“We are all cabinets of wonders.”

I cannot put into words what a work of art this book is. This story is told in two halves, Ben in words and Rose in illustrations. Both stories are told at the same time, with both children going on a similar journey at the same time which defiantly helps with the flow and marries the two together.

Bens story begins in Minnesota in June 1977, he's currently living with his aunt and uncle after the death of his mum. One night he finally goes back to his home and finds a bookmark in his mothers things. Ben decides it's time to find his dad, and heads to New York.

Rose starts off in New Jersey in October 1927, she's unhappy and alone as her she is kept inside because she is deaf. Her only visitor is her tutor. Like Ben, Rose sets off to New York to find actress Lillian Mayhew who she's watched in silent movies and is now performing on the stage.

This book and its story is beautiful, it may be for children but it hit me on such an emotional level. The emotions conveyed in the illustrations were unbelievable.

This post has taken me far longer to write than I'd like to admit and I think that's largely because I found this book pretty lukewarm. The Doll People by Ann M. Martin (with pictures by Brian Selznick) was another one of those books recommended as a great book for the kids in your life who are trying to stretch their legs as early and eager readers. I didn't realize at the outset of reading it that it was actually the first in a series which follow the lives of the members of the Doll family. This is like Toy Story but dialed up to 11, ya'll. We follow the adventures of Annabelle Doll who is preoccupied with the mystery of her aunt's disappearance 45 years ago. Like Toy Story, there are certain rules about letting the humans see them moving but they actually have an oath with consequences attached. (We learn about Doll State or Permanent Doll State where they are frozen either temporarily or permanently.) The storyline is slow and rather predictable but suitable for beginner readers who are gaining confidence with chapter books. I guess the most 'interesting' part (if you can call it that) was when a new set of dolls entered the house and the reader can see the difference between the older porcelain toys and the newer plastic ones. 4/10

What I'm Currently Reading: When the Children Came Home: Stories From Wartime by Julie Summers

Nick a fifth grader comes up with a new word. Despite Mrs.Granger not believing in his new word, it became a worldwide sensation. The leveling system is The Lexile, reading level 830L. Students can create a new word, write a definition and write where the word would be placed in a dictionary.

I had just Googled when Brian Selznick's next book was coming out when Baby Monkey, Private Eye came in our shipment at work. The title hadn't shown up in my Google search (possibly because the author is credited as David Serlin, Selznick's husband?). 

I checked it out immediately and was not disappointed. The story is very cute and the illustrations are full of visual allusions (which are explained at the back of the book). I don't know if there are plans for more Baby Monkey books, but if there are I'll definitely be checking those out too.  

Frindle is a level R by the Fountas and Pinnell leveling system. Frindle is about a boy named Nicholas Allen who is a bit of a troublemaker. However, in fifth grade it seems like those days are over. In Mrs. Granger's classroom nobody can get away with anything, and she is overzealous about the dictionary which to Nick is boring. However, Nick finds out where words come from and hatches a new plan, to create a new word. He changes the name of a pen to the frindle. This book is great to bring student's creative side out, and have them brainstorming about vocabulary. A lesson I would like to do with this book would be to get student's to create their own words and a definition for them. The students would also have to draw a picture that goes along with their created word.