A Sad Day For Reading Rainbow Fans

I have fond memories of being a little girl watching the classic Reading Rainbow on PBS. A show filled with endless possibilities and wonder, any child could watch the show and magically be transported in to a fun and exciting storybook world. Following a new book's story each week, with LeVar Burton as your host, you'd take off on an extraordinary adventure. A bookworm's delight, this show, geared at children ages 4-8, inspired creative thinking and an immense love for reading. You could hear and see the book's story on tv, but then go to your own local library to pick up a copy for reading yourself. It was great because not only did you get ideas on what sorts of books you'd like to read yourself, but you also got the opportunity to hear other kid's reviews and opinions of the books as well. All around, it was a wonderful, wholesome show that parents and kids alike enjoyed watching.

That's why I'm so sad today over the announcement I only just this morning read on the NPR website. After a 26 run, Reading Rainbow is no more. It seems the cost is just too much to consider producing the show for even one more season. Reason's given suggest that funding and interest now lies in shows which help viewers learn to read, as opposed to Reading Rainbow which inspired the love of reading. I can't begin to see how that makes since in any way, as it's only natural to think if you're teaching kids HOW to read you should also give them reason to WANT to read.

Truth be told, to me it sounds like a bunch of bureaucratic garbage. However, unfortunately my opinion is just that- mine. I suppose in the face of this sad and regretful news we should look back on the history of Reading Rainbow and rejoice that it has come along as far as it has. For as the third longest running show in the history of PBS, Reading Rainbow has only been surpassed by Sesame Street and Mr Rogers' Neighborhood. A 26 year run is certainly nothing to be scoffed at, and I guess we will always have reruns!

Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high,Take a look, it's in a book — Reading Rainbow ...

(To see the original NPR story that spurred this post, go HERE.)

FREE e-books from Sylvan Dell!!!

I review a lot of books from Sylvan Dell, as I'm sure most of you have noticed. We love them! They're educationally entertaining and are always filled with the most beautiful illustrations. You simply can't go wrong with their books.

So, if you've been following my reviews and thinking how you'd be interested in checking out some of those titles for yourself now is the time! No matter how short on time or money you may be right now, Sylvan Dell wants to share their wonderful library with you. For a limited time only Sylvan Dell is offering a FREE trial of all 45 next generation e-books on their site. You can view the digital book online and have it read to you in either English or Spanish.

Pop on over and see what all you've been missing!! But don't wait; this special promotion will end October 31, 2009.

Come see why Sylvan Dell's tag line is, Science and Math through Literature!

What's New At The Zoo? by Suzanne Slade

What's New At The Zoo? An Animal Adding Adventure by Suzanne Slade
Illustrated By: Joan Waites
Geared Towards: Ages 4-8
Published By: Sylvan Dell
Publication Date: Fall 2009
ISBN: 978-1-934359-93-8

Coming from a household where frequent trips to visit the animals at the zoo is practically mandatory, there was no thought involved when I accepted the review opportunity for this book. What's New At The Zoo? An Animal Adding Adventure, written by Suzanne Slade, is a zoo lover's delight.

On this animal adventure, readers travel through the zoo checking out each animal habitat and counting to see how many are in each. From elephants, to giraffes, to penguins and more. Readers get the opportunity to visit eleven different animal exibits, and in each they get the opportunity to learn both the name for the adult and for the baby. It's great fun because, as opposed to a regular picture book, What's New At The Zoo? is more than just a cute story. It's a story that makes you pay attention and think, but it doesn't do so in a way that makes it any less enjoyable than it's traditional counterpart. Quite the opposite in fact.

Both my girls, ages 3 and 5, couldn't get enough of this book. The colorful illustrations, by Joan Waites, and Slade's rythmic text is enough to draw any reader in. Then when you consider the mathematical question posed in each two page layout, it's like factoring in a game to the equation. Even my youngest daughter, who isn't really all that familiar with addition yet was totally able to work through the questions. She might not fully grasp the concept of these math skills yet, but because it was written in to the story like a game she found it fun and wanted to try it. Another fun aspect of the book was that Waites cleverly included a single soaring red balloon hidden in each picture. Both of my girls, but especially the youngest, had fun seeking it out in every animal's scene. That's what makes this book so great. It has appeal for both the younger and older readers.

And anyone who is familiar with Sylvan Dell's fabulous line knows none is complete without the brilliant "For Creative Minds" educational section always included at the back of each book. What's especially great about this particular "Creative Minds" section is that the publisher has offered some wonderful, real world, learning advice that is practical and not just fun to know but actually something they'll need to know. It explains and demonstrates two different methods of addition, adding everything in groups of ten and also adding by columns. There's also a section that offers short mathematical problems and then uses a number fact family triangle to help illustrate the problems. It's hard to explain, but trust me it's cool. Something like this will be an incredibly useful tool for a math beginner.

Plus, since this is a book all about animals, this section wouldn't be complete without a part dedicated just to them. Last but not least readers will enjoy learning the classification of each animal and doing the Animal Matching Activity. In this area you are given a thumbnail size picture of each animal and a list of eleven animal fun facts which you must then match together. Readers who paid attention during the story will have picked up the name for each baby animal, making this puzzle a cinch.

Parents and educators want to be sure to take advantage of the free online resources and training tools offered at Sylvan Dell for this and, I believe, all their delightful kids books. View a virtual preview of the book, hear a segment read aloud, download copies of the "For Creative Minds" section to print, or even have your child take a quiz (Reading, Comprehension, or Math) about what he/she learned from the book.

There's just no other way to say it than, you can't go wrong with this or any of the other marvelous titles from Sylvan Dell. You just can't!


OUR RATING: 5 hearts

The Sneakiest Pirates & The Heroes of Googley Woogley by Dalton James

As a kid, did you ever dream of writing and illustrating your on book? I did. Actually, I had my own little series of books that I wrote and illustrated back in elementary school. They were about a family of bears. Sure they might sound like a rip off of Stan and Jan Bearanstain's series, but I promise you that was not the case. (*laugh*) Either way, though, it's all a mute point because those storybooks never went farther than the copy or blue lined school paper they were printed on. So, while I do still have them today, they are no more likely to be read by anyone outside my immediate family than they were intially.

Now Dalton James, on the other hand, did not let his age stand in the way of his aspirations. Last year, at only seven years of age, Dalton wrote and illustrated his first book, The Sneakiest Pirates, for publication through Outskirts Press, Inc. Then only a few months ago, Dalton, now eight, released his second book, The Heroes of Googley Woogley. Dalton advises readers to be prepared because he's not done yet. There's yet a third book slated for release in this series, and still others in the works that are completely unrelated to this set.

I would like to note that I've seen it mentioned that these books are geared towards children ages 9-12, but truthfully I think anyone from age 5-9 would be more within range. It's true that a five year old might not be able to read all of the words on his own, but I belive he would be able to fully understand the story if it was read to him. Likewise, a twelve year old would have certainly no trouble reading the books, but I wonder if maybe the subject matter/style/length wouldn't be just a bit beneath someone of this age. However you look at it though, young readers of all ages will enjoy knowing someone close to their own age wrote these frolicsome and adventurous anecdotes. The stories are short, but they're fun and full of imagination.


The Sneakiest Pirates by Dalton James
Geared Towards: Ages 5-9
Published By: Outskirts Press, Inc
Publication Date: May 20, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4327-2477-1

It is obvious that this book was not penned or illustrated by a professional, but that's what gives it it's charm. The simplistic storytelling and pictures really bring alive the idea that this book was born of a child's creativity and not of someone with a literary degree under their belt. In that, it's refreshing and genuinely inspiring.

In the story of The Sneakiest Pirates Pirate Pete and his daddy Scurvy James follow the contemptible Peg Leg Chuck as he steals and later buries the king's gold. Peg Leg Chuck, being so consumed with getting away from the king's ships, never even realizes that he himself is being robbed. Rapt with greed themselves, Pirate Pete and Scurvy James then go head to head over the new found treasure.

OUR RATING: 4 hearts



The Heroes of Googley Woogley by Dalton James
Geared Towards: Ages 5-9
Published By: Outskirts Press, Inc
Publication Date: March 22, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4327-2782-6

Having gone a long way with the money they stole from Pirate Peg Leg Chuck, Pirate Pete and Scurvy James are back. Known only as Rock Star Pete and Rock Star James, this father/son duo is ready for another rip roaring adventure. But instead of racing across the salty seas as they did when we first met them in book one, Pete and James are now rearing to soar the skies in their brand new spaceship.

Once in space, Space Boy Pete and Space Man James decide that instead of doing naughty pirate-like things they'd rather help people in danger. Upon picking up a satellite message from the residents of the planet Googley Woogley, Space Boy Pete and Space Man James rush to their aid. It seems there are two kinds of aliens living on Googley Woogley, and they don't get along. The SooDos are friendly and compassionate. The SooDonts are not. The SooDos enjoy helping one another and living peacefully. The SooDonts, however, enjoy pilaging and destroying everyone and everything around them.

Before they can return to Earth, Space Boy Pete and Space Man James must figure out how to help the SooDos overcome the mean and nasty SooDonts and bring tranquility back to the people of Googley Woogley.

OUR RATING: 4 hearts

Strange Angels Giveaway Winner Announced

CONGRATULATIONS, RUBY (MOUTH)!!

You are the winner of a brand spankin' new copy of Lili St. Crow's Strange Angels. I will be contacting you shortly, or if you see this first and would like to send your mailing info to readysetreadreviews@gmail.com I will work on getting your prize off to you before I head on vacation next week.

And thank you to everyone else who entered this giveaway. I had such a wonderful response, that I truly wish I had more than one copy of the book to offer up to my readers. Alas, I do not. Even if you were not the winner though I do hope each of you will find the opportunity to grab yourselves a copy of Strange Angels. It was such a good YA read, and with more books to follow in the series perhaps there will be more chances to win here at Ready Set Read Reviews in the future.

SLOB by Ellen Potter

SLOB by Ellen Potter
Geared Towards: Ages 9 and up
Published By: Philomel Books
Publication Date: May 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-24705-7

Chocolately, crunchy goodness on the outside with gooey, creamy goodness on the inside. That is the short and simple description of an Oreo cookie; the one cookie that has Owen Birnbaum practically bending over backwards to protect in his story SLOB by Ellen Potter.

Owen is many things, but thin and popular are not among them. Since the mysterious death of his father some two years ago, food- especially Oreos- has become his crutch. At 57% fatter than the national average 12 year old, Owen has fallen into a rut wherein his weight is concerned. He knows he should watch what he eats; still food comforts him and soothes like a balm to a fresh wound.

When Owen's daily treat, an ecofriendly pack of three single Oreo cookies, disappears from his lunch sack one day during class he doesn't have to look far before finding his most likely suspect. Being unusually smart, just one point shy of genius- to be exact, Owen decides to invent a trap which he can set to hault the cookie thief and thereby end the indignant attack on his own personal weight issues. What Owen does not realize is that this simple, yet calculated task will be only just the crux of his story.

He's a good guy with a kind heart. So what if he has a soft spot for food? We all have our vices, and Owen's is, truthfully, not that far off from what many of us struggle with on a daily basis. But when all is said and done, food will not be the sole benefactor of glory in this tale. Far from it. Unwilling to be complacent any longer with his position in life, Owen will learn to fight his personal demons and come to terms with his past.

In an inventive story which shows the main character in an environment most kids today can easily relate to, Ellen Potter crafts a delightful tale full of witty humor, creative thought processes, deep storylines, and still plenty of heart. Young readers will enjoy discovering what makes Owen Birnbaum tick. And, maybe just maybe they'll learn a thing or two and find inspiration between the book's pages- inspiration to grow from one's past, inspiration to have and reach towards big dreams, even inspiration to better one's self.

The way Owen holds himself in spite of the way other's treat him is both heartening and thought provoking. Being smart and overweight makes him the perfect victim for verbal and physical abuse among his peers. Yet, while you can tell the taunting and jeering strike a cord with Owen, he is a bigger person; no pun intended, and does not allow the disrespect of others to bring him down to their level. Instead, he takes their abuse and uses it as an incentive and driving force which comes to shape him into the hero, of sorts, that he becomes.

A thoroughly cute and enjoyable story, I am honored to have had the priveledge to read and review SLOB for Ms Potter. Within the pages of this book is a well crafted story which will move the reader and leave him/her with a feeling way more satisfying than any number of Oreo cookies could ever hope to give.

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow *REVIEW & GIVEAWAY!!*

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
Geared Towards: Ages 12 and up
Published By: Razor Bill
Publication Date: June 2009
ISBN: 978-1-59514-251-1

In a day and age when young adult fans flock to paranormal reads like the Twilight and Vampire Academy series, Lili St. Crow (also known as Lilith Saint Crow on the adult lit spectrum) has released her first YA novel in the form of the eerie and oh so chilling Strange Angels.

There are things out there, dark and nasty things, that most people prefer to pretend do not exist. They're out there though, and as Dru Anderson will tell you, you're better off living in that world of make believe where everything smells like roses.

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Raised by her grandmother and father, after her mother's death when Dru was only five, Dru has come to see the world through different eyes than most other kids her age. At sixteen she should be working towards finishing up her last couple of years of school, shopping at the mall with girlfriends, and even dating a high school hottie. Instead of this grandious picture of modern teenage life, however, Dru travels across the country with her dad hunting down things that go bump in the night. They're not your average father daughter duo, but what Dru and her dad have together works for them. It's not always easy or safe, yet at the end of each day they can rest knowing that maybe, just maybe, the world is a little safer because of what they do.

And then, the unthinkable happens.

When her dad fails to return home after a hunt one cold winter night, Dru knows something bad has happened. Perhaps it's her sixth sense, the touch - as her grandma called it, but whatever it is though Dru knows she's got plenty to be worried about. Caught in the middle of a battle against things no sixteen year old should even know about, Dru Anderson must push beyond everything she thought she knew about life and The Real World if she's going to ever see another day of either again.

Alone and afraid, still the new girl in town, Dru turns to an unlikely source. With the help of her new found friend Graves, the somewhat attractive goth boy from American History, Dru sets out to solve the mystery of what happened to her father. She knows what became of him, but not who or what was responsible. Yet that is the million question she must answer if she's to ever avenge his death.

She is the hunter and the hunted. Running for her life, Dru must work in ways she never knew herself capable. She must learn to put her trust in those most likely to hurt her. And she must push herself farther than ever before.

In this brilliant coming of age tale, Crow has created a highly unnerving and bizarre world right here within the realm of our own. Her layout is seamless and the story developement is spot on. I particularly enjoyed how despite her character's backgrounds, Crow has made sure they don't come across as brash and unbelieveable. Dru's still just a regular teenage girl at heart. She can, for a time, hold her own in this world of darkness and pain, but despite her strength and attempted bravado Dru is not ashamed to recognize her own inexperience and weakness. The same goes for Graves, and even, to a lesser extent, Christophe. It's this naivete which adds to the overall realistic vibe of the story. You feel for the characters, and you are able to really see through their eyes because the voice of the story is believable while being utterly engaging.

I think readers will be really pleased with how entertaining this novel is, and with the news that there's a sequel on the horizon for Spring 2010!

If you'd like to give Strange Angels a go for yourself, then now is your chance. Thanks to the kind publishers (more specifically to Emily) at Penguin Group (USA) I have an extra copy to giveaway one one lucky Ready Set Read Reviews reader (US only please... unless you already commented and aren't within the US.. then I'll still enter you because it's my fault for not making this specification initially.)! All you have to do to enter the draw is leave a comment here, by July 11th, telling me who you'd like to win for and why. Sound easy enough?

Want more entries? Do any or all of the following in addition to the first required post. Then comment back after doing each to let me know you did it so I can enter you again. This gives you a possible 6 entries in to the draw.

1.) Become a Ready Set Read Reviews blog follower/or let me know you are already one. (on the right hand side of the screen) ***1 additional entry***

2.) Follow me on Twitter (Twitter id is: monkeygirlsmama - Be sure to include your twitter id with your follow up comment.) ***1 additional entry***

3.) Retweet and link back to this giveaway on Twitter (Be sure to include your twitter id with your follow up comment.) ***1 additional entry***

4.) Subscribe to the Ready Set Read Reviews blog feed. (on the right hand side of the screen) ***1 additional entry***

5.) Post about this giveaway anywhere else online (Facebook, your blog, etc) and post a link back. (Be sure to include a link to your post with your follow up comment.) ***1 additional entry***