Alligtors and Crocodiles by Gail Gibbons

Learn all about alligators and crocodiles in this informational picture book.

What I Thought:
I am a fan of Gail Gibbons!  Anything she writes is great, and this is no exception!

In this book, Gibbons delves into the world of alligators and crocodiles.  Readers of the book will discover the differences of an alligator and a crocodile, learn where and how they live, what they eat, about alligator babies, and dangers they face.

The book is full of informational text, both through short paragraphs and illustration captions.  Illustrations are well done and well-detailed.

This book is perfect for anyone wanting to learn more about alligator & crocodiles.

Highly recommended.

Want to see more?  Check it out on Amazon: Alligators and Crocodiles by Gail Gibbons.

Reviewed from a library copy.

My Garden by Kevin Henkes

A little girl dreams about how she wants her garden to be like.

What I Thought:
What a sweet book!  As the little girl is helping her mom in their garden, she dreams of what her perfect garden would be like.  It would include a jellybean plant, morning glories that shine in the night, and invisible carrots (because she doesn't like carrots.)

It has lovely illustrations, something that has come to be expected with any Henkes book!  

What a great book showing imagination and encourages children to dream what their perfect garden would have.

Overall, a wonderful edition to any library and another home-run by Kevin Henkes.

Highly Recommended.

Want to see more?  Check it out on Amazon: My Garden by Kevin Henkes.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Chester's Masterpiece [not] by Melaine Watt

Chester the cat is back and is rotten as ever!  Melanie is ready to write a new story only to find out that Chester has hidden all her supplies!  That Chester!

Chester goes on to write his own story, with some assistance from Melanie.  He's on a ROLL, until...well, you'll just have discover that for yourself!

What I Thought:
I'm a HUGE Chester fan, and this third installment is does not disappoint!  Chester and his red marker cover just about every inch of this book and hijacks Melanie's book.  (Make sure you check out the end papers and title pages!  So creative!)

This story covers how a story is created, Chester style.  It would be a really fun story to include in lessons about writing stories.

Overall, this is a super cute book!

Recommended!

Want to see more?  Check it out on Amazon: Chester's Masterpiece by Melanie Watt.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Will Grayson, meet Will Grayson.

Huh?

This is a story of two Will Grayson's, one a high school student is struggling with relationships and his personal mantra is to X and is best friends to a huge guy named Tiny Cooper.  The other Will Grayson is a high school student in another city who struggles with depression and when he befriends a wonderful guy online, he is very happy. 

The two just happen to meet each other on a horrible night in Chicago when all the plans go wrong. 

But as a result, could everything go right?


What I Thought:
I was looking forward to this book, and I was totally not disappointed.  These two guys can tell a story!  I loved how each chapter is alternated with each author taking on a Will Grayson voice.  I love how the two characters live intertwine, but more indirectly through another character.  Genius!

There are tons of great quotes in this book.  I laughed aloud, was super sad, wanted to stand up and cheer and said "brilliant" a lot of times to myself.  (I read it on an airplane.  People would have looked at me weird if I said it aloud.)

This book does have some content that some may not appreciate, so it's probably most appropriate for older high school students and above.  Especially in more conservative communities. 

Overall, this is an awesome book!  It's a story about finding, loving and accepting yourself and friends, just as they are!

Very highly recommended.  

Want to see more?  Check it out on Amazon: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan.

Reviewed from a library copy, and I now own a copy!

NEW BOOKS from Books of Wonder

We just got back from a fantastic trip to New York City, where I had to make a trip to one of the best places on this Earth...Books of Wonder bookstore. 

Here I am outside the store with my bag of goodies.  Hooray!

So without further ado, here's the loot:

I was good!  I wanted to buy the whole store, but the ol' pocketbook just won't allow that to happen!

A signed copy of this year's Caldecott medal winner, The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney.

A signed copy of Looking for Alaska by John Green.

A signed copy by Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan.  (Which I finished yesterday and is WONDERFUL.  I'll post a review of it tomorrow or Sunday.) 

I also bought a professional development book about ways to incorporate families into reading.  It's got tons of great activities coordinating with a bunch of really great novels.  Hope to use that soon!

Because I spent over a certain amount of money, I got to get a free book so I chose Anne of Green Gables.   You can never go wrong with that book!

Anyway, I had lots of fun.  I can't wait to go back and check out what's new! 

Band Geeked Out by Josie Bloss

It's spring of Ellie's senior year and she has a lot of decisions to make, the biggest is what college to attend!  She's always planned on attending the local State school, marching in the band and becoming a band director. 

Then she is accepted into Covington, a competitive school across the country. 

It's no contest, until she visits Covington and finds herself fitting right and befriending her tour guide, a girl named Alex. 

When she returns home, she is in turmoil about what to do.  Throw in relationship troubles and parental pressure and Ellie's almost at the breaking point.

It's a hard decision...one that she'll have to make and it will determine her whole future!

What I Thought: 
This book is a sequel to the book Band Geek Love, of which you can read my thoughts here.

I think this book will really hit home with a lot of high school seniors about to enter a new and exciting stage in their life: college!  It's a time of transition and it can be very scary.  I think Josie Bloss portrayed these feelings wonderfully through her character Ellie. 

Recommended, but make sure you've read Band Geek Love first! 

Want to see more?  Check it out on Amazon: Band Geeked Out by Josie Bloss.

Reviewed from a library copy.