Book review by 14-year-old Darla.

The Boss Baby, by Marla Frazee, is is an adorable comparison between babies and businessmen. Almost as if from another sibling’s perspective, it tells of how this little baby demands things like a boss would – like late-night “meetings” – while getting all the “perks” a boss would get as well. This book has colorful illustrations and clever comparisons, making this book humorous and fun to read, even for a fourteen-year-old!

Book Review by 12-Year-Old Craig

The pages of Robot Zot! is a short story about a robot that only thinks about his mission to save the world. He goes to outer space and only thinks about war. But what if he didn’t just think about war? What could change his mind?

When you read this book make sure to look at the colorful illustrations by David Shannon. He really put a lot of thought into this book. It gives you clues to what happens next, as well as what happens outside of Zot’s mind. I am 12 years old and I still liked this book. I would recommend this book to children ages 3-10 but it is recommended by the publisher for ages 3-7.

Itsy Mitsy Runs Away, by Elanna Allen, is a story about a little girl who does NOT want to go to bed. She hates bedtime so much that she has decided to run away, and this determined little girl proceeds to prepare, while her father helps her to remember all the things she’ll need to pack for her journey.

This darling story reminds me of Love and Logic concepts, but in a fantasy situation. Itsy Mitsy’s father doesn’t get in her way, but rather helps her to experience logical conclusion to her goal.

Mr. Duck Means Business (Paula Wiseman Books), by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Jeff Mack.

Mr. Duck lives by the pond and follows the same schedule each day. He is serious and enjoys the peace and quiet of his days. He is happy with this consistency until some unexpected visitors mess with his system, which makes him very upset and angry with his noisy and playful friends. But he finds himself lonely after chasing them away.

Ultimately, Mr. Duck discovers there are ways to have structure in place, which allows for times with friendly silliness as well.

I love Jeff Mack’s illustrations in the story, and think it’s a great message for children who have a difficult time with changes in schedule, or who find themselves in friendship conflict because of bossy behaviors.

A Value Tales Treasury: Stories for Growing Good People, fuses character traits with historical figures who possessed them. Author Spencer Johnson, M.D. gives children real-life illustrations of the values parents and others try to instill in them. The five “stories with a moral” include the following:

Believing in Yourself – Louis Pasteur
Helping – Harriet Tubman
Honesty – Confucius
Determination – Helen Keller
Humor – Will Rogers

Each story includes approximately 12 pages of a story with illustrations that show the historical figures in the situations that proved their mettle, with questions to pose the listener throughout the story. Each chapter ends with a one-page full biography of the historical figure, outlining the contributions he or she made to society in life.

My 11-year-old son liked the book because he knows these are characteristics we’ve talked about with him, and he liked learning about real people. He generally likes to read non-fiction books, so it was a good fit for him.

I plan to use parts of this book as I teach character education in my elementary school. Great resource!