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Lynn: I’ve always cheered for the underdog (as can be seen by my life-long support of the Chicago Cubs) and I think a lot of kids share my tendency to root for the little guy.  The tortoise and the hare is a favorite tale for both me and the focus group and The Great Race [...]

Lynn: “Those DARN squirrels” is a cry that echoes frequently through our house  – or at least words to that effect.  Here in Michigan bird feeders are everywhere and the constant battle with squirrels is just as common.  Our feeder bristles with complicated gadgets my engineer husband has added, hoping to baffle the squirrels who [...]

Lynn: Mrs. Finnemore has her paws full!  In Edwin Speaks Up (Random/Schwartz & Wade 2011) she is taking her five little ferrets on a trip to the grocery store.  But first she has to find her keys!  “Gloo Poop SHOE noogie froo KEY,”  babbles baby Edwin.  Sophie Blackall’s full-page opening illustration cleverly depicts Mrs. Finnemore’s [...]

Lynn: We believe in unbiased reporting here at Bookends and in presenting ALL sides and opinions.  It’s not easy to pursue this noble goal in book reviewing and sometimes the cost is high.  In my case that cost has been domestic harmony.  Yes, faithful readers, the focus group and I have been engaged in a [...]

Lynn: Inquiring minds want to know!  What happens when a superhero sneezes?  If you guessed that it wouldn’t be pretty, you guessed right.  Captain Amazing is allergic to peanuts and when his symptoms are triggered by a stray groundnut it is clear he needs an assistant.  His lonely pets agree – he’s never home with [...]

Lynn: Cindy and I may differ on our favorite genres but we are in complete agreement about funny books.  It is REALLY hard to write funny books and we LOVE them.  Kristen Tracy writes really funny books and today we are going to talk about two of them.  I get to start with The Reinvention [...]

Cindy: As I said last week, while Lynn is spending the month in France I am soothing my travel lust with literature. To Timbuktu: Nine Countries, Two People, One True Story (Roaring Brook 2011) is just the ticket! I admire adventurous people and these two young adults spin a good tale about their travels. Casey [...]

Lynn: “Don’t be difficult, some things are just different,” says Sally’s teacher as Sally peers dubiously at her science project egg in Argus (Candlewick 2011).  Different it is!   The egg is large and green with yellow spots and readers know that something unusual is inside.  The enticing cover gives away the secret but the [...]

Cindy: The folks at Twitter sent me an email telling me that they’d missed me. Aw, shucks. So I was guilted into logging in and making a little chirp and then I scanned some of the tweets that had piled up. This gem was found amongst Neil Gaiman’s offerings: Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops. [...]

Cindy: Thing 1 and Thing 2 have nothing on the critters in Animals Home Alone (Seven Footer Kids 2011)! As soon as the owners are out of the door, this houseful of pets and other non-human residents get busy having fun. Most of the action is wordless as mini dramas unfold throughout the book. The fish [...]