Diary of a Wimpy Kid: a novel in cartoons, by Jeff Kinney. Amulet Books, NY, 2007. 217 pages

Wildly popular with 6th through 8th graders, the pages of Jeff Kinney's book actually looks like a diary-- albeit a very neat one with extraordinary cartoon doodles throughout. Greg Heffley is in middle school--surrounded by morons, bullies, teachers, parents and friends-- his journal is laugh out loud funny because Heffley acts on every kids fantasy--tricking friend and foe alike without any hint of guilt. Kinney definitely understands how kids think. We cannot keep it on the shelf-- or the sequals. Always a winner.

Mudshark by Gary Paulsen. Wendy Lamb Books, 2009. 96 pages.

Mudshark, aka Lyle Williams, is the coolest kid in middle school-- He is the go-to guy for all manner of problems-- where did i leave my homework? how do i get out of band practice, my cat is lost, can you find him, etc. He's not really a genius, he just has very good powers of observation, and in order to keep his position of importance, he starts the Mudshark Detective Agency and everyone-- even the principal, come to Mudshark for help. In this book ( the first of several, i am sure) Mudshark helps the principal straighten out some problems involving a class mascot, some missing erasers, the custodian's job and the library parrot who talks too much. Light hearted and clever-- lots of funny observations about school culture-- Paulsen's new series should find lots of popularity, especially among boys.

The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway. Scribner (1995), Paperback, 128 pages

The old man, Santiago, is at the end of his life. He is a fisherman--- a hard life, and now he is old and poor and unable to catch the fish he could in his heyday. Thinking to change his luck, he sets out --too far and all alone-- to richer but more dangerous fishing grounds and has the battle of his life with an enormous marlin-- 3 days and 3 nights. A short and thrilling and absorbing read-- truely-- i am not making this up. Full of symbolism and irony -- and so well written-- a sparseness to the text--in few, well chosen words-- this is Hemenway at his best. I will not spoil the story by saying more. A great book for all readers...especially good for book groups and guided reading because there is so much to talk about. A Classic.

Baseball Crazy; Ten short stories that cover all the bases, Nancy Mercado, editor. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2008. 191 pages.

I love short stories and Mercado's collection is a winner. Ten baseball themed short stories by wonderful authors for young people--Jerry Spinelli, Joseph Bruhac,

A Greener Christmas by Sheheerazade Goldsmith. Dorling Kindersley, 2008. 350 pages.

A Greener Christmas was not exactly what I expected-- it is a holiday craft book-- a good one-- but not all that different from countless others. A great book for someone who needs a holiday craft book, but if you have a few already there is no reason to purchase it.
Now- if you ARE in the market for a holiday craft book, this one has lots to recommend it. The photos are gorgeous and because this is a british import, it has a little something many domestic books do not. The crafts are simple and mostly easy to do, the traditional british recipes are very simple and lovely and appropriately old fashioned christmassy. The recipes and craft and decorating ideas are interspersed throughout the book. There are some green ideas in the book-- recycle your tree, reuse wrapping paper, buy organic, etc. and, of course, the simpler more down to earth things do leave less of a carbon footprint, but in general you a getting a holiday craft book, albeit a well done one. i would recommend it to the right person...but i still can't get my dried orange and lemon slice ornaments to look the way hers does!

The Giggler Treatment by Roddy Doyle. Scholastic, 2000 112 pages.

When Mr. Mack punishes his children unfairly, he gets 'The Treatment'-- that is, tiny, gremlin like creatures called Gigglers must find a fresh dog poop and make him step in it. This is the story-- told with lots of reference to poo, bums, rudies, etc. A favorite of my own daughter Rose for several years, the book is funny and irreverant and much loved by kids. Definitely for the "The Day my Butt Went Psycho" and "Captain Underpants" crowd---which is virtually every 3-5th grader, I believe. In addition, since the author is Irish, the book comes with a glossery of the Irish/Anglo expressions used in the text. Cheeky and loads of fun!

The Story of Babar by Jean De Brunhoff. Random House Books for Young Readers (1967), Library Binding, 56 pages

A french classic i never read until today! A sweet tale of a young orphaned elephant who finds friendship and adventures in the city and then returns home to the forest to be crowned King. Lovely in its simplicity, Babar feels like a bedtime story created by a favorite aunt or uncle. The illustrations are exquisite-- both old fashioned and timeless. One warning though--while the script style font is charming, early readers may have trouble reading the text. Still, a lovely and charming tale loved by generations of children around the world.