The Middle-Child Blues - School Library Journal Review

By Kristyn Crow -
My editor just forwarded me the School Library Journal review for Middle Child, and I thought I'd share:

CROW, Kristyn. The Middle-Child Blues. illus. by David Catrow. unpaged. CIP. Putnam. 2009. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-24735-4. LC 2008030591.
K-Gr 2–What middle children haven’t sung the blues about their place in the family hierarchy? Lee is stuck between his older brother and cute little sister. There’s just not much to do in between, even when the family goes to the fair. He’s too young to hang out with his brother, too old for the things his sister wants to do. He’s definitely in a sulk. But then he picks up his guitar and begins to sing: “I’ve got the low-down,/big-frown/sulkin’-all-around-town/bummed-out/mid-kid blues.” Soon a crowd gathers, and Lee is the center of attention. His parents and passersby join in, saying that they are middle children themselves, and admit that they have forgotten how rough that can be. Catrow’s trademark pencil and watercolor illustrations are perfect for this story. Heads are oversized, and facial expressions exaggerated. The colorful illustrations dance all over the pages. This book is a winner.–Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Congratulations to the 2009 ALA Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, King, Geisel, etc. Award Recipients

By Kristyn Crow -
ALA Awards 2009 John Newbery Medal: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman John Newbery Honor Books: The Underneath by Kathi Appelt The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle Savvy by Ingrid Law After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson Randolph Caldecott Medal: The House in the Night illustrated by Beth Krommes Randolph Caldecott Honor Books: A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet Coretta Scott King Author Award: Kadir Nelson, “We Are the Ship” King Author Honor Books: Hope Anita Smith, “Keeping the Night Watch Joyce Carol Thomas, “The Blacker the Berry” Carole Boston Weatherford, “Becoming Billie Holiday” Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award: Floyd Cooper, “The Blacker the Berry” King Illustrator Honor Books: Kadir Nelson, “We Are the Ship” Sean Qualls, “Before John Was a Jazz Giant” Jerry Pinkney, “The Moon Over Star” Coretta S
Read more

Plan A FABULOUS Literacy Night!

By Kristyn Crow -
Creating enthusiasm for reading is one of the greatest things a school can do for its students. Well-planned Literacy Nights, where parents attend with their children, can boost that enthusiasm enormously. As a picture book author, I’ve had the opportunity to attend numerous literacy events at elementary schools. Some were a raging success, and others fizzled. I’ve paid close attention to what I feel worked and what didn’t. Without naming any particular schools, I thought I’d share my observations. Ideas that Worked : 1. Cheap Dinner : Serve a free dinner at the school to start off the night – such as hotdogs and chips. The most recent literacy night I attended offered this cheap hotdog dinner on a first come, first-served basis. The response was overwhelming, and the school was packed. Food, especially food based on a literacy theme (see themes below) will draw more people to the event. 2. Attendance Prizes: Prior to the evening, announce that there will be prizes awarded f
Read more