The Plain Princess
By Phyllis McGinley
Published by J.B. Lippincott Coompany
Copyright 1973
64 Pages
Children's Modern Fairytale

The Plain Princess is a story of a young princess who is pittied by everyone in the kingdom because of her plainess. Her nose goes up where is needs to go down and her mouth is always in a frown because she never smiles. But most importantly, she has no sparkle in her eyes. Her parents, to keep her happy, spoil the girl rotton, which turns out to make her rotton. At one of her splendid birthday parties, the young prince to whom she is betrothed to, spends more time with a duck keeper's daughter. The Princess throws a huge fit about this and soon the Kings has no choice but to send a proclamation throughout the kingdom. Anyone who could turn his plain daughter into a beautyful lady would be given loads of money, but if they fail, they lose their head. No one comes foward for fear of losing their head except one woman who tells the king that she must take the princess to live with the her and her five lovely daughters. The kind agrees and the princess is sent off to live away from the castle for three months. The woman has the princess participate is doing chores around the house. The princesses's nose turns down, and she starts to smile, but when she gives away her most precious necklace, her eyes finally have a sparkle to them. When the King arrives to pick up his daughter he is amazed at the tranformation. He pays the woman and the Princess asks the woman and her daughters to come live by them so that they can all still remain friends.
This book is a cute book with a very good moral to it. I think that every little girl should read this book or have it read to them. I really liked it because it was short and simple but had an underlying message under the text.
I dont see any problems coming from this book.

Boy, You're Amazing
By Virginia Kroll
Published by Albert Whitman & Company
Copyright 2004
30 Pages
Children's Picture Book

This book is about all the differnt things that boys are good at. Like playing instraments and sharing. They show all differnt kinds of boys from white, to black, to asian. They go through so many things that these boys are good at doing but in the end they say that they are the best at being themselves.
What a great message. I love that this books points out important things to be good at, like standing up to bullies and helping out your little sister, but the most important thing is to be yourslef.
I would recomend this book to everyone. It has a great message.
The pictures are bright and colorful. They include every nationality and show different cultures.
I dont see any problems comming from this book because of the message of being all you can be that the author puts into it.

A Wish to be a Christmas Tree
By Colleen Monroe
Published by Sleeping Bear Press
Copyright 2000
28 Pages
Children's Picture Book

A Wish to be a Christmas Tree is a lovely book about a tree in a lot that ha s always dreamed of being cut down and being a christmas tree, but every year he gets passed up because he is too tall. he gets really sad about this so the animals try to make him feel better. The squirrel and the birds tell him that because of him they are protected from the strong winds. The deer tells him that he provides her with a warm place to lie down and rest. But the tree is still sad. The animals get together while the tree is sleeping and start decorating his branches with berries and feathers. When the tree wakes up, he sees what his animal friends have done and he is so happy to be a christmas tree, and every year after that they get together and decorate the tree for Christmas.
I would recomend this book to everyone. It is a great book that teaches friendship and to accept yourslef and to know that you matter to someone.
I love the illistrations, they really bring the story to life. The birds are so life like and i love the colors of the berries. They are so bright.
I dont see any problems comming from this book because anyone with a heart would love this story and would love to read it to their children.

Where the Giant Sleeps
By Mem Fox
Published by Harcourt, Inc.
Copyright 2007
24 Pages
Children's Picture Book

Where the Giant Sleeps is book about a little boy and his dreams. He dreams that an island is actually a giant, his dog is a pirate, and many other strange things. It goes through several real things and changes it into what he thinks they are. In the end it shows him sleeping and all the things he's dreaming about are his toys in his room.
It is a strange book. I didnt really like it. It was hard to understand what was going on and why he was dreaming these thimgs.
I wouldnt nessicarily not recemend it, but I would tell others not to expect to undertstand it.
The illistraions are good but thats about it.
It wasn't the best children's book because it was confusing with all that was going on and so explanation.

Knuffle Bunny
By Mo Willems
Hyperion Books for Children
Copyright 2004
31 Pages
Children's Picture Book

Knuffle Bunny is a very cute children's book. It tells the story of a little girl named Trixie. One day she goes on a errand with her father to the laundromat. She has lots of fun playing with the clothes and putting the coins in the machine. Soon after leaving to go home, Trixie realizes that she has forgotten something; her little stuffed bunny named Knuffle Bunny. She tries to tell her father what has happened but unfotunalty they dont speak the same language yet. When they get home, Trixie's mother notices that they are missing Knuffle Bunny. they rush back to the laundromat and find Knuffle Bunny in the washer, soaking wet. Thats when Trixie says her first words, Knuffle Bunny.
I think every child would love this book, and their parents too. It is such a funny book. I absolutly love the pictures. They take real photos and then draw the cartoon characters in. Its very creative. The facial expressions are so funny and real.
I dont see any problems comming from reading this book. It is excellent.

Wanderer
By Sharon Creech
HaperCollins Publisher
Copyright 2000
305 Pages
The story is about a girl named Sophie and her adventures on the sea with her three uncles and two cousins. They are making a journey to visit their grandfather who is living in England. Sophie is somewhat strange, and her cousin Cody cant really make any sense of her. She was adopted three years earlier, but she talks about her parents like they were her actuall parents, and she keeps talking about their grandfather, even though she's never met him. She is afriad of the water but she is drawn to it, not knowing why. Cody learns that when Sophie was a small child, her reall parents took her boating. The boat capsized but she was floating in a life jacket and was saved. Her parents didnt make it. When they finally reach England, Cody realizes that his gradfather and Sophie do know each other from writing to one another. It is a sweet story of healing from the past and forgiving others because Cody learns to forgive his father for the way he has treated Cody and his mother. Its a great book about family relationships and what families are for.
I would recomend this book to people who like slow, personal books. Its not action packed, and there is no romance. When i finished this book I just felt better about life and my family.
I dont see any problems with this book. Its sweet and im sure every parent would appove of it.

The Suprnaturalist
By Eoin Colfer
Published by Hyperion Books for Children
Copyright 2004
267 Pages
Children's Science Fiction
Chapter Book

The Supernaturalist takes place in the future in a city named Satallite City. A young boy, named Cosmo who was left abandoned when he was a baby, escapes from the Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys and nearly dies from being electrocuted. A group of kids heal him and make him a part of their misfit group, called Supernaturalists, after learning that he can see strange little bugs that seem to suck the life out of people. They too can see them and their mission in life is to destroy the Parasites. After being with them for some time, the Supernatualists discover that the Parasites are not actually sucking the life out of you, they are taking away the pain so it is less painful. Unforuanlty a woman with a lot of power, named Ellen Faustino, betrays them and fools them into killing many of the Parasites. The leader of the Supernaturalists, Stefan, gives his life to save the Parasites and take down Faustino. Everyone believes that Faustino is dead and the world is safe again, but at the end of the book, the last chapter she is alive. The Mayor of Satallite City has her face reconstructed so no one will recognise her, and sends her on another mission for power.
I think that this book would be good for older children. It deals with a lot of intense themes. Cosmo is an orphan and goes through terrible things at the Institute for Parentally Challenged Boy. He almost dies, and he of course has a love interest in the book.
There are some problems I see that could come from this book, namely the fact that it is intense and some parts are frightening. There are a couple swear words and the fact that Cosmo, who is only fifteen, kisses and gets into a relationship with his team member who is also fifteen.
I really loved this book. I have read other books by Eoin Colfer and loved them too. But i was surprised when i read this book because it is notheing like the Artemis Fowl books. Its completely different except that the main character is a young boy who saves the world.

The Spiderwick Chronicles
By Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Copyright 2003
107 Pages
Children's Fantacy
Chapter book

The book starts out with a single mother and her three children moving in to an old house. Her twin sons, Jared and Simon are completely different from each other, and their older sister Mallory is bugged by both of them. Their first day in the old house, the three of them accidently clean up the home of a brownie which then turns into a boggart. the little boggart starts to do wicked things to them, like tie Mallory's hair to her bed and steal Simon's mice. While searching through the house, the hildren come across a secret dumbwaiter. The only one brave enough to get inside is Jared. When they lift him up he finds a secret room with no door. After looking around, he sees a piece if paper with clues written on it. He figures out the clues and ends up finding a secret book called "Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You." Its a book full of magical creatures that live in and around the house. The first book ends with the boggart showing himslef to the children.
I would recomend this book to children of all ages. It is such a cute little book. It is very funny and witty and the illistrations are very good and help bring the characters to life.
I honestly cannot see any problems arising from this book. It is short and funny. I am sure parents would love reading it to their children.
My reaction to this book was surprise. I didnt think i would like it. When i saw the preview for it i thought it looked stupid. But now I am excited to see the movie and read the rest of the series.

Heckedy Peg
Audrey Wood
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers
Copyright 1987
29 Pages
Children's Picture Book

Heckedy Peg is a story of a mother with seven children, named Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. One day the mother asks her children what they would like from town that she could get them. After naming the things they would like, the mother warns her children to not let strangers in and to not touch fire. Soon after the mother leaves, the witch named Heckedy Peg shows up. She asks the children to let her in. When they tell her they cant she asks them to bring her a burning straw for her pipe. They tell her they aren't allowed to touch the fire. She then bribes them with a sack of gold. When they let her in, she turns them into food items and takes them to her house to eat them. The mother returns and finds her children missing. She follows a bird to the witch's house and tricks the witch into letting her in. The witch tells the mother that she can have her children if she guesses each child as a food item. She matches what her children asked for to what they are now and the children turn back into themselves. They chase Heckedy Peg until she jumps into a river and is never seen again.
I would recommend this book to parents who have older children who wouldn't be too scared of the book.
Problems I see that this book could cause is that the mother had to pretend to cut off her feet to get into the house. The witch was also going to eat the children which is kind scary.
My reaction to this book was shock at first. I was surprised that the mother had to pretend to cut off her feet to get into the house. That seems a little too graphic to me for children.

Walk Two Moons
Sharon Creech
HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright 1994
280 Pages
Children's Fiction Chapter Book

Walk Two Moons is a touching story about a young girl named Salamaca Tree Hiddle, otherwise known as Sal. She and her mother and father were very happy living on their farm in Kentucky, until one day her mother left and never returned. Her father then moves them to Ohio and starts getting comfortable to a woman whose last name is Cadaver. Sal's soon to be best friend, Phoebe Winterbottom, convinces Sal that Mrs. Cadaver is an ax murderer and killed her own husband. One day at Phoebe's, a strange man comes looking for Phoebe's mother, and a couple days later the Winterbottom's start getting weird messages left on their doorstep. It all seems to weird until Phoebe's mother disappears. They all believe the strange man kidnapped her even though she left them all noted saying she would be back. Phoebe and Sal set off to find the kidnapper and figure out the strange messages. While all this is happening, Sal and a boy named Ben just cant seem to be able to kiss each other at the same time. They keep missing the others' lips and ending up in weird places, like lockers. Mrs. Winterbottom returns with the strange man and confesses to everyone that he is her son. Everyone is so relieved that she is back home and safe. Sal is happy for her friend but wishes her mother would come back. Later her grandparents decide to pick her up and travel with her all the way to Idaho to see her mother. On the way, Sal tells them the story about Phoebe and the strange man to keep her crazy grandparents in line and out of trouble. The last day of their journey, her grandmother has a stroke and is taken to a hospital. The grandfather knowing that Sal really wants to see her mother, gives her the keys and lets her make the rest of the journey by herself. She drives all day and finally makes it to the crash site of the bus that her mother was riding on. There was only one survivor from that crash and that was Mrs. Cadaver who actually sat next to Sal's mother on the bus. Some police men find her and escort her to the cemetery where she finds her mother's headstone. After saying her goodbyes, the officers take her back to the hospital where she finds out that her grandmother died earlier that day. She and her grandfather fly back home and they all go back to their farm in Kentucky with her father.
I love this book. I have read it so many times yet I always seem to cry at the end. This books makes me want to live life to the fullest and to let people know how I feel about them. Everyone would benefit from this book. Its a heartwarming story.
I honestly don't see any problems that would arise from reading this book. Its so good.

The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base
Published by Harry N. Abrahms Inc
Copyright 1988
Children's Mystery Picture Book
31 Pages

The Eleventh Hour is such an inteligent book of mysteries and clues. It is the story of Horace and his eleventh birthday party. He is so excited to be turning eleven that he focuses everything on eleven. Eleven dishes to eat and eleven friends to eat them with, after playing eleven fun games of course. After all the games are played and everyone makes their way into the dining hall, they are stonished to see that someone has already eaten all of the food. They try to find out who ate all the food by accusing each other. Horace solves the problem by going into the kitchen and making sandwitches. They finish the party by having a picnic in the backyard. At the end of the book, the author askes you to find out who ate all the food. On every page of the book is a clue to help you figure it out. In the end, you figure out that is was Kilroy the mouse and his mice friends that ate all the food.
I think a lot of people would enjoy this book. It is fun and witty. The illistrations are awesome and the clues are so much fun to find.
There are only two problems i can see that someone might have a problem with. I am not sure how people might feel about the fact that the mouse stole all the food and got away with it, and for someone who doesnt want to take time to figure out the clues might not like the fact that you have to in order to find out who the thief was.
My reaction to this book when I first read it was surprise. I couldnt believe all the clues that are so secretly put in the book. They are everywhere. I also couldnt believe that the whole book rhymes. Its amazing to tell a whole story in a poem.

Fanny's Dream by Caralyn Buehner
Published by Dial Books for Young Readers
Copyright 1996
Children's Picture Book
29 pages

Fanny's Dream is a wonderful book about making your life your own fairytale. Fanny is a girl who dreams of marring the mayor's son. She believes she has a fairy godmother and on the night of the grand ball being held at the mayor's house, she sits and waits for her fairy godmother to show up. But instead Herber Jensen shows up and after listening to Fanny's wish, he proposes to her. They get married and work side by side together funning a farm. They were very happy and Herber made sure to treat Fanny like a princess at least once a day. Soon they have children and life get busy. One night Fanny goes out to the garden and her fairy godmother finally shows up. She offers to make everything right. Fanny thinks about it and decides that she likes her life how it is. Then she goes back inside to her family.
I believe that everyone would benefit from this story. It is a story we all can learn from. i would recomend it to everyone.
I dont think anyone with a heart would have a problem with this book. I see no conflicts with the story.
My reaction to this story the first time i read it was teary eyes. I admit I am the biggest baby, and this book made me tear up. I am the biggest romantic and I love that they could have real, true love without the fairytale.