No More Dead Dogs

Korman, Gordon. 2000. No more dead dogs. New York: Hyperion.

(Booktalk)

Why does the dog always die in the end?

Wallace Wallace is tired of reading books that end with a dead dog. When his assignment is to write a positive review of Old Shep, My Pal, the honest Wallace Wallace just can't write it. So instead of working out with the football team, he finds himself assigned to after school detention in the gym with Mr. Fogelman, the drama club director, where the club is rehearsing for the new school play, "Old Shep, My Pal." Stubborn Wallace Wallace is determined to resist writing the review no matter how many detentions it takes. He stands his ground, but a change comes over him. Can he actually be starting to care about the drama club nerds and their stupid play?

There's nothing in the script to tell him what to do when the football team turns against him and the play is sabotaged. Drama Club president, Rachel Turner, is sure that Wallace is the saboteur. Will Wallace's famous honesty be his undoing? And what about Shep? Does the dog always die in the end?

Read No More Dead Dogs and find out! Your teacher didn't assign this book!

A perfect light book for summer reading. Enter Wallace Wallace -complete with a Cast of Characters, No More Dead Dog's chapters are written in the alternating voices of Wallace Wallace, Rachel Turner, Mr. Fogelman and other members of Wallace's school. Best for middle schoolers.

Americana Adventure

Garland, Michael. 2008. Americana adventure. New York: Dutton.

Americana Adventure calls itself "a puzzle," "a hide-and-seek game," "a cross-country trip," and yes, it is all these things. The story follows Tommy as he travels across the country following a series of rhyming post-it notes that refer him to his next destination, "Head north to New York. Liberty stands in the bay. See the Brooklyn Bridge and The Great White Way" - a sort of "National Treasure" adventure for the picture book set.

While the concept is an interesting one, there are a few problems with the presentation. First, using the rhyme posed above, when Tommy arrives in New York, the illustrations clearly show the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and Broadway, however, the story never explains or mentions these landmarks. The reader only learns that Tommy eats pizza at Original Ray's and is directed to travel on to Beantown.

Each double-spread illustration is full of famous or historical quotes, "Speak softly and carry a big stick," presidential nicknames, "Old Man Eloquent," hidden coins and camouflaged letters. These interesting asides, however, will likely mean very little to Americana Adventure's audience. The book arrived at the library cataloged as E non-fiction. It is too busy and disjointed for E readers, and too juvenile in appearance for J readers.

The best use of this book is a one-on-one reading with a child interested in American history. The book's concept is worthy of note, but its execution could be improved to make it more accessible to young readers.

Otto's Orange Day

Cammuso, Frank and Jay Lynch. 2008. Otto's Orange Day. New York: Raw Jr.



This book's aim is "bringing new readers to the pleasure of comics." It's similar in shape and format (small size, three short chapters) to an easy reader, although the words are more difficult, "Maybe if you were more specific..."

In Otto's Orange Day, Otto finds a magic lamp and asks its genie to make the world orange. As might be expected, an all-orange world is not all it's cracked up to be. Kids may be attracted to this book for it's cover art - Otto, the cute orange cat and the big blue genie painting themselves into the last non-orange corner of the world. Overall, however, there are better, more engaging graphic novels available.

The House in the Night

Swanson, Susan Marie. 2008. The house in the night. Ill. by Beth Krommes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

This is a cumulative story in the vein of "This is the house that Jack built," or "There's a hole in the bottom of the sea." The difference is that this is a very simple, soothing story - less about participation and more about exploration, "On that bed waits a book. In that book flies a bird. In that bird breathes a song..." The text is simple and calming, one sentence or less on each page.

The double-spread illustrations are "scratchboard and watercolor." The only colors, however, are black, white, and a golden yellow. The yellow is used to illuminate light-giving sources in the night and to highlight small areas.

A perfect bedtime story, meant to be read slowly and savored.

Gorgonzola: A Very STINKYsaurus

Palatini, Margie. 2008. Gorgonzola: A very stinkysaurus. Ill. by Tim Bowers. New York: Katherine Tegen.

Margie Palatini is always funny. This is not my favorite of her books, but it's definitely funny, with the biggest laugh coming on the final page.

A good choice for teaching hygiene to preschoolers,

"Birdie handed over a large toothbrush...and stood back a safe distance. 'Okay,' she called out from a no-smell zone. Go to it!'... 'And don't forget to floss. You've got stuff stuck in there from the Mesozoic era.'...Gorgonzola gargled. 'What do you think? Minty, huh?'

Cute.