As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Luke Flowers.
This collection of songs and poems by the iconic television host offers nostalgia for adults who grew up listening to his comforting, empowering messages. As well, the combination of imagination-encouraging silliness and reassurance that it's okay to feel sad or angry sometimes should resonate with a new generation of readers. Bright, cheerful illustrations complement the rhymes and free verse, best suited to shared reading. Ind.
(4)
4-6
Fred Bowen Sports Story series.
Middle schooler Trey Thompson believes he made the Ravens baseball team thanks to a lucky piece of blue sea glass. When he loses it and goes into a playing slump, caring adults and teammates encourage him to rely on practice, not superstitions, to become a top-notch player. Lots of game action lightens the story's messaging; an interesting addendum highlights superstitions of past baseball greats.
(3)
4-6
Nearly Always Perilous Adventures of Archibald Shrew series.
In the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Mr. Popli (serious mouse mayor of Garbage Island) and fellow rodent Archibald Shrew (a reckless inventor) rarely see eye to eye. When their island falls apart, they must weather storms, predators, and misunderstandings to survive. Koehler's first novel is full of funny dialogue, and his black-and-white illustrations help readers understand the scope of this tiny, isolated world.
312 pp.
| HarperTeen
| November, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-248853-4$17.99
(3)
YA
Marcos Rivas wants to escape his inner-city neighborhood and abusive home life, so he jumps at the chance to attend Future Success, an afterschool class to help underachievers become achievers. As his home situation worsens, Marcos learns that education can be the answer to his problems, but that he needs to take the first step. Marcos's contemporary-teen language rings true, and his experiences are authentic.
(4)
4-6
Fred Bowen Sports Story series.
After rigorous tryouts, Richie Mallon makes the middle-school basketball team under a new coach. Richie's unembellished first-person narrative traces his development over the season, from egocentric jump-shooter to a cooperative team player who passes, rebounds, and plays good defense. The feel-good if message-heavy sports story includes a final postscript discussing history of the jump-shot and great real-life shooters.
32 pp.
| Dial
| February, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8037-3923-9$16.99
(3)
K-3
In this companion to How to Cheer Up Dad, young elephant Little Jumbo tries to be a superhero, but his "good deeds" often go awry. In contrast to the earnest text ("he tirelessly crusaded against the forces of evil"), the illustrations reveal, with excellent comic timing, the slapstick truth. A slyly humorous conclusion suggests that friendship and kindness can be heroic in their own right.
32 pp.
| North-South
| May, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7358-4251-9$14.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Andrée Prigent.
After dung beetle Babak discovers a strange white "egg," he searches for its owner: "an egg needs to be sat on!" He decides to keep it after he spots the egg's "parents" (adult humans): they're "armed with long sticks" (golf clubs) and "hitting the eggs...through the air!" Fine-spun woodcutlike art amplifies the underlying humanity in this French import's perfectly executed gag.
(4)
4-6
Fred Bowen Sports Story series.
Nate Osborne is on a competitive U-14 soccer team training hard to avenge their U-13 championship loss. While Nate's aunt, a former Division I player, helps with his goal-scoring, she also teaches Nate the value of winning the right way, a lesson not easily accepted by his team. The approachable, if preachy, sports novel includes an appendix with real-life stories of sportsmanship.
45 pp.
| TOON
| May, 2015
|
TradeISBN 978-1-935179-83-2$16.95
(3)
4-6
Toon Graphic series.
To save his friend the well-digger, Phil returns to the parallel world of alphabet-named islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Landing on the letter N causes him to inadvertently break the law, and he's sentenced to battle a wild piano, matador-style. This vibrant graphic novel first published in France in 1973 brims with Little-Nemo-meets-Alice-in-Wonderland whimsy. Back matter explains some of the story's references.
54 pp.
| TOON
| October, 2015
|
TradeISBN 978-1-935179-86-3$16.95
(3)
4-6
Toon Graphic series.
Translated by Richard Kutner.
In the third vibrantly illustrated graphic novel, Philemon helps Mr. Bartholomew get back to the A-shaped island in the Atlantic. One surreal moment after another leads to them freeing some fisherman trapped in a floating castle. Fred's psychedelic adventures are a cross between Little Nemo and Kafka. Back matter explains some of the story's (first published in France in 1973) references.
(3)
4-6
Jay Wagner was "the best quarterback Franklin High School ever had," but college makes him realize there are plenty of better QBs; his little brother Jesse, a high-school freshman, doesn't believe he could ever play quarterback. A brotherly "deal" challenges the boys to tackle new roles. Bowen's approachable underdog story is well suited to sports-loving reluctant readers.
46 pp.
| Candlewick/TOON
| September, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-1-935179-63-4$16.95
(3)
4-6
Toon Graphic series.
When Philemon falls into the well on his family's farm he resurfaces on a mysterious A-shaped island in the Atlantic Ocean. After exploring the island full of Wonderland-like absurdities, Phil returns home with a tale his father doesn't believe. References to folklore, mythologies, and Robinson Crusoe (explained in back matter) abound in this richly colored, oddball graphic novel first published in France in 1972.
32 pp.
| Dial
| March, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8037-3922-2$16.99
(3)
K-3
"Little Jumbo's dad was having a bad day." The joke is that the little elephant is cluelessly responsible for his dad's frustrations--e.g., Jumbo shoots the raisins intended for his oatmeal at the ceiling with his trunk (Dad "should have known what a mess that would make"). Plenty of white space and a modest palette foreground an entertaining father-child dynamic.
(4)
4-6
Fred Bowen Sports Story series.
Isaac is focused on pitching a perfect game--so much so that he loses focus on everything else. Then he's encouraged to help with the Special Olympics. Previously using words like "retarded" and "weird," he has a lot to learn, but soon gets a new perspective on what perfect means. The character development is predictable, but the book's lesson is laudable.
243 pp.
| Delacorte
| April, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-375-74273-3$17.99
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-375-99073-1$20.99
(4)
YA
When Ti-Anna's father, a Chinese dissident, disappears in Hong Kong, her friend Ethan hatches a plan: the two tenth graders will fly from Washington, D.C., to find him. Although the teen dialogue doesn't always ring true, Hiatt manages to weave in twentieth-century Chinese history, human trafficking, and vivid setting details--all while keeping the pace moving. Back matter discusses the fictional story's real-life inspirations.
(3)
YA
Bortz clearly explains the science underlying the 2011 disaster at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. After a discussion of earthquakes and tsunamis, the focus shifts to nuclear physics, notorious nuclear disasters (including Fukushima), and the debate about the safety of nuclear power and its alternatives. Color diagrams and photographs effectively illustrate the aftermath of the disasters. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.
80 pp.
| Twenty-First Century
| February, 2011
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7613-5453-6$33.26
(3)
YA
Seven Wonders series.
In this useful, well-organized volume, Bortz profiles seven major technological advancements in space exploration. Some--such as telescopes and satellites, the International Space Station, and Mars rovers--have already been deployed; the book's "New Horizons" and "Future Technologies" chapters speculate on what might be the next big thing. Photographs illustrate the existing technologies while artists' renderings imagine innovations of the future. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.
32 pp.
| Dutton
| February, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-525-47877-5$16.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Charles S. Pyle.
Bowen's sophisticated text zooms in for a close-up of the Red Sox legend's 1941 season when "the Kid" racked up a whopping .406 batting average. Pyle's Norman Rockwell-esque paintings, though a little stiff, ably convey the era. A handful of black-and-white archival photos and Williams's '41 stats are included.
32 pp.
| Blue Apple
| June, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-1-934706-03-9$16.95
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Todd McKie.
This book introduces a menagerie of creatures. Some are identified, while others are described in occasionally uneven rhyme for readers to name. Per the title, some of the descriptions are indeed funny ("If I were looking for a pillow, / I would not choose an armadillo"), while others just rhyme. Abstract paintings suggest the animals with few colors and loose shapes.
40 pp.
| Blue Apple
| June, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-1-59354-606-9$15.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Amanda Haley.
In this cheerful book, Ehrlich gives interesting facts about mammal and bird births. Though the information is unsourced, readers learn a little about an assortment of animals including humans, chimpanzees, penguins, and mice. The nonfiction text is interrupted by breezy jingles that reinforce concepts. Bright cartoon drawings and a friendly font also make the book approachable.