This Month's Book Reviews

A lyrical book about a young fun-loving girl
who copes with dark moments

The subtitle to "Ida B" which is "…and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World" gives the flavor of this little novel by Katherine Hannigan. When the novel begins, Ida B. Applewood is extolling the joys of being an only child whose parents let her roam freely on the large property surrounding their Wisconsin home.

Ida B's first and early troubles are when she is enrolled in Kindergarten. The regimentation and arbitrariness of school, even Kindergarten, is more than her free spirit can endure. Ida B's parents concur with her negative reaction to school, and they home-school her until the mother's health problem interferes. At that point he expense of medical care and the adults' anxieties in living with a possibly terminal illness change the atmosphere for Ida B. At first, she cannot cope and lashes out, especially when she is forced to return to public school. Finally, however, her positive attitude returns and she, once again, can enjoy life, whatever the fates may bring.

A farm boy deals with a physical handicapping injury
in 1820's Maine

In "Wintering Well," author Lea Wait has produced a work of historical fiction that has received numerous favorable reviews. The reviews pick up on the fact that the novel presents a message of triumph over adversity while providing authentic historical details. Boys can identify with Will, the twelve-year-old main character, who is severely injured just at the stage when he is fighting to establish his own independence. Girls can identify with Cassie, the sister, who has guilt feelings over having been the one providing the distraction that led to her brother's injury. The brother and the sister both find new lives for themselves after moving into town to secure help for Will.

Kids and animals can talk to each other
and their stories are intertwined

Even though "Whittington" is author Alan Armstrong's first children's book, his writing has been compared favorably with E. B. White's work. The book is relatively new also - first published in 2005. Armstrong's narrative style is so easy and his descriptions so graphic, the ability of animals and human kids being able to speak to each other does not tax the reader's imagination. His unusual mixing of an old historical legend with the learning problems of a modern kid - within the context of a barnyard story - makes "Whittington" a very unique children's book.

A junior novel based on the script
of a recent and popular movie

Some kids like to read books based on a movie that they just viewed and relive the experience. Others want to read the book before they view the movie or the DVD. Others will read the book but never see the movie. The novelization of "Night at the Museum" as authored by Leslie Goldman is reasonably well-written. It follows the movie in detail, but stands alone as a kids' book. There are a few color photographs of scenes from the movie bound in the book. The movie was meant to be farcical and humorous. So is the book, of course. However, reading the paperback motivates a young reader to think about the historical basis of the exhibits in the Museum of Natural History. The vocabulary is challenging. These are not bad features to find in a book for young readers.