Kathleen Odean | New Book Recommendations

NEW CHILDREN'S BOOKS RECOMMENDED BY KATHLEEN ODEAN

picture books | novels | poetry and non-fiction

Science Verse by Jon Scieszka. Illustrated by Lane Smith. 2004. Ages 8 and up.
This companion to Math Curse, starts with a student whose teacher says, "You know, if you listen closely enough, you can hear the poetry of science in everything." Then come wonderful, funny poems about science, modeled on familiar poems like Poe's "The Raven" and Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." Topics include dinosaurs, the food chain, and the scientific method, among others. Stylish, funny pictures by Lane Smith add to the pleasure of this over-sized, sure-to-be popular book.

The Tarantula Scientist by Sy Montgomery. Photographs by Nic Bishop. 2004.
Ages 10 and up. This installment in the excellent "Scientists in the Field" series follows tarantula expert Sam Marshall to South America, where he studied tarantulas, and back to his lab at Hiram College in Ohio. Along the way readers learn not just about spiders, and particularly about tarantulas, but also about how scientists approach their work. Terrific photographs show spiders and other animals. Extra information at the end can leaders to other resources. Outstanding.

You're on Your Way, Teddy Roosevelt by Judith St. George. Illustrated by Matt Faulkner. 2004. Ages 6-10.
Teddy Roosevelt turns out to have a fascinating childhood, conveyed here in well-chosen details and lively illustrations. Quotes from his journals and anecdotes about his family bring young Teddy alive in a way that will appeal to kids. There's his home museum, with its snakes and snapping turtle. And the time he took off his hat in the streetcar, only to have frogs hop out. He pursued body building and boxing to great success. A delightful introduction to a memorable president.

The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon by Jacqueline Davies. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. 2004. Ages 6-10.
Charming watercolor-and-collage illustrations and a graceful text tell the story of how Audubon, newly arrived in Pennsylvania from Frances, came to love, study and draw birds. He was the first person in America to band birds, to see if they returned to the same place after migrating, a remarkable aspect of his life included here. A wonderful picture-book biography.

Little Dog and Duncan by Kristine O'Connell George. Illustrated by June Otani. 2002.
Ages 4-9. s the title of the first poem conveys, "Big News" is afoot at the home of Little Dog. They are having a visitor, Duncan, a scruffy dog larger than Little Dog and the little girl he lives with. Elegantly simple, accessible short poems capture the excitement of the visit, the fun and friendship the dogs share, and the slight tensions that spring from their different sizes. Appealing watercolors on well-designed pages reinforce the emotions and depict their outings. This companion to Little Dog Poems will convince any doubting children and parents that poetry is pure pleasure.

Awful Ogre’s Awful Day by Jack Prelutsky, Illustrated by Paul Zelinsky. Ages 7-11
In eighteen poems, Awful Ogre describes his gruesome daily routines: his disgusting breakfast, his wild dances, his bizarre garden, his favorite television shows on The Chopping Channel. He even pens a letter to a fair ogress, writing, “I treasure the claws/On your fingers and toes,/Your big bloodshot eye,/And your pendulous nose.” Zelinsky, a Caldecott award-winning artist, has great fun in his pen-and-watercolor illustrations, showing a huge one-eyed ogre and other not-too-scary creatures. Prelutsky’s many fans will undoubtedly be delighted by another poetic foray into the funny side of monsters.

Rats!: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly by Richard Conniff. Ages 8-12
Informative color photographs and a stylish design accompany many facts and anecdotes about rats in this lively book. In addition to introducing the biology of these ubiquitous rodents, the accessible text describes their roles in history, lab experiments, and as pets, debunking several myths along the way. While squeamish readers will want to avoid some of the grimmer photos and facts, others will relish the stories about a temple where rats are worshipped and the pictures of rats for sale to eat.

Five Pages a Day: A Writer’s Journey by Peg Kehret. Ages 9-13
Peg Kehret, author of many popular children’s books, traces her path to becoming a writer in this entertaining memoir. She begins in childhood when she launched a short-lived newspaper about neighborhood dogs, one of many links between her love of writing and her love of animals. With the eye for well-chosen details that characterizes her other writing, Kehret mines her experiences for anecdotes young readers will appreciate. For example, early in her career she concentrated on writing for contests—and won a car, among other prizes. Even those who don’t expect to be writers will enjoy hearing about quirky research she has done for her books and will absorb her recurring theme about the importance of persistence. While not as emotionally compelling as her earlier autobiography, Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, this account of her writer’s journey will appeal to her fans as well as to future writers.

19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East by Naomi Shihab Nye. Ages 14 and up
This elegant poetry collection evokes the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the Middle East, especially Jerusalem, as experienced by a Palestinian-American poet. The sixty poems reflect the strength Nye derives from her father's family and heritage, and the pain she feels reading countless “deeply sorrowful headlines” concerning Arabs. With so few books for teens by Arab-Americans, this moving collection and Habibi, the author’s fine novel set in Jerusalem, are all the more important for beginning to understand and appreciate Arabic culture.