Cool books on back to school
Some children eagerly anticipate returning to school, some are not so keen on the idea, and some children are nervous. Regardless of how your child might be feeling about going back to school, that's where kids will be in short order.
Help ease the transition from summer vacation to the halls of academia by reading funny books about school and learning, such as those reviewed today. For some, such books can add to a child's enthusiasm. For those children who are not looking forward to school or are nervous, these same books can help take the edge off their concerns.
After all, who doesn't like to laugh? Read on and see for yourself.
Books to BorrowThe following book is available at many public libraries.
"Science Verse" by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith, Viking, 40 pages; read aloud: age 7 and older; read yourself: age 7 to 8 and older."On Wednesday in science class, Mr. Newton says, 'You know, if you listen closely enough, you can hear the poetry of science in everything.'" One young student follows his suggestion, listens closely, and is zapped with a curse of science verse!Hilarious poems and illustrations on numerous science concepts such as dinosaurs, astronomy, matter and evolution, these and other topics are presented in a way that readers can't help but remember.Science terms, concepts and all that gobbledygook take on new meaning with this selection that is certain to elicit smiles and outbursts of laughter throughout all 40 pages. From the creators of the award winning "Math Curse," Scieszka and Smith have done it again, this time with outrageous poems about science.
Librarian's ChoiceLibrary: Zelienople Public Library, 227 S. High St., Zelienople
Library Director: Jan Lawrence
Children's Librarian: Kay Howard
Choices this week: "It's OK to be Different" by Todd Parr; "Cat Traps" by Molly Coxe; "Buffalo Knife" by William O. Steele
Books to BuyThe following books are available at favorite bookstores.
"The Dunderheads" by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by David Roberts, Candlewick, 2009, 56 pages, $16.99 hardcover; read aloud: age 8 to 9 and older; read yourself: age 8 to 11.Miss Breakbone was a nightmare-come-true teacher. She hated kids, called her students dunderheads, and gleefully confiscated their property. The day Miss Breakbone confiscated the ceramic cat from Theodore (aka Junkyard), she went too far, and her "dunderhead" students devised a brilliant plan to get that cat back. Unlike what Miss Breakbone thought, these kids were far from being dunderheads.A wildly funny story with equally hilarious illustrations, "The Dunderheads" is certain to have kids laughing on every page.
"Wilson and Miss Lovely" written and illustrated by John Stadler, Robin Corey Books, 2009, 32 pages, $9.99 hardcover; read aloud: age 4 and older; read yourself: age 7 to 8.Wilson loved school, and he especially loved his teacher, Miss Lovely. Every day he looked forward to spending the day with Miss Lovely.One morning Wilson woke up and realized he had overslept. As he hurried to get to school, something else was on the way to school as well — something huge and green with claws and a long, spiked tail. Poor Wilson didn't realize there was no school on Saturday, and he wondered why he was all alone in the building. He was soon to discover, however, that he wasn't.Charming, funny, and peppered with just the right amount of suspense, "Wilson and Miss Lovely" has all the right components of a great book that children will enjoy.Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached via e-mail: kendal@sunlink.net.
