Too Much Glue by Jason Lefebvre


Too Much Glue by Jason Lefebvre
Publisher: Flashlight Press
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Although Matty’s art teacher has warned him that too much glue never dries, Matty loves glue. After all, he and his dad make oodles of glue projects at home. One day during art class, Matty finds the fullest bottles of glue, and the fun begins. With a squeeze and a plop, Matty pours a lake of glue before belly-flopping right in the middle and finds himself stuck to the desk. When Matty’s dad arrives at the school, instead of being mad, he celebrates his son’s creativity and calls him a work of art. With vibrant language and artwork and a wild, silly plot, Too Much Glue is sure to appeal to all children who love to get messy.

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Matty was such an energetic and amusing kid. His obsession with glue made me smile, especially once I realized he was going to ignore all of his teacher’s warnings about using too much of it in his art project. I looked forward to finding out what would happen to this character once he crossed the line and truly used more glue than anyone could possibly need for such a purpose. Based on his stubborn and curious personality, it was only a matter of time before this happened.

The ending felt a little anticlimactic after everything that had happened to the main character earlier on in his day. I would have liked to see that energy carried through to the final scene. The beginning and middle were so exciting and entertaining that I would have given this a much higher rating if I’d felt the way about how everything was wrapped up.

Everyone in Matty’s class had unique reactions to his plight after he accidentally stuck himself to his own desk at school. I enjoyed seeing all of the solutions they came up with to free him just as much as I did waiting to find out if any of them would work the way the kids hoped they would. There was a lot of creativity tucked into these scenes, and that made them a great deal of fun to read.

Too Much Glue should be read by craft enthusiasts of all ages.

Can Hens Give Milk? by Joan Betty Stuchner


Can Hens Give Milk? by Joan Betty Stuchner
Publisher: Orca Books Publishers
Genre: Childrens, Historical
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Tova lives with her family on a small farm in the famous town of Chelm, a mythical village populated, according to Jewish folklore, by fools. Tova’s farm has hens and even a rooster, but no cow. Her mother, Rivka, wishes they could afford to buy a cow, so they could have fresh milk and butter every day. One night Tova’s father has a dream about how to get milk without actually owning a cow. He asks Tova to help him find a way to get milk from their hens, and the results are hilarious. Finally, to the family’s joy and the hens’ relief, the problem is solved by none other than the wise Rabbi of Chelm himself, and a little extra help from Tova.

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This was one of the funniest stories I’ve read in ages. The thought of coaxing chickens to start producing milk was as amusing as the various methods the characters came up with to make their plan work. I couldn’t stop giggling as I waited to find out if they’d find a way to make this plan work. The more I read, the more amusing this whole scheme became as I learned more about it.

There was only one minor tweak I would have liked to see made to the plot, and it had to do with how the father, Shlomo, came up with his plan to persuade their chickens to start lactating. It would have been nice for the narrator to spend a little more time explaining why the dad thought this solution would work. In no way did my slight confusion over this matter prevent me from enjoying the rest of the storyline, but it did make me pause long enough that I thought I should mention it in this review.

The ending was delightful. Not only did it wrap up the main conflict beautifully, it left room for the possibility of a sequel. I don’t know if the author is planning to write one, but I’d sure be interested in seeing the idea discussed in the final scene be developed into its own tale if Ms. Stuchner ever decides to revisit these characters. As satisfied as I was with how things left off, there was room left for development here in a very good way as well.

I’d heartily recommend Can Hens Give Milk? to young and old readers alike. There was something for everyone in this tale.

Down by the River by Andrew Weiner


Down by the River by Andrew Weiner
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (40 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

One beautiful autumn day, Art sets out with his mother and grandfather for a fishing trip. Fishing days are Art’s favorite. He loves learning the ropes from Grandpa—the different kinds of flies and tackle and the trout that frequent their favorite river. Art especially appreciates Grandpa’s stories. But, this time, hearing the story about Mom’s big catch on her first cast ever makes Art feel insecure about his own fishing skills. But, as Art hooks a beautiful brown trout, he finds reassurance in Grandpa’s stories and marvels in the sport and a day spent with family, promising to continue the tradition with his own grandkids generations later.

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Learning a new skill often takes times and practice.

Art had such a warm and loving relationship with his mother and grandfather. I enjoyed seeing all three generations of this family spend the day together at the river. They clearly liked being with each other and sharing happy stories of previous fishing trips that happened when Art’s grandfather and mom were young. These scenes were a highlight of the story for me, especially after the main character decided to try catching a fish.

The plot could have used some more development. There wasn’t a lot going on in this story, especially when it came to how little conflict it had compared to what the blurb hinted at. I was hoping to see Art spend more time worrying about the fact that his mother had caught onto fishing when she was his age much faster than he did. There was plenty of room for development there, but it never quite happened.

It was interesting to see how the narrator included animals other than the fish in the storyline. Art’s pet dog was brought along on the trip, but he wasn’t the only creature they saw that day. While I can’t go into too much detail about this without giving away spoilers, I liked the fact that the setting felt so much like many of the rivers I’ve visited in the past. The examples of what someone might encounter so far from any buildings or roads were handled nicely.

I’d recommend Down by the River to anyone who enjoys fishing or spending time out in nature.

This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson


This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Genre: Childrens, Historical, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

During the time of the Great Migration, millions of African American families relocated from the South, seeking better opportunities. The story of one family’s journey north during the Great Migration starts with a little girl in South Carolina who finds a rope under a tree one summer. She has no idea the rope will become part of her family’s history. But for three generations, that rope is passed down, used for everything from jump rope games to tying suitcases onto a car for the big move north to New York City, and even for a family reunion where that first little girl is now a grandmother.

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I adored the repetition in this story. The fact that the narrator began each new page with a reference to the rope that had been in her family for generations tied all of the anecdotes about it together nicely. On their own, each glimpse of what this object was used for was a brief peek at the daily lives of ordinary people over many decades. By showing how their relationship with what should have been a common household object changed over time and from one generation to the next, I was able to get a strong impression of what this family was like and why they found so much meaning in something that most folks probably wouldn’t think twice about at all.

There was one small part of the plot that I wish had been explained a little more clearly. I was surprised by how well the rope held up over the years given all of the creative ways the family came up with to use it from one generation to the next. It sure seemed like it should have worn out before the third generation had a chance to inherit it. With that being said, this is a very minor criticism of a story that I really loved overall. My passing questions about how long the rope realistically should have lasted would in no way prevent me from recommending it to everyone.

One of the most interesting parts of the plot to me was the fact that only one of the characters ever shared their name with the audience. Everyone else was discussed as a parent, grandparent, or other relative of the main character. Even though I didn’t know their actual first names, I still felt like I got to know every member of this family well because of how much attention was paid to showing off their personalities earlier on in the storyline.

This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration was a heartwarming tale that every family should read.

Dear Substitute by Audrey Vernick and Liz Garton Scanlon


Dear Substitute by Audrey Vernick and Liz Garton Scanlon
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (40 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When a substitute teacher named Miss Pelly comes to class, one student bristles at the change in routine—Miss Pelly doesn’t follow the rules like Mrs. Giordano. But in time, our student learns that even though the substitute may do things a little differently, and she may be a bit silly, mixing things up might not be so bad. Told in a series of epistolary poems, this funny, relatable picturebook is a great fit for classrooms and for any child nervous about new experiences.

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The plot twists in this tale were fabulous. I sympathized with the main character as soon as she realized that her regular teacher wasn’t going to be in the classroom on that particular day. The more annoyed she became with all of the changes the substitute was making to their regular Tuesday schedule, the more I hoped that she’d find something about that day that would make her happier. Finding out if this ever happened was a lot of fun. Nobody knows for sure what might happen to them in the near future, especially kids who don’t have much control at all over how their lives unfold when they’re at school.

I would have liked to see more descriptions of what the substitute did with the students as far as lessons or other activities went. The main character spent plenty of time complaining about all of the things their temporary teacher accidentally did wrong, but she didn’t say much about what they did instead with their time. This was especially true early in the day when the protagonist kept feeling disappointed and angry over all of the normal Tuesday classroom activities that they wouldn’t be doing this week.

Even though I never figured out her name, that didn’t affect how well I got to know the main character as an individual. She revealed so many important parts of her personality through her dashed expectations early on in the storyline that I felt like I could explain what she was like in great detail by the time she and her classmates were ready for lunch.

Dear Substitute is a good story for anyone who has trouble when their daily routines at school are thrown off-balance.

Astronaut Annie by Suzanne Slade


Astronaut Annie by Suzanne Slade
Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (36 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Annie’s joyful exuberance and her family’s whole-hearted support leave no doubt that her dream is within her grasp. This delightful story―with backmatter about women astronauts―encourages young readers to pursue their dreams and reach for the stars.

Career Day is approaching, and Annie can’t wait to show her family what she’s planning to be when she grows up. But, she must keep it a secret until Friday! So curious family members each ask Annie for a clue. Convinced that she’ll be a news reporter like he once was, Grandpop gives her his old camera to use for her presentation. Grandma is sure Annie wants to be a champion baker like her, so she offers a mixing bowl and oven mitts to Annie. Hopeful she’ll become the mountain climber he aspired to be, Dad gives Annie an old backpack. Mom presents Annie with a pair of high-top sneakers to pursue Mom’s favorite sport in high school — basketball.
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Grateful for each gift, Annie cleverly finds a way to use them all to create her Career Day costume. When the big day arrives, Annie finally reveals her out-of-this-world dream to everyone.

It’s never too early to begin planning for the future.

Annie was such a friendly and enthusiastic kid. I liked her immediately, and my impression of her only grew warmer as I got to know her even better than I did in the first scene. She was the kind of character that I’d love to see an entire series of books written about. It seemed to me that we’d only scratched the surface of her life. I always enjoy it when I meet a character who feels this complex and interesting, and I’d sure be interested in reading more about her if the author ever writes a sequel.

I would have liked to see more time spent developing the plot. The blurb gave away so much of what happened that there weren’t a lot of surprises later on in the storyline. As interested as I was in finding out what Annie was planning to do for career day, it would have been nice to have a few twists along the way as I waiting to discover what was going on in this character’s life.

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that happened early on when various members of Annie’s family were playfully attempting to convince her to give hints about what she was going to do for Career Day. She had close-knit relationships with all of the adults in her life, and it showed. I enjoyed seeing how her family spent their free time together and how much they cared for each other.

Astronaut Annie should be read to any child who has ever had big dreams about what he or she might be when they grow up.

The Underground Labyrinth by Louella Dizon San Juan

UNDERGROUND
The Underground Labyrinth by Louella Dizon San Juan
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Young Adult/Middle Grade, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary, Action/Adventure
Length: Short Story (142 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The summer is off to a terrible start for Jinny, with bad weather and a cancelled birthday party. It hardly seems a year ago that she had gone on an adventure with her sister Jada, the rebel fairy Minacrist, and the magical people they met within the secret fairy kingdom of New York City. But when a mysterious river man appears with a special key, Jinny, Jada, and their neighbor, Sam, are pulled into a race against time. A sickness has struck the kingdom, turning good fairies into evil, and the children must join forces with Minacrist and their elfin friends to find the source of the Black Power…before the Black Power destroys them.

You never really know when another adventure might coming knocking at your door.
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Every time I take the subway I wonder what it would be like to explore the parts of it that aren’t open to the public. There’s something magical about those long, dark tunnels whose secrets are only uncovered by a lucky few. What surprised me was how the feeling one gets when staring into those tunnels was connected to what happens in this story. It’s hard to discuss this in any more detail without giving away spoilers, but I was pleased by how this sort of completely ordinary experience could be given such an unexpected twist.

The cast of characters was a little too big for a novella of this size. At times I had trouble remembering who was who, especially when it came to all of the new elves and other magical creatures that were introduced here for the first time. It would have been helpful to either have a glossary describing who everyone was or for the text itself to give periodic reminders about basic information like this.

With that being said, I enjoyed how creative the author was when naming and describing all of her characters. This entire series has impressed me so far. Elves have names that genuinely sound Elvish, unpronounceable syllables and all. That’s the sort of small detail that actually makes a big difference for me when I’m deciding what to read next due to how much fun it is to become so immersed in that universe. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Dizon San Juan comes up with next.

This is the sequel to The Crowded Kingdom. It can be read as a standalone novel, but I highly recommend checking out the first book to anyone who is even slightly intrigued by the brief recap of what happens in it in the first chapter of this one.

I’d recommend The Underground Labyrinth to fans of the science fiction and young adult genres alike.

Invisible Children’s Book Instruction Manual by Nicholas Alan Tillemans

CHILDRENS
Invisible Children’s Book Instruction Manual by Nicholas Alan Tillemans
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (35 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In this concise, no-nonsense introduction to invisible children’s books, Nicholas Alan Tillemans walks the reader through all aspects of invisible book ownership, reading and care.

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The creative premise caught my attention immediately. It was just as much fun to read as I thought it would be! What I liked the most about it was how easily it shifted between describing things that kids find humorous and tossing in a few jokes that were definitely intended for the adults who are reading this aloud. There were a few words that might be too difficult for young readers, but this is also something that I’d give to kids who are slightly older or who have strong vocabularies.

Figuring out the most appropriate age recommendation wasn’t easy. There is nothing here that is inappropriate for kids in early elementary school, but the writing style and types of humor that were used used seemed to be more geared towards adults and slightly older kids. I ended up choosing the younger age range in order to include as many readers as possible. Had the intended audience been more clear, I would have easily given this book a much higher rating.

One of the things I like the most about trying new authors is being surprised with what they’ve created. This was my first introduction to Mr. Tillemans work. His writing style is playful and conversational which is a good choice for the age range he seems to be targeting. It’s the sort of thing I’d feel just as comfortable sharing with my nieces and nephews as I would with their great-grandparents.

I’d recommend Invisible Children’s Book Instruction Manual to anyone who has ever grown even slightly weary of reading the same thing over and over again at bedtime.

Glodwyn’s Treasure Chest by L. Sydney Abel, Helen Alexander, Janice Clark, Penny Estelle, Mary Filmer, Elizabeth Grace, Vincent Noot, Esma Race, Wesley Tallant, Michael Thal, B. Well, Gary Winstead

CHEST
Glodwyn’s Treasure Chest by L. Sydney Abel, Helen Alexander, Janice Clark, Penny Estelle, Mary Filmer, Elizabeth Grace, Vincent Noot, Esma Race, Wesley Tallant, Michael Thal, B. Well, Gary Winstead
Publisher: Crimson Cloak Publishing
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (39 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Glodwyn’s Treasure Chest contains twelve charming short stories for children, collected by a gnome.
With fairy stories, “dragons” and alligators, time-travelling children, a Firehouse Dog and a Pony which refuses to be ridden, there is something for everyone in this gem of a book.

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Story time is one of the most relaxing parts of the day.

One of my favourite selections was “The Dragon Said Moo.” In it a boy named Daniel must entertain his two young, impressionable cousins on the family farm while their parents discuss adult matters indoors. Daniel’s solution to this problem is incredibly creative and memorable. I really enjoyed this one and could see it becoming part of a series if the author has any interest in expanding it.

There were a few missteps along the way. “Curiosity and the Two Princesses” begins with a girl named Viola who is reluctantly being taken to a playdate with one of her classmates, Curiosity. The premise of their adventures is well-developed, but the plot soon takes a turn that I found far too dark for the age group for which it was intended. “The Cute Family Go Ballooning” also needed to be adjusted. The illustration that accompanied it was bright and colorful, but the plot itself was barely developed at all. It felt like the description of a children’s book instead of a complete short story.

“The Pony No-one Could Ride” shows one family’s attempt to tame a pony for their son. The descriptions of daily life on a ranch used just enough detail to sketch out the hardships of working outdoors with large animals over many years. What I liked the most about it, though, was its incredibly wide range of appeal. The conflict is serious enough to keep the attention of older kids and adults, but it can also easily be shared with preschoolers.

It was difficult to pick an age recommendation for this anthology because the tales in it are written for children as young as two and as old as six or seven. The wide range of styles and topics is fascinating, but there is material here that is too scary for preschoolers. It would be a good idea to preview the longer ones in particular before sharing them with very young or sensitive children.

Glodwyn’s Treasure Chest is a unique collection that I’d recommend to anyone who is interested in a book that will grow alongside a family for several years.

The Most Ferocious of Creatures by Chris Sykes

Creatures
The Most Ferocious of Creatures by Chris Sykes
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary, Childrens
Length: Full Length (166 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The Most Ferocious of Creatures is a fun and exciting, illustrated chapter book for boyish young people, as well as adults (it was written by one after all).

Mrs Lambsbottom wakes up one morning and accidentally douses a mouse with milk, unwittingly creating the most ferocious of creatures. She decides to rid her home of the terrible beast but Mrs Lambsbottom is not the most mentally stable of characters. Neither is the cat that she brings home from ‘Meow’s Cat Shelter for the criminally insane’. All the ingredients mix together, ensuring a stupendously silly story, satisfyingly stuffed with suitable story related things and, er, stuff.

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Sometimes spilled milk is worth crying over.

This was one of the funniest things I’ve read in a long time. Physical humor isn’t usually something that amuses me so much, but the author did a great job at balancing it with puns, wordplay, and a few playful interpretations of the bizarre things grownups do.

Nigel, the cat that Mrs. Lambsbottom brings home to catch the mouse, was by far my favourite character in this tale. He has such a well-formed, cat-like personality that I looked forward to every scene he was in. I didn’t even realize I knew what a cat-like personality was before I read this story, but his stoic goofiness fits his species amazingly well.

I loved the illustrations that accompany each chapter. It isn’t easy to describe them without giving away spoilers since so many of them deal with events from later on in the plot, but they complement all of the wacky things that happen to Mrs. Lambsottom and her milk-soaked mouse beautifully.

The age recommendation is flexible. Some of the jokes will probably fly over the heads of preschoolers, and the vocabulary might be a little difficult for brand new readers to tackle on their own. For these reasons I strongly suggest reading it aloud to younger fans if possible, but there’s nothing in this tale that is inappropriate for children a little younger than 6.

The Most Ferocious of Creatures is a fantastic choice for kids – and former kids – of all ages. I can’t wait to read it again, and I recommend doing the same to anyone else who dives into this wonderful book!