Quick Hits From The Book Fair

Here are some quick hits from the Scholastic Book Fair going on this week at my School.

Dear Deer by: Gene Barretta. One of the best illustrations of homophones I have ever seen. Witty and clever it will keep your reader engaged and might even prompt them to come up with some of their own.

• Pub. Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Format: Hardcover, 40pp
• ISBN-13: 9780805081046
• ISBN: 0805081046
• $12.95 at Barnes and Noble

The Curious Garden by: Peter Brown. Inspired by New York's High Line Park this is the book about adaptive re-use. In it we have Liam, a boy, who explores a derelict raised train line running through his city. We watch him nurture the plants that grow there and soon the whole structure is covered by garden. I think that adaptive re-use is something every child should be exposed to and this is the books that does just that.

Also, Peter Brown, author of Chowder, is one of the few authors whose books I buy on faith alone. I have yet to be disappointed.

• Pub. Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover, 40pp
• ISBN-13: 9780316015479
• ISBN: 0316015474
• $12.23 at BN.com

Not Norman: A Goldfish Story. by: Kelly Bennett. Illustrated by Noah Z. Jones. A book both about buyer's remorse and giving something a chance before abandoning it, this is the story of a young boy who has to have a goldfish, Norman. Once Norman is home however our young fish owner has second thoughts and decides to "trade up". Will he or won't he?

A great illustration of the need to pauase before making snap decisions done with a wonderful sense of humor and delightful illustrations.

• Pub. Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Candlewick Press
• Format: Paperback, 32pp
• ISBN-13: 9780763627638
• ISBN: 0763627631
• $5.03 at BN.com

The Very Cranky Bear. by: Nick Bland. It is raining and cold in the Jingle, Jangle Jungle and a group of friends set out to find a warm and dry place to wait out the storm. They find bear's cave and move right in without asking permission. When bear reacts in a slightly less that hospitable manner some of them decide that they know best how to make him less cranky, they don't.

A book about asking before taking, about listening to people before deciding what's best for them, a book you should read to your kids.

I have only seen this in my Scholastic Book Fair. Amazon has it listed as unavailable and BN does not list it at all. A search of Scholastic's website, one of the most confusing there is, resulted in nothing too. Too bad, this is a book every kid should see.

Always in Trouble by: Connie Demas. Illustrated by Noah Z. Jones. When I was a lad, I love saying that, we had a dog named Chipper. He was a great dog and lived to be about 14. He was small but with the heart of a Viking Warrior. He meant well and yet was never able to be a 100% "good dog".

I think that is true about all of us and it's certainly true with the dog, Toby, in this story. I believe that deep down there is a good dog in Toby but let's face it, he is a dog and a dog can only be good sometimes.

A book about understanding.

• Pub. Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
• Format: Hardcover, 40pp
• ISBN-13: 9780545024532
• ISBN: 0545024536
• $ 14.52 at BN.com