This is the second in a series of three posts, each covering a different type of children's book. Today we will be looking at Chapter Books, generally written for school-age independent readers.
Doll Bones by Holly Black
Zach's two best friends are girls, and together the three of them create fantastic adventures for their dolls and action figures. But is Zach getting too old for this kind of play? His dad seems to think so, anyway. Embarrassed, Zach decides to stop playing and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But when Poppy insists that she is being haunted by a china doll supposedly made of the bones of a murdered girl, the three friends team up one last time to set the girl's spirit to rest. Their adventure involves midnight bus rides, sailing down the Ohio River, and sneaking into a library after hours. Part creep-tastic and part coming-of-age, this book really stands out from the crowd. It's my top pick for this year's Newbery Medal.
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
Two kids are left at home with their father, but unfortunately there is no milk in the house to put on their breakfast cereal. Dad obligingly runs to the store to pick up some milk, but it takes him awhile to return home. When he finally comes back, he tells his children a fantastic story involving aliens, dinosaurs, pirates, vampires, and - of course - the ever-present bottle of milk. This book is kind of like a ramped-up version of Dr. Seuss' book And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. It's tons of fun, and a quick read that will make you laugh out loud.
The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes
Billy worries a bit about starting the second grade. Will he be smart enough? Will he get along with his teacher? Told in four parts, this story recounts a few events from Billy's eventful second-grade year, with each section focusing on Billy's relationship with a specific person. The book is quite long in terms of its page count, but would still make a charming read-aloud story for younger kids.
Bo at Ballard Creek by Kirkpatrick Hill
Bo is five years old. Her family is a bit unusual: She has two fathers who work in an Alaskan mining camp, and she is friends with everyone in the town. This episodic story tells of Bo's everyday adventures, giving lots of fresh details that really transport readers into this particular time and place. If you like Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books, then you'll love this story too.
The Center of Everything by Linda Urban
Ruby is supposed to give a speech at her town's annual Bunning Day parade. As she waits for her cue she thinks about all of the things that have gone wrong in her life recently. Things aren't going well with her friends, and she especially regrets what happened with her grandmother, Gigi. Ruby's hope is that if she does well with her speech she can fix everything. Linda Urban does a fantastic job of writing introspective characters, and I especially loved this book. The pacing is unique in that everything takes place over the course of only a couple of hours, using flashbacks to fill in the details that a reader needs. Fantastic writing is the only way that a structure like this can work, and Urban really nails this one.
What were your favorite kids' reads of 2013? Tell me about them in the comments.
Zach's two best friends are girls, and together the three of them create fantastic adventures for their dolls and action figures. But is Zach getting too old for this kind of play? His dad seems to think so, anyway. Embarrassed, Zach decides to stop playing and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But when Poppy insists that she is being haunted by a china doll supposedly made of the bones of a murdered girl, the three friends team up one last time to set the girl's spirit to rest. Their adventure involves midnight bus rides, sailing down the Ohio River, and sneaking into a library after hours. Part creep-tastic and part coming-of-age, this book really stands out from the crowd. It's my top pick for this year's Newbery Medal.
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
Two kids are left at home with their father, but unfortunately there is no milk in the house to put on their breakfast cereal. Dad obligingly runs to the store to pick up some milk, but it takes him awhile to return home. When he finally comes back, he tells his children a fantastic story involving aliens, dinosaurs, pirates, vampires, and - of course - the ever-present bottle of milk. This book is kind of like a ramped-up version of Dr. Seuss' book And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. It's tons of fun, and a quick read that will make you laugh out loud.
The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin HenkesBilly worries a bit about starting the second grade. Will he be smart enough? Will he get along with his teacher? Told in four parts, this story recounts a few events from Billy's eventful second-grade year, with each section focusing on Billy's relationship with a specific person. The book is quite long in terms of its page count, but would still make a charming read-aloud story for younger kids.
Bo at Ballard Creek by Kirkpatrick Hill
Bo is five years old. Her family is a bit unusual: She has two fathers who work in an Alaskan mining camp, and she is friends with everyone in the town. This episodic story tells of Bo's everyday adventures, giving lots of fresh details that really transport readers into this particular time and place. If you like Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books, then you'll love this story too.
The Center of Everything by Linda Urban
Ruby is supposed to give a speech at her town's annual Bunning Day parade. As she waits for her cue she thinks about all of the things that have gone wrong in her life recently. Things aren't going well with her friends, and she especially regrets what happened with her grandmother, Gigi. Ruby's hope is that if she does well with her speech she can fix everything. Linda Urban does a fantastic job of writing introspective characters, and I especially loved this book. The pacing is unique in that everything takes place over the course of only a couple of hours, using flashbacks to fill in the details that a reader needs. Fantastic writing is the only way that a structure like this can work, and Urban really nails this one.
What were your favorite kids' reads of 2013? Tell me about them in the comments.
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