Coco

Title: Coco
Author: Adrian Molina
Series: N/A
Recommended for: PreK- K
Pages: 24
Call Number/Link:  E DISNEY COCO

Synopsis: Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history. This beautifully illustrated Little Golden Book retells all the excitement and adventure of Disney/Pixar’s Coco. It’s perfect for children ages 2 to 5.

Thoughts:  I really liked this book.  Super cute, vibrant and it seems to show all the symbols of Dia de los Muertos well.  I am certain this would be a great book to read aloud to your children or classroom about the movie. Beautifully illustrated and heart warming.

 

A New Friend for Sparkle

Title:   A New Friend for Sparkle
Author:   Amy Young
Series:   Unsure of the name of the series, but it would make sense to call it the Sparkle series
Recommended for:   unicorn fans of all ages, children in preschool and early elementary school
Pages:   unpaged
Call Number/Link:   E YOUNG, A.

Rating:   ****

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

When Lucy’s friend Cole visits, Sparkle the “unicorn” is jealous until he and Brock discover a shared love of drumming and dancing.

 

Comments:

This book has a “unicorn”, music, dancing and friends.  It is no surprise that I loved it!

Sequel to:

A Unicorn Named Sparkle

 

Becoming Bach–New

 

Title: Becoming Bach
Author: Tom Leonard
Series: N/A
Recommended for: Pre-schoolers and up, especially for homeschoolers looking for an arts supplement.
Pages: 40
Call Number/Link:  E B BACH, S.

Synopsis:

“Highlights the life and achievements of the eighteenth-century German composer and musician, and examines the development of his most important compositions.”

 

My thoughts:

This beautifully-illustrated biography of J.S. Bach does a good job of presenting a great composer to young children. I was nearly mesmerized by the lovely pictures, and just wanted to keep staring at them!

One note: the book describes the deaths of his parents as “after mother and father went to heaven…” Death is definitely a difficult subject for some families, and would be a great discussion point for this book.

The historical notes in the back of the book were also quite interesting; I’ve read some biographical material on Bach that seems to disagree with some of the author’s assertions (eg, my own research seems to indicate that Bach was asked to leave Arnstadt because he took a very long unapproved leave of absence from his position; insulted a student; and engaged in a physical fight with the man, rather than writing music that upset the Church authorities as the author asserts. However, verifying this would take more time than the desk really allows!) but the book itself is lovely and highly recommended! –Rebekah

 

Echo: A Novel

 

Title: Echo: A Novel

Author: Pam Munoz Ryan

Series: N/A

Recommended for: Grades 5-9
Pages: 585
Call Number/Link:  J Fiction Ryan, P.

Synopsis:   Lost and alone in a forbidden forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica.

Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each, in turn, become interwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives. All the children face daunting challenges: rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together. And ultimately, pulled by the invisible thread of destiny, their suspenseful solo stories converge in an orchestral crescendo.

This was a fabulous book but a little complex because of the different stories being told in parts and the endings revealed near the end.  I thought the ending could have been better but you will definitely not look at a harmonica the same again.  Imagery was fabulous and a good view on life during the War during the Hitler era as well as Pearl Harbor. I would recommend this book for a higher reader in 5th grade while middle school to beginning of high school would be appropriate.  Definitely a good book to read aloud to a higher level classroom but it would take some time to complete.

 

Lost in Paris

Title: Lost in Paris                  
Author: Cindy Callaghan
Series:
Recommended for:  3rd thru 6th grade girls
Pages: 165
Call Number/Link:  J FICTION CALLAGHAN

Synopsis:  “Gwen Russell is thrilled to hear she will be heading to Paris with her family. Even though the main reason for the trip is to see her three older brothers play lacrosse, Gwen and her Mom have plans to tour the city when they can — As soon as they land, Gwen is swept up in the city she has always wanted to see, and even meets a cute boy named Henri. If that wasn’t enough excitement, Gwen finds out that her all-time favorite band is playing a one-night only concert in Paris—and there are tickets available to the sold-old show for three lucky people. The catch? Fans who want a golden ticket have to work for it via a scavenger hunt around the City of Light.” — Provided by Amazon.

This is one of our new J Fic choices, which is why I chose it. Since I am used to reading adult fiction or picture books, it took a little adjustment to reading a book geared for later elementary school or early middle school – the difference being depth of material.  I thought the story was okay but not wonderful.  The is a fun, quirky character who helps Gwen in the hunt around the city for the tickets.  I did not like that the adult tour director abandoned her group to go in search of the tickets.  It would probably be a good recommendation for the 3rd or 4th grade girl – older if their reading level is a little lower.  I am sure they would enjoy it.

 

Echo

Title:   Echo
Author:   Pam Munoz Ryan
Series:   not applicable
Recommended for:   Grades 6 and up
Pages:   585 pages
Call Number/Link:   TEEN FICTION RYAN, P.

Rating:   ****

 

 

Synopsis:

Lost in the Black Forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and finds himself entwined in a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica–and decades later three children, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California find themselves caught up in the same thread of destiny in the darkest days of the twentieth century, struggling to keep their families intact, and tied together by the music of the same harmonica.

Comments:

I’d heard a lot of positive buzz about Echo so decided to read it. The book was well-written and I appreciated that the children in the book were able to survive very difficult, seemingly hopeless situations thanks to music.  (They were also helped by a magical harmonica).  I’m a fan of books with intertwining stories which come together at the end of the book.  There were moments when I couldn’t believe that the author would be able to pull off a logical ending that tied everything together, but she did.  The downside of the book was that I cried when the sadness of the children’s situations overwhelmed me.

Echo would be a great choice for readers who like tearjerkers, historical fiction (particularly World War II), music, and books with entwined stories.