The Rocket Book by Peter Newell

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

From Goodreads:
"When Fritz,
the Janitor's bad kid,
Went snooping in the basement,
He found a rock snugly hid
Beneath the window casement.

He struck a match with one fell swoop;
Then, on the concrete kneeling,
he lit the rocket and-she-oop!
It shot up through the ceiling."

Long before Richard Scarry or Dr. Seuss, an American artist delighted a generation of children and their parents with hilarious, topsy-turvy illustrations and slightly subversive tales told in rhyme. This was illustrator/author Peter Newell.

Originally published in 1912, The Rocket Book remains as profoundly enjoyable and incredibly popular as ever. This classic work will delight readers of all ages with the story of how a rocket launched from the basement floor of an apartment building and how it interrupts the day.

Peter Newell (1862-1924) began his career as an artist drawing portraits, using crayons as his medium. In his fantastic humor, many believe, is the first appearance of the gentle humor of the absurd which The New Yorkerhas subsequently developed to such a high level.

My Thoughts:
Oh my, what a fun book to read  The rhymes were charming.  We see the consequences of on bad act and how they are perceived.  The janitor's son finds a rocket in the basement and lights it. The rocket takes off and goes through each of the floors above it.  On each floor we have a different incident taking place that is destroyed by the rocket coming through. The people in the apartments seem to be oblivious to what truly happened until it reaches the top floor.  I loved the way each floor had a two stanza rhyming poem to explain what happened.  I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. This is one of those charming books to be enjoyed by young and old alike.  The pictures definitely have an old time feel.  If I were to meet the author I would have to say, "More Please."

Wandering Among the Stars by Wirton Arvel

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

From Goodreads:
The motivational biography of a poet, a tale written in prose with many poems and inspirational quotes.
‘Wandering among the stars’ tells the love story between the protagonist and life.

A story where poetry and prose are intertwined like soul and body, to bring this love story to life so the reader can live it.

So it’s not about a collection of poems, least of all a story in verse. Maybe it could be described as a book of ‘narrated poems’ or as a ‘literary musical'; actually it represents a narrative experiment that lies somewhere between a meta-novel, a collection of poems and an essay; its main aim is to encourage those readers that usually prefer to read only prose works to read poetry as well.

It includes chapters about love, the cosmos, death,spirituality and poetry itself.

My Thoughts:
This book is a mixture of both poetry and prose.  Through the author's writing we journey with him from the beginning of his writing of poetry to the present. His writing covers many themes, especially nature.  Reading his poetry we often find him incorporating lines that refer to "little rays of sunshine". His poetry is meant to be inspirational, first to himself and then to the reader.  In the beginning of the book he talks about what poetry is. He compares it to a painter or a juggler who plays wit words.  He metaphorically describes it as "moving along dancing".   It is emotional. He follows each poem with prose to explain it.  I didn't find this to be as enjoyable as the poetry which is why I gave it four stars.  I would have liked more poetry and less prose.  However, I do understand that this is his "journey" so the prose was necessary.  With all this said, I would definitely recommend the book.  His prose is a great way to explain to my students what poetry is.

Dragon’s Future by Kandi J. Wyatt

Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fantasy

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

From Goodreads:

Every child of Woolpren dreams of becoming one, but only a few are chosen. Now, ten-year-old twin brother and sister, Ruskya and Duskya, have been selected to join an elite group of riders: dragon riders. Full of awe and excitement, the twins leave their mother, and their home, to train for their new lives.

Fifteen years later, dragons are becoming extinct and riders are rare. One day, Ruskya is at the general store in town when a man announces that he is recruiting new dragon riders. Ruskya goes undercover, and discovers that there is another colony of riders with their own agenda—a quest to find a mysterious plant that could restore the dragon population, or destroy it. When a battle erupts between the two colonies, it’s up to Ruskya and his friends to fight for their dragons’ future, and their lives.

Follow Ruskya’s quest as he finds courage and friendship in this exciting middle grade fantasy series by new author Kandi J Wyatt.

My Thoughts:

Not since reading Christopher Paolini’s “Eragon” have I read a book about dragons that made me want to be a part of that world.  I felt myself wishing I could be in the procession and chosen by a dragon. The book is full of adventure, danger and courage.  All of these are qualities I look for when searching for books for my students to read.  The author has given special gifts to these dragon riders and used simple plants to create the magic that makes all of this work together.  I read this book much slower than I usually read because I wanted to savor every word and didn’t want it to end.  The world the author created was so well described and authentic I could visualize it.  There are subtle lessons and themes throughout the story about friendship, trust, courage and the abuse of power. This would fit right in with my first or second teaching unit on adversity because the characters face some of the most adverse situations ever.   It is at times an emotional read as you feel the pain the twins feel as the story of what happened to their father is slowly unfolded.  This author is truly gifted at feeding in back story a little at a time in just the right places to keep it flowing. She never creates an information dump.  The book ends with so many possibilities for future books I the series.  I can hardly wait for the next book.

Kandi Wyatt has created a story that keeps you flying high like her dragon riders, making this a story for everyone from the reluctant middle school reader to the adventure seeking adult. This is a book that should be on every fantasy shelf, in every school.

About the Author:

Kandi J Wyatt is a wife, mother of five, teacher, artist, and author. In her free time, she enjoys writing fantasy stories and Christmas programs, and drawing with graphite and colored pencils. Portraits are her specialty. Kandi also enjoys photography, thanks to her photographer husband who has let her join his journey as both his model and apprentice, and she occasionally serves as his assistant when he needs a “light stand with feet.” To learn more, visit:

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