Catch the Reading Bug

Review by Elizabeth, Muehl Public Library (Seymour) staff

Title: I Love Bugs!
Author: Philemon Sturges

“Cute rhyming picture book about a little girl who loves to study insects. You will be surprised, at the end, to find out who her favorite bug of all is!”

Review by Elizabeth, Muehl Public Library (Seymour) staff

Title: Gotta Go! Gotta Go!
Author: Sam Swope

“This book was great for a read aloud–the chant ‘gotta go, gotta go, gotta go to Mexico’ just rolls off the tongue!  And what a neat story to teach children about the migration process of the Monarch butterfly. We had tons of fun with this!”

Review by Kelly, Weyauwega Public Library staff

Title: Four Feet, Two Sandals
Author: Karen Lynn Williams

“This book is about two young Afghani girls living in a refugee camp in Pakistan. They share a precious pair of sandals brought by relief workers. They form a wonderful friendship and share their stories of their lives. When one of the girls finds out her family is on the list to go to America, she thinks of a way to keep their friendship and the pair of sandals unbroken. This story is so moving and touching. It says a lot about the human spirit. This book is recommended for ages 7-11.”

Review by Kelly, Weyauwega Public Library staff

Title: Spiders
Author: Nic Bishop

“I have seen spider books before, but this one is just unbelievable! The photos are beautiful, mind-boggling and downright creepy all at the same time. Nic Bishop [and his very understanding wife] kept some of these spiders in his home in order to capture some amazing behavior on film. Love spiders or hate spiders, I guarantee you have not seen anything like this book. This book is recommended for ages 7-12.”

Review by Sue, Waupaca Area Public Library staff

Title: United Tweets of America
Author: Hudson Talbott
For ages 6-10

“This is a fun trivia book about each state.  It’s not only about birds, but capitol cities, flowers and animals that are state symbols.  The funny illustrations add to the enjoyment of this book.”

Review by Elizabeth, Muehl Public Library (Seymour) staff

Title: Inspector Hopper’s Mystery Year
Author: Doug Cushman

“Inspector Hopper solves a mystery in autumn, winter, spring and summer.”

Review by Sue, Waupaca Area Public Library staff

Title: Eleven
Author: Patricia Reilly Giff
For ages 9-12

“This is a suspenseful book that isn’t too scary.  Sam will be 11-years old soon.  As he snoops for his birthday presents in the attic, he discovers a locked box and a newspaper clipping and he learns he might once have been a missing child.  Now he’s worried about his relationship with his beloved grandfather, Mack, and friends, Onji and Anima.  Since Sam has trouble reading, he enlists the help of a new girl at school who reads constantly.  This book would be a good read aloud for family or classroom.”

Review by Sue, Waupaca Area Public Library staff

Title: Where In the Wild? Camouflaged Animals Concealed — and Revealed
Author: David Schwartz
For ages 4-8

“I was mesmerized by the photos in the book. It would even be a good coffee table book. Shaped poetry introduces animals hidden in their natural environments.  With a flip of the page, each animal is highlighted against the photos’ background, where more information about the animal awaits.  It is a beautiful book for all ages.”

Review by Elizabeth, Muehl Public Library (Seymour) staff

Title: Ladybug’s Birthday
Author: Steve Metzger

“Ladybug thinks her birthday party is turning into a disaster when too many creatures keep arriving for it.  But then it turns out that all those friends can share their talents to make the party wonderful.”

Review by Sue, Waupaca Area Public Library staff

Title: The Chicken of the Family
Author: Mary Amato
For ages 4-8

“It is the duty of the eldest child to deviously taunt the youngest sibling.  If you have middle siblings to help, that’s even better.  The youngest sibling believes the most gullible lies delivered by the oldest sibling.  What’s great about this book is the youngest, Henrietta, finds a clever and innocent way to get revenge.  Sometimes it’s good to be a chicken.”