Tag Archives: Children’s book reviews

Bedtime Stories: Moonlight the Halloween Cat

moonlightPost by Mark T. Locker.

Moonlight the Halloween Cat by Cynthia Rylant.

The other day I was sitting with my boy who somehow has already turned eight. We were discussing this and that and the subject came around to some of his older picture books. I went looking for one in particular, the one with a character that was the namesake for our lovably dumb semi-feral cat, Dandio. I was unable to find that book (it’s a Toot & Puddle book, if you’re wondering) but I found myself looking through a bunch of his other now neglected but still much-loved (for nostalgia) books. One of the books I brought back to the table was Moonlight the Halloween Cat. When he was two, or three, we would read this book at least once a week. Probably daily. He still has a stuffed Halloween kitty he named Moonlight. I would lie on my stomach, propped on my elbows, and he would drape himself across my back, reading over my shoulder. He’s too big to do that now!

Sniff!

Well, we read the book and it’s just as sweet as I recall. Filled with naive art and simple text, the book tells us about Moonlight, the black cat who likes Halloween best of all. We follow Moonlight as she watches trick-or-treaters from the shadows, and sits in the laps of scarecrows and snacks on fallen pieces of candy. It’s a cute and simple book about an outsider who loves this human holiday. We get to tag along and see what Moonlight sees. Sometimes, there’s an owl!

I know some of you may think it’s a little early for Halloween books. But put this one on your list if you have a little one.

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Bedtime Stories: Fairy Tale School

The_School_for_Good_and_Evil_book_1_coverPost by Mark T. Locker.

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

On the edge of a dark wood sits the village of Gavaldon. Every four years, two children from Gavaldon are taken away. You cannot stop the forces that choose the children, but it can be easy to guess who will be taken, because they are taken to a mysterious and legendary school, the School for Good and Evil. This is where the worst and the best are taken to learn how to be a fairy tale prince, princess, witch or warlock. Or, if you aren’t so great, how to be an evil minion or an animal companion.

Sophie is absolutely convinced that she will be selected as the new candidate at the school for Good. She has prepared all her life to become a princess and to find a handsome prince all her own. Her best (and only) friend, Agatha, lives in the cemetery with her mother, who makes potions and poultices for the village. Draped in black and wary of people in general, Agatha’s only hope is to be left alone. But when the night arrives, Sophie and Agatha are both taken but much to their surprise, not to the schools they expected. It turns out that all of Sophie’s good deeds were more self-serving than altruistic and she is dropped in the School for Evil while the reluctant Agatha is taken to the School for Good.

What follows is each girl struggling to correct what was clearly an error while simultaneously learning the tricks of their respective trades. Agatha is loathe to wear pink frilly dresses but her natural talents for the skills of the good betray a kind heart. Sophie, on the other hand, makes the most of her putrid black gowns, and her skills at the black arts suggest maybe she wasn’t placed there in error after all.

An interesting spin on fairy tales and schools of magic, The School for Good and Evil is the first in a trilogy. An entertaining read for fans of magic, fairy tales, and the complicated friendships all of us have. This book is a great bedtime read as it will surely feed your dreams with magical delights.

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Bedtime Stories: The Dark is Rising

DarkRising6Post by Mark T. Locker.

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper.

On Midwinter’s Day, on his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton, seventh son of a seventh son, will awaken. His true calling will be made known to him, as the last of the Old Ones, those destined to fight the forces of the Dark, to keep the balance intact.

What a fantastical mystical premise for a series! The Dark is Rising is technically the second book in a series of five, but you can really skip the first one, Over Sea and Under Stone and not lose the thread of the story. The real story picks up as Will Stanton approaches his eleventh birthday. Until then, he was just another boy, the youngest of seven children in a happy home in England. But on the morn of his eleventh birthday, he awakes to find himself out of time in a place that is his village and yet not his village. Here he meets Merriman, one of the Old Ones, whose task is to guide Will, the newly awakened and last of the Old Ones, on his quest to collect the six signs, circles quartered with a cross, each of a different element: iron; bronze; wood; fire; water; stone.

Will must learn how to be an Old One, with all the knowledge and power that has been unlocked within him, and still be a young boy. How do you celebrate Christmas when time may stop at any moment, when danger may come in any form? How do you stand up to evil in front of your parents, who think the terrible Rider is a friendly colleague? It’s not easy being a kid. And it’s not easy being an Old One.

This series of books is a wonderful adventure and magical quest as Will and his allies strive to defeat the Dark once and for all. Great for kids, especially disturbingly mature eleven-year-olds.

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Bedtime Stories: Pioneer Life

little housePost by Mark T. Locker.

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

One of the things I love about my kid is how open he is to all genres of fiction. We have read everything from Harry Potter to Because of Winn-Dixie and from Greek mythology to tales of brave animals. None of it seems to be outside of his realm of interest. So I decided to test the limits of his attention and began reading to him the story of a little girl and her family living in the middle of the woods in pioneer-era Wisconsin.

The outcome? He enjoys it! We haven’t discussed the finer points of what appeals to him but every time I think it’s too boring to carry on reading, he asks me to read him a little bit more. I have only watched the television series “Little House on the Prairie” and have never read these books before so it’s educational for all of us. What I find interesting is the didactic tone the book takes, though I find a lot of books of that era are a little bit preachy. Discussing the novel with my brother, we both agreed that some passages seem designed specifically to tell kids these days how much better they have it. And it’s true; I can’t picture my son spending every Sunday reading catechism and quietly reflecting. He can barely read for 20 minutes without asking 20 times if he can stop reading!

It’s a fascinating look at daily life in the frontier wilderness of Midwest America. She certainly spares no details in everything from the process of curing meat to churning butter and cleaning a rifle. And yet, it’s interesting. It definitely gives you some perspective on what “hardship” might mean. I, for one, wouldn’t mind visiting that time for a little bit but come the Sabbath, I’d need to get online.

Great family bedtime reading to fill your dreams with wildcats, bears, and log splitting.

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Bedtime Stories: Charlotte’s Web

Charlottes-WebPost by Mark T. Locker.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

Sometimes it’s good to go back and revisit some of the classics from the annals of children’s literature. Everyone knows Charlotte’s Web. I grew up with the animated movie with the pig who excels at both whining and singing. Then they made the live-action version with Dakota Fanning, which I never saw and don’t plan to see. But recently my son and I went back to the original book, published over 60 years ago. Not every children’s book has the kind of staying power that Charlotte’s Web has. Heck, I even considered Charlotte as a name if I had a daughter. Even E.B. White’s other novels are notably less known, though Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan are well-loved, neither has captured the hearts of children quite like Charlotte’s Web. Interesting side note: the “White” in Strunk and White’s Elements of Style is E.B. White. Thanks, Wikipedia!

As you know, this book tells the story of a girl named Fern who saves a runt pig from the chopping block. She names him Wilbur and keeps him as a pet until he is sold to the Zuckermans. As Wilbur begins adjusting to life in the barnyard he makes a number of friends but none as remarkable as Charlotte, a clever little spider who lives in his barn. Her incredible ornate webs, celebrating the singularity of the pig, help to spare him once more from slaughter. As he grows older he befriends the sheep and geese and even, to an extent the greedy little rat Templeton (who happens to be my favorite character).

Filled with hope, magic, and of course sadness, they just don’t make children’s books like this anymore. There are thousands of children’s books out there and more being released all the time but it’s great to go back and rediscover the gems of generations past. This one should definitely be on your bedtime stories list.

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