Reviews
Booklist Review - S is for Sea Glass
Michelson takes up the challenge of writing beach-related poetry for every letter of the alphabet, with a child in a snowsuit visits a familiar beach in winter and fin View →
Philip Reid Saves the Statue of Freedom
As a child, Reid learned to work with clay and wood from an older slave on a plantation in South Carolina. Sold to Clark Mills, a sculptor, Reid mastered the skills required to create bronze statues. When Mills was commissioned to cast the plaster mold of the Statue of Freedom in 1859,… View →
The Horn Book Review - Boris and Stella and the Perfect Gift
Bears Boris, a Russian musician, and Stella, an Italian baker, are in love. When the eighth night of Hanukkah falls on Christmas Eve, each sells his or her most treasured possession (Stella, her pine tree; Boris, his dreidel collection) for money to buy the other a special gift. Goldman… View →
Deck the Walls A Wacky Christmas Carol
“Feed the dog our peas and carrots. / Fa la la la la la la la la! / Food tastes better when you wear it. / Fa la la la la la la la la.” Th e lyrics of the familiar Christmas carol have been rewritten to capture the essence of a chaotic holiday family gathering, with a houseful of rowdy… View →
Stella Batts Who's in Charge
Stella Batts, back to star in her fifth book, is still in the third grade, but her family has now welcomed a new baby, Marco. Her mother is totally focused on keeping the house as germfree as possible, so when Stella comes home one Friday after school with her friend Evie’s puppy to… View →
Deck the Walls A Wacky Christmas Carol
Let’s face it; wassailing and chestnuts just don’t accurately reflect most kids’ Christmases. Enter this fractious take on “Deck the Halls.” First, there is the big dinner with the extended family: “Uncle Harvey stands before us. / Fa la la la la / la la la la / Why do aunts and uncles… View →
Booklist Online Reviews "On Linden Square"
While there are many books about building friendships, this one celebrates the creation of a community. Initially, the neighbors of Stella Mae Culpepper keep to themselves, listening to their own music, ridingtheir bikes, and playing with their dogs. And Stella remains aloof, too, as an… View →
The Bookworm Reviews "No Pirates Allowed! Said Library Lou"
Would you please be quiet for a… How many times a day does your Mom, Dad, teacher, or grandma say that to you? Probably really often, even though they were kids once, not too long ago, and even though they know how hard it is to keep your mouth closed and your ears open whe View →
Kirkus Reviews "Boris and Stella and the Perfect Gift"
A pair of big-city bears celebrates Hanukkah and Christmas Eve in their shared apartment in this sweet, age-appropriate story that borrows the structure of O. Henry’s classic Christmas story, “The Gift of the… Boris is a musician who grew up in Russia; he celebrates Hanukkah. View →
Kirkus Reviews "Deck the Walls"
This hilarious parody of the familiar Yuletide carol starts with mashed potatoes on the walls and ends with cousins sliding downhill in the snow and the whole family singing carols… The traditional Christmas song of “Deck the Halls” has a buoyant rhythm but relatively seda View →