Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Just started reading this book today.  I've already learned that Canadian kids born between January and March are better at hockey than kids born the rest of the school year.  They're bigger kids that make the cutoff for hockey and are given more opportunities for practice, etc.  Fascinating book so far.  I highly recommend Gladwell's books.

The Complete Far Side by Gary Larson

My brother bought me this for Xmas this year.  The whole set!  I'm very excited.  I'm starting with volume 2 because he's reading the first volume.  Larson has added some notes of explanation to a few of the comics.  I wish he were still drawing comics . . . They're hysterical!

Business Builders in Sweets and Treats by Nathan Aaseng

This book is so fascinating!  Did you know that Hershey paid 10 cents for every 20 dozen Kisses wrapped, and workers would lick the bottom of the Kiss to get the tissue paper flag to stick?  Gross huh?  The Wrigley gum guy started off selling soap for his dad's business.  Snickers was named after a horse.  Completely awesome book!

The Day We Danced in Underpants by Sarah Wilson and illustrated by Catherine Stock

Author's local, lives in Danville.  This rhyming picture book is very fun!  Father, son and three aunts visit the king and when lunch is about to be served, dad's pants split!  Soon everyone is running around in their underwear :o)

 

Adele & Simon in America by Barbara McClintock

This is a truly delightful book about a French brother and sister who visit their American aunt.  Young Simon keeps losing different items as they travel across America and Adele is constantly scolding him. 

You're Different and That's Super by Carson Kressley

Yeah, that Queer Eye for the Straight Guy dude.  Trumpet is a unicorn among horses who is ostracised when his horn begins to grow.  During a barn fire, Trumpet's horn saves the stable and he becomes a famous, lauded hero. 

 

Nobody Here but Me by Judith Viorst

A little boy wants some attention from his mom, dad and big sister in this picture book.  He goes and causes trouble as he tries to get his family to notice him.  Not only does he cut holes in the knees of his jeans, but he also gives himself a haircut and makes a huge mess in the kitchen.  This book was alright, I liked her other picture book a lot better:  Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

Good Night, Feet by Constance Morgenstern and illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith

Rhyming book about thanking your different body parts as you get ready for bed.  Not my fave.

Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A. by Luis J. Rodriguez

In 11th grade honors English, Matt Ortega read this book and he raved about it.  Now, umpteen years later I'm reading it too and it's interesting and depressing at the same time.  As some of you might know, I had a mad crush on a gangster I once worked with as a teen.  I loved hearing all about his crazy gang life.  This autobiographical book is about the author's youth.  I'm not that far into the book but he's about 6 years old and his bro is 9.  Luis's brother is super violent and chokes him with a rope.  Their mom has to force Luis to play with his older brother.  Vida loca indeed.

Gorgonzola: A Very STINKYsaurus by Margie Palatini

Sassy bird teaches stinky triceratops named Gorgonzola about personal hygiene.  At the end of the book, Gongonzola is "ex-stink."  Ha . . . ha . . . ha.

 

Crocs! by David T. Greenberg

Very funny rhyming book about a child's experience with crocodiles.  Here's a sampling:  "See oodles and oodles of crocs slurping noodles a crocodile chef with a wok."  The pictures are wonderful as well :o)

Time to Pee! by Mo Willems

Here is a funny book that teaches little kids how to pee in the toilet.  There's a hysterical picture of a boy peeing (don't worry, you can only see his face)--his face is all relieved looking.  Willems even reminds his kids to flush and wash their hands :o) 

Scalpels, Stitches + Scars: A History of Surgery by John Townsend

This kid's book is filled with awesome, gruesome pictures!  There's a ton of fascinating information too.  Did you know that barbers used to perform minor surgeries?  They'd have bloody bandages that they'd hang outside to dry and the wind would twirl them around.  That's why the symbol for barbershop is that red and white post.  South American Indians would use ant jaws as stitches!  They'd then pinch the ants' bodies off.  And did you know that in the Middle Ages knights would be in the saddle for too long and an abscess would grow on their rectums?  Crazy stuff . . .

 

Bats at the Beach by by Brian Lies

I liked Bats at the Library more, but I'm biased :o)  This is another of Lies's rhyming picture books.  My favorite picture is of the marshmallows the bats are roasting--they come with cricket legs sticking out. 

 

Mr. Gumpy's Motor Car by John Burningham

Mr. Gumpy piles loads of animals and 2 kids in his old school convertible for a car ride.  They all get stuck in the mud but no one wants to get out and push.  Finally they all help push the car out of the mudhole and go home.  My favorite picture is of the author on the back flap of the book.  He seems be calmly saying, "You better like my book, or I'll kill you." 

 

Rolie Polie Olie by William Joyce

The illustrations in this book look computer generated.  This book is about a robot family and how they spend their day.  My favorite picture is of a young robot brushing his teeth and recharging his head :o)  The simple story is very imaginative and lots of fun.

 

Anne Was Warned by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

This book reminded me of Wolf's Coming by Joe Kulka.  Anne was born on Halloween and she is dared by her brother to visit a haunted house.  All these spooky things happen to her along the way but none of them scare her.  When she gets to the house, there's a great big surprise waiting for her.

 

Rolling Along with Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Cindy Meyers

This is just like the regular story, except the baby bear is in a wheel chair.  The three bears take the baby to physical therapy and that's when Goldilocks breaks in.  At the end of the book, Goldilocks and the Baby Bear are great friends.

Tupelo Rides the Rails by Melissa Sweet

In this picture book, an abandoned dog befriends a hobo and hopes to find new owners.

 

Oink, Oink Benny by Barbro Lindgren and Olof Landstrom

Two pig brothers play in a mudhole and both fall in.  They're comforted by a kind female pig and run in the rain to clean off.  This book was alright.

 

Baby Brains and Robomom by Simon James

Loved this book about a genius baby who notices his parents are constantly exhausted and creates Robomom!  At first Robomom does a fantastic job but then service deteriorates and she serves the family nuts and bolts in engine oil for breakfast.  This book is very creative :o)

What a Trip! by Arthur Yorinks

Boy trips and enters an alternate dimension where everything in the world is pointy.  A couple pages, the reader folds to see a new picture, kind of like in Mad Mag, but not as clever.

 

Big Little Monkey by Carole Lexa Schaefer and Pierre Pratt

A little monkey wanders away from his family to prove that he is big.  Along the way he meets a sloth, parrot and boa but eventually returns home to his mother.

 

Twelve Terrible Things by Marty Kelley

This book lists 12 things that kids might be afraid of.  There's a scary picture of an evil looking clown.  One of my favorite ones is the lady pinching the kid's cheek super hard.

 

A River Dream by Allen Say

A sick boy's uncle gives him a box of fishing lures and he soon dreams of catching rainbow trout.  In the dream, the uncle releases the fish he catches and tells the boy that he likes to leave the river the way he found it, and who knows, they just might catch a mermaid one day.  When the boy catches the biggest trout, he must decide if he will kill it to show his parents or set it free.  Another fine story by Allen Say. 

The Retired Kid by Jon Agee

A kid gets tired of being a kid and decides to retire.  He goes to live at a retirement community and gets involved with prune juice smoothies, hearing about hip replacements and playing card games.  After 3 weeks, he gets tired of being retired and goes back to being a kid.  Agee is cool.

 

Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey

Hally the dog lives with the Tosis family.  Get it?  Hally . . . Tosis?  Ha ha ha.  As you can imagine, Hally has awful breath and periodically goes around and knocks people out with her stank breath.  There are lots of pictures of green fog stank breath.  Anyway, eventually the family decides they can no longer put up with Hally's breath and try to rid themselves of her.  When a couple of burglars try to rob the Tosis family, Hally inadvertently saves the day . . . with her stank breath!

 

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons

Picture book about the different parts of plants.  There's brief talk about the birds and the bees too.  I learned that there are some seeds that sprout when they're in forest fires. 

 

Terrific by Jon Agee

Eugene is a super negative man who assumes the worst will happen to him.  He wins a trip to Bermuda and ends up on a deserted island where a talking parrot named Lenny advises him on how to build a rescue boat.  He uses his checkered trench coat as a sail.  At sea they run into a fishing boat and are rescued by the crew who recognize Lenny as their parrot.  When they get to Bermuda, Lenny and Eugene disembark together.

Tree of Cranes by Allen Say

In Japan, a Japanese boy celebrates Xmas with his mom who used to live in California when she was younger.  They dig out a pine tree that was planted when the boy was born and bring it into the house to decorate with origami cranes and candles.  The boy receives a warrior kite as a gift for promising to stay away from a dangerous pond with pretty fish.  There's something seriously zen about the books that Allen Say writes :o)  I love them all!

 

Dancing to Freedom: The True Story of Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin and illustrated by Anne Spudvilas

Autobiographical picture book about a poor boy from China who leaves his poor village and grows up to become a world renowned dancer.  The story is uplifting and inspiring. 

 

Manuelo the Playing Mantis by Don Freeman

Manuelo is a praying mantis who wishes to make beautiful music like the cricket, katydid and frog.  A spider comes along and they make a cello together.  Soon Manuelo is the leader of a music making group made up of different insects.

 

Outside and Inside Giant Squid by Sandra Markle

Giant squid are completely fascinating!  Their eyes are as big as volleyballs and can move independently of each other.  The right eye can look up and the left eye can look down!  They have 3 hearts and the plasticlike "spine" is called the gladius. 

 

Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton

It's Splat's first day of school and he's nervous about not having any friends.  Chaos ensues when he lets his mouse Seymour out of his lunchbox.  This is a simple, fun book.