Things I've Read Recently (39): Valentine's Day Part 3

If you're new around here, Things I've Read Recently is a series of posts I do that are basically mini-reviews of books that I either forgot to review, didn't have enough to say for a full review, or just didn't want to do a full post about for whatever reason.

Sometimes it's because I like themes! I've done two of these posts and I am all sad that I won't do anymore after this because by the time this posts, my Storytime kid will have graduated to full-time school! Now I'm going to be in denial, okay? See post one here, and post two here, and this will be the last part. Like part one, this is only going to have three books, because I don't want to order more Valentine's Day books.

Secret Admirer by Ron Roy

Published: December 22nd, 2015 by Random House Books for Young Readers
Genre: MG Mystery
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 127 plus listings for the author's various series, and praise from kids which is adorable.
Part of a series? It took me a while to figure this out! The A to Z Mysteries series has 26 books, one for each letter of the alphabet. Then, according to the author's website, the Super Edition series books have the same characters a year later, and are about 50 pages longer. This is the 8th book in that series, and the latest of it so far (I may need to update that). Then there is the Calender Mysteries series, which features these characters' younger siblings, and is aimed at a slightly younger audience. There are thirteen of those (one for each month, and a bonus book).
Got via: The library.
Amazon (and it's only 4 dollars!) / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): It’s Valentine’s Day in Green Lawn! But Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose just aren’t feeling the love this year. Valentine’s Day was so much more fun when they were little. Then they each start getting messages and clues from a secret admirer! Can the kids figure out who wants to be their Valentine?

Thoughts: I love this kind of mystery as an adult. When I was a kid, I loved all the murder and crime solving and ones, but it is more realistic to have kids solving small mysteries like a secret admirer. I still think there's a place for the more out-there ones, but it's also nice to see ones like this, which are almost more about problem solving and critical thinking than a true mystery, while still retaining the spirit.

The characters are not the most fleshed out things ever, but they work well for carrying the story, and they do all seem to have some solid personality. It's also really sweet to see a book where kids are excited about Valentine's Day not because of crushes or anything, but just because they like the candy and partying and decorations and stuff. This is one that talks about the love between family and friends and pets instead of romantic love. I like that since the back of this puts the audience at ages 6-9 and I agree with that assessment.

It's a little predictable, but it's cute, and the searching for the letters thing? That is harder than you'd think. There are a few letters I still can't find! I enjoyed this one, and I can see why there are three series of this, because I can totally see how kids would love these. I've only read one of these before, from the regular series, and I think it was the vampire one when I was like twelve, but I would be fine reading more. This was just good-natured, you know? And they would probably be good for kids who don't like scary things, although I'd have to try a few more to decide that for sure.

I also see they've updated the covers, and I think that's cool - the new ones have a lot of personality and it does modernize them a bit, considering some of them are over a decade old. That's older than the kids reading them!

23 Ways to Mess Up Valentine's Day by Valerie Wilson Wesley

Published: November 1st, 2005 by Jump at the Sun which was an imprint of Hyperion.
Genre: Contemporary MG
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 90 pages
Part of a series? Yes, this is the 5th book in the Willimena Rules series. It looks like Jump at the Sun closed, and the 7th book had a very limited print if it was printed at all (I honestly can't find an answer to that for sure) back in 2008. Then in 2015, there was a version published by Just Us Books, so it seems like the series will continue there along with Kindle copies.
Got via: The library, of course.
Amazon

Summary (from goodreads): Of all the great holidays kids have to celebrate, you'd think at least Valentine's Day should be Willie-proof. You give some cards, you get some cards - what could be simpler, right? Wrong!! I, Willimena Thomas, managed to find a way to mess up even Valentine's Day - twenty-three ways, in fact.

See, the whole valentine thing always makes me worry. Every year I think, What if no one sends me a card? What if I'm the only one sitting at our class party with NO CARDS AT ALL on my desk? So this yeah, with a little help from my sister, Tina, I thought I had that roblem solved. Boy was I wrong!

At least I wasn't alone. You see, there was a new boy in our class who got Valentine's Day all wrong too....

Thoughts: Remember Valentine Frankenstein?? This is another book with kids worrying about not getting any valentines! This is why I'm in favour of not making something that's supposed to be fun for kids a popularity contest. Leave stressing about Valentine's Day for adults in bad sitcoms.

This was super cute. Willie is the sweetest little worrywort, and I think kids who struggle with worrying or even anxiety would relate to her. She does seem to have some interesting adventures, and I like the references to previous books in the story, even if I haven't read them, but some of her worries in this are proven to be unfounded in a really reassuring way.

This is my ninth Valentine book between these three posts, I believe, and it is the first one to mention that February is Black History Month. Willimena talks about several prospects for the project her class is working on, which is to pick their favourite black hero or heroine, and the one she eventually picks is (spoiler) Zora Neale Hurton, who I believe from my googling now that I can be sure but it fits inspired the name of this imprint. That's pretty darn awesome.

The illustrations showing Willimena and her sister Tina are absolutely beautiful, and I think she would be an amazing character for little girls to look up to and see themselves in. Her voice is engaging, and very funny, and I especially loved the relationship between Willie and her sister. I definitely recommend this one, and I would be happy to read more of the series!

The Valentine Cat by Ann Whitehead Nagda

Published: October 1st, 2008 by Holiday House
Genre: Contemporary MG
Binding: Hardcover
Page Count: 119 plus the about the author/illustrator
Part of a series? Yes, there five other books about the kids in this classroom, although they all seem to function as standalone books, too.
Got via: The library
Amazon / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): It's not fair! Jenny has to give away her cat, Munchkin, because her little brother has asthma. Why can't they give away her brother instead? Jenny's friends offer to take Munchkin, but problems come up.

Then Jenny's teacher says the cat can stay in their classroom for a while. Munchkin loves school! But he keeps getting into trouble - and Jenny just nows he won't behave at the big pet party on Valentine's Day. Will Jenny ever find a home for her naughty cat?

Thoughts: This was really good. It's a bit more complex than some of the others in these posts, and I think the writing is probably a higher level. At the same time, I thought this class of fourth-graders was very realistic. The focus in this one for the Valentine's Day is basically just that they get to have a party, and they're excited about that. Nothing about crushes or romance, or anything like that. I know some fourth-graders totally have crushes, but some of them also aren't ready to read about that, and especially some kids who read up, so a variety is nice.

This has one of the most responsible examples of rehoming an animal I've seen in many types of media. Munchkin needs to find a new home because Jenny's brother has asthma, as said in the summary. They didn't go into scary levels of detail, but they do say that her brother wheezes and that Jenny finds it scary, so it's not just "we've having a baby so no more cat", or anything like that. Jenny tries several homes, and they talk about how cats and dogs can get along, and mentions that sometimes cats don't eat much when they're unhappy. It's responsible, it's well-thought out, and it's very clever.

Complaints: It's not as white as it could be, with several characters of colour, but it also could be more diverse both in that, and in other ways (ability, weight, etc.). There's a moment of fatshaming the author felt she had to throw in for some reason that stereotypes how fat kids eat (if fat kids ate more vegetables, they wouldn't be so fat), but at least it's only once.

Those things make me sigh, but other than those, it's good. I wish that wasn't that, but at least it was small enough that most kids would probably just skim over it since they're so used to getting that kind of stereotypical message anyways. The other messages in it about responsible rehoming of pets makes it work well enough for me to ignore that, and I liked the subtle Valentine's Day theme for kids who may not be in as into it as others.

And I think that's all we're going to do!

Thanks for reading, and Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you have a great one, whether you're snuggling up with someone you like, or, if you're like me, enjoying the pretty colours and readily available chocolate while being aromantic! :D

Peace and heart shaped cookies,
Laina

Friday Cuteness: Or, Fun Things in My Inbox (8)

This is a somewhat series on my blog of random fun things, usually book-related, that are emailed to me, and I think you guys would like to hear about. Got something you want to share? Hit my contact button and send it to me!

I got a lovely email the other day from Simon and Schuster Canada telling me about this fun event they're doing to promote reading on Valentine's Day. A Valentine's Day spent curled up reading with chocolate basically sounds perfect to me! While I won't know for sure if I can attend this event until a little later in this week, I thought I'd type this up and post it for anyone looking for last minutes plans!

You can see the event called Books, Be Mine: Valentine's Day 2016 on Facebook, and check out Simon and Schuster Canada's page as well since they'll be posting a lot of really fun book-related things in the time leading up to Valentine's Day.

And isn't that the cutest little graphic?

So will you be attending? If not, what are your plans for Valentine's Day?

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Things I've Read Recently (26): Valentine's Day Part 2

If you're new around here, Things I've Read Recently is a series of posts I do that are basically mini-reviews of books that I either forgot to review, didn't have enough to say for a full review, or just didn't want to do a full post about for whatever reason.

There will be two of these posts, and you will not see the next one until 2017 because I am going to hoard it since this will be my last year getting these books for my graduated Storytime kid, since her little sister will graduate herself this year. I am sad, and I am in denial. If you want to read last year's post, check it out here!

Oh, Valentine, We've Lost Our Minds! by Dan Gutman

Published: December 23rd, 2014 by HarperCollins
Genre: Contemporary MG
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 104 pages of story, and like 30 pages of bonus puzzles and fun facts.
Part of a series? There are buttloads of the "My Weird School" series which has these characters in second grade, the "My Weird School Daze" series which has them in third grade, the "My Weirder School" which has them in fourth grade, and the on-going "My Weirdest School" series which I think is like a spin-off that's fantasy based. There is also a Specials series that are holiday based.
Got via: The library, what else is new?
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): A.J. and the gang from My Weird School star in this series of after-school, holiday-themed chapter books featuring all-new hilarious stories and thirty-two pages of games, puzzles, and more.

It's the week of Valentine's Day, and A.J.'s class is getting a foreign exchange student! His name is Pierre, and he's from France. But what happens when Pierre challenges A.J. to a duel (or at least a thumb war) over Andrea? One thing's for sure: when L-O-V-E comes to Ella Mentry, it spells the weirdest Valentine's Day story in the history of the world!

Thoughts: I gotta be honest, I don't understand why these are so popular. With kids, sure, but adults? I don't see the appeal of wanting kids to read these. The voice is very funny and engaging, but the whole book is kind of... meh. Everything is very cartoony. The illustrations literally look like a cartoon put in a book, and the story is a lot like that. Everything is extremely stereotyped and unrealistic. Kids do not act like this.

It's very heavy on the gender stereotypes, and basically everything you'd see in a not-amazing cartoon. Toilet humour, stereotypical French kid, casual xenophobia. It's also kind of gimmicky at times - there are two youtube links in the book. One of them has been taken down or deleted, and the other has open comments that could include innappropriate for kids comments.

The bonus features are my favourite part. I love the trivia and games. But that doesn't save it for me, honestly. There's nothing special here, and the stereotypes about girls are annoying and I don't think I actually want to give this to a girl. I may just return this one and give the girls the other books I have. Girls get enough stereotypes and bad messages and hate, and I don't want to be the one who gives that to them, you know? And maybe other books in the various series are better, but this one doesn't exactly inspire me to search out more.

I'd say go for Cupid Doesn't Flip Hamburgers (and why didn't I get that??? look at that beautiful fat cupid!), or Cupid Does Eat Chocolate Colored Snails maybe for the younger crowd if you want something that would likely appeal to a similar audience.

Valentine Frankenstein by Maggie Twohill

Published: January 1991 by Scholastic
Genre: Contemporary MG
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 135 plus an about the author
Part of a series? I don't think so. This book has a character named Melissa and so does another book by the author, but they don't seem to be related.
Got via: I honestly have no idea. Maybe a yard sale?
Amazon / AbeBooks

Summary (from goodreads): Valentine's Day is coming, and Amanda's class has decided to have a party - complete with valentine's boxes. Amanda knows her best friend Walter is very shy and not very popular with other students. So she devises a plan to make sure Walter gets more than his share of valentines. But her plan backfires because shy, quiet Walter has been suddenly transformed into VALENTINE FRANKENSTEIN!

Thoughts: This is cute and ultimately harmless. It's a little dated, mostly in the language - "slacks" for pants being a prime example of things I have not heard fifth graders say basically every - but there aren't really weird stereotypes or anything. It's mostly just kind of bland. None of the characters are that exciting, and the whole thing of Walter getting really arrogant is never really resolved. It's not amazing, it's not terrible. It's pretty run of the mill, middle of the line, for the time period it was published.

I probably would have liked this as a kid because of one of the things I find unrealistic - these fifth graders act like they're like fourteen. And that's okay, I think. Unrealistic, yes, but also okay. This has a RL3 on the back, and I think when you're a kid, you always think older kids are going to be infinitely more glamorous and awesome than it actually is. I find it amusing, and again, harmless. I also did like the message that Valentine's Day can become a popularity contest, and I am totally for schools having policies about giving everyone in their class valentines. Kids seriously don't need more reasons to get picked on.

Mostly I read this because I own it and I needed an extra book for my posts, and this is the only Valentine's themed book I owned. My copy has water stains on it... possibly my fault, I can't remember that either. I may have dropped it in the bathtub at some point. The cover is kind of faded and scratched up, and I just don't think there's anything here that kids would be irresistably drawn to. I also don't think I'll read this one again, so I will probably be passing this one along to free up the shelf space. If I don't want to read it again, and I don't think the kids I care for would want to read it, there isn't much point in holding onto it. There's nothing to worry about if kids do read this that they'll absorb anything harmful from it, but it's just kind of... cute and harmless and kind of bland.

Although I will say this cover is hilarious to me. Look at that kid's face! He's just like "YES!!!!!!" Cracks me up.

Ellie's Lovely Idea by Callie Berkley

Published: December 1st, 2013 by Little Simon
Genre: Contemporary MG
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 114 plus an excerpt of the next book
Part of a series? Yes, there's a fair few of these.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Valentine’s Day is coming up, and to raise money for a charity called Puppy Love, Ellie suggests that she and The Critter Club girls sell singing telegrams. The girls have a lot of fun writing and performing the songs, but all the holiday spirit makes Ellie wish someone would send her a singing telegram! Will Ellie get her wish?

Thoughts: Guys, this is so stinking cute. The cover has tiny sparkly accents. It is a perfect Valentine's Day book. These books are aimed at ages 5-7 according to the back, and if you prefer to talk about non-romantic forms of love for that age, this is perfect. The telegrams in the book are give to friends, teachers, and grandparents, and there's no mention of romance at all.

This book is a really great one for that just starting chapter books age. The language is simple but incredibly engaging and lively and never dull. Almost all of the pages have pictures, and that does really appeal to many in that audience. The animal angle, of course, is often very popular with young audiences, and I think this series will definitely appeal to the girls I'll be giving it to.

Speaking of girls, I absolutely adore the ones in this book. They started an animal shelter, man.You guys know how I am about girl gangs doing things books, and these girls do things. But at the same time, the things they do are very realistic. They never go anywhere alone, they raise around 100 dollars for the animal shelter, and they talk about how the telegramming and all the planning they have to do wears them out, and they get tired from all the work.

You don't get as much personality from each girl since they are pretty short, but I'm okay with just focusing on one at a time and letting the friendship shine. There's no real big conflict in this book, which I kind of love. The only thing I would have liked would be for out of the four girls, there be more than one girl who wasn't white. That said, Ellie is pretty awesome. I think it's wonderful that the illustrations show Ellie's beautiful dark brown skin and natural hair. That's so important for little girls to see. She's confident, she's talented, she's a leader, and she's wonderful.

This only took me about fifteen minutes to read, but I really enjoyed it. And I didn't just enjoy this in a "kids will like this" way, but in a "this is so sweet and wonderful" way. It's fun to read something that is so good-natured. There's no toilet humour, there's nothing I worry about giving to kids, but the story is still really, really fun, and I would totally read more of them.

Love Stinks! by Nancy Krulik

Published: December 29th, 2004 by Grosset and Dunlap, but I think my version might be a later edition since the cover is actually not on Goodreads at all, and it looks basically new.
Genre: Somewhere between MG Fantasy and MG Magical Realism, I think.
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 76 plus a cute little craft idea.
Part of a series? There are thirty-five of these books, so yes.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): It’s February and love is in the air! Everyone in the fourth grade is getting into the Valentine spirit. The kids are making cards, and are ordering personalized candy hearts from Cinnamon’s Candy Shop, the new candy store in the mall. But Katie has had enough—she is definitely not into all this mushy gushy stuff! So Katie makes a decision: there’ll be no Valentine’s Day for her this year.

But then Katie turns into Cinnamon, the candy store owner. And the personalized hearts she makes up are...well...not exactly to order! By doing this, she practically ruins Valentine’s Day for everyone. Will Katie have a change of heart and save the day?

Thoughts: This is another one with glitter on the cover! On this one, it's just a slight glitter on that slightly darker purple part of the bottom half of the cover. It's not nearly as bright as the Critter Club book, and I think that reflects that this is for a slightly older audience. In this one, they do talk a lot about crushes and it's an RL 3.4.

I think this one is a little predictable, a little stereotypical, and while I have only read this one, I feel like it's probably pretty formulatic. I think formulatic isn't necessarily a bad things for this age range, since it can make readers very comfortable in what they're reading. They know what to expect with each book. And there is a pretty good message in there about empathy and understanding what others are dealing with.

The illustrations are cute, although I do question that out of like a dozen people we see, none of them are fat? Or disabled? And there's like two black kids out of their whole class we see and like everyone else is white? But maybe that's explored better in other books in the series. All in all, this is a cute book. It's not amazing, it's not terrible. I can see why they're popular for sure, and I see nothing really wrong about this, just some underwhelming elements.

So what are you guys reading this Valentine's Day? I may actually have another post about that depending on how much I get done today, so keep an eye out!

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Things I've Read Recently (15): Valentine's Day

If you're new around here or I just haven't done one in a while, Things I've Read Recently is a series of posts I do that are basically mini-reviews of books that I either forgot to review, didn't have enough to say for a full review, or whatever reason fit my fancy. This is a special edition! There are only three in this one instead of my usual four, because I only ordered three last year, and... that's what I'm going to go with.

The Case of the Secret Valentine (A Jisgaw Jones Mystery #3) by James Prellor

Published: 1999 by Scholastic
Genre: Children's/Chapter Book Mystery, RL2
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 76
Part of a series? Yes, there's apparently about 30 of these.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound
(Affiliate links.)

Summary (from goodreads): Someone is secretly sending Jigsaw Valentines. When Jigsaw thinks about each valentine as a clue, the case starts to come together. It's a red-hot mystery for Jigsaw and Mila, the best detectives in the second grade.

Thoughts: This was cute. It was the third book in the series and I hadn't read any of the others, but it wasn't confusing or anything. I know a lot of kids who really like mystery books and this would be a great one for kids who are a little young for, say, Nancy Drew, etc. I liked how Jigsaw liked school, and also that nobody in the mystery was a "bad guy", really. While I don't think kids exactly need to be coddled like that, sometimes a little positivity is nice. I also thought it was neat that the mystery was more realistic, something a kid this age could actually solve, not a crime or anything. And Valentine's Day slant was a nice touch. It was a good seasonal book without making it impossible to read at other times of the year. Thumbs up.

Oh, also, I was completely wrong when I guessed who the culprit was. So either it was a good one or I was really not on my game reading it. Your pick!


The Valentine Baby Mystery by David A. Adler (Cam Jansen Mysteries #25)

Published: 2005 by Puffin according to my copy
Genre: Children's/Chapter Book Mystery
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 74
Part of a series? Yes. There's about 30 of these, too, and they've been around since like 1980. There's also the Young Cam Jansen series which are beginner readers.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound
(Affiliate links - and the Kindle copy of this is only like 4 dollars.)

Summary (from goodreads): It’s Valentine’s Day, and Cam is at school when she learns her mother is about to give birth. Mrs. Shelton quickly takes Cam and her best friend Eric to the hospital.There, in the waiting room, something of great value disappears. Click, click! Cam starts to unravel the mystery.Will Cam solve it before her Valentine sibling is born?

Thoughts: I read a couple of these when I was a kid and spent a couple weeks trying to train myself into having a photographic memory. You know, as you do. I was really into mystery books as a kid and I quite liked these. They've been around a long time and if this one is representative of the whole series, then they do work very well as a book for this age group. As an adult, the mystery here is a little unrealistic, but for kids, it'd work fine, and it's dramatic without the characters getting into dangerous situations, which can be upsetting for some kids. I don't know about others, mind you, but this one is good for that.

This was not super Valentine's Day focused. Other than a few scenes, there's very little that makes this a "Valentine" book. All in all, I'm not in love with these as an adult, especially since third person narration can be very dry in books for this age group, but I can see kids enjoying these easily.

Okay, this is gonna be a little spoiler-y if you care, but it bothers me a little. Cam's mom is having a baby. They don't tell her exactly when she's due, apparently, because she's literally just finished telling her friends that it could be "a few weeks". I could forgive that because babies like to surprise people. But her PARENTS decide to surprise her by NOT TELLING HER THAT THE BABY WAS TWINS. Like... that's not a good thing???? That just... bothered me. Not a big deal, just made me raise an eyebrow.

Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentime by Barbara Park (Junie B. Jones #14)

Published: 1999 by Scholastic
Genre: Children's Contemporary/Chaper Book, similar reading level to previous two
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 69 in my copy and no I'm not giggling
Part of a series? Yes, there are again around 30 of these
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound
(Affiliate links - as I'm writing this, the Paperback on Aamzon is only 4 dollars. That may change, but this would be a great little Valentime present for the young reader in your life!)

Summary (from goodreads): It's a mushy gushy mystery!

Hurray! February 14—Valentime's Day, as June B. calls it—is just around the corner. Junie B. can't wait to see all the valentimes she'll get. But she never expected a big, mushy card from a secret admirer! Who is this secret mystery guy, anyway? Junie B. is determined to find out!

Thoughts: The Junie B. Jones series are classic children's book. I read a handful when I was a kid and I remember that I liked them, but I don't think I read this one. This is also the first one I've read as an adult.

And, man, I almost died laughing reading this. Junie is spunky, she's funny, she's honestly freaking adorable. The premise unto itself is cute and her voice would appeal to children well.

But man. The adult humour that would go over the kids' heads is HILARIOUS. Like the poor teacher is probably driven to drink because of these children. There's one scene where she has to go to the sink and take aspirin and I almost giggled myself to death. I just... I was literally sitting there giggling to myself. I loved this book. And it was an awesome Valentine's book. Or Valentime's book. Either way. Great book, great seasonal book, really funny. Loved it.

Alrighty, that's it! What'd you guys think of this post?

Peace and cookies,
Laina