Category Archives: Childrens

“Lots of Bots (Robots Rule)” is the second book in a new children’s series by C. J. Richards. The story picks up about a month after the attempted destruction of Terabyte Heights in the first book “The Junkyard Bot”. George is beginning his promised apprenticeship at Tinker Tech Headquarters but everything starts going haywire as the company gears up to release its most important product yet. The problem may lie in the fact that the product (MOD) was the brainchild of the crazy Dr. Micron. He has disappeared after nearly destroying the town. George begins to think that maybe something more sinister is going on – but how can he get anyone to believe him?

The story is lots of fun and really does pick up where the first book ended. I highly suggest that you start the series with the first book. The books are fun for both boys and girls to read and make a great before bedtime chapter book, either for the self-reader or for story time.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via the publisher.

This is an extremely funny and fun book for young children. It is filled with just the right kinds of silliness to make them want to keep reading. It is, unbelievably, a debut book by Holly Grant. It is so well written, I fully expected to see a back list of children’s books waiting for me to read. It also appears to be the first in a series – a series that I fully intend to follow.

While the book was written for young children, I enjoyed it tremendously. I also plan to read it to aloud to the grandchildren and, when they are older, let them read it when they come over to visit. The story is about Anastasia McCrumpet, a pretty average girl with exactly 127 freckles. The book opens with a funeral which sets the tone for the rest of the book, Through wholly unpredictable means, Anastasia is whisked off to her (previously unknown) great aunties home to live. The aunties live in the house which used to be St. Agony’s Asylum for the Deranged, Despotic, Demented, and Otherwise Undesirable (That Is to Say, Criminally Insane), which in addition to being quite a mouthful to say, was a very creepy place for a fairly average girl of almost eleven to live.

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This is the second “Little Blue Truck” book by the same two author and illustrator. My 18 month old grandson absolutely loves the first “The Little Blue Truck” though he seems to like the pushy dump truck best of all. This is another good book in the series. It is a little over long for him to sit through – he usually gives up at about the time the mayor starts his speech. Can’t say I blame him – politicians can put me to sleep, too. I think when he is a bit older he will want to hear the whole story but in the meantime, when he arrives at my house in the morning, these are the two books he grabs first to have me read to him. The story is very cute (and Little Blue saves the day “Beep, beep, beep”) and the illustrations are so much fun – especially the mean looking eyes on all of the other vehicles. I never realized how much expression could be given to the front grill of a vehicle.

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This is a fresh new take on the classic stories of “Jack and the Beanstalk” as well as “Jack, the Giant Killer”. In this story, Jack still has both mother and father, as well as a pesky, younger sister. When all sorts of devastation abounds, Jack suspects giants and gets laughed at. I guess he gets the last laugh when he has to go to the land of giants to save the town. He also finds out his sister is not so pesky after all.

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I have purchased a number of the Bizzy Bear board books and was happy to find this new one. As with the others, this one has a number of fun activities for my grandson to play with. The book is filled with knights and dragons – even jousting. At 18 months old, he is easily able to move the levers to make the fun activities happen. He especially likes the one that moves the sword up and down.

The story is very simple and easy to read. When kids are interested in doing the activities, they really aren’t listening all that hard. I read this one to him several times a day and neither he nor I have gotten tired of it. A little one can be a bit tough on these books – my grandson tries to “open” the pages where the movement actually is house. He has only destroyed one as I figured out how to reinforce the books so he can’t pull them apart. I use a big of clear packing tape on the corners and edges of each page. Just enough to reinforce without hampering the flow of the activity. He hasn’t damaged another since I starting using this method.

This is an adorable children’s book about a kitty who lives the life of leisure. Her owners don’t have children and lavish their love and attention on her. Before you know it, there is a little dog who is suddenly vying for attention – and she does tricks and can wear cute clothes instead of striking glamour poses all day.

The story is cute and the illustrations even cuter. They remind me of a kitty I once had who was also a bit of a glamourpuss. My grandson loves when I pull this book out as he has a kitty at his house, too.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via the publisher.

“The Year of the Three Sisters” is the fourth book in a series about a young Chinese American girl, Anna Wang. I have not read the prior three books but after reading this one, I will be sure to go back and read the full series.

The book was surprising to me, as many books aimed at this age group are unrelentingly upbeat and happy. This book is not that. It deals with many issues, including homesickness, loss of friendship, misunderstood feelings, and even loss of a loved one. It seemed to be looking at the way a real 7th grade girl would look at things happening about her. Sometimes she understands and sometimes she just wishes she was back where she was before many of the unhappy issues started. There are also very happy and upbeat moments.

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This is an adorable little board book about Kitty Cat having to get up and get ready for school. The verse is done in a sing-song rhyme and I like to read this to my grandson when it is time for getting ready for his parents to pick him up to go home. He likes to take his shoes and socks off at my house and part of the book is about find the Kitty Cat’s shoes and socks.

The illustrations are so cute, with Kitty Cat doing all sorts of silly things and poses that most toddlers and parents of toddlers can relate to. It is a sweet book and one that we read at least once a day.

This is my second touch and feel Peter Rabbit book. I bought them for my grandson in preparation for Easter. The first book I bought was only a touch and feel book but this one is also a lift the flaps book.

My grandson is almost 18 months old and he really enjoys the new process of lifting the flaps to see what is underneath. I have other peek a boo type books but this one is amongst the first I have that are paper and not fabric. He seems a little young to be going through this book on his as he has been trying to pull the lift tabs a little too hard. To preserve the book, I am currently keeping this one as one that he can only look at with Grandma’s help.

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I have a couple of other books by Louise Bonnett-Rampersaud, including one of my favorite board books “How Do You Sleep?), so having an opportunity to read and review another book by this author was a real pleasure.

“Going Green” is the third book in the Secret Knock Club. The Secret Knock Club is a group of six third graders (three boys and three girls) who get together and do things for their community. In “Going Green”, the kids get to chose their kindergarten buddies – a child that they will get to help tutor and do fun things with. I don’t know if this is an actual thing that is done at school these days but it really sounds like a fun program if the kids are matched up well.

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