©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Pele, The King of Soccer/El rey del futbol from Monica Brown on Vimeo.

Pelé, el rey del fútbol en español from Monica Brown on Vimeo.

Add this book to your collection: Pele, King of Soccer/Pele, El rey del futbol by Monica Brown

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

A simple crowd pleaser: Superhero books!

Boys eat these books up. And, you may or may not be surprised, a lot of girls do, too.

I’ve only provided the publisher’s synopsis below, but mark my word, these books feature the classic characters and their usual good-guy-bad-guy  anecdotes. I love that Wonder Woman makes an appearance. Some of the books have been made into level 2 readers for the kids that are gaining confidence with independent reading (some help may be needed). Putting a superhero book into the hands of a beginner reader is a great way to nudge them into the early-fluent reading stage—especially when you build them their own personal bat cave to read in (bat cave à la pillows and blankets). Holy books, Batman!

Batman Classic: Meet the Super Heroes: With Superman and Wonder Woman (I Can Read Book 2)

by Michael Teitelbaum

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins (December 22, 2009)

Source: Publisher

Synopsis: When an evil dragon attacks Gotham City, Batman knows he can’t stop it by himself. With Superman and Wonder Woman fighting by his side, there is nothing these three Super Heroes can’t do!

Add this book to your collection: Batman Classic: Meet the Super Heroes: With Superman and Wonder Woman

Batman Classic: Gothams Villains Unleashed!

by John Sazaklis

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 24 pages

Publisher: HarperFestival (December 22, 2009)

Source: Publisher

Synopsis: Gotham’s most dangerous criminals are on the loose! After the Joker breaks out the city’s nastiest villains from Arkham Asylum, Batman must act fast to locate the inmates and return them to custody. With Robin at his side, can Batman stop each and every one of these evildoers before it’s too late?

Add this book to your collection: Batman Classic: Gothams Villains Unleashed!

Batman Classic: The Batman Reusable Sticker Book

by John Sazaklis

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 12 pages

Publisher: HarperFestival (May 25, 2010)

Source: Publisher

Synopsis: Help Batman fight crime in this fun, action-packed reusable sticker book. But beware! Gotham’s most dangerous villains are lurking around every corner . . . KAPOW!

Add this book to your collection: Batman Classic: The Batman Reusable Sticker Book

Superman Classic: I Am Superman (I Can Read Book 2)

by Michael Teitelbaum

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins (December 22, 2009)

Source: Publisher

Synopsis: Superman is in his Fortress of Solitude when Lex Luthor puts all of Metropolis in danger. Can Superman fly back to the city in time to stop Lex and save the day?

Add this book to your collection: Superman Classic: I Am Superman

Superman Classic: Superman versus Bizarro (I Can Read Book 2)

by Chris Strathearn

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins (May 25, 2010)

Source: Publisher

Synopsis: When Bizarro crashes into Metropolis, he does more harm than good. What will it take to show this backward hero the way home?

Add this book to your collection: Superman Classic: Superman versus Bizarro

Superman Classic: The Incredible Shrinking Superhero!

by Zachary Rau

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 24 pages

Publisher: HarperFestival (December 22, 2009)

Source: Publisher

Synopsis: Superman, Wonder Woman, and the president have been captured by the evil alien Brainiac, who has shrunk Superman and the president to a super-small size. Trapped on the villain’s spaceship, the Super Heroes must combine their amazing powers to defeat their larger-than-life foe!

Add this book to your collection: Superman Classic: The Incredible Shrinking Superhero!

Spider-Man: Spider-Man versus the Lizard (I Can Read Book 2)

by Susan Hill

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins (December 29, 2009)

Source: Publisher

Synopsis: Spider-Man’s newest enemy is big, green, and mean. Spider-Man thinks he has him all figured out. But there may be more to the Lizard than Spidey can imagine!

Add this book to your collection: Spider-Man: Spider-Man versus the Lizard

Spider-Man: Spider-Man versus the Green Goblin (I Can Read Book 2)

by Susan Hill

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins (December 29, 2009)

Source: Publisher

Synopsis: Spider-Man is on the lookout for his friend Harry’s father when a new villain glides by. Can Spidey find Harry’s dad with the Green Goblin close behind?

Add this book to your collection: Spider-Man: Spider-Man versus the Green Goblin

Leave us a comment: If you could be any superhero, which one would you be? I aspire to be Wonder Woman—if only to wear that costume for a day!

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

So you think your child is emerging as a reader? Summer may just be the season to nurture your child’s desire to read, by reading books with him that are engaging and predictable and have pictures that clearly relate-to and illustrate the story line. If you’re not sure whether your child is an emerging reader, you may enjoy this article: How to Tell if Your Child is Ready to Read by Lynn Maslen Kertell, Bob Books Publications.

The following recommendations have been selected because of their large text, repetitive patterns, repeated vocabulary, wide spacing, limited text on pages, and familiar concepts. They have been listed from easiest to more difficult.

Dinosaur Hunt (Max Spaniel)

by David Catrow

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Orchard Books (August 1, 2009)

Source: Publisher

What to expect: Spaniels, Dogs, Bones

There is so much to love about this book. Dinosaur Hunt has minimal, large, repetitive text with a touch of rhyme—perfect for emerging readers—and it still manages to pack a powerful punch of entertainment. Max Spaniel, who is not a dog but a great hunter, is off on a dinosaur hunt. He discovers many house and garden items which he mistakes for dinosaur parts—rightly so, when you see the final illustration. David Catrow is a master illustrator who also has a knack with words. Bravo!

Add this book to your collection: Dinosaur Hunt (Max Spaniel)

More “Max Spaniel” summer reading: Funny Lunch

Fly Guy Meets Fly Girl

by Tedd Arnold

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Cartwheel Books (January 1, 2010)

Source: Publisher

What to expect: Flies, Friendship

Fly Guy is a great series for emerging readers due to the fact that it  has limited, large-sized text on each page—not to mention Tedd Arnold’s very funny illustrations. In this installment, Buzz and Fly Guy are bored and discover that new adventures can bring chance meetings with new friends. The latter makes a great topic for summer reading.

Add this book to your collection: Fly Guy Meets Fly Girl

More “Fly Guy” summer reading: I Spy Fly Guy

Gilbert, the Surfer Dude (I Can Read Book 2)

by Diane Degroat

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (May 25, 2010)

Source of book: Publisher

What to expect: Beach, Surfing, Opossums

This is a book for children that are strengthening their literacy skills but are still needing some help. It’s broken down into 3 short chapters with large text and wide spacing. The overall story of Gilbert’s family beach vacation is quite amusing—Gilbert forgets to pack his bathing suit, his mother purchases him some new “surfer dude” trunks that are a little too big, which he loses while learning to surf (he finds them, of course)! The illustrations are fun and relatable. Thumbs-up!

Add this book to your collection: Gilbert, the Surfer Dude (I Can Read Book 2)

You may also enjoy the following summer reading list: Kids’ Summer Reading Lists: Prereading / Ages 3-5

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Add this book to your collection: Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Magickeepers: The Pyramid of Souls

by Erica Kirov

Reading level: Ages 9+

Hardcover: 208 pages

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (May 1, 2010)

What to expect: Magic, Magicians, Good and evil, Family, Edgar Allan Poe, Las Vegas

Just like book one in the Magickeepers series, book two, Magickeepers: The Pyramid of Souls, manages to capture readers right from the gold embossed, razzle-dazzle cover. And, just like in the first book of the series, book two maintained the alluring super-natural power that the Magickeepers beholds. If you missed book one, I recommend starting from the beginning; however, you could certainly pick up the series with book 2 and not skip a beat.

After uprooting and moving to the Las Vegas Winter Palace where the world-famous Damian puts on the greatest magic show on earth, Nick, a teenage boy,  is beginning to adjust to his new and completely different lifestyle—that is until the Pyramid of Souls, the most closely guarded secret in the magician community, is stolen. Then his life, once again, becomes a jumbled mix of magic, danger, self-doubt, destiny, and an added touch of dive-bombing ravens. Using a modern city like Las Vegas as the setting for the book, and tossing in some pizza and skateboarding, Erica Kirov has very intelligently created a base in which she can grasp her middle school audience and still manage to keep them engaged when she blends in historilcal figures; such as, Alexander the Great, Edgar Allen Poe, and P.T. Barnum. Selecting Las Vegas as the backdrop makes for a very believable read.

Another vonderful novel!

About the Author: Erica Kirov is an American writer of Russian descent. Though she is not from a family of magicians, she is from a proud family of Russians, and she grew up hearing stories of their lives there.

Erica lives in Virginia with her husband, four children, three dogs, parrot, her son’s snake (she really hates snakes), and a pet hedgehog. She is busy at work on the next Magickeepers novel.She also writes on http://teenfictioncafe.blogspot.com as well as her parenting blog, http://demonbabyandme.blogspot.com/.

Add this book to your collection: Magickeepers: The Pyramid of Souls

Add book one to your collection: Magickeepers: The Eternal Hourglass

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Add this book to your collection: Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

John Grisham—the infamous, best-selling, thriller novelist— has a middle grade novel, THEODORE BOONE: KID LAWYER, which is on sale today!

Penguin Young Readers Group has created two websites dedicated to Theo:

www.theodoreboone.com is a website where kids can explore Theo’s office and the clues he’s gathered for his latest case, and a courtroom where they can learn about what goes on during a trial, funny laws, and send a Mad Libs-type “summons” to their friends!

www.whoistheoboone.com is an interactive and mysterious web page of evidence ready to be explored.

Ooh, this is going to be a good read—I can feel it!

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Firehouse!

by Mark Teague

Reading level: Ages 3-5

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Orchard Books; 1 edition (May 1, 2010)

Source: Publisher

What to expect: Firefighters, Dogs, Humor

Most kids, boys and girls, are fascinated by firefighters and their big, red trucks. In this book, Firehouse, readers get to live the amusing journey of Edward and his cousin Judy as they learn how to be firefighters.

Mark Teague provides a ton of entertainment, especially with his illustrations. Each page is ablaze with rich color and wisecrack comedy, including an out-of-control fire hose.

Not taking the job of a firefighter lightly, Edward’s character is thrust into a real emergency and is able to put his newly learned skills into action—saving the day, of course. The vibrant Firehouse is a fun and exciting read for preschoolers, children who enjoy conversations beginning with “When I grow up …,” and dog lovers (each page is laden with all kinds of dogs)!

Oh, did I mention that this book received the Parent’s Choice Award Silver Medal?

About the author: Mark Teague is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator.  His books include Funny Farm, a 2009 Parents’ Choice Silver Award Picture Book; Dear Mrs. La Rue: Letters From Obedience School, the 2002 Book Sense Illustrated Book of the Year; Detective LaRue: Letters from the Investigation; Letters from the Campaign Trail: LaRue for Mayor; and Pigsty.  He is also the illustrator of the New York Times bestselling How Do Dinosaurs series by Jane Yolen.  Mark lives in New York State with his wife and daughters

Add this book to your collection: Firehouse!

You may also enjoy: Funny Farm by Mark Teague

Giveaway: Enter to win a copy of Firehouse!

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Add these books to your collection: A-Z Mysteries, Capital Mysteries, and Calendar Mysteries

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

The Tighty Whitey Spider: And More Wacky Animal Poems I Totally Made Up

by Kenn Nesbitt (Author), Ethan Long (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 6-11

Paperback: 128 pages

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky; Pap/Com edition (April 1, 2010)

Sometimes it can be hard to even fathom the thought that your child will pick up a book and read it—let alone a book of poems. Unless, of course, it’s a book of funny animal poems written by bestselling poet Kenn Nesbitt. His latest collection of poetry, The Tighty Whitey Spider: and More Wacky Animal Poems I Totally Made Up, is downright hilarious and tastefully flavored with black-and-white illustrations.

Kenn Nesbitt is a young people’s poet virtuoso. His zippy rhymes roll right off the tongue and are fantastic for independent readers or a group read-aloud session. The poem titles alone are enough to grab a young readers attention, or any reader with an eye for preposterousness; such as: Today I Touched the Buffalobster, When Pigs Fly, and Toby the Snowboarding Elephant. Each reader is certain to connect with the absurdity of the poems and, undoubtedly, will find that particular pieces resonate with their inner silliness more than others. For those that enjoy a good audiobook, Nesbitt reads his poems with captivating energy—another way to entrap your non-reader and conform him or her into a poetry reader. This book certainly gets the green light!

Excerpt from While Lying on the Grass Today:

While lying on the grass today

and staring at the sky,

I saw the strangest animals

in clouds that drifted by.

I saw a cloud that looked just like

an elephant on skis.

Another one reminded me

of dancing manatees. …

About the author: Kenn Nesbitt is one of the most in-demand children’s poetry performers in the country, and founder of  poetry4kids.com. In honor of National Poetry Month (April), and to celebrate the release of his new book, The Tighty-Whitey Spider, his book My Hippo Has the Hiccups is available as a free eBook.

Add this book to your collection: The Tighty Whitey Spider: And More Wacky Animal Poems I Totally Made Up

And this one: My Hippo Has the Hiccups

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.