The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

Book Summary
Ten year old Lucky has been searching for her higher power ever since the untimely death of her mother. Now living with her father's first wife, Bridgette, Lucky 's life has become mostly stable but the fear of losing Bridgette and ending up in an orphanage is ever present. She spends her evenings listening to the twelve-step program meetings in hopes of learning where her higher power may be and how to find it. When Lucky finds out that Bridgette plans to return to her family in France, Lucky packs up her homemade backpack survival kit and runs away. A dust storm ruins her plans but leads her to the answers she'd been looking for.

My Thoughts
The Higher Power of Lucky is not one of my favorites. The book often refers to the twelve step programs and how a person finds their higher power. I don't know of many kids that are familiar with these programs or know what a higher power is. I have to wonder whether or not a young reader can really relate to this story and its characters without having that vital information. I can definitely see why people were surprised when this book won the Newbery.

Library Usage
Good to showcase with other Newbery winners. Possibly an opportunity to talk this book up with children that might be in the midst of dealing with family members and addiction.

Journal Reviews
Booklist Review, 12-01-2006
"Patron's plotting is as tight as her characters are endearing. Lucky is a true heroine, especially because she's not perfect: she does some cowardly things, but she takes pains to put them to rights." -- Francisca Goldsmith

School Library Journal Review, December 1, 2006
"This character-driven novel has an unusually complicated backstory, and a fair amount of exposition. Yet, its quirky cast and local color help to balance this fact, and the desert setting is fascinating. Phelan's cover and line drawings are simple and evocative, a perfect complement to the text." --Adrienne Furness

Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2006
"Readers will gladly give themselves over to Patron, a master of light but sure characterization and closely observed detail. A small gem."

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Book Summary
Kit Tyler decides to leave her home in Barbados for America after the death of her grandfather. She heads to Connecticut to live with the only remaining members of her family. Kit learns quickly that her free-spirited attitude and lavish lifestyle causes her to stand out in the Puritan town. As she desperately tries to fit in, she meets a strange old woman who is an outcast in the town. As two other misfits join the friendship, she finally begins to find happiness but her strange ways and forbidden friendship catch up with her when she is accused of being a witch.

My Thoughts
I couldn't put this book down. The story line and character development is excellent. I became a part of the story and a part of the world in which it took place. I'm not sure that this story would be something that today's young reader would pick up on their own, however, it could certainly be used as a part of a school curriculum dealing with the witch trials or the Puritan lifestyle. Of course, there is always the young girl struggles through hardships but ends up becoming a heroine and meeting the love of her life that is always a popular theme with female tweens.

Library Usage
I would use this book in a Book Talk program with tweens who are studying the Puritans and Witch Trials.

Journal Reviews
Booklist Review, December 15, 1958
"The author of Calico Captive has written another outstanding historical romance with a compelling theme and fully realized characters and background."

Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 1958
"Kit's vindication, her gradual integration into the community, and the positive effect she has on those about her combine here in a well documented novel to rival the author's first work, Calico Captive, which received wide acclaim as a work of "superior historical fiction".

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

Book Summary
The Little House tells the tale of a small house built by a man and his wife in the country. The man tells the house that she will never be sold and will be kept in the family forever. As the years go by, the little house sees her countryside turn into a small city, then expanded to an even bigger city. She begins to fall apart when no one wants to live in her anymore. Decades later, the great-great-granddaughter of the house happens to pass by and decides to make it her home. She moves it out of the city and back to the country where they all live happily ever after.

My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book. I became attached to the little house. I was happy when she was happy and sad when she was sad. The illustrations were very important in visualizing what life was like through the years that the little house sat on her little hill. Seeing the city built around her as well as reading it made the story all that more interesting. Although this book was a little long for a preschooler, my 4 year old daughter also sat through the entire story waiting to see what would happen to the little house at the end.

Library Usage
As mentioned before, this book is a little long so it would not hold a group of childrens' attention long enough for a storytime. I would definitely recommend this book and include it in a reader's advisory for Pre-K through 1st Grade.

Journal Reviews
School Library Journal, 2002
"Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House begins with a promise, evolves into a heart-tugging drama, and closes on a pleasing note. A simple story. A simple message."

Elleman, B. (2002). Virginia Lee Burton: an American classic. School Library Journal, 48(8), 48-51. Retrieved September 16, 2009, from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database.

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathman

Book Summary
Officer Buckle is serious about safety. He is often coming up with new safety tips and shares them with the local school children at school assemblies. The children are very bored at these assemblies and sometimes fall asleep. When Office Buckle gets a new partner, a dog named Gloria, he brings her to the assemblies and is amazed when the children clap and cheer. Soon he is traveling all over the area holding safety assemblies for large audiences. What Officer Buckle does not realize is that Gloria preforms the consequences of not following each safety tip while he presents them. The pair make quite a team and help a child avoid what could be a very bad accident.

My Thoughts
Officer Buckle and Gloria was not one of my favorites but my children both enjoyed it. They love to listen to each safety tip, even the extras included on the front and back inside covers. It is a nice story and an interesting way to try and teach about safety. The illustrations of Gloria performing each safety tip are humorous and add a lot of fun to the book.

Library Usage
This book is a great storytime book. Librarians could present a safety storytime where they talk about the importance of safety. It could be paired with an informational picture book on safety.

Journal Reviews
Kirkus Reviews, 1995 August
"The unexpected theme of this picture book featuring a policeman and his dog is jealousy over attention; it has definite child appeal. The book is quite funny, thanks to Rathmann's frenetic cartoons. The text is very direct; Gloria's performances only show up in the pictures, and the contrast is hilarious. The idea of a of an adult's envying a dog is amusing, and the emotions portrayed will hit home with children. Fans of Rathmann's Good Night, Gorilla (1994) will like this one, too." Copyright 1999 Kirkus Reviews

SLJ Reviews, 1995 September
"A fresh, funny story about the wonders of teamwork. The vibrant palette of the cartoon art, as well as the amusing story, make this title an appealing read-aloud choice. Older children will enjoy poring over the many safety tips presented on the endpapers, all illustrated by Gloria's antics. A five-star performance." Lisa S. Murphy, formerly at Dauphin County Library System, Harrisburg, PA

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Book Summary
Harriet wants to be a spy. She trains for her future career by spying on her neighbors and writing all the details in her notebooks. Her notebooks also contain her thoughts about her friends and family and those thoughts are not always nice. After her nurse leaves to get married, Harriet's friends find one of her notebooks and they read it aloud. Harriet learns a lot about the consequences of spying as she struggles with her anger and loneliness.

My Thoughts
I had a difficult time getting involved in this story. I felt as though the concentration on character development slowed the story down significantly as I kept waiting for something to happen. The relationship that Harriet has with her parents is hard to define and changes throughout the story with little explanation as to why or how. I would hesitate to recommend this book to any reluctant reader although a young girl who loves reading may very well enjoy it.

Library Usage
I would use this book in conjunction with the movie as a book to film display. As I mentioned above, I would recommend it as a good book for a girl who is already in love with reading.

Journal Reviews
School Library Journal Review
"Harriet is determined to become a famous author. In the meantime, she practices by following a regular spy route each day and writing down everything she sees in her secret notebook. Her life is turned upside down when her classmates find her notebook and read it aloud!." Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel

Book Summary
Hungry for some mouse soup? Don't forget the stories! This is what a little mouse tells the weasel who his trying to make him into soup. The mouse goes on to tell the weasel four short stories, elements of which must be added to the soup in order to make it delicious. When the weasel heads out, the mouse escapes to the safety of his home.

My Thoughts
Mouse Soup is a great book for beginning readers. The stories are short and easy to understand. The sentences are simple and the text is large enough to help children separate one letter from another when sounding words out. The cute stories sound as if there is a morale to each but alas there is not. Still, Mouse Soup makes for a bunch of great bedtime stories.

Library Usage
I would use this book in a Reader's Advisory for beginning readers or as a bedtime story for younger children. It would also make for a great story time program. Crafts, games and other activities could easily be tied into the five stories.

Journal Reviews
School Library Journal, May 1977
"Arnold Lobel presents another winner in this simple, satisfying tale of a clever mouse who talks his way out of becoming the key ingredient in a weasel's Mouse Soup. Lobel's gentle blue, green and yellow sketches suit the story perfectly."

Kirkus Reviews, March 1977
'"Small but satisfying, and all informed with Lobel's own gentle resonance."

I Already Know I Love You by Billy Crystal

Book Summary
In this picture book, a grandfather shares his plans, hopes and love for his unborn grandchild. He talks of taking her to movies and ball games, teaching her new things, and sharing in her life.

My Thoughts
While I appreciate the strong bond and love that this grandfather feels for his grandchild, I have to wonder if perhaps his plans overstep his boundaries as a grandparent. I would recommend this book to any grandfather but I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone else. The words read nicely and the illustrations are dreamy which makes it a nice book for a grandfather to read to an infant. Toddlers on up would most likely not be interested enough to sit through it.

Library Usage
Leave this one for displaying on Father's Day and Grandparent's Day.

Journal Reviews
Kirkus Reviews, 2004 April #1
"Another celebrity author misses his audience. Picture-book readers will not identify with the adult perspective and the logic of activities, which has the child sliding into bases and later reverting to bouncing on Grandfather's knee. And the rhymes are just atrocious." Copyright Kirkus 2004 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.

PW Reviews, 2004 March #3
"Comedian Crystal's unabashedly sentimental poem to his first grandchild rather clumsily starts on the opening endpapers. The rhyming narrative that follows echoes this hypothetical tenor, as Sayles's softly focused, emotion-filled pastels reveal a devoted grandfather and a girl-as an infant, toddler and elementary schooler. The verse's rhythm and rhyme at times falter and several passages are awkward. Yet Crystal's name and the inherent appeal of his theme should put this in the spotlight on the grandparent/baby gift bookshelf." All ages. (Apr.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.