Purplicious or Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do It Yourself Book

Purplicious

Author: Victoria Kann

It's purple Pinkalicious!

Pinkalicious loves the color pink, but all the girls at school like black. They tease her, saying that pink stinks and pink is for babies. But Pinkalicious doesn't think so…that is, until her friends stop playing with her. Now Pinkalicious has a case of the blues. But could she ever turn her back on her favorite color?

In the follow-up to the bestselling Pinkalicious, a young girl remains true to herself and discovers that pink isn't only a pretty color, but also a powerful one.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2- Pinkalicious, the insouciant little girl who loves pink (especially Pink Passion Fruit Paradise ice cream) is back and in trouble. The girls in her class tease her that pink is passé and babyish, and that black is the new in color. Although her family tries to cheer her up, Pinkalicious almost abandons her favorite color until a new girl in her art class helps her see that pink is powerful and perfect-particularly when mixed with blue to make purple. The lively cartoon illustrations spill across the pages mirroring the protagonist's feelings as she changes from a confident, imaginative child to a sad one who believes she is alone in the world and then back to her old spirited self, fortified by a new friend and a newly discovered color. As with Pinkalicious (HarperCollins, 2006), this story will be fun to use in a color unit and has the added attraction of dealing with feelings of not fitting in, which are common in a child's life. The book is a winner for most collections.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA

Look this: Cook Book or Foodservice Organizations

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book

Author: Jeff Kinney

Now every kid can write like a Wimpy Kid!

 

An exciting companion to the bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

“First of all, let me get something straight: This is a journal, not a diary.”

This innovative interactive journal based on Greg Heffley’s own “diary” lets kids express themselves in an exciting new way. In Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book, kids will be asked: What was the best dream you ever had? The worst thing you ever ate? The best secret you ever heard? The most trouble you ever got in for something that wasn’t even your fault to begin with? This Do-It-Yourself Book features art throughout, along with ruled and blank pages for readers to create their own stories, keep their own diaries, and record their favorites and least faves. Includes a bonus full-color comics section featuring the collected cartoons of Greg Heffley and his best friend, Rowley.

Includes
16 pages of full-color comics!

 “Move over, Harry Potter. . . . There’s a new set of titles dominating the bestseller list for kids’ chapter books, and there’s nothing ‘fantasy’ about these.”—Andrea Yeats on NPR’s All Things Considered

“Perfectly pitched wit and believably self-centered hero . . .”—The New York Times

“Charming and hilarious from the get-go. . . . [Kinney has] an uncanny eye for the depredations and triumphs of middle school life.” —The Boston Globe

“The writing is sharp, and the artwork, though deceptively simple, is both entertaining andexpressive . . . adding comic punch to these funny-because-they’re-true scenes . . .” —Bookpage

“Perfect for someone about to go to middle school, perfect for parents to help ease their child into this new phase. . . . Kinney has done a wonderful service for preteens by talking about all those awful, embarrassing, and good moments.” —The San Diego Union Tribune

Hippos Go Berserk or Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse

Hippos Go Berserk

Author: Sandra Boynton

Here is the classic Boynton counting story in a sturdy, board book version.

Perfect for travel time, bedtime, or PARTY TIME!

Publishers Weekly

Happening hippos And for a merrier look at oversized animals, Sandra Boynton's Hippos Go Berserk!, first published in 1977, is reissued in a larger format with new colors. In this counting book, the phone call of one lonely hippo initiates a party: "One hippo, all alone,/ calls two hippos on the phone," and the number of guests snowballs. Boynton's cheerful artwork, familiar from the greeting cards she has designed as well as from numerous books, is as well suited for children as for mirth-minded adults.

Kirkus Reviews

Hippos Go Berserk (, paper Oct. 1, 1996; 32 pp.; 0- 689-80854-2, paper 0-689-80818-6): A 20-year-old counting book gets new illustrations featuring, once again, the solitary hippo who invites two friends to what becomes a wild party as groups of three, then four hippos (up to nine) arrive and then depart. Large numerals appear in the corners of the appropriate pages, where the hippos, wearing wonderfully varied expressions, cavort on large expanses of cheery color. Some of the humor will register only with adults, e.g., a hippo portrait pays homage to Whistler. Most of the fun will make perfect sense to preschoolers; give this to a slightly younger audience than those who love Jeff Sheppard's The Right Number of Elephants (1990).

Go to: Stress and Your Child or I Remain in Darkness

Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse

Author: Judy Schachner

The Siamese kitty boy with the gigantico imagination has returned for another loco adventure. In his room for a time-out, Skippyjon Jones lets his imagination take him to a shack where his Chihuahua friends are yipping and yapping and hiding out from the Bad Bobble-ito, who has taken over their doghouse. How El Skippito chills the Chihuahuas and banishes the Bobble-ito will make more amigos for this endearing and irresistible rascal who made his first appearance in Skippyjon Jones.

Publishers Weekly

A popular character returns in Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse by Judy Schachner. Here the Siamese "kitty boy" that transforms into El Skippito Friskito, a Chihuahua, for his superhero antics, drives out the menacing Bobble-ito from his canine buddies' doghouse.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-The Siamese cat from Skippyjon Jones (Dutton, 2003) that thinks he's a Chihuahua returns in another adventure. Sent to his room by his mother for drawing on the walls, the feline puts on a mask and cape and then sings in a Spanish accent: "Oh, my name is Skippito Friskito/And I heard from a leetle birdito/That the doggies have fled/From the gobbling head/Who goes by the name Bobble-ito!" He then boards his skateboard and rolls into his closet, eventually arriving at a shack where he finds his Chihuahua friends. They explain that their home has been invaded ("Yesterday morning we left the house to buy some beans-when we returned, a Bobble-ito was in la casa perrito") and ask for his help. He solves the problem by grabbing the intruder and stuffing it into his pants. At story's end, Mama checks on Skippyjon and finds him wrapped in a blanket and talking to his sister's bobblehead doll. Schachner's ink-and-acrylic illustrations create the madcap surrealistic world Skippyjon inhabits, but the narrative offers little more than bad verse, confused plotting, and Taco Bell-style expressions-a fact underscored by the accompanying CD of the author reading her two Skippyjon tales. For rhyming dog stories, skip this doggerel and stay with the antics of Lynley Dodd's "Hairy Maclary" books (Tricycle).-Kathleen Whalin, York Public Library, ME

Kirkus Reviews

Holy Jalapeno! That devilish, disarming, dog-eared Siamese kitten who thinks he's a Chihuahua is back and in trouble-again. His crayon artwork on the walls rubs Mama Junebug's fur the wrong way and she gives him a timeout with the threat NOT to go in his closet or he'll be in the doghouse. But quicker than you can say Skippyjon Jones, the naughty cat dons his mask and cape and superhero Skippito is off on another Mexican adventure with his old amigos, Los Chimichangos, banishing the menacing, nodding Bobble-ito monster (an itty-bitty kitten bobblehead) from their doghouse. Playful type embellishes exaggerated "Splanish" words and the watercolor-pen-ink caricatures are as perky and outsized as Skippyjon's ears. Ole to the greatest poco perrito; he's as full of beans as in the first escapade. Mas, por favor. (CD read by the author) (Picture book. 4-7)

Dont Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus or Hand Hand Fingers Thumb

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Author: Mo Willems

When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place-a pigeon! But you've never met one like this before. As he pleads, wheedles, and begs his way through the book, children will love being able to answer back and decide his fate. In his hilarious picture book debut, popular cartoonist Mo Willems perfectly captures a preschooler's temper tantrum.

Publishers Weekly

The premise of this cheeky debut is charmingly absurd. When a bus driver goes on break, he asks the audience to keep an eye on his vehicle and the daft, bug-eyed pigeon who desperately wants to drive it. The pigeon then relentlessly begs readers for some time behind the wheel: "I tell you what: I'll just steer. My cousin Herb drives a bus almost every day! True story." Willems hooks his audience quickly with the pigeon-to-reader approach and minimalist cartoons. The bluish-gray bird, outlined in black crayon, expresses countless, amusing emotions through tiny shifts in eye movement or wing position. The plucky star peeks in from the left side of a page, and exhibits an array of pleading strategies against window-pane panels in mauve, salmon and willow ("I'll be your best friend," he says wide-eyed in one, and whispers behind a wing, "How 'bout I give you five bucks?"). Finally he erupts in a full-spread tantrum on an orange background, the text outlined in electric yellow ("Let me drive the bus!!!"). When the driver returns and takes off, the bird slumps dejectedly until a big red truck inspires a new round of motoring fantasies. Readers will likely find satisfaction in this whimsical show of emotions and, perhaps, a bit of self-recognition. Ages 2-6. (Apr.)

Sharon Levin - Children's Literature

In this picture book with simple pictures and lots of empty space, a cute blue pigeon begs the reader to let him drive the bus while the bus driver is gone. He implores, promises, whines, begs, bribes (like I don't get enough of this from my kids) in order to get his chance. He says things like, "I bet your mom would let me" or "I have dreams you know." This could actually be a sad book (hey, I was always the kid who wanted the Trix rabbit to actually get some Trix) except for the last two pages. After the bus drives off leaving the pigeon looking dejected, a semi drives up, the pigeon looks at it, and says, "Hey..., and the end papers of the book have the pigeon smiling, eyes closed as he envisions himself driving a semi. Nice touch. 2003, Hyperion Books, Ages 5 to 7.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2—Take a multiple award-winning book (Hyperion, 2003) written and illustrated by Mo Willems, add the author's and Jon Scieszka's voices, Peter List's animation, and Scotty Huff's lively jazz music, and the result is a tremendously captivating film. The well-loved tale of a pigeon who dreams of driving a bus, and who pleads and cajoles for the opportunity, is brought to life. The DVD opens with a choice of a Karaoke version, or one in which youngsters supply a resounding "NO!" in response to Pigeon's unrelenting bargaining to be allowed to drive the bus. Read-along subtitles, in which the words are highlighted as they are spoken, are optional. Each version opens with extra scenes of Pigeon driving a bus and delighting in the havoc he wreaks along the route. A jazzy beat sets the lively tempo of the scenes, and crazy cartoon sound effects add even more humor to Pigeon's crazy antics. The pages have been fully animated; Pigeon's expressions after each denial are priceless, and the framing of the simple bird on blank pastel pages makes his reactions even more effective. As credits roll, Pigeon and the driver discuss bus models and Pigeon's inability to actually drive. In the bonus interview, Willems offers background for the story and shows highlights of his visit with first-graders. He also teaches the children to draw Pigeon, since he thinks that books should be objects of play and doorways to creativity. Pigeon and Willems will enchant viewers.—MaryAnn Karre, Horace Mann Elementary School, Binghamton, NY

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-A brilliantly simple book that is absolutely true to life, as anyone who interacts with an obdurate three-year-old can attest. The bus driver has to leave for a while, and he makes one request of readers: "Don't let the pigeon drive the bus." It's the height of common sense, but the driver clearly knows this determined pigeon and readers do not-yet. "Hey, can I drive the bus?" asks the bird, at first all sweet reason, and then, having clearly been told no by readers, he begins his ever-escalating, increasingly silly bargaining. "I tell you what: I'll just steer," and "I never get to do anything," then "No fair! I bet your mom would let me." In a wonderfully expressive spread, the pigeon finally loses it, and, feathers flying and eyeballs popping, screams "LET ME DRIVE THE BUS!!!" in huge, scratchy, black-and-yellow capital letters. The driver returns, and the pigeon leaves in a funk-until he spies a huge tractor trailer, and dares to dream again. Like David Shannon's No, David (Scholastic, 1998), Pigeon is an unflinching and hilarious look at a child's potential for mischief. In a plain palette, with childishly elemental line drawings, Willems has captured the essence of unreasonableness in the very young. The genius of this book is that the very young will actually recognize themselves in it.-Dona Ratterree, New York City Public Schools

Kirkus Reviews

This cinematic adventure, with its simple retro-cartoonish drawings, begins on the opening endpapers when a pale blue pigeon dreams of driving a bus. On the title page, the profile of the strong-jawed bus driver notes in a word bubble that he has to leave for a little while and requests that the reader watch things for him. "Oh and remember: "Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus." The text is a handwritten, typewriter-like hand in white word bubbles set on a background of neutral tones of lavender, salmon, celadon, and beige. With the bus in the reader's care, the bus driver nonchalantly strolls away. Turn the page and readers see a close-up of the pigeon, who spends the next 13 well-paced pages begging, pleading, lying, and bribing his way into their hearts. The words "LET ME DRIVE THE BUS!!!" triple in size and leap from the page as the pigeon loses control, flopping across the bottom of the pages. Readers of all ages will nod with recognition of his helplessness and frustration. The bus driver returns, thanks the readers, and drives away, leaving the pigeon with his head hanging in sadness. And just like any young person, he's quickly distracted from his disappointment when a huge truck tire zooms into view. In the end, the pigeon dreams of driving the big red tractor-trailer truck. A first picture book by an Emmy Award–winning writer and animator, listeners will be begging, pleading, lying, and bribing to hear it again and again. (Picture book. 3-5)

Interesting textbook: Neither Here nor There or Fifty Places to Dive before You Die

Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb

Author: Al Perkins

Like the parent Beginner Books, Bright & Early Books feature the same affordable hardcover format, imaginative stories, and colorful pictures. Geared for a younger audience, these books use simple words, repetition, and pictures that act as clues to the text. Contributors include Dr. Seuss ("Mr. Brown Can Moo!" "Can You?," "There's a Wocket in My Pocket!," "The Foot Book"), Stan and Jan Berenstain ("Inside, Outside, Upside Down; Bears on Wheels"), Al Perkins ("Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb") and Michael Frith ("I'll Teach My Dog 100 Words"). Preschool - Grade 1.

Magic Tree House The Mystery of the Ancient Riddles Boxed Set 3 or The Lightning Thief

Magic Tree House The Mystery of the Ancient Riddles Boxed Set #3: Book 9 - 12 (Magic Treehouse Series)

Author: Mary Pope Osborn

The Magic Tree House adventures continue in books 9—12. Morgan the magical librarian of Camelot challenges Jack and Annie to discover the answers to four riddles as they travel under the sea to the Wild West, the African plains, and the frozen Arctic. If they succeed, they will become Master Librarians! Books in this set include:Dolphins at Daybreak (#9)Ghost Town at Sundown (#10) Lions at Lunchtime (#11) Polar Bears past Bedtime (#12) Magic Tree House Books #9—12.

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #1)

Author: Rick Riordan

In this stunning collectors' edition of The Lightning Thief, Percy Jackson's world is brought to life with eight full-color plates by the series jacket artist John Rocco. The edition comes in an elegant slipcase with a ribbon bookmark, rough edges, and cloth cover—a perfect keepsake for fans of this truly epic series.

 

After getting expelled from yet another school for yet another clash with mythological monsters only he can see, twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where he finally learns the truth about his unique abilities: He is a demigod, half human, half immortal. Even more stunning: His father is the Greek god Poseidon, ruler of the sea, making Percy one of the most powerful demigods alive. There's little time to process this news. All too soon, a cryptic prophecy from the Oracle sends Percy on his first quest, a mission to the Underworld to prevent a war among the gods of Olympus. 

 

This first installment of Rick Riordan's best-selling series is a non-stop thrill-ride and a classic of mythic proportions.

 

Child Magazine

"Once I got over the fact that my Latin teacher was a horse, we had a nice tour, though I was careful not to walk behind him." For Percy, a wisecracking 12-year-old with ADHD, discovering his teacher is really a centaur is just another clue that the Greek gods are alive, well, and causing all kinds of mayhem in modern-day America. Accused of stealing Zeus's master lightning bolt, Percy must prove his innocence while battling a Minotaur and a host of other celestial thugs. Best for older, action-loving kids, this book offers nonstop adventure and terrific exposure to Greek mythology. (ages 8 to 12)
Child magazine's Best Children's Book Awards 2005

Elisabeth Greenberg - Children's Literature

Percy Jackson, age 12, discovers he is the son of a Greek god in the worst possible way. He accidentally vaporizes his pre-Algebra teacher on a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His cover as a normal human being, saddled with ADHD and a lightning rod for trouble, is blown. Other-worldly monsters are on his trail. In rapid order he discovers his best friend Glover is a satyr, his Latin teacher is a centaur, and he himself is in the midst of a fight between the ancient Greek gods, including his Dad—name unknown. When Glover and Percy's mother try to rescue Percy from the Three Fates, his mother disappears, melting in to the light, and Percy drags an injured Glover into Half-Blood Camp, where the half-human children of Greek gods train for their quests. He wakes to a pretty blonde, Annabeth, spoon-feeding him. Soon Percy, actually Perseus, begins his own danger-filled quest with Annabeth—a daughter of Athena—and the faithful Glover. In the Underworld he untangles the accusations of thievery leveled at him by Zeus, then overcomes Mars to make his way to Mount Olympus and his father's acceptance of him. This mingling of the world today and the world of myth is outrageous, funny, compelling, and delightful. Who would have guessed that Mount Olympus sits 600 stories above the Empire State Building? This wild romp of a book will intrigue and amuse middle schoolers, whether they know the Greek myths or not. Best of all, it looks as though this is just the first adventure for Perseus, Glover, and Annabeth. 2005, Hyperion Books for Children, Ages 10 up.

David Goodale - VOYA

Riordan borrows J. K. Rowling's magical formula in this obvious Harry Potter imitation with a nod to Lemony Snicket. Percy Jackson (Riordan's Harry Potter) is a twelve-year-old who knows nothing of his divine heritage and leads a troubled life bouncing from school to school. His life changes when he goes home for the summer after being expelled again. Percy begins to attract monsters, and his mortal mother has no choice but to send him to Camp Half-Blood Hill (Hogwarts) where he will be protected. At camp, Percy learns that the Greek gods still exist and that siring children with mortals is still their favorite hobby. All the children at the camp are half bloods like Percy, who is Poseidon's son. Percy befriends Annabeth (Hermione), a daughter of the goddess Athena. With the help of Annabeth and his protector, the satyr Grover (Hagrid), Percy adjusts to life at camp and foils an evil plot to start a war between the gods. One could easily compile a grocery list of Harry Potter likenesses. For instance, Camp Half-Blood Hill is divided into competing cabins just as Hogwarts is divided into House Gryffindor, House Slytherin, and so on. Imitation aside, Riordan is a talented, funny writer with a great knack for naming chapters, such as "I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher." Purchase where fantasy, especially Harry Potter, is popular and look for the sequel in which the characters will no doubt be a year older as Annabeth vows to meet Percy at camp next summer. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2005, Hyperion, 384p., Ages 11 to 15.

Heather Rader - KLIATT

If you want a young person to read a book, take a lesson from Rick Riordan and start it by warning readers to close the book right away and go back to their uninformed lives. This book will bring out the readers, especially the boys, with its fast pace and adventure. Good news for Greek mythology enthusiasts: the gods are alive and well in the United States. Perseus (Percy) Jackson is a 12-year-old half-blood doing time at Yancy Academy, a school for troubled kids. He is unaware of his true identity until the truth reveals itself in unusual ways. After losing his mother, he ends up at a summer camp for half-bloods run by Dionysus (the god of wine) and is shown to his cabin by his former Latin teacher, who turns out to be a centaur. (There is a constant thread of connection between the real and surreal, apparent in the catchy chapter titles like "A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers.") Percy carries his bad boy image into the other world and becomes a suspect in the disappearance of Zeus's lighting bolt. He has many Olympic-size obstacles to overcome before he returns to his human life. But no worries, Camp Half-Blood enrolls campers every summer. Book Two is called The Sea of Monsters. (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1).. KLIATT Codes: J--Recommended for junior high school students. 2005, Hyperion, Miramax, 377p., $7.99.. Ages 12 to 15.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9-An adventure-quest with a hip edge. At first glance, Perseus Jackson seems like a loser (readers meet him at a boarding school for troubled youth), but he's really the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman. As he discovers his heritage, he also loses that mother and falls into mortal danger. The gods (still very active in the 21st-century world) are about to go to war over a lost thunderbolt, so Percy and sidekicks Grover (a young satyr) and Annabeth (daughter of Athena) set out to retrieve it. Many close calls and monster-attacks later, they enter Hades's realm (via L.A.). A virtuoso description of the Underworld is matched by a later account of Olympus (hovering 600 floors above Manhattan). There's lots of zippy review of Greek myth and legend, and characters like Medusa, Procrustes, Charon, and the Eumenides get updates. Some of the Labors of Heracles or Odysseus's adventures are recycled, but nothing seems stale, and the breakneck pace keeps the action from being too predictable. Percy is an ADHD, wise-cracking, first-person narrator. Naturally, his real quest is for his own identity. Along the way, such topics as family, trust, war, the environment, dreams, and perceptions are raised. There is subtle social critique for sophisticated readers who can see it. Although the novel ends with a satisfying conclusion (and at least one surprise), it is clear that the story isn't over. The 12-year-old has matured and is ready for another quest, and the villain is at large. Readers will be eager to follow the young protagonist's next move.-Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI

Kirkus Reviews

Edgar Award-winning Riordan leaves the adult world of mystery to begin a fantasy series for younger readers. Twelve-year-old Percy (full name, Perseus) Jackson has attended six schools in six years. Officially diagnosed with ADHD, his lack of self-control gets him in trouble again and again. What if it isn't his fault? What if all the outrageous incidents that get him kicked out of school are the result of his being a "half-blood," the product of a relationship between a human and a Greek god? Could it be true that his math teacher Mrs. Dodds transformed into a shriveled hag with bat wings, a Fury, and was trying to kill him? Did he really vanquish her with a pen that turned into a sword? One need not be an expert in Greek mythology to enjoy Percy's journey to retrieve Zeus's master bolt from the Underworld, but those who are familiar with the deities and demi-gods will have many an ah-ha moment. Along the way, Percy and his cohort run into Medusa, Cerberus and Pan, among others. The sardonic tone of the narrator's voice lends a refreshing air of realism to this riotously paced quest tale of heroism that questions the realities of our world, family, friendship and loyalty. (Fantasy. 12-15)

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