One Dark and Dreadful Night by Randy Cecil

One Dark and Dreadful Night by Randy Cecil

This book is a witty story about a character named Maestro Von Haughty who is attempting to present three "dark and dreadful" tales. But the actors and actresses have another plan in mind. Just when the scary parts are supposed to happen; the stars of the show change the plot to what they want. I enjoyed the funny twist the author put on the traditional fairy tale aspect and the witty response the stars of the show had to the narrator. The reader did not know how the story or tale would end up. For example, just when the big bad wolf was supposed to eat one of the children, a fairy princess appears and has nothing to do with the original story. I thought it was fun to have the unexpected characters like that to give the story a humorous twist.

Bob's Best Ever Friend by Simon Bartram

Bob's Best Ever Friend by Simon Bartram

I was first drawn to this book by the bright cover and illustrations. I would say it has a unique and quirky plot to it. It's basically about Bob (the only man on the moon) who sets out to find a best friend in his life. I liked how the author incorporated real life aspects with Bob, such as eating dinner in front of the television and going shopping. Bob is doing all of that while living on the moon, so i like the scientific aspect of the book. I also noticed that on each page that has illustrations there is a small dog and a man chasing the dog. I think it's just a fun and consistent illustration to see if it gets noticed by the reader. It's also an added bonus that the book jacket has a glow in the dark poster on the other side, so all in all a colorful and enjoyable book!

The Girl in the Castle inside the Museum

The Girl in the Castle inside the Museum by Kate Bernheimer and Nicoletta Ceccoli

This fairy tale is described as "haunting, and beautiful" by one reviewer. I definitely agree with those words! I enjoyed this book because of the "Alice in Wonderland" type feeling. It can lead you to use your imagination in many different ways. I also like the different perspectives it shows the reader. There is the view from the girl inside the castle and later in the book it shows a child holding a book and reading about the girl inside the castle. I really like the illustrations in this book; it makes it feel truly like a fairy tale.

BabyMouse RockStar

BabyMouse Rock Star by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

I found this graphic novel for children highly entertaining. BabyMouse is the main character in this self-titled series. In this particular novel, BabyMouse wants to eventually be the first-chair flute player in the band, but along the way she has these daydreams of being a world-famous rockstar. I love the imagination of the character such as being transported to a “Wizard of Oz” like setting when she opens her locker and the characters gently guide her to her first period class. I thought the illustrations were comical and I liked how the narrator had a "voice" in the story where BabyMouse actually answers back to the narrator. It is a very easy read and a fun book to get lost in!

Jazz on a Saturday Night

Jazz on a Saturday Night by Leo and Diane Dillon
I really enjoyed this book because of the time period it represents. It really shows a good introduction into the jazz era. It's about hardworking people that want to enjoy a night of sweet music. I feel like the author really draws the reader in with the descriptive text and illustrations. "A guest with guitar-lightning fingers begin...He takes strings for a walk, strings can talk, now he's in. The musicians smile with a meeting of eyes. A cool night, a cool note-they all improvise." I also feel like there could be a good discussion with students about how "strings go for a walk" and how "strings can talk" and what that actually means. This book also includes an introduction about jazz that gives a general description about the history and origins of jazz that I found helpful.

Painting the Wind-A Story of Vincent Van Gogh

Painting the Wind...A Story of Vincent van Gogh

by Michelle Dionetti and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

"She wished she could make paintings that could talk without words, as Vincent did." This is an intriguing book to me because one of my favorite paintings is Starry Night by Van Gogh. I also thought this was a unique children's book because it dealt with many difficult, but not necessarily foreign, issues such as dealing with a neighbor that everyone thinks is unstable. I thought the most endearing character in the story was Claudine, a young girl who helped her mother clean houses. Claudine noticed Vincent's paintings and became very curious about them and while everyone else thought Vincent was crazy for painting the way he did, Claudine secretly admired them. Vincent was eventually forced out of town and Claudine just had to say good-bye to Vincent. He gave her one of his paintings as a "going away gift." I really enjoyed the whimsical feeling in this book because I feel like I could really picture Vincent painting outside in windy Arles, France and the illustrations are so vivid.

Cranberry Valentine by Wende and Harry Devlin

Cranberry Valentine by Wende and Harry Devlin
In the spirit of Valentine's Day coming up I thought it would be fun to read a Valentine's story! =) This was an enjoyable story about Mr. Whiskers who starts to receive mysterious valentines. It was a surprise to him in the end who was sending the valentines all along. I thought this story was interesting with the simple character development of Mr. Whiskers. At first he thinks the whole idea of getting a valentine revolting, but then as he is receiving them he starts to think very highly of himself. He is then encouraged to be a gentleman and give a box of chocolates to the sender. Although I think this book is a bit outdated for kids nowadays (because I'm thinking that many kids send valentines in the mail anymore), I do think it's a sweet story for a fun read aloud time in class.