All about the Earth

By Schlessinger Media VHS 7117

(1999) ISBN 1572252316

This educational work is very entertaining and will hold the attention of its audience, one of the best techniques that can be used in any teaching approach.  The interest of the viewer is kept due to the excellent visuals and the well paced music.  In fact the music selected for this piece is geared to a young viewer’s taste.  Facts imparted to the audience are chosen for their interest level in this age group.  What young viewer would not like to know why it is we have life on earth whereas some plants are boiling hot and some others are absolutely forbiddingly cold.

The editing in this video has been well accomplished.  It provides the right amount and type of information that that young viewers usually seek.  This work is recommended for its high level of success in being both informing and entertaining.

Rosie’s Big City Ballet

By Patricia Reilly Giff

(1998) ISBN 0670877921

This book gives the reader an opportunity to get a glimpse into the world of ballet as it affects not just adult dancers but also young dancers aspiring to continue the work and art of that world.

The ballet world is perhaps just too mysterious for some readers but this book is a good gradual and easy to understand introduction.  One of the key and not to be denied elements of this world is that of competitiveness.  While the existence of competitiveness in the world of ballet is very much real, it is presented here in a gentle manner.

Rose, our main character, longs very much to be selected to for the summer ballet.  While   Rosie works on her routines she still manages to be a kid.  She is well balanced in her outlook and this serves her well when she is not selected at this time.  Rosie manages to cope in spite of this disappointment and this mature outlook will do much to serve the tween readers of this work who also face competitions of their own in their daily lives.

Ballet terms included in the book are clearly explained and can provide useful information for the readers who want to the specifics about ballet.  The illustrations are great in showing Rosie’s range of expressions and this is done in a delightfully minimalist manner.  They add the exact amount of lightheartedness needed in this story.

Summer Party

By Cynthia Rylant

(2001) ISBN 0689832419

It seems that we enter this world of the happy cousins, Lily, Rosie and Tess at the wrong time as their happy existence together is coming to an end.  Nothing tragic is going to occur, it is merely that their parents are returning from a world tour and the two sisters Lily and Rosie and their cousin, Tess, are returning to their regular and separate homes located at some distance from one another. They had temporarily been all staying with their beloved Aunt Lucy and loving loved every second they had been sharing the same household.

This story may seem a bit idyllic but nevertheless a pleasant world to visit.  Readers, including tweens, who picks up this book, may just go along for the relaxing ride.  Following the realization about their imminent separation, the cousins start to make the best of the situation as they realize that they can look forward to future get-togethers and they can especially focus on the upcoming wedding of Aunt Lucy to Michael and Michael is a person the cousins all adore.  Tweens will certainly benefit by learning from reading of characters that cope with one of life’s disappointment and make the best of a situation.

The Headless Horseman Rides Tonight

By Jack Prelutsky

(1980) ISBN 1404610340

For readers, and yes, including those in the tween group, who want to get scares, laughs and some fun poetry at the same time, this will fit the bill.  There is a wide range in the source of the horrors ranging from the Mummy, Zombies, the Abominable Snowman, and some just regular ghosts, ghosts with national identities like the Banshee and not to be overlooked, the Headless Horseman promised in the title of this book.

The author and the illustrator Arnold Lobel  work well together in not merely creating scares but with the use of the asides in the text and the comic side of the illustrations, to move the reader beyond the regular level of horror story terror.  The reader is scared with the use of the story telling it is true but the main point of the author and illustrator seems to be a careful cautioning of readers as well as pointing out that ultimately there is always the possibility of survival beyond these fun, fun scares.  Hopefully readers will read these poems with some company present.

Langston Hughes, Great American Poet

By Patricia McKissack

(2002) ISBN 0766016951

This book on one of American’s great poets is part of a series introducing readers to notable African Americans.  The writing is while simple manages to focus on the essential facts that readers may first wish to learn about a person completely new to them.  The facts presented in this book offered to the reader in an interesting manner and an approach that will win over its readers.  There is an overtone of sadness but it is encouraging to find out that Langston Hughes lived full of hope and appreciation for the beauty of life.  Perhaps that may be that being a creative person, Hughes would always look deeper at what was transpiring around him and see more than what is obvious to most people.

This is a book ideal for tweens as they search for information on our great poets.  With a book like this to reach more young readers, it is hopeful that the audience for the works of this gifted American poetry will increase in numbers.

The Courage of Sarah Noble

By Alice Dalgliesh

(1954, 1986) ISBN 0684188309

Even before Laura Ingalls Wilder there were other Lauras and some like Sarah Noble started even further back in the eastern portion of what was to be the United States before the birth of our country.

In this story,  Sarah has to truly be brave by accompanying her father as the two of them set out alone from the family home in Massachusetts to build the future home of the family in a new settlement in Connecticut.  Sarah is brave enough to the point where she agrees to live with a family of Native Americans while Sarah’s father goes back to Massachusetts and fetches the rest of the family.  Sarah and her father have made friends with the family of Tall John, a Native American and as it turns out Sarah learns much from the family and she is happy living with these new friends.  Nevertheless Sarah is overjoyed to see her family return safely for her.

Readers, especially tween readers for whom this book is designed, will receive much in history lessons from this engaging work.  The illustrations are well done, add immensely to the story retelling with the beauty they contribute.

The Courage of Sarah Noble was a Newbery Honor Book in 1955.

The Castle Mystery -The Boxcar Children Graphic Novels

By Shannon Eric Denton

(2010) ISBN 9780807510803

The Boxcar Children Series which first started in 1942 has been continued by the publisher and the Castle Mystery is among the latest installments in this series.

The Boxcar Children, who were given this group name because they, Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny, like the original author, Gertrude Chandler Warner, are fond of watching trains go by and imagining what it would be like to live in a caboose, have joined their grandfather as he visits a friend who is in the process of turning a castle into a museum.

After their arrival at the castle the children involve themselves in being helpful but they find themselves baffled by disappearing keys and by music that emanates from deserted castle tower areas.

This adventure is presented in a graphic novel format, highly entertaining and fun to read seems to be made especially for tweens when they need something to read that is light in nature but also well executed with wonderful graphics and well written text.