Back to School Reading

Fall is not only back-to-school time, but the season for children's books to come out in droves. New children's books by the dozens are hitting bookstore shelves. With so many new books all at once, how do you choose the creme de la creme? Have no fear, we book reviewers read hundreds of titles every year to help you find the gems, the pick of the litter. Enjoy these wonderful new books with the children in your life.

A Charming Board Book for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin by Tad Hills, Schwartz and Wade, 2009

Duck and Goose stories, of which there are five or six now, never disappoint. The best friends are pictured atop a pumpkin, looking much like they did on the cover of the very first book, Duck and Goose.

In the beginning, it is little Thistle, who has a nice-looking pumpkin. When Duck wants a pumpkin, too, the two friends set off in search. They try in, up, under, and on top of, before Thistle makes a helpful suggestion.

As always, Duck and Goose are adorable, with priceless expressions of innocence, curiosity, and wonder. A great book for the fall season, but really, wonderful anytime of the year.

A Special Story Picture Book for Ages 4 to 8

My Uncle Emily by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter, Philomel, 2009

The attire--boys in knee pants and women in long dresses, the name 'Gib,' short for 'Gilbert,' the horse-drawn carriages, and the language itself, "If you had said that to Jonathan, it would have put the lie to him, without a fist being raised" --all verify a story of long ago. Emily (as in Dickinson) is not really an uncle; that is just a family joke, Gib tells us.

The pen and ink and digital media illustrations are in colors, tones, and textures reminiscent of 19th century children's literature, and are a wonderful rendition of the story, told from the young boy's point of view. The world around him is large, as it seems to a young child, and Uncle Emily herself, sometimes seems larger than life.

When Uncle Emily gives him a poem for his teacher, he fears that the boys will laugh at him, or worse, say something mean about Uncle Emily. When it comes to pass, he gets in a fight but has no fear that his parents will notice, as "grown-ups rarely do." Uncle Emily is another story, though.

A tender story of a young boy struggling with right and wrong, truth and not, love and loyalty, and his special relationship with an eccentric, but wonderful aunt, a poet of great renown. And yet, you have the feeling of a one older than his years looking back upon a wonderful childhood memory: "They all turned to stare at me, who had a moment before been so brave, a hero, and was now...somehow...something else. I ran out into the garden to sob amid the asters. Not five minutes later Uncle Emily found me..."

Another memorable book from the prolific Jane Yolen, who has around 300 books to her credit.

Fun Non-Fiction for Ages 4 to 8

123 I Can Build (Starting Art) by Irene Luxbacher, Kids Can Press, 2009

How do you explain architecture to children, using the fundamental elements such as foundation and differentiating between "interior" and "exterior," but without overwhelming or boring kids? 123 I Can Build does just that in the best and most delightful way, with fun, easy, colorful projects to illustrate each concept. Each project builds on the last, until at the end, the individual projects put together make a grand palace.

The activities are outlined and steps shown in colorful photographs, while little cartoon characters work on the sidelines. The mix of large text and brief definitions add to the overall success of the book. Don't buy this book to teach children about architecture; instead, buy it for the hours of fun you and children will have while learning about architecture.

Fantastic New Fiction for Ages 8 to 13

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Yoko Tanaka, Candlewick Press, 2009

The Newbery Medal winning (The Tale of Despereaux), Newbery Honor recipient (The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane), Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winning (Because of Winn Dixie), National Book Award finalist (The Tiger Rising), Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honoree (Mercy Watson), Kate DiCamillo, has done it again! The Magician's Elephant combines great characters, a page-turning plot, and magnificent writing that together creates a work of timeless, destined-to-be-classic fiction.

A story of a time long ago starts with Peter, who is tempted by a fortuneteller and who gives his guardian's food money to her. He receives impossible truth, or is it?

When a magician causes an elephant to come crashing through the Bliffendorf Opera House roof, almost anything seems possible, but could it really be that his baby sister is really alive, after all these years of believing her dead? The elephant is at the center of the lives of several well-defined people whose stories intertwine in a fascinating way. From

The anticipation of what may come is great, and your enjoyment of the journey along the way to a grand climax of events will be even greater. Sure to be in contention for several book awards.

Humor for Parents

The Passion of the Hausfrau: Motherhood Illuminated by Nicole Chaison, Villard, 2009

Inspired by Joseph Campbell's Hero With a Thousand Faces and perhaps, Gothic combined with graphic fiction, Nicole Chaison has created a laugh-out-loud collection of vignettes exploring her own hero journey story of motherhood. From "Monsterfrau! or Hell Hath No Fury Like a Hausfrau with No Seratonin" to "The Tale of the Dunkin' Donuts Drive-Through Debacle," Chaison has us chuckling right along with her as she highlights those parenting moments that we all have, but for which we don't always have a sense of humor.

The comic strips and boxes on the side counter the gothic feel of the text and titles, and the juxtaposition is delightful. For example, the "My Mother Gives Her Opinion of Home Birth" cartoon is one of those common scenes that add that extra touch of last-straw type stress to any given parenting day.

Whether it is that overwhelming, never-ending to-do list, or bad karma left over from a previous Halloween, or the expectations of creating a perfect holiday crashing into the reality of kids' fighting over the Christmas music, and over-sugared hyperactivity, you will recognize yourself in these stories, and maybe, just maybe, because it is finally happening to someone else and not you, you may be able to have a grand laugh chapter after chapter.

Possibly the funniest take on parenthood, next to Dana Carvey's tales of life with a teenager in "Squatting Monkeys Tell No Lies."

So, there you have a few titles to get you started, but don't stop here. For every book mentioned here, there are a dozen more equally good titles just waiting for you to dive in and explore the magic that reading brings.