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Piper Reed: The Great Gypsy by Kimberly Willis Holt

Reviewed by: Erica Moore

Piper Reed is in the middle at age 9. Her 5 year old sister reads better than she does, and her 12 year old sister is well, annoying by doing everything first. However, Piper has the Gypsy Club which she starts wherever her Navy family moves. This time it’s Pensacola, Florida. Piper gets the members of her newly founded Gypsy Club to have a pet show and talent contest, but what if Piper doesn’t win with her dog Bruna?

There are more misadventures for the Reed sisters in Pensacola with new friends and neighbors, plus a trip to New Orleans to visit their mother’s art teacher. If you haven’t met Piper Reed think Ramona, Judy Moody, Gooney Bird Greene and Clementine. They would be perfect for Piper’s Gypsy Club although they would all want to run it.

This is a wonderful series for younger readers, well written and lively. The real issues of moving and missing family members in the military are addressed but the stories are balanced and fun. The illustrations capture key moments in the story and make you laugh. This series would also be good as a read aloud.

Piper Reed: Navy Brat has enjoyed starred reviews from School Library Journal, Horn Book, Publishers Weekly and others. Piper Reed will be around for a long time. She’ll give Ramona a run for her money so to speak.

What Other Bloggers Are Saying:

Jen Robinson's Book Page: "Highly recommended for kids just reaching into middle grade fiction who want day-to-day stories that they can relate to." (read more...)

BooksForKidsBlog: "First-time chapter book readers have the chance to begin their solo reading experience with well-drawn characters who seem to come alive right off the pages of print. " (read more...)

JellyMom: "Very well done. I look forward to reading more about Piper Reed! " (read more...)

Biblio File: "Piper's adventures continue, and I think I liked this one even more than the first. " (read more...)


More Info:

• Reading level: Ages 7-10
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (August 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805081984
• ISBN-13: 978-0805081985
• Source: Uncorrected proof from publisher
  

Pair with Piper Reed: Navy Brat for a great reading adventure!

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The Dragon in the Sock Drawer by Kate Klimo

Review by Erica Moore

"Jesse! Jesse, let me out!” Jesse looked around, he was alone except for the rocks on top of High Peak. He could see his cousin and uncle in the distance but this voice was very close. “Jesse!” Jesse looked down at the rock in his hand. The voice was coming from the rock, if that was even possible. It was just like those magic adventure stories Jesse and his cousin Daisy read. Could something like this happen to them?

Jesse and his cousin Daisy take home the rock from High Peak only to discover it’s really a dragon’s egg with a baby dragon named Emmy inside. Jesse and Daisy search the internet and find a site named foundadragon.org with a mysterious professor that offers advice on feeding Emmy and the dangerous St. George who hunts dragons.

This book is well suited for kids 3rd to 5th grade, and there are lots of mishaps in the story line placing the kids or dragon in danger only to be saved in the nick of time by each other. Grown-ups are well meaning but oblivious to what’s really going on except for the evil St. George. This is an interesting take on the St. George character and curious kids might want to investigate the story of St. George. There are also unusual vocabulary words sprinkled in thanks to the mysterious and cranky professor Andersson at foundadragon.org. It might facilitate a trip to the dictionary to discover their meanings which professor Andersson would approve. It’s possible to visit the website foundadragon.org and meet professor Andersson too.

There are many unexplained threads in the book, but this won’t bother younger readers and it does leave much to be explained in future books. This is perfect for middle to upper elementary kids craving stories about dragons and magic.

What Other Bloggers are Saying:

Bobbi's Book Nook: "This book is adorable and young children will love its unique and modern twists." (read more...)

Cheryl Rainfield: "Klimo keeps readers turning pages through the fun of the magic, and also the thread of danger that is woven throughout the story, as Emmy is threatened by the dragon slayer." (read more...)


More Info:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (July 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375855874
• ISBN-13: 978-0375855870
• Source: Review copy from publisher
  

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The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall

Review by Erica Moore

Those pesky boys. The Penderwick sisters have trouble. This time they aren’t saving a mysterious boy in an old mansion but their own father and the boy next door. Aunt Claire, their father’s sister, has decided it’s time for Mr. Penderwick to start dating again and that can only mean disaster. The girls launch a plan to find terrible women for their father to date but Mr. Penderwick seems to have his own plan. And then there’s Tommy the boy next door who begins dating an older girl in 8th grade much to Rosalind’s chagrin. Batty the youngest Penderwick spies upon and then befriends the new next door neighbor and her toddler son. Not to leave out Jane and Skye who have their own problems with a switched homework assignment and a school play. The school year is starting, the Penderwicks are home, and it’s anything but routine on Gardam Street.

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street is a sequel to The Penderwicks, a winner of the National Book Award. It isn’t necessary to read The Penderwicks before reading The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. Each book stands alone and can be enjoyed separately, but you will definitely want to read more about this family after reading only one book.

Part of the appeal of the Penderwicks is it’s timelessness. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street is set in the present but it easily could have been set in the 1960s or the 1980s. There is little to date this book and it will seem contemporary to kids 10 years from now. Their family stories and adventures could be happening to your family and neighbors.

This is a great book to use to get kids talking about their own family stories. Often times things that caused great family drama are seen in a different and amusing way later. This is the stuff of family legend. Many people have these stories to share. The kind that begin, remember when .... For families and educators it’s an opportunity to have kids do autobiographical writing.

There is tragedy in the Penderwick family. The girls’ mother dies shortly after “Batty” is born and she is named after her mother, Elizabeth. The books begin several years after her death and this event does shape Rosalind, Skye, Jane and Batty but it is not the main theme of either book by Birdsall. I believe that this is an example of bad things happening to every family but not letting them define us completely. This is a healthy family dealing with normal joys, sorrows and of course adventures all the while coming out on top. This will be a favorite for many years.


What Other Bloggers Are Saying:
Note: There are TONS of reviews out there, so here is just a sampling of the most recent.

Books and More: "Sometimes sequels don't live up to the original book but this is NOT the case. " (read more...)

Becky's Book Reviews: "I enjoyed this book because I loved the characters. I loved the narrative. I loved how Birdsall wrote the story. The narrative voices. The language. The style. But I didn't love this one because of the plot." (read more...)

Never Jam Today: "...mothers searching for one—one!—decent read-aloud on the new arrivals shelf are in for a treat. Each of the four girls are given time to shine, and a plot line that could have flopped—scheming potential girlfriends for Daddy—instead unfolds with charm." (read more...)

Books for Kids Blog: "Realistically drawn, the Penderwick sisters come through as genuine individuals who nonetheless manage to blend into a one-of-a-kind close-knit family." (read more...)

Cool Kids Read: "While it may seem a "girl" book, it should most definitely appeal to younger boys -- and might give them a good lesson about their female counterparts as well." (read more...)

Fuse #8: For those of you who couldn't care less about books with a classic feel and just want something funny, well written, and enticing, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street has your number. (read more...)




More Info:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (April 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375840907
• ISBN-13: 978-0375840906
• Source: Review copy from publisher
  

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I'm happy to introduce Erica Moore, a new contributor at The Well-Read Child.

After 11 years as a children's librarian in Portland Oregon I recently decided to stay home with my two kids, ages 2 and 5. This hasn't really given me more time to read, do laundry, daydream, or hang out on twitter but I now see my family on the weekends and our lives are less hurried and stressed. I feel more focused and connected. I love reading kids lit and I do mix in an adult book here and there, but they happen to be more of the tech industry and business genre rather than that other kind of adult book. Mostly because those are the adult books that float around our house thanks to my husband. I will read most anything and at least start... or finish it. I do have the bad habit of jumping to the end of the story. Sometimes this is to see if the middle is worth reading and sometimes it's because the suspense is killing me and I can't help but peek. That it my dirty little secret. I have also started books only to discover that I've already read it. I would like to think this is because I try and read quite a bit, and hey sometimes they change the cover art, but it could also just be a terrible memory. I think there are strong points and weak points with almost any book and it's great to celebrate the strengths even while acknowledging the weaker side. Cheers to all the authors, illustrators and poets who provide us with wonderful stories.

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