Title: Kool Kid Kruncha And The High Trapeze

Written by Emma Calin

Interesting early chapter book features protagonist ten year old Charlie. The author calls it an interactive bedtime story adventure. This book touches on many of the issues facing today’s children like bullying, moving, and living in a divorced family. Charlie has carrot red hair; children love to pick on him. To make matters worse, his mom tells him that she has been offered a better job in London. He will have to leave his friends and home in Suffolk and move to the city.

On the first day in his new school, the “popular kids” make fun of Charlie’s physical appearance and athletic abilities. His Aunt Kate suggests that things will be better after he makes a friend. Charlie is puzzled when she takes him to the circus. What does Charlie discover? How can this possibly be a solution to his problem?

This book contains seven short chapters whose length is perfect for children who are learning to read content independently. I would recommend it particularly for seven to ten year old readers. The simple black and white drawings enhance interest. Free downloads, video clips, and competitions included in the book will sustain interest and extend reading.

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5 Minute Bedtime Stories for Children (1)

Retold by Beatrice Wood

The author is not trying to reinvent the wheel, but to collate and abridge a nice assortment of stories from around the world in five to seven minute segments. Just the right size for a busy mom or dad for a bedtime story read. They are suitable for school age children ages six through twelve and are not meant for toddlers or preschoolers. While all of them have familiar themes to many cultures; ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes” will probably be recognized by all readers.

I think my favorite of these ten is the one titled, “The Story Without an End.” It tells the legend of a king who lived in a time before there were printed storybooks. This king had an insatiable appetite for stories. After a while, his subjects ran out of stories to tell. The king promised that whoever would tell a story that did not end could marry the princess. Unfortunately, if the story ended, that storyteller would be thrown in jail.

One day a poor farmer showed up with the promise of a story without end. But first the king had to promise to listen to the end. After receiving that promise from the king, the farmer began his tale, which was so cleverly crafted that it went on for months. When the king could take it no longer, he begged the farmer to stop telling his story. So the farmer married the princess and eventually ruled the kingdom.

Each story is accompanied by a black and white pencil drawing to complement the tale. This is a nice touch and provides encouragement of more discussion on the topic of each story. Creative and novel way for parent and child or teacher and child to share a short read aloud. Look forward to reading Book 2 in the collection.

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Fairy Tales For And About Kids

Written by Alexei

Translated by Katerina Lejkova

Illustrated by Galina Krylova

This book of approximately forty pages contains seven fairy tales translated from Russian. For that reason, the language is a bit awkward in a few spots but does not seriously inhibit the story. A few of the tales center around little boys. Willie is a little boy who gives an eccentric old man directions and is rewarded with three wishes. The boy meets up with his friends and uses his wishes foolishly and learns a lesson the hard way. Another tale involves a young boy named Brian who is thought to be a simpleton but later undergoes an experience that turns the tables for him. On the other hand, Tom is a boastful boy intent on bullying the other children and forcing them to comply with his demands. One day his mom and a dog named Pluto prove to be his undoing. A boy and a wicked dog named Molly have a series of adventures that lead to bold actions by another little boy. Sam, a very superstitious little boy misses out on a lot of fun until a little girl named Kate teaches him how superstition is ruining his life. A lazy boy named Lukas spends his summer days watching TV, lying in bed and eating through a tube because he is too lazy to get up. He will have to learn the hard way that being lazy just leads to unhappiness. I think my favorite story is the one about the big trains and the little trains. In this tale, the large trains believe that might makes right and the spend their time quarreling with the little trains over who is more important until both parties realize they are both necessary. Unlike most fairy tales, many of the characters in this collection are boys and the setting is often in a large city.

All of these stories teach life lessons for children, and maybe for some adults! They are charming if nontraditional. There are a few illustrations which add to the appeal, but unfortunately they are a bit small on the kindle version. These short stories make up small chapters so the book is useful as a beginning reader. Parents could use the chapters as bedtime stories; teachers might approach them as short read alouds. Refreshing and different selection for anyone who enjoys fairy tales. Recommended for children age seven and older.

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Sir Princess Petra’s TALENT: Book Two The Pen Pieyu Adventures

Written by Diane Mae Robinson

This is the second book in The Pen Pieyu adventure series. The author provides a synopsis of Book One to get all readers up to speed though the book can stand on its own. Sir Princess Petra is no ordinary princess; she is spirited, stubborn, sensitive, and devoted to her friends and subjects. In the last book, the reader met a nine year old girl who was determined to become the first knight in her magical kingdom. Petra achieved knighthood by slaying the howling dragon named Snarls in a series of adventures; he later becomes her friend and master connoisseur in the palace kitchen.

At the beginning of Book Two, the king and queen summon Petra informing her that she must go away to the Land of Lost Donkeys to attend training in a Talent School in order to become a “proper princess.” This does not sit well with Petra, but she is an obedient daughter and loyal subject and so she acquiesces to her parents’ request. On her journey she meets Prince Duce Crablips who is secretly betrothed to her, but who would really like to go to school to learn how to crochet. The selection of talents available to Petra at the school are all unappealing, sewing, etiquette and knitting are not her cup of tea. Together with Snarls and Prince Duce, they eventually find a satisfactory course and complete certificates before being forced to make a quick exit. The three compatriots become embroiled in an adventure with the ganutes on their way home to the kingdom. Petra assists all her friends in employing their new found talents; Pen Pieyu attains subjects with new talents in the process. Petra enthralls her parents and her subjects with her new abilities, which I suspect might be the start of a new adventure.

This series is the perfect chapter book for new or reluctant readers. Because I write picture books, I have a definite preference for illustration in children’s books; the black and white pencil drawings in this book are a definite enhancement to the plot. The short length of the chapters are perfect for serial read alouds in the classroom or multiple bedtime stories. Petra is a strong role model for encouraging a young girl’s potential. Her strength of character along with the other rich and humorous characters extend the book’s appeal to boys as well. There is humor, adventure, magic, fantasy and just enough silliness to appeal to children and parents of children from early elementary through middle grades. I anticipate a lot more exciting adventures and lessons in store for Petra’s fans as she matures. Another good chapter book by award-winning author, Diane Mae Robinson.

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LOTS AND LOTS (RHYMING CHILDREN BEDTIME STORIES)

Written by Peter Collier

What a refreshing collection of amusing short stories written in rhyme! This collection is very different from the typical bedtime fairytale or animal story. I especially like the fact that the featured character is a very bright little girl named Frances Nicolson, who just can’t stop asking questions. She inquiries about common everyday activities like baking a cake without a recipe and using the wrong kind of pebble as a skipping stone. Frances questions her neighbor about the funny words he uses like, “Hunky Dory” and “old curmudgeon.” She refuses to believe in tales like the Loch Ness Monster because they can’t be proven. Her imagination is unlimited: Frances uses her own backyard to go on an African safari, have tea with kings and queens, and climb the world’s highest mountain.

Frances’ curiosity is insatiable. Some of her questions include:

Do you have any bellybuttons?
If chickens are boneless, how could they walk?
What’s the difference between hunks and chunks?

When the circus came to town, Frances had all sorts of questions for the clowns like what is the reason for their baggy pants and why don’t they get dizzy from standing upside down all the time. Frances has a friend named Susan Jane who has a habit of exaggerating the truth. That exasperates Frances because she just has to have the right answer! There is only one time when Frances is quiet. Can you guess when?

The bottom line of this enticing book is that you cannot learn without asking questions. That might be annoying to parents and teachers, at times, but it is the way all children enrich their minds. Collier is to be commended for a clever story line and a character who represents a wonderful role model for children.

MONSTER MELANGE

Monsters I Know (Rhyming Bedtime Stories

Written and illustrated by Peter Collier

This book would make a delightful Halloween read. The types of monsters are unorthodox and most of them are not very scary! First, the reader encounters The Big Foote Belly Button Lint monster. He lives at the feet of Thomas Mcfee’s bed. It began as some belly button lint and grows bigger every day eating only colored string. There is a Hungry Tree who walks about eating farm animals, the Smelly Kiss, Smelly Sam stomach gasses monster, a Spaghetti Dinner Monster, and the Dead End Rubbish monster.

Perhaps the scariest is the cursed School Chair monster.
The author describes it as,

“One moment you’re there
and the next you’ll be gone;”

The Jones family certainly lived to regret not getting rid of The Fridge. I won’t give away its secrets except to say,

“No one goes near it anymore:
Never will anyone open its door;
All it does now is snarl and snore.”

Children age six and up will love the absurdity and the silliness in these rhymes, although some of the vocabulary will not be understood by younger readers This kind of slapstick humor is especially appealing to middle grade boys. Although the concepts are clever, the rhymes are sometimes a bit forced. There are some issues with punctuation and line placement. In this kindle version, the illustrations are very small. Larger pictures would have added a lot more to the desired effect of the tales. On the other hand, if you are looking for a very different and funny Halloween book of short tales, this one will surely fit the bill.

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