Because all of these books are short and follow the level
and genre theme of the first Hodgepodge post of 2024, I decided to complete a
second Hodgepodge compilation. I love that there are books for all reading
levels. Don’t knock them because they’re geared for youth. All readers must
start at the beginning. I had to. You had to. We all have to!
John Rocco, illustrator.
Children’s picture book.
Chipmunk Piper Waterstone loves books so much that she
takes hers everywhere she goes. She never leaves home without them. She also
never shares them, not even with her friend Gregory, a raccoon. He decides to
visit the library instead, which Piper does not understand the value of, as
she’s never stepped foot in a library. Until her worst day, when her personal
collection gets soaked by the rain. The local librarian, a kindly mole, invites
her in out of the rain, and Piper is in awe of all the books the library holds.
He explains that the books are hers, but also everyone’s. Having a library card
only works if everyone is willing to share the library’s books. Is Piper ready
for a library card?
“All the Books” is an adorable ode to reading,
libraries, librarians and sharing. Reading as Piper’s worst day becomes her
best day is a delight with Hayley’s writing and John’s rich, warm
illustrations. The anthropomorphized animals look to exist in a charming town
with a honeyed, old-fashioned air. There are no iPhones in this story. The
problem-solving is the warm-fuzzy type, but since this story is geared for
four-to-eight-year-olds, that is not a detriment to this sweet tale..jpg)
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The Mystery of the Snow Puppy (Jan. 1, 2022) by
Fran Manushkin.
Tammie Lyon, illustrator.
Early-Reader fiction chapter book.
<This is part
of an unnumbered series.>
Kids everywhere dream of having their own pet, and Katie
Woo is no exception. Katie has a new puppy named Koko, but the little white
puppy is lost. Along with Pedro, the two best friends investigate. Many times
the pair think they’re hot on Koko’s trail, but the clues don’t lead to her.
Like any seasoned detectives, they don’t give up. “Burgers for supper!” might
be a clue to solving this mystery.
This
Early-Reader (E-R) mystery is the perfect length for emergent readers wanting
to read on their own and for those readers who like to solve mysteries along
with the book’s characters. The text is simple with complementing, unfussy
illustrations. The endpages include a Glossary, tips regarding mysteries, story
questions and a guide on how to survey animal tracks.
Pizza and Taco: Best Christmas Ever! (Oct. 1,
2024) by Stephen Shaskan.
Junior fiction graphic novel.
<This is the eighth
graphic novel in a series.>
For best friends Pizza and Taco (and for us, too, not
coincidentally), Christmastime is approaching, and their lists detail
everything that they expect Santa Slaw to bring them. They will spend the next
few months being good children. They’ll even be pleasant toward Cheeseburger!
When Pizza is disappointed that he didn’t receive everything on his Christmas
list, and Taco mentions that he didn’t, either, they manage to turn their
disappointment into positivity and festivity.
This is
my first Pizza and Taco graphic novel, and it’s a simple delight.
Shaskan’s dialogue is unfussy, the story’s structure is uncomplicated, and his
digital collage Photoshop illustrations are unpretentious. Fans will be reading
this, especially as Christmas soon approaches, and beginning readers will be
able to do much of the reading on their own. For those who are looking for a
religious story, this is not it. It has a secular focus on Christmas
festivities and gifts with a smidge of showing goodwill toward others..jpg)
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The Quest of Danger (Nov. 7, 2023) by Stuart
Gibbs.
Stacy Curtis, illustrator.
Middle-grade illustrated fantasy fiction.
<This is
the fourth book in a series.>
<Alert: Spoilers for
those who haven’t read the previous stories.>
The peasant-turned-knight, Tim, and his ragtag crew of
friends, Belinda the peasant-also-turned-knight-by-pretending-to-be-a-boy,
Ferkle the highly intelligent village idiot (it’s the family business),
Princess Grace of Merryland and Rover the fr-dog, have been rescued from
certain death by Princess Piscina, a Kingdom of Merland princess. In return for
rescuing them, her father, King Neptuna, obligates them to retrieve his stolen
trident. They will journey to the magnificent city of Atlantis, which is the safest
city on Earth and should never do anything like sink. Along the way, there will
be krakens, plus a Cyclops with “no depth perception” and who’s “probably
myopic.” When they reach Atlantis, they’ll have to confront their nemesis,
Prince Ruprecht, and his evil, so-called-wizard adviser, Nerlim. Prince
Ruprecht is scheming, which everyone knows is always sure to end in disaster.
How will the group retrieve the trident and all of the other stolen treasures,
while also overcoming a scheming prince, his nefarious wizard, traitorous
knights and a band of pirates?
To read
the fourth story in the Once Upon a Tim series is to set sail
on a seafaring quest where are encountered monsters of lore (with horribly
sharp teeth) and an ancient city famously known to be lost. IQ Boosters return
in this story to improve young readers’ vocabulary and surely impress parents,
teachers and random passersby alike. Like the others, this book cascades with
hijinks and hilarity. Yes, Prince Ruprecht is mired in his own cesspool of
underhandedness and greed, and he keeps trying to kill Tim and his friends, but
the danger never truly feels treacherous. Laughs come easily throughout the
story.
Book 1:
Once Upon a Tim
Book 2:
The Labyrinth of Doom
Book 3:
The Sea of Terror
Where Is Yellowstone? (Nov. 5, 2024) by Sarah
Fabiny.
Stephen
Marchesi, illustrator.
Early-Reader nonfiction chapter book.
<This is an
official Who HQ book.>
Most people know that Yellowstone National Park is home
to Old Faithful, the most famous geyser in the world, but did you also know
that most of the world’s geysers reside in only five countries (the United
States, Iceland, Russia, New Zealand and Chile) and that half of the world’s
roughly 1,000 geysers are in Yellowstone alone? The Who HQ books, while
slim, pack a lot of information into them. Readers discover how Yellowstone
came to be, not only the United States’ first national park, but the world’s
first national park. They’ll learn how many bison roam and even read a special
segment on the Gray Wolf Project. Where is Yellowstone? It has land in three
different states: Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.
If you
look back at my first “Hodgepodge” post of 2024, you’ll notice that I had read
my first Who HQ book. I’d say my interest in the series is going strong, as I
have now read over 80 of them and hope to read a couple more before this year
ends. I have only visited Yellowstone once, when I was 12. Reading this E-R
book has me wanting to plan a trip out west to visit it again through an adult
lens. I love how detailed these books are, and they don’t gloss things over.
For example, they are straightforward in saying the government originally told
lies about the native tribes, so that visitors would think Native Americans had
never lived there (they’d actually lived there a long time). This is a perfect
book for explorers both young and young-at-heart. Please be respectful of the park,
and all of its inhabitants. Remember, it may be fluffy and friend-shaped, but
it can be very dangerous. Maintain a safe distance at all times. Happy
exploring!
P.S. Did
you know that Yellowstone National Park is home to three plants unique to this
area? They are: Ross’s bentgrass, Yellowstone sand verbena and Yellowstone
sulfur wild buckwheat.
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