King Burue Changes the Rules by Natalija Bajlo

Genre:  Children, Picture Book, Traditional

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

The author of the book is an eight year old who has written a wonderful fable.  Goose King Burue is a kind and fair king who always follows the rules.  One day while flying around he met a Japanese Parrot named Kimiko.  He fell in love and asked her to marry him.  Then he realized he had broken one of the rules. The rule stated that only a goose could marry a goose.  He didn’t know what to do. He tried to disguise her to look like a goose, but that did not work.  He flew off to think and find the answer.  He met and talked with many friends.  He met eagle and his companion pelican, then he met bunny and porcupine, finally he met frog and chameleon.  They had all broken the rule.  They understood how important all the rules were except the last one.  The King flew to his grandfather to ask him and met his companion a flamingo.  He learned he could change the rules and that, “kindness, honesty and happiness are not found in the color of someone’s fur or feathers.  I love the lessons taught in this story. This is a simple way of teaching children that you should like someone and treat them kindly based on what is in their heart.  I would gladly read more books by this author.

About the Author

Natalija Bajlo, eight-year-old author of King Burue Changes the Rules, is an extraordinary young lady who is very observant of the world around her. It is with an open heart that she adamantly delivers her message based on how she was taught to treat others. When Natalija is faced with issues at school where kids seem to act quickly to ridicule others, she does the opposite and speaks out on behalf of the one being challenged. The true beauty in her refusal to see the differences in people lends itself to seeing more of the uniqueness in them instead.

About the Illustrator

Illustrator Amene Beheshti, is quite a unique and talented young lady. Born in the Persian province of Qom in 1986, Amene was in love with colors and colorful pencils ever since she created her first drawing. She received her degree in painting from Iran’s Isfahan Art University in September, 2013. Now, Amene works as an illustrator and shows her feelings via her illustrations. When she had the opportunity to read Natalija’s book, Amene felt an instant connection to the meaning of the story that served as inspiration for her delightful drawings of the characters and the world in which they live. Children will be enthralled with the messages in her illustrations and how playful they are with such a creative twist. Amene has many great visual stories to tell through her art. We anticipate seeing much more of her in the near future and look forward to more collaborations.

Student Saturday: Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

Student Reviewer: Shalyn W.
Genre: Middle Grade, Traditional, Fantasy

The book Tuesdays at the Castle starts out with the Castle Glower growing a new room because it is bored. The parents of a girl named Celie and her other siblings. She is advised to watch them, but when her parents disappear will she be able to keep them away from this room? I can relate to this book because my mom keeps many secrets away from me. I really liked this book because usually  I'm not a fan of traditional fiction. I would recommend this book to new tradional readers.

The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children - Keith McGowan

Pages: 192
Genre: Middle Grade, Fairy Tale, Fantasy

A new take on the Hansel and Gretel Story!

 I have had this book on my shelf for at least a year and a half.  I decided I was definitely going to read it this summer. I absolutely loved this book! For those of you who like the story of Hansel and Gretel, you will love this new spin on it.
The witch, Fay Holaderry has adapted her lifestyle to the present time, living like any elderly person in any community. But, looks can be deceiving.

Sol and Connie Blink have just moved to Grand Creek. They have a lovely set of parents who don't really seem to care about them. The reasons, and there are many, become clear as you read the book. Sol is a science nerd. His younger sister Connie loves animals and loves and admires her brother. Sol has a difficult time believing in himself after a terrible incident in the town they have just moved from.

Both Sol and Connie must learn to trust each other if they are to survive what their parents, Ms. Holaderry and many others in the town have set up for them. This story's themes of perseverance, trust and relying on family run all through this story.  I can't wait for the first day of school to begin so that I can recommend this book to my new students.

Underworlds: The Battle Begins - Tony Abbott

Publisher:  Scholastic, Inc
Pages:  112
Genre:  Elementary, Middle Grade, Myths, Fantasy, Mystery
Source:  I purchased the book for my school shelves

Owen Brown is a very conscientious kid.  He worries about things like the up-coming concert and the multiple projects he helps collect money for at school.  What he didn't think to worry about is the possibility of mythological worlds really existing.  That is until his best friend Dana Runson disappears.  After knocking her down in the hallway, the floor beneath her splits open belching smoke and fire and she is suddenly gone.  The last thing Dana tells him before she disappears through the floor is to go to her house and find a book.  He and his friends Jon and Sydney find the book and a whole lot more.  They enter a world of monsters and the Greek, Norse, Egyptian, and Babylonian Gods.  They first must save Dana from the underworld.  Whether they want to participate or not they are all now part of a Battle that has begun.

If you are loved the Percy Jackson series you will love this new series.  It is geared toward upper elementary and lower middle school.  As an adult I found it very engaging.  For the reluctant reader who really wanted to read the Percy Jackson series but found it to be too bulky  in page length, this would be the perfect series.

Cinder and Ella – Melissa Lemon

Publisher:  Cedar Fort Inc, (November 8, 2011

Pages:  280

Source:  I received a copy from NetGalley

Genre:  Young Adult ,Fantasy, Fairy Tales

The story of Cinder and Ella is loosely based on the fairy tale Cinderella.  I say loosely because it has more of a Grimms Brothers touch to it.  I loved the fact that the author broke the familiar character into two different characters.  We have Cinder who received her name because of the color of her hair, and we have Ella.  Cinder, Ella, and their sisters Beatrice and Katrina live with their parent in a happy home.  That is it was happy until  the Prince paid a visit.  He was trying to convince everyone that his father was evil, when in reality he was the evil one.  Their father changed before their eyes and then disappeared.  Their mother began spinning yarn to provide for her children.  Cinder was the one who could calm everyone and make everyone happy.    Ella  tried to be like her but yet did not give in to selfish Katrina or Beatrice.  When Cinder gets a job at the palace Ella leaves home on her own and the household become chaotic.  Cinder returns on her day off to find her sister gone and no one knows or seems to care where she is.  A knight hears her crying at night and decides to find her sister for her.  He finds it strange when his request to search for her  is granted by the Prince and only with the understanding he will take to of the Prince’s men along with him.  He learns that they are to bring her back to the castle even if they have to arrest her.  We watch the feelings between the Knight  Tanner and Ella grow as the danger increases.  I loved the way the story continued.  I loved the way it ended.  It wasn’t your fairy tale ending.  It had that darkness all through it.  Yet as you read the discussion questions at the back you realized there were so many deep questions about family and right from wrong throughout the book that were left for the reader to answer.  This is definitely a great book and one I look forward to recommending to others.  I also look forward to whatever else this author has for the future.

Animal Stories Daddy Told Us - Innocent Emechete

Publisher:  AuthorHouse

Pages:  92

Source:  Received a review copy from the author

Genre:  Middle Grades, Traditional Stories

Are you looking for a book to teach your children about moral issues?   Look no further than

Innocent Emechete’s Animal Stories Daddy Told Us.  This author is a Catholic Priest born in Nigeria, West Africa.  As he explains in the introduction, the stories in this book were originally passed down from one generation to the next by mouth since for a long time most of the people could not read or write. The book is wonderfully illustrated by Theo. Nwaodu

These stories are not unlike many of our simple legends, myths, fairy tales and fables that teach the reader a moral lesson.  Some of the stories reminded me of popular cartoons we had when I was growing up.  The story of Mr. Mosquito and Ms. Ear in reminiscent of many tales we have of princesses who berate the men who come to win their hand only to discover what they missed out on.  The questions at the end of each story add a refreshing dimension to the book.  It gives the reader an opportunity to interact with the story on a different level.  If used in the classroom this book allows open discussion that can be taken a step further and applied to real world experiences.   Each story often has more than one lesson to be learned.  This is an asset to classrooms or to homes around the world.  The stories let the reader recognize how similar the messages are in these types of stories.  I look forward to sharing this book with my students.