The Way Eye See It Cyclops Tells All

Cyclops Tells All: The Way EYE See It (The Other Side of the Myth)is Nancy Loewn's attempt to give Polyphemus a chance to tell his side of his encounter with Odysseus.

The author begins with a summary of the original Greek myth. She then goes on to present the Cyclops version of the myth. In this version the author sticks with the traditional tale of how Odysseus meets Polyphemus. From there Polyphemus tries to justify his actions by explaining his twisted version of why he thought eating Odysseus' troops would make him human allowing him to achieve his dream of traveling the world. He seemed to have been influenced by a childhood nutrition lesson, you are what you eat. He wrongly assumes if he eats humans, he will become human.

Again sticking with the traditional tale, Odysseus attacks Polyphemus and he and the last of his men are able to escape.

This wasn't one of the strongest of this series. You are what you eat wasn't a great argument or justification. I would have gone with an unjustified attack on a one eyed creature who was just tending his sheep. Self-defense would have been more believable.

If You Lived When Women Won Their Rights

I had a request from a family member who was looking for titles on Suffragists that were written at an age appropriate level when I came across If You Lived When Women Won Their Rights while researching some other books.

I have been a big fan of this series and had not realized they had published a book on the history of the movement to give women the right to vote. This was actually published in 2006. Most of the titles in this series start with If You Lived, If You Traveled, If You Were, etc. The format for the books is question and answered based. They are a great introduction to just about any historical topic a child might be studying.

This book starts out by discussing the rights woman had in colonial times and during the Revolutionary War. Along with discussing the impact of their lack of rights, it also addresses the responsibilities women had, even though they lacked the rights to control the situations that impacted those responsibilities. The book addresses the issues of marriage laws, access to education, and the challenges of employment for women during the 1800's. From there the book moves to discuss how and why some women got involved in the abolition and prohibition movements during the 1800's. The author explains that from their challenges and restrictions of working in the abolitionist movement, women came together to form a women's movement to have more rights and freedoms.

The author then introduces the reader to the 1848 Seneca Women's Rights Convention. While the Convention did not succeed, immediately in getting women the right to vote, it planted seeds and the author does an age appropriate job of explaining the progress and the challenges women faced on the road to getting the right to vote in 1920.

I thought the author did a particularly good job of sticking to age appropriate explanations as she explained how the women's rights movement was stalled during the Civil War and why women were frustrated that they did not receive equal treatment when male slaves were freed and granted the right to vote. These can be sensitive subjects and I was impressed with how the author approached the topic for children. It got a little harsher as she described the treatment of the women during the 1900's, but I am not sure there is an age appropriate way to discuss the treatment the women received when they were marching and assembling.

As with all books, I always suggest screening before using. As I mentioned, I picked this up for a family member who is looking for age appropriate materials for her daughter on the topic. I think it is one of the better books I have found on the topic.

Crazy Like a Fox a Simile Story

I am always looking for creative picture books that teach important English concepts and with Crazy Like a Fox: A Simile Story Loreen Leedy has found a delightful way to accomplish the task.

The author begins with a wonderful introduction that explains what similes are and even explains how the overuse of them results in clichés. I thought her explanation was better than some I have seen in children's language texts.

The illustrations are cute, but for an introductory book, I would have stuck with more traditional similes that children would know and be familiar with than creating newer ones. However, it is a good introduction to the topic and would generate enough interest that a parent or teacher could build on this to generate a list of other similes that children could illustrate for their own book.

This book could be used with young children as an introduction to the topic or with older children as a support for a lesson on the subject. I think it is great to get an early start with introducing English concepts to children. I also think it is equally important to provide supports to older elementary students as they are learning these topics. A picture book can enhance a language lesson and provide a fun and meaningful way for learners to connect to a topic that can be dry and hard to connect to for some students. It is also a way to modify a lesson for students with learning challenges. While an English text might not reach a student, a funny story may make this concept easier to understand.

The Great Divide

Dayle Ann Dodds introduces children to division in The Great Divide: A Mathematical Marathon as racers encounter hazards that leave them divided into groups. Each hazard leaves the group divided in half until there is only one racer remaining to win the race.

I thought Full House: An Invitation to Fractions did a better job in providing children with visual demonstrations of the math concepts and how the math would be represented in numerical form. This is a cute math story, but not nearly as strong as many of the other math picture books I have been reviewing.

A Very Improbable Story

A Very Improbable Storyis a picture book designed to introduce children to the idea of probability.

Ethan awakes one morning to find a cat on his head, only it is not his cat. The cat refuses to leave until Ethan wins a game of Odds. The cat proceeds to beat Ethan and he is left wondering if he will be wearing a cat hat to his final soccer match.

As he keeps playing the game, Ethan realizes that the high probabilities make his chances of winning unlikely. At breakfast, he discovers a low probability option that finally gets the cat off his head. He uses his new knowledge of probability to work on improving his shot choice and hopes it will result in a win for his team.

This will not help children master probability, but it will introduce them to the concept and some general idea of where probabilities occur in the real world. It is again a great way to introduce a concept that can be challenging to learners early as a way of easing anxiety later.

Sir Cumference and the Isle of Immeter

Once again Cindy Neuschwander has found a fun way to introduce math concepts with Sir Cumference and the Isle of Immeter (Math Adventures) math adventure. In case you did not guess it from the title, in this book she addresses perimeter and area.

The story begins with Per visiting her Uncle Sir Cumference, her Aunt Lady Di Ameter, and their son Radius. They teach her a game that is one that children can also play after reading this story and learn some valuable math skills. The game is called Inners and Edges and requires the children to determine the number of edges a shape made of tiles has after being told the number of inners. They are told the game originally belonged to the Countess Areana who lives on the Island of Immeter that is guarded by a sea serpent that keeps visitors away.

This of course leads the children Radius and Per to making a visit to the Island of Immeter where they must use their knowledge of the game to safely get into the tower without being eaten by the sea serpent. As Per works her way through the challenges, with the help of Radius she finds herself the keeper of Immeter Island, becoming Lady Per of Immeter.

This math series is a great way to introduce more challenging math concepts to children. The stories are engaging, and the math solid.

Full House an Invitation to Fractions

Full House: An Invitation to Fractionsinvites young readers to see fractions in action in an age appropriate manner.

In an author statement Ms. Dodds states, "Fractions were always a bit difficult for me to understand." In this book, she sets out to demonstrate that even young children can start to see fractions as parts of wholes and recognize their number format. She takes the fear out of fractions by introducing them at a young age, helping parents and teachers to demonstrate there is no boogey man fraction monster. It is just another part of math in our environment.

The story she weaves to help teach fractions is about Miss Bloom who runs the Strawberry Inn with six rooms including her own. She is hopeful of filling the Inn and as each guest arrives the readers are shown the fraction of rooms that are now filled. When the final guest arrives, the reader is shown how 6/6 is equal to one whole because the whole Inn is full. A final fraction story emerges regarding Miss Bloom's cake when the guests get hungry in the middle of the night and only leave her 1/6 the of the cake for herself.

I think this is another great book for introducing math concepts early in an age appropriate manner. I do not expect children to grasp fractions after reading this or any other children's picture book. However, it does plant a seed. With additional exposure, children do start to build math concepts. Thus, fractions and other math topics are no longer great mysteries to be tackled in later years.

Prince Cinders

Prince Cindersis a cute, but predictable retelling of the Cinderella story with a gender switch. Cinderella is switched with Prince Cinders who has three hairy bullying older brothers.

The main twist to this story is Prince Cinder's fairy godmother is not as qualified as most are in the other Cinder tales. Instead of turning the awkward prince into a handsome young date for the rich young princess, she tries a variety of spells to get him ready for a big night at the disco. Finally, she does grant the Prince's deepest desire to be big and hairy like his brothers, but not in a way, the Prince had expected. However, the Prince and the fairy are not too concerned because the unexpected spells should wear off at midnight.

In this version, the Prince loses not a shoe, but his pants. The story follows the traditional tale and the Princess tries to find her true love that can fit the pants.

This was not my favorite of the alternate Cinderella tales, but it was a cute read.

Mummy Math an Adventure in Geometry

I was fortunate to grow up with brothers who could tell stories and make math and science formulas seem to have some meaning outside of the dull textbooks we were asked to memorize. Thankfully, math literature has emerged that provides children with more entertaining ways to learn the material and find some cross-curricular connections in the process.

Mummy Math: An Adventure in Geometryengages children in a treasure hunt for a Mummy's tomb while teaching them important math vocabulary and concepts related to geometric solids.

Two children end up trapped in a mummy's tomb and must remember what they've learned about cones, spheres, cubes, cylinders, pyramids, tetrahedrons, rectangles, and triangular prisms to find the mummy's burial chamber and make it out of the tomb.

As readers follow the children's adventure, they are taught the differences between the solids. In one instance, the children’s knowledge of how many faces each object has saves them from disaster. This is obviously only an introduction, but it is a fun and engaging introduction. A far more interesting one than the dry one I got from a textbook. This is more like the stories my brothers would make up to try to help me learn the material that the textbooks left me confused and frustrated learning.

The Greedy Triangle

The Greedy Triangle (Scholastic Bookshelf)is a creative way to teach children the language of geometrical shapes and about the importance of being satisfied with yourself.

The Greedy Triangle is happy being a triangle fitting itself under a person's arm when they put a hand on a hip, along with many other wonderful tasks. However, one day when it is bored, it asks a magical shapeshifter for another angle and another side and our trip through shape geometry begins. As with most picture books, children can predict that the triangle will never be happy with its new shape and always returns to the shapeshifter for one more side and one more angle.

The story introduces children to looking at shapes as formation of sides and angles that increase and can be seen as building up from other shapes. At the end, the triangle has lost his friends and cannot remember why he was so dissatisfied at being a triangle and requests that the shapeshifter make him a triangle again.

I am always looking for fun math stories that introduce concepts and vocabulary to children. This book would be most appropriate for young children. Unlike some of the other books I reviewed, I do not see this one appealing to an older audience of children.

Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians

Goldie Socks and the Three Libeariansis a cute retelling of a classic fairytale. In this version, the bears are a family of librarians who have a house made of books. While the bears are away Goldie Socks wanders in and with a library twist to the story, it follows the traditional tale.

Goldie Socks moves through the bears’ house trying out books, attempting to find ones that will be just right for her. This gives the author a chance to remind readers about the five finger rule. As Goldie leaves books on the floor it gives, parents, teachers, and librarians a chance to remind students how to treat books that they do not wish to check out of the library.

I thought the author came up with an original twist on an old tale. It provides some additional talking points not provided in the original tale that some may find appropriate for young children headed off to visit the library.

If You Were a Fraction

If You Were a Fraction (Math Fun)is a wonderful book in Trisha Shaskan's Math Fun series. I am a firm believer that it is never too early to introduce children to math vocabulary and even basic concepts as long as it is done in a fun and age appropriate way.

This book introduces fractions in a way that meets those goals. Wonderful pictures help illustrate basic fraction concepts in a simple non-threatening way. Young children can be introduced to the vocabulary and ideas of fractions and older children who may be struggling with textbooks may find this a simple way to understand missed concepts.

I would not suggest worksheets to accompany the book, but introducing children to math vocabulary and ideas with fun picture books is a great start to math education. The more kids see the ideas, the more comfortable they become with the concepts without any need for drill and kill.

These are the kinds of books that can reduce fear of math. They help kids see math more clearly and help develop vocabulary and concepts that kids will need to function in math class. I only wish there had been more math literature when I was learning math.

If You Were a Contraction

If You Were a Contraction (Word Fun)is another book by Trisha Shaskan in the Word Fun series.

This is another wonderful fun low pressure way to introduce children to the basics of the English language. The pictures are fun and the language skills low pressure. The author introduces the apostrophe and then demonstrates how words are blended into contractions and provides an area that specifically shows these words as separate words and then the equivalent contractions.

This would be a engaging way to introduce young children to the concept of contractions. It is also a way to go back and work with children who might be struggling with a more textbook lesson version of teaching contractions. It is non-threatening and provides accurate information in a fun format.

Believe Me, Goldilocks Rocks!

Believe Me, Goldilocks Rocks!: The Story of the Three Bears as Told by Baby Bear (The Other Side of the Story)is a much stronger entry in the Other Side of the Stories series than the previous book I reviewed from the series,Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten!: The Story of Little Red Riding Hood as Told by the Wolf (The Other Side of the Story) a few weeks ago. In fairness it does have a different author so that does provide thus a different style.

In this story, Baby Bear or Sam as he prefers to be called narrates the story. Instead of being angry at Goldilocks for breaking and entering, he actually admires her and wants to be friends. It turns out Goldilocks has been challenged to a truth or dare activity by Red Riding Hood. Goldilocks is using her cell phone to provide proof that she has completed the dares and Sam clearly indicates her remorse by telling the readers she realizes her allowance is gone when the chair breaks.

While the story does not find a way to justify Goldilocks’ actions, it does indicate while thoughtless she did intend no actual physical harm to the family. She intends to provide restitution for her financial harm. The author is a bit murky about the ethics of breaking into someone’s home to perform a prank. It actually is a good book to discuss how these pranks have the potential to create damage and have consequences never considered prior to taking them on. It is never a bad idea to get kids to think about cause and effect.

One of my favorite lines in the book is when she calls Red Riding Hood, "Little Miss Hoodie." I have always envisioned a world where the nursery rhyme and fairytale characters know and interact with each other outside their "book" life. I could see where Red and Goldilocks’ teenage selves could get into quite a bit of trouble together.

I've joined Canadian Home Learning's Book Sharing Monday.

The Story of Jamestown

It's book sharing Monday at Canadian Home Learning.

We were asked for specific quotes for the Monday book sharing, but the format of this book did not lead to amazing quotes. The artwork and the word bubbles blended to create a surprisingly accurate account of the history of what would become Virginia. I tried to go back and update this with specific quotes, but it really is not any specific quote that makes the book. What makes this book worthy of mention is the format that brings history to life in a different way than most kids see it in traditional textbooks.


I am always on the lookout for accurate and interesting history books for children. I ran across a listing for The Story of Jamestown (Graphic History)and realized it was part of a series of graphic histories for children. I decided to start with Jamestown because I have not found lots of quality literature for children on the topic. The topic is generally tucked into a history book chapter that often lacks accuracy and interest leaving children uniformed about the topic.

I was pleased with this choice and have several others checked out to preview before making a purchase. The material was presented in graphic novel format focusing on content and storytelling so the reader is engaged in learning more about the material. The formatting makes the book appropriate for young readers or older readers who may need material at a more accessible reading level.

Some of the strengths of this book are that it presented the challenges the colonists faced, was honest about their relations with the Natives, and it foreshadows the challenges that are coming as the colonial population expands into Native territories regardless of treaties and promises that have been made. It explains why tobacco becomes a major product of Virginia and the introduction of slavery into the Virginia colony. It also talks about how government evolved in Virginia as the colonists struggled with adapting to life in an environment they were not prepared to handle. I was pleased to see these issues addressed in a manner children could understand and process.

It is nice to see a book for a child that focuses on the history of the colony. I have read far too many accounts of the love story of Pocahontas that teach children little about the formation of Virginia. I am looking forward to previewing more books in this series.

Honestly Red Riding Hood Was Rotton

I have always been a fan of providing children with stories that tell the "other side" of the story. Fairytales are nursery rhymes are great ways to introduce children to the idea that there are more sides to the story than the first one you read. Trish Speed Shaskan has taken on the challenge in Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten!: The Story of Little Red Riding Hood as Told by the Wolf (The Other Side of the Story)to give the wolf a voice.

Unfortunately, she has not made a convincing case. I was hoping for the defense presented inThe True Story of the Three Little Pigswhere the wolf attempts to present explanations for his actions against the pigs.

This book starts with the wolf claiming to be a vegetarian who went astray, but then works towards a character assassination of Red Riding Hood and Granny. It left me uncomfortable as if Red and Granny were deserving of being eaten due to their vanity and the wolf's hunger. I can think of a dozen scenarios that the wolf could use for mistaken identity, being set up, etc. This one seemed weak at best and at worst, it presented a dangerous message that Granny and Red deserved what they got.

The idea that a wild animal would eat whatever presented itself, as food is not unrealistic. My issue was that the author seemed to want to make the case that Red and Granny deserved it.

One thing I did like about the series was the suggestions at the back of the book to compare and contrast this story with the traditional version. I suspect that is part of this series. I have reserved a few more books in the series to see if others are better as there are multiple authors.

Eyes and Ears Seymour Simon

Eyes and Earsis a great resource for parents and teachers looking for a resource to teach the parts and functions of the ear and eye.

Simon uses photographs, diagrams and clear prose to help readers learn more about what make eyes and ears work. For anyone who has ever read a text and gotten lost in the first paragraph, Simon provides an alternative learning approach for elementary readers. Even older readers can benefit from the photographs and clear diagrams.

I have been collecting Simon's books for a younger relative and this is the latest purchase in the collection.

Punctuation the Write Stuff

I decided to pick up Basher Basics: Punctuation: The Write Stuff for a family member after purchasing Basher Science: Chemistry: Getting a Big Reaction and enjoying the presentation and format of the material.

While this book is in the same series it had a different author, so I was interested to see if it would be as strong as the first book I picked up. While a different writer, the series continues to be one I am pleased with and I would like to find the additional English focused titles.

The book divides punctuation into categories and gives each of the marks a personality that will help children remember the identity and purpose of each type of punctuation. This is an interesting approach to teaching what can be a dry subject. The illustrations and humor is a creative approach to getting children engaged in learning and may actually lead to children remembering what they have learned.

I would suggest this as a great addition to a family or classroom library. It is a handy book to review those often forgotten punctuation rules.

You Wouldn't Want to be at the Boston Tea Party

I came across You Wouldn't Want to Be at the Boston Tea Party!: Wharf Water Tea, You'd Rather Not Drink while searching for some Pilgrim resources to send with a Thanksgiving package. This title popped up during my search and I put it on reserve at the library to review.

I am always on the lookout for history books that are accurate and entertaining for children. I have a young homeschooling relative that has developed an interest in the American Revolution, so I have been exploring resources that will provide accurate information in a way that is accessible and hopefully entertaining.

This series is unique in my experience in that it is not written by one author, but a series of author's using the same basic title, You wouldn't want. It reminds me a great deal of the Travelers Guides I reviewed earlier. It is entertaining, but provides children with quite a bit of information about the topic.

While the title of this book is the Boston Tea Party, the book focuses on the roots of the conflicts between the colonists and the British and the first event covered is the Boston Massacre, not the Boston Tea Party. The book continues through the Tea Party, the Intolerable Acts, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Revolution, and the resolution of the war.

The series uses cartoons and short chapters to present the information. Little tidbits are offered in side pictures and commentaries. The book invites children into the time period by inviting them to participate in the story as George Robert Twelves, a 31 year old shoemaker preparing himself to participate in the Boston Tea Party. Each chapter directly addresses the reader telling them what their actions as George Twelve were during the events discussed in that chapter. I wish they had Paul Revere's cartoon yelling the Regulars are out instead of the British are coming, but I did find there was more information on the Boston Massacre and the Bunker Hill for this age group than I have found in previous books.

I have two other American History books from this series on reserve at the library to review prior to purchasing. If they are of the same quality, I think a set of three will be making their way to family for Christmas this year.

No Place for Magic

No Place for Magic is the fourth book in the Tales of the Frog Princess Series.

After reading the third book I was concerned that the series had resolved most of the conflicts established in The Frog Princess. This story introduces Eadric's family and the conflicts that arise because Eadric's family has issues with magic. When trolls take Eadric's younger brother Emma has mixed feelings about how to manage her magical gifts. She does not want to offend his family, but she also does not want to put Eadric at risk by not using magic.

While Eadric's father comes to accept magic after his younger son is saved, his mother continues to resist Emma's charm. Emma is worried when the parents move up the wedding date and faires from both kingdoms are invited. She fears that an offended fairy could bring a curse to one or both families.