The 39 Clues Blog Tour: Access Granted, Peter Lerangis
By Peter Lerangis, for The Children’s Book Review
Published: August 18, 2010
Welcome to the 7th stop of The 39 Clues blog tour. We are thrilled to host Peter Lerangis! Be sure to enter the giveaway for your chance to win books 1-7 of this exciting and groundbreaking series.
The teacher looked distressed as she greeted me. “I can’t believe what happened to my class,” she said.
I braced myself. Behind her, hundreds of excited kids were filing in to the gym. They sat in sections based on the colors of their shirts: red, blue, green, gold, representing the four branches of the Cahill family. Most were dressed as 39 Clues characters. Jonah Wizard (with his bling) and Nellie Gomez (with her punk attire) were very popular — but also a set of twins dressed as fish (Saladin’s red snapper), a girl in a three-piece suit (Jonah’s dad), and a guy dressed as Nellie. Read more
Sleepy Kittens: Despicable Me
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: July 1, 2010
Sleepy Kittens (Despicable Me)
by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio (Authors), Eric Guillon (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Board book: 10 pages
Publisher: LB Kids; Brdbk edition (May 19, 2010)
Source: Publisher
What to expect: Kittens, Rhyme, Lullaby Read more
DVD: Fantastic Mr. Fox
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: March 31, 2010
Fantastic Mr. FoxActors: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Wallace Wolodarsky, Jason Schwartzman, Eric Chase Anderson
Directors: Wes Anderson
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: March 23, 2010
Run Time: 87 minutes
Source of DVD: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Read more
The 39 Clues: Book 4: Beyond the Grave: Jude Watson
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: March 22, 2010
The 39 Clues Book 4: Beyond the Grave
by Jude Watson
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (June 2, 2009)
Source of book: Publisher
What to expect: Mystery, Action, Suspense, Babysitter, Brothers and Sisters, Family, Orphans Read more
Stephanie Meyer Talks About Twilight
Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine For You: Special Edition
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: January 13, 2010
Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine For You: Special Edition
Ages: 4-8
DVD: Animated
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Source: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
What to expect: Friendship, Adventure
This is a review for all of you “Pooh” fans. In the event you and your sidekick can’t get enough of this lovable bear in the books that you read—or perhaps you’re looking for a way to connect your child with a book character, to encourage reading—Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine For You makes a fine choice for the holiday of love, Valentine’s Day. Read more
Star Wars Books for Kids
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: December 14, 2009
Star Wars is everywhere: t-shirts, Legos, figurines, table sets, bedding, posters … the list goes on … babies are dressed-up as Yoda for Halloween, and 4-year-old kids (sometimes younger, often older) are waving their pretend light sabers in a pretend battle in the yard at preschool. The commercialization of Star Wars can not be escaped; sooner or later your kids are going to ask that all important question, “Can I watch Star Wars?”
Now comes the hard part: how old should your kids be before you let them watch the movie? There are so many things to consider, including: violence and adult concepts. Some parents say 10-years-old, others are more lenient with 8- or even 6-years-old. No matter what you decide is right for your family—I do recommend reading this article by Daniel Donahoo, Geek Dad—reading some Star Wars books may be a good way to delay a viewing of the movies; it will also allow for some thoughtful discussions on good vs. bad, before the onslaught of the visual impact.
Here is a list of books and their synopsis’, starting at the youngest reader and ending in books for older readers:
2 Coffee Table Books that Encourage Family Reading
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: December 7, 2009
Two of the simplest ways to encourage children to read—the fundamental skill behind all learning—is to let your children see you reading and to keep books around the house where they are visible. Coffee table books are perfect for both scenarios.
What makes a good coffee table book?
If it’s going to be out on show they need to look good. Usually a hard cover with great great illustrations, or a color scheme that fits with your furnishings—it needs to look decorative. However, once you get past the aesthetics, it needs to be able to hold the attention of the reader and have the power to become a topic of conversation.
Typically, most coffee table books will only hold the attention of adults—and often not even past the first couple of pages. That is why I like the following two books. They’re both attractive, entertaining, and have true family appeal. Perfect for the coffee table in the playroom … and they also make good gifts!
Movie Trailer: Fantastic Mr. Fox
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: October 14, 2009
Oh, yeah! I’m definitely going to see Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox come to life at the cinema on November 13. It’s not just because Roald Dahl is one of my all-time-favorite authors — all though, that is one of the main contributing factors — it’s also because of the fantastic director, Wes Anderson, and the amazing stars who are providing the voices to Dahl’s brilliant characters: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Wallace Wolodarsky. You can check out the movie trailer and also see a video of Wes Anderson and Felicity Dahl (Roald Dahl’s wife) talking about the movie and Roald Dahl’s books.
Where The Wild Things Are: The Movie
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: October 2, 2009
“Let the wild rumpus start!”
Excitement and curiosity is brewing amongst fans of the award-winning, bestselling creation of Maurice Sendak, Where The Wild Things Are. October 16, 2009, marks the release date of the movie version of this cherished classic. To take a book which means so much to so many people and turn it into a movie is a very brave task to undertake. After listening to Maurice Sendak speak about the movie in this featurette (below), I have high hopes. Sendak is certainly expecting controversy, but believes that this movie only enriches the story we all love so much. Watch this and see what you think:
