2012
Book Reviews
May 2012


“Book Reviews,” Friend, May 2012, 21

Book Reviews

Picture Books

The White Ox, by Ruth Hailstone, illustrated by Dan Burr. When Emily leaves her family behind in England to travel to the Salt Lake Valley, she encounters sickness and hardship, but always adventure. When she doesn’t think she can make it any farther, a mysterious friend appears to help her on her way to Zion.

All the World, by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Marla Frazee. The world might seem big and scary sometimes, but you have your own world of family, friends, and things that you love. Spend a day in this book’s small town full of love and friendship.

The Buffalo Are Back, by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Wendell Minor. A long time ago, 75 million buffalo roamed the American Great Plains. But it took less than 100 years for them to almost disappear. Find out what happened and how the buffalo are returning to the plains.

Fiction for children ages 5–9

Oliver and Albert, Friends Forever, by Jean Van Leeuwen, illustrated by Ann Schweninger. Albert is the new boy at school. He can’t kick or catch, so his classmates don’t want him on their kickball team. But Oliver discovers that Albert is good at other things and that two people don’t have to be exactly the same to be friends.

In Aunt Lucy’s Kitchen*, by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin. Lily, Rosie, and Tess are cousins who live with their Aunt Lucy. When they decide to start a cookie company, they don’t know about the adventures awaiting them or the new friends they will make.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee*, by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead. Every day, Amos visits his animal friends at the zoo. But one day Amos is sick and has to stay home. See who comes to visit to cheer him up!

Fiction for children ages 10–12

The Castle in the Attic*, by Elizabeth Winthrop. When the housekeeper, Mrs. Phillips, tells William she is moving back to England, William is very sad. Mrs. Phillips gives William a special good-bye gift—an old toy castle. When a tiny knight comes alive, William discovers that the castle is magic!

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, by Jeanne Birdsall. The four Penderwick sisters can’t imagine their father dating anyone after their mother passes away. When the girls launch the Save-Daddy Plan to stop him, they discover that saving their father is harder than they thought.

Nonfiction

Far-out Guide to Earth, by Mary Kay Carson. Do you know when the first satellite launched into space or how fast the earth travels around the sun? Find out these and more far-out facts about our planet.

Into the Deep: The Life of Naturalist and Explorer William Beebe, by David Sheldon. As a child, William Beebe loved learning about nature. He grew up to be a famous naturalist, studying animals around the world and diving deep into the oceans to see things no one had ever seen before.

Illustrations by Dan Burr