Martin, Reed, & Austin Tichenor. Pop-up Shakespeare.

Martin, Reed, & Austin Tichenor.  Pop-up Shakespeare.    Candlewick Press  2017  unp  $19.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-9874-4    all ages  Drama 

E-BN

    

This pop-up compendium of the complete works of William Shakespeare is sure to entice a new generation.  William Shakespeare wrote 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and innumerable other works.  His words live on in the English language and are part of our daily lexicon.  How can all of this be condensed into one pop-up book?  The Reduced Shakespeare Company has managed it in spades (not Shakespeare.) Dividing the plays and sonnets into sections, the authors, armed with the amazing artwork of Jennie Maizels, offer a huge amount of information about the man and his works. While there are accurate summaries of the works, the wry tone is delightful and the text is spiced with dramatic anecdotes.  The historical background and political climate of the time are accurate and offer some insight into the development of the plays. Altogether, this is a perfect start to Shakespeare’s works if only for a personal collection. The pop-up format may not survive library use even though it is quite sturdily made.

Summary: A new generation will be enticed into these fabulous writings. This is a perfect start to Shakespeare’s works if only for a personal collection. The pop-up format may not survive library use even though it is quite sturdily made.    

Shakespeare, William                               --Susan Ogintz

Martin, Ann. Missy Piggle-Wiggle.

Martin, Ann.  Missy Piggle-Wiggle.  Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends      2016    241p    $16.99 ISBN 978-1-250-07169-9     elem/ms  Fantasy  E-BN           

This is a delightful fantasy about a young girl who creativity helps several parents in town with their children’s behavioral troubles. Missy is known as the magic lady with potions that cure children’s misbehavior. Her unique cures help the children learn that they must take responsibility for what they do and say.

Their mother has hired Missy to babysit Honoriah, Petulance, and Frankfort Freeforall from Merriweather Court, who are grabby and wild children. Honoriah (a know-it-all), Petulance (greedy), and Frankfort (who doesn’t care about anything) find their behaviors changing after Missy applies her magical cures when she babysits them.

Other children in town fall to Missy’s magical cures as well. Georgie Pepperpot is cured of his “I Never Said That” attitude. Heavenly Earwig is cured of tardiness. Rusty Goodenough is cured of eavesdropping. Readers will experience some “oohs and aahs” and laughs as they read the solutions Missy has for each problem. This is a quick, humor-filled read.
 
Summary: Missy Piggle-Wiggle has come to town to care for her aunt’s house while she looks for her pirate husband. Missy concocts some inventive cures for bad behavior to help the parents of misbehaving kids.

Humor-Fiction, Behavior-Fiction                                                                               —Linda McNeil

Martin, Mary. Princess Addison Gets Angry.

Martin, Mary.  Princess Addison Gets Angry.  Capstone/Picture Window    2013 unp  ISBN 978-1-4048-7851-8    pre K-elm   VG      Conflict   

In this charmingly illustrated book for young children, Addison learns to deal with her anger over a rainy day.  It is the perfect book for a parent or grandparent to read aloud to a young child (especially a little girl) on a rainy day.  The drawings are whimsical and amusing, full of imagination and good humor, and they help to underline the message that it is okay to have one’s feelings, as long as one doesn’t hurt anybody or break anything.  It ends on a hopeful note, with Addie looking forward to another day, one without rain.    

Summary: In this charmingly illustrated book for young children, Addison learns to deal with her anger over a rainy day.     

Feelings-Picture books                                   --Carol Kennedy

Martin, Ann M. Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life.

Martin, Ann M.    Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life.    Macmillan/ Feiwel & Friends   259p  $16.99  978-0-312-64299-0  2012  elem  VG-BN   Realistic Fiction    

Upper-elementary students who enjoy realistic fiction with female protagonists will appreciate this story.  Students who have read Ann Martin’s first adventure with Pearl Littlefield, Ten Rules for Living With My Sister, will especially enjoy Pearl’s new experiences and life events.  Pearl Littlefield is a fifth-grader who is struggling to complete her essay-writing assignment about her summer vacation.  For Pearl and her family, summer vacation did not go exactly as planned.  From her father getting fired from his economics job to her attending Camp Merrimac with her sister Lexie as her counselor-in-training, Pearl’s start to the summer was anything but fun.  Her time at summer camp was filled with new adventures with her best friend James Brubaker II (JBIII).  But because of her dad’s job situation, the family vacation to the wild west was replaced by a staycation sightseeing New York.  At first, these events did not thrill Pearl, but in the end, she realized that changes in plans are not always negative, and something good always comes out of them. 

The author includes Pearl’s outline for her essay at the end, but every chapter also has part of that outline and a list of things to see in New York City.

For schools that use Accelerated Reader, this title already has a quiz ready for readers (AR Quiz #155487).      

Summer Vacation-Fiction                         --Charleen Forba-Mayer

Martin, Ann M. Because of Shoe.

Martin, Ann M.    Because of Shoe.  Macmillan/Henry Holt    261p  $15.99      978-0-8050-9314-8 elm/ms            VG      Animal stories   

The nine short stories in this collection are organized by reading level, from the easiest-to-read to the most difficult.  This allows readers at many levels to enjoy the heartwarming and funny dog stories, written by several famous authors who are not especially known for animal stories.  The stories included in this collection are sometimes hilariously funny, or poignant, or thoughtful, or endearing.  The styles vary as well.  One is written in free verse.
 

There is a story about Max the Dax catching a dog-napper, a story about a boy and dog who rescue a little lost boy, stories from the dog’s point of view, and one about how Shoe got her name.  There is a story about a dog named Peanut who is mistaken for a wolf, and even one about a boy who turns into a dog.  In short, a little bit of everything.  The book will be enjoyed by readers who love their dog, wish they had a dog, or fondly remember a past dog.

This book is recommended for grades 4-7.  Everyone will find at least one story he or she can relate to in this varied collection.
     

Short stories, Dog stories                                                                              -- Joan Theal 

Martin, Michael J. Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Martin, Michael J.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Morgan Reynolds  144p  $28.95 978-1-59935-169-2   ms/hs     Series: Champion of Freedom (Morgan Reynolds) VG-BNS    Biography  

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a 20th century martyr, may not be a familiar historical figure to readers.  He was a rising theologian in Nazi Germany who became one of Christianity’s most influential personalities of that era.  A pastor, writer, and lecturer, Bonhoeffer was determined to fight the Nazis’ anti-Christian policies, joining the Resistance and becoming a double agent.  When his cover was eventually compromised, Bonhoeffer was executed as an enemy of the state, just days before World War II ended.

The paradox of a German Lutheran pastor integrally involved in several plots to assassinate Adolf Hitler makes fascinating reading.  Without becoming didactic, Martin describes the evolution of a man who was considered by many of his contemporaries to be the epitome of a great Christian, and Bonhoeffer’s struggle with justifying his Christian beliefs and national loyalty in the face of the Nazi regime’s policies and practices.  "If you board the wrong train," he warned, "it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction."

From the time of his youth, Dietrich Bonhoeffer strove to discern God’s will in his life.  He lived a life of action in which he modeled his faith by living by his ideals.  Set in the historical and political context of the rise of the Holocaust, Martin’s well-researched text provides a seamless presentation of complex issues.

The series Champion of Freedom focuses on individuals who dedicated their lives to fighting for freedom and democracy, providing in-depth coverage of each subject, along with a balanced discussion of historical and political issues that he or she fought.                   --Hilary Welliver

Martin, Ann M. Ten Rules for Living With My Sister.

Martin, Ann M.  Ten Rules for Living With My Sister.  Feiwel&Friends/Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, 2011.  228p.  $16.99      ISBN 978-0-312-36766-4

elm/ms      VG-BN Realistic Fiction

     Ten Rules for Living With My Sister presents a year in the life of a nine-year-old New York girl who lives with her parents and teenage sister.  It has just enough humor, warmth, and plot to keep an 8- to 12-year-old girl reading.  Martin has a way with storytelling, and even though the main character still believes in Santa Claus, she also deals with preteen issues of friendlessness, embarrassment, and dealing with a beloved grandfather who is losing his faculties.  This will be sure to resonate with youngsters who like a realistic story told with attention to emotions and human relationships.   

Carol Kennedy

 

Powell, Martin. The Elves and the Shoemaker (Grimm Graphic Novel).

Powell, Martin.    The Elves and the Shoemaker (Grimm Graphic Novel).     

Stone Archsee Capstone      2011  32p   17.99 978-1-4342-2553-5 

elem      Graphic novel       E-BNe 

This is an adaptation of a Grimm’s fairy tale that shows generosity

of the shoemaker is important. This act of generosity is rewarded by help from

magical elves.        

This text is crisply written and fully illustrated with a

low reading level accompanied by sepia colored comic-like illustrations. The

inclusion of discussion questions, writing prompts,  and a glossary make this a

useful classroom tool.

     After the importance of an informative text, the most supportive factor of

this book is visual appeal to young readers.  The layout of the various pages is

diversified and well balanced between text and sepia colored comic-like

illustrations so that concepts are grouped together.  The flow and balance of

both the text and visuals are integrated to present a very stimulating book for

both young and reluctant readers.

      This book is one in the  _Grimm Brothers Graphic Novels(Capstone)series. 

The series consists of __4_ books at this time. The general theme of the series

is __Grimm’s fairy tales _.      McNeil, Linda