Nurse Matilda

Brand, Christianna and Ardizzone, Edward. Nurse Matilda. New York : Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2005.


Plot: The Brown children are incredibly naughty! After driving away every nanny, governess, and nursery maid in town, the Browns find themselves desperate for any solution. Nurse Matilda, a mysterious, hideous nanny, is the solution. While she has strict conditions for her work, she gains the results the Browns hoped for. With a bang of her black walking stick, the children find themselves launched into unreal situations caused by their own misbehavior. Yet, as they learn how their actions affect others, the children learn to be good, which has a surprising effect on Nurse Matilda.  

Genre: Nannies, Children, Fantasy, Tweens

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Similar Titles: 17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore, How Not to Babysit Your Brother, Mary Poppins

Personal Thoughts: The book combines surreal naughtiness with startling sorcery to get an expected but still surprising resolution. Through Nurse Matilda's lessons, the children do learn to behave. Yet the path to the change remains unexpectedly entertaining.

The book also provided the basis for the 2005 film Nanny McPhee, which received favorable reviews and led to a sequel in 2010.

Baba Yaga & the Wise Doll

Oram, Hiawyn. Baba Yaga & the Wise Doll. New York : Dutton Children's Books, 1998.


Plot: Too Nice, desperate for respect from her peers, is forced to approach Baba Yaga, a witch eager to remind the girl of her place. The witch forces Too Nice to perform a series of impossible tasks or be eaten. Yet, through the gift of a doll, Too Nice succeeds and even gains the witch's favor.

Genre: Fairy Tales, Picture Books

Reading Level: Ages 9-12.

Similar Titles: Vasilisa the Beautiful, The Black Swans, Mossycoat

Personal Thoughts: The book retells the Russian folktale, Vasilisa the Beautiful, in a child-friendly manner. The original is a bit like a Cinderella story, except instead of going to the ball, the heroine visits a witch that unexpectedly takes out the stepmother and stepsisters in possibly one of the most over-the-top sequences in fairy tale history (I am not going to give it away. Look it up.). The retelling is pretty well illustrated and executed, but the last sentence of the story "And Too Nice - not surprisingly after all she'd been through - stopped being too nice and become...well...Just About Right" seems really...well...pointless. I understand the reasoning behind including it. Many storytellers wish to show how a character grows through the conflicts of the story. However, the tale never really takes her through the process of change, so it is unseemly abrupt. Also, it seems to imply too nice is a negative without really explaining why. Is Oram trying to caution readers about being courteous? Submissive? Generous? Goody-goody? Individualistic? Unaccepted? Unfortunately, readers typically consider the last part of a story to be the most meaningful, and Oram ends the story on a blurry commentary on ideal behavior.

The Sleeping Beauty

Hyman, Trina. The Sleeping Beauty. Boston : Little, Brown and Company, 1977.

Plot: A retelling of the French fairy tale, The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood. After years of waiting, a king and queen finally have a child, a little girl. The princess is blessed by fairies, but one, feeling slighted by the king, places a curse on the child. Before she is sixteen, she will die by touching a spindle. However, another fairy manages to reduce the curse into a plague of sleep. The princess and her castle sleep for a century before a prince manages to arrive when she awakens.

Genre: Fairy Tales, Picture Books

Reading Level: Aimed at 9-12 year-olds, but adults may want to caution younger readers due to scary illustrations.

Similar Titles: Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast

Personal Thoughts: Most renditions of this story fall into two categories: the original or the clean. The clean version is, in essence, the "Disney" version. The original, like many first editions of fairy tales, is gory. The "Disney" version actually ends in the middle of the original, which continues after the awakening into a complex tale of the princess versus a cannablistic in-law armed with a snake pit. Both stories probably have something to their merit, but this particular retelling tries take a middle path through both versions. It does not work. The result is a story that is too intense for younger readers but too simple for older ones. There are better retellings available.

Side Note: Toothless is going to eat the prince.

The Golden Slipper: A Vietnamese Legend

Lum, Darrell. The Golden Slipper: A Vietnamese Legend. Mahwah, N.J. : Troll Associates, 1994.

Plot: A Cinderella-esque story from Vietnam. This retelling focuses on Tam, a hardworking, first daughter of a rice farmer. While she is kind and generous, her stepmother treats her cruely, favoring her own daughter, Cam. While Cam enjoys treats, cloths, and play, Tam must take care of the house and fields. Despite her misfortune, change comes through her kindness and a remarkable brocade shoe...

Genre: Fairy Tales, Picture Books

Reading Level: Ages 9-12, but younger readers may enjoy it as well.

Similar Titles: The Sea King, Children of the Dragon: Selected Tales from Vietnam 

Personal Thoughts: The Cinderella story is perhaps one of the most universal fairy tales in the world. Nearly every culture offers some variation of a neglected but kind daughter given the respect and blessings she deserves. This retelling captures the goodness of the protagonist through her actions and the actions of her relatives. The pictures assist the story, offering pretty illustrations focusing on the royal colors of gold and yellow in an unusual, mosaic fashion. As such, the capture the attention of the readers, even if they do not have experience with Vietnamese culture. Overall, this offers the comfort of a familiar concept as a lens into an unfamiliar culture. As such, it can benefit young readers.

Side Note: Why is Jerome holding a dollar? Simple. I wanted to get your attention.

The Boy Who Drew Cats

Hodges, Margaret. The Boy Who Drew Cats. New York : Holiday House, 2002.

Plot: Unlike most of his family, Sesshu Toyo does not possess the strength to help on the farm. However, he is very clever, so his parents send him to become a priest. While he lives up to their expectations, he also harbors a fault. He loves to draw cats, even when he should study. His passion leads to his failure as a priest, but also a gateway to his destiny within an abandoned temple.

Genre: Picture Books, Fairy Tales, Animals

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Similar Titles: Cats of Myths, The Flying Canoe, Puss in Boots

Personal Thoughts: This is one of my favorite fairy tales, and Hodges does it justice. The boy is understandable, the priest is authorative, and the cats are noble. The illustrations also serve the story well. The artist, Ari Sogabe, mimics traditional Japanese watercolors, adding to the exotic feel of the story and adding to the artistic themes of the tale.

Dragons of Blueland

Gannet, Ruth. Dragons of Blueland. New York : Knopf : Distributed by Random House, 1987.

Plot: The novel actually consists of three books, My Father's Dragon and two sequels. Elmer Elevator finally fulfills his dream to fly after assisting an imprisoned baby dragon. However, escape merely provides the beginning of the pair's adventures. Shortly after evading the cruel animals of Wild Island, the boy and dragon discover treasure with the help of a long-missing friend. Later, Elmer comes to the assistance of the young dragon when his family is threatened by hunters.

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Reading Level: Aimed at ages 9-12, but younger readers may enjoy listening to the book or observing the illustrations.

Similar Titles: Kiki's Delivery Service, The Dragonling, The Warm Place

Personal Thoughts: Like many sequels, the book does not enjoy quite as much attention as the original, which is unfortunate. The stories logically follow the tale from the first book while expanding the characters and situations inevitably and unexpectedly. Elmer's history and the dragon's personality naturally flow into the situations presented by the tales which, like the first, are reminiscent of old cartoons and backyard adventures. Highly recommended as a read-out-loud or bedtime story book.

Side note: I could not take a picture of Jerome looking at the book because he kept falling off of the chair.

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Atwater, Richard; Atwater, Florence; and Lawson, Robert. Mr. Popper's Penguins. Boston : Little, Brown and Co., 1938.


Plot: While Mr. Popper works as a painter, he dreams of being an explorer, particularly in Antarctica. After sending a letter to his hero, Mr. Popper receives an unexpected and wonderful gift - a real, live penguin from the South Pole. The penguin, later named Captain Cook, transforms the Poppers' household. After Greta, a female penguin, arrives, the number of penguins unexpectedly grows to twelve. Yet, the Poppers cannot afford to feed and cool so many Arctic birds. After much consideration, the Poppers wonder if the antics of the penguins themselves may solve the problem. Much to the surprise of many, they do!

Genre: Animals, Penguins

Reading Level: Apparently aimed at ages 9-12, but younger readers may appreciate it as well.

Similar Titles: The Cricket in Times Square, From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, My Father's Dragon

Personal Thoughts: While the novel is slightly dated, it continues to gain fans. Part of this is due to the classic story of a little man pursuing his dreams and succeeding. However, the penguins significantly contribute to the popularity of the story as well. The novel would not enjoy nearly as much success if it focused on dogs, pigs, or parrots. Penguins are foreign. They are also adorable. So the concept of a cute but strange creature in an urban setting continues to enchant and amuse readers.

The book received a Newbury Award.

As of this writing, a movie based on the novel is in the works. However, it seems to vary widely from the original source.

Random note: The penguins in the book are Adélie penguins, one of only two that live directly on Antarctica (the other is the emperor penguin, of March of the Penguins fame).

My Father's Dragon

Gannett, Ruth Stiles. My Father's Dragon. New York : Random House, 1948.

Plot: Elmer Elevator longs to fly one day. While he expects he will have to wait until he is grown up to reach his dream, a stray cat offers another way. On Wild Island, a baby dragon is forced by lazy jungle animals to work as a ferry. If the boy frees him from the inhabitants of the island, the dragon will certainly allow the boy to ride his back. Armed with six hair ribbons, toothpaste, bubble gum, rubber bands, and two dozen pink lollipops, Elmer sets out to free the dragon.

Genre: Fantasy, Animals

Reading Level: Ages 9-12 (but younger readers will probably enjoy it if someone reads it to them).

Similar Titles: The Dragons of Blueland, Mr. Poppers Penguins, The Little Prince, Peter and the Wolf

Personal Thoughts: The title won a Newbury Honor.

Simply put, reading the book is fun. It reminds me of the cartoons I watched as a child. The descriptions of the animals and the pictures appear like old-fashioned animations. Additionally, the story focuses on nothing other than being a good story. Instead of artificially creating drama through moral dilemmas or emotional outbursts, Gannett simply describes a story about a boy on an adventure. Apparently, the effort of storytelling reached international acclaim. The novel provided the basis for a anime in 1997 (it was not published in the United States).

Since the copywrite has expired, the book can also be downloaded at: Project Glutenberg.

Side note: of course dragons like daffodils.

A Practical Guide to Dragons

Trumbauer, Lisa. A Practical Guide to Dragons. Renton, WA : Wizards of the Coast, 2006.

Plot: After many adventures with his Dungeons and Dragons styled-group, Sindri Suncatcher painstakingly gathered information on all the major species of dragons for the benefit of his aunt. By mischieveously peering into the private notes of the kinder, the reader can learn about the biology, habits, and culture of the eight major chromatic and metallic dragon species inhabiting the wilds and not-so-wilds of Suncatcher's world.
 
Genre: Fantasy, Picture Book

Reading Level: Ages 7-12

Similar Titles: Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons, The Book of Dragons

Personal Thoughts: An attractive and well-written book. The reader empathizes with the quirky and adventurous Suncatcher as he relays information on the elusive reptiles. The graphics and lettering mimic parchment drawings, increasing the effect of medieval field notes. Overall, a highly recommended reading for fantasy fans.

Side Note: Dreamworks Dragon approves of dragon propaganda + 4.

WorldBook Online

WorldBook Online can be purchased, but most public libraries allow access through their websites to cardholders.

Plot: A world-renouned reference source. The online version offers options for children as well as tweens and teens. Users can search for specific scientific, geographic, cultural, and historical terms in the online encyclopedia. Each page describes the topic thoroughly and often with links to similar topics. In addition, the pages usually display colorful and comprehensive graphics. Also, the lower portion of the pages include tips for citing the resource for reports or papers.

Genre: Reference

Reading Level: 8-14

Similar Titles: Encyclopedia Brittanica Online

Personal Thoughts: Whenever I needed to do a report in Middle School, I loved referencing WorldBook. The text just seemed cleaner and clearer than the dusty encyclopedias aimed at adults. While I eventually graduated to the more complex versions, WorldBook still manages to provide relevant information in a highly appealing matter.