The five sections each address a different topic and include detailed directions for at least 14 activities, most of which...
For nervous parents facing endless summer days and kids who have the “I’m bored” bug, this is a mixed bag of activities, games, crafts and recipes that will help stave off the doldrums.
The five sections each address a different topic and include detailed directions for at least 14 activities, most of which focus on getting kids outdoors. The projects range from exploring tide pools and stargazing to making a soda geyser, playing croquet and learning how to make some summery treats to eat. While there are many standout projects, this book is not without its flaws. Most kids will have already tried at least a handful of the things in each section. Many of the entries are limiting in that they require specialized equipment or access to specific places. But the worst flaw is a lackadaisical attitude toward safety. Beyond the copyright page, little is mentioned about parental supervision. And the difficulty scale (one=low; three=high) is no help in this regard—exploring sea caves is given a one, while building a tree house is a two. Helpful illustrations and photographs are scattered throughout the book, supporting the directions in the text. But here, also, there is a lack of concern for safety—the “row a boat” activity pictures a child sans life jacket, and it is not on the list of items needed.Pub Date: June 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7641-4581-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Barron's
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2011
Poet Alexander deftly reveals the power of the format to pack an emotional punch.
Basketball-playing twins find challenges to their relationship on and off the court as they cope with changes in their lives.
Josh Bell and his twin, Jordan, aka JB, are stars of their school basketball team. They are also successful students, since their educator mother will stand for nothing else. As the two middle schoolers move to a successful season, readers can see their differences despite the sibling connection. After all, Josh has dreadlocks and is quiet on court, and JB is bald and a trash talker. Their love of the sport comes from their father, who had also excelled in the game, though his championship was achieved overseas. Now, however, he does not have a job and seems to have health problems the parents do not fully divulge to the boys. The twins experience their first major rift when JB is attracted to a new girl in their school, and Josh finds himself without his brother. This novel in verse is rich in character and relationships. Most interesting is the family dynamic that informs so much of the narrative, which always reveals, never tells. While Josh relates the story, readers get a full picture of major and minor players. The basketball action provides energy and rhythm for a moving story.
Poet Alexander deftly reveals the power of the format to pack an emotional punch. (Verse fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-10771-7
Page Count: 240
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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