 | February 2013 2013-02-01 Author: Pam Heller |
The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit
by Emma Thompson
One hundred ten years ago, Beatrix Potter penned the original tale of Peter Rabbit. Emma Thompson picks up the pen to add to Peter Rabbit’s adventures and introduce the bunny to a new generation of readers. This time, when Peter wriggles under Mr. McGregor’s gate, he ends up in a cart headed for Scotland. There he meets a distant cousin named Finlay McBurney, who provides Peter with new adventures and lessons to be learned. The story stays true to the original characters, storytelling style and quaint watercolor illustrations. For ages 4 to 8.
Infinity and Me
by Kate Hosford
Young Uma sits proudly wearing her new red shoes and gazes up at the star-studded night sky. She wonders how many stars are up there and struggles with the concept of infinity and how to express it; it becomes overwhelming. Her friends and family offer creative ways to help describe infinity, but it is when her grandmother comments on how beautiful her red shoes look that Uma is struck with the feeling of love for her grandma “as big as infinity” and all is calm. Uma and her grandma go out to admire the stars and enjoy it, not as an overwhelming vastness, but as an intimate “sparkly blanket” covering them. The illustrations add wonder and interest to the expressive text. For ages 5 to 10.
For Older Readers
The Land of Stories: The Wishing Well
by Chris Colfer
Twelve-year-old twins Alex and Conner fall into their grandmother’s beloved book of stories and end up in a land of fairy tales. To return home, they must collect eight tokens from various fairy tales such as Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White. The plot includes the troublesome characters of wolves, evil stepmothers and trolls to impede their progress. The novel succeeds in tying up all loose ends and leaving the reader with the hope of the possibility of future
sequels. For ages 8 and up.
I Funny
by James Patterson
Middle-schooler Jamie Grimm, paralyzed and bound to a wheelchair, is on a mission to become the world’s greatest standup comedian, or as he puts it, the greatest “sit-down comic.” He struggles with many challenges that result from having to live with his aunt and uncle along with his bullying cousin Stevie, but Jamie remains determined to reach his goals. The book is filled with cartoons and illustrations as an integral part of the story-telling, which makes this an appealing book to reluctant readers. The mystery of Jamie’s paralysis and his absent parents is a great unknown for most of the book but is revealed late in the novel. Jamie is a strong teen character willing to persevere with humor and resiliency in the face of personal pain and tragedy. For ages 8 to 14.
