6 Children's Book Reviews You Don't Want To Miss!

As domesticated moose, we love doing lots of domesticated things. One of those things is reading.
We love to read and we love to have someone read to us. We've had a special couple of weeks because we got a whole load of new books to enjoy. Our Moo met author Carolyn Findlay Davis and she shared her books with us.  Boy, what a treat!  We read them over and over trying to decide which is our favorite, but they are all so good it was too hard to choose. Those of us who did have a favorite want to share our thoughts.  Then we figured it would be nice for our Moo to give a more "professional" review (since she's the one who got the books for us to begin with, and she types a lot better too).

Note: Clicking on any picture will make is larger.

What Is Your Name?

Our thoughts:
We just LOVED this book because it's about all different kinds of animals. And, if you look at our picture, we are all different kinds of animals too. 
Do you know who we are? Tell me true?  Do you know what animals we are? Do you? Do you? Oh yeah, this books also has some rhyme in it and as you can tell, we love that too!

Moo's thoughts: 
As I was reading What Is Your Name? by  Carolyn Findlay Davis, a smile appeared on my face thinking what a great book this is for children.  Each page is dedicated to learning about a fascinating animal whose story is written in rhyme.  Not only is rhyme fun for children, but there is just enough repetition that it makes the reading both fun and comfortable.  This is a great book for kids to read on their own, or it could be used as a read-aloud.  I can see this as a favorite book to read with children before bed!

As a teacher, I thought this book would be a great introduction for further study of animals, or better yet, a stepping off point to write poetry following the same pattern as Davis does in her books.  I think even middle school students would enjoy writing poems about themselves or their friends.

Miss Winnie Lilly's Extraordinary House

 

Our thoughts: 
What a great story! As you can probably tell by our picture, we love to use our imaginations. By day we are all regular cute little moose, but  by night we are hunters, weathermen, ballerinas, indians, police officers, and even kings. There is no end to what we can do when we use our imaginations.  Go ahead, give it a try. See what you can do when you let your imagination run wild!

Moo's thoughts:

"If the children aren't here, the surprises don't appear."  That's what Miss Lilly told the townspeople who wondered why so many children loved to go to Miss Winnie Lilly's Extraordinary House.  What made Miss Winnie Lilly's house so extraordinary?  It wasn't just its sheer size, the endless rooms behind closed doors, and the fun treats.  At Miss Winnie Lilly's it was the imagination that made anything possible.  Oh, the adults were skeptical, as most adults would be, until one of the women quietly opened one of the doors. At first, the room was empty.  Then something unimaginable happened.  Or, did something incredible happen because of what the woman imagined?  After this, Miss Winnie Lilly realized she was going to have many more visitors at her home and not just from the children.

What a wonderful story with creative illustrations to help us all remember what a great thing it is to use our imaginations!

Miss Sara Sit-a-Spell's Garden

Our thoughts:
Oh, how this book was made for us! We just love to sit-a-spell and enjoy the day around us. We can certainly relate to Miss SarahBut, we also learned a very important lesson too - hard work pays off and it makes you feel good to see the results. 

Moo's thoughts: 
While Miss Sara's friends are busy taking care of their flowers, Miss Sara enjoys the fruits of their labor while sitting-a-spell outside on her blanket.  When Miss Sara asks her neighbors how she too can have a beautiful and lovely smelling garden, it seems like it would take a lot of hard work.  Miss Sara didn't think she'd like that. Then, one of her neighbors gave her a small sack of seeds and without realizing it, one seed fell out in Miss Sara's yard and soon a sprout began to grow.  She was so excited to see it, Miss Sara began purposefully planting the other seeds from her small sack and taking care of them.  From then on Miss Sarah enjoyed the fruits of her own labor!  Cute story, excellent message!

Santiago's Sombrero

Our Thoughts:
This was such a fun book for us because it has two things that we love - friends and hats! I am Petunia, the one with the colorful hat.  Hats really add to a personality and I think Satiago's sombrero makes him look swell.  I also have great fun with my friends.  TD (Tuner's Dog) has been my best friend since we met up in The Moose Room many years ago. And just like Santiago has several friends, Dolly and Golly Pawolly (pictured here with us) are just two of our many moose friends!  

Moo's Thoughts:
Santiago's Sombrero is an appealing story for young readers. Santiago is a cute snake with a friendly personality who likes to sing. Poor Santiago has a cold and loses his sombrero when he sneezes, so he sets out to find his hat. He first sees his friend Sanchez the scorpion. Sanchez can't help him, but sends Santiago to another friend who he thinks might have seen his sombrero. It turns out this friend didn't see the hat either, but his friends keep trying to help. Santiago continues to slither and sing through the area going from one friend to the next. Luckily, Santiago finds his hat and a new friend along the way.  

 

The Moon-Faced Gollywampus

Our Thoughts:
Some words are so much fun to say and "Gollywampus" is one of them!  We each took turns reading this story because we wanted to be able to say Gollywampus, but we also wanted to see which one of us can speak with the best Gaelic accent. Since we're moose and not linguists, you could just imagine how that turned out, but boy oh boy did we enjoy the story!  (And, we found out what a Gollywampus is.) This story has some mystery, adventure, and surprise!  Just what a good story needs. (And a little extra, because we got to say Gollywampus!)

Moo's Thoughts:
We have all heard of the Loch Ness monster and Bigfoot, and now we have The Moon-Faced Gollywampus!  Deep in the waters off the shores of Scotland, after the sun goes down, the Moon-Faced Gollywampus comes up out of the water with a roar and an unbelievable fury! Colin heard his father tell the story and wondered about this mysterious beast.  

 

One day Colin sets out to go fishing on his own.  His dad is ill and can't go with, but he reminds Colin to be sure to get back to land before the suns goes down.  He doesn't want to risk the wrath of the beast in the water.  Colin sets out and has a very prosperous day of fishing.  As he heads for home, Colin falls asleep in the wooden boat. He is jarred awake when his boat hits a rock. Water quickly fills the boat, and Colin fears the boat will sink before he could make it home. As night moves in and the moon shines high above the water, the Moon-Faced Gollywampus comes out and Colin finally learns the truth!  I do agree with the moose, this is a fun book filled with adventure and suspense! 

A Star for Anana

Our Thoughts:
As bears and moose and dogs, we love to play in the snow and we loves to play in the cold. (Now that we are domesticated, we love that we have shelter and heat too. Yes, we are a bit spoiled.) We liked the character of Anana and we could certainly relate to her playing around on the ice and snow! We also liked how she helped our her new friend! The four of us are great friends and we love to hang out and play together.

Moo's Thoughts: 
Anana the polar bear is like any other child.  She'd rather play and be silly than focus on learning the skills her mom knows Anana needs for survival. When Anana finds herself lost in a blizzard, she realizes how important those skills really are.  As Anana carefully moves along the ice, she finds another young polar bear, Nutara, who is also lost. Now, Anana really appreciates what her mom was trying to teach her and she tries to recall many of the lessons to make sure both she and her new friend get back to their mothers safely.  A Star for Anana is a delightful story that incorporates facts about polar bears and their surroundings. 

For further information on any of these books, you can visit Carolyn's website at http://carolynfindlaydavisbooks.weebly.com/ 

We give these books our...

                                                                                  

Welcome Paul R. Hewlett...

author of Lionel's Grand Adventure Series.  He was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to sit down with us for an interview.  

Welcome Paul to The Moose Room blog!  I know as a reader, I enjoy learning more about the authors that create the books I like to read, so I know that your readers will be very interested in what you have to share with them today.  

Q- Were you an avid reader as a child? What type of books did you enjoy reading?

Paul -Yes and no. I read a lot, but it was comic books. I read Archie and Jughead, Beetle Bailey, and Sad Sack all the time. I can recall my parents worrying that I wasn’t reading enough books. I have two older brothers and they read books all the time, so I suppose the fact that I didn’t was the reason for my parents concern. I eventually started reading books though after I read The Hobbit. That experience has led me to believe that any reading is great; it doesn’t matter if it’s books, magazines, or comic books. If a child is picking something up and reading it, that is good and should be encouraged. Once I began reading, I read tons of Encyclopedia Brown, the Three Investigators, and choose your own adventure books. I still think choose your own adventure books are one of the more clever ideas I’ve seen.

Q-Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story. 

Paul -Lionel Goes to Camp is the next book in the Lionel’s Grand Adventure series. I felt like the next logical progression for Lionel was to surround himself with some close friends to share in his adventures. I loved reading Encyclopedia Brown and the Three Investigators while growing up. I felt like I wanted Lionel to have some partners in crime as well as be able to do a little detective work. I also wanted to pursue some other threads that presented themselves in the first two books. Lionel doesn’t have a dad around. I thought that was significant and deserved a bit more attention. I think most children in that situation would want to know more about their dad. I imagine they would picture their dad as a daredevil, secret agent, or devise some other reason why they had to leave. Lionel is no different. My inspiration was to send Lionel on an adventure with some comrades, like the Three Investigators, as well as do some detective work while pursuing the mystery of his missing dad.

Q- How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?

Paul -This particular book was quite a marathon. This book has undergone numerous transformations. The idea, as is usually the case with me, came from more of a stream-of-consciousness writing than an outline. I tend to try to create a rough outline so I have an idea of where I’m going and how I want to get there, but for the most part, I tend to get there by writing. I’m not one that can sit and plan out each part of the plot and process. My inspiration comes from writing. Once I sit down and begin to type things happen. It just happens to be the case with this book, that I wasn’t happy with it until now. I always felt like I needed something different or more. I have to thank all my critique partners for helping to bring this story out. It has been a real challenge, I have to admit, but well worth it. I’m really happy with it, and I hope my fans will be too.

Q-Who are your literary heroes and why? 

Paul -Donald J. Sobol and Stephen King. Donald J. Sobol wrote Encyclopedia Brown. Those books are so dear to me. They are essentially a collection of short stories in each book which makes them easy and quick to read for kids. I loved this growing up as I graduated from comic books to books. I just love and respect the way Mr. Sobol was able to write in such a simple yet entertaining way. I still pick up Encyclopedia Brown books and read them to this day. There is so much to learn from reading him. His writing, in my opinion, is genius. What can I say about Stephen King that hasn’t already been said? I love his characters. He is the master at great characters. I know people probably think of the horror or suspense when discussing Stephen King, but to me it starts with the characters. Who doesn’t have some sleepless nights thinking about Annie Wilkes in Misery? I love Jake Epping in 11/22/63. What about the torment Jack Torrance feels in the Shining? Donald J. Sobol and Stephen King are my literary heroes.

Q- If you could have been the servant to any famous person in history, who would that be and why?

Paul -Abraham Lincoln. I would have loved to witness him during the Civil War. At a time when this nation was at a cross-roads and so many critical issues undecided, I would have loved to witness his thought process and maneuvering to accomplish the things that he did. I mean, the basic identity and future of our nation was in question. Would we be a nation of states with a strong central government, or would be a confederation of independent states? How did he hold things together and bring this nation through the other side, ensuring the nation we see today? I think witnessing such a great leader at such a critical time would be fantastic.

Q-If you are a world builder, what is your favorite part of creating these worlds?

Paul -I wouldn’t call myself a world builder per say. I have created a fictitious town, but it is most certainly in our world. I am a huge fan of the 1950’s and ‘60’s (I wasn’t born yet, no), and wanted to create my story in this world. As a side note, if anyone loves this era like I do, be sure to read Stephen King’s 11/22/63. It was a bit of a challenge, but a fun one. I wanted to create a world that didn’t yet have cell phones and computers. Many of the situations Lionel finds himself in might be easily remedied if he had access to these things, but he doesn’t. I think creating a world in a simpler time makes for some challenges. I think one has to be cognizant of the fact that children today might not connect with such a world. That challenge was probably my favorite part of creating the “world” Lionel lives in. I have attempted to create some universal challenges and dilemmas in a way that transcends time and place. I think children (and adults) of every era can relate to being bullied, or feeling out of place, as well as having a crush on a cute girl (or boy) that you’re worried isn’t reciprocated.

Q-Do you belong to a critique group? How has this helped or hindered your writing.

Paul -I do. I belong to a critique group as well as work with valued critique partners. My critique group is great, but we actually all write different genres so it can be challenging in that respect. I have one critique partner that I just love and value tremendously. She is just super. I trust her opinion and judgment, and she really brings out the best in me. I also have several other critique partners that I tend to exchange work with when it works out. I think working with critique partners, whether it is a group or individuals, has been a great help to my writing. I know writing can be a solitary endeavor, but sharing your work with others and getting their viewpoints and thoughts is critical. Sometimes the writer can be too close to the project and miss things, or be too afraid to edit things. A trusted critique is invaluable to the writing process.

Q-Do you write non-stop until you have a first draft, or do you edit as you move along?

Paul -I like this question. I have always written beginning to end, finish the first draft, revise, revise, and revise some more. I like to have my ideas somewhat outlined and then go to work. However, I have recently purchased Scrivener and it has made me rethink how I write. One of my favorite things about Scrivener (I still have a lot to learn) is the way I can break my project into pieces. I actually wasn’t that interested in this feature when I was looking into buying it, but after transferring many of my ideas for my next book to it, I have realized its value. I can break each idea into separate pieces and then work on them, combining and modifying them as I go. I am really excited to keep working on my next project this way. So, I guess I am evolving in the way I write.

Q-They say authors have immensely fragile egos… How would you handle negative criticism or a negative review?

Paul -I personally, try to take any and all criticism at face value. I understand that everyone has different interests and opinions. Unless a criticism or review is blatantly unfounded, I believe I should view it as a learning experience. Everyone’s views matter, and if I make certain I value it, then there stands a pretty good chance that I can learn something from it and improve as a writer. While it is difficult to hear negative things about yourself or your writing, I want to improve so it doesn’t benefit me if I don’t hear the truth.

Q- What book are you reading now?

Paul -Ambasadora: Marked by Light written by Heidi Ruby Miller. I love Heidi's writing.  You asked about being a world builder earlier, well, Heidi is a master of world building.  I absolutely love the world she has built in her books (I've also read Greenshift by her).  It is truly amazing all the details she has created.  I also love her characters.  She is a master of creating a great heroine.  I'm not sure she'd use that term for her leading ladies, but I will.  I really like them, root for them, and believe in them so, to me, they are heroines.  I cannot fathom all the research and time that must have gone into creating such a real, complex world.  I highly recommend these two books by Heidi.

Thanks so much Paul for sharing details about your reading interests, your writing process, and helping readers get to know you better!

As I've said before Lionel Snodgrass is a great character! 

Congratulations on your latest book, Lionel Goes to Camp, which will be released on June 4th!

You can pre-order your copy today by clicking this Amazon link~

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WRRDFRE

You can also visit Paul Hewlett's website for the latest news, links, and information about all of Lionel's Grand Adventures~

http://paulrhewlett.weebly.com/

Lionel Snodgrass is back! Check out his latest adventure in Lionel Goes to Camp!

Our Moo has had the pleasure of reading all of Paul Hewlett's Lionel's Grand Adventure books.  Book three in the series is going to be released on June 4th.  We were lucky enough to receive a preview copy of Mr. Hewlett's latest book, Lionel Goes to Camp.  Our Moo read it to us  and we wanted to share our review with you.

Lionel Snodgrass, a character created by author Paul Hewlett, is one of our favorites! Readers young and old can't help but take a huge liking to Lionel - the not so perfect, not so fit, not so popular boy.  Lionel lives with his mother and his obnoxious brother Feeney.  What he really wants is to find out more about his father.  According to his mom, his dad had gone out to the store one night ten years ago and never came back.

Lionel can't wait to go to summer camp and when he has some trouble retrieving his mail at the post office, he uses his unpredictable magical Three-Toed-Potbellied Walbaun foot to get the job done.  Here Lionel's adventure begins!  He finally gets his welcome letter, and Lionel is sure he will learn more about his dad at Camp Bonine.

Join Lionel on his camping adventure where he has to bunk with his school nemesis Tad Winters, comes across a fugitive bank robber, and gets stuck doing kitchen duty. (You may never eat camp food again.) Things start to look up when Lionel sees that the beautiful Carrie is also at camp.  All they have to do now is win the scavenger hunt- Carrie for the girls and Lionel for the boys- and then they can spend the day together at Lake Yellowhorn. 

Will Lionel's Three-Toed-Potbellied Walbaun foot help him learn more about his dad?  Will he win the scavenger hunt?  Will Lionel finally overcome the antics of Tad Winters?  You'll have to read Lionel Goes to Camp the third book in the Lionel's Grand Adventure Series by Paul Hewlett to find out.  And, while you are at it, why not get yourself a Three-Toed-Potbellied Walbaun foot, that is, if you can find one.

We give Lionel Goes to Camp our moose...

We are also happy to announce that Mr. Paul Hewlett will be our guest author next week.  We know you'll want to stop by and learn more about him and his Lionel Adventure books!

(Young Reviewers (Part 3 in the series)

Who better than children to write reviews for a new children's book. I appreciate the time that all these young reviewers made to read Mark the Missing Moose and then write a review.  

Here is what some of our reviewers have to say...

'This was a wonderful read that had a great lesson everyone of all ages could learn from. '

Brenna

'I like the book. It was touching and I learned it's ok to talk about being sad.'

JD

Mark the Missing Moose was good.  It reminded me of how I lost my dog.  I was sad and mad.  But I learned something from this book.  I learned it's okay to miss my dog.  Sometimes we tell stories and laugh about all the stuff she did.  That makes me smile.  My mom is helping me feel better and she said someday we'll get another dog. 

Jeremiah Mawhinney

Book Reviewer Jeremiah

Young Reviewers (Part 2 in the series)

Who better than children to write reviews for a new children's book. I appreciate the time that all these young reviewers made to read Mark the Missing Moose and then write a review.  

Here is what some of our reviewers have to say...

I thought the message in the book was an exceptionally good one for reminding people that it is important to talk about your feelings.  Mark the Missing Moose is a great story for helping children (or even adults) who need help during hard times.  It teaches them to talk about their feelings because talking about how you feel really helps remind you that others are there for you and eventually things will start to look and feel better. While the missing moose is only a stuffed animal, the book can be used to address the feelings associated with any type of loss.

Sydney Potpora (age 12)

Book Reviewer Sydney

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Well, to start off, this was an amazing book!  In this story, Joe was Jimmy's friend and cheered him up.  Joe said that when he lost his hamster, Buddy, he was angry and sad just like Jimmy.  But Joe's mom told her son that it was okay to be sad or mad.  In this case, I too agree with Joe's mom.  Many kids are sad because a friend moved away or because they lose something.  I was once one of those kids.  So by reading this book, it did not only make me realize that it's okay to be sad, but that everybody goes through this.  Thanks to Mrs. Tortorello, children can now open up and let out emotions, some that they were afraid to let out before.

Cecilia Solis (age 13)

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Mark the Missing Moose made me think of how I would feel if something happened to my favorite stuffed bunny named  Donut.   It made me sad and angry that Mark the Moose was eaten by the dog, but I was happy that Jimmy found a new friend at the end of the book.  I think Mark the Missing Moose would be a good story to share with children who feel sad because they lost something or someone they love.

Allison Potpora (age 9)

Book Reviewer Allison

Young Reviewers (Part 1)

Who better than children to write reviews for a new children's book. I appreciate the time that all these young reviewers made to read Mark the Missing Moose and then write a review.  

Here is what some of our reviewers have to say...

I liked how much happiness Jimmy got from Mark.
Brianna, age 6

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I thought the story was a little sad. But I liked how you made a point that even if you lose something you should always be happy that you had time with it.

Mikayla, age 10

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This book is awesome, pretty good, sad and happy.  I love, not liked, loved the pictures. My favorite one was of Jimmy holding Moose in his lap and showing him off to his friends. Oh, and I hated the mean dog.
Devin, age 6

Book Reviewer - Devin

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Mark the Missing Moose is a good book. It's very sad, but entertaining. It teaches you a lesson that it's a good idea to talk to someone if you're sad.  I would recommend this book to all my friends.

Denny, age 11

Book Reviewer - Denny

Just what is Mark the Missing Moose all about?

My newest book, Mark the Missing Moose, will be out later this summer.  Last week I told you the "story behind the story".  

Today I'd like to share a little

-About the Book-

Jimmy was on cloud nine during Show and Tell when his classmates cheered for him and his best friend, Mark the Moose.  That happiness quickly ended when Mark went from being Jimmy’s sidekick to becoming the missing moose. 

Saddened and angry, Jimmy didn't want to talk to anyone, not even his own mother.  His best friend was gone and he was all alone!

When it was time for Show and Tell again, Jimmy didn't want any part of it until he heard what his friend Joe had to say...

Follow Jimmy as he discovers that opening up and letting others in can really help him out.

Z is for Moose

I came across this book accidentally and loved it!  As a disclaimer, as most of you already know, I collect moose...hundreds of them.  That is what drew me to this story, but I really did enjoy it!

Z is for Moose is a great way to teach young children the alphabet while incorporating humor, fun, and friendship. The illustrations are very creative, and I just love the expressions on the moose's face throughout the story. Children will definitely get a kick out of this book.