Princess Books for Kids of All Ages
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: June 1, 2010
Whether it be the fairytale or romantic stigma that often surrounds princess characters, or the strength that these Damsels exude after overcoming various different hardships, children—especially girls—are drawn to stories about princesses. Heck, even I love a good “Prince Charming” story every once in a while. However, when looking for a book with some royal flare, it’s easy to fall to the stories we know so well: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and The Little Mermaid—which, while we’re at it, are considered by many as a right-of-passage for any young girl.
In my quest to find new and original stories with a good princess feel—less boy-meets-girl and more strength and self-discovery—the following books really struck a chord with me; each for their own reasons. Read more
Magickeepers: The Pyramid of Souls (Book 2) by Erica Kirov
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: May 27, 2010
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 Read more
Alice in Wonderland: A Book in Verse—J. T. Holden and Andrew Johnson
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: April 6, 2010
Alice in Verse: The Lost Rhymes of Wonderland
by J.T. Holden (Author), Andrew Johnson (Illustrator)
Reading Level: Ages 10 and up
Hardcover: 112 pages
Publisher: Candleshoe Books; 1st edition edition (January 11, 2010)
Source of book: Publisher
What to expect: Alice in Wonderland characters, Verse, Riddles Read more
The Squirrel’s Birthday and Other Parties: Toon Tellegen and Jessica Ahlberg
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: March 23, 2010
The Squirrel’s Birthday and Other Parties
by Toon Tellegen (Author), Jessica Ahlberg (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 5-8
Hardcover: 156 pages
Publisher: Boxer Books (November 3, 2009)
Source of book: Publisher
What to expect: Birthdays, Animals, Friendship Read more
Stephanie Meyer Talks About Twilight
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:
Secrets of a Christmas Box: Steven Hornby
By Steven Hornby, for The Children’s Book Review
Published: December 1, 2009
The Children’s Book Review presents a guest post by Steven Hornby, author of Secrets of a Christmas Box. Hornby is a multi award winning animator—I’m sure you’ve seen some of his work in ‘The Lord of the Rings’, ‘King Kong’, and ‘Kung Fu Panda’—who has created a truly original Christmas novel that brilliantly showcases his creative mind. This year we selected ‘Secrets of a Christmas Box’ as one of the Best Christmas Kids Books of the year.
I was sat down outside a cafe, enjoying a warm late-afternoon Cafe Late, looking out over the lake in Queenstown on the South Island of New Zealand. With it being late June, and the middle of winter in New Zealand, I noticed the snow on top of the mountains across the water from me, usually a brilliant white, now glowed with a warm peach color just as the sun settled behind the opposing hillside.
As darkness crept over the lake, several trees alongside the cafe were suddenly illuminated by Christmas fairy lights that littered their trunks and branches. The path of lights had been twisted orderly up and around the trunk of each tree, like candy cane stripes.
Video: Fire: Kristin Cashore
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: November 24, 2009
I’m looking forward to reading this book …
The narration on the video reminds me of Lord of the Rings. Anyone else?
Shiver: Maggie Stiefvater
By Amanda Lynch, The Children’s Book Review
Published: November 23, 2009
Reading Level: Teens
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (August 1, 2009)
What to Expect: Werewolves, Romance, Poetry
I’d been looking forward to reading Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver for awhile–it came highly recommended, so when I sat down to read it I carved out an afternoon and figured I would finish it the following day.
Afternoon quickly became evening, and I was up until the wee hours of the morning because I absolutely HAD to know what happened.
Movie Trailer: Alice in Wonderland
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: November 3, 2009
Positively fantastical!
The makeup, the effects, the cinematography, not to mention Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. Feast your eyes and imagination on this …
To make sure you and your family have read this enchanting classic before seeing the movie — you have plenty of time, the release date is March 5, 2010 — here are my favorite “Alice” editions:
