Charlie Sparrow and the Secret of Flight

Charlie Sparrow and the Secret of Flight by David Anderson

(Summary taken from goodreads.com) "Charlie Sparrow has no idea he can fly. It’s no wonder–in Tree City, none of the birds know anything about flying at all. Not Charlie’s parents, not his friends, not the doctors or police. But Charlie is sure there’s a magical secret behind his feathers. He’ll do anything to find out what it is, even break the laws of Tree City. Will he figure out the truth before Doctor Nightingale straps him in the plucking chair and pulls the lever, plucking his beautiful feathers?"

This is a cute, fun, and easy read. The mean doctor is kind of scary, and it's kind of scary when they are going to de-feather Charlie, along with when the police raid the hide-out, but it's not over-the-top and is more just really tense. Although I wasn't a huge fan of the dad being so negative, I guess it's good to see from a parents' perspective that he just wanted his son to be safe. It reminded me of Marlin in "Nemo," when he says, "You think you can do these things, Nemo, but you can't." Both parents had good intentions, but ended up stifling their children. As a mom, it's good to remember those lessons. I loved Charlie's character, and thought it was well done. He's just like any kid: curious, active, and fun-loving.  I loved that he had ideas and thought outside of the "stairs." The image of the birds hopping up stairs was definitely humorous. The best part about this book is the message it sends. Each one of us can fly and achieve our dreams if we work hard and don't let others bring us down. This is a great read-aloud or silent reading book. It would make a good base for a character-development lesson in school. I will for sure be reading this to my kids.

Rating: G (Just a little tense--almost scary--in a few parts, that's all! Clean other than that.)

Recommendation: Second grade and up for a silent read, five or six years-old and up for a read-aloud.

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fern Valley

Fern Valley: A Collection of Short Stories by Aileen Stewart

(Summary taken from amazon.com) "Follow the adventures of delightful young farm animals who are just like you. Fern Valley is home to a group of wonderful animals who have fun and face some of the same problems children everywhere do. Roberta and Mildred Cornstalk are creative chickens dealing with the loss of their beloved granny, and they're looking for something to do to cheer them up. Want to know what adventures they find? Want to know what happens to Roberta and Mildred's brother, Edward, when he goes fishing, what birthday surprise is in store for Betsy Woolrich, or what lesson Kimmy Curlytail learns when she keeps something that isn't hers? Then follow this endearing cast of characters as they enjoy their time together and learn important lessons. A perfect addition for any child's personal library and a joy for families to share, Fern Valley is a collection to be treasured for many years to come."

This is a fun little collection of short stories. The characters are really cute. They are written mainly for younger children; maybe through age nine. I don't think my 6th and 5th grade boys would be too interested in reading them silently. As a read-aloud, however, I think they would sit and listen. Even big boys still get interested in mom and dad reading out loud. Even for younger children I think they would be better as a read-aloud, just because there are some difficult words for stories geared toward younger children. For example, the words "rummaged, array, brooches" are all on the same page. I know my 2nd grader would not know those words, and she would struggle to sound them out. Don't get me wrong, I think they are great words, and I definitely think children should increase their vocabulary. However, younger readers may not understand them or be able to sound them out. That's why it would be great as a read-aloud because you could stop and discuss those words. Thus, adding them to the children's vocabulary. The characters have some fun experiences, and some not very good ones. I think there is a good assortment of girlie stories and boy stories. There are some really good lessons taught. It's a fast, easy read, and it's fun to have some short stories. I haven't read short stories like this in awhile, so it's a fun change of pace. I will be reading these to my children.

Rating: G (Clean! Yay!)

Recommendation: Good for everyone. Older children may not be interested in reading them silently, but they would most likely enjoy them as a read-aloud. I'd say up until age 14 maybe, as a read-aloud, and probably 9 reading silently. 

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Frindle

Frindle by Andrew Clements

(Summary taken from the inside book jacket) "Everyone knows that Mrs. Granger, Nicholas Allen's fifth-grade teacher, has X-ray vision, and nobody gets away with anything in her classroom. To make matters worse, she's also a fanatic about the dictionary, which is hopelessly boring to Nick. But when Nick learns an interesting tidbit about words and where they come from, it inspires a great plan: to invent a new word. From now on, a pen is no longer a pen--it's a frindle. It doesn't take long for frindle to take root, and soon the excitement spreads well beyond his school and town. His parents and Mrs. Granger would like Nick to put an end to all this nonsense. But frindle doesn't belong to Nick anymore. All he can do now is sit back and watch what happens."

I had never heard of this book before, and then my friend reviewed in on goodreads. I thought it would be great for my boys (4th and 5th grades), and when I asked them if they had read it, they both said, "Yes!" That doesn't usually happen. I had no idea. Anyway, they had both read it, so I picked it up and started reading. It is so cute and fun! I read it in one sitting, so it's a very fast and easy read. It's very imaginative, and I think it teaches kids a great lesson about words, about using your imagination, and also about how one person can make a difference. I love Nick's character. He is witty, imaginative, and funny. I also liked Mrs. Granger because of the teacher in me. I loved how the word just took off, and it reminded me of when I was in high school and "like" was just beginning to be used more, and how  my drama teacher pounded it into our heads not to use it. Unfortunately, she was not able to stop the "like" movement, but that's okay. The word frindle took off in the same way. What a fun idea! This woud be a great read-aloud, but it's also great for a silent read.

It's a clean read, so it's great for everyone, which I like!

Rating: G (Clean!)

Recommendation: 5 years and up (I have a four-year-old, and I don't know if she would quite understand it yet.) as a read-aloud. I think it's about a third grade reading level for a silent read.

A Gift of Love

A Gift of Love by Dr. Claus

(Summary taken from the press release) "[A gift of Love] is a children's picture book written through the eyes of a second grade student not far from ground zero on September 11, 2001. As this story unfolds, you will discover how one brave New York City firefighter, father and husband, can inspire a nation and show us all how love for each other is as strong as any form of destruction. A Gift of Love highlights the love of a father for his family, his love for his community, the love of a nation and the ultimate in love. Follow a little girl as she goes from pajamas to pancakes and as she gets ready for her first day of school. Discover the events that happen at breakfast as the family prepares for the coming day."

I received this book awhile ago, but I thought I would highlight it right before the ten year anniversary of September 11, 2001. This book is not happy, but neither was anything else that happened on that day. I am not from New York or Washington D.C., and I did not know anyone that died on that day. But as an American I felt sadness, fear, confusion, anger, panic, and many more emotions.

This book follows a second grade girl on September 11, 2001. It discusses the events that occurred in a very personal, intimate, and child friendly way. This book definitely requires a parent reading with the child. It serves as a good introduction to what happened and allows for discussions to begin from there. It will be easy to adapt the discussions from there to the maturity and level of each individual child. It teaches that love is more powerful than hate, and it teaches the importance of family. I think it also teaches that we should not take those that we love for granted, and that we should enjoy each moment we have with each other. You never know what will happen.

The illustrations in this book are not my favorite, but they are okay. The content and story make up for the illustrations.

I can't say I'm excited to read this book with my children, but I think it will help a lot. With the ten year anniversary on Sunday (My oldest is not quite ten yet, so none of them were alive on September 11, 2001.) I know there will be stories about it everywhere, and I want to discuss it with my kids before they hear it elsewhere.  I will for sure read it with my two oldest, and I'm still trying to decide if I should read it to my third. My youngest is still little so I probably will not read it to her yet.

Thank you, Dr. Claus, for writing a story to help us parents discuss some difficult things with our children. It focuses on hope, not hatred or destruction, so it doesn't leave parent or child with feelings of fear or hopelessness.

Rating: PG (The events of September 11, 2001 are discussed, and there is the death of a main character.)

Recommendation: 5 and up. This totally depends on the maturity of your children. My third is 5 and I'm not sure with her yet. For younger children (who can't read) you could change the story a little to make it a little more on their level.