Mudshark

     Mudshark by Gary Paulsen is a humorous tale about a middle school age boy who is the school’s best problem solver.  That is, he is the best problem solver until the school librarian gets a pet parrot to replace  the other pet which really wasn’t a pet but a purse. The parrot doesn’t say [...]

Mortimer’s First Garden by Karma Wilson

             The author of  Bear Snores On is back with another story with Mortimer the Mouse first introduced in Mortimer’s Christmas Manger.  What can I say about this latest story – it’s wonderful!!! In Mortimer’s First Garden the story and illustrations are nicely done and is sure to be a favorite of young children. The [...]

Has the Caldecott Award Become a Quasi Newberry?

 Recently I was reflecting on this year’s Caldecott Winner The House in the Night. It is a nice story but were those illustrations really worthy of an award? Thinking back I remembered reading an article about the Newberry Award and the question posed about whether or not it has lost its way over time. I [...]