is invited to Emma’s birthday party and her gift plans go awry. Determined to make the best of the situation, CRAFTY CHLOE turns to her art supplies and bottomless creativity to resolve the situation.

While the main characters are female, and there is an abundance of pink, and frills in the illustrations, this story is about more that gluing glitter to a page, but highlights the perils of navigating peer relationships.   

CONNECTIONS

Too often art projects in school or the library can be very specific and directed. Allow children the time to create their own home-crafted projects. If you prefer more direction, you can check out the book’s website craftychloe.com.

RELATED BOOKS

Some additional resources for crafts projects:

Threadgould, Tiffany. REMAKE IT! RECYCLING PROJECTS FROM THE STUFF YOU USUALLY SCRAP. ISBN 9781402771941

Goldschadt, Sarah. CRAFT-A-DAY. ISBN 9781594745959

By Marianne Crandall Follis

Boy and Bot

Dyckman, Ame. 2012. BOY + BOT. Ill. by Dan Yaccarino. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780375867569 [Suggested Grade Levels pK- 2]

REVIEW

A young boy and a robot chance upon each other and fast become friends. As the two rollick, Bot’s power switch is inadvertently hit shutting him down completely. Boy attempts to nurture his new playmate back to health with fail-proof remedies: a wholesome meal, a good, story, and rest. Nevertheless, Boy goes to bed not having revived his friend. When Bot’s power switch is accidently put back into the “on” position in the middle of the night, Bot revives only to find that Boy is no longer active. Now Bot must try his fail-proof methods for proper functioning: oil and an instruction manual read aloud. Just as Bot is about to conduct a battery change, his inventor enters, and Boy awakens. The two pals rejoice in their good health and make plans for new adventures. This satisfying story with bold illustrations will bring pleasure to boys and robots alike.

CONNECTIONS

This book provides a perfect entre for a Making Words lessons ala Pat Cunningham. Provide each child with the following letters printed on individual pieces of paper: a, o, b, h, s, t, and t. Together, identify the letters. Read the following script. “Use three letters to make the word boy, change one letter to make bot, now change another letter to make hot.” Continue on in this manner making the words: hat, hay, bay, say, soy, and toy. Next, encourage children to use all letters to make the secret compound word, “bath toys.”

RELATED BOOKS

Other children’s books about misunderstandings:

Henkes, Kevin. KITTEN’S FIRST FULL MOON. ISBN 9780060588281

Lobel, Arnold. MOUSE SOUP. ISBN 9780060239688

Willems, Mo. I WILL SURPRISE MY FRIEND. ISBN 9781423109624

By Maria Cahill

Fire! Fuego! Brave Bomeberos

Eyla, Susan Middleton. 2012. FIRE! ¡FUEGO! BRAVE BOMBEROS. Ill. by Dan Santat. New York: Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781599904610 [Suggested Grade Levels pK- 2]

REVIEW

The siren sounds, the crew gets ready, and off they zoom at lightning speed! The brave bomberos work together to battle a house fire and save an important member of the family. Colorful and bold illustrations heighten the sense of excitement and elucidate the emotions of the firefighters. Though the subject of this adventure is sure to engage young readers, it is the mixed use of English and Spanish in this rhymed verse that will delight many teachers and librarians. A glossary of the Spanish words with pronunciations on the final double spread will support those readers with limited Spanish.

CONNECTIONS

Using the glossary of terms, create a Spanish-English memory game. Select two different colors of paper, and cut each into 20 2x2 cards. On the cards of the first color, write a term in English. On the cards of the second color, write each of the selected terms in Spanish.

RELATED BOOKS

Other books for children about fire:

Ehlert, Lois. CUCKOO/CUCÚ. ISBN 9780152002749

Gibbons, Gail. FIRE! FIRE! ISBN 9780064460583

Hayward, Linda. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A FIREFIGHTER. ISBN 9780789473660

Osborne, Mary Pope. NEW YORK’S BRAVEST. ISBN 9780375921964

Polacco, Patricia. TIKVAH MEANS HOPE. ISBN 9780385320597

By Maria Cahill

The Wild Book

Engle, Margarita. 2012. THE WILD BOOK. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN 9780547581316 [Suggested Grade Levels 4-8]

REVIEW

Engle has created a beautiful bouquet of words in this verse novel about a young girl’s struggles with word-blindness, or dyslexia, during the early 1900s in Cuba. With words “that sprout like seedlings,” the reader quickly falls into the rhythm of Fefa’s life along with the jarring pain of her inability to read and write.

Fefa lives with the fact that words “jumble and spill off the page, leaping and hopping away like bullfrogs.” Yet her mother has faith in her, giving her a blank book in which she asks Fefa to let “words sprout like seedlings” by writing each night. Initially, Fefa is intimidated. The reader is privy to her tortuous attempts and self-doubt. Yet soon Fefa begins to make sense of words. Confidence begins to grow. Ultimately she saves her siblings from a kidnapper because she could read and recognize the handwriting of the guilty person.  

One cannot begin to describe the sheer beauty of Engle’s words as she lovingly weaves together stories about her grandmother into this verse novel. Engle uses words like an artist uses paints, with all the subtle nuances and vibrancy that begs to be read aloud. With an author’s note that continues the story, Engle provides facts, details, and an image that brings Fefa to life.

CONNECTIONS

This novel is an excellent introduction to the use of verse to tell a story as well as an opportunity to show the strength of analogical connections captured within expressive language. This novel is an excellent example compressing so much, within so little. 

RELATED BOOKS

Other verse novels from the perspective of a young girl:

Hesse, Karen. ALUETIAN SPARROW. ISBN 9781416903277

Brown, Susan Taylor. HUGGING THE ROCK. ISBN 9781582462363

By Christine J. Rayl

Oh, No!

Fleming, Candace. 2012. OH NO. Ill. by Eric Rohmann. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780375842719  [Suggested Grade Levels pK-1]

REVIEW

After a frog falls into a jungle hole and cannot get out, a series of animals lend their hands to try to help. Instead of extracting the frog, the other animals become stuck as well! All the while, a hungry tiger paces nearby, finally seeing its chance for an easy meal. But not to fear, elephant is here! 

This simple story features a wonderful read-aloud rhythm, sure to entertain young readers and listeners. The easy repetition and rhyme are reminiscent of many traditional tales. The animated and lively cadence of the story give it a more modern feel. Rohmann’s pleasing artwork is more than up to par, bringing to life the plight of the expressive, endearing animals in the lush jungle setting. 

CONNECTIONS

Great for one on one read-alouds, as well as toddler, preschool, or kindergarten storytimes. Children can illustrate their favorite scene or character, or draw a picture explaining what might happen next if the story were to continue. 

RELATED BOOKS

Kalan, Robert. JUMP, FROG, JUMP! ISBN 978-0688092412

Rohmann, Eric. MY FRIEND RABBIT. ISBN 978-0312367527

By Sarah Dornback

On the Day I Died: Stories from the Grave

Fleming, Candace. 2012. ON THE DAY I DIED: STORIES FROM THE GRAVE. New York: Schwartz and Wade. 9780375867811 [Suggested Grade Levels 6 – 9]

REVIEW

Fleming provides readers with a collection of related ghost stories, all loosely based on true events occurring in or near Chicago during the past 150 years. 

Mike, the narrator, is speeding home one night when he happens upon a soaking wet teen needing a ride home. She leaves her shoes in his car, and when he returns to the girl’s home to deliver the shoes, the girl's elderly mother informs Mike the girl is dead and requests that he deliver the shoes to the near-by cemetery, where only teens are buried. Ten teenage ghosts then share their death stories with Mike, each in his/her own chapter.

This fun and spooky collection of ghost stories will appeal to readers seeking not-too-scary horror stories. Each chapter is best read within the context of Mike’s visit to the cemetery, but each chapter could be read in isolation as a separate ghost story, thereby being enjoyed by reluctant or struggling readers. Fleming includes a “Notes” section at the conclusion of the book explaining the true history of each character’s experience.

CONNECTIONS

This novel makes for a fun read-aloud during October, when young readers crave spooky stories. Readers can also practice creative writing skills by developing short stories based on true events.  

RELATED BOOKS

Other collections of scary stories:

San Souci, Robert D. SHORT AND SHIVERY. ISBN 9780440418047

Schwartz, Alvin. SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK. ISBN 9780060835200

By Jennifer E. M. Richey