In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

FROM NETGALLEY:

The Adventures of Detective Luke The Disappearing Dog Bowl by 
Wilson Hickman

Review: I Hate Picture Books by Timothy Young

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Max hates his picture books and he’s throwing them all away. But he soon learns just how invaluable imagination is and has a change of heart. Find out why in this outrageous book that both pokes fun at and celebrates many of the classics of children’s literature. Join writer and illustrator Timothy Young for this irreverent and humorous story ideal for children and adults alike. Early Reader; Ages 5-8.
Timothy Young is the author/illustrator of I’m Looking For A Monster!, Shadows On My Wall, and They’re Coming! 

MY TAKE:
I had a lot of fun reading this book.

Max hates picture books because whenever he tries to do what the books say or wish for things that happened in his picture books, nothing happens the way he wants it.

Part of what I liked about this book was trying to guess which picture books he was talking about. The book ends happily, though, with Max realizing how much he actually likes picture books.

The illustration and coloring style feels a little bit like a comic book or a graphic novel. Personally, I would have preferred it actually looked more picture book-like.

Thanks to NetGalley and Schiffer Publishing Ltd. for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. It's fun to guess which picture book Max is talking about.
2. It has a good message.
3. It's a fun read.

THE BAD:

1. The illustration style may not work for everyone.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Because Toy Bears don't talk or walk around

READ IT IF:

1. You or your child likes picture books.
2. Your child doesn't really like to read.
3. You like funny books.

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Review: The Man with the Violin by Kathy Stinson; art by Dušan Petričić

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Who is playing that beautiful music in the subway? And why is nobody listening?
On January 12, 2007, the world-famous violinist Joshua Bell took part in an experiment conducted by the Washington Post. What would happen if Bell played his violin in a subway station? Would anyone stop to listen? Dressed as an ordinary street musician and with his priceless Stradivarius in hand, Bell played for 43 minutes in the L’Enfant Plaza Station in Washington, D.C. Over 1,000 busy commuters rushed past. Only seven stopped to listen for more than a minute. Many children had wanted to stop, but an adult inevitably rushed them along. Inspired by this event, author Kathy Stinson imagines what a child who had wanted to stop might have experienced. From this emerged the lovely story of The Man with the Violin.
When young Dylan hears the beautiful music, he tries to get his mother to stop and listen, but like everyone else rushing past, she is focused on catching the train. The strains of the music linger in his head all day long until that evening, when he hears the same music being played on the radio. The announcer reveals who the violinist was and why he was playing in the subway station. As Dylan is swept up again by the gorgeous sound, his mother finally stops and listens too.  
Award-winning illustrator Dušan Petričić eagerly embraced the challenge of rendering Stinson’s lyrical text in a way that would capture Dylan’s emotions while interpreting the sounds he heard. With his skillful use of color and imaginative depiction of all the sounds in the subway station, Petričić succeeds in providing the perfect match for the poignant words. Together, Stinson and Petričić have created a picture book classic that reminds us all to open our eyes and ears to discover the beauty around us.
A short biography of Joshua Bell, a recap of the story that inspired this book, and a postscript by Joshua Bell enhance this wonderful tribute to the power of music.

MY TAKE:
There aren't many street musicians where I'm from, but most people here tend to ignore or shut them out too.

In The Man with the Violin, a young boy finds the music of a violinist irresistible. However, his mother drags him along. He ends up thinking about the music all day until later on, he and his mother find out who the violinist is.

I like music a lot and I play the piano and guitar so I have a deep appreciation for musicians. As such, I found the story sweet and inspiring, especially since it shows that lots of kids found the music fascinating. It shows that people, especially kids, have an innate connection to music.

While the illustration style isn't really my thing, I liked the coloring a lot. The pictures make use of a lot of black and white and other colors are used to emphasis certain characters or elements.

Thanks to NetGalley and Annick Press Ltd. for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. The story is heartwarming.
2. The coloring style is pretty.
3. The last part of the book details the inspiration for the story.

THE BAD:

1. The illustration style might not work for everyone.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

The music is telling an exciting story.

READ IT IF:

1. You are a musician.
2. Your child likes music.
3. You often ignore street musicians.

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Review: Lilly Traps the Bullies (Formac First Novels) by Brenda Bellingham

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Lilly and Theresa run into bullies at the pool, Spider and Bugsy, who tease Theresa but take an interest in Lilly. Lilly faces tough decisions about being a good friend versus trying to fit in. Brenda Bellingham’s story emphasizes the importance of problem-solving and teamwork in standing up to bullying.

MY TAKE:
It's nice to read a book like this wherein the bullies get what's coming to them, but in a humorous instead of dramatic way.

In Lilly Traps the Bullies, Lilly meets two bullies who she likes spending time with. However, these two bullies are making life miserable for her friend Theresa. Now Lilly must decide if she'd rather be with her old friends or with the new ones.

I felt a little bit bad for Lilly's friend Theresa. While there were moments wherein I sided more with Lilly who seemed to be getting irritated with Theresa, Theresa has good intentions so it's hard to hate her.

The plot itself isn't particularly new, but I did enjoy seeing how the bullies were put in their place. I could imagine seeing that exact scene in a movie like Diary of a Wimpy Kid or a Disney cartoon show.

Overall, it's a pretty quick chapter read and would be good reading for young elementary school kids.

Thanks to NetGalley and Formac for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. The bullies are made to look pretty silly.
2. It's a book about friendship.
3. Kids may be able to relate well to it.

THE BAD:

1. The book feels like it could be just a couple of chapters in a longer novel.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Going for a burger sounds like fun - like we're teenagers.

READ IT IF:

1. Your child is being bullied.
2. Your child has a friend who is being bullied.
3. Your child is looking for an easy chapter-read book.

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Review: Crazy About Basketball by Loris Lesynski; art by Gerry Rasmussen

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

The footsteps pound / the shoes all squeak / the crowd is loud / the floorboard creak / but still we can hear it--that smallest sound-- / the one that's high above the ground / the most important noise of all / that swishing of the basketball!
This new collection of more than 40 poems by Loris Lesynski captures the joys, thrills, and challenges of one of the most popular sports in the schoolyard today. Crazy About Basketball! is full of energy and humor, and is sure to appeal to anyone who has ever played the sport.
Wonderfully ridiculous artwork and catchy, rhythmic poems highlight both the silly and serious side of the sport, with emphasis on training, tactics, and teamwork, but most of all, on having fun. This is a perfect complement to Lesynski and Rasmussen's previous collaboration, Crazy About Soccer!

MY TAKE:
I like basketball and I used to be really into poetry, so I thought this would be interesting to read.

Crazy About Basketball features a number of poems, both long and short, that celebrates everything about basketball.

The thing about poetry books is that chances are, not every poem is going to work for everyone. For the most part, I liked the poems, especially since they used different rhyme schemes. However, there were some that didn't quite appeal to me. Usually it was because it was too short or felt forced or the topic didn't interest me.

The illustrations were mostly okay for me. The coloring was nice, overall, but the actual drawing style didn't always appeal to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Annick Press Ltd. for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. The poems use different rhyme schemes.
2. It covers different aspects of basketball.
3. There's plenty of variety when it comes to layout, poems and illustrations.

THE BAD:

1. Some of the poems might not work for everyone.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

the world is made
of bounce and aim
basketball's
not just a game

READ IT IF:

1. Your child likes basketball.
2. Your child likes poems.
3. You want your basketball-loving child to be more interested in poetry.

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

in every little cell alive,
you'll find a move,
a bounce, a jive

Review: Made You Look How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know by Shari Graydon; illustrated by Michelle Lamoreaux

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

The kids' survival guide to advertising, revised and updated for the digital age.
Ads are everywhere these days: they are trying to be your friend on Facebook, popping up in the background of your video game, and even messaging your phone when you walk by a store. More than ever before, kids are the prime target of these marketing messages. But they also have more power than ever to fight back.
For ten years, Made You Look has been an essential self-defense kit for anyone trying to make sense of the complex world of advertising. Now fully revised and with a fresh new look, the book has been updated to reflect the modern ad landscape, from digital tracking and cookies to social media, viral videos, and reality television. From the earliest roots of advertising to the undercover marketers of the 21st century, this revealing book shows kids where ads come from, how they work, and why it matters.

MY TAKE:
I worked in advertising for awhile so I was curious to see what this book had to say about advertising.

In Made You Look How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know, kids are introduced to the basics and history of advertising.

As with most Annick Press non-fiction books, this book is very colorful and the layout has the perfect balance between text, illustrations and other elements.

The text is conversational and the illustrations are pretty funny, too. Considering how the topic can get boring at times, this allows kids to stay focused a little longer. The book tackles a lot of aspects for advertising, even new media like online ads and product placements. There are also activities that kids can try which helps illustrate the impact of advertising in their lives.

Thanks to NetGalley and Annick Press Ltd. for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. The layout, colors and illustrations help keep kids interested.
2. The tone is conversational.
3. It covers a lot of advertising-related topics.

THE BAD:

1. The book can get boring for some kids after awhile.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Characters like the man who still appears as part of the Quaker Oats logo were created to make people feel as if they were buying from a trusted shopkeeper.

READ IT IF:

1. Your child is interested in advertising.
2. You want to teach your child more about advertising and its effect on kids.
3. You want to learn more about advertising.

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?