[bowker-title isbn="9780786819881" summary="%3Cp%3EPeople%20look%20at%20this%20Caldecott%20Honor%20winner%20and%20scratch%20their%20heads.%20The%20story%20seems%20so%20elemental%E2%80%94a%20big-eyed%20light%20blue%20pigeon%20tries%20to%20persuade%20readers%20to%20let%20him%20drive%20the%20bus%2C%20even%20though%20the%20bus%20driver%20has%20warned%20us%20not%20to.%20When.%20it%20was%20first%20published%2C%20I%20read%20this%20wacky%20little%20easy-to-read%20number%20to%20my%20sister-in-law%20Ann%20Guthrie's%20preschoolers%20at%20the%20Antioch%20School%20in%20Yellow%20Springs%2C%20Ohio%2C%20one%20of%20the%20oldest%20preschools%20in%20the%20country.%20The%20three%20and%20four-year-olds%20went%20wild%20over%20it.%20%22Hey%2C%20can%20I%20drive%20the%20bus%2C%22%20the%20gimlet-eyed%20blue%20pigeon%20asks%20them%20straight%20out.%20%22NO!%22%20they%20chimed.%20The%20persistent%20Pigeon%2C%20tries%20every%20angle%20possible%2C%20from%20whining%20to%20temper%20spells.%20The%20children%20talked%20back%20to%20the%20pigeon.%20They%20decided%20there%20was%20NO%20WAY%20they%20were%20going%20to%20let%20that%20pigeon%20drive%20that%20bus.%20No%20how.%20And%20aren't%20these%20same%20kids%20begging%20and%20pleading%20with%20their%20own%20authority%20figures%20to%20let%20them%20stay%20up%20late%20and%20do%20forbidden%20stuff%3F%20You%20might%20think%20they%20would%20empathize%20with%20the%20poor%20pigeon%20and%20cut%20him%20some%20slack%2C%20but%20it%20didn't%20happen.%20As%20the%20Pigeon%20says%2C%20%22What's%20the%20big%20deal%3F%20It's%20just%20a%20bus.%22%20I've%20used%20this%20book%20with%20kids%20through%20high%20school%2C%20and%20the%20same%20thing%20happens%E2%80%94listeners%20interact%20with%20the%20book%20and%20with%20all%20its%20sequels.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%20class%3D%22themes%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EThemes%20%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20BEHAVIOR.%20ANIMALS.%20HUMOR.%20PICTURE%20BOOKS%20FOR%20OLDER%20READERS.%3C%2Fp%3E" /] CRITICS HAVE SAID A brilliantly simple book that is absolutely true to life, as anyone who interacts with an obdurate three-year-old can attest. In a plain palette, with childishly elemental line drawings, Willems has captured the essence of unreasonableness in the very young. The genius of this book is that the…

[bowker-title isbn="9780780764231" summary="%3Cp%3E%22Everybody%20knows%20the%20story%20of%20the%20Three%20Little%20Pigs.%20Or%20at%20least%20they%20think%20they%20do.%20But%20I'll%20let%20you%20in%20on%20a%20little%20secret.%20Nobody%20knows%20the%20real%20story%2C%20because%20nobody%20has%20ever%20heard%20my%20side%20of%20the%20story.%22%20That's%20Alexander%20T.%20Wolf%20talking%2C%20and%20he'd%20like%20to%20set%20the%20record%20straight.%20He%20says%2C%20%22I%20don't%20know%20how%20this%20whole%20Big%20Bad%20Wolf%20thing%20got%20started%2C%20but%20it's%20all%20wrong%20.%20.%20.%20The%20real%20story%20is%20about%20a%20sneeze%20and%20a%20cup%20of%20sugar.%22%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EIf%20you%20can%20buy%20his%20explanation%2C%20the%20wolf%20relates%20how%20he%20was%20making%20a%20birthday%20cake%20for%20his%20dear%20old%20granny%20when%20he%20ran%20out%20of%20sugar.%20Off%20he%20went%20to%20his%20neighbor's%20to%20borrow%20a%20cup%2C%20but%2C%20because%20of%20his%20terrible%20cold%2C%20he%20sneezed%20a%20great%20sneeze%2C%20and%20the%20whole%20straw%20house%20fell%20down%2C%20leaving%20the%20occupant%2C%20the%20First%20Little%20Pig%2C%20dead%20as%20a%20doornail.%20So%20the%20wolf%20ate%20him.%20The%20same%20thing%20happened%20to%20the%20Second%20Little%20Pig%20in%20his%20house%20of%20sticks.%20When%20the%20wolf%20tried%20again%20at%20the%20brick%20house%20of%20the%20Third%20Little%20Pig%2C%20the%20rude%20little%20porker%20called%20the%20cops%20on%20him.%20The%20wolf%2C%20speaking%20from%20behind%20bars%2C%20concludes%20his%20indignant%20testimonial%20by%20claiming%20he%20was%20framed.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%20class%3D%22themes%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EThemes%20%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0FAIRY%20TALES%20.%20HUMOR.%20PARODIES.%20POINT%20OF%20VIEW.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22ifyoulovediv%22%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fdiv%3E" /] CRITICS HAVE SAID In this gaily newfangled version of a classic tale, Scieszka and Smith ( Flying Jake ) argue in favor of the villain, transforming the story of the three little pigs into a playfully suspicious, rather arch account of innocence beleaguered. --Publishers Weekly IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN…

[bowker-title isbn="9780316322003" summary="%3Cp%3EJamie%20Grimm%20talks%20right%20to%20readers%20%E2%80%93%20his%20honesty%20and%20his%20humor%20making%20full%20impact%20on%20each%20of%20us%20--%20putting%20us%20firmly%20in%20his%20fan%20club.%C2%A0%20A%20good%20place%20to%20be.%C2%A0%20Not%20just%20because%20Jamie%20Grimm%20is%20one%20of%20the%20most%20entertaining%20and%20likable%20characters%20you%E2%80%99ll%20ever%20meet%20in%20a%20book%3B%20not%20just%20because%20he%20sees%20the%20humor%20in%20the%20world%20around%20him%20and%20points%20it%20out%20to%20us%20so%20we%20see%20it%2C%20too%3B%20mostly%20because%20he%E2%80%99s%20a%20terrific%20kid%2C%20facing%20a%20lot%20of%20tough%20stuff%2C%20and%20he%20needs%20us%20rooting%20for%20him%2C%20even%20though%20he%E2%80%99d%20never%20ask!%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EJamie%20wants%20to%20be%20a%20stand-up%20comic.%20(And%2C%20yes%2C%20he%20does%20see%20the%20humor%20in%20this%2C%20since%20he%20is%20in%20a%20wheelchair.)%20Still%2C%20he%20is%20determined%2C%20and%20he%E2%80%99s%20studied%20jokes%20from%20the%20best.%C2%A0%20He%E2%80%99s%20got%20a%20million%20%E2%80%98em%2C%20and%20he%E2%80%99s%20always%20working%20on%20his%20delivery%20--%20practicing%20in%20school%2C%20with%20friends%2C%20and%20at%20the%20cash%20register%20of%20Uncle%20Frankie%E2%80%99s%20%E2%80%9CGood%20Eats%20by%20the%20Sea%E2%80%9D%20diner.%20He%20cracks%20the%20customers%20up%20--%20good%20for%20diner%20business%2C%20good%20for%20Jamie%E2%80%99s%20self-confidence%2C%20and%20great%20for%20readers.%20%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EBeyond%20the%20joke-telling%2C%20Jamie%E2%80%99s%20sense%20of%20humor%20pulls%20him%20through%20the%20hard%20times%20he%E2%80%99s%20facing.%C2%A0%20He%E2%80%99s%20new%20in%20town.%20(%E2%80%9CI%20only%20came%20to%20Long%20Beach%20this%20past%20summer.%C2%A0%20Before%20that%20I%20lived%20in%20Cornwall%2C%20New%20York%2C%20where%20life%20was%20definitely%20good.%E2%80%9D)%C2%A0%20He%20is%20new%20at%20his%20middle%20school%20(where%20his%20new%20friends%20convince%20him%20to%20run%20for%20student%20council%3B%20%E2%80%9CThat%20made%20me%20feel%20pretty%20good%2C%20actually.%C2%A0%20For%20like%2C%20four%20hours.%C2%A0%20Until%20the%20announcements%20at%20the%20end%20of%20the%20day.%20%E2%80%A6%20I%20got%20three%20votes.%C2%A0%20Three%20out%20of%20three%20hundred%20sixty%E2%80%93one.%E2%80%9D).%20He%20has%20been%20adopted%20by%20his%20mother%E2%80%99s%20sister%20(%E2%80%9Cwe%E2%80%99ll%20call%20her%20Aunt%20Smiley%E2%80%9D)%2C%20sleeps%20in%20the%20garage%20(%E2%80%9CUncle%20Smiley%20cleaned%20the%20place%20out.%C2%A0%20He%20even%20put%20rugs%20over%20all%20the%20oil%20and%20antifreeze%20splotches%20on%20the%20floor.%20The%20%3Cem%3Ecold%3C%2Fem%3E%20concrete%20floor%E2%80%9D).%20His%20adoptive%20big%20brother%2C%20Stevie%20Kosgrove%20is%20his%20nemesis%20%E2%80%93%20who%20belittles%2C%20beats%20up%2C%20and%20bullies%20Jamie%20every%20chance%20he%20gets.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EAs%20kids%20read%20this%20novel%2C%20they%E2%80%99ll%20wonder%20why%20Jamie%E2%80%99s%20moved%20to%20Long%20Beach%2C%20what%20happened%20to%20his%20family%2C%20and%20why%20he%20is%20in%20a%20wheelchair.%C2%A0%20We%20get%20the%20answers%20well%20into%20the%20book%2C%20when%20Jamie%20trusts%20Cool%20Girl%20%E2%80%93%20Suzie%20Orolvsky%20--%20with%20the%20story.%C2%A0%20Uncle%20Frank%20convinces%20Jamie%20to%20enter%20%E2%80%9CThe%20Planet%E2%80%99s%20Funniest%20Kid%20Comic%20Contest%2C%E2%80%9D%20and%20this%20becomes%20the%20engine%20of%20the%20novel%2C%20leading%20Jamie%20and%20his%20friends%20and%20foes%20from%20level%20to%20level%20of%20the%20contest%2C%20with%20readers%20eagerly%20following%20and%20cheering.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EHilarious%20throughout%20and%20tender%20in%20turns%2C%20%3Cem%3EI%20Funny%3C%2Fem%3E%20offers%20kids%20a%20reading%20experience%20that%20will%20be%20enjoyed%20all%20the%20way%20and%20then%20warmly%20remembered.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EFrom%20Audrey%2C%20a%20young%20reader%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%22This%20is%20an%20amazing%20book.%20I%20really%20enjoy%20a%20good%20laugh%2C%20and%20this%20book%20gave%20me%20a%20lot%20of%20them.%20I%20like%20that%20Jamie%20is%20my%20age%20and%20is%20pursuing%20his%20dream%20to%20be%20a%20comedian.%20I%20enjoyed%20reading%20all%20of%20the%20jokes%20and%20telling%20them%20to%20all%20of%20my%20friends%20and%20family.%20I%20love%20this%20book%20and%20hope%20that%20others%20agree.%22%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%20class%3D%22marging-bottm26%20reviewby%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EReviewed%20by%20%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20LLW%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%20class%3D%22themes%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EThemes%20%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bullies%3B%20Friendship%3B%20Humor%3B%20People%20with%20disabilities%3B%20Perseverance%3C%2Fp%3E" /] CRITICS HAVE SAID "A brimming bucket of bada-bing!" - Booklist "...the value of having an author with as vast a reach as Patterson put a disabled character in the spotlight shouldnt be underestimated." - Publisher "The affecting ending, which reveals a more vulnerable Jamie behind the guise of his humor, celebrates…