Pig the Fibber, written by Aaron Blabey, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Sidhra H.
Summary: Pig the Fibber is a picture book showing the readers how Pig fibs to get what he wants.
Pig is a pug “and I’m sorry to say, he would often tell lies just to get his own way.” Pig would always blame his friend, Trevor. Pig would make messes all over the house and lay the blame on Trevor. Poor Trevor doesn’t understand why Pig always blames him because it is not a very nice thing to do. One day, Pig discovers a giant bag of treats in the closet. He decides that it is his mission to acquire them. First, he needs an elaborate plan to make sure Trevor gets all the blame. In a grand twist, Pig’s plan backfires and he decides to stop lying.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This is a super fun picture book that will have readers howling with laughter. From stinky farts, to broken teeth and bruises, they will want to find out what makes Pig stop fibbing. The illustrations are just as hilarious as the text. Earth tones seem to dominate the pages, with the occasional splash of color. Young readers may be familiar with some vocabulary like “stinky” and “hip hip hooray” but it also involves some words that the kids may not be as familiar with things like “grim” and “confess”. Pig does get hurt because of his web of lies. It may seem a little extreme, but in the end, realizes that fibbing is not the right thing to do for a variety of reasons. This book can stimulate a classroom discussion on what Pig should have done. It can teach kids how to deal with their emotions and how good friends should be treated. This is a good pick for any school library.

Bigfoot and the Mitten, written by Karen Bell-Brege, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Emma L.
Summary: The book Bigfoot and the Mitten is based on the fictional, friendly character Robin telling a story to his woodland friends. The story was based on Bigfoot trying to find his lost mitten and going on an adventure throughout Michigan with Robin to try and find it. The two go on a humorous and delightful journey throughout Michigan’s beautiful monuments, like the Sleeping Bear Dunes, Grand Haven, Traverse City, the Grand Hotel, Mackinac Bridge, Detroit’s Joe Louis Fist, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Greenfield Village, the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, and the Michigan State Capitol in search of the mitten. Near the end of the book, the two visit the State Capitol in an attempt to find a map. The story ends when they find out that Michigan, in the shape of a mitten, was where his mitten was all along. When visiting these monuments, they review the purpose and detail of each monument, like how they explain that the State Capitol is for Michgan’s government, legislature, and state police. The last two pages of the book lists some details of all of Michigan, like the state capitol, bird, fish, flower, sports teams, and more.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book is a very useful and clever method of teaching children the ins and outs of the state of Michigan. The book’s illustrations are very colorful, cartoon-based, and not overwhelming. If readers have traveled across Michigan, they will recognize some of the scenes. The way the illustrator, Darrin Brege, created the woodland characters makes them seem very human-like and relatable. They could be used as a good example of personification. The text utilizes rhyming throughout some of the text, which makes for a good read-aloud. If introducing literary devices to a class, students could use travel as a theme for this book. All in all, the book The Bigfoot and the Mitten subtly teaches readers about Michigan in a geographical sense and leaves the reader enjoying Robin and Bigfoot’s journey. This is a good book to add to your Michigan collection.

Beavers: The Superpower Field Guide, written by Rachel Poliquin, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Avery H.
Summary: This book is an informative, nonfiction piece about beavers. Our main characters are Elmer and Irma, both beavers. It includes elements of humor in the facts about these unique animals. The illustrations are heavily based in cartoons, with some elements of realism mixed in. On the cover, the book advertises itself as “96 pages of gobsmacking facts,” which is an accurate depiction of the contents of the book. Did you know that beavers can “snap a tree as thick as your arm in two or three bites. They can chew through a tree truck as thick as your body in less than an hour.” Lots of information in the text and then in boxes and sidebars around the different illustrations. The illustrations have a very mid-century modern feel to them.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book is a humorous way to get children to learn more about beavers. The facts are interesting in and of themselves, but the humor in which they are delivered makes them all the more entertaining and fun to read. As a young adult, I enjoyed reading this book. Adding to the fun, Poliquin personifies the beavers and makes them behave as characters in a story, and paints them as superheroes with miscellaneous superpowers such as their fur and their teeth. The book also provides opportunities to keep the reader engaged, such as quizzes. It is valuable because it is not an endless barrage of facts which may become tedious to young readers. The illustrations are a very unique and fun style, using a combination of black ink, pencil, and wax crayon to make them really pop. The technique is known as “preseparation”. The technique allows for Frith to create realistic drawings when needed, but generally, he uses it to give what would be boring images of logs a new life and cute style. The book is organized into about 10 chapters focusing on an individual superpower of the beaver. Although it has many pages, perhaps too many for younger readers, it is a relatively easy read. It is a good choice for more advanced readers, as it introduces a simple paragraph structure and isn’t too much of a struggle to understand. The book will appeal to more curious readers, as it is a lot of information presented in a fun way.

Monster & Mouse Go Camping, written by Deborah Underwood, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Arvind E. 
Summary: The book describes the story of two friends, Monster and Mouse who are getting ready to go on a camping trip. Monster is a little hesitant, but Mouse assures him he will have a good time. Mouse promised lots of food and he got to work on a list of items they would need for their camping trip. When they got to the woods, Mouse went to scope out a stream, trail and campsite. Unfortunately, during that time, Monster ate just about everything they had. Mouse was hungry and they were not having a good time. They saw a family telling spooky stories around a campfire and Mouse and Monster thought it would be a good idea to go ask for some food. Readers will find out how Monster and Mouse got to enjoy their camping trip in the book’s exciting ending.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This is a bit of a monster story, with a twist. This captivating book encapsulates the importance of friendship, trust and forgiveness - Mouse really wants this trip to go well and for Monster to embrace camping. The friendly nature of the characters and their vibrant personalities set an example for how kids should act around each other. I like how the illustrator depicted the daytime and nighttime scenes with color. Monster was red, but his personality was really not angry or mean. He was a friendly monster that should appeal to any budding horror genre enthusiast. The reader will quickly start to feel Mouse’s disappointments throughout the story. The author used personification techniques to garner empathy and compassion for Mouse and Monster. Something the family did not discern quickly enough. This book is a good choice for a read-aloud or independent reading. It would also be a good book for a camping display. Definitely a good choice for a school library.

The Greatest Adventure, written by Tony Piedra, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Alex D.
Summary: This story is about a young boy, Eliot, who desperately searches for adventure. He imagines monsters and swamps in his block but only wishes it were all true. Fortunately for him, his grandpa, El Capitán, comes back from his journey full of fascinating stories. Eliot takes it all in with determination. Begging for adventure, El Capitán takes him for a journey through the city. Unfortunately, Eliot still does not feel the adrenaline of navigating around sharks and swamps so he offers his grandpa help to fix the boat. Through hard work and determination, El Capitán and Eliot are on their way towards jungles and all sorts of mysterious creatures found around the world. Readers will be delighted to see the twist in the author’s perspective.

Straight Talk for Librarians: I believe that this story would work well as a motivation for children to go out and find new opportunities. Taking risks can lead to wonderful adventures, just like it did for Eliot. In my opinion, this book is a good motivator for small children to express their creativity and energy in life. Eliot depicts an average child with a broad imagination and would be a good example for children struggling with creativity. The main character goes through a series of changes from the start to the end of the story. He develops from a young, shy city boy to a “grown-up” boy exploring the world to find what he likes. The overall mood and tone are hopeful and energetic, similar to Eliot’s personality. The plotline is well made and teaches valuable lessons. The contrast in colors reflects the tone well throughout the story. For example, when Eliot realizes that the city is not filled with adrenaline-rushing monsters, the colors become dark and depressing as if he’s lost the chance for a wild adventure. Readers can use this story as a motivation for work in life and a new way to look at a seemingly uninteresting world. It’s important to take what you have and use it to your advantage. This book would be a great addition to any library.

Crab Cake, written by Andrea Tsurumi, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Emma B.
Summary: The book Crab Cake by Andrea Tsurumi is set under the sea and has a circular structure. The book starts with a variety of sea creatures doing different things in a coral reef. Then the author shows the crab baking in detail. More creatures then do different things again, and then the crab continues to bake. A few more animals continue to do a variety of different activities and the crab still bakes. More animals are shown behind the crab baking. Then the pages of the book become darker and a load of trash is dumped into the ocean by a truck. Under the sea there is a big brown pile of trash and the water has turned a sort of brown and grey color. The animals are frightened and they all freeze. Even the animals that were once feared by other animals and those who were more powerful. Then the crab comes out of hiding and begins to bake once again. He bakes a cake. Then some of the other animals start to become curious and come out to see what the crab is doing. They ask for some of the cake and then all of the creatures come together. They come up with an idea. All of the animals pitch in and help to clean up all of the trash that has been dumped in the ocean. The next morning the people find all of the trash they dumped on their pier with the words “Come Get Your Junk” painted on it. The sea animals continue with their lives underneath the now clean sea and the crab continues to bake.

Straight Talk for Librarians: I think that this book could be a really helpful tool in a science classroom. This book would definitely appeal to a younger audience. The author used rhyme, alliteration, and personification to enhance the story. Personally, I was intrigued by the cover alone and I definitely think that it would be very appealing to younger readers. Even the title Crab Cake is an attention grabber. The book could be about a number of things and I think that once a reader starts to read this book they will want to know what happens, so they won’t want to put it down. I think that the images in this book are very busy and colorful which will definitely hold the attention of a younger reader. You could read this book multiple times and still find something new to look at in the illustrations. The use of graphite and digital technology really helps to make the story come to life. I think that the colors in this book also helps to convey its overall message and mood. This book brings up pollution in our oceans and how this can be very harmful and detrimental to the environment below the surface. When there is a load of trash dumped into the sea, the bright and colorful pages turn into darker and more sad looking pictures. I think that this helps carry the message that pollution is a very bad thing and it should not happen and the colors help convey that feeling. This change in color also makes the book more dynamic and intriguing to readers. This book would be very useful in a classroom setting to introduce the topic and idea of the environment and saving the planet. This book shows pollution and littering in a negative way, but makes it understandable enough for elementary level readers. Given today’s climate concerns, this book is a very timely purchase for any library.

Trains Don't Sleep, written by Andria Warmflash Rosenbaum, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Amr A.
Summary: Trains Don’t Sleep, by Andria Rosenbaum is a picture book geared towards young readers who love or want to learn about trains. With vibrant drawings throughout, the story showcases different types of trains and features of trains. Different trains are seen moving through different landscapes. The trains travel through forests, cities, and even a circus all the while never stopping, continually moving forward. The trains travel and travel, and keep pushing forward The story ends with the train at night, still moving without rest, waiting for a new day.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This picture would be a good read aloud to a group of young readers. There is rhyme present through the picture book that pushes the reader to read with more conviction word after word similar to the forwardness of the train itself. The rhyme is very exciting and engaging. The vibrant, full-page oil paint illustrations provide eye-catching images to engage readers throughout the book. The color choice reflects earthy tones and the bright blue of some of the trains really stands out. The book conveys that trains don't ever take a rest, and keep pushing forward. The lesson that can be derived from this is that one should always keep pushing forward. I think that the book is appealing to young children as trains are a very fun topic for the target audience. With the personification of the trains, an easier understanding and connection with the text is experienced by readers. Through realistic illustrations, young students are further engaged in the book. Readers can also learn about alliteration from this book. It’s a good choice for a school library. There is a lot to unpack in this book, but it can also be read just for fun.

This is the Kiss, written by Claire Harcup, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Jay A-B.
Summary: This book follows the adorable story of how a mother bear tucks in her cub at the end of a long and fun day. The mama bear and her cub go through several actions, starting at a wave hello, and ending with a kiss goodnight. This book is perfect for students who are just learning to read. It would benefit preschool and kindergarten students with its short length and easy to pronounce words. It would also make for an excellent read-aloud for teachers and students alike.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book would make for a wonderful introduction to the literary world for preschool and kindergarten students. The story itself is a cute and short read, perfect for the targeted audience. It’s short and simple, with quick to read pages and amazing artwork. While the story itself is inviting, it also allows for the reader to interact and get involved with the story. There is a small section in the back of the book that is dedicated towards furthering reading comprehension, problem-solving abilities, memory strength, social development, and pre-reading skills. It’s called StoryPlayTM. In the very back of the book, a few questions are asked that create a chance for the reader to further the story in their mind, even when finished reading, There is also a small question every few pages, an example being on the first page “What is Little Bear building?”. The picture featured on the page is of Little Bear rolling a ball of snow up a small hill, where at the top he is building a snowbear. Speaking of the artwork, it is absolutely eye-catching. While it has a simpler color palette, consisting of light shades of orange, green, red, and brown, the drawings themselves are quite cute. The mediums used for the artwork consist of both watercolor paints, and a black pen or pencil for the line art. The art is quite detailed, and in all honesty, the art is perfect for the story. There is such attention to detail that really allows the reader to get a feel for the tone of the story that they just couldn’t get from the words. While the words let the loving tone fly, the pictures help the more quiet and slow emotions come out to play. The reader can see the mutual joy of the two characters through the large smiles that they sport throughout the entirety of the book. Not once can they be seen without a smile taking over their features. This story is endearing and is just what any young child being introduced to reading needs.

Maxi the Little Taxi, written by Elizabeth Upton, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Max A.
Summary: Maxi the Little Taxi is a hopeful, new employee at his new taxi service job. Throughout his first day, he experiences the lows and highs on the streets, all a part of his new occupation. At first, Maxi is very optimistic and happy as he rolls down the streets clean and readily available for customers. He has a blast roaming through the city, splashing in puddles and being dirtied by customers and birds as he zooms along. Though he has a great time roaming the city and getting dirty, he soon realizes that he is unclean when another taxi, squeaky clean and all, shows him up with her clean figure. Maxi realizes that people start avoiding him because he is filthy and weeps as he receives no customers. Soon enough though, one family decides to give Maxi a chance and gives him a car wash which makes Maxi squeaky clean once again and happier than ever. As Maxi returns back home, he is fully content and tells his buddy about his adventures and car wash from the day. The story ends as Maxi goes to bed feeling clean and fulfilled from his first day of work.

Straight Talk for Librarians: The text which includes rhyme creates a catchy, happy feel to the story. Though there is conflict within the story, it is resolved by the end which makes for a good outcome. Simple language makes this book an easy read for young readers. Emotion is also involved which can connect/teach young readers about emotion and conflict. The personification of the cars creates a light, playful tone which connects closely to the plot and other elements of the story as the cars share emotions and hidden dialogue. This book could be used as a fun read-aloud for younger audiences in school or in a library. The glossy, colorful pictures create imagery as they relate to the text, so the reader will get the full experience of what Maxi is feeling. These colors and cartoonish designs make for a simple, yet playful tone that connects closely with happiness and sadness. This book could be read aloud in class or be used in a free/independent read. Readers who are interested in taxis will be overjoyed to find this book and experience the setting of noisy city streets. There is a lot of car-related vocabulary. Readers will also experience onomatopoeia throughout the text that they will have fun with.

And the Robot Went..., written by Michelle Robinson, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Waseem A.

Summary: The book is about a robot who is discovered by curious creatures. Their curiosity leads them to mess with the robot, pulling levers, clicking witches, and even clobbering it. The creatures have descriptive names, all including rhyme, and every time they touch the robot in a different way, it creates a new sound. At the end of the day, they are able to turn it on completely, and it goes home.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book can be used for younger elementary readers, in libraries or classrooms. The artwork is playful and very busy. The reader can see that the curiosity of the various creatures led them to help turn on the robot. There is playful rhyme, alliteration, and repetition throughout the story. With each new character(s) introduced, they add an action that the character does, that rhymes with their name, in addition to all the actions before. Onomatopoeia is used, as the Robot creates different sounds. The book is a good way for younger readers to learn about these different literary devices. Younger audiences can relate to this picture book as well, as it is common that they discover objects that are new to them, and feel the need to touch and mess with it. The book pushes for curiosity in a discrete and playful way. This can be viewed as a STEM book and could be a read-aloud because of the rhyming. It could also be a good choice for independent reading. It’s a fun book where animals, a human and a robot meet in their quest to get the robot working.

Best & Buzz Worthy 2017: World Records, Trending Topics and Viral Moments, written by Cynthia O'Brien, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: This book is a non-fiction current event book. The chapters tend to be divided by music, movies, technology, animals, science, state stats and sports. Then end of the book covers the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge. There are photos and graphics on every page. Michigan fans will probably notice that Madonna is a musician with the most MTV video music awards at 20 and Eminem is behind her with 12! (21). Big Bang Theory fans will notice that 4 of the 5 highest paid tv actors made the list. Mark Harmon is 3rd on the list for his role in NCIS. The world’s most expensive hotel comes in at $60,000 a night. It’s the Hotel President Wilson in Switzerland. This book is chock full of many more facts that will appeal to your trivia lovers.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book is a good book to just place on a table in the school library for fun quick reading. Readers who like BuzzFeed lists or something similar will enjoy this book. It is non-fiction, but along the lines of the Guiness Book of World Records. I think you would have to make this an annual purchase ad it is pretty timely. It is very visual and would appeal to all sorts of readers. I think that it might even make for a good pick for adults who like attending trivia nights or compete on teams. I’m going to try to put it out for high school students who might want to pick it up for pleasure reading to just pass some time. I think it could also generate ideas or topics for various speech research or other current event essay ideas. Some of the statistics could be explored in a math class. I think it’s a good choice for a middle or high school library.

DreamJumper: Book 2 - Curse of the Harvester, written by Greg Grunberg, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: Book 2 picks up right where Book 1 ended. Dr. Alexson is in a nightmare being dragged to Master Erebus. Jake finally convinced Ben to start a business rescuing people from their nightmares. Ben is getting stronger with his powers in dreams and the Nightmare Lord is joined by the evil Harvester. They are determined to conquer both the Dream World and the Wake World. Ben’s crush, Kaylee, plays a larger role in this book. Jake works behind the scenes helping in the Dreams, but controlling the computer code, but he tends to fall asleep at the worst times. The white bunny makes a reappearance and helps Ben out when needed. Towards the end of the story, Kaylee becomes a stronger dream jumper and she is able to help Ben out. The Harvester is not pleased. Dr. Alexson is no longer himself and can feel changes taking place. Unfortunately, as the story ends, the reader will see that Dr. Alexson will be in Book 3 up to something nefarious.

Straight Talk for Librarians: Even though a lot of this story takes place in other people’s nightmares, the humorous dialogue will have readers laughing out loud. There is still a ton of action and adventure. Readers will be sitting on the edge of their seat as they are reading this book. Some of the vocabulary is pretty high level, but the graphics will help with context. I love how computer coding is woven into this story. There could be some fun STEM connections. This book is a good choice for independent reading. It is part of a series, so this second book would be hard to jump into without the first. There is nothing controversial in this book, other than some readers might be scared if they do not like venturing into monster territory. I like that Kevin Smith wrote the forward to this book. I read it before getting into this second book. I think this book would be a really good choice for reluctant readers or perhaps those readers who really like graphic novels and are looking for a new series.

DreamJumper: Book 1 - Nightmare Escape, written by Greg Grunberg, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: Ben is our protagonist and we meet him as he seems to wake up in a dream that starts to turn darker as the panels progress. Ben finds his friend Jake after being chased by hypodermic needles. Jake is tied to a tree with bacon, wearing a diaper. Ben starts to follow a white bunny that does not seem very threatening and finds more of his friends. His friends Malcolm and Chloe are wrapped up in tree roots, unable to run away. Ben can still run and his friends urge him to go. With a gasp, Ben wakes up. He sketches out his dream in a journal and then tells his mom. His mom is concerned because Ben’s father had dreams that seemed crazy and then he disappeared. He runs into Jake at the bus stop and Jake tries to convince Ben that he is like a superhero for nightmares, and should consider charging for his services. Ben doesn’t even want to hear it. Ben has a bit of a crush on his classmate, Kaylee. They are supposed to meet up and then Kaylee doesn’t show. Ben starts to get worried after she doesn’t show up to school for a week. In the meantime, Ben’s mom set up an appointment with Dr. Alexson at a sleep clinic. As Ben tours the facility, he realizes that there is a room where people are kept that don’t wake up from sleep. In that room are all of Ben’s missing friends that he has been seeing in his dreams. Ben decides to track down the white bunny from his earlier dream because he thinks the bunny might have some answers. As the story progresses, the dream becomes more and more nightmare-like. Ben realizes he has powers to bring his friends back into the wake world. Secrets are revealed, but it is not the end.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This graphic novel is a good middle-grade choice. It is about nightmares, but it is not that scary. The dream world is definitely a bit darker in terms of color choice. The wake world is more bright with lighter colors. There is a lot of action and tension that conveys the urgency of saving people. It might be scary for some readers, but it is not gory or that extreme. There is definitely a mystery to solve because the reader will want to know what is going on with the nightmares. This is a fast-paced adventure that will be a perfect choice for readers who do not want to be “bored.” It’s a different twist on the concept of nightmares and what causes them. The images, colors, emotions and action scenes complement the text. The panels are easy to follow and I think this book is an easy entry into the world of graphic novels. It’s also a good choice for more experienced graphic novel readers. It would complement any school or classroom library collection.