Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




2010 Best Children's Books: The Complete List


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Cover art for BUNNY DAYS
CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 1, 2010

"Scenes of baffled wee white bunnies spinning on delicate cycle, popping out of vacuum bags and holding their powder-puff tails add to the overall whimsy, hapless humor and total charm. (dust jacket opens into poster) (Picture book. 3-5)"
Three tiny tales feature two goats whose domestic activities wreak havoc on six bunnies until a resourceful bear saves the day. Read full book review >
Cover art for A WHOLE NOTHER STORY
CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 1, 2010

"Great fun. (Fiction. 11-13)"
Three children and their inventor dad on the run from government agents, international superspies AND corporate baddies are finally forced to take a stand in this picaresque debut. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE EXTRAORDINARY MARK TWAIN
CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 1, 2010
by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham

"A heartwarming tribute to both the writing life in general and the well-loved humorist—oops, sorry Susy… "Pholosopher!" (author's note, how to write a biography, time line, sources) (Picture book/biography. 8-11)"
From 1885 to '86, Mark Twain's 13-year-old daughter Susy Clemens wrote a 130-page biography of her father out of indignation: Her dear Papa was no mere humorist! Read full book review >
Cover art for ONE CRAZY SUMMER
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2010

"The depiction of the time is well done, and while the girls are caught up in the difficulties of adults, their resilience is celebrated and energetically told with writing that snaps off the page. (Historical fiction. 9-12)"
A flight from New York to Oakland, Calif., to spend the summer of 1968 with the mother who abandoned Delphine and her two sisters was the easy part. Read full book review >
Cover art for DRAGONBREATH
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2010
by Ursula Vernon, illustrated by Ursula Vernon

"Stay tuned. (Fantasy. 8-11)"
"Vague notions of heroism entered his mind, and then paused, confused by their surroundings." Read full book review >
Cover art for BIRMINGHAM SUNDAY
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 20, 2010

"A standout book for its thorough research and comprehensive look at the incident that led to the 1964 passage of civil-rights legislation. (further reading, author's note, source notes, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 10 & up)"
Brimner focuses on the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and successfully illuminates in chronological order the events, social tensions and political reverberations of that terror-filled time. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE BOYS
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 23, 2010
by Jeff Newman, illustrated by Jeff Newman

"Through confident brushwork, done in a stylized '50s modern aesthetic, the artist's images reveal sports' deep truths about acceptance, a willingness to try and the intergenerational connections they bring. (Picture book. 4-8)"
It's a new town for a baseball-loving protagonist. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 23, 2010

"It's the best beginning since The Bad Beginning (1999) and will leave readers howling for the next episode. (High melodrama. 10-12)"
Fresh from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, 15-year-old Penelope Lumley reports to remote but palatial Ashton Place and discovers just why the advertisement for a governess indicated a strong preference for "Experience with Animals." Read full book review >
Cover art for MY GARDEN
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2010
by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Kevin Henkes

"Just plain perfect. (Picture book. 3-7)"
A little girl enjoys helping her mother in her garden, but she knows if she had a garden, it would be something else entirely: no weeds, ever-blooming multicolored flowers with hues she can change with just a thought, chocolate rabbits instead of pests and so on. Read full book review >
Cover art for DEAR PRIMO
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2010
by Duncan Tonatiuh, illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh

In a story based on the author's childhood experiences, two cousins, Charlie and Carlitos, exchange letters. Read full book review >
Cover art for MIRROR MIRROR
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2010
by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Josée Masse

"A mesmerizing and seamless celebration of language, imagery and perspective. (note on the form) (Poetry. 8-12)"
A collection of masterful fairy-tale–inspired reversos—a poetic form invented by the author, in which each poem is presented forward and backward. Read full book review >
Cover art for BIG RED LOLLIPOP
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2010
by Rukhsana Khan, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

"Charming and spirited. (Picture book. 3-5)"
Dynamic visual design distinguishes this tale of sibling conflict in an immigrant family. Read full book review >
Cover art for HIP HOP DOG
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2010
by Chris Raschka, illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky

A neglected pup raps a bravado-laced memoir that chronicles his life on the street and gradual embrace of hip-hop culture. Read full book review >
Cover art for I AM A BACKHOE
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 9, 2010

"The author has turned an ordinary (and overdone) topic into something extraordinary. (Picture book. 2-6)"
Like many young boys, this book's protagonist marries an active imagination to a love of trucks. Read full book review >
Cover art for OUT OF MY MIND
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 9, 2010

"This book is rich in detail of both the essential normalcy and the difficulties of a young person with cerebral palsy. (Fiction. 10 & up)"
Melody, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, cannot walk or talk. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE YEAR OF GOODBYES
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 16, 2010

"An immensely powerful experience that needs to be read with an adult. (Poetry/nonfiction. 10 & up)"
Writing for modern readers about the Holocaust is fraught, and when children are the intended audience, the difficulties can be insurmountable. Read full book review >
Cover art for UBIQUITOUS
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2010
by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beckie Prange

"Lovely. (glossary) (Picture book/poetry. 8 & up)"
Sidman delights with another gorgeous collection of poems celebrating the natural world, this time focusing on species remarkable for their ability to adapt and thrive in an often-harsh world. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2010
by Tom Angleberger, illustrated by Tom Angleberger

"A skewed amalgam of Wayside Stories and Wimpy Kid that is sure to please fans of both. (Origami Yoda instructions) (Fiction. 8-12)"
Sixth grader Tommy has a dilemma: He doesn't know whether to trust the advice of Origami Yoda, who dispenses wisdom from his perch on the finger of mega-nerd Dwight. Read full book review >
Cover art for SAY HELLO!
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2010
by Rachel Isadora, illustrated by Rachel Isadora

"Simply enchanting. (Picture book. 3-5)"
Today Carmelita visits her Abuela Rosa, but to get there she must walk. Read full book review >
Cover art for HAMSTER AND CHEESE
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2010
by Colleen AF Venable, illustrated by Stephanie Yue

"Middle graders will close this and ask right away for Detective Pants's next caper. (animal facts) (Graphic mystery. 8-12)"
There is skullduggery afoot at Mr. Venezi's Pets & Stuff: Someone keeps stealing his sandwich, which he puts outside the koala cage every day. Read full book review >