FLUSH by Carl Hiassen

Flush by Carl Hiaasen


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Flush was not at all what I expected. Sometimes it is fun to pick up a book based solely on the cover or the fact that I see a lot of kids checking it out. It made me think that maybe I should check it out. I hadn’t read a review, asked anyone about it or scanned through the book at all. I simply started reading on page one, and I was intrigued.


The book opens with Noah’s dad is in jail, he is no criminal mastermind he simply gets angry when people disrespect nature, he occasionally takes things a bit too far. He, for instance, feels that sinking the boat of a man who continually breaks the law by dumping toilet waste into the ocean is perfectly right and justified. He is also able to take out his anger by punching holes in every door in the house, landing himself in the emergency room with 6 broken knuckles.


Noah, like his dad, is a lover of the Florida Keys and all of nature. He and his sister take on their dads agenda, to protect the ocean from the likes of Dusty Muleman, and earn back their fathers good name in the process. They have to deal with bullies, rough and tough body guards, and a mysterious pirate who keeps appearing right when they need his help; all while keeping their entire plan secret from their parents. To find out if they will succeed in showing who the true crook and lawbreaker is, and in saving their family read FLUSH, by Carl Hiaasen.






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The Uglified Ducky: A Maynard Moose Tale

The Uglified Ducky by Willy Claflin


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


If you want to read a book with tears running down your face, while having to pause every few pages to catch your breath from laughing, then this is the book for you. You may think you know the story of the Ugly Duckling, but think again. Maynard Moose tells the tale of the Uglified Ducky, this happens to be a Baby Moose who wandered away and is raised by duckies. The moose, d’abandoned (abandoned) by his fambly (family), blunders into a ducks nest thinking it a snuggly place to nap. The mother duck considers him a distremely (extremely) uglified ducky and set about to teach him proper duck behavior. The hilarious story unfolds as the moose is unable to perform everyday duck activities such as swimming and flying. What makes this book even more enjoyable is the Glossary of Moose Words in the front and the CD included in the back. Author Willy Clafin is a gifted story teller and the book is 100 times better when he reads it with his voices and moosly pronunciations.


FYI: Bledsoe 4th graders were privileged to hear Willy Clafin at the Frisco Storytelling Festival, he was very entertaining to hear in person. It only made me enjoy his book more to know that the Maynard Moose stories are based upon those he made up for his young son.






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The Storm in the Barn

The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan



My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It is 1937, Kansas, the age of dust. No one has seen or smelled rain in 7 years. The only storms are Dust Storms; howling wind, billowing dust, dirt blackened sky, deadly. Jack is lonely, unneeded by his frustrated father, and generally considered worthless. When he stumbles upon an abandoned barn that feels and smells strange he begins to wonder if maybe he is going mad, or maybe, just maybe, he can do something to help his family and everyone else.

Storm in the Barn is a story told in words and pictures, a graphic novel. The scenes show the depressing landscape of the dust bowl and characters facial expressions reveal their inner thoughts. The few words are poignant and add just enough to move the story along. This is an exciting view into surviving the Dust Bowl, with mysterious creatures and everyday heroism thrown in. Highly Recommended.

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Mr. Putney's Quacking Dog

Mr. Putney's Quacking Dog by Jon Agee


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A pun is defined by Webster's dictionary as:


"the humorous use of a word or words, which are formed or sounded alike but have different meanings, in such a way as to play on two or more of the possible applications; a play on words."

Mr. Putney is full of puns, the smart, roll your eyes and groan kind. His animal friends all have unusual names, the quacking dog (dachshund) on the cover? A Duckshund  Study the pictures and the animal shown to determine the animal’s puny name, try to see how many you can guess!

Mr. Putney provides a fun way to get kids brains warmed up or fill a few minutes of waiting with some productive mental exercise.



For more information on puns see:

http://www.worsleyschool.net/socialarts/puns/pun.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pun

http://www.punoftheday.com/cgi-bin/disppuns.pl?ord=S&cat=11&sub=1101&page=1

Kubla Khan: Emperor of Everything

Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything by Kathleen Krull


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Kubla Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, is a lesser known emperor usually referred to in context of Marco Polo's travels. In Kubla Khan: Emperor of Everything Kathleen Krull presents a portrait of this ruler’s life, accomplishments and the lasting impact he had on the world.


Before Kubla Khan’s life the Mongolian empire had been no empire at all, warring tribes of Mongolians fought with each other, never united. When Genghis Khan was elected “the Khan, Khan of all Khans” he united the various tribes into a strong empire. After Kubla Khan came to power the Mongolians defeated China and Kubla Khan rose to the role of Emperor of China, where he developed the most ornate, over-the-top, and awe inspiring culture of its time. Under his rule the Chinese people had outlandish celebrations, studied the arts and sciences, developed farming techniques and created the first system of paper money. This book and its detailed illustrations provide an insightful peek into the life of an amazing Emperor.






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Umbrella Summer

Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Annie Richards is an extremely cautious girl; she walks her bike around town and wears her helmet, bike pads, and all necessary bandages at all times. And she is an expert at diagnosing and addressing her various ailments. It is important to Annie that she be careful and always prepared. She was not prepared for her brother to die, everyone thought he was fine too, but Annie knows better.


When she forms an unlikely relationship with her new neighbor, the one who moved into the haunted house, she begins to discover that her self-preservation routine may be more harmful than she realized. With the healing of time, friendships, and a classic tale of a pig she begins to confront her grief and move back toward her life.


I cannot remember the last time a book made me cry, both when I read it and when I shared the story with friends. Annie is a raw and touching character whose pain is so real. Umbrella Summer is very deserving of its place on the Bluebonnet Nomine list.






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And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon by Janet Stevens


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Hey diddle the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon; the little dog laughed to see such sport, and the dish ran away with the spoon. Every night this rhyme is read and every night the dish and spoon come running back until tonight. Where have they gone? Cow, Cat and Dog embark on an adventure through Nursery Rhyme land to find their friends; and as they travel they encounter many favorite Nursery Rhyme characters. Little Boy Blue is sleeping on the job, the Three Bears house must be avoided but then Miss Muffet's Spider sends them to visit Wolf. They race from one nusery rhyme to the next on an exciting journey full of puns, twists and turns.




Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel have a way with words. This tale is engaging and laugh out oud funny. I was afraid it would be over my kindergartner's heads but they eonjoyed the ride through the familiar rhymes and giggled at the conclusion. Kids of all ages will roll their eyes and love this one.




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