Who Are You?
The Invisible Boy By Trudy Ludwig Illustrated by Patrice Barton Best for: Ages 4-8
What do we do when we don’t fit in? We cope. The words and illustrations blend so perfectly together in The Invisible Boy that it’s easy to understand and feel exactly what Brian is going through. We quickly learn that simple acts of kindness and friendship can go a long way.
Although Brian is not included in playground or classroom activities, he finds a way to let his personality and talents shine. He befriends the new student, and before long Brian’s talents are helping him succeed.
Ludwig shows Brian’s isolation with black and white illustrations and muted colors. By the end of the book, Brian is in full color and letting his personality shine through. The Invisible Boy is great for schools to help children understand what their actions do—and what their friendships can do.
What’s good: The illustrations tell the story as well as the words themselves. What’s bad: The illustrations are sophisticated and may appeal to adults more than children. The Girl Who Wouldn’t Brush Hair By Kate Bernheimer Illustrated by Jake ParkerBest for: Ages 4-8
What do you do with children who challenge the status quo and must do things their own way? So long as they are safe, and within reason, you let them do it. At least, that is the moral behind this humorous story. When the little girl decides that her way is to just leave her hair alone, she soon finds talking mice living in the tangled mass on her head. This is fine in the beginning, but they tell poor knock-knock jokes, eat all her lunch and won’t let her take a bath.
In time, the girl finds her way, tells the mice they have to go and finally combs her hair. It would have been nice to have more conflict to resolve, but this is a child’s picture book, so I won’t complain that the ending was a little too easy. Still, it was a fun read and may inspire kids and their parents to talk about being true to oneself.
What’s good: A good moral for both children and their parents. What’s bad: The ending comes far too easily. Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things By Cynthia VoightIllustrated by Iacopo Bruno Best for: Ages 9-13
Set in the early 1900s in a city that could be in America or Europe, this tale is a mystery that delivers good humor and adventure in equal parts. Mister Max is kind of like a young Sherlock Holmes, without the ego and propensity to explain how he solves the mystery. He is not a detective; Mister Max is a 12-year-old solutioneer. He does not find things; he provides solutions. Throughout the story, Mister Max provides solutions for all of the problems that come his way, except for one. He doesn’t have a solution for how to bring his mother and father home safely. You see, they are missing, and he is trying to run a household on his own.
What’s good: Wonderfully developed characters with mysteries that are not too tough for young readers, yet advanced enough to provide a challenge.
What’s bad: The bad guys don’t provide much to fear in this story.