Something doesn't smell quite right...

Smells Like Dog by Suzanne Selfors

How could I not read a book called Smells Like Dog? This is the sad, surprising, heart-warming, and hilarious journey of 12-year-old Homer Winslow Pudding. Homer is a dreamer who usually has his head stuck in a book (sounds like me) or his mind on the many maps that may or may not be a treasure map. He gets along best with his treasure-hunting uncle, Drake Horatio Pudding, who fills his head with daring feats and dangerous quests. Homer's father, on the other hand, wants his head out of the clouds and on terra firma, ready to work on the family-owned goat farm.

When Homer gets the news that his beloved uncle has died, he is heartbroken. However, Uncle Drake has left Homer his most valuable possession, a gold coin and a basset hound that can't smell anything and has unusual talent (read the book to find out). Homer immediately dismisses the dog and focuses on the coin. It's here that the adventure really begins.

After accidentally burning down the local library, Homer and his older sister, Gwendolyn, decide to run away (both for different reasons) to The City.* On his journey to find out the meaning of the gold coin, he runs into friends and foes alike, but which is which? A treasure hunter trusts no one. With his unusual companion, Dog, they find themselves in one mishap after another.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Homer is a lot like I was at that age; however, my mum always believes that I can do anything I put my mind too, unlike Homer's dad, who doesn't want him to reach too far or dream too big. His mother tries to overcompensate by mothering a little too much, his older sister has her own ambitions (and thinks he's weird), and his little brother Squeek wants to do what everyone else doing. Homer is still an outsider in his family, but he made a promise to his uncle to never give up on his dreams. Funny and unusual secondary characters abound that will have you laughing out loud. Treasure hunting, man-eating tortoises, villainous characters, a dog that will eat anything, and cloud-copters...what more could you ask for?

"Anyone who loves books the way Homer does, loves libraries, too. It doesn't matter if the library has fancy red leather chairs and gold-plated shelves that reach to a vaulted ceiling, of if the library has splintery wooden benches and shelves made of old milk crates. It's the scent that sets the book lover at ease. It's better than grandma's perfume, or freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, or even toast. It's a scent derived from paper, mildew, dust, and human endeavors. The oldest books smell best of all, ripened by time like expensive goat cheese." (pages 98-99)

Book Two, Smells Like Treasure will be out May 2011.

*The City is an ominous place where all kinds of bad things happen to good people, according to Homer's dad.

-Ruby

Ages 9-12
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (May 1, 2010)
ISBN: 9780316043984
Available as an eBook.

Ancient Greece from a Porcine Perspective

The Pig Scrolls by Paul Shipton
*Great for fans of Percy Jackson and mythology!*

Here's the thing: Gryllus is a pig. Literally. You see, he was a crew mate for Odysseus on the way back from the Trojan war, and when they hit Circe's island... well, you know the story. The thing is, when all the other guys got returned to human form, Gryllus thought, Gee, snuffling around for food all day? Sleeping? Not working? Now this is the life for me!

Until, that is, the day he was captured by some snot-nosed guys who decided to make some money off of a talking pig. Along comes some hilarious pig-hosted dinner theater, a pimply teenage Homer, and an assistant prophetess from Apollo's temple, Sibyl, who claims that Gryllus is destined to save the world (including those pesky gods and goddesses). Off he goes--kicking and screaming and proclaiming he really isn't that interested in hero duties--on a riotous journey through ancient times with a great cast of characters, some familiar and some a little more unique.

Through Gryllus' narration--cheeky, self-important, and more than a little exaggerated--Shipton keeps the laughter and action going along the whole adventure. Awesome, snarky lines will have kids and adults alike rolling on the floor, such as "puzzlement crossed the big lad's face, like a cloud across the moon on a night when the moon is looking especially puzzled" and "[he] wasn't the brightest--clearly several Spartans short of the full three hundred."

Though history isn't told in complete accuracy (we meet the creator of sliced bread and the splitting of the atom, and the historical figures are mish-mashed as needed, despite the era), it's smart, sarcastic, funny... and, well, really smart, sarcastic, and funny. This is one of those books that somehow got published under the radar and has stayed there ever since, despite its brilliance. Kids who flew through Percy Jackson's epic adventures, along with any other mythological reads, will delight in Gryllus' story and in the way he tells it. Paul Shipton has created a fun read for kids of all ages, grown-ups included. Highly recommended!
Follow Gryllus on additional adventures in his second book, The Pig Who Saved the World.

-Jenny

Age 10-14
Copyright August 2007
ISBN: 9780763633028
Image from www.candlewick.com

Am I Kosher Yet?

Baxter, the Pig Who Wanted to Be Kosher by Laurel Snyder; illustrated by David Goldin

Baxter is “a curious sort of pig,” so when an old man at the bus stop starts wishing it were sundown, he can’t help but ask why. The old man describes Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, and Baxter thinks it sounds great, so he asks how he can be part of Shabbat dinner. Another man tells him he can’t: he’s not kosher!

Baxter tries everything to be kosher: he eats jars of pickles and loaves of challah; he even tries to be a cow! Nothing works. But then one day, he meets a rabbi, and she tells him there’s been a terrible misunderstanding—he cannot be kosher, but that just means he can’t be eaten! Everyone is welcome at Shabbat dinner!

Each page has a mixed-media illustration, containing both drawings and photographs combined to create a scene. These make for interesting pictures that some kids may find off-putting while others will greatly enjoy. The big, googly eyes of each character keep the illustrations light. A letter from the author at the back gives a brief description of the social aspects of Shabbat, and a glossary of terms—with fun definitions—supports the narrative. Though this book does not cover any religious aspects of Shabbat or Judaism, beyond “mitzvah” (good deeds) and a mention of the Sabbath, it’s a fun and cute introduction to this weekly Jewish occasion. Definitely recommended!

And besides, any picture book that talks about the deliciousness of kugel (a "traditional Jewish casserole of sorts") is a winner for me!

-Jenny

Age 4-8

Copyright February 2011
ISBN: 9781582463155

Image from www.inerfaithfamily.com

Welcome to Brambly Hedge!

The Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem

There is a wonderful community of mice that live in a hedgerow called Brambly Hedge. Here, life is peaceful and busy. They spend the spring and summer months collecting nuts, berries, and various fruits and flora for deliciously homemade jams and baked goods. Everything is kept in the Store Stump, an enormous tree stump that has many rooms for everything a mouse might need.

A love of cooking goes hand in hand with the many fun feasts, picnics, and festivals that go on in Brambly Hedge. From birthday picnics to Naming Ceremonies to weddings, the mice of Brambly Hedge eagerly await any opportunity to celebrate.

I read this series when I was growing up, and what I love the most about the stories are the intricate illustrations in each story. The beautifully rendered cross-sections of the houses where the mice live are the perfect place to live. I want to live there!

I consider this collection of stories to be classics that every child should read. However, from what I have found out, they are currently out of print. Even though they may be hard to find, try your local library.

-Ruby

All Ages

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Multi-lingual Livestock

Beautiful Yetta: The Yiddish Chicken
by Daniel Pinkwater; illustrated by Jill Pinkwater

Maybe I liked this book because it reminded me of my grandparents, but I'm pretty sure I also just really, really enjoyed it.

Beautiful Yetta is the multi-lingual story of a chicken who has escaped a fate at the butchers only to end up lost on the streets of Brooklyn, much different from her normal farm life. Initially ostracized by rats and pigeons, Yetta saves a wild parrot from a cat and becomes a welcome member of the parrot colony.

The story is unique as each character speaks their own language (Yiddish, Spanish, and English) with accompanying phonetic spellings for Hebrew and Spanish characters as well as English translations. (A phonetic Hebrew and Yiddish alphabet chart is included, presumably for adults, on the last page.) It's a great way to introduce young children to other cultures and languages, though as Daniel Pinkwater says, "it doesn't mean to be a Rosetta Stone," Colorful and geometric illustrations, which often take the place of narration, are important to the progression of the plot, and the bright images fit well with the lively narrative as it flits back and forth from one language to another.

If this book is up your alley, be sure to check out a recording of Pinkwater reading Beautiful Yetta aloud, complete with accents and laughter, on NPR's Weekend Edition (August 14, 2010).

-Jenny

Age 4-8

Copyright 2010

ISBN: 9780312558246

Image from www.kveller.com