Bear Stays up for Christmas or Fancy Nancy

Bear Stays Up for Christmas

Author: Karma Wilson

"The day before Christmas,

snuggled on his floor,

Bear sleeps soundly

with a great big snore...."

Bear's friends are determined to keep Bear awake for Christmas! So they wake Bear up and have him help them find a Christmas tree, bake cakes, hang up stockings, and sing Christmas songs. Bear stays up -- by discovering that giving is one of the best Christmas presents!

How a SURPRISE visit from someone very special gives Bear and his friends a Christmas to remember makes an enchanting holiday story for young readers. With Karma Wilson's memorable text and Jane Chapman's glowing illustrations, Bear Stays Up for Christmas is a book to cherish throughout the year.

The New York Times - Sandra Dutton

Jane Chapman's illustrations show animals that are startlingly realistic. Bear has dark whiskers and long, curved claws that are always at rest in his huge, furry paws. Badger's face, with its masklike brown-and-white pattern, is beautifully delineated; and Raven, dark and brooding, has a thoughtful, engaged expression. Bear's pals Wren, Gopher, Mole and Hare also appear in all three books.

Publishers Weekly

Bear's thoughtful buddies rouse him from his deep hibernation nap just in time for Christmas Eve. With creative planning, the animals get their ursine friend into the holiday spirit-and the Yuletide preparations. And by the time Santa makes his appearance, guess who's tuckered out? (Not a certain Bear.) This duo's latest Bear book sustains the sweetness and humor of its predecessors (Bear Snores On; Bear Wants More) via rhyming, read-aloud-ready text and soft acrylic scenes of the cuddly creatures and wintry landscapes. Ages 3-7. (Oct.)

School Library Journal

Kids will ask for this book again and again.

Dr. Judy Rowen - Children's Literature

Bear normally hibernates in the winter, so he misses Christmas. His forest friends want to share the holiday with him, so Mouse shouts in his ear to awaken him and the animals agree to keep Bear busy so he will stay awake. Bear carries the Christmas tree back to his lair and the other animals decorate it. The animals are anthropomorphic enough to stand on their hind legs to stir popcorn and string it for the tree, but their surroundings are the snowy forest. Most of the text rhymes, which even forces a grammatical error: "He plods very slow/as they trudge through the snow." Will Bear stay awake to greet Christmas? And what is the perfect gift for a sleepy Bear? Bear has appeared in at least two other books—Bear Snores On and Bear Wants More; children who loved the first two in the series will undoubtedly enjoy this addition. 2004, Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster, Ages 3 to 7.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-It's the day before Christmas, and Bear's friends have gathered in his lair to wake him up to celebrate the holiday. They get a tree, pop corn and bake fruitcake, and hang stockings and hum songs. The others doze off, but Bear keeps busy wrapping presents, baking cookies, and decorating, unaware that a certain plump, red-suited gentleman is watching from outside the cave. The rhyming text sings, shouts, whispers, and crows, and the appealing acrylic illustrations are dear. This is an exuberant tale of friendship and perseverance, and holiday storytimes will be the brighter for it.-M. A.

Kirkus Reviews

In this third story about Bear and his friends, Bear struggles to stay awake during the group's holiday preparations. On Christmas Eve, all the other animals fall asleep, but Bear stays up all night making presents for the others. He's so busy with his work that he misses the appearance of Santa, who pauses at the cave door to fill all their stockings. On Christmas morning, the smaller animals enjoy their own gifts and then surprise Bear with a comfy quilt for his long-awaited winter slumber. The rollicking rhyming text is punctuated with the regular refrain of "but the bear stays up," which will surely be chanted gleefully by children listening to this story. The illustrations do a fine job with animal expressions and with difficult situations such as a mole popping corn and a Raven stirring up some fruitcake. The oversized format includes many double-page spreads with the bumbling, big-hearted bear in action and then finally settling down for a long winter's nap, after which Bear had better be back. (Picture book. 3-7)

See also: Kiss Dieting Goodbye or A Guide to Survivorship for Women with Ovarian Cancer

Fancy Nancy: The Dazzling Book Report

Author: Jane OConnor

Nancy's first book report is sure to be dazzling. After all, she is the second-best artist in her class. She is using beads, fringe, and a fancy border. And she is writing about Sacajawea, a true-life heroine. What could go wrong?

Join Nancy as she learns that you can't judge a book report by its cover! With simple text and vibrant illustrations, this newest addition to the Fancy Nancy I Can Read series will delight readers young and old.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 1—Monday is Library Day and Fancy Nancy is thrilled that she gets to pick out a book ("It is like getting a present for a week!") and write a report about a real person. She chooses Sacajawea, "…a princess [who] lived two hundred years ago out West." Somehow, however, Nancy is only able to concentrate on the artistic masterpiece she creates for the cover of her assignment, and leaves herself time to write a report of only two sentences before falling asleep. The girl needs a true heroine to come to the rescue when she presents her report, and her understanding teacher rises to the occasion. The text contains short sentences, an easy-on-the-eyes font size, and plenty of white space. New "fancy" words are defined throughout the text and in a glossary. This artistic endeavor is accompanied by the expected colorfully detailed illustrations. A welcome addition for independent readers.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services Plano ISD, TX

Scorpia or Junie B First Grader

Scorpia (Alex Rider Series #5)

Author: Anthony Horowitz

Alex Rider, the spitting image of his father in so many ways, is about to find out just how closely he is his father's son. When Alex learns that his father was an assassin for Scorpia, the most powerful terrorist organization going, his world shatters. Now Scorpia wants Alex on their side, and Alex wages a war of conscience he no longer has the will to win. Until, that is, he learns of Scorpia's latest plot: an operation known only as "Invisible Sword" that will result in the death of thousands of people. Unless he can stop it first . . . .
With a cliffhanger you'll want to read twice, Scorpia is the most intense thriller yet from bestselling author Anthony Horowitz.

Publishers Weekly

The fifth entry in the Alex Rider Adventure series by Anthony Horowitz, Scorpia follows 14-year-old Alex to Italy, after he learns that his father was an assassin for a criminal organization, and the teen gets swept up in a murderous scheme of his own.

Christopher Moning - Children's Literature

Alex Rider is no ordinary fourteen-year-old West London schoolboy. He has no parents or any other relatives to speak of, so he's pretty much on his own. And he's been recruited to be the youngest spy for MI6, Britain's secret intelligence organization. MI6 needs Alex to investigate the murders of two of the world's wealthiest individuals. The case leads him to an undercover assignment as the son of one of the world's richest supermarket magnates. Relocated to an elite boarding school in the Swiss Alps, Alex uncovers a dastardly plot by the headmaster, Dr. Grief, who has his sights, no less, on taking over the entire world. Dr. Grief's diabolical plot involves the duplication of the sons of the world's most powerful men. With the help of spy gadgets that might make 007 green with envy, Alex is able to make some harrowing escapes to foil Dr. Grief's plans and make the world safe once more. This is the second in the "Alex Rider Adventure" series. 2001, Philomel Books,

VOYA

This fast-paced book is for the young James Bond and spy-adventure fan. The book is short enough for the reluctant reader and cuts to the chase to hold attention. Other readers might quickly tire of the larger-than-life action scenes and clichés such as the stereotypical mad-scientist villain. Readers who enjoyed the first book will enjoy Point Blank. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2001, Philomel, 208p, $16.99. Ages 11 to 15. Reviewer: Anna Yu, aka Anna Banana, Teen Reviewer SOURCE: VOYA, February 2002 (Vol. 24, No.6)

KLIATT

This is the next Alex Rider adventure after Stormbreaker (reviewed in KLIATT in May 2001), which has been identified as a sure bet to interest young adolescents, especially males. The story begins dramatically, but Alex doesn't appear until chapter two, so for highly impatient readers, this might be a slight problem. After that, however, it's all Alex, all action, all the time. He outmaneuvers teenage bullies and South African racists left over from the apartheid days. British Intelligence places him in the worst school situation ever, isolated in the Alps above Grenoble, where he is threatened by a fate worse than death (well, death after the students in biology class dissect him while he is still alive, without anesthetic). Like James Bond, he is given some useful gadgets that save him, and like James Bond, Alex has super-human stamina, courage, wit and intelligence. It's fun stuff for those who like thrilling reading. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2001, Penguin Putnam, Philomel, 215p., $16.99. Ages 13 to 15. Reviewer: Claire Rosser; KLIATT SOURCE: KLIATT, March 2002 (Vol. 36, No. 2)

School Library Journal

Gr 7-10-Alex Rider, the 14-year-old spy and adventurer from Stormbreaker (2001), Point Blank (2002), Skeleton Key (2003), and Eagle Strike (2004, all Philomel), is back. While vacationing in Italy, he is recruited by the deadliest terrorist organization in the world, Scorpia, away from the world of M16, a British secret intelligence organization. Through a web of lies and deceit, Alex is persuaded to assassinate the deputy head of M16, a former friend and supervisor, while Scorpia plans a secret mission that will kill hundreds of thousands of British children in the blink of an eye. Missing his target and captured by M16, Rider is sent back into Scorpia, but this time as a spy. It is only with the teen's help that M16 can stop the organization's vicious threat. Of course, Alex Rider saves the day, but not without psychological mind gaming and fighting that will bring readers to the edge of their seats and keep them there until the final page. These titles are perfect for James Bond wannabes and reluctant readers. No prior knowledge of the previous books is necessary, as Horowitz drops clues from previous adventures.-Delia Fritz, Mercersburg Academy, PA

Kirkus Reviews

Fasten your seat belts for the second installment in Anthony Horowitz's spy-thriller series starring 14-year-old British schoolboy and ace agent from MI6, Alex Rider. James Bond has nothing on this crafty kid, and it's lucky Alex is on the job. It seems that mad scientists still infest the planet and still want to rule the world. When readers first met Alex in Stormbreaker (2001), MI6 had sent him to spy school. This time they send him to an exclusive school for the recalcitrant sons of the super-rich. Disguised as the son of a British supermarket magnate, Alex learns that something extraordinarily odd is going on at the school. Yes indeed, the school's owner, the creepy South African apartheid supporter Dr. Grief, intends to take over the world by controlling his wealthy students. But who are his students? Is Dr. Grief using brainwashing, fear, or something more sinister on the boys? Can Alex escape from the fortress-like school before that sinister something happens to him? Horowitz devises a string of miraculous circumstances that keeps Alex alive and spying throughout. Spy thrillers appear too seldom in YA literature. With plenty of cliffhanger action, the Alex Rider adventures might help get young readers hooked. The unabashed fantasy imitates the James Bond movies more closely than the books, but it's all plenty of fun. (Fiction. 11-14)

Table of Contents:

Book review: Real Estate Finance Investments or Organization Theory and Design

Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny (Junie B. Jones Series #27)

Author: Barbara Park

It's an Easter Egg-stravaganza!

Lucille is having an Easter Egg Hunt at her rich expensive mansion! And guess what? The winner gets a play date to swim in Lucille's heated indoor swimming pool! Only, here is the problem. How did Junie B. get stuck wearing a big dumb bunny suit? And how can she possibly find eggs when she keeps tripping over her huge big rabbit feet? Being a dumb bunny is definitely not as easy as it looks. Will Junie B. end up with egg on her face? Or will the day deliver some very uneggspected results?


From the Hardcover edition.

Children's Literature

What goes around comes around is the underlying theme of the 27th book in the series of adventures of the kids in Room One, Mr. Scary's class. Junie B. calls May a "dumb bunny" and is reprimanded severely. Not long after, Lucille (a.k.a. the rich kid) invites the whole class to her mansion for an Easter egg hunt. The winner will get a chance to play with Lucille all day and bask in her new indoor pool, but when the day of the hunt comes, the Easter Bunny doesn't show up and so Plan B goes into effect: the kid who picks a purple jellybean gets the "thrill of a lifetime" which turns out to be the chance to be the alternate Easter Bunny. Guess who wins? Of course, Junie B. doesn't do so well at hunting Easter eggs, hampered as she is by her gigantic bunny feet. Exhibiting a new altruistic streak, Junie B. decides she can at least thwart May's efforts to win the play date by helping Sheldon Potts (who is wearing his lucky shirt with some breakfast still on it, "may the egg be with you") find the coveted golden egg. As a result, May, the tattletale, pegs Junie B. as the dumbest of dumb bunnies. In the end, Junie is glad she helped Sheldon, May represses her tattling, and Lucille is thrilled with how everything turns out for her. Like all the Junie B. books, this one is sprinkled with funny moments for readers of all ages.

Pigeon Has Feelings Too or The Demigod Files

Pigeon Has Feelings Too!

Author: Mo Willems

How does it feel to be a Pigeon? Well, the bus driver is trying to get him to act happy, but as we all know, this is one bird that is not going to be told what to do! Throughout this hilarious board book, Pigeon runs through his signature gamut of emotions while attempting to thwart his old nemesis.

Publishers Weekly

The clever-quipping feathered hero of the Caldecott Honor book Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! now stars in a pair of original board books (with the bus driver as well as the duckling from The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog in supporting roles): The Pigeon Loves Things That Go! and The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too! by Mo Willems. In the first, Pigeon introduces various modes of transport including a bus ("Can't you just see me driving one?"), airplane ("Sure beats flapping!") and hot dog-"Hey, what's the big idea? A hot dog doesn't `go'!" to which the duckling provides his own wry reply. In the second, the bus driver prompts Pigeon to demonstrate various emotions.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9

This slim volume is clearly intended as a stop-gap product to tide eager readers over until the final volume of the series is released. In addition to three previously unreleased short stories about Percy and his companions, it also includes such filler as interviews with the same, along with word games, portraits of some of the Gods and their half-blood offspring, and the inevitable sneak preview of Book 5. The short stories are the meat of this book, and are filled with Riordan's trademark anachronistic humor. The first one puts Percy and his enemy Clarisse, the daughter of Ares, on the same team as she tries to retrieve her father's chariot, which has been hijacked as a prank by her two immortal brothers. The second story relates an incident that occurred during one of Camp Half-Blood's infamous Capture the Flag games, when Charlie Beckendorf, the camp counselor for Hephaestus, is captured by a horde of giant, poisonous ants, and has to be rescued with the help of a mechanical dragon. The final story brings Percy, Thalia, and Nico, the son of Hades, together at the request of Persephone to help retrieve Hades's stolen sword, the loss of which could be deadly to the Gods, and the resolution of which forms a lead-up to the probable events of Book 5. Despite the fact that this is more of a marketing package than anything else, the quality of and interest in the three stories likely justifies its purchase.-Tim Wadham, St. Louis County Library, MO

The Mitten or Puff the Magic Dragon

The Mitten

Author: Jan Brett

When Nicki drops one of his new white mittens in the snow, he doesn't even notice it's missing. One by one, the woodland animals discover the mitten and crawl inside, each one larger than the last: a mole, a rabbit, even a big, brown bear! With a simplified text designed for younger listeners, Jan Brett's classic picture book is now available in a sturdy board book format. Full color.

Publishers Weekly

SIZE smALL Jan Brett's 1989 The Mitten is now available in a board-book edition, for littlest readers. Adapted from a Ukrainian folktale, the story centers on a mitten dropped in the snow which becomes a refuge for a series of increasingly large animals. The artist's trademark borders and panels showcase finely detailed winter scenes.

Puff, the Magic Dragon

Author: Peter Yarrow

Puff, the Magic Dragon is simply one of the most beloved songs of all time - a classic that's become as much a part of the childhood experience as Mother Goose and fairy tales. Yet singer/songwriter Peter Yarrow and co-composer Lenny Lipton have never allowed a picture book adaptation of this magical tale...until now. With Yarrow's and Lipton's blessing, Puff, Jackie Paper, and the land of Honalee finally live on the page. This exquisite package includes an exclusive CD featuring not only Puff, but several other songs performed by Yarrow, his daughter Bethany, and cellist Rufus Cappadocia.

The New York Times - Steven Heller

…the song's slightly depressing overtones didn't stop me from playing it for my own son, now 18 years old, who as it turned out was not as interested in Puff as I was. This might have been a generational hiccup, since kids rarely show interest in what their parents like, but if this new book version of "Puff, the Magic Dragon," beautifully illustrated by Eric Puybaret and smartly designed by Lauren Rille and Scott Piehl, had been available when my son was small, we might have better experienced the song together. More than 40 years after "Puff," composed by Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton, was released, this volume (with a CD that includes two versions of "Puff" performed by Yarrow; his daughter, Bethany; and Rufus Cappadocia) brings the land of Honalee to new life…The pastel-colored paintings that fill these spreads are replete with elegantly rendered details of the Honalee landscape, including mountains and palm trees, towers and fantastical small animals and pixies.

Publishers Weekly

This handsome volume offers a charming interpretation of the 1960s folk song, written by Yarrow and Lipton and famously recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary. Featuring a soothing palette highlighted by greens and blues, Puybaret's graceful acrylic on linen paintings are intermittently misty and sunny. Echoing the gentle cadence of the song, the sweeping landscapes and seascapes reveal Honalee to be a magical place indeed, with faces appearing on trees, flowers and rocks. Other whimsical flourishes include the book's affable ancillary characters, including diminutive winged fairies and red-and-white striped dolphin-like critters that wear graduation caps. There is, of course, the inevitable somber moment when "One gray night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more,/ And Puff, that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar"; the dragon gazes wistfully upon the departing boy and then slips sadly into his cave. But at the creative hand of Puybaret, a French illustrator who here makes his American publishing debut, the song's potentially sad denouement takes an uplifting turn. As the chorus is repeated one final time, the delighted Puff spies a girl approaching-ostensibly Jackie's daughter-a new friend to frolic with in the autumn mist. Youngsters concerned about the fate of Puff's first playmate will be comforted to see a smiling, grown-up Jackie looking on. Adding to the appeal of the book is a CD presenting a new recording of the song (and two others), sung by Yarrow and his daughter Bethany, accompanied by cellist Rufus Cappadocia. An impressive performance all around. Ages 3-7. (Aug.)

Co-author Lipton says he had no idea that there was a Hanalei Bay with a lava cave just the right size for a dragon, but that's where Puff lives in Honalee. And though Jackie Paper grows up too much to stay with Puff, in the final images he brings his daughter to frolic with the dragon. Puybaret's acrylic-on-linen paintings have smooth edges, elongated shapes and rich matte colors as well as Bosch-ian touches: On Honalee there are peopleflies instead of dragonflies; the dolphins sport mortarboards and gondolier T-shirts; the deeply non-ferocious pirate captain has a hook and an eye patch all the same. A CD with four songs, two of them versions of "Puff," makes a very nice package indeed, especially since Yarrow sings with his daughter. (Picture book and CD. 4-8)