Category: Juvenile Fiction (Ages 8 -12)

Juvenile Fiction (Ages 8 -12), Juvenile Literature (Ages 8-12), Reviews

Review: Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery by James and Deborah Howe

BentenShisho

 

Title: Howe, Deborah & Howe, James. Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 2006 [orig 1979]. Pb. $5.99. ISBN 978-1416928171

Genre: Fiction/Science Fiction/Suspense
Reading Level/Interest Level: Grade 3 & Up
Awards: None
Series: Bunnicula

·         Book 1: Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery
·         Book 2: Holiday Inn
·         Book 3: The Celery Strikes At Midnight
·         Book 4: Nighty-Nightmare Bunnicula Strikes Again!
·         Book 5: Return to Howliday Inn
·         Book 6: Bunnicula Strikes Again!
·         Book 7: Bunnicula Meets Edgar Allan Crow

 

Similar Titles: Bunnicula and Friends series by James Howe, Tales From the House of Bunnicula series by James Howe

 

With tales of vampires being so popular with the teen crowd, why should it be any different for tweens? Except for perhaps that instead of chasing werewolves and fighting for the heart of the girl, this book is told from the perspective of the family dog, Harold, and the would-be villain is a vegetable juice draining rabbit named Bunnicula.

 

When a black and white bunny is found at a showing of Dracula by the Monroe family, they jokingly name him Bunnicula and take him home, introducing him to the loyal family dog, Harold and the paranoid household cat, Chester. With terrifying assumptions, mysterious goings on, blanched vegetables on the loose and perhaps more than your average amount of jealousy, Chester attempts to convince Harold that Bunnicula truly is a real vampire, and therefore a threat to the Monroe’s and themselves and must be destroyed.

 

With an older child’s version of suspense, mystery and comedy, Bunnicula is a fun read, an age appropriate journey into vampire myths and a great introduction to series reading. The stories are silly enough to be entertaining and heartwarming and real enough to be relatable and educational, often teaching that jumping to conclusions may not be wise and that despite differences, there is room enough for one more in every family.  You may even find yourself forgetting that you’re being written to by a dog!

While I highly recommend the first three novels, and to some extent the remainder, I would advise against the television series which made no sense in contrast to the books, which kept you guessing, but always stayed true to the story.

 

Recommended Ages: 7 – 12

Juvenile Fiction (Ages 8 -12), Juvenile Literature (Ages 8-12), Reviews

Review: The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth

BentenShisho

Title: Butterworth, Oliver. The Enormous Egg.  Little Brown. 1984. Pb. $4.54. ISBN 978-0-316-11920-7
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Reading Level/Interest Level: 5.4 / Grades 3-6
Awards: None
Similar Titles: The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White


When Nate woke up, in his small New Hampshire town, he never expected that collecting the daily eggs would be so eventful. Until he notices the biggest egg he has ever seen.

 

After inspection and research, and events, which seem to take forever, unfold, Nate finds he has inadvertently hatched a modern day triceratops, whom he names Uncle Beasley. With every intent of raising Uncle Beasley himself, Nate soon finds that his house and the small town of Freedom simply isn’t big enough for the two of them.  With the help of Dr. Hans Ziemer, Nate sets out to Washington D.C. to find Uncle Beasley a permanent home and safety from those who would destroy him. In the process, there are troubles and adventure abound, but also a heartwarming story about perseverance and friendship, despite the odds  and the importance of sincerity and speaking from the passion of your heart.

 

This is a great novel for those advanced readers who love dinosaurs but find the standard fare either too easy or too straight forward. Dinosaur themed fiction for tween readers is few and far between, but Butterworth’s novel has stood the test of time and now, generations. I would recommend reading this story aloud with younger children and/or making sure that the reader has a longer attention span and is used to chapter books with few pictures. While my six-year-old enjoyed the story, it was difficult to keep them engaged initially while the suspense was building in the story, if for no other reason than they had no pictures to keep their attention while the plot was unfolding. I believe, however, that this would be a solid independent read for 10 and up, or advanced younger readers with longer attention spans.

Recommended Ages: 8 – 12

Juvenile Fiction (Ages 8 -12), Juvenile Literature (Ages 8-12), Reviews

Review: The Indian In the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

BentenShisho

The Indian In the Cupboard

Title: Banks, Lynne Reid. Indian in the Cupboard. Doubleday Books for Young Readers. 1985. Tr. $16.95. ISBN 978-0385170512
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Reading Level/Interest Level: 5.0/Grades 3-6
Awards: None
Series:The Indian in the Cupboard
·         Book 1: The Indian in the Cupboard
·         Book 2: The Return of the Indian
·         Book 3: The Secret of the Indian
·         Book 4: The Mystery of the Cupboard
·         Book 5: The Key to the Indian
Similar Titles: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Upon receiving an old cabinet from his brother for his birthday, young Omri isn’t quite sure what to do. Then one day, he places his Indian figure in the cupboard, and using his grandmother’s long unused key, finds that turning it just the right way in the lock of the cupboard door turns the tiny Indian, Little Bear, to life, bringing him out of his own time and his Iroquois tribe and into Omri’s room in the present day.

 

After giving in to peer pressure, once his best friend finds out about Little Bear, Omri is forced to bring to life a new tiny companion that is the beginning to the end of the book, as well as the beginning of Omri’s difficulties with his conscience, wondering if removing these little souls from their worlds is really the right thing to do. When one such tiny character, Boone, the cowboy, is almost killed accidentally,  and Little Bear demands a wife, Omri begins to realize that these are real people and the gravity of the situation is more serious than just plastic figures becoming animated.

 

Can Omri distance himself enough to let Little Bear go? Can he come to terms with the magic and responsibility of the Indian in the Cupboard to make things right for everyone?

 

In this emotional and empathetic book, readers learn how to look at the world through to others’ eyes and will come to realize that what they want, might not necessarily be what is best for the situation or the people involved. I highly recommend this book to children as young as 8, but definitely recommend that if you find, like me, that you become attached to the characters brought to life, that you carry a hanky as well.
 
Recommended Ages: 8 – 12
Juvenile Fiction (Ages 8 -12), Juvenile Literature (Ages 8-12), Reviews

Review: How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

BentenShisho

 Title: Rockwell, Thomas. How to Eat Fried Worms.  Yearling. 2006 [Reprint].  128 pages. Pb. $6.99. ISBN 978-0440421856
Genre: Fiction
Reading Level/Interest Level: Grades 4-7
Awards: Mark Twain Award, California Young Reader Medal, Sequoyah Award
Similar Titles: Freckle Juice by Jude Blume, The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies, No Talking by Andrew Clements

Never have you read a book more disgusting, more revolting, more funny or more entertaining as How to Eat Fried Worms.  I have read others say that this 1973 publication should be a children’s classic and I agree.

 

Long before, Hakuna Matata, and Disney drawing worm slurping lions, in a typical tween scenario involving peer pressure gone horribly wrong, light hearted ribbing between boys and picky eating turns to heated words resulting in the seemingly insurmountable bet being placed that Billy cannot eat 15 worms in 15 days. The rules are simple: cook them, eat them raw, chop them up, or use as many condiments as you can carry, but you must eat 15 whole worms in 15 days or you lose, no matter what. It’s more than $50 at stake but Billy’s reputation and persisting in the face of fear, injustice and revulsion that keeps him going, even if his opponents try to cheat, using every tool and method in their arsenal to force him to lose.  He’ll show Alan and Joe, if it’s that last thing he does!

 

With an unexpected ally making an appearance at the zero-hour, Billy fights his way through, day by agonizing day as the reader squirms in anticipation and the flip-flops in their belly in this entertaining, gross and not to be missed story. Going beyond the gross out factor for reluctant readers, How to Eat Fried Worms, really reaches kids as they experience peer pressure and the unbelievable things it can make you do on a daily basis. Not only will they get a laugh out of Billy’s experiences, but they may cry, scream and fight alongside him and may think twice before the next bet they take on to prove they are the toughest, or the best, kid on the block.
Don’t forget to look out for your own recipe-a-la-worm in the newer versions too!
Recommended Ages: 8 -12
Juvenile Fiction (Ages 8 -12), Juvenile Literature (Ages 8-12), Reviews

Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

BentenShisho

Title: Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. A.A. Levine Books. 1998. Tr. $21.29. 309 pages. ISBN 978-0-590-35340-3
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Reading Level/Interest Level: 5.3/ Grades 5-8
Awards: ALA Notable Children’s Books 1999
Series:

Similar Titles: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

 

Poor, 10-year-old, orphaned Harry Potter is friendless and loveless, abused and enslaved, living in a cupboard under the stairs in the house of his intolerable Aunt and Uncle Dursley, and their spoiled son, Dudley. Left on their doorstep as an infant after the tragic death of his parents, he is forced to work as their slave for room and board while attention, gifts and privileges are lavished upon his brutish cousin. That is, until, the day approaches when Harry receives a letter with a wax seal, the first addressed only to him. Intercepted by his Uncle, Harry is unable to read his letter, no matter how many copies are sent and after a string of odd, almost magical, occurrences, Uncle Dursley relocates the entire family to a remote location he believes no one will be able to find.  That is until midnight on Harry’s 11thbirthday when a large, hairy man on a magic, flying motorcycle, named Hagrid, arrives to tell Harry that he is a wizard, as were his parents and that he is to attend the most prestigious school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world, Hogwarts.

 

While attending Hogwarts, Harry learns that all the things that made him odd in the muggle world, make him exceptional in the wizard world and that the lightning shaped scar on his forehead has a place an infamous place the history of the wizard world, as well as that of its greatest enemy, the Lord Voldemort, or simply “He Who Shall Not Be Named”.  Armed with new knowledge and new friends, Harry is in for the fight of his life as he meets incredibly characters, discovers his own nemesis, uncovers the secrets of the Sorcerer’s Stone and the key to his past that has put him in harm’s way since the day his parents died protecting him.

 

This introduction into the Harry Potter series is a quick and delightful read. Filled with magic and naiveté, Harry and his friends truly come alive on the page and make the story relatable to tween readers as well as teens and adults as they find their place, their fight, and the bond of their own friendships. 

 

The film adaptation of this book is almost word for word. However, as the series progresses, more and more of the content is cut for time and often entire scenes that are pivotal for story movement have been omitted. Don’t do yourself a disservice. Read the books first. Then make up your mind as to whether or not the book is better than the movie or if the books were really what made the movies come alive.
 
Recommended Ages: 8 -12