Brief Thief

I read Brief Thief by Michael Escofier and Kris Di Giacomo
I checked the book out from my local library.
5 stars!



What do you do when you have to poo and there is no toilet paper? That is what Leon has to figure out. Thankfully there is something nearby that should do the trick. But then his conscious speaks up, and he must correct what he did wrong.

I love this book. It is hilarious; potty humor at its finest. The illustrations are different, not necessarily cute, but very intriguing. They work perfectly for the book. The empty roll of toilet paper on the tree cracks me up. The story itself has a good lesson to it as well as a good laugh. With large, thick pages, children will love exploring this book. The ending was somewhat expected with a funny twist. You will have to read it to find out what happens.

I work at a library and am always looking for books I can read in story time. I think the kids would absolutely love it, but I just can't bring myself to read it. Sitting in front of 20 preschoolers and saying "And now, Leon has to go poo" isn't going to happen. I don't think it is gross, and I don't think parents would care, but I would be laughing too hard to read it. When I try to practice reading it out loud, I lose it at that page. Maybe I will be able to laugh while the children are hysterically laughing as well. I will see if I'm ever brave enough to try, but I'm sure it would be a crowd favorite if I did.

Twerp

Free ARC provided by NetGalley

Twerp by Mark Goldblatt

Julian Twerski is at that awkward age where he is trying to define himself. He is a boy growing up in the Sixties. He is the fastest runner at his school. He is a follower, mostly to his best friend Lonnie. He is smart. Sure, his friends might make fun of his intelligence, but his teachers appreciate it, especially Mr. Selkirk. That is why he is allowing him to write a paper about himself instead of about Shakespeare. Mr. Selkirk  might also want to see if Julian will tell the story of what happened to Danley, the reason why Julian was suspended. Can Julian learn to think for himself instead of letting Lonnie tell him what to do, and will he lose a friendship because of it, and what is the big secret that got them all in so much trouble?

This coming-of-age story is told in an unexpected way, as a paper written to his teacher. It really works here too. I was quite a few of Julian’s stories into the book before I even remembered that this was a paper, and there was a reason he was asked to write it. The point of the assignment was brought up just enough to keep me guessing and wanting to know what he got in trouble for. Before that is finally explained, what you have is a story of a typical 6th grade boy getting into trouble. I am nowhere near a 6th grader or a boy, but I still found the stories very interesting. I loved really getting to know Julian and his gang of friends.

I mentioned that this story was set in the Sixties. That was another part that I kept forgetting. There were definite references that put it in that era, but the story could have been about any 6th grade boy at any time in history. I believe that makes the book even better, something many kids will be able to relate to. An entertaining and heartfelt read for middle grade kids.

Ribbit!

Ribbit! Is the story of a family of frogs that live in a pond. One day they find a surprise, a pig! All the pig will say is “Ribbit!” Is the pig confused? Is he making fun of the frogs? Maybe all of the animals that live nearby can figure out what is going on. Trying to figure it out might actually cause some problems with all of the animals. Thankfully the wise old beetle should be able to figure it all out. Then again, figuring out the problem is pretty difficult when you can’t find the frog. Where will he turn up next? I don’t want to spoil the ending, because it is extra special. It shows how it is okay to think outside of the box or branch out to others you might not normally be friends with. It’s totally okay to be different!

The illustrations in this picture book are sweet. I like the colors. I love that the pig’s nose is a heart on many of the pages. Even the words look cute (I love the font).  It is slightly long to read in story time at the library where I work, but I think it is just cute enough to work anyway. There aren’t too many words per page, and the story is pretty captivating.  It even has humor. The fact that there is a good moral to the story makes it even better. I read it to a group of mostly 4 and 5 year olds. They really listened to it and told me they liked it. It was slightly interactive for them, and that really helped.