We Recommend for Kids
by McNally Robinson - Wednesday Jul 18 2007 11:56 am
Posted in: Reviews

The knowledgeable booksellers at McNally Robinson for Kids are constantly on the lookout for great books.

I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry. This makes me smile every time I read it. I love how excited this bright blue giant squid is about being the biggest thing in the ocean. In bold cartoon illustrations on beautiful watery backgrounds, Kevin Sherry shows us all the things he’s bigger than: the shrimp, the turtles, the clams. But perhaps the squid should be warned. There’s always something bigger than you are. (toddlers & up) (Dial. May)

Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah. Hardcover. $20.99. When sixteen-year-old Amal decides she will wear the hijab, she wonders about the backlash at school. She’s already the only Muslim there. Does she really need to give them another reason to think she’s “batting for Osama’s team?” In a very funny debut, Abdel-Fattah gives us a heroine who, in her smart, confident and sarcastic way, takes on culture, religion and good old teen angst. (Young Adult) (Orchard. May.)

Jakeman by Deborah Ellis. I have always admired the work of Deborah Ellis (The Breadwinner, The Heaven Shop). She takes on difficult subjects, and her latest novel is no exception. Jake and his sister Shoshona are in foster care while their mother is in jail. They cope as they can: Shoshona has become a bossy mother figure; Jake a budding comic book artist who has created an alter ego named Jakeman. Brother and sister team up to thwart caseworkers, prison guards and wardens. I found this an imaginative, bittersweet and unexpectedly funny novel of kids in difficult times and places. (Ages 9 to 12) (Fitzhenry & Whiteside. May)

Stick by Steve Breen. I loved this very funny picture book where the pictures tell it all. Stick is a frog who likes to do things on his own — with no help from Mom. But one day he gets carried away, literally. His tongue accidentally sticks to a dragonfly when he tries to catch a mosquito, and off he’s pulled across the swamp, through town, and into the big city of New Orleans, causing havoc along the way. When he finds himself stranded at the seashore, far from his mom, will he finally be ready to ask for help? You’ll laugh out loud as Breen’s delightful illustrations tell a rollicking tale of misadventure that turns out all right in the end. (Ages 4 to 8) (Dial. March)

The Lost Files of Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene. Hardcover. $25.00. Delve into this lovely hardbound Nancy Drew collection in the style of Wizardology. Background info on Nancy’s cases, sleuthing hints, recipes, historical data and insider secrets combine with fabulous cover art from the 1920s to 1960s. Also new: Nancy Drew Pocketbook Mysteries - two hardcover Nancy Drew mysteries in a cool retro purse with 1930s cover art. (Ages 8 and up) (Putnam. May)

Jasper Explores the Wild West by Doug and Shannon Chapman. Hardcover. $19.95. Looking for a fun children’s picture book that celebrates the Calgary area? This is the third in Doug and Shannon’s series of Jasper books, all of which take place in western Canada. Follow the adventures of Jasper, the little white bear, as he searches for his lost Little Girl at the Calgary Stampede, in the Badlands and at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Lots of gorgeous photos and a cute story. (Ages 3 and up) (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

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